Hook community primary school
We Care. We work. We Learn.
Prospectus 2024-2025
Hook is a dynamic and creative community primary school in the heart of a thriving village. Everything we do is for a purpose. Our curriculum is well-known for its innovative and engaging projects. We pride ourselves on our exceptionally high standards, our unique history and our high levels of care support and guidance.
Forward from the headteacher
It is a pleasure to be able to present our school prospectus with the aim of providing prosepctive pupils and parents/carers with important imformation and guidance about the school.
A warm welcome to Hook C. P School - our motto We Care, We Work, We Learn emphasises our commitment to both academic success and personal development.
Our school is friendly and nurturing; a place where you can be assured that we will provide the best education for your child. We are working hard to realise our vision of becoming a happy and health promoting school.
Each pupil has a strong sense of their own identity and is a valued member of the school community. Pupil voice is central to our work. The staff work tirelessly for the children and enjoy an excellent home-school partnership with parents. Strong community links are a strength of our school and we work hard to maintain these.
The stimulating, supportive atmosphere encourages confidence, enthusiasm for learning and consideration for others. We place a strong emphasis on good manners and thoughtfulness, developing life skills of social confidence and making friends, as well as the ability to learn and use information technology, solve problems and make sensible judgements. Our school values link closely with pupil rights and inform much of our work.
Being a small school, pupils receive individual attention, while at the same time enjoy being part of a lively outward-looking school community. We know our children well and balance support and challenge to maximise potential.
I very much look forward to welcoming you and your child into our Hook family.
If you would like your child(ren) to join Hook Community School we would advise you to come and visit the school first, ideally with your child(ren). Please telephone the school office: 01437 890343 or email: admin.Hook@pembrokeshire.gov.uk to arrange an appointment.
Ross Williams
We have developed a rigorous curriculum and we have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. We have outstanding accademic achievements.
Welcome to the Hook community
Honouring Tradition. Inspiring Change.
Hook Community Primary School has a fantastic history which should be celebrated and cherished. Hook School opened after a local campain to establish a school in the village. The origional building (which is still standing) was opened in 1914. Since then ths school has been extended on numerous occasions and offers a modern and exciting learning envrionment. Our history is celebrated in the building itself and in one of the classrooms there is a coal carving donnated to the school. Another wall has the first post box in Hook embeded in the wall which dates to the Victorian period. We also have the school log books dating back to 1925 which pupils use as part of there currriculum work.
We have excellent teachers who develop positive relationship with pupils, supporting them to feel safe. There is a respectful ethos in all classes.
Mission Statement Hook is a dynamic and creative community primary school in the heart of a thriving village. Everything we do is for a purpose. Our curriculum is well-known for its innovative and engaging projects. We pride ourselves on our exceptionally high standards, our unique history and our high levels of care support and guidance.
Curriculum for wales
High quality teaching
Our Aspiration for every child
We have focused on developing a curriculum that will prepare children from the world of work and to be responsible citizens, who will contribute confidently to the economic, digital, social and cultural life of Wales and the world in the 21st Century. 6 Areas of Learning and Experience 1. Language, Literacy and Communication 2. Mathematics and Numeracy 3. Science and Technology 4. Humanities 5. Expressive Arts 6. Health and Wellbeing
- Ambitious, capable learners who are ready to learn throughout their lives.
- Ethical, informed citizens who are ready to be citizens of Wales and the World.
- Enterprising, creative contributors who are ready to play a full part in life and work.
- Healthy confident individuals who are ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
Our School Motto says, 'We care, we work, we learn' .
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor Learning Environment
Outdoor learning is fundamental to life at Hook School. We have an active learning approach and use our wonderful grounds very effectively to enhance curriculum experiences
With the Cleddau Estuary within walking distance we have a wonderdul area on our doorstep which we are able to explore with pupils.
School Garden
The school has a large garden which we have developed with pupils and the community. Pupils enjoy learning in the school garden throughout the year.
We have made a long term commitment to develop this area so that it provides rich and exciting learning opportunities for pupils. Our garden area includes: - A vegetable garden, an orchard. -Chickens, loose parts play, and a wild meadow.
Sporting Accademy
Developing confidence and inclusion
Sport has been central to the Hook curriculum for some time. We provide organised sport on during after school clubs and on Friday afternoons. The sports programme is designed to encourage a rich and diverse experience for pupils. Opportunity is key: children play for school teams and in House competitions for major sports teams including rugby, football, netball and cricket, as well as a broad array of other sports such as tennis, squash, surfing and water swimming. Most teachers enjoy coaching sports teams. It is a common misconception that pupils in small schools have fewer opportunities to participate in sport. This couldn't be further from the truth and we pride ourselves on our comprehensive sports offer.
