FOULSHAMPRIMARY SCHOOL
HEADTEACHER: Mrs Jenny Dowden
CHAIR OF GOVERNORS: Mr Steven Howell
SCHOOL ADDRESS: 5-7 High Street
Foulsham
Dereham
Norfolk
NR2O 5RT
Telephone: 01362 683389
Fax: 01362 683320
email:
website:
LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY:Norfolk County Council,
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DL
Tel: (01603) 222246
The details in this brochure are correct at the time of publication. There may be changes during the year
2012/2013.
W E L C O M E
Welcome to FoulshamPrimary School from the governors, staff and children. We are a thriving village school serving the families of Foulsham, and nearby Bintree and Themelthorpe, as well as receiving children from beyond these parishes. Parents from farther afield are welcome to inquire about admissions and transport to the school.
We hope that this brochure will provide you with useful information for the academic year 2012/2013. It doesn’t contain everything, but it is designed to give you a flavour of school life.
Our aim is to provide the highest quality of education for your child, and to that end we are going to develop the outdoor play area over the course of the next year. We believe that school and parents must work closely together. We look forward to a long and positive relationship with you and your children.
Visits to the school are welcome at any time. These can be arranged by telephoning the school secretary:
Mrs Karen Rodgers
Tel: 01362 683389
Fax: 01362 683320
Please ask for any further information.
We look forward to meeting you.
Jenny Dowden
Headteacher
Steven Howell
Chair of Governors
AIMS AND VALUES OFFOULSHAMPRIMARY SCHOOL
The aim of the school is to:
-provide a broad and balanced education based on the Early Year Foundation and the National Curriculum, irrespective of ability, race,social class, gender or religion.
-raise each child’s achievement through high expectations and goodteaching
-support and encourage the whole child, developing a desire to learn andimprove
-work in partnership with parents, staff, outside agencies and the widercommunity.
The values we wish to encourage in the children are a desire to:
-work at their best and to take pride in their achievements.
-cooperate together towards common goals.
-develop tolerance and understanding for the beliefs, opinions, feelingsand culture of others.
-respect their environment and the belongings of other people.
The values that Staff and Governors will apply to the school:
-putting the needs of children first through our planning and provision.
-responding with patience to the pastoral needs of children.
-acknowledging the responsibility of adults to act as good role models.
-demonstrating a positive attitude towards all members of the school.
-supporting the professional development of Staff.
Through partnership with children's parents we expect to realise these aims.
FOULSHAMPRIMARY SCHOOL
Term Dates: 2012/2013
Term
Autumn TermStarts6th September 2012
Ends21st December 2012
Half Term29th October to2nd November 2012
Spring TermStarts8th January 2013
Ends28th March 2013
Half Term18th – 22nd February 2013
Summer TermStarts15th April 2013
Ends24th July 2013
Half Term28th – 31st May 2013
Inset Days
4th & 5th September 2012
7th January 2013
29th March 2013
27th June 2013
Admissions Policy
Requests for admission should be made to the Local Authority. by the end ofMarch. The school admits children only within the local authority intake limit andpriority is given to children living within the catchment area of the school, then tosiblings of "out of area" children. Applications from out of catchment are welcome. Thecurrent admissions limit per year is 15 pupils.
An appeals procedure is in place for parents whose children are not allocated a place atthe school. Parents can contact the Local Authority admissions department on 01603224383. First admissions to the school, into the Reception year (YR), will occur at the beginningof the Autumn term in September.
First admission times for YR children - LA policy
Children join YR in the September that precedes their fifth birthday.
September - Induction
To help young children make a smooth transition to full time schooling, attendancewill begin on September 6th unless alternative arrangements are made with the Headteacher. Children's needs at this age vary considerably and these should be discussed orreviewed with the Headteacher.
Foulsham Playgroup
The school has a close liaison with the Playgroup in the village, with joint planning of activities and regular sharing of information by staff. Playgroup children visit Class 1, and vice versa, throughout the year.
Finding out about the school
Opportunities will be provided for new children and parents to see the schooland gain information about it. To register for a place at the school for your child,please contact the secretary. Prospective parents and children are invited to visit the school, to look around and to meet and talk with the Headteacher.
The School
The school is situated in a prominent position in the centre of the village. It is atraditional red brick Victorian building with a large site at the back. This includes a playing field, a wild meadow area and a small woodchipped playingarea with climbing equipment. The school playground is also used for games andactivities, and the line markings have recently been refurbished. Refurbishment and updating of the whole school premises, including the schoolhouse, took place in 1996. The new areas included a technology room, library andmusic room, staff room, offices, and resource and storage areas. A mobileclassroom was added to the school during this period. In 2005 the school gardenwas remodelled and in 2007 the toilet facilities extended. A room equipped with aninteractive whiteboard and ICT facilities was completed in the Autumn of 2003.
