Yetminster

BrochureHearts and minds working as one

2015/2016

Transition to Acorn Class

Article 28: All children have the right to a primary education.

2015/2016

SchoolSt Andrew’s Church of England Primary

Transition to Acorn Class

It is with greatpleasure that I am writingthis introduction to our

Our goalis to make learning funand to create a safe andnurturing environment,where

and starts thejourney to reaching theirfull potential. As a“Rights Respecting” schoolwe create a calm andharmonious community,with every child takingresponsibility andrespecting the rights ofothers. We aim to ensure allchildren will enhance anddevelop their naturaltalents to the best oftheir abilities in the mostcreative and enjoyableway possible. We alsoencourage you to support

your child in their learningat home so together wecan maximize theirsuccess. As Chair of Governors, Iam immensely proud to beinvolved with this school,and believe that we areincredibly lucky for ourtwo boys to havebenefited from aneducation at St Andrew’s.I can’t emphasise enoughthat St Andrews hasconsistently had some ofthe very top results inDorset at Year 6 overrecent years, and instilspupils with a morality,confidence and self-assurance for the nextstage in their lives that Ihave seen in my eldest sonand many others as theymove successfully up tothe Gryphon School. Thisis down to the

commitment anddedication of all the staffat the school, as well asthe lovely communityatmosphere which is aidedby the school’s opennessand the respect and goodbehaviour this demands. I would particularlydraw your attention tothe

which hasbeen recognised as astrength for many yearswith its dedicatedteachers and assistants,and close links with localpre-school and nurserysettings easing thetransition into school life.

St Andrew’s CE Primary School

2015/2016

Why choose our school? Settling your child into school and

watching their self confidence and selfesteem grow, will be a high priority forevery parent.

Our aim in the vitalearly years of educationis to build on the pre-school experiences andthrough encouragementof creativity, imaginationand problem saving , lay afirm foundation foracademic, artistic and sportingsuccess.

Our school serves a large number ofvillages and has a very strong"community" ethos. It has a bright and welcomingatmosphere and provides a range ofexcellent facilities tosupport the education ofyour child. Our staff are dedicatedand highly trained,promoting the highestpersonal and academicstandards and ourexpectations for yourchildren are always high. We will care for, supportand cherish all in a trulyinclusive educational

environment underpinned by ourChristian foundation.

As your child moves through ourschool, they will learn toplay a proactive role in theirown development.We will expect them to beresponsible, resourceful andresilient young people;individuals who canquestion confidently andbegin to share in the

direction of their own learning. Thedevelopment of study skills will be thevital prerequisite for lifelong learningand adulthood.

Article 3: The best interests of children must be the primaryconcern in making decisions that may affect them. All adultsshould do what is best for children.

Responsible,Resourceful,Resilient

Parent/Carer Questionnaire 2015

Transition to Acorn Class

Parent/Carer Questionnaire 2015

As we keep these things inbalance, every child will learn what

it is to become a fully uniqueperson in relationship with others,valuing themselves and thecommunity to which they belong.

We engender:

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Our Commitment to you and your familyAt St Andrew’s CE Primary School we will ensure that:

2015/2016Hearts and minds working as one

St Andrew's CE Primary is proudto be a Rights' Respecting School.What does this mean?

Our school is one of manyschools linked to the work ofUNICEF, a major children's charity.We believe that respecting therights of both children and adultsin our school family, makes our

school a happier place, where children can thrive.We also work together to learn about and

respect children's rights both locally and globally.We have Rights Respecters from every class,including Acorn, who meet weekly to discuss howto make our school even better. Children and staffwork together to make positive changes to ourschool.

