Name of School: Llansawel Primary

LLANSAWEL PRIMARY SCHOOL

PROSPECTUS

SCHOOL YEAR 2016/2017

NAME OF SCHOOL: LLANSAWEL PRIMARY

ADDRESS: VERNON PLACE,

BRITON FERRY,

NEATH, SA11 2JJ.

TELEPHONE NO: (01639) 813224

EMAIL

NAME OF HEADTEACHER: MRS. L. Hynes (B.A. Hons.,NPQH)

SCHOOL CLASSIFICATION: COUNTY, PRIMARY, CO-EDUCATIONAL

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH MEDIUM

DES No: 671 2152

AGE RANGE OF PUPILS: 3-11 YEARS

NUMBER ON ROLL: 64 FULL-TIME + 8 PART-TIME

CHAIRMAN OF GOVERNORS: CLLR. HUGH JAMES

This information is correct and up-to-date at the time of printing – AUTUMN TERM 2016.

Some adjustment/re-arrangement of provision may be necessary for the school year 2017/2018.

Dear Parents/ Carers,

Choosing the right school for your child is vitally important. At Llansawel Primary School we believe that by working in partnership with families, staff, governors and the community we have established an environment where there is an ethos of care, commitment and high expectations. We value our pupils and strive to give them the best opportunities to achieve their full potential thereby developing firm foundations for the future.

Vision : Our aim is for all children to reach their full potential in a happy, secure and caring environment assisted by the local community.

School Aims

Ø  To provide a happy, caring, creative and healthy learning environment where all may thrive.

Ø  To give every child irrespective of sex, race, colour or disability the opportunity and encouragement to succeed and reach his/her full potential in all aspects of learning.

Ø  To provide a broad, balanced curriculum relevant to all children’s needs and abilities.

Ø  To develop effective thinking and problem solving skills and to encourage a positive attitude towards learning.

Ø  To develop confident, life- long learners.

Ø  To encourage care and respect for the environment whether it be the school, the locality or worldwide.

Ø  To promote open, tolerant attitudes and to encourage children to have respect for others and be aware of how our behaviour affects those around us.

Ø  To work in partnership with parents and the wider community.

Ø  To promote and foster an enjoyment and knowledge of the Welsh language, culture and heritage as an integral part of daily life, while at the same time promoting an understanding of and a respect for different cultures and creeds.

Location

The school is situated in the Llansawel area of Briton Ferry; there are no designated parking facilities. Llansawel primary caters for children between the ages of three and eleven and the catchment area is a mixture of private and rented housing.

Premises

The building dates from 1883 and is comprised of five teaching rooms arranged around a central hall. Disability ramps are in place at two entrance points. The school has three toilet facilities; all are cleaned daily.

There is a separate kitchen within the hall area and the hall is used as a dining facility.

School Security

The security and safety of the children and staff while at school is of paramount importance.

At the beginning of each school day, children enter the school through a number of

entrances which are then secured. Day time security locks are in use from 9.00 a.m. All children or visitors arriving after this time are required to use the office entrance, and access is controlled by a bell. All security locks can be opened from inside the building.

During playtimes, children are well supervised and playground gates are secured.

School Organisation

Children attend school on a part-time basis, starting after their third birthday. The Nursery is organised in one session.

The school is organised into classes of mixed ability. All classes are currently of a mixed age range. Current arrangements are:

Nursery/Reception (Nursery morning session only)

Year 1/Year 2

Year 3/Year 4

Year 5/Year6

Home-School Agreement

Children achieve more when schools and parents work together. Our Home-School Agreement provides a framework for the development of this partnership, and reflects our aims to provide a high quality education for all children in our care. Parents are asked to commit to this Agreement when their child/ children are admitted to school. The children form the main focus of this agreement and they, too, have developed their own set of criteria which are also included in the document. The Home-School Agreement for Llansawel primary School demonstrates the following commitments:

The Pupil will:

·  work hard and listen carefully to instructions;

·  take care of our school and keep it tidy;

·  be polite, kind and helpful to other children and adults.

