Prospectus 2012—2013

A Letter from the Headteacher

Dear Parent / Carer,

This Prospectus is intended to help you learn more about the life and work of Queniborough School.

We aim to provide a safe, caring, happy and stimulating learning environment for your child.

We believe that children gain most from their education when the school and parents work together in partnership, for the benefit of the child. We work hard to involve parents as fully as possible. We like parents to have a real day to day working knowledge of the school and welcome them at any time.

Our hope is to develop each child's potential, whatever it may be, to its fullest and to help them become self-confident, independent learners with a responsible and mature outlook on life.

A school like ours, which endeavours to develop a love for learning and to teach children to think for themselves, gives children the best chance of succeeding in the 21st Century. The basic skills are as vital as they have ever been and will remain the foundation of everything we do and we have invested heavily in providing our children with the most up to date technology with which to extend and develop their work.

They must develop a love for learning which will last a lifetime!

As well as learning opportunities we do our best to give children as much opportunity as possible to experience sporting, musical and artistic activities.

I would be delighted to show you around the school during a normal working day and to answer any questions you might wish to ask. You are welcome to bring your child with you on this visit.

Please telephone the school office if you would like to make an appointment.

Queniborough School is a Voluntary Controlled, Church of England primary school and was founded in 1847.

The original National School building is in the village centre and now houses our swimming pool.

The present school was built between 1953 and 1966, in four major phases. It has been developed and improved constantly over recent years.

We have seven classrooms, an attractive Hall, a central Library, a Studio, a Pre-School Base, a Kiln Room, a Computer Suite, a Cookery Area, a Staffroom and Head's and Registrar's offices.

Outside we have two tarmac playgrounds, an attractive variety of flowerbeds and trees, a good sized playing field, with an extensive Adventure Playground. We also have access to the adjacent King George V Field, including a large environmental area, jointly managed by ourselves and the Parish Council.

The Queniborough Ethos

We want to be a family where all members of the school community feel inspired, listened to and value their achievements. We strongly believe in the education of the ‘whole child’ and are constantly looking for innovative ways to make the curriculum exciting for our pupils. We consider relationships to be paramount in motivating our children, staff, parents, governors and community and thus work collectively to provide the best quality education, environment and opportunities to grow together. The school is closely linked with St Mary’s Church in the village and we have embedded the concern and caring attributes based on our Christian ethos in school. We value all areas of learning and human achievement. We recognise the impact that ICT will have on the society of tomorrow and seek to ensure that children and staff have access to the best available opportunities and resources.

We consider it our responsibility to maintain an orderly yet happy and purposeful learning environment, which will challenge, motivate and support the children in our care. We will work hard to foster a desire for learning in each child by giving them a positive and inspirational educational climate in which they can experience enjoyment and success. Our children are given the learning opportunities to become competent in basic skills and are offered the experiences to apply these in a variety of stimulating and challenging contexts. We would like our children to have an inbuilt confidence, enthusiasm and a genuine awareness of humanity and the wider world. We want our children to leave us as well balanced, considerate and thoughtful human beings.

Tours of the School Parents are very welcome to look around the school during a normal working day. We encourage you to come and visit the school!

Please telephone the school office to make an appointment.

Mrs Hardy will be pleased to meet you, show you round and answer any questions you may wish to ask.

Class Organisation Class Sizes

Our classes are organised in age-related, mixed We believe that the Early Years are the most vital ability groups. in any child's school life. Whenever possible, each year group is kept We do our best to ensure that our Foundation Stage together in a class. and Year 1 classes are kept small. They also receive additional support whenever At the end of each school year, the Head and possible. class teachers discuss every child individually, before deciding on the class placements for the Our hope and aim is to keep our Key Stage 1 following year. (4 to 7 year olds) classes below 30 Friendships, maturity, working relationships, and Key Stage 2 (7 to 11 year olds) classes below 35. behaviour patterns and academic abilities are all considered before a final decision is made.

School Hours & Holiday Dates

The school day runs from 9 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. and 1.15 p.m. to 3.15 p.m. (Children come into school from 8.50am) When the morning break (10.45 to 11.00) and the daily Act of Collective Worship are excluded, this leaves about 24 hours per week of curriculum time.

Holiday dates and our termly diary are available on request.

