Gunter Primary School

Welcome to the Gunter Primary School. There is something extremely special about a one form entry school and without exception visitors always comment upon our ‘friendly and welcoming’ environment. Our Motto here at Gunter is ‘strive to achieve’ and as a school we really do strive to achieve the very best for all of our children.  We are very proud of our school and all of children’s achievements and we are committed to preparing our children for the ever-changing world in which we live.

We have developed, with our parents, a warm, happy and friendly environment, where each child works toward maximising their full potential. We have created an atmosphere where all our children are valued and value each other.

We are a school where every child, including the very able and the least able, is encouraged to achieve high standards. We set, expect and achieve a high level of academic performance. We also develop our children’s achievements in other activities, such as music, sports and drama productions, catering for both the individual and the team. These help to enrich the lives of our children.

We are a school working within and for our local community. Our community facilities include a before and after school club, and children's centre. We work closely with other local primary and secondary schools.

Fundamental to the learning of any child is the relationship between home and school. I know that our parent – teacher partnership at Gunter will lead to genuine success and achievement for our children. Our school offers an exciting opportunity to begin an educational journey that will help develop the full potential of each and every one of our children.

We have a fantastic, talented staff and Governing Body who work hard and show great commitment and dedication to the school. We are a team. We work to provide a welcoming, stimulating and calm environment. We value, motivate and challenge children, promote their independence and celebrate their individuality and personal achievements. In return, we ask that the children do their very best in everything that they do. We have the highest possible standards of them in terms of behaviour, attitude and work.

At Gunter the needs of our children are at the heart of everything we do, and we recognise the valuable contribution that parents and carers play in order for us to achieve our goals. It is vital that we continue to build upon our successes so that together we can shine.

As parents and carers you are the most important people in our pupil’s lives and we encourage your involvement in school life and value your comments and suggestions on improving the opportunities we provide.  This website contains lots of useful information but we realise that it may not answer all of your questions, so please contact the school for any further information you may require.

Our Aims:

• To provide a broad range of educational experiences and activities to help prepare each child for a successful adult life.
• To provide a secure, well-disciplined, caring and friendly environment.
• To foster the children's self-respect and consideration for others and for their environment.
• To involve parents, local schools and the wider community in a mutually beneficial relationship.

In order to create and maintain a positive community atmosphere, where everyone feels happy, safe and secure, and pupils are supported to become positive, responsible and increasingly independent members of society, all pupils, parents and staff at Gunter are expected to demonstrate commitment to the following principles that underpin our core values:

• Finding out and exploring: We will not be afraid to take risks in our quest to acquire deeper knowledge and understanding, and will be active, reflective participants in all stages of the learning process.
• Creativity and thinking critically: We will be proud to be unique individuals with analytical, problem solving minds.
• Understanding others: We will show compassion and empathy, alongside a willingness to work collaboratively with others.
• Motivation and determination: We will be resilient learners who show perseverance and positivity when faced with a challenge. Our self-belief will only be exceeded by our own aspirations.
• Spirituality: We will revel in the awe and wonder of the world around us, filled with inspiration that propels us to achieve our goals.

In addition, we will seek to understand and demonstrate the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

At Gunter Primary School we believe that our School Curriculum should be broad and balanced and underpinned by aims, values and purpose. Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum, but there are many other opportunities that make up the wider curriculum. These are designed to inspire and challenge all children, prepare them for the future and aid them in their strive for excellence.

We believe passionately in developing the whole person and giving our children ownership of their learning. Our curriculum is rich with first-hand purposeful experiences and is designed to be flexible and responsive to individual needs and interests. We support our children in becoming ‘aspirational’ – aiming high – in order to make the most of their learning opportunities and we believe in an active partnership between school, pupil and home.

Gunter Primary School’s Creative Curriculum has been carefully designed to ensure that it meets the needs of the children in our school as well as the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. We have used the National curriculum as an outline of core knowledge around which we have developed exciting and interesting themes.

The curriculum has been arranged into three main themes for each year band with one theme being taught each term. Each theme is planned to last for approximately 10 weeks to ensure that there is room for flexibility to allow children to direct their own learning and to explore opportunities that arise as a result of their study. Two of themes in each year band have been mapped around the programmes of study for Science with the remaining theme being based upon the Humanities (history and geography). This has been carefully planned to ensure coverage across the Key Stages and that there is enough scope for the depth of knowledge to be developed. Art, DT and music objectives are also all covered through these themes. Wherever possible, meaningful cross curriculum links have been made with English and Mathematics.