Our School Prospectus and Information for New Pupils

Welcome to our school, we look forward to working with you and your family to ensure your learning journey is a positive one.

Please read and view the information below and of course book a visit to get to know us better.

Dear Parents/Carers,

 

Croeso i Ysgol Gynradd Waunfawr,

 

Welcome to Waunfawr Primary School in the heart of Crosskeys, Wales. I am immensely proud to have served this wonderful community for the past six years, and it is an honour to continue our shared journey in nurturing and educating our children. We are very proud of our school and its fantastic setting and look forward to your child joining our successful team.

 

At Waunfawr, we value and encourage the partnership between home and school. We all share responsibility for the development of our children – especially in the early years. Waunfawr is a very caring school where staff and governors are committed to doing the very best for the pupils in our care.

 

As a school, we are committed to:

• Providing a safe, inclusive, and stimulating learning environment.
• Delivering a balanced and high-quality curriculum that meets the needs of all students.
• Encouraging and nurturing the values of friendship, teamwork, perseverance, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
• Communicating regularly with parents/carers about school activities, policies, and their child's progress.
• Supporting students in developing safe and responsible internet use.
• Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all students during school hours.
• Implementing a zero-tolerance policy towards rude and aggressive behaviour within the school community.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child into our school family. We are excited about the journey ahead and are focused on providing the keys to success for your child. Rest assured that our team will do all that it can to make this a smooth transition while promoting a love for learning. If we can help in any way, please contact us at this email address: waunfawr@sch.caerphilly.gov.uk.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Mrs M Armishaw

 

Head teacher

 

Our Vision, Aims and Objectives

 

• We succeed in our school as happy, confident individuals.​
• We lay the foundations for our pupils to succeed as valued global citizens.​
• We challenge ourselves daily and learn from each other’s experiences on our journey towards a successful future.​
• We strive as a team to motivate our future dream makers.

 

Vision Statement

 

“Unlocking Excellence – Yn Agor Rhagoriaeth’

 

Our Core Values

 

Waunfawr Primary School is a happy, caring and inclusive school.  We are committed to developing the “whole child” and our small school ethos fosters this perfectly. We promote a ‘growth mindset’ and focus on the core values:

• Resilience
• Curiosity
• Collaboration
• Creativity
• Flexibility
• Achievement

Children’s Rights

At Waunfawr we are a ‘Rights Respecting School’. This means that we promote children’s rights outlined in the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as part of our curriculum and daily practice. This helps children to understand how important their voice is in making changes that affect their lives. 

 

Waunfawr Primary School Staff list September 2024

 

School Based Staff

 

Mrs M. Armishaw        -        Headteacher

Miss H. Evans                   -           Deputy Headteacher/Class Teacher

Mrs J. Walkley              -        Office administrator

Miss H. Shepherd         -        Class Teacher/ALNCo

Miss C. Jones                -        Class Teacher

Miss S. Vincent              -       Class Teacher

Miss B. Adams            -        Class Teacher (Maternity Cover)

Miss E. Tomkinson      -         Class Teacher

Miss S Roome                  -        Class Teacher

Mrs A. Smith                           -          HLTA/Teaching Assistant/ELSA

Mrs A. Pearson                     -         Teaching Assistant

Mrs A. Trigger              -        Teaching Assistant

Mrs A. Sullivan             -      Teaching Assistant

Mr J. Hughes                           -        Caretaker

Mrs D. Rhodes              -        Lunchtime Supervisor/Breakfast Club

Mrs N. Clarke               -        Lunchtime Supervisor

 

 

Catering Staff

Mrs C Price-Jones

 

Waunfawr Primary School Governing Body

 

Chief Education Officer                              

 

Mrs Keri Cole                                          

Caerphilly County Borough Council                   

Directorate of Education and Leisure                 

Ty Penallta                                                          

Tredomen                                                                      

Ystrad Mynach

Hengoed   CF82 7PG

 

Telephone 01443 815588                                              

 

Governors

Mrs Melanie James     (Chair person)

Mrs A East.                    (Vice Chair)

Mrs J Walkley                                              

Mrs S Bowen  

Mrs E Davies

Mr J Gerry                                          

Mrs K Rutter   

Mrs A Taylor

Mrs C Watkins

Mrs S Monkton

Ms D Gronnow                                               

 

Any correspondence for the Governing Body should be sent to the school addressed to the Chairperson.

