School Prospectus

 Our Vision:

 

To encourage and care for every child, within a Christian framework, so that each can excel in the skills needed for learning and life.

 

Our Values:

 

Christ Church is a place where:

 

- We are kind, we care and we share;

- We are polite and helpful;

- We are fair;

- We understand and forgive each other;

- We are honest and trust each other;

- We are respectful;

- We try hard and enjoy learning.

 

 

Our Aims:

 

At Christ Church we aim for children to have:

 

1. excellent skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT;

2. the ability to persevere, collaborate, enquire and question;

3. a respect for themselves, their peers, their environment and their community;

4. healthy lifestyles;

5. positive Christian values;

6. a love of learning.

Head Teacher’s Introduction

 

Welcome to Christ Church CE VC Primary School. We are very proud of our school and look forward to welcoming you into our learning community. Christ Church is a forward looking school where we strive for excellence in everything we do; it is after all, nothing less than our young people deserve.

 

We have a long history in the Hanham Parish, dating back to 1841. The current building was opened in 1970 and was extended in 2000 when a new Early Years base and offices were built. There has been substantial investment in the school over recent years, focusing on creating learning spaces which meet the demands of 21^st Century learners.

 

We have expansive and mature grounds which are entirely secure during the school day, allowing the children full access to learning and play outside. On our two fields we have a brand new ‘Trim Trail’ and an outdoor classroom, ‘The Petal Shelter’. In addition to this we have a large playground containing a basketball court and an infant adventure playground.

 

The school aims for high academic standards, as good core skills are, as they always have been, essential for successful learning in other areas. However, at Christ Church we believe that for children to go on and make a success of learning and life they also need excellent social skills and emotional awareness.

 

The school has an excellent reputation for pastoral care with our ethos based on core values. Our school values (written initially by the children themselves) are extremely important to us as they provide the foundations on which our learning community is built. As well as being published here, you will notice them around the school, manifest in everything we do.

 

We aim to provide a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum which offers students the opportunity to develop enquiring minds, express themselves through music and the arts and provide them with the skills they will need as lifelong learners.

 

Being a Christian school, the children follow the Christian calendar and visit the parish church for services during the school year.

 

Simon Botten

Head Teacher

The Curriculum

 

As with all Primary schools, the school is organised into three ‘Key Stages’, which refer to key stages in learning and development. Foundation Stage begins in the last year of Pre-school or Nursery and continues at Christ Church in the Reception class (4-5 year olds).

 

 

Children follow the National Curriculum relevant for their Year and Key Stage, and are tested at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 using Standard Attainment Tests or SATs.  In the Foundation Stage children follow the ‘Early Learning Goals’ which focus on key learning skills for young children, namely: Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Communication, Language and Literacy; Mathematical Development; Knowledge and Understanding of the World; Physical Development and Creative Development.

 

Once the children enter Year 1, they begin the full National Curriculum, which includes the four core subjects of: English, Mathematics, Science and Information and Communication Technology; and the foundation subjects of: History, Geography, Religious Education, Physical Education, Personal, Social and Health Education, Art, Design Technology and Music. Primary French is also being phased in throughout the school.

 

All the children will have a Literacy (English) and Numeracy (Mathematics) lesson every day as these are key aspects of learning. Most foundation subjects are taught in topics where the children learn a particular aspect of, for example, History, over a Term.

 

At Christ Church we aim to provide a foundation curriculum which ignites children’s interest in a subject, encouraging them not solely to learn cold facts, but to acquire transferable skills of enquiry, communication and analysis, which will allow them to access learning at a deeper level.

Good Behaviour

 

Six ‘Golden Rules’ underpin our Good Behaviour Policy and are displayed in every class and understood by every child.

Our Golden Rules:

1. We will have kind hands and feet.

2. We will not say unkind things.

3. We will follow instructions first time.

4. We will move quietly and sensibly around the school.

5. We will put our hands up when we want to speak.

6. We will do our best.

Our approach to promoting good behaviour from our students is that of praising and acknowledging positive behaviour, through verbal praise, House Points, Star Awards or Commendations, whilst marginalising inappropriate behaviour. At Christ Church we celebrate success in its many forms during our weekly Celebrations assembly and, by so doing, model to children the positive outcomes of positive actions. When behaviour is inappropriate, then stepped sanctions are imposed which give the child time to reflect and alter their behaviour. We believe that every child should be free from harm within our school and we have a zero tolerance approach to behaviours such as fighting. In such cases parents / carers are automatically contacted. A full copy of the Good Behaviour Policy can be found in the ‘Documents’ area of the school website.

Health and Well-being

 

The school positively promotes a healthy lifestyle through the taught curriculum and through curriculum enrichment activities.  Physical Education is taught at least twice a week in every class and children are encouraged to take part in a range of sporting activities and clubs. Swimming is taught throughout Years 3 and 4 and the school also regularly takes part in local sports festivals and tournaments.

 

The school kitchen offers healthy, nutritionally balanced food, all of which is organic and locally sourced Those children choosing to bring sandwiches are encouraged to bring healthy options. Water bottles are allowed on children’s desks and they are encouraged to drink plenty of water throughout the day, as this has been proven to aid concentration and increase energy levels. 

 

The school teaches the SEAL programme  (Social and Emotional Aspects in Learning) which promotes well-being by developing self-esteem and emotional empathy.  

 

Extra-Curricular Activities

 

A good number of children at Christ Church choose to take up places at our many lunchtime and after-school clubs. Clubs usually offered include: Story club, drama, puzzle club, recorders, basketball, tennis, mini-sports, rounders, cricket, Tag-rugby, Athletics, cross-country, art club, football etc.  The school also offers peripatetic music tuition for a variety of instruments which can be borrowed from the school.

Houses

 

Children are organised into Houses as this helps to create a culture of belonging and teamwork. House points are awarded to children demonstrating our school values and a House Cup is awarded each week to the winning house. 

 

Children also compete for their houses in a variety of sporting events throughout the year.

 

Inclusion

 

Our success as a learning community is based on the core principle that every child matters and that learning should match their personal needs and aptitudes.

 

The school has an Inclusion Co-ordinator whose role is focused on identifying children who require additional opportunities or support to reach their full potential. This may involve access to one-to-one tuition, inclusion in a small, focused support group or a place on a Gifted and Talented course at one of the local high schools.

 

The school also has a team of dedicated and experienced Teaching Assistants who fulfil a variety of roles in school, including offering specialist learning support.

 

Some children have a special educational need, which may require an individual education plan and our Inclusion Co-ordinator ensures that specialist provision is organised.

 

Parent - teacher partnership

 

For your child’s education to be successful there must be a strong partnership between home and school. The school holds termly parent consultation evenings and curriculum information events.

 

We operate an ‘open door’ policy and are happy to meet with parents to discuss specific issues. We actively encourage parents to help in class.