Trafalgar Junior School is a community school situated in Twickenham in the London borough of Richmond Upon Thames. We are a three-form entry school of about 350 pupils. At Trafalgar, we have a vibrant English and maths curriculum embedded across the school. Good quality ‘real books’ are a common feature of our English lessons, together with the use of a range of technology and drama to enthuse the children and make the learning exciting maths lessons focus on the key skills, whilst always aiming to have a ‘real life’ feel to make the learning relevant to the children and their life experience.
We are very proud of the breadth of our curriculum throughout the school and we also place a high value on music, the arts, sport, and personal, social, and health education. This is evident particularly in our regular themed weeks or days, such as Sport for All Week, Science Day, and Performing Arts Week. As part of these events, the children meet and work with professional artists, writers, and sports personalities. Other visitors include poets, theatre groups, artists, as well as teachers from other countries who share their culture and language with us, including visitors from our link schools in India and Spain. Our school has many awards including Artsmark Gold, Eco and Healthy Schools status, and the full British Council International Schools Award.
We have an exciting program of visits throughout the four years. As well as visiting museums, theatres, places of worship and art galleries, children visit a local nature reserve, Kew Gardens, HMS Belfast, and Hampton Court Palace, to name but a few.
We have a rich and exciting learning environment. Staff and pupils work together to create colorful, vibrant classrooms where teaching and learning are celebrated. Classrooms are well resourced and creatively used to facilitate interactive learning. Other dedicated teaching spaces include a music room, a computer suite, and nearby playing fields, all of which promote purposeful learning with lots of fun along the way.
We have an extensive range of clubs on offer both at lunchtime and after school. These include fee-paying clubs run by trained coaches and tutors and free clubs run by school staff. The program is always changing and growing but there is always something for everyone, for example, basketball, photography, and creative dance.
The children at Trafalgar feel that they are listened to and that their contributions are respected and, when appropriate, acted upon. This is evident in classroom life, in discussions, debating activities, and “Circle Time”, and in the work of our thriving School Council, which has elected representatives from each class.
Children also enjoy opportunities to take real responsibility in roles such as librarians, Green Team organizers, and gardeners. Our Green Team communicators lead the school in our focus as an eco-friendly school. Many of our Year 6 children take on responsibilities such as ‘welcomer’ and ‘playleader’ – and they all take their roles very seriously.
We have always believed at Trafalgar that the welfare and care of our children are of utmost importance, not just in supporting their learning, but also in helping them to develop as well-rounded, confident, and happy individuals, ready for the next stage of their learning. We promote healthy lifestyles and discuss with children ways of solving problems and dealing with difficulties. We believe that dialogue with parents concerning issues of health and happiness is equally vital.
We aim to be an inclusive school where everyone is welcome and all unique contributions are valued. We work proactively to remove barriers that can hinder or exclude individual pupils or groups of pupils from learning and joining in. Our work with the children is continually reviewed so we can assess how successful we are being at making sure everyone, whatever their gender, race, disability, or additional educational needs, is included, treated equally, and their needs are met.
A close and supportive partnership between school and parents is important to us. Parents are welcome to come and help in school and we have a thriving and supportive PTA, which not only raises funds but also helps to create the sense of community that is so important to Trafalgar. We aim for regular communication with parents through our ‘Home School links books’ and newsletters. Our regularly updated website also keeps everyone in touch. Curriculum evenings, parent consultations, and open afternoons are regular dates in the school calendar and these are always great opportunities for us to build the “home/school” partnership.
Trafalgar Junior School is well known and liked in the local community. The school choir has performed at a local shopping center, gardening center, and old people’s home, and we have had close links with our nearby church. Local people love to come to our extensive and varied Summer Fair which is always a great community occasion. Our successful “Meet the Author” evenings are very popular, not only giving opportunities for our children to meet real authors in person but also these events are advertised locally and open to the public. We hold the International School award and have developed a strong global education curriculum through our links with schools in Spain and India.
