Prospectus Page

Prospectus 2008

PROSPECTUS

Major achievements

Three successful OFSTED Inspections – 2005, 1999 & 1996

Department for Education and Skills Achievement Award Winner in all three years of the Award’s existence

National Teaching Awards ‘Distinction’ in the Healthy Schools Category, 2006

National Teaching Awards ‘Headteacher of the Year in a Primary School’ in the Eastern Region, 2006

2008 – Received the National Association for Able Children in Education ‘Challenge Award’ for excellence in whole-school provision for able, gifted and talented pupils

National Healthy Schools Project Advanced Award Winner 2006-2009

DCSF Activemark gained in 2006 & 2007 for excellence in physical education provision

315 children transferred to selective education in the last thirteen years

Southend’s first Full-Service Extended School and first fully-integrated Children’s Centre

2008 – Received the SPLASH Gold Award for excellence in Modern Foreign Language Teaching

Four times National Chess Champions

2008 Southend Netball Champions

Key Stage Two SATs results 2008

English : 85% Level 4+, 18% Level 5

Mathematics : 89% Level 4+, 33% Level 5

Science : 98% Level 4+, 62% Level 5

OFSTED Inspection

November 2005

· The School judges itself as good but inspection evidence is that it is outstanding.

· The school ensures exceptionally high quality care and personal development and is extremely well led and managed.

· Behaviour is excellent and children greatly enjoy school for the lessons and for the outstanding range of lunchtime and after-school clubs.

· Children’s spiritual, moral and social development is outstanding. They have a thorough understanding of how to behave and are courteous, friendly and polite to visitors and to each other. The huge range of additional experiences which the school provides broadens their horizons and develops self-esteem and confidence.

· The care, guidance and support for children are outstanding and the impact on children’s personal development is exceptional. Parents and carers are immensely pleased with this aspect of the school’s provision. The school provides an oasis of calm and consistency.

· Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher has precise, long-term aims for the school to enable it to continue to serve children, families and the local community to the full. This vision is shared by the school’s staff.

Grades achieved

(1 – Outstanding, 2 – Good, 3 – Satisfactory, 4 – Inadequate)

Overall Effectiveness – 1

Achievement & Standard – 2

Personal Development & Well-Being – 1

The Quality of Provision – 2

Leadership & Management – 1

The Curriculum

The Governing Body has planned to make available a broad and balanced curriculum, including all aspects of the National Curriculum, with provision for Religious Education, social, moral and physical development. In line with the Southend Education Authority’s Curriculum Policy Statement we believe that every child should have a full entitlement to this curriculum. Moreover, the aim of the Governing Body is that expectations for each child should be high within and extra to the curriculum. The Primary, Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are followed at both Key Stages and the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum is followed in the Nursery and Reception Years. There is a major emphasis on developing Information and Communication Technology skills in their own right and to support the curriculum as a whole. We also offer specialist teaching in French, other modern foreign languages, Art, Music and Religious Education.

All staff members engage in constant review and evaluation of the curriculum, in tandem with the Governing Body’s Human Resources Committee. Particular provision is made for those children who require further learning support. This provision is discussed with and explained to the parents of the child concerned and, indeed, depends on their active involvement. We have on site a Learning Resource Base which caters for up to ten statemented children with learning and physical disabilities who would normally attend special schools. These children integrate as much as possible into the normal life of the school. We also have a Gifted and Talented Register with provision for all those children on it. We are proud to have received the NACE Challenge Award for our work in this area – only the 111th school in the country to have received it.

Sex education is taught along guide-lines recommended by the DfES and principally in the later stages of the school. Talks on menstruation and puberty are given to Year 5 children and a video is shown in connection with this topic. Parents are invited to see this video beforehand. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from such education, as they do from our Religious Education and daily acts of worship. The children are taught about drugs and alcohol abuse within our PSHCE and Healthy Schools provision. Indeed we care very much about the emotional wellbeing and mental health of all our children and their families and provide education and experiences relevant to this work, in our Healthy School work and in the work of our Child and Family Care Team.

