Our Lady of Grace Catholic Infant School

Welcome to Our Lady of Grace Catholic Infant School Lady of Grace such a special place, why children love to be here and why they remember it with such affection after they have left.  When pupils join the school, staff quickly foster effective and supportive relationships. Teachers help pupils to build their self-confidence. As a result, pupils respond positively to the support they receive. They make excellent progress both academically and personally

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Infant School is a Catholic School in the trusteeship of the Diocese of Westminster. We are an Academy forming the ‘All Saints’ Trust alongside St Gregory’s High School, St Bernadettes Primary School, Our Lady of Grace Junior School and St Margaret Clitherow Primary School.

The school was opened in September Our Lady of Grace Catholic Infant School is a Catholic School in the trusteeship of the Diocese of Westminster. We are an Academy forming the ‘All Saints’ Trust alongside St Gregory’s High School, St Bernadettes Primary School, Our Lady of Grace Junior School and St Margaret Clitherow Primary School.

We offer the free 30 hours nursery entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds (the extended entitlement) from 9.00am to 3.00pm, together with extended hours at Breakfast Club from 7.45am.  Full-time Nursery children can also attend our Busy Bees After School Club from 3.00pm - 5.30pm.

Our new Nursery was opened in April 2018 and caters for children who will be 4 years of age during the school year. Attendance is either on a part-time morning basis or on a full-time basis.  If you are not entitled to the 30 free hours, but would like your child to attend Full-Time, hours can be purchased at a cost of £6/hour.  There is a  maximum of 26 children at each part-time or full-time session.  One Teacher and one Nursery Nurse (NNEB) are appointed so that two responsible adults are present at all times, with additional support provided by Teaching Assistants, part-time Support Assistants and Students.

The school aims to be a place where pupils, families, staff, governors and parishioners work together to understand what it fully means to 'Grow and Love like Jesus.' Principles of social justice, a growing understanding of the common good and a commitment to excellence (in both personal and academic terms) are at the heart of all that we do. Our aim is to support and continue the faith journey that you have started for them and to support you as the primary educator of your child.

Underpinning the life of the school is our aim to preserve and develop:-

• A caring Christian Community, in partnership with the children's homes and the parish of St Mary and St Andrew.
• The Spiritual formation of our children through Liturgy and Worship and appropriate Religious Education.
• Respect and care for each other, mutual toleration and sympathy, awareness of the human dignity of each person, as made in the image of Christ, irrespective of race, religion, social background or disability.
• A positive self-image for each pupil, a sense of individual worth and an appreciation of the value of his/her contribution to the school.
• Standards of behaviour, which are based on love and respect, in all circumstances

We believe that for our children the kernel of all this is contained in the following phrase:

We believe in creating an atmosphere where each member feels equally valued and secure and any behaviour which devalues any child for reasons of colour, culture, gender or ability, will create unhappiness and insecurity and will deny this equal access. Such behaviour is therefore unacceptable in this school.

On 5 April 2011, the public sector equality duty (the equality duty) came into force. The equality duty was created under the Equality Act 2010.  The school has due regard of the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

These are sometimes referred to as the three aims or arms of the general equality duty. The Act explains that having due regard for advancing equality involves:

• Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics.
• Taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people.
• Encouraging people from protected groups to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low.