Welcome to Greenbank Primary School. Greenbank Primary School is a fantastic school. Everyone at Greenbank will expect only the best from our children and we will strive to ensure that only the best is good enough.
We aim to provide a learning environment where all children can achieve their highest potential and to foster a climate where all children, regardless of class, race, gender or disability feel secure and can grow in confidence and self-esteem".
We aim to deliver the curriculum in a confident, positive, and structured manner that caters to the individual child. All curriculum areas should be made fun and exciting. Encourage children to be self-reliant, self-disciplined. Foster a happy atmosphere in which all children are encouraged to develop responsibility for appropriately managing their behavior to the various situations encountered. Help children achieve their potential in terms of academic achievement, aesthetic appreciation, and spiritual awareness. Provide support for children's basic needs. Encourage children to trust and respect adults and peers involved in their daily routine regardless of gender, race, and creed and be aware of the school's anti-prejudice statement as an individual within the school and society - "we do not tolerate discrimination on grounds of sex, color, ethnic or national origin, language, social class, physical or mental difference". Encourage children to be tolerant and understanding with respect for the rights, views, and property of others. Foster an awareness that each member of staff is a valuable cog in the wheel of education decision making should be a team effort and personal prejudice should not be allowed to override positive decision making. Help children develop a responsible and independent attitude towards work and their roles in society. Involve the school in the community and work as partners with parents and their following school, also to foster the idea that education does not take place solely within the school. Compile and utilize resources in a manner designed to give the best possible all-around education to our children. Fulfill national and local education guidelines.
At Greenbank Primary School our early year's foundation stage consists of two nursery classes (morning and afternoon sessions) and two reception classes. All children follow the early years' curriculum. The Early Years curriculum is organized into seven areas:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social, and Emotional Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Our Early Years teaching is based on the fundamental principle that children learn best through play and ‘ hands-on experiences. We recognize that every child is unique and learning happens when they are engaged and motivated in their play and happy and secure in their learning environment. Here at Greenbank Primary, we are very proud of our caring setting and of our rich and enabling environment where children begin their lifelong love of learning.
The areas of learning are developed throughout the year within a variety of study units. Staff will plan some topics to ensure coverage of the curriculum but will follow the children's lead, to ensure that teaching reflects their interests. We have a large outdoor area which is shared between the classes. Children have access to this area daily, in all weather conditions.
At Greenbank Primary School, we believe that reading for pleasure is key to success. We encourage all children to develop a love of reading a wide variety of materials. This love of reading is shared by all our staff, and reading opportunities are promoted through all curriculum subjects.
In Key Stage 2, a Reciprocal Reading approach is used when teaching reading. Reciprocal Reading is an effective and proven approach to developing reading and comprehension. In whole-class lessons, this approach allows children to develop the language required for talking about and investigating a wide range of texts and the skills needed to overcome difficulties. Whole class reading lessons take place several times per week to enable children to develop confidence in using the strategies.
An integral part of the imitation stage of the Talk for the Writing process, ‘reading as a reader’ or ‘book talk’ encourages everyone, children and adults, to talk about what they have read, developing learners’ confidence to offer ideas and then reshape them in the light of other contributions. It helps children to talk effectively about a book or a text and think as a group to deepen their understanding and move comprehension forward. By accepting all answers positively when questioning children about what they have read, reluctant readers feel more confident in sharing their thoughts about a text.