 

The Aims and Objectives of our school

 

• To give a warm welcome where parents, staff, children and governors work in partnership to raise standards in teaching and learning.
• To encourage childhood experiences which promote happiness and wellbeing for all pupils, encourage healthy lifestyles and lay the foundations for lifelong learning.
• To plan challenging experiences for all learners encouraging them to have high aspirations for themselves and to aim for the best in everything they do.
• To foster enjoyment in learning, encouraging children to be curious, nurture their talents and creativity developing their abilities so they can experience success.
• To celebrate and embrace equality in all areas of school life, being respectful of pupils’ additional educational needs, ethnic groups, nationalities, diversity, religious bias, age and gender.
• To nurture confidence, self-esteem, creativity, imagination and questioning.
• To provide rich opportunities to use ICT in meaningful contexts to enhance teaching and learning in the pursuit of digital literacy for all.
• To develop self-discipline through positive reinforcement.
• To celebrate living in Wales and play an active role in contributing to the school community, local community and wider world showing respect and tolerance towards everyone. 

 

 

School Times and Gate entry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A member of staff will be on duty in the yard to welcome your child into school. We are an ACTIVE travel school and ask parents, where possible, to find ways to travel without cars to school to reduce congestion and air pollution.

 

 

 

Caerphilly School Term Dates (Please note that INSET days will mean changes to dates below – please see the website/ClassDojo for more information)

 

Autumn Term 2024

• Term starts Monday 2^nd September 2024
• Half term starts Monday 28^th October 2024
• Half term ends Friday 1^st November 2024
• Term ends Friday 20^th December 2024

 

Spring Term 2025

• Term starts Monday 6^th January 2025
• Half term starts Monday 24^th February 2025
• Half term ends Friday 28^th February 2025
• Term ends Friday 11th April 2025

 

Summer Term 2025

• Term starts Monday 28^th April 2025
• Half term starts Monday 26^th May 2025
• Half term ends Friday 30^th May 2025
• Term ends Monday 21^st July 2025

 

Attendance and holidays during term time

Regular school attendance is essential for your child to achieve their full educational potential. We consistently work towards the goal of 100% attendance for all pupils and emphasize the importance of regular and punctual attendance to both pupils and parents/carers.

Legal Framework

School attendance is governed by education law and guidance from the Welsh Government. The school day is divided into two sessions with a lunch break, across 190 days in the school year. Our schools' attendance policy reflects this legislation and guidance.

Promoting Attendance

A strong partnership between schools, parents, carers, and pupils is fundamental for promoting good attendance. We ensure that our pupils understand the importance of good attendance and how it benefits them both now and in the future. To encourage this, we offer reward schemes for individuals, classes, and year groups who achieve high attendance rates. We use various strategies to encourage improved attendance, often in collaboration with other partners, to provide the most appropriate support for pupils and their families. We regularly communicate our expectations and the potential consequences of poor attendance to parents and carers through texts, letters, the school website, newsletters, and parents' evenings.

School Procedures

Absences are recorded as authorised, unauthorised, or approved educational activities. Absences without a known reason are followed up promptly as part of our early intervention and safeguarding strategies. Each school has its own registration times, and persistent lateness is followed up by the school, which may result in a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

Absence Protocol

Parents should contact the school by 9:00 am if their child cannot attend, stating the reason for the absence and the likely return date. If no reason is provided within five days, the absences will be marked as unauthorised. Safeguarding concerns may prompt a home visit from school staff or an Education Welfare Officer.

Medical Absences

For in-school day medical appointments, parents should provide a hospital appointment letter. Routine GP or dental appointments should be scheduled outside school hours. If a pupil has repeated absences due to illness, the school may require medical evidence.

Persistent Absence

Pupils with more than 10% absence will have an action plan to support their return to full attendance. If the pupil and family do not engage with the action plan, court action may be taken against the main parent(s) or carer(s) via the Education Welfare Service.

Leave of Absence

Term-time holidays are strongly discouraged as they negatively impact the pupil’s ability to engage with the full curriculum. Parents and carers do not have the automatic right to withdraw their children from school for a family holiday and must apply in advance for permission. Unauthorized holidays may result in an FPN.

