Our School Prospectus

Somerset Bridge Primary School, Bridgwater - 01234 567890 - www.somersetbridge.co.uk

Contents
3-6 7-8 Ethos and Community Teaching 9-12 Activities and Facilities 13-14 Wellbeing

Welcome to Somerset Bridge

Thank you for showing an interest in our school. Somerset Bridge Primary School is over 100 years old, but moved to its large new building in September 2010. We have had plenty of work to do since then, as numbers of children and staff have increased rapidly and there have been many changes for us all to deal with. One thing has not changed, however, and that is our belief that children come first and that they learn best in a safe, supportive and challenging environment. The move has provided us with a bright, spacious and superbly equipped school building. Our excellent teaching staff are committed to ensuring that children maximise their learning potential, delivering a challenging, creative curriculum that inspires pupils to be the best they can be. Parents are vital to our childrens success. We want you to be a part of our school community and greatly appreciate your support in your childs education. We set high expectations for all children, and parental involvement is crucial if the children are to achieve to the best of their ability. We have ambitious plans for our school - such as further developing our school grounds and increasing pupil voice. Children are listened to at our school, and because of that they play an active role in their learning.
We have a very active School Council and are implementing the Rights Respecting Schools initiative. Our Rights Respecting Action Group (RAG) works alongside our School Council and Eco-group, and together they have fantastic ideas.

We believe that school should be fun too, so we provide a wide range of clubs and activities for the children to try. Whether its football or film, gardening or dancing we have something for everyone!

Our School Ethos

They will be supported in taking risks and having a great pride in their work. We recognize that a positive attitude and positive At Somerset Bridge we are committed to providing a safe, behaviour are essential preconditions for effective learning. This nurturing environment where children develop their self-esteem, attitude forms the basis of our School Ethos, and our set of independence, self-discipline and responsibility, leaving us as objectives. responsible citizens with a strong sense of identity. At our school, children will enjoy high-quality learning experiences in a We aim to: stimulating and creative environment. Dedicated to Excellence through Learning Together

Collaborate
with all members of the community pupils, parents, staff, governors, neighbouring schools and organisations in the local area - ensuring that all contributions are encouraged and valued.

Develop
a broad, inspiring, creative curriculum, in which we embrace new initiatives which challenge and enthuse, so that all children can achieve their best.

Care
for our school environment, so that we maintain a safe, sustainable and healthy community and set an example for life choices both within and outside of school.

Create
a warm, friendly and courteous atmosphere where adults and children can try new things and take risks, knowing that they can learn from their mistakes.

Respect
and value every member of the school community and always have children at the centre of our approach.

Encourage
and guide, through celebrating and promoting individual skills and talents, all to take responsibility for their own learning, thus enabling children to embrace opportunities to discover for themselves, and to develop a life long love of learning.

Challenge
through having high expectations, each member of our community to do their best at all times.

Support
one another and share our knowledge and experiences, so that children learn essential skills and concepts that will equip them for a diverse and multicultural society in tomorrows world.

Community Involvement
Our school has strong links with many people and organisations in our local community. Our friends from Somerset District Council come into school each year and run our School Council elections in exactly the same way as they run local elections, and this event is one the whole school looks forward to. Our School Council meets with those from other schools, so that we learn from one another and find even more ways to make our school a better place.
We are a friendly and supportive school. We welcome new children and work hard to make them feel at home. Lunchtime buddies make sure no-one is left out and our School Council organises rotas for toys and games. Older children read to the younger ones and we all support one another. We welcome parent helpers into our classes; they make an invaluable contribution to learning at school.

Our children are encouraged to think of, and help, those not as fortunate as ourselves, or those with personal difficulties. The School Council has a fundraising committee and we enthusiastically support events such as Children in Need, Blue Mo Day and Sports Relief with special theme days organised by the children themselves. We invite many visitors into school - the police, fire brigade and ambulance crews come in to see us, as have members of the Bridgwater Carnival Committee amongst others. Our school choir sings at local supermarkets and shops to raise money for charity. The school has well established links with other local schools and collaborate on many local initiatives. We are keen participants in local sporting competitions and our football and netball teams compete with great spirit and much success. We recognise the value of the relationships we have with the secondary schools we feed into and work in partnership with them to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Teaching and Learning

Curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to fit the interests and needs of our learners. We encourage our teachers to take children out on learning experiences and to bring people in to meet the children, making as many real learning experiences as we are able. We aim to give the children skills and strategies to learn effectively in a stimulating, supportive environment that builds their self-confidence and selfesteem.

