Welcome to William Westley Church of England Primary School, and to the start of what we hope will be an exciting and stimulating stage in your child's/children's development.
William Westley School is a thriving village school, at which boys and girls aged from 4 to 11 years receive high standards of education in a happy, caring environment.
Our school takes its name from the founder of Whittlesford's first school - an 18th century businessman who set up a trust to help educate the young people of the village. Today, we are quietly located in attractive, modern, purpose-built accommodation, set in extensive grounds close to the village green (The Lawn).
We encourage all our pupils to achieve their full potential, both academically and creatively. Alongside this we offer a strong moral framework which helps them to grow as honest, caring and thoughtful people; people who are able to work and play with others, who are confident in their own abilities and who have respect for those around them.
As a Voluntary Controlled Church School, Christian values provide the foundation for all our activities. We join in formal Worship on a regular basis, and also teach children about religion in a wider context (predominately Christianity but also other world faiths) so that they grow up with a sympathetic awareness of their religious heritage and the spiritual dimension of themselves and others.
Academically, we strive to help all our pupils to become good communicators, confident problem-solvers and accomplished users of modern technology. We give children full access to the National Curriculum, and the broad development of English, Mathematics and Science is central to our curriculum work. Ours is a very "hands-on" approach. We believe that curiosity, creativity, excitement, perseverance and high personal standards are all essential elements of the learning process.
Above all we want our school to be a happy school, and we achieve this by listening carefully to the concerns of children, and expecting them to follow basic guidelines. Discipline within the school is based on clear expectations of what is regarded as acceptable behaviour. Central to this is the home-school relationship and we believe in encouraging strong lines of communication with parents, in an atmosphere of mutual trust, openness and honesty.
It is our hope that every child in our care will enjoy their time at William Westley School and will leave Year 6 with the knowledge, self-awareness and basic life skills necessary for them to grow and develop into young people of whom the whole community can be proud.
This prospectus is designed to give you a flavour of the ethos and atmosphere of our school, together with all the essential practical information you should need. However, if you do still have unanswered questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
| PAUL BRYANT | KATE DAVIES |
| Head Teacher | Chairman of Governors |
At William Westley School we strive for the highest of standards in all we do. We aim to help children develop as honest, caring and thoughtful people, able to work and play with others, confident in their own abilities and with a respect for others. We aim for children to come happily to school. They should grow up in a strong moral framework, understanding right and wrong and able to act appropriately as a result. They should come to have a clear sense of themselves as members of an ever widening set of communities and develop an understanding to the attitudes of others.
As a Voluntary Controlled Church School we aim to ensure that the School's Christian foundation is the key to all aspects of School Life. It is our aim that the worshipping experience of our school community will be of the highest quality. Pupils should have the opportunity to learn about different forms of Christian Worship by active participation. We seek to give all children the opportunity to express their own responses within worship achieving a balance between the quiet and contemplative and the creative and expressive.
In the classroom we aim to teach children about religions (predominately Christianity, but also other major world faiths) so that they grow up with sympathetic awareness of their religious heritage, of the spiritual dimension of themselves, and of the spiritual traditions and resources available to them in their lives. Relationships between children and the adults who work in the school are fundamental. We aim to create a happy, caring, successful school where we base our relationships on mutual respect trust, honesty and good humour. We aim to ensure a happy community in the school by listening carefully to the concerns of children expecting them to follow basic guidelines. We aim to ensure that discipline is based on clear expectations of what is regarded as acceptable behaviour.
We aim for all children to be able to communicate clearly, be confident problem solvers, and users of modern technology. By giving children full access to the National Curriculum it is our aim to encourage all children to achieve their full potential and we see the broad development of English, Mathematics and Science as central to our curriculum work. We want our children to approach learning with excitement, curiosity, perseverance and high personal standards.
We aim to develop and build on our relationship of mutual trust, openness and honesty with parents, by taking the concerns of parents seriously and doing all we can to respond to them appropriately.
