St. Gerard's Catholic Primary School is a small school at the heart of its community. We are in the Birmingham Diocese and have approximately 233 children on the roll of which 26 have a full-time nursery place. We are a one-form entry school with up to 30 children in each class. Approximately 57% of children are baptized Catholic. Demand for places continues to exceed capacity as the school is well respected and has a good reputation in the community.
Our school site offers a quiet area, a playground, which has marked lines for a football pitch, outdoor gym equipment, a gardening area, and Katie's Garden for outdoor lessons. When a child begins their education with us they will most likely begin in our Nursery before moving into Reception. Our Early Years Unit offers a very wide variety of experiences and opportunities for pupils to express themselves and learn. Our pupils' personal, social and emotional development is key and our dedicated team of EYFS staff ensures pupils' needs are met every day. Child Initiated learning is a fundamental part of our EYFS practice and our pupils very quickly develop into confident, independent learners that are well prepared to move into Year 1.
At Key Stage 1, a high emphasis is placed on the development of reading as this is crucial to success in both writing and mathematics. We follow the Letters and Sounds program to deliver our phonics and pupils achieve well by the end of Key Stage 1 and in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. In Key Stage 2, we focus on developing our pupil's skills across the curriculum with a particular emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy.
The school aims to achieve its mission through an inclusive curriculum that supports independent, creative learning for every child a curriculum that is broad and challenging. It is also creative, fun, and full of interesting and vibrant learning experiences for all our pupils. The curriculum is delivered through a variety of approaches, depending upon the subject/topic being taught, the needs of the child, and the aim of the lesson. The curriculum is continually evolving through experience and evaluation.
Underpinning our curriculum is the TASC wheel which enables our pupils to be well prepared for learning and develops the key skills of independence and deeper thinking. When pupils leave our school, our pupils are always well prepared for the future. Our lunchtimes are packed full of fun activities for pupils to take part in and we have a high number of lunchtime and after school clubs on offer to enrich the learning experiences of our pupils, eg. choir, singing playgrounds, play leaders and chess.
Our aims are to:
- Provide a friendly welcome to your child, in a safe, secure and stimulating, Catholic environment in which to enjoy learning.
- Teach the children about Jesus Christ and the values of living as a Catholic.
- Promote high standards of work and behavior whilst encouraging and supporting children to do their best.
- Teach a broad and balanced curriculum to meet your child's individual needs.
- Inform parents of their child's progress at Parents' Evening and through an annual written report.
- Form a partnership with parents and pupils to celebrate success and overcome any behavioral or learning problems they may have.
- To develop all staff and provide ongoing training which will benefit teacher and child alike in our commitment to raising standards in all areas of school life.
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. We educate and provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and investing in a broad education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these choices wisely.
Our vision remains rooted in our Mission Statement: 'With Christ at our side and St. Gerard as our guide, we strive for perfection. We are a small family community with a strong Catholic ethos. We take tremendous pride in knowing our children very well and being committed to offering them the finest start to their education, where they can thrive in a safe, caring, welcoming, and happy environment of mutual respect. Our expectations are high and we make every effort to achieve the highest possible standards in our work and relationships with each other.
With Jesus at its heart, we aim to create a caring and stimulating learning environment that is both challenging and fun. We aim to work with our families to help every child to achieve their potential as happy and responsible children of God.
