Welcome To St Andrew's VC Lower School
standrews@deal.bedfordshire.gov.uk
St. Andrew’s School aims to provide each child with the best possible opportunities to achieve their full potential and acquire a framework for learning, in all areas of their development. We do this by having high and challenging expectations, whilst working in a supportive family atmosphere.
We are concerned not only with the academic and intellectual development of the children, but we are also sensitive to their social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs. We believe that attitudes of courtesy, truthfulness, consideration for others and respect for property are very important, and fostering an awareness of these forms part of the school’s policy.
A cooperative attitude and willingness to respond to the opportunities available are crucial to a child’s success. Every effort is made by the staff to meet individual children's needs. The children’s knowledge is extended, where possible, through their own interests and skills, which are balanced and complemented by a blend of guided discovery and direct interactive teaching. In this way we hope to create a working environment in which basic academic skills and a wide variety of talents can emerge and be developed.
We believe that in order to achieve our aims we need a close and open relationship with our governors, our church, our community and most importantly, our children’s families.
Independence, self-reliance and self-confidence, together with the development of an enquiring mind, thinking skills and sound academic progress, are our aims for each and every child.
Parent Teacher Association
As the name suggests, the PTA is a committee of parents and teachers who enjoy meeting throughout the school year to plan events which are both enjoyable and raise money for the school.
The school itself is run on a budget and the PTA's aim is to raise money through a number of events, in order to provide additional equipment, educational supplies and also to support school trips and 'entertainers' that visit the school.
New members are always welcome, including parents of those children new to the school. So why not come along to our next meeting?
A fun and exciting place to be.
Come and see us at learn through play!
Well planned, play both indoors and outdoors, is a key way in which young children learn with enjoyment and challenge. Through play, in a secure environment with effective adult support, children can:
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explore, develop and represent learning experiences that help them make sense of the world. |
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practise and build up ideas, concepts and skills. |
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learn how to control impulses and understand the need for rules. |
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be alone, be alongside others or cooperate as they talk or rehearse their feelings. |
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take risks and make mistakes |
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think creatively and imaginatively |
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communicate with others as they investigate or solve problems. |
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express fears or relive anxious experiences in controlled and safe situations. |
Taken from: Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage
Although being housed in its own self-contained buidling, our Nursery unit is very much part of St Andrew's VC Lower School.
St. Andrew’s Nursery is a 40 – 50 place, purpose built unit, staffed by a teacher, two Nursery Nurses and a General Assistant. The children are admitted first to the afternoon session (1.00 to 3.30pm each day) and change to the morning session (9.00 to 11.30am) by age as space arises.
All registered children are offered 3 terms in Nursery prior to their admission in school and if space allows, they may be offered 4 terms. When parents have accepted a place for their child they attend an open evening (without their child) and as well as being given information, they are able to look around the unit. At this time they are given a Nursery booklet and a start date for their child. They visit together before the end of term before they start Nursery and we hold an Open Lunchtime on the first day of term for all new entrants. If your child attends a local playgroup we also try to visit them there.
ENVIRONMENT
We have a large bright main room, two thirds of which approximately is carpeted. The unit has a glass roof and one wall made of folding glass doors. The main room has tables for activities, an art area consisting of tables and easels, a table for drinks, a role play area and a variety of construction and board games. The computers and a table for cutting and sticking activities are also here, with our fish who live in this room. We also have our Knowledge and Understanding of the World table in here. We use the small room off the cloakroom as an office and staff room. Through an arch from the main room is a smaller room known as the Quiet room which is used for registration, stories, games and puzzles. Our writing table is also in here. The book corner is also in this room with another two computers. Behind the main room is the Group room. The teacher works with groups in this room. The musical instruments and television are also kept in this room. The kitchen is used for cooking activities. We have a large, attractive outside area with a large sand pit, a substantial paved area, a wooden climbing frame, a play house and a grass area with flower tubs, and a living willow. The covered area outside the patio doors provides sheltered outdoor play. This is where our home corner is in Autumn, Spring and Summer.
CURRICULUM
We aim to provide a curriculum that covers all areas of Early Years Learning and also gives children the opportunity to “visit” first levels of the National Curriculum if appropriate. The children are given the freedom to choose a variety of play activities within a planned structure. Children are encouraged to take part in an art or craft activity and cooking once a week. In addition each group of children take part in weekly more formal sessions of PE and Handwriting. The children entering main school the following term also work more formally on language and number skills. This is especially important to the one third of children who do not have a reception experience. All children take part in a weekly Circle Time.
Our curriculum is based on the following Learning goals:
· Communication, Language and Literacy
· Mathematical Development
· Knowledge and Understanding of the World
· Physical Development
· Creative Development
· Personal, Social and emotional Development
LOWER SCHOOL LINKS
We are very much part of the lower school. The oldest children attend Key Stage 1 assembly and we take part in special gatherings such as Harvest and end of term assemblies.
As well as attending whole school staff meetings, Nursery staff are also involved in curriculum working groups providing continuity and progression from Nursery through reception and Year One.
The term prior to the children starting school, they have two school dinners and several trips to the playground. They also visit their new classroom with their new teacher.
For any further information please contact the school for a brochure or to arrange a visit.
Special Needs
St Andrew's caters for all mainstream school children whatever their level of ability. Systems are in place to identify and assess the needs of all pupils, including those with individual learning disabilities, whose needs are met by working as individuals in a small group in addition to their classroom activities.
A small group of the more able children may also be offered the opportunity for accelerated and challenging additional work, including homework, in order to reach their full potential.
The Language Provision
The aims of St Andrew's Language Provision is to ensure that children, for whom language is a barrier to their learning, experience the fullest education available for their needs, speeds and learning wellbeing. These children will have a Statement detailing their learning needs. St Andrew's works with pupils from the Biggleswade area and also with pupils who are transported to the school from outside the regular catchment area.
St Andrew's offers a flexible provision meeting a range of language needs such as receptive language disorders, expressive language disorders, verbal dyspraxia, disordered phonology, word finding difficulties and many more.
Children are supported by a Speech and Language Therapist, who they meet with regularly, and who advises the Special Needs Staff and teachers. Work is carried out in a range of ways to best suit each individual child. They may have withdrawn sessions in a group or by themselves, have support within the classroom, support when joining in play times and they may participate in supported booster groups.
For all of the children who have a Statement for Language Provision, their curriculum entitlement is planned by the Special Needs team in liaison with the teaching staff. Individual plans for their education needs are devised with the involvement of parents, the SENCo, the teachers, and the support staff. Weekly tracking sheets are kept to monitor the plans that are in place and targets are modified half termly, to ensure they are adjusted to reflect a child's changing needs.
The Language Provision is very much part of the whole school, and children, whilst they can be taken out of their classes, are withdrawn as little as possible to ensure that their self-esteem, learning ethic and relationships are maintained on as high a level as possible. Staff from the Language Provision go into classrooms also, to aid the development of the learning environment to suit individual children.
School Clubs
Throughout the school year, a range of clubs are available for children to join. Many of the clubs are run by St Andrew's staff and are consequently free. Those run by outside agencies do incur a fee.
To ensure clubs are fun, numbers are sometimes limited and restricted to children in specific Year groups. Please speak to your child's class teacher to find out what clubs are running and whether your child is eligible to join.
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The Computer Suite 