UNCRC stands for the United NationsConvention on the Rights of the Child. It's a list ofrights that all children, everywhere in the world,have. The rights on the list are all the things thatchildren and young people need to make sure theyare healthy, happy and safe. There are 54 articleson the list, and 42 of these are rights for children(the others are about how adults and governmentsshould work together to make sure all children getall their rights). You will notice some dotted aroundthis brochure. We have the Level 1 Rights Respecting SchoolsAward (RRSA) which recognises achievement inputting the UNCRC at the heart of a school'splanning, policies, practice and ethos. We arecurrently working towards our Level 2. A rights-respecting school not only teaches aboutchildren's rights but also models rights andrespect in all its relationships: between teachers /adults and pupils, between adults and betweenpupils.Our Mission Statement reflects the following article:

Every Child Matters

Article 12: When adults are making decisions that affect children, children have theright to say what they think should happen and have their opinions taken intoaccount.

Thinking of OthersWe regularly support

charities and pride ourselveson the work we do on behalf ofmany support agenciesincluding NCH Action forChildren, UNICEF, ComicRelief, Jeans for Jeans Day andcarol singing for Shelter.Through this work we activelyencourage the children’s senseof responsibility to our schooland the wider community.

This year the children havevoted to support the charitySCHOOL IN A BAG. Accordingto UNICEF figures, 20% of theworld’s child population(75,000,000 children) will neverattend school.

This charity is run by the PiersSimon Appeal (PSA) and is asimple solution created to helppoor, orphan, vulnerable anddisaster affected childrenthroughout the world. EachSchoolBag is filled withstationery, learning resourcesand eating utensils that willenable a child to write, draw,colour, calculate, expressthemselves and above all learn.An education for these childrencould be their passport to a lifeout of hardship and poverty.

Transition to Acorn Class

Our Wonderful FacilitiesWe are lucky to havesuperb facilities toenhance the children’slearning. We have:● Seven classrooms for

class and teamteaching withinteractivewhiteboards

● Role play areas inEarly Years, KS1 andlower KS2

● Our Early years havefree-flow activitesbetween their insideand outsideclassrooms

● Two well equippedICT suites with theaddition of roaminglaptops, audio andvideo equipment

● A well stocked library

● Dining Room for HotSchool Meals andlunchtimes

● A Kitchen for lunchand teaching use

● A music room forclass and peripateticlearning

● A large communityhall for PE andperforming and foruse by outsidegroups

● Hard standingplayground and largefield for sports andplay

● Swimming pool

● Growing Area

● Iron Age Hut andchickens

“The school has a veryfriendly feel to it and my

children are alwayshappy upon coming toschool and when they

come home”Parent/Carer Questionnaire

2015

Child ProtectionThe Governors of St Andrew’s CE

Primary School take very seriouslytheir responsibility to promote thesafeguarding and welfare of allchildren entrusted to our care.

The Designated Child ProtectionLeader (DCL) is the Head teacher,Jane Prelogauskas, and DeputyFiona Payne. As part of the ethos of the school,and with regard to the Every ChildMatters Children’s Act 2004, we arecommitted to:● Providing and environment in

which children feel safe, secure,valued and respected, confidentto talk openly and sure of beinglistened to.

● Providing suitable support andguidance so that children feelconfident to approach appropriateadults.

● Using the Curriculum to provideopportunities for increasing self

● awareness, self esteem,assertiveness and decisionmaking.

● Working with parents to ensurethe welfare of all children whichmay involve other agencies.

● Ensuring all staff is able torecognise the signs and symptomsof abuse and is aware of theschool’s procedures and lines ofcommunication.

2015/2016

A Pupil’s Perspective St. Andrews PrimarySchool, Yetminster, is agreat place to come and itis in the country side. Every one is friendlyyou can do fantasticthings that are so muchfun. You can make friendsas soon as you come andthere is nothing to beafraid of. I joined here in year 1and I have enjoyed everysecond of it. You can alsohave hot school meals, allthe deserts are lovely andmost of the mains are alsolovely.

If you can't come toschool in the car you cango on the bus or if you livein Yetminster you can goon the walking bus where ateacher comes and walkswith you to school. Every one in this schoolis always happy andexcited to come to schooleveryday. I would hate toleave here I would crymost likely.