We seek to involve the wider community in the life of the school, and to keep the community informed of our activities and achievements. It is our hope that our children will become young people of whom the community can be proud.
Our official catchment area is the Parish of Whittlesford. However, we also have a significant number of pupils from adjoining parishes.
The Local Authority (LA) sets an admissions limit of 28 children for Reception entry and 25 for all other year groups. In the event of oversubscription, the LA policy sets out the following order of priority:
Children who have a statement of special educational needs that names the school will be admitted.
NB. Those children with a statement of special educational needs that does not name the school will be
referred to Student Assessment to determine an appropriate place.
Children in Care, also known as Looked After Children (LAC).
Children living in the catchment area with a sibling at the school at the time of admission.
Children living in the catchment area.
Children living outside the catchment area who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission.
Children living outside the catchment area who have been unable to gain a place at their catchment area school because of oversubscription.
Children who live outside the catchment area, but nearest the school as measured by a straight line.
In cases of equal merit in each set of criteria, priority will go to children living nearest the school as measured by a straight line.
Parents may appeal against a decision refusing their child a place at the school. Further information is available from the Local Authority Admissions Team on 01223 699200 or 699662
Prospective parents are encouraged to visit the school, by appointment with our Head Teacher Paul Bryant.
Our youngest children join the Reception Class in September when they are four years old. During the summer term prior to that, the children are invited to visit the school for storytimes and meet their teacher on several occasions. Our Reception Class teacher will also visit the new children at their local playgroup, nursery or at home wherever possible.
Most Reception Class children find school extremely tiring to begin with - including those coming from full-time nursery. Consequently we have a phased intake, with all children starting half-time, and most building up to full-time over the first few weeks of the autumn term. However, some of the youngest children may find this too much, and we are happy to be flexible about this during the first year of school.
Every new child to our reception class is carefully matched with a 'buddy' pupil from our Year 6. During this first year of school the buddies will be on hand to offer help and support to the younger children, as they get used to school life. We have found this extremely valuable in helping to settle in our newest pupils - while our Year 6s benefit greatly from this additional responsibility.
The first year of school is the Reception Year, and Year groups after that are referred to as Years 1 to 6. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are called Key Stage 1 (the infant years), while Years 3 to 6 are called Key Stage 2 (the junior years).
William Westley School has seven classes covering the seven academic year groups.
All classes in the school are supported by teaching assistants as well as the class teacher.
Most of our 11-year-olds transfer from William Westley to Sawston Village College. We work closely with this and other secondary schools to ensure that all our pupils become familiar with their new school environment well in advance, and that the transfer process works smoothly.
Detailed information about transfer to secondary school is sent to parents when their children are in their final year at William Westley.
We believe that values such as mutual respect, tolerance, honesty and fairness provide the key to a happy and successful school. We also believe that children should be given a very clear understanding of what are acceptable standards of behaviour - and that they should understand the consequences of not reaching those standards.
As part of this process we ask all pupils and their parents to commit to a Home-School Agreement. This sets out our expectations of behaviour both in and outside the classroom.
Discipline itself may take a variety of forms. In particular, we have a system of simple 'warnings'. If a child receives three warnings in one day they are asked to fill in a 'Response Form' explaining their behaviour, which will then be signed by their teacher.
Parents will always be alerted to any persistent behavioural problems. We aim to develop a relationship of trust, openness and honesty with all parents, and will always work closely with you should any such problems arise.
Our school rules help to create a safe, secure and happy environment place where all can work hard and achieve their best. Our rules are all about making this happen.
Our Merit system provides a way of rewarding children for especially good behaviour or exceptional effort or achievement. The merits are accumulated over each half term and bronze, silver and gold awards are given if they total 10, 25 and 50 merits respectively. We have been operating this system for the past two years and it has proved an extremely effective way of encouraging children to go that 'extra mile'.
William Westley School has a dress code, and we are very proud of the overall impression this gives, both in and outside the school gates.
