Wirksworth Junior School Candidate Information
Learning together, growing together.
Welcome to Wirksworth Junior School!
Thank you for taking a look at Wirksworth Junior School. We hope that the information here gives you a flavour for what you will find at our school and will encourage you to come along to find out more.
We are enthusiastic about recruiting a new head teacher and want to ensure that we find the right person, not only for the school but for Wirksworth! As you read on, you will see why this is important to us.
Thank you once again for your interest in our school.
School Vision Statement Our vision and values are at the core of everything we do. They underpin our teaching and learning, and provide an environment which prepares our pupils as confident, happy citizens. Everyone involved with the school will strive to work towards our Core Values:
• • • • • •
Tolerance, regardless of differences. Integrity in all that we do. Respect for the rights and needs of others. Determination to persevere in all that we do. Aspiration to achieve our potential. Trust in ourselves and others to do what is right.
Leