Brindishe at work - Learning at Brindishe

Class organisation
Brindishe SchoolThe children are grouped in classes according to their age. There is one class for each year group in Brindishe School.

The classes are named as follows:

Class
Name
Age of children
N
Nursery
3—4
R
Reception
4—5
1
Year 1
5—6
2
Year 2
6—7
3
Year 3
7—8
4
Year 4
8—9
5
Year 5
9—10
6
Year 6
10—11

Each class from reception to year 6 has 30 children in it and they will all have their birthday within that particular academic year. (Academic years run from September to August in the next calendar year.)

Brindishe SchoolBrindishe does not select according to ability and therefore the children within each class will be of mixed ability. We recognise that children are better or more confident in some areas or subjects than others and that they learn and develop at their own pace and in their own way and so we use a mixture of teaching methods and plan opportunities to cater for these different learning styles. This way we ensure that all children are able to succeed. We also look for creative ways to introduce and link areas of learning.

Teachers plan fortnightly and half termly/termly, so that work builds on and relates to previous experience. When planning the learning for individuals and for groups of children, teachers always consider support for less able children and enrichment and extension for more able children.

The school is very well resourced with interactive whiteboards in all classes, banks of computers in all learning areas and laptop computers for flexible working around the school. We also use digital cameras and camcorders to support children’s learning across the curriculum.

We have a published Learning policy at Brindishe. Please ask for a copy at the school office.

Brindishe at work - Special educational needs and learning support

Brindishe SchoolBrindishe School operates a policy of equality of opportunity and equality of access and inclusion. We operate the local authority’s admission criteria and special needs policy under which provision is made to ensure that all children are enabled to take a full and active part in a school which is able to meet the child’s needs and which supports parental preference.

We recognise that many children have special needs, that these may be short or long term and that there is a wide definition of the term ‘special needs’. In Brindishe we use the term ‘children who need learning support’. In meeting children’s needs the school follows the nationally described code of practice.

All needs are carefully diagnosed and recorded in school in consultation with parents. Where appropriate, extra help is organised as flexibly as possible. This may be in the form of support within the classroom, withdrawal from class to work in a small group or individually, or a combination of approaches. If needed, specific learning resources and materials will be used and adaptations made to the learning environment.

If, after discussion with parents, a child is considered to require more specific or urgent help, the school can refer to various support services, which are organised through the local authority.

Brindishe at work - Monitoring children’s progress

Brindishe SchoolTeachers keep records of the progress of each child and their levels of achievement. Each child has a personal profile – a folder containing assessments in literacy and numeracy, teacher’s comments, records of progress and full end of year reports. Please ask the class teacher or head teacher if you would like to see and discuss your child’s profile.

On entry into Nursery and/or Reception, and at the end of Reception class, children are assessed in six main areas of learning, using the Foundation Stage Profile. These include:

You can find out more about the Foundation Stage Profile from the website www.qca.org.uk.

From year 1 children are formally assessed using standardised tests in reading, writing and maths to measure their progress towards national levels of achievement.

From these tests, and from teacher’s assessment, we can judge how well a child is achieving and the progress they are making compared to our expectations and compared to local and national levels.

At the end of each year you will be given a report on the progress your child has made. There will also be comments on general attitude, attendance and behaviour within school.

As part of the national assessment arrangements all children will be assessed using a national system of testing at the ages of 7 and 11, commonly known as SATS.

Brindishe at work - Home Learning

Brindishe SchoolIn Brindishe School we see home learning as a way of encouraging children to see learning as something that happens both in and out of school. We want them to be and to become ‘life-long learners’. We know that home learning helps by:

Children may use the London Grid for Learning, which enables them to access e-mail and their own web pages, at home and at school. Children without internet access at home may use our computers and access any evening after school except Wednesdays from 3.30 - 4.30pm. Please ask in the school office if you and your child would like to book a slot. It is free of charge.

Brindishe at work - Assemblies

Brindishe SchoolBy law schools must now have a daily act of collective worship, which must be of a broadly Christian nature, and these are our assemblies. Themes for assemblies are planned in advance to provide a balance and so that we can celebrate significant events in the calendars of different faiths.

Assemblies are taken by different members of staff, and sometimes by visitors, so that children receive a broad range of perspectives and viewpoints. Assemblies usually take place in the school hall and last for 15- 20 minutes, and we extend an open invitation to all parents and visitors to attend if they wish.

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from the act of collective worship and if you wish to do so, please contact the head teacher. Your child will be asked to sit and read quietly in the school library until they can rejoin their classmates.

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