Staplecross
Methodist Primary School Prospectus

 Contents

·        An Introduction

·        The aims of the School

·        Admissions

·        Classroom Organisation

·        The School Day

·        Curriculum

·        Religious Education

·        Sex Education

·        Children With Special Needs

·        Homework

·        Communication with Parents

·        Routes Taken by Year 6 Children

·        School Discipline

·        School Uniform

·        School Council

·        Complaints

·        Charging and Remissions for School Activities

·        Parent and Teachers Association

·        School Staff

An Introduction

Staplecross Wesleyan School was originally opened in 1845, in a site adjacent to the present building. A new Wesleyan Voluntary School was built and opened on the present site in 1901.

In 1962 the premises were altered and modernised and the school continued as Staplecross Methodist Controlled  Primary School.

In 1988 an additional classroom was added to provide an attractive area used by Class 1. An entrance hall, a Head’s Office and secretarial office were added in 1993 and in 1996 a library was built.

The school has a large playing field and is in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the edge of Staplecross  village.

The children are drawn from the village itself and also from many of the surrounding villages of Bodiam, Ewhurst Green, Northiam, Sedlescombe, Cripps Corner and even from Hastings

At Staplecross School we believe that early childhood education is the foundation on which children build their lives. Our school is a very small primary school, with only three classes. We encourage a family atmosphere and teach family values and attitudes in the children.

We believe that children learn through experience, through everything that  happens around them. We provide the children with a stimulating school environment, where their achievements are celebrated through praise and encouragement, displays of work and a system of rewards.

We acknowledge that the relationships children have with adults are of central importance in their development, our smaller class sizes and large amount of adult help gives more time to each child.

We believe that School should be a partnership with home and we strive to develop effective communication with parents and work closely with them to provide the best possible education.

Staplecross school is a Methodist Controlled Primary School for children age 4+ to 11 and has at present 68 pupils on roll.

The Aims of the School

Vision Statement 

At Staplecross we learn together, look after each other and work to achieve our very best.  Our school is a community where, within a Christian ethos, we all play our part in making sure Every Child Matters.

The Governors of the school in consultation with the staff have agreed the following school aims.
 

• To provide a broad and balanced education based on Christian  principles; which will  develop the skills, abilities, attitudes and values of the whole child.
• To develop and encourage good relationships between home and school and to recognise parents as “Partners in Learning”.
• To treat all children as individuals and to meet their own specific needs.
• To develop the child’s thirst for knowledge and offer a creative and       stimulating curriculum.
• To develop the moral and spiritual awareness of all people, regardless of  colour, creed or religious beliefs.
• To maintain a full and active part in the local Church and Community

Admissions

From September 2008, there has been a change in East Sussex County Council policy regarding admission arrangements for Reception aged children.  Any summer born children (May to August) will now be admitted full time from January rather than waiting until April.  Children born in September to December will be admitted full time; any subsequent birth dates will mean part time attendance until the January.  Parents are welcome to talk to the Headteacher regarding the individual needs of their child and entry into school.

Classroom Organisation

Currently the School has three classes. The organisation is dependent on the numbers in the various year groups and may change from year to year. Reception, Year 1 and 2 are taught in Class 1, Years 3 and 4 in Class 2 and Years 5 and 6 are taught in Class 3.  Careful planning and target setting for individual pupils ensure children make good progress in each year group.

The School Day

The children are taught during the following times each day.

Key Stage 1       9.00– 12.00 noon

                             1.15– 3.30 p.m.

Key Stage 2       9.00– 12.00 noon

                             1.00– 3.30 p.m.

All children have a morning break between 10.15-10.30a.m. and an afternoon break between 2.15– 2.30 p.m. Included within the contact day is time for registration and Collective Acts of Worship as required by the Education Reform Act. Staff are on duty ten minutes before and ten minutes after the school day finishes. The staff also offer a number of lunchtime and after school clubs including football, netball, cricket, stoolball, ICT, and cookery. These are well attended and enjoyed.  We also make use of outside providers where possible and we currently have a before-school Judo Club running in the Village Hall.

Curriculum

The children receive a differentiated curriculum planned over a rolling  programme to avoid repetition. The Curriculum is organised on a rolling programme in order to take into account the mixed age-group classes. This ensures that all the children cover the full curriculum and the teachers adapt the work to fit the needs of the children in the class.

Our Teaching and Learning Policy identifies opportunities for a variety of different strategies and teaching techniques which are used by the staff when planning activities.  We believe that learning needs to be relevant to children and that they need to participate as much as possible in all school activities through an enthusiastic response to all learning.  We aim to make links where possible between subjects to ensure that the children receive a rounded education.  All the work set is monitored by the class teacher and detailed records are kept on pupil progress and achievement.

Literacy

The school places a high value on teaching Literacy skills and follows the revised National Literacy Framework closely. We deliver a daily Literacy lesson and support the children’s reading by a structured scheme, daily reading sessions and the support of home reading with the parents. We have a whole school spelling and handwriting scheme.  As well as learning the relevant spelling and grammar for their age, the children are involved in a variety of writing tasks linked to their topic work.

