Prospectus 2015-16

0

Prospectus
2015-2016

1

Easebourne C.E.
Primary School

Contents

Pages Quick Facts
2 Welcome letter from the Headteacher
3 Welcome letter from the Chair of the PTFA, Clare Allen
4 Ethos & Vision
5 What is important to Staff & Governors
6 Teaching & Learning
7 Curriculum
8 Environment
15 Early Years
SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities)
16 Gifted & Talented
Homework
17 After-School & Breakfast Clubs
Educational Visits & Visitors
18 Food & Drink
Parental Involvement
19 The Church Community
The Cowdray Estate
20 Rother Valley Locality
School Day
21 Term Dates for 2016-17
Authorised Absence
22 School Staff
23 School Governors
Early Days Nursery
25 KS1 Data for 2015
26 KS2 Data for 2015
27 Applying for a place at the school
28 Catchment Area
29 Plan of School
30 Term Dates Chart
31 Further Reading
32 SEND Policy

2

Quick Facts Wheelbarrow Castle
Easebourne
Address: MIDHURST
West Sussex
Telephone: GU29 9AG
Fax: 01730 813266
E-mail: 01730 817232
Website:
Moodle: [email protected]
Blog:
Headteacher: www.easebourne.w-sussex.sch.uk
Chair of Governors:
Pupils on Roll: http://learning.easebourne.w-sussex.sch.uk
Age Range:
Type of School: https://easebourneblog.wordpress.com

Johnny Culley
Geoff Coulson
199 in September 2015
4-11 years (Yr-Y6), co-educational
Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary

Locality: Rother Valley Schools

Education Area: Southern Education Area of West Sussex

Commissioner for Learning: Brin Martin

Admissions Office: Pupil Admissions Office
Centenary House
Telephone: Durrington Lane
E-mail: Worthing
BN13 2QB

0845 0751007

[email protected]

Early Days Nursery 01730 815046
Telephone:
Manager: Annie Beadle
Management Committee:
Annie Beadle
Pupils on Roll: Sue Barrett
Johnny Culley
Diane Brazier

51 in September 2015

3

Easebourne C.E. Primary School

Dear Parent

Finding a new school for your child can be an anxious time, especially when there are many to
choose from. The Rother Valley has a wide range of schools, each with its own distinctive
personality, and I would encourage you to visit as many as you can to see which particularly
appeal. This prospectus will, I hope, help you to decide whether to shortlist Easebourne. No
prospectus will answer every question but it should do enough to whet your appetite to find out
more and I strongly encourage you to visit us; it is only by visiting our remarkable site that you will
really see what we can offer.

The site has an interesting history. Easebourne CE Primary School only moved here in September
2013. Before that, the site had been home to Midhurst Intermediate School from 1970, with over
400 10-13 year olds. The accommodation was updated and successfully adapted for our younger
children and we enjoy a spacious school building with many features one would not normally
expect in a rural school of this size, including a music suite with practice rooms and a fitted kitchen
for children’s cookery. Our hall, used for assemblies and lunch, has a lighting rig to support
productions and our sports hall provides generous PE accommodation. The vibrant library lies at
the heart of the school and has been recently transformed, having been computerised and
refurnished and totally restocked. Additional group rooms, presently used for small groups, will be
developed to serve as bases for French, art and science. As I said, we are blessed with a
remarkable building.

Classrooms have interactive whiteboards which, together with desktop computers in shared areas
and trolleys of Learnpads and netbooks, enable children’s use of ICT to properly support the
curriculum.

Outside, our grounds are extensive, with a large playground and a very generous grassed area.
There is a pond and a growing plantation of Christmas trees, a new square being planted each
year by children in Reception to be cut for their Christmas in Year 6. An orchard was planted last
Easter and beyond lies our woodland which is where our Forest School sessions take place.

Early Days, our inviting on-site nursery, runs alongside Dragonflies, our Reception class, ensuring a
truly connected Early Years Foundation Stage.

The school is very much about the community. We passionately believe in the partnership
between children, staff, parents and governors. We also work hard to build strong relationships
with the wider community. We are a Church of England school; our broad and balanced
education is underpinned by strong Christian values and both the vicar and our new curate are
governors. In recognition of the school’s strong historic relationship with the Cowdray Estate, Lord
Cowdray has recently accepted our invitation to become the school’s patron.

As I said at the start of the letter, the only real way to get a feel for a school is to visit it and I urge
you to come and look round and meet us. In the meantime, I hope this prospectus gives you a
feel for what to expect when you come.

With best wishes

4

Easebourne C.E. Primary School

Dear Parents,

The PTFA (Parent, Teacher & Friends Association) Committee welcomes you to Easebourne Primary
School. Here at Easebourne we have an active team of parents, teachers and friends all working
together to raise funds for the school and provide fun social events for the children and their families.

Each year we try to explore new ideas for events and fund raising, including:
 The Summer Fair – The 2015 Summer Fair was the first to be held in conjunction with St. Mary’s
Church, Easebourne. The event was very successful and we hope to continue working closely
with the wider community to make this an exciting annual occurrence.
 Fairies and Scaries - A popular family disco held in October.
 Christmas Fair – This year the PTFA are also including a party for the children alongside the
usual stalls and visit to Father Christmas.
 Sponsored walk, jog, run – This was new in 2015 and was really successful in terms of
sponsorship money raised as well as children’s enthusiasm and enjoyment of the event.
 PTFA Friday film nights – Films for the children planned half-termly throughout the year.
 Various cake sales and raffles as well as the new Minibus 100 club, with a chance to win
monthly cash prizes!
 We have more new ideas lined up for 2016, so please ask for a copy of our latest calendar of
events to find out what is happening.

In the past few years the PTFA fundraising has benefitted the school in many ways, including:
 Purchasing new computers, including 32 Netbooks which are used daily within the classes.
 Funding additional staging to facilitate bigger and better school productions.
 Creating an outside reading area.
 Purchasing a number of bistro tables and chairs so that the children can enjoy eating
outside in the nice weather.
 Subsidising trips to the theatre & in school performances.
 Organising Easter-Egg hunts for the children.
 Purchasing new books for the school library.
 Provision of new play area and equipment as well as markings on the playground.
 Providing funds for a video camera.

Our current focus is to raise funds for the school to acquire 2 minibuses, so that we can reduce the
cost of school trips and enable more spontaneous outside learning.

We have a new committee and are in the process of establishing a dedicated and enthusiastic
team. It is a great opportunity to meet other parents and contribute to the ongoing success of the
school. We have all sorts of members, parents that come to the meetings, lots that help out at
events, those that take on specific tasks, some that make or bake and others that help for an odd
hour here and there or just have useful contacts! We also have a PFTA Facebook page which is a
great way to share updates and get involved.

As you can see, the PTFA is a huge benefit to the school and the children within it, and we feel great
pride in what has been achieved. All parents are invited to come along to our meetings, we
welcome new faces and are open to innovative ideas.

Clare Allen
Chair, PTFA Committee

5

Ethos

We aim to provide an education of the highest quality within a Christian context and we
aspire for our children to be happy, confident, secure and caring individuals who achieve
personal success and develop a love of learning.

