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NORTH TAWTON COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL PROSPECTUS

CONTENTS

SECTION DETAILS WELCOME

1 LIST OF GOVERNORS & STAFF 2 A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR SCHOOL 3 VISION AND AIMS OF THE SCHOOL 4 THE GOVERNING BODY 5 STARTING SCHOOL 6 THE FOUNDATION STAGE CURRICULUM 7 PLANNED ADMISSION NUMBERS & ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 8 CHARGING POLICY 9 TIMES OF THE SCHOOL DAY 10 ABSENCES 11 ORGANISATION OF THE SCHOOL 12 THE SCHOOL UNIFORM 13 THE CURRICULUM - ENGLISH - MATHS - SCIENCE- ICT - HISTORY - GEOGRAPHY ART - DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY- RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - MUSIC - PE - MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES - COLLECTIVE WORSHIP - SPECIAL NEEEDS AND INCLUSION - PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION - SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS EDUCATION

14 ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING PROGRESS 15 EXTRA - CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 16 DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOUR –BULLYING-SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN 17 HOME - SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP AND HOMEWORK 18 COMMUNITY LINKS 19 SCHOOL MEALS 20 MEDICAL INFORMATION 21 COMPLAINTS 22 SCHOOL TRANSPORT 23 ARRANGEMENTS FOR SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS 24 SECONDARY TRANSFER 25 LETTINGS 26 VOLUNTARY HELP WITH TRANSPORT 27 GENERAL INFORMATION 28 SCHOOL CATCHMENT AREA 29 KS1 & 2 SATS RESULTS 30 PUPIL PREMIUM INFORMATION

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WELCOME

On behalf of the staff and governors I would like to welcome you to North Tawton Community Primary School. We place the children at the very heart of our school. As you read this prospectus you will see that all our efforts are directed towards providing them with a safe, secure and happy place where they can acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, enabling them to develop into caring, well informed citizens. If at any time and for whatever reason you or your child are not happy, or you have a problem which needs discussing, please do not hesitate to contact us and let us know. We believe that it is much better to sort out little problems before they become big ones. We are proud of our school and the way that children learn, both through teaching and learning and through social interaction. In our recent inspection by OFSTED in March 2010, the lead inspector stated that; ‘the school provides a sound education for all pupils. The headteacher and staff place a strong emphasis on promoting pupils’ personal development and on positive relationships in all areas of the school’ The full report is available online at www.ofsted.gov.uk selecting the Inspection Reports tab, or on our website. At North Tawton Community Primary School we feel that children only develop their full potential within a supportive partnership. At school, all children are encouraged to achieve the best they can and will be constantly praised and rewarded for achieving high standards. We value parental support and look forward to working together to the benefit of your child’s education and welfare. Nick D’Agorne Philip Wagstaff Headteacher Chair of Governors

Children in the whole school taking part in the daily aerobics session

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1. LIST OF GOVERNORS & STAFF

GOVERNORS AND STAFF FROM SEPTEMBER 2012

GOVERNORS Mr. N. D’Agorne - Headteacher Rev. P. Wagstaff – Chair of Governors/Community Governor Mr. P Grainge - Vice Chair of Governors/ Chair of Teaching and Learning Committee/Parent Governor Mrs. R. Harvey –Parent Governor Mr. P. Barnes –– Community Governor Rev. N Weldon – Community Governor Mrs. L. King - Chair of Resources committee / Parent Governor Mr. P. Brown – LA Governor Mrs. J. Matthews – Parent Governor Mrs. A. Tooth – Parent Governor Mrs. E. Dunn – Staff Governor Mrs. H. Martin – Staff Governor Mrs. L. Williams – Clerk to the Governors Mrs. C. King – Parent Governor Vacancy – LA Governor

STAFF

Mr. N. D’Agorne - Headteacher Mrs. S. Chauhan-Barker - Class 2 – Year 2 - Deputy Headteacher – Mrs. S. Marvin - Class 5 (0.8) - Years 5/6 Mrs . E Dunn - Class 5 (0.2) –Years 5/6 Mrs. T. Watkins - Class 4 (0.6) –Years 4/5 Mrs. C. Bloxham - Class 4 (0.4) –Years 4/5 Mrs. C. Aldrich - Class 3 (0.8)- Year 3 Mrs. C. Box - Class 3 (0.2) - Year 3 Music (0.2) Class 1 (0.2+ SEN cover) Miss L. Barraclough - Class 1 (0.8) – Y1/SENCO Mrs. H. Martin - Class R - YR Mrs. G. Mackenzie - School Administrator Mrs. H. Gillard - Clerical Support Mrs. H. Solomon - TA/Clerical support Mrs. M. Cassels - ) Mrs. C. Jelley - ) Mrs. L. Squires - ) Mrs. S. Squires - ) Teaching Assistants Mrs. N. Shaw - ) Mrs. D Salter - ) Mrs. G. Trendell - ) Mrs. D.Stoneman - TA/MTA Gen. Mrs. K. Searle - Caretaker/Cleaner/MTA Gen. Mrs. J. Nicholls - Cleaner/MTA Gen. Mrs. C. Bailey - MTA(SEN) Mrs. P.J. Gray - MTA Gen Mrs. E Friend - MTA Gen. Mrs N. Way - Cleaner Mrs. S. Fewings - Kitchen Manager Mrs. M. Ellis - Kitchen Assistant

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2. A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR SCHOOL North Tawton Community Primary School occupied the former site and buildings of North Tawton Secondary Modern School, built in 1928. The present Primary School moved into this site from the original site in Exeter Street, in 1962, prior to the merger of Okehampton Grammar School and Secondary Modern School to form Okehampton Comprehensive School.

Olympic Torch ‘handover’ in the newly built Class 1 classroom Since the site was formerly a Secondary School, the Primary School enjoys outstanding outdoor sports facilities, with large hard and grassed playing areas. There is also an orchard which together with a wide variety of habitats including banks, hedges, pond, stone walls, cob walls, shrubbery and nettle beds, offers wide scope for on-site environmental education. We are very lucky to have a supportive community including the Friends Of North Tawton School, (FONTS). Thanks largely to this active group of parents and helpers, the school has a heated covered swimming pool, a large hall, fully equipped with a range of P.E. equipment, a recently refurbished central library and a trim trail for F/KS1 children. In 2003-4 there were major building developments, including a new hall, administration office, head’s office, disabled toilet, kitchen, servery and car park. In 2010 the whole site was made more secure, with additional fencing and an intercom system at the front entrance. In 2011, 2 new classrooms were constructed by the LA for Class 1 and 2 and the Foundation Stage formed a Foundation Unit with the Pre-School. In 2012 changes were made to the front entrance to increase the parking facilities and provide improved pedestrian access. An additional play space was also constructed adjacent to the ‘Tennis Court’. There are six classes in the school, plus the Pre-school which is managed by members of the local community. This means that we are a truly inclusive centre for learning, supporting all children from 2 ½ years to 11years. North Tawton Community Primary School presently enjoys a range of facilities which compare favourably with most modern Primary Schools in the County of Devon.

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3. VISION STATEMENT AND AIMS OF THE SCHOOL

VISION STATEMENT

To provide a happy, caring and stimulating learning environment in which all members of the school are valued and reach their full potential

AIMS OF THE SCHOOL

To encourage an active partnership between staff, children, parents, governors and the community.

To provide a broad, balanced curriculum through which all children can reach their full potential. To encourage children to develop their confidence and self esteem so that they become caring,

well-balanced individuals To enable and encourage children to be autonomous, independent learners To develop respect for their learning environment and the world in which they live

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4. THE GOVERNING BODY

North Tawton Community Primary School has a Governing Body of up to 14 people (including the Headteacher) who are elected by parents or the community, or appointed by the Local Authority. The governors have duties and responsibilities under the Education Acts that include:- Helping to establish (with the Headteacher) the aims and policies of the school, and how the

standards of education can be improved; Deciding in general terms how the school is run; Helping to decide how to spend the school's budget; Ensuring that the school's buildings and facilities are maintained in good order; Making sure that the National Curriculum and religious education are taught; Helping the Headteacher in the appointment, support and the discipline of staff; Acting as a link between the school, parents, the local education authority and the local

community; Drawing up a school improvement plan following an OFSTED Inspection and monitoring how the

plan is put into practice. The School Governors meet at least twice a term for full meetings in the Autumn and Spring terms and at least once in the Summer Term. These meetings are open to anyone to come along (by prior arrangement with the Chair.) If a confidential item is discussed any members of the public are asked to leave. Once a year a committee of Governors prepares an online summary of progress and areas for development. This is called the School Profile on the DFES website. The Governing Body works through various committees and meet at least once each term and focus on different aspects of the school. Any decisions made are ratified at a General Meeting. Governors visit the school every term in their monitoring role and are encouraged to take an active part in the management of the school. Anyone who may be interested in becoming a governor is welcome to attend any meeting and observe the procedures etc. There are a variety of courses available to new governors in order that they can keep up to date.