Parents are able to enter their child in the Selection procedure for admission to the Borough’s Grammar Schools. The Headteacher assists parents and children in this process. We have an above average success rate in these examinations. The Headteacher and Year Six staff will further assist parents in the whole process of transfer to secondary education. This is a complex process and can be a worrying time for parents.

If parents wish to make a complaint about the curriculum in the school there is an agreed procedure, devised by the Local Authority, details of which are available from the School Office. We have had no such complaints in the last twenty plus years.

All parents are particularly welcome to talk to our class teachers at the end of each day. We actually encourage this as it is better to have a regular dialogue than have to wait for termly consultation sessions, although these are available. Progress reports are issued at these sessions in the Autumn and Spring Terms and a comprehensive annual report is issued in the Summer Term.

How Parents Can Help

1. First and foremost we ask you to comply with our security procedures. Only enter the building at the entrances from the playground before school and front (Eastern Avenue) by the School Office during the day. Sign in and collect a visitor’s badge to wear while you are in school, no matter for how short a visit. Do not leave the building by any other door than the ones by the School Office. Report any strangers to the School Office or to a member of staff as soon as possible. Staff members should be wearing an official yellow identity badge.

2. The Norwich Avenue and Lewes Road gates are closed between 9.20 and 3.10 daily, when access to the school is via the Eastern Avenue gate. Be wary of vehicles in the car park area. Enter the school via our new main entrance only. Parents must not use the main entrance to bring their children into school at the start of the day and should certainly not use the car park, as staff parking space is tight.

3. We have a bicycle compound in our playground which is available to all. Our older children can take cycling proficiency courses and we even have a ‘ learn to ride your bike’ course. Until the children are proficient we prefer it if you ride to school with your child. There should be no cycling whatsoever within the school grounds, by children or adults. In the academic year 2008-2009 our school is an official Bike It School.

4. Leave your dog at home, no matter how friendly or small it may be. Dogs can cause upset for some children and their mess is dangerous for children’s health.

5. Please leave your prams and buggies outside the building. We much prefer you to leave your child with the teacher outside the building. This helps tremendously with starting off the session well, with our security and with our ease of passage. Prams and buggies add enormously to congestion problems. We want you to be able to talk to the class teacher if it is important at the start of the day. Try to do that outside. At the end of the day it is much easier when all the other children have left. We would be grateful if you waited just a few minutes before coming into the school building. The doors will be bolted until the children are leaving.

6. If your child is going to be absent we are grateful to receive a phone call to inform us (we have a dedicated line for this purpose) and a note of explanation when they return. We have to keep a record of all absences for the Government and we have to declare whether the absences are authorised or unauthorised.

7. Remember that the only items of jewellery allowed are watches and small stud earrings. Chains and rings present too many dangers to those wearing them and those nearby and are not allowed. Thank you.

8. No Mohican haircuts or tramlines are allowed. We prefer that all children have haircuts and styles appropriate to school. Again, thank you.

Home/school agreement

The Home will:-

· Ensure that your child comes to school regularly and on time

· Ensure that your child is properly equipped, as advised, for all aspects of school work, including the wearing of school uniform

· Telephone to inform the school if your child is going to be absent, on the first day of that absence, and send a note to explain or confirm the reason for absence on return

· Never take more than two weeks holiday in the school year and attempt to take less than that

· Make the school aware of any concerns or problems that might affect your child’s work or behaviour

· Support the school’s policy as in the document ‘How We Behave at Temple Sutton’

· Read to your child or listen to your child read at home each night and enable your child to complete any homework activities set. Discuss your child’s involvement at school on a regular basis with him or her.

· Keep in regular contact with the class teacher and attend any consultation sessions organised.

· Conform with our security arrangements and respect our playground rules.

· Support and enjoy school functions as much as possible.

