Welcome

Welcome to Thistly Meadow Primary School.  

At Thistly Meadow, we want every pupil to experience success, as soon as they arrive at school.  We aim to prepare pupils to be curious and enthusiastic learners, as part of our vision for the joy of lifelong learning. All leaders, our dedicated staff and governing body are committed to ensuring that every pupil has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Our pupils are at the heart of all that we do; we aim for our pupils to flourish and achieve the best that they can - academically, socially and personally. Our staff have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and we take a shared responsibility to ensure that every pupil thrives. We take time to understand how pupils are feeling. Our pupils are supported to describe their emotions and are taught to have a range of strategies to help them to be successful throughout the school day.

Our broad and rich curriculum aims to provide a great education for all pupils, it is carefully sequenced and sets out exactly what pupils will learn and when they will learn it. The essential knowledge and skills that pupils should learn are identified and the content is broken down into small steps to develop a deeper understanding of each subject over time. Our curriculum is also extremely ambitious - connections in, between and across subjects are meaningful and relevant. From the moment pupils join our school, they deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding. Everything revolves around learning.

At Thistly Meadow, teachers receive regular teaching and learning development which means that they always aim to provide clear explanations and design well-thought out learning activities. Assessment is used to identify where gaps are and then teaching is adapted, responding to need, and to provide targeted support. Communication, language and personal and social development is prioritised, as soon as the children start in the early years.

We have robust systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and we have a good understanding of the best ways to support pupils. We carefully design adaptations for SEND / disadvantaged pupils so that all pupils can access the curriculum and have the best chance to make progress and do well.

Our absolute priority is ensuring that every child can read, starting with our youngest children. Our reading curriculum is ambitious, well-planned and focused on securing foundational knowledge so that all pupils can read with increasing accuracy and confidence. Pupils in early years quickly learn their sounds, and highly skilled adults support them to keep up. Nothing is left to chance. Reading is woven into every aspect of the curriculum; each year group has carefully chosen books and literacy links. Leaders ensure that books in school reflect the diversity of the school community and the world in which our pupils live.

We promote British values and help pupils to show curiosity about the lives and beliefs of others. We also enhance pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society, giving everyone opportunities to experience, discuss and share their own faiths and beliefs. Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Pupils learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect. Our curriculum and many activities, including arts and sports, help pupils to learn collaborative skills, develop empathy and show high levels of respect for everyone.

Assemblies and class discussions provide opportunities for pupils to learn about others, the world around them, as well as to support local and national initiatives and provide them with aspirational experiences for their futures. Our pupils have empathy for others and raise money for a range of local and national charities.

We warmly welcome families to visit us and look around our learning environment. In addition, our video here will give you a flavour of our welcoming school and the exciting opportunities that we offer to our children.

Mr Bowpitt
Executive Head Teacher