We are a larger than average junior school but we pride ourselves on maintaining the caring atmosphere often associated with smaller schools. Our new students each year tell us that they find the school welcoming and secure. We have a broadly equal number of boys and girls and a full range of abilities.
Thames View Junior School is at the heart of our community. It is a place where everybody has a voice and is valued. Positive relationships between staff, pupils, and parents ensure that our children flourish in an environment of mutual respect and tolerance. We are an ambitious school with high expectations of both staff and pupils. Our children will leave us, ready to positively embrace life in modern Britain, and through our broad and balanced curriculum, we endeavor to prepare them for the stage of their academic journey.
We believe parental co-operation and support are key factors in educational success. Class teachers, Year Group Leaders, and our Senior Leadership Team are all happy to be contacted about individual children. Often, an early word between parent and school can prevent any worries from developing into a problem. The school is also starting the Parent-Teacher Association, which will organize fund-raising and social events which will make a major contribution to the life of the school. If you are interested in getting involved please let a member of staff know.
We have an excellent team of teachers, well-qualified academically, hard-working, and committed to ensuring that every student achieves his or her best. Many of our staff have taught in the area for a long time and know the community well. Just as importantly, we have been able to attract new young staff who bring fresh ideas and expertise.
There are no mixed-ability classes at Thames View Junior School. Students are placed in one of three bands according to their ability. All their lessons take place with students of similar ability to themselves. Teachers are therefore able to push every child at the right pace, allowing high-ability students to move ahead very quickly and students who need extra support to get the help they need. Each student’s progress is regularly reviewed to make sure they are in the correct band.
Our curriculum comprises a mixture between schemes of work and our own devised curriculum which we review every year to best fit the changing and developing needs of our learners. The backbone of our curriculum is underpinned by rich, high-quality texts that are challenging, engaging, and accessible to the children. We form our creative topics around these texts which you can see in our topic maps below. Topic time covers all foundation subjects. By designing our tailored curriculum, we know that we are delivering our children a broad, balanced, and varied curriculum, full of opportunities to problem solve, explore the wider world, and have an understanding of the immediate world around them.
We believe that all of these elements encourage our children to be resilient and independent learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their education and life in modern Britain. We promote and teach mindfulness through our PSHE scheme and positive mindsets are embedded around the school, meaning our children have a ‘can-do attitude. This ethos means that our children are respectful and tolerant and share in each other's successes. We run a huge range of after-school activities, please ensure that you look at our most recent clubs under the Teaching and Learning Tab. We believe that children should have opportunities to continue learning outside of the classroom and actively encourage all of our children to join our clubs, all of which are free of charge.
Homework is set daily for reading and weekly for spellings and maths. Children are also given two topic-style projects over each half term which they are encouraged to complete with you at home to immerse themselves further in the area of study. For children that are unable to complete their homework or need some extra support, we offer a homework club that runs on Monday after school.
We keep a very careful check on each student’s progress as they move up through the school. Parents receive a full written report on their child once a year, as well Parent Consultation meetings twice a year. Parents are also invited in at the end of each half term to share in the children’s achievement of their wider work or topic area. Teachers assess children half termly through optional testing and take part in pupil progress meetings with the Headteacher every term.
The great majority of Thames View Junior School students are well-behaved and work hard. They are rewarded with praise, team points, certificates, prizes, and certificates in assembly. Those few students who choose to break the rules must face the consequences of their actions, which can include behavior logs, missing golden time, time out, lunchtime detention, and eventually exclusion from school. We take a particularly strong line in dealing with any signs of bullying.
We are very fortunate to have a small school library with a variety of texts accessible to all children. Each classroom also has a class library with a selection of excellent books. We are a school that truly values the cultural arts. The children take part in weekly singing assemblies and put on yearly shows and concerts including a Christmas Pantomime, Carol Service, Spring Concert, and Summer shows. It is an embedded part of our school calendar and something that we are very proud of.
We encourage all children to actively take part in sports both in and out of school. We run over 15 sports clubs and regularly take part in borough competitions that include, football for both girls and boys, tag rugby, cross country, and athletics. All children also take part in inter-house sports competitions to earn points for their teams and compete for the glory of the house cup.
