Welcome!
Welcome to West Town Lane Primary School. We are a 420 place Primary School taking children from the ages of 4 to 11 years. Our school prides itself on the opportunities it offers children, providing a rich and broad curriculum. We ensure that in addition to the statutory curriculum, we offer enrichment activities, theme days, extra-curricular activities and residential experiences for children that provide an 'all round' education. The school aims for high standards and expects excellent behaviour at all times and in all aspects of school life. We hope you will support this, sending your child to school in correct uniform each day and ensuring good communication between us.
Admissions
Children are admitted to the school in the September following their 4th Birthday. Provided the admission level of 60 is not exceeded all children will be allocated a place. If the level is exceeded the decision as to which children will be admitted rests with Bristol's Education Committee. All parents or carers are invited to visit our school and June 20, 2007eetings in the Summer term where parents can meet with the staff and get to know the school. To apply to West Town Lane Primary School please contact the school office or Bristol City Council Education Service Admissions 0117 903 7696 school_admissions@bristol-city.gov.uk
Transfer to Secondary Education takes place in the September following a child's 11th Birthday. Details of these arrangements are sent out in the Autumn of their final year.
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Access
Disabled access to the school is available throughout the Keystage 1 building, and on the ground floor at the front and rear of the Keystage 2 building. Both buildings have suitably designed toilets. It must be noted, however, that Keystage 2 is on two floors with four classrooms being accessed by staircases. Communication
Communications
Newsletters These are sent out monthly. They contain essential information regarding the school including important dates, invitations to events and general information about what is happening in school. See also our news page
Planners We introduced Planners for all children in September 2006. These serve two main purposes. The first is to provide information such as Homework schedules, curriculum information and important dates in the school calendar. The other is to act as a method of communication between yourselves and the class teacher. This has been successfully piloted by KS2, and is particularly successful when the children remember to bring it to school every day!
Parent's Evenings In September and October we hold a 'Back to School Night' when there is an opportunity for parents and carers in each class to meet and discuss plans for the year. During the Autumn and Spring Terms there are further meetings to discuss pupil progress on an individual basis. We hold a Celebration Evening in the Summer Term for everyone to see all that the school has achieved during the year.
Class Assemblies Over the year the classes present an assembly to which parents and carers are invited. In addition, we hold a Christmas Carol Concert, Harvest Service and Easter Service. At the end of the academic year we wish our Year 6 pupils well with a Leaver's Assembly.
Website This was introduced in 2005 following comments from parents and carers. This is regularly updated, and provides information on dates, times, trips etc, as well as plenty of photographs and information to let you know about what your child is doing in school.
Our building Welcome screens in both buildings also provide information on activities available.
Helpers in school We are very grateful to those who are able to offer assistance during the school day. If you feel you are able to help with any activities at school then please contact your child's class teacher.
Home School Agreement Every new parent or carer is asked to sign our Home School Agreement. This is an important document intended to act as a reference point for us all in relation to our roles and responsibilities towards the children.
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School Administration
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To run our school efficiently we ask that parents and carers help us by following these guidelines: |
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All money brought in to the school should be in a labelled envelope with the child's name and purpose of the money on the front. |
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Please inform a member of staff when collecting a child other than at the end of the school day. |
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Newsletters are important- please read them! |
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Security is very important to us- you should only enter the building through the front doors and report to the Reception Area. |
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Children should be collected from Clubs or After-School Activities from the rear of the buildings. |
Curriculum
The Foundation Stage curriculum is based on six key areas of learning, ensuring that the children have the skills to be able to learn effectively and work together. The children in Keystages 1 and 2 follow a wider curriculum. English, Mathematics, Science and PE receive the majority of teaching time, with History, Geography, Music, Art, Design & Technology and French taking up the remainder of the school week. Children study Religious Education each week, and ICT permeates all subjects as well as being taught as a discrete subject.
