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St Dubricius Church of

England First School,

Porlock

Prospectus 2020-21

Table of Contents:

Introduction – Welcome to our School 3 A Brief Overview 3 Our Philosophy 4 School Values and Ethos 5 Celebrating Achievement 6 Our School Organisation 6 The School Day 7

The Curriculum [Nursery and Reception – Early Years] 7

The Curriculum Years 1 to 4 [KS1 and KS2] 8

Special Educational Needs (SEN) 8 Outreach Team 9 School Assemblies and Celebrations 9 Homework 10 Outdoor Learning 10 After School Activities 12 Hedgehogs After School Club 12 School Meals 13 School Communications 13

Other Information [Home-School Agreement, School Rules, 13 School Council] Volunteering at School 13 Fund-Raising [FROSTS, our PTA] 14 School Transport 14 Parking at School 14 Our Policies 14 School Uniform 14 Where Next? 16 Contact Information 17

A Warm Welcome to Our School

St Dubricius Church of England First School is set in the heart of the Exmoor village of Porlock. Exmoor is a magnificent place in which to grow up, and we aim to deliver an education to match.

Our vision is to provide a safe and caring environment in which children and adults alike are valued as individuals and are given opportunities to develop their full potential. We aim to create a happy, loving, supportive, and sharing community in which Christian values are promoted and upheld.

Knowing that children perform best at school if they are happy, confident and healthy, we do all that we can to create a secure environment where everyone is friendly and caring; where there is a clear pattern of acceptable behaviour and equal opportunities; and where the needs of the whole child are catered for.

We recognise that all children are individuals with different styles of learning and we strive to help them realise their potential in all aspects of school life. Developing self- esteem and nurturing each child is central to our teaching. We are proud to benefit from strong relationships with parents and the wider community.

A Brief Overview

St Dubricius School was founded in 1876 and moved to its current purpose-built premises in 1993. We are a Church of England First School for children aged between four and nine years and also have Oaks Nursery, a Local Authority nursery on site. This Nursery caters for pre-school children aged two (in the term of their 3rd birthday) to four years and is situated within our Oak Wing which opened in March 2011. This wing also contains a meeting room which is used by the school and governors as well as family-focused groups such as health visitors, our outreach team and our community policing team.

We are a voluntary-aided (VA) school which means that the Church, in conjunction with Somerset County Council, has a financial involvement in, and responsibility for, running the Out and about on Exmoor school. We have excellent ties with the neighbouring church, and members of the parish ministry team are frequent visitors.

We are part of The Moorland Federation which is made up of five rural first schools, St Dubricius, Exford, Cutcombe, Timberscombe and Dunster. Together, we create additional educational opportunities for our children and support them through their transition to Middle school. Throughout the year we take part in many joint projects and activities giving the children ample opportunities to mix with each other, visit new places; and experience inter-school musical and sporting events.

As a school we are proud not just of our educational outcomes but of the rounded, confident children who leave our school at the end of Year 4. We believe that they are well equipped to continue their schooling.

Our Philosophy

Our local identity is very important to us and our immediate environment enhances our creative curriculum enabling us to embrace outdoor learning, organising local walks, historical trips, farm visits and Forest School.

We place a high emphasis on children’s wellbeing, which in turn contributes to academic success. We work hard to build strong trusting relationships with parents and families. This is central to our ethos in Early Years, where we develop a comfortable and familiar environment within the school enabling us to identify the needs and interests of each child quickly and effectively.

We have an enthusiastic and committed staff who enthuse children with a love of learning and a dedicated leadership team which is highly skilled in developing the 4 school. This, coupled with the passion and drive of our governors, means that the school consistently achieves good results.

Most importantly, we are a community underpinned by Christian values. The school works hard to instil a sense of responsibility and morality within our pupils. We are proud of our relationships within the Community.

School Values and Ethos

Mission Statement

To provide children and adults alike with opportunities to fulfil their potential in a safe and loving environment with Christian values at its core.

“Put into practice what you have received and learnt from me, both from my words and my actions. And God who gives us peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4 v 9

Key Values

Our school promotes British values that are supported by our learning behaviours. We focus on eight key values; Compassion & Love, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Fellowship, Hope, Thankfulness, Respect & Tolerance, Peace.

