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Please see below a selection of our school policies:

Hampden Gurney School – Equal Opportunity and multicultural/Antiracist policy

The staff and governors of Hampden Gurney stand against racism and all forms of discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin, religion, gender or disability. We are committed to promoting understanding of the principles and practices of equality and justice.

Aims:

· The primary objective of this school will be to educate, develop and prepare all our pupils for life whatever their gender, colour, origin, culture or ability.

· To promote justice, equality of opportunity and fair treatment for all and thereby allow all pupils, irrespective of their ethnic origin, to achieve the level of success and self respect which they deserve, whilst retaining their cultural identity;

· To instil in pupils an awareness of racism and to establish an environment where the school becomes effective in reducing prejudice and raising self-esteem;

· To prepare children for living in a complex, multicultural society;

· To promote an understanding of a variety of cultures, valuing the positive contribution that these cultures make to the community;

· To provide a safe and welcoming place for all its members;

· To provide an environment where racist assumptions, attitudes and behaviour are not accepted and are continually challenged;

· To provide a curriculum which emphasises the positive aspects of all cultures;

· To support the Local Authority in its multicultural and antiracist policies, and to take the appropriate action to deal with any form of discrimination or racism within school;

· To recognise, in our teaching and learning, the positive contributions to the development of Science, Technology and the Arts, which have been made by the different cultures;

· To adopt the view that cultural diversity is a positive advantage. Pupils are often the most valuable multicultural resource in the classroom – with personal experiences of festivals, food, dress etc;

· To contribute towards impacting a sense of citizenship in the pupils;

· The teachers will, by careful use of language and choice of resources, avoid reinforcing stereotypical views of society;

· To use self-evaluation by whole school discussion to assess the implementation of this policy;

· All subject coordinators will continually review their schemes of work in the light of this policy with respect to content, methodology, aims and resources.

Admission

The school follows the LEA and Governing Body Admission Policies that do not permit gender, race, colour or disability to be used as criteria for admission.

Registration

Pupils’ names will be accurately recorded and correctly pronounced. Pupils will be encouraged to accept and respect names from other cultures.

Reading schemes, books and other literary resources:

Staff will choose and use resources which:

· Portray a worldview as seen from different cultural perspectives and thereby communicate how it feels to be of another ethnic or cultural group;

· Are factually accurate and use up-to-date text and illustrations;

· Show children of different ethnic groups involved in the activities described e.g. physics, design, music, mathematics etc.;

· Positively and realistically portray children from a variety of ethnic and cultural groups and class backgrounds;

· Children from ethnic minority groups can find characters that enhance their self-esteem, where ethnic minority characters have important roles and adults hold position of authority;

· Have illustrations that avoid caricature;

· Accurately reflect the population of Britain today;

· Use dialect appropriately and not to ridicule;

· Use a range of folk tales from different oral or cultural traditions.

The Curriculum:

All pupils must have equal access to the school’s curriculum. Hampden Gurney aims to provide a broadly based and balanced curriculum which will enable pupils to achieve high standards and which makes provision for developing the particular abilities and full potential of each pupil as an individual. Pupils and staff will give all languages spoken in the school recognition and respect. Curriculum support will be provided for children who have English as an additional language. This will ensure that pupils who do not speak English at home, will receive language support and gain maximum access to the curriculum.

Action to be taken when racist behaviour is suspected:

If racism is suspected, staff will talk to the suspected victim, the suspected racist and any witnesses. If any degree of racism is identified, the following action will be taken;

Help, support and counselling will be given as appropriate to both the victims and those displaying racist behaviour.

The victim will be supported in the following ways:

· By offering them an immediate opportunity to talk about the experience with their class teacher, or another member of staff that they choose;

· By informing the victim’s parents/carers;

· By offering continuing support when they feel that they need it;

· By arranging for them to be escorted to and from the school premises, if necessary;

· By taking one or more of the seven disciplinary steps as described below, to prevent more racism.

We also discipline yet try to help those displaying racist behaviour in the following ways:

· By talking about what happened, to discover why they became involved;

· By informing the offender’s parents/carers;

· By continuing to work with the offenders in order to get rid of prejudiced attitudes as far as possible;

· By taking one or more of the seven disciplinary steps as described below, to prevent more racism.

Disciplinary steps:

1. Those displaying racist behaviour will be warned officially to stop offending.

2. The offender’s parents/carers will be informed.

3. They could be excluded from their class for a fixed period of time.

4. If offenders do not stop the racist behaviour, they will be suspended from school for a fixed period (one or two days).

5. If they continue, they will be recommended for a longer term fixed term exclusion of up to five days or for an indefinite period.

6. If they do not end such behaviour, they will be recommended for permanent exclusion (expulsion).

Equal opportunities for staff:

The school values diversity amongst the staff. It aims to provide equal opportunity. In all appointments, the best candidate will be appointed, based upon strict professional criteria.

All staff should be aware of possible cultural assumptions and bias within their own attitudes. Close liaison with families in the school is beneficial for all concerned.

All staff need to be positive role models and actively discourage discrimination, stereotyping and prejudice.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

This policy will be monitored by the Headteacher, with regular consultation with all members of staff. The policy will be reviewed annually and amended as necessary.

All racist incidents will be recorded in the incident book, and in accordance with the School’s behaviour policy, offenders will be dealt with appropriately and immediately. The school will use the Westminster monitoring racist incident form as part of our formal reporting system. Hampden Gurney will work closely with external agencies and referrals will be made if required to ensure that all children are receiving the appropriate level of support.

Evaluations of all racist incidents will be made through the use of the racist reporting forms which will indicate the nature and number of incidents reported, analysis of all incidents and actions taken on each occasion.