Vision

Achieve…

… a love of learning
… your potential
… excellence

Our commitment to you …
 delivering excellence in teaching and learning
 setting high expectations to help you achieve your potential
 offering a stimulating environment to support, extend and celebrate your learning
journey
 supporting you in gaining key life skills in literacy and maths
 providing high quality marking, feedback and dialogue to involve you in your
learning
 ensuring your needs are met and your voice is heard
 encouraging parent partnership in your learning

Build…

… your life experiences
… your life skills
… your dreams

Our commitment to you…
 widening your life experience through visits and visitors,
residentials and workshops
 offering a broad and stimulating range of extra-curricular opportunities
 building your life skills by encouraging you to take on roles and responsibilities
 exploiting cross-curricular learning opportunities, helping you to make connections
 supporting you in becoming a reflective, resilient, resourceful and risk-taking learner
 giving you the skills to develop and maintain positive relationships
 developing your dreams and ambitions for the future

Connect…

… with your learning
… with your community
… with your environment

Our commitment to you…
 celebrating your achievements
 providing a caring, nurturing, inclusive and safe environment
 working in partnership with parents so that they engage with your learning
 demonstrating and developing an awareness both of others and of the environment
 helping you to make a positive contribution to the community
 working with the Church to give you an understanding of Christian faith and values
 collaborating with a wide range of school partners

Last year, as a staff and governor community, we explored
what was particularly important to our staff and governors
about Easebourne Primary School. This cross captured where
we were at the beginning of last year. It became the
starting-point of further work which led to our current ethos
and vision and, at the very end of the year, our decision to
adopt a new logo for the school. It was a journey in which
each individual was able to influence the school’s new
direction.

6

7

Teaching and Learning

Learning is about doing and understanding, as well as knowing. During the first five years
of life, children learn and develop through activity and experience, through trial and error
and, of course, through interaction with their environment. Throughout, play is an
essential part of childhood. At this stage, a child's success relies heavily on the crucial
interaction between parent and child.

On reaching school age, children already have a good deal of experience and
knowledge and a growing sense of the basic structure of spoken language. We aim to
develop their curiosity, energy and enthusiasm, helping them to become willing,
confident and independent learners.

We believe that teaching and learning based on enquiry, questioning and challenge
enhance a child’s enjoyment in learning by developing curiosity, concern for quality and
accuracy, initiative and perseverance. Children also need to experience appreciation
and encouragement to help them realise that they are making progress and achieving
success. With our new system of assessment, Learning Ladders, children will, we believe,
have a much clearer understanding of their own next steps and our timetable has been
designed to promote strong marking, feedback and dialogue to support the children’s
active involvement in their learning.

This year, we are focusing on the five R’s: relationships, resourcefulness, resilience, risk-
taking and reflectiveness. We will discuss where the children are with these key ‘Learning
to Learn’ skills so that the skills can form the basis of their personal ongoing targets through
the year.

Children also need to feel socially and emotionally secure.

They are more likely to feel this if they know what is expected of

them. We work hard to provide a strong sense of pattern and

order and to foster self-discipline by modelling and expecting

tolerance, honesty and reliability. During their time at Easebourne, we give children more

responsibility, both for their learning and as a member of the community,

helping them move from egocentricity to empathy. As part of this focus,

we have strengthened our house system, incorporating a series of

house challenges as well as the weekly collection of house

points throughout the year. As well as celebrating

team spirit through our house system, we strive to

develop a sense of community, both within and

beyond the school, raising awareness of the different

outlooks of other cultures and of the situations of others

less fortunate than ourselves. Where possible, we raise

funds for charities that have particular resonance at

the time and the major house challenge of the spring

term is for each house to raise £250 for its chosen

charity.

Last year, we also developed a whole-school
approach to behaviour, clarifying exactly how we
support poor behaviour and reward good behaviour.

8

Curriculum

At Easebourne, we believe in a curriculum which is broad, balanced and relevant. We
follow a creative, topic-led curriculum, using the children’s interest in the current topic as
the vehicle for much of our teaching, including basic skills (maths and English). The
curriculum is planned and differentiated, i.e. organised to allow for differences in abilities
and other characteristics of children of the same age. Teachers are keenly aware of the
need to help individual children (including those children with special educational needs)
to make progress at a pace appropriate to needs and abilities.

We try to make the children’s learning relevant to their experience and draw on current
affairs when appropriate. The school is also committed to delivering Learning Outside the
Classroom (LOtC), incorporating trips, residentials, environmental education and Forest
Schools when possible. The PTFA project to lease two minibuses this autumn will be
beneficial in making trips beyond the school site much easier and more affordable.

Topic Overview (September 2015)

Year A (2015-2016) Year B (2014-15)

i - Autumn ii - Spring iii - i - Autumn ii - Spring iii -

Summer Summer

YR Dragonflies Topics are Topics are Topics are Topics are
child-led child-led child-led child-led
Harvest Topics are Harvest Topics are
Advent Easter child-led Advent Easter child-led
Christmas Chinese Christmas Chinese
New Year New Year
Diwali Mother’s Diwali Mother’s

Day Day

Topics from ‘Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage’,

such as Feelings, Fairness, Special Events, Environment, etc,

will be covered at some point each year, as the opportunities arise

Y1 Hedgehogs Food & Where I Live Beside the Toys Enchanted Up, Up and
Y2 Squirrels Farming Seaside
Forest Away

Y3 Rabbits Upstairs Storms & Africa Stone Age Dragons, Ancient
Y4 Badgers Downstairs Shipwrecks Mountains to Iron Age Knights & Egypt
Y5 Foxes Castles
Y6 Otters Space Romans World War II Mayans & Water &
Ancient Rivers
Greece

Compulsory national curriculum subjects at primary school are:

 English
 maths
 science
 design & technology
 history
 geography
 art & design
 music
 physical education, including swimming
 computing
 modern foreign languages (at key stage 2)

9

Schools must also provide religious education though parents can ask for their children to
be taken out of the whole lesson or part of it.

As a school, we also choose to teach:
 personal, social, citizenship, health and economic education (PSCHEE)
 modern foreign languages (at key stage 1)
 forest school

English
In the new National Curriculum, English is divided into Spoken English, Reading and Writing
and the document is clear about the significance of English:

English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching; for pupils,
understanding the language provides access to the whole curriculum. Fluency in the
English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects.

As a key element of basic skills, lessons dealing with all aspects of
literacy (speaking & listening, reading, writing, drama) are generally
held in the morning.
Last year, our focus was on reading. Following the successful
application for a number of grants, we completely overhauled our
library area, forming a bright, colourful, open plan area encouraging
reading. This was opened by the Chair of West Sussex County
Council, Amanda Jupp. We incorporated an online library system,
recruited librarians across the school and the children-designed library cards so that the
children could scan their books in and out. With all of our books put onto that system, we
then entered them into another scheme, Accelerated Reader, which tracks our KS2
children’s reading ages and sets them appropriate half-termly targets.
We have set up a half-termly book club after school on Fridays and Beau, our Read2Dogs

friend, comes in twice a week to listen to children read. The
younger children took part in the West Sussex picture book
initiative, helping to select the best from a shortlist, and our Year
5’s participated in a similar initiative for graphic novels. On top
of all of this, we embarked on a constant book buying spree to
make sure our children had a strong range of fiction to borrow.
This year, our focus will move to strengthening our non-fiction.
Our smaller hall has a lighting rig which enables us to put on
productions with a professional feel. Each term, two year groups
combine to put on a show at the end of the term. Last year, our oldest children finished
with a fabulous musical production of ‘The Wind in the Willows’.
We hold a poetry recitation competition in the autumn term. In 2014, its
first year, 99 children, over half of the school, learnt a poem to recite!
We also work hard to promote discussion and have introduced weekly
P4C lessons (Philosophy for Children) for Year 1 upwards. In these lessons,
children consider thought-provoking stimuli, selecting key questions to
discuss, focusing on underlying meanings and developing speaking and
listening skills so that they can construct cogent arguments. Inviting
visitors specially chosen to make the children reflect on key issues will also
form part of these sessions and the autumn schedule includes a speaker

10

on hidden disability, a Muslim and an expert in the current situation in the Middle East.