We expect all our children to come to school wearing clothes and footwear that show high personal standards. School sweatshirts, cardigans and T-shirts etc, are on sale, and can be ordered twice termly through the PTA. Order forms are available from the School Office.
The recommended clothing is as follows:
Girls |
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Boys |
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PE |
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Art |
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Please ensure that all clothing is named. We have a lost property bin outside the school photocopying room. At the end of each term, any un-named and unclaimed items will be washed and sold in aid of PTA funds.
The times of the school day are:
| School starts | 8.55 am |
| Morning play | 10.35 am - 10.50 am |
| Lunchtime | 12.15 pm - 1.15 pm |
| Afternoon play | 2.30 pm - 2.45 pm (Key Stage 1 only) |
| School ends | 3.20 pm |
A teacher is on playground duty from 8.45 am. Children should not arrive before this time. Children who cycle to school should dismount at the railings and walk their bicycles along the path at the front of the school. Bicycles should be left in the covered area in the car park. All children who cycle to school should wear a cycle helmet. Bicycle locks are recommended.
At 8.55 am, the bell rings briefly to tell everyone that school is starting. All the children then line up outside their classes and are welcomed by their teachers. Our school secretary, Alison Loose, is usually in the office at this time, should you need to talk to her.
We have assembly every day - an important time when we come together as a school for our act of Collective Worship. Our Friday assembly starts at 9.15am and includes contributions from the children. We also use this time to celebrate birthdays and special achievements. Parents are always welcome to join us for Friday assembly.
Lunch is eaten in the school hall and is overseen by our Head Teacher, Paul Bryant, and a team of lunchtime supervisors and teaching assistants. Children may have school meals or packed lunches, or a combination of the two. We would appreciate it if children could keep to a regular pattern, ideally fixed for a half term at a time. Please let the school secretary know of any changes prior to the next half term.
There is always a good choice of dishes on the school lunch menu, and we like as many children as possible to have school meals. Lunch money can be paid at the school office either weekly or half-termly. Please could all weekly payments be made on Mondays, and always in advance. Some families will be entitled to claim for free school lunches. Information about this is available from Mrs Loose and all enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.
If your child does bring a packed lunch, please ensure that any drink is in a leakproof container. Please do not send fizzy drinks. Lunch boxes are kept in the cloakroom areas of each classroom during the day.
Children may go home for lunch, but should be picked up from school by a parent or appointed adult. Please inform the school in writing if this is to be the case at any time.
Children should leave school promptly at 3.20 pm, unless they are staying for an after-school activity. When collecting your child, please wait outside the school building until they appear. If a different adult is collecting your child, please let us know. For obvious reasons, no child will be allowed to leave with anyone other than a parent/guardian without this advance notice.
Whittlesford Out of School Club has been established for the past 3 years and provides local authority-approved child care from 7.45am - 8.45am in the school and 3.20pm to 6.00pm in the Memorial Hall. Children are accompanied from the school to the village's Memorial Hall, where they can take part in a wide range of activities including arts, crafts and games.
For further information, please contact Andy Barron on 01223 832708.
If your child is ill during school time, we will phone you and ask you to take him/her home. It is essential that we have emergency contact numbers - both for you and a friend or relative we can contact if you are not available.
Should your child receive any bump to the head while at school, we will always try to let you know in case of concussion.
If your child is ill at home and unable to come to school, please ensure that you contact the School Office between 8.30am and 9.30am on each day of absence. We monitor attendance very carefully, and this system enables us to be alerted as soon as possible if any child is neither at home nor at school.
In case of sickness children should stay off school for at least 24 hours.
If your child is back at school, but not fit enough for PE, games or swimming, please let us know yourself.
We do not administer medicines. If your child needs medication during the school day, please make arrangements to come into the school and administer it yourself. Children who suffer from asthma may keep an inhaler in school for their own use. These should be clearly named.
If your child does suffer from asthma, epilepsy or any other long term medical problem, please inform the Head Teacher in writing and indicate any relevant medical advice.
