Visit to Saint Joan of Arc Primary School, London

Abstract

Aims of the report: I had the opportunity to visit Saint Joan of Arc, Roman Catholic Primary School in Highbury Park, London. During my stay of fifteen days I could observe and reflect upon administrative practice in schools. I shadowed the Head of school, Sister Margaret Fox. It was an opportunity to see the organisation and management of the school. Apart from shadowing the Head I could see different aspects of the school's work. I observed learning and teaching when I went in classes. I am going to write about the organisational structure of the school, the curriculum, the staff, pupils and parents. After commenting on all of these I am going to indicate the relevance of my experience to the local situation. I would like to thank the Headteacher of the school, Sister Margaret Fox who made all the arrangements for my visit. My thanks also go to the whole staff who helped me all through the visit and made me feel one of them. Characteristics of the school: St. Joan of Arc School is attached to the St. Joan of Arc Church, which is a part of Westminster Diocese. The school in its current building was built in 1963 and opened in September the same year, and the Staff are constantly working towards the steady increase of education standard. Following the example of their Patron Saint, St. Joan of Arc, they try to instil in their pupils a need to reach, without fear, for goals which might at times appear distant or difficult to achieve. St. Joan of Arc School is a Voluntary Aided School. This means that the building is owned by Westminster Diocesan Board of Education. Each year the Governors make a payment to the diocesan building fund for maintaining and insuring the building. St. Joan of Arc School is a Roman Catholic Primary School for boys and girls aged three to eleven. There are 415 pupils on roll of which 26 attend the nursery class on a full-time basis. There are two admissions a year to the nursery and to the two reception classes - September and January. Then children can start school just before their fifth birthday and are transferred to Secondary school at the age of 11. Before the end of the final year parents make a choice of secondary schools in accordance with the selection criteria of that school. Pupils are taught by sixteen full-time teachers plus a nursery teacher. The average class size is 28. Pupils come to the school from a range of backgrounds and at different stages of readiness to learn. One per cent of pupils start school with pre-reading skills. There is a balanced intake of boys and girls. About a quarter of pupils are of Irish origin and another quarter are of African Caribbean heritage. A high proportion of pupils (3 8%) speak English as an additional language. Almost 40% of pupils are entitled to free school meals; this is high compared to the national average of between 10%-20% for schools of this type. About 97 pupils have been identified with special educational needs and receive additional support. Five pupils have statements of their special educational needs. The governors: The Governors of the school are made up of four groups: 1. Foundation Governors, appointed by Westminster Dioceses, one of whom should be the parent of a child at the school. 2. Parent Governor, elected by the parents. 3. Teacher Governor, elected by the teachers. 4. Local Authority Governor, appointed by Islington Council. School Governors have a range of responsibilities and duties. Their general responsibility is to ensure that the school is run effectively and to offer general guidance to the Head. The detailed decisions on the day-to-day running of the school are taken by the Head and the staff. The Governors meet regularly to discuss school business such as the school budget, building plans, the curriculum, and general policies for the school such as standards of behaviour. They are kept informed of school events. School Governors also have a legal requirement to ensure that the school is offering, a curriculum which meets the needs of the pupils and which conforms with the National Curriculum introduced under the Education Reform Act in 1988. The Governors are also responsible for the appointment of staff and the admission of pupils to the school. Once a year the Governors hold a meeting for parents to discuss their annual report. This is also an opportunity for the parents to meet Governors. Mr. Tom Crawley is the Chair of Governors and Ms Mary Keegan is the Vice Chair of Governors.

School building: Saint Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Primary School is situated in Highbury, North London, next to Saint Joan of Arc Church which is part of the Westminster Diocese. The school opened in its current buildings in 1963. An annexe of four additional, prefabricated, classrooms was added soon after. The school building is in an inner London city area. Although it is built in a residential area, the school is an open plan and has large play areas. It is very near the church of St Joan of Arc and there is an access to the church from the school playground. The main block has a ground floor and first floor. The ground floor houses six large classrooms for lower Juniors , the School Library, the Medical Room, Audio Visual, the Administration, Staff room and toilets. On the first floor there are five large classrooms for upper Juniors, a small office and toilets. In the annexe there are four classes for Infants. In another building there is a large hall used for school assemblies and as children's dining area. There is a smaller hall used for Parents' meetings, Physical Education and Singing. There is also a Reading Recovery unit. The nursery is situated far away from the main school building. There is a small playground strictly for their use with sand pits and area for water play. There is also a big playground for the children's use during play time and lunch break. Mission statement: The school's Mission Statement is: The Members of the Community of St Joan of Arc School, by respecting each other, learn and grow in the love of Jesus Christ EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE SCHOOL The Educational aims of the school are :- 1. To create a caring Christian environment in which the love of God is present so that all members of their community, teachers, non-teaching staff, pupils and parents can feel valued for what they are and contribute fully to the educational process. 2. To provide the opportunity for each child to develop his/her full potential, spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically and emotionally through a well stimulated National Curriculum which is regularly reviewed and monitored. 3. To provide the opportunity for each child to develop his/her full potential, spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically and emotionally through a well stimulated National Curriculum which is regularly reviewed and monitored. 4. To provide equal opportunity in education for all their children irrespective of their social status in life. 5. To help the children to become familiar with the Christian values as found in the Gospels, thus enabling them to find meaning and value in their own lives. 6. To help the children to study the basic principles and values of the great world religions as a preparation for becoming responsible and open-minded citizens in a multi-cultural community. The mission statement and its aims underpin all the teaching and learning in the school. The school sees itself as part of the educational mission of the church in this area of London, catering for the needs of children within of St. Joan of Arc (Highbury), St. Thomas More (Manor House) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Stoke Newington).