Abbott Community Primary School

We are a successful and inclusive school, which is a happy and positive place to learn. We benefit from a multi-cultural community which brings with it, a rich diversity and ethos.

Our mission statement, “Aiming High to Achieve Success!” is the basis of this vision, as we strive to ensure that ALL of our children achieve success. This vision is shared by, and reflected in the everyday practice of, an excellent staff and whole-school community. Everyone has an expectation to unlock what our children can achieve; a team that acknowledges the potential of all our children regardless of their different starting points. This expectation does not focus solely on a child’s prior experience and what they can already do, but on where they are going and what we can do to help them get there.

Walking around Abbott, this vision comes alive. There are pockets of learning going on in all classrooms and all corners of the school, both indoors and out. I lead a tremendously devoted team that has a variety of skills and talents, and that has a natural gift in bringing these out in the children. I know that every member of staff here at Abbott believes that their role is the same as everyone else’s: to enable all our children to achieve their potential.

The National Curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.The National Curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum. It is just one element in the education of every child.

The curriculum is all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote learning as well as personal growth and development. It includes the range of extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the experiences of the children. It also includes the ‘hidden curriculum’, or what the children learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave. We aim to teach children how to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and co-operate with others while developing knowledge and skills, so that they achieve their true potential.

At Abbott, Parents are regarded as partners in all aspects of their children’s education. Home Learning is an important element in this. Our Home Learning Policy, and Home School Reading Diary, enables parents and teachers to work together.

Children at Abbott are encouraged to continue and develop work from school at home. This may be in the form of reading, spelling or mathematical tasks. All children from Year 1 to Year 6 are also set a Home Learning Project every half term based on the topics they are studying in class.

All children have curriculum targets, which are regularly updated; these targets are shared with parents at parent consultation meetings. Children’s successes in and outside school activities are recognised at school and often form the basis for further activities within school.

Collaborative Learning promotes a sense of community and belonging by strengthening teacher-pupil relationships and integrating cooperative learning strategies into the curriculum. It is the over-arching pedagogical model for Abbott Community Primary School and effectively contributes to pupils and staff working together in a positive and inclusive, whole school learning environment.

Collaborative Learning is a structural approach to learning, based on the creation, analysis and systematic application of structures, or content-free ways of organising social interaction in the classroom. Structures usually involve a series of steps, with prescribed behaviour at each step. In addition, the 'Kagan collaborative' philosophy endorses the teaching and fostering of social skills within the classroom and playground culture, i.e. no put-downs, ongoing praise of fellow classmates and regular class-building and team-building activities are also practiced, making the classroom a social and accepting place.

At Abbott we believe all children should be given a sense of belonging within our school community through encouragement to be positive role models and part of a supportive team.The House system creates friendly competition, promotes good work and behaviour, encourages teamwork, provides opportunities to take on responsibilities and brings everyone in the school together.Every child who attends our school is assigned to one of four ‘houses’. Each house is made up of pupils of different ages from Year 1 through to the Year 6.

In order to provide the best possible education for all of our pupils at Abbott, we set ourselves high standards and clear aims: We aim to create a happy, caring environment where everyone develops self-esteem and self-discipline; where everyone feels valued, confident and motivated in all aspects of school life.We recognise the special needs of gifted children at Abbott and we strive to ensure that the quality and provision of teaching and learning matches their ability to ensure that they may fulfil their potential.

Children with an Educational Health and Care Plan [EHCP] in mainstream classes are given additional support according to their needs and outcomes. Those children with learning difficulties are assisted according to their needs by both the school and external agencies, such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, learning impaired specialists, etc.

Abbott Community Primary School aims to create and maintain a safe learning environment where all children and adults feel safe, secure and valued and know they will be listened to and taken seriously. Our school is committed to ‘Every Child Matters’ and implements policies, practices and procedures which promote safeguarding and the emotional and physical well being of children, young people and staff.