Periodically there are cases of head lice at the school. Please check your child's hair regularly and notify the school of any infection.
The National Curriculum provides the framework for all the teaching at William Westley School. English, Mathematics, Science and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) form the core of the curriculum. We place great emphasis on achieving basic literacy and numeracy skills. Other subjects covered by our curriculum are:
Religious Education, Design and Technology, History, Geography, Art, Music, Physical Education, PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) and Citizenship.
Teachers organise their classes in a variety of ways. There will be some times when the whole class will be working together, and others when children will be in small groups or working on their own. These different approaches can be used to encourage a variety of different skills (e.g. debate, research and co-operation) while also allowing classwork to be matched to varying ability levels.
Teachers use topics to cover important aspects of the National Curriculum, and some aspects of history, geography and Design & Technology are taught this way. This approach enables key skills and concepts to be covered in a way that makes sense to children.
Class teachers assess all their pupils in each area of the curriculum during the school year.
These assessments happen naturally in the course of day-to-day teaching, and teachers use normal classroom work and activities to assess the level a child has reached.
Levels go from 1 to 7. Level 1 describes the achievements of children at the earliest stages of their schooling. Level 7 describes the achievement of a very able 14-year-old. The steps between levels are, therefore, very large. It can take a long time to get from Level 2 to Level 3. Children who are assessed to be Level 2 can themselves vary enormously in attainment.
During May each year all Year 2 children undertake National Statutory Tasks and Tests in reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics. These provide a "snapshot" of children's attainment at the end of Key Stage 1. They will take place during normal school lessons in the classroom and, for the most part, children will be unaware that they are doing anything out of the ordinary. They are marked internally and the results forwarded to the LEA.
For children in Year 6 there are tasks and tests for English, Mathematics and Science. These are carried out in a far more formal situation during May. Key Stage 2 tests are marked externally. The results are returned to the school. We have a legal responsibility to then send these results to the LEA.
The results for the 11-year-olds will be passed on to Secondary School. The assessment results will be sent home with your child's end of year report at the beginning of July.
There are various ways in which pupils will be asked to expand on their school work at home.
Children will be asked to read with their parents on a regular basis, and to learn spellings or tables. Various other homework activities may also be set, depending on their age, and these will change as they grow through the school. Children benefit greatly if they discuss homework topics with parents.
More information about homework, and what is expected of your child, will be available at our class introduction evening at the beginning of the autumn term.
William Westley School aims to be an inclusive school, where all children are welcome and feel happy. Every child is different and we view differences as an opportunity for adults and children to learn more about ourselves.
Staff work closely with parents and the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (Senco) to identify and meet the special needs that some children will have. In this we are supported by many outside agencies including the Cambridgeshire Access and Inclusion Specialist Teaching Service (CAISTS), the Hearing Impairment Service, Speech and Language Therapy Service, Child Health Services and the Educational Psychology Service.
Children will sometimes work in a small group, or one to one with a teacher or teaching assistant. At other times, classroom work may be modified in some way to allow every child join in with the main class teaching. Should we feel your child would benefit in this way, we will discuss it carefully with you. So if your child has a disability he or she will be treated no less favourably than other applicants for admission.
We aim to prevent disabled pupils in our school being placed at any disadvantage. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that people with a disability are not treated differently without lawful justification. We will make reasonable adjustments for a disabled pupil and we will know we have succeeded when that child is participating fully in school life.
For an effective partnership between home and school to work, we anticipate that parents will want to:
The school has a policy for supporting children with special educational needs which is revised every year. This policy is available at school. Our aim is for all children to have access to all aspects of school life, as far as is reasonable and practicable.
Parents are formally invited to come and discuss their child's progress twice a year, and a written report is sent out at the end of the summer term.
However, our class teachers are more than happy to meet with parents at other times, to discuss matters concerning their child. Each teacher has a weekly after-school surgery time set aside specifically for this purpose. Please phone the School Office if you wish to make an appointment.
