Parents

Gatehouse is a large primary school for children aged 4 to 11. We work hard to ensure that all of our children are provided with a good education.

Choosing your child’s school is a big decision and can be quite daunting.   We regularly show parents around the school during the day to give them a better understanding of how the school works. If you would like to arrange a visit please contact the office. The headteacher will show you around the school, including the Foundation class, the first class your child will enter. This will enable you to see our children working, have time to discuss any questions you may have and give you all the information you need in deciding if this is the school for you.

The School

The school has been open since 1992 and throughout this time we have continued to improve the buildings and grounds to enhance learning. We benefit from having extensive grounds, which have been well developed to provide great play and learning spaces. Our school council plays an active role within the school ensuring that children have their say in our development and work.

The school can take up to 60 children in each year group, currently organised in two parallel classes of 30 or less. Each year parents of children who are due to start school for the first time apply to the Local Authority for a place at the school. The closing date for each round of applications is mid January each year, please check the Devon website, admissions section, for the actual date.

Parents tell us that we are a calm, relaxed, hard working and welcoming school. They feel we provide all children with a safe, secure and warm environment for learning. Our whole school staff is dedicated and hard working and we are very well supported by an active School Association and Governing body.

Self Evaluation

As a school we are continually evaluating the impact of our work.  We look at the attainment and achievement of all our pupils and compare this to Devon and National data. This enables us to improve how we work, ensuring we meet the needs of all our pupils. The information we gain is shared with parents and Governors. The Governors use this information to set the budget, ensure we have the appropriate number of teachers and support staff.

OFSTED inspect all schools and make judgments about how effective they are. We were inspected in 2006 and we were graded as a ‘good school’ overall. Our overall effectiveness; the achievement and standards; children’s personal development; the teaching and learning; the curriculum; the care, guidance, and support, the leadership and management were all scrutinised. The inspectors judged all areas to be good with some elements of outstanding practice.

Assessment

We carry out formal assessment twice each year in February and June. To do this we use a range of appropriate assessment activities. The school uses this information to track how well we are doing, how well children are learning and what we need to focus in on improving next. Following this information a standards newsletter is sent out to all parents detailing our findings.

Meeting with parents

At Gatehouse we work closely with all of our parents. Each year we provide two set opportunities for parents to meet with their child's teacher and discuss progress.

In September we hold a meeting where parents and teachers can discuss each child's learning and their learning targets. During the summer term a written report is provided, which details achievement through the year. In the summer term we provide an informal opportunity for parents to meet with their child's teacher to discuss any issues following the report. This is also an opportunity for children to share their work with their parents. If parents have particular issues they wish to discuss further, we encourage individuals to contact the school to arrange a mutually convenient meeting time.

What has the school done recently?

We have invested heavily in new technologies to enhance learning. We bought 15 further computers this year to create our second computer suite, both are constantly in use.  The grounds have been well developed to provide great play and learning spaces. The Foundation department now has a dedicated playground which children can access throughout their day as part of their learning. The school council designed and had installed a climbing wall and challenge course. They have also organised recycling throughout the school. A nurture room has been created to enable support for children who are developing a wide range of social and emotional skills. The impact of this is good.

The library has been developed and moved to the central corridor to provide small bays for groups to work in and enable easier access directly from classrooms. The staff and Governors are currently planning to upgrade the buildings further to provide learning spaces more suitable for today’s curriculum.

In 2007 Mrs. Carolyn Ballard, our Chair of Governors received a commendation in the National Teaching Awards. This recognised her years of work as a Governor and the dedication she has shown to Gatehouse school.

Wrap Around Care

Following parental requests we have established day care before and after school. This service is open to all children in school and places are bookable in advance. Sometimes last minute places are available and these can be booked direct with the care staff.  There are plans to extend this service to include holiday care. We aim to develop this in 2008. A small charge is payable for this service.

The Curriculum

We recognise and value every child’s strengths and aim to develop their physical, social and creative abilities along with their academic skills. The curriculum is rich and varied with many opportunities to extend learning through educational visits, clubs and residential experiences. We work closely with children and their families to try and make their time spent at Gatehouse challenging, memorable and most importantly, fun. Our aim is to provide all children with an opportunity to go on a residential before they leave our school. Each year we try to provide a different type of residential. The last two residentials were an adventure experience on the Isle of Wight and a cultural experience to France. The last visit was open to all children in Key Stage two (8-11 years old) and parents were able to pay for the visit in instalments during the year.

Comenius Project

The school has been successful in gaining a grant from the European Union and the British Council to take part in an international project. The project aims to develop children’s understanding about Europe and give teachers the chance to learn, first hand, about schools in the EU, cultures and traditions. Our partners are in Dublin, Linkoping in Sweden and Kiel in Germany. Opportunities will be available for teachers to visit the partner schools between 2007 and 2009 and learn about life, school and social expectations. The partner schools  visited  Gatehouse in the summer 2008 and shared cultural experiences and developed understanding and skills in teaching and learning.

Languages

All pupils are learning French each week. Some of our oldest children who have shown a flare for language learning are now also learning Russian.

Children with special educational needs

We have a great deal of experience supporting children’s individual needs, emotionally, physically and educationally. We believe that all pupils have an equal right to attend our school and appropriate provision is carefully tailored to suit each individual. The building is wheelchair accessible and appropriate furniture and equipment is provided.

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