ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
United In Our Faith, We Strive for Excellence
Welcome I am delighted to welcome you to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. I hope that our Prospectus will act as a guide to our school life. We are a vibrant, one-form entry school offering education to 4 - 11 year olds. We look forward to meeting you and your child and welcoming you to our school. With Christ at its centre and our children at its heart, we provide a creative and fulfilling environment full of exciting and happy learners. St Joseph’s is a good school as reflected in our recent OFSTED inspection, December I2017. In our last Section 48 Inspection, (2015), we received an overall outstanding grade.
High proportions of pupils attain the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. - Ofsted 2017
Children thrive at St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. As a whole school community, we work hard together to create a loving and caring school family. Our vision at St Joseph’s centres on our mission statement as well as our learning and teaching policy. We have a talented and committed staff team who create a positive and purposeful atmosphere within the school. Our staff are dedicated, have high expectations and a belief that all children can achieve and be successful. St Joseph’s Governing Body is very involved in the life of the school and fulfil their very responsibilities well. Governors are highly effective in their ability to challenge and support the school. We place particular emphasis on excellent behaviour, attendance, punctuality, uniform, good manners and individual progress. We look to support and challenge all pupils so that they can flourish in a culture of success. We are an inclusive school that celebrates diversity of cultures and provides care, guidance and good support for all in its community. Mrs Patricia Chantrey, Headteacher
Pupils live the values of the school through being extremely polite and courteous and showing care and respect for each other. - Ofsted 2017
TEACHING AND LEARNING Good assessment systems are in place and we carefully track the progress pupils are making over time, of core subjects English and Maths. Assessment systems are also extended into some other subjects of the wider curriculum.
Pupils receive a broad and interesting curriculum with specialist teaching in music, Italian and in physical education. Ofsted 2017
Curriculum St Joseph’s curriculum offers a range of exciting opportunities that foster in pupils a real love of learning. Basic skills are rightly given high status alongside opportunities for children to learn outside of the classroom such as trips, workshops, theatre groups and special guests in school. These help children to understand their curriculum learning in context and inspires them to find out more.
Displays of pupils’ work around the school show a breadth of and balance of topics covering History, Science, Art and Religious Education. - Ofsted 2017 A broad range of children’s artwork, displayed around the school, show good progress in the development of techniques in drawing, painting and collage. - Ofsted 2017 Pupils in Year Six pupils take part in an exciting residential trip where they partake in many new and challenging experiences.
FOUNDATION STAGE: (Reception - ages 4-5 years) Children enjoy learning together through a play based curriculum, which includes a significant emphasis on learning to read, learning to write and learning to use numbers confidently. Classrooms are bright and well resourced, and learning takes place inside and outside every day. Our staff communicate with our pre-school providers so that children develop the skills required to be effective learners.
Children in Reception make good progress from their starting points and often exceed the expected level of skills development by the end of the Reception Year. - Ofsted 2017
KEY STAGE ONE: (Years 1-2 - ages 5-7 years) Key Stage One builds on the learning that has taken place in Foundation Stage. Staff work closely to ensure continuity from Foundation Stage in to Year 1. Children are introduced to more structured literacy and numeracy lessons, which will develop reading, writing and maths skills. Children will begin to learn their multiplication tables and will start to bring home spellings to learn. Children will learn through a range of exciting crosscurricular topics.
Children apply their skills in spellings and grammar to their writing, paying close attention to handwriting and the presentation of their work. - Ofsted 2017
KEY STAGE TWO: (Years 3-6 – ages 7-11 years) As pupils get older, their literacy and numeracy lessons may be delivered in ability sets, to ensure that children are challenged to extend themselves. Regular homework is set to complement the work completed in class. The curriculum is delivered through a mix of stimulating cross-curricular topics and subject specific work. The skills required to be effective independent learners are taught in order to prepare children for the transition to Key Stage Three.