Damaris

Article 31: Children have the right to relax and play, and to join ina wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities.

An Acrostic poem by Ethan

Home School AgreementParent’s are given an opportunity to

read and discuss the HOME SCHOOLAGREEMENT on admission to school andyearly after that. We ask you to sign theagreement to show your support for yourchild’s learning and education.

Transition to Acorn Class

Meet our StaffAnd Governors

Adam Gough

2015/2016

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Parent/Carer Questionnaire 2015

Transition to Acorn Class

Our School Day

-Early Arrivers' Clubstarts

- Arrival atschool by bus, car orwalking

-Your children will becollected by classteachers. We are ahealthy school andour day begins with"

followedby registration

- Lessonscommence

- We havea daily collectiveworship.

- Childrenbring in fruit eachday (theGovernment providefruit for infants)which is eaten justbefore

- Break.We have amagnificent playtrail which is usedenthusiasticallyduring play-times, alarge field forsummer play and ahard playground forwet days, a quietarea for quiet play

with playgroundbuddies helpingduring wet play.

- lessonsbegin again

- lunch.There are clubsduring the lunchtime to furtherenrich your child'sday and children areencouraged to bringin a healthy packedlunch.

- Lessonscarry on until...

- Hometime. Children fromoutlying villages aretaken home by busor taxi.

We have aclose liaison withLower Covey, aMontessori nurseryin Yetminster whichtake some childrenfrom school for theirafter schoolsessions.

- Walkersare collected fromschool after thebuses have gone.After school clubsstart and whichusually finish atabout .

PLEASE NOTEThe school office is open

from 8.30am to 3.30pm.To ease traffic congestion weask that children arrive atschool between 8.30am(unless they are at BreakfastClub) and 8.45am and behanded over to the staff onduty. If it is wet the childrenwill be allowed into theclassrooms. Morning registerswill be taken at 8.55am. Anychild arriving after 9am willbe marked as late.THE SCHOOL GATES WILLBE CLOSED BETWEEN 9amand 3pm.If your child is not on the busplease pick them uppromptly and preferably onfoot in order to keep trafficcongestion to a minimum.

2015/2016Travel detailsFree transport may be provided ifchildren live in the outlying villages inour catchment area. This does notapply in cases where parents haverequested that their children attend aschool outside their designated area.Application of travel to and from schoolvia bus should be made on theappropriate form, which is obtainablefrom the school. If it is necessary tochange the arrangements for yourchild’s journey please ensure that theteacher/office is informed of this byletter on the day concerned.Attendance

Please contact the school as soonas possible if your child is unwell. Thereis somebody on the premises from8.15am each morning. And you canleave a message on our answer phoneat anytime 01935 872430

The school operates a first dayresponse policy and therefore if we donot hear from you by 9.30am a member

of staff will contact home to ask thereason why your child isn’t at school.

If you wish to take your child out ofschool for any other reason, you willneed to seek authorisation from theHeadteacher who will only authoriseabsence during term time forexceptional circumstances. A form isavailable for the purpose from theschool office and authorisation can notbe given after the event.Please see ATTENDANCE LEAFLETEmergency contact

The School Office keeps a record ofall Parents’ telephone numbers andother useful information for use whenyour child is ill or has an accident atschool. It is essential that you keep usfully informed of any changes to thisinformation, especially any changes tomobile phone numbers for either yourself or your chosen emergencycontacts. In the case of an emergencywe need to be able to contact youquickly. Failing that we will act in yourplace as "responsible parents".

Pastoral careIf a problem arises at home which may affect

the daily routine of your child, parents areencouraged to discuss the matter with the classteacher or relevant member of staff. Similarly ateacher may wish to discuss a problemin school with the parents.There are Parent & Carer meetings during theterm for parents to meet the class teacher toview their children’s work and discuss theprogress being made. Parental attendance isessential and highly valued.

Parents are encouraged to visit the school atany time that is mutually convenient to discussany aspect of their child’s development.Your child’s safety is our number one priority.

