Primary School Day

Reception: 

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2): 

Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6):

Children should wait in the playground until the bell is rung at 8.45a.m. This is a signal for children to line up with their class. It is expected that Infant children will be brought to school by a responsible adult. All children should be collected promptly from the playground. Please let the school office know who will be collecting your child and inform us of any changes to this arrangement. If you are going to be late, please telephone the school before 3.00p.m (1pm on Fridays).

Please ensure that the school has up-to-date home and work telephone numbers of who can be contacted in the case of emergency. This is obviously very important. If a child becomes ill or is injured and the parents are unavailable, the Head of Primary Phase will seek medical help and may arrange for the child to be taken to hospital. We will continue to try and contact you.

Learning Time

Each year group from Year 1(aged 5-6) through to Year 6 (aged 10-11) is grouped into one class per year group. No class has more than thirty children and all classes are of mixed ability.

Each class has a teacher, who normally remains with the class for one year. Other assistants work in classes according to the needs within that class. Our overriding aim is to treat every child at George Mitchell Primary as an individual. We seek to develop his/her special talents and to overcome areas of weakness, but above all to maintain a steady rate of progress at the child’s particular level.

Children entering the school are now following the National Curriculum and are assessed under the terms of the National Curriculum at 4 (Foundation Stage Profile), 7 and 11 years old.

When it is noted by a class teacher that a child is experiencing difficulties in learning, particularly in the area of language and mathematics, small group work or even individual tuition within the school may be given.

Occasionally it becomes apparent that a child is in need of specific specialist help over and above that which a class teacher can provide. Waltham Forest is most fortunate in that it has a wide range of specialist Educational Establishments to which a child can be referred. This may involve part-time or full-time placement elsewhere. Parents are of course fully consulted before any steps are taken in this direction.

Our curriculum is broad and balanced, designed to be relevant and meaningful for all our children while at the same time stimulating and challenging them.

The curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and the school’s own schemes of work.

The Curriculum for each age group is planned by staff in great detail to ensure continuity and progression throughout the school. Parents are kept in touch by receiving their child’s class Topic Grids. This informs you of what your child will be taught in all subject areas for each half term.

Much of the learning has a thematic approach, bringing together different subjects with a common thread. In this way skills and knowledge are transferred across curriculum areas.

Various teaching approaches are adopted which include whole class, group and individual learning. We follow the national frameworks for Numeracy and Literacy and these are woven into themes and topics studied. First hand experience, practical, investigative and problem-solving work feature prominently. Upper KS2 pupils will also receive specialised teaching from our secondary colleagues.

Breakfast Club

This is run from 7.45a.m. to 8.45a.m. each school day morning during term time. There is no charge for children attending. Please ask at the front office for an application form.

Visits

When we organise school visits by coach we ensure that each child has an individual seat and that seat belts are fitted to the coaches we hire. Occasionally your child’s class will visit local places during school time, always accompanied by members of staff. When your child starts at the school, you will be asked to sign a blanket permission slip for this type of local visit.

It is the school’s policy that no child should miss any educational activity through an inability to pay. Any contributions that we ask you to make towards the cost of school visits or school activities are voluntary. Without these voluntary contributions, however, it would not be possible to organise many of the visits and activities. Should any parent have difficulty in paying a voluntary contribution for any outing or activity, they are asked to make an appointment with the Head of Primary Phase.

Assemblies/Collective Worship

Assemblies provide valuable time each day for the children to come together to share work and achievements, to mark festivals and celebrations from major world religions, or to listen to stories with a religious or moral element. During these assemblies there is a moment for listening to a prayer or poem, or keeping a time for quiet reflection. The emphasis is on broadening children’s spirituality through their innate sense of awe and wonder and on developing their sense of right and wrong. Parents are invited to their child’s class assembly and will be notified of dates and times via a letter.