Castleton Community Primary School, North Yorkshire

Castleton Community Primary School

HOMEPAGE

Welcome to our School

Contact information

Castleton C. P. School, 38 High Street, Castleton, North Yorkshire, YO21 2DA

Telephone: 01287 660496

The Headteacher: Jane Douglass

'The Office'
the School Office	Term Dates
LATEST Letter July 19th 2010	Letter June 7th 2010
Letter May 21st 2010	2009 Ofsted Report OUTSTANDING!
Winter Arrangements - School Closure	Themed Thursdays After School Club
School Prospectus 2009-2010	Latest letter on the Out of School Club
www.buy.at/castletonprimary to help raise funds for the school Wednesday, 21st July – Year 6 Leavers Service at Danby Church, 9.15am Thursday, 22nd July – Leavers Assembly in Village Hall at 2pm Break up for summer holiday Monday, 6th September – children return to School (1st, 2nd & 3rd September are staff training days)   Lots of new picture pages Ascension Day Picnic at Castleton War Memorial 2010 Down at the Castleton Bowling in May 2010 * Comic Relief 2010 The Samba Band at Fylingthorpe School - Summer 2010 Juniper Tree Planting March 2010 * KS1 and KS2 Music 2010 KS1 Indoor Sport in Spring 2010 * Kwik Cricket 2010 Maypole Dancing May 2010 * Music Workshop 2010 Shoe Box Appeal November 2009 * Tennis Coaching in May 2010 An 'Educational'! Visit from the Emergency Services in April 2010 Pam' Shepherd's retirement page Summer 2009 Castleton Community Primary School 2009 Questionnaire 1. Parents Comments 2. Headteacher's response 3. Chair of Governors response 4. Pupils comments

www.northyorks.gov.uk/education

The School Profile, containing information on a number of different aspects, can be accessed by following the link: http://schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk/8152256/school-profile/

Mission statement

Together we aim to encourage the development of lively enquiring minds, independence and self-discipline and to foster a rightful sense of self worth and responsibility, which will encourage perseverance and which will lead to personal fulfilment.

Location

This Community Primary School is situated in the heart of Castleton towards the western boundary of the North York Moors National Park. It serves the villages of Castleton, Westerdale and Commondale. The main school was built in 1874 and at one time provided schooling for over 100 children aged 5 - 14 in one large room. Today we have 33 on roll and this Victorian building is divided into two classrooms, a computer suite, and an office and staff room. It also includes cloakrooms and toilets and a small kitchen where midday meals are cooked every day. The Key Stage 1 and Foundation Stage children are taught in a separate and suitably furnished classroom, which is very well resourced for this younger group.

Ethos

The school has a very caring ethos. The children here are known well and individuality is highly valued. A wide range of teaching styles is used to ensure that all children are able to access all aspects of a broad and balanced curriculum.

The school is pro-active in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Children are encouraged to have a healthy school meal in the middle of the day and we provide a fruit snack at mid-morning break. We have a wide range of play equipment, which the children use at play times and we now have a third terrace of the school garden which is covered in Astroturf fitted with large climbing equipment. The school hires a climbing wall bi-annually and the Y5/6 children have the opportunity to go 'real' rock climbing. The PE curriculum includes games, gymnastics, dance and swimming. At least once each term the whole school goes walking and this often involves other members of the community.

Each child is part of a school team and can earn team points for good work, good behaviour, co-operative play and being helpful. School teams take part in our annual school sports, a fun event that involves the whole community.

Collaborative projects are a strength of the school. Older and more able pupils are paired with younger pupils or beginner readers so that they can work together and learn from each other. The activities engaged in so far range from writing a Christmas story to designing post cards from foreign countries and from number games to craft activities.

Curriculum

Numeracy and Literacy are always considered a high priority. However, the governors of the school are particularly keen that the children have an enriched curriculum, which motivates them to learn and, in particular, prepares them for the big wide world outside our moorland situation. To this end we have :-

1. Golden Opportunities Time when the children can choose from a wide range of skills-based activities including cooking, gardening, story writing, puppetry, sewing and knitting, digital photography and making music.

2. After school activities which include music, gymnastics, botany, cycling- awareness and astronomy.

3.  Class conference times when the children can discuss school issues that may be bothering them, ways in which they think the school can be developed.

4. Outward bound activities including rock climbing, orienteering, moorland walking, botany and tree planting.

5. Visiting theatre groups, story tellers and people who are able to demonstrate a range of crafts.

6. Educational visits to places such as the Darlington Railway Museum, Beamish, Alnwick Castle and, for Y5/6, London and the Houses of Parliament and, again for Y5/6, a bi-annual multi-cultural visit to Bradford to go to the cathedral, visit a Sikh Gurdwara, Bombay stores and enjoy an Indian meal.

Development

For a number of years the school has owned a piece of land adjacent to the school. Unfortunately this was on the hillside and was steeply inclined. In 2005, with finance from Devolved Capital, the governors were able to have this land terraced and turfed. Two of these terraces now provide green space for play. This year, a third terrace has been created and has climbing equipment on it. This has created a fabulous play area with stunning views across the Esk Valley and the moors.

In addition to this an area of the playground has been enclosed and a raised garden bed made so that the children are now growing vegetables such as green beans, carrots, peas, onions and potatoes for inclusion in school dinners! Future plans include the fitting of a retractable awning to provide covered outdoor play space for the youngest children.

The Headteacher: Jane Douglass

Last day of summer term - Thursday, 22nd July 2010
Training days for staff when the children will not be in school are as follows: Monday 19th April 2010, Friday 23rd July 2010

Update on Term Dates – 2010/2011

First day of autumn term -    Monday 6^th September 2010

Half term             -    Monday, 25^th October to 

                          Friday 29^th October 2010

Last day of autumn term -    Friday 17^th December 2010

First day of spring term     -    Wednesday 5^th January 2011

Half term             -    Monday, 21^st February to

                          Friday, 25^th February 2011

Last day of spring term     -    Friday, 8^th April 2011

First day of summer term -    Wednesday, 27^th April 2011

Bank holiday          -    Monday, 2^nd May 2011

Half term             -    Monday, 30^th May to

                          Monday, 6th June (inclusive)

First day of half term     -    Tuesday, 7^th June 2011

Last day of summer term -    Friday, 22^nd July 2011

Training days for staff when the children will not be in school are as follows:

Wednesday, 1^st September 2010

Thursday, 2^nd September 2010

Friday, 3rd September 2010

Tuesday, 4^th January 2011                 

Tuesday, 26^th April 2011

Monday, 6^th June 2011

(All schools have an additional training day for implementation of New Curriculum for September 2011)

Any query or problem about the web site? please email Phil Brown

All pictures are reproduced with the kind permission of the parents and Headteacher

Castleton Community Primary School, North Yorkshire