Racial Equality Policy Statement – Hampden Gurney Church of England School

Hampden Gurney Primary School provides an education for all, acknowledging that the society within which we live is enriched by the ethnic diversity and culture of its citizens.

The National Curriculum encourages schools to:-

“Prepare all pupils for life in a world where they will meet, live and work with people of different cultures, religions, languages and ethnic backgrounds.”

Hampden Gurney strives to ensure that the culture and ethos of the school are such that, whatever the heritage and origins of members of the school community, everyone is equally valued (see Equal Opportunities Policy) and treats one another with respect. Pupils should be provided with an opportunity to experience, understand and celebrate diversity.

Hampden Gurney will not tolerate racial harassment of any kind. We are committed to combating racial discrimination.

We recognise:-

1. The inclusive nature of the National Curriculum 2000 and the opportunities Citizenship presents for encouraging ‘respect for diversity’;

2. That minority ethnic groups include Gypsy Travellers, Refugees and Asylum-seekers and less visible minority groups e.g. Irish.

3. The important contribution immigrants and their descendants have made to Britain.

4. The importance of strong home/school and wider community links.

5. A racist incident as “any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person”.

Pupils will be:-

* Treated as individuals;

* Made aware of cultural differences and be encouraged to accept them and understand and value them;

* Made aware of common similarities whatever culture or creed;

* Encouraged to take pride in their own cultural background;

* Taught to respect other people’s religion and culture;

* Encouraged to pronounce each others names correctly;

* Made aware of each individuals right to the same care, attention and expectations they would accord themselves;

* Made aware that racist harassment will not be tolerated;

* Encouraged to bring racist incidents to the notice of the staff and feel that any such incidents will be dealt with promptly and justly;

* Given the opportunity to discuss issues surrounding racism, and explore possible solutions.

Staff:

All staff working at Hampden Gurney, whether employed by the school or not, will:-

* Be made to feel valued as members of the school team;

* Be made to reach their full potential;

* Be supported in their professional development;

* Have their views, backgrounds and beliefs respected by colleagues;

* Act as role models to the children and their parents through the positive relationships they foster with colleagues.

Parents:

Parents will:

* Be made aware of the Race Equality Policy as their child enters the school, and will be expected to uphold the ethos of the school;

* Be informed of any racist incident involving their child and will be expected to work with the school to resolve the incident.

Action to be taken when racist behaviour is suspected:

If racism is suspected, staff will talk to the suspected victim, the suspected racist and any witnesses. If any degree of racism is identified, the following action will be taken;

Help, support and counselling will be given as appropriate to both the victims and those displaying racist behaviour.

The victim will be supported in the following ways:

· By offering them an immediate opportunity to talk about the experience with their class teacher, or another member of staff that they choose;

· By informing the victim’s parents/carers;

· By offering continuing support when they feel that they need it;

· By arranging for them to be escorted to and from the school premises, if necessary;

· By taking one or more of the seven disciplinary steps as described below, to prevent more racism.

We also discipline yet try to help those displaying racist behaviour in the following ways:

· By talking about what happened, to discover why they became involved;

· By informing the offender’s parents/carers;

· By continuing to work with the offenders in order to get rid of prejudiced attitudes as far as possible;

· By taking one or more of the seven disciplinary steps as described below, to prevent more racism.

Disciplinary steps:

1. Those displaying racist behaviour will be warned officially to stop offending.

2. The offender’s parents/carers will be informed.

3. They could be excluded from their class for a fixed period of time.

4. If offenders do not stop the racist behaviour, they will be suspended from school for a fixed period (one or two days).

5. If they continue, they will be recommended for a longer term fixed term exclusion of up to five days or for an indefinite period.

6. If they do not end such behaviour, they will be recommended for permanent exclusion (expulsion).

Monitoring and Evaluation:

This policy will be monitored by the Headteacher, with regular consultation with all members of staff. The policy will be reviewed annually and amended as necessary.

Links with other policies:

1. Equal opportunities policy

2. Anti-bullying policy

3. Admissions policy

Behaviour and discipline policy

Hamden Gurney CE Primary School wishes to provide a school environment that is safe and stimulating for the children in our care. This policy has been formulated in accordance with the school’s mission statement and outlines set procedures to create a calm, secure and happy working environment for all.

Our behaviour policy reflects the overall positive approach we have in our school towards all aspects of children’s learning and development. Hampden Gurney wishes to encourage children to coexist peacefully and to get along amicably with one another, in order to enable all children to achieve their full potential.

Aims:

· To promote a positive, whole school approach towards behaviour and discipline by providing clear guidelines and establishing procedures for all members of staff, children and carers to follow.

· To encourage good behaviour by establishing a system of praise and reward for children of all ages and abilities.

· To make clear to children the expected behaviour in the school and the consequences that will follow any misbehaviour.

· To teach moral values and attitudes through the school curriculum in order to promote responsible behaviour, self-discipline and respect for others.

· To motivate children and to help them succeed by developing positive self-esteem.

Golden Rules

The Golden Rules were devised by the teachers and children as a basis for maintaining a safe, happy and busy school where everyone feels valued.

· All members of the school community should respect one another.

· Show respect for your own and other people’s property.

· Be polite and sensible around the school and in the classroom.

· Be honest and always tell the truth.

· Do your best and be responsible for your own behaviour and work.

· Be attentive and listen carefully during lessons.

· Be kind and helpful toward one another to make Hampden Gurney a friendly and happy school.

· Wear the correct school uniform and have the correct kit for PE.

Based on the Golden Rules, the following expectations outline how to behave in and around the school.