Fixed Penalty Notices

The school may request the Local Authority to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for 10 unauthorized absences, refusal to engage with the school, truancy, or unauthorized term-time holidays.

For any queries or assistance, please contact us at waunfawr@sch.caerphilly.gov.uk.

Pupil Voice

Waunfawr Primary is dedicated to listening to our pupils. We know that at the heart of our new curriculum we want all pupils to be inspired by their learning and involved in making whole school decisions. Research shows participation is beneficial to individuals, schools and communities. Pupils who participate in decision-making enjoy enhanced self-esteem and motivation, gain important personal, social and organisational skills and become familiar with group and democratic processes. At a whole school level, pupils involved in decision-making leads to better relationships, more relevant and effective policies and better learning. Pupils have an important part to play in helping schools to improve every aspect of school life. Pupil groups include:

 

 

School Council; Playground Pals; Eco Warriors; Digital Heroes; Criw Cymraeg and Heddlu Bach.

 

 

Developing pupil voice also enables our children to become active and articulate citizens now - working alongside adults to improve their community. Importantly our children influence the learning that they will undertake as part of our thematic approach. They reflect critically on their learning through mid-project reviews and end of project evaluations.

 

Waunfawr’s Curriculum and the Curriculum for Wales

 

The curriculum in Wales is changing and our school has made great progress in designing our new curriculum bespoke to Waunfawr pupils and community.

 

It is the intention that our learners will benefit from experiences at school that will support them in becoming young adults through the Four Purposes so that they are:

• ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives
• enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
• ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
• healthy, confident individuals ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society
• have relevant high quality digital, literacy and numeracy skills
• be increasingly bilingual with a strong grasp on other languages

 

At Waunfawr we are continuing to build our curriculum based on the National Curriculum of Wales (2008) and the Foundation Phase Framework for Children’s learning for 3-7 year olds in Wales while developing the Areas of Learning and Experiences.

 

Above all we believe that the curriculum must be broad, balanced and challenging, whilst helping the school to develop each child’s full potential - physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally. We believe that individual children tackle different tasks at different speeds. Tasks must be set which are appropriate to the ability of the individual so that learners can achieve and yet still be challenged and extended. These must always be relevant to the interests, needs and experiences of the learner and allow for a variety of approaches.

 

Our classes at Waunfawr change each year with mixed age classes usual across the school.  Within each class children are taught in groups, pairs, as a whole class and individually.  Each teacher employs a variety of methods. Sometimes it is “formal”, direct teaching; sometimes a more open-ended investigation could be in progress which draws on children’s first hand experiences; the learning could be through an integrated approach or by subject teaching. Classes follow a common curriculum. Further information can be found on our website www.waunfawrprimaryschool.co.uk

 

Classroom organisation

 

The school has six classes.  Our classes are usually arranged in mixed age groups due to pupil numbers.  Staff are very experienced in teaching mixed age classes and our curriculum is organised in such a way that would avoid any topics being repeated for pupils. 

 

 

Admission Arrangements

 

The number of children on roll at present is 178.  Admission arrangements are in accordance with Caerphilly County Borough Council policy.

 

Children and parents wishing to view the school prior to starting, either during or after school hours will be most welcome. Please telephone to arrange an appointment.

 

Parents interested in gaining a place in the school must apply on the official CCBC forms online.  There are three entry points and three separate applications – Rising 3, Nursery and Reception (pupils transferring from another school at any time must follow the same procedure). 

 

Transition

 

Much work takes place in Year 6 to develop self-confidence, self-esteem and independence, including a memorable residential trip to an Outdoor Activity Centre.

The children are invited to spend a full day in Risca and Newbridge Secondary School where they will experience taster lessons and lunch in the school canteen. A series of meetings will then take place between the staff at Secondary school, our ALNCO (Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator), the Year 6 teachers and the children, at which any relevant information is shared. Children with additional learning needs undertake additional visits to the new school to familiarise them with the environment. Our children leave us ready and prepared to embark on the next phase of their educational journey.

CCBC provides a booklet on admission arrangements in the autumn term of year 6. This provides information about the school, selection details and a form which parents need to complete.

