About our School
Stisted Primary Academy is a smaller than average Church of England school. We currently have 104 children split into 4 classes.
The majority of children live outside the priority admission area and travel into the village.
We have a strong Christian and inclusive ethos and a curriculum that focuses on character and personal development as well as academic performance.
The characteristics that we are most proud of include :
Class organisation
We can accommodate 15 pupils in each year group (Year R to Year 6) split into 4 classes. The class structure is as follows:
Class 1 (Reception: 4-5 year olds) [15 children per class]
Class 2 (Year 1 and Year 2: 5-7 year olds) [30 children per class]
Class 3 (Year 3 and Year 4: 7-9 year olds) [30 children per class]
Class 4 (Year 1 and Year 2: 9-11 year olds) [30 children per class]
We have also created a Montessori environment to enhance our Early Years provision and to support children with additional needs.
Our School Day
8am : Breakfast Club (optional, small charge applies)
8.35am : Gates Open
8.45am : Start of the school day, registration and Early Morning Work
9am : Morning Session 1
10.10am : Assembly
10.30am : Break
10.50 am : Morning Session 2
12pm : Lunch EYFS and Key Stage 1
12.10pm : Lunch Key Stage 2
1.10pm : Afternoon session
3.15pm : School day ends
Our Learning Environment
Our school building has been modernised and extended several times since the school was first built in 1879.
We have 4 well-resourced classrooms, a Montessori Classroom, a spacious school hall, kitchen, an all weather outdoor sports area, group room, wildlife area, allotment, playground, an early years outdoor play area including an extensive school playing field with spectacular views of the Essex countryside.
We have two break out group rooms where small groups can be taught and a large airy school hall.
We have our own allotment and wildlife area in the school grounds. This is managed by staff and children. All produce is used by our kitchen and served to children who opt for a school dinner. We also take the children out into the village and local woods.
Every class has at least one school trip per year. We also run residential trips.
Special Educational Needs
Our school has an excellent reputation for our provision for children with specific learning needs. Support is given both within class lessons and sometimes in small groups. This is monitored by the School’s Special Needs and Disabilities Coordinator. Teaching assistants are also used to support groups of pupils. Children with additional needs will have them assessed and receive specific support or provision based on an Individual Education Plan.
We also have an enhanced provision Montessori Classroom and curriculum specifically designed for children with specific or additional needs. The Montessori influenced environment is a calm but busy environment where the children are involved in small group or individual activities. The equipment and environment is designed to develop children’s concentration, co-ordination and independence.
Our carefully designed activities are matched to a child’s Individual Education Plan and are aimed to develop their sensory, numeric, language and practical skills.
Mental health and well-being
We value children’s health and well-being and introduced Basil, our school pet, and therapeutic dog in September 2020.
Basil had his own mishap during lockdown and lost a leg in a freak accident. The good news is that he has made a full recovery and has returned to running and jumping as if back to normal.
We turned this mishap into an opportunity and as inspiration to our children that disability need not be a barrier.
Basil is a great source of inspiration and brings joy, happiness, love, fun and a sense of awe and wonder into our school community. We also have a strong pastoral support programme and and a dedicated member of staff for mental health and well-being.
Children's Safety
We are committed to the protection and safety of your child. This includes their health, safety and general well-being. Child Protection is the responsibility of everyone who works in the school. The Head teacher is the named Designated Person for Child Protection matters. All members of staff receive training in child protection procedures and how to keep your child safe. This training is regularly updated. All adults who are in regular contact with children are police checked and vetted with the Disclosure and Barring Service. A copy of the Child Protection Policy can be collected from the School Office.
The Community
We have close links with the local pre-school and with our neighbouring secondary schools. Local residents sometimes join us for various events throughout the year and our older pupils visit a local Residential Home at Christmas, to entertain the residents with Christmas carols. We value these contacts and feel these experiences provide the pupils with new perspectives and opportunities to practise life skills.
Religious Festivals
Harvest Festival is celebrated at All Saints’ Church at the end of September. This service is planned and prepared by the school. Parents and friends of Stisted Academy are welcome and encouraged to attend. Christmas is celebrated by our older children at All Saints’ Church with an afternoon and evening church service for parents. A Nativity play is usually performed by our younger learners. This is held in the school hall. Easter is celebrated at All Saints’ Church. This service is planned and prepared by the school.
Outdoor play
At Playtime all children are supervised by an adult. Your child will be able to use break time to go to the toilet, have a drink and snack and socialise with their peers. We have an extensive school field and play facilities where your child will be able to run around, play games and meet their friends. Playtime also offers your child much needed exercise and fresh air which also sets them up for learning in the next lesson.
Adult play supervisors are on hand to organise games and include all children particular those children with additional learning needs.
Collective Worship
Collective worship is of a Christian nature as required by the school’s Trust Deed. Each day there is a whole-school Act of Worship. Collective Worship is an important part of children's entitlement to religious experience and reflection. We believe this contributes positively to your child's spiritual and moral development.
Collective Worship is led by different individuals including the headteacher, class teachers, visitors and the local vicar.
School Uniform
At Stisted Primary Academy, we believe the wearing of school uniform is an important part of school life. We believe it gives your child the feeling of belonging and that school is a special place and community. Parents have always been extremely co-operative in supporting this aspect of school life. Our school colour is blue.
After School Clubs
We organise a range of after school clubs and extra-curricular activities for our children. These vary throughout the year. Currently, all after school clubs run on Wednesday. The range of opportunities we provide include hockey, cookery, cheer leading, art, badminton and ICT. We also arrange after school football coaching for children interested in pursuing their soccer skills.
Friends of Stisted Academy
Friends of Stisted Academy (FOSA) is a parent group who organise and arrange fund raising events throughout the year. Meetings are held on a half termly basis. Events are advertised through the weekly school newsletter.
School Meals
We provide an extensive menu of hot cooked food at lunchtime. All meals are cooked using fresh ingredients in our own kitchen by our chef. You will have the choice of sending your child with a packed lunch or purchasing one of our delicious hot meals.
School Attendance
The school’s overall attendance rate is excellent. Our average attendance rate is consistently above the county and national average. This means children do not have much time off school. We believe good attendance and punctuality are significant factors in the rate of progress your child makes. We strongly discourage parents from taking their children out of school for holidays during term time. This is because our lessons are carefully sequenced and any absence can seriously disrupt children's learning which can leave gaps in their knowledge and understanding in important learning goals.
Keeping in touch with parents and carers
We know parents value the opportunity to speak to their child’s class teacher. Teacher’s may informally talk to you about a specific issue or concern you have at the end of the day. We also host formal Parent Evenings. The format of Parent Evenings/consultations varies depending on the time of year.
In the Autumn term and Spring term, we have a formal Parents Evening on two consecutive nights after school. We have one night with earlier appointments and one with later, so that you can choose which fits around your home life. In the summer term, we hold an Open Evening for parents to view their children’s achievements.
Each class also has an online learning platform where parents can communicate messages to the teacher and vice versa. Additional meetings or consultations can be arranged including online video conferencing to suit parents/carers personal circumstances.
School library
We have a school library that contains both fiction and non-fiction books for our junior children to take.
Home Induction
If your child is due to start in our Reception Class, the class teacher will arrange to meet you before your child starts school. We will also arrange a meeting for new parents and give you a Starting School Induction. There will also be a chance for your child to visit and stay for two taster mornings.