Newton Tony Church of England Primary School

P R O S P E C T U S“Newton Tony is a good school.” OFSTED 2015

“ Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the care and education their children receive, a typical comment being, “ This is a brilliant school, and I wouldn’t send my children to any other .” Parents fully appreciate the high level of communication between school and home” OFSTED 2015

“ Although this is a small school, pupils have access to a rich and diverse range of extra activities, ranging from tennis to calligraphy. This supports their personal development and well-being to great effect.” OFSTED 2015

December 2015

FROM THE HEADTEACHER

Our aim at Newton Tony is to offer all our children a full and balanced education in a friendly atmosphere of co-operation, which also encourages a sound work ethic and a desire to learn.

Our Governing body, school, staff and local community have one priority; to ensure that life at Newton Tony prepares the children in our care socially, spiritually and academically for later life. Every child is treated as an individual.

We are a small school with all the positive features a small school can offer, a close-knit community atmosphere where everyone’s contributions are valued. In many ways we are like a family where our children take great pride in our

school and care deeply for the welfare of their fellow pupils.

As a Church of England school we enjoy close links with the St Andrews Church in Newton Tony. The children visit the church every week to attend a service conducted by the Bourne Valley Team Ministry.

I would like to encourage you to visit us at Newton Tony, and offers to help in the classroom, visits, trips and extracurricular activities are always welcomed by our staff and children.

The local community plays a vital role in school life at Newton Tony, the school lies at the heart of our community and the villagers are rightly proud of their school and support it consistently. The Friends of Newton Tony School (FONTS) work tirelessly to support our school, raising funds and organising events within the community.

If you have any worries or concerns, please do not hesitate to come and see me, I will always try to see visitors on a drop in basis, but on occasions an appointment may be necessary.

At Newton Tony we have a special ethos that we cherish and use to guide our everyday work. Every child is unique and special, to us EVERY CHILD REALLY DOES MATTER!

Gay Clark

Head teacher

FROM THE CHAIR OF GOVERNORS

Newton Tony Primary School was described as a 'a small, precious jewel' by an inspector.

I agree. I trust the school to nurture, teach and develop the twomost precious things in my life, my children.

It is a unique place for all our children to grow and realise theirfull potential educationally, spiritually and socially.

The school has been rated 'Good' by Ofsted and the Church SIASinspections. It is praised as providing a safe, caring andstimulating environment.

Our small, mixed classes work extremely effectively, delivering higherthan average academic results. The classes also give each child asense of their own unique value. Every child matters and each one isencouraged to have strong confidence in their abilities, supported bytheir friends of all ages, teachers and governors. Many pupils andparents comment that the school feels like an extended family. Theschool really does integrate hand in glove with the community aroundit. Pupils, teachers, parents, governors and village folk all play animportant hands on role at the school, which in turn develops thechildren into active participants in the wider community.For my children, I cannot think of a better place to be.

Keith Foster

OUR SCHOOLAddress: Newton Tony C of E Primary School

Newton TonySalisburyWiltshireSP4 0HF

E-Mail: head@newtontony.wilts.sch.uk

admin@newtontony.wilts.sch.uk

Telephone: (01980) 629232

Fax: (01980) 629232

Head teacher: Mrs Gay Clark

School Staff: Miss Rebecca Holden – FS and Year 1 – Robins Mrs Jo Hillier – Year 2 /3 - Woodpeckers Mrs Terry Moore - Years 4/5/6 – Eagles

Mrs Shirley Anderson – HLTA/MDSA Mrs Sam Richardson – Teaching Assistant

Mrs Emma Taylor- Teaching Assistant /MDSA Mrs Debbi Jenkins – Teaching Assistant

Mrs Karen Andrews – Admin Officer

Governors: Mr Keith Price – Parent Governor Mrs Mollie Price – Foundation Governor Mr Graham Piper – Parent Governor

Mr Stuart Andrews-Parent Governor Miss Debbie Mason- Smith- Community Governor Mrs Gill Cartwright -

