Birtley East Community
Primary School
Prospectus
September 2014
Birtley East Community Primary School
Highfield
Birtley East
Chester le Street
DH3 1QQ
Telephone: 0191 4102551
E-mail:
Website: www.birtleyeastprimary.org
Headteacher: Anna Diggle
Chair of Governors: Debra Robinson
LA: Gateshead
Welcome to our school….
Mission statement:
“At Birtley East Community Primary School we will develop all children in our care to their full potential academically, socially, physically and emotionally in a supportive, caring and disciplined environment.”
Birtley East Community Primary school is a one form entry school with a 39 place Nursery situated at the north end of Birtley. We take children aged 3-11 from the surrounding area within Birtley and from Eighton Banks, although we do have a few children who attend here from further afield. We have around 230 pupils on roll taught in single age classes of a maximum of 30 (Nursery has a ratio of 13 pupils to one member of staff and may take up to 39 pupils in one session). We take pupils into Nursery the term after they are 3, so the numbers in Nursery increase as the academic year goes on.
The school is set in beautiful surroundings with an extensive outdoor space and a recently refurbished indoor environment. In addition we have a purpose built Foundation Stage with specially designed outdoor learning provision for children in Nursery and Reception classes. There are additional purpose built outdoor learning spaces for key stages 1 and 2.
Choosing a school for your child is a huge decision for any parent, prospective parents are always welcome to make an appointment to come along, meet the staff and pupils and see our school. You can get in touch by telephone or email, details are on the front page. Our website contains lots of up to date information about our school, including our weekly newsletter.
Anna Diggle
Headteacher
Contents
1. School Staff and Governors
2. Curriculum, including educational visits, RE and sex education
3. Foundation Stage
4. The school day and term dates
5. School Meals
6. Our uniform
7. OfSTED
8. Latest statutory assessment results for KS1 (year 2) and KS2 (year 6)
9. Parents meetings, assessment and reports
10. Attendance
11. Behaviour
12. House System
13. Pastoral Care
14. Safeguarding and Child Protection
15. Pupils with additional needs
16. Extra curricular provision, including Breakfast Club and wrap around childcare provision
17. Complaints
1. School staff and Governors
As at September 2014 staff are deployed in school as set out below. Teaching Assistants are either based in Foundation Stage (2 full time support staff in addition to 2 teachers, increasing if numbers in Nursery require it) or spread out throughout the school supporting pupils. There are two HLTAs (Higher Level Teaching Assistants) employed by school who can cover classes when a teacher is not there.
Headteacher: Miss Anna Diggle
Teaching Staff
Nursery: Mrs Angela Fradgley (TLR Foundation Stage Leader)
Reception: Miss Claire Cox
Year 1: Mrs Cath Dale
Year 2: Miss Audrey Hughes (Deputy Headteacher)
Year 3: Mrs Sue Gilholme
Year 4: Miss Karlene Wright
Year 5: Mrs Ruth Small
Year 6: Miss Alison Scott
Learning Support and Intervention: Mrs Bernadette Daly (TLR for SENCO and Pupil Premium), Mrs Julie Gibbs
Teaching Assistants
Mrs Stacey Parmley (HLTA, Foundation Stage and KS1)First Aid
Mrs Amanda Wilson (HLTA, KS2) First Aid
Miss Katherine Lowes (Reception)
Mrs Deborah Donnelly (Nursery) First Aid
Mrs Rosanne Rowell (KS2)
Miss Stephanie Davison (part time, Foundation Stage) First Aid
Mrs Jo Snee (KS2) First Aid
Mrs Janene Cox (part time, KS2)
Miss Nicole Pearson (apprentice, Nursery)
Miss Leigh Ann Kain (apprentice, Reception, year1)
Administrative and Support Staff
Mrs Suzanna Crossman: School Business Manager
Miss Stephanie Forster: Admin assistant
Mrs Nicole Blackburn: Family Support Worker
Site Manager: Mr Gary Luke, First Aid
Lunchtime supervisory assistants: Mrs Margaret Holegate, Mrs Leila Dhalai, Mrs Maureen Haswell, Mrs Lisa Embleton, Mrs Julie Carter, Ms Angela Richardson, Mrs Joanne Macphail
Governors
LA Cllr M Foy
Ms L Tallent
Community Mr Ian Bowater
Rev Dr Gareth Lloyd
Vacancy
Parents Vacancy
Mrs M Ring
Mrs D Robinson (Chair)
Staff Mrs A Fradgley
Miss A Hughes
Miss A Diggle (Headteacher)
2. Curriculum, including Educational Visits, RE and sex education
At Birtley East Primary School we believe that our curriculum should be broad, balanced, creative and relevant and should meet the needs of all our learners whatever their ability. We are well prepared for the changes to the National Curriculum for September 2014, further details are posted on our school website where you can find more details about what each year group studies: www.birtleyeastprimary.org.