Atmosphere
We believe children learn best when they are having fun, so this is what we encourage in our classrooms. Children have warm, positive relationships with their teachers; they are encouraged to find things out and we strive to inspire our children to become life-long learners. Our children are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and their behaviour at all times.

Family Support
We encourage parents to talk to us about how they can help their children at home. Teachers are available after school every day if parents need a chat about their childs progress. We run literacy and numeracy sessions after school so that parents can better understand their childrens learning. We strongly believe that when the school and parents work together we make an unbeatable team.

Celebrating
Our school is decorated with examples of great work by the children. Classrooms and corridors display our pupils brilliance, with the ultimate accolade a piece of work displayed on the Board of Excellence. Star of the Week awards, presented at our Celebration Assembly, reward all aspects of school life. The children are expected to achieve high standards and encouraged to enjoy it when they do.

Activities and Clubs

Our school staff offer a wide variety of clubs and activities during lunchtime and after school. The clubs vary depending on the season and the desires of the children, but our regular clubs include: cookery, gardening, football, netball, Film Club, dance, singing, homework and music.

Our school staff offer a wide variety of clubs and activities during lunchtime and after school. There is something for everyone whether you are academic, sporty, love the arts or crafts. We struggle to fit them all into five days!

We believe that children should have the chance to experience a broad range of activities that we just cant fit into our day. It also gives our staff the chance to release their inner rockstar theres no stopping them once they get going!

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Our School Facilities

Our LRC
As you enter Somerset Bridge, the first thing you will see is our spacious Learning Resource Centre. We have a large selection of books for the children to use, whether to enhance areas of study or simple reading for pleasure. We have a suite of netbooks for both key stages, so that ICT is well-resourced in class.

Outdoor Spaces
We have plenty of space outside to enjoy too. There are four playgrounds so as to manage the play and physical education requirements of our different age ranges. Each play area has age-appropriate equipment provided or permanently installed. We have netball and football pitches and there is a large sports field when weather allows. All this comes with wonderful views up to the Quantock Hills.

Our School Hall

Our large multi-function school hall is well-equipped, bright and airy. Children enjoy physical education lessons here when appropriate and have the space to fully express themselves. There is all the gymnasium apparatus you would expect. We also have a stage, big screen and professional stage lighting and sound systems for special plays and performances, which are such a highlight of the school year.

School Meals
Somerset Bridge has a spacious kitchen area and a professional, friendly catering team. Each week they provide a range of menu ideas for your child to choose from. Each menu is designed to ensure they are getting a tasty, balanced meal. Many of our children bring their own packed lunch, but whichever way, our dedicated team of Lunchtime Supervisors make the lunch-break fun and safe for everyone.

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Pupil Wellbeing
We want happy, healthy children at our school. For this reason, they and their parents are encouraged to speak to staff if there are problems and concerns - no matter how small. Somerset Bridge is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children. It is enshrined in our School Ethos and is central to all we do. All staff and Governors receive rigorous and regular training on safeguarding. We expect all partners in our school community: staff, parents, pupils, Governors and visitors to uphold these values. We encourage respect at all levels and have a stringent behaviour policy, which enables us to deal with any incidents of bad behaviour. The school believes that children should enjoy exercise and play, and we provide many opportunities to do so. We also encourage children to take responsibility for themselves and have a healthy snack at playtime and to drink plenty of water.

For an updated list of our school policies, which you can download as PDF files, visit:
somersetbridge.co.uk/school-policies

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Somerset Bridge Primary School Stockmoor Drive Bridgwater TA6 6AH Somerset Tel: (01278) 422100 Fax: (01278) 721400

If you would like to talk to us about your child joining the Somerset Bridge family, please give us a call.

Even better, come for a visit and see for yourself the difference we can make for your special one!

Visit our website at:

www.somersetbridge.co.uk

Photography by Paul Deadman (Taunton), used with kind permission. Design by Jumpify Web/Print Design - www.jumpify.co.uk Content by Somerset Bridge Primary School - www.somersetbridge.co.uk