Alma Park Primary School

The staff are committed to offering your child a successful and happy time at school. We work hard to provide a caring and stimulating environment where every child can reach their full potential.We will offer you many opportunities to share in the life of the school and the educational progress of your child.

Parents and carers who wish to register their child to attend Alma Park, can obtain information from the school office. Alma Park's admission procedures comply with Manchester City Council's policy.Admission to Nursery is managed by the school and application forms can be obtained from and should be returned to the school office.

Children are admitted to Nursery in the September after their 3rd birthday and places are allocated in the May/June, prior to admission. Admission to Reception is managed by Manchester City Council.Full details of how to apply for a Reception place can be found on the Manchester City Council Website.Children are admitted to Reception in the September after their 4th birthday and applications are made in the Autumn term prior to admission.

Admission to Alma Park, other than at the start of Nursery, is managed by Manchester City Council.Applications are made by completing the In-Year Application Form .If the school is unable to offer a place, then your child will be placed on a waiting list. The waiting list is managed by Manchester City Council.The appeals process for children in Reception to Year 6 is managed by Manchester City Council. Please refer to their website for more information. You cannot appeal for a Nursery place.

The governing body is accountable to the public and to parents for the way in which the school is managed.The staff of the school, including the Head-Teacher, are accountable to the governing body for the delivery of the curriculum, the use of resources, and the quality and effectiveness of the teaching and learning that takes place.

We are proud to be regarded as a model of inclusion for all children, including those with additional needs. We believe that all children have the right to learn together in an integrated and harmonious environment.We aim to ensure that all pupils reach their full potential through a variety of established systems, including additional support staff.Our aim is to allow all children to participate in the life and work of the school to the best of their abilities, whatever their needs.

At Alma Park we would actively challenge children, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views. We value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all pupils and families and undertake a variety of events and lessons to celebrate these. We have found this approach to be enriching for all parties as it teaches tolerance and respect for the differences in our community and the wider world. Underpinning all of this, are a range of curriculum topics which have strong links to the British Values.

The role of the Curriculum Committee is to monitor the curriculum provision at Alma Park and to understand the attainment and progress of pupils. The committee scrutinises the provision made for particular groups such as SEN, Gifted and Talented, vulnerable groups, gender, EAL etc.It is the role of the Curriculum Committee to interrogate the school assessment data and to understand and evaluate any barriers to learning that are identified.Pupil progress within the school is discussed and areas of strength and weakness are identified. The Curriculum Committee often meets with subject coordinators to understand the changing curriculum and how Alma Park is delivering learning and to discuss the impact of changing requirements on staff and staff morale.Areas which are in need of further improvement become part of the annual School Development Plan, with the Curriculum Committee monitoring the progress of the actions throughout the year.

Mr T H Drinkwater, a businessman who lived in the Levenshulme area early in the 20th century, was very concerned about the education of local children. He contacted the Education Committee to say he would donate the required land if he could design and build a school himself.This project developed and Alma Park Primary School opened as an all age elementary school in 1907. The school was completely remodelled in the mid-1980s and has been extended to include two new classrooms and a community unit. The school is two form entry with a standard number of 60 children in each year group. There is also a 52 place nursery.

In 1994 the school became Barrier Free and from September 1994 the school has also been a resource for pupils with hearing impairment. In 1995 further modifications to the buildings were made to support the learning needs of these children. In April 2003 a further extension of two classrooms and a library were added to accommodate the school’s increasing numbers. In 2004, further re-modelling provided new classrooms and work areas.

Classes are mixed ability and the number on roll is approximately 470, including the nursery. The school is committed to developing a caring, stimulating, learning environment for all children and delivering a high quality education where all children achieve success.A wide variety of cultural backgrounds are represented in school with 22 first languages spoken by the children. Children are encouraged to learn about and respect other people’s beliefs and cultural heritage.