1

“BELIEVE to Achieve”

School Prospectus

Working in Partnership with Transform Trust

2

WILLIAM BOOTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

SCHOOL PROSPECTUS Address: William Booth Primary School Notintone Street Sneinton Nottingham NG2 4QF Telephone: (0115) 9155821 Web site: http://wb.aitn.co.uk

Head Teacher: Claire Paparozzi Chair of Governing Body: Steve Oakley

Type of School: An Academy which is part of Transform Trust catering for boys and girls for ages 5 to 11 years. With a Foundation Stage Unit for children ages 3 to 5 years on a part time/full time basis.

WELCOME Dear Parents/Carers Welcome to William Booth Primary and Nursery School. We are a school which prides itself in providing for all children a secure, yet stimulating, and challenging environment in which to learn. A primary aim at our school is for every member of the school community to feel valued and respected, and that each person is treated fairly and well. We are a caring community whose values are built on mutual trust and respect for all. Achievement and enjoyment are important to us all, in a warm and friendly atmosphere. We welcome participation by parents and carers in all aspects of school life, and we look forward to working with you. No one knows your child better than you and for this reason we very much value your co-operation and engagement. This prospectus is a short introduction to our school which will hopefully answer some of your questions. Further information can be found on the internet through the Government’s Department for Education (DFE). In addition, our school web-site (address above) is another source of information for you to access. However, please do not hesitate to contact school if you have any queries.

Claire Paparozzi Headteacher

3

Contents

Our Key Aims and Values Page 4

Links with parents and carers Page 5

School Dress Page 5

Ofsted Page 6

Curriculum Page 6

Internet Access Page 7

Religious Education Policy Page 7

Relationships and Sex Education Page 7

Sporting Activity Page 7

Arts Page 8

Extra-Curricular activities Page 8

Homework Page 9

Special Educational Needs Page 9

Out of School Care Page 10

Attendance Page 10

How classes are organised Page 11

Session times Page 11

Food in school Page 12

Milk and Fruit provision Page 12

Behaviour Page 12

Safeguarding Page 13

Complaints Page 13

4

Our School

William Booth School is in the Sneinton area of the City of Nottingham, very close to the City Centre. Our pupils begin Nursery as soon as they are 3 and are in our care on their learning journey until they are ready to transfer to Secondary School at the age of 11. (Please see ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS by going to http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/schooladmissions or contact

the school office). Our Key Aims and Values At William Booth Primary and Nursery School, our principal aim is for all children to achieve their full potential and reach the highest standards in an ethos of learning, mutual support

and respect. Each letter of the word BELIEVE is linked to our core values. These values

enable us to achieve this principal aim.

Brave enough to tackle challenges

We BELIEVE learning takes place when challenges are presented. We teach the skills of

Minditude to enable children to tackle challenges and take risks positively. We recognise that making a mistake is a fundamental part of the learning process.

Excited and motivated to achieve

We BELIEVE our school days should be filled with joy, excitement and fun. A rich and

relevant curriculum is designed to broaden the life experiences of our children. We provide a safe environment that stimulates and excites, and promotes an ethos where children and adults are confident to smile ahead of challenges.

Leading a healthy, responsible lifestyle

We BELIEVE we should all be responsible citizens. We endeavour to equip children with

the knowledge and skills to enable them to make informed decisions and take responsibility for their own choices and actions in an ever changing society.

Individually contributing to make a difference

We BELIEVE everyone has a positive contribution to make to our school and community.

We support each child and family to make positive, individual choices in order to raise overall standards across school. We celebrate significant personal achievements whilst enabling children to be important contributors within a successful team.

Excellent communicators

We BELIEVE communication is a crucial life skill which we embed in all areas of the

curriculum. Adults and children develop and share ideas, and listen to each other. In learning and social time, the art of communicating effectively is of the upmost importance. Children are encouraged to ask questions to become curious and independent learners. Through listening to all stakeholders, we ensure that we provide the best for the children at William Booth.

Valued and respected members of our community

We BELIEVE every child and adult at William Booth is entitled to be respected. We actively

promote a culture of tolerance and respect, and celebrate diversity. Every opportunity is

5

taken to bring visitors into school and for our learning to support the local community. We constantly strive to be a school that our community is proud to call its own.

