The School Day

The school provides a programme of work which ensures children develop in a way, and at a pace, appropriate to themselves. This necessitates differentiation in terms of the tasks the children are set, the material they work with and the way the teachers organise the class, support staff and parent helpers. Each day is planned to expose children to a variety of learning modes and experiences, and a balance of mental and physical activity. Teachers monitor individual children and always aim to tailor classroom tasks and resources to individual earning needs. During any one day children may work as a whole class, as a group or individually, depending on the topic and the curriculum objectives. Standardised tests, teacher assessment and a range of other assessment materials are used to monitor and track each child’s progress.

Children are normally organised into four classes across the school, which are additionally supported by Learning Support Assistants of a very high quality.

The Literacy Hour follows the National Literacy Strategy teaching objectives for Reception to Year 6 to enable all pupils to read and write with confidence, fluency and understanding. It is a structured daily session for the explicit teaching of reading and writing. All classes take part in fifteen minutes of reading and discussion of a text, followed by a fifteen minute lesson on phonics, spelling, grammar or punctuation. Children then work independently at reading or writing activities finishing with a ten minute class review of the work covered.

The Numeracy Hour follows the National Numeracy Strategy for pupils from Reception to Year 6. It begins with a mental/oral starter for the whole class. This is followed by whole class teaching of mathematical concepts. It continues with group/independent work and finishes with a plenary/review session.

Other subjects are taught on a regular basis, and breadth, balance, continuity and progression are maintained through careful planning and recording.

Assembly is held daily. We come together as a school, to share experiences, reflect on events, undertake acts of worship, sing and listen to music. Parents are invited to Friday assemblies to share in and celebrate children’s achievements.