Each year, we enter the Rother Valley debate competition, held at Midhurst Rother
College. In the contest’s three years, Easebourne has won once and, last year, the
school came second.

This year, we are using working walls to support children’s
literacy in each classroom. These will concentrate on the
process of writing, sharing classroom tips, key elements of
the teaching focus and celebrating good work. We have
introduced free writing on Fridays and each child has a
writing portfolio in which they can collect their best
pieces as they move through the school.

Maths

The new National Curriculum is clear that children should become fluent in the
fundamentals of mathematics, learn to reason mathematically and be able to solve
problems by applying their mathematics.

Number and place value, the four key number operations (addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division), fractions (and, later, decimals and percentages),
measurement, geometry and statistics are all covered by children as they move up the
school. In Year 5, ratio, proportion and basic algebra are introduced.

Like English lessons, maths teaching generally takes place in the mornings. Again, we are
using working walls to support children’s maths, capturing children’s
reflections and discoveries, scaffolding learning with key teaching
points and celebrating their working. This year, Fridays will include a
slot for an investigative or a free maths session and our emphasis is on
supporting thinking with concrete resources.

We are building the children’s familiarity with Sumdog, an online
resource that motivates the children to practise the basic maths skills
by rewarding success with additional accessories for an online avatar.
We highlight competitions and harness these to use as termly house
challenges. We also run an ‘elite’ opportunity for very motivated
students where they compete nationally in additional competitions.

Our ablest children at the top of the school entered the West Sussex Maths Competition.
This was the first time and they finished creditably and enjoyed the experience. This year,
we plan to enter two national competitions to challenge our older children.

Science

Where possible, science is taught within the topic, e.g. Space, but it is also taught as a
discrete subject at times. After staff discussion, we have concluded that we want to take
more advantage of the potential of sharing scientific work in
different year groups with the rest of the school. To pursue this
further, one of our key projects this autumn is to transform a
group room into an exciting space for science, with the feel of
a secondary laboratory, with furniture selected to support class
experiments whilst additional shelving and display space will
allow experiments to be left on display for other classes to see,
along with items of scientific interest.

11

Design & Technology

Design Technology enables children to identify needs and analyse real
problems, design solutions, plan and make a range of products or services,
evaluating their progress and outcomes, whether as artefact, systems or
environments.

The national curriculum in England (September 2013)

We try to ensure the children’s design and technology is
embedded in their topic approach to learning and we have a
well-resourced kitchen for cooking.

History & Geography

As you will see from our topic overview, history and geography are
often the power houses behind our termly topic choices. These
topics lend themselves to creative field trips. Children in Year 5 and
Year 6, for instance, will visit a planetarium
as part of their focus on Space. Last year,
visits included the archaeological dig on
Petersfield Heath to increase their
understanding of the Bronze and Iron
Ages and a step back in time on St Anne’s
Hill in Midhurst.

Art & Design

A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them
with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and
design.

The national curriculum in England (September 2013)

Art and design are concerned with visual communication and with developing
imagination and creativity in children. They rely on first-hand experience and the
development of observational skills as well as the expression of thoughts and feelings.
Another project for this autumn is to fashion a space specifically designed to support art
within the school. This room will house our kiln, which has stood idle
for a few years, and celebrate creativity across the school so that
children can be inspired by what is being produced in other year
groups.

Where possible, we bring in artists from the local community to help
with projects. Last year, for example, during Community Week,
several artists worked with the children. Two worked with the children
in salt dough to create three huge decorative panels. These profile-
raising panels used a restricted colour palette based on the Epilepsy
Awareness logo and are being followed by a creative fundraiser in
support of the charity. We hold two regular events, Environment Day
in the autumn and Community Week in the summer, in which artistic
projects that involve the children are central.

12

Music

Our music teacher works with the children on a weekly basis in
our music room and plays a major role in the preparation for
plays, concerts and services. At present, the Year 3 children all
learn the ukulele together in a weekly lesson. An after-school
club provides the opportunity to progress further with this
instrument. A recorder group runs at lunchtimes and paid
lessons with peripatetic teachers are available for a wide
range of additional instruments.

Last summer, we hosted one of the West Sussex Music Service’s tuned gamelan orchestras
from Indonesia and the children were fascinated to learn about the structured music and
the cultural significance of these beautiful instruments and loved playing the various
instruments.

The school has a strong singing tradition and participates in the annual autumn Rotary
Music Festival. Last year, we also took part in the locality’s celebration of the BBC’s ‘Ten
Pieces’ initiative, attending a screening at Petworth, devising a dance to one of the
pieces, Anna Meredith's ‘Connect It’, and later producing our own version. We also held
a joint concert with Midhurst Primary School at the Memorial Hall in Midhurst. Our
productions are often musicals, ensuring that music and drama are combined.

Physical Education

We have an excellent gym and good outside provision for games.
Children receive two timetabled sessions of PE during the week.
One is taken by specialist coaches from South Coast Sports and
concentrate on games whilst the second is led by the classroom
teacher and focuses on gymnastics and dance. Children in Years 4
and 5 also have a course of swimming lessons each year at a local
pool.

PE lessons are enhanced through our extra-curricular clubs.
Children can play a range of sports including table tennis, football,

netball, stoolball, tennis, fencing, tag
rugby, athletics, cricket and rounders.

During the year, the school participates in a range of leagues
and tournaments with other schools in the Rother Valley locality.
Last year, we hosted the netball tournament and won the
football tournament. We also participated in a dance festival
at Midhurst Rother College. At the end of each year, our ‘Sports
Day’ is held on our large playing fields.

Computing

We have desktop computers in small suites to support KS1, Lower KS2 and Upper KS2. In
addition, there are two trolleys of netbooks and a further trolley of Learnpads, all of which
are wireless networked. This arrangement makes it easier for children to use ICT to support
their learning across the curriculum. Each classroom also has an interactive whiteboard.
Teachers are confident with the use of the whiteboards and use them frequently during
the day’s lessons. Digital cameras and the Moodle (our virtual learning environment or
VLE) are also used both by the teachers and the pupils. Parents with Internet access have
access to school information and resources via the Moodle.

13

French

The children learn French at both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. These lessons are
delivered by a specialist teacher in the French Room. The teacher involves the children
through conversation and role-play and we plan to create a French street, starting with a
café this autumn to promote role-play.

RE

At Easebourne, we follow the newly-devised West Sussex Syllabus
for RE. Christianity, comprising more than half the curriculum
content, is taught at each Key Stage along with Judaism at KS1
and Hinduism and Islam in KS2. Easebourne and our catchment
villages form an attractive, rural Sussex community but it is
particularly important that children have a good understanding of
life beyond the village. The world is shrinking in so many ways and
it is part of our responsibility to help to prepare children for the
future.

We believe that meeting individuals from different religious and
cultural backgrounds is a very valuable experience; it is often much easier to understand
another faith if you have the opportunity to talk to somebody from that faith. Last year,
pupils from Year 6 took part in an inter-faith event in Hampshire, meeting representatives
of four different world faiths, and this year we are repeating this experience with the
whole class. In the present world climate, we hope to make an ongoing link with a local

Muslim community to ensure that our children have an
accurate view of Islam, one that is not distorted by media
coverage.

We aim to deliver RE in a sensitive way and, whilst parents have
the power to withdraw their children from all or part of religious
education and collective worship, opting for alternative
provision, this is in fact extremely rare.