The Parents will:

·  ensure that their child arrives at school on time and is collected on time;

·  make sure that their child attends regularly and inform the school immediately of the reason for any absence;

·  inform the school of any concerns or problems that might affect their child’s work or ability to learn;

·  attend Parents’ Evenings and other discussions about their child’s progress;

·  support the school in maintaining good behaviour;

·  support their child with homework and other home-learning opportunities including listening to their child read;

·  ensure that their child is appropriately dressed in the school colours.

The School will:

·  ensure children’s wellbeing and foster feelings of confidence and self-worth;

·  offer a broad, balanced, challenging curriculum which meets the needs of all children;

·  keep parents informed about school matters and what we aim to teach each term;

·  encourage and support children to do their best at all times and keep parents informed about their child’s progress;

·  always respond to any concerns parents may have regarding their child’s welfare or progress;

·  monitor attendance and report on this to parents;

·  welcome parents into the life of the school.

School Meals

Meals, including a vegetarian option, are prepared, cooked and served on the premises. A three week balanced fixed menu rota is in place serving a variety of healthy options.

Dinner money must be paid promptly on a Monday morning. Parents can choose to provide their child/ren with a packed lunch. Glass bottles/containers are not allowed.

Breakfast Club

School has a Breakfast Club for pupils. The Breakfast Club is free of charge and is available every day. Cereal, fruit and toast are available for the children. Children must arrive between 8.20 am and 8.40 am. We cannot admit pupils outside these times. Children must enter the club via the main entrance where their attendance will be recorded. Children may attend on any of the days or all of the days of the week, to suit.

School Hours

Morning session begins at 8.50 a.m. and ends at 12.00 midday

Afternoon session begins at 1.00 p.m. and ends at 3.20 p.m.

.

Part-time Nursery: Morning session - 8.50 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils. We endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued. We are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure that children receive effective support, protection and justice. It is the responsibility of the Head Teacher to ensure that all Child Protection procedures are followed correctly and that all staff are trained appropriately to the required standard. Our Child Protection policy is available from the office upon request.

The Designated Child Protection Officer is Mrs L. Hynes. The Deputy Designated Child Protection Officer is Mrs A. Evans. The Designated Child Protection Governor is Mr H James.

Should you have any concerns or information you wish to share, please contact any member of staff. All cases will be dealt professionally with efficiency and discretion. The Designated Teacher, Mrs L. Hynes is also responsible for Looked after Children. Children are supported in a caring environment and their attainment monitored.

The school maintains a close relationship with outside agencies with responsibility

for Child Protection issues and believes in multi-agency working.

Health and Safety

Our Policy at Llansawel Primary School is to provide and maintain safe, healthy working conditions for all our pupils and staff. All equipment is regularly inspected and identified. Risk assessments are in place and hazards are made safe or removed. Electrical equipment is PAT tested annually by an approved company. The P.E. equipment is checked and maintained regularly.

Fire Drills are carried out on a termly basis. Members of staff have undergone emergency First Aid training. One member of staff is a qualified First Aider.

All dogs (except Guide dogs) are not permitted in the grounds of the school.

Please support the school in this matter as some children find dogs in the confines of the school yard a little threatening.

In the event of a pupil being taken ill or sustaining a minor accident, the parents or carers are informed and appropriate arrangements made. Emergency services will be summoned in the case of major accidents and parents/guardians informed accordingly.

Medical and dental services attend school and children with sight, speech or hearing problems are seen regularly. The Education Welfare Service and the schools Psychological Service are called upon as and when necessary.

The school operates a policy of administering only prescription medication to children. In these cases, individual healthcare forms are completed.

Pastoral care of the pupils is the concern of all teachers with the Headteacher having overall responsibility. A caring compassionate attitude is taken towards the general well-being of each pupil. Good supervisory arrangements are made during break and lunch time. Lessons are supervised responsibly.