Admission Policies

All children must begin school in the term after their 5th birthday. This is called Statutory Age or "5 Plus" Admission.

At Queniborough School, we currently admit children earlier than this.

All children normally now begin in the September before their 5th birthday.

This is called 4 Plus Admission.

The Queniborough Pre-School Partnership

2, 3 & 4 year olds can attend the Queniborough Pre-School Partnership, which runs morning sessions at the Village Hall. Pre-School children attend special assemblies and ‘themed’ mornings at school.

The group is run by a Voluntary Management Committee of elected parents. The school is represented on this committee by the Headteacher and Foundation Stage Teacher.

A Pre-School Prospectus is available on request.

Admission Criteria

The allocation of school places in all County Controlled schools is the responsibility of the Local Authority. All parents must complete form ADM4 and send it to County Hall. If you live in the Parish of Queniborough, your child's place is guaranteed.

If you do not live in our catchment area, you will not be formally offered a place until the term before your child is due to start, however early you apply. Most out-of-catchment requests are granted. We do ask that you visit your local school before requesting a place with us. At present, about 50% of our children come from out of the catchment area.

From September 2011 our Indicated Admission Number is 30. This is the maximum number of children we will normally admit in any single year group. (This rule does not apply to families who move into the catchment area.)

Our aims

Children put the aims of the school in their own words and decided on their priority.

I will enjoy learning and always try my best.

I will work hard to be part of Queniborough School.

I will try to understand about God and learn about the beliefs of others.

I will be kind and caring towards others.

I will be honest in everything I do so everyone will trust me.

I will be polite and good mannered.

I will respect everyone equally no matter who they are.

I will try to be healthy.

I will try to be happy and not worry too much.

I will try to understand that I am a big part of the world.

I will try to be imaginative and have lots of creative ideas.

I will be a good listener.

The Creative Curriculum

We want children to become independent, determined and effective learners. We do everything possible to ensure that our children become life-long learners and to pursue their learning out of school.

Our curriculum uses the national strategies to ensure that every child develops the learning steps defined within that documentation, but we have developed a more expansive approach to its delivery that ensures our children receive experiences and opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and attributes in ways that will guarantee learning is relevant and poignant. We ensure that learning at Queniborough broadens the aspirations, values and opportunities for every child as they grow and develop.

We use a planned ‘theme’ based curriculum which is broad and balanced so that we can help pupils to experience a well rounded education but equally we see Literacy, Maths, Science and ICT skills as the means to success that will enable all children to access the wider curriculum. We aim to maximise the potential within foundation subjects( e.g. History, Geography, Art, Music & PE) using carefully selected themes. We focus on key learning skills which reflect the needs of children in our society in the 21st century.

Recording & Assessment

We monitor every child's progress, on an individual basis, regularly and carefully. This process begins with a Foundation Stage Profile, completed by the end of Year R. Continuous assessment then centres on the day to day observations of the class teacher, supplemented by more formal annual standardised tests. Year 2 and Year 6 also take the Standard Assessment Tests of the National Curriculum. Class teachers and the Headteacher meet on a regular basis to discuss each child and their progress.

We are always willing to discuss our assessments, findings and feelings directly with the parents concerned.

Consultations & Reports Formal consultations with parents take place twice in each school year. Additional consultations can be requested, by the parent or the school, at any time. Informal consultations happen all the time. Written reports are sent home towards the end of each Summer Term.

Absences In the last year, we had 155 pupils. We had 4.0 % of sessions missed through authorised absence. We had 0.1 % of sessions missed through unauthorised absence. (An unauthorised absence is one for which no acceptable explanation has been provided to the school.) The Attendance Rate was, therefore, 96.0%, which is well above the national average.

Religious Education Religious Education at Queniborough is largely Christian and non-denominational. We seek to inform and to enhance understanding, not to indoctrinate. The school follows the Leicestershire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. Children are encouraged to care for each other and to respect faiths and beliefs other than their own.

Assemblies incorporate a daily ‘Act of Collective Worship.’

Assembly themes are taken from the Diocese of Leicester Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. The Vicar and other visitors sometimes lead assemblies.

As a parent, if you request that arrangements be made for R.E. to be provided in accordance with the Trust Deed or the practice followed before the school became Controlled then the Governors of the school are obliged to consider this request. You have the right to withdraw your child from Religious Education if you so choose. If you wish to withdraw your child from Collective Worship, you have the right to do so under the Education Reform Act.

