Head Teacher’s Welcome

Thank you for looking at our school website, we hope you find it interesting and informative. West End School is a happy stimulating environment of which we are very proud. We have a reputation for high standards of teaching and learning and as a caring, stimulating place in which young children achieve their potential.

We believe our school environment encourages the development of well motivated, happy children, with enquiring minds and the self confidence to play an active role in their own learning.

The involvement of parents comes high on our agenda, you will therefore, be encouraged to  share in and support your child's education.

Our School Aims

To provide a happy stimulating environment where excellence and enjoyment go hand in hand, enabling children to feel safe and secure and able to develop lively enquiring minds. A place where children can have a voice, question and argue rationally and apply themselves to any task, where they can become independent in their own learning.

To develop language, number and technology skills effectively, develop healthy lifestyles and acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to adult life and employment in a fast changing world.

To help children to understand the world in which they live and the interdependence of individual, groups and nations.

To develop children's personal moral values, respect for religious values and tolerance of other races, religions and ways of life.

To provide equality of opportunity and inclusion for all our children. To identify individual needs and take appropriate action to meet them. We are concerned with the child's whole development and with their relationships with the world both as children and adults.

To encouraged the children to develop social and emotional competence, able to think and express themselves creatively with freedom of expression and originality. To recognise and build upon early experiences gained from home and pre-school and encourage parents as partners to remain involved and informed.

To encouraged children to become self confident, self disciplined and courteous, capable of setting and responding positively to challenging targets in order to reach his or her full potential.

Our aims are achievable in an environment where teachers, assistants, advisory and community colleagues, governors, parents and future parents work together for the successful development of each individual child in our care.

School Organisation

T he children are taught in single age classes. All classes are mixed ability.

Within the class, curricular activities are organised to match a range of learning abilities and allow for a combination of whole class, groups, pairs and individual work. As well as catering for a variety of learning needs within the class there is a flexible approach to class timetables to encourage the development of children's own interests.

Each class has a class teacher, part-time teacher support which gives specialist music input and teaching assistant hours usually targeted at literacy and numeracy, with individuals or small groups. We are very fortunate to have a very high staff ratio to support, i.e. 2 or 3 adults in the class for the full day. Years 2 to 6 have learning support assistants every morning to support Literacy and Numeracy sessions. All classes have additional support for children with special needs where these occur.

There is a class size pledge keeping the classes at 30 or below up to year 2. The average class size is year 3 to year 6 is also 30.

School Day
School begins at 8.50 a.m. As classrooms are not supervised until 8.45 a.m. children/parents are requested not to arrive in school prior to 8.45 a.m. when classroom doors are unlocked.The school day begins with a 'Wake Up, Shake Up' aerobics session, as part of West End's Healthy Schools ethos. The school day ends at 3.15 p. m.

There is a 15 minute break for children within the morning session, lunch is 12.00 pm to 1.00 p. m. and there is no afternoon break. If teachers of younger classes feel children need some fresh air mid afternoon they will take them outside for a supervised activity session.

Inclusion and Special Needs

Many children at some point in their school life will have a special need of some kind. Whether your child is gifted or experiencing a learning difficulty, physical or medical need our teaching staff will be matching their work at the level at which they can achieve and reach their full potential. Children will work at their own level and pace with positive encouragement and additional support if appropriate. If children do require additional support this will be given within the normal mainstream classroom.

Mrs. Helen Dillon has responsibility for coordinating special needs, inclusion and gift and talented children. She supports the class teacher to identify what support is appropriate to address the individual child's needs. If you have a concern regarding your child, do share it with us as soon as possible. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are drawn up to assist learning, behaviour etc. as needed. We aim to keep parents fully informed and there is a special needs Governor who can be contacted at school.

We monitor the inclusion and progress of children in all groups, such as looked after children, children from a variety of ethnic groups, children with English as a second language, gifted children and children with special educational needs. In this way we aim to ensure that each child has access to a broad, balanced and relevant education to ensure the highest possible levels of achievement.

Standard Assessment Tests 2007 (SATs)
The 2007 tests were marked on the common national scale. Key Stage One tests (year 2) were marked internally and Key Stage Two tests (year 6) were marked externally. Teachers make their own on going assessments of children's progress using National Level Descriptors. The standards at level 2 have been set to challenge a typical 7 year old. The standards at level 4 have been set to challenge a typical 11 year old. The average child is expected to move through one level in two years. A child achieving a good level 2 at age 7 therefore might expect to achieve a good level 4 at age 11.

Throughout the year the children continued to work hard, they displayed a calm mature approach to the tests. Whilst we have a statutory duty to report results at the end of key stage 1 and 2, it should be pointed out that every year in school is of equal importance, each year is a building block. We try to convey this message to children and to parents throughout. If a child's attendance, behaviour, self esteem, creativity or attitude to work are not consistently good throughout, they can not suddenly turn things around or 'catch up' in year 6.

NATIONAL CURRICULUM END OF KEY STAGE RESULTS 2007

COMPARED TO NATIONAL TEST RESULTS FOR 2006

WEST END PRIMARY SCHOOL (KS1) YEAR 2 RESULTS     (1 child = 3.7%)

This table shows a summary of the National Curriculum assessments results of pupils in the school (2007) and nationally (2006) at the end of Key Stage 1, as percentage of those eligible for assessment. The number of eligible children is 27, including one child with special educational needs. Figures may not total 100% because of rounding .