The curriculum is the totality of our pupils’ learning experiences and is comprised of the National Curriculum, Religious Education and the wider curriculum. We ensure that the children have a wide range of learning experiences that challenge, stimulate and promote thinking and learning. The wider curriculum is promoted through our strong school ethos and gives our pupils the skills they need to become active and responsible members of the community.
Aims
The aims of the curriculum are:
• To promote high standards in speaking and listening, reading, writing and maths.
• To enable our pupils to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding in science.
• To enable pupils to be confident and creative in their use of ICT.
• To give pupils an understanding of their position in time and space (history and geography).
• To promote pupils’ spiritual development.
• To enable our pupils to develop moral sensibility through carefully taught values and the consistent implementation of the school ethos.
• To develop the personal and social skills of each child.
• To promote pupils’ physical and mental development and an awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
• To enable our pupils to be sensitive to and participate in the Arts and a wide range of cultural activities.
• To promote thinking skills and the habits of independent learning and self-reflection.
• To provide equality of access and the opportunity for all pupils to fulfil their potential.
• To prepare pupils for the opportunities, experiences and responsibilities of adult life.
• To create a stimulating learning environment.
• To work with parents and the wider school community.
• To promote high standards of behaviour to create a calm and ordered learning environment.
Religious Education
Religious Education is broadly Christian and is provided in accordance with the LA’s syllabus. Emphasis is placed on positive attitudes towards each other and people in the community. Parents wishing to withdraw their child from Religious Education or Collective Worship should contact the Headteacher.
Sex Education
Sex Education is dealt with informally and information is given to pupils as necessary and appropriate. Pupils are informed about the body and the function of the main organs. During upper Key Stage Two the school nurse visits the school to talk to the pupils about changes in the body. This is done with the parents having given their prior consent. Resources used in these lessons such as videos are available to parents prior to the lessons.
Additional Music Opportunities
Throughout each year we offer children wide range of music opportunities including whole class violin lessons in year 2, small group violin tuition and whole class guitar lessons in KS2. We value music, including singing, highly at Birtley East.
Educational Visits
We are a school which values learning outside the classroom and as such classes will take opportunities for educational visits about once per term, although there will be additional visits out of school for events such as sports competitions. We always subsidise the cost of these visits but there will usually be a suggested contribution from parents. There is a residential visit each year in year 6 and we also arrange residential visits from time to time for other children in KS2, such as visiting London.
Charges for School Activities
Following regulations laid down in the Education Reform Act 1988, the Governors’ policy on charging pupils for various school activities is in accordance with that of the LA.
We are keen to maintain our tradition of taking children on school visits to places of interest as part of the learning process. We will invite parents to make voluntary contributions to finance these activities. No distinction will be made between pupils on the basis of whether or not their parents have contributed. Any planned activity may not be viable if there are insufficient contributions.
Similarly, it is school policy that parents be encouraged to contribute on a voluntary basis, any ingredients, materials and equipment needed at times for practical subjects such as cookery or craft/technology. Again there is no obligation to do so, although the feasibility of carrying out the activity will depend upon parent support.
Targeted Mental Health in School and SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning)
A key area of our curriculum throughout school is our support for pupils with their emotional well-being. If a child is emotionally ready to learn then they will be more able to achieve their full potential, whatever that may be. To help support our children we offer a package of well-being opportunities to all children. In addition, a small targeted group of children are able to access more specific or specialised support.