- Teacher Governor Mrs Gay Clark – Head teacher Mrs Alison Adamson – Clerk to Governor

“Governors keep themselves well informed of educational changes to make certain that school policies are compliant with current legislation.” OFSTED 2015

OUR MISSION STATEMENTAt the heart of our school is the provision of an inclusive learning environment, with opportunities to give all our children a love of learning, inquisitive minds, appropriate skills and adaptability to an ever changing world.We aim to capture the magic of all children and encourage them to flourish, building their self-esteem in a caring, safe and secure environment.We will strive to embrace Christianity in the ethos of the school, and welcome and respect all faiths. We will help each child to develop a spiritual awareness that makes them receptive to the different cultures in our diverse world.We aim that each child will leave our school, equipped for lifelong learning remembering it with happiness.

SCHOOL AIMS

We are kind, caring and respectful to each other. We are tolerant and accepting of different opinions and beliefs.

We offer a creative, academic curriculum which meets the needs of all our children.

We provide a secure, healthy and happy environment where children flourish building their self-esteem.

We strive to work together to achieve the best we possibly can for our school and ourselves.

We encourage children to be aware of and curious about their environment in a local, national and global sense.

Revised and agreed by all staff in September 2009 and updated in the Teaching and Learning Committee in January 2011.

ADMISSIONS

We follow the guide to admissions set out by Wiltshire Council.

Children whose 5th birthday falls between 1st September and 31st August the following year will be accepted into school in September at the beginning of the academic year in which they are 5.

When your child is due to start school, s/he will be invited into school for several half day visits in the previous term so that s/he can become familiar with the teachers, other children and the school buildings.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Our recommended school uniform consists of the following:

Girls: Purple School sweatshirt/ jumper/ cardigan with school logoGrey or black skirt or pinaforeWhite polo shirt with school logoSmart grey or black trousersPurple /white gingham dress (summer)Black shoes

Boys: Purple School sweatshirt/jumper Grey or black trousersWhite polo shirt with school logoGrey or black shorts (summer)Black shoes

PE Kit: Navy blue shortsWhite PE t-shirt with school logoPlimsolls for gymnastic activitiesTrainers for outdoor games and activitiesAbsolutely NO jewellery is to be worn for PE. If earrings cannot be removed, they must be covered with surgical tape or plasters before PE.

The school sweatshirts and polo shirts and reading bags can be ordered online

THE SCHOOL DAY

The School day begins at 8.55am and continues through to 3.15pm. Parents are requested not to bring children to school before 8.45am, although with advanced warning, special arrangements can be made.

Children are welcomed into school from 8.45 am and go straight to their classroom. The register closes at 9.05am, any child arriving after the register has closed (without prior arrangement) will be marked late.

Lunch takes place from 12.15pm until 1.15pm

SCHOOL MEALS

Foundation Stage and KS1 pupils have lunch provided by school. It may take the form of a packed picnic lunch or a hot meal. KS2 pupils bring lunch from home and this is eaten under supervision in the school or outside on fine days. Our school follows the healthy eating policy and we encourage our children to eat healthily.

All children are looked after throughout lunchtime by a Midday Supervisor and the teaching staff. The teachers are always available to deal with any emergencies.

MID MORNING BREAK

Fruit is provided for pupils in KS1 and KS2. Children are not encouraged to bring anything else to eat at break time.

CURRICULUM

We offer a broad and balanced curriculum to all our pupils. We want to challenge all our children to achieve their very best.

English, maths, science and ICT are the core areas of the curriculum and the areas we concentrate on. Teachers plan on a termly and weekly basis for their mixed age range classes. We place great emphasis on reading, both learning to read as well as reading for enjoyment and information. Children are given individual targets to aspire to in the core areas and teachers encourage children to do their best.

As well as learning skills, ICT is integrated into as many areas of the curriculum as possible. We are fortunate to have 8 laptops bought by FONTS in 2014. As a result we now have a laptop or desktop for every two pupils in our school.