School Sessions
Children may arrive at school from 8.40am. Children stay outside in theplayground until a bell is rung at 8.50am. They then line up by class and are takeninside by their teachers. The expectation is that all children should be in school and registered by the start of the first session. There is a daily assembly from 9.20 – 9.35am.
On Friday afternoons parents are invited to look at children's work in classrooms andattend assembly if they wish, we also hold this look round and assembly once per term during the morning on a Friday.
The playground is supervised by a member of staff from 8.40am.
Please make sure your child gets to school promptly.
The bell will ring at 8.50am
School begins at 9.00am
Playtime 10.35 - 10.50am
Lunch 12.00 - 1.00pm
School finishes at 3.15pm
There is an additional afternoon playtime at 2.30pmfor children in Classes 1 and 2. Bothplaytimes are supervised by teachers and teaching assistants.
The school secretary is available daily between 8.50am and 12.00 midday and between 1.00 and 3.15pm.
Class Organisation
In September 2012 there will be 80 children in our school. They will be taught in four classes:
Class 1 ReceptionRobins Class
Class 2 Year 1 and Year 2Goldfinches Class
Class 3 Year 3 and Year 4Owls Class
Class 4 Year 5 and Year 6Swallows Class
Teachers plan together to ensure that there is continuity and progression throughout the primary phase.
Classes generally include more than one age group. This is common in small schools.
Class sizes range from 19 to 26 through the school.
The intimate nature of a four class school allows staff to get to know yourindividual child very well.
The different interests and abilities of individual children are met throughcareful planning and differentiation.
The standards of younger children are raised by the examples ofthe older ones.
The older children have to respect and take responsibility for the youngerones.
Children working together learn tolerance and patience. Work is planned anddifferentiated to match the needs of the child.
Before and after Foulsham
Pre-school children
A strong link exists with the local playgroup through regular contact and sharedactivities.
Foulsham and Bintree Playgroup - Tel: 07990952487
Children visit the school on at least two mornings before starting. Parents choosing Foulsham Primary for their child have every opportunity to view and discuss the school with staff.
This encourages a smooth transition from playgroup to school.
Pre-school meeting/visit
A meeting for parents with children soon to start at school takes place at the beginning of the Summer Term before Reception admission. The schoolwill contact parents. The children also have a morning session, an afternoon session and a whole day session in class 1 to get the feel of a primary school day. Any parent wishing to have an individual interview is welcome to contact the Headteacher.
After Foulsham...
Our school is a member of the Reepham Federation of Schools. The children areinvolved in visits, festivals and joint ventures and there are frequent meetingsbetween the teachers of this group. This creates strong links with the local HighSchool.
Reepham High School - Tel. 01603 870328
Curriculum details
The Governors have adopted the Norfolk Curriculum Policy Statement as the policy for the school. This, along with the National Curriculum, provides a framework of requirements within which teachers plan the work of their class.
The school follows the Revised National Frameworks in literacy and numeracy. Science and other noncore subjects are taught through the QCA schemes of work, adapted for the needs of the school.
Teaching occurs in classes, groups and on an individual basis. Your child willexperience a broad curriculum through both subject based and cross-curricularapproaches. In Class 1 and 2 a topic based approach combines subjects in a waywhich allows younger children to explore them. In Class 3 and 4, more subjects are taught as individual lessons, although an integrated approach continues to make cross curricular links.
Effective learning occurs when your child is actively involved through livelyteaching, interesting challenges and appropriately differentiated tasks. The school has a Teaching and Learning policy to ensure a whole school approach to teaching.
Expectations are high.
The three National Curriculum core subjects of English, Maths and Science arecentral to your child's learning in the primary school, with ICT running as a strand throughout the curriculum. Children are assessed formally in these areas at the end of year 2 and year 6 (aged 7 and 11). Ongoing termly assessment in reading, writing and maths takes place to ensure that your child is making good progress. The national expectation is that pupils will make at least two national curriculum levels of progress between Year 2 and Year 6. Intervention strategies are employed to help pupils achieve their full potential. Assessment data informs teachers’ planning and teaching so that learners’ needs are met, and children enjoy their education throughout their time at Foulsham.
The Norfolk RE scheme is taught throughout the school.
Play
Your child's first learning is through play. This develops at school and becomesmore structured as your child grows. Through it important development occurs in learning and in relationships with others. The outdoor environment is an important factor within this process.
