Welcome to parents and carers who are choosing a school for their child.
What do Ofsted say about us?
Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They believe their children are happy and are learning well. Parents hold the view that the school provides their children with a safe environment in which to learn. A typical parent comment is: ‘We are extremely happy that our child attends Braiswick. The teaching and leadership staff are incredibly passionate and genuinely care about the children’s academic success.’
We will be pleased to show you around our beautiful school by clicking here. If you have any questions about anything, please do not hesitate to email us at admin@braiswickprimary.org.uk and we will get right back to you.
In the meantime, here are some frequently asked questions from previous zoom tours:
Q: My child is nervous in new situations. How will you help them to settle?
A: We have an extensive transition process that allows your child to become familiar with the staff and the school long before they start, including visits to nursery settings and stay and play sessions. Our EYFS team will meet with you in advance to ask you about your child and find out how best to help them settle and this is just the beginning of a partnership that will see your child skipping happily into school in no time. When the children start school they begin on a part-time timetable to allow the children to get used to the staff and setting within a smaller group and provides staff the opportunity to form strong positive relationships with your children and get to know them on an individual basis.
Q: What are your academic standards?
A: The school has the highest academic expectations for all our children. In our most recent results
EYFS had outcomes above the local and national, our phonics outcomes were well above the local and national and the progress made by children across the key stages was significantly above local and national.
Q: My child needs to be challenged. How will you make sure they stay engaged?
A: Teachers provide learning that is highly engaging and challenging, extending every child from their starting point to their maximum potential. We adopt a mastery approach which means we expect learning to be deep and that the children will retain their knowledge and be able to transfer it. We encourage parents and their children to articulate how they feel about their learning and we expect children to develop a set of learning dispositions that will be useful and important life skills:
- L – leading my own learning
- E – emotional intelligence
- A – having a positive attitude
- R – being resourceful
- N – using my neurons to connect my learning
- I – being inquisitive
- N – being a good learning neighbour
- G- showing Growth Mindset
Q: What additional activities do you have in your curriculum?
A: We are very proud to have a fantastic environment in our school grounds. We have a specially trained Forest School teacher and the children have a series of Forest School lessons built into their year. In the forest they take part in team building activities, mindfulness, outdoor adventurous challenges and lots of exploration of nature. Our grounds also include a pond where the children are able to pond dip in the summer months. We also have peripatetic music teachers who teach singing, piano and guitar. We have a programme of visits and visitors including a residential trip and a range of cultural activities.
Q: How do you teach phonics?
A: We teach phonics following the Letters and Sounds programme and teach children the importance of blending and segmenting to support reading and spelling. Reading for enjoyment is fundamental to children’s literacy development and we promote high quality texts by reading to the children as a whole class at least twice a day. The children also read once a week in a Guided Reading session to develop their fluency and language skills as well as weekly 1:1 reading with an adult in the class. We find that by engaging children in memorable activities linked to the letter sounds alongside introducing ambitious vocabulary the children develop a love for reading and writing which is transferrable across all areas of the curriculum.
Q: Is there before and after school provision?
A: We are fortunate enough to have an external provider on our school site providing before and after school childcare. We have lots of after school sports and creative activities including gymnastics, football, tennis, dance and multi-sports.
Q: My children has friends coming from their Nursery, how do you decide the classes?
A: Through our transition programme we develop a well-rounded view of your child and have extensive conversations with your child’s nursery provider as well as yourselves. We meet all of the children before allocating the classes and do so based on the children’s needs, friendships and information from their previous setting. When your child starts in Reception we have a free flow approach and during their choosing time the children can spend time outside or inside either of the classroom. We have found that even if children are not in the same class, they form friendships across the year group.
Q: What can I do to support my child before they start school?
A: Often we get asked what parents can do at home to teach their children before they start in Reception with us. Please don’t worry, it is our job as teachers to teach your children and we will be supporting all areas of their development.
Before your child starts school it is useful for them to develop their independence skills such as dressing and toileting (Staff are always available to help the children if needed!). We also recommend reading as many stories as possible as this will support the development of children’s language, understanding and storytelling skills.
Our school council children have produced this video to show you around the building and the grounds.
Does your child turn 4 before 31st August 2021?
Are you looking for Outstanding EYFS provision for your child to attend?
“Children in the early years quickly develop skills that allow them to learn and play happily together. Provision for children in the early years is exemplary.” – Ofsted 2018
At Braiswick Primary we:
- *Value the children as individuals.
- *Provide a safe and stimulating learning environment.
- *Encourage children to become inquisitive, self-motivated learners.
- *Emphasise the importance of Growth Mindset and Emotional Intelligence.
- *Have a fantastic on-site forest school and provide children with weekly opportunities to utilise this space.
- *Pride ourselves on a smooth transition from nursery into school.
“The Reception offering at Braiswick Primary has developed into an experience second to none. The entire team are so on the ball, genuinely caring and focussed that my child was so happy and never looked back, despite knowing only one or two other children when they joined. My child was challenged, encouraged and had the most amazing year, which he still talks about to this day. Amazing memories, thank you Miss Strange and the Early Years Team.” – 2020
“The Early Years Setting provides a very welcoming, colourful, exciting environment that engages children from day one. Inside and out there is a wide variety of equipment and areas for the children that stimulates their imaginations and encourages teamwork. However, it is the teachers that manage this setting and the children in such a thoughtful way, that ensure amazing development in so many ways! My child bounced out of bed and into school each day, and really didn’t realise just how much he was learning because he was having so much fun! Thank you for a wonderful start to my child’s education.” – 2020 Parent Feedback