AIMS OF THE GOVERNING BODY

To support and maintain the aims of the Head teacher and Staff. To provide and maintain a link between the school, parents, Local Authority and local community. To ensure that a broad and balanced curriculum is provided for the children of North Tawton and

District. To ensure that the financial affairs of the school are conducted in an efficient manner. To ensure that the buildings and grounds are maintained to a high standard within the constraints

of the budget

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5. STARTING SCHOOL At North Tawton Community Primary School we understand that starting school can be an extremely emotional time for both the parent and the child. Therefore we have adopted a staggered entry system, to ensure a smooth transition within the Partnership Foundation Stage Unit (PFSU). The First three weeks

In week 1 the children will be in mornings only from 8.45am until 12.00 noon. In week 2 the children will be in mornings and lunch-time from 8.45am until 1.30pm. In week 3 the children will be in full time from 8.45am until 3.20pm.

In the Summer Term before your child starts in the Reception Year of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) we hold an Information evening for the parents of the new intake. This is an opportunity for you to hear about the areas of learning your child will be experiencing and the daily routines within the unit. Before your child starts in the Reception Year of the EYFS we ask you to help develop your child's fine motor skills and encourage your child to be as independent as possible, please help him/her to practise the following tasks:- dress and undress, so he/she can change shoes, put on and do up coats and know whether

clothes are inside out and ready to put on; open and close lunch box and school bag; use the toilet correctly and know why and how to wash hands afterwards; use a handkerchief appropriately (to decrease the spread of infection) use a knife, fork and spoon When at school, we encourage the children to be completely independent and responsible for their own uniform, we understand this takes time to learn therefore if their uniform is named you are helping them and us considerably. Not knowing how to recognise their belongings can create a very insecure feeling and be quite worrying for children. Please name your child’s entire uniform, (see separate list). Wellington boots and waterproofs are also a required part of the uniform in the EYFS. You can order most of the uniform from the school office. We have Book Bags for sale, which are very manageable and practical for the children to use, enabling them to keep the following in;

A reading book, to be heard if possible daily at home. A reading folder which will have comments about your child’s reading which took place in

school and at the back of it will be a key word sheet with 100 words on. All these words will need to be known before moving into year 1.

A word book, this will have their new keywords to learn each week. Learning Logs, these are books where the children are expected to produce work at home

with the support of an adult answering the question given which will always relate to the topic they have just covered at school, therefore the children should know what to do!

Please note water bottles need to be carried separately so the books don’t get spoiled. Due to the children working within a PFSU the transition between North Tawton Pre School and Reception Class of school is seamless; we are working together for your child, we want them to settle quickly and be happy, if children are happy they learn!

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6.THE FOUNDATION STAGE CURRICULUM Our curriculum is guided by the government publication ‘Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage’. It has a framework of 4 main principles;

‘A Unique Child’ – this outlines child development and inclusive practice as well as keeping safe and well.

‘Positive Relationships’ – this concerns staff and parents working together and good bonds

between staff and children.

‘Enabling Environments’ – this explains how the room is prepared and the greater outdoor environment is utilised.

‘Learning and Development’ – for this we provide a range of activities and experiences to

promote independent learning across the six developmental areas as set out in the guidance which are:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) Developing social skills, building self esteem and confidence, promoting self care, good behaviour and independence. Communication, Language and Literacy Development (CLL) Developing communication skills, linking sounds and letters, reading and hand writing skills. Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy (PSRN) Learning number skills, shapes, mathematical language e.g bigger, smaller etc. Knowledge and understanding of the World (KUW) Exploring and investigating, cultures and beliefs, designing and making skills, understanding time and ICT. Physical Development (PD) Movement, a sense of space, health and bodily awareness, using equipment, tools and materials. Creative development (CD) Music and imagination, exploring media and materials, expressing and communicating ideas, responding to experiences.

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7. PLANNED ADMISSION NUMBERS & ADMISSIONS CRITERIA The Admissions Process Devon County Council’s School Admissions Team makes offers on behalf of schools for full time admission in the academic year. Whether a parent chooses to defer admission, or take up a part time place rather than a full time place in September, is a matter between the parent and the school. The school will organise for all children to be admitted in September, although parents may request to defer entry until the child reaches statutory school age - the beginning of the school term following the child’s fifth birthday. The school cannot oblige a child to start in January rather than September. It is anticipated that the majority of children will be admitted in September. Deferred Entry If a parent wishes to defer admission, they must apply in the usual way, by the normal deadline at the beginning of the term following the child’s fifth birthday and,If a place is available and offered, they must then inform the head teacher of that they wish to defer entry. The place offered will be held open until the start of the term after the child’s fifth birthday during that academic year and will not be offered to another child. If the parent does not let the head teacher know, and the child does not start on the date offered, the place will be withdrawn and may be offered to another child. Child’s fifth birthday Can defer admission until 1 September – 31 December January 1 January – 31 March April 1 April – 31 August September with a new application for a Year 1 place Children born between 1 March and 31 August cannot defer entry into the Reception intake in the following September as they will then be a Y1 child and will need to enter the Y1 class. Parents must make an application for the Year 1 place in September after the immediately preceding summer half-term. It is possible that all places in the year group may have already been filled by children who started during the Reception year and if this means that the school is at, or above, its planned admission number (PAN) a place cannot be reserved. Planned Admission Number The Planned Admission Number (PAN) for North Tawton Community Primary School for 2011/12 is 25. If this number is exceeded then Devon County Council’s Oversubscription Criteria applies (see below) Designated area All addresses in Devon are served by a designated primary school. Designated areas form part of the admission criteria. (See page for map of North Tawton Primary School’s designated area) Applying for a place Parents must complete the registration documentation in the First Step Booklet which is available online at www.devon.gov.uk or will be posted to them by the Local Authority. Parents are also asked to contact the school to advise them that they have applied for a place for the school’s own information. The closing date for applications is in the anuary of the academic year preceding the academic year of entry. Parents will be notified by the Local Authority whether a place has been allocated in the week after the February half term holiday. Where admission authorities receive more applications than they have places to offer, they require a means by which to decide which applicants should be offered places. This is done by applying set Oversubscription Criteria. For admissions to Community and Voluntary Controlled (VC) Primary and Infant Schools in 2011, Devon Local Authority (LA) will to use the following oversubscription criteria: Primary and Infant School Oversubscription Criteria.

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1. A child who has a Statement of Special Educational Needs where the school is named on the Statement will be admitted to that school. 2 Children in Care 3 Children living in the school’s designated area with a sibling who will be attending the school at the time of admission. 4 Other children living in the school’s designated area. 5 Children living outside the school’s designated area, but with a sibling who will be attending the school at the time of admission. 6 Other children living outside the school’s designated area.

8. CHARGING and REMISSIONS POLICY The Governors of North Tawton Community Primary School recognise the valuable contribution that the wide range of educational activities, including clubs, trips and residential experiences can make towards pupils’ personal and social education. We apply the policy on charging for school activities as laid down in the Local Authority Guidelines. The main points of the Policy shown on the website are as follows:- We aim to promote and provide such activities, both as part of a broad and balanced curriculum for the pupils of the school, and as additional optional activities. We reserve the right to make a charge in the following circumstances for activities organised by the school: Residential visits in School Hours The board and lodging element of any residential activities deemed to take place either within or outside school hours. Board and lodging costs are deemed to include all elements of food and accommodation as appropriate to the particular visit. Activities outside School Hours The full cost to each pupil of activities deemed to be optional extras taking place outside of school hours. Individual Instrumental Tuition The cost to the pupil of providing any individual instrumental tuition. Charging for Ingredients and Materials The Governing Body may charge for ingredients and materials or require them to be provided if the parents have indicated in advance that they wish to own the finished product e.g. Pottery, Sewing or Cookery. Non-Residential Visits and Enrichment Activities in School Hours We will invite parents/carers to make voluntary contributions for any activity which takes place within school time, which incurs a cost to the school. In seeking voluntary contributions for such activities the Governing Body will make it clear to parents / carers that:

there is no obligation to contribute; that young people, will not be treated differently according to whether or not their parents /

carers have made a contribution. We will also:

indicate the level of contribution required for the activity to take place; consider that such contribution may include, for example, an element to cover the

participation by young people from low-income families or the cost of travel for accompanying teachers;

indicate that the activity may not take place if parents / carers are reluctant to support it and/or insufficient voluntary payments are received from parents/carers.

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Remissions Where parents of a pupil are in receipt of Income Support, Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, the Guaranteed Element of Pension Credit or Child Tax Credit (without Working Tax Credit) where income is less than £16,190, employment and support allowance(income related), support under part VI of the immigration and asylum act, the Governing Body will consider remitting in full, the cost of board and lodging for any residential activity that it organises for the pupil, if the activity is deemed to take place within the school hours. We will, however request a voluntary contribution for the total remaining costs for any such visit.