In the Early Years, we ensure that the children have access to a rich and varied literacy experience using big books and their own experiences.  The children are encouraged to participate in a range of activities to develop their ability to discriminate different sounds, know how books work and participate in discussion to develop their speaking and listening skills.  In addition to following the revised National Literacy Strategy, we use Jolly Phonics to develop phonic and word building skills.  We use Oxford Reading Tree and Ginn as our main reading schemes. This is supported by a fiction area in each classroom and a well stocked  library. 

Numeracy

We believe that being confident with all aspects of numeracy is a vital life skill.  We strive to ensure that all children are not only numerate but confident when handling number.  The school follows the requirements of the revised Numeracy Strategy and in Key Stage 2 makes used of the Unit Plans linked to the Strategy. Lessons are started with mental warm ups and followed with the main teaching points. The classes are well equipped and all work is differentiated for the different ability groups.

Each class has a magnetic number

board and access to many teaching

aids which are used in the whole class

activity or in the smaller group

sessions.

 Science

Through the teaching of science we aim to develop an enquiring mind in the children and the ability to explore, interpret and understand their environment.

The school follows a structured scheme with the youngest children learning through first hand experiences of touch, talk, feel, explore and investigate.

As they progress through the school they take part in simple experiments, watch class demonstrations and travel out of school to see science in new  situations. The oldest children have developed good experimental skills and are now able to devise their own tests

thinking about safety, equipment needed and what makes things happen the way they do.

 Design Technology

Investigating, designing and making can be a most rewarding experience for children. With the support of parents, the school is able to provide a wide range of activities including cooking, sewing , wood and card construction and the exploration of control vehicles.

Information Technology

In an ever changing world, an understanding of computers is an essential skill for all children to master. At Staplecross School we encourage the  children to develop this skill from reception and they all leave us with a good working knowledge of all aspects of Information Technology.

We endeavour to provide up to date equipment for the children to use.  There are PCs and laptops for use within all classrooms. The computers are on the Internet via ISDN lines and the children are able to safely research and access information for different projects.  Interactive whiteboards in each classroom also provide access to teacher resources which make learning visually stimulating.

The children follow a scheme that involves multimedia presentations, word processing, data handling and control models and we always endeavour to keep abreast of new developments. 

Appreciating art and communicating through art is another vital aspect of human life and the children are given opportunities to discover many different skills, materials and techniques. All work is collected in portfolio wallets and the children enjoy looking back on what they have achieved. We display work throughout the school and keep photo evidence of 3D models.

        Henry VIII artwork

 Music
 

the recorder with Mrs. Vidler and East Sussex offers a

wide variety of peripatetic music teachers to teach other

instruments (currently, keyboard, violin and guitar).

We pride ourselves on the high musical standards set and

we enjoy performing in our church services and with other children in local

music festivals.

The whole school takes part in a  Summer play and we share Harvest, Easter

and a Leavers’ service with the parents and community.

Physical Education

We aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude to life through the physical activities. In the early years small ball skills, movement and gymnastics are taught and these are built upon in Key Stage 2.

All the children go swimming in the summer term and we are pleased with the success rate by all our swimmers.

Children in Years 5 and 6 also have the opportunity to go on a residential trip where they experience many new outdoor activities and live away from home for a week.

The school offers many after school activities including football, netball, rounders, athletics and stoolball and we take part  in many local tournaments and festivals.

We encourage all children to do their best in P.E and promote equal opportunities in all sports.

History and Geography

These subjects are taught as separate lessons in the school and give the children a sense of time and place in the world. We believe in the importance of first hand experience and consequently, educational visits support the work in the classroom and we use our well stocked library and computers to enhance reference and mapping skills.  We also buy into the Library Service who provide us with an additional source of up-to-date reference books.

Religious Education

We place importance on the delivery of Religious Education and Collective Worship within our school and aim to develop each child spiritually, morally, socially and culturally.  The school is Methodist Controlled but its teaching is entirely non-denominational.  An act of Collective Worship is held daily and we visit the local church once a month. In RE lessons, the children follow the East Sussex Agreed Syllabus which covers a wide range of spiritual beliefs. Parents have the right to remove their child from these lessons or the daily act of worship but must please inform the school so that suitable arrangements may be organised.

Sex Education

The Governors have decided that Sex Education should be incorporated into the curriculum as part of the Personal, Social and Health Education scheme in the school.

The children learn to build confidence and self esteem right from day one. They explore feelings and emotions in a caring and sensitive way. They are taught the biological components of Sex Education in Years 5 and 6 through a series of videos and lessons and Parents are invited to see the material before it is shown to the children.

Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from these lessons by writing to the Headteacher in advance, however we hope that they will share in this important stage of the child’s development by discussing what has been shown at school.

Special Educational Needs

Staplecross School follows the East Sussex policy for Special Educational Needs. We keep a register on all the children who need extra help and set targets for these children at termly meetings. The targets are given to the parents and monitored in school by the Special Needs Co-ordinator.

If the child makes good progress, they are moved up or off the register and if they are still causing concern then extra strategies and help are employed.  A rigorous system of monitoring and assessment enables us to identify areas of concern and put in place effective strategies to support children, communicating with outside agencies where appropriate. Parents are involved in this process at each stage.