Given the time needed for daily class preparation, it is not possible for class teachers to discuss a pupil’s progress before school starts in the morning.
We welcome parents into the classroom as helpers. Working under the guidance of the class teacher, such helpers can make a significant contribution.
If you feel able to help on a regular basis, please talk to your child's teacher. Recent child protection legislation requires that all adults working with our pupils fill out a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure Application Form, including parent helpers. Copies of these forms are available from the School Office.
Wherever possible, we try to supplement our curriculum work with complementary extra-curricular activities designed to broaden our pupils' perspectives. These may take the form of school trips or visits from music or theatre groups.
We organise an annual residential trip for our Year 6 pupils, which provides them with invaluable experience in life skills such as team-building, leadership and initiative.
Some of these activities involve an extra charge to the school. Parents are told about these events well in advance and are asked to make a voluntary donation to cover the costs. No child will be excluded from such activities if their parents have difficulty meeting these costs, and anyone receiving Family Credit or Income Support is entitled to claim for remission of charges.
William Westley School also runs a variety of lunchtime and after-school clubs during the year, including netball, football, cricket, French, chess, choir, drama, cross-stitch, maypole dancing, school orchestra (see separate section overleaf) and cycling proficiency. Exact arrangements vary from term to term. We welcome parents who wish to organise such activities. Please talk to Paul Bryant, our headteacher, if you would like to help in this way.
We are very proud of the standards of music achieved at William Westley School. Singing forms a key part of every school assembly and we have a thriving school orchestra.
As well as teaching music as part of the National Curriculum, all Key Stage 2 pupils have the opportunity to learn the recorder. Our older children may also learn the flute, clarinet, violin or a brass instrument, though a charge is made for these lessons, to cover tuition and instrument hire.
Religious Education is taught in each class. Following LEA guidelines, this is based mainly on Christianity but also covers other world faiths.
In addition, our Collective Worship takes place in assembly each day. The essential features of this time together are education, celebration, praise and hope. Our aim is to make children aware of what it means to be a Christian Community, committed to serving God and caring for each other, our community and our environment.
In addition to daily assembly, we attend services at the Parish and United Reformed Churches for the Harvest Festival, Christmas, Easter and Ascension Day services at the end of each term.
The William Westley Founder's Day Service is also held annually in July.
Parents may, if they wish, withdraw their children from religious education and Collective Worship after consultation with our Head Teacher, Paul Bryant.
If you plan to take your child on holiday during term time, please inform our Head Teacher in advance, and fill out the appropriate form. However, if you are considering this, we ask you to think carefully about what your child will be missing at school – particularly in the run-up to and during the Key Stage assessment periods in May and the beginning and end of terms.
The Governing Body has adopted a policy for the teaching of sex and relationship education throughout the school. We aim to help children grow up with a clear understanding of how their bodies work, and how their bodies change as they grow up. We also aim to help children understand their feelings, and the feelings of others, so that they learn to treat each other with respect. The SRE Policy is available from the school office.
Senior Community Nurse (Child and Family Health) Nicola Cornish (known to children as 'Nurse Nicky') is a regular visitor to the school, to talk to the pupils about general health issues. Nicola Cornish can be contacted at Sawston Health Centre on 01223 727570 if you wish to discuss a matter of concern.
The LEA requires Head Teachers to report any obvious or suspected case of child abuse. This procedure is intended to protect children at risk, and schools are encouraged to take the attitude that, where there are grounds for suspicion, it is better to be safe than sorry. Clearly, this is a delicate responsibility. If circumstances arose which did prompt action – rightly or wrongly – we would be acting in what we believed to be the child's best interests.
Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) act in a liaison capacity as requested, building up relationships between family and child, school and education department. Their role is to support, explain and advise on any issues that may prevent a child benefiting from or attending school.
They can also provide guidance and advice on issues such as free school meals, employment of children, welfare rights, special education and child abuse. EWOs work closely with other professionals such as social workers, health visitors, educational psychologists, GPs, probation offices, police and voluntary agencies.