School Lunches

 

A free school lunch is available for every child who stays at school during the lunch break. School lunches need to be booked at registration on the day they are needed. All children are entitled to Free School meals funded by Welsh Government. We would encourage all children to take up this offer of a healthy school lunch however, children can also bring a packed lunch to school if they would prefer.

During the midday break, the children are in the care of the Lunchtime Organisers and Teaching Assistants. They encourage the children to eat well, and maintain a friendly, relaxed but organised atmosphere. After the children have eaten, the remaining time is spent on the play yard where the children have the opportunity to play a number of organised games.

School Grants

 

If parents receive any of the following payments their children are entitled to receive additional grants in maintained schools in Wales:

 • Income Support

 • Income Based Jobseekers Allowance

 • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and their annual income does not exceed £16,190. (HM Revenue and Customs are responsible for assessing the level of annual income.)

 • Guarantee element of State Pension Credit.

• Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.

 • Universal Credit

• Young people who receive Income Support or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance in their own right are also entitled to receive free school meals.

 

App

Complete the online Free School Meal and Clothing Grant application form. Application forms are also available from the school (in term time) or from CCBC (outside of term time) by telephoning (01633) 656656.

Applications should arrive no later than the end of the summer term so that they can be processed for the start of the new school year. Applications can be made at any time during the year if there is a change in circumstances.

Healthy Eating

 

Your child will be encouraged to have a healthy lifestyle through promotion of our food and fitness policy.  We promote a balanced approach to healthy eating.  A typical lunchbox may contain the main item e.g. savoury sandwich, roll, wrap, pasta then some additional items such as breadsticks, cheese biscuits, yoghurt and items of fresh fruit/vegetables e.g. apple, banana, carrot sticks, cucumber slices.  Your child may have one pudding item in their packed lunch such as a piece of fruit, cereal bar or biscuit/cake bar.  Children are encouraged to only bring water to school to drink.   Fresh drinking water is available from water taps in school.  Items that have a high sugar content e.g. fruit shoots, chocolate bars, sweets should not be sent into school in line with our policy which follows the Appetite for Life guidelines. 

 

We ask that parents refrain from sending nuts in lunchboxes as we currently have pupils in school who suffer from serious nut allergies.

School Uniform

 

A smart standard of dress helps create a positive image and a sense of belonging in a school. It is with this in mind that we encourage children to wear our distinctive school uniform.

 

The school colours are red, white, grey and black, and can be bought from Darren Morgan Sports in Crosskeys or AJM embroidery in Cwmfelinfach via their high street store on online ordering system.  It is essential that ALL clothing items are labelled to allow any lost items to be returned to their owner.

 

General

 

• Red sweatshirts/cardigans
• White t-shirt
• Black / grey trousers / skirt
• (tailored shorts during summer months)
• Red checked school dress (summer months)
• Black/grey tights
• Black, grey or white socks
• Black shoes

 

P.E.

• Black shorts/Black Tracksuit bottoms
• White T-shirt
• Trainers

 

 

PE kit is to be brought into school and children will then need to change into their kit ready for the PE session.  They also have access to lots of outdoor activities.  It would be beneficial for them to have wet weather clothing in school.  This would comprise of wellies, waterproof trousers and waterproof jacket. 

 

Low-heeled sensible black shoes are essential for school.  We would ask for the wearing of trainers to be restricted to out-door games sessions.  Children in Key Stage 2 may bring trainers to school to wear at break time if they wish. 

 

The school has a ‘no jewellery’ policy.  Children who can tell the time may wear a watch.  Children with long hair should wear their hair tied up.  Children wearing hoop earrings will be asked to remove them as per our health and safety policy. Hairstyles should be sensible so as not to cause a disruption in the classroom.  Radical hairstyles are not permitted in school.  Children should be clean and tidy with no nail polish, transfer tattoos or anything else which will detract away from learning.  Special consideration will be given to medical or religious jewellery on discussion with the Headteacher.

Personal Property

 

Please help us by not allowing your child to bring personal property to school. We will provide all necessary learning equipment for your child. Any Year 6 pupil with mobile phones must switch them off on entry and placed it in a basket in the office. Please clearly mark each item of clothing with your child’s name. Children’s lost property is kept in the cloakroom and when unclaimed after a term will be donated to our uniform swap shop.

