Shinfield St. Mary’s CE Junior School Prospectus
Learning together, achieving success
C ollaboration & Creativity H onesty & Hope I nclusion & Individuality L ove & Loyalty D etermination R espect E njoyment N urture
Welcome Everyone at ShinďŹ eld St Mary’s CE Junior School provides the very best education for all its pupils as a school of choice within the community. Since 1969, when the school was established, we have striven for excellence in everything we do. We are very proud of our GOOD status, as rated by Ofsted, recognising that this is part of the journey as we continue in our aim to be outstanding in all we do. We know we can help all children to achieve their very best. With an extremely dedicated staff we ensure that your child is prepared for secondary education within a caring, inspiring, and Christian environment and through a wide and varied curriculum. The Governing Body provides the school with a critical friend and is able to support its work in a way that allows everyone to achieve high standards. Pupils have high expectations of themselves, their peers, their teachers, and the Governing Body. We encourage you to visit our school and see this positive attitude to learning for yourself. Our pupils are always eager to come to school and learn new and exciting things, which will be evident to you when you meet them in our lovely learning environment. Mark Taylor Chair of Governors
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Love
IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND.
IT DOES NOT
ENVY, IT DOES NOT
BOAST, ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
IT IS NOT
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
PROUD.
It does not dishonour others, IT IS SELF SEEKING, NOT EASILY ANGERED,
IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.
LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT
REJOICES
WITH THE TRUTH
IT ALWAYS
protects | trusts | hopes,
Always Perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 4
Our Mission Statement Everything we do in our school is driven by our values – those that have been determined by our community as representative of our Church of England school, as well as those that have been identified as quintessentially British by our government – tolerance, democracy and the rule of law. We believe everyone is precious in the sight of God and we value the individual gifts brought by each and every member of our community. At Shinfield, we include the following as our most important values, the greatest of which is love: creativity and collaboration, hope and honesty, inclusion and individuality, love and loyalty, determination, respect, enjoyment, and nurture. The initial letters of our values spell out the word ‘CHILDREN’ – and this is what we’re about – developing happy, well-educated and well-rounded young people, able to cope with the challenges of life in the global economy in the years to come.
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Co lla b orati o n & Creati v i ty : We love working together and using our imaginations!
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Learning Together, Achieving Success Thank you for your interest in our school. We are very proud of it, and keen to work closely with everyone in our school community for the good of the children. We welcome children from all cultures and religions and, because our Mission Statement underpins everything we do, we make sure that in upholding it we develop strong values in our children that are common to the ideals and beliefs of all good citizens and learners. These values drive our school forward, and this was recognised in our OFSTED Inspection of February 2018. All our adults are united in their commitment to doing what is best for all children, so that they can achieve their potential and are enabled go on to lead rich and rewarding lives of their own choosing. Our values are visible in all we do, and are made explicit in displays linked to both secular and Biblical references, throughout the building. You will see them as you leaf through this book, and you will see them when you walk through our school. Adults and children alike speak ‘the language of the values’, and are guided by them. I believe very strongly that when parents and schools speak the same values language, children are most likely to thrive. We have very high expectations of our children: of their learning behaviours, their high levels of attendance, their pride in their neat appearance, and the ways in which they represent our school wherever they go. We reward those who rise above our expectations with roles and responsibilities that they take great pride in: Year Group Ambassadors, Eco Representatives, Librarians, Playground Pals, Senior Pupils and of course the School Council. Our school is situated in lovely grounds with tremendous facilities for outdoor learning and sport. With a large field and playground at the centre of our village, and red kites sailing above, it is a perfect environment in which children can develop a love of learning, make good progress, and thrive. It is extremely important to us that the children are healthy and safe, happy in their learning, and confident in their own skin because they feel loved and valued. Together with the committed and focused team of professionals here at Shinfield St Mary’s, we are proud to be able to say that they are. Visits to the school are warmly welcomed: I look forward to meeting you. Sue Runciman Headteacher
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"Pupils are polite, friendly and helpful and show excellent manners and highly positive attitudes to learning." - Ofsted 10
Vision At Shinfield St Mary’s C of E Junior School we aim to enable our children to go on to lead rich and productive lives of their own choosing, in the following ways. • We offer a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum that incorporates trips and visits, real life experiences and creative opportunities; we have appointed a Leader of Curriculum Enhancement whose specific role is to make sure all children are excited by their learning; • By continually questioning and improving our own already good practice, we model for the children the principles that have made us reflective teachers and learners ourselves; • We treat all adults and children with the same high levels of respect, and in return we expect, and achieve, high standards in learning behaviours; • We communicate our expectations and values with our whole school community, fostering a partnership of shared values and ideals for the good of the children. When parents sign our Home School Agreement, they agree to uphold our values. • We celebrate the achievements of all pupils in the context of individual assessments and class contributions; • We continually add to our rich learning environments, and we ensure that learning, and the curriculum, is accessible to all our pupils: our learning environment is our ‘third adult in the room’. • Our expectations are understood by the children and they are provided with a school planner that supports them in becoming independent, organised learners who are, by the end of their time with us, ‘secondary ready’. • We make our children feel valued and cared for. They know we love them. A key aim for us is to ensure that whatever they go on to do in life will have been their choice, because the skills they have learned here have opened up the world to them.
