Floreat Brentford Primary School Prospectus

Primary School

“ Intelligence plus character; that is the goal of true education.�

Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Welcome Opening in September 2015, Floreat Brentford will provide a first rate academic education and a pervasive focus on developing character strengths and virtues. Floreat pupils will learn how to work hard and study well, to be good and do good for others.

As Executive Principal it is my job to realise our vision of a learning community where curiosity, perseverance, honesty and service are prized and celebrated. Floreat Brentford will be a safe and secure environment in which children can have fun and fulfil their potential.

At Floreat we recognise that choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make, and there is no doubt that making that decision involves a leap of faith. To help you with this, we have included information about the most important aspects of our school, and there is even more detail on our website.

We hope this will interest and excite you, and that your child will be among the first to enjoy success at Floreat Brentford.

Paul Campbell Executive Principal

Applications to the Reception class at Floreat Brentford should be made through our website at: www.floreat.org.uk/ Brentford/admissions

The deadline for applications is 15th March 2015.

Our aim: every child flourishing

Core Skills

Cultural Curiosity Knowledge

Character Strengths

English and Maths

Content-rich, subject-based lessons

Honesty Curiosity Perseverance Service to others

Half-termly adventure and service learning projects

Our values Since classical times philosophers have argued that the good of young people, and society as a whole, depends on both a cultivated mind and good moral character. This ‘character + academics’ approach is at the heart of everything we do; it is the way we ensure that every child is flourishing.

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“ Culture is the best that has been thought and said.�

Matthew Arnold

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Learning the core skills, English and Maths Our first focus in English will be on reading.

From the moment children enter the school, we will use a systematic synthetic phonics programme to help pupils learn to decode words and quickly become confident readers. As well as learning how to read, children will be taught handwriting,

punctuation, spelling, grammar, creative writing and drama.

Pupils will be taught Maths using the mastery approach developed in Singapore.

In this method children are given multiple opportunities to practise using concrete

and pictorial representations, before applying their knowledge to solve abstract mathematical problems. As pupils move up through the school, specialist Maths teachers will ensure that all pupils are stretched and supported.

Acquiring a deep and broad cultural knowledge A knowledge-based approach is essential for developing a wide vocabulary, higher order thinking skills, and sophisticated curiosity about the world.

Our pupils will learn about the History of Britain and its context within the wider world, and they will be taught about the physical and human Geography of our planet.

Pupils will study Science, scientists and the scientific method, and undertake experiments. Computing and Coding will be taught discretely and also integrated into other subjects. Starting in Reception, all children will learn a Modern Foreign Language.

Religious and Values Education will help children explore world religions and their differing – and often overlapping – philosophies and values.

Music and Art will expose pupils to worldfamous works and approaches, and give plenty of time for creativity, performance and practice.

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Developing a range of character virtues Floreat’s Character Education syllabus includes the study of character virtues through stories, reflections on what good character means, opportunities to practise using virtues, and proven programmes such as mindfulness and resilience training.

Beyond this it will be the responsibility of everyone in school to nurture pupils’ character virtues. For example, each week all pupils will have at least two hours of Sport. This will promote fitness, tap into children’s particular talents, and develop key character strengths.

“ Character is, in the long run, the decisive factor in the life of individuals and of nations alike.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Cultivating curiosity Curiosity is our core intellectual virtue because it is the key to encouraging open-mindedness and a love of learning. At Floreat Brentford we will amplify pupils’ innate curiosity by equipping it with strong core skills and deep cultural knowledge.

Pupils’ curiosity will be promoted throughout the life of the school. It will be formally recognised and rewarded, and half-termly Adventure Learning and Service Learning projects – designed to make the most of local facilities and community links – will enable children to apply their learning to exploring the outdoors and the service of others.

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“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.�

Dorothy Parker

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A day in Reception The daily timetable All pupils will attend the school from 8.30am Monday to Friday. Pupils in Reception and Key Stage 1 will finish school at 3.30pm. Children in Key Stage 2 will finish school an hour later at 4.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, having completed a compulsory hour of Booster, Extension and Enrichment (BEE) Time.

Parents will be able to pay for a breakfast club between 8am and 8.30am every day, and, subject to demand, paid-for childcare until 6pm every afternoon.

