Cameley Primary School

General Information

Cameley Primary School can be found in the village of Temple Cloud on the A37 between Bristol and Wells. The school moved in January 1994 from a Victorian building on the main road to the current site. The building was designed for 120 children and we have five classrooms with an outside area for the reception class to use in school time. We have a generous hall and attractive grass and hard play areas surrounding the school. There is an ICT suite, which is used constantly. We recently developed a conservation area in the school grounds which contains a pond. The new Gazebo provides a shady quiet area at playtime and for stories in the summer.

Extra-Curricular Activities

A variety of activities take place after school. These are run on a voluntary basis by staff and parents and range from the sporting to the creative. Children can develop a variety of sporting skills in mixed groups of boys and girls including football, netball, cricket, tennis, rounders, unihoc, tag rugby and netball. The school enjoys continued and significant success in sports competitions. Other clubs which have been offered in recent years include dance and drama, athletics, cookery, conservation, writing, art, orchestra, Robotics, ICT and choir. We are lucky to have a lot of parental support, and two parents run our fab cookery club!

Every year we take the children in Y5 and Y6 on a residential visit. This year we visited Mill on the Brue Activity Centre in Bruton, Somerset . Check out the photographs on the ‘recent events’ button!

Class Organisation

For September 2008 our children are organised in five classes:

· Miss Charlotte Clothier teaches the Reception children with a small number of the Year 1s, in Class 1

· Mrs Vivienne Lodite and Mrs Sarah Brown teaches the Year 1 and Year 2 children in Class 2 (Mrs Lodite Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning; Mrs Brown for the remainder of the week)

· Mrs Deborah Balli teaches Year 3 children in Class 3

· Mrs Alison Tanner teaches the Year 4 children and some Year 5 children in Class 4

· Mrs Cotton and Mrs Daffurn teaches a few Year 5 children and the Year 6 children in Class 5

Each Thursday Mrs Caroline Taylor comes in to school to teach French to all pupils. Children in Reception usually have their first lesson on October. Mrs Pam Morris also comes in to teach ‘Discovery Time’ to children in Year 5 and Year 6.

We are fortunate to have three Learning Support Assistants: Miss Denise Rogers (also our qualified first aider) works currently in Class 1, and Mrs Tina Creed and Mrs Anne Merrick support those children who have special educational needs and other groups. We also have the support of Terry O’Brien, ICT technician for 2 sessions each week. The LSAs work with a wide range of children to ensure that all children have the necessary support.

School Times

These are:- Morning 8.55am – 12 noon Key Stage 1

8.55am – 12.10pm Key Stage 2

Afternoons 1.10pm – 3.10pm Key Stage 1

1.10pm – 3.15pm Key Stage 2

Children can arrive at school between 8.40am and 8.55 am. The children then go to their classrooms for an introductory activity set by the teacher. We ask you to leave your children at the cloakroom door in the morning, and to wait in the playground to collect them at the end of the day. The arrangements for the start and end of the day are necessary as otherwise we easily become congested in a small space. If you have a message for your child’s teacher, please pass this through Mr Cook or Miss Rogers who are available in the entrance each morning.

A minimum number of teaching hours per school week is:-

Age: 5-7 (Key Stage 1) 21 hours

8-11 (Key Stage 2) 23.5 hours

These hours are when the pupils are actually being taught, but exclude the daily act of worship, registration and breaks. The turning circle at the front of the school is a ‘car-free’ area at the start and end of the school day. Could we please ask you to use the Village Hall car park to drop off or pick up children. Please do not park on the yellow zigzag lines outside the school or in the school’s entrances as this presents a serious threat to children’s safety.

The Curriculum

The 1988 Education Reform Act requires that children receive a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experience of later life.

The four core subjects are: English, Mathematics, Science and Information and Communication Technology.

The foundation subjects are: History, Technology, Religious Education, Art, Geography, Physical Education and Music (see also Religious Education and Collective Worship). We teach skills that children use across the curriculum such as problem solving and study skills, and we encourage awareness of themes that cross subject boundaries such as health, citizenship and environmental issues. In delivering the whole curriculum, we pay attention to each child’s needs. We recognise that not all children learn in the same way and that the activities that are planned for them need to reflect this. We plan together as a whole school and work with particular topics in mind. We believe that children’s work seems more relevant to them if it is presented in terms of areas of interest or topics rather than subjects. However, there are occasions when we do teach subjects separately to small groups, individuals, as a small class, or by year groups.