Recent Events
100% of pupils in years five and six have represented the school in extra-curricular sport.
2024-2025
URDD Rugby URDD Netball URDD Football Village Schools Champions (Years three and four)
The four purposes
The Four Purposes are at the heart of our Vision and our daily work.
Teachers plan accordingly and ensure that the 4 Purposes are given due consideration and reflection. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their progress in relation to the 4 Purposes.
Characters
To help pupils understand and appreciate the relevance and importance of the 4 purposes, we have created characters for each purpose.
Ambitious
We have a strong focus on knowledge. We often talk about our 'knowledge rich curriculum' which allows pupils to develop an appreciate of their culture, community, society and the world now and in the past.
We have developed a curriculum which encourages pupils to evaluate and analyse information.
We have created a comprehensive whole school knowledge map which we use to guide our planning. This is bespoke for Hook School.
We ensure that pupils are able to apply learning in literacy, numeracy and digital skills across relevant areas of the curriculum.
We have structured our pupil voice groups so that every pupil in the school is able to join a Senedd Committee. Pupils work in mixed age groups to plan and lead projects linked to their committee ambitions.
Capable
We believe that it is important that pupils are provided with opportunities to become enthusiastic problem solvers and critical thinking.
We care committed to providing a safe, creative and engaging learning environment which allows pupils to develop their skills.
We are an English Medium School but we have worked hard to support pupils to communicate bilingually. We are proud that are pupils develop as confident and enthusiastic speakers.
We have worked hard to develop a learning environment which promotes independence.
Preparing pupils for the world of work is a key aspiration of the Curriculum for Wales 2022. As well as linking our curriculum to real-world learning, we have a special visitors program where pupils are introduced to a range of people from various backgrounds. We also introduce digital resources in reception and we support pupils to interpret and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data.
Healthy
We promote health eating and drinking and explain to pupils that it will have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. Pupils and staff have access to fresh water throughout the day and we run a school fruit shop during break times. Since the introduction of universal free school meals, nearly all pupils enjoy a healthy lunch provided by our excellent catering team.
We believe that it is important that we promote positive emotional and mental wellbeing. We aim to encourage interest and enjoyment of the pupils in Health and Wellbeing and to emphasise the benefits of health and fitness.
Our breakfast club is free to all pupils and begins at 8:00 every morning. This provision is very popular with almost 50% of the school population attending.
In March 2023, we were awarded the Healthy Schools Quality mark.
We work closely with numerous support services and the support that we receive from the Education Wellbeing Teams, School Nurse, CAMHS, Speech and Language Therapy Service, School Counselling Service and the Education Psychology Service ensures that pupils gain access to the right support when needed.
Confident
When visitors walk around school they often comment on the positive atmosphere that we have established. We want all pupils to feel safe and to feel that their viewpoint is respected.
We help pupils to become confident and creative contributors. We have promoted different strategies, including 'terrific talkers' to help raise the levels of oracy.
As part of our curriculum mapping we have a system utilised in each class. Pupils are encouraged to guide learning and generate three key questions. We have develop our R.E.A.L. (Rigorous, Engaging and Authentic Learning) curriculum during afternoon sessions.
We are a caring and supportive school and we aim to cater for the needs of all pupils.
Our carefully planned learning continuum ensures that pupils have the opportunity to confidently develop independent learning skills and also to be confident when working with others.
Ethical
Any form of bullying will be acted upon immediately and, if necessary, parents will be informed.
All members of the school have a responsibility to encourage others to maintain high levels of appropriate behaviour. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour and they are expected to comply with acceptable standards of behaviour. The overall responsibility at school rests with the Headteacher.
Pupils take pride in opportunities to support younger pupils. Our year six pupils visit classes to share stories and lead learning.
Nearly all pupils behave exceptionally well in the classroom and around school.
Restorative Practice (RP) is a whole school philosophy. It is the ethos that underpins all aspects of school life. RP is closely aligned to the United Nations Rights of the Child and supports well-being and positive behaviour management. R.P. also links directly with our Values Education and Habits of Mind. Our emphasis is on the promotion of positive behaviour. We share examples of exemplary behaviour with parents and encourage them to offer praise and reward to their children for such behaviour.
Creative
Peripatetic staff attend school to teach percussion, brass, string and woodwind instruments to children in Year 4 and above. All children have access to music lessons within the curriculum.
Every pupils is provided with the opportunity to express and develop their creative talent. The Expressive Arts area of learning and Experience spans five disciplines: art, dance, film and digital media, and music. Creativity is enhanced through the knowledge shared and the practical experiences introduced within each of these discrete areas.