Transition to Acorn Class

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UNIFORM

2015/2016School LunchesAt lunchtime parents have two choicesfor your child:● have a hot school lunch● bring in a packed lunchAt lunchtime, all children will besupervised by the midday supervisoryassistants.We have an onsite kitchen and mid- daymeals of excellent quality are preparedby Thornford School Meals Club. Hotschools meals need to be ordered amonth in advance through Parent Pay.You can find the dates either on tourSchool Calendar on our website or on theThornford School website Menu sheetsare available online . Hot school dinnersare currently £2.50 a day. All infants areentitled to free school meals. If you are inreceipt of pupil premium you will beentitled to free school meals (see below).**

Packed lunches should be sent in asmall separate bag/lunch box. Thecontents of your child’s sandwich box areleft for parent’s to decide although weask you to respect our healthy eatingagenda. We kindly request that childrendo not have sweets or fizzy drinks. Alluneaten food will be returned home atthe end of the day so that you have aclear picture of what your child is eating.Please do not send in nuts as we havechildren with allergies therefore we

are a nut freezone!

We are verylucky to havelocal businessessponsoring ourlunch delivery,thank you:

●Autotech

●Buccaneer Motors

●Bailey Ridge Plants

Break time SnackAll infants are offered free fruit or

vegetables. KS2 children should bring in ahealthy snack.Milk

Children up to their fifth birthday areentitled to milk free of charge.Children over the age of five years areable to apply for a carton of milk todrink during the mid-morning break.Applications for milk need to be made online to Cool Milk and details on how toapply are available from the schooloffice.Water

We encourage every child to bring in adrinks bottle containing fresh water everyday. They also have access to drinkingfountains and are able to drink waterthroughout the day. Dehydration hasbeen proven to negatively affectchildren’s ability to learn.

**Pupil premiumTo apply for Pupil

Premium simply telephoneDorset County Council on01305 221000 or applyonline.

You will need to provideyour name, NationalInsurance number and yourchild’s name and you will betold instantly if you areeligible and what to do next.

Transition to Acorn Class

Bird’s Eye View of Our School

Our swimming pool

OurQuiet Area

Our Pirate Ship and Play trail

Our playground

2015/2016 Settling yourchild in schooland watching self-confidence andself-esteemdevelop, will be ahigh priority forevery parent. Our aim in thevital early years ofeducation is tobuild on the pre-school experiencesand, through theencouragement ofcreativity,imagination andproblem solving,lay a firmfoundation foracademic, artisticand sportingsuccess.

Bird’s Eye View of Our School

Our RoundHouse

OurConservation Area

Our school including:Computer Suite, library& music room

OurPlayingfield

Transition to Acorn Class

Our staff are continuallyworking towards thehighest standards ofteaching and learning. Wecreate a stimulatinglearning environmentenhanced by the creativeuse of ICT within lessons.

Every child's work isplanned to inspire interestand curiosity and enhancetheir response to theirteaching and learning. Wetake great pride indisplaying their work in animaginative way which alsoincreases self esteem. Wealso have "Working Walls" withineach classroom where ongoinghelp is posted for the children torefer to in English and Maths. Inaddition to these each class has aLearning Objective and Top Tipsboards which help the children stay

focused on the learning objectivefor each lesson.

The outcome of thisphilosophy is every child becomesan effective learner, acquiring keyskills and knowledge and becomingself motivated and directed.

Teaching and Learning

Every Friday, we have our own “in School”Celebration of Achievements where thechildren share, with the rest of the school, theawards that have been gained that week.

Once a term one year group has ashowcase of their term's work and parents areinvited to share in our celebration of theirachievements. Our children gain confidenceand self esteem by sharing their talents withthe rest of the school, parents and teachers.