Personal, Social, Citizenship, Health and Economic Education (PSCHEE)

Children need guidance and teaching on issues surrounding drugs and alcohol. We
include this in our curriculum with help from outside organisations including the police who
come to school to talk to pupils and their parents. Other agencies such as the fire service
help to promote safety awareness and our Year 6 pupils undertake the Bikeability cycling
proficiency course. We take opportunities to draw relevant topics into the school
calendar. We mark, for instance, Anti-Bullying Week and Fairtrade Fortnight. The school
also has Healthy Schools status.

In the spring term, the houses are all challenged to raise £250 for their chosen charity.
They can apply for loans from the PTFA to fund mini-enterprise schemes and they are
encouraged to use their initiative, inviting speakers in to assemblies and taking over
displays to promote their charities and events.

Education for Citizenship prepares children to accept rights and responsibilities as adults.
Children in Years 1 to 6 receive weekly sessions of Philosophy 4 Children (P4C), promoting
listening and reflection skills, building the skills needed to discuss issues and begin to argue
a case! These sessions also involve visits to the school from individuals chosen to make the
children think more widely. These may be representatives of other faiths or cultures or
people who may raise ethical issues for the chidlren to consider.

14

Classes vote for peers to represent them at regular School Council meetings, giving our
children a voice, allowing them to discuss matters affecting the school, develop policies
and interview applicants for teaching posts. The School Council controls a small termly
budget. As part of the Rother Valley Cluster, our oldest School Council representatives
also represent us at meetings. These pupils undertake training on what makes school
councils effective and visit other schools to share good practice.

PSCHEE includes a programme of Sex & Relationships Education (SRE) in the summer term.
Some of our SRE is also delivered within science lessons. We have given great thought to
the approach the school takes and have chosen to use the newer edited version of the
original Living and Growing series which has been adapted to introduce pupils to the
core issues of Sex and Relationship Education while reflecting the diverse society that
children are living in today. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the SRE
lessons.

British Values

We look for opportunities to promote the fundamental British values
of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual
respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
Whilst these may occur across the curriculum, opportunities are
generally easier to find in English, music, Citizenship, RE, history and
geography. Many books and poems have themes covering
tolerance, mutual respect and democracy. Children look at music
and sing songs from other cultures. We look at personal rights and
freedoms, learning about and exercise democracy, taking part in
votes, debates and questionnaires and teaching topics such as
equal rights, disability and e-safety. Our RE lessons reinforce
messages of tolerance and respect for others and we welcome
visitors from other cultures and faiths and study their ways of life. We also analyse events in
UK and world history where British values have been tested such as the World Wars and, in
geography, pupils look at how different cultures live and work throughout the world.

Forest School

As part of the learning experience of Forest School, children will
develop their knowledge and skills through taking part in
exciting experiences. The school has its own small woodland
beyond the play area and every week, for half a term, each
year group receives a half-day of Forest School input. We have
a number of Forest School-trained staff who lead these sessions.

Forest School allows learning to be set in different contexts for

children where they can undertake a range of practical activities and
carry out small achievable tasks. At Forest School, children can
develop their independence as well as team working skills. Research
indicates that children who participate in Forest School are stimulated
by the outdoors and typically experience, over time, an increase in
their self-belief, confidence, learning capacity, enthusiasm,
communication, problem-solving skills and emotional well-being.

15

Environment

We also promote an interest in, and understanding of, the
environment. We have a pond designed to be accessible for
dipping and raised beds for growing flowers and vegetables
and we provide regular after-school gardening clubs.

We work with the South Downs National Park (SDNP) and the
National Trust (NT) to improve the grounds and give the
children opportunities to increase their knowledge. Last year,
for example, as part of a SDNP project to protect barn owls, we
installed an owlbox in which two chicks were successfully reared. The children were
delighted to see them up close when they were ringed but the chicks’ nocturnal noises
were less popular during a camping sleepover in the grounds when we were trying to get
to sleep!

On Environment Day, the children enjoyed designing and constructing models for our
new amphitheatre steps, a project which was later realised for the school over several
weeks by a generous parent.

Another initiative last year was the planting of the orchard, a
project jointly funded by the SDNP and the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
We have also planted hundreds of trees in the grounds this year,
most in partnership with the Woodland Trust.

Early Years

Our Early Years unit is a designated space, comprising four age-appropriate learning
environments. These can be interlinked to help children become familiar with the
different staff and rooms.

Caterpillars (6 months - 2 years) Early Days Nursery, providing childcare
Ladybirds (2 years – 3 years) Reception Class
Bumblebees (3 years – 4 years)
Dragonflies (4 years – 5 years)

All children within the unit work in the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, accessing
a wide range of carefully resourced, play-based learning experiences, both inside and
out, in order to enhance their development. This curriculum is divided into seven areas of
learnings as follows:

The three prime areas, so called because they are crucial in helping children develop a
curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and for laying the foundations for positive
relationships are:

 communication & language;
 physical development; and
 personal, social & emotional development.

The other four areas of learning are specific and are:
 literacy;
 mathematics;
 understanding the world; and
 expressive arts & design.

Through these secondary areas, the prime areas are strengthened and applied and
specific skills are learned.

16

Key persons employed in our unit ensure that learning is tailored specifically to each
child’s individual needs and interests. Ongoing observations and regular assessments
ensure that children progress towards their developmental milestones.

SEND (See also SEND Policy at end of Prospectus)

Our aim is to ensure equality of opportunity for, and to eliminate prejudice and
discrimination against, children with special educational needs. We value every child,
whatever their individual needs. All children have the same entitlement to the whole
school curriculum and we are committed to making this accessible through differentiation
and the use of a variety of teaching and learning styles.
If a cause for concern is noted, the class teacher will talk with our Special Needs &
Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo) who will, where appropriate, work alongside the child
and liaise with the class teacher. A programme will be established which is delivered by
the teaching staff, either within lessons or through individual or group withdrawal. If the
concern continues, the SENDCo will consult with outside experts in the form of
educational psychologists, speech therapists, behaviour advisers, etc, according to need.
At every stage, parents are informed of, and closely involved in, the process.
Teaching assistants are trained in different learning support techniques and the school
employs a counsellor who works with a small number of children on an individual basis,
supporting them through play therapy.

Gifted & Talented

We are committed to helping our children achieve their potential. We know that ability
profiles vary from child to child and we believe it is part of our duty to explore those areas
where a child has natural abilities and/or interests. We work to develop those abilities,
ensuring children participate in relevant activities, whether within the school or beyond,
and contriving opportunities where they don’t exist.

Homework

We encourage children to continue their learning activities at home. The aims behind this
are to foster independence, build positive attitudes to learning and develop a link
between school and home. Parental interest in children’s work plays a more critical role
than many parents realise and homework gives parents an opportunity to engage with
their children’s current studies.
The KIT (Keep in Touch) Book moves between school and home with details of children’s
targets, reading and homework. Parents and pupils are asked to sign the contract at the
front of the book to show that they agree to work with the school to support good
progress in learning. Support with reading, tables and spellings is also always helpful.
Parental comments in these contact books, when appropriate, are also of interest to the
teachers. They may shed light on relevant aspects such as the child’s approach,
understanding or enjoyment or local circumstances which perhaps made a piece of
homework particularly difficult. All of this facilitates dialogue between the school and
home and benefits the child.
Children gain usernames and passwords to Sumdog, a website which enables children to
boost their number skills, and to Accelerated Reader, a programme which quizzes KS2
children’s comprehension after they have read a book. The schemes are online and
have different motivating systems involving avatars (Sumdog) and targets (Accelerated

17

Reader). Parental interest in these systems makes a significant difference to the children’s
participation and increases the benefits derived.