Valuables are brought to school at the child’s own risk. The wearing of jewellery is discouraged but if parents wish their children to wear earrings then we insist that in the interests of safety, only the “stud” variety is used. Glass bottles are strictly forbidden on the school premises.

In no circumstances will a pupil be allowed to leave the premises during school hours unless collected by a parent.

Equal Opportunities

The School has an Equal Opportunities Policy. All pupils are given equal opportunities to develop their personal qualities and talents to the full and ensure pupils grow in confidence and understand their obligations to one another.

Llansawel Primary School strives to ensure that the culture and ethos of the School are such that all members of the School community will be equally valued and treat one another with respect. Everyone will have the opportunity to experience, understand and celebrate diversity. (Reference : Racial Equality Policy re: Race Relations Amendment Act 2000). Our School is committed to racial equality fulfilling its legal obligation of the Act. We promote equality of opportunity and good race relations at all times

A copy of our policy is available from the office upon request.

Any form of discrimination by any person within the school is treated seriously and it is made clear to offenders that such behaviour is unacceptable.

Disability

The school has total access for pupils with a disability. A disability audit has been undertaken and an accessibility plan has been developed. Strategies to implement the recommendations are ongoing.

School Discipline

The overall discipline and enforcing of school rules is the responsibility of the Headteacher with the assistance of her staff. All children are expected to behave in a polite, sensible and considerate manner and they are encouraged to develop self discipline. Punishment is normally through loss of privilege and this can vary according to the child’s interests. Any form of bullying will not be tolerated and will be dealt with in accordance with School’s Policy Document which may be viewed on request.

School Uniform

We have a school uniform and all children are expected to be clean and dressed in an appropriate manner. Parents are asked to ensure that ALL items of clothing are clearly marked with their child’s name.

Boys:

Grey trousers/shorts

Yellow polo shirt

Green sweater

Green/grey jogging suits

Girls:

Grey skirt/pinafore dress/trousers

Yellow polo shirt

Green sweater/cardigan

Green/white check gingham dress

Green/grey jogging suit

There is no official supplier of these items, but jogging suits and sweatshirts with the school logo, can be ordered by parents through the school’s registered supplier (Tesco online).

P.E.Kit

All children are required to bring kit for P.E. lessons. This consists of black shorts and a yellow t-shirt for indoor P.E. (no shoes). For outdoor games in the summer term, trainers are required.

General School Curriculum

We believe that children learn most effectively through first hand experiences and we aim to provide a curriculum to support this. We place a high value on the importance of the development of skills.

We believe that children learn best when they are confident and to this end we aim to build a child’s self-esteem through praise and encouragement. The school offers a broad, balanced differentiated curriculum which acknowledges the needs and abilities of the individual and meets the diverse needs of the school.

A great deal of the curriculum, which is skills based, is delivered through a thematic approach. Each class has a termly theme, and the statutory requirements, as defined in the Foundation Phase, National Curriculum KS2 and the Literacy and Numeracy Framework, are delivered when appropriate in a cross curricular way. English and Mathematics are taught every day, Welsh is heard and spoken daily, and ICT skills are developed across all subjects, together with the other Key Skills. In addition, R.E. will be taught in accordance with the L.E.A.’s Agreed Syllabus.

During the Primary School Years the children will experience a wide range of teaching and learning styles, with as many first hand experiences as possible. Visiting teachers also provide extra expertise through the Peripatetic Music and Welsh Services.

We strive to extend children’s learning by self-involvement and by setting realistic targets for future learning.

Teaching Hours

The teaching time during the normal school week amounts to 23.5 hours. This includes Religious Education, but excludes the statutory daily act of worship, registration and breaks. All teachers are entitled to 10% of these hours a week for Planning, Preparation and Assessment.

Homework Policy

Homework in the Foundation Phase and at Key Stage 2 is set at the discretion of the class teacher. Children are provided with tasks and activities to extend their schoolwork at home and we actively encourage parental involvement in this. Reading books are taken home weekly. In Year 6 the emphasis is on preparing them for secondary school and making the child responsible for their learning.