Expected to aim high

We BELIEVE everyone has the potential for personal greatness. It is our responsibility to

ensure that every child at William Booth believes they have the ability to learn and the self-assurance to solve problems and overcome difficulties. We teach the children that they can aspire to be anything that they want to be and that their future has no limits.

Together, we are William Booth! Links with parents and carers

We value very highly the role of parents and know that you are your child’s first and most important educator. We therefore welcome parents and carers in to school at any time. Upon admission, we ask all our parents/carers and children to sign a home school agreement. This supports our partnership work. Parents/carers are particularly welcomed at our Friday Family Assemblies

(9.15am) where the school comes together to celebrate the children’s efforts and achievements. You will be invited to attend a parents evening in the autumn and spring term and will receive an annual progress report about your child in the summer term. In addition, we hold regular parent workshops and information meetings that we encourage you to attend to help you learn more about how the school works to support your child.

There is a thriving Toddler Group (Mini Boothers) on Tuesday mornings – all parents with pre-nursery children are welcome to join in. On occasions, we have free adult classes and courses that take place, arranged in partnership with New College, Nottingham, Surestart or other agencies. These often include a free crèche and are always well publicised and open to all school parents.

School Dress It is our firm opinion that school uniform raises our sense of school identity. The school and its Governors expect all children to wear the full school uniform. This policy is enforced throughout the school (with the exception of our nursery children). Clothing with the school logo is available at our school office. The choice of school wear is wide enough to give parents a realistic flexibility. Jeans, hooded tops, tracksuit bottoms, three quarter or full leggings, fashion wear and items sporting logos are not accepted. We also require children to wear appropriate footwear which should be dark in colour with no fluorescent laces, and obviously, high heeled shoes or strappy sandals for girls in the summer term are considered dangerous and therefore unacceptable too. A full list of appropriate colours and clothing can be obtained from our school office when your child is admitted to our school.

6

Jewellery: Children may only wear stud earrings or very small sleepers and a watch, all of which must be removed for P.E., Games and Swimming. No other jewellery may be worn unless for religious reasons.

You may note that it is a requirement that children are suitably dressed with a change of appropriate kit for P.E., Games and Swimming including footwear. Children are expected to look after their clothes and make sure that all items have nametags.

Ofsted The school was last inspected by OFSTED in January 2014. Some of the main findings were that:-

The school is a GOOD school.

Standards are rising rapidly and pupils are making good progress in all age groups.

Carefully considered support for all pupils helps them to improve quickly.

Behaviour is good throughout the school and lessons are interesting.

Teaching is good and outstanding and staff work very closely together.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of subjects and the rich mix of after-school activities.

Parents strongly agree that the school is led and managed well. Curriculum The curriculum at William Booth Primary and Nursery School has been designed in collaboration with children, staff, parents, Governors and the wider school community. The curriculum builds upon the core values and aims of BELIEVE, alongside our school GEMS, and provides opportunities and situations for children to practice and develop these skills and attributes throughout their time at school. Encompassing this alongside the knowledge rich, concept driven curriculum, we endeavour to create successful global citizens ready for 21st century life. A variety of experiences and opportunities are provided for all children to enrich the curriculum, broaden their horizons and raise aspiration. Creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking are key features of our curriculum that build upon the characteristics of effective learning which are nurtured and embedded in the Early Years. Reading underpins all learning and is a strong feature across all subjects. The desire to encourage a love of reading is vital in the William Booth curriculum. Embracing the rich diversity of the school, we aim to develop every child as an individual and strive for excellence for all. More details of the curriculum can be found on the school’s website including current planning documents for all year groups. www.williambooth.nottingham.sch.uk