9. TIMES OF THE SCHOOL DAY

The Government has set out the total number of hours which children are to be taught in a week. This teaching time does not include registration time (when registers are called at 9.00 a.m. and 1.20 p.m.), assemblies, or break and lunch-time. The required teaching time for Key Stage 1 is 21 hours while for Key Stage 2 it is 23.5 hours. The taught time in our school is: Key Stage 1 21.5 hours Key Stage 2 23.5 hours This is broken down as follows: KS1 Morning session 9.00 a.m. – 12.10 less 15 min. break, 5 min. registration time = 2hrs

50 min. Afternoon session 1.20 p.m. - 3.20 p.m. less 2mins registration time and 20mins

assembly. There is an afternoon break of 10 minutes = 1hr 28 mins. Total per day = 4hrs 18mins . Total per week = 21hrs 35mins KS2 Morning session 9.00 a.m. - 12.25 less 15 min. break and 5 mins registration time =

3hrs 5mins

Afternoon session 1.20 p.m. - 3.20 p.m. less 2mins registration time and 20mins

assembly = 1hr 38 mins Total per day = 4hrs 43mins . Total per week = 23hrs 35mins An occasional Friday afternoon extra break-time is used to promote good behaviour at lunchtimes. Children should not be on the school premises before 8.50 a.m. as teaching staff are not required to supervise children until this time. From 8.50 a.m. they should go directly to their classrooms in order that a prompt start can be made at 9.00 a.m. If for any reason your child has to come to school before 8.50 a.m., a prior arrangement should be made with the class teacher or the Headteacher. During the lunch time, Meal Time Assistants are employed to supervise the children in the dining hall and playgrounds, or classrooms if the weather is bad. The Headteacher, or a nominated senior member of staff is also available throughout the lunch time if required.

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At home time, children in classes R,1,2 and 3 are escorted to the main playground and handed over to parents by the teachers. If for any reason a parent/carer is not there the child will be taken back to the school where they can be collected from the classroom. If the weather is inclement, parents/carers are most welcome to use the playground shelters, or lobby in which to shelter whilst waiting. We aim to encourage independence as children get older which means that children in the other classes make their own way to the school playground where their parents/carers may choose to meet them. We are constantly reminded of the dangers which ‘strangers’ present to young children and for this reason we make the following request to parents and carers: Please let us know if you are going to be late meeting your child and/or you have made

arrangements with someone else to pick up your child.

10. ABSENCES The Government now requires all schools to report their absence figures on a yearly basis. Parents will receive these details as part of their end of year information given as total possible attendances morning and afternoon against total number of absences for the same period. All children should arrive in time for the start of the school at 9.00am but no earlier than 8.50am. After this time teaching staff are required to supervise children. From 8.50 a.m. they should go directly to their classrooms in order that a prompt start can be made at 9.00 a.m. Children are marked absent when the register is closed at 9.05am and this will be marked as late, or unathorised, depending on how late the child arrives, unless a suitable explanation is given by the parent. As the School Curriculum is highly structured, we strongly urge parents to try and avoid taking children out of school during term, as children will not normally be able to catch up on missed work. A system of penalty fines of £50 per child per adult is administered by the LA, for unauthorised absence. This is to try to deter parents from disrupting their children’s education by taking unauthorised days off in term time. Parents are legally bound by law to ensure that their child receives an education either from the state system, independent system or in certain circumstances at home. The Governing Body has agreed that the school will not authorise any absence for holidays:

If your child has an attendance level below 95% calculated over the previous twelve months.

In the first two weeks of the school year (this is a crucial time when all children should be settling in to their new classroom routines and missing this time is detrimental to forming new relationships and routines in a new class)

At any time in May before or during assessments such as SATs (this is a time when it is important that all children are in school as it is a period during which National assessments are taken by children in Y2 to 6, organised by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The Y6 tests cannot be taken at any other time). Time

Parental Request for Authorised Absence in Term Time A parent must complete an Absence Request Form in advance of booking a holiday or other occasion which requires absence from school and give details of the special circumstances for which you require holiday in term time. This form is obtained from the school office or website. The school will always put the education of the child first when deciding whether or not to authorise an absence. In doing so, the school will take into account the child’s age, stage of education, educational progress and the date of absence in relation to critical school times (eg internal assessment weeks) as well as the child’s previous attendance and pattern of attendance,

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the reason for any request and the nature and frequency of any event or trip for which the absence is requested (eg whether it is a ‘one off’ or likely to become a regular occurrence). In cases where children are persistently late, or absent from school without any explanation from the parents, the school is able to enlist the support of Educational Welfare Officer (E.W.O) who will contact the parents. She. may make a home visit to discuss reasons for persistent absence. In extreme cases, where the parent is unable to give a satisfactory reason for their child's absence, they may be taken to court and prosecuted for failing to ensure that their child is being educated.

11. ORGANISATION OF THE SCHOOL These tables show the link between year groups, children’s ages and key stages

Age of Children Year Group Key Stage 4 to 5 years Reception Foundation Stage 5 to 6 years 1 1 6 to 7 years 2 7 to 8 years 3

2 8 to 9 years 4 9 to 10 years 5 10 to 11 years 6

Class Structure and Pupil Numbers – 2012-13

Age of Children

Year Groups

Class Title

Number of Children/Yr

Total No. in Class

Class Teacher/s

4 to 5 years

R

R 29 29 Mrs. Martin

5 to 6 years Y1 1 21 21 Miss Barraclough (0.8) Mrs Box (0.2)

6 to 7 years Y2

2 25

25 Mrs. Chauhan-Barker

7 to 8 years Y3

3 24 24 Mrs. Aldrich (0.8) Mrs. Box (0.2)

8 to 10 years

Y4/5 4 19 8 27 Mrs Watkins (0.6) Mrs Bloxham (0.4)

9 to 11 years Y5/6 5 14 14 28 Mrs. Marvin (0.8) Mrs. Dunn (0.2)

154 Whole School Numbers

Total numbers in each year group for 2012-13

The classes are supported with their music by Mrs. Box. Class 4 and 5 consist of two year groups. Children move from one class to the next based on a combination of factors including age, ability, social factors, maturity and peer groups. As your child will spend 4 years in our school moving through the 3 KS2 classes, most children will spend at least one extra year with the same teacher.

R 1 2 3 4 5 6 PAN 30 25 25 25 25 25 20 Total 29 21 25 24 19 22 14

Birth Dates 01-09-07 To

31-08-08

01-09-06 To

31-08-07

01-09-05 To

31-08-06

01-09-04 To

31-08-05

01-09-03 To

31-08-04

01-09-02 To

31-08-03

01-09-01 To

31-08-02

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All parents will be notified of their children’s new classes in the second part of the summer term. If you wish to know the reasons for any decision relating to this move, you are encouraged to make an appointment with your child’s class teacher. It is our policy to limit the number of children in all classes to a manageable level, however, finances are also driven by pupil numbers. The planned admission number (the school’s admissions limit) is sometimes not reached. This results in different numbers being in admitted in different years. Within every class, children will be taught in a variety of ways, e.g. whole classes, small groups or as individuals - depending upon the type and nature of the work being undertaken. We aim to ensure that all children achieve their full potential. This strategy is referred to as ‘differentiation.’

12. THE SCHOOL UNIFORM We would like children to feel proud of their school and as a result we would like all the children to wear our school uniform as it helps to give a sense of identity. This policy will be more rigorously enforced in 2012-13 and a letter will be sent home to the parents of children not wearing correct uniform.

The school uniform is practically the same for girls and boys and includes; A green sweatshirt with school logo, grey or black trousers, black shoes, grey or white socks and a white or green polo shirt. The girls may prefer to wear a grey skirt or pinafore dress in the winter. In the summer, the girls can wear green and white check dresses and the boys can wear short grey or black trousers. Green baseball caps with our school logo on are also available from the office. The school keeps a stock of sweatshirts in various sizes and these can be obtained from the school office. The PE kit is a white T shirt, black or navy shorts, white sports socks, and trainers or pumps. Please ensure that all your child’s school uniform is labelled with his/her name. All children have the opportunity to swim in our covered trainer swimming pool in the Summer Term. For this they also require

a swimming costume and hat. We would prefer these to be a one – piece swimsuit for girls and trunks or swimming shorts of a sensible length for boys. Hats are required for swimming lessons, which can be purchased from the school office. New parents will receive a copy of the current uniform requirements with prices attached. Any other parents can obtain a copy from the office. During the year the children will, as part of their learning, visit various places and on these occasions they will be encouraged to wear their school uniform. Not only does it make supervision easier for staff, but it also supports the school ethos, emphasising that we can rely on our children to behave in a way which we can feel proud of and would like to advertise that fact. Jewellery/Hair styles/Fashion In the interests of safety, we do not allow children to wear jewellery in school. If ears have been pierced, studs may be worn. These should be removed/taped over before swimming. We encourage children to be independent individuals, however we request parents to consider the impact of fashion on their child’s learning and social development and ask parents to ensure their children do not wear inappropriate hairstyles or fashion items to school.

