PRIMARY SCHOOL / PRIMARY SCHOOL
6 CASTLE PARK ROAD / Telephone: 028 9146 0513
BANGOR
BT20 4TF / Fax: 028 9146 8915
E-Mail:
Website: www.bangorcentral.com
Principal: Mr P.R. Campbell B.Ed. (Hons), D.A.S.E., M.Ed. PQH
Chairman of Board of Governors: Mrs M E Holland B.A. Hons
Admissions No. 87 / Enrolment No. 618
Bangor Central Integrated Primary School offers parents in Bangor the choice of a place in an integrated school. Our school provides a learning environment where children from all religious, cultural and social backgrounds can learn with, from and about each other. We offer a holistic approach with an emphasis on nurturing and developing every aspect of a child’s potential. Our recent inspection by the Department of Education concluded that, “The quality of education in this school is very good. The school is meeting very effectively the educational and pastoral needs of the children; and has demonstrated its capacity for sustained self-improvement.”
We look forward to the exciting challenging of educating today’s children – to-morrow's adults.
The current school building opened in 1958, is excellently situated in a campus which also includes Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College and Bangor Central Nursery School. It is within walking distance of all town amenities including the Aurora Leisure Complex, Bangor Castle, Heritage Centre, Bangor Marina, parklands and commerce. We look forward to an exciting new school building in the next few years through the ‘Fresh Start Agreement.’ Our pupils come largely from the immediate vicinity although we have many pupils from across Bangor. Our current enrolment is 614.
The well kept accommodation consists of *16 permanent classrooms, 5 temporary classrooms, an assembly/physical education hall, a computer suite, library, staffroom, resource areas and an administration block. *This includes a purpose built extension exclusively for children in Years 1 and 2. The Education Authority has recently invested significant resources in the refurbishment of the pupils’ toilets and temporary classrooms as well as a new dining hall, replacement windows and an interior lighting and painting project. The Integrated Education Fund has installed a new mobile classroom for the development of The Arts and Learning Support. Every classroom is well resourced with the latest technology to enhance teaching and learning. Every room has an interactive whiteboard, digital camera, desktop computers and laptops. Pupils are timetabled to enjoy and benefit from working in our well-equipped computer suite. We have piloted the use of ipads extensively in each key stage and have recently invested in a set of ipads for each year group.
Our large playground is filled with exciting games and apparatus to provide our pupils with enjoyable opportunities to develop their physical and social skills. We have also begun to develop our grass area as an ‘outdoor classroom’ with the help of our Eco Committee of pupils and staff. In 2013, we received the prestigious Green Eco Flag award in recognition of whole-school environmental education and performance.
The current teaching staff consists of Principal and 24 teachers including a part-time Physical Education specialist. Our Learning Support team consists of an SEN Classroom Assistant and two full time learning support teachers, one of whom has responsibility for children with English as an Additional Language. The dedicated staff reflects a wide range of experience and expertise thus making the delivery of the new Northern Ireland curriculum all the more stimulating and meaningful. There exists a well-structured system whereby the Senior Leadership Team, year group co-ordinators, subject co-ordinators, key stage groups, year groups and the whole staff meet regularly to plan and evaluate the learning experiences of our pupils. The classroom assistants, office staff, caretaker, cleaners and supervisory assistants complete a team dedicated to the education and welfare of the children entrusted to their care.
Our school is in an excellent position to provide the full Northern Ireland Curriculum because of the efficient management of our resources. This broad and challenging programme is provided in a pleasant, caring and sensitive environment. Our recent inspection by the Department of Education stated that, “The quality of the arrangements for pastoral care in the school is outstanding.” Thus each child can be wholly developed ie morally, socially, culturally, intellectually, spiritually and physically. We aim to develop each child to his/her full potential with particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy whilst also developing skills for learning and nurturing confidence, self-esteem and consideration for others. Pupils are actively involved in school life through class councils, Eco-Committee and our Pupil Council. Year 4 to 7 pupils have the opportunity to learn the recorder and to audition for tuition on a brass or string instrument and for a place in our school band.
This is all achieved in a disciplined framework so that all pupils can reap the full benefit of their education. Our school motto summaries our holistic approach- ‘We care, we share, we achieve. We learn together.’
We welcome pupils from every tradition and special provision is made within school for our Roman Catholic children who are prepared for the sacraments by one of our teachers.
Educational visits, whether local or further afield, form an integral part of the school curriculum. Residential trips are offered to Year 6 and Year 7 pupils, currently Ardnabannon Outdoor Education Centre and Edinburgh.
Our school believes that extra-curricular activities add much to the children’s development. Our excellent programme includes:- a school band, steel band, junior and senior choirs, drama, art, computer, Scripture Union, gardening, choral speaking, Debutots, Science and French. Many of the above clubs combine to put on a school concert or production once per year. We also provide a homework club organised by local volunteers. Our ‘Central Beat’ Steel band and choirs often perform in public during the year. Sporting activities include:- soccer, mini hockey, netball, cricket, gymnastics, tennis, Ju jitsu, cross-country, badminton and athletics.
We pride ourselves on the breadth of opportunity for so many children and the excellence in performance that they often attain in all these fields.
Road safety provision is also part of the curriculum including Cycling Proficiency in Year 7.
Excellent parental support and co-operation ensure that all pupils wear the designated school uniform and maintain high standards with regard to behaviour and attendance. A strong partnership exists between staff and parents who are encouraged to play an active role in their children’s education. A very active Parent Teacher Association makes a significant contribution to the school's social and educational programme whilst also providing much needed funds for the school. In 2013, the PTA purchased a wonderful new minibus for school use. Parental volunteers also help in other ways by supporting the teaching staff - in particular by providing assistance for sport, library and supervision. They also contribute generously to nominated charities each year together with their children.
