School Prospectus

Our School Mission Statement

Seend C.E. Aided Primary School which provides a rich and stimulating learning environment that will enable children to face future challenges with confidence and enthusiasm. We seek to create a happy family atmosphere within a Christian environment where each individual child and member of staff feels secure and has a sense of purpose, achievement and responsibility.

 

Welcome to Seend C.E. Aided School

Our present school was built in 1863 but due to a rolling programme of renovation and improvement, funded by Salisbury Diocese and Government grants the Governing Body have ensured that our school is able to meet the demands of the modern world.

Seend School has a Church of England Foundation and maintains an active link with the parish church of the Holy Cross. The Rector is a regular visitor to school and takes collective worship on a weekly basis. With her, the children explore the great themes of the Old and New Testaments and the Church’s year. During the year all classes visit the church and the Key Stage Two children celebrate the Children’s Eucharist led by the Rector. The whole school comes together at Christmas, Easter and Harvest and we hold a school leavers` service in the church.

We work hard to ensure that our school is a warm and welcoming place which has good facilities for the children and staff and is well resourced. We have a well equipped hall that also doubles as a dining room. The school has a dedicated computer suite enabling all the children to have access to computers and the Internet for their work.

The school grounds are well appointed with a large hard play area, a wildlife area and pond , an adventure trail, and an extensive field. There is also a gravel path around the field which can be used in wet weather.

1. Collective Worship and R.E.

There is a daily act of Christian Worship for the whole school or by class. The Rector takes Collective Worship on a weekly basis. On Fridays at 2.30 p.m. parents are invited to a Gold Book Assembly which celebrates the wide range of learning and achievement that has taken place during the week.
The school has its own Religious Education Scheme of Work, based on the Wiltshire County Council Agreed Syllabus.

Parents are entitled to withdraw their child from R.E. providing they can supervise their own children during this time.

2. The School Day.

8.35 a.m.
School Opens.

8.45 a.m.
Registration. Morning school begins.

10.15 – 1.30 a.m.
Morning break.

12.00 – 1.00 p.m.
Lunch break.

1.00 p.m.
Afternoon school begins.

3.00 p.m.
School ends.

3. Class Organisation

Seend C.E. Aided School is a Primary School and the age range is 4 -11 years. In a school of our size the children in the same year group sometimes have to be placed in different classes. This is necessary to ensure that each of our classes is an appropriate size. Decisions are made jointly between the Headteacher and the governors, taking into account all available factors.
The aim of this is to ensure that each individual child is placed in a class
that will enable him/her to achieve both socially and academically at school.

4. Home School Agreement

The Home - School Agreement is given to parents when their children enter the school and at the beginning of Year 3. The aim of the Home – School Agreement is to encourage pupils, parents and the school to work together to achieve the aims of the school.

5. Communication to Parents

At the front of the school there is a notice board that is updated on a regular basis with newsletters, dates for events and holiday lists. The P.S.C. also use it to publicise their events.

Newsletters are sent home on a regular basis and children are given trip, event and club letters to bring home in their bags. Announcements can also be made at Golden Assembly, but this information is always replicated in letters home or newsletters.

6. School Uniform and Equipment

The PSC holds a stock of new school uniform and this can be ordered at school through the PSC representative.

Boys. Grey/Black shorts or trousers, red or white polo shirt, red school sweatshirt/cardigan and black school shoes.

Girls. Grey/black skirt/trousers, red/white polo shirt, red school sweatshirt/cardigan and black school shoes. During Terms 5 and 6 they may wear a summer dress.

P.E. Kit. Black shorts and white T shirt, daps, trainers (for outdoor use) tracksuit bottoms/leggings for use in winter

7. Lateness, Appointments and Absence

It is the responsibility of parents to contact the school if their child is absent or will be late for the start of school. In a situation were the child is late entry must be gained through the main door and the Admin Officer will note that your child has entered the school.

If you have to take your child to an appointment during the school day please inform the class teacher or school office of the arrangements. The child must be then returned via the office and the book signed.

If your annual holiday falls in term time, you may request to take your child out of school for two consecutive weeks during any school year. A form is available at the office. The annual holiday cannot be taken in several smaller blocks and any other holiday absences will be marked as unauthorised.

Requests can be made for authorised absence to enable parents to deal with family and emergency situations.

8. Medicines

Should your child require prescribed medicine during the school day please hand the medicine to the class teacher and complete a medicine form. If your child requires an inhaler a medical form must be completed and a named, in date inhaler provided to be kept in school.

9. School Lunches and Playtime Snacks

The school is able to arrange for a sandwich meal to be delivered at lunchtime for those children that want one, or for children eligible for free school meals. Otherwise children are requested to bring their own packed lunch.