Many of our school performances are available on our school website.
Our end of autumnr term performances are a big deal at Hook! Our years five and six performances have been a highlight of recent years.
Cultural capital is important and we believe it is important that children study Shakespeare and other world renown playwrights.
Enterprising
Our educational visits and enrichment opportunities help to enhance pupils' understanding of the evolving world of careers and work. The visits help to promote the idea that changing local, national and global contexts result in new challenges and opportunities for success.
We realise that in an ever-changing world, being flexible and haivng the ability to develop ideas will be essential. Our learners will be entering a world of work where employees will be required to consider a range of alternative solutions to deal with the pace of change.
During the summer term, pupils run businesses and we hold a celebration afternoon in school.
Each year we design a special visitor program which allows children to meet people from a range of different backgrounds.
Our curriculum is focused on helping pupils to meet the demands of working in uncertain situations. We introduce enterprise challenges across progression steps one and two and these learning opportunities encourage pupils to collaborate.
Curriculum design
School plANNING
- We follow a curriculum designed around key questions.
- We have developed 50 experiences that pupils will egage with before they leave school.
- We have created a continuum in outdoor learning.
- We have spent a considerable amount of time creating high quality mapping documents to support planning and progression.
- We aim to balance progressive and tranditional teaching methods.
The Academic Curriculum & High Standards
Curriculum planning
Teachers plan work thematically and use pupil voice to influence content and the focus of learning plans. The focus is on developing independent and inquisitive learners utillising a variety of activities inside and outside the classroom. Within the continuous provision, there are a number of different learner's areas that are adapted and enriched according to the topic under discussion.
Our Curriculum is planned around key questions and higher level concepts.
Our broad curriculum promotes academic excellence, the best habits of independent thought and a lifelong habit of intellectual curiosity and love of learning.
Cymraeg
Promoting two languages
We are very ambitious for our pupils and as an English medium school, we have worked hard to develop systems which support pupils to develop bilignually. We have spent time developing our welsh curriculum and all teachers have been provided with training to improve their language skils.
Welsh is popular with pupils and we support pupils to develop an understanding of the importance of bilingualism.
We celebrate our Cynefin and the fact that our pupils are proud to live in Wales. We are determined to ignite learners' curiosity and enthusiasm and provide them with a firm foundation for a lifelong interest in the languages of Wales and the World.
Much of the teaching is through activities and games, as well as reading and weekly diary writing sessions in Welsh in Progression Step Three. Children are encouraged to be proud of their Welsh heritage and to respect the cultural identity of all children in school. We focus on our similarities and shared beliefs.
sAFEGUARDING
Every possible care is taken to ensure children’s safety whilst they are at school. No child is allowed to leave early without permission. If there is a change to normal arrangements, please let the class teacher know. The school regularly reviews health and safety arrangements for pupils and staff. Every visitor must visit the main entrance before gaining access to the school. Visitors MUST sign in and wear an identification badge. If a visitor acts inappropriately towards a pupil or member of staff then they will be asked to leave the school grounds immediately and the police will be informed. Fire drills are held each term.
Safeguarding Arrangemetns
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The school follows Pembrokeshire County Council’s Child Protection Policy and Procedures. This important policy document is available on the school website.
We have robust arrangements for safeguarding pupils. We have developed an ethos which promotes pupils well-being.
If you have any concerns that a child is being harmed or is at risk of harm, or if you receive a disclosure you must contact the following staff immediately:
Mr. Ross Williams (Acting Headteacher), in his absence Mrs. Hayley Callan (Senior Teacher) ) or call the Duty Social Worker on 01437 776322/25
rELATIONSHIPS AND sEXUALITY eDUCATION
Relationships and sexuality education has a positive and empowering role to play in the education of learners and is essential in supporting them to achieve the four purposes. Helping learners to form and maintain a range of relationships, all based on mutual trust and respect, is at the core of relationship and sexuality education. These relationships are critical to developing emotional well-being, resilience and empathy. Developmentally appropriate RSE Is is a requirement that the RSE provided must be developmentally appropriate for learners. Therefore in accordance with the aims of the school's RSE policy we will take account of a range of factors such as the learners' age, knowledge and maturity and any additional learning needs to ensure that our provision is developmentally appropriate for each learner.
