Brandlehow Primary School

Brandlehow is a vibrant place where children are at the heart of every decision we make, and are naturally motivated to bring enthusiasm to everything they do. That vitality is nurtured in a friendly and caring school where happiness and wellbeing are paramount. All of our children are known, valued and respected as individuals who leave school ready for the next stage in their education, with life skills which prepare them for the challenges that the modern world presents. Children are encouraged to aim high and make the most of the diverse opportunities they are given to cultivate and contribute to our shared community.

We strive, each day, to provide a creative, challenging and diverse education in an environment which is safe, nurturing and stimulating for everyone. Children are supported by the whole school community to develop independence, resilience and a love of learning. Each one of us makes the most of our opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to flourish in an ever-changing world. Everyone is valued and respected, making meaningful contributions with a cooperative spirit, to foster individuality and collective worth.

Good relationships are central to our ethos. The school has a loyal and dedicated team and we support each other to achieve high aspirations. We also regard parents as active partners in a child’s education, and we value your interest and input. We are also proud of our relationships with other schools in the area, a range of local organisations and community groups, and we continue to enjoy links with schools in Europe, China and Rwanda.

Brandlehow is a vibrant place where children are at the heart of every decision we make, and are naturally motivated to bring enthusiasm to everything they do. That vitality is nurtured in a friendly and caring school where happiness and wellbeing are paramount. All of our children are known, valued and respected as individuals who leave school ready for the next stage in their education, with life skills which prepare them for the challenges that the modern world presents. Children are encouraged to aim high and make the most of the diverse opportunities they are given to cultivate and contribute to our shared community.

We are committed to the value of a broad and balanced education and we recognise that there are many forms of learning. A wealth of different experiences and opportunities to learn and flourish are on offer so that the talents of each child can be discovered and fostered. We provide a calm but stimulating environment where good behaviour and mutual respect is modelled by everyone and where each person is valued equally.

Staff are supported to sustain innovative, creative and reflective approaches which aim to inspire, motivate and encourage. The resulting confidence in teaching and learning is reflected in our children’s capacity to achieve their personal goals and their appetite to face new challenges. Resilience is also fostered through commending effort as well as outcome and through placing an emphasis on the value of mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve.

We actively encourage parents, carers and relatives to come and support the school. Any time you can offer us to help out would be warmly welcomed. A DBS certificate and a safeguarding briefing is required by those who work with children at the school but this can be arranged easily with support from us. Please see a leadership team member or your child’s class teacher for more information.

At Brandlehow, we feel that all pupils should have strong set of values and principals which allow them to flourish as they growing up in British Society (or whichever society they might be in). The values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs run as a golden thread through Brandlehow.

Our pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong have a variety of outlets for expressing their feels in a productive manner. Disputes between children can be resolved though the year 6 peer mediators, who are available to support children during playtimes. [photo of peer mediators] Each class has a ‘worry box’ which they can use to share any concerns they have with their teacher. The School Council also provides the children with an opportunity for the children to express their feelings about aspects of school life.

Our curriculum deeply embeds understanding and tolerance. The children engage in powerful texts in literacy (e.g. Goodnight Mr Tom, Beegu, Charlottes Web, Journey to the Rive Sea, The Garbage King, Elmer, Handa’s Surprise) which delve into themes of identity, struggle, strife and perseverance, and give perspectives on life in different societies. Though our humanities curriculum, we explore different faiths and believes held across the globe, and locally. The children enjoy trips to our local places of worship, such as St Stephen’s Church, the South London Gurdwara and the Wimbledon Buddhist Temple.