We are able to provide very good computer and technology facilities, with a purpose-built ICT Suite in addition to computers in the classrooms plus sets of laptops. All classes have interactive whiteboards to allow learning to become even more exciting and real, and all are connected to the internet. Sex Education is covered within our framework for Personal, Social and Health education. Our Sex Education Policy is available from the school office, and parents and carers are invited to see the materials used in Year 6 elements of the programme should they wish. You have the right to withdraw your child from RE and Collective Worship if you wish, and this should be discussed with the Headteacher.
Swimming All children from Year 3 will go swimming at some point during the academic year. We aim to have all children swimming at least 25 metres by the end of Year 6, although this relies greatly on support from home.
Extended School Opportunities
We are very fortunate to have a Breakfast Club running from 8a.m. each morning, plus an After-School Club each evening until 5:45p.m. This can prove invaluable to busy parents or carers. We have a wide range of clubs after school, changing on a seasonal basis. Please contact the office for further information on what is on offer.
Assessments
The children undertake many forms of assessment in the school. This can be the day-to-day marking or feedback from the teacher, or their own reflection on their learning. During the Autumn Term the KS2 children will undertake Standardised tests in reading and spelling. All children sit further, more formal, assessments in the Summer Term which help us track progress and help identify teaching points for the following year. All Year 2 and 6 pupils undertake SAT tests. These are a 'snapshot' of attainment, and reflect one aspect of a child's education and learning.
Support
We use a wide range of strategies to support children's learning- this can take the form of short term focused work with an individual or group, to longer work involving a variety of agencies. It is also important to stress that the support does not only go to those children at the lowest part of the academic scale. We use a number of 'booster' groups to help those children in the middle bracket move forward to achieve more, and challenge the more able with different approaches to work. We have a number of enrichment opportunities for children with particular gifts or talents. These are sometimes co-ordinated between a group, or cluster of schools. Where necessary we work with parents to draw up an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to set targets for learning or improvement. Teaching Assistants can be used to assist those children with specific learning difficulties or physical disabilities access the curriculum.
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Holidays
Any request for holiday absences need to be made in writing to the Governing Body at least a month in advance. "No parent can demand leave of absence for the purpose of a holiday as of right" (Regulation 12, Education Regulations 1981).
Water
We encourage all children to bring bottled water to school, which they can top up during the day. This ensures their brains are suitably hydrated and ready to learn! Squashes are only permitted with a packed lunch.
Uniform
We are a uniform school and request you support us in this by sending your child to school in full uniform each day. If your child is not able to wear uniform on a day for a particular reason they should bring a note of explanation.
The uniform consists of: Red or white polo shirt Red sweatshirt or cardigan Black/ charcoal trousers or skirt Optional red dress for summer Children should wear black shoes. We find that parents and carers welcome the uniform and we feel that as well as being practical and smart, it fosters a sense of belonging to the school. The items of uniform are available from the school office, including some second hand items at a reduced price. Our PE kit consists of a white T-shirt with navy shorts. During the colder months the children should wear a tracksuit for outdoor sports. Jewellery Jewellery is limited to one pair of stud earrings and a watch. Nose studs, necklaces or bracelets are not to be worn for safety reasons and all items of jewellery must be removed for PE lessons. We are not responsible for any items of jewellery brought in to school.
Lost Property
Regretably this has become a continuing problem in school. Every week many items end up in lost property and remain unclaimed. Many items have no name in them making it impossible for us to return them to the owner. Could you please ensure that all items of school clothing are clearly labelled and encourage your child to be responsible for their own property.
Visitors
All visitors to the school should report to the office on arrival where they will be asked to sign the visitors' book and be given a badge that should be worn during their stay on site. Staff will challenge anyone in the building not wearing a visitors' badge, and they may be asked to leave the premises.