We follow the Pembrokeshrie Country Council scheme of work for RSE. This is published on our school website. Governors support the Senior Leadership Team to monitor RSE.
rELIGION, VALUES AND ETHICS
Religion, Valies and Ethics are part of the Humanities Area of Learning and Experience and are compulsory for all pupils in Wales. RVE guidance is located within the Humanities Area and incorporates a range of disciplinary approaches that can be used by learners to engage critically with a broad range of religious and non-religious concepts. For example, disciplinary approaches relevant to RVE may include religious studies, philosophy, theology, sociology, psychology, and anthropology. There are also strong relationships between RVE and the other disciplines within Humanities as well as with other Areas of Learning and Experience. Concepts are important in RVE because they are central ideas that help learners to make sense of and interpret human experience, the natural world and their own place within it. Learners will have opportunities to explore RVE concepts through a variety of sub lenses which make up the RVE disciplinary lens. These concepts and sub lenses are set out in this RVE guidance.
In the Curriculum for Wales, RVE is objective, critical and pluralistic, both in content and pedagogy; it is not about making learners ‘religious’ or ‘non-religious’. The expression ‘objective, critical and pluralistic’ comes from European Convention on Human Rights case law. The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 ensures that all learners must be offered opportunities through RVE to engage with different religions and non-religious philosophical convictions in their own locality and in Wales, as well as in the wider world.
Following statutory requirements, all pupils attend a daily act of worship.
Assembly is also a time for us to acknowledge children's successes in and out of school and children are encouraged to share these with their class teachers in order that they can be included in the assemblies.
Parents have a right to withdraw their child from Collective Worship. Please discuss with the Headteacher your individual needs.
aDDITIONAL lEARNING nEEDS
Children and young people with Additional Learning Needs may need more support to learn than the majority of children and young people of the same age. Some may have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities provided for learners. About one in four children and young people may have Additional Learning Needs at some time.
All children and young people learn at different rates and will have different events going on in their lives that can also affect their rate of learning.
All schools, settings, colleges and Local Authorities must support all children and young people, including those who have ALN or who may have ALN. For some children and young people, these difficulties are short–term; others may have Additional Learning Needs throughout their school or college life. Some will have Additional Learning Needs in particular areas of their education, whilst others may need help with all or most aspects of their education.
One of the principles of the ALN Code (see below) is inclusive education where children and young people are supported to participate fully in mainstream education, wherever feasible, and a whole setting approach is taken to meet the needs of learners with ALN.
The Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal Act (2018) – the ALNET ACT- says a child or young person aged 3 to 16 years has Additional Learning Needs if he or she: has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities for education or training of a kind generally provided for others of the same age.
aTTENDAnCE
rEGULAR ATTENDANCE IS VITALLY INMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT LEARNERS CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN THEIR LEARNING AND THAT THEY DEVELOP THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO THRIVE.
The school has robust processes in place to support every single learners to achieve an attendance rate of 95%. Our staff work very closely with Local Authority Inclusion Officers. Our Attendnace Policy outlines strategies and arrangements in order to maintain a high level of attendance for all pupils. In addition, the school Nurse, ELSA team and our family support officer are all ready to support pupils as required. We ask parents to: 1. Encourage their children to attend regularlly. 2. Ensure that they contact the school when their child is unable to attend. 3. Ensure that their child arrives at school on time. 4. Contact the school when any problem arises that could keep their child from school.
We expect the following from our learners: 1. That all learners attend school regularly. 2. That all learners arrive on time and are suitably prepared for the day. 3. That all learners inform a member of staff if any problem that may prevent them from attending school.
ADMISSIONS POLICY
The Pembrokeshire cOUNTY cOUNCIL ADMISSIONS POLICY INCLUDES A RANGE OF SPECIFIC CRITERIA REGARDING THE ALLOCATION OF A PLACE AT jOHNSTON c.p. sCHOOL.
Any request must be made directly to the Local Authority as it is the admitting authority. Early registrations help the school to play accordingly for future year groups. Pupils are admitted to the nursery class at the beginning of the term which follows their third birthday. Term starting dates are deemed to be September 1st, January 1st and April 1st. Pupils will receive a period of part time education before transferring to full-time education at the beginning of the term following their fourth birthday. Parents and carers are invited to visit Johnston C.P. School prior to admission so that they can familiarise themselves with the school.
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/school-admissions
School Meals
School Meals
Mrs Moore, our school cook, prepares and cooks attractive and nutritional meals. Our kitchen is on-site, ensuring meals are fresh each day.
From September 2022, all pupils from Nursery—Year 2 are entitled to free school meals following a Welsh Government initiative. For pupils in Years 3 and above, meals consist of two-courses and are available at a fixed rate of £2.65 daily (prices are set by Pembrokeshire County Council). Please contact the school office to find out how to pay for school dinners as we are now a cashless school. Parents must inform the school of any allergies or dietary needs.
Packed Lunches
Provision is made at school for pupils to bring their own lunch. They are provided with beakers of water if required. We respectively ask parents to ensure packed lunches are healthy and nutritious. We encourage water as a choice of drink if possible.