Break-Time

 

There is a mid-morning break of 15 minutes for all the children.  Foundation Phase children are encouraged to eat a small piece of either fruit or vegetables. Fruit can be purchased at a cost of £2.00 per week.

 

Pupils in Key Stage 2 (Year 3-6) may bring fruit or vegetables from home to eat as a snack.

 

Safeguarding Our Children

 

This is a constant priority at Waunfawr Primary. Our full policy can be found on our website. All staff have been trained in safeguarding procedures. The Headteacher is responsible for safeguarding. In her absence, there is a designated safeguarding officer.  Implementation of our child protection policy may require referral to the statutory child welfare agencies if it is felt that a child is at significant risk of harm. This is done solely in the best interests of the child. Where there is a concern we will, in general, discuss this with the family and where possible seek agreement to making the referra

Accidents / Illness / Medication

 

It is essential that we have correct and up to date details of where to contact parents. If there is a change in a contact number, please let us know immediately. Should an injury appear to need

urgent medical attention your child might be taken to the casualty department at The Grange before you are able to reach school.  A member of staff would always stay with the child until you arrive.

 

Medication at School

 

Sending medication to school for teaching staff to administer is not in line with LA policy and quite a contentious issue. If your child is well enough for school but requires medication then we ask parents to arrange the taking of medicines around the school day. If this is not possible then we ask the parent to come to school to administer the dosage. It is only in exceptional circumstances where the child is receiving on-going medical treatment that the school will administer any medication and then it will be in liaison with the health authority.

 

 

Allergi

Please ensure that you have given the school information relating to any allergy for which your child may require medication.

 

Accidents

A record of all accidents is made in the school ‘Accident Book’ and the cause of every accident is           always investigated. Should your child receive a bump to the head, you will be notified by telephone    and receive a ‘bump note’ in case after effects are delayed. In the event of a serious accident occurring in school, every effort will be made to contact a parent before referral to a doctor or hospital.

 

Health & Safety / School Security

 

We have some basic rules to safeguard the children in our care both inside and outside the school building. We would appreciate your help in maintaining the following rules:

 

• Parking outside the school gates or within the zigzag lines is not allowed. Failure to abide by this rule does severely put children at risk.
• Parents are not permitted to drive into the school grounds.
• It is requested that dogs be kept away from the school grounds. 
• No jewellery is to be worn to school except one pair of stud earrings.
• Sensible footwear should be worn at all times.

 

Severe Weather

Should there be a heavy fall of snow overnight; the school website and ClassDojo will carry information about school closure. Also, please ensure that the school emergency numbers are up-dated in case of severe weather conditions when the children are in school.

 

Home School Partnership

 

The school values the partnership between home and school. This partnership underpins all of the good work that we do. We have adopted various strategies to support and strengthen this partnership:

a. Newsletter

A Newsletter is put online in order to keep parents up to date with events, items of information, relevant dates and curriculum developments. The Newsletter is also used to report on decisions made at Governors’ meetings.

 b. Twitter

At Waunfawr Primary Twitter is used as a tool to celebrate learning. It gives parents an opportunity to share in some of the magical moments that only we, at times, are privileged to witness.

 c. Website

Our website aims to provide additional information for those who wish to navigate our site. We hope that you find the website informative.

 d.  ClassDojo App

This is our preferred method of communication enabling us to strive to be a ‘paperless communication’ school. Letters, dates and alerts are sent through this free app. If you require support in downloading the app please contact the school office.

e. Family Engagement

At Waunfawr Primary we are committed to engaging families in fun and creative ways to create an interested and dynamic community spirit. The success of our children is dependent on the effective partnership developed between school and home. We will share forthcoming events via ClassDojo and texts.

 f. Friends of Waunfawr Primary school

The Friends of Waunfawr Primary School support the school in many ways. However, their main task is to raise money for the school. They plan a varied programme of activities throughout the year and have the support of the parents of the school. All committee members are elected annually.

g. Parents in School

We would like you to feel welcome in school at any time. Some parents help with small groups of children on a regular basis and our children benefit from this additional help. Please do not feel inhibited to volunteer if you have time to spare. Activities that parents support include needlework, painting, junk modelling, cookery, storytelling, playing reading or number games and listening to children read. We also need help for out of school visits when they occur. It is our policy that parents undertake a DBS check before they volunteer in school.

h. Special Occasions

Parents are invited to share assemblies and special celebrations such as Christmas, Easter, Harvest and St David’s Day. The children also perform concerts and plays to which parents, governors and members of the local community are invited.