Expectations around the school:

- To walk through the school sensibly and quietly

- To walk on the left hand side of the stairs sensibly and quietly

- To take pride in the work displayed around the school

Expectations in Assembly and Mass:

- To attend daily assemblies and weekly Mass

- To enter and leave the hall quietly and sensibly

- To listen to the Bible stories and to participate in the discussions

Expectations in the playground:

- To play together amicably

- To include other children in games, especially if they are new to the school

- To use the play equipment sensibly

Expectations at dinner time:

- To listen to the lunch time supervisors

- To eat quietly with good table manners

Expectations with regards to work and learning:

- To be punctual and prepared for lessons

- To cooperate with others

- To attempt tasks independently

- To try to achieve the highest possible standard

- To attempt the given task without wasting time

The Golden Rules are displayed prominently in the main foyer; the expectations of behaviour are displayed around the school in the stairwells. Children are reminded of these rules at the start of the school year and all parents receive a child-friendly leaflet outlining the Golden rules and expectations. Additionally, all classes draw up a list of class rules that are relevant to encourage good behaviour during lesson time.

Encouraging good behaviour

A vital intent of this policy is to encourage children to exhibit good behaviour – this is reinforced with a system of praise and reward for all children.

Hampden Gurney uses a range of different systems to reward children for academic and non-academic achievements, for effort, good work and for behaviour.

These include:

· Playground buddies

· The school’s mentor programme

· The school council

· House points for good behaviour

· Well done cards and stickers for good work in class

· Certificates for academic or behaviour achievement

· Weekly celebration of awards and birthdays

· Annual awards and trophies

· Attendance certificates

Discouraging unacceptable behaviour

There will be times when children behave unacceptably. The following sets out clearly what the school agrees are appropriate sanctions and consequences to secure effective behaviour.

· All members of staff need to deal with unacceptable behaviour immediately.

· Correct in a least-to-most-intrusive way.

· Children will be able to make amends for their unacceptable conduct.

· Balance correction with encouragement and support and aim to re-establish relationships.

· All classes to display and use school system of traffic lights to maintain good behaviour – children are able to move down the traffic lights.

· Aim to hold a circle time once a week.

· Set a good personal example for children.

· If at any time, the safety of the child or other children is threatened, the Head teacher or Deputy should be involved.

Unacceptable behaviour Consequence

Disruption in class- time wasting, disturbing others, calling out Children move along class traffic lights: verbal warning, cool down time, miss play, time out, Mrs Chua

Disruption on the playground or in the dinner hall- ignoring instructions, talking back Children to receive a verbal warning. If behaviour continues, to go to time out area for 5 minutes. Record in incident book.

Disrespectful language or gestures- swearing, taunting A reminder that these actions or words go against school rules. Ensure that apologies are exchanged.

Verbal or physical aggression- threats, punching, fighting, kicking Record in incident book. Allow cool down time before addressing. If serious, children to write a letter of apology to the child that was involved.

Bullying- verbal, physical, emotional Record in incident book. Bring to the attention of class teacher.

Not lining up properly after play Individual children to be removed from line and placed on wall –receive a demerit. If the whole class is not lining up – whole class practises lining up at next play.

If there are repeated incidents of unacceptable behaviour, this should be brought to the Head teacher or Deputy’s attention. The child can be placed on a daily report card or a home/school communication book could be used.

Behaviour IEPs, in consultation with the SENCO, can also be used to target unacceptable behaviour.

Cool down time will occur in class but away from children’s activity. Child will use egg timer (5 mins) to cool down and reflect on behaviour.

Time out during class will be held in the class in closest proximity (i.e. Year 3 → Year 4; Year 5 → Year 6). Children sent to time out will take work to complete and will remain in partner class until the end of the lesson or when invited back by class teacher.

Exclusion

The decision whether or not to exclude a child rests solely with the Head teacher, or the next in command, in her absence.

Reasons for exclusion:

- There is considered to be a risk to the moral or physical welfare of the pupil or any member of the school community.

- There is considered to be a significant detrimental effect on the educational welfare of the pupil or others in the school.

- There is a breakdown or failure of other strategies, e.g. removal from class, withdrawal of privileges, internal exclusion, detention, home/school communication books, meetings with parents or other strategies to improve behaviour.

- There is a risk of serious disruption.

- There is considered to be a risk of serious damage to or loss of school property.

Lunchtime exclusion:

- Children may be excluded from school during the lunch break when their behaviour persistently causes concern at this time.

Fixed-term exclusion:

- A pupil may be excluded from school for a fixed number of days.

- For an exclusion of 1-4 days, the Head teacher will notify the parents in writing promptly.

- For an exclusion of 5 days or more, the parent will be similarly informed, as will the Governing body and the LEA.

Permanent exclusion:

- This will be used as a last resort when all the above avenues have been exhausted.

A range of additional policies supports this Behaviour and discipline policy:

· Anti-bullying policy

· House system document

· Equal opportunities, multiculturalism and anti-racism policy

· School council document

Date policy is to be reviewed: June 2006

Policy for Able, Gifted and Talented Pupils

Rationale

Hampden Gurney recognises that all of its pupils are unique individuals at varying stages of readiness and ability but each with their own individual potential.

We aim to serve the diverse and different educational needs of all of our students by providing an appropriate match between the curriculum, the content and the individual learning characteristics of the pupil. When educational provision is the same for all students, it is inevitable that the learning needs of certain students will not be met, and that some students will be hindered in achieving their full potential. While provision may vary, and qualitative differentiation occurs, equal access is maintained.

Ongoing assessment of student educational performance and attainment enables the school to identify students who require significant differentiation of the curriculum and its content because they are either falling short of established national standards and require additional support to reach attainment levels appropriate for their year group; or are achieving national standards with ease and who would benefit from further enrichment and extension to achieve attainment levels commensurate with their ability and/or potential. This latter group of students are often referred to as ‘more able’, ‘gifted’ or ‘talented’.