Our reward system includes merits as areward for good work, Dojos for class rewardsand Headteacher Awards for excellence in

Celebration of Achievements

2015/2016

In Pre-School and ourReception Class every childlearns through structured,exploratory play, having theopportunity to experience arange of stimulating and excitinglearning experiences. From Year 1 our children followthe subjects of the NationalCurriculum.

Due emphasis is placed on English,Maths, Science, RE and ICT in thecontext of a broad, balanced andexciting curriculum. We take a creativeapproach to our curriculum and ensure

the learning is purposeful and relevantto children’s lives.

We have termly topics throughwhich we weave all the NC subjectswith a WOW day at the beginning andoften a sharing day at the end. We aimto offer a stimulating, broad andbalanced scheme of learning focusingon interesting and challenging topicsand involving a variety of teachingstyles and classroom groupings. Thisallows us to monitor every child'sprogress and development carefully tobe able to match future work to theneeds of the individual.

Our Creative Curriculum

Learning at homeWe encourage you to take part

in and support your child’s learningparticularly through home learning.This should be an enjoyable sharedexperience rather than a chore.Children will be given activities tosupport their English and Mathsdevelopments dependant on theirage and ability.

Regular reading is vital andthere is a continued expectationthat every child will be read to, orlistened to, for at least 10 minutesevery day.

School ImprovementEFFECTIVENESS OFLEADERSHIP ANDMANAGEMENT PRIORITY 1:All leaders to develop aclear knowledge and focuson the attainment andprogress made by all pupils.PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTBEHAVIOUR AND WELFAREPRIORITY 2:To develop pupilunderstanding of the valueof education throughimproving attendance,Religious Education and theRights Respecting Agenda.

OUTCOMES FOR CHILDRENAND LEARNERS PRIORITY3:To improve attainmentoutcomes for all pupilgroups in KS1 andKS2 across the school with aclear focus on progress incore subjects.QUALITY OF TEACHINGLEARNING ANDASSESSMENT PRIORITY 4:Improve all teaching to atleast consistently good andprovidehigh levels of challenge forall abilities, including moreable pupils.

Transition to Acorn Class

Striving for Excellence Youngest & Oldest

“Friendly atmosphere and theinteraction between children of

different years - the older childrenseem happy to mix and play with the

younger ones. “Parent/Carer Questionnaire 2015

2015/2016

Special days

We are a Eco School We have a very committed Eco-council; this gives our children thechance to discuss ways to makeour school kinder to our planet.

We have termly Eco Days where we plants treesand plants, tidy up the school grounds and generallyhave outdoor fun. We also now have a pair of chickens

which we look after andall our vegetable and fruitfood waste is recycled tomake compost. We have beenrewarded for all our Ecohard work by being giventhe Silver Eco Award.

Each term we focus on a differenttopic and to experience it to its fullest,we have special days and even weeks.In recent years we have had scienceweek where we looked at funinvestigations, a visiting observatoryand investigating flight workshops. Inthe Arts field we have had Arts weekswith local artists invited in to share theirexpertise. During the Olympic year wehad visiting athletes encouraging us tobe “ .”.

In addition we have had Victorian,Tudor, Roman and Egyptian Days aswell as regular Eco Days, FriendshipDays and Maths in Technology Days. Itgives the children time to reallyimmerse themselves in the topic andcreate memories of their time in ourprimary school.

Transition to Acorn Class

Assessment for Learning

You are invited to discussyour child’s progress and

attitude tolearning withtheir classteacherduring Parentand CarerConsultationswhich occurearly on in thefirst term andduring theSpring Term.

A formalreport is writtenfor each child

and shared with you andyour child during the lasthalf of the Summer Term.Children take part inNational Tests in Year 2and Year 6. The nationalphonics test will takeplace in Year 1. In everyother year group optionaltests are used to informongoing teacherassessment.

“I feel St Andrews is acaring communitywhich nurtures ourchildren. if I have aproblem I am happydiscussing it withteachers and they

always seem happy tolisten!”

If there are issues youneed to discuss relating toyour child’s progressplease do not wait for aformal interview; teachersare nearly alwaysavailable at the beginningand end of the school day.

