School information
and thank you for your interest in Frant Church of England Primary School.
We are a church school proud to be a part of a thriving village community. Through small year groups and a close-knit team of high calibre staff, we pride ourselves on being able to offer your child an education tailored specifically to his or her individual needs.
This booklet is intended to give you an idea of the nature of our school to help you to decide whether it is the school you will choose for your child. This is an important decision, and we hope you will find the booklet helpful when making it. If you have questions which are not answered within these pages, please contact us and we will do our best to provide you with the answers you require.
Starting school is an exciting time for a child and often an anxious time for parents. We look forward to working together to help all of our children settle happily into their new surroundings and to begin to embrace and enjoy their formal education.
Joanna Challis- Acting Executive Headteacher
David Robson - Chair of Governors
Our village church has close links with the School. We hold services on special occasions through the church calendar, such as the celebrations of Harvest, Christmas and Easter in the church. A Leavers’ Service is held in the church each July and our Year Six children participate in a Diocesan Leavers’ service each year.
We are a Church of England school and we strive to provide a setting where Christian values are paramount.
Our vision highlights how we want to offer all our children happy and thriving place to learn. We are very proud of all our children and the support they give to each other.
In all of the work that we do, we believe that the rights, safety and welfare of the children with whom we are involved are paramount. We have certain professional and statutory responsibilities in this regard which always put the child's needs first.
Our equality scheme brings together schemes and action plans for meeting our statutory duties in Gender and Disability equality, whilst also going beyond those to cover any aspect where there is the potential to discriminate against individuals. The scheme is inclusive of our whole school community including children, staff, parents/carers and visitors. Our overall aims are
-to eliminate discrimination and harassment
-to promote equality of access within our school and our wider community
-to promote positive attitudes to difference and good relationships between people with different backgrounds, cultures, faiths, abilities and ethnic origins.
Children are grouped in classes according to age. With only four classes it is necessary to include children from more than one educational year (September 1st to August 31st) in one class. Our preferred arrangement is:
Chestnuts: Reception
Beech: Years 1 and 2
Hazel: Years 3 and 4
Oak: Years 5 and 6
The different stages of learning.
Early Years Foundation Stage: From birth until the end of the child’s first year at school (year including 5th birthday)
Key Stage One: Years One and Two (including 6th & 7th birthdays)
Key Stage Two: Years Three, Four, Five and Six (including 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th birthdays)
East Sussex County Council is prepared to admit children into school in the September prior to them reaching statutory school age. All children may attend full time from September, although parents may choose for them to attend mornings only (8.55am – 12 pm) until the January or April that precedes their fifth birthday.
https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/educationandlearning/schools/admissions/right_school
Children will experience a variety of methods of teaching and learning. Sometimes, teachers will work with individuals, sometimes with groups and sometimes with the whole class. Activities will vary from free, open-ended exploration to more formal, instructional teaching depending on the learning which is intended. As the children move through the school they will be given increasing opportunities to develop their independent working skills, to make their own decisions about work and to use their initiative. In reading, we use a number of different structured schemes which are colour banded in levels of complexity. We also follow the national programme “Letters and Sounds” for the teaching of phonics.
7.1 The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (Age 4-5)
Our curriculum for Reception children is based upon Curriculum Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage which outlines six areas of pre-National Curriculum experience:
- Communication and language
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Expressive arts and design
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
7.2 The Curriculum for Key Stage One (5-7 year olds) and Key Stage Two (7-11 year olds)
The subjects in the National Curriculum are English, Maths, Science, Design Technology, Computing, History, Geography, Art, Music, Modern Foreign Languages and Physical Education. In addition your child will study Religious Education which is taught in accordance with County guidelines and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education). Further details of the National Curriculum are available. The school has developed policies and detailed schemes of work for each National Curriculum subject and for RE. These ensure proper curriculum coverage, progression and equal access to subjects.
7.3 Collective Worship and Religious Education
Assembly (a collective Act of Worship) is held every day and religious education is given to all pupils in accordance with the East Sussex Education Authority’s Agreed Syllabus. The syllabus is Christian and non-denominational, but recognises other spiritual beliefs. If parents do not wish their children to be taught the Agreed Syllabus, or to take part in the short Acts of Worship, they should let us know and suitable alternative arrangements will be made. The school has close links with the Frant Church (St. Albans). The Rector is a frequent visitor to school and often takes assembly.
It is our aim to provide a balance between participation and competition in sport and to encourage physical exercise for the good health and enjoyment of all. We believe all primary school children should be encouraged to take advantage of a variety of physical activities, to develop the skills and knowledge of rules associated with a range of sports, to develop a sense of teamwork and sportsmanship and to develop co-ordination, control and awareness of their physical capabilities.
Physical education lessons are provided for each of the main areas outlined in the National Curriculum: Athletics, Gymnastics, Games, Dance, Swimming and Outdoor & Adventurous Activities (Key Stage 2 only). Swimming takes place at St Mary's RC Primary School in Crowborough.
Competition is seen as an element of sport and is provided through matches against other schools, our Summer Sports Day and with local partner schools.
We consider it beneficial to set a small amount of homework regularly, and to offer more extended activities from time to time, particularly as the children move towards their final years at primary school. For all children, time spent reading and encouraging them to read for themselves is essential. In Key Stage 1 regular spellings and multiplication exercises are set. In Key Stage Two children will increasingly be asked to undertake other homework tasks. There will also be the occasional piece of home research to supplement normal school work.
Assessments of your child's progress help us to match work appropriately to their abilities, to measure their progress and to report this progress to you. This process begins in their first year at school with the “Foundation Stage Profile”. It is a national requirement to carry out this assessment.
Similarly, assessments take place at the ages of 7 and 11 when children take part in the national assessment process ("SATs"). Throughout Key Stage Two we administer published tests to help monitor progress and inform our planning.
Some assessment is on-going, often based on teachers' professional judgements about each child's achievements in daily activities. These assessments, along with the formal tests, help us to provide you with a thorough annual report in the Summer Term. We also hold two formal consultations with parents during the year.
7.7 Children with Special Educational Needs
Class teachers keep a constant check on children’s progress by regular use of standardised tests, particularly in literacy, reading and number work. During the child’s stay at the school an accurate profile of ability and attainment is built up. The progress of each child in every class is regularly discussed with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) and if any problem persists, "withdrawal" work, singly or in small groups, may be arranged. In some cases it may be necessary to seek advice from external agencies, in which case the problem is always discussed in a face to face meeting with parents and their permission sought beforehand.
As the Local Education Authority controls admissions to the school, it also determines arrangements for the admission of pupils with disabilities and ensures that they are not treated less favourably than other pupils. The design of our new school premises ensures that all of our facilities are accessible to everybody.
7.9 Extra-Curricular Activities
The children can take part in a wide range of extra curricular activities both through clubs within the school and through visits and events arranged by the school. Instrumental lessons for violin, trumpet and guitar may be arranged with the East Sussex Music Service. Please ask at the school office for further details.
7.10 Breakfast Club and After School Care
The school runs a breakfast club every day from 8 am to the start of the school day. We are only able to offer this club for small numbers of children. After school care is available until 6 pm provided by Pennies Kids Club at Mark Cross.
Frant Church of England Primary School
Church Lane
Frant
Tunbridge Wells
TN3 9DX
Telephone 01892 750243
Email: frantoffice@thewealdfederation.org