Aims

1. To educate children to the highest possible standards.

2. To be concerned with developing the ‘whole’ child, socially, emotionally and intellectually.

3. To provide an extended curriculum for Able, Gifted and Talented children within the daily Literacy and Numeracy hours, including objectives appropriate for the ability of the children.

4. To provide further work on Literacy, Numeracy, Speaking and Listening and Thinking Skills and using and applying in Mathematics.

5. To explore and implement strategies both within school and with outside agencies to help Able, Gifted and Talented children.

Definitions

There are many definitions of gifted and talented. This guidance builds on the work of Excellence in Cities (EiC), which identifies:

· ‘Gifted’ learners as those who have abilities in one or more subjects in the statutory school curriculum other than art and design, music and PE;

· ‘Talented’ learners as those who have abilities in art and design, music, PE, or performing arts such as dance and drama.

This policy uses the phrase ‘gifted and talented’ to describe all learners with gifts and talents. We acknowledge that the EiC definition of gifted and talented recognises it as referring to the top 5-10% of children in each class. However in our context we feel that this is too rigid and we also have another ‘unofficial’ register with a number of children that get support from the gifted and talented teacher.

Identification:

Gifted and talented children may show several of the following characteristics:

-think quickly and accurately

-work systematically

-generate creative working solutions

-work flexibly, processing unfamiliar information and applying knowledge, experience and insight to unfamiliar situations

-communicate their thoughts and ideas well

-achieve, or show potential, in a wide range of contexts

-be creative

-demonstrate particular physical dexterity or skill

-make sound judgements

-be outstanding leaders or team members

-demonstrate high levels of attainment across a range of subjects or within a particular subject.

At Hampden Gurney, a variety of methods will be employed:

· National Curriculum tests

· Other standardised referenced tests

· Teacher observation and recommendation based on subject-specific criteria

· Scrutiny of pupil’s work and performance

· Information from other sources: parents, observations, high performance in extra-curricular activities provided by the school or external agencies

The identified cohort of Gifted and Talented pupils should include pupils with general intellectual ability, subject-specific ability, and/or ability in visual and performing arts and PE. It will also contain pupils who achieve at a level significantly in advance of the average for their year group in their school.

Provision:

ENRICHMENT AND EXTENSION

Provision for Gifted and Talented pupils takes place within the frameworks of the National Curriculum subjects but also provides opportunities to study topics and subjects outside of those frameworks. It is a combination of differentiation, enrichment, extension and acceleration that occurs as both in-class provision and out of class provision.

Hampden Gurney has a full time teacher that specialises in teaching Gifted and Talented children giving them the opportunity to stimulate their thinking by developing:

· Cognitive conflict

· Social construction

· Metacognition

Children will learn ‘how to think’ developing their thinking skills. By thinking skills, we mean any skills that support and structure the development of thinking. Thinking skills are clustered in the National Curriculum as follows:

· Information Processing Skills

· Reasoning Skills

· Enquiry Skills

· Creative Thinking Skills

· Evaluation Skills

· Higher level questioning skills. Bloom’s Taxonomies

ACCELERATION:

Children who meet the following criteria will be offered the opportunity to join the class above for the purpose of learning the core curriculum at their ability level:

· Consistent performance, above that of their peer group, in National Tests (NFER in October, QCA in May) as school’s summative assessments.

· Consistent performance in day-to-day class work, above that of their peer group, school’s formative assessment.

· Pupils demonstrating a higher order of social and emotional skills when compared to their peers.

Out of school hours provision enables children to examine National Curriculum subjects at a greater depth and breadth or to explore additional subjects. It includes:

· After-school clubs

· Weekend schools

· Focused visits to artistic events, exhibitions and performances.

· Master classes offered by external agencies and institutions

· School competitions

Roles and responsibilities:

1. Governors will, in their role as 'critical friends', have a special responsibility (in partnership with the Headteacher) for ensuring that all children’s needs are met and that no minority needs are overlooked.

2. The Headteacher will, alongside the gifted and talented co-ordinator:

· Show commitment to, and support for, gifted and talented learners

· Provide a clear framework for subject policies or guidelines

3. The coordinator for gifted and talented children will be responsible for:

· Ensuring that the more able and very able register is up to date;

· Monitoring teachers’ planning to ensure that suitable tasks and activities are being undertaken by more able and very able children across all curriculum areas;

· Regularly reviewing the teaching arrangements for more able and very able children;

· Monitoring the progress of more able and very able children through termly discussions with teachers;

· Supporting staff in the identification of more able and very able children;

· Providing advice and support to staff on teaching and learning strategies for more able and very able children;

4. All staff are responsible for supporting Able, Gifted and Talented pupils.

Monitoring and evaluation for Gifted and Talented children:

The monitoring and evaluation scheme is a continuous process that carefully examines the gifted and talented programme in terms of teaching, learning, progress (academic, social and emotional) and attainment. It includes the following components:

· Pupils’ targets are evaluated termly through interviews and quantitative data analysis.

· Ongoing teacher and lesson observations that examine the quality and appropriateness of differentiation, enrichment and extension in class for Gifted and Talented pupils.

· Termly staff meetings where Gifted and Talented children’s progress is discussed; identification of future Able, Gifted or Talented children takes place and where pupils who might be underachieving are discussed and strategies are planned for.

Assessment and Record Keeping:

At Hampden Gurney, we accept the need for assessment of Gifted and Talented children (and all children) to be rounded and on going. The challenges and assessment opportunities offered to the gifted and talented need to be appropriate for their abilities. Feedback on how work can be improved and the provision of clear learning and assessment objectives provide the gifted and talented with an agenda for progress. Similarly, it enables the teacher to plan future work to meet individual needs more closely and to set appropriate targets. Positive and constructive feedback also has a major part to play in affirming self-esteem and increasing motivation. Like all learners, without praise and a positive response, the gifted and talented become discouraged and de-motivated.

