Garfield Primary School

[EduCativ]

Garfield Primary School is a successful vibrant school set in the heart of Wimbledon. We are all extremely proud of our school’s ethos and mission statement ‘To be Outstanding in all that we do’. In collaboration with this, we ensure that our Core Values of Learning Respect, Equality, Determination, Inspiration, Friendship, Excellence and Courage, permeate through all that we do. We take pride in being a multi-cultural community.
Visitors to our school always comment on our calm and purposeful atmosphere. Garfield is a place where children embrace challenge and flourish in achievement. Our curriculum ensures that pupils receive an exciting and motivational education, which encourages them to always aspire to be the best that they can be. A wide range of after-school clubs also enables continued learning outside of the classroom and provides all pupils with the opportunity to extend and excel in their talents.
E-safety is integrated into the ICT curriculum at all levels so that awareness of online safety becomes second nature to our children, leaving them confident, competent, but most of all safe, internet users. Children at Garfield use the internet regularly as part of their learning. Outside school children have access to a wide range of technology, including computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Staff have been trained and are alert to the dangers children face online and to the warning signs of cyberbullying or grooming.
A family agreement is a great way to start a conversation as a whole family about how the internet should be used safely and responsibly when online at home, at school, or at a friend's house. To support parents in creating a family agreement Childnet International has put together some free advice and a helpful family agreement template for families to use as a starting point. This is to ensure they benefit from the same opportunities as all other children and that the gap is narrowed regarding their attainment. This also includes those children who have previously been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years (Ever 6 children). Since 2015 the funding now covers nursery-aged children.
It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium funding is spent in a way they believe will be best in supporting the raising of attainment and meeting the social and emotional needs of the most vulnerable children. The progress and attainment of PP and Ever 6 children are tracked throughout the year. Progress is discussed at Pupil Progress meetings and parents are regularly updated on the progress of their child. Interventions are monitored and evaluated when the intervention ends after a fixed-term period and adapted or amended if they are seen to be unsuccessful.
Governors are updated termly on how Pupil Premium funding is being spent and the impact it is having on the pupil’s progress. The governing body is made up of parent, co-opted, and staff governors. Parent governors are voted for by the parents and carers of children attending the school. Governors are appointed for a four-year term. The full governing body meets as a whole group twice a term to approve policies, review the progress and direction of the school, and vote on significant decisions. However, governors are in constant contact with the school and each other, as well as attend at least one of the sub-committees once a term.
Garfield School recognizes its legal and moral duty to promote the well-being of children and protect them from harm and respond to child abuse. We believe that every child, regardless of age, has at all times and in all situations a right to feel safe and protected from any situation or practice that results in a child being physically or psychologically damaged, as per Garfield Child Protection Policy.
Here at Garfield, English and Maths lessons take place each morning, with Science and the foundation subjects taught in the afternoons. As far as possible a cross-curricular, thematic approach is used. A theme is selected and applied across a year group each half term. By adding this dimension to learning we can provide opportunities for key skills to develop across the curriculum and to cultivate creative thinking. During the year we have themed weeks, such as Book Week, Arts Week, and Science Week, which allow children to develop their skills in a more focused way. Educational visits reinforce the learning taking place in the classroom. We also have visits from a variety of experts including musicians, historians, and scientists.
We benefit from the help of our parent volunteers who work alongside teachers during Guided Reading, and we welcome input from any parents who would like to offer their expertise in any curriculum areas. We teach all the elements of the syllabus of the 2014 National Curriculum for both core (English, Maths, and Science) and foundation subjects (History, Geography, Computing, Music, Art and Design, Physical Education, Design and Technology, and French in KS2). Religious Education is a statutory requirement and we follow the Merton Agreed Syllabus. Children from Years 1-6 are assessed about age-related expectations (AREs,) using ‘Herts for Learning, a system adopted by Merton schools.

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