-SEAL is a key aspect of the school curriculum.
-The ‘Emotional well-being team’ support identified children.
-We are a nurturing and inclusive school, we consider the environment for learning and the emotional needs of every child as central to our provision.
-We employ a counsellor who sees identified children by arrangement with their parents.
-We employ a Family Support Worker to further enhance the support for pupils and their families.
Homework
Teachers arrange meetings for parents each year to discuss the learning to take place and give further details about homework in each particular year group. There will be something for you to do with your child each week whatever class they are in, some homework is computer based and some paper based.
3. Foundation Stage
We can admit up to 30 children full time into Reception class and admit up to 39 in each nursery session (to a maximum of 78 children in total). We have offered flexibility with regard to Nursery sessions to parents since September 2012, with the option to attend all day if parents wish.
The new (September 2012) Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is followed through Nursery and Reception classes. It encompasses seven areas of learning;
• Communication and Language
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Understanding of World
• Expressive Arts and Design
These areas help practitioners plan the learning environment, activities and experiences, and provide a framework for the early years curriculum. This does not mean that all young children’s learning is divided up into areas. One experience may provide a child with opportunities to develop a number of competencies, skills and concepts across several areas of learning.
We know that the education offered in our Foundation Stage is exactly as its name suggests – a foundation for life-long learning.
4. The school day and term dates
The School Day
08.45- 08.55am: Children welcome in the playground
08.55am: Start of School Day (Reception/KS 1/KS2)
12.00pm - 13.00pm: Lunch Break (Reception/KS 1)
12.15pm - 13.00pm: Lunch Break (KS 2)
13.00pm: Afternoon session begins (Reception/KS 1/KS 2)
15.15pm: End of School Day - Reception and KS 1
15.20pm: End of School Day - KS 2
Nursery School Day
Children attending Nursery can attend for 15 hours within the time frames below:
Monday to Thursday: 9am-3pm (Session choices: 9am-12pm, 12pm-3pm or all day, 9am-3pm)
Friday: 9am-12pm
When your child starts Nursery you will be asked to sign up for sessions totalling 15 hours from a selection of set session patterns, available upon induction. 15 hours provision could be 2 full days and one half day, 5 morning sessions, one full day and 3 half days or other combinations. Children staying in Nursery all day will be asked to bring a packed lunch which they will eat between 12.10 and 12.40, children who only come for the afternoon (12-3) will be welcome to bring a snack to have here with their friends and should have their lunch at home before they come.
Term Dates
Autumn Term / Monday 1 September 2014 / Friday 19 December 2014 / 27 - 31 October 2014 incl
Spring Term / Monday 5 January 2015 / Thursday 2 April 2015 (closed Friday 3 April bank holiday) / 16 - 20 February 2015 incl
Summer Term / Monday 20 April 2015 / Friday 17 July 2015 / 25 - 30 May 2015 (incl 1 bank hol 25th May)
All dates are inclusive.
In addition to the above dates, schools will be closed to pupils on Monday 4 May 2015 (Bank Holidays).
Two days within the above terms are to be used for professional development for staff. These dates are to be determined and agreed by individual school governing bodies.
In addition, one occasional day within the Summer Term 2015 is to be utilised for the purpose of closure for possible election purposes, this day to be used near the end of the summer term and agreed by individual school governing bodies.
The start of the Autumn Term 2015 is proposed as Tuesday 1st September 2015.
2015-16 / From / To / Half Term HolsAutumn Term / Tuesday 1 September 2015 / Friday 18 December 2015 / 26 - 30 October 2015 incl
Spring Term / Monday 4 January 2016 / Wednesday 23 March 2016 / 15 - 19 February 2016 incl
Summer Term / Monday 11 April 2016 / Wednesday 20 July 2016 / 30 May – 3 June 2016 incl (1 bank hol 30th May)
All dates are inclusive.
In addition to the above dates, schools will be closed to pupils on Monday 2 May 2016 (Bank Holiday).
Three days within the above terms are to be used for professional development for staff. These dates are to be determined and agreed by individual school governing bodies.