Brindishe Green School

Brindishe Green is a community school where learning together is seen as a very important part of the education that we offer.

The school is arranged on three floors with our youngest children on the ground floor. Though the building might look traditional, we use it in a modern way. Our children use different spaces in the school depending on the curriculum area or the type of learning in which they are involved. Each year group of children or class has its own classroom. Each class will also use and learn in shared areas outside their classroom. This may be in an art, dance or music studio or outdoor learning areas. They will not always be limited to one classroom under the direct supervision of their teacher. You might imagine this creates a lot of noise as children move around our large building. In fact it doesn’t – Brindishe Green is a very quiet and calm school. Children learn in a calm and considerate way and behave responsibly.

Our flexible approach to learning encourages a feeling of commitment and belonging in our children. They are encouraged to see themselves as part of the whole school, they get to know all members of staff and all members of staff know them. Teaching and support staff work closely together sharing responsibility for making a very organized and educationally stimulating environment, ensuring that resources are well looked after and available. They help all children to behave well and become successful learners.

Structure and organization are important to us and we have clear procedures and policies for every aspect of school life. These are agreed by staff and governors in consultation with parents and careers and are applied carefully to ensure that Brindishe Green children achieve high standards, are well supported in their learning and develop a strong sense of community and good citizenship.

Children, families and staff at Brindishe Schools are drawn from a rich variety of social backgrounds, family structures, ethnic groups and religions.

We value the right of each person to respect, courtesy and the recognition of individual differences. We work actively to ensure that all adults and children are given every opportunity to achieve, to recognize their own worth and to play an important part in our community.

We expect and work towards high achievement from all pupils. Each child’s contribution to the classroom and school is welcomed and valued. We make sure that they have the opportunity to learn to the best of their ability and to raise their individual academic achievement.

Education at Brindishe Schools is designed to benefit all of our children and to celebrate the rich, cultural diversity of Lewisham’s local community.

There is an executive head who has overall responsibility for Brindishe Green, Brindishe Lee and Brindishe Manor Schools. Each school also has a headteacher who is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management, and at Brindishe Green, we have three deputy headteachers, and an assistant headteacher who is also our Inclusion Lead.

There is a full time teacher for every class from nursery to year 6. All teachers have time ‘out of the classroom’. This is used to prepare plans and resources, to assess children’s learning, attend training and to support curriculum and staff development. When one of our class teachers is out of class we ask one of our own or ‘in-house’ teachers to work with the class. This means that the children are taught by someone who knows them and the way things work at Brindishe Green.

We have many teaching assistants in school to support children with their learning. They may be attached to a particular class, year group or key stage, eg EYFS, and work alongside class teachers. They may be supporting individual children or they may work with groups of children or provide general help in classrooms and around the school. Teaching assistants are seen as equal members of staff, receive training and are consulted in all matters of school policy and practice. We have a range of additional specialist teachers, teaching assistants and coaches who offer expertise in specific areas of the curriculum, for example, sport and music.

We have an Inclusion Lead, a Safeguarding and Attendance Officer, and access to a school based therapeutic service. These professionals support children for whom learning or relationships may be difficult and they work with families who need extra help or advice.

Our administrative staff in the school office deal with a broad range of tasks including supporting admissions to the school, managing the wide range of clubs and extra curricular activities we offer children, administering children’s lunchtime arrangements and dealing with all financial matters.

The school has a School Business Manager who administers the school budget and ensures that we follow local and national audit requirements. Our premises officers are responsible for the upkeep, safety and security of the school building, site and grounds, and, of course, its users! Our IT Technician ensures that our computing equipment, software and platforms all run efficiently in order to support staff, families and the children.

A team of lunchtime playleaders are responsible for ensuring the safety and well- being of children at lunchtime in conjunction with the senior leadership team.

Brindishe Green staff work together as a team. We encourage team planning and teaching and shared responsibility. The teaching staff are able to teach and work with children of all ages and share in developing areas of the curriculum and school policy. This means that all staff will get to know, and probably teach, your child at some stage of their primary school career.

Staff at the Brindishe Schools regularly share ideas, expertise and resources. They plan inter-school projects and support each other’s professional development. They are our professional partners.

Brindishe Schools do not select according to ability and therefore the children within each class will be of mixed ability. We recognise that children are better or more confident in some areas or subjects than others and they learn and develop at their own pace and in their own way and so we use a mixture of teaching methods and plan opportunities to cater for different learning styles. This way we ensure that all children are able to succeed. We always look for creative ways to introduce and link areas of learning.

Our curriculum includes the subjects which children study, the content of those individual subjects, how they are taught (there are several different approaches, for example, to the teaching of reading), how they relate to each other (or how they are integrated) and lastly, how teachers organise children’s learning over a half term, a term and the whole school year.

We aim to provide for the full academic, personal and social development of each pupil, and to encourage pupils to work and think independently and to make decisions within a moral code.