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13. THE KS1 and KS2 CURRICULUM

In both Key Stages the curriculum coverage required by the school is virtually the same. The only excepetion is that in KS2 the children are required to learn a foreign language. Details of aspects of the curriculum are shown below. Much of a child’s success depends so much on the support that he/she receives at home. Please try to set aside some time with your child/children when you can share their book with them – discuss their piece of writing, help them with their spellings and times tables or just enjoy researching information about a particular topic. The most important aspect of any support which you can give involves quality time, which is, wherever possible, uninterrupted. If you care about their learning, they will care about it too!

ENGLISH

Through language children can express and formulate thoughts, explain themselves and interact with others. They can attempt to make sense of the real world around them by organising, thinking and interpreting experiences. English is generally taught in ability groups and children will be engaged in activities which cover word and sentence level work, reading and writing. The lessons will be divided up in different ways depending on the age of the children and the teaching objectives. They usually finish with a plenary session, when learning is summarised and/or next steps identified. Writing and Spelling Opportunities are provided for:

Emergent writing in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 through directed teaching activities or as a result of continuous provision in class

Shared Writing – within the literacy lesson Guided Writing/Independent Writing - within the literacy lesson or other areas of learning Extended writing - within the literacy lesson and with cross-curricular links Handwriting – practised regularly within/beyond the literacy lesson and extended through

homework activities. A cursive script (Nelson Thornes) is adopted throughout the school. Spelling – Letters and Sounds is used comprehensively to support the learning of

phoneme/grapheme correspondences and high frequency words. These are then used to learn spellings. At KS2 the ‘Support for Spelling’ programme is in place. A variety of homework activities are used to support the learning of spellings.

Writing to be stimulated by experiences outside the classroom and visits are encouraged to facilitate this

Reading Opportunities are provided for:

Shared reading – within literacy lessons and at other times of the day Guided reading – this often takes place outside of literacy lessons (see individual timetables) Independent reading – (once a week at least in KS1). This is monitored and assessed using

the ‘Benchmark’ materials to ensure reading ability and comprehension ability. Phonics – Letters and Sounds lessons are taught on a daily basis in Foundation and Key

Stage 1, using a synthetic phonics strategy. Support for Spelling is used in Key Stage 2. In Year 1 the school uses the Phonics Test to determine future support which children may

require. In 2012 74% (20) of the Y1 children passed this test. Resources – a variety of reading schemes are in use to offer a variety of text types and

styles. These are all graded using the ‘Book Bands’, up to and including level 3 books. All classes have a collection of texts for home reading (from published schemes as well as a range of significant authors), dictionaries and thesauri, interactive whiteboard, fiction and non-fiction big books.

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Library – all children are entitled to borrow one book from the school library. Each class visits the library weekly (see timetable). Children are encouraged to use the library.

MATHEMATICS

The Primary National Strategy provides a framework for the teaching of Maths with much of the early work in Years 1 and 2 based on Mental/Oral work with some formal recording. From Y3 onwards children work through informal recording methods towards formal recording methods, eg jumps on a number line. Children receive a daily lesson in Maths lasting between 45 minutes in KS1 and one hour in K.S.2. The lesson usually starts with a whole class mental activity. In the main session, the

class may be taught as a whole or split into groups based on ability with the teacher working with one or two groups each day. The lesson usually ends with a short plenary session, when work done during the main session can be reviewed and shared with the whole class and learning can be consolidated. We feel that it is important that children engage with and enjoy their maths learning, therefore we use materials, creative approaches and problem solving activities wherever possible to make the learning more meaningful and fun.

SCIENCE

The School aims to provide a scientific education based upon the programmes of study in the Science National Curriculum Document 1999, using QCA units of study within a 2 year rolling programme of work, to provide a structured scheme which avoids repetition and develops skills progressively. When science is being taught, children will be working at different levels depending upon their experience and understanding of scientific concepts. As scientific knowledge and understanding increases, children will

be encouraged to relate science to everyday life and begin to explore science in various contexts. They are also taught to predict what they think will happen in scientific investigations, how to conduct experiments using fair tests, developing hypotheses and drawing conclusions from observations. By the end of year 6 they will be able to develop their own investigations using all the scientific skills which they have developed within the school. Children will also be taught to use Information Technology to record, present and interpret data, which they have collected during scientific investigations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY One of the ‘core’ subjects taught at primary level, ICT is taught as a subject in its own right. We teach the skills children are required to develop using an applied approach, ensuring links are made to other subjects wherever possible. Children also increasingly use the laptops to support their own work in other areas of the curriculum. The school has 3 mobile laptop suites in order that the children can use the trechnology as they require. The laptops are wirelessly linked to a hub, through which the children can access the internet, a shared server, (to store children’s work) and a colour photocopier/printer. Interactive Whiteboards are used in the classrooms enabling children to interact with computer software and support their visual learning. These whiteboards also support the demonstration of computer programs and are an extremely powerful teaching and learning tool. Children also use digital cameras to capture images. All children save their work on a shared drive and the staff share their planning on a separate shared drive. The new school website reflects the whole school approach to use of ICT and incorporates a range of children’s work, information, pictures and other key aspects of school life, with help for parents and children. This can be accessed at www.northtawtonprimary.co.uk

HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

We believe that children need to learn key skills and apply them in conext. For this reason we plan from the Somerset Small Schools scheme, which has identified skills required to be developed for each year group. We then use a thematic approach to link the skills to a context. In Key Stage 1 much of the history learniong is based on children's own experiences, their families and people and things around them; progressing to the everyday lives of men, women and children in the past. Stories play an important part, as does the use of artefacts (things which have been made). In Key Stage 2 children cover work including the following areas:- Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in Britain Ancient Greece Tudor Times Ancient Egypt Victorian Britain Local History Study Britain since 1930 Children study geography through a range of topics, developing their skills, understanding of places and themes. Skills include map work, fieldwork, making observations and asking questions, using secondary sources of evidence and ICT. The themes include rivers, coasts, weather, settlement and environmental change. In Key Stage 1 much of their learning is based on direct experience, practical activities and exploration of school buildings, school grounds, the immediate local area, and a contrasting locality, e.g. a visit to a seaside town. In Key Stage 2 children study the school grounds, our town, improving our environment, weather, coasts, rivers, a contrasting locality in the U.K. and economically developing countries. Towards the end of Key Stage 2 they are able to take part in a residential week, during which they practise fieldwork skills. This supports a better understanding of the physical and human aspects of their region and encourages children to see their world within a different perspective. In the second year of our study programme they are able to develop an understanding of a European country by visiting a location in France. This exciting element of the children’s studies (see picture) enables them to understand a different culture, whilst expanding their horizons and fully engaging with people from another locality abroad.

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ART and DESIGN

We aim to provide the children with all the experiences required by the national curriculum for Art and Design. We hope that during the children's careers at school; they will have used a number of materials and learnt several techniques. These will help them when they begin to make informed choices when required to record what they see and to help them express an idea. These techniques will include drawing, painting, printing, textiles, pottery, and 3D model making. Whenever possible, our art is associated with the topics taught in the classroom at the time. For example, Greek pottery and art might be looked at when considering a unit on Greek history. Alternatively, different drawing methods can be made use of when looking at the immediate environment. Children are taught to explore different contexts in order to find opportunities for design and technology activities. They will learn to design what they propose to do. Their designs will be used to plan and make objects, make a set of objects which together perform a task, and make environments. The products and effects of their activities and those of others will be evaluated to see how well they meet the original needs or opportunity.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Arrangements are made for the children to visit the local Church and learn about Christianity. They will also be taught about the variety of faiths which are to be found in the UK today. Religious Education, in County maintained and controlled schools, is given in accordance with a syllabus agreed by the Authority on the recommendation of a Standing Advisory Council and Syllabus Conference, which includes representatives of the various denominations of the Christian Church in Devon as well as representatives of the Authority and teaching profession. Our syllabus enables children to understand a wide range of religions, including Christianity. It is open to parents to request that their children be wholly or partly excused from religious education. Any such request should be made in writing to the Headteacher.

MUSIC

All children in the school will follow the guidelines set out in National Curriculum - Music. Music is split into three major areas - Performing, Composing and Appreciation. From an early age children will be introduced to all three aspects. They will be encouraged to develop the musical skills necessary to play simple tuned and untuned instruments i.e. xylophones, chime bars, glockenspiels, keyboard, drums, tambours, tambourines, cymbals and a great variety of other percussion instruments. Such areas as pitch and rhythm will be developed and opportunities given to explore a wide range of sound. Having acquired the most basic skills they will be encouraged to compose their own music either as recognisable tunes or as sound pictures working in groups, individually or occasionally as a whole class. Opportunities will be given to perform their compositions to a variety of audiences i.e. small group, class, whole school, parents or wider community. Listening to music by great composers and from different cultures will also be part of their experience. Singing is a wide variety of forms will also be developed. As a school we have developed a strong musical tradition and employ a specialist music teacher to support this aspect of the curriculum. We frequently involve the children in the performing arts, including concerts and whole school productions. All children have a whole school singing lesson every week, which aims to improve their vocal range and utilise their natural musical abilities.