Parental involvement

Meeting the needs of the Able, Gifted or Talented child requires the help and understanding of both parents and the school. Both can support and encourage each other in the provision for the Gifted and Talented.

Hampden Gurney involves parents of Gifted and Talented children in the following ways:

· Keeping parents informed on strategies used in the school to extend the child’s progress.

· Informing them about clubs and resources available outside school and suggest other ways in which they can be of help.

Resources

A list of resources available in school will be collated, and staff will make purchases using their new budgets.

Staff will consider the use of resources such as:

a) Staff and human resources- use of support staff to support gifted and talented children

b) Resources in school which broaden, deepen or quicken children’s learning experiences, and resources on the web to support gifted and talented children

c) Opportunities for additional and extra curricular activities to support and enrich learning e.g. workshops, opportunities through the Primary Strategy Network.

Links with other policies:

a) Teaching and Learning policy

b) Equal Opportunities policy

c) Physical Education, Music, Art, ICT and other subject area policies (for further guidance as to identification and provision for relevant curriculum areas)

Appendix 1: Checklist of learning and behaviour characteristics common to G+T students and able pupils

Review of policy

The Gifted and Talented policy is reviewed annually to ensure that it is an accurate reflection of current practice at the school. The policy will be discussed and evaluated by the staff.

The Head Teacher is responsible for staff development needs. The co-ordinator will keep the staff informed of new courses, resources and research as they become available.

Hampden Gurney English as an Additional Language Policy

Introduction

This policy states the aims and strategies for the provision and support of pupils with English as an Additional Language. It has been developed through consultation with the staff at Hampden Gurney Primary School, with regard to the SCAA document ‘Teaching English as an Additional Language: A framework for Policy’.

Rationale

This policy works within the values and ethos of the school’s mission statement. The school recognises equal opportunities for all pupils, regardless of race or gender. It aims to provide a stimulating and challenging environment to prepare children for the multi-cultural society in which we live and adheres to the principles as outlined in the Inclusion team policy framework. All the pupils in the school are entitled to the full National Curriculum programmes of study and their teachers have responsibility for including the teaching of Language across the full range of curriculum subjects.

Definition

In this policy, the term ‘bilingual’ refers to pupils who are in regular contact with more than one language for the purpose of daily living. It does not imply fluency and there will be varying levels of competency in all areas of language learning (listening, reading, speaking and writing).

For most children, English will quickly become their main language in educational terms, whilst their first or community language will continue to be a crucial aspect of their social and cultural identity.

Aims and Objectives

We aim to ensure that all lessons support and stimulate development in English to help each child fulfil their potential.

When possible we will provide opportunities to promote children’s first languages, recognising them as an asset to their learning.

We aim to build on children’s existing knowledge of their own language to help develop their English language.

Raising Achievement

Groupings

Exposure to natural communication must be maximised. In class, bilingual children will be grouped alongside the best ‘native’ speakers, wherever possible, to ensure that they hear good examples of spoken English from which to learn.

Bilingual children will work within the mainstream classes, following the full National Curriculum, using differentiated work set by the teacher.

Where possible, children may work in small groups, outside the class with a specialised EAL teacher, following a set programme of work. This practise enables pupils to work within a comfortable, non- intimidating environment at their own pace and level of understanding.

Support

Lessons are supported with visual and concrete objects alongside explicit language teaching to ensure the children get first hand, practical experiences in all subjects. The EAL co-ordinator is available for advice on how to make lessons more accessible to bilingual children.

Extra support for bilingual children is available through three main programmes, depending on the individual needs of the children:

English as an additional language (EAL) teaching programme

Special Education needs (SEN) teaching programme

Gifted and Talented Teaching (G&T) programme

Learning Mentor programme

Support will either be within class, as partner/ team teaching or withdrawal in small groups from class.

Assessment

The class teacher or EAL coordinator may carry out a N.F.E.R. non-verbal reasoning test with bilingual children on entry into school. ‘New arrivals’ (Pupils who have recently entered the U.K) will be required to complete a ‘New arrivals assessment’ in order to determine his/her level of English. These assessment will be used in conjunction with the teacher’s observations to set targets.

Individual or group targets will also be derived from language assessments, carried out by the EAL coordinator in consultation with the class teacher. This information will be a key factor in the planning work and appropriate support for bilingual children.

The progress of bilingual speakers will be monitored through assessments in Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. Children will be allocated stages according to set criteria. The levels will be sent to Westminster Ethnic Minority Achievement Service Once per year.

Special Education Needs

Before bilingual children are considered as having a special education need, the class teacher will first examine other possibilities including:

The time spent in England

If the child speaks English only at school

If the child is experiencing a ‘silent period’

If there has been a development in the English used

If the work is suitable for the child’s level of English

If the child has a good grasp of conversational English, but is struggling with the academic aspect of learning.

Home School Links

At Hampden Gurney, parents are considered as an essential partner in their child’s learning. It is beneficial for parents to discuss school topics with their children in their own languages as this helps maintain their home language.

With the help of the Home-School Liaison officer, we aim to increase parental involvement in the school.

Bilingual translators are available through the Westminster Bilingual Service if necessary, for meetings between parents and teachers.

Parents may be invited into school on a regular basis to read with the children, if possible, in their first language.

Parents are invited to participate in cultural events and the share their experiences with the children.

When possible, parents are asked to share their language in school, working alongside the teacher to help the children learn and hear another language.

Guest speakers are encouraged to come in to impart knowledge of their culture in school.

Celebration of cultures

The school aims to recognise and appreciate the varying cultures of its pupils through the celebration of particular events, such as Monthly Cultural days, International day, Refugee week, Black History Month and Cultural Display week. All the following events, with the exception of Black History Month and Monthly cultural day, are held in the summer term.

Resources

Providing appropriate resources is an important aspect of teaching bilingual children. Resources are in the form of more concrete objects (books and tapes) for use in subject lessons.

Dual language books covering many different languages are available from the library.

Our aim is to increase the number of language books available and to gradually build up more factual and subject resources.

Monitoring Arrangements

The class teacher and EAL teacher will carry out the initial assessments of newly arrived bilingual pupils, to assess their individual needs. Both teachers will decide on each child’s stage of English language development and from this, will ascertain their needs, appropriate support and set targets.

Some children will require individual programmes of support, which will be devised by the SENCO, EAL and class teacher together if necessary.

The EAL coordinator is responsible for EAL returns, which are sent to Westminster once per year. Regular meetings between the EAL teacher and class teachers are required for discussion about progress and achievement for all bilingual children.

The SMT will meet with the EAL coordinator to monitor test results, ensure the bilingual children have received appropriate marks and decide on any necessary action.

Pupils needs.

All pupils need a welcoming, accepting ethos in the classroom and school. Bilingual children may need extra support to gain full acceptance from their peers. We aim to help integrate children smoothly into school life by ensuring security from any form of racial harassment.

Pupils require a curriculum that, where possible, reflects their interests and cultures.

At all times, there is a need for high expectations and standards to be maintained by both teachers and pupils.

Hampden Gurney Special Educational Needs Policy

“We aim to maximise the progress and achievement for pupils with SEN through an enriching and rigorous education. We aim to support the pupils to become confident learners in life and achieve the greatest independence possible in their learning”

The school’s SEN policy is built on the principles of the Code of Practice.

Aims

We aim to:

· Ensure that all pupils with SEN, whether, physical, intellectual, social, emotional or behavioural, receive appropriate, differential educational needs.

· Encourage parents to join us in planning and supporting all stages of their child’s development.

· Identify, assess, record and regularly review pupils’ special educational needs.

· Promote individual confidence and positive attitude.

· Enable every child to experience success.

· Make effective use of external support services.

· Meet the five outcomes in Every Child Matters: 1. Being healthy

2. Staying safe

3. Enjoying and achieving

4. Making a positive contribution

5. Achieving (social) and economic wellbeing

Definition of SEN

Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

Children have a learning difficulty if they:

(a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; or

(b) have a disability, which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local educational authority.

Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.

Special educational provision means:

educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the LEA, other than special schools, in the area.

The Special Educational Needs Co-Coordinator (SENCo) is Michelle Randell, responsible for co-ordinating the day-to-day provision of education for pupils with SEN at the school.

The role of the SENCo.

· Identify and assess needs of SEN children

· Co-ordinate provision for children with special educational needs

· Liase with and advise class teachers and TA’s.

· Keep under review arrangements for SEN provision (quality assurance check, value added)

· Oversee the records of all children with special educational needs

· Contribute to the in-service training of staff

· Liase with external agencies including the LEA’s support and educational psychology services, health and social services, and voluntary bodies

· Develop co-ordinated multi-agency provision

· Promote high standards in education for SEN pupils – reviewing attainment and progress of SEN pupils

· Designated Person for Safeguarding Children

The role of the Senior Management Team.

· Responsible for the management of special needs through out the school.

· Responsible for the allocation of resources, as discussed with the SENCo.

The role of the SEN Governor and governors

· Play a major part in school self review and should establish mechanisms to ensure that they are fully informed about the school, including the systems for and the outcomes of in-school monitoring and evaluation.

· Report to parents on the implementation of the school’s policy for pupils with special educational needs.

The role of the class teacher.

· Gather information about the child and make an initial assessment of the child's special educational needs

· Provide special help within the normal curriculum framework, exploring ways in which increased differentiation of classroom work might better meet the needs of individuals

· Monitor and review the child's progress, liaising with others concerned

· Provide a differentiated, broad and balanced curriculum in line with the national curriculum and the equal opportunities policy.

The role of the Teaching Assistant.

· Be fully aware of the school's procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with special educational needs.

· Provide in-class support as directed by the class teacher and SENCo.

The role played by the parents of pupils with SEN.

Parents are encouraged to discuss with the class teacher, and SENCo if appropriate, any concerns relating to their child’s education. All significant contacts will be logged, dated, and a summary of information discussed will be made in the SEN diary. Parents of pupils with SEN are fully involved from initial identification through to supporting any interventions that are put in place for their child. Parents are invited to join in the evaluation of their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) each term.

Early Intervention

We recognise the importance of early identification, assessment and intervention for any child who may have special educational needs. We seek to work in close liaison with both statutory and voluntary agencies to facilitate a co-ordinated and holistic approach to both assessment and intervention.

How resources are allocated to and amongst pupils with SEN.

· Governors agree a budget for the school that includes agreed expenditure on pupils with SEN.

· Resources are allocated to meet the needs of SEN pupils in the school in line with their particular learning and other needs in line with the Code of practice. In conjunction with the head teacher, the SENCo draws up a provision map, which lays out the deployment of resources to meet the needs of SEN pupils.

· Pupils with statements of SEN have their needs, as described in their statement, met through the appropriate deployment of resources and staffing.

· The use and deployment of funding and resources are closely monitored and evaluated to ensure that best value for money is obtained on behalf of pupils.

The school’s objective is to provide integrated, high quality, holistic support focused on the needs of the child. Such support will be based on mutual understanding and agreement between all agencies working with the child and the family. There are numerous external services working with the school to support pupils with SEN including: Educational psychologist, Speech & language therapist, Marlborough family centre, Physiotherapist, Occupational therapist, Social Services, Specialist advisory teachers for the deaf or partial hearing.

Facilities for pupils with SEN at the school.

The school continues to develop facilities and access for pupils with SEN and /or disabilities. Currently the school has a range of facilities including

· Lift to all floors

· Ramps for ground floor access

· Disabled toilets for pupils and parents

Complaints procedure.

Any parent wishing to discuss any aspect of their child’s teaching or treatment should in the first instance speak with the class teacher. If they wish to take the matter further, they should approach the SENCo and/or the Head Teacher. If the matter is still not resolved, parents can make a formal complaint, in writing, to the Chair of Governors. Parents can also complain to the LEA if matters cannot be dealt with at school level.

Information and Communication Technology Policy (ICT)

Aims:

· To stimulate and promote the use of Information and Communication Technology in order to support, enhance and extend learning opportunities.

· To develop pupil’s IT capability, including their knowledge and understanding of the importance of information and of how to select and prepare it.

· To teach ICT as a specific curriculum area in accordance with the National Curriculum.

· To use ICT as a tool to enhance teaching and learning throughout all curriculum areas.

· To help both pupils and staff to develop confidence and competence to use ICT in a range of situations and contexts appropriate to the task.

Provision:

Hardware

· The school has a Windows NT network and all the teaching rooms have access to the network and the Internet.

· The computer suite is equipped with 15 multimedia machines; two laser jet printers and a colour printer.

· Every classroom has two computers and a colour printer. Years 1 to 6 have Smartboards.

· Every classroom has a listening centre and there are three digital cameras per Key Stage.

· There are two digital camcorders and two digicams that can be used by staff and pupils.

Software

· Microsoft Office 2000 is the standard office application used throughout the school and all documentation is produced using this to ensure compatibility.

· A consistent suite of software is available throughout the school (both in the computer suite and classrooms). Both computer suite and classrooms have access to a wide variety of the other programs including a CD-ROM library.

· A range of software to support Special Educational Needs is available.

Teaching and Learning

· Class teachers spend at least one hour a week in the ICT suite and make use of the ICT suite, classroom computers or other IT resources where necessary and when appropriate.

· Nursery and Reception children experience ICT through computer tasks integrated into the foundation stage stepping-stones.

· It is crucial that ICT is seen as a tool that can be used across the whole curriculum. Staff members are encouraged to plan ICT related tasks for all curriculum areas.

· Pupils will have an opportunity to work individually, in pairs or in groups of children throughout the year.

· Excellence in ICT use is celebrated in displays around the school, including in the IT Suite; of text, pictures, graphs and charts produced by pupils using computers.

· All staff and pupils should regard the use of a computer primarily as a tool not a toy, with access as a right not a reward.

Planning and Assessment

· We use the QCA schemes of work for ICT implemented with further units of work to ensure full courage of the National Curriculum (LCP files are available as an extra resource).

· Personalised planning is used for the ‘Exceptionally Able’ students in ICT.

· Class teachers are expected to plan ICT tasks for Literacy, Numeracy, Science and Foundation subjects, these are detailed on the medium and weekly planning sheets.

· Assessments are made about each child’s ICT capability at the end of each unit of work and recorded as a level. The annual report to parents contains a section about their child’s ICT capability.

Internet Access

· All children have access to the Internet with supervision.

· The Internet system is provided by Westminster Grid for Learning and is protected from unsuitable material by “Smartfilter”.

· All parents and pupils will sign an Internet Access Agreement to show that there is an understanding and acceptance of the rules governing the use of the Internet.

Access and Privacy

The school’s servers should not be used at any time for storing illicit or offensive material, nor should any user attempt to install any software of any kind onto the school’s network or onto any workstation connected to it.

If a member of staff wishes to have software installed the agreement of the ICT Coordinator or Headteacher should first be sought, the licence checked and the relevant media handed to the ICT Coordinator to arrange for installation.

All users of the network must be aware that the network administrators may on occasion access their user areas.

(Refer to the Acceptable Internet Use Policy)

Health and Safety

It is imperative that all electrical equipment is kept in good working order. To ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff the following guidelines must be adhered to:

· Pupils should not be allowed to switch off computers at the mains.

· Equipment should be situated away from water.

· Pupils should always be supervised when using electrical equipment.

· All plugs, leads and electrical equipment should be checked regularly and tested for electrical safety in accordance with LEA guidelines.

· Children should be encouraged from the earliest age to consider and adjust their posture when using the keyboard in order to avoid strain to the arms and back.

· Pupils are not allowed to have food or drink in the ICT suite.

Equal Opportunities

All pupils regardless of race, gender or ability should have the opportunity to develop their ICT capability.

We ensure that all our pupils:

· Have equal access to ICT resources

· Have equal opportunity to develop their ICT capability

· Use software that is appropriate to their ability

Pupils with Special Educational Needs benefit from using ICT as it enhances access to the curriculum and this in turn encourages motivation and the development of skills ensuring significantly higher achievements. Therefore, the opportunities to utilise ICT should be maximised.

Pupils who are gifted in ICT are likely to:

· Demonstrate ICT capability significantly above that expected for their age

· Learn and apply new ICT techniques quickly

· Use initiative to exploit the potential of more advanced features of ICT tools

· Transfer and apply ICT skills and techniques confidently in new contexts

· Explore independently beyond the given breadth of an ICT topic

· Initiate ideas and solve problems, use ICT effectively and creatively, develop systems that meet personal needs and interests

When identifying pupils who are gifted in ICT, it is important to remember that they may not be gifted in all aspects of the subject. For example, some pupils may be able to use high-level programming skills to solve control problems, but may not be as good at constructing and investigating databases.

Teachers should:

· Use a variety of challenging questioning strategies to encourage pupils to draw on previous experiences and to apply their thinking to new situations.

· Set extension tasks that avoid repetition -- extension work should encourage pupils to pursue a greater depth of understanding of the subject or to apply their ICT skills in new contexts, including other subjects.

· Provide a more complex problem as a stimulus for developing ICT systems, for example, a control problem with an increased number of inputs and variables.

· Encourage pupils to discuss the suitability of different approaches, the tools to be used, and the range of possible outcomes.

· Encourage pupils to refine their product by reviewing and evaluating the process undertaken, the ICT tools used, and the effectiveness of the end product in meeting the specified needs of the task.

· Discuss with pupils what they are learning, and encourage them to identify their own learning needs.

· Provide opportunities for gifted pupils to learn new ICT skills together and/or with older pupils, in order to accelerate their learning and give them an opportunity to challenge each other.

· Provide personalised learning plans for exceptionally able pupils.

Role of the Coordinator

The role of the coordinator is to:

· Take the lead in policy development and the integration of ICT into schemes of work.

· Support colleagues in their efforts to include ICT in their development of detailed work plans, in their implementation of those Schemes of work and in assessment and record keeping activities.

· Monitor progress in ICT and advise the head teacher of action needed.

· Take responsibility for the purchase and organisation of central resources.

· Provide and supervise technical support for colleagues in their use of ICT.

· Take appropriate steps to keep up-to-date with developments in this rapidly changing field.

· Manage the school network on a daily basis.

Links with other policies:

· Acceptable Internet Use Policy

· Teaching and Learning Policy

· Equal Opportunities Policy

Date of next review: October 2007

HAMDPEN GURNEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

TEACHING AND LEARNING POLICY

Revised Oct 2006

RATIONALE

To formulate a policy which promotes achievement in our school, by stating an entitlement for all pupils to a broad and balanced curriculum and providing opportunities for them to develop their full potential.

AIMS

1. To improve the quality of teaching and learning experiences offered to pupils.

2. To clarify current practice and determine future approaches to teaching and learning, with specific focus in different styles of learning, multiple intelligence, accelerated learning and creative thinking skills.

3. To convey our basic philosophy about Teaching and Learning, to include Blooms Taxonomy, De Bono Six Thinking Hats and Learning to Learn pedagogies.

4. To provide an agreed framework that underpins all areas of the curriculum.

The policy identifies the common processes of learning which inform and guide our teaching.

REVIEW, MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Quality teaching and learning will be the focus of classroom monitoring.

Senior Managers will undertake monitoring in the school and findings reported to whole staff at staff meetings. The Policy will be modified, as necessary, following discussion with staff and will be presented for ratification by the Governors.

Standards of achievement will be monitored by staff and governors and the Teaching and Learning Policy evaluated in the light of statistical evidence, as necessary.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TEACHING AND LEARNING AT HAMPDEN GURNEY SCHOOL

TEACHING

At Hampden Gurney School, we consider teaching to be good when:

1. There is effective planning informed by assessment.

2. Teachers to use time and resources effectively; assess pupils’ work thoroughly and constructively, and use assessments to inform teaching.

3. The classroom is well-organised and resources. Teachers employ methods and organisational strategies which match curriculum objectives and needs of pupils.

4. Teachers organise and teach pupils in groups, individually, as a whole class and the most effective ways of balancing these.

5. Teachers manage teaching time to allow particularly prolonged interaction with groups of children and the provision of high and appropriate levels of cognitive inspiration and challenge.

6. Teachers manage pupils well and achieve high standards of discipline.

7. There are high expectations of work so as to challenge pupils and deepen their knowledge and understanding.

8. Work is differentiated, making each task purposeful and challenging.

9. A broad, well-balanced curriculum is provided which goes beyond the National Curriculum.

10. Teachers have a secure knowledge of curriculum, using individual expertise as appropriate.

11. Teachers are explicit, making sure children understand what is asked of them.

12. Teachers provide balance of investigation and problem solving activities, and the acquisition of important skills that will allow children to become, to some extent at least, independent learners.

13. Teachers create a positive and emotionally safe atmosphere in the classroom by being fair and consistent.

14. There are high expectations of behaviour within a clearly-defined framework.

15. A variety of teaching methods and approaches maintain motivation. These methods should include exposition, explanation, demonstration, discussion, practical activity, investigation, testing and problem-solving.

16. Teachers use homework effectively to reinforce and or/extend what is learned in school.

17. Teachers provide regular feedback which helps pupils to make progress, both through thoughtful marking and discussion of work with pupils.

18. Teachers establish routines and high quality displays to stimulate work in progress and celebrate completed studies.

At Hampden Gurney, we consider learning is good when children:

1. Are secure in the exchange of ideas with peers and teachers.

2. Are in an environment that is comfortable and their physical and emotional well-being are being adequately catered for.

3. Understand the purpose and nature of the task.

4. Can use resources effectively.

5. Experience a range of learning opportunities.

6. Have realistic feedback from which they can evaluate their own and see they are making progress.

7. Are able to sustain a good working pace, respond to challenges, work individually, co-operatively and with concentration.

8. Pupils come prepared for work, organise themselves, enjoy work and stay on task.

9. Can evaluate their own work, show perseverance and interest.

10. Develop particular skills and competencies and the capacity to think imaginatively and creatively.

11. Acquire concepts that will enable them to generalize, to relate ideas and to make informed judgments.

12. Develop an ability to learn for themselves, to pursue knowledge through their own efforts and interests; to go beyond immediately available information through research and investigation.

13. Become problem solvers, are able to observe and analyse situations, interpret evidence, hypothesize, speculate and predict, apply appropriate skills and existing experience, to learn from trial and error and evaluate critically.