PROSPECTUS

for the year commencing 1st September, 2008

Welcome To Our School

Dear Parents

At Gomersal First School, we aim for the best in a climate where each and every child is encouraged to attain their full potential.

The school is situated in its own extensive grounds and the interior accommodation is very generous.  It is well resourced in all areas and is well maintained.  The school community is busy, happy, secure and caring.  We firmly believe that your child's education should be a partnership between school, you as parents, and your child.  We welcome parents' involvement in school in a variety of ways.  This philosophy is reflected in our Home/School contract.

We seek to educate the whole child through high quality literacy and numeracy lessons and a broad and balanced curriculum alongside the teaching of basic skills.  The curriculum is planned so it is relevant to the children and we endeavour to include first hand experience.  Children will be involved in practical activities as well as more formal work in the classroom.  We set high standards and children will be encouraged to reach their full potential in all curriculum areas.

Every child is known and respected as an individual and in turn is expected to be polite and well behaved.  All children are encouraged to become self-sufficient, independent learners.   

Above all we want children to be happy.  An unhappy child does not learn.  Parents are encouraged to contact the school staff should there be any concerns as to their child's happiness.

I hope the information in this Prospectus will explain all you need to know about our school and you are welcome to telephone or pop into school should you need to discuss anything further. 

Yours sincerely

MISS K BOOTHROYD

Headteacher

Views Of Our School

The views of our children….

The views of our parents …………..

 The views of Ofsted……….

Our Mission Statement

In this school education is about learners experiencing the joy of discovery, solving problems, being creative, developing their self-confidence as learners and maturing socially and emotionally.  This school combines high standards with a broad, balanced and rich curriculum.  Education is the fusion of excellence and enjoyment.  We recognise learners do better when they are excited and engaged, when there is joy in what they are doing; they love learning.

Literacy and Numeracy are the backbone of our pupils’ success in learning.  We build on our strengths to serve the needs of our children using the skills of everyone in the school. This school will drive its own improvement, set its own challenging targets and recognise that, for the sake of our learners, we can always do better.

Learning is focused on individual pupils’ needs and abilities and we develop assessment for learning, which enables knowledge about children to inform the way they are taught and learn.

Teachers and educational teaching assistants provide a tailored approach to support all learners.  We give extra support to the learners that need it most.

We build partnerships with parents, sharing good information and involving the school in community issues.

We endeavour to provide activities within and outside school hours to extend and enrich learning.

The Headteacher uses effective systems for self-evaluation that in school promote high standards of learning for every child.

To provide high quality education and promote an effective learning ethos in an environment which enables all children to achieve their full potential.

Our School Aims

      We aim:

1. To be an inclusive school and to put into place the practice in all aspects of our work that ensures that all learners are given equality of opportunity and treated fairly.
2. To promote and achieve high standards for all by providing teaching and learning of the highest quality.
3. To treat learners as individuals and to differentiate teaching and learning to take account of their individual and additional needs.
4. To provide well for learners’ physical, mental, social, spiritual, moral and cultural needs.
5. To provide well for learners’ care, health and safety.
6. To ensure that all learners benefit from a rich, broad, balanced curriculum presented in an interesting, exciting and imaginative manner with lots of opportunities for first-hand experience, practical work, investigation and learning through play.
7. To teach basic skills and core subjects well.  To give great emphasis to the foundation subjects and RE, especially to the Arts and PE, thus developing the “whole child”.
8. To make connections between subjects and to apply basic skills across the curriculum.
9. To enliven and enrich the curriculum by visits, visitors and use of the environment and local resources.
10. To give responsibility to learners and develop their self-confidence.
11. To give learners the opportunity to contribute to the local community and wider global issues.
12. To include parents and the wider community and to involve them in the evaluation of the school’s success.
13. To build an ethos marked by a welcoming, friendly, bright, lively and happy place where learners feel secure.  A place where good behaviour is expected and where learners enjoy growing up. 

      14. To make this school a place of enjoyment where success is celebrated. 

The Curriculum

In the Early Years Unit all the children follow the Foundation Stage Curriculum.  This curriculum sets early learning goals.

From Year 1 the key elements of the School Curriculum are the National Curriculum which is comprised as follows:-

Core subjects:  English, Mathematics, Science, I.C.T., R.E.

Foundation subjects: 

Technology, History, Geography, Music, Art, Physical Education

Each year the pupils study this broad range of subjects, under the guidance of their class teacher.

Education in sexual matters is dealt with as may seem appropriate in the context of the social and moral education conveyed through the broad curriculum, according to the school policy.  This states that, although Sex Education is not formally taught, it is covered in a natural and low profile manner both in Science and through Personal, Social and Health and Citizenship Education. 