· Consider yourself a key member of the school community.

The School will:-

· Attempt to provide a happy, stimulating environment for your child

· Enable your child to follow a broad and balanced curriculum, including all aspects of the National Curriculum

· Have high expectations for your child academically and otherwise

· Provide a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities to further develop your child’s interests and talents

· Provide a comprehensive induction process for all parents and children new to the school, including home visits, school visits, small group phased entry, admission package and personal interview with the Headteacher or one of the two Deputy Heads

· Contact parents if there is a persistent problem with attendance or punctuality

· Inform parents about any concerns or problems that affect your child’s work or behaviour, using our ‘How We Behave At Temple Sutton’ document as a basis

· Deal promptly with any concerns parents might have about your child’s involvement at school

· Be available at the end of the day for dialogue with parents

· Provide homework on a gradually increasing basis as your child proceeds through the school

· Provide a written report annually to parents on your child’s progress and organise consultation evenings with initial and interim written reports in the Autumn and Spring terms

· Keep parents informed by regular newsletters

· Provide workshops and family education opportunities for parents relating to the curriculum and your child’s involvement

· Welcome parents into the school as key members of our school community.

Times

Children’s Centre & Nursery : Various, flexible times

between 8.00 and 6.00

Years R, 1 & 2 : 8.55 – 3.20

Years 3,4,5 & 6 : 8.55 – 3.25

Breakfast Club : 8.00 onwards

After School Club : 3.30 – 6.00

We ask that children and parents arrive no earlier than 8.45 in the morning unless attending Breakfast Club or an early morning extra-curricular activity. A teacher is on duty in the playground from 8.45. If it is raining or very cold the children are allowed in from this time onwards.

Lunchtime is from 12.00 until 1.15.

If you are going to be late and still wish to book a school meal, please let us know by telephone. If you are going to be late picking up your child in the afternoon, again let us know and we shall look after your child until you arrive. We also need to know if your child is going to be picked up by anybody other than you. As stated earlier, we expect you to collect your child outside the building.

Food & Drink

At playtimes we have a policy of not allowing food other than fruit to be consumed. Free fruit and vegetables are given to Nursery and Key Stage One children daily via a Government Scheme. Fruit can be bought by Key Stage Two children at our fruit stall – 20p a day, or fruit can be brought in from home.

Key Stage One children can have milk daily – it costs £1 a week – paid on the Friday previous first thing in the morning – handed to the teacher in a named envelope with the class name too. Cartons of non-fizzy drinks are allowed to be brought in. Chilled, filtered water is available at several points around the school. The children are encouraged to drink as much as they like of this. They can bring in their own drinks bottles to be filled up as necessary.

Lunches are cooked on the premises and we operate a healthy, balanced diet menu. The meals are popular and there is very little waste. Tickets are available from the School Office daily, either singly or in bulk. They currently cost £1.80. They are handed in each morning to the class teacher, your child’s name and class having been written on the back. Those parents who are entitled to Free School Meals should register at the School Office. We ask you to do this even if your child is not taking up the free meal, as the school benefits financially if you do.

The children may also have packed lunches. We recommend that they are kept in thermos type containers and that whatever container is used it is clearly marked with your child’s name. We do not allow cans, bottles, fizzy drinks or sweets with lunches.

You may opt for any combination of lunches – cooked, packed lunch or home – we do however prefer the children to be in school.

We are fully committed to the National Healthy Schools Project. Indeed we have achieved the Advanced Award in it and a National Teaching Awards Distinction. It is a central plank in our beliefs. We ask you to join our work here and at home. In 2008-2009 we are working on a Healthy Packed Lunches Project.

What To Wear

We would like all children to wear our School Uniform. It is a very modern and varied uniform which allows for individual preferences within our colour scheme of brown and gold (not grey or black!). The School has an associated uniform shop, Crawlers in Southchurch Boulevard, which carries our full range. The brochure from the shop is in the Introductory Package. We no longer sell uniform at the school.

