Willowbank School is a community in which children learn to live alongside each other. We aim to develop the right values and attitudes within a caring, secure and happy environment.
For the school to operate effectively we believe our work should build upon foundations established at home and develop into a close partnership between home and school. To provide a broad and varied range of opportunities for your child to achieve success is an underlying principle of the school. We want children to develop a positive attitude to learning so that each child strives to achieve the highest possible standards and a definite sense of purpose and value.
We extend a warm welcome to you and your family and hope that your association with our school will be a happy one. If you would like to visit and look around please do not hesitate to telephone and make an appointment. I will always be pleased to see you.
Mr Simon Atherton Head Teacher
School Aims
We care very much about the interests, needs and aptitudes of each individual child, to ensure equa lity of access and opportunity, with commitment towards the achievement of high standards. Therefore, our aim is to enable each child to achieve their true potential, to recognise their own personal targets and to take pride in that achievement, while taking pleasure in the achievement of others.
We will provide opportunities for all of our children to grow in confidence and independence and to know the value of co-operation. This is developed further by our School Council, which play an important role in supporting children’s initiative, taking responsibility and developing their knowledge of community.
We encourage our children to develop an active interest in school life, by providing a wide range of opportunities for study support and extra curricular activities.
We view our school as an active part of the community, where pupil and parent satisfaction is of paramount importance. We welcome parents and other members of the community who come to see us, whether to share a concern or to offer help. Parents are provided with quality information on a weekly basis, in the form of our newsletter; the Willowbank Weekly. Also, the local press is kept informed about events which are taking place.
Our children will be taught to care for and respect themselves, others, their school and the environment. We use P.S.H.E and Citizenship to encourage and promote the worth of constructive relationships. Throughout their daily participation in school we will endeavour to teach our children to be tolerant, sympathetic and to recognise the appropriateness of their behaviour, giving the children the opportunity to reflect on their experiences. Curricular Aims
We provide a curriculum which helps all pupils to achieve the following aims:-
- to develop lively, enquiring minds together with a willingness to ask questions and discuss rationally;
- to think creatively and with imagination;
- to gain knowledge skills and understanding appropriate to a fast changing world and to be able to take an active role in society;
- to acquire in particular the enabling skills of the range of subjects identified in
the National Curriculum.
- to independently relate learning and transfer knowledge to other areas of the
curriculum.
The Curriculum
The National Curriculum applies to all county schools who are obliged by law to provide a basic curriculum consisting of Religious Education and, for pupils of compulsory school age, the National Curriculum. The Education Act begins by saying that the school curriculum must be broad and balanced and must "promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society; ....to prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life".
The National Curriculum consists of core and other foundation subjects which must be taught to all pupils of compulsory school age.
Core Subjects |
Other foundation subjects |
English |
History |
PE |
Mathematics |
Geography |
Technology |
Science |
Art |
Modern Foreign language |
|
Music (not obligatory in primary schools) |
The curriculum in each foundation subject will have specified Attainment Targets, Programmes of Study and Assessment arrangements. |