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Peripatetic instrumental tutors visit the school to teach woodwind, string and keyboard. . More details regarding arrangements and costs of tuition are available on request from the School Office.

P.E. (Including Dance, Games and Swimming)

The school has excellent facilities for developing this area of the National Curriculum. This curriculum is extended after school, to include a range of sporting opportunities, including inter-school competitions and tournaments. We believe in the ‘Sport for All’ principle and encourage all children to take part in activities which leads to a healthy life-style. Using a variety of apparatus either in the hall or outside, the children will follow a programme which will develop their body awareness, physical co-ordination and control. They are able to experience

a wide variety of games including football, netball, short tennis, unihoc, rounders, basketball and kwik cricket. Dance and country dancing also feature as part of the curriculum. The Sports Hall is used for the full range of PE activities and is the focus of our daily physical activity for the whole school. This usually takes the form of an aerobics session, in which children develop their physical fitness to a musical accompaniment. This is led by the Y5/6 children and encourages development of different parts of the brain and physical fitness. Parents and carers are also encouraged to join in. Our covered trainer swimming pool which has

recently been refurbished, is fully heated and contains integral changing rooms. The children normally take swimming lessons throughout the Summer Term. All children in the school are taught to swim using a variety of aids and can be expected to use the pool at least once a week in Summer. Please note that all children are expected to wear swimming hats. Goggles are not to be worn unless children have sensitive eyes which are easily irritated by the chlorine in the water. In such cases parents must write a note explaining the need for goggles to the class teacher. This restriction is a result of a directive from the Local Authority and follows an incident where a child suffered a detached retina caused by the sudden removal of a pair of goggles. Since all children are expected to take part in all of these activities parents must send a note, if for any reason, their child cannot participate.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

All teachers in year 3 to 6 use aspects another foreign language in their daily teaching. We are very fortunate in having a fluent French-speaking teacher, who will support this integration process. The main focus of MFL is enjoying discovering another language, using speaking and listening skills within a variety of activities. Children also learn about the French culture and have an opportunity to experience this for themselves in Y5/6 on the residential visit.

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COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

As previously stated, children will experience an act of collective worship each day although this is not always on a whole school basis. The act of collective worship will focus on moral, personal and social issues with reference to aspects of Christianity and other religions where relevant. It is part of the school's policy to involve the main local Christian denominations in the life of the school from time to time to take assemblies and meet the children. As is the case in RE, you may wish to withdraw your child from this aspect of your child’s education, but will require a signed letter to this effect should you require to do so.

The pattern of collective worship is as follows: Monday – Whole school assembly Tuesday- Separate KS1 and KS2 assemblies Wednesday – Whole school singing and Current Affairs assembly Thursday – Class worship Friday – Whole school achievement assembly. Friday’s assembly includes the presentation of class trophy awards for the child of the week, celebrating the winner of the team points award for the week, individual certificates which have been awarded, sporting results and lunch time awards. This is part of our whole school approach to behaviour and acts as a focus for the week, encouraging children to do their best. Parents are invited to take part in this assembly on the last Friday of every month, when the FONTS 100 club draw also takes place, giving prize-winners a chance to win a cash prize. As a school we also celebrate aspects of the Christian calendar including Harvest Festival, Christmas and Easter. We also celebrate other faiths in assemblies and RE.

INCLUSION PROVISION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, GIFTED

AND TALENTED AND REQUIRING ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS Children are considered to have special needs if their education cannot be met within the normal range of classroom activity. That is, for example,when they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age, they have a disability which either prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities provided. Children who are especially gifted in an area of learning are also included within this section. The procedures for identification and assessment of Special Educational Needs are specified in a Code of Practice issued by the Department for Education and Employment. The school makes every effort to identify as early as possible any child who may be experiencing difficulty acquiring basic skills, and if insufficient progress is being made within the classroom, the class teacher and the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) will agree an appropriate course of action. Individual programmes of work, using appropriate schemes and materials, will be introduced by the class teacher, supported by the SENCO.

Interactive Current Affairs Assembly in the Hall

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Staff will keep parents informed of children's progress, and are keen to discuss any concerns. If any child is not making significant progress, advice will be sought from outside agencies (such as the Educational Psychologist) after consultation with the parents. Children who are registered as having Special Educational Needs will have their progress reviewed termly. Parents will be invited to review their child’s progress every term at parents evenings. Children who have Statements of Special Educational Needs have an annual review which looks specifically to see how the requirements of the Statement are being met. Gifted and talented children are also identified as early as possible so that we can meet their needs. They are given additional support within the class and access to clubs and other workshops are made available either locally or elsewhere in Devon. Their specific needs will be reviewed with their parents at a meeting.

Children with disabilities are encouraged to attend our school and the main buildings are equipped with a lift, disabled ramps and hand rails. We are also fortunate in having a disabled toilet and shower. Please refer to the Accessibility Policy for further details. If you have a child requiring different forms of access to enable us to meet his/her needs we would be grateful if you could contact the school as soon as possible, before your child starts their learning with us. We are able to provide additional support for such children, however we usually require advance notice, to ensure support can be put in place before the child starts school.

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION Personal, Social and Health Education is taught across the curriculum, and is an essential part of a child's education. The aim of this SEAL, (social and emotional aspects of learning) programme is to help children in the school to acquire the knowledge, habits and attitudes which will contribute to their role as citizens in our community.

This is achieved by making the children aware of; the processes involved in the growth and development of all living things; the importance of good personal health and its maintenance; the existence of disease and its associated dangers; social health problems such as smoking, drinking and drugs; health related exercise;

the dangers on the road, in the home, at school, near water etc.; environmental issues and how these contribute to their well being; healthy foods and nutrition which are essential for growth; Community health, e.g. the role of the Doctor, Nurses, Hospitals, Clinics PSHE is therefore an area of the curriculum which can be shared with parents and carers, governors, families and the community. By promoting a healthy life-style, including a fruit or vegetable snack every morning it is hoped that this will assist the children in their personal and social development.

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SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS EDUCATION

Sex and Relationships Education forms an integral part of the school's Health Education Programme which itself is based upon the programmes of study for Science at Key Stages 1 and 2. Much of the early work in this area is incidental and arises from animal and plant studies. S.R.E. is taught as part of PSHE on a rolling programme of themes. It is introduced at the end of KS1 and further developed at the end of KS2. The KS1 programme focuses on birth, care and growth, including the care of babies and how we change as we grow up. In KS2 the programme takes the subject further, looking at puberty and the physical and emotional changes that occur in teenage years. Both programmes involve a mixture of videos, discussion and activities. Questions arising from the children will be answered in an age-appropriate manner, as determined by the teacher. All parents and carers involved are invited to view any videos beforehand so that they can be in a position to support the work of the school and answer any questions their children may have. Any parents or carers who do not wish their child to see a video should inform the Headteacher or Class Teacher at the appropriate time, so that their child may be withdrawn from the lesson.

14. ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING PROGRESS

The teachers constantly assess progress using a variety of formal and informal methods including APP (assessing pupil progress), tests and moderated examples online. We closely track, trends in development within each year group in both English and Maths and set and assess progress in targets in these subjects. This supports a greater understanding of the progress each child is making during the year. ‘SATs’ tests, assessing development in English and Maths are normally held during the middle of May, when the children near the end of each Key Stage. Key Stage 1 children are tested near the end of Y2 and will normally be seven by the time this takes place. The ‘test’ supports the teacher assessment and it is the latter which is reported to the DfE. Most Key Stage 2 children will have reached the age of 11 by the time they are tested. Following the tests, parents and carers will receive notification of the National Curriculum Levels their child has achieved. In the case of Y2 (Key Stage 1) the average child is expected to achieve Level 2 and in the case of Y6 (Key Stage 2) the average child is expected to achieve Level 4. In order to help parents more fully understand the testing system you are advised to log onto the DfE website for further information. This site also contains details of the school’s latest results. The website address is www.education.gov.uk Each year group in Key Stage 2 also completes an end of academic year test in writing, reading, spelling and maths known as the QCA non-statutory test. This helps the teachers plan the future work for each child and measures how each child is progressing throughout the school.

REPORTS AND PARENT-TEACHER CONSULTATION Each year every child in the school will receive a school report, which is presented to parents in the Spring Term. This is followed by Parent Interviews, which focus on the contents of the report and any targets which have been set within it. Progress in the targets will be monitored by the teachers and will be reviewed at a meeting at the end of the Summer Term.

