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Please find below a selection of questions that
I am frequently asked about Salcombe. I am sure that the answers
will give you a little bit more of an insight into the school.
How long has
the school been here?
How big are your class sizes?
What is the I.C.T. provision in
the school?
How are children taught in the
Infant department?
How are children taught in the
Junior department?
Do you have any after school activities?
What are the links between staff
and parents?
Does the school have a Parents’
Association?
What sports do children participate
in?
What time does the school day
start and finish?
How are the children prepared
for 11+ exams?
What secondary schools do Salcombe
children go on to?
What is there in the way of Music
and Drama?
How would you describe the school?
At what age does Salcombe take
children?
How many children are there in
the school?
How long has the school been here?
Salcombe was founded in 1918.
How big are your class sizes?
On average, there are 14 children in each
class. Small class sizes are an important part of the school’s
ethos and class sizes never go beyond 18 but are generally between
14-16.
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What is the I.C.T. provision in the school?
ICT has been an area of significant development
and investment over the last two years. At Green Road, there are
now 14 new computers, all with Internet connection, set up. A new
colour laser printer has also recently been installed. At Chase
Side, the ICT suite houses 18 new computers all with internet connection
and a variety of cross-curricular software. Over the summer of 2003,
the school also installed a wireless network around the whole junior
school to enable the 18 purchased laptops to be used in any classroom
in the school.
How are children taught in the Infant
department?
Children are taught primarily by the class
teacher but there is some subject specialist teaching in French
and Music.
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How are children taught in the Junior
department?
Children in the junior school are taught
by subject specialists and so will have a number of different teachers.
Unless there is a need to move to a specialist room, e.g. for ICT,
Art, P.E., the children remain in their classroom and the teachers
go to them.
Do you have any after school activities?
After school activities play an important
part of the school day and are many and varied. At present there
are after school clubs in dance, karate, football, touch rugby,
art, chess, computers, fantasy football, drama, gymnastics and multisports.
Children are encouraged to take part in these activities and many
take part in at least one after school club a week. The school also
provides before and after school care and those children who stay
behind for these have supervised homework study, after a short break
at the end of the school day. This allows them to complete any homework
at school, thus allowing them quality time with their families when
they go home.
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What are the links between staff and parents?
The home-school link is vital in any school
and staff are available on a daily basis after school to answer
any questions that parents may have. Alternatively, if parents feel
they require a longer period of time, a formal appointment can be
arranged at a mutually convenient time. There are termly Parents’
Evenings as well as regular written reports to keep parents informed
of how their child is progressing.
Does the school have a Parents’
Association?
The School have a thriving Parents’
Association who meet monthly and are responsible for organising
a number of events
through the year, for example, quiz evenings, Christmas and Summer
Fetes, barbecues, etc. These events are always well-attended by
parents, staff and children and are an important part of the school
calendar.
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What sports do children participate in?
As well as the after school sporting activities,
sport is an integral part of the school curriculum and children
enjoy Physical Education from Reception up to Year 6. From Year
2 onwards, in addition to their timetabled P.E. lesson, children
have a Games afternoon where greater time is spent playing football,
netball, cricket, rounders, tennis and athletics.
Matches are played at under 9 and under 11 level against other
schools.
What time does the school day start and
finish?
Children are expected to be in their classrooms
for registration by 8.45am but are allowed to arrive from 8.30am,
unless booked in for before school care in which case they are able
to arrive from 8.00am.
In the Infants the school day finishes at 3.30pm for Reception,
3.40pm for Year1 and 3.45pm for Year 2. For Years 3-6, the school
day finishes at 4pm. On both sites, there is after school care which
is up until 6pm. This has to be pre-booked either on a termly or
a one-off basis.
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How are the children prepared for 11+
exams?
Salcombe has an excellent record of success
at 11+ and the preparation for secondary school examinations is
meticulous and comprehensive. The school has a vast bank of past
papers from all the schools that our children sit exams for and
children will practice these papers under exam conditions. The Head
holds a meeting for all Year 5 parents in the summer term to discuss
the transfer procedure and the different types of schools available,
and subsequently holds individual meetings with every set of parents
to discuss their child’s progress and advise on possible secondary
schools.
What secondary schools do Salcombe children
go on to?
These are many
in number, including The Latymer
School, Queen Elizabeth Boys’ School, City of London, City
of London Girls, Haberdashers’ Askes (Boys and Girls), St.
Alban’s (Boys and Girls), Dame Alice Owen, Henrietta Barnett,
St. Columba’s College, Aldenham, and Belmont.
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What is there in the way of Music and
Drama?
Specialist Music teachers are employed on
both sites and in the junior school, the children have the option
to learn a musical instrument. All will learn the recorder but there
are additional options to learn piano, violin or guitar. The school
has a choir which competes at a number of local competitions where
it has been very successful. There are musical performances from
Reception at various times in the year.
Drama is a timetabled subject from Years 3 onwards and the children
also have the chance to attend an after school Drama Club.
How would you describe the school?
Salcombe is a happy school where warm and
friendly relationships exist among staff and pupils. Pupils enjoy
coming to school, feel happy and secure, and their behaviour is
very good. We believe the children work best when they are happy.
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At what age does Salcombe take children?
Children join Reception in the September
following their 4th birthday. Occasionally, there are places in
other year groups subject to interview and assessment.
How many children are there in the school?
There are 290 children in total on both sites.
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