Dear Parents,
Welcome to our Pirehill prospectus!
We really hope that this information booklet helps you to understand a little more about our school and will support you with becoming more familiar with some of the ways in which we operate.
Firstly, Pirehill First School is very much a Community school situated in the residential area of Walton in Stone, Staffordshire. Our school is fortunate in having really beautiful, well maintained grounds which are used as an important environmental resource and are enjoyed throughout the year, by us all. We have many outstanding features including a sensory garden and our very own woodland copse Pirehill First School is very much an extension of our families and of our local Community.
This is a good school. Its pupils are at the very heart of everything it does. They are cared for, guided and supported exceptionally well in a nurturing environment that enables them to thrive. It is difficult at times to remember that the oldest pupils are only in Year 4 because of the excellent personal skills they have that make them mature beyond their years. They are well prepared for their future. Parental comments are mostly very positive, highlighting, for example, the ‘warm, friendly atmosphere’, and describing the school as a place ‘full of love, happiness and kindness’, where their children make good progress. Ofsted – July 2009
As you enter our school, we hope that you will be made to feel really welcome by our friendly staff and our fantastic children. We enjoy learning together and have created a safe, happy, creative and industrious environment, where children are actively encouraged to seek out their own interests and develop their own independence.
At Pirehill, we pride ourselves in our excellent standards of achievement and again, promote and develop our key philosophy of Personalised Learning. We strongly believe that every child has a right to reach their full potential and succeed in their own unique way, whether that is through sport or music, through the arts, or by their own academic excellence. In understanding each individual, by celebrating their strengths and through working together in all that we do, our children learn very important lessons in life. We show that we care and we respect everyone and everything, by living up to our Pirehill Principle.
Proud, Independent, Respectful, Enthusiastic individuals who Love Learning
and who Love Life
Our Governing body is a strong, enthusiastic and committed group of people who represent the Community and the parents which the school serves. Together they manage and develop Pirehill by continuously striving for the highest standards, improving and extending opportunities and resources for all. We really believe in working as a team!
Finally, we know that your child will enjoy a happy and successful learning adventure at Pirehill and welcome you all most sincerely to our School family.
With our very best wishes
Deborah Breeze and the Team at Pirehill
PIREHILL FIRST SCHOOL PROSPECTUS 2011 – 2012
CONTENTS: -
§ INTRODUCTION
§ ABOUT THE SCHOOL
§ FACILITIES AND RESOURCES
§ OUR SCHOOL AIMS
§ THE CURRICULUM
§ ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
§ SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
§ EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
§ COLLECTIVE WORSHIP
§ PASTORAL CARE
§ THE SCHOOL DAY
§ ADMISSIONS POLICY
§ ARRANGEMENTS FOR STARTING SCHOOL
§ VISITS BY PARENTS
§ SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
§ CLOTHING & SCHOOL UNIFORMS
§ SCHOOL MEALS
§ CHILD PROTECTION
§ SEX EDUCATION POLICY
§ REMISSION POLICY
§ EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
§ COMPLAINTS ROCEDURE
§ MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL LIASION AND TRANSITION
§ SCHOOL COUNCIL
§ PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION - F.O.P.S.
§ DATA PROTECTION
§ STAFF TEAM
§ SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY
§ SCHOOL TERMS AND HOLIDAY DATES
INTRODUCTION
Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions you will have to make as a parent. Schools throughout the country offer excellent education and opportunities. To have to choose one that suits you and your child can sometimes be difficult.
Our prospectus aims to tell you about our school and the ways in which we work, thus enabling you to make an informed decision. This prospectus is not meant to take the place of personal contact between home and school, but I hope it will answer some of your questions.
Parents are always welcome to visit the school and see the children and staff at work. Please do not hesitate to contact the office between 8.45am and 3.30pm to make an appointment. You are always very welcome.