Each class also has an area on the Moodle, the school’s VLE (Virtual Learning
Environment), and this can be accessed via the Internet both at home and at school.
Activities and useful websites are posted to support the children’s learning further.

All children are encouraged to take their reading books home and we ask parents to
enter into partnership with the school to ensure that their children’s reading is regularly
listened to, at home as well as at home. Teachers liaise with parents regarding progress
and strategies using the KIT Book. Children also have regular spelling and multiplication
tables for home practice and are often asked to research and find information or items at
home which will help them on school projects. Parental support and encouragement in
all of these areas is crucial to the children’s motivation and success.

After-School & Breakfast Clubs

We believe strongly in the value of enriching the curriculum through after-school and
breakfast clubs. We try to offer as wide a range as we can, involving teachers, coaches,
parents and villagers. They take place throughout the year and broaden the curriculum,
giving the children the opportunity of trying out a variety of sports and pastimes as well as
further practising familiar ones. Activities offered vary according to the season and
include recorder, choir, gardening, football, netball, tennis, cricket, fencing, table tennis,
stoolball, athletics, longball, dance, computing, tag rugby, multi-skills, Lego, basketball,
arts and crafts and digital media.

Where possible, the school aims to keep clubs as affordable as possible, with tuition costs
of the musical ensemble club and choir being met by the school, for example.

Educational Visits & Visitors

We passionately believe that visits and visitors play a huge role in
enhancing the curriculum. Unforeseen opportunities, class initiatives
and pupil enthusiasm can all change the direction of the curriculum
so it is never possible to be prescriptive about the exact range of visits
that your child will enjoy during his or her time at Easebourne
however, I do assure you that he or she will get out of the classroom
whilst at Easebourne! Our plan to have two minibuses on site before
the end of the autumn term will do much to ensure that this happens.

In addition, every child will enjoy a long residential visit in the autumn
terms of Year 5 and Year 6. We also plan, starting in 2016, to ensure that our pupils enjoy a
final two-night camp under canvas at the very end of their time at the school. As a taster,
last year, we offered a sleepover under canvas for Year 4 and 5
pupils which was extremely popular and plan to offer this again in the
summer term. We also endeavour to ensure that children will
experience at least one journey by bus and another by train when
travelling to some of the sites above.

Though we do everything we can to minimise the cost of these trips,
we do understand that there will be times when some families will
struggle to meet these costs. At these times, through various means,
we will do whatever we can to help financially to ensure that no
child misses out.

18

Food & Drink

Food and drink form an important part of a child’s day. There
is a clear link between physical well-being and the readiness to
learn and achieve and we recognise the importance of all
children having easy access to drinking water. Each morning,
milk is provided free of charge to children until their 5th birthday
after which parents can choose to pay a small charge so that
their children can continue to receive milk. Dragonflies bring
their own bottle with water which can be refilled at school. In
all other classes, children are provided with a water bottle.
We are also members of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme where a free piece of
fruit is available daily to all children aged 4 to 6. National research shows that over a
quarter of children and their families ate more fruit at home after their school joined the
scheme.

Our hot lunch provider, Chartwells, operates a four week menu rota; families book ahead
on the internet and are able to dip in and out on a daily basis, according to what is on
the menu. The meals are healthy and balanced and have proved popular, with
vegetarian alternatives available. Alongside those children having hot meals, others will
be eating packed lunches and there is always a healthy mixture of packed and hot
meals on each lunch table.
All children up to Year 2 are eligible for free universal school meals and older children also
benefit from Free School Meals if their families are on Income Support or receiving Job
Seekers Tax Credit.

We also have a kitchen area where food technology is taught as part of the curriculum.
Our after-school clubs, run by staff, are very popular with the children and generally
oversubscribed.

Parental Involvement

Parents are a key part of the school community and we aim to involve them as much as we
can. Research shows that children’s achievement in school relates to the level of parental
involvement and it is particularly important to us that communication with parents is
effective. We offer meetings when we feel parents would benefit from explanation of
initiatives, e.g. assessment, reading and phonics, calculation, and we bring in experts to
cover specialised areas such as e-safety. We are also working hard to develop our VLE
(Virtual Learning Environment) as an area where we can communicate with parents,
sharing what has been going on at school, signposting additional learning resources,
making guidance available and copying important letters and documents.

One key area is the support parents and grandparents give the school by volunteering.
They hear children read, help groups of children with activities such as cookery, gardening,
art/craft and sport, accompany trips, often providing transport to make these affordable,
and support major initiatives like Environment Day or Community Week. We are always
looking for extra hands; if you do join the school and you would like to get involved or,
indeed, if you know somebody who would, do let us know.

Easebourne Primary School is fortunate to have a thriving PTFA which actively promotes co-
operation between parents, staff and friends of the school for the welfare of the children. It
helps parents to understand the aims and principles of the school and organises social,

19

educational and fund-raising events. All parents, carers, governors, staff and volunteers are
automatically members of the PTFA.

The association organises a wide range of events and the school last year gained a huge
number of books for the library, playground markings and video cameras as a result. The
current project is ambitious - to gain two leased minibuses for the school through corporate
sponsorship. These would promote learning outside the classroom by enabling classes to
undertake trips more affordably and regularly.

The Wider Community

We are steadily building the number of volunteers from the local community so that the
children have the best support that they can.

The Church Community
Formally, the school’s title is Easebourne Church of England (Controlled) Primary School. As
a Church of England School, links between the church and school are strong. The Reverend
Derek Welsman is one of our two Foundation Governors and chairs the Resources
Committee. As Vicar of Easebourne, Lodsworth and Selham, he plays a key role in these
three communities, all of which fall within the school’s catchment area. Derek visits the
school regularly to take weekly assemblies and work with the classes to support relevant
areas of their learning. In 2015, David Crook took up the role of Curate within the Benefice.
David became a co-opted governor at the beginning of this academic year and has an
office within the school building. David also takes assemblies at the school.

The school visits St Mary’s Church, Easebourne for services to mark Harvest Festival,
Remembrance, Christmas and Easter and there is a final service in the summer for our
leavers. Our Year 6 also attend the Diocesan Leavers’ Service at Chichester Cathedral. Last
year, we supplied the choir for this event and carried the Diocesan banner.

In the summer, for the first time, the PTFA and the Church community organised a joint
summer fete at the school. The partnership proved a very happy one and this experiment
will be repeated in 2016. Members of the Church congregation also joined us during our
Community Week in the summer to develop the Church’s presence in the Hall.

The Cowdray Estate
The involvement of the Cowdray Estate with the school
dates back to 1909 when the present Lord Cowdray’s
great-grandfather bought the estate. Both the school’s old
site and its present site originally belonged to the estate.
The current site was conveyed to the West Sussex County
Council in 1967 under the provision of the 1944 Education
Act. The family’s interest in the primary school has been a
constant source of support since 1909 and this relationship
was formally recognised in June, 2015, when Lord Cowdray
accepted the role of Patron to the school.

20

One of Lord Cowdray’s first contributions as Patron was the
delivery of the sand required for the long jump pit to be
used at Sports Day. This proved a popular event! This
autumn, to our delight, Lord Cowdray has agreed that the
Estate will sponsor one of the two minibuses we plan to
lease to further promote learning outside the classroom.