Good opportunities are created for pupils to apply the techniques and ideas they learn in English in subjects such as history, geography and religious education. - Ofsted 2017
Behaviour and Discipline
Safeguarding Safeguarding arrangements are thorough. The Designated Safeguarding Leaders ensures that all arrangements are fit for purpose. Good risk assessments are undertaken for visits out of school and regular evacuation and lockdown procedures are practised. All staff have appropriate and annual training. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. They have a good understanding of e-safety and are made aware of the need to be careful online. There is an effective culture of safeguarding where pupils are safe and staff are vigilant.
Our emphasis is on encouraging self-discipline and collective responsibility through our agreed school values. Qualities of honesty, kindness and thoughtfulness are always encouraged. Teachers aim to maintain a firm, but friendly relationship with pupils. Our behaviour system Good to be Green – Going for Gold, understood by all, acknowledges, rewards and promotes good behaviour. Lapses in discipline are dealt with quickly and appropriately. Should any pupil’s behaviour give us cause for concern, parents are asked to come in to school so that together we may seek a solution.
The headteacher, school’s senior leadership and staff have worked successfully to embed high standards of behaviour and a culture of care, where every pupil feels valued and nurtured. - Ofsted 2017
Governors and the headteacher regularly check the school’s safeguarding records, which are detailed and of high quality. - Ofsted 2017
Special Educational Needs Our school caters for pupils with a wide range of special educational needs and staff work hard to remove barriers to learning for these pupils. Needs may arise from general or specific learning difficulties; some pupils may have sensory impairment or medical needs. If your child has special educational needs it is important to discuss these with the Headteacher and the school’s SENCO.
Disadvantaged children and pupils with barriers to learning, make the same good progress and achieve as well as their peers. - Ofsted 2017
After School Curriculum Clubs Further opportunities for children to enhance their own interests are offered through a comprehensive range of extra-curricular clubs, including various sports, arts, and music. We also provide booster lessons to pupils in Years 2 and 6 to offer them further learning support in preparation for their SATs tests at the end of the year.
SOCIAL, MORAL, SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL We continue to promote both Catholic and British Values. Through our curriculum, weekly assemblies and shared values, we strive to develop pupils’ ability to adapt to the ever changing needs of life in the modern world. We encourage our children to think of themselves as global citizens whilst preparing them to be responsible and aware in our ever evolving multicultural society. At St. Joseph’s we encourage and teach Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural values through taking part in a wide range of activities, which inspire us to work together as a school to help ourselves and to help others.
Pupils learn about British values as they reflect on their lives in Britain. They understand about democracy and the values of equality and tolerance in personal, social and health education lessons. - Ofsted 2017
Our teachers make learning fun. They turn the times tables into songs and give us little tricks for working out calculations to make learning hard things easy - Pupil, Yr 5
The staff are very kind. Even when you are in trouble, they listen to both sides of the story. They give you advice on how to do the right thing without shouting at you. - Pupil, Yr 4
HEALTHY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE We teach pupils to appreciate the benefits of exercise and being active and healthy. The pupils enjoy a balanced programme of activities during PE lessons, lunch time games, after school sports clubs. Our football team play competitively with other local schools every Saturday at Blackheath. Bikeability is delivered to pupils in Year 6 and we encourage all pupils to participate. Children complete the Daily Mile every day for 15 minutes. Integral to our timetable it impacts positively upon the children’s behaviour and learning, while increasing their health and fitness levels. St Joseph’s is a Sugar Smart School and actively promotes awareness of unhealthy, sugary drinks and sugar rich food.
HEALTHY SCHOOL STATUS St. Joseph’s has achieved Healthy School Status and is committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle. During morning break, children can choose a fruit or vegetable snack. Our school meals are freshly cooked on the premises and meet the government guidelines for healthy and nutritious content. Our catering team oversees the quality of meals, ensuring that children are offered a balanced and healthy diet, which is low in fat, salt and sugar. The children are always offered a choice of main courses and desserts with fresh fruit and a salad bar. If children choose to bring a packed lunch, we encourage parents to support us by providing a healthy, nutritious lunch.
