Building work-new classroom

Dear Parents

I informed parents via a previous newsletter that the plans to build an additional classroom for our school. The classroom will be built on the space just to the left of the Junior gates (the gates all children use to enter the school –with the bushes some children like to hide behind!). The current Year 5 class (Mrs Beresford’s class) will move into the new classroom and their current classroom will be turned into an ICT suite and a small group room and there will be a corridor through to my room and the staffroom so that people do not need to go through Mrs Rackham’s classroom.  This is a very exciting development for the school.

I am very pleased to inform parents that the work will start on Monday 29^th April. There are a number of health and safety implications I would like to highlight to parents. If another relative/childminder drops your child off please would you pass this information on to them:

• Children must not be dropped off and left unsupervised before 8,45am. (On Friday, as I met with the builder before school, the first child arrived unsupervised at 8.30am!).
• Parents/Carers must not use the school car park except by prior agreement- this includes during the day (parents sometime drive into school to drop off a school lunch/PE Kit etc).
• Please make sure that your child is carefully supervised after school- especially in the playground and as they leave the school.
• The gates to the Junior gates will continue to be used as the main entrance–the entrance all children go through in the morning-  but  will be adapted and there will be a clear passage way through. This will continue to be supervised by a member of staff from 8.45am-8.55am.
• Mrs Beresford’s class will move to the hall after the Whitsun half-term so that the internal changes can be made. The hall will be set up so that it functions as a classroom.

The safety of the children, staff and parents is our first priority and we will be vigilant. If during the building process you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact me. The aim is for all of the work to be completed by the start of the new school year in September, when we will be able to make full use of the new classroom, ICT suite and small group room.

David J Capener

Headteacher

Prestbury CE Primary 2014-15

Admissions Criteria

In the event that the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, the governing body will apply the following oversubscription criteria:

1. Children in Care. (Looked After Children and previously looked after children as defined in section 222 of the Children Act 1989)

2. Children with special medical or social circumstances where these needs can only be met at this school (see note below)

3. Children who are resident within both the ecclesiastical and civic parish of Prestbury. (This excludes Mottram St Andrew & Adlington) A map showing the parish boundary is available in school.

4. Children whose parents are very faithful, regular & Committed worshippers at St. Peters or St.John’s, Adlington

5. Children with siblings who will still be at the school at the time of admission.

6. Children whose parents are faithful and regular worshippers at St Peter’s or St John’s

7. Children whose parents are faithful and regular worshippers at a neighbouring Anglican Church for whom this is the nearest Church school measured as the crow flies.

8. Children whose parents are faithful and regular worshippers at a church that is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).

9. Children who live nearest to the school according to the Ordnance survey used by the Local Authority.

Notes:

(a)Professional supporting evidence from a doctor, psychologist, social worker, is essential if admission is to be made under the criterion for special medical or social circumstances, and such evidence must set out the particular reasons why the school in question is the most suitable school and the difficulties which would be caused if the child had to attend another school.

(b) By committed we mean attending worship more than twice a month including receiving Holy Communion at least monthly. By faithful we mean for a period of at least six months prior to the closing date for applications. By very faithful we mean for a period of twelve months prior to the closing date for applications. By regular we mean attending worship twice a month at St Peter’s including family service & Pram Service. A letter from the young church coordinator at St Peter’s will be required as proof of attendance. For children worshipping at other churches a letter verifying attendance from a minister or church officer will be required.

(c) A parent is any person who has parental responsibility or care of the child. Where admission arrangements refer to ‘parent’s attendance at church’ it is sufficient for just one parent to attend.

(d) Siblings include step, half, foster, adopted brothers and sisters living at the same address and full brother and sister living apart.

(e) All children with birthdays between 1 September and 31 August are admitted in September. For children with a birthday after Christmas or after Easter parents may defer entry until later in the year and the headteacher should be consulted if this option is being considered.

(f) All applications must be submitted by 15th January, at the latest, prior to the child’s admission to school in the following academic year. All parents will be notified in writing by the Local Authority on behalf of the admissions authority on 16 April for admittance to school

(g) In the event of a parent being refused a place in school for their child, they will be informed of their right to appeal.

(h) The Governors undertake to keep the terms of this policy under regular review.

(i) Attendance in the nursery does not guarantee a place in the school and a separate application must be made.

Parents will no doubt have seen the Primary School League Tables in newspapers.

The league tables tend to focus on the Government expected level in Year 6 -a level 4- and in 2012 100% of our children achieved Level 4 in English and 95% in Maths.

However, the main story for our school is the children achieving the higher than expected level -those children achieving level 5+. 71% of our children achieved L5 in Maths, 71% in writing and 82% in Reading - we are the second placed school in the whole of the Cheshire East for Higher Attaining children and first placed within the locality! However, if it is based on the average level children leave our school at we are the top school in Cheshire East (the average level children left our school at was a level 5c+, an average point score of 32).

As I said to one set of parents recently, the League tables are only one measure of how we are as a school - the breadth of the curriculum, the opportunities in the arts, music, drama and in Sport, as well as our Christian focus, celebrated recently in an inspection (when we were graded as Outstanding), are just some of the other important measures that do not feature in a league table-but when we do well we of course do want to acknowledge and celebrate it and in particular the hard work of the children, support of the parents and especially the dedication and commitment of the staff.

The care of the children, encouraging their individuality and particular talents, do not feature in a league table but I do believe support the excellent outcomes for the children in our care. Linked to our school verse -Let your light shine- I hope we also acknowledge the 'non-academic' achievements of our children and in particular for those children who do find the academic subjects challenging at this time. I hope we continue to provide an outstanding education for all the children, within a strong Christian framework.

As an Aided Church of England Primary school we have an additional, though equally important, inspection which focuses on the Christian aspects within the school. The inspection took place two weeks ago and I have just received the report.

The  full report is available on the Learning Platform in the Ofsted/SIAS section and paper copies are available in the entrance area. Below are the key points:

Every report includes development points and ours are:

• To build on teachers’ confidence in teaching religious education (RE) through sharing best practice in teaching and learning
• Develop the role of governors in monitoring and evaluating RE

We will work on these areas whilst also continuing the good work in others whilst continually seeking to build up the links between the church and school. Thank you to all the staff –it is an acknowledgement of their incredible commitment and hard work, as the report states:

The staff team has an outstanding work ethic and they spoke of the support and encouragement they get from each other. Their knowledge of all the children helps create a caring and safe environment for them.

Thank you to the support of parents, governors the great children we have and in particular to Patrick for his incredible commitment to the school, as the report highlights:

There are strong links between the school and St Peter’s Church, which the school attends, not only to celebrate the main Christian festivals, but for weekly community worship led by the vicar. These services are well attended and enjoyed by family and friends. Children agreed that the vicar ‘is fun and this helps us understand things.’