If you have already chosen our school our aim is that this prospectus will help you and your child get to know how we work and thus enable a smooth transition from home to school
Debbie Breeze Head teacher
ABOUT PIREHILL FIRST SCHOOL
SCHOOL ADDRESS: PIREHILL FIRST SCHOOL
TILLING DRIVE
STONE
STAFFORDSHIRE
ST15 0AA
TEL: 01785 354041
FAX: 01785 354041
Website www.pirehill.staffs.sch.uk e-mail
Pirehill First School is a co-educational Community First school for boys and girls of all abilities from 4-9 years of age. The school is situated in a residential area of Stone in Staffordshire, called Walton. Pirehill First School enjoys attractive, well maintained grounds which are used as an important environmental resource in the curriculum.
FACILITIES AND RESOURCES
The school provides a stimulating environment complemented by resources which include: -
· Eight classrooms;
· A Hall – which is used for PE, Drama, Dance and School assemblies. It has specialist apparatus for gymnastics;
· An attractive library/ browsing area;
· 2 Large asphalt playgrounds;
· A performance stage;
· A large field for outdoor sports as well as a pleasant grassed area for playtimes;
· A Foundation Stage Play area with canopy;
· Whole school wireless remote ICT access including 2 portable suites of state of the art ICT equipment and printing facilities;
· An environmental area/Sensory garden/ Outdoor Classroom/Pavilion/Allotment;
· Willow tunnel and arbour seating;
· Two outdoor adventurous trim trails;
· Many musical instruments including tuned and untuned percussion;
· K2M provision – peripatetic string musical tuition for whole class in KS2;
· SCFC in the community – professional sports coaching.
SCHOOL AIMS
Our statement of intent has been arrived at jointly in conjunction with parents, governors and community groups.
Our school provides abroad, balanced, relevant education, based on the National Curriculum. All our children, whatever age, sex, race, ability, cultural background or religion, are guided to reach their full potential in the areas of knowledge, skills and personal development.
The aims and purposes of Learning in our school are to:
· Provide all our children with a safe and happy school in which learning is valued as an enjoyable experience;
· Provide a stimulating and well-resourced environment so that high standards can be reached;
· Encourage a sense of community within the school, which promotes mutual responsibility, further developed by involvement within the wider community;
· Work with children to develop an awareness of self, sensitivity and tolerance towards others, respecting and appreciating each others’ feelings, views and capabilities;
· Help children to further develop moral values and the confidences to make and hold moral judgements, developing habits of self-discipline and acceptable behaviour;
· Create an environment where children appreciate the satisfaction to be gained from hard work, persistence and personal achievement;
· Encourage children to extend their range of interest and natural enthusiasm, allowing them to develop as individuals, with confidence and self-esteem;
· Promote and strengthen the bonds between school and home, believing that children’s needs are best served by close co-operation between staff, parents and children;
· Help children develop the social skills required to establish good relationships with other children and adults, in work and play situations, working co-operatively together;
· Ensure that all children have access to equal learning opportunities, and through example are encouraged to form ideas that are not based on pre-judgement, or stereotyping.
CURRICULUM CONTENT AND ORGANISATION
The 1988 Education Act requires that the following areas of the National Curriculum be taught in schools: -
CORE SUBJECTS - FOUNDATION SUBJECTS
LITERACY
MATHEMATICS
SCIENCE
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
I.C.T
GEOGRAPHY
HISTORY
MUSIC
ART
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
In addition, every school must provide RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.
At Pirehill we follow Staffordshire’s agreed syllabus. We promote Equal Opportunities and Multi-Cultural Education through the work we do in school. We aim to promote the Personal and Social Education of our pupils, promoting co-operation, caring and tolerance, both in our school and in the community.
Wherever possible we organise our classes by age. Children are largely taught in mixed ability classes each with its own teacher responsible for the pastoral care of that group. In Key Stage 2 the children are streamed for Literacy and Numeracy, although this may change from year to year.
A large proportion of the school day is given over to the development of basic skills through Literacy and Numeracy. The children in the reception classes will follow the Foundation Stage of the curriculum.
