HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
WORMLEY C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL (VC)
Cozens Lane East, Wormley, Broxbourne, Herts. EN10 6QA
Tel: 01992 303331 Fax: 01992 303332 email:
Have Faith, Show Respect, Take Responsibility and Achieve
Headteacher: Mrs. T. Gaiteri
Case study
WormleyPrimary school has had White Irish Traveller(WIRT) pupils on roll for many years but more recently Roma Travellers (WROM) have joined the school.The majority of the WIRT & some of the WROM reside on a nearby privately owned caravan site. The other Travellers are housed. The school has an inclusive ethos which welcomes and values children from all backgrounds. ‘There are no barriers to the Traveller children’s learning in the school’, reports Tracy Gaiteri, Head Teacher.
The Traveller children achieve well at Wormley School and are fully integrated into all aspects of schoollifeincluding taking part in school trips. There has also been an occasion where two boys attended the residential school journey.The school works hard to maintain its excellent relationship with the Traveller parents. There is a mutual trusting relationship between the school and the community. Some parents attend parent’s evenings to discuss their children’s learning .For parents who don’t attend, a separate meeting time is arranged. The school is aware that some parents, though not all, have low literacy levels and all correspondence is handled sensitively. Important school letters are talked through directly with parents if necessary.
The school employs a TA with the specific role of supporting Traveller and Refugee children and their families. The TAs roll includes settling new Travellers into the school, small group intervention work , 1-1 support and liaising with parents. The TA makes regular visits to the Traveller site to meet with families when necessary. The TA worked both in class and individually with the Roma Travellers when they first arrived to support English acquisition and help integration. The Roma children had very limited access to education in Romania and were unable to speak any English when they first arrived. The nurturing support from the TA and all school staff helped the children settle quickly and access learning. The school uses the help of an aunt to act as interpreter when needed.
The school has a buddying system for all new children that arrive throughout the year and this has worked particularly well for newly arrived Traveller children.
Distance learning packs are prepared for the children prior to travel. Parents inform the school as far as possible about travel plans and the learning packs are taken away with the children. The work focusses on consolidating skills the children have acquired in class. A selection of reading books is also put in the pack. When children return from travelling the packs are shared between the child and their teacher so the child receives feedback. When children in year 6 leave the school they also take a distance learning pack with them. One Traveller family moves to work in Germany for part of the year and the children enrol in a school in Germany whilst also remaining on the roll at Wormley.
Attendance has improved greatly over the past years and the older children are attending well. It is the younger children that are causing more concern. The school is supported by the Traveller Access to Education Team and regular meetings are held with parents to improve attendance rates. Although families are not accessing the school nursery at the moment they are starting to use private play group provision for their children. The transfer to secondary school remains an area of concern. It is the boys that usually transfer but often drop out after attending for a couple of years.
The school respects and celebrates Traveller cultures alongside all other cultures. The school has purchased books that reflect Traveller lifestyles in positive ways. Gypsy Roma Traveller history month is celebrated in June each year.