Science is practical and investigative. Children learn how to plan their investigations, evaluating results in an appropriate and logical way. They are encouraged to think through problems, propose solutions and to critically question their own ideas and those of others. Children do much of their learning using a topic approach where we incorporate as many areas of the curriculum as we can. History, Geography, design technology and art all lend themselves to this approach. Children are actively encouraged to learn in a more meaningful way, through first-hand experience using a variety of methods and resources. Some of the topics used have been Space, Healthy Me, Rain Forest, Egyptians, World War 2 and Mini-beasts to name a few.

The topic approach is fun and enjoyable and children make links through this joined-up way of learning. At Newton Tony, we make learning hands-on as we know many children learn by experimenting and using a practical approach.

Specialist music teachers are employed to teach each class. The children look forward to their class music lessons where a range of tuned and un-tuned percussion is played. Children are offered individual music lessons in guitar. French is taught in KS2 .

All children take part in physical education. We offer a variety of activities such as football, gymnastics, dance, orienteering, swimming, hockey, cricket and tennis as part of the year long programme.

We believe children learn best when the learning is fun, enjoyable and …………… exciting!!

NATIONAL CURRICULUM ASSESSMENT

In the Foundation Stage where children learn through seven areas of learning these are:

Personal, social and emotional development, Communication. language and literacy, Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy, Knowledge and understanding of the world, Creative development Physical development.

From Newton Tony, our pupils attend a range of schools, Stonehenge, St Edmund’s, and those who have passed the 11+ attend the local grammar schools

“ Through high-quality support and challenge to staff, outcomes for children in Early Years have risen significantly. This is evident in the proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of each year. This ensures they are well prepared for Year 1.” OFSTED 2015

“ Teachers plan interesting lessons which excite and motivate pupils.” OFSTED 2015

“ Equality of opportunity is embedded in all aspect of the school. Teachers have high expectations of each individual pupil. “ OFSTED 2015

“

READING BOOKS

The habit of study at home for a given period each day is a good one and one that children need to develop.

We very much appreciate your co-operation in encouraging your child to read. It is absolutely essential for children to develop good reading habits by reading regularly at home. This is especially important for children who have not achieved fluency. Together we can help your child become a proficient reader.

The Reading Record Book that your child will bring home along with the reading book will provide you with strategies to use when hearing your child read. It will also provide you with the opportunity to write any comments you would like to make, particularly praise for your child’s efforts.

Our well stocked and regularly updated Library offers children a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts. The Wiltshire Schools’ Mobile Library visits Newton Tony every fortnight. Children can borrow books from the mobile Library that carries a massive

selection of established and new texts.

HOME LEARNING

It is the policy of the school to give regular home learning. Key Stage 1 children take home their reading books every day and we ask parents to comment on their child’s reading. Year 1 and 2 children have weekly home learning or Mathletics, a web based maths resource is now available from Year 1 onwards.

At Key Stage 2, the children are encouraged to read at home every evening. Other home learning is set on a weekly basis. Mathletics, a web based maths resource is available for all children to access from their home computers. The home learning becomes more challenging as the children go from Year 3 to Year 6.

“ Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning and the many varied activities in which they participate. They welcome their teachers’ feedback to help them improve their learning . They work hard during lessons.” OFSTED 2015

SCHOOL VISITS & CHARGING

In general, all activities within school time which are part of the curriculum are free. However, where extra materials are needed, such as cooking, a small charge may be applied to cover the expenses. Parents will be informed when such a charge is applied.

Under the 1988 Education Reform Act, schools are no longer able to charge for educational visits. Because ours is a small school with limited funds and because we see such visits as part of our ‘hands on’ approach to education, this means that we must ask for voluntary contributions.

Parents who have any difficulty in making voluntary contributions are requested to talk confidentially to the head teacher. Please rest assured that no child will be excluded from any activity purely because of any inability to pay.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

At Newton Tony we have a renewed commitment to providing extracurricular activities for our children outside curriculum hours.