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Children in the Foundation Stage will receive a copy of their school profile in the Summer Term. This is a detailed document which replaces the school report. The aims of the school report are ; to provide parents and carers with a comprehensive picture of their child's academic and personal

achievements; to allow the child to become involved in discussions and decisions regarding their present and

future progress in the school; to provide an opportunity for highlighting success as an individual; to provide an agenda which can be used for parent/teacher interviews, to provide parents with the opportunity to make their contribution to their child's learning

experience, To encourage the growth of the "partnership" of learning. Although parents and carers are always welcome to come and look around the school provided they make prior arrangements, there are particular occasions throughout the year when a general invitation is extended to all parents and carers. These opportunities include Parents Evenings, Curriculum Evenings and Thematic Days. Details of these and other activities, such as the Summer Fair and other social events, are to be found in the School Newsletter. This is issued every Thursday and placed on the Noticeboard and the School website. In the Summer Term, the school holds a Leavers event when the Y6 children are presented with leavers books and other awards. 15. EXTRA - CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES North Tawton Community Primary School is able to offer a wide range of Extra - Curricular Activities which take place either during the lunch hour or after school. The staff of the school, with the support of volunteers, parents and carers, aim to realise the huge potential which the facilities can offer the local community. Activities are very varied and have included Netball, Football, Multiskills, Sewing, Cross Country Running, Chess, Gardening, Choir, Reading, Magazine Club, Yoga, Drama, Forensic Science, Paper Folding and Art!

16. DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOUR

We aim for North Tawton to be a place of excellence where children can achieve their best in their academic, creative, personal and physical development. We are a caring school where children and adults feel they can make a positive contribution and are valued as individuals. We strive to create and maintain close partnership between children,parents and staff so as to develop children who will be lifelong learners and responsible citizens. We believe that a child cannot learn effectively unless he or she feels secure, successful and happy. We are committed to helping children to develop socially acceptable attitudes, self-discipline and self-confidence, as well as an acceptance of responsibility for their own actions.

Parents take part in Netball Event

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The purpose of our behaviour policy is to: Help us maintain a consistent approach which supports the aims and values of the school

To create a positive and orderly atmosphere which supports teaching and learning

To create a safe, secure environment for children and staff through the clarification of

expectations, roles, rights and responsibilities

To ensure consistent implementation of this policy from all staff especially in the delivery of rewards and sanctions

To ensure that staff, pupils, parents, governors and visitors to the school have a shared understanding of our practice and procedures with regards to managing behaviour

Support from and contact with parents is vital in behaviour management and we would expect every parent/guardian to help in this respect. We actively support positive behaviour in our school by using positive communication with parents to celebrate children’s success and behaviours. If a child has caused ongoing or serious problems at school, to the point where he/she has to be reprimanded, a teacher or member of staff involved may need to contact the parent to discuss the matter, should the misdemeanour warrant this. As part of our positive approach to this policy there are a range of assemblies, focussing on a specific theme each week and incorporating an ‘Achievement Assembly’ on Friday. The Friday assembly includes sports reports, given by the children, presentation of certificates achieved either in school or elsewhere, team points awarded during the week, for good behaviour and endeavour, and the presentation of a weekly class trophy, to a child who deserves special praise for good efforts, work and/or behaviour during the week. To encourage and reward good behaviour at lunchtime the MTAs give out lunchtime awards, these ‘golden coins’ are given to children who demonstrate the desired behaviours expected at North Tawton, including being polite, helpful etc the children are congratulated in class by the teachers and are encouraged to celebrate their achievements by sharing positive behaviour recognition with their peers. Coins are collected/counted each week. At the end of the week, the class collecting the greatest number of awards is given an extra break-time in the afternoon of the following week. We operate a system of Golden Rules, which also rewards children who keep the rules, with a short ‘free choice’ session at the end of the week. The strategy is detailed as follows; If a child keeps the rules for the week, he/she chooses an activity which he/she enjoys on Friday afternoon. The ‘Golden Rules’ which the school has adopted are: We are gentle We are kind and helpful We listen to others We are honest We work hard We look after property Assemblies and circle time follow our PSHE policy/guidelines; ctivities focus on reinforcing these rules and reaffirm our whole school commitment to them.

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Children are also given opportunities to speak privately to a teacher or member of staff if they so wish to. This gives them an opportunity to speak in confidence about any issue which may be of concern to them. The teacher may also request talk time with a child, to discuss a problem. MODIFYING BEHAVIOUR If a rule is broken in class then: The child is given a verbal warning. This is followed by a second warning/warning card. If a further infringement takes place during the same day the child will receive a consequence,

for example loss of time from break/lunchtime, golden time or a loss of privilege. The child may earn their rewards back.

If a child continues to break rules or behave in disruptive manner, parents may be contacted at this point, depending on severity of the infringement.

A behaviour book is present in every class, which includes the names and details of incidents for any child who repeatedly fails to respond to positive strategies and who by so doing continually puts the education and/or safety of others at risk. This will be used to record progress with behaviour and will be shared with both the child and parent/s. This book is also useful to communicate issues on behaviour to other members of staff within the school. Parents will be informed if the class teacher is repeatedly giving out warnings and/or to discuss serious behavioural issues. Children may also be sent to another classroom during lesson time; or the Deputy Headteacher, or Headteacher during break/lunchtimes, for serious behavioural incidents, if required. These strategies are at the discretion of the class teacher concerned, but in all severe cases of misbehaviour our policy is one of targeted support, to establish the root cause of the problem. We hope that all parents will respect this approach and support the methods used.

EXCLUSIONS A decision to exclude a pupil will be taken only: a) In response to serious breaches of the school's behaviour policy; and b) If allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school. Only the head teacher (or, in the absence of the head teacher, the teacher in charge)can exclude a pupil, in consultation with the Chair of Governors.

BULLYING AND DISCRIMINATION Bullying and discrimination in any form will not be tolerated whether this be physical or verbal, intimidatory or aggressive behaviour. Staff at North Tawton Primary School exercise extreme vigilance against incidents of bullying and discrimination. Incidents will always be reported and acted upon. See separate Anti-Bullying Policy.

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

Parents should be aware that the school will take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. In cases where the school has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill-treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, staff have no alternative but to follow the Local Authority Child Protection Procedures and inform the Social Services Department of their concerns.

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Our first concern is your child’s welfare and therefore there may be occasions when we have to consult other agencies even before we contact you. Should this be necessary we want to reassure you that any concerns we have about your child will then be fully discussed with you after we have talked with the other agency. There are now more concerns regarding the security of children on their journey to school, than at any other time in the past. We therefore ask parents and carers to telephone the school before 9.00am if their child is not going to be in school that day, or will be late arriving. If a child is registered as absent and we do not have a reason for the absence, the parents/carers will receive a telephone call from the school, to check if the child is at home. For safety’s sake it will be necessary to inform the school daily or, alternatively give a date when the child will return to school. This should minimise the risk of children going missing between home and school.

17. HOME - SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP AND HOMEWORK

Every year we ask parents to share an agreed contract with the school to clarify that the school and home work together in partnership and that learning is most effective when parents support their children at home. We greatly value this support but appreciate the constraints that there sometimes are on this important time and would like to explain our policy for this key area of your child’s academic life.

Children sharing reading in the school library We consider the main purposes for homework are to; foster an effective partnership between home and school, consolidate and reinforce skills and understanding in numeracy, literacy and other planned

curriculum areas. prepare children for Secondary transfer, exploit additional resources for learning, provide opportunities for parents and children to work together, and provide the opportunity for children to look at an activity from a different perspective.

The School’s Policy on Homework follows the recommendations of the Department for Education. The website has useful information support booklets for parents see www.education.gov.uk and type ‘homework’ in the search engine. Homework should; be integrated with everyday work and planning, be set by the class teacher, be presented in a self explanatory manner and include an example if necessary, have a clearly understood set of expectations to be written at the front of the homework diary, be marked and fed back to the children promptly, take into account individual children’s learning needs, and be entered into the homework diaries in order that parents/carers and children understand

when, what and how the work is to be done.

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The following list summarises the type of work your child will be expected to complete within the school. As with all work completed at home, it is recommended that you give as much support as you can, in order that your child might achieve success. Class R Supporting development of the six areas of learning Class 1 Reading and key words Class 2 Reading, spelling, other literacy work & number work . Class 3 Reading, spelling and other literacy/number work Class 4 English & Maths, spelling and regular reading each week. Class 5 English & Maths, spelling and regular reading each week. SATs revision work

will also be given to children in Y6. Homework requirements and guidance are discussed with parents at the information for parents evening at the beginning of the school year and information for parents is provided by each class teachers during the school year. NB This policy is being reviewed in October 2012.

18. COMMUNITY LINKS INCLUDING ASPECTS OF TRANSITION Pre- School The pre-school is based on the school site in the old hall. Tel. 01837 880165 Okehampton College The majority of children transfer to Okehampton College at the end of Y6. There are at least 2 opportunities for these children to experience their new school in the preceeding Summer Term, together with visits from College staff and an information evening. During the year the children also take part in sporting and other activities at the College. See also section 24. Other Community Initiatives

The school strives to strengthen its links with the local community in a number of ways, including; Involving members of the community in visits to the school at school functions such as concerts, Services, Harvest Festivals, Christmas and other productions and Activity Days. The children in Y6 help to distribute food donated by parents in the Harvest Festival to the elderly and disabled within the Town.