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Ho ne sty & H op e: We are open with each other, and optimistic.
Our Expectations Of Our Children
Of Our Teachers
• Come to school every day, on time.
• Model and exemplify all our values.
• Always try their best to be an example to others.
• Provide exciting, engaging and creative lessons that support the children’s progress.
• Exemplify all our values in all they do. • Be responsible and organised with their school equipment and lunch. • Follow the school rules. • Be kind and helpful. • Wear the school uniform with pride. • Bring your School Planner to school every day: you will earn Golden Time by doing so. • Be responsible and organised with their school equipment and lunch. • Follow the school rules. • Be kind and helpful. • Wear the school uniform with pride.
Of Our Parents • Ensure your children attend school daily and on time. • Support your children’s learning: listen to them reading, provide a calm, supportive environment in which homework can be completed on time. • Tell us about any worries you may have, or of any changes in circumstances that might affect your child’s wellbeing or learning. • Support our values and policies, and encourage the children to do so. • Take part in school events whenever you can. • Model the high standards of behaviour we expect of the children.
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• Develop good relationships with all adults and children in school, for the good of all.
Of Our Governors • Support and assist the Headteacher in the strategic direction of the school.
A Quick Word on Attendance It is essential that children attend school regularly: the results of missing essential learning can have a huge impact on their future prospects and in some cases affect their ability to engage with the curriculum effectively on their return to school. Requests for leave of absence during term time are therefore only granted in the most exceptional circumstances. Absences without permission are recorded as unauthorised. If your child becomes ill and cannot attend, please let us know before 9.00 on the first day of absence. We will always try to contact you by 9.30 if we have not heard from you by then.
Parents: "We are well informed about school life and our son is happy to go to school. We can see him growing with the values that we cherish and with great respect to the teachers, the learning and the school." And "Even though the school has grown a lot during the last six years, it still has the village school atmosphere where everyone knows each other and older pupils look after younger ones." - Ofsted
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"There is a shared understanding of what the school is trying to achieve." - Ofsted 16
School Uniform Uniform is worn at our school to develop a sense of pride in being a member of our very special school community. We ask that you help us to maintain this high standard and ensure your child is appropriately dressed.
Girls' Uniform Winter: • Grey skirt, pinafore or trousers • White polo shirt with or without school logo* • School navy cardigan with logo* or school navy sweatshirt with logo* • Sensible black shoes (no canvas shoes) and grey or navy tights Summer: • Navy and white summer dresses • School navy cardigan with logo or School navy sweatshirt with logo* • Sensible black shoes (no canvas shoes) and white knee or ankle socks Hair accessories: Please make sure all hair accessories are navy, black or white. All shoulder length/ long hair must be tied back for safety and hygiene reasons.
Boys' Uniform Winter: • Grey trousers
PE Uniform
• Navy blue T-shirt* • White shorts* • Black plimsolls or trainers with non-marking soles
Outdoor Wear •
Reversible fleece jacket* (Optional)
All children will need a PE bag and school bookbag or rucksack. During the winter, children may wear grey or navy blue tracksuit bottoms for PE. The only jewellery permitted in school is a watch and a small pair of plain silver or gold stud earrings. Socks must be worn as part of PE uniform. Those children for whom there are religious restrictions around the baring of legs may wear cotton lycra leggings and socks in the warmer months: tights must never be worn for PE, for reasons of hygiene and health. *Items available to purchase from the School Office
• White polo shirt with or without school logo* • School navy sweatshirt with logo* • Sensible black shoes (no canvas shoes) Summer: • Grey short or long trousers • White polo shirt with or without school logo* • Sensible black shoes (no canvas shoes) 17
Inclu si on & Indi v i d ual it y : We never leave people out.