Swimming hats are available from the School Office.

All clothing needs to be clearly marked with your child’s name. Parents are also requested to provide appropriate kit for P.E. and Games, a tee shirt or sports shirt, shorts, knickers and plimsolls in a bag, also clearly marked with your child’s name, with warmer kit for the winter months. We swim in the Summer Term – appropriate kit is required and a swimming hat is compulsory. A large cover-up shirt is recommended for Art & Craft. All these areas are important aspects of the National Curriculum and we need your co-operation if your child is to perform as well as possible in all of them.

In the Summer we highly recommend that your child wears a sun hat.

When clothing is mislaid we try to help you find it. Ask at the School Office. There are two lost property boxes – one outside the Dining Room and one outside East Hall.

BEHAVIOUR

You will have been supplied with a copy of our ‘How We Behave At Temple Sutton’ document alongside this prospectus. It should explain to you how we feel about behaviour, discipline and related matters such as bullying. We hope that you can use it with your child to explain situations and encourage positive behaviour. If you have any concerns you are always welcome to discuss them with the Class Teacher, one of the Deputy Heads or the Headteacher. If we have any concerns we shall talk to you. Working together is always the best way to resolve difficult situations. We welcome your support. We are not ashamed to declare that bullying does occur in our school occasionally. We would be very ashamed if we didn’t do anything about it. The Headteacher is committed to dealing with all bullying issues as soon as is possible. We want all our children to feel safe, respected, valued and able to learn with enthusiasm.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

We believe in every child having many opportunities to be involved in either a club or a sporting or other activity. We make such activities open to as many children as possible, from the youngest to the oldest. We believe in good competition and enter teams in all sporting activities. We also aim for our children to do as well as possible, as with everything we undertake at Temple Sutton. We are proud to have had national champions in our school – very few schools can ever claim such a thing. We are just as proud of all our children – they all have talent and we seek to find that talent and develop it.

Here are some of the activities currently available: –

Art Drama Choirs Peripatetic Music Tuition Irish Dancing Guitar Club Handbells Recorders Orchestra Mini-Golf Swimming Aerobics Cricket Chess Cookery Football Rugby Athletics Rounders Multi-Skills Dance Karate Table-Tennis Netball Tennis ICT Languages Gymnastics Volleyball

EDUCATIONAL VISITS

The Governing Body has decided to request donations from parents when their children go on educational visits. The School Budget does not allow for such visits to be paid out of school funds. We would like to emphasise the educational strength and value of such involvement. We really appreciate your contributions to enable us to keep on providing the best opportunities for your children. The children go on a wide variety of visits outside school and are educated by experts visiting the school. In Years 5 and 6 the children are able to go on extended residential visits. The Year 5 visit is currently being reorganised but the Year 6 visit to the Isle of Wight continues.

SCHOOL NURSE

Our School Nurse is in school every Tuesday in our Medical Room near the School Office. You can usually make an appointment to meet her if there is something you wish to discuss. She also runs a monthly drop-in surgery.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Our School has an extensive and expert team to support the learning of those children with special needs. If you suspect your child has problems please do not hesitate to ask this team for help. We also work closely with many specialist agencies and they are regular visitors to our school. We are great believers in every child receiving his or her full entitlement. We also have a Learning Resource Base which increases our capacity in this area, welcoming children with learning difficulties and some with physical disabilities into our school when they would normally been at a Special School.

ATTENDANCE

The authorised absence figure for 2007-2008 was 5.9% and the unauthorised figure was 0.2%. We really need to reduce these rates and ask that you support us as much as possible, especially by not taking holidays in term time.