Children reading Ted Hughes Poetry at a Plaque Unveiling in the Town Using the local community including, local shops, expertise, artists , Fire Brigade, Police, the

Veterinary Surgeon, industry including; the Taw Valley Creamery and Gregory's Distribution.

Visits by local clergy occur on a regular basis - taking assemblies.

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The North Tawton branch of the Royal British Legion present a shield to the school, which is awarded on an annual basis for children who have made particularly strenuous efforts to improve their work. Annual sporting and other events are held at North Tawton and other schools in the (Okehampton Local Learning Community) These include Football, Netball and Chess Tournaments, hosted by North Tawton Community Primary School.

FONTS Summer Fete

Friends of North Tawton School (FONTS) The school enjoys considerable support from the Association of Parents and Friends of North Tawton School. As is mentioned in the Brief History , many of the excellent facilities have been provided from funds raised by FONTS. In conjunction with the School, FONTS holds frequent meetings when items for the social and academic calendar are discussed. All parents/carers are automatically members of FONTS and are encouraged to take part in these meetings. FONTS holds regular fund - raising events and occasional social evenings. FONTS has purchased a range of equipment including new PE mats, a netball shooter, a traversing wall, library books, and supported swimming and educational visits.

19. CATERING The school has its own kitchen which prepares a range of nutritious healthy meals using ‘Fresh Start’ menus. The school kitchen also supplies meals to Exbourne Primary School. Salads and vegetarian meals are always available. Children whose families are currently in receipt of Income Support, Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, the Guaranteed Element of Pension Credit or Child Tax Credit (without Working Tax Credit) where income is less than £16,190, employment and support allowance(income related), support under part VI of the immigration and asylum may be entitled to Free School Meals. Further details can be obtained from the School Administrator or by contacting 0845 155 1019 . We would like to reassure parents and carers that children receiving free school meals are not treated any differently when they go to the dining hall. Parents and carers who do not wish their children to have school meals can provide them with a packed lunch. Alternatively, if they live close to the school, they may wish their children to go home for lunch. Children bringing packed lunches will need to have an appropriate packed lunch box and a drink container. Please note that vacuum flasks containing glass are not allowed nor are cans of drink.

20. MEDICAL INFORMATION As a school community we are very conscious of the affects which illness can have and in particular the way they can spread, given the close proximity of staff and children.

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To this end, a list is set out below of the more common communicable diseases together with their minimal exclusion periods as recommended by the Department of Health and Social Security. The minimal exclusion period is the time, which you should keep your child away from school in order to minimise the risk of spreading infection. Normal Incubation Minimal exclusion period in days period Dysentery 1 - 7 until clinically fit Chickenpox 14-21 6 days from rash Diphtheria 2 - 5 until bacteriological examination is clear German Measles 14-21 4 days from rash Hepatitis A 15-50 7 days from rash Scarletina & Scarlet Fever 2 - 5 Until clinical recovery Whooping Cough 7 - 10 21 days from onset of cough Impetigo Until skin is healed Ringworm of Scalp Until cured Headlice It is the responsibility of parents and carers to check their children’s hair regularly. Head inspections are no longer carried out at school and a child will be sent home if headlice are seen on their head/hair. The school is aware of the recommended lotion to use if head infestation occurs. Regular combing is a real deterrent. The school sells ‘Lokombs’ which are advertised as having the ability to get rid of both eggs and lice, using a wet combing method. (These are available at the Office). Administration of Medicines in School Our policy on the administration of medicine in the school is based on advice given by the Area Health Authority. If a child needs to take medicine at school, parents will be asked to complete an “Administration of medicine in school” form. The medicine should be brought to the school with the completed form. Only medicines prescribed by a doctor may be administered in school. All medicines will be stored in a secure medicine cabinet/ fridge. If your child should need cough sweets they must be given to the class teacher who will give them to the child when required. Please remember that if your child is not well and needs to take medicine, it is much better to keep him/her at home, to ensure he/she recovers quickly and to avoid the possible spreading of infections to others. The School Health Service Our School Nurse is Vicki Smale. She visits the school regularly each year to carry out vision, hearing, weight and height measurements together with health interviews. She is involved in the

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promotion of good health and also participates in the classroom, talking about different aspects of Health Education. This in turn hopefully makes the child responsible for their own health at an early age. Due to the changing role of the Community Dental Service, annual dental screening for all children no longer takes place. The School Administrator can give you information as to when the School Nurse will be attending the school, or alternatively, where she can be contacted. See General Information .

21. COMPLAINTS A summary of the process is outlined below, however should you wish to make a formal complaint, the full detail including the relevant form,is available in the Complaints Policy on the School Website www.northtawtonprimary.co.uk . There are two school-based stages: Stage one: complaint heard by the Headteacher (unless he is the person who is the subject of

the complaint in which case this should be addressed to the Chair of Governors); Stage two: complaint heard by the governors’ complaints panel (Hearings Committee); If the matter remains unresolved after stage two, the complainant may then take his/her complaint to the LA. Stage One: Complaint Heard by Staff Member It is in everyone’s interest that complaints are resolved at the earliest possible stage. The experience of the first contact between the complainant and the school can be crucial in determining whether the complaint will escalate. All staff have been made aware of the procedures so they know what to do if they receive a complaint. If a complainant indicates that he/she would have difficulty discussing a complaint with a particular member of staff, the complaints co-ordinator can refer the complainant to another staff member. Where the complaint concerns the Headteacher, the complaints co-ordinator can refer the complainant to the Chair of Governors. Similarly, if the member of staff directly involved feels too compromised to deal with a complaint, the complaints co-ordinator may consider referring the complainant to another staff member. The member of staff may be more senior but does not have to be. The ability to consider the complaint objectively and impartially is crucial. Where the first approach is made to a governor, the next step would be to refer the complainant to the appropriate person and advise them about the procedure. Governors should not act unilaterally on an individual complaint outside the formal procedure or be involved at the early stages in case they are needed to sit on a panel at a later stage of the procedure. Stage Two: Complaint Heard by the Governing Body’s Complaints Panel (Hearing’s Committee) The complainant needs to write to the Chair of Governors giving details of the complaint, using thje form available on the school website. The Clerk to the Governors will convene a complaints panel of at least three governorsdrawn from the members of the Governor’s Hearings Committee who shall elect a Chair from among their number. [The governors’ appeal hearing is the last school-based stage of the complaints process].

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Individual complaints will not be heard by the whole governing body at any stage, as this could compromise the impartiality of any panel set up for a disciplinary hearing against a member of staff following a serious complaint.

22. SCHOOL TRANSPORT At present, children who live in the outlying areas are brought to school using a minibus and a taxi. The attached map shows the extent of the school's catchment area which is used for calculating whether or not a child is entitled to free transport or not. Anybody living outside the catchment area can still send their children to the school providing there is sufficient space. However, if they wish to use the transport service they will have to pay a termly fee (and may only use the minibus/taxi provided there is room on it. Children living within the catchment area are entitled to free transport according to the following scale. All children who live over three miles from the school - free. Children under eight who live over two miles from the school - free This means that once a child is eight, if they do not live more than three miles from the school, parents or carers will have to pay the termly charge. The actual distances involved are usually measured by the LA. Parents and carers can appeal against decisions regarding these distances by writing to the Area Education Officer Any complaints regarding this service should also be made to the Area Education Officer, although the school would also like to be informed as well. Please note that it is the responsibility of parents and carers to arrange for children to travel in safety between their home and the picking-up and setting-down points for school transport..

23. ARRANGEMENTS FOR SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS In the event of wintry weather, the school will remain open unless there have been heavy falls of snow, severe icing of roads or there is a failure of the electricity supply. The latter will almost certainly mean closure since our heating system depends upon electricity. Should such an occurrence take place overnight or over a week-end, messages will be sent out to parents/carers via our school texting service and details placed on the ‘Ticker’ on the website. The school will also notify BBC Radio Devon so that you can make child care arrangements as early as possible. With several members of staff

travelling to North Tawton, from outside the area, severe wintry weather may mean we cannot provide an adequate service for those children living in the town. With regard to school meals, we normally hold at least two days supply of food. After these two days have elapsed and if, due to road conditions, supplies are still unable to get through, then children would need to bring packed lunches or go home for lunch.

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In the event of severe wintry weather or the onset of severe icing of road surfaces, children on school transport will be sent home at the earliest possible opportunity. A child will not be sent home if we cannot establish that there is someone at home to meet him/her. If snow has fallen during the night or over the week end, the school buses may not be able to negotiate some or even all of the lanes and, therefore, will not be able to pick your children up. In such a case, should you consider using your own transport to bring them in, would you please also make arrangements to collect them at home-time, or sooner, if the weather should deteriorate.