School Trips

Children have the opportunity to go on various trips during the year to extend their learning experiences( usually one day per term) . We rely on voluntary contributions from parents to fund these. At the moment, children in Year 5/6 are offered a residential activity week on a bi-annual basis. Year 3 usually experience a one night residential trip.

Before and After School Care Our Breakfast Club operates on a daily basis from 8.00am. On a Wednesday children can attend an ‘active’ session and other activities are provided throughout the week. The charge is £3.50 per child per session. After school care operates daily on the school site until 5.15pm. The cost per session is £4.95 until 4.30pm and £7.50 until 5.15pm.

After School Clubs

Our extra curricular provision is rich and varied. Some clubs take place during lunchtimes and others after school. They are run by school staff and dedicated parents.

At the present time children have the opportunity to attend:

Football Tag–Rugby Choir

Cross Country Cricket ( seasonal) Maths Netball Zoom (Dance Club)* Drama*

Cooking* Tennis* Art* Gardening Road Safety Book Club

* These clubs are run by external specialists and are charged to parents.

Special Educational Needs We do all we can to support children with any kind of Special Educational Need. Our SEN Policy was praised by the OFSTED Inspectors and is available on request. It is amended each year, in order to keep it up to date, but the philosophy remains the same. We are aware that many children have difficulty in learning at some time during their school life. For most children this is temporary. For a few children, special arrangements have to be made. We also provide additional learning opportunities for ‘Gifted and Talented’ children.

We try to offer specialist support, including from external agencies, to any child whose progress gives us cause for concern. This could be on a one-to-one or small group basis.

All our staff have a positive approach towards children with Special Educational Needs.

We are committed to the principle of Inclusion of Special Needs children. We believe that they offer a great deal to the school and to the all round development of their mainstream classmates.

Behaviour Policy & Pastoral Care

At Queniborough, we praise good behaviour and excellent work as much as we can. We give positive rewards and public credit for achievements worthy of merit. Our weekly Golden Book Assembly recognises children who have made valuable contributions in a variety of ways. Our Friendship Group initiative ensures children feel valued and secure.

Standards of behaviour are clearly laid down and understood.

Bullying, victimisation and physical violence of any kind are never tolerated.

Our full Behaviour and Anti –Bullying Policies and are available on request.

If any child's behaviour or performance gives us cause for concern we would consult the parents, as soon as could be arranged, in order to discuss our worries and seek parental assistance, advice and co-operation in deciding how best to deal with the matter.

What our children say is good about our school:

You get attention...The rules are good…..Working, playing, number work!...The facilities... The teachers are very helpful and make learning fun...There’s no bullying...It’s very kind at school….Everybody’s friendly….Golden Book and Maths...The fact that everybody gets to take part in sporting activities...The younger ones get help from the older ones…..We have lots of Super Learning days and great art and PE sessions….The amount of extra opportunities you give us to learn new skills...Work!.. .We’re all like a family...We have some famous people come in and visitors that help us….Different teaching methods and styles...The trips are cool!...After School Clubs….We are very friendly...We all help each other….The rules...We have something special– our topics...The teachers make lessons fun and interesting….We have great fun on Super Learning Days...Fun!...We behave well... We all like each other…..We make money for charity…..The lessons!!...... You learn a lot, more than other schools because you get more support...The best thing about school is that all of the people get on, occasionally people fall out but they never hate each other… We get once in a lifetime things!

What the parents say about our school:

The ethos is excellent, with the whole child valued, not just SAT’s results….This is a very caring school where children of all ages help each other and learn together….My children feel happy to be here….it has a very friendly and approachable staff….the school nurtures a child’s strengths and supports their social development….the school delivers quality, support and above all ,outstanding care for every child…..it gives children a sense of the ‘bigger picture’….the school gives children a positive attitude about themselves and about others that may be less fortunate or have a disability….Friendship Groups are an excellent idea….

There is a ‘family’ feel to the whole school!

Global Links Ethiopia We are twinned with the ‘Yekatit 23 Elementary School’ in Bahir Dar in Northern Ethiopia. This is through the charity ‘Link Ethiopia’. The children correspond with each other and our children have raised money towards projects identified in our link school. Staff visit our partner school and we hope to have Ethiopian teachers visit our school in 2012!