Other Community Links
We value our links with the South Downs National Park and with the National Trust and both
groups have worked with us to provide opportunities for the children and develop our
grounds. The school was also fortunate, last year, to receive grants towards our library
refurbishment from the Lions Club, the Grange Community Association, Foyle’s, Southover
Manor and the Rotary Club.

Rother Valley Locality
As part of the Rother Valley locality of schools, we work closely with our colleagues across
the area. Our pupils meet up at a range of events including sports matches, dance and
music festivals and school council meetings. The headteachers also meet regularly, often
choosing to pool resources to facilitate initiatives that will benefit all the schools in the
locality. The staff of the locality schools also come together on a termly basis to share good
practice.

Last year, we worked particularly closely with Midhurst Primary School, another one-form
entry school and our closest primary neighbour. This link paired class teachers, enabling
them to work supportively to reflect on their own teaching practice. This link was a popular
initiative and will continue this year.

We also liaise closely with Midhurst Rother College. Most of our oldest pupils move on to this
as their secondary school of choice and we try to ensure that our children, particularly in
Key Stage 2, gain a familiarity with the college through events during the year.

School Day 08:50 – 09:05 08:40 – 08:50 (from January, 2016)

Timings 09:05 – 12:05 (YR & KS1) 08:50 – 12:05 (from January, 2016)
Children arrive in class
Morning 09:05 – 12:10 (KS2) 08:50 – 12:10 (from January, 2016)

[Morning Break 10:30 – 10:45]

Lunch Break 12:05 – 13:05 (YR & KS1)
12:10 – 13:05 (KS2)

Afternoon 13:05 – 15:15
[Afternoon Break 14:00 – 14:15 (KS1) except Friday]

Assembly 14:50 – 15:05 - Headteacher
14:50 – 15:05 - Singing Assembly
Monday 14:50 – 15:05 - Deputy Headteacher
Tuesday 10:10 – 10:30 - Vicar and/or Curate
Wednesday 14:50 – 15:05 - Celebration Assembly
Thursday
Friday

21

Teaching Time

KS1: 4 hrs 25 mins daily (Mon-Wed), 4 hrs 20 mins (Thu), 4 hrs 40 mins (Fri)

= 22 hrs 05 mins weekly NB = 23 hrs 20 mins weekly (from January, 2016)

KS2: 4 hrs 45 mins (Mon-Wed, Fri), 4 hrs 40 mins (Thu)

= 23 hrs 40 mins weekly NB = 24 hrs 55 mins weekly (from January, 2016)

NB From January 2016, we aim to change the timings of the day. Children will need to be
in class between 08:40 and 08:50.

Term Dates for 2016-17

Autumn Term 2016: Tuesday 6th September 2016 - Friday 16th December 2016
Half-Term: Monday 24th October 2016 – Friday 28th October 2016

Spring Term 2017: Tuesday 3rd January 2017 – Friday 7th April 2017
Half-Term: Monday 20th February 2017 – Friday 24th February 2017

Summer Term 2017: Monday 24th April 2017 – Tuesday 25th July 2017
Half-Term: Monday 29th May 2017 – Friday 2nd June 2017

On five days within the term dates schools will be closed for pupils, but teachers will be
required to undertake in-service training or other approved activities. The first of these is
Monday, 5th September but rest of these dates have yet to be decided.

Authorised Absence

This is defined as:
 Medical/dental
 Approved PE or sporting activity
 Day of religious observance in the religious body to which the parents belong
 Absence under licence issued by the Area Education Office for a theatrical or other
performance
 Educational visit
 Sickness
 Attendance at an exam, e.g. music, dance

Other than in exceptional circumstances agreed through
discussion with the Headteacher, all other absences are
unauthorised.

Attendance Data for 2014-2015

Attendance 96.3%

Authorised Absence 3.2%

Unauthorised Absence 0.5%

22

School Staff

Teachers Johnny Culley
Headteacher Malcolm Meaby
Deputy Headteacher/Otters (Y6) Francesca Wade-Palmer
Otters (Y6 – Thursdays) Dawn Rashleigh
Foxes (Y5) Andy Taylor
Badgers (Y4) Heidi Crew
Rabbits (Y3) Liz Evans
Squirrels (Y2) Tanya Sykes
Hedgehogs (Y1) Amanda Catchpole
Dragonflies (Reception) Emma Austin-Diment
SENDCo Francesca Wade-Palmer
Additional Support Katie Stevens
Music Jennifer Rogers
French South Coast Sports
PE
[Position currently advertised]
Teaching Assistants Sue Cobbold
Otters (Y6) Cindy Pilcher
Foxes (Y5) Val Cella
Badgers (Y4) Sue Wakeford
Rabbits (Y3) Ross Williams
Squirrels (Y2) Emma Sharp
Hedgehogs (Y1) Louise Ashcroft
Dragonflies (YR) Alison Hill
Individual Support
Elaine Pimm
Additional Staff Debbie Waugh
School Business Manager Sharon Bennington
School Secretaries Ginny Burnell-Budd
Shelly Quartermaine
Lead Mid-day Meal Supervisors Graham Stonard

Caretaker Annie Beadle
Sue Budd
Early Days Nursery/Owls Annie Ford
Supervisor Mandy Hill
Deputy Supervisor Leann Kennedy
Childcare Practitioners Nicole Turner

23

School Governors

Easebourne Primary School has 11 Governors. These comprise two Foundation Governors,
including the Vicar of the Benefice of Easebourne, Lodsworth & Selham, three Co-opted
Governors, one Local Authority Governor, three Parent Governors, one Staff Governor and
the Headteacher.

Foundation Governors Derek Welsman
Co-opted Governors Geoff Coulson (Chair)
David Crook
Local Authority Governor Ian Goodall
Parent Governors Michael Irvine
Sue Barrett
Staff Governor Jo Asman
Headteacher Tia Bedford
Hannah Miller
Malcolm Meaby
Johnny Culley

Governor terms of office run for three years, except in the case of the Local Authority
Governor and the second Foundation Governor whose terms of office are four years. Two
governors, the Headteacher and the Vicar, are ex officio.

Early Days Nursery

Early Days Nursery has been running successfully since September 2001. We are part of the
extended schools facility of Easebourne Primary School and are governed by a sub-
committee of the school’s Governing Body. The staffing team consists of a Nursery
Manager, Deputy & four Childcare Practitioners. All staff hold childcare qualifications and
Paediatric First Aid certificates.

We are Ofsted registered, providing term-time childcare, for children aged from 6 months to
4 years. Various sessions/times are available, depending on your requirements. The learning
environment offers and supports opportunities for children, both indoors & outdoors, and is in
line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), promoting independence and individual
learning needs. A Key Person system is in place and observations are carried out regularly to
enable us to identify the next steps in your child’s learning and development. This
information is collated in your child’s Learning Journal and parent contributions are
welcomed to build a portfolio of your child’s learning experiences and outcomes
throughout the EYFS.

Within the EYFS, the Areas of Learning & Development are identified as follows:

 Personal, Social & Emotional Development
 Communication & Language
 Physical Development
 Mathematics
 Literacy
 Understanding the World
 Expressive Arts & Design

24

The Nursery is open from 9.00am to 3.00pm but children can also access the wrap-around
care between 8.00am and 5.30pm.

 Caterpillars (6 months to 2 years)
 Ladybirds (2 to 3 years)
 Bumble Bees (3 to 4 years, pre-school)

Session times/costs vary depending on your child’s age – please ask for further information
or an application form.

Children are eligible for the Free Entitlement (FE) funding the term after their 3rd birthday
and you will be given information regarding this prior to the time. We are registered to
accept funding for 2 year olds (depending on eligibility). Free Entitlement funding can only
be claimed during the nursery hours of 9.00am–3.00pm.

