Prospectus

Welcome to

St James’ Church of England
Primary School & Nursery

Dear Parent, Visitor, Friend,

Welcome to St. James’ school website. You will be able to find out lots of information about us but a visit to the school would show you how special we really are.

As a Church of England school, we have Christian Values at the centre of all we do as we teach the children how to aim high using their skills and talents to achieve whatever they aim for. Our classrooms are full of hard-working pupils who enjoy their learning and who support each other to improve. Our children are helped by their parents who love to hear them read as we all work together to make sure that this essential skill is prioritised.

Learning at St. James’ is exciting and fun, children get messy and enjoy talking about their learning. Classrooms are vibrant and full of resources to make sure that pupils obtain the knowledge skills and understanding that they need to thrive.

Belynda Fellows

Head Teacher

Vision Statement

‘A Christian Community Achieving Excellence and Equality’

                         Our Values

                                     We have 9 Core Values at St James’.

A Value is a principle that guides our thinking and our behaviour. At St James’, every individual is valued for who they are and what they contribute to the school. Our Values are the 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit and are intended to support the personal, social and spiritual development of every pupil throughout the school.

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Goodness
• Gentleness
• Kindness
• Faithfulness
• Self-Control

Our Rules

We have 3 rules at St James’ which are linked with our core values.

Be Safe

Kindness, Gentleness & Self-Control

Be Respectful

Peace, Patience & Goodness

Be Individual

Joy, Faithfulness & Love

Our Classes

Our Worship

Daily Worship

There is an act of worship in school each day, and on a timetabled basis each class participates in a Parish Eucharist, which is held in school every Friday during term time. Parents are warmly welcome to attend all Eucharist’s held in school. We also have whole school Eucharist services which parents are welcome to attend either in school or at the church.

Our Uniform

What a child wears to school reflects his/her learning. It also portrays the school’s ethos and shared positive values. We have a smart but simple uniform that we encourage all pupils to wear.

School uniform is available to order from: www.smartypantsschoolwear.com

School Uniform

· navy school sweatshirt/cardigan sweatshirt with or without

  school logo

· yellow polo shirt

· mid grey skirt/pinafore or trousers (or shorts for summer)

· blue summer dresses, checked (gingham)

· Plain grey tights/socks or white socks for summer

· flat black shoes

Physical Education Uniform 

It is important for pupils to wear correct clothing for physical activities.

Children are required to come into school wearing their PE uniform

on their PE days.

· white t-shirt

· navy shorts and/or navy games skirt

· plimsolls

· trainers

· Navy tracksuit

Track suits, preferably navy or fleeces may be worn for games during winter months.

Long and medium length hair must be secured back for health and safety reasons.

School coats, fleeces and hats are also available to purchase from the Smartypants website.

All items of uniform should be clearly named.

Jewellery, other than watches, is not permitted and studs or sleepers only are to be worn in pierced ears.

P.E. Bags and Book Bags in school colours and with the school logo can be purchased from the school office at a cost of £3.00 each.

School Lunches and Healthy Eating

The school runs its own school catering service and meals are cooked from fresh, locally sourced ingredients.  Meals are served in the school hall. There is a 3-week menu, including a vegetarian option. All meals must be paid for in advance on-line on School Money. Families in receipt of Income Support and other benefits may be eligible for free school meals and should contact the school office in confidence.

Children may prefer to bring a packed lunch; these are eaten in the new hall. Sweets, canned or fizzy drinks and glass containers are not permitted. The school has no facilities to refrigerate or heat packed lunches and in warmer weather, parents are urged to use cooling packs in lunch boxes. We are a nut-free school.

Pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable each day as part of the Government’s programme for healthy living.  Pupils in Years 3 to 6 may bring in a healthy snack but no sweets and crisps.  The school has a number of indoor and outdoor water fountains, and pupils are free to bring in bottled water which should be named. A healthy tuck shop operates every morning break, selling fruit, toast and milk.

Extra-Curricular Clubs

As a school we offer pupils opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities before and after school. A breakfast club operates everyday from 8am as well as a range of sports clubs led by a qualified sports coach. At any time a wide range of after school clubs is on offer – our programmes of clubs and activities available is revised termly depending on the time of year and other commitments children may have.

We offer an after school club, ‘Whizz Kids Academy’, which runs until 5.30pm each day. There is a charge for this club, please speak to the office for details.

Pastoral Care

Caring for the pupils in school is undertaken in various ways by all adults in the school within our caring Christian ethos. Any medical issues that arise are dealt with promptly by staff. If the school has any concerns about any aspect of your child’s schooling or general welfare, we will contact you as soon as possible.

We have a team of Learning Mentors who work with our children through one to one sessions, regular daily check-ins, group sessions, support in the classroom and guidance at break and lunch times.  We offer a range of support including; social skills, emotional understanding, bereavement support, sensory play, Lego therapy and friendship support.

Equality

At St James’ C of E Primary School and Nursery we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers receiving services from the school, irrespective of race, gender, disability, faith or religion or socio-economic background. We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and are able to participate fully in school life. The school has the Equalities Award having been recognised for our commitment to equality.

Safeguarding Pupils

Our first priority is your child’s welfare and therefore there may be occasions when our concern about your child may mean that we have to consult other agencies before contacting you. These procedures have been laid down by the Essex Child Protection Committee, and are available for inspection in school.

Staff work hard to maintain an environment where children feel safe and secure. The curriculum is designed to ensure opportunities for children to develop the skills they need to recognise and stay safe from including whilst accessing the internet.

In recognising our responsibilities for Safeguarding and Child Protection, as a school we:

• Have clear staff recruitment and selection procedures, ensuring that all staff (including volunteers) who have unsupervised access to children, have been appropriately checked for their suitability through the DBS procedure.
• Aim to raise awareness of child protection issues and equip children with the skills needed to keep them safe.
• Develop and implement procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases of abuse.
• Support children who are vulnerable in accordance with his/her Child Protection Plan.
• Establish a safe and nurturing environment free from discrimination or bullying where children can learn and develop happily.