Belarus Each year the school hosts a group of children from Belarus. We are now into our eighth year of hosting and the children are fully integrated into the life of the school. This is a community project. The children live with volunteer families in Melton Mowbray, Queniborough, Syston and nearby villages. Ideally, the same child comes back to the same family for each of the next three years but this is not a stipulation. The children come to school in Queniborough every day. Half of their day is taught by their own teachers, in Russian. A programme of other activities is organised for the other half of each day.

Abbey Primary School, France Leicester We have developed a link with Abbey Primary We have a developing partnership with a French School. Abbey is a school which reflects the primary school near Dieppe with a view to cultural diversity within the city of Leicester sharing curriculum projects and possibly and we are seeking to work together to ensure esidential trips. The school is called La children in both schools develop meaningful Salicorne in the village of Rouxmesnil friendships. Bouteilles.

Spiritual, Moral, Cultural, Social and Health Education Our Spiritual, Moral, Cultural, Social and Health Education programmes run right through the school. We have achieved the Healthy Schools Award and Activemark. We cover family life, social and moral behaviour, personal safety, healthy eating, personal hygiene, physical & spiritual development and sex education* *Parents have the right to ask for their child to be excluded from sex education.

Charity Work

During each year, our children work for a variety of charities, local, national and international. This helps us to raise their awareness of global, environmental, social, moral and medical issues.

Recently we have supported:

BBC Children in Need Tearfund The Rainbows Children's Hospice LOROS Friends of Chernobyl’s Children Link Ethiopia Diabetes UK Red Nose Day Various Emergency & Disaster Appeals

Children’s Health Children are sometimes subject to routine health checks during their time at school. Permission letters are issued prior to these visits. The school seeks support if necessary from medical professionals such as paediatricians, audiometricians, speech therapists, physio and occupational therapists. We also consult the Health Protection Agency if we have any concerns.

Performing Arts

Children have the opportunity take part in a variety of drama productions throughout their life at Queniborough School. Our youngest children perform a nativity play as part of our Christmas celebrations.

Peripatetic instrumental teachers visit the school each week. Soar Valley Music College work with the school and at the present time children are receiving flute, violin and drum lessons through them. We also employ guitar and electronic keyboard teachers . (All peripatetic lessons are paid for by the parents.)

Our school choir take part in a variety of community and city events

All children have the opportunity to attend a weekly ‘Performing Arts’ after school club run by a dance and drama specialist. This activity is paid for by parents.

‘Pride of Queniborough School’ Event Each year, we hold the ‘Pride of Queniborough School’ Event( formerly known as Eisteddfod.) This is usually in the Summer and an opportunity for our children to share their talents with their friends and teachers.

The Exhibition covers all of the creative arts including drawing and painting, collage, cookery, craft modelling, photography, project collections and much more. On Performance Day, children will sing, dance, act, recite and play a variety of musical instruments.

Parents are made very welcome throughout the Event. The Pride of Queniborough is now becoming part of a wider event in the village community.

Sports

We have school teams, clubs and groups in many sports.

Our school sports day uses the village sports facilities and coaches.

We take part in all the local, area and County football, netball, swimming, badminton, tri-golf, cross country running, athletics tournaments and galas and have been very successful in recent years. Coaches from local sports clubs often work with us in school. These have included Leicester City, Leicester Tigers, Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Queniborough Cricket Club, Wanlip Tennis Club, Syston Rugby Club and the Wreake Valley Runners.

We try to involve as many children as possible in some form of extra-curricular physical activity, regardless of ability!

Parents as Partners We believe wholeheartedly in active working relationships with parents.

Queniborough School is an open school. Parents are welcome at any time on any day.

Many parents assist in classrooms, in the library, with trips, swimming, with transport for teams travelling to other schools and with extra-curricular activities of various kinds.

Mrs Hardy is always willing to see parents.

Friends Of Queniborough School The Friends Of Queniborough School is open to all parents, staff and villagers. It is run by a group of dedicated volunteers. (New members are always welcome!)

FOQS arrange educational, social and fund raising activities.

Their work over the years has been enormously beneficial to the school and its children.

FOQS has supported major developments, such as the computer network & the security system, as well as numerous purchases of resources, large P.E. apparatus and the trim trail, computers and audio equipment, playground seating and much, much more!

