About Our School
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About our school Beckbury Church of England Primary School is situated in a beautiful rural setting on the southern edge of Beckbury Village. The school is at the heart of the local parish community and serves a large rural area covering Beckbury, Badger, Grindle, Kemberton and Ryton as well as attracting children from nearby towns. We are proud of the family atmosphere of our school. The children are happy, secure and well motivated. They are encouraged to be independent, kind to one another and to care for their surroundings. The school is set in delightful grounds, with a large garden area, school sports field, playground space marked with children’s games, a fenced early years play area and a fenced wildlife area and pond. In recent years the children have been involved in planning and building an enlarged vegetable garden complete with polytunnel and potting shed and a quiet garden. These are maintained by the children. The school is surrounded by open countryside. Our school, one of the oldest in the County, is steeped in history with the original school building dating back to 185 3. It is now used for Collective Worship, music, some PE, drama and extra curricular activities. The main school buildings provide modern facilities which include three classrooms and our own school kitchen. Each classroom is well equipped with modern technology to enhance learning. Each classroom benefits from an interactive whiteboard, computers, a visualiser and a well stocked library. The school also uses a bank of laptops, photographic equipment and recording devices to extend ICT facilities. Beckbury Acorns Pre-school is housed in a purpose built nursery adjacent to the main school. Beckbury Church of England (controlled) Primary School Church status Beckbury is a Voluntary Controlled Church School and is proud of its status, which is reflected in the Christian ethos of our school. We maintain close links with St. Milburga’s Church in Beckbury. The children, staff, parents and governors are invited to celebrate Harvest, Christmas and Easter in church each year as well as other special school events. Reverend Keith Hodson is a regular visitor to school. He leads our Collective Worship once a week. We have recently been awarded Beacon Status as a church school by the Diocese of Lichfield. This award is given in recognition of the good work we do to support Religious Education, Worship, Spirituality and Christian Distinctiveness. Mission statement Beckbury Church of England Primary School seeks to develop the full potential of all our children within a secure family environment. Christian values underpin the ethos of our school. We enjoy strong links between school, church, home and our local community. We endeavour to broaden our pupils knowledge and understanding of the wider world. Children in Christmas songs with the Planting Trees in the Need Cake Sale Friendship Club school grounds Beckbury Church of England (controlled) Primary School Aims of our school At Beckbury Church of England Primary School we aim to: - Provide the best quality education possible where our children are happy and secure. Christian values of love, charity and forgiveness form the foundation of our ethos, creating a caring and tolerant atmosphere for learning where cultural diversity is valued. - Enable all our children to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith and how this might impact on the way they live their life. - Ensure all our children, irrespective of gender, background, ability, race or religion have equal access to a diverse, rich, varied and challenging curriculum, other activities, ICT resources, teachers and other adults according to their various individual needs. - Meet the social, spiritual, emotional, physical, creative and intellectual needs of our children to enable each child to achieve the maximum progress possible. - Build on each child’s unique personal strengths by celebrating achievements, to develop confidence, independence and positive self esteem. - Promote respect of self and others and the taking care and pride of their immediate surroundings. - Encourage our children to take responsibility for their own learning and skills development and managing their behaviour. - Promote positive healthy lifestyle attitudes. - Promote a growing knowledge and understanding of the need for environmental sustainability and how their actions may impact on caring for our world. - Maintain and develop our links with the wider community, including local primary and secondary schools, schools further afield and Beckbury Acorns Pre-School developing a growing knowledge and understanding of the diverse world in which they live. - Encourage parents and carers to take an active role in their child’s education and development. - Provide continued professional development for all staff and governors in line with our school development priorities to enable the school community to work effectively together. Beckbury Church of England (controlled) Primary School Visit our School A better way of getting to know us is to visit our school where there is always a very warm welcome. You will be able to see the children working within a happy and secure learning environment. To arrange a visit or to ask any other questions you may have please telephone 01952 750287. Religious Education As a church school we have a strong Christian ethos which includes daily Collective Worship, led by staff, children or Reverend Keith Hodson. Religious Education is taught in accordance with the Shropshire Agreed Syllabus. Lessons are enhanced by talks and a range of visits. Christianity is studied alongside Judaism, Sikhism and Islam. As a school we encourage a positive understanding of the many faiths reflected in Britain today. We share close links with two larger multi cultural schools in the West Midlands. Each classroom has a prayer corner with a cross and helpful books and pictures. There is a central prayer corner in the entrance hall where children or adults may write their own prayer for inclusion in the daily act of worship. These prayers are included on the Prayer Board in the School Hall. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from any or all of the religious activities in school. Beckbury Church of England (controlled) Primary School The Curriculum We teach the National Curriculum which sets out the clear statutory entitlement to learning for all our children in the core and foundation subjects . At Beckbury we focus the morning learning and teaching sessions on English and Mathematics. The other subject areas, Art, History, Geography, Design Technology, Music, Science, Religious Education, Physical Education, French and PSHE are taught mainly in the afternoons. Information Communication Technology is incorported into all curriculum areas as appropriate. Each classroom has computers, laptops, an interactive whiteboard and a range of other appropriate equipment to enhance the curriculum and childrens learning. All units of work and lessons are carefully planned and differentiated to ensure they meet the learning needs of all our children. Learning at Beckbury is taught through a thematic skills approach which enables our children to put their learning in context and apply the skills they develop across all subject areas. The thematic work is designed to meet the interests of the children and is delivered on either a two or four year rolling programme. An overall theme planner is available for parents to view. Children are organised into three registration classes. Class 1 includes children from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. They have a full time class teacher and a Teaching Assistant. Class 2 is split into Year 3 & 4 and Year 5 & 6. During the morning children are organised into three classes, with three teachers, for literacy and maths and in the afternoon they work as two classes for most learning opportunities. Music is taught by a specialist Music Teacher from Shropshire Music Service. Children from Year 2 have the opportunity to receive recorder tuition. The school also provides opportunities for children to access private music lessons. Instruments include violin, flute and brass. During 2011/12 a group of children began learning to play the cornet as a class. Physical Education is considered an essential part of the curriculum. All children have at least two sessions of P.E. each week. The curriculum reflects a breadth of activities which include games, gymnastics, athletics and dance. Children in Key Stage 2 attend swimming sessions at Bridgnorth Endowed School in the Summer Term each year. The school has close links with Idsall Specialist Sports College, with their instructors often teaching a range of sporting skills. They also arrange a variety of local competitions with other primary schools. We also use the services of fully qualified sports coaches to deliver specific activities. All coaches and sporting personnel used in school have undergone enhanced criminal records bureau checks. The coaches also run a range of after school activity clubs during the year which include football, multi skills, Beckbury Church of England (controlled) Primary School tag rugby, cross country training and dance. Details of after school clubs can be accessed via the School Office. Early Years Foundation Stage Children in Reception follow the ‘Foundation Stage Curriculum’ which covers six areas of learning. (This is due to change in September 2012 to seven areas of learning.) - Physical development - Communication and language - Personal, social and emotional development These three key areas must be supported in four specific aspects, namely - Literacy - Mathematics - Understanding the world - Expressive arts and design The education programme delivered in the Early Years involves a wide range of activities and experiences for your child: - Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations. - Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement.