West & South Hanningfield.

Vision Statement Aims School Profile

1 St Peter’s Church of Primary School West and South Hanningfield

VISION STATEMENT

Realising the potential of every individual within a caring, Christian community

AIMS

To deliver an exciting broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum which promotes children’s academic, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development;

To promote opportunities for children to develop their intellectual, physical, creative and aesthetic abilities and to celebrate their achievements;

To set, deliver and maintain high standards of teaching, learning and behaviour;

To allow all staff to reach their full potential through a commitment to providing good quality staff development and to promoting a healthy work-life balance;

To offer children a stimulating, secure environment in which they will become confident, independent and enthusiastic life-long learners and in which they are able to share their fears and concerns;

To encourage children to be considerate, caring, polite and respectful and to become responsible, tolerant and compassionate members of our school and the wider community;

To support and encourage the children to set and work towards their own personal goals and ambitions for the future.

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St Peter’s Church of England Primary School West and South Hanningfield

SCHOOL PROFILE

St Peter’s Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School was founded by the Diocese of in 1893 in the belief that there is a great value for all children in an education based on Christian principles. The school moved from the original Victorian building in 1968 when it amalgamated with the school in South Hanningfield. The school is at present located in the small village of on the outskirts of Chelmsford and is named after the church in South Hanningfield. There is a strong Christian ethos and we strive to realise the potential of every individual within the context of a caring Christian community and within the framework of the national curriculum. St Peter’s is a smaller than average primary school with four classes. The total number of pupils we are able to admit is 105. In September 2010 we have 97 pupils on roll. Pupil:adult ratios in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 are low in order to give children the best start possible. Staff have a close and deep knowledge of the pupils and participate in community life. The background of pupils is predominantly white British. The percentage of pupils taking up free school meals as well as the percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs is well below the national average. There are no pupils with English as an additional language and no ‘looked after children’. Attainment on entry is mostly average and this is recorded and progress tracked using the Foundation Stage Profile.

What are our current successes?

Our successes include:

In the 2010 end of Key Stage 2 tests 100% pupils attained Level 4 or above in English, Maths and Science with 60% attaining Level 5 in English, 80% in Maths and 60% in Science; In the 2010 end of Key Stage 1 assessments 92% pupils attained Level 2b or above in reading, 85% in writing, 92% in Maths and 100% attained Level 2 or above in Science; As a small school we know all our pupils very well and we pride ourselves on ensuring each child fulfils their individual potential. A whole school production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat; Achieving the Eco-schools Silver Award which recognised the work of the whole school under the direction of the School Council in looking after our environment; Improving the school grounds through building a new adventure play area for the children, adding a pavilion as a quiet area, creating a sensory garden and widening the area at the front of the school to make a safer waiting area; Continuing to provide a wide variety of out of school hour activities for the children; Support workshops for parents covering using computers, mathematics as it is taught today, phonics and reading as well as parenting skills.

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St Peter’s Church of England Primary School West and South Hanningfield

What are we trying to improve?

Our priorities for improvement have been identified through a process of self-evaluation, monitoring and reviewing all that we do. They form the basis of our School Improvement Plan for next year and include:

Spreading the good practice from our literacy and numeracy lessons into all subjects so that pupils are aware of what they are learning, how they learn and how they can improve; Identifying those pupils who may be at risk of not achieving expected levels of progress early and implementing intensive individual support programmes including one-to-one tuition; Working with a local secondary school to develop pupils' skills in creating movies and podcasts in preparation for the summer residential educational visit so that pupils can share their experiences with friends and family; Forming links and partnerships with other schools in the UK and wider world; Working with local charities and businesses to develop the school grounds creating a wildlife area with natural hedging, an orchard and a meadow; Exploiting the use of the school grounds so that learning is taken outside; •Eestablishing a gardening club to grow herbs, fruit and vegetables for the school kitchen.

How much progress do pupils make between age 7 and 11?

Our school

The chart shows our school's contextual value added (CVA) score relative to that of other primary schools. CVA is a statistical means of assessing how effective a school is, by measuring pupils' progress using their test and examination results. The confidence interval shows the range within which we can be confident the score (calculated on the results of only one year group) represents the overall effectiveness of a school. The percentile rank shows the percentage of schools with a score equal to or higher than ours.

As a school we track the progress of all pupils to ensure that they achieve their potential. It should be remembered that we have small cohorts of children and therefore statistically the data can be undermined by one or two pupils who do not achieve well on the day of the Year 6 tests or who have transferred to St Peter's, having previously been educated at other schools. One pupil can represent as much as 10%.

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St Peter’s Church of England Primary School West and South Hanningfield

Our data shows that the pupils achieve very well at the end of the Reception year and make good progress through to the end of Year 2. Through tracking pupil progress we can ensure that in Key Stage 2 early intervention is instigated when pupil progress appears to be faltering and likewise we can target work to help pupils attain the higher levels at the end of Year 6 .

How well do pupils achieve at age 11?

Our school

Local schools (Local Authority)

All schools

This chart shows the Key Stage 2 results for 2009. It indicates the percentage of pupils eligible for KS2 tests (usually 11 year olds) who achieved or exceeded the expected level (level 4) How have our results changed over time?

Statistical data over the past six years shows that pupils have continued to attain and achieve very well in end of Key Stage 1 tests and assessments with a high percentage achieving Level 2 in reading, writing and maths and a significant percentage achieving Level 3. The average points scores in English, Maths and Science have been above the national average and well above the average for the past five years.

Again our data shows that pupils make above average progress from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1 as compared to other schools in Essex.