2015/2016

Article 13: Children have the right to get and share information.

At all stages and ages we will helpthe children to:●Communicate well both orally and inwritten form with others●Enjoy reading for pleasure andinformation●Enjoy learning maths and know thatit enriches their everyday life●Appreciate and develop skills increative arts and music●Enjoy and become skilled inrecreational activities such as sportand drama

●Develop skills in Computing whichwill help them in their learning andtheir future lives●Become curious about theirimmediate and wider environmentand understand their responsibility toand for it●Increase their scientific knowledge,understanding and curiosity●Learn that courtesy, good mannersand consideration for others are veryimportant qualities●Realise the importance of an activeand healthy life-style

How we can help your child to learn?

Additional Education NeedsAll children are valued, respected

and welcomed to the school whatevertheir additional educational need. Wewill support their learning and ensurethey are fully included in all schoolactivities, making full use of externallyprovided facilities where appropriate.Special NeedsWe are well equipped to meet theneeds of all children who come toSt Andrew’s. We identify children withadditional needs at an early stage andhave an experienced SpecialEducational Needs Co-ordinator (AlexHalseywho is skilled at providing extrasupport for those who need it.

Alex and the class teacher will worktogether to create a Support Plan thatmay be required to meet the needs ofspecific children. You will have theopportunity to meet with Alex andyour child’s class teacher regularly todiscuss their progress.

We also work closely with outsideagencies and professionals who canoffer advice and support such as:

Educational Psychologists Service,Speech Therapists, EducationalWelfare Service, Hearing ImpairedService, Family Centre and SocialServices.

A copy of the Special Needs Policyis available from the school office andon our school website.Gifted, Able and Talented

Our school will have, at any time, anumber of able, talented or giftedpupils. We recognise academic andpractical performance as well asthose who show outstanding artistic,musical and creative talent, physicalskills, leadership qualities and theability to process ideas andinformation. We endeavour to providerelevant challenge for all pupilsregardless of their ability.Emotional Literacy Support

We also have an ELSA team withinschool to support the emotionalneeds of their pupils from within theirown resources. It recognises thatchildren learn better and are happierin school if their emotional needs arealso addressed.

Transition to Acorn Class

Our children areextremely talented inthe field of the Arts, andwe even have had theGold Arts Mark to showfor it, You can see aplethora of ourcreations adorning ourwalls and on our

website. Some of our greatest successes havebeen in our school productions which are amélange of singing, music and acting; over theyears we have performed the rainforestmusical, Pirates of the Curry Bean, Year 6’s

notwithstanding our many Christmas plays.We firmly believe that performance

opportunities of this type are an integral part ofour children's education and allow them toblossom as well rounded individuals.

Putting the ARTS inSt Andrew's

St Andrew's where Frenchhas been taught for the last22 years. As part of the newNational Curriculum we nowteach from Year 3 upwards.Our children are given thethe opportunity to learnabout France and Frenchcustoms, read and writeFrench as well as speak itthrough stories, role play,songs and other activities.All the children across thewhole ability range areencouraged to join in and toenjoy taking part in order forthem to develop enthusiasmas well as joy in learning aforeign language - it certainlyboosts our children’sconfidence in languages.

Parlez-vous français?

2015/2016

Music and Sport for AllSporting Success

Throughout our children’s

schooling, opportunities areavailable to develop skills in PE.