7

Internet Access All children are actively encouraged to use Information Technology in all areas of the curriculum. Most children will access the internet as part of their studies. School has a detailed E-Safety Policy outlining procedures and guidelines for its use. This policy is regularly reviewed to ensure it accounts for new technologies. Religious Education Policy We are proud of the range of religions our families represent. Our provision focuses upon raising children’s awareness and understanding of a range of faiths to support their life in a multicultural society. To support this aim, we ensure a range of religious festivals and celebrations are celebrated throughout the academic year on a whole school basis through assemblies and classroom activities in order to accurately reflect our religious diversity. The content of Religious Education is based on the agreed syllabus of the Local Authority, which may be reviewed in the near future. The school will make arrangements for parents to exercise their right for withdrawal of their children from religious worship or instruction if required, and discuss alternative arrangements. Relationships and Sex Education Our delivery of Relationships and Sex Education is in accordance with recommendations, advice and guidance. ‘At the primary stage, the aim should be to prepare pupils to cope with the physical and emotional changes of growing up and to give them an elementary understanding of human reproduction. Pupils’ questions should be answered sensitively; due consideration should be given to any particular religious or cultural factors bearing on the discussions of sexual issues and to parents’ wishes as to the degree of explicitness of the concepts and the presentation to be used.’ All topics at William Booth are covered with suitable discussion and a range of activities. Class teachers, with the support from teaching assistants, deliver the RSE curriculum to their own class. Each parent/carer will receive a letter outlining the content of the RSE theme being studied. There will also be an opportunity for each parent/carer to come and view the materials to be shown to their children. The lessons are not compulsory and parents may withdraw their children if they wish by speaking to the class teacher. Sporting Activity PE is taught in school from Nursery up to and including Year 6. Our aim is that all children should be doing at least 2 hours of PE in school a week. At William Booth we work to the National Curriculum and ensure that appropriate time is spent in the different disciplines of:- dance, gymnastics, invasion games, net and wall games, striking and fielding games, swimming and athletics.

8

PE time takes place in the school hall, games sessions on the school yard and all children from Year 1 to Year 6 swim for half a term each year at Victoria Swimming Baths. As part of London 2012 Olympic funding, we have been given money to put towards PE and Sport. This money is being used to fund a qualified sports coach to work with all classes throughout the school over a day and a half each week. This has significantly enhanced our sporting provision across school. Children across key stage 1 and key stage 2 take part in a variety of competitions, from football to gymnastics. We also attend various Trust sporting events such as the Fun Run. In year 5, four children become sports leaders, helping our sport coach and P.E. subject leader. Arts We endeavour to promote an appreciation of the Arts in school. This may include visits to galleries, concerts and the theatre. Visiting artists provide an enlightening experience for pupils and the school choir exemplifies the high standard of achievement that is possible within school.

We pride ourselves in our music provision across the school and are delighted to participate in the ‘In Harmony’ music project that only 4 schools within the city are privileged to be a part of. This project means that all children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 are taught how to play a cello, violin and viola by professional musicians for up to 3 hours per week. Performances for parents to celebrate the talents of our children are a regular feature in our annual calendar and we feel sure that you will be impressed by the high standards that are reached in this area.

Extra-curricular activities and residential

Children benefit from other activities out of school such as a wide and varied range of sports

clubs, art and craft groups, science clubs, maths club, school choir, booster clubs, study

support and reading clubs.

Our aim is to provide our children with a varied menu for all ages throughout the school year. The school monitors coverage and attendance to ensure these aims are met, and targets children who seem to not access these wonderful opportunities. A further example of our commitment to providing our pupils with a wide range of enrichment opportunities are our three established residentials. Current provision includes:-

Year 2 & 3 pupils - 2 nights, 3 days at Hathersage Youth Hostel in the

Derbyshire Peak District

Year 4 & 5 pupils - PGL activity weekend at Caythorpe Court, Grantham

Year 6 pupils - 2 nights, 3 days at Thameside Youth Hostel, London including access to museums, attractions and theatres

9

The Governing Body has decided to use the Pupil Premium Grant to ensure that children eligible for this grant access these wonderful opportunities at heavily subsidised prices.

Homework

We hope and expect that parents will take a very active interest in their child’s learning at

school, and seek to support it as much as possible.

All children at William Booth are expected to Rock n Read daily. Rock n Read is an initiative

that rewards children for the amount of reading that they undertake. We expect all children

to read for at least ten minutes every day. Reading Records are to be completed and

brought to school every day in a child’s book bag along with their reading book. Further

information on Rock n Read is available in a leaflet from the school office, along with the

purchasing of book bags which cost £4.40.

Children in years 1 – 6 are also expected to complete homework on Mathletics (a computer

based maths programme) as well as practicing spellings and times tables weekly.

