Featherstone Primary School

We pride ourselves in the fact that the children are well cared for and are at the heart of everything we do. Our philosophy is that “Every child is at the centre of our thinking and planning”. "All pupils are aware of the high expectations that the staff have of their behaviour. They treat each other with respect and listen carefully in lessons. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good" (Ofsted Nov 2015).

Whilst we are very encouraged by our latest Ofsted report, we continue to drive forward, taking on board new, exciting ideas and initiatives to ensure that pupils’ academic progress is developed to the maximum. From the youngest to the more senior children, they tell us they enjoy the school and enjoy learning. Parents also, tell us that their children love coming to school and look forward to the learning that has been planned for them. This is exactly what school should be about!

Our school is well regarded in the community and the ethos of the school including our warmth and friendliness is often commented on by visitors. "The relationship between the school and parents is extremely positive. Information gathered from parents before the start of the school day, and via the Parent View questionnaire, identifies the caring ethos of the school’s staff".

Featherstone Primary aspires to equip every child with the skills they need for lifelong learning by developing confident, ambitious learners, who take ownership of their learning and are proud of their achievements as they grow.

At Featherstone Primary we believe that learning should be exciting, purposeful and challenging. Our school aims to inspire and prepare every child to have high expectations of themselves and others. We will achieve this through providing a creative and challenging curriculum which motivates and encourages all children to reach their potential. This will be balanced with personal choice, sport and creativity so that each can flourish within a safe, but challenging framework designed to specifically fit their needs. We will prepare our children to encounter opportunities with resilience, perseverance and self-determination and encourage them to grow and become responsible, independent learners. We will work closely with the children, their families and the local community fostering positive, supportive relationships to benefit all pupils of the school. We are very determined for all our pupils and believe that our emphasis on high-quality teaching is a key feature of our success.

Mission

At Featherstone Primary we believe that learning should be exciting, purposeful and challenging. Our school aims to inspire and prepare every child to have high expectations of themselves and others. We will achieve this by providing a creative and challenging curriculum that motivates and encourages all children to reach their potential. This will be balanced with personal choice, sport and creativity so that each can flourish within a safe, but challenging framework designed to specifically fit their needs. We will prepare our children to encounter opportunities with resilience, perseverance and self-determination and encourage them to grow and become responsible, independent learners. We will work closely with the children, their families and the local community fostering positive, supportive relationships to benefit all pupils of the school. We are very determined for all our pupils and believe that our emphasis on high-quality teaching is a key feature of our success.

Vision

• Featherstone Primary aspires to equip every child with the skills they need for lifelong learning by developing confident, ambitious learners, who take ownership of their learning and are proud of their achievements as they grow.

Aims

• To aim for each child to achieve their full potential in all areas of the curriculum, so that they are equipped and prepared for their Secondary transition.
• To provide a curriculum that is designed to excite and motivate children with a range of topics and projects that are of interest to them and to which they can fully contribute so that their learning is engaging, interactive and challenging.
• To create a positive, safe learning environment and to endeavour to develop the whole child, meeting individual needs where differences are recognised, celebrated and appreciated.
• To encourage pupils to be responsible British citizens for the future who can actively contribute to a diverse society.
• To support each child’s emotional wellbeing so that they can talk openly about their feelings with confidence.
• To equip children to evaluate and assess, to take risks and to make positive choices as part of their learning.
• To promote lifelong learning to all, through high-quality professional development for all staff and by developing a learning culture throughout the school.
• To include all members of the school community, pupils, parents, governors and staff, in the process of development, not only of themselves but also of the school itself.

Featherstone Primary School is a Values-based school. In order to give our children the opportunity to thrive socially, morally, personally and culturally, we underpin our practice with eleven carefully chosen values. In choosing our Values, we consulted with children, parents, all staff and governors to ensure that the final values reflected the needs of our children.

Each value is studied in-depth during one month: it is introduced and worked upon in class and then consolidated and extended in Key Stage Collective Worship. The Values are not just taught in ‘one off’ lessons, although they do have dedicated Curriculum time during Healthy Mind, Healthy Body lessons, they are linked throughout the curriculum, especially through PSHE and RE. In actively teaching and promoting our Values, we aim for our children to develop into well-rounded individuals who care for themselves, others and society.

Featherstone Primary School delivers a fun, relevant, stimulating and challenging curriculum for each and every child that attends our school. Our curriculum is organised into four main areas of learning to ensure that we provide children with all of the statutory requirements as set out by The National Curriculum (2014) as well as tailoring our curriculum to ensure that it is personalised and very well-suited to the needs of the children in our school.