Milk
A third of a pint of milk is provided daily, free of charge to pupils under the age of seven years old.
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Hook - School Prospectus 2024-2025
Ross Williams
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Transcript
Hook community primary school
We Care. We work. We Learn.
Prospectus 2024-2025
Hook is a dynamic and creative community primary school in the heart of a thriving village. Everything we do is for a purpose. Our curriculum is well-known for its innovative and engaging projects. We pride ourselves on our exceptionally high standards, our unique history and our high levels of care support and guidance.
Forward from the headteacher
It is a pleasure to be able to present our school prospectus with the aim of providing prosepctive pupils and parents/carers with important imformation and guidance about the school.
A warm welcome to Hook C. P School - our motto We Care, We Work, We Learn emphasises our commitment to both academic success and personal development. Our school is friendly and nurturing; a place where you can be assured that we will provide the best education for your child. We are working hard to realise our vision of becoming a happy and health promoting school. Each pupil has a strong sense of their own identity and is a valued member of the school community. Pupil voice is central to our work. The staff work tirelessly for the children and enjoy an excellent home-school partnership with parents. Strong community links are a strength of our school and we work hard to maintain these. The stimulating, supportive atmosphere encourages confidence, enthusiasm for learning and consideration for others. We place a strong emphasis on good manners and thoughtfulness, developing life skills of social confidence and making friends, as well as the ability to learn and use information technology, solve problems and make sensible judgements. Our school values link closely with pupil rights and inform much of our work. Being a small school, pupils receive individual attention, while at the same time enjoy being part of a lively outward-looking school community. We know our children well and balance support and challenge to maximise potential. I very much look forward to welcoming you and your child into our Hook family. If you would like your child(ren) to join Hook Community School we would advise you to come and visit the school first, ideally with your child(ren). Please telephone the school office: 01437 890343 or email: admin.Hook@pembrokeshire.gov.uk to arrange an appointment. Ross Williams
We have developed a rigorous curriculum and we have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. We have outstanding accademic achievements.
Welcome to the Hook community
Honouring Tradition. Inspiring Change.
Hook Community Primary School has a fantastic history which should be celebrated and cherished. Hook School opened after a local campain to establish a school in the village. The origional building (which is still standing) was opened in 1914. Since then ths school has been extended on numerous occasions and offers a modern and exciting learning envrionment. Our history is celebrated in the building itself and in one of the classrooms there is a coal carving donnated to the school. Another wall has the first post box in Hook embeded in the wall which dates to the Victorian period. We also have the school log books dating back to 1925 which pupils use as part of there currriculum work.
We have excellent teachers who develop positive relationship with pupils, supporting them to feel safe. There is a respectful ethos in all classes.
Mission Statement Hook is a dynamic and creative community primary school in the heart of a thriving village. Everything we do is for a purpose. Our curriculum is well-known for its innovative and engaging projects. We pride ourselves on our exceptionally high standards, our unique history and our high levels of care support and guidance.
Curriculum for wales
High quality teaching
Our Aspiration for every child
We have focused on developing a curriculum that will prepare children from the world of work and to be responsible citizens, who will contribute confidently to the economic, digital, social and cultural life of Wales and the world in the 21st Century. 6 Areas of Learning and Experience 1. Language, Literacy and Communication 2. Mathematics and Numeracy 3. Science and Technology 4. Humanities 5. Expressive Arts 6. Health and Wellbeing
- Ambitious, capable learners who are ready to learn throughout their lives.
- Ethical, informed citizens who are ready to be citizens of Wales and the World.
- Enterprising, creative contributors who are ready to play a full part in life and work.
- Healthy confident individuals who are ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
Our School Motto says, 'We care, we work, we learn' .Outdoor Learning
Outdoor Learning Environment
Outdoor learning is fundamental to life at Hook School. We have an active learning approach and use our wonderful grounds very effectively to enhance curriculum experiences
With the Cleddau Estuary within walking distance we have a wonderdul area on our doorstep which we are able to explore with pupils.
School Garden The school has a large garden which we have developed with pupils and the community. Pupils enjoy learning in the school garden throughout the year.
We have made a long term commitment to develop this area so that it provides rich and exciting learning opportunities for pupils. Our garden area includes: - A vegetable garden, an orchard. -Chickens, loose parts play, and a wild meadow.
Sporting Accademy
Developing confidence and inclusion
Sport has been central to the Hook curriculum for some time. We provide organised sport on during after school clubs and on Friday afternoons. The sports programme is designed to encourage a rich and diverse experience for pupils. Opportunity is key: children play for school teams and in House competitions for major sports teams including rugby, football, netball and cricket, as well as a broad array of other sports such as tennis, squash, surfing and water swimming. Most teachers enjoy coaching sports teams. It is a common misconception that pupils in small schools have fewer opportunities to participate in sport. This couldn't be further from the truth and we pride ourselves on our comprehensive sports offer.