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8.00 Breakfast club

10.30 Handwriting

Practising writing basic

13.10 History

10.50 Maths

14.10 Breaktime

words learnt in English

8.30 Registration and whole school assembly

With singing, performing and a time for reflection and appreciation

9.10 English

Using games to practise ordering numerals to 20

A chance to let off steam in the playground

11.50 Storytime

14.30 Sport

Structured phonics followed by time to practise

Engaging children in stories linked to both virtues and the wider curriculum

10.10 Breaktime

12.10 Family Dining and play time

Fruit and milk served

Exploring life during the English Civil War

A very special time to share a healthy meal and talk together

Taking place outside on the multi-use games area or in the sports hall

15.30 Home time

Paid-for childcare will be available until 6pm

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Lunchtime and Family Dining Family Dining is an essential part of the school day at Floreat Brentford. As well as providing the opportunity to enjoy a nutritious hot meal, lunch is a time for learning and practising good character while engaging in conversation with peers and adults.

All pupils will sit at planned dining tables and eat a healthy lunch from a set menu that includes a vegetarian option.* Pupils will be taught to lay and clear their places, pass the bread basket and water jug around their table, eat with a knife and fork from plates, and engage in conversation.

*Meals are free for all Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils. Unless eligible for free school meals, parents will pay for lunch for pupils in Key Stage 2.

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We have adopted the Family Dining approach because it means pupils will: • Develop excellent table manners • Be exposed to vocabulary-enriching conversations • Eat food appropriate to an afternoon of focus and perseverance • Be exposed to a variety of flavours that sparks their curiosity • Have opportunities to serve one another

Partnership with parents

The 2015 pioneers

We are committed to partnership with parents. We will sign a homeschool agreement with all parents and carers, setting out what we will deliver for your child as well as our expectations for their conduct and your involvement with the school.

In the first year of opening our staff and governors will be totally focused on our Reception classes.

We will ensure that our first cohort of children get the very best start to their education and grow into wonderful role models for their younger peers.

We will be completely transparent with you about your child’s progress and support you to help your child to flourish. We will report your child’s progress to you at least three times each year, and the school will be inspected by Ofsted.

We are developing close relationships with other Brentford primary schools and intend to hold joint competitions and other activities so that our pioneers will have opportunities to interact with older children.

We hope that pioneering families will embrace this incredible opportunity to shape and influence a new school for many generations to come.

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Travel We hope that you will travel to and from school by walking, cycling or taking public transport. We will consult local parents on how best to support families to drop off and pick up their children at our temporary site for the first years of the school’s opening.

Our Location and Building Now that we’ve been approved to open by the Department for Education, they are working on our behalf with Hounslow Borough Council to secure the very best permanent site for Floreat Brentford, within the TW8 postcode. Building work to convert or build our beautiful new and fully equipped school will begin as soon as possible, with a view to moving in during 2017.

While our building is created, Floreat Brentford will open in September 2015 in a nearby temporary building that has been fully converted into a school for 4 and 5 year olds.

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The Governing Body The Local Governing Body is responsible for day-to-day oversight of the school.

Elections to the parent governor and staff positions will be held shortly after opening. The Governing Body reports to the Trustees of the Floreat Education

Academies Trust (FEAT), who are responsible for the strategic direction of the school and who hold the school’s governors and staff to account. You can read more about our Trustees online at www.floreat.org.uk/board.

The Executive Team at Floreat Education, our sponsoring charity, is employed by the Trustees to help Floreat Brentford achieve its ambitious goals for pupils’ education.

Strategic Advisors We are fortunate to benefit from the expertise and guidance of our superb strategic advisors:

The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham a leading research centre on character education

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Wellington College one of the UK’s leading schools and a pioneering proponent of character education

Admissions We welcome all applications for places at Floreat Brentford. For full details of our admissions policy please refer to our website: www.floreat.org.uk/Brentford The deadline for admissions to Floreat Brentford is the 15th March 2015.

For all information on how to apply online or by post, please go to: www.floreat.org.uk/Brentford/admissions

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Primary School

Honesty • Curiosity • Perseverance • Service For more information please contact us at brentford@floreat.org.uk or visit our website

www.floreat.org.uk/brentford Floreat Brentford Primary School is operated by Floreat Education, an approved academy sponsor and registered charity (No. 1157966).