St. Nicholas' Church of England Primary School Alcester
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ST. NICHOLAS’ CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL ALCESTER SCHOOL PROSPECTUS WELCOME TO ST. NICHOLAS’ C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL We would like to welcome you and your children to St. Nicholas’ C of E Primary School. We are a vibrant and friendly two-form entry Church of England, Voluntary Controlled Academy, situated in the small market town of Alcester, Warwickshire. We aim to ensure that each child has a happy and successful time in our caring school. We do this by working in partnership with you to encourage, stimulate and motivate your son/daughter so that they develop to their full academic and personal potential. Your child’s education is a responsibility that we share with you. The information in this prospectus provides details about our school which we believe you will find helpful. If there is anything else you would like to know, please have a look at our website or contact us. You may also wish to visit us; this provides an opportunity for you to hear more about the philosophy of the school and to see us in action! We very much look forward to meeting you and your son or daughter. Yours sincerely Sally Staley Laurie Yearley Headteacher Chair of Governors 1 SCHOOL ADDRESS: St. Faith’s Road, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6AG TELEPHONE: 01789 762578 FAX: 01789 400503 COMPANY NUMBER: 08248830 Email: [email protected] Website: www.alcesterstnicholas.co.uk HEADTEACHER: Sally Staley M.A. DEPUTY HEADTEACHER: Mark Walsh ASSISTANT HEADTEACHERS: Karen O’Shea (Key Stage 1) SCHOOL NURSERY : Teddy Bear Corner. Please contact Sue Blundell on 01789 764519 CHILDREN’S CENTRE: Please contact The Parenting Project on 01789 764093 ADMINISTRATOR: Tina Ward BUSINESS MANAGER: Celia Holdstock Warwickshire Local Authority: Saltisford Office Park Ansell Way Warwick CV34 4UL 01962 410410 2 AN INTRODUCTION TO ST. NICHOLAS’ C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL Location of St. Nicholas’ School Alcester lies 7 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, 8 miles from Henley-in-Arden, 7 miles from Redditch and 20 miles from Birmingham. 90% of our pupils live in Alcester with the remaining 10% from the surrounding villages, Studley and Redditch. At eleven our pupils transfer to secondary school. We have excellent links with all three secondary schools in Alcester – Alcester Grammar School, Alcester Academy and St Benedict’s RC High School. The School’s Origins The school’s origins go back to 1843 when a National School, catering for 4 to 15 year olds, was opened in School Road, Alcester. In 1953 the school changed from being church aided to church controlled, providing the local education authority with more ‘say’ in how it was run. Due to increasing numbers, a decision was made to transfer older pupils to Studley High School in 1955. In 1964, a new school was built for the junior pupils in St. Faith’s Road with the infant pupils remaining in School Road until 1972 when they moved to a new building in Moorfield Road. In September 2003, following consultation with the Governing Bodies of Alcester Infant School and St. Faith’s Junior School, Warwickshire Education Authority decided to bring the two schools together again to form St. Nicholas’ C of E Primary School on the site of St. Faith’s Junior School. The new school opened on 1st September 2004. A nursery unit was added in September 2005 and a Children’s Centre in April 2008. Following a very successful Ofsted Inspection in March 2012, when the school was judged to be outstanding in every area, the Governing Body made the decision that the school should become an academy. This was approved by Coventry Diocese and St. Nicholas’ became an Academy on 1st April 2013. St. Nicholas’ School Today St. Nicholas’ C of E School is a large primary school, for children from 4 to 11 years old. The school has a welcoming entrance area, 14 class bases, two rooms for teaching small groups, four practical areas, an ICT suite, hall, a well stocked library, music room, an indoor swimming pool, and office accommodation. This is set amidst two large playing fields, two playgrounds and outdoor learning areas. Teddy Bear Corner, our private on-site nursery, caters for pre school children from 3 to 4 years old. They have a second setting in Seggs Lane, for babies and children under 3. The Children’s Centre is one of four local centres managed by the Parenting Project. The Centre provides support for children under 5 and their families by providing a variety of on and off site activities and services. St. Nicholas’ C of E Primary school has a strong Christian ethos. We have excellent links with the parish church with the Rector regularly visiting the school and pupils celebrating various religious festivals at St. Nicholas Church in Alcester. Our ‘After School’ Clubs offer our pupils a wide range of activities. The ‘Friends of St. Nicholas’ Parents group is very active and supports the school with a variety of enjoyable fund raising events for pupils and parents and family members. Pupils, Staff and Governors also take part in a variety of community events. 3 OUR MISSION STATEMENT St. Nicholas’ C of E Primary School, through it’s Christian ethos, aims to enable all pupils to achieve their full personal and academic potential. Through challenging and exciting experiences in a supportive and secure environment we encourage high levels of motivation, co-operation and stability. THE AIMS OF ST. NICHOLAS’ C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL At St. Nicholas’ C of E Primary School we: Encourage children to work and learn both independently and co- operatively, developing self-confidence and self-esteem. Provide quality learning and teaching in a safe, stimulating, caring environment so that pupils develop lively enquiring minds enabling them to strive to achieve their best. Work as a team in partnership with parents, governors, the church, the Local Education Authority and the wider community, for the benefit of each individual child. Reflect our commitment to a Christian way of life, encompassing tolerance, morality and self - discipline. Promote co-operation, friendship and consideration for others, we consider this to be essential in the development of the Christian ethos in our school. 4 ADMISSIONS If you would like to apply for a place at our school, Tina Ward, School Administrator, will be able to provide you with all of the information that you need. In Warwickshire, children start school at the beginning of the school year in which they celebrate their fifth birthday, i.e. when they are four years old. Parents wanting their child to join St. Nicholas’ C of E Primary School, either in one of our reception classes or higher up the school, must apply directly to Warwickshire by completing the online form at www.warwickshire.gov.uk Follow the links from ‘Apply for it’ then ‘School Place’. This will then lead you to the relevant admissions date. Alternatively you can contact admissions on 01926 742084. We encourage prospective parents and their children to visit St. Nicholas’ in order to see the school in action and have any questions answered. Appointments can be made via the school office. We also have an open day/evening in October. The school aims to serve its community by providing a stimulating and challenging education of the highest quality within the context of Christian faith, belief and practice. The school encourages and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils and develops its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with St. Nicholas’ Church at Parish and Diocesan level. The approved admissions number into Reception Year and all other year groups is 30. Our designated priority area covers the Parishes of Alcester, Arrow and Kinwarton. OVER SUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA In the event of over subscription, the Governing Body will give priority using the following criteria in order of precedence: 1. Children for whom their Statement of Special Educational Need names this school. 2. Children who reside within the designated area at the time of admission, and are Looked After Children. (A child looked after by the Local Authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989). 3. Children who have a sibling attending the school at the time of admission. 4. Children whose parents can demonstrate that their admission is necessary for the medical or social well-being of the child. 5. Children who reside within the designated area. In the event of over subscription priority will be given to children living closest to the school. 6. Children who reside outside the designated area and are Looked After children. (A child looked after by the Local Authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989). 7. Children who reside outside the designated area. In the event of over subscription priority will be given to children living closest to the school. 5 INDUCTION INTO RECEPTION Starting school for the first time is the beginning of an exciting new stage in your child's life and we want it to be an enjoyable experience. We therefore invite you and your child to spend some time in school during the summer term before admission. This helps your son / daughter to get to know their teachers, as well as some of the children in the same peer group. Every child is different and we meet with parents individually, during the first few weeks in school, to talk about your child's pre-school education and any support they may need. Some children are confident and independent enough to stay in school full time from their second week at St.