Recent Events
100% of pupils in years five and six have represented the school in extra-curricular sport.
2024-2025
URDD Rugby URDD Netball URDD Football Village Schools Champions (Years three and four)
The four purposes
The Four Purposes are at the heart of our Vision and our daily work.
Teachers plan accordingly and ensure that the 4 Purposes are given due consideration and reflection. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their progress in relation to the 4 Purposes.
Characters
To help pupils understand and appreciate the relevance and importance of the 4 purposes, we have created characters for each purpose.
Ambitious
We have a strong focus on knowledge. We often talk about our 'knowledge rich curriculum' which allows pupils to develop an appreciate of their culture, community, society and the world now and in the past.
We have developed a curriculum which encourages pupils to evaluate and analyse information.
We have created a comprehensive whole school knowledge map which we use to guide our planning. This is bespoke for Hook School.
We ensure that pupils are able to apply learning in literacy, numeracy and digital skills across relevant areas of the curriculum.
We have structured our pupil voice groups so that every pupil in the school is able to join a Senedd Committee. Pupils work in mixed age groups to plan and lead projects linked to their committee ambitions.
Capable
We believe that it is important that pupils are provided with opportunities to become enthusiastic problem solvers and critical thinking.
We care committed to providing a safe, creative and engaging learning environment which allows pupils to develop their skills.
We are an English Medium School but we have worked hard to support pupils to communicate bilingually. We are proud that are pupils develop as confident and enthusiastic speakers.
We have worked hard to develop a learning environment which promotes independence.
Preparing pupils for the world of work is a key aspiration of the Curriculum for Wales 2022. As well as linking our curriculum to real-world learning, we have a special visitors program where pupils are introduced to a range of people from various backgrounds. We also introduce digital resources in reception and we support pupils to interpret and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data.
Healthy
We promote health eating and drinking and explain to pupils that it will have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. Pupils and staff have access to fresh water throughout the day and we run a school fruit shop during break times. Since the introduction of universal free school meals, nearly all pupils enjoy a healthy lunch provided by our excellent catering team.
We believe that it is important that we promote positive emotional and mental wellbeing. We aim to encourage interest and enjoyment of the pupils in Health and Wellbeing and to emphasise the benefits of health and fitness.
Our breakfast club is free to all pupils and begins at 8:00 every morning. This provision is very popular with almost 50% of the school population attending.
In March 2023, we were awarded the Healthy Schools Quality mark.
We work closely with numerous support services and the support that we receive from the Education Wellbeing Teams, School Nurse, CAMHS, Speech and Language Therapy Service, School Counselling Service and the Education Psychology Service ensures that pupils gain access to the right support when needed.
Confident
When visitors walk around school they often comment on the positive atmosphere that we have established. We want all pupils to feel safe and to feel that their viewpoint is respected.
We help pupils to become confident and creative contributors. We have promoted different strategies, including 'terrific talkers' to help raise the levels of oracy.
As part of our curriculum mapping we have a system utilised in each class. Pupils are encouraged to guide learning and generate three key questions. We have develop our R.E.A.L. (Rigorous, Engaging and Authentic Learning) curriculum during afternoon sessions.
We are a caring and supportive school and we aim to cater for the needs of all pupils.
Our carefully planned learning continuum ensures that pupils have the opportunity to confidently develop independent learning skills and also to be confident when working with others.
Ethical
Any form of bullying will be acted upon immediately and, if necessary, parents will be informed.
All members of the school have a responsibility to encourage others to maintain high levels of appropriate behaviour. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour and they are expected to comply with acceptable standards of behaviour. The overall responsibility at school rests with the Headteacher.
Pupils take pride in opportunities to support younger pupils. Our year six pupils visit classes to share stories and lead learning.
Nearly all pupils behave exceptionally well in the classroom and around school.
Restorative Practice (RP) is a whole school philosophy. It is the ethos that underpins all aspects of school life. RP is closely aligned to the United Nations Rights of the Child and supports well-being and positive behaviour management. R.P. also links directly with our Values Education and Habits of Mind. Our emphasis is on the promotion of positive behaviour. We share examples of exemplary behaviour with parents and encourage them to offer praise and reward to their children for such behaviour.
Creative
Peripatetic staff attend school to teach percussion, brass, string and woodwind instruments to children in Year 4 and above. All children have access to music lessons within the curriculum.