Compassion and love – ‘love’ in our modern, busy world has many different facets, we aim to simplify this for the children by teaching compassion to encourage early empathy leading to greater understanding of respect and tolerance. Children will be taught to be thankful for the good they have in their lives, our wonderful planet and the love he gives us. This in turn will help the children develop a sense of stewardship of our world.

We want to encourage the children to be Peace makers and share peaceful times. Through modelling we will teach the power of forgiveness. Children will be helped to believe in themselves and use the wisdom to make the right choices. This may lead them to a belief and trust in God. We will teach children the power of hope that 5

Christians learn from Jesus and the fellowship of being part of a Christian community.

Celebrating Achievement

We celebrate our children’s achievements, both collectively and individually, in assemblies and displays throughout the school. This helps build pride, self-esteem and a spirit of collaboration and teamwork. Every two weeks, gold awards are given out and children’s effort and achievement are shared with invited parents/family.

Our School Organisation

Class Staff Nursery Discovery Explorers Adventure 3 & 4 Year Reception Year Years 1 & 2 Years 3 & 4 Olds Mrs Walker-Blair Class Teacher / Mrs Hayley Haddon & Mrs Alison Mrs Sue Flatley Nursery Lead Oakley Teaching Mrs Katherine Assistant or Roberts Mrs Emma Mrs Lisa Jones Mrs Ruth Toth Nursery Mrs Liz Oriarna- Meredith Practitioner Jewel SEN Team Mrs Sonia Watters, SENCO, Mrs Emma Meredith SEN TA Mrs Kelly Keal Lunchtime Mr Richard Clark, Mrs Lynette Eckhardt, Mrs Wendy Young, & Mrs Kerry Team Mrs Kelly Barnes Hewett Office Team Mrs Nikki Sexton and Mrs Olwen McLaren Clerk to Mrs Kate McEntee Governors Mr Richard Clarke (caretaker) Mrs Wendy Young & Mrs Lynette Eckhardt Premises (Cleaners)

Child Protection Team:

Vacancy – Head Teacher 7 Mrs Alison Oakley – Acting Head Teacher Rev Ann Gibbs – Child Protection Governor Our School Day

09.00 School opens 09.15 Registration 09.17 Registration closes The point at which arrivals are classed as “late” and register marked with an 09.18 L 09.25 The point at which arrivals are classed as an “unauthorised absence” 10.45 Morning break 11.00 End of break 12.15 Lunch – Discovery and Explorers 12.30 Lunch – Adventure 13.15 End of lunch break for all classes 15.15 End of school and start of After School Club (fees are payable) 16.00 End of After School Club Session 1 and Teacher Led Clubs 16.45 End of After School Club Session 2

The Curriculum – Nursery & Reception Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

In Nursery and Reception learning activities are based around the Early Years Foundation Guidance. The ways in which the child engages with other people and their environment – playing and exploring, active learning; and creating and thinking critically – underpin learning and development across all areas and support the child in becoming an effective and motivated learner. There are three themes of the EYFS that underpin this guidance:

 Positive relationships  Enabling environments  Learning development

During the Foundation Stage your child will be provided with rich and varied opportunities to learn through play in a light, highly flexible space. They will learn to make independent choices and become confident learners preparing them well for entering Year 1. Through detailed observation and assessment we will make sure your child’s needs are catered for whatever their personality or preferred learning style.

Our school has an on-site purpose built (Local Authority) Nursery, located in our Oak Wing extension, which was opened in early March 2011. The Nursery admits children in the term of their 3rd birthday. Please note, we currently charge £10 per session (2.5 hours duration) for children who are not eligible for funding upon entry. Parents are entitled to 15 hours universal free provision per week for 3 and 4 year olds, starting from the term after their 3rd birthday. We also offer 30 hour extended funding for those parents with a 30 hour eligibility code. Details on extended funding can be obtained from www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

The Curriculum: Years 1 to 4

Key stage 1 and 2

At St Dubricius School each child is treated as an individual with their own distinct needs and talents. We encourage our children to learn through exploration, to celebrate efforts and achievements and to take pride in their learning. We use a creative curriculum that teaches through topics on a bi-annual basis.

