St Vincent's Catholic Primary School

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St. Vincent's is a Catholic voluntary-aided primary school, with one form of entry, situated in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The original building was built in 1929. More recent additions to the school include our ICT Suite, the nursery, and extensions to the junior classrooms.
St Vincent’s is a ‘Good’ school and we had a successful Ofsted inspection in November 2016. In December 2017, we had a Section 48 RE Inspection in which the school was graded Outstanding in all areas.
The school is situated in a pleasant single-story building adjacent to St. Vincent's Church and serves Catholic children living in the locality. There are close links with St. Vincent’s Parish and the Parish Priest, Father Joseph Soosai-Marian, is a regular visitor to the school.
The admission number is 26 in Nursery, 30 in Key Stage 1 classes, and 30 in Key Stage 2. The school has eight classrooms, including a purpose-built nursery unit, a spacious, well-equipped hall, and a separate dining room. The school makes good use of Goodmayes Park, which is nearby, for sports and environmental activities. There are nine full-time members of staff – including the Headteacher. The SENCo works four days weekly and the Nursery teacher works mornings only.
We have a well-established merit system, which rewards hard work, effort, and improvements. The system of monitors and houses (house captains) provides pupils with opportunities to take responsibility and show initiative. The school council provides a valuable “voice” for pupils.
Whole school assemblies we celebrate pupils’ achievements (both in school and outside), birthdays and musical talents.
At St Vincent’s we offer an inclusive, broad, and balanced curriculum which is designed to give children the knowledge and skills to prepare them for the next stage in their education. We aim to create aspirational targets for our children, increasing their potential for achievement in life, whilst holding on to their Christian values and duty to care for all in God's world.
Children are currently admitted into Nursery in the September following their third birthday and they start in Reception Class in September before they are five. In the Foundation Stage, we provide children with the facilities to make progress towards the early learning goals. These goals cover seven areas of young children's development and learning. We use the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum in Nursery and Reception. The framework outlines seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programs in early year's settings. It focuses on three prime areas of learning as the foundation for all learning. Children are currently admitted into Nursery in the September following their third birthday and they start in Reception Class in September before they are five.
In the Foundation Stage, we provide children with the facilities to make progress towards the early learning goals. These goals cover seven areas of young children's development and learning. We use the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum in Nursery and Reception. The framework outlines seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programs in early year's settings. It focuses on three prime areas of learning as the foundation for all learning.
The changes in the Children and Families Bill 2014 affects the way children with special educational needs and disability are supported in school. It places pupils at the center of planning. St Vincent’s school aims to provide a caring, nurturing, and reflective learning environment where all children, regardless of their abilities, can develop to their full potential. Our school recognizes that it caters to a wide range of learning needs and styles. We believe that we must offer that provision where we can, to foster inclusion and provide full educational access and this means that some children may need increased support to access learning for a wide variety of reasons.
The main responsibilities of the Governors include the appointment of staff, admission of children to the school, and control of the budget. They meet formally at least twice a term. As a voluntary aided school the governors are responsible for financing some of the costs of maintenance of the buildings, for improvement and insurance works. To assist our Governors to discharge these responsibilities parents are asked to contribute to the Governor's Fund. The suggested contribution for parents is £15 annually. The support of the parents is much appreciated.
St. Vincent’s has an effective school council. Children (Y2 – Y6) who wish to be selected present their manifesto and are elected by their peers to take office for one year. The council meets regularly as a group, which is led by a member of the teaching staff. During these meetings, the children have a voice about daily school life.
In 2014, St. Vincent’s Catholic School signed up to an awards program set up by Eco-Schools London. The Eco-Schools program has a simple framework that provides the tools to promote and develop sustainability throughout your school. Our Eco-Schools coordinator is Mrs. Purkis. Since signing up, we have achieved a bronze award in February 2015 and are now working towards our silver award. At the moment, we are working towards achieving the silver award focusing on reducing our energy consumption.

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