At KS1 we aim to:

1. encourage the asking and answering of questions in a straightforward and honest manner
2. introduce an acceptable vocabulary and promote sensible and healthy attitudes to bodily functions, personal hygiene and health care
3. begin to study growth and reproduction in animals and plants.

At KS2 we include:
1. increased knowledge of growth, physical changes and reproduction
2. increased consideration of self and others
3. consideration of gender roles
4. increased knowledge of health care services.

Outside speakers, e.g. school nurse, a dentist, may contribute to a specific part of the Health Education programme.

We would ask you for co-operation in this approach but would draw your attention to the fact that parents have the right to withdraw their child from any sex education over and above that which forms part of the national curriculum.

In addition other curriculum areas will be included such as:-

PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education) also includes Environmental, Multi-cultural, Health, Citizenship and Gender issues.

Subjects are taught both through an integrated topic approach and as specific subjects where and when appropriate, with the necessary emphasis on literacy and numeracy.

Various teaching methods are employed.

Children may be taught on an individual basis, in groups and as a whole class as and when appropriate.

Special Educational Needs

The Governors have drawn up a policy taking into account the SEN Code of Practice. This policy is available for parents to see at the school if they wish - please make an appointment.

At Gomersal First School children are taught according to their individual needs and, therefore, work is differentiated to cater for each and every child.  Some children in their school career may experience learning difficulties that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age.  These children will be designated as having special educational needs and will receive additional support to meet their needs.  This support will be provided by their Class Teachers and Educational Teaching Assistants, in liaison with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.  Parents are kept fully informed of any additional help their child is receiving and are regularly updated on their child’s progress.  In certain cases, further advice may be sought from specialists outside school (e.g. an educational psychologist, a speech and language therapist or other health professionals).  Equally, children who show a talent in some area will be given extra work.

When children are statemented under the terms of the 1981 Educational Act, the Local Authority is required to provide the appropriate resources to meet those children’s learning needs. 

Pupils with disabilities are welcomed into school, along with all others.  We are mindful of accessibility issues and have a disabled toilet facility, should it be needed.  Extra lighting and highlighted steps facilitate movement for the visually impaired.

Equal Opportunities

We build equality of opportunity into all that we do, with pupils and with staff.

 ·         Developing our school as a place where all are valued and respected.

We build equality of opportunity into all that we do, with pupils and with staff.
• Developing our school as a place where all are valued and respected.
• Providing equality of opportunity in our employment practices.
• Providing learning and development opportunities for all our staff to enable us to fulfil our commitment to equality.
• Taking any complaints about inequality serious.

Religious Education

The school is not affiliated to a particular religious denomination.  Religious Education is taught, as agreed within the whole Pyramid and according to the agreed Kirklees syllabus.  At Gomersal First School, religions studied are Christianity, Judaism and Islam.   Assemblies, mainly of a Christian nature, are held daily and may involve the whole school, a Key Stage or a class.  Each assembly contains an element of collective worship and a theme is followed each week. 

Examples of such themes:

Stories from the Bible or stories with a moral

Special People and Things 

Manners

Friends and Families

Seasonal Events e.g. Harvest, Christmas.

Parents may exercise their right to withdraw their child from religious worship or instruction in accordance with section 25 of the Education Act 1944 in relation to the pupil's attendance at religious worship or instruction.  Where parents request that their child is withdrawn from RE and/or Collective Worship arrangements are made in consultation with the parents.  This may include alternative agreed work sent from home, or provided by school with ETA support where necessary.

School’s Sporting Aims and Provision of Sports

Gomersal First School follows the National Curriculum offering several P.E. lessons each week which may be outdoor games, gym or dance where all children cover the relevant skills, learn about the benefits of regular exercise and where the attributes of team spirit, good sportsmanship and playing within rules are emphasised.  Year 4 children swim once a week.  In addition we offer a range of sporting activities both in school and after school and celebrate individual success achieved out of school in our sharing assemblies.

Art

We aim to teach children skills and give them opportunities to practise these skills through drawing, painting, printing, collage, clay and other 3D work.  In addition we teach them to appreciate art for its own sake and to understand the work of real artists.

Extra Curricular Activities

After school clubs are offered according to availability of staff. 

These may consist of any of the following:

Art and Craft, Choir, Chess, ICT, Dance and French.

The opportunity to learn other instruments is offered

by the Kirklees Music School.

We also have a very successful School Council that ensures that all of our children are involved in decisions that affect them.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral care is the responsibility of the Headteacher but the daily care and welfare of the children is the concern of all the staff.