Security and Safety
The school has several items stolen each year from 'walk-in' thefts therefore a number of security measures are in place to help prevent this and ensure we provide a safe environment for the children and staff. Everyone entering either building will be recorded on CCTV surveillance, and the doors are governed by a swipe card system that will only allow members of school staff to unlock the door. All items of school equipment are security marked with a DNA coding linked specifically to our school. This makes items easy to trace and identify. Dogs With the exception of Guide Dogs, dogs are not allowed on site. Cars Parents are asked to take extreme care when driving near the school at the beginning and end of the school day, and no cars are allowed on site apart from school staff or helpers who may use the Visitors Car Park. Parents or carers with disabilities may write to the Governing Body to allow access to the site, but must not assume automatic entry. We would ask that you consider walking to school with your child each day. Smoking West Town Lane School has a No Smoking policy. Staff, parents, carers and visitors are requested not to smoke inside the building or within the grounds. This also applies to trips and visits where supervising adults are not allowed to smoke in front of children. Concerns about Health and Safety The school's Governing Body is responsible for carrying out regular checks. If you have any concerns about an issue relating to the safety of children, staff or visitors to our site you should report these to the school office without delay.
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School Governors
The school Governors work to support the school in its' aims and priorities. They serve for a period of four years and can be parents, teachers, staff, local Council representatives, business people or members of the local community. It is vital to the success of the school that it has an effective Governing Body, helping to ensure that the interests of the children are always at the heart of what we do. Please contact the school office if you would like to know more about becoming a Governor or to see if we have spaces available. In the past the school has been very well supported by parents and members of the local community, and we would hope this would continue with the newly formed Primary School. See also our governors page
Complaints Procedure
We hope that your involvement with all of us at the school will be a happy one. However, it is inevitable that from time to time difficulties and problems will arise. There are a number of steps we can take to resolve this. In the first instance you should contact the class teacher. If after this you wish to take the matter further you should make an appointment to see Mr. Hughes. The next step is to put your grievance in writing to the Chair of Governors c/o the school office, who will investigate the matter. If you feel this still fails to address the complaint then you can write to: The Director of Children and Young People's Services, Bristol City Council, College Green, Bristol.
Extra-Curricular Activities
"The very good range of residential visits enriches the experiences offered to the pupils." Junior OfSTED 2002
The children at our school are fortunate that a number of staff are willing to give up their time on a voluntary basis to provide clubs and other opportunities. During the past academic year we have been able to offer: |
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Drama |
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Netball |
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Athletics |
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Cricket |
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Dance |
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School Council Football |
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Recorders |
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Hockey |
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Crafty Club |
Music tuition is also available for guitar, saxophone and clarinet on a fee paying basis. |
Enrichment Activities
The children will go on a number of trips and visits whilst at school. These range from local visits around the area such as St Luke's Church or Tesco, to sites further afield such as the Roman Villa at Caerleon, @Bristol, Bristol Zoo, City Museum or Red Lodge. Year 3 have the opportunity for an extended trip to the London Eye and Lion King at London's West End and Years 4,5 & 6 are offered a residential visit.
Services offering support to children
There are a range of agencies offering support in school to your child. The Education Welfare Service visit school regularly, helping to ensure your child attends school. They can help if you have difficulties getting your child to school, and will also be involved if there are attendance issues. The school Nurse and Doctor will monitor children with specific health needs. They can also be involved in special needs reviews or cases with Social Services The Educational Psychologist is available for children who experience learning difficulties of behavioural problems. A set procedure has to be followed before a referral can be made, and parents will be consulted at every stage of the process.
School Kitchen
The Catering Service offers a great selection for the children. There is a Tuck Shop during break where children can buy fruit, water, milk or flapjacks. Children can choose from a selection of cooked food on offer, with a vegetarian option each day. Money should be paid on a Monday morning to the class teachers in a named envelope and you can pay for a whole week, month or term in advance. The kitchen staff are very willing to adapt meals for children with different medical conditions such as diabetes. Please contact the school office to arrange a meeting. If your child brings a packed lunch please ensure they use a labelled, rigid container and that only plastic bottles are used. Children having a packed lunch need to provide their own drink (non fizzy). |