Prospectus 2012

							                  Holywell Primary School
                   Forge Lane, Upchurch
              Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7AE
         Tel: 01634 388416 Fax: 01634 363235
                www.holywell.kent.sch.uk
      Headteacher: Mrs A J Woolcombe BSc (HONS)
       email: headteacher@holywell.kent.sch.uk
        email: office@holywell.kent.sch.uk
        email: finance@holywell.kent.sch.uk




Holywell Primary School
    Prospectus 2012
             Welcome to Holywell Primary School
Educating pupils and making sure that they grow up to lead safe, happy, healthy and
successful lives is at the heart of Holywell Primary School’s agenda. We seek to achieve this
effectively by ensuring the wellbeing of all pupils in relation to the five key outcomes of
‘Every Child Matters’; that is, being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a
positive contribution, and achieving social and economic well-being.




                              Our School Vision
At Holywell Primary School we Recognise and Realise Aspirations.

We believe that to be an ASPIRATIONAL school our pupils need to develop the following:

Respect
Enterprise
Accomplishment
Learning
Individuality
Skills
Esteem

To achieve this we:

Promote RESPECT for ourselves, each other and the environment wherever we are.

Embrace ENTERPRISE, developing as a creative community, able to solve problems and
utilise new technologies in the changing world.

Value ACCOMPLISHMENT through challenge, resilience and high expectations, working
both as an individual and as a member of a team.

Ensure that successful LEARNING takes place in a creative, stimulating and personalised
environment where everyone feels safe and happy.

Celebrate INDIVIDUALITY, recognising talents, interests, diversity and original thought.

Strive to develop key SKILLS to enable success.

Enhance ESTEEM of self, through physical, spiritual, social and mental development.
                    Our Commitment to Learning
We will:
• ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to achieve their potential through the
delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum which allows them to develop every aspect of
their education
• make learning an enjoyable, stimulating and relevant experience
• help each pupil to develop confidence, imagination, independence and self-esteem by using
a range of teaching and learning methods, and giving access to varied experiences in order to
meet individual needs
• foster a caring and nurturing sense of community where everyone feels valued and has a
sense of personal worth
• promote a positive partnership with parents and the local community
• provide a safe, secure and well-ordered environment which enhances teaching and learning
• have high expectations and continually strive for quality and excellence in all aspects of
school life.

                                 Our Curriculum
Holywell Primary School continues to provide a broad and rich curriculum which includes:

Mathematics, English, Science, ICT, Geography, History, Art, DT, PSHE, Modern Foreign
Languages and RE.

We place strong emphasis on the use of ICT to enhance learning and teaching.

Our aims for teaching and learning are that all children will:

      develop a responsible and independent attitude towards their work and towards their
       role in society
      achieve their full potential in terms of academic progress, aesthetic appreciation and
       spiritual awareness
      be tolerant, sensitive and understanding showing respect for the rights, views and
       property of others.

Our curriculum has an emphasis on independent learning and first hand experience. All
children have individual and group targets in Maths, Writing and Reading and focus is given
to help children to track their own learning, moving towards achieving these targets.

Excellence is celebrated in display and performance. Each child is given the opportunity to
have work of a high standard displayed at some time during the school year. School events,
such as concerts, plays and sports days are seen as opportunities for all pupils to demonstrate
their abilities.
                         Partnership with Parents
The school continually strives to develop an excellent partnership with parents who receive
high quality information to help their children enjoy and achieve. This includes parent/carer
meetings three times a year, written reports, curriculum leaflets and workshops. Workshops
are provided on a termly basis and are based on requests from parents. We have a Parents’
Forum and we are striving to increasingly consult parents in a variety of ways through
questionnaires, surveys etc. Parents tell us that it makes them feel welcome and involved as
we have an ‘open door’ policy and very approachable staff.

There are a variety of opportunities for parents to become involved in our school family.
There are many events to support, from our sports day and picnics to events provided by our
Parents and Friends group (PFHS) such as the Summer and Christmas Fetes and school
discos. We invite parents into school to celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as well as
events such as ‘Breakfast with Santa’. Our Parents and Friends team is very dedicated and
will always welcome new members so please get in touch if you would like to join.

                                     Pupil Voice
The school council is a very effective vehicle for giving pupils a voice and engaging them in
the decision making processes.

School councillors are elected each October after completing manifestos and class elections.
Following whole school election, which is overseen by a returning officer, each class will be
represented on the council by two children. Meetings take place regularly and once elected,
the school council decides which charities it wishes to support over the year and plans
appropriate fund-raising events.

