Foundation Stage
The Foundation stage refers to the early years of a child’s education; that is from the age of 3 years until they reach 5.
At St Martin’s Garden Primary we are particularly privileged to have a nursery class, run by the Children’s Centre, but working closely with the school allowing continuity and progression for the whole of this period.
We have 1 Reception class, allowing children a second year at the Foundation Stage, but there they interact with other members of the school in assemblies and playtimes. This provides a gentle but significant transition into the Primary School. These two groups work very closely together, each child has a key worker and has a significant input into their learning.
We strongly believe that the Foundation Stage underpins all future learning. We seek to develop each child’s personal and emotional well being, as we ensure that they feel included, secure and valued.
The curriculum for the early years provides children with planned and purposeful play activities, which lay the foundations for their communication skills, literacy and mathematical development.
With careful intervention from staff, opportunities are given for children to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world and explore their physical and creative development.
Staff follow a unified record keeping system over the 2 year period, allowing children’s achievements to be celebrated and built upon, and any difficulties noted.
Baseline assessment takes place at the beginning of the Reception class allowing teachers to ensure that all children can be given appropriate work to meet their specific needs and abilities.
Children benefit from working within a secure, fully and appropriately equipped class room with access to the facilities of the rest of the school, including a spacious hall with special Early Years equipment.
We have recently developed and enlarged our outside play facilities to include a covered area. The children have access to a carefully planned garden and a range of wheeled equipment, which allows for good quality provision of physical experiences, throughout the year.
We recognise the value of children’s previous home experiences and seek to work closely with parents to ensure that each child’s strengths and needs are catered for. As such we warmly welcome parents to help and support learning both within the classroom and at home.
We are confident that we provide a wide range of opportunities to motivate and develop children from all backgrounds and abilities, within a safe and supportive learning environment.
Key Stage 1
The years directly following Reception are known as Years 1 and 2, since they mark the first two years of a child being taught the National Curriculum. Together they are known as Key Stage 1.
At Key Stage 1, children are currently arranged in two classes of mixed Year 1 and Year 2 children. Children follow the National Curriculum in the core subjects of Mathematics, English, Science and ICT and take part in daily literacy and numeracy lessons in line with DfES guidelines. Foundation subjects such as history, geography, technology and art are taught largely through topic work, and are regularly reviewed to take into account current requirements.
We believe that children need to be competent in communication skills and that they should have opportunities to enjoy a wide range of experiences, including creative activities of all kinds. We aim to provide a broad, relevant and differentiated curriculum within a framework which helps and motivates pupils to acquire understanding, knowledge and skills. In so doing, we aim to help pupils to develop lively enquiring minds, encouraging them to question and apply themselves to tasks and physical skills.
Parents are regularly invited into school either to see their child's work and discuss their progress with the class teacher or to see various aspects of the curriculum. As the children progress through the school they are expected to carry out homework activities. In the early stages this will be related to reading, sharing books or playing word games, but as they get older will include other recorded activities.
All classes benefit from support by Learning Support Assistants who work alongside the class teacher, often with groups of children.
At the end of Year 2, all children take part in Standardised Assessment Tasks (SATs) which provide us with information regarding individual's progress and these results are available for parents.
Key Stage 2
At the beginning of Key Stage 2, the children move to a different part of the school, with their own, age appropriate facilities.
The school policies, which run from the Early Years through to Year 6, are continued and developed as the child and her/his abilities grow. Expectations remain high, but, wherever possible, the curriculum is adjusted to suit the needs of the individual. This may involve withdrawing individuals or groups for special work, ‘setting’ for Numeracy in the upper years or special provision for our more able pupils.
We put a great deal of importance on developing a child’s literacy and numeracy skills, we believe these to be crucial factors in a child’s success in later life. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are carefully followed. In one of our OFSTED inspections for Key Stage 2, which was very soon after the introduction of the Literacy Strategy, the staff were praised for the high standard they had achieved in the short time it had been in existence. The OFSTED team, in fact, recommended the school to Her Majesties Inspectors of Schools as an example of good practice in the teaching of literacy.
We believe just as strongly, however, that many other areas of learning have equal importance in the curriculum. Apart from teaching all required areas of the curriculum, we take children on day and residential visits, as well as having musical and theatre groups perform at the school. We strongly encourage activities outside of school hours, and have a wide range of after-school clubs for children to participate in.
Our computer facilities are second to none in the L.A., and among the best in the south-west. All children benefit from these, both in the computer area and in the classroom. As a result, standards of achievement in this area are high.
Our P.E. facilities are also very good. We have very good grassed and tarmaced areas, a large indoor hall and a heated indoor swimming pool, which is used from Easter to October.
We have a high standard of musical provision at the school. Children play in clubs and in assemblies. Lessons are available from L.A. teachers.
Not all children are the same, and with the best will in the world, it is not always possible to provide everything an individual child needs within the classroom situation.
If a child has special needs, these are first discussed by the class teacher with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). If thought necessary, some extra provision may be made, possibly in a small group, to work on the problem. If this is not thought to be successful, outside advice and help may be sought. At each stage the child’s parent will be informed and involved.
We also have a number of children who are quite able in a variety of subject areas. We take full advantage of a large number of one-off courses run, and paid for by the L.A., last year over 50 children attended nearly 100 sessions.
The school has a wide range of policies to cover the running of the school, from an administrative and ‘social’ point of view, as well as the curriculum.
These are available to be seen on request, although some notice may be required.
Each school, by law, must have a discipline policy, which is also available for interested persons to see.
Although our aim is for the children at the school to be self-disciplined, this is not always feasible, especially with younger children. We have a number of schemes and rewards to encourage positive behaviour and, when things go wrong, means of trying to teach the child appropriate behaviour.
In a primary school children are formally assessed twice, once in Year 2 and again in Year 6. The school’s most recent results are listed below.
Children are, however, continually assessed by their teachers. This, known as ‘Teacher Assessment’, is by far the most accurate way of measuring your child’s progress, and the progress can be discussed at the termly Parent Consultation Sessions, or at other times by prior arrangement.
It is crucial that a child’s attends school as much as possible. Much is missed when not at school, especially if blocks of time, such as for holidays, are taken.
If your child is ill, it is crucial that the school is notified, if at all possible on the first day, otherwise the child is listed as having an ‘unauthorised absence’. A school’s effectiveness is partly measured by the level of attendance.
For the school year 2006/2007, up to May 31st 2007, the school’s attendance figures were as follows:
Percentage of pupil sessions missed through authorised absence: 5.9%
Percentage of pupil sessions missed through unauthorised absence: 1.7% |
