Didsbury CE Primary School

We are a forward-thinking, small primary school with a history of providing excellent education for the children of this community for over 400 years.

When people come to Didsbury CE Primary ,they tell us not only how beautiful our listed building is but that it feels like a very caring school, with staff who will do everything to support our children. We have high expectations of ourselves and of all of those associated with our school. Our ethos is Belonging, Believing, Becoming; where children feel a sense of Belonging to the school, to the community of Didsbury and to God, Believe in themselves and in each other and Becomewell-rounded individuals who achieve the best for themselves and for society.

We are committed to teaching a broad and balanced curriculum where children not only take part in high quality lessons in maths and English but also have the opportunity to develop their skill, knowledge and understanding in the full range of National Curriculum subjects. This is supplemented with school trips, after school clubs and residential trips to ensure a rich learning experience at Didsbury CE.

Didsbury CE Primary School is a one-form entry primary school for children aged 4-11. Every September we welcome 30 children into our reception class - although high priority is given to children with Church connections, other local children are welcome and attend the school and nursery in significant numbers.

As a Church Of England school with strong links to St James & Emmanuel Didsbury, we admit in the first instance children whose parents/carers have a proven commitment to that church - although priority is first given to children with a statement of special educational needs naming Didsbury CE Primary School, looked after children, and siblings of children already attending the school.

The school focuses on an exciting core curriculum where children are encouraged to reach high standards in literacy, numeracy and personal and social skills. Taught by fully-qualified, enthusiastic and caring staff, the child-focused learning encourages pupils to develop to their full potential.

When parents come to Didsbury CE Primary for the first time, we often hear them marvelling at the caring, nurturing, family atmosphere of a school which also offers outstanding education. This is very much our vision: to grow a diverse and creative educational community where we encourage belonging and nurture believing: together becoming fulfilled and responsible members of God’s world.

These ideas of Belonging, Believing and Becoming are more than just buzz words - they’re the guiding principles behind everything we do at Didsbury CE Primary. Didsbury CE Primary will work tirelessly to ensure that each child not only becomes a force for good in society, but develops into a well-rounded young person in mind, body and spirit.

The head of school is a governor because of his job. He can decide not to be a governor, but he still has to attend the meetings and prepare reports for the governors.Didsbury CE primary school is a church school with very strong links to the Parish of St James and Emmanuel in Didsbury. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of the church nominate five of our nine governors, in order that the faith foundation of our school is firmly upheld. The PCC nominations have to be ratified and approved by the Members of the Trust, who have the controlling interest.

This school has two parent governors. One is elected by all the parents and the other is a PCC position.There are also two staff governors. One is the head of the school. One works as a teacher in Didsbury CE Primary School. All the people who work in the school vote for the person they want.There is one governor who is selected by the Trust to represent the local community on the Governing Body. This position is agreed by the PCC.This school on occasions also has associate members in order to ensure succession planning is rigorous. All our Governors have enhanced DBS checks.

At Didsbury CE, our aim is to help your child achieve the very best they can at school. We work in close partnership with parents and carers - you know your child best and you may feel that your child requires additional help or support for some of their time at school.

E-Safety is a safeguarding issue not an ICT issue and all members of the school community have a duty to be aware of E-Safety at all times, to know the required procedures and to act on them. The Headteacher or, in his absence, the authorised member of staff for E-Safety (the ICT / E-Safety coordinator) has the ultimate responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils in their care.

It is the duty of the school to ensure that every child and young person in its care is safe. The same ‘staying safe’ outcomes and principles outlined in the Every Child Matters agenda apply equally to the ‘virtual’ or digital world. This expectation also applies to any voluntary, statutory and community organisations that make use of the school’s ICT facilities and digital technologies. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils is embedded into the culture of the school and its everyday practice and procedures. All staff have a responsibility to support E-Safe practices in school and all pupils need to understand their responsibilities in the event of deliberate attempts to breach ESafety protocols.