Our Lady of Muswell Catholic Primary School. One Community Love of Learning Making Time for God

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1 Our Lady of Muswell Catholic Primary School One Community Love of Learning Making Time for God

2 Welcome to Our Lady of Muswell Catholic Primary School Our Lady of Muswell, affectionately known as OLM, is a school of which our children, staff, governors and families are very proud. We are a caring and inclusive school celebrating the rich diversity of our school community. Our culture is inspired and driven by the core values of our mission statement: One Community, Love of Learning, Making Time for God. We know that by working together as a whole school community, pupils, staff, parents and carers, we can achieve great things. Working together and caring for each other is a strong part of OLM. This is why One Community is one of our core values. Learning that engages and inspires children produces results. We strongly believe that the best way for our children to achieve their full potential is to enjoy their learning. Building a Love of Learning is at the heart of what we do and another of our core values. As a Catholic community school we believe it is vitally important that we are Making Time for God. This third core value enables our children to understand and value a Catholic ethos as they grow and develop to become responsible and valued world citizens. These three simple and clear values provide the bedrock to our approach and culture as a school.

3 Our Lady of Muswell School outline We are a two-form entry school with 30 children in each class. In addition our nursery class takes children from the age of 3 years in either a morning or afternoon session. The school is split into key stages; Early Years and Foundation Stage Nursery and Reception, Key Stage 1 Years 1 & 2, Key Stage 2 Years 3-6. Uniform Children from Reception onwards wear our school uniform showing in a clear way our pride and the sense of connectedness in our pupil population. Diversity As a Catholic school we have a more diverse background of families in the school than most schools in Muswell Hill. The richness of our diversity as a school community is wonderful and something in which we embrace and rejoice. The celebration of our diverse community occurs through the curriculum and also in celebrations throughout the year such as International Night, a highlight in the school calendar and much loved, where families of the school come together to share their culture through traditional dress, food, music and dance. International Night is lovely, a wonderful celebration of all the cultures in OLM - and the food is fab! School Outline

4 One Community Our school would not succeed without the dedicated and collaborative working of all our staff, pupils, parents, carers and governors. Everything you see and experience is a result of us all working together. As a consequence our One Community value is very important to us. It is a very welcoming school Child Participation Children join in school life as individuals, as part of their class, as part of their House Teams and as part of the overall school community that is OLM. They can also contribute to the management of the school through the school council. Each class from Year 1 upward elects two class representatives who attend meetings each half term to discuss issues relating to school life. Assembly We meet as a whole school each week for Assembly and each key stage group has their own assembly during the week. In addition once a week the whole school gathers for Star Assembly to meet and share information about the school, as well as to celebrate pupil successes in academic, sporting and personal achievements. Behaviour and Relationships We set clear expectations for how our children behave, particularly towards each other. Our behaviour policy emphasises and rewards good behaviour and builds self-esteem. It also encourages pupils to take pride in their work, their appearance and the school building. One Community OLM has a wonderful community spirit and the pastoral care is brilliant

5 Parents as Partners The Home School Agreement sets out to form the basis of the partnership by which the school, the family and the child join together. Through this partnership we strive to achieve the best possible education for every child so they may reach their full potential. Parent Helpers The school welcomes and cherishes the help we get from parents and carers with activities such as messy play, cookery, listening to children read, helping with spellings or reading stories at the end of the day. Our helpers love being close to the children and sharing in those magical moments when our children say and do things that are simply priceless. The look on their face, the pride, it s just wonderful. I feel very glad I am able to help in some way at the school Starting School for the First Time It can feel very intimidating starting school, which is why we have a few things to help your child, and you, feel at home straight away at Our Lady of Muswell. Pupil Buddy Our buddy system has been incredibly successful and many children build a strong bond with their buddy over the year. We believe it helps little ones to feel extra special and have a close relationship with an older child from the start, irrespective of whether they have a sibling already at the school. For the older children it further encourages them to think and look out for others, particularly those less able or more vulnerable than themselves. Buddy system is great and encourages responsibility and communication with other year groups Some families help us with their personal or professional skills. Examples have included music, foreign language translation and design capabilities. We are very fortunate to have an active Parent Staff Association (PSA). As a parent or carer you would automatically become a member of the PSA. We encourage all families to get involved. Their work has raised significant sums for the school whilst raising many smiles and laughs along the way. Our Parent & Carer Hand Book gives you a comprehensive introduction to dayto-day school life at OLM including all the different times and ways the school communicates with you as parents. We also hold a welcome mass each Autumn term for the new parents to come and celebrate mass and meet teaching staff and some fellow parents. It is a small and intimate event specifically so new our parents do not feel over-awed.

6 Love of Learning That children love their learning is critical for us as a school. To enable all our children to reach their full potential we strive for every child to be engaged and enthralled by their learning. Curriculum Our Lady of Muswell offers a broad and balanced curriculum following national guidelines on subjects. Topical themes and subjects that are of interest to children are reflected across the curriculum. My school is a great place to go to learn Religious Education (RE) As a Voluntary aided faith school we have some differences to a local authority run community school. A key factor is in the curriculum. As a Catholic school we set aside 10% of the scheduled teaching time for RE. We follow the diocese guidelines and programmes that explore questions about life, dignity and purpose within Catholic ethos. Literacy Literacy and the love of reading is a key part of every day in our school. We are very fortunate to have a purpose built library that holds a wide range of reading material. Class visits as well as lunchtime sessions enable children to look and select their own choice of book. Love of Learning