Our EWO, Heather Bridgman can be contacted on 01223 566756.
Most of the concerns that may arise about your child's schooling can be dealt with in an informal way. The first point of contact is your child's class teacher, who will arrange a time to discuss the matter with you. You may also wish to discuss the matter with our Head Teacher.
If that does not resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you are welcome to discuss it with one of the school governors (see list overleaf).
Complaints about the curriculum may be made to the Governing Body and, subsequently, the Local Authority.
The Education Department is based in Cambridge, at Castle Court, Shire Hall. The Education Information Centre contact is Patsy Smith, tel: 01223 717391 and the School Support Officer is Pauline Ball, tel: 01223 717685.
RATE OF AUTHORISED / UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE The rate of unauthorised absence in the school year 2004 to 2005 was 0%. The rate of authorised absence in the school year 2004 to 2005 was 5.3%.
The school's governing body is responsible for the overall management of the school, while delegating the day-to-day administration to the Head Teacher. The whole governing body meets once a term, while various committees meet more regularly to discuss particular aspects of the running of the school. Each term two of the governors also make a formal visit to the school. Minutes of the governors' meetings are displayed in the school entrance hall.
Our governors represent the community, and include representatives nominated by the parish (foundation governors), the local authority, the parents, the teachers and support staff. The governors all give freely of their time for the continuing benefit of the school. Below is our current list of governors:
| Chair | Mrs Kate Davies (Parent) | |
| Vice-chair | Rev Ruth Whitehead (Foundation) | |
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Mrs Sue Anderson (Support Staff) Mr Tom Blackburne-Maze (Community) Mrs Annabel Blake (Parent) Mrs Nicola Bowers (Parent) Mr Lyndsey Coote (Teacher) Mrs Sue Ginsberg (Foundation) Dr Deborah Knowles (Foundation) Mr Nicholas Sleep (Parent) Mrs Mary Sutcliffe (Community) Mr Ken Winterbottom (Foundation) |
All parents and staff are members of the Parent Teacher Association. The PTA committee works hard organising a wide range of fund raising and social events to support the work of the school, and the proceeds from these events make an important contribution to school funds.
The committee is elected at the Annual Meeting each autumn. We are very grateful for the support of the parents – both those who serve on the committee and all those who support the events so generously.
You can contribute to the life of our school by becoming a member of the PTA committee. Please give serious consideration to this.
Our excellent school facilities are available for hire for meetings and social events. The scale of hire charges can be obtained from the School Office.
| Headteacher | Mr Paul Bryant | ||
| Deputy headteacher | Mrs Julie Puxley | ||
| Class teachers |
Mrs Lisa Perry / Mrs Cath Slattery Mrs Sally Singh / Mrs Nicola O'Dell Mrs Julie Puxley Miss Eleanor Robertson Mrs Laura Tuckwell Mrs Maggie Webb Miss Lyndsey Coote |
Class 6 Class 5 Class 4 Class 3 Class 2 Class 1 Reception |
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| SENCO | Mrs Aureole Wragg | ||
| PPA teachers |
Mrs Jane Sawcer Mrs Lindsey Fox Ms Keeley Raynor |
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| School Secretary | Mrs Ruth Grant | ||
| Teaching assistants |
Mrs Sue Anderson Mrs Terisa Bridgman Mrs Lorraine Chalk Mrs Jane Cheung Mrs Suzanne Dakin Mrs Nicky Frost Mrs Chris Harvey Mrs Sue Hills Mrs Pat Hollidge Mrs Julie Lambourne Mrs Alison Loose Mrs Amanda Postle Mrs Heidi Clark |
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| Caretaker | Mr Andy Float | ||
| School caterer | Mrs Janet Dean | ||
| Kitchen Assistant | Mrs Theresa Turner | ||
| Midday Supervisors |
Mrs Helen Bonham Mrs Cheey Willson |
| (c) William Westley School Whittlesford office@williamwestley.cambs.sch.uk |