Subjects covered include:

Literacy Numeracy Science Religious Education History Geography Art Design Technology Drama Computing Physical Education Music

Special Educational Needs

We meet the needs of all children in our school and Ofsted say that the support given to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent. Children whose circumstances have made them vulnerable are given outstanding support. We maintain a dedicated room specifically designed for small groups, the Exmoor Room, where children can be taught in a safe and comfortable non-classroom environment.

Further enrichment activities for gifted and talented pupils has been provided through the Federation and has included music, drama, science, writing, reading, design and technology, tennis, games skills, cricket , singing and art.

Outreach Team Exmoor Room

St Dubricius and our partner schools within the Moorland Federation have secured the services of an excellent outreach team. We hold monthly, informal, “drop in sessions” in our Oak Wing Community Room. These are advertised in advance on the school notice boards and in “dates for diaries” in our regular newsletters.

School Assemblies & Celebrations

Children meet in the hall for collective worship on a daily basis. All collective worship reflects our Christian faith and once a week worship is led by a member of the parish ministry team. In addition the school holds other celebrations, often outside, to mark

events of importance for example Remembrance.

Easter Activities Remembrance on Porlock Marsh

Assembly on the Round The class doll is baptised

Homework

Children’s education is a partnership between home and school. You are encouraged to discuss the different topics with your children and we welcome information and objects which enhance the study of these. Children are expected to read regularly at home and are given some age-appropriate homework over the course of the week.

Outdoor Learning

We have a dedicated Forest School area in the school grounds. This special area, with its bug houses, bat boxes and insect-friendly log piles, provides an excellent outdoor teaching area. Our Nursery and Discovery class use the area weekly, and when the weather permits, they sometimes travel to local woodlands or beaches. The Forest School area has also inspired lots of poetry and artwork. Children also enjoy planting bulbs vegetables and seeds in the mini allotment on the school grounds.

Out-of-classroom learning is an excellent way of increasing the children’s understanding of the world around them as well as further afield. We provide a range of activities and external visits suitable for the age and abilities of each year group. These have included:

 Walks through Hawkcombe  Lambing farm visits  Seaside visits  Wells Cathedral  Bristol residential  Exmoor residential  Orienteering

Year 3 children enjoy a one-night residential trip to Bristol along with other children from Moorland Federation Schools. This has included theatre trips, boat rides, tours of the SS Great Britain and visits to the science museum Wethecurious.

A highlight of the school year for Year 4 children is the two-night residential trip to the Pinkery Centre, a hostel on Exmoor. Here they can abseil, rock climb, experience grass sledging and get extremely muddy!

The cost of these residential trips range from £50 to £70 currently but pupil premium children are exempt. As with all provision please do contact the school if payment is challenging as we would not exclude any child from an activity on the basis of finance.

The school undertakes a range of sporting activities utilising the staff skills and local events. These have included, weekly Friday football (Sept – Feb), weekly catchball (March – June), weekly cricket (July), Beacon to Beach race, Porlock Hill climb cycling event, Area sports athletics, Country Dancing Festivals and swimming in the Spring Term.

After School Activities

We offer a range of clubs throughout the school year, pitched at age-appropriate levels and subject to teacher availability. A charge of £1.00 per session (pupil premium children are exempt) applies to all except the J.A.M. club, which is funded by our local church. Clubs have recently included:

Catchball Cricket Football (indoor) Horticultural/Eco club/Bug Club Inter-school cricket, football & catchball JAM Club (Sunday School on a Monday) Multi-skills Craft Running Sewing Gymnastics Tennis

Hedgehogs After School Club

Children love the Hedgehog Club! A range of indoor and outdoor activities keep the children entertained and stimulated in our dedicated room. The Club runs from 3.15 to 4.45pm, weekdays in term time. Charges are: 3.15 to 4.00 pm - £3.00 and 4.00 – 4.45 pm - £3.00. For this provision, we ask that sessions are pre-booked and fees are payable in advance.

School Meals

Due to the size of our school kitchen, we do not have the facility to cook meals on site. For a number of years now we have had our school meals prepared and cooked by the kitchens in West Somerset College, and transported hot and ready to serve in our school hall at lunchtime. Parents are given a log in for the caterer’s website and order meals directly. All children in years R to 2 are entitled to Universal Infant Free

School Meals. Meals can be purchased for children in years 3 & 4 for £2.30

School Communications

All messages, letters, invoices and forms are sent to parents electronically through our preferred application, ParentMail. This platform is also used to notify parents of school closures (snow days). The site is free for parents to use and can be accessed via a PC or an app on mobile and tablet devices.