Admissions, and Transfer to Secondary School As a junior school, we admit children aged 7 – 11, according to the Wokingham Admissions Procedure. A copy of our Admissions Policy is also available from the school office and on the Learning Platform. As soon as your child starts in Year Six, you will receive full information about the choices you have for secondary school. We are very fortunate in Wokingham in that there are many options, all good. We make sure the relevant information about each child follows them to their secondary school so that their teachers there are certain to be able to meet their needs.
Scatter-facts Our Governing Body meets regularly to challenge and support us in our aim to continually improve our provision for all children. It holds us accountable in robust ways that meet our need to constantly improve our provision.
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"‌a passion for making sure that each and every pupil, regardless of background, achieves to the best of his or her abilities and talents, underpins all aspects of the school’s work." - Ofsted
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All-Day Care We have excellent childcare facilities before and after school: our after-school club has been in operation since 1998 and has won several Local Authority Awards.
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Our Breakfast Club was established in 2003 and is very well attended. A daily charge is made for each of these clubs and the supervisors can be contacted through the school office.
Healthy Eating We encourage children to eat healthily, and this is addressed through the curriculum as well as by our provision in the school kitchen. The children are able to order a freshly-cooked, nutritionally balanced meal each day; or, if you prefer, you can provide your child with a packed lunch. Children are allowed to bring a snack into school at break time also: this needs to be a healthy snack such as a piece of fruit or a cereal bar. However, please make sure you do not send in food that contains nuts, as we have a policy of ‘no nuts’ in school. Chocolate bars, or cereal bars that contain chocolate, are not suitable as healthy snacks. We also ask that your child brings a named water bottle into school: children are better able to concentrate when they are hydrated, and, most importantly, it is very good for their overall health. School dinners are paid for via the School Office, unless your child is eligible for Free School Meals. Enquiries about this can be made at the office.
We cannot administer medicine that has not been prescribed, and children should not bring medicine into school. Similarly, if your child uses an inhaler, please make sure you let your child’s Class Teacher know exactly how often and how much your child is likely to need.
Policies that Safeguard Your Children The following policies will be of interest to any parent considering our school, and are available on the school’s website: • Attendance • Health and Safety • Safeguarding • Anti-Bullying • Behaviour for Learning • E-safety
Medical Matters Please keep us informed regarding any medical needs and conditions your child may have, no matter how slight. It may affect their learning; and this knowledge will help support us in addressing their needs.
• Home-School Agreement • GDPR • Privacy Statement • Inclusion • Whistleblowing • Equal Opportunities and Equality Scheme
If your child needs to have prescribed medicine during term time, you will be asked to complete a form with details of the dosage and times, giving us permission to administer the medicine.
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L ove & Loyalty : We live in a caring environment and we look out for each other.
The Curriculum At Shinfield as in all state junior schools, we teach The National Curriculum. It is important to note that this makes up just one part of a school’s curriculum, however: we expand upon it, make it engaging and add to it, so that children learn the important skills of English and Mathematics, and an understanding of Science, RE and Computing both as subjects in their own right and in the context of interesting and varied topic work that includes History, Geography, Art, Music, French and DT. Our PE curriculum is an aspect of our provision that makes us particularly proud, and our PSHE Curriculum enhances our values and embeds the children’s understanding of what they look like in action. On the insert at the back of this prospectus you will find an up-to-date version of our curriculum, and the many ways in which we enhance and extend it. In accordance with the National Curriculum we are also required to make sure the children gain an understanding of ‘British Values’; and specifically, the values of respect, tolerance, the democratic process and the rule of law.
Collective Worship All schools are required to take part in a daily act of Collective Worship, and as a Church of England school we embrace this. The week usually begins and ends with an assembly that is led by the Headteacher, and by other members of staff or members of the community on all other days. This includes members of the church. The Friday assembly celebrates the children’s work and rewards them with certificates; and parents are regularly invited into school to watch the children take part in Class or Year Group Assemblies. 26
"In the national tests in 2018, 96% of our children achieved age-related expectations or above in maths, grammar and spelling." 27
De t e rmi n ati o n : We keep on keeping on.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Educational Visits We endeavour to provide the children with a range of clubs and activities that will widen their experiences and skills, and enable them to make contact with a larger number of people from their community. Many of these clubs are of a sporting kind: we have football, netball, badminton and hockey teams, and have used our sports funding in developing our provision through not only the curriculum but through the development of our teachers in its delivery. One of our most recent sports has been New Age Kurling, which has proved very popular; and we also have clubs in Street Dance, Judo, Tag Rugby and Film Club. For most of these clubs there is a fee to pay, but some of them are free. We enhance our curriculum with educational trips and visits, for which we usually ask for a contribution, the remaining payment being made by the school and the PTA together. Some examples of recent trips include a trip to Butser Ancient Farm; a trip to the River Museum at Henley; a visit by a Roman soldier and by the author William Grill. In Year Six, children are given the opportunity to go on a residential adventure in North Wales, which bonds them in their ďŹ nal year with us and gives them the chance to take part in challenges that they might otherwise never experience.
