Barlow Hall Primary School

Barlow Hall Primary School is one of the two founding schools of the LINK Learning Trust, (LLT), which, along with Brookburn Primary School in Chorlton, joined together to form a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) which promotes a set of values and a vision for all of its children which we hope will enhance and inspire the lives of not only the children who attend our school but their families and the wider community.We would like all our children, irrespective of background or special need, to be prepared for success in their future lives.

We will achieve this by nurturing and developing their achievement, their experiences and their skills and we will provide the skills and knowledge needed to promote growth mindsets and build resilience in our children.We are proud of our rich and diverse school. Our children are wonderfully talented and from a range of different backgrounds. Barlow Hall has extensive grounds and we love using the outside environment to extend our learning.

We aim to provide full time nursery places for children who are aged three from September 1st to August 31st of the previous academic year. Children cannot be admitted into our nursery until they are aged three. We aim to have all our children admitted to nursery by the end of September.

Sometimes younger children may have to wait until January for a place. Very occasionally older children, those born between September and December, can be offered a place at nursery a term before they are due to start and therefore complete four terms in nursery.Parents and Carers should contact our Administration Manager, Tracey Leishman, if they wish to place their child’s name on our nursery waiting list. Admission to nursery is based on age.

Putting your child’s name on the waiting list earlier does not mean they will get into the nursery earlier. Children’s names need to be on the nursery waiting list by the end of the Easter holidays, the term before they are due to start in nursery. Parents and Carers will be notified of a place before May half term holiday.Once accepted for our nursery a home school transition programme will be organised for your child. This is run by the nursery team.

Manchester local authority is responsible for admission of all reception places, including children who are already in our nursery. The local authority forms must be completed by parents and sent in the envelope provided to the local authority by the nominated date in December the year before your child is due to start reception. A late application could result in you child not getting a place at the school of their choice.Parents who have a nursery place at Barlow Hall do not automatically get a place in reception at that school.

At Barlow Hall our curriculum is designed to ensure that children achieve their full potential academically and personally. Our curriculum design is based on our particular context and the needs of our children with teaching that promotes learning and opportunities and experiences for success in life. Our curriculum is based on the best care, guidance and support for children involving their families and includes everyone. Our curriculum is enriched for enjoyment, promotes healthy lifestyles, promotes a positive contribution and economic well-being, promotes staying safe and provides a social, moral and cultural contribution. We follow the National Curriculum.

We are committed to supporting all our children. Ofsted rated our behaviour and safety as outstanding, “Pupils are actively involved in helping to make the school a happy place for everyone. They readily take on responsibility. Pupils with additional learning, health, language and social needs are supported extremely well.”

Barlow Hall is set in extensive grounds, overlooking Chorlton Golf Club, we are set well back from the road. We have a front field mainly used for sport and three separate playgrounds for Early Years, Key stage 1 and KS2. We have a forest area on the school site where our children access quality outdoor learning activities.Our school is set around a large garden, our quad. Children and the community access outdoor learning in the quad where we run a gardening club.

The school was built in 1931 and is single storey. We have two halls which enables our older and younger children to eat separately. We have a new kitchen that has enabled us to serve food cooked on the premises for the first time.

At Barlow Hall we have a Reading Centre. This supports the teaching of reading, as well as developing professional development programmes for Barlow Hall teachers and staff from other schools.We also have a Communication Centre, a resourced provision for children with autistic spectrum difficulties or for children with specific language impairments. Although the local authority regulates admission to our Communication Centre, the specialist staff and resources are used by the whole school community.

We have a Therapeutic Inclusion room, our Mizu Garden, which is accessed by all our children and helps support children’s emotional well-being. Children access the Mizu garden as whole classes, small groups and as individuals.