Guidance on the content of the curriculum continues to change and the school curriculum will be reviewed as and when necessary.
FOUNDATION STAGE UNIT
At Pirehill we also host a Nursery/Pre-School Unit provided by Smarty’s Nursery. Smarty’s Pre-School at Pirehill has been operational since January 2009 and is an exciting joint development between the school and Smarty’s. This childcare facility forms part of our Foundation unit here at Pirehill and is accessed via a separate entrance allowing for greater flexibility and added security.
The Foundation Stage covers the ages from 3-5 years and the six areas of learning covered are;
· Knowledge and understanding of the world;
· Personal, Social and Emotional development;
· Communication, language and literacy;
· Mathematical development;
· Creative development;
· Physical development.
The outcomes of these areas of learning are the Early Learning Goals. As the children work through these their development will be monitored to ensure planning meets the needs of the individual. The unit will be based on a discovery based curriculum, the children learning through exploration, practical experimentation and reflection on their work. The children will be provided with a stimulating environment which encourages a joy of learning.
Within Smarty’s Pre-School, there will be the opportunity for parents to take advantage of wrap around provision. This is available for the children and will be outside of the normal school hours.
7.30AM-9.00AM
11.30AM-12.45PM
3.15PM-6.00PM
Introductory visits are flexible to meet the needs of parents/carers and children. Parents/carers will be encouraged to stay with their child for the first visit, and any subsequent sessions until your child has settled. If your child has difficulties in settling it may be necessary to have a longer induction period.
What will your child experience at our school?
Teaching and Learning
"Developing life long learners."
At Pirehill First School, we recognise each child as an individual, with their own strengths and areas for development. The needs of all the children are met through a carefully planned and structured curriculum that focuses on children's learning. The teacher will plan learning opportunities that cater for the varied ways that children learn.
Teachers will offer the appropriate experiences using such teaching styles as:
Whole Class Teaching
All children will be taught at the same time and with the same planned and intended learning outcome. This method is often used at the start of a new phase of work and will give the teacher an opportunity to see what the children already know and what they will need to gain in the future.
Group Work
Groups of children will be taught a specific learning outcome and this might be different from another group within the same time. Groups are organised according the needs of the individual children and each child will be placed in an ‘ability’ group depending on their actual need. Ability grouping will often be used for the teaching of literacy (English) and Numeracy (Maths). The groups are very ‘flexible’ with opportunities for children to move to a different group if it means their needs will be met more effectively. On occasions, groups of children will be organised using different criteria e.g. friendship groups, mixed-ability groups or random groups.
Individual teaching
An individual child works on a ‘one to one’ with the teacher or learning support assistant. This allows a teacher to ensure a specific need is met and that the child receives a short, intense focus which enables them to achieve a particular target.
The National Curriculum provides a framework for teachers to work within and serve as a guide to parents in understanding their children‘s progress. Each teacher holds a curriculum leaders post of responsibility. Regular staff meetings and courses help us to review the children's learning.
We aim to make all our work interesting and lively to stimulate the children’s desire to learn. We try to offer a wide variety of first hand experiences to make learning real, meaningful and appropriate.
We plan to provide a balance in the curriculum so that children have as wide a range of learning experiences as possible.
We expect high standards in both learning and behaviour. We look for the best that each individual can achieve. We want children to enjoy their learning and to tackle everything with enthusiasm.
Learning to Think/Thinking to learn
All children learn in different ways and one of our aims is to provide for the different ‘learning styles’ of each individual. Instead of concentrating on the teaching of factual information, we are trying to develop the children’s ability to be responsible for their own learning. We want them to ‘learn to be learners’ and for them to learn how to improve their own learning.
The curriculum we offer the children will focus on six key skills which will help all them to improve their learning and performance in education, work and life. These skills are:
Communication
This skill involves speaking, listening, reading and writing. Speaking and listening involves the ability to speak to different audiences and to listen, understand and respond to others.
Application of number
This skill involves being able to develop a wide range of mental calculation skills and being able to apply these to problem-solving situations.