We have been lucky thisyear  to have received theSports Premium Funding andthis has enabled us to have anexcellent year, full of sportingopportunities for all thechildren of St Andrew’s. One of the best ways wehave spent the funding thisyear, has been to pay for, orsubsidise, extra- curricularclubs and activities during theschool holidays. It has beenwonderful to see so manychildren taking part andengaging in sport withfinances not being a barrier. We had an exciting'disability' sports week, wherewe had a taste of different

adapted sports. It was greatto give the children new

challenges and usecompletely new sets ofskills and of course to seehow talented these sportsmen and women are! Our PE storage systemhas been completelyrefreshed and we have lotsof resources available toour class teachers to teachexciting lessons includingswimming. Our playtimeequipment has been

rejuvenated with lots for thechildren to choose from. Skilled specialists havetaught classes at St. Andrews:gymnastics, multi-skills andswimming throughout theyear, in a sequence of lessonsthat both staff and childrenfound really valuable (and lotsof fun). We have just had tennissessions and a new cricketclub has also just started. Ourchildren are so lucky to beable to take advantage of thisSport Funding which reallyenhances their health, fitnessand, notwithstanding, givesthem great enjoyment.

Our children have showngreat sporting prowess overthe years with successfulnetball, football, tag rugby androunders teams. A healthybody helps secure a healthymind ready for learning and thechallenges ahead.

Music in St Andrew’sWe are justly proud of our music within our school. We haveour own choir and bell ringers who perform regularly in ourChurch and in concerts. We also welcome peripatetic musicteachers who teach piano, guitar, violin and mandolin.We also have Music for All, a Dorset led initiative whichloans out and teaches instruments. We have one class alllearning the clarinet and in the past they have taught thechildren to play brass instruments and djembe drums.

Kick boxing

Gymnastics

Curling

Boccia

Paralympic basketball

Transition to Acorn Class

Our faith is veryimportant to usand ourspirituality stemsfrom thebedrock of thefoundation ofthis school as aChurch ofEngland school.Our school andthe churches ofYetminster andLeigh havetaken theirnames from St

Andrew (also the patron saint of Scotland)who was a Galilean fisherman before heand his brother Simon Peter becamedisciples of Jesus Christ and “fisher ofmen”; the fish on our logo is a reflection ofthis.

We are very blessed by having an of people who share in our

worship; Reverend Simon Brignall, ourschool  vicar,  leads a weekly collectiveworship sharing stories about Jesus andhis life. He also leads termly services in ourMother Church, St Andrew’s., Yetminster.

We also have a possé of localcommunity folk who come in for Open theBook assemblies, a chance for ourchildren to see and experience the storiesof the bible in a  “dramatic” fashion. Thisdirectly involves groups of our childrenwho can participate in the stories, reallybringing them to life and accessible to all.The latest Open the Book was held inMarch and was the story of the "TheHidden Baby" - Moses in the Bulrushes,and was enjoyed by everyone.

Daniel England, a Youth pastor with VineYouth Ministry produces monthlyenergetic assemblies with lots of singing,dancing and stories; what a splendid wayto share your faith.

After school we also have ourWednesday Club which is aninterdominational Christian club sharing

Jesus’ teachings that has been runningsince 1987.

Other visitors include Messy Churchwhich the children love and the clue is inthe name – messy – arts and crafts withfaith and fun. The values are about beingChrist-centred, for all ages, based oncreativity, hospitality and celebration. Theyvisit the school at regularly throughoutthe year.

Together with Philippa and Eddie fromFolk South West and our communitystitchers. We have created banners whichglow brightly in our hall; each representsan import part of the Christian faith:Creation, Easter, Harvest and Advent. arethe highlight in the process of creating ourlast banner, Easter, fourth in a series, theprevious ones you have no doubt noticedand enjoyed adorning the wall of our Hall– Advent, Creation and Harvest – thebrainchild of Thank you to all who sharetheir faith, we greatly appreciate it and itstrengthens ours. If anyone in thecommunity would like to get involved inour worship such as with Open the Bookor Wednesday Club please contact RevdSimon Brignall 872237 or Anne Reason on01935 873726.

All of this reinforces our Christian ethosand acknowledges the value anduniqueness of all of our children, teachingthem the importance of lov, respect andforgiveness and encouraging their mental,physical and spiritual development.

