WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL!!!

Witheridge CE Primary School provides a friendly, caring environment in which parents are encouraged to play an active role, and is an integral part of the Village.

The School has 90 children aged from rising five to eleven, and is organised into four classes – a Reception class, a Key Stage One class, and two classes in Key Stage Two.

Many of the children have previously been at the on-site Witheridge Pre-School and have joined us as they approached their fifth birthdays, a transition made easier by the experience of the School they have already gained over their preceding time in Pre-School.

• Giving the children the benefits of a rounded education, supported by the steady and effective development of literacy and numeracy;
• Providing opportunities for breadth and diversity above and beyond the classroom and formal curriculum;
• Realising that there is great benefit from active participation by parents/carers and other members of the local community as educators and learners;
• Having high expectations for each child and member of the school community;
• Developing in children the ability to think creatively, consider and solve problems, and communicate effectively;
• Promoting a positive “can-do” culture which embraces change, values staff, and supports innovative thinking and classroom excellence;
• Promoting good manners and discipline, and fostering in children the ethos, attitudes and skills relevant to life outside of school;
• Involving children as positive and active members of their School;
• Broadening horizons and help children to be aware of the wider community and world, and their place in it;
• Encouraging within each child the self-esteem, self-discipline and motivation necessary for them to realise their potential, and respect the rights and differences of other individuals;
• Preserving and developing the school’s religious character in accordance with the principle and practice of the Church of England;
• Encouraging an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and appropriate Christian values, through the experiences we offer.

Our detailed programmes of study and schemes of work are based on the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, the National Curriculum and the Devon County Curriculum Statement (a copy of which may be borrowed from the School Office). A child may be in the same class and have the same teacher for a couple of years, and careful planning ensures that work is matched as closely as possible to their individual needs, ability and experience. This time spent with one teacher provides a continuity of care and teaching that is unique to a small school.

The School Nurse visits the school regularly. She is responsible for routine screening procedures and is willing to advise on any matter regarding your child's health. Minor cuts and bruises are treated in school, but should anything more serious occur we would contact parents immediately. It is important, therefore, for us to know telephone numbers where members of the family can be contacted, should there be no one at home. If children need to take any form of medication it should be handed to the class teacher, and a form (EDIS 94), obtainable from the School Administrator, must be completed. Children MAY NOT take medicine unsupervised.