7 Mathematics My child is inspired by the work he does in class The mathematical development of our children is grounded in relevant practical activities and experiences. Children are taught how to apply their knowledge in everyday situations. Emphasis is placed on developing speed and flexibility in mental maths. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) We have a well-equipped ICT suite where pupils are taught ICT and e-safety skills that they then can apply across the curriculum to enhance their learning. Each class also has an interactive white board used throughout the day by class teachers and pupils. Physical Education (PE) OLM follows the National Curriculum for PE and we also provide additional opportunities through the year for pupils to try new activities and sports. Early Years and Foundation Stage (EYFS) Our EYFS has benefited from improvements to their own dedicated outside play area. This includes a music arena and large sand pit to expand the breadth of facilities our youngest pupils can use to help them learn through play. Inclusion A number of children at some point in their schooling need special educational help. It may be academic or emotional but we as a school fully support and work closely with parents and carers to ensure these children are provided for as effectively as possible. Provision for children with Special Educational Needs, English as an Additional Language, Gifted and Talented children, Looked After Children and children with medical needs is organised by our Inclusion Manager. Artistic and Musical Development OLM has a purpose-built performance studio that is regularly used for drama, music, dance, art and design instruction. Singing is very much part of daily school life and you will hear this when attending assemblies and liturgies throughout the year. My child sings a lot of beautiful songs learnt in school about God All children have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument in the school through a scheme run by Haringey s Music and Performing Arts Centre. More details on this can be found at

8 Home Support We encourage all parents and carers to support the learning through talking about topics and subjects at home. This is because we recognise and value the importance of you as your child s primary educators. To help you do this we hold curriculum meetings at the start of each school year and send an outline of the curriculum outline by subject each half term. I like the way homework is set out this is helpful as a parent to encourage home learning Home Learning Home learning is planned and structured to help consolidate and progress our children in their learning. Key Stage 1 focuses on very simple elements and with an emphasis on reading every day at home with your child. Working in partnership with parents and carers is important and so parents are encouraged to record comments in the home reading diaries. Children in higher years undertake more formal and at times project based home learning which requires more home working. Visits Each of our year groups have planned trips during the year. Past trips have included to the local library to hear a local author read and to venues further afield such as the Gunpowder Mills in Essex. Every year our Year 6 classes go to a residential outward-bound centre to learn about nature, the environment and generally have a fabulous time. For the last few years our children have visited Hilltops and they all describe it as the highlight of their year 6. My daugher s trip to Hilltop is something she will never forget and the success of that trip is due to the dedication of school staff After School activities The school provides a setting for a wide variety of externally run activities, these include: -Art class -Dance - Football - Gymnastics - Capoeria - Science Club - Multi Sports Full details on schedules, cost and activities covered are set out by each provider and held outside the school office for interested parents. He really enjoys the activities after school

9 Making Time for God OLM has a strong Catholic ethos and teaching inbuilt into school life. Collective Worship Each day starts and ends with a prayer. Pupils also prepare and participate in a range of whole-school and year-group liturgies. Parents and carers are warmly invited to participate in many of these liturgies. Our school sits within the parish of Our Lady of Muswell in the Diocese of Westminster. Fr Mark Anwyl is our Parish Priest. Fr Mark is a frequent visitor to the school and helps us with key celebrations and liturgies. We take older children to the church at Our Lady of Muswell for many of the religious celebrations. The school has a very strong Catholic ethos and teaches children to think and care for each other aking Time for God

10 Practical Information Breakfast & After School Clubs We know that many of our parents and carers have very busy lives and so have a breakfast club at school beginning at 08:00 so that children can enjoy breakfast in a relaxed environment as well as engaging in quiet play before school. Parents can also arrange for their child to be collected at the end of the school day by the after school club. The club takes the children to a local centre where they take care of them until with organised play, games and quiet space for homework Food In the School Community We are an accredited Healthy School and we have a food policy supporting healthy eating. Our school meal provider, Accent, produces a choice of tasty hot food each day plus cold food options such as wraps and sandwiches. Our school meals are very popular which is a testament to their quality and variety. Lessons are fun and we have nice food. Application Process for a Place in Reception Please read the local authority guidelines on the applications process and the criteria for oversubscription set out by the board of governors of OLM. You must complete all documentation including the additional Catholicity forms and return to Haringey s School Admissions before the deadline set by them. Details can be found at and at the school office. Application Process for a Place in Nursery We accept children from three years of age into our Nursery. Please contact the school directly for an application. It is important to understand that having a place in our nursery does not mean a child has been accepted into next year s Recption class at OLM. The application process for a place in Reception as set out above must be completed for every child wishing to attend Reception at OLM. Joining the School Later On (In-Year) As a school with a diverse and international population we do have families who move away from Muswell Hill. If you are seeking a place in a year other than Nursery or Reception you will need to contact Haringey and complete the In-Year Application form. Transport The vast majority of our children walk, cycle or scoot to school and we encourage this as part of minimising impact to the local community, the environment and also in support of an active and healthy lifestyle for all of our children and for our staff. The school is very good at making her feel special See and Hear About OLM We also encourage all prospective parents to arrange a walk around our school. Visitors frequently comment on how well behaved and engaged our children are in their learning. Seeing our school in action will really give you a sense and feel for the culture and spirit of our wonderful school. Please contact the school office for more details.

11 If you need any further information that is not included in this document please do contact us. We are very happy to talk to you and help you decide if Our Lady of Muswell is the right choice of school for you and your child. Our contact details are: Our Lady of Muswell Catholic School, Pages Lane, Muswell Hill, London. N10 1PS t: e: w: Thank-you to everyone in our school community who gave their time, skills and resources to make this prospectus possible.