In 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2010 100% pupils achieved Level 4 in English, Maths and Science in the end of Key Stage 2 tests. However, because of the small number of children in each year group some fluctuations year to year are to be expected. Pupil progress is tracked closely to ensure that each individual achieves their potential and that the majority of those pupils who attain Level 3 at the end of Key Stage 1 go on to attain Level 5 at the end of Key Stage 2.

How are we making sure that every child gets teaching to meet their individual needs?

Because we are a small school, the staff know the children very well. Teachers plan their lessons bearing in mind the different learning styles of their pupils, their interests and their backgrounds as well as their particular strengths and weaknesses. We are able to identify readily children who may be experiencing difficulties, those who are more able, as well as those who have special talents.

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St Peter’s Church of England Primary School West and South Hanningfield

Our registers of pupils with Special Educational Needs and of pupils who are gifted and talented are reviewed termly and the provision for their education is overseen by the headteacher. As well as teaching assistants attached to individual classes, we have teaching assistants who work with individual pupils and small groups of children who are not on the SEN register but who benefit from an intensive programme of support to develop their learning in specific areas. Where appropriate we work closely with the school's educational psychologist and other agencies, such as the speech therapist and health adviser.

How are we working with parents and the community?

The school prides itself on its good relationship with parents and the community. Parents' views are welcome and these are passed on through the PTA, governors and individuals. The results of our recent parent survey show that parents are very happy with the provision at St Peter's and value its Church foundation. Throughout the year we hold meetings for parents to inform them of their children's progress and also to help them in supporting their children when starting school and when moving on to secondary school.

Parents are welcome to help in school and we have a team of parents who regularly assist with activities, both during and after school and with educational visits.

The children visit the local church in West Hanningfield as part of school work and also to participate in school and village services. We also visit the church in South Hanningfield to celebrate St Peter's day in June each year. Members of the local clergy visit on a regular basis to participate in collective worship, to join in special occasions and for lunch with the children.

Visitors and representatives from the community always compliment the children on their good behaviour and attitudes. What have pupils told us about the school, and what have we done as a result?

We have an active School Council elected from all year groups that meets regularly with the headteacher. The members make recommendations about all aspects of school life such as playtimes, lessons and the school grounds based on the opinions and views of their classmates. They were instrumental in shaping the development of the outdoor adventure play area.

Pupils' views are sought through questionnaires and the School Council. The latest survey shows that the pupils enjoy coming to school. They say that we are a friendly school with caring adults and that there is an adult they would go to if they were worried. They feel that teachers help and encourage them when they find learning difficult and that lessons are interesting and fun. They feel that the school encourages them to lead a healthy life-style and to play an active part in the wider community. They also feel involved in the development and improvement of the school.

The younger pupils would like more out of school activities and this year we have introduced gymnastics and football clubs. The older pupils are concerned that the toilets are once again in a poor state of repair and the governors are working hard to facilitate a comprehensive refurbishment.

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St Peter’s Church of England Primary School West and South Hanningfield

How do we make sure our pupils are healthy, safe and well-supported?

Being reaccredited with the national Healthy School status in summer 2007 is affirmation of our commitment to ensuring pupils are healthy, safe and well supported. The Activemark Award 2008 acknowledges our commitment to providing a wealth of physical activities both in and after school.

The children are taught about the importance of having a healthy life-style through the Science and PSHE & C curricula. Children are encouraged to drink water throughout the day, eat fruit at break times and to take advantage of the hot school meals which are prepared on the premises using fresh, locally produced and where possible organic ingredients. We have a wide variety of out-of-school-hours activities that promote physical activity as well as encouraging teamwork.

Each class has its own designated Midday Assistant so that children are supported with their social development at lunch times. We ensure that the school premises are safe and secure and that all educational visits are risk-assessed prior to the visit taking place.

What activities and options are available to pupils?

Although we are a small school we offer a wide variety of out of school hours activities. To encourage physical activity we offer football, gymnastics, netball, rounders, cheerleading and athletics. We have clubs for those children wishing to develop their interest in music, such as recorders and choir and there are also clubs for those children who have wider interests such as Italian and art.

Our clubs are run by the staff at the school, outside organisations and also parents who generously give of their time. The clubs are well supported by the children and we try to listen to the children's suggestions.

Throughout the year we have a programme of educational visits which teachers organise to enhance the curriculum. Over the past year these have included visits to the Natural History Museum in London, the Imperial War Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum. Previously we have visited the Sikh Mandir in Neasden. Where possible we exploit the wealth of opportunities within the local environment and community such as visits to the church, the farms and to the reservoir and neighbouring wildlife area. Every alternate year the pupils in Years 5 and 6 participate in a five day residential visit to the Isle of Wight, where they undertake a full programme of activities linked to the curriculum.

What do our pupils do after leaving this school?

Because we serve a number of villages surrounding West Hanningfield, our pupils move onto a variety of secondary schools, depending on the catchment areas in which they live and parental preferences.

In summer 2010 13% pupils gained places at local grammar schools and 87% went to other local state secondary schools. In previous years pupils have also gained places within the private sector.

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St Peter’s Church of England Primary School West and South Hanningfield

What have we done in response to Ofsted?

The last Ofsted inspection took place in April 2008. The main issues arising were the need to:

raise standards in writing and science throughout Key Stage 2; address the uneven quality of teaching to boost the quality of pupils’ learning.

Raising standards in writing has been a whole school priority for the past few years and we are now beginning to see the positive impact of our work in this area.

Standards in science in KS2 have risen considerably. During the past three years 100% pupils have attained Level 4 and above and during the past two years over 60% pupils have attained Level 5. This has been achieved through a revised emphasis on a more investigative approach to the teaching and learning of science.

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