Christ Church CEP Academy
head teacher’s welcome Welcome to Christ Church CEP Academy, Folkestone. The staff and governors of the school are very proud of our achievements and the service provided to the local community. Each child’s educational progress, spiritual growth, social development and general welfare are at the very heart of the excellent provision on offer at Christ Church Academy. Staff and governors aim to provide your child with an education that is broadly based, relevant and tailored to meet their individual needs. We provide a caring and happy atmosphere in which every child may fulfil his or her potential and develop in self-confidence and respect for the people and environment around them. We are committed to establishing and maintaining an active partnership between home and school in order to benefit and enhance the education of our children and to this end, prospective parents are warmly invited to visit the school and meet with the staff and children.
“Christ Church CEP Academy is a wonderful school family. I commend it to you as a place of learning, encouragement and hope for all God’s children.” Bishop Trevor, Canterbury Diocese
introduction Christ Church is a two-form entry Church of England Primary Academy situated in the heart of Folkestone. We have over 400 children from a rich variety of cultures, religions and backgrounds. The Academy benefits from a spacious site including the grassy paddock and conservation area where pupils can explore and learn from the outdoors. We are in easy reach of the beach and harbour as well as local amenities such as the Quarter House, Creative Quarter, Leas Cliff Hall and just a short walk from Holy Trinity Church.
mission statement At Christ Church CEP Academy we provide a broad balanced education for all learners within a caring, Christian ethos. We aim to create a happy and stimulating environment in which everyone throughout our community will feel secure and confident in their abilities and enable them to fulfil their maximum potential as members of society.
faith Our Christian Values lie at the centre of all that we do at our Academy – particularly the values of Friendship, Thankfulness, Forgiveness and Hope, which were chosen by the children to be of central importance to the way we work together at Christ Church. We work closely with the Trinity benefice and the Diocese of Canterbury. The Vicar or Reader from Holy Trinity church visit the Academy on a weekly basis to lead an Act of Collective Worship and on the other days these are lead within the Academy by our staff and pupil Worship Leaders. We have a Lay Chaplain on our staff who is available to offer support to pupils, staff and families in times of need. Our worship team work together to arrange services, assemblies, festival days and other faith activities.
pupil wellbeing Our caring Christian ethos extends to the relationships we form with our pupils and their families. We understand that when things happen outside of school it can affect our pupils in school and we actively seek to work with families in the best interests of each child. Our pupil wellbeing team are available to support pupils and families, no matter what the issue.
safety Naturally pupil safety is of the utmost importance at our academy. Our staff receives regular training and supervision to ensure the highest standards of care. Through our progressive school curriculum pupils learn how to keep themselves safe whilst online and within the community.
“Christ Church Academy is a brilliant place to be educated and grow up in.� Pupil
admissions If you are interested in your child joining our Reception classes in September, information on how to apply can be found online www.kent.gov.uk. If your child currently attends another school and you wish to transfer them, you can complete an in-year admission form. Please speak to the front office if you have any queries about this process.
extended services At Christ Church we pride ourselves on our care for the whole family of our pupils. We have wrap around care in the form of a very affordable breakfast club which children can come along to at 8 a.m. to have a healthy start to their day before going into class at 8.30 a.m. Places do not need to be booked in advance. We run a number of after school clubs which are free to attend covering a range of activities for all year groups in the school including sports, cookery, art, science, gardening and hand bells among others. We have a weekly youth club for children over the age of 7, with a small charge to cover a drink and snack. External providers come into school to offer the children sports, karate, dance, brass band and other activities for a reasonable charge. Parents can attend Keep Fit classes, Bodyfit Forever and Karate. We hire out our facilities for parties, meetings and other events to parents and local people. We are at the centre of our community and have community facilities available for all.
phonics We use the Read Write Inc. phonics programme to help our pupils develop into enthusiastic, confident young readers and writers, working at exactly the right pace for each child.
maths Maths Makes Sense is an innovative learning system used throughout the school to help pupils to learn maths skills, develop a solid mathematical understanding and to reason and problem solve.
global community At Christ Church we are extremely proud of the diversity of our community, which represents a vast array of languages and cultures. We foster an ethos of respect and tolerance and enjoy learning from each other. Our students have the opportunity to make friends from across the globe as they develop knowledge and curiosity about other lands, peoples and cultures.
the christ church experience We have worked together as a whole school community – children, parents, staff and governors – to think about our curriculum. What should the children learn? Who should they meet? Which books should they have read? What experiences should they have had? Where should they have been? Which poems should they have learnt? We used this to design our own curriculum that has a fantastic book at the heart of each topic; a curriculum that is ambitious, exciting, packed full of new experiences and a rollercoaster ride from the moment you join us to the second you leave! We call it the “Christ Church Experience” – hold on tight, and enjoy the ride…
“Christ Church Academy is offering an educational environment in which both my children are happy and progressively learning.” Parent
early years The Early Years is an exciting time for our 4–5-year-olds when they learn to question, challenge and investigate. There’s a strong focus on reading, writing and mathematics, as well as ICT, religious studies, music and understanding the world. Being active is key to developing a healthy lifestyle and from the very beginning of their school career we aim to instil a love of sport and help the children find their ‘inner champion’. Each child will have an opportunity to try a whole host of sports including ball games, yoga, gymnastics, athletics, team games and swimming sessions in our very own pool. Children at Christ Church have daily opportunities to learn in their outside environment. We have a colourful and welcoming outdoor area and a mud kitchen to capture the imagination! Early Years at Christ Church is an all-round education for your child, from good table manners and social skills at lunchtime to mindfulness for our wellbeing – a programme of discovery that fosters a love of learning to lead to respect, confidence and selfmotivation.
“Children make friends instantly.� Pupil
Brockman Road Folkestone Kent, CT20 1DJ Telephone: 01303 253645 Email: office@christ-church-folkestone.kent.sch.uk www.christchurchfolkestone.com