Creative Arts

Through a variety of experiences in visual arts, music, dance and drama children are encouraged to investigate and interpret the world around them in an individual and independent way. Children also have the opportunity to take part in an annual Creative Arts performance each year incorporating many of the skills they have learnt, as well as Musical Performance in Term 6. The music service of B&NES offers tuition for children to learn violin, clarinet, guitar, flute, drums, brass and piano. Teachers are also available to teach other instruments - speak to Mrs Moore in the office if you are interested. We also employ Mrs Rebecca Vincent to assist with singing practices once a week and Mrs Caroline Lowe runs a successful Choir Club each Monday as well as a School Orchestra. Mrs Lunness also works with small groups of children in Key Stage 1 with recorder skills as a part of learning to read music.

Every Year we celebrate the children’s achievements with a ‘Creative Arts Festival’ to display artwork in general, as well as the work that children have done with our artist in residence. Recently these projects have involved the children working in pastels, pottery and large canvas work. Much of this work is displayed in school.

Discipline

We take a very positive approach to discipline in our school. We believe that self-discipline is the most effective kind of discipline and in this, seek close partnership with parents. We have minimal rules, all of which are based on a shared philosophy of self-respect and respect for others. We openly praise and thank children who show their respect for those around them by being courteous and helpful. Throughout the School 5 Golden Rules for behaviour are displayed and children are reminded frequently about them. The Golden Rules are:

Do be gentle

Do not hurt anybody

Do be kind and helpful

Do not hurt people’s feelings

Do work hard

Do not waste your or other people’s time

Do look after property

Do not waste or damage things

Do listen to people

Do not interrupt

Do be honest

Do not cover up the truth

Children earn Golden Time each week (30 minutes each Friday), when a variety of different activities are offered, in groups of all ages, from all classes. Misdemeanours mean that children lose minutes of this much valued Golden Time. We will not ignore incidents of name-calling or discrimination of any kind, nor will we ignore bullying. We point out to children if their behaviour is unacceptable and we warn them clearly what the consequences will be if they choose to persist in that behaviour. In the rare cases of persistent unacceptable behaviour, we will contact you and will hope for your full support in dealing with the situation. It is extremely rare for any child to be excluded from school; we follow recommended procedures for this and parents would be fully consulted.

Our behaviour policy is shared with all members of the school community. It is based on treating children fairly, consistently and sympathetically. A copy of this policy is available from the school and also via the ‘documents’ button.

Absences

We have to keep a record of all authorised and unauthorised absences, i.e. when you have not been given permission for your child to be absent from school. If your child is unable to attend school as a result of illness, parents should telephone the school and leave a message (01761 – 452644), or send a message to the school before 9.10am. This avoids the school having to register illness as unauthorised absence. Even more importantly, it is a system for the school to monitor the safe arrival of all pupils. Recently, there has been much public discussion and publicity regarding holidays in term time. The most important consideration will be the effect such an absence would have on a child’s education. Absence from school can seriously disrupt a child’s continuity of learning. Not only do they miss the teaching provided on the days that they are away; they are less well prepared for lessons upon their return. Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday, and, by law, have to apply for permission in advance. Holiday absence should be recorded on a holiday form that is available from the school office. Once the headteacher has checked the reasons for absence, as well as the history of absence, parents are notified whether the absence is authorised or unauthorised. In the case of any authorised absence, that absence should not exceed 10 days – apart from in exceptional circumstances. If your child arrives after the register has been taken, please make sure that we have received a telephone call or letter explaining the lateness. If the school does not receive this information, an unauthorised absence will be recorded.

Volunteers

We welcome parent helpers in the classroom and on school visits. Small schools especially need to draw on the skills in the community, and we have a number of friends and families who offer support for music, story-telling, art, cooking and out of school sporting activities. If you have time to spare and want to know what goes on in school, please come and join us. We have a very helpful booklet on ‘Helping in School’ which is available on request from Nicki Moore . In line with strict child protection guidelines, all our volunteer helpers are CRB checked.

Charging

We believe that the curriculum is greatly enhanced if the children are able to visit places and people in their local community and further afield.

Such visits will be planned to take place in school time and you will be asked to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of transport, entrance fees, etc. Children whose parents do not pay will not be disadvantaged in any way, although it may be necessary to cancel a visit if the contributions are insufficient.

Parents of years 5 and 6 children will be asked to pay for an annual residential visit. We endeavour to keep the cost of the visit to a minimum and there is always the opportunity to pay for this by instalments, if you prefer. A limited amount of funding is available from a trust fund for families with financial hardships, or families who meet the Free School Meals criteria. Contact the school direct for further details.