Discipline within the school is founded upon the establishment of sound personal relationships.

There are a few "rules and regulations" to ensure children's safety and we expect a high standard of respect for self, other people and property. 

It is the Authority's policy not to use corporal punishment and under the terms of the Education No 2 Act 1986 its use is now illegal.

Behaviour

The school has a Behaviour and Discipline Policy which sets out clear and consistent expectations and standards of behaviour of the children and adults. Everyone, adults and children have a responsibility for maintaining these standards. The school rules are:

• Respect yourself/others and property,
• Share and co-operate with others,
• Use good manners and listen carefully,
• Think before you do,
• Be kind and sensible,
• Use your common sense,
• Walk inside school, on the left.

Assessment

A child's progress is monitored throughout the year by the individual teacher (Teacher Assessment – TA).  Teachers may do this by observing children in the classroom as they work, by administering tests or by setting specific tasks. The children in the Foundation stage are continually assessed on the Foundation Stage Profile.

At the end of Year 2 (Y2) children are given Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) and are assessed by the Class Teacher.  An average child would be expected to achieve a Level 2B.  Therefore, Level 3 is an above expectation standard.

In Summer 2007, 56 children took part in the above (with no exemptions).  Results of these assessments at Gomersal First School were as shown in the table below.

At specific times in the year Y3 and Y4 children are tested in English and Mathematics to monitor their progress.

Figures may not total 100% because of rounding.

These assessments do not apply at every level, and therefore, figures may not total 100%

Key:     W – Working towards Level 1                  1 – Level 1 attained

    2 -   Level 2 attained   2A/2B/2C – Level 2A/2B/2C attained

3 – Level 3 attained

Admission

Gomersal First School is a community, co-educational, day school catering for pupils in the age range 4 to 9 years.  All transferring or prospective pupils and their parents are welcome to visit the school before or at the time of registration.

Admission Policy

Gomersal First School adopted Kirklees' Admissions Policy which is as follows:-

Date of Birth                        Term of Admission

Part Time       1 September - 29 February        Spring (January)

1 March         - 31 August             Autumn (September) 

Full Time        1  September – 29 February        Autumn (September)          

                       1 March          - 31 August           Spring (January)

Any place allocated on a part time basis does not automatically give the right of transfer from Part Time to Full Time.

Priorities for Admission

Places in community schools will be offered to all children in the following order of priority:-

• 1.         Children in public care (Looked after children).
• 2.         Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs which names the   
•           school.
• 3.         Children living in the school's priority admission area who have an older brother or sister attending from the same address at the day of admission.
• 4.         Other children living in the school’s priority admission area.
• 5.         Children who live outside the priority area who have an older brother or sister already attending from the same address at the time of admission.
• 6.         Children who live outside the priority area.
•  
• Notes
• a.         Children in priorities 1 and 2 may also be admitted above the Published Admission Number (PAN)
• b.         If we cannot agree to requests for admission in priorities 3 to 6 above without exceeding the PAN, we will give priority up to the PAN to children living nearest the school.  Distance is measured in a straight line.
• c.         ‘Live’ means the child’s permanent home at the date when applications close, or if a significant house move is involved, the latest reasonable date prior to the final allocation of places.
• d.         A Priority Admission Area means a geographical area determined by Kirklees in consultation with the governing body of the school.
•  
• N.B. There is no longer a guaranteed place for any child in any of the priorities at any key stage.

Induction Programme

Children are admitted into the Early Years Unit according to Kirklees Admission Policy.

School holds a New Parents’ Evening for all parents of children being admitted new to the school.  Visits are arranged and an induction period agreed depending on the admission arrangements and the school’s calendar.

At the Parents’ Evening early information can be exchanged between parents, the Early Years Staff, and other relevant parties. There is also a comprehensive information pack given to all parents.

A further Parents’ Evening is held before the child is admitted full time into school where arrangements for commencing full time education are discussed and an information pack is available.

Our Partnership with Parents

We welcome your involvement in school life and ask you to sign our Home/School Agreement contract to reflect this. We hold formal parents evenings where we invite you to visit the school and discuss your child’s progress and future targets. A written report is also sent home annually.  You may, however, make an arrangement to see any teacher or the Headteacher at any time to discuss your child's progress or any other problem.  A telephone call to arrange an appointment would be appreciated.

• You are informed about the curriculum in many other ways, such as Curriculum Evenings, Open Afternoons and informal meetings with the Class Teacher.  Regular letters and Newsletters are sent home regarding all school events and curriculum matters.

Attendance

Regular attendance at school is expected, as is punctuality.  Any absences should be covered by a written explanation.