Pupils are provided with opportunities to develop as global citizens through a variety of projects. Pupils exchange work with pupils in our partner school in China and we recently hosted a return visit by Principals from China. Our pupils’ education is enriched through the weekly visits of skilled Chinese and Polish teachers. The school also endeavours to contribute constructively to the local community and environment whilst also deriving significant benefits to our on-going class work.
As members of the local community the members of the Board of Governors are dedicated and keenly interested in all aspects of school life and are fully supportive of the work of the staff.
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JOB DESCRIPTION – TEACHING POSTS
Main duties and Responsibilities
1 Planning
1.1 Planning and preparing courses and lessons;
1.2 Teaching, according to their educational needs, the pupils assigned to him/her, including the setting and marking of work to be carried out by the pupils in school and elsewhere;
1.3 Assessing, recording and reporting on the development, progress and attainment of pupils.
2 General
2.1 Promoting the general progress and well-being of individual pupils and of any class or group of pupils assigned to him/her;
2.2 Providing advice and guidance to pupils on educational and social matters and on their further education and future careers including information about sources of more expert advice on specific questions, making relevant records and reports;
2.3 Making records of and reports on the personal and social needs of pupils except in instances where to do so might be regarded as compromising a teacher’s own position;
2.4 Communicating and consulting with the parents of pupils;
2.5 Communicating and co-operating with such persons or bodies outside the school as may be approved by the employing authority and the Board of Governors;
2.6 Participating in meetings arranged for any of the purposes described above.
3 Assessment/Reporting
Providing or contributing to oral and written assessments, reports and references relating to individual pupils and groups of pupils except in instances where to do so might be regarded as compromising a teacher’s own position.
4 Staff Development/Professional Development
4.1 Participating, if required, in any scheme of staff development and performance review;
4.2 a) Reviewing from time to time his/her methods of teaching and programmes of work;
b) Participating in arrangements for his/her further training and professional development as a teacher.
4.3 Advising and co-operating with the Principal and other teachers (or any one or more of them) on the preparation and development of courses of study, teaching materials, teaching programmes, methods of teaching and assessment and pastoral arrangements.
5 Discipline/Health and Safety
5.1 Maintaining good order and discipline among pupils in accordance with the policies of the employing authority and safeguarding their health and safety both when they are authorised to be on the school premises and when they are engaged in authorised school activities elsewhere.
5.2 Participating in meetings at the school which relate to the curriculum for the school or the administration or organisation of the school, including pastoral arrangements.
6 Public Examinations
Participating in arrangements for preparing pupils for public examinations and in assessing pupils for the purposes of such examinations; recording and reporting such assessments; and participating in arrangements for pupils’ presentation for and supervision during such examination.
7 Review and Development of Management Activities/Administration
7.1 a) Contributing to the selection for appointment and professional development of other teachers, including the induction and assessment of probationary teachers;
b) Co-ordinating or managing the work of other teachers;
c) Taking such part as may be required of him/her in the review, development and management of activities relating to the curriculum, organisation and pastoral functions of the school.
7.2 a) Participating in administrative and organisational tasks related to such duties as described above, including the management or supervision of persons providing support for the teachers in the school and the ordering and allocation of equipment and materials.
b) Subject to the provisions of Article 22 of the Order, attending assemblies;
c) Registering the attendance of pupils and supervising pupils, whether these duties are to be performed before, during or after school sessions.
8 Number of days/Hours of work
8.1 a) A full-time teacher, other than a teacher employed in a residential establishment, shall be available for work on 195 days in any year of which not more than 190 days should involve teaching children in a classroom situation;
b) A teacher, other than a teacher employed in a residential establishment, shall be available to perform such duties at such times and such places as may reasonably be specified by the Principal, or where he/she is employed by a Board on terms under which he/she is not assigned to any one school by the Board or the Principal of any school in which he/she may for the time being be required to work as a teacher, for 1,265 hours in any year exclusive of time spent off school premises in preparing and marking lessons and time spent travelling to and from the place of work;
c) A teacher may not be required to teach as distinct from supervise children in a classroom situation for more than 25 hours in any week in a primary or special school and 23.5 hours in any week in a secondary school;
d) Unless employed under a separate contract as a mid-day supervisor, a teacher shall not be required to undertake mid-day supervision.
9 Staff cover
9.1 Supervising and teaching any pupils whose teacher is not available provided that:
a) In schools with an average daily enrolment greater than 222 pupils a teacher other than a supply teacher shall not be required to provide such cover after the second day on which a teacher is absent or otherwise not available or from the first day if the fact that the teacher would be absent or otherwise not available for a period exceeding 2 days was known to and agreed by the employing authority in advance;
b) In schools with an average daily enrolment of 222 pupils or less a teacher other than a supply teacher shall not be required to provide such cover after the first day on which a teacher is absent or otherwise not available for more than 1 day was known to and agreed by the employing authority in advance;
c) In schools with a complement of 1, 2 or 3 teachers and in nursery units in primary schools, a teacher other than a supply teacher shall, notwithstanding heads (a) and (b), not be required to provide such cover.
Conditions of Service
The conditions of service for this post will be in accordance with the Regulations of the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING POST:
SENCO/ LEARNING SUPPORT TEACHER / DEPUTY DESIGNATED TEACHER /
HEAD OF PASTORAL CARE
PRINCIPAL PURPOSE
The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), with the support of the principal and colleagues, seeks to develop effective ways of overcoming barriers to learning in order to sustain effective teaching through the analysis and assessment of children’s needs, by monitoring the quality of teaching and standards of pupils’ achievements and by setting targets for improvement. The SENCO will work in partnership with curriculum coordinators so that learning for all children is given equal focus and available resources are used to maximum effect.