At William Booth School, we want to encourage children and parents to have positive

attitudes towards learning at home and to enjoy reading and other homework activities.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) William Booth is a very inclusive school. We are experienced in working with children with a wide range of special needs including learning difficulties, physical disabilities, communication and interaction difficulties including Autistic Spectrum Disorder and social, emotional and mental health difficulties, which can at times be displayed as behavioural difficulties. We believe that children with special educational needs have the right to a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum, and to be educated alongside other children.

We have high expectations of all our children and we aim for all children to achieve their full potential. We recognise that some children may require additional support and/or resources in order to meet their full potential. The provision for all pupils in our school is based on the needs of the child, therefore we are able to provide experiences and opportunities that are relevant and motivating, and ensure progress for all children.

We respect the fact that all children may have a special educational need at some time during their lives. We monitor the progress of all pupils throughout their time at school. When pupils are not making expected progress, we have a wide range of interventions available to support the children in achieving their full potential. Interventions within school

10

may be a short term provision for some children, while other children may need additional interventions in particular areas throughout their school career.

We believe that parents and carers have a vital role to play in supporting their child’s learning, and we will work in partnership with parents and carers of all children. We also work closely with professionals from external agencies to ensure that all children receive the most appropriate support during their time at William Booth School.

Out of School Care We run a Breakfast Club (7.45am-8.45am) which is open to all children at school. There are a range of activities and games organised as well as providing children with a healthy breakfast. The club is held within the school building and the children are cared for by school staff. The cost is as follows:- Breakfast club - £3.50 this includes breakfast of cereal, toast and fruit juice. For further information about this club, please see the school Office and request an Out of School Care brochure. Advance bookings are required for this club and this must be undertaken through the school Office. The Office also holds information about afterschool care within the local area. In addition, there is also a free ‘Early Birds’ breakfast club available everyday to all children at school. Children should arrive between 8.15am and 8.30am. Cereals, toast and juice are provided and there is no need to book a place for this club. Attendance

As outlined in the William Booth Primary School Attendance Policy, it is stated that: “At William Booth we look to promote regular attendance and punctuality as part of creating an effective school that is committed to raising educational standards and the levels of achievement of all its pupils. In order to achieve this, children and young people need to attend school regularly and be

equipped to learn.” Therefore, in full support of our Attendance Policy, the school continues to address the issue of absence both authorised and unauthorised in a pro-active manner. For further details please ask our office for a full copy of the William Booth Attendance Policy.

Attendance is monitored electronically, using the office computer, and this enables us to highlight areas of concern, which we are able to draw to the attention of the Education Welfare Officer. Our main concern is the safety of our children and we need to know why a child has not arrived at school. We ask parents to inform school as to the reason for a child’s absence as soon as practicable. If we have not received notification of a child’s absence, our school Office will send out a School Comms text to inform them that their child is not at school and make further telephone contact if necessary.

11

Our school Attendance Officer, Tom Buckmaster, works very closely with the school providing support and challenge to families to ensure all children have good attendance and punctuality. The Head Teacher is unable to authorise absence for such activities as shopping or visiting the hairdresser etc. If an absence remains unexplained, it will be recorded as unauthorised and will show on the child’s record and school report. The Education Welfare Officer will be made aware of such absences. Furthermore, as per the Attendance Policy, schools can no longer authorise holidays during term time. Families who choose to take their child out of school during term time will be issued with a penalty notice. A change in Government policy, that falls in line with and supports our school’s philosophy, states that all pupils with an attendance rate of 90% and below are considered as persistent absentees. This is now the trigger for more formal procedures and engagement with the Educational Welfare Service. How are classes organised? Foundation Stage Class N Nursery (mostly part timers, with some children accessing a full time place) Class R Reception (full timers) Key Stage 1 Class 1 Year 1 Class 2 Year 2 Lower Key Stage 2 Class 3 Year 3 Class 4 Year 4 Upper Key Stage 2 Class 5 Year 5 Class 6 Year 6 Each Key Stage has teaching assistants that support small groups and individual children. Session times The school has a nursery class that encompasses children from 3 to 4 years of age. We offer parents of nursery children 15 hours provision over five days. Part-time places allow a maximum of 26 children in each session, morning and afternoon. Morning sessions: 8:40am – 11:40am Afternoon sessions: 11:55am – 2:55pm If parents are eligible for the 30 hour funding, children are offered a full time place. The session time for the Reception class is 8:40am -2:55pm. The session times for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are 8.45am-3.00pm. Chidlren have a lunch break and years 1-4 have an afternoon break The school gates open at 8.30am. Parents are responsible for their child until 8.45am when the whistle is blown. Parents are also responsible for the arrangements for their child’s

12

return home at the end of the school day. Children are expected to be on the playground at 8.40am ready to line up to go into school as the whistle is blown at 8.45am.