Every pupils is provided with the opportunity to express and develop their creative talent. The Expressive Arts area of learning and Experience spans five disciplines: art, dance, film and digital media, and music. Creativity is enhanced through the knowledge shared and the practical experiences introduced within each of these discrete areas.
Many of our school performances are available on our school website.
Our end of autumnr term performances are a big deal at Hook! Our years five and six performances have been a highlight of recent years.
Cultural capital is important and we believe it is important that children study Shakespeare and other world renown playwrights.
Enterprising
Our educational visits and enrichment opportunities help to enhance pupils' understanding of the evolving world of careers and work. The visits help to promote the idea that changing local, national and global contexts result in new challenges and opportunities for success.
We realise that in an ever-changing world, being flexible and haivng the ability to develop ideas will be essential. Our learners will be entering a world of work where employees will be required to consider a range of alternative solutions to deal with the pace of change.
During the summer term, pupils run businesses and we hold a celebration afternoon in school.
Each year we design a special visitor program which allows children to meet people from a range of different backgrounds.
Our curriculum is focused on helping pupils to meet the demands of working in uncertain situations. We introduce enterprise challenges across progression steps one and two and these learning opportunities encourage pupils to collaborate.
Curriculum design
School plANNING
The Academic Curriculum & High Standards
Curriculum planning
Teachers plan work thematically and use pupil voice to influence content and the focus of learning plans. The focus is on developing independent and inquisitive learners utillising a variety of activities inside and outside the classroom. Within the continuous provision, there are a number of different learner's areas that are adapted and enriched according to the topic under discussion.
Our Curriculum is planned around key questions and higher level concepts.
Our broad curriculum promotes academic excellence, the best habits of independent thought and a lifelong habit of intellectual curiosity and love of learning.
Cymraeg
Promoting two languages
We are very ambitious for our pupils and as an English medium school, we have worked hard to develop systems which support pupils to develop bilignually. We have spent time developing our welsh curriculum and all teachers have been provided with training to improve their language skils.
Welsh is popular with pupils and we support pupils to develop an understanding of the importance of bilingualism.
We celebrate our Cynefin and the fact that our pupils are proud to live in Wales. We are determined to ignite learners' curiosity and enthusiasm and provide them with a firm foundation for a lifelong interest in the languages of Wales and the World.
Much of the teaching is through activities and games, as well as reading and weekly diary writing sessions in Welsh in Progression Step Three. Children are encouraged to be proud of their Welsh heritage and to respect the cultural identity of all children in school. We focus on our similarities and shared beliefs.
sAFEGUARDING
Every possible care is taken to ensure children’s safety whilst they are at school. No child is allowed to leave early without permission. If there is a change to normal arrangements, please let the class teacher know. The school regularly reviews health and safety arrangements for pupils and staff. Every visitor must visit the main entrance before gaining access to the school. Visitors MUST sign in and wear an identification badge. If a visitor acts inappropriately towards a pupil or member of staff then they will be asked to leave the school grounds immediately and the police will be informed. Fire drills are held each term.
Safeguarding Arrangemetns
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The school follows Pembrokeshire County Council’s Child Protection Policy and Procedures. This important policy document is available on the school website.
We have robust arrangements for safeguarding pupils. We have developed an ethos which promotes pupils well-being.
If you have any concerns that a child is being harmed or is at risk of harm, or if you receive a disclosure you must contact the following staff immediately: Mr. Ross Williams (Acting Headteacher), in his absence Mrs. Hayley Callan (Senior Teacher) ) or call the Duty Social Worker on 01437 776322/25
rELATIONSHIPS AND sEXUALITY eDUCATION
Relationships and sexuality education has a positive and empowering role to play in the education of learners and is essential in supporting them to achieve the four purposes. Helping learners to form and maintain a range of relationships, all based on mutual trust and respect, is at the core of relationship and sexuality education. These relationships are critical to developing emotional well-being, resilience and empathy. Developmentally appropriate RSE Is is a requirement that the RSE provided must be developmentally appropriate for learners. Therefore in accordance with the aims of the school's RSE policy we will take account of a range of factors such as the learners' age, knowledge and maturity and any additional learning needs to ensure that our provision is developmentally appropriate for each learner.