Extracurricular activities, and in particular team sports and games, help nurture a sense of commitment and team spirit. We encourage our children to take a full and active role in sport and games, both in and out of school hours.

Other extracurricular activities available to our pupils include, Media Club, ICT, Football, Construction, Snack Attack, Athletics Gardening, cookery and Kwik Cricket clubs. We try to make our activities open to all age groups but, at times, we need to limit activities to specific age groups with regards to our health and safety policy and public liability insurance.

TRANSFER TO SECONDARY SCHOOL

At the end of the school year in which a child has had their eleventh birthday (Year 6) they transfer to a secondary school. In the term before they are due to transfer, the Head of Year or

another representative from the school will visit the children in this school. There will also be an opportunity for parents and children to visit their new school during this term.

This is a very important time for your child and your attendance at these meetings is vital, even if you already have a child at the school. Each individual member of the family will need parental support in helping them to prepare for transfer and to make this successful.

ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL

Please send a note or telephone message to explain your child’s absence from school. We appreciate this courtesy and also feel it is a sensible safeguard against a child absenting himself from school without the knowledge of the parents or the school.

We would also be grateful if you would inform us in writing or verbally if you intend to collect your child during school hours in order to attend an appointment. For obvious safety reasons we are unable to release a child from school unless they are accompanied by an adult. If we do not receive a message we will contact you on the 1st day of absence to ensure you are aware that your child is not at school.

We ask parents and families to avoid removing their children from school during term time, however we do understand that a family holiday is very important and not always possible during term time due to parents work commitments.

MEDICAL MATTERS

We would request that children are not sent to school if they feel unwell. If your child is taken ill at school we will contact you by telephone where possible using the home number and, failing that, the mother’s/father’s mobile or work number.

It is very important that we should be informed in writing of any medical problems that your child might have. A child with certain problems such as diabetes or chronic asthma may be

at risk if we do not have the information we need.

Routine checks on vision, hearing, height and weight are carried out from time to time. The School Health Team and the School Nurse carry out all medical checks.

MEDICINES

If prescribed medicines need to be administered to children in school time, we require a form to be filled in stating full instructions about dosage, times etc. This includes the use of inhalers. Written instructions plus the drugs should be handed to the Admin Officer or Head teacher at the start of the school day. If you wish to see our Policy on this subject, please ask.

ACCIDENTS IN SCHOOL

Children do have accidents in school, as they do at home, even though we are particularly watchful at all times. If your child has an accident which warrants treatment you will be contacted about it. In an emergency, they will be taken to hospital and again you will be contacted. Where necessary, minor first aid will be administered in school.

BEHAVIOUR

Good discipline is essential for one’s own personal learning and to ensure that other children’s education is not disrupted. We therefore encourage children at all times to behave in a manner that will bring credit to themselves, to their family and to our school.

HEALTHY SCHOOL

At Newton Tony we are proud to be a Healthy School and this is promoted through healthy eating at break and lunchtimes and exercise both at school and out of school.

FRIENDS OF NEWTON TONY SCHOOL (FONTS)

Friends of Newton Tony School (FONTS) are a committee which organises fund-raising events for the benefit of the school.

The Friends of Newton Tony play a vital role in school life. Made up of parents and our friends from within the local community, FONTS give their time and effort to raise the profile of the Newton Tony School in the local community and

generate substantial income on behalf of the school in order to provide resources, equipment and fund capital projects such as building and refurbishments around the school.

At present, the role of chair is shared.

Mrs Karen Andrews and Mrs Emma Taylor.

NEWTON TONY CHURCH OF ENGLAND VOLUNTARY CONTROLLED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Newton Tony School is a church school with core Christian values at its heart. We welcome other faiths and denominations into our school. The school holds a collective Act of Worship each day. Once a week, the pupils visit, St. Andrew’s Church for a service taken by the Bourne Valley Team.

Attendance at Collective Worship is voluntary and parents can withdraw their children if they wish.

Perhaps the best recommendations of our school should come from the views of the children .

