Priory Rise School
Inspiring a passion for learning!
Welcome On behalf of the whole school community, I am delighted to welcome you to Priory Rise School and very much hope that this is the start of a very special partnership. At Priory Rise we have the highest of expectations of everyone and continually aspire for our school to be an inspirational and exciting place of learning. We have built and developed a highly successful, happy and thriving community, where children and sta relate to each other with conďŹ dence, care and respect. We are proud of our strong and inclusive community, the culture of high expectation and learning, the high quality of teaching, the excellent care of our children and the outstanding practice that pervades the whole school. Diversity, inclusion and achievement are all woven through our values and our approach to teaching and learning. Priory Rise is a school that everyone feels proud to belong to and we take great pleasure from the many wonderful achievements of our children. We all consider ourselves privileged to be part of the school and continually seek to build on our excellent foundations to ensure that Priory Rise continues to be the best that it possibly can be. Ruth Seagar Headteacher
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Our Vision
Our Aims
Children are at the very centre of our school - aspiring to provide the very best for every child is central to all of our work. Children are inspired to learn and develop a genuine love of learning. Children at our school don’t give up easily they keep on trying, aiming to be the very best that they can be. A positive ‘can do’ attitude pervades our school.
At Priory Rise School, we want our children to...
Relationships are nurturing, warm and supportive - there is fun, love and laughter at our school. Everyone is safe, everyone belongs, feels valued and grows. We are a team: we are a family. Behaviour is excellent - everyone is courteous and polite and we all take care of each other. Achievement is high and children make great progress with their learning and in their personal development. Our positive values are evident in our actions, words and behaviours. The curriculum is rich and vibrant; children make the most of technology and enjoy the many opportunities to learn beyond the classroom and about the global world. Exciting opportunities inspire children to learn: creativity is valued and promoted. Our school environment is inspirational - our wonderful displays inspire children to find out more. We are proud of everyone’s achievements and celebrate success. We all work hard together, determined to make a positive difference to the lives of children and families at our school. We take pride in all that we do and are fully committed to achieving the best for everyone. Priory Rise School... inspiring a passion for learning!
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TEL: 01908 502572
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Achieve highly to the best of their ability and enjoy learning
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Be caring, responsible, well behaved and polite citizens who are active members of our school community
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Be confident, happy and independent learners with high self-esteem
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Understand how they learn and take responsibility for aspects of their own learning
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Be confident users of modern technology
In order to achieve this we will...
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Provide inspiring and motivational teaching which challenges children to think
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Set high standards of behaviour and encourage individual responsibility
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Ensure that everyone expects the best of and for every child
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Provide exciting and creative learning opportunities including the use of modern technology
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Create a happy, secure environment where relationships are excellent and where every child is valued and feels safe
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Help children to understand how they learn best and develop the skills for life-long learning
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Work closely with parents and carers, developing excellent home-school relationships
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Provide opportunities to participate in community activities in and out of school and learn about the world around them
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Our Values
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Our values are explored over three years, one value per month, excluding August. In this way, the children revisit the values in detail, at least twice throughout their career at Priory Rise.
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To be able to make good choices
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To develop good citizens
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To develop the whole person and see each other as human beings not just as children and staff
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To develop considerate, reflective, open-minded children and staff
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To develop and enhance the sense of community, unity and whole school ethos
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To empower and develop the self-worth and confidence of each individual
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To enable deeper learning through raising awareness, reflection, discussion and buoyant use of an ethical language
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TEL: 01908 502572
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“I love that at Priory Rise the children work hard and have excellent routines – but they still have lots of fun together and celebrate all occasions.” - Parent
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The Aims of our Values-Based Education To develop a clear understanding of what is right and wrong – a clear moral compass
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At Priory Rise School our ethos and approach is based on 33 core values which we believe underpin good citizenship and positive behaviour, helping our children to develop as well-rounded, confident individuals who have a strong moral compass that influences their behaviour and choices.
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Starting School
Nursery Our nursery is a key part of Priory Rise School, facilitated by an experienced team who work closely together and with the rest of the Foundation Stage team. We offer a warm and welcoming environment which is extremely well resourced. Children are able to extend their learning by exploring and playing with resources designed to capture and develop their interests. Learning is developed through the characteristics of effective learning and the 7 areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). We recognise that each child is unique and that they progress in their own way. Our caring and nurturing team provide individualised learning through observation, questioning, exploration and building on children’s interests.
Foundation Stage The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Priory Rise provides children with the very best possible start to their education, establishing solid foundations on which to build their future learning journey, developing each child to become the very best version of themselves. At Priory Rise School our Foundation Stage has Nursery and Reception classes.
Reception The reception year builds on the children’s experiences, either at home, at our Priory Rise nursery or at other pre-school settings. During this year in school, children continue to access rich opportunities so that they can explore and learn through play, alongside daily, direct teaching of Phonics, Numbers and Patterns and Topic. Children experience a warm and welcoming learning environment which provides well resourced indoor and outdoor areas, developing their curiosity, problem solving and investigation skills. Throughout the school year the children focus on a range of topics which reflect the children’s interests, the cultural calendar, current affairs and the world around us.