CHILD AND FAMILY CARE TEAM

This team exists to support all our children and those families who require assistance. They are trained in all aspects of this work and are available at all times. They work within classrooms and in a dedicated area at the Key Stage Two end of the school, particularly nurturing emotional wellbeing. Children are always able to talk to a team member if they are feeling vulnerable or unhappy. Parents are able to seek support with any family difficulties that might exist and the work can be totally confidential. The team are in constant contact with other agencies that might help also. This model of support is being adopted by many other schools. Please take advantage of the team’s expertise.

TEMPLE SUTTON

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

The Circle of Friends is our Parents and Others Association which works to raise funds and attract goodwill for our school. There are several functions each year, planned and organised by the Committee and others. Details of events and meetings are posted on the Parents’ Notice-board opposite the School Office and are also sent home with your child. Please offer your help to this group as they provide so much for our children and greatly assist the school in its aims. They also have a very enjoyable and worthwhile time. Annual events include the Summer Fair, the Xmas Sale, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day Sales, Leavers’ Barbecue, Xmas Disco for Years 4, 5 & 6 and Quiz Night. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at our functions.

GOVERNING BODY

The Governing Body is responsible for the overall strategy of the school. If you wish to talk to any member of the Governing Body you may make an appointment via the School Office.

The current members of the Body are:-

Alan Carey : Chair

Trevor Harrison : Vice Chair

David Osborn : Chair of Finance & Premises

Delia Webster : Chair of Human Resources

Christine Gilroy

Tracy Farrer

Jan Ekins

James McCluskey

Jackie Tolliday

Gareth Turner

Frank Gulley

FULL SERVICE EXTENDED SCHOOL

The School has a national reputation for its work in this area which includes:-

Breakfast Club * After School Care * Holiday Care * Wrap around Child Care in our Children’s Centre * Family Education Courses * Adult Education Classes * Advice & Support from various agencies, including Health, Social Care, JobCentre Plus and others * Extra support for families in crisis through the Integrated Services System set up by the Local Authority and based at the school and through our own Child & Family Care Team * Increased opportunities in ICT and Sports * A vast array of extra-curricular activities * Junior and Adult Evening Chess Clubs * Counselling * Yoga * Rosemary Conley Club * Card-making * Guitar Classes * Community Library * Police-Base * First Savers’ Club – linked to the Southend Credit Union * A Community Interest Company established to set up a Healthy Living Centre within the School Grounds.

Ask us if you want to know anything about any of the above.

Do ask us also if you want to know anything specific about our Children’s Centre which takes children from three months old.

2008-2009

Temple Sutton Primary School

Eastern Avenue

Southend-on-Sea

SS2 4BA

Telephone : 01702-468582

Fax : 01702-601101

e-mail : office@sutton.southend.sch.uk

Headteacher : Frank Gulley, M.Ed.

Deputy Headteachers : Mrs. M. Eves & Mrs. E. Green

Children’s Centre Manager : Mrs. B. Wathen

EYFS Teachers : Mrs. S. Jordan, Mrs. S.Child,

Miss E. Bromiley, Miss S. Magill,

Mrs. J. Read & Mrs. C. Okonta

Year 1 Teachers : Mrs. M. Barella, Mrs. L. Phillips, Miss F. Caiger &

Miss J. Campion

Year 2 Teachers : Mrs. J. Hann, Miss H. Ross &

Mr. J. Griffiths

Year 3 Teachers : Miss M. Crellin, Mrs. J. Whitelaw & Mrs. M. Philips

Year 4 Teachers : Miss C. White, Mrs Austin, Mrs. Day & Miss. J. Bushnell

Year 5 Teachers : Mrs. K. Turrell, Mrs. S. Oliver & Mr. G. Turner

Year 6 Teachers : Mr. G. Capps, Ms. E. Luther, Mrs. A. Hall &

Mrs. S. Richardson

Art Teacher : Mr. A. Seek

Music Teacher : Miss S. Townend

Modern Foreign

Languages Teacher : Miss L. Bines

R. E. Teacher : Mrs. N. Howard

Additional Teachers: Mrs. C. Munoz, Mrs. S. Moule