Other Information

Home-School Agreement At the start of each year we ask parents, pupils and staff to sign our home-school agreement. This has been created with the help of the School Council, parents, governors and staff, and sets out the relationship between all parties. We believe that we all need to work together to provide the best possible education and working environment for our children. A copy is provided as an appendix.

School Rules The children are reminded of the school rules each term – there are two key rules:  Respect each other and the environment  Do your best

The School Council Children from Years 1 to 4 form our School Council which meets frequently to discuss school policy and put forward ideas from children. The Council also collaborates with similar councils from other schools in the area.

Volunteering in School

We welcome the interest and support of parents in all aspects of school life whether it is working with children in the classroom, helping with reading or on school trips. Any such help benefits your child and the school. Please note that in line with government requirements, all helpers at school must have enhanced DBS clearance.

Fundraising - FROSTS

Friends of St Dubricius School (F.R.O.S.T.S) is our friendly parent-teacher association which organises events throughout the year to raise money for the school. This money is spent in a wide variety of ways to support the education of our children. The events bring parents, staff, children and the wider community together and include film nights, Easter/Summer/Christmas Fairs and sponsored walks. Parents are invited to help in any way possible.

School Transport Service

The local authority arranges transport for children who attend school from outlying areas. Please contact the School Transport officer on: 0845 345 9166.

Parking at School

To avoid congestion in the school car park and maintain good relations with our near neighbours, at peak times, we ask parents not to park on the yellow zig-zag lines, double yellows and outside local properties. No child is allowed in the car park unless closely supervised by an adult. Use of this parking facility is at the discretion of the governors for drop off and pick-ups only. Staff parking bays are clearly marked and should not be blocked during the busy morning drop off.

Our Policies

Most of our policies are on our website under the Policies tab. Our website address is: www.stdubriciuscofeschool.co.uk

School Uniform

Our children wear our smart, affordable and practical uniform. We believe our uniform helps to achieve a sense of belonging, identity and pride. Our school sweatshirts are available to purchase from reception at cost price (currently £8.50) all other required items can easily be purchased from any high street retailer.

Uniform White polo t-shirt School sweatshirt Standard grey trousers (or knee length, tailored shorts in Summer term) or knee length skirt Blue and white striped or gingham dress optional in Summer term White ankle socks or grey, black or navy tights with skirts and dresses Black, grey or navy ankle socks with shorts or trousers Black fully enclosed, low heeled school shoes

PE Kit White t-shirt Navy shorts Black daps (plimsolls)

All clothing must be clearly named. The school is not responsible for any lost clothing- although we of course seek to return named items to their rightful owners. We have stock of second hand uniform items that are available in return for a small donation, please ask at reception.

Shoes Advice Fashion shoes (dolly style or slip on), trainers, boots or with raised heels must not be worn in school.

Jewellery Jewellery is not practical or safe to wear in school. One pair of stud earrings only may be worn but they must be removed for practical activities including PE.

Where Next?

At the age of 9 most of our children transfer to Minehead Middle School. If Minehead Middle School is your choice of school, in order to ease the transfer, each child’s records are discussed with the Middle School. A Minehead Middle School teacher visits our school prior to transfer and the children visit the school at least twice during the terms leading to transfer. This is in addition to sporting events and a musical concert at the Middle School which helps them become familiar with the environment as well as staff and other pupils.

Our Year 4 teacher maintains a close liaison with the Middle School during the transfer year, ensuring that records and pupil profiles are passed on and individual children are discussed fully with the head of Year 5. Minehead Middle School

Dear Parent / Carer,

Thank you for taking the time to consider our school prospectus. We hope that its contents clearly show what St. Dubricius Church of England First School has to offer your child. Choosing the right school for your child is a very important decision and it is our hope that you make St. Dubricius your first choice.

We warmly invite you to come and visit us during the school day and experience its friendly environment where the emphasis is on the whole child. If we can be of any further assistance, you would like to visit, or you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Alison Oakley Acting Head Teacher

Contact Information

Parsons Street, Porlock, Somerset, TA24 8QJ

01643 862249

[email protected]