Homework

Children in Primary Schools are now encouraged to take home some homework each week, to develop good working habits and prepare them for Secondary School. We set work that reflects what is being taught in the classrooms. The work is marked and discussed with the children and so forms an important part of their learning.

The children are also encouraged to read at home each night and progress made to be recorded in a home/school reading record. We also send home spellings to learn once a week and times tables when age appropriate.

Modern Foreign Languages

At Staplecross, we recognise the importance of capturing children’s enthusiasm and imagination at an early age.  Beyond the value of learning  another language, it also extends children’s awareness of other cultures.

Each class receives an introduction to French.  In Class 1, this takes the form of  learning basic greetings, counting and listening to simple songs.  By Class 3, we endeavour to give them a grounding of French vocabulary and, most importantly, the confidence to speak a few phrases.

Communication with parents

We place great importance on easy communication between school and parents as  we both share responsibility for the children in our care. Parents are welcome to make informal appointments at any time to discuss matters of concern. Parents Evening are held in the Autumn and Spring term to discuss progress and we hold an open afternoon in the Summer for you to share your child's work with them.

Annual Summary Reports are sent out in the Summer term detailing progress and achievement in all National Curriculum subjects. We also send out end of Key Stage  SATS results to Year 2 and Year 6 parents and inform of next terms topics in a class newsletters.

Policy statements and schemes of work, when they have been developed, are available for parents to see on request. The Governors report to parents via the internet where information about the year of the school is posted.

Parents should be aware that the school will take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. In cases where the school has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill-treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, staff have no alternative but to follow the Local Authority Child Protection Procedures and inform Social Services of their concerns.

Amy, Class 3

Routes taken by Year 6 Children

At the end of Key Stage 2, most of our children go to Robertsbridge Community College or Claverham Community College. Some children opt for Grammar Schools in Kent.

School Discipline

We believe very strongly in good and considerate behaviour by all children. Great care is taken to help children to adopt this attitude in their every day life. We always try to be positive in our approach to discipline and encourage good behaviour.  Misdemeanours are handled in a firm and structured way.  A copy of the school’s Behaviour Policy is available on request.

Good work is celebrated every day through praise in the classroom and through celebration at our weekly Golden Book assembly where the children look forward to hearing about individual successes and achievements.

The school has a set uniform which is worn by all the children comprising of a white polo shirt, blue sweatshirt and grey skirt or dark grey trousers. The sweatshirt has the school badge and name embroidered on it and may be ordered from the office. In the winter, a school fleece may be worn.

School Council

We believe that everyone in the school community deserves a voice in the process of school improvement.  We have an active School Council, with one member from each year group who meet regularly to discuss how the school can move forward.

“Book week is brilliant because you get to dress up as people from films and books”

Benedict, Class 3

 Complaints

 Any complaints regarding the curriculum and collective worship will be dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible and may be dealt with at one of three levels.

(a)      The informal level

          That is in discussion with the Headteacher or other staff of the school

 (b)     The formal complaint to the Governing Body

If attempts to settle the complaint informally have failed, the Head teacher will direct the complainant to the Chairman of the School’s Governing Body.

(c)      Formal Complaint

If the complainant that has complained formally to the Governing Body, is not satisfied with the outcome and wishes to complain to the LEA, the complainant should set out the complaint and send it to the Senior Education Officer at Children’s Services, County Hall , Lewes.

Charging/Remissions for School Activities

The Governors of the school have adopted the policy for charging recommended by East Sussex County Council. Those sections likely to apply to primary schools are as follows:

(a)      Charges may be made for the board and lodging element for residential activities.

Charges may be made for individual music tuition which takes place in or out of school hours.

 (c)      Complete or partial remission of charges may be agreed by the Governing Body in cases of financial need. When arranging a chargeable activity the    Governing Body will invite parents to apply in confidence for the remission of charges. Authorisation of remission will be made by the Head      teacher in consultation with the Chairman of the Governors.

Voluntary contributions may be requested for the following:

          Ingredients used in cooking,

          Replacement of damaged or lost equipment or books,

          Travel on trips made in school time,

          Visiting speakers, theatre groups and musicians.

Parent and Teacher Association

The school has a very active Parents, Friends and Teacher Association (P.T.F.A) who run many events in the school year. Their activities range from Summer Fair to Beetle drives and Quiz Evenings and all the money raised is spent on the children in school. The committee are always looking for new members and will soon contact you with requests for help.  The children benefit directly from items that the PTFA purchase, whether large or small.  They have recently provided shelters for shade on the school field and attractive, bright carpets for the Library, six additional laptop computers and a school rabbit.

Finally we would like to welcome you and your child to Staplecross Methodist Primary School and hope your time with us will be a successful partnership in your child’s development and education.

Classroom Assistants

Mrs Paula Littlemore

Mrs Doreen Matthews
Miss Hayley Cruikshank
Miss Julie Britton
Mrs Jo Meeds

Caretaker

School Governors

Mrs Catherine Platten