Armathwaite Primary School

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19th June 13
Trail : home / Learning Curriculum : Welcome to Armathwaite School

Welcome to Armathwaite School

 

 

  Our school serves the communities of Ainstable, (which is a designated rural regeneration area), Armathwaite and surrounding hamlets. They are vibrant, lively communities with very few holiday homes. It is a beautiful place to live and work in but don’t be deceived as our children come to us from a wide range of backgrounds. We face the same challenges as a lot of other schools. We reckon we have or have had one example of almost everything!

 

Early Years Community Facility

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 We take our role in the community very seriously and we value our place within it. We are a community school in more than just name. We have a newly built community owned and run early year?s facility adjoining school which caters for children from birth onwards. This was funded through a bid we made to the National Lottery Fund in 2002.

We went for gold and we got it!

Staffing

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.As well as the Headteacher Mrs Hepworth, there are 5 other teachers, 4 teaching assistants and a school administrator. We also have a part time learning skills coordinator and a part time community development worker as well.

Our Governors agreed a staffing policy of employing subject specialist teachers some years ago now.

We find this to be a very successful way of working. We know that has been instrumental in raising standards. We had our Ofsted inspection in May 07 and this recognised that the deployment of teachers with specific knowledge and skills ensured that the curriculum is very strong in all areas.

Within our team of part time teachers we have specialists in these subjects

  •   Science
  •  Design and technology
  • Art
  • Music
  • History
  • Geography
  •  Early Years Foundation Stage
  • R.E. and Philosophy 

We have a highly valued team of support staff who play an important role in school. Within the team we have specialists in

  • Skills for learning
  •  Community development
  •  Reading Intervention
  • Literacy and Numeracy support
  • Supporting children with specific special needs

 

Community Volunteers

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We have a team of 6 regular local community volunteers; these people are in school for at least half a day each week. We don?t pay them they come because they say they enjoy it. The children gain immensely from their experience and expertise. Within this team we have specialists in

  •  Budget management
  •  ICT
  • Art
  • Textiles
  • Early years practice
  • Reading

The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

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         We have established a Virtual Learning Environment. This is a fantastic resource that has taken our partnership with our community onto a new level. Our pupils independently use the VLE as a tool to support their learning throughout the teacher directed and child initiated curriculum.

          Our Community Development Worker is the broker between the school and the community in developing this VLE.  This involves the creation and management of a data base of community skills for sharing. We have 140 plus members all offering skills, areas of interest, experience or expertise. So for example if you want to know who has expertise in fishing in our community? You just run a search and the names those interested will appear.

         Alongside this we have a forum which facilitates the exchange of ideas and knowledge accessed at mutually convenient times.

          The VLE also enables each child to record events from both school and home on their own personal blog.

 

       More information about the VLE can be found in the Community Link section of the website.