Positive Behaviour at Waunfawr

 

We have high expectations for behaviour at all times. We adopt a positive behaviour policy. Behaviour should reflect care and thoughtfulness for others. All the adults with whom the children come into contact with at school encourage good manners and courtesy. It is expected that the children will be well behaved, polite and respectful. We encourage good behaviour by acknowledging it through a range of reward strategies. We believe that the development of a positive approach towards discipline is a partnership between home and school. The vast majority of children respond well to this dual encouragement. Should any lapses in behaviour occur these would be dealt with in an appropriate manner and all incidents are investigated thoroughly by staff.

Should a child/children be identified as having broken our school rules a referral is placed to the behaviour team who investigate the incident and based on clear policy guidelines decide on the next steps. At times a referral will be placed to our RESPECT programme where pupils participate in a restorative justice approach addressing the consequences of their behaviour. Parents are informed of all decisions and involved in ways to support the process at home.

 

Our School Rules

 

The School Council has developed three simple school rules that are used at all times:

 

• Ready
• Respectful
• Safe

 

In essence we want to develop polite, well-mannered confident pupils.  We would encourage pupils to always:

 

• Say please and thank you.

 

• Say excuse me and sorry.

 

• Listen and respond in conversation

 

• Smile and make eye contact when talking to people

 

• Understand and follow instructions.

 

• Respect family and friends.

 

• Respect adults equally.

 

• Respect your own and other people’s belongings.

 

• Have good table manners.

 

• Show concern for others, e.g. hold doors open, help anyone who is struggling.

 

• Introduce yourself confidently.

 

• Be thoughtful about your behaviour in public.

 

We may need to pass messages onto you regarding any issues in school or anything that your child is having difficulty with. These messages are passed onto yourselves by your child’s class teacher. If we need to discuss an issue further we may ask you into school for a quick chat. It is very important to keep positive relationships between school and home. Please make an appointment to meet your child’s teacher if you have any concerns or questions.

 

Complaints

 

Any concerns should, initially, be brought to the attention of the teacher, who will investigate the matter with other members of staff. When a parent feels the concern was not responded to sufficiently a complaint should be raised to the Headteacher who will investigate further. This is a very important first step to ascertain the validity of the complaint. In most cases the matter can be resolved at this stage. If a parent is not satisfied with the result of this enquiry, then the matter should be taken up with the Chairperson of the Governing Body. If the parents still wish to pursue the matter further, the Chief Education Officer should be contacted at Ty Penalta, Caerphilly.

 

Relationship and Growing Up Education

 

Relationship and growing up education at Waunfawr follows the guidelines issued by the National Assembly for Wales and CCBC. The programme covers the physiological aspects of sexual development and should address the issues of gender in a personal, social and societal level. The school’s programme of sex education is agreed by the governing body and is available for parents to see upon request. It is linked to areas of the National Curriculum and reflects the needs of the pupils as they develop throughout KS2. Parents are welcome to view the policy and discuss it. Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children, should they so wish, from sex education as in previous years.

 

Additional Learning Needs

 

At times it may become apparent that some children are experiencing difficulties with their learning. The concern will first be discussed between parents and teachers. This will be brought to the attention of the Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ALNCO), Miss Shepherd, to co-ordinate and advise on appropriate support. 

In the first instance, we will complete assessments and observations.   These will help to identify whether your child requires support and differentiation within their class setting, or whether your child has an Additional Learning Need (ALN) that requires Additional Learning Provision (ALP) ‘additional to and different from’ others. 

In school we have a number of interventions available to pupils who need support.  These are listed under our ‘Universal’ and ‘Targeted’ Provisions and our ‘Specialised’ and ‘Multi-Agency’ Support. Our interventions include programmes such as THRIVE, ELSA sessions, ‘Teaching Talking’, ‘Tackling the Tail’ and ‘Socially Speaking’, as well as Maths and Literacy Catch Up groups.   

We work with a number of agencies across all our levels of provision including speech and language therapy and occupational health. In some cases, advice is sought from the Educational Psychology Service, Behaviour Support or the Advisory Team in Caerphilly.  