Fruit or raw vegetables may be brought as a snack for the morning break. All Key Stage One children are provided with a piece of fresh fruit each afternoon under the Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

All children are encouraged to bring a bottle of water to drink during the day, once this is empty they are able to refill at the school water cooler.

10. The School Curriculum

Seend C.E. Primary School aims to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, promoting every area of a child’s development. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the School’s Schemes of work ensure continuity and progression throughout the school.

11. Monitoring and Assessment

Informal monitoring and assessment of children’s work is ongoing in every classroom through continual observation and discussion with the children. In addition the teachers record the progress of each child through:

- constructive marking that relates to the specific aspect being taught.
- teacher records of progress at the end of a unit of work.
- teacher records of reading spelling and maths tests.
- setting and monitoring targets specific to each child`s needs.

12. Key stage Tests

All Year 6 children will complete National End of Key Stage Tests during the Summer term and the class teacher will formally assess all Year 2 children. These are compulsory tests and assessments which are completed
By every child in the country and the results are made available to the parents.

Years 3, 4 and 5 will complete optional tests in mathematics and English
in the Summer Term. Although, the tests are administered under formal conditions, every effort is made by the teachers to make the children feel happy, at ease and well prepared for sitting the tests.

13. Homework

Homework is set weekly for children from Year 1. This ranges from reading and spellings to multiplication tables and science and maths investigations. The homework is designed to complement or extend what has been learnt each week in school. Parents are encouraged to work with their children on homework tasks.

14. Special Educational Needs

Every child is valued as an individual at Seend C.E. School and is given equal access to the curriculum. Some children are identified as having a special need, either by a parent or a member of staff. In such cases, appropriate support is provided in the classroom and also, on some occasions, extra support may be provided by Special Needs Teaching Assistant. Assessments may also be carried out by other professionals, should the need arise. Parents are consulted at every stage. Able and Gifted children are also given consideration and suitable work is provided.

15. Health and Sex Education

All children will receive health and sex education appropriate to their age and maturity. We use a careful combination of videos, discussion and topic work to help the children to understand all aspects of the way in which the human body works and how it should be looked after. Sex education is included as part of this broad scheme. Parents are encouraged to view the videos and materials prior to the start of the topic.

16. Extra-Curricular Activities

At Seend we provide a range of clubs for the children dependent on the time of year and the expertise available. We are lucky to have dedicated staff, parents and members of the community who run the clubs. Details of the clubs on offer to children are sent out in newsletters.

The children in Year 1 and 2 are offered an opportunity to attend an Art Club, while pupils Year 3 and above can attend, at different times if the year, science, dance, aerobics, cricket, football and rugby clubs. We also run a cycling proficiency course for year 5 and above in the Summer term.

17. Music Tuition

We have a school choir that is run by our singing teacher who also teaches each class in the school on a weekly basis. Children can also learn to play violin, flute, guitar or brass instruments in school through the specialist teachers from the County Music Service. These children get the opportunity to play in collective worship, church services and school performances and are encouraged to play in local youth orchestras.

18. Parent Meetings

At the start of Term 1 in the Autumn all parents, are invited to a class meeting with the Teacher and the Headteacher. Information about the curriculum, homework and activities during the year is discussed and parents are invited to ask questions.

During the Autumn and Spring Terms parents are given the opportunity to make an appointment to see their child`s class teacher, to look at their work and discuss progress that is being made. Written annual reports are also sent out in the Summer. Parents are also welcome to make an appointment to see their child`s class teacher at any time during the year, should the need arise.

19. Parents Social Committee

The PSC was formed as a group through which parents and teachers could support the school by raising funds for equipment and projects. The group also provides a social environment for parents, pupils and staff to meet. The PSC organises a variety of events that include a Christmas Fair, barn dance, children’s discos and family night. The funds are used to buy books, equipment and pay for theatre performances.

20. Links with the Community

As a village school, we pride ourselves on the strong links we have with the community and provide information about the school through articles in the parish magazine. Our Governing Body is drawn from the community and
parents and local residents support our school throughout the year. As a school we take a part in the village fete and flower show and provide fete princesses and attendants and we raise money for a variety of charities through sponsored events, performances and retiring collections.

21. The Seend Shuttle

The community mini-bus provides transport to school in the morning for children living in Bowerhill and Seend Cleeve. This is a private arrangement
between the community mini-bus committee and the parents of the children who use the service. The school is also able to use the bus for school trips.

22. Extended School/Childcare Arangements

All schools are working towards the Extended School Agenda developed by the DFES. We at Seend have chosen to support parents and children with childcare needs by making links with before and after school providers.

At present the following organisations are willing to provide a range of child care facilities and transport to support parents and children.
- Boomerang After School Club at Bowerhill, Melksham. 01225 702000

 

 

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