St Stephen's Church of England Primary School

At St Stephen’s we aim to provide our children with the foundation they need to thrive in life. We believe our children learn best in a stimulating and engaging environment. Through inquiry-based learning and play, our curriculum aims to engage and stimulate young children and nurture their academic, personal and social development.

We are committed to each child making progress and we provide a wide range of activities that enable the children to become independent learners, who are willing to take risks.

The resources and materials available to the children are of a high quality, open-ended, well-ordered and accessible to the children. They are carefully selected for their potential to promote learning and sustained high-level involvement. Resources and contexts are available which motivate the children to explore and problem solve, play imaginatively and make representations (to paint, draw, create models, dance and make music). These opportunities are available in the indoor and outdoor environments.

We extend our classroom provision with a range of interesting trips and out of school activities throughout the year. We also arrange for school visiting specialists and resources to enrich the curriculum.

We work closely with our parents and carers as we understand the importance of parent support in their child’s learning. We offer regular coffee mornings, which help support parents with the different areas of the curriculum and parents have the opportunity for ‘stay and play sessions in the EYFS. This gives parents the opportunity to engage with their children during the school day and see how their child is developing at school.

St Stephen's is a thriving school situated in the heart of Stockwell. The school exists to serve to its community by providing education of the highest quality within a Christian framework of values and beliefs. St Stephen's Primary School was founded in the 19th Century and is a mixed school of over 200 children from the ages of 3 to 11 years.

As an inclusive, Christian school and Children's Centre, we will nurture, inspire, empower and expect every child to achieve their very best in life, work and in the community. We do this through:

• Creating a safe and welcoming environment with a relentless focus on achievement.
• A determination that no child is left behind.
• A commitment to working collaboratively with families and the community.

We aim to improve the School and the Children's Centre by using our Christian Values. These values stand for a distinctively Christian understanding to shape all aspects of leading and learning. It never deviates from setting high expectations and raising aspirations.

St Stephen's benefits from very strong links with the local church and children's centre and this positive and powerful partnership further extends the distinctive Christian character of the school. St Stephen's, South Lambeth is an inner city church with about 60 adult members and 30 teenagers/children. The church membership reflects the diversity of the local community. Our morning services are lively, child-friendly and relaxed. They include age-specific groups for the children and teenagers. Our part-time youth Pastor leads the work with our teenagers. The London branch of Fegans Child & Family Care is based at St Stephen's. A team of trained workers offers help and support to children and families in the community around North Lambeth. The church has a number of midweek 'Growth Groups' meeting in church and homes enabling members to put their growing Christian faith into practice in their everyday lives.

There is a very strong community ethos in the school and local charitable organisations benefit from this sense of mission. Pupils also understand their responsibility to the wider world and, during a term in which they focused on the Christian value of compassion.