No child will be seen by external agencies without the agreement of the parents. 

 

We

Pupils at Waunfawr Primary are taught through the English language. In addition, daily sessions of Welsh are taught alongside welsh enrichment activities. Welsh is promoted throughout the day by staff and the Criw Cymraeg to reinforce taught skills. Where possible, links are made between our projects and the history and culture of Wales.

 

 

Religious Education

 

This is taught in accordance with the LA’s agreed syllabus. The emphasis is to develop the skills; attitudes and knowledge that will help children understand the spiritual dimensions of life and to enable them to make mature and reasoned judgements. Opportunities are taken to empathise with multi faiths through rituals and festivals across cultures whilst undertaking project work.

 

In addition to their class work the children attend an assembly each day. Assemblies help each child to realise that school is an extended family to which they all belong. We promote a caring environment where children are sensitive to the needs of others and the world around them. This is achieved through themes, stories, poetry songs and visitors from the community. Parents wishing to withdraw their children from these lessons and/ or assemblies should consult the Head Teacher. On Fridays we hold an achievement assembly where by we celebrate achievements both in and outside of school. 

 

Mus

Music plays a strong and very important role in the lives of Waunfawr Primary children. Our children are inspired through workshops and are encouraged to join choirs and musical performances. In the majority of our classes pupils have the opportunity to play an instrument as part of a music project. Our children are encouraged to learn to play instruments through our partnership with Caerphilly Music Service. Where possible we loan instruments to afford our children this wonderful opportunity.

 

Outdoor Play/Forest Schools

 

We are very lucky at Waunfawr to have a wonderful park a short walk away; we have access to a forest school area, a stream, allotments and a playing field. Our philosophy for learning embraces the outdoor environment. We will be using the school grounds daily to teach the children focused tasks and for the children to be involved in many fun and exciting activities. Please take note of the weather as if it is hot the children will require a hat and sun cream if they are spending time in the school grounds. Similarly if the weather is cold, the children will still have the opportunity to use the outdoor environment so will need a coat and appropriate warm and waterproof clothing.

Your child will have the opportunity to attend ‘forest school’ lessons. In the Foundation Phase they will require a waterproof jacket and wellies, which will need to be kept on their peg – please could these be labelled with your child’s name. Also, you may wish to provide your child with waterproof trousers or an all in one suit

 

Equal Opportunities

 

There are a wide variety of policies in school relating to the curriculum and equal opportunities issues, such as race equality, behaviour, and child protection.  We are a fully inclusive school.   Arrangements and access for children with disabilities will be discussed with the parents and LEA, as is current practice.

 

Charging and Remission Policy

 

A donation may be requested to cover the cost of some educational visits and experiences.  If we do not have enough funds to cover the costs such visits may be cancelled.  Payment cards are available if you wish to pay your donation over a number of weeks.  Please call into the office to arrange with Mrs Walkley. 

 

Sport at Waunfawr

 

We are very fortunate in our provision for sport.  We aim to encourage individual skill and team participation.  Children’s achievements both inside and outside school are recognised in our Friday achievement assembly.  Our sporting links with the community include Treowen Stars Girls FC, All Stars Cricket, Waunfawr Rugby Club, Tae Kwon Do, Cluster Leagues, to name but a few.  Extra-curricular sports clubs are offered to the pupils.

 

 

Your Child’s Progress

 

Parents are free to make an appointment at any time during the year to discuss children’s progress. There is also an opportunity to discuss each child’s written, yearly report. 

 

Extra-Curricular Activities

 

Waunfawr Primary prides itself on the high number of club activities arranged for either lunch or after school. Most are provided free of charge by the Teachers and by some visiting organisations. We aim to ensure these are never cancelled and that cover is available where needed. Currently the range of clubs includes: Athletics, Treasure Seekers, Sports, Choir and Art.

 

An extra-curricular club timetable is published each term following consultation with all staff.

 

Home-School Agreements

When your child starts school you will be asked to sign up to the Home-School agreement, which sets out the expectations for child, parent and the school.  If you have any questions about the home/school agreements please make an appointment to discuss these with your child’s class teacher.  There will also be a contact details form and permission forms for you to sign on your child’s entry to school which will be kept with your child’s school records.  Please note that if your details or circumstances change it is essential that you let us know at the earliest opportunity.