The school council representatives have a strong voice in the running of Holywell Primary
School and have participated in many important school events such as being part of the
interview panel for a new Headteacher.

One of the ways pupil voice has had a positive effect on our school is through the
introduction of ‘Project Smile’. Pupils expressed an interest in creating a photography club
and so, with help from a talented Teaching Assistant, the group was formed and taught how
to use cameras properly to great effect.

The Project Smile group has gone on to take photographs of the school environment and our
pupils for us to display around the school and to use in our vision statements that you will see
around the school and on our website. In fact, the images included in this prospectus were
taken by Project Smile.
                                     Behaviour
Behaviour is a particular strength at Holywell Primary School.

We manage this by creating and maintaining a secure learning environment where pupils can
learn free from physical or emotional threat. There are clear limits and children are
encouraged to discuss difficulties with each other, coming to an agreed consequence where
necessary. We encourage pupils to trust staff through treating pupils fairly and with respect
at all times and we have high expectations of pupils, providing positive feedback about their
efforts and achievements so they feel confident and happy about their progress.

When incidents do happen, we encourage pupils to act honestly and to make it clear that they
can talk through and resolve what has happened using the Restorative Approach with support
from a member of staff where necessary.

Our children are encouraged throughout their time at Holywell Primary School to discuss
their concerns, either individually with staff or as part of a group meeting. We have found
that this leads to children who are emotionally literate and more likely to discuss a problem
than respond with poor behaviour.
                      Frequently Asked Questions
What is the school’s Admissions Policy?
Holywell Primary School’s admission criteria is set by the Local Authority (Kent County
Council) and can be found in Appendix 1.

How is the school organised?
We have seven classes in our school. Each class is a distinct year group. The maximum
class size is 30 children for KS1 and KS2.

Each class has a Teaching Assistant in addition to the Class Teacher. In the Foundation
Stage and KS1 classes there are full time Teaching Assistants and in KS2 classes Teaching
Assistants work every morning to support with English and Maths. Teaching Assistants also
support children with small group work in the afternoons.

How is the school day organised?
8.40 am -      Doors will be opened and children can come into class
8.55 am –      Registration is taken and lessons begin
10.30 am –     Morning Playtime
10.45 am –     lessons continue
12.00 noon - Reception and KS1 children go to lunch, then out to play
12.15 pm -     KS2 lunch. Children are grouped into a rota for lunches. In this way, no one
               class is last all the time
1.10 pm -      Afternoon registration is taken and lessons begin
2.15 pm -      Afternoon playtime
3.30 pm -      End of school
Do you have an after school club?
We don’t have a club here at school but we have strong links to Nursery Days and Kids Days
in Upchurch. They have worked with us for many years, providing before school, after
school and holiday activities for children throughout our school.


Will my child receive any homework?
Homework is a very important part of a child’s education and can add much to a child’s
development. We recognise that the educational experience that any school itself can provide
is limited by the time and resources available. Children can therefore benefit greatly from the
complimentary learning that they do at home. We see homework as an important example of
co-operation between Teachers and Parents/Carers.
One of the aims of our teaching is for children to develop as independent learners and we
believe that doing homework is one of the ways in which children can acquire the skill of
independent learning.

Please see Appendix 2 at the end of this prospectus for the most up-to-date homework
schedule.

Are there any extra-curricular activities?
The school is committed to extended school provision and works closely with local providers
to ensure that provision for pupils is good. As a school at the heart of its community, we are
keen to ensure that the school’s resources are used effectively. We work closely with multi
agencies and are in the process of developing our family learning programmes. Our children
tell us that they enjoy the Dads and Children Adventure Weekend and the Residential
Outward Bound trip to places like Kingswood and PGL.

The extracurricular activities offered by the school include:

Eco-warriors, netball, football, art, ICT, choir, streetdance, recorders, Change4Life fitness
club, rugby, calligraphy, film club, bug club reading group, swimming, homework club and
mosaic club. Our clubs all aim to address the personalised learning agenda. The study
support programme includes booster classes in Maths and English.

We have a very talented and dedicated Music Teacher who works with children throughout
the school. Ofsted recognised music as a particular strength of the school during their visit in
February 2011 and this is evident in the school choir’s presence in local and national events
such as the Upchurch Music Festival and the Young Voices Choir at the O2 in London. All
children in Key Stage 2 have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, with Years 3 and
4 learning the recorder and Years 5 and 6 learning the clarinet. These children are also
encouraged to attend local musical celebrations such as recorder festivals and church events.