Attendance at Gomersal First School is good.  Governors take this aspect of school life very seriously and have established a procedure for holiday absences. 

100% attendance is recorded and celebrated on a termly and annual basis.

Education Reform Act -   Charging  for School  Activities

The policy determined by the Governing body re charging for school activities is as follows:-

The school will seek voluntary contributions from parents to fund the activity.  Naturally it will be pointed out to parents that there is no obligation to contribute.  It will be made equally clear that the activity will not take place if parents are reluctant to support it.

Should any charges be levied in connection with a particular visit or event, these would be remitted for families in receipt of Income Support or Family Credit. 

Should any parent have a concern or problem regarding this charging policy they are welcome to make an appointment with the Headteacher to discuss it and it will be dealt with as sympathetically as possible.

Our Staff

All our staff contribute to the children’s learning and well-being.  Our dedicated team at Gomersal First School consists of:

Our School Day

School session times are as follows for all children attending full time:-

            8.50 a.m. to 12 noon at KS1 and to 12.15 p.m. at KS2

1.00 p.m. for KS1 and 1.15 p.m. for KS2 to 3.15 p.m.

Early Years full time pupils – 8.50a.m. – 11.30a.m. and 12.45p.m. – 3.15p.m.

Part time Early Years pupils attend for one session of 2½ hrs per day.

The hours spent on teaching excluding the statutory daily act of Collective Worship, registration and breaks (including lunch) are 22 hours 30 minutes for KS1 and 23 hours  45 minutes for  KS2.

Our School Organisation

With current numbers, classes are arranged into three stages:

Early Years Unit      Rising 5s and Reception     

Key Stage 1 (KS1)     2 classes of Year 1 pupils

Key Stage 2 (KS2)   2 classes of Year 3 pupils

Our Dress Code

Pupils are expected to wear school uniform and all items need to be clearly named.

All children will need to bring a coat to school for outside work and play. 

PE

Children will require a change of clothing, consisting of a white T-shirt and a pair of shorts, for indoor PE.

All children will require a change of soft-soled shoes (plimsolls or trainers) and a tracksuit for outdoor games.

Our Governors

Our Governors take pride in looking after our school and pupils and meet regularly to discuss school matters.

School Governors are like a board of directors and make decisions about how the school is run. Governors have legal duties, powers and responsibilities. They can only act together, they cannot act individually. 

Our Community

We have successful links with the community police, the local churches, local businesses, the school nurse, Huddersfield Giants and the Road Safety Unit.

We also maintain close links with the other schools in Gomersal and with our local playgroup.

Holiday Dates 2008/2009

MAY DAY – Monday 4 May, 2009 – School Closed.

Healthy Eating

Milk is free for children who attend our Early Years Unit on a part time basis.  In addition the Government runs a subsidised scheme which provides milk for children up to the age of seven in full time education.  Pupils who partake of the “Milk in Schools Scheme” benefit from a subsidy from the Intervention Board.  This represents a significant reduction in the actual cost of milk.

A healthy playtime snack is currently free for children in our Early Years Unit to Year 2. This is provided through a national scheme. Children in Year 3 and 4 are encouraged to bring a healthy snack (in the form of fresh fruit or vegetables) from home, daily.

Water is available to children in our Early Years Unit at all times. Children from Year 1 to 4 are asked to bring a named water bottle daily and frequent drinks are encouraged.

Excellent school meals are provided each day. They are prepared on the premises according to the healthy living guidelines of Kirklees Catering Service. The children have a choice of main courses and sweets and special arrangements can be made for children with specific dietary requirements. Dinner money must always be paid in advance, on the first day of each week, in a named envelope. Cheques can be made payable to Kirklees MC.

Nut Allergy – Due to production methods employed by the School Meals Service there is a possibility that nut traces may be found in any menu item.

Health & Safety

The governors have adopted the LA’s Health and Safety policy and the school has a number of additional policies that address aspects of health and safety.

The governors take their responsibilities for health and safety seriously and aim to provide a secure and safe place for children to learn.

Please note: The school and the grounds are a non-smoking and dog free area.

Miscellaneous

For information about how to make a complaint (relating to the curriculum) according to arrangements established under Section 23 of the Education Reform Act, parents should make an appointment to see the Headteacher.

In order to see the documents to be made available under the Regulations parents should put a request in writing to the Headteacher.

This information is published in compliance with Education Law.  The details given were correct at 1st November, 2007.  Changes may take place before the beginning of the school year 2008/09 or subsequently.

Published by The Governors, Gomersal First School, Oxford Road, Gomersal, Cleckheaton, BD19 4JR.  Telephone Number 01274 335220. Fax Number 01274 335256