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The aims of Winterslow School are set out in the Governors’ Mission Statement:
‘The Governors commit themselves to ensure that Winterslow Church of England (Aided) Primary School will serve the children of Firsdown and the Winterslows, by providing the best it can offer under God to encourage each child to fulfil his or her spiritual, moral, academic, social, emotional, physical and cultural potential.’
To achieve these aims our main objectives are:
- To provide a happy, secure, disciplined and stimulating environment.
- To maintain a high standard of education, giving top priority to the core subjects of the National Curriculum and yet also providing a knowledge of, and insight into, as many other subjects as is appropriate.
- To ensure that every child is taught and encouraged in the way most suited to his or her needs, in order to experience success.
- To encourage a sense of wonder and quest for the meaning and purpose of life, and to foster a spirit of intellectual curiosity and individual thought in each child.
- To provide each child with a Christian and/or philosophical ethic in their most formative years, which they can develop.
- To foster an enjoyment of sport and other physical activities.
- To encourage an interest in music, drama, art and dance, and in the environment.
- To encourage parents and other members of the community to participate in the life of the school in as many ways as is appropriate. Similarly for the school to contribute to the life of the village community whenever appropriate.
Thus we believe strongly in fostering an academic attitude and in stretching all children’s capabilities to the full in whatever direction they lie. ‘Value-added’ is the phrase which best describes our view of education. Good teaching in all essential subjects is obviously at the heart of the curriculum, but it is support for and appreciation of the other areas of the educative process which we feel makes for the rounded, self-confident individuals we endeavour to pass on to senior schools.
The number of pupils has increased significantly over recent years. We have all worked extremely hard to achieve seven classes, which in our opinion is the optimum size for a primary school. This means we can have one class for each year group.
Normally, children whose fifth birthday falls between 1st September and the 31st of March can start full time school in September. Children with birthdays between 1st April and 31st August can start part time in September or full time in January.
The school aims to admit all children living within the catchment area, subject to class size constraints. The criteria used when the number of applications exceeds the number of available places are set out in detail in the school Admissions Policy, available from the school office. Parents should read this polcy before making an application.
Admission of children outside the catchment area is entirely at the discretion of the Governing Body.
Government legislation states that we cannot have more than 30 pupils in a Key Stage 1 class (Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2) and therefore we have to restrict admissions to this limit. In addition the governing body may restrict the number of children in the four Key Stage 2 classes to a maximum of 30 to comply with the DfES recommendations on maximum capacity for area.
Our class numbers in October 2007 are:
| Key Stage 1 |
|
| Robin (Reception) |
25 |
| Skylark (Year 1) |
23 |
| Wren (Year 2) |
24 |
| |
|
| Key Stage 2 |
|
| Kingfisher (Year 3) |
29 |
| Woodpecker (Year 4) |
28 |
| Chaffinch (Year 5) |
30 |
| Swallow (Year 6) |
30 |
This table shows that we currently appear to have vacancies in several of our classes, but as we have ongoing enquiries, the situation is subject to change. To obtain the latest figures please contact the school office. |