What should my child wear to school?
The school colours are royal blue and grey. Sweatshirts, cardigans, coats, polo shirts,
tracksuits, hats and caps have been designed with the school logo and may be purchased
through the school. Items with our school logo on are not essential and whilst most of these
items can be purchased from us at school, non-badged versions are also available readily
from many local stores.

Girls Uniform
Grey pinafore dress, skirt or trousers
White or light blue blouse or white or light blue polo shirt
Royal blue jumper, cardigan or sweatshirt
Brown or black sensible shoes - no high heels or trainers

Summer Uniform:
Royal or light blue striped or checked dress
White, dark blue or black sandals
Boys Uniform
Grey trousers
White or light blue shirt or white or light blue polo shirt
Royal blue jumper, cardigan or sweatshirt
Brown or black sensible shoes - no trainers

Summer Uniform:
Grey shorts or trousers
White or light blue polo shirt
Black or brown sandals

Each child must be provided with a pair of plimsolls, elastic or Velcro is preferred for the
younger ones. Children are required to have a pair of suitable navy or black shorts and either
a white or planet team coloured t-shirt, preferably light cotton.

All of the children in the school are allocated a planet team. The children collect ‘Planet
Points’ throughout the year for academic achievement and we use the planet colours to group
the children for their PE activities. The planet teams are:

Earth – green
Pluto – blue
Mercury – red
Neptune – Yellow

Do you have a website?
Yes! Our website is continuously updated with newsletters, diary dates and photos. Each
class has their own webpage and we have several interest areas for you to explore including
our parent forum, school policies and events reports and photos. There are some fun pages
for children as well as some class blogs and links to other websites in our community. Have
a look at www.holywell.kent.sch.uk.

How will my child be encouraged to be healthy at school?
Holywell Primary School is proud to be a healthy school. We achieved ‘Healthy School
Status’ in 2011 after working together on four key elements:
     Personal, Social and Health Education
     Healthy Eating
     Physical Activity and
     Emotional Health and Wellbeing

We are committed to maintaining our status and are always looking for new ways to improve
our school.

We work closely with the catering company that supplies our school dinners and these are
cooked fresh on site and monitored by Kent County Council to ensure that they comply with
current food standards. Due to the severity of allergies of some children in our school,
Holywell Primary School is a NUT FREE SCHOOL. If you would like some suggestions for
healthy packed lunches, please visit our school website at www.holywell.kent.sch.uk and find
our Healthy Schools area in ‘About our School’.
All children take part in physical exercise as part of our PE program for two hours per week.
This includes athletics, games, gymnastics and dance activities. There is ample opportunity
for daily independent activity at playtimes and lunchtimes and these activities are supervised
by staff on the field and playgrounds, depending on the weather.

What are school governors?
School governors are volunteers who have responsibility for raising standards by acting as a
critical friend of the school. We have 17 governors on our governing body who work
together in teams to ensure that we are the best school we can be. Governors often visit the
school to work with individual classes, as well as visiting every class to find out about their
learning. Governors also join in with many of our celebrations at school and present a
Governors Award to two children from each class every term. If you would like to contact a
governor or find out about becoming one, you can email the team at
governors@holywell.kent.sch.uk.

What is the best way to contact the school?
You can telephone the school and speak to someone in the office or leave a message on
01634 388416. You may wish to pass a message on to your child’s teacher and this can be
done by letter and given to your child or to the adult on duty at the gate to pass on.

If you prefer, you can email the office at office@holywell.kent.sch.uk for non-urgent
information and advice.          To contact the headteacher, you can email
headteacher@holywell.kent.sch.uk or telephone the office to make an appointment.

If you have an issue or complaint that you would like to discuss with the Governing Body,
you can contact them via email at governors@holywell.kent.sch.uk or by putting your
comments/complaints into a letter and addressing it to:

  Chair of Governors, Holywell Primary School, Forge Lane, Upchurch, Kent, ME9 7AE.

There is also an email link on the school website at www.holywell.kent.sch.uk .
                                     Appendix 1
Admissions Policy
As a Community School, Holywell Primary School’s admission criteria is set by the Local
Authority (Kent County Council). It includes:

Children in Local Authority Care : Children in public care, sometimes called looked after
children, for whom a Local Authority provides a home by agreement with their parents, or
who are the subject of a Care Order under Part IV of the Children Act 1989. This does not
include children who are looked after in an agreed series of short-term placements, such as
respite care. It does include (from 01.02.12) those children adopted from care (previously
looked after children). These are children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because
they were adopted (under the terms of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, section 46) or
became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order (under the terms of the
Children Act 1989, section 8 and section 14A).