English
A daily literacy lesson forms the core of the curriculum. English is the starting point for your child's learning throughout the curriculum. It helps him/her to communicate effectively and learn independently. The English curriculum includes; speaking and listening, reading, writing (including spelling and handwriting), drama and research skills. There is further time set aside for creative and extended writing, and reading, including guided reading in groups with an adult.
Mathematics
Maths is taught through the daily maths lesson and the new mathematics framework, which covers counting, securing number facts, handling data, calculating, understanding shapes and investigating relationships. There is an emphasis on learning sound basic arithmetic skills, including tables, which can then be used and applied in solving problems and investigations.
Science
The school uses the QCA scheme of work. Children work on practical topic areas with an emphasis on discovery and observation, with opportunities planned for investigative work. Children develop scientific understanding and the ability to interpreting findings and draw conclusions as they get older.
Personal, Social and Health Education/ Citizenship
The school follows the county guidelines on sex and relationship education. Children are taught about personal care and responsibilities to others, at a levelappropriate to their maturity. Circle time in class encourages pupils to think about and discuss issues pertaining to relationships, and events in the world around them. The older children follow a programme of study based on bodily changes whilegrowing up in Year 6.
The Governors and staff hope that parents and staff work together in answering any questions that children raise in these areas. Parents are welcome to view anyliterature given out in these sessions, and are informed of the content of year 6lessons.
The QCA scheme for citizenship is taught throughout the school.
A school council consisting of staff and children meets to discuss matters related to school improvement.
History and Geography
In Class 1 and 2 these subjects are taught as part of a cross curricular topic. Your child will study topics which follow the QCA schemes of work in KS2. Through these, they will build up a greater understanding of the world both past and present, learning about places and people both distant and local. An informed understanding of other cultures is an important feature of your child's primary education.
Art and Music
Children are given opportunities to use a variety of materials and skills in art,following the QCA scheme. Children are encouraged to express themselves through their work and value the work of others.
Enjoyment of music is the starting point for class singing and music making. Individual instrument lessons are also available at school.
Design and Technology
Children will explore designing and making opportunities, following the QCAscheme of work. As well as learning practical skills through making things, children will build up knowledge and understanding of the design process.
I.C.T. - Computers
The school is well equipped with modern machines to meet the needs of theInformation Technology National Curriculum. Children develop skills in wordprocessing, data handling and use a variety of programmes. I.C.T. does not remove the need to learn the basic skills, but is an important communications tool that can add interest and motivate learning in all areas.
Games and P.E.
Children enjoy a wide range of PE activities allowing for personal improvement, competition and enjoyment. The QCA scheme of work includes swimming, football, netball, athletics, cricket, rugby, rounders, gymnastics, dance and outdoor activities. The school offers a range of games facilities including, the school hall with climbing frame, playground (including netball court), small field with adventure playground equipment and large playing field with goal posts. The older children are involved in playing competitive matches (football, cricket, netball) with other primary schools.
Year 6 pupils have a residential trip each summer which involves outdoor and PE team building activities.
Swimming
From Year 3 onwards your child will visit Dereham Swimming Pool once a week during the Autumn Term for swimming tuition.
Religious Education
The Norfolk agreed syllabus is taught in the school. The Christian tradition isexplored in assemblies, and there are links with local Baptist and Church of England congregations. In the classroom Christianity takes its place as one of the major world faiths studied by your child throughout primary education. Children are encouraged to reflect on spiritual aspects of human experience in a way appropriate for their age and maturity. Any parent wishing to remove their child from an RE lesson or from the daily act of worship in assembly may contact the Headteacher to discuss alternative arrangements.
French
French for everyday conversation is taught in class 3 and class 4 by the Headteacher.
Special Educational Needs
We are proud of our special educational needs provision at Foulsham. The school SEN policy is available for any parent to read. The school’s designated Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is Mrs Dowden. Your child's individual needs are carefully monitored by the teachers and support staff throughout their time at school. Through this, we identify any learning difficulties, health problems or extraordinary talents. Parents are consulted and support for your child is then provided and later reviewed. Children with SEN have a termly Individual Education Plan (IEP) containing targets for progress that are shared between pupil, teacher and parent. If it is necessary, specialist support may be organised.
Homework
At Foulsham we believe that at primary age a child who has put in a demanding day should not be overburdened after school with hours of homework. However we do expect children to read a book at home each day, and on top of this the learning of spellings and times tables may be set by the class teacher. As your child progresses towards year 6, homework may involve research skills or the finishing of an exercise started in class. A homework policy outlining expectations is available for parents.