The school was established in 1931 by the Dominican Sisters to serve the needs of the new parish of Burnt Oak and the existing parishes of Edgware and Kingsbury Green where no Catholic schools existed. We celebrated our eightieth anniversary in 2011 and created a Prayer Garden, in the playground, to mark the occasion.
The Annunciation Catholic Infant School is a two-form entry school with a maximum of 232 pupils on the roll (180in school and 52 Nursery pupils). 91% of Nursery pupils transfer to Reception classes in September with some pupils remaining on the waiting list for places. In September 2017, 70% of Reception pupils will have attended our Nursery and 30% of pupils will join our school from other Nursery settings mostly within Barnet. Two-thirds or more of our pupils come from the Burnt Oak Parish which is one of the most deprived areas in Barnet. The school continues to have an excellent reputation within the local area and has been consistently outstanding in all Ofsted inspections
We share a commitment to the task of Catholic education based on Gospel values of love and respect for all. The diversity of our school community gives us ample opportunity to value and celebrate the languages and cultures of the children and develop an understanding of what constitutes British Values. Respect for one’s own and others’ cultural background underpins relationships and behavior
We are a community of children, parents, teachers, governors, and priests belonging to the parishes of Annunciation, St. Anthony's, and SS Sebastian and Pancras. As a Catholic school, Christ is at the heart of our community, where everyone is valued and loved. We acknowledge the importance of our partnership with parents, parishes, and the wider community. We value the role played by parents and their involvement in the education of children and the work of the school.
We are an inclusive school offering excellence and enjoyment in learning and teaching, a place where every child is special and where every child is encouraged to do their very best. We aim to deliver a creative curriculum, delivered by a highly skilled, caring, and professional staff. We continue to strive for excellence in all we do. We always remember, however, that our children are cherished for what they are, not for what they may be able to accomplish.
As a Catholic school, we stress the centrality of Religious Education within the curriculum. Our school ethos is based on caring, sharing, kindness, and forgiveness and we aim to help the children develop a personal relationship with God. We recognize the importance of a strong partnership between home, school, and parish. This is encouraged through shared worship through the celebration of the Eucharist and class assemblies and liturgies to which parents are invited. We follow the ‘Come and See’ Religious Education Programme throughout the school. There are also many opportunities during the day to help the children discover and appreciate the beauty and mystery of God’s world. In 2011 we established our Prayer Garden, which was blessed by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, as part of our eightieth-anniversary celebrations.
Our school ethos and Behaviour Policy incorporate the value of respect, and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is demonstrated in our school. Our school rules and aims promote respect and tolerance for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our Behaviour Policy. We aim to enhance pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience some of these differences. Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and different forms of bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. This has been celebrated through our ‘Other Faiths Weeks.’ Pupils are also encouraged to understand and reach out to communities who are less fortunate than themselves and each year raise significant amounts for charity, demonstrating their respect for those who live in very different circumstances to ours.