Current Family Association: This means that the child who wants a place has a brother or
sister already at the school, who will still be there when they start. The family should still
live at the same address as when the brother or sister (sibling) was admitted, or – if they have
moved – they should be no more than 2 miles from the school or if they are more than 2 miles
from the School, they should live nearer to the school than when the sibling was admitted to
the school.

Health and Special Access Reasons: Medical, health, social and special access reasons will
be applied in accordance with the school’s legal obligations, in particular those under the
Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical
impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular
school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents’/guardians’ physical or
mental health or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to
attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a
suitably qualified medical or other practitioner.

Nearness of Children’s Homes: Once the other criteria has been looked at, if a school is
oversubscribed, the children who live closest are usually offered places before those who live
further away. Nearness of children’s homes to school – we use the distance between the
child’s permanent home address and the school, measured in a straight line using Ordnance
Survey address point data. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody.

The following are NOT taken into account:

       Academic selection or a willingness (or otherwise) to sign a home-school agreement
       How long a child’s name has been registered at the school
       Whether the child attends a nearby nursery or playgroup
                                    Appendix 2
Homework schedule per year group
Reception Year (Mayflower Class)
Reception will complete a learning log every three weeks, which supports the learning taking
place in the classroom. In addition to this, they will have regular reading and phonic
activities to support the learning in class.

Year 1 (Richmond Class)
Year 1 will complete a learning log every three weeks. In addition, they will have regular
phonics activities, reading and occasional topical homework eg: maths activities, science or
topic to support the learning in class.

Year 2 (Viking Class)
Year 2 will complete a learning log and/or challenge homework every three weeks, allowing
children to tackle this gradually. This is in addition to their daily reading challenge, times
table practice and phonics activities.

Year 3 (Oak Class)
Year 3 will complete a learning log and/or challenge homework every three weeks, allowing
children to tackle this gradually. This is in addition to their daily reading, weekly number
bonds/tables practice and phonics activities.

Year 4 (Cambria Class)
Year 4 will complete a learning log and/or challenge homework every three weeks, allowing
children to tackle this gradually. This is in addition to their daily reading, weekly times
tables practice and weekly phonics activities.

Year 5 (Pioneer Class)
Year 5 will complete a learning log and/or challenge homework every three weeks, allowing
children to tackle this gradually. This is in addition to their daily reading challenge, times
table practice and phonics activities.

Year 6 (Challenger Class)
Year 6 will complete a learning log and/or challenge homework every three weeks, allowing
children to tackle this gradually. This is in addition to their daily reading challenge, times
table practice and phonics activities.
Appendix 3
   Data
    What people say about Holywell Primary School
‘Pastoral care is strength of the school. Pupils have the fullest confidence that staff will listen
and respond to any concerns they may have which contributes strongly to the outstanding
degree to which pupils report that they feel safe. Excellent links with outside specialists, good
engagement with parents and carers, and very well organised and managed support within
school, ensure that the specific needs of pupils, including those who have emotional, social
and behavioural difficulties, are very well met. Transition arrangements for pupils within
school between Reception and Year 1, and when moving on to secondary school, are
excellent. Well-developed school systems contribute strongly to pupils' high levels of
attendance.’
                                                                        (Ofsted, February 2011)

“I like that we have an Eco-Club because we do not want to have a dirty environment.”
                                                                              (Owen, Pupil)

“This has always been a School with high aspirations for learning achievement, but with
recent interventions there is now a more focused and developed route to this achievement. It
also aspires to maintain a happy environment in which to learn.”
                                                       (Andrew Price, Governor and Parent)


“I like that we can have our own imagination and express how we feel.”
                                                                                (Georgina, Pupil)

“Holywell Primary School inspires the children to achieve their absolute best, with a careful
blend of skilled teaching, listening and caring.”
                                                             (Reverend Jacky Davis, Vicar)

“I love coming to school. I can learn new things and I always feel safe.”
                                                                                   (Shona, Pupil)


“I like having special guests at school because they always have something interesting to
say.”
                                                                          (Harry, Pupil)

“Children get off to a good start in Reception, where the learning environment, both indoors
and out, is excellent.”
                                                                     (Ofsted, February 2011)

“What I love about school is learning new things all the time. I love going swimming and on
school trips and I even like my homework!”
                                                                             (Freddie, Pupil)

“Holywell is a fantastic school, recently undergone a refurbishment thereby giving excellent
facilities and an excellent learning environment for our children and staff. It has strong
support from the Parents & Friends organisation. The Governors work with the Headteacher,
the Senior Leadership Team and staff to maintain the high level that is expected by the
parents”
                                                          (Ray Kemsley, Chair of Governors)