Hair Styles Hair styles should be age appropriate. Extreme hairstyles are not permitted in school, for example children should not have dyed hair, beaded hairstyles or hair that is too closely shaved or spiked. Parents may be asked to take their child home if they come to school with an extreme hairstyle. If in doubt about what might be considered inappropriate, please check with the school’s admin office.
Jewellery
Uniform The school believes that a school uniform encourages a positive attitude to school and develops a sense of community. Please ensure that items of uniform are labelled so that lost property can be identified and returned!
GIRLS WINTER • • • • • • •
Grey skirt Grey trousers Light blue polo shirt Navy blue school jumper or cardigan Grey socks Black shoes (no trainers) Navy blue school fleece (outdoor wear – optional)
GIRLS SUMMER
• As above, with the option of a blue and white checked dress • Sensible shoes (no clogs, heels)
BOYS WINTER • • • • • •
Grey trousers Blue school polo shirt Navy blue school jumper Grey socks Black shoes (no trainers) Blue school fleece (outdoor wear – optional)
BOYS SUMMER
• As above with option of grey shorts
PE KIT • • • • •
Navy blue school PE T-shirt Navy school shorts Black plimsolls Trainers – for outside use Jogging bottoms and navy blue sweat shirt for cold weather.
Pupils should not wear jewellery to school. Children with pierced ears may wear stud type earrings if really necessary. For safety reasons, no jewellery can be worn during PE lessons. It is the responsibility of parents or the child to remove and reinsert ear studs, members of staff are not permitted to do so.
Mobile Phones Only pupils in Years 5 and 6 are permitted to bring mobile phones in school. Smart phones, with internet facility, are not allowed. All mobile phones brought in to school must be left in the school admin office in the morning and collected at the end of the day.
Medicines If it is necessary for your child to have medicine during the day, you will need to fill in a form at the admin office. Parents of children who suffer from asthma will be asked to fill out an Asthma Information Sheet, available from the admin office. Parents can make appointments to see the school nurse via the school office. Head lice occasionally appear in school. When spotted, parents are immediately informed by letter and asked to treat their children before sending them back to school. Parents regularly checking their children’s hair can reduce outbreaks.
Pupils’ Voice We listen closely to what our pupils say about the school. Our School Council provides a forum to share the views of all our pupils. Individual children are also encouraged to offer their views on everything from school meals to worries or concerns.
Our Playground Friends are very caring. They include younger children in play activities if they seem lonely during playtime. They befriend new pupils and help them settle in. - Lunchtime Supervisor
Working with parents and carers St Joseph’s is part of a strong committed school and parish community, consciously striving to ensure we all live together as Catholics and Christians. We work in collaboration with parents and carers to forge a close link with staff in order to celebrate their child’s achievements and academic progress. Parents and carers appreciate being kept well informed and they are made to feel a welcome part of the school. Regular newsletters are sent home and posted on our website giving information about all school and events. St Joseph’s Twitter account is updated several times a week.
Our parents and carers play a crucial role as their children’s first educators and are an integral part of our school community and the life and the work of our school. - Ofsted 2017
Living our Faith At St Joseph’s we foster a love of learning and use all our gifts and talents to be the very best that we can. We strive to maximise all opportunities in our search for excellence, in all that we do. We are proud of our strong school community and value the partnership we have with the parish, parents, and carers and the wider community.
In speaking with groups of pupils, and asking what they would like to change in the school, many indicated that they are perfectly happy with the school the way it is. - Ofsted 2017
Pupils take great pride in their school and appreciate what it has to offer. - Ofsted 2017
St Joseph’s is a wonderful school. I can’t fault anything and my son is making excellent progress. Parent, Yr 3
ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Crossfields Street, Deptford, London, SE8 3PH Tel: 0208 692 4836 Email: admin@stjps.lewisham.sch.uk www.stjps.lewisham.sch.uk Designed & Produced by FSE Design Tel: 01933 303520 www.fsedesign.co.uk