We are a thriving four-form entry infant school set within the heart of a highly diverse community, with over 50 different languages spoken by our children, families, and staff. Close to West Croydon train station and within easy reach of other transport links, we are always a popular choice for parents and prospective staff. We are fortunate to have a 52 place Nursery attached to our school, providing children from the age of three with a rich and creative learning environment, helping them to develop as confident and independent young people.
At Elmwood, children learn about their rights and we are very proud of the fact that we are a UNICEF Rights Respecting School. These rights, alongside our ten super skills, encourage our children to be the best they possibly are in their learning and behavior. We recognize the individuality and uniqueness of every child.
Pupils at our school achieve in line with the national average at the end of Year 2 and we have seen an increase over the past few years in the number of children achieving above age-related expectations in Reading, Writing and Maths. We are proud of the fact that children who join us make excellent progress from their starting point and become confident learners in a very short space of time. We offer a curriculum that is broad, creative and encourages children to learn practically as much as possible. We promote global awareness and have an absolute commitment to meeting the needs of all children. Inclusion is an incredibly important part of our ethos so do take a look at our SEN Information Report for more details about our work in this area.
The partnership between home and school is incredibly important in the overall development of the child and we work hard to ensure that a school is a welcoming place for everyone. We make ourselves accessible and guide parents on how to support their child’s overall development. We provide opportunities for you to get to know other parents and carers by organizing coffee mornings, fundraising events, offering stay and play sessions, and through the numerous workshops and courses that we run across the year.
We are proud of our school and achievements to date but are constantly seeking ways to improve. Each year we seek the views of parents and children and ask for feedback about our school and ideas to support us in making Elmwood an even better place to learn.
By providing a flexible curriculum we aim to ensure a successful future in the 21st century by doing our best to enable children to become literate, numerate, and ICT competent to at least the level expected for their ages. We want to encourage children to have a sense of pride in their achievements and an ability to take full, the advantage of the opportunities offered to them.
We also aim:
- to motivate, inspire and expect all children to achieve more than they have achieved before. Never to put a ceiling upon what we expect them to attain, but to help them strive to improve upon their previous best – everyone can be excellent at something.
- to encourage children to take responsibility for themselves, their actions, and behavior – to be self-disciplined, self-confident, and to think of others to acquire knowledge and skills relevant to life in a fast-changing world through a broad, balanced, and enriching curriculum to leave our school better prepared for life.
- to develop a cooperative working partnership between all staff, parents/carers, governors, and members of the community – we are all working together to benefit our children and to encourage everyone to respect the school environment.
- to provide a safe, secure, healthy, and stimulating environment in which all children have a sense of social well-being, can succeed, and be respected for who they are. Individual and group efforts are valued and praised – you don’t always have to be the best, you just have to try your best.