“Teachers... have very high expectations of what pupils should achieve. They make school fun and plan work that motivates and inspires pupils to do very well.” - Ofsted 2015 8
TEL: 01908 502572
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Our Curriculum
Maths and English
At Priory Rise we follow the National Curriculum. Teachers plan and deliver vibrant creative lessons to ensure that all skills and knowledge required to succeed are taught throughout both Key Stages 1 and 2. We provide a rich, varied and lively curriculum, where children are actively engaged to develop their key skills, acquire a rich vocabulary and promote a depth of knowledge, whilst exploring a wide range of subjects and topics. We strive for our children to thrive and achieve in every aspect of their development.
Maths and English are taught daily in all year groups. In English, there is a specific emphasis on reading and writing a wide range of genres across the course of the year. Reading is celebrated with quality, potent texts accessed each week to develop a love of reading. Writing is taught by sharing and immersing the children in a range of quality texts as models. Teachers skilfully use shared and guided writing opportunities alongside a variety of independent writing tasks.
Learning is organised into exciting ‘themes’ taught over the two key stages. Each subject within the curriculum is taught specifically to develop key skills and knowledge that build on and deepen previous learning; wherever possible, links are made across the curriculum. Subjects taught include: English, Maths, Science, Design Technology, History, Geography, Religious Education, Physical Education, Music, Personal, Social and Health Education, French (KS2), Computing, Art and our Priory Rise values.
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TEL: 01908 502572
Mathematics themes are carefully ordered to build upon previous knowledge and skills taught. Children are taught how to access arithmetic problems with fluency, alongside developing their reasoning skills.
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Learning Outside the Classroom Every opportunity is taken to enrich the experiences of our pupils beyond the classroom. Children from Nursery to Year 6 embark on a range of different visits outside the classroom, including visits in the local area, and those that take us further afield. Residential retreats are offered from Year 3, beginning with a sleepover at the school and increasing in time and distance away from home throughout Key Stage 2. Each experience builds upon the last and develops an extensive range of skills and knowledge. Visitors are actively invited into school to share life experiences to develop children’s knowledge and understanding and the school embarks on a wide range of ‘theme days’, where children are immersed in new topics and learning through drama, dressing up and experience. Music is high on the agenda throughout the school and there are opportunities to learn to play a range of musical instruments with our team of specialist teachers. These are showcased in our annual music concert for parents. In addition, our music teacher leads our own school orchestra and choir. School sports coaches teach P.E. and outdoor games across the whole school and support the children in competing in a vast array of sports festivals and tournaments with other schools. Our sports provision is enriched by a wide range of clubs in dance, football, basketball, cross country, athletics, badminton, cheerleading and yoga – to name but a few! Our specialist computing leader ensures that children access IT in a wide variety of forms, developing essential life skills for the future generation. Children are taught discrete computing knowledge and skills and encouraged to make use of the wider digital world. Additional clubs are on offer every term. These change regularly and can include Coding, Book Club, Drawing Club, Environmental Club, Mindfulness and Gardening. Check the school website for the clubs on offer each term. In addition, each year children are elected to form the active Student Council, representing their class in school developments and fundraising for the school and other charities.
“Teachers make learning fun, even though the work is new and challenges us” – Amelia. 12
TEL: 01908 502572
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What children say about us: ‘Lessons are always fun’ - Tiana ‘PR is an amazing school of happiness and joy’ - Grace ‘The teachers inspire a passion for learning’ - Sam ‘Priory Rise is a great place for learning’ - Isla ‘In this school we are accepting, polite, honest and we always try to show great integrity’ - Isabella
What parents say about us: ‘As a parent, I have really enjoyed the years that my daughter has been at Priory Rise School. I feel the children are really listened to and their opinions are valued and respected.’ - Parent ‘Standards at the school are extremely high and the children are aware of expectations in a positive, encouraging, engaging way.’ - Parent ‘Great leadership, teaching, support and care shown to all children. Fantastic!’ - Parent ‘We love the school, as do the children.’ - Parent
What Ofsted say about us: ‘Pupils make outstanding progress across the school.’ - Ofsted 2015 ‘There is a tremendously happy atmosphere in school that reflects the way that leaders value all members of the school community.’ - Ofsted 2015 ‘Pupils are very proud of their school and its success. Their behaviour is exemplary and they work hard all of the time, reflecting their excellent attitudes towards learning.’ - Ofsted 2015 ‘Pupils have very positive attitudes towards learning. There is a delightful atmosphere when pupils are working. They work hard at all times and are very keen to succeed.’ - Ofsted 2015
“Priory Rise is a great school with kind and caring teachers who are ready to help you” - Lily. 14
TEL: 01908 502572
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Priory Rise School
160 Bronte Avenue, Tattenhoe Park, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK4 3GE Tel.: 01908 502572
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