24. SECONDARY TRANSFER

Most children who leave the school at the age of eleven, transfer to Okehampton College. Okehampton College is a moderately large Comprehensive School with a range of excellent facilities all accommodated on one site. The College currently has a student population of approximately 1200 and caters for the 11 to 18 age range. Parents and carers of children approaching secondary transfer will receive a booklet from the L.E.A. early in the Autumn Term outlining the arrangements for secondary transfer. Parents/carers will be asked to indicate their choice of Secondary School at this stage. Okehampton College, in common with many other Secondary School, arranges an Open Evening for parents and children which also takes place in the Autumn Term. Details and dates of these evenings are given in the booklet mentioned above. There are very close links between Okehampton College and its feeder primary schools. Opportunities are extended to the children whereby they can experience an entire day at the College and staff from the College visit the Feeder Primary Schools to meet the children and parents. All of these events take place during the Summer Term. Particular attention is paid to children with Special Needs so that any possible disruption caused by the move to a new school can be reduced to a minimum. While most children from North Tawton and surrounding villages go to Okehampton College this is not to say that they have to go there. Parents have the right to choose the school they would like their child to attend and providing the school has room this should be no problem. However, it must be pointed out that free transport is only available for children attending Okehampton College. Parents selecting other schools may find they will be expected to pay for transport or be responsible for transporting their children themselves.

25. LETTINGS POLICY

The Governors are keen that the school buildings and grounds are used by the local community. There are set charges for hire of rooms in the school, including our main hall. Please see the full Lettings Policy on the school website for details.

26. VOLUNTARY HELP WITH TRANSPORT We are very grateful to parents and carers who volunteer help with transport, however we ask these volunteers to check the following points before offering their support. This important area is covered by a separate school policy, available on request from the school office. All drivers must: Hold a valid driving licence for the type of vehicle being driven Be fit to drive Have no medical condition which affects their ability to drive

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Have a valid MOT for any vehicle older than 3 years old Ensure that any vehicle is roadworthy, including brakes, lights, tyres, bodywork, wipers, mirrors,

etc. Ensure that any vehicle used has current road tax Insurance: Maintain valid insurance, as a minimum, for third part liability. Check with their insurance company and inform them that the driver occasionally conveys

children on school activities. (This is unlikely to affect the cost of your insurance premium.) Safety: Be familiar with, and drive in accordance with the Highway Code at all times Before driving not consume alcohol or drugs which may impair driving Ensure that all passengers wear seat belts as appropriate at all times Ensure all passengers are seated on booster seats as determined by recent legislation Drive safely without hurrying unduly Use child proof locks on rear doors where necessary Child Protection The school may require parents or volunteers who have regular or unsupervised access to

young people to be checked through arrangements with the Criminal Records Bureau. The lead teacher will ensure that all helpers are aware of the school mobile phone number, in the event of an emergency and this will be switched on at all times during the activity. Parents and carers offering support offering support on a regular basis will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Bureau check. They will also be required to sign a declaration agreeing the items listed above.

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27. GENERAL INFORMATION

Admissions Enquiries Children and Young People’s Services Devon County Council Admissions Officer County Hall, Room 120, Topsham Road, County Hall, Exeter, EX2 4QG Tel : 01392 383717 email: admissions@devon.gov.uk www.devon.gov.uk/admissions_transfers Devon LA General Enquiries/switchboard Tel.: 01392 382000 Okehampton College Mr. Darryl Chapman, Principal, Mill Road, Okehampton, EX20 1PW Tel: 01837 650910 Educational Welfare Officer Mrs. Debbie Provan Okehampton College. Tel: 01837 650914 Okehampton Community Hospital School Health Service, Cavell Way

Tel: 01837 658000 School Nurse Vicki Smale,, Okehampton Community Hospital EX20 1PN Okehampton Tel: 01837 658027 School Transport Contractors Carmel Coaches, Tel: 01409 221237 (School Bus) Smartway (School Taxis) Tel: 01837 880055 Cost of a School Meal: £2.15 (now sold in books of 5 tickets) School Kitchen Manager – Mrs. Serena Fewings Tel: North Tawton (01837) 82954 Number of Children on Roll September 2012: 154 Planned Admission Number September 2012-12: 30

28. Catchment Area for North Tawton Community Primary School

The solid red line indicates the extent of the catchment area.

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29. KS1 & 2 COMPARATIVE REPORT 2012

Key Stage 1 Teacher Assessment Results 2012 This table shows the percentage of year 2 children achieving each level in the school in 2012. The number of children assessed at the end of Key Stage 1 was 25. W represents children who are working towards level 1, but have not yet achieved the standards needed for level 1. These assessments have been rounded, therefore figures may not total 100 per cent. It is expected for a child in Year 2 to achieve Level 2B.

W 1 2 2C 2B 2A 3+ Pupils absent

Pupils disapplied

Speaking and Listening School 8 0 92 0 0 0

National (2011) 2 11 66 21 0 0

Reading School 8 24 20 24 12 12 0 0

National (2011) 3 12 12 23 25 26 0 0

Writing School 8 16 36 24 16 0 0 0

National (2011) 4 15 20 29 20 13 0 0

Mathematics School 8 9 21 25 25 13 0 0

National (2011) 2 8 15 27 27 20 0 0

Science School 0 12 80 8 0 0

National (2011) 2 10 68 20 0 0

Key Stage 2 Teacher Assessments Results 2012 This table shows the percentage of year 6 children achieving each level in the school in 2012. The number of children assessed at the end of Key Stage 2 was 26. These assessments have been rounded, therefore figures may not total 100 per cent. It is expected for a child in Year 6 to achieve Level 4. The National Data is represented by 2011 assessments information.

W 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pupils absent

Pupils disapplied

Writing – SCHOOL 0 0 0 27 46 27 0 Writing – NATIONAL (2011 test data) 1 1 3 14 49 32 0 0 0 English - SCHOOL 0 0 0 27 35 38 0 0 0 English - NATIONAL 1 1 3 14 49 32 0 0 0 Mathematics - SCHOOL 0 0 0 19 38 42 0 0 0 Mathematics - NATIONAL 1 1 3 14 47 34 1 0 0 Science - SCHOOL 0 0 0 15 58 27 0 0 0 Science - NATIONAL 1 0 2 12 50 35 0 0 0

Key Stage 2 TEST Results 2012

Below 3 3 4 5 6 Pupils absent

Pupils not entered

Reading - SCHOOL 8 15 42 35 0 0 0 Reading - NATIONAL 7 8 41 43 0 0 0 Mathematics - SCHOOL 8 12 38 42 0 0 0 Mathematics - NATIONAL 5 14 45 35 0 0 0

NB In 2012 written assessments are marked by the teacher, using a test paper.

School Attainment and Progress Data for 2012

Attainment and Progress Data for 2012 School Agreed Targets Sept 2011

National Floor Targets

School Results Achieved

National Results (2011)

% making 2 levels progress in English 80% >87% 81% 84% % making 2 levels of progress in Maths 72% >86% 81% 83% % achieving Level 4+ in English and Maths N/A >60% 65% 60% % achieving Level 4+ in Maths 68% N/A 81% 80% % achieving Level 5 in Maths N/A N/A 42% *35% % achieving Level 4+ in English 60% N/A 73% 81% % achieving Level 5 in English N/A N/A 27% *29%

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30. PUPIL PREMIUM AND FSM INFORMATION

The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.

In most cases the Pupil Premium is allocated to schools and is clearly identifiable. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium, allocated to schools per FSM pupil, is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.

The level of the premium in 2011-12 was £488 per pupil for pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) and for pupils in care who have been continuously looked after for six months.

At North Tawton Community Primary 36 children (23% of all children) were registered to receive Free School Meals in the 2011-12 funding year. This resulted in the school receiving an additional £17568 to be used to support the education of these children.

Prior to this allocation being received the school was looking at a potential overspend due to reduction in class sizes and the provision of a sixth class. Some of this money was therefore used to ensure the school was able to continue supporting all children including those on FSM, in reasonable class sizes.

10 of the 25 children (40%) on the SEN register receive Free School Meals. These children receive additional support and targeted interventions funded by the school.

13 of those children who are not on the SEN register but receive Free School Meals are supported through additional interventions, using TA support. This is usually outside the normal teaching times, or using withdrawal in small groups or 1:1.

Approximate figures giving details of how remaining funding has been used is shown below;

1:1 support for 0.4 for SEN/FSM child £4800

Subsidised visits £1000

SEN support for targeted children £4000

Intervention support for non SEN children £4000

The overall progress of children on the FSM register for 2011-12 was as follows;

The expected progress averaged out for KS1 and KS2 is 3.33 points.

The children on FSM at North Tawton attained 4.03 points progress over the year in writing. The whole school average for all children in writing was 4.46 points.

The FSM children attained 4.24 points progress over the year in reading. The whole school average for all children in reading was 4.48 points.

The FSM children also attained 4.06 points progress over the year in maths. The whole school average for all children in maths was 4.51 points.

In 2012-13 the school will use the additional funding to support children in similar ways to that used in 2011-12, but will be also ensuring a more strategic, targeted approach is used to identify and support those on the FSM register, who may not receive support but would benefit from this as they are slow movers, or in need of intervention.