Alongside the Nursery, Easebourne Owls Out-of-School Club provides before- and after-
school care & the Holiday Club runs during school holidays for children aged from 2 to 11
years.

Copies of existing policies are available on request.

Contact: [email protected] or (01730) 815046

25

KS1 Results – Comparative Report

This table shows a summary of the National Curriculum assessment results of pupils in the school (2015) and nationally (2014) at the
end of Key Stage 1, as a percentage of those eligible for assessment.

The number of eligible children is: 29 Figures may not total 100 per cent because of rounding.

RESULTS OF TEACHER ASSESSMENT

Percentage at each level

W 1 2C 2B 2A 3 4 Disapplied Absent
Children Children
7
Boys School 0 7 - 87 - 20 0 00
Girls National 2 11 - 67 - 43
All School 0 14 - 43 - 28 0 00
Boys National 1 6 - 64 - 24
Girls School 0 10 - 66 - 24 0 00
All National 2 9 - 66 - 20
Speaking & Listening Boys School 0 7 7 47 20 26 0 00
Reading Girls National 3 10 10 25 26 21
Writing All School 0 21 0 29 29 35 0 00
Boys National 1 6 8 21 28 21
Mathematics Girls School 0 14 3 38 24 30 0 00
Science All National 2 8 9 23 27 7
Boys School 7 0 40 40 7 11 0 00
Girls National 3 15 20 31 20 29
All School 0 7 21 36 7 21 0 00
National 2 8 13 29 27 17
School 3 3 31 38 7 16 0 00
National 2 11 16 30 23 13
School 0 7 0 47 33 26 0 00
National 2 7 12 25 27 29
School 0 7 7 43 14 22 0 00
National 1 5 12 28 31 21
School 0 7 3 45 24 24 0 00
National 1 6 12 27 29 20
School 0 7 - 73 - 23 0 00
National 2 9 - 66 - 21
School 0 21 - 57 - 21 0 00
National 1 7 - 71 - 21
School 0 14 - 66 - 22 0 00
National 2 8 - 68 -
0 00

0 00

0 00

0 00

0 00

0 00

0 00

0 00

0 00

00-

00-

00-

00-

00-

00-

1. Includes all schools with pupils eligible for assessment at Key Stage 1. Participation by independent schools is voluntary, therefore
only includes results from those independent schools which chose to make a return and which met the statutory standards for
assessment and moderation.

2. Speaking and Listening and Science subjects do not report level 2A, 2B and 2C, only level 2.
These are shown in the 2B column for the purposes of this table.

4. Absent and Disapplied are not reported in science main level but are reported as U (unable).
These are shown in the disapplied column for the purposes of this table.

5. ‘-‘ represents ‘Not Applicable’.
6. ‘x’ indicates a figure not shown in order to protect confidentiality.

26

KS2 Results – Comparative Report

27

Applying for a place at the school
If your child was born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 they can start school
after September 2016. We do not hold open days; instead, we encourage you to make an
appointment to look around the school. Hopefully, the Headteacher will be available to
show you around but, if that is not possible, a member of staff should always be available.

Apply for a place
You can apply on the Pupil Admissions Applications website which is part of the West
Sussex County Council website.
Applications open on Monday 5 October 2015 for children due to start school in
September 2016.
Applications close on Friday 15 January 2016.

Admission to year groups further up the school is sometimes possible depending on pupil
numbers. Please contact the school for an informal discussion.

Important things to remember when applying
 You can apply for up to 3 different schools. You must rank the schools in order of
preference. The first school should be the one you would most like your child to go to.
 We advise that you use all 3 preferences and enter your catchment school as one of
your preferences.
 Children who attend a nursery or pre-school associated with or in a West Sussex
school are not automatically guaranteed a place at that school. You must apply for
your preferred schools using the application process and not directly to the schools.
 If you apply after the closing date you are far less likely to get a place at one of your
preferred schools.
 If you are moving house during the application process please read the Information for
Parents booklet for advice.
 Once you have submitted your online application you will receive an automatic
email acknowledgement.

Unable to apply online?
If you do not have access to the internet, you can still apply online using a computer in
your local library for free.
If you are unable to apply online you can request a form:

 Phone 033 301 42903
If you choose to apply by post it is your responsibility to make sure it is submitted before
the application deadline.
Forms need to be sent by recorded delivery. We are not responsible for forms lost in the
post and no missing forms can be investigated without evidence. We will not
acknowledge that we have received your form.

Offer dates
If you apply online, West Sussex Admissions will e-mail you on Monday
18 April 2016. E-mails will be sent throughout the day so they can't
give you an exact time.
If you apply by post, West Sussex Admissions will send your offer by

28

second class post on Monday 18 April 2016.
West Sussex Admissions are unable to give out information over the phone.

If you have any queries please contact the Pupil Admissions team:

Pupil Admissions Office Phone: 03330 142903
Centenary House E-mail: [email protected]
Durrington Lane Fax: 01903 839214
Worthing
West Sussex
BN13 2QB

If you do not apply by the closing date this will affect the priority given to your application
and may mean that West Sussex Admissions are not able to offer your child a place at
your preferred school, even if it is your catchment school.

Catchment Area

The admissions code places an emphasis on pupils starting in the September following
their fourth birthday. It also gives parents the right to choose whether they wish their child
to start full-time or part-time, subject to the caveat that children are receiving full-time

29

education in the term following their fifth birthday. Parents still have the right to defer
entry to later in the academic year and, in such cases, a place offered in Reception must
be held open for the child for that intake year.

Our arrangements, at present, are that our Reception teacher, Amanda Catchpole, will
pay a home visit to each family towards the end of the summer term. For the first half-
term, we like parents to have the choice of attending for mornings, full days or a pattern
of mixed mornings/full days. From half-term, however, we hope that all Reception
children will be ready for full days.

As a school, in line with County advice, we advise against parents deferring their
children’s start to school except in exceptional circumstances; all pupils are entitled to 38
weeks of education and we consider that staggered starts are not therefore appropriate
other than in exceptional circumstances, when requested by the parents to meet the
specific needs of their child.

Parents of children who will be joining Reception Class will receive an invitation to bring
their children into school on several preliminary visits. This helps to ease the children into a
new and potentially anxious situation and helps them to build up confidence. It also gives
parents the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the management of the class and to
discuss any concerns with the Reception Class Teacher.

County Transport

A few of our children are transported to and from school by minibus. The use of school
transport is limited to those children who live more than 3 miles from the school (2 miles for
below 8 year olds) and who are within the school’s designated catchment area.
Transport matters for children attending this school are dealt with by the Transport office
based in County Hall, Chichester PO19 1RF. They can be contacted on 01243 753530.

Plan of School

Part of building
belonging to West Sussex

County Council

30

31

Further Reading:

 School Website

http://www.easebourne.w-sussex.sch.uk

 Ofsted Reports (July & October 2014)

http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/126003

 Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools Report (May 2012)

http://schools.chichester.anglican.org/documents/siams-reports/school-report-easebourne

In order to maintain a safe environment for the pupils, the school operates both a Child
Protection Policy and a Safe Recruiting Policy whilst our Code of Conduct sets out clear
guidelines on what is expected of staff in their behaviour. Copies of school policies,
achievement and attainment tables, published reports of recent school inspections can
be obtained from the school office electronically or in hard copy and can be enlarged if
required.

