St Dunstan's RC Primary School

[EduCativ]

We are a busy but friendly school, with lots going on. This website aims to give you a taster of the school, as well as providing regularly updated information for both parents and pupils.
The school Admission Policy can be found below, setting out the criteria for admission which is applied to every request for a place, subject to numbers. Nursery admissions are confirmed in the spring term before entry, and applications should be made to the school at any point before that. A child is eligible to start in the nursery class the September AFTER their third birthday. If there are any places, children on the waiting list who have already turned three may be admitted sooner. For a child starting at the standard school starting age, that is the September after they are four, an application must be made directly to Manchester City Council.
Forest School is an inspirational process, that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees. Forest School is a specialized learning approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.
Here at St. Dunstan's, all staff work tirelessly to ensure that our children learn through a curriculum that is engaging, exciting, challenging, and relevant to them and their surroundings. At the core of our curriculum is a dedication to our children acquiring the key skills in reading, writing and maths, and providing them with experiences and opportunities to apply these skills. Our curriculum seeks to be creative and allow pupils' talents to shine. We present our learning in a variety of ways and look to enrich teaching and learning with trips to relevant sites in our local area and beyond, and through having visitors in our school.
From September 2014, Year 1, Year 3, Year 4, and Year 5 adopted and followed programs of study set out in the National Curriculum (2014) for Mathematics, English, Science, and Foundation subjects: (Art & Design, Design Technology, Computing (formerly known as Information Technology), Music, History, Geography, and Physical Education. French is also taught in Key Stage 2.
At St. Dunstan’s we believe that provision should begin with Quality First Teaching. Wherever possible children will be educated in the mainstream classroom and will have additional support and personalized education plans put into place as required. We will assess the needs of every individual child across our school and ensure that provision is suitable to their needs and ensures that they can make progress.
At St Dunstan’s we regularly review the support and provision that is in place for every child. This involves regular reviews and discussions with children, parents, and staff, and external agencies to ensure that the provision we offer is of the very highest quality and standard for every child. All statutory paperwork is updated regularly and internal documentation is used regularly to ensure a smooth transition between classes and schools.
At St Dunstan’s we do not believe that any medical condition should be a barrier to a child’s learning. We have a medicine policy in place and we work closely with families to ensure that we offer support and provision in a well-planned and considerate manner. We ensure that staff has up-to-date and relevant training and that all are comfortable supporting the needs of every child in their class and our whole school community.
In St. Dunstan’s our children have many opportunities to give their views through pupil voice activities, which may be questionnaires or group discussions. The Elders in our Family system are voted for by other members of the Family. Children are asked to vote, particularly in class settings, on a variety of issues with the majority choice being agreed on. Children are provided with opportunities to debate important issues and are encouraged to promote themselves through letters or presentations for key roles in school such as Head Boy and Head Girl. Peers then have the opportunity to vote for the best person for each role. Pupils and parents are listened to when they have issues or suggestions and children are encouraged to think about the choices they make about behavior and the consequences of their choices. Staff is encouraged to take part in discussions about improvements to the school in staff meetings and Leadership and Key Phase meetings. Democratic ideas are explored in subjects such as History and Philosophy and visits with key people such as PCSOs and local councilors are encouraged.
All children have access to an appropriate curriculum, differentiated to meet their needs. This enables them to learn to develop the necessary skills to build self-esteem, respect others, defend those in need, resolve conflict without resorting to violence, question, and challenge, and make informed choices in later life. Children and young people are encouraged to express and discuss their ideas, thoughts, and feelings through a variety of activities and have access to a range of cultural opportunities which promote the fundamental British values of tolerance, respect, and empathy for others. There is access to a range of extracurricular activities, information, and materials from a diversity of sources which not only promotes these values but supports the social, spiritual, moral well-being, and physical and mental health of the pupils.

View full school