Tufnell Park School

Welcome to the Tufnell Park School. Children, staff and parents have created it together, so it really is a virtual reflection of what our school is all about. Tufnell Park is a cheerful, thriving primary school, very much at the heart of the community we have served for over 70 years.

We occupy a single-storey building on a relatively spacious site, with a separate, purpose-built nursery, a wild garden and a pond. But we now need a larger, more up to date building and we are excited that our expansion project has now begun.

At Tufnell Park School we value: The range of talent and ability in every child. Our school’s primary aim is to identify the full breadth of each pupil’s capabilities and develop these to their best advantage, for life.

We don’t have many and we expect those that we have to be kept. The most important is that children should be considerate in their relationships with others.

As a primary school, we believe we have a key role in society in combating discrimination and promoting fairness, justice and equality. We do this through our teaching and through the role models we offer.

Children in years 1 and 2 (Infants, 5-7 years old) follow Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. Children in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 (Juniors, 7-11 years old) follow Key Stage 2.

The extraordinary potential of our pupils. We believe that, whatever their level of ambition, children can achieve even more than anyone at first imagines. We aim to provide the opportunity and support always to go further.

Love of learning as a source of joy and achievement. By example and through nurture, we seek at all times to encourage lively, enquiring minds. Our aim is to produce pupils who enjoy and welcome challenge, because challenge is an adventure they are equipped to meet.

Self confidence founded on self worth and reinforced through success. We aim for all our children to develop a justified sense of self assurance to help them pursue their life goals with a good heart and an open mind.

A sense of belonging and enabling others to belong. We aim for our school to be a happy, inviting place where people treat one another with kindness, tolerance and respect, and variety is celebrated.

We want all our children to learn well, understand what and why they’re learning, and have fun doing it. These aims are underpinned by the way we plan our teaching.

We use topics, lasting approximately 6 weeks each, to teach a wide range of National Curriculum subjects in a relevant and coherent way. Topic-based learning provides continuity and progress, and gives scope for every child to use their creativity and find their level of challenge, supported by the range of activities teachers provide.

English and Mathematics are given extra emphasis, with daily lessons. From Year 1 on, all children also take part in our Big Write and Big Maths initiatives, which focus on the skills that underlie these critical subject areas.

For the Big Write, children write an extended piece in their special Big Write book, which they take with them throughout their career with us. In Year 2 and up, this piece will be the culmination of the previous fortnight’s learning. A range of styles and genres are covered every year. In each class there’s a selected “Big Writer of the Week”, who becomes eligible for a Big Write award, chosen by lottery at the end of each term.

There’s more to any school than what happens within the classroom walls. There are many aspects of school life that aren’t necessarily framed within a 45-minute lesson. Some, like homework or school trips, are nonetheless central to our approach to teaching. Others are educational in a wider sense: clubs, assemblies, the School Council.

We have a great range of clubs, both at lunchtime and after school. We’re thankful for the staff, parents and others who give us extra help to make them a success.

Home support and enthusiasm about learning make an enormous difference to children’s achievement at school. The more you’re able to read with your child, listen to them reading and encourage them to complete the written exercises, games and research tasks they’re set, the more they will benefit.

We support classroom-based learning with trips and visits that help bring the curriculum to life. Reception children visit John Barnes Library every week and we’re grateful to parents who accompany us.

Our school is a safe and welcoming place to which all children can come happily every day. By creating a happy, trusting environment, we help inspiration grow.