We follow the Pembrokeshrie Country Council scheme of work for RSE. This is published on our school website. Governors support the Senior Leadership Team to monitor RSE.
rELIGION, VALUES AND ETHICS
Religion, Valies and Ethics are part of the Humanities Area of Learning and Experience and are compulsory for all pupils in Wales. RVE guidance is located within the Humanities Area and incorporates a range of disciplinary approaches that can be used by learners to engage critically with a broad range of religious and non-religious concepts. For example, disciplinary approaches relevant to RVE may include religious studies, philosophy, theology, sociology, psychology, and anthropology. There are also strong relationships between RVE and the other disciplines within Humanities as well as with other Areas of Learning and Experience. Concepts are important in RVE because they are central ideas that help learners to make sense of and interpret human experience, the natural world and their own place within it. Learners will have opportunities to explore RVE concepts through a variety of sub lenses which make up the RVE disciplinary lens. These concepts and sub lenses are set out in this RVE guidance. In the Curriculum for Wales, RVE is objective, critical and pluralistic, both in content and pedagogy; it is not about making learners ‘religious’ or ‘non-religious’. The expression ‘objective, critical and pluralistic’ comes from European Convention on Human Rights case law. The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 ensures that all learners must be offered opportunities through RVE to engage with different religions and non-religious philosophical convictions in their own locality and in Wales, as well as in the wider world.
Following statutory requirements, all pupils attend a daily act of worship. Assembly is also a time for us to acknowledge children's successes in and out of school and children are encouraged to share these with their class teachers in order that they can be included in the assemblies. Parents have a right to withdraw their child from Collective Worship. Please discuss with the Headteacher your individual needs.
aDDITIONAL lEARNING nEEDS
Children and young people with Additional Learning Needs may need more support to learn than the majority of children and young people of the same age. Some may have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities provided for learners. About one in four children and young people may have Additional Learning Needs at some time. All children and young people learn at different rates and will have different events going on in their lives that can also affect their rate of learning. All schools, settings, colleges and Local Authorities must support all children and young people, including those who have ALN or who may have ALN. For some children and young people, these difficulties are short–term; others may have Additional Learning Needs throughout their school or college life. Some will have Additional Learning Needs in particular areas of their education, whilst others may need help with all or most aspects of their education. One of the principles of the ALN Code (see below) is inclusive education where children and young people are supported to participate fully in mainstream education, wherever feasible, and a whole setting approach is taken to meet the needs of learners with ALN.
The Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal Act (2018) – the ALNET ACT- says a child or young person aged 3 to 16 years has Additional Learning Needs if he or she: has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities for education or training of a kind generally provided for others of the same age.
aTTENDAnCE
rEGULAR ATTENDANCE IS VITALLY INMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT LEARNERS CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN THEIR LEARNING AND THAT THEY DEVELOP THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO THRIVE.
The school has robust processes in place to support every single learners to achieve an attendance rate of 95%. Our staff work very closely with Local Authority Inclusion Officers. Our Attendnace Policy outlines strategies and arrangements in order to maintain a high level of attendance for all pupils. In addition, the school Nurse, ELSA team and our family support officer are all ready to support pupils as required. We ask parents to: 1. Encourage their children to attend regularlly. 2. Ensure that they contact the school when their child is unable to attend. 3. Ensure that their child arrives at school on time. 4. Contact the school when any problem arises that could keep their child from school.
We expect the following from our learners: 1. That all learners attend school regularly. 2. That all learners arrive on time and are suitably prepared for the day. 3. That all learners inform a member of staff if any problem that may prevent them from attending school.
ADMISSIONS POLICY
The Pembrokeshire cOUNTY cOUNCIL ADMISSIONS POLICY INCLUDES A RANGE OF SPECIFIC CRITERIA REGARDING THE ALLOCATION OF A PLACE AT jOHNSTON c.p. sCHOOL.
Any request must be made directly to the Local Authority as it is the admitting authority. Early registrations help the school to play accordingly for future year groups. Pupils are admitted to the nursery class at the beginning of the term which follows their third birthday. Term starting dates are deemed to be September 1st, January 1st and April 1st. Pupils will receive a period of part time education before transferring to full-time education at the beginning of the term following their fourth birthday. Parents and carers are invited to visit Johnston C.P. School prior to admission so that they can familiarise themselves with the school.
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/school-admissions
School Meals
School Meals Mrs Moore, our school cook, prepares and cooks attractive and nutritional meals. Our kitchen is on-site, ensuring meals are fresh each day. From September 2022, all pupils from Nursery—Year 2 are entitled to free school meals following a Welsh Government initiative. For pupils in Years 3 and above, meals consist of two-courses and are available at a fixed rate of £2.65 daily (prices are set by Pembrokeshire County Council). Please contact the school office to find out how to pay for school dinners as we are now a cashless school. Parents must inform the school of any allergies or dietary needs. Packed Lunches Provision is made at school for pupils to bring their own lunch. They are provided with beakers of water if required. We respectively ask parents to ensure packed lunches are healthy and nutritious. We encourage water as a choice of drink if possible. Milk A third of a pint of milk is provided daily, free of charge to pupils under the age of seven years old.
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