Homework Homework is set regularly for all children. Weekly tasks, appropriate to the child's age and abilities, are provided. The work is monitored and marked by the teachers. Parents are advised if their child is falling behind with their homework. ‘Missions’ are set linked to the curriculum taking place in school, to extend the learning of our children.

The Community of Schools This school is part of the Syston & Thurmaston Area Support & Development Group. The Group stands for : Partnership across all our school communities, Access to a wide range of high quality educational opportunities. Support by shared expertise, resources, advice and good communication. Success for everyone with pride in achievement to last a lifetime.

The following schools are the other members of the Group : Barkby Rearsby: The Pochin School St. Michael & All Angels CE Primary East Goscote: Syston: Broomfield County Primary Merton County Primary Thurmaston: St.Peter & St.Paul CE Primary Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary Wreake Valley Community College Church Hill Infant Church Hill CE Junior Gaddesby CE Primary Eastfield County Primary Thrussington CE Primary Roundhill Community College The development group is responsible for the Syston and Thurmaston Extended Schools Programme.

Cluster (STEP) Charging Policy Where necessary, to cover costs, there may be a charge to parents for pupils attending out of school hours activities. All activities are non-profit making and if there are insufficient numbers to cover the group’s costs the activity may not take place. The charge will be kept to a minimum amount and schools will aim to ensure as far as possible that any lack of ability to pay for an activity does not exclude any individual child from being able to attend. Parents must approach their child’s school for any request for assistance with finance.

The Village Community The School is a vital part of the village community and is used regularly by a number of organisations, for evening classes and for community meetings. Girl Guides, Brownies and Rainbows use our facilities. St. Mary’s Church As a Church of England Voluntary Controlled School we have very strong links with the local Anglican Church and the Diocese of Leicester .

Members of the local community support the school in many ways.

School Dress Code Daily school wear should be safe, sensible, suitable and smart!

Each child needs suitable clothing for indoor and outdoor games and for swimming.

PE Kit: White round necked T-shirt, black/navy shorts and plimsolls. Swimming kit hats for children using our own pool (for boys and girls). A track or jogging suit is very helpful for cold days. Wellington boots are needed for outdoor sessions. A drawstring sports bag is needed to keep kit in at school.

Our school uniform consists of any combination of: Red sweatshirts, pullovers and cardigans.* Red or white polo shirts.* Navy blue jogging bottoms. We also stock super navy blue/red fleeces for outdoor wear.* The above items are all available from the school or from John Cheatle’s shop.

Navy blue cullottes, leggings or skirts are also worn, as are blue and white striped dresses, in Summer.

*This clothing, embroidered with a school logo, is free from VAT.

School Meals, Milk & Fruit Children may bring a packed lunch or buy a cooked school dinner.

Cartons of cold milk are available but must be ordered in advance. The milk itself is paid for by the European Union but a small service charge has to be made for all children aged 5 and over.

Free fruit is supplied every day through the government ‘Fruit for Schools’ Scheme, for all Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 children and they eat this for their morning snack. We operate a ‘Healthy Breaks’ policy and parents of Key Stage 2 children should only send their child with a piece of fruit/vegetable for playtime.

School Handbook When your child begins school, you will be given a School Handbook. This explains day to day school procedures and organisation. It also gives detailed lists of Staff and Governors and their responsibilities. It aims to answer as many of the regular questions, asked by parents, as is possible.

Charging Policy and Further Information We do not charge for session time activities (except music tuition) but are dependant on financial support from parents, through voluntary contributions, for a number of other very beneficial activities e.g. coaches for class day visits, swimming, residential trips, visiting artists, musicians and theatre groups.

The complete Governors' Charging Policy is available on request.

The Governors are pleased to provide parents with whatever further information they require.

Please come and visit us and see for yourself!

‘We have something special and get once in a lifetime things!

(A quote from the children at Queniborough School)

School Information

Postal Address:

Queniborough CE Primary School Coppice Lane Queniborough Leicestershire LE7 3DR

Telephone:

0116 2606700

Fax:

0116 2606500

E-mail:

General enquiries [email protected]

Administration [email protected]

Headteacher [email protected]

Website: www.queniboroughprimary.org

Headteacher: Mrs. Joy Hardy

Chair of Governors: Mrs. Rita Laughton