Complaints

The school has the primary responsibility in law for dealing with complaints received. For most complaints the school’s governing body is responsible for determining how to deal with them and it is free to set its own procedure. In some circumstances governing bodies have to follow set procedures. These are:-‘Complaints about curriculum – under Section 23 of the 1988 Education Reform Act’. This section of the Act places a duty on local education authorities to provide a complaints procedure for parents showing how they can make a complaint about the school curriculum and related matters and also allow complaints to be made about the conduct of governing bodies. The areas covered under the section include:

· The provision of the school’s curriculum, including Religious Education and Worship, the National Curriculum and National Curriculum Assessment application for exemption or temporary withdrawal from the National Curriculum;

· The provision of information to parents about the curriculum;

· Complaints about admissions to the school;

· Complaints about failure to assess a child’s special educational needs;

· The exclusion of children.

Governing bodies have the responsibility for ensuring that all the complaints from parents are considered fairly and that they are given a response within a reasonable timescale.

Most enquiries and concerns can be dealt with satisfactorily by your child’s class teacher or other nominated member of staff without the need to resort to a formal procedure. If the concern cannot be resolved in this way a meeting will be arranged with the Headteacher who will be in a position to investigate the issue. In all cases where the Headteacher is unable to resolve a complaint to your satisfaction, the matter should be referred to the governors of the school through the chair of governors.

In the unlikely event a formal complaint to the governing body has not been dealt with to your satisfaction or, should you wish to have further details on any of the above, please contact Kevin Amos, Bath & North East Somerset, Directorate Complaints Officer, tel: 01225 395202 for advice as the Council has the responsibility of ensuring that Governors have acted properly in the exercise of their function.

Finally you have the right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, under Sections 68 and 99 of the 1944 Education Act that the LEA has acted unreasonably. If you are unclear of your rights, who to contact or not satisfied with the way in which your complaint is being dealt with contact the Parent Liaison Officer, Maureen Glynn, Bath & North East Somerset, Tel: 01225 394307.

OfSTED

In July 2007, the school was inspected by OfSTED. Below is a summary of the report. If you would like the (slightly) longer version, please ask Nicki Moore in the school office.

‘ Cameley Primary School is an outstandingly good school. It evaluates its own effectiveness rigorously and sets itself high but achievable targets for improvement. The headteacher, staff and governors work in close co-operation to overcome any weaknesses and are consistently successful in doing so. As a result, the school has gone from strength to strength and is providing an outstanding quality of education for its pupils. Pupils’ personal development and well-being are exemplary. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is excellent because they benefit from numerous and well-planned opportunities for reflection and creativity, such as thought-provoking assemblies and arts weeks and musical events. Behaviour is exemplary and pupils are polite, well mannered and confident in their dealings with each other and with adults. They respond very well to the responsibilities given to them, such as membership of the school council, and they take these seriously. Pupils are very proud of the contribution that they make to the community and are keen to take part in plays, dance and musical productions and charity fundraising events. Pupils are very positive about their school. Not only is it clear in lessons that they very much enjoy their learning, but also in discussions during the inspection they were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about their school.

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding and, as a result, pupils make exceptionally good progress. Teaching is of a high standard throughout the school. A consistent strength are the excellent relationships between adults and pupils and the very good behaviour of pupils in lessons. Teaching in the majority of lessons is inspirational and uses a very wide range of teaching styles, strategies and resources to engender a very real enthusiasm for learning. Teachers have high expectations and, as a result, lessons have pace and pupils make excellent progress.

The leadership of the headteacher is exemplary. He has successfully developed a strong sense of teamwork and a shared enthusiasm which celebrates success but challenges staff to achieve even greater heights. As a result, morale is excellent and the school has gone from strength to strength in recent years. The headteacher is very ably supported by senior staff and, with the collaboration of other staff and governors, they are particularly effective at evaluating the school’s progress.’ A full copy of the report is available from the OfSTED website, or by contacting the school office.

The Friends of Cameley

The current office holders are:

· Lynn Daw & Rachael Lindsey (Joint-Chair)

· Juliette Sebright (Secretary)

· Doris Gentle (Treasurer)

The school has a thriving ‘Friends of Cameley’ who provide much valuable support for the school – both in terms of finance, as well as general support.

We stage a variety of events during the year that are both fund-raisers as well as social occasions. These range from Quiz Night, to Sponsored Obstacle Races, to Lollipop Sales and Cake Sales, to Film Nights and Halloween Nights. Each year in July the children in Key Stage 2 perform a musical show which is followed by the ‘Final Fling’ - an end of year family party with barbecue, games and fun activities.

The money that the Friends raise is spent on a variety of projects. Recently these have included the gazebo, books for the library and the classrooms, refurbishment of the ICT suite, prizes for school competitions, taking Key Stage 2 children to the theatre, improvements to school security, interactive whiteboards and much, much more!

Introduction