Our Church Foundation

2015/2016

A Parent Governor’s Perspective

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We are very lucky tohave a very strong anddedicated PTFA who havethe very important role ofraising additional funds,separate from the schoolbudget which can be usedto supply the school withsome of the "extras" whichwould be otherwiseunavailable. Recent fund raising hasenabled our super newPlaytrail to be constructedand Quiet area to beupgraded which hasgreatly enhanced ouroutdoor environment.Funds have also been usedto buy a modular stagingand PA system whichsupports our buddingthespians, new outdoorsound system to increaseour enjoyment of our" ". Inaddition to this the PTFA

help fund the creativitywith school, support schoolvisits such as the mostrecent one to see theMagna Carta in SalisburyCathedral on its 800th

anniversary as well asbringing local pantogroups into the school.We also have a groupwithin the PTFA who helpthe smooth running of ourswimming pool byorganising the very popularannual Yetminster Fun Run The activities of the PTFA,whilst mainly aimed atfund-raising and schoolsupport, do provide avaluable opportunity forthe whole school to gettogether on an informalbasis at such events thatthey organise like theSummer and ChristmasFairs. Extra help is alwayswelcome, whether it is insupporting events or as amember of the committee.Do please join us in thisimportant role of raisingfunds for our school;contact us in the office ifyou want to be involved inyour school.

Parent Teacher &Friends Association

Join ourClubs

At lunchtimes we have ourChoir and

2015/2016

Children in upper Key Stage 2 have the opportunity to spread their wings andgo away on an adventure for a few days. Year 4/5 spend a few days at LeesonHouse Field Study Centre near Swanage. The children enjoy excellent activitiessuch as landscape studies, land use investigations, geology, seashore life, towntrails, coastline erosion and deposition. The children get so much out of their timethere in more ways than you can imagine - they literally "grow" as young people.

On there return to school they use all theirknowledge gained in the classroom, writingstories and creative artwork. Year 6 have a big adventure at PGL inOsmington after their SATs, having fun doing lotsof different outdoor activities; these includesailing, canoeing, rock climbing, raft building,orienteering and team building. All the activitiesare so important in increasing self esteem andbonding between the children; added to whichthey really love it too!

Outdoor Education

During our Visit toLeeson House“When

Transition to Acorn Class

My first day at schoolMy first day was absolutelyterrifying. I walked in through thedoor to the Reception Class and wasgreeted by a loving warm smile thatbeamed towards me from the classteacher’s face and she then said“Hello, you must be Tess, I’m MrsPayne”I didn’t answer as I was tooscared. Just then I felt a tap onmy back. When I turned round Isaw a little girl around my sizewith long browny blond hair.She said “ Hi, who are you? I’mcalled Jessamy” and I nervouslytold her my name was Tess.Then she said, “Do you want to playwith me today? Let’s be friends.”I timidly replied “OK”Then a smile spread across my redface like a lightning stroke. I huggedmy dad with the biggest hug I hadever given him but then he walked outand I burst into tears. The smile waswashed away from my face.Jessamy then gave me a bighug and told me “not toworry, it will be fine. Let’s goand play”.So off we went and playedtogether and we became firstfriends until we left in Year 6.

2015/2016Moving on

Preparing for our future

The Gryphon, the senior

school our children feed to in Sherborne, alsoparticipate in our children's learning and helpsmooth the transition from Primary into Secondary.Teachers and ex pupils from the Gryphon visitregularly during the summer term learning aboutour Year 6 pupil academic and social abilities.It is a big step for our children but one on whichthey thrive. We believe the years they spent with us giving a firm bedrock onwhich to fulfil their potential in later life..

The Gryphon School, Sherborne

Your Child's WelfareOur first priority is your child's welfare and we will usually discussany concerns we might have about your child with you. Theremight be occasions, however, when we have to provideinformation to or consult other agencies such as Children'sServices Social Care before we contact you. Our responsibility todo so is determined by Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole Inter-Agency Child Protection Procedures, 2006. If you want to knowmore about these procedures, please speak to our

.

We look forward to welcomingyou to our super school