“ Pupils are happy to come to school and this is reflected in their regular and improving attendance. They say it is a happy and caring place. They feel safe and well supported and enjoy their learning. Pupils listen attentively and

contribute confidently in lessons.” OFSTED 2015

“’Every Child Matters’ are profoundly understood by all stakeholders and are modelled in the exemplary relationships within the school community.”

SIAS REPORT 2011 now renamed the SIAMS Report

WHAT IS A SIAMS INSPECTION?

All church schools have to inspect to ensure that the school is fulfilling the Trust Deed that established the school in the first place. In essence its asks the following questions

'So you're a Church School ... So What?'

How is this school any different from a community school?

What will my children gain from attending a church school?

What did SIAS say about Newton Tony School in March 2011?

“The core Christian values which lie at the heart of provision, encapsulated in the school’s belief that ‘Every Child Matters’ are profoundly understood by all stakeholders and are modelled in the exemplary relationships within the school community.” Because of this

clarity of understanding, the children have a clear blue print to follow in their interactions with peers and adults and demonstrate maturity, empathy and sensitivity.”

SIAS REPORT 2011

“The children feel that collective worship ‘teaches everyone to pray and worship’ and this ‘influences’ them, even why leave school.”

SIAS REPORT 2011

“The Christian values incorporated in the school’s vision that ‘Every Child Matters’ are threaded through many aspects of school life and the words of the children themselves are a striking witness of this.” SIAS REPORT 2011

St Andrew’s Church in Newton Tony

Our church and school are in the Bourne Valley Team – a ribbon of 6 parishes from Cholderton to the edge of Ford. This is part of the Deanery of Alderbury and in the Diocese of Salisbury.

Our school and church work closely together and we enjoy a close relationship. Our school is really important to the church and we take our responsibilities for finding foundation governors, supporting the school and all its members seriously. The Team of churches in the Bourne Valley supports families and young people in many ways, should you want to find out more please contact Vanda – details below

Sunday worship

First Sunday 9.30am Matins from the Book of Common Prayer (1662)

Second Sunday 8am Holy Communion from Book of Common Prayer (1662)

Third Sunday 9.30am Family Communion or Family Service

Fourth Sunday 9.30am Holy Communion from Book of Common Prayer (1662)

*Fifth Sundays 10am Team Service venues to be announced.

Other events:We have a thriving Sunday Club that offers interactive learning and fun through its monthly programme for children and young people. Further details from Alastair Endersby by email alastairendersby@hotmail.com

For details of baptism, marriage, house blessings and RE homework please contact the Team Vicar Revd. Peter Ostli-East 01980 611350 or email ostlieast@googlemail.com

We have a regular Fair Trade Stalls.

Little Fishes Toddler Group meets Monthly on Tuesdays in Porton Church Hall at 11am.

We have a team of 3 people who are trained as parenting support facilitators. To find out more please call!

We have a youth group for Year Six plus young people which meets monthly. All welcome!

We also have special services which families often enjoy during the year such as the Pet Service, Christingle, Toy Service and Crib service.

Also for the parents we have a monthly book swap on the 1stMonday of each month 10-12noon. In Church you will find a warm welcome, free tea and coffee with biscuits and a chance to browse among the hundreds of title for a book to borrow free of charge.

Who is who?

Team Vicar: Revd Peter Ostli-East, The Vicarage, Winterbourne Earls, Salisbury, Wilts SP4 6HA 01980 611350 email: ostlieast@googlemail.com

Associate Priest: Revd Dr David Coates, 2 Matthews Close, Bishopdown, Salisbury SP1 3FJ 01722 325944 email: dmc50@waitrose.com

Lay Licensed Ministers (Readers)

Anthea Davies 01980 610539 email: antheadavi@googlemail.com

Henry Head 01980 611668 email: henryhead@live.co.uk

Christopher Watts 01722 501072 email: c.watts187@nltworld.com

We have a team of people licensed folk who take assemblies in school every week.

There are 4 schools in the Bourne Valley. Peter is the ex officio governor of St Nicholas Porton and Winterbourne Earls.