Food in school As part of a scheme being run by the Government, all children in Reception, year 1 and year

2 are entitled to a free school dinner. We are very excited about this offer and would like to encourage all families to participate. Most other children in school have a school dinner, but children can bring their own packed lunch if you wish. We run a cafeteria style system, which allows children a good choice every day. If you are paying for school meals (year 3 upwards), please send the exact money on Monday – in an

envelope clearly labelled with your child’s name. The cost is £2.15 per day (£10.75 per week). If you are in receipt of benefits and eligible for free school meals, it is important to complete the relevant forms; please ask at the office if you have any questions about this. This is separate to the scheme above. Milk and Fruit provision in Foundation Stage and KS1 Children up to the age of 5 are provided with free milk; children in years 1 and 2 who have free meals are also eligible for free milk. For non-free school meal children, milk costs £11.10 per term. We belong to the National School Fruit Scheme, which means every child in FS and KS1 is provided with a free piece of fruit every day. Fruit provision in KS2 Children in Key Stage 2 are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school or to access our water fountain. We run a tuck shop during morning break time and the children have the opportunity to purchase a small snack of toast, bagel or fruit, for no more than 20p. KS2 children have to be responsible for their money and keep it in a purse or wallet in their bag. Behaviour The school’s Positive Behaviour Policy, which is available to all parents, lists rules and discipline arrangements. A good standard of behaviour, punctuality and attendance is expected. Parents are expected to support the policy of non-retaliatory and non-aggressive behaviour in children. All children are aware of our whole school rules; they are frequently referred to and are displayed in classrooms and corridors.

We believe all children have a right to as much positive praise as possible. We also believe children have a responsibility to ensure their behaviour does not hinder their learning or that of their peers. We celebrate positive successes during weekly Star of the Week Assemblies for KS1 and KS2, a whole school family assembly and regularly give out whole class and individual rewards for attendance and punctuality. As a last resort school may use exclusion procedures in accordance with National Guidelines.

13

Safeguarding

At William Booth we are committed to the safeguarding of individuals. We fully recognise the contribution we can make to protect children and support pupils in school. Our aim is to safeguard and promote pupils’ welfare, safety and health by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate. The pupils’ welfare is of paramount importance.

The school adopts an open and accepting attitude towards children as part of its responsibility for pastoral care. The staff hope that children and parents/carers will feel free to talk about any concerns and will see school as a safe place when there are difficulties. Children’s worries and fears are taken seriously and children are encouraged to seek help from members of staff.

Every school is required to refer their concerns to the Social Care Department. While we will seek, in general, to discuss these concerns with the family and, where possible seek agreement prior to making the referral, this will only be done where such discussion and agreement seeking will not possibly place a child at increased risk of significant harm. This procedure is intended to protect children from abuse. When we refer a concern about a pupil to the social care department we are not accusing the parents/carers of abuse, but requesting that further enquiries take place and that any necessary help and support is provided.

Our Visitor and Volunteer Policy is an integral part of our safeguarding arrangements. Its implementation ensures parents/carers and visitors are welcome into school whilst ensuring all our pupils are safe. The school’s safeguarding policy is available on request and is accessible on the school website.

Complaints Should you have any concerns about the school, we would hope that communication between school and home is such that parents would always approach school (the Head Teacher or appropriate member of staff) to discuss them before recourse to the formal procedures. Where a complaint cannot be resolved informally, the complainant should write to the Chair of the Governing Body at the school, marked clearly for his/her attention. The school adhere to Transform Trust’s Complaints procedure and a copy of this can be found on the school website. And finally… Thank you for reading this far! We have tried to make the prospectus useful and user-friendly. Obviously, there is no substitute for making personal contact and looking round the school; we always welcome current and prospective parents. As a current or prospective parent, please let us know if you need any further help or information.

Please note: All information is valid at the time of printing and any anticipated changes have

been included, but please be aware that there may be changes to school arrangements during

the school year.