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Homework All children receive homework and this takes a variety of forms. It might include activities in Maths and English – particularly in spellings and times tables; and may include research for projects and topics in school. We also expect all children to read for at least ďŹ fteen minutes a day, and practise their mental maths. Our online subscription to MyMaths enables children to log on and make progress according to their needs both in and out of school. Parents should record the fact that their child has read, with a note if appropriate, in their school planner.
..."the quality of teaching is consistently strong across all year groups so that pupils progress well in all aspects of their learning." - Ofsted
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Re spec t: We treat each other as we would wish to be treated ourselves.
"Leaders and governors are vigilant in ensuring that pupils are safe at school." - Ofsted 34
Children with Special Educational Needs Children with special educational needs are catered for in focused and sensitive ways at Shinfield St Mary’s Church of England Junior School. All teachers provide a broad and rich curriculum, delivered in engaging ways, to all abilities; but sometimes, further support is needed. This may be due to conditions from birth, or from learning, behavioural or emotional needs that have developed since birth. A wide range of special needs may develop at any time. Sometimes a child may need further support in a small group; a different way of working – for example with a partner, or with resources to support their learning; time with a Teaching Assistant on a one-to-one basis; or, occasionally, an Educational Healthcare Plan. In all these cases, our Inclusion Team, which includes the Headteacher, our Inclusion Leader and Interventions Manager, is able to support the children, and where necessary involve outside agents such as Educational Psychologists or the School Nurse. We also have a Parent Support Advisor who has proven to be a marvellous supportive friend to many. We understand that our children are products of their families, and we are very keen to support and work with each family as a whole as much as we can, in order to ensure that your children can make progress and thrive in our changing world. Every child is precious to us.
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E njoymen t: We immerse ourselves in our learning.
Following Your Child’s Progress We keep our parents informed in many different ways. These include: • Parents Evenings: We hold two Parents’ Evenings a year, when you will have the chance to discuss your child’s learning and progress, and most importantly their next steps for success. We also encourage parents to let us know of any concerns you may have by requesting appointments with your child’s Class Teacher in the first instance; and with either the Headteacher or Inclusion Leader as appropriate, if you think you need further advice and support. • At the end of every academic year you will be given a report on your child’s learning and progress. In the case of the Year Six children, this includes their end-of-KS2 assessment results. • Weekly newsletters, which are published onto the website every week and which are full of vital information about school life and coming events; • Topic letters, which come out early every term and let you know details of the curriculum focuses and homework expectations; • A text messaging system for urgent messages, perhaps for last-minute items such as cancellation of clubs; • Letters, which are sent out via the children’s book bags; • Parentmail – an email system that has proved to be very effective in keeping parents informed of up-to-the-minute news.
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"Pupils understood about different kinds of bullying but were adamant that it does not occur." - Ofsted
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Nurt u re: We play to each other’s strengths so that everyone feels valued.
Coming into School
Concerns
We are very fortunate at St Mary’s C of E Junior School in that we regularly welcome parent helpers into school. Parents can help in a variety of ways that include listening to children reading, accompanying children on school trips, helping with classroom displays, and many others. We ask that you complete a Disclosure and Barring Service form; all staff and helpers in school complete one of these by law, as a safeguard for the children. We of course treat all such things with the strictest confidentiality, and we also ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement.
Any concerns you may have during your child’s time with us should initially be discussed with his or her Class Teacher; but if you feel you need further support, you may wish to discuss it with our Inclusion Leader or our Headteacher. All of us will make every effort to resolve your concerns quickly.
Our PTA As soon as your child joins the school, you automatically belong to the PTA, an active and cheerful group that works hard to raise funds for the school to support and enhance the children’s learning opportunities. We meet regularly and organise events that not only raise funds, but which are enjoyed by children and adults. Parents can contribute as much or as little as they like to this, in terms of attendance of meetings and helping at events – but you will find it rewarding and fun if you do, and you will always receive a warm welcome.
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Finally In the back of this prospectus you will find a Staff List, holiday dates and our latest end of Key Stage Two results, as well as a copy of this year’s curriculum. We look forward to welcoming you and your child to our wonderful school. Sue Runciman
"There is a shared purpose among staff, generated to a large extent by the way in which teams work together to improve their skills." - Ofsted 43
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