A Community Approach

Community links and generating pupils with strong morals remain focuses of our termly enrichment weeks, as does seeking discovery and creativity.  In all areas of the curriculum we look to collaborate with external partners to deliver the best offer for our pupils and the wider community.

The school recognises that science is both an exciting academic subject and another area where children can develop reasoning and provide opportunities to discover. The school is currently working towards its Primary Science Quality Mark (PQSM).

We recognise R.E as a core subject, so we adhere to a locally agreed syllabus.  We also recognise that parents are the primary educators of the faith and we work closely with the local religious community in embedding these strong links with our local community. We foster an ethos of serving both individuals and society. We place an importance on developing an understanding of different faiths and cultures – developing tolerance and including all those with any faith and those with none.

Currently the staff are working on improving our subject leaders monitoring processes to ensure the school is providing a rich and effective curriculum. We have also questioned whether we are making the most of our locality and will be assessing our school trips for next year, and hopefully making the most of our beautiful landmarks and the rural location – places we all take for granted.

The school prides itself on providing all families with support and sign posting care when needed. Within RSHE and citizenship, allowances for the socio-economics of the area are made and we recognise that the children need both a sense of valuing themselves, and developing aspirations for their future and for their community. We have designed our assembly values and termly curriculum enrichment weeks (STEM, Healthy Schools and Cultural Diversity weeks) to provide a breadth of experience within a subject area, drawing on outside speakers, involvement of parents and developing a sense of empathy. Careers advice often features within the curriculum enrichment weeks and enables visitors (including parents) to meet with the children and expose them to life outside school, providing them with ideas for their future. We are passionate that all children realise that it is a big and wonderful world out there that they can play an active and positive part in it. With the community idea leaving Birchwood Junior School, a better place than they found it.

To do this not only do we pursue excellence but ensure the children are equipped with the correct skills in which to do this, for example we have links with many local clubs such as Birchwood Colts, Lincoln Rugby Club and Hartsholme Cricket Club. We play an important part in providing the means for social mobility. The experiences we offer pupils are designed to ignite interests and harness pupils skill sets. Examples of this would be how pupils work with the Young Journalist Academy to develop presenting, questioning and oracy skills. Community links with mini police help children realise they can have a positive impact on their local area. We maintain close links with the local community such as Lincoln University, as part of the mini police community and a very dynamic working relationship with all the local primary schools, Birchwood Federation.

The Birchwood Federation has strong Governing body that provide challenge and play an active role in school life. Ofsted state: ‘Governors make frequent, focused visits and check how well pupils are learning. They monitor all aspects of safeguarding carefully and speak with pupils about feeling safe. Governors act on pupils’ comments to make improvements.  Safeguarding is effective and remains a high priority within the school.’