What makes us special?
We are a very happy school where all staff work and learn together with our children, really effectively.
We are a committed and exceptionally hardworking team. We have a clear ‘Model of Learning’ which maximises
the Learning opportunities for all pupils and ensures consistent progress is made as they move through the school.
We are all passionate about Learning and the difference we can make each and every day.
Continued improvement of outcomes for our Learners- raising academic standards as well as Learners personal development- are key drivers of our school improvement!
Happy children are Happy Learners and more importantly than anything else we have a clear ‘CAN DO’ culture where it is good to make mistakes because then you learn something new. This ensures we are able to foster the self esteem of our learners at all times. We are a ‘Learning Community’ where the continuous professional development of all our staff is a priority and we model ‘Lifelong Learning’ to our pupils.
Together we can ensure your child learns successfully and happily.
We are also up to date with the latest brain research on how children learn most effectively using brain breaks or brain gym in our lessons. Because children can only concentrate for the equivalent in minutes, of their actual age in years when learning something new –i.e. if they are seven years old, as a teacher you have seven minutes to teach them something new and then you need to change their learning state and have a mini break so that they can continue to learn effectively again. This may be using peer mentoring where they turn to their talk partner and discuss for 30 seconds or a minute and then feedback to the teacher, or they may stand and do a simple exercise together getting them moving so that we link both sides of the brain effectively to get ‘whole brain learning’! We increase the flow of oxygen to the brain 10 fold when we stand up- and so it is essential to include movement to ensure maximum learning takes place for all children in all lessons.
Everyone today needs to realise you do not acquire knowledge, skills or understanding without interacting with the learning in a multi-sensory way. Our model of Learning explicitly encourages teachers and support staff to plan and cater for visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners. (VAK) Knowing the purpose behind learning the skill for example, is also hugely motivating! What we call the WIIFM factor! The what’s in it for me!
This is very important indeed for boys so that they engage in their Learning opportunities. They have to know the real life reason for doing it- not just for the teacher! It is crucial also to have a ‘grab’ factor at the outset of each lesson- something unusual, fun, exciting and this is why we use characters in our learning!
This is the time of the Learning Revolution and it really is immensely exciting! We continue as a school to strive for sustained success with ever improving opportunities for all our Learners. Complacency, cruising or coasting are not words which exist in our dictionary!
We have a rigorous tracking system in place which is shared both by parents and carers with their children regularly, so that we are all working together so that student’s attainment and progress is monitored and scrutinised continuously.
We have a celebration assembly every Friday where Special Certificates are awarded personally to pupils. In addition purple tickets are given in the week to pupils who show excellent social skills and manners at lunchtime. Every Friday those children with a purple ticket are able to invite a friend and they all go into lunch early and eat on a special table with flowers and place mats. The pupils really enjoy this reward.
We award space protector stickers to pupils who demonstrate space protective behaviours and the class with the most stickers are rewarded with the ‘fenced area’ known as the cage on Friday break and lunchtime. Special ICT time on Friday lunchtimes is awarded to the best attending class of the week. During the week itself each year group gets to use the fenced area on their own for one day and the ICT suite during one lunchtime. Two year groups a day are able to use the fun ‘Huff and Puff’ equipment. We have an active school council and every term classes vote in democratically their pupil council representatives.
The school gates open each day at 8.30 am. The Year 5 & 6 pupils enter by the top end gates of the school. Year 3 & 4 pupils enter by the gate at the other end of the school adjacent to the entrance to the school field and next to the Infant School. The doors at each end of the school are opened at 8.35 am prompt so that pupils can wander in as they arrive starting the day really positively, interacting with their teachers and peers. This allows children to come into school calmly and settle themselves ready for a very prompt start at 8.50 am.
We will always be very happy to make a mutually convenient appointment at any time, so that any questions worries or concerns can be sorted out. Please either pop in first thing in the morning or after school, or contact the school office and Mrs Prescott will liaise between you, your child’s teacher or myself to arrange this. We would very much rather you came in to chat to us with any problems so that we can address them quickly and efficiently.
Your child’s happiness and well being is of the highest importance to us.
Our school is a happy enthusiastic place for all members of its community to continue to grow, develop and continue to learn in our quest for Life Long Learning. In short, there is a buzz about Learning and, there is evidence everywhere from the moment you walk in the door…
- Pupils talk explicitly about their learning and targets as well as their strategies for achieving them
- There is an optimism about learning potential and a commitment to celebrate success
- Staff training focuses sharing teaching and learning issues, problem solving and joint planning.
Everyone can learn and good learning is predominantly a social not a solitary activity.
All learning is learnable… our job is to make it so…
