OUR SCHOOL
Emmanuel provides education for girls and boys of all abilities in the age range 9 - 13. It can accommodate up to 480 pupils and has highly qualified and experienced teachers.
We aim to produce independent, confident and successful learners. Visitors regularly comment on the calm, purposeful atmosphere in the school. The overall purpose of our school is summed up in our mission statement.
At Emmanuel we seek to create a warm and friendly atmosphere where children receive a high quality education within the Christian Ethos of caring for one another and where everyone feels secure and valued.
Emmanuel Middle School is purpose built and well equipped to give the best of educational opportunities to all its pupils during their middle years.
* 16 Classrooms - some with adjacent practical areas
* Well stocked Library
* Home Economics Room
* Design / Technology Room
* 2 Science Laboratories
* Hall / Gymnasium
* Music / Drama Studio
* Computer Rooms
Extensive grounds surround the School providing facilities for football, rugby, basketball, netball, cricket, rounders, athletics, tennis and volleyball. All children are encouraged to take advantage of the sporting opportunities to develop fitness and acquire skills. The grounds are also used to support the program of environmental education.
ORGANISATION
During the middle years pupils make great leaps forward academically and also change emotionally and physically. They start Middle School as children and leave as young adults. The organisation of the School makes provision for this.
Emmanuel Middle School is organised into four year groups - Years 5, 6, 7, 8 - each under the direction of a Year Leader. Each subject in the curriculum is led by a subject leader who is responsible for monitoring the standards being achieved.
Most lessons are taught in mixed ability classes and pupils are set work appropriate to their individual ability. However, we do set in some subjects and Design Technology is taught in smaller groups. As children progress through the school they are increasingly taught by specialist teachers. This helps to maintain pupils' enthusiasm, to widen their interests and to enable every child to achieve a personal best.
CURRICULUM
Emmanuel offers a broad and balanced curriculum for children in their middle years, in line with the National Curriculum guidelines. The wide variety of teaching and learning styles embraces the philosophy and practice as recommended by the Dorset Curriculum Policy.
The following subjects are studied:
* English
* Mathematics
* Science
* Design Technology
* Humanities (History and Geography)
* French (from Year 7)
* Music, Dance, Drama
* Art
* Physical Education
* Religious Education
* Information and Communication Technology
A unique and valuable feature of Middle Schools is that they span Key Stages 2 and 3. This promotes a smooth transfer between Key Stages. Effective and regular liaison with our feeder and receiver schools is an essential element of our school and ensures that pupils' learning is not fragmented and that continuity and progression are maintained in curriculum and assessment.
At Emmanuel, exchanges and visits between schools by both pupils and teachers help to build a shared understanding of aims and learning experience.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
At Emmanuel ICT is used to enrich and extend learning throughout the curriculum. Each child receives one lesson per week of specialist teaching in our well resourced computer suite and will have opportunities to access the network in other subjects. We aim to help pupils become knowledgeable about the nature of information, comfortable with the technology and able to exploit its potential.
PARENTS AS PARTNERS
It is essential that teachers and parents work together to support children so that they feel secure and valued. Our support will help them meet expectations for them to achieve a personal best and to become confident and independent young people.
At Emmanuel we try to:
* Share our plans for teaching and learning
* Keep parents informed by sending regular newsletters, communicating through the personal notebook and by arranging information evenings
* Meet regularly with parents to consult and give progress reports about their children
* Listen to parents' concerns
* Respond to parents' suggestions
We hope that you will feel able to support our policies and that we can look forward to a productive partnership with you.
If parents are concerned they must not hesitate to contact us at school so that a meeting can be arranged.
For security reasons, parents, like all other visitors to the school, are asked always to report to the School Office on arrival.
EMMANUEL SCHOOL UNIFORM
All pupils wear full school uniform and we appreciate the support of parents in maintaining this. It helps pupils to feel a sense of belonging as well as identifying them as ambassadors for the school. Jewellery is not allowed and any extremes of style are discouraged. Further details may be found at the back of this prospectus.
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