Downsell Primary School

Leading Tomorrow Learning Today, PRIMARY

Welcome to DOWNSELL PRIMARY SCHOOL

We are delighted that you have visited us and are considering us as a school for your child. Downsell Primary School is a friendly school where the whole team – pupils, staff and Governors – take pride in ensuring the school is a happy place to be.

Downsell Primary School is a school where ‘Every Child Matters’ and this is reflected in the school’s commitment to inclusive education. We value each one of our pupils as individuals and our aim is to ensure that coming to school is a positive experience for all of them; we understand that children learn best when they are happy and feel secure.

The school’s caring ethos is at the heart of all we do. We seek to nurture the ‘whole child’ for the time they are entrusted to us. Alongside academic progress, it is equally important to us that the children are given opportunities to develop their social skills, self-esteem and independence.

As a primary school, we have the responsibility of laying the foundations for life-long learning. Watching the children’s progress throughout the school and seeing them leave ready for the next stage of their academic career is a privilege. My goal is to ensure that all children receive the greatest possible benefit from their time at Downsell and that they achieve their full potential, recognising and celebrating their own achievements and aspirations as well as those of others.

A supportive home environment is vital to the education of our pupils and we endeavour to build a strong partnership with all parents and carers. I hope you feel part of our school ‘family’ and appreciate the many and varied opportunities and activities we have to offer.

If you would like to know more about the school, we are always happy to welcome visitors and further information is also available on the school website.

Deena Chetty Headteacher

Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow

Downsell is a fun school to be at.

YEAR 6 PUPIL

Curriculum

At Downsell we pride ourselves in the high standards of achievement of our pupils. We believe in offering a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the individual learning styles of all.

We firmly believe that without enjoyment you cannot have excellence; so we strive to deliver a curriculum that allows for natural creativity and innovation.

The school teaches the curriculum through subjects and has produced detailed schemes of work for each subject. Due to the nature of the National Curriculum we do not plan to teach every subject every week, but have devised an overall plan that ensures the delivery of the whole curriculum during the time that the children are with us.

The school is divided into seven year groups, with three classes in each year group. Each term, the three class teachers work together to identify the learning objectives and units to be covered during that term. These are taken from the school’s scheme of work for each of the National Curriculum subjects. This means that all the children in each year group are taught the same skills and knowledge. Children are assessed on a regular basis – formally and informally.

Children with identified learning difficulties, whether as an individual or as part of a group, are given extra support within the classroom and may occasionally be withdrawn for specialist intervention.

Environment

Downsell Primary school is an inclusive primary school where children are happy, engaged and challenged. We have a very caring environment where children get along with each other.

When you visit Downsell Primary you will find happy engaged children playing safely in their designated play areas:

Nursery children

Access the playing areas outside their classrooms

Reception children

Access the playing areas outside their classrooms –Reception area

KS1 children

Access the playing areas in the front of the building – KS1 play area

KS2 children

Access the playing areas in the rear of the building including a football area – KS2 play area

The school works hard to create an environment where children can be children whilst promoting our core values “Respect, Responsibility and Resilience” as an inclusive primary school.

Downsell Primary consistently ensures the well-being of all children. Staff take their time to get to know every child and provide opportunities for children to feel happy and safe in their surroundings leading to outstanding performance. This is also evident with the children where children from the older year groups work and support children in the younger year groups during lunchtimes, ICT lessons and in reading.

Downsell Primary provides and extensive extra-curricular curriculum which reinforces our core values in a variety of activities inside the classroom and outside. These activities allow the children to further develop their confidence.

Our classroom environments are vibrant and they celebrate the learning across the curriculum. Staff promote a safe learning environment which allows our children to challenge themselves without fear of making mistakes.

Downsell Primary school is a wonderful place which provides fantastic cultural capital opportunities for all our children as we develop and prepare them for the wider world by instilling our core values “Respect, Responsibility and Resilience” in all that we do.

I love school, I feel safe here.

YEAR 2 PUPIL

Inclusion

It is important to identify children’s needs as soon as possible. Teachers continually check the progress children are making and will adapt their teaching for children having difficulties. Most children with special educational needs have their needs met at Downsell Primary School without the need for a statement.

When a teacher first thinks a child has special educational needs they will look at how they can adapt their teaching and the work they ask the child to do. This is called differentiation.

If they think the child needs support additional to or different from other children in class they will talk to the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). The SENCo may suggest strategies that the class or subject teacher can use. Parents will always be told when their child is having special educational provision and you will have a chance to give your views to the school/setting about this.

At Downsell Primary School, inclusion is our top priority.

Downsell is a friendly, welcoming and nice place to work.