32

SEND Policy

How does Easebourne Primary School know if children need extra help and what should I
do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

At Easebourne Primary School, children are identified as having a Special Educational
Need or Disability (SEND) through a variety of ways including:

 Liaison with a previous school, nursery or specialist school
 Teacher assessment showing below expected levels of attainment or progress. Further

diagnostic activities may then be undertaken including Spar spelling, Salford Reading,
Dyslexia Screener, WESFORD early screening for dyslexia and Basic skills checklist
 Concerns raised by parent or teacher e.g. behaviour, self-esteem. An Initial Concerns
Checklist will be completed and discussed with staff and parents
 External agencies who have been called upon by the school for specialist advice in
consultation with parents
 Healthcare professionals

If you think you child may have special educational needs, please come in and talk to
us. In the first instance contact your child’s class teacher, the Special Educational Needs
and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO) or the Headteacher.

What kinds of special educational needs are provided for and how will the school
support my child?

At Easebourne, we make provision for a wide range of special educational needs across
the four main areas of the Code of Practice. These range from Specific Learning
Difficulties, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Speech and Language difficulties, ADHD, social
communication difficulties including Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorders to
Hearing Impairments, Visual Impairments and physical disabilities. We tailor our provision
to the needs of the individual child and always welcome the opportunity to discuss how
we can best meet the needs of your child.

The class teacher will:
- Provide high quality teaching, differentiated for your child’s needs
- Oversee, plan and work with your child to support their progress in every area, with

particular emphasis on their individual areas of need.
- Work with you and your child to ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ outcomes, targets and how

we will help the child reach the expected outcomes. A date for reviewing progress
will be agreed.
- If necessary, the class teacher may ask a Teaching Assistant (TA) to work with your
child individually or as part of a group. The regularity of these sessions will be
explained to you when the support starts.
- Meet with parents at least on a termly basis (this could be as part of parents evening)
to discuss your child’s needs, support and progress.

33

The SENDCO will:
- oversee the day to day operation of the school’s SEND policy
- oversee provision for children with SEND
- be available to discuss your child’s needs, progress and support
- work with other education settings and education, health and social care professionals

to access expertise, advice and training
- work with next providers of education to make sure that a smooth transition is planned

The Governors will:
- appoint a SEND Governor who will meet regularly with the SENCO to have an

oversight of the arrangements for SEND
- know how many pupils in the school have SEND and what provision is made to meet

their needs
- consider pupil progress reports that are provided termly to monitor the quality of SEND

provision. These reports do not refer to individual children and confidentiality is
maintained at all times
- agree priorities for spending within the SEND budget with the overall aim that all
children receive the support they need in order to make progress
- monitor, review and approve the SEND policy and any other relevant policies

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

- Class teachers differentiate the curriculum so that it is pitched at an appropriate level
for your child to access according to their need.

- Teachers use a variety of strategies, resources and ICT remove barriers to learning
- The learning environment is developed and adapted to support learning and access

to the curriculum. We hold the Communication Friendly Classroom Award, which
promotes inclusive and supportive learning environment practice
- Additional or different provision may be made such as individual or small group
planning, individual or small group support, working with specialist and/or outside
agencies, individualised programmes in a curriculum area.
- For children with Statements of SEND or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP),
individual programmes with detailed planning and tracking in several areas of the
curriculum will take place.

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support
my child’s learning?

a. What opportunities will there be for me to discuss my child’s progress?
o We offer an open door policy where you are welcome any time to make an

appointment to meet with either the class teacher or SENDCO and discuss how your
child is getting on. We can offer advice and practical ways that you can help your
child at home.
o Termly meetings will be held to discuss your child’s progress and set outcomes and
targets. The class teacher or SENDCO may also contact you between these times if an
issue arises.

34

o Where more regular contact would be beneficial we can set up a home/school link
book to share things that have happened and to respond to these.

b. How does the school know how well my child is doing?
o We measure children’s progress in learning against the national curriculum end of year

group expectations.
o Ongoing assessment for learning provides both teacher and child information about

where they are, what they need to do next and any further support needed. Other
methods of assessment may include reading and spelling ages and phonics.
o Twice-termly progress review meetings are held with the class teacher, Key Stage
Manager and SENDCO. In these meetings, children not making expected progress
are identified and a discussion takes place to explore the reasons why and what
further support can be given. This information is then shared with the Senior Leadership
Team who can offer further support if required.
o Pupil progress information is reported to the Governors.
c. How will my child’s voice be heard?
o Our Marking, Feedback and Dialogue Policy details how we engage pupils in their
learning. The pupil’s voice is a key part of the learning process to understand and
support the learning process.
o In addition to this we hold termly Pupil Conferencing which gives an opportunity to
discuss their learning in more depth and to inform progress reviews and target setting.
o The children’s voice is also recorded in formal reviews such as Parent’s Evenings, an
Individual Education Plan review or a Team Around the Family meeting.

What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

a. What is the pastoral, medical and social support available in the school?
o We are an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that

high self-esteem is crucial to a child’s wellbeing. We have a caring, understanding
team looking after our children.
o The class teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral and social care of every
child in their class and would therefore be the parents’ first point of contact.
o If further support is required the class teacher will liaise with the SENDCO for further
advice and support. This may involve working with outside agencies such as Health
and Social Services.
o The school has two Teaching Assistants that have been trained as Learning Mentors,
who work with children to support a range of needs from emotional wellbeing, raising
self-esteem, improving behaviour and social skills to raising expectations and
attainment.
o We also have staff that have been trained to deliver social communication and self-
esteem groups.
o We commission the services of a qualified school counsellor to provide counselling and
play therapy for those pupils that require specialist 1:1 support.
b. How does the school manage the administration of medicines?

35

o The school has a policy regarding the administration of medicines on the school site
(see Administration of Medicines Protocol 2014 on our school website
www.easebourne.w-sussex.sch.uk )

o As a staff we have regular training and updates of conditions and medication
affecting individual children.

c. What support is there for behaviour, avoiding exclusion and increasing attendance?
o As a school we have a clear reward system followed by all staff and pupils
o If a child has behavioural difficulties, an Individual Behaviour Plan may be written by

the teacher, parent and child to identify the specific issue and put in place relevant
targets and support.
o Attendance is monitored - lateness and absence are recorded and reported to
parents. The school will work with individual families who may be struggling with
lateness or attendance.
d. How will my child be able to contribute their views?
o We value and celebrate each child being able to express their views on all aspects of
school life and have an active School Council.
o Children are a central voice in regular discussions about their progress, targets and
support.
o Staff encourage children to share their views, concerns or worries and will listen,
support and act upon these.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

- We work closely with a range of external agencies offering specialist support
including:- school nurse, GPs, paediatricians, speech and language therapists,
educational psychologists, occupational therapists, social services, police, learning
and inclusion teams and social communication teams, Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Services (CAMHS), Rother Valley Inclusion Hub, NOVIO (Chichester SEND Hub),
Family Link Workers, Early Support, Homestart

- In addition to our Learning Mentors, we can also offer school counselling/play therapy
sessions on site.

What training do the staff supporting children with Special Educational Needs of
Disabilities (SEND) have or are having?

- Our SENDCO holds the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordinators
- Our staff have undertaken a wide range of training opportunities including precision

teaching, phonics, Speech and Language, attachment disorder, dyslexia awareness
and dyslexia friendly classrooms, social communication, self-esteem, anger
management, emotional literacy, Lego therapy, Numicon, 1st Class at Maths, Fun
Gym, Jump Ahead, Autism Awareness, Forest Schools. We also have two trained
Learning Mentors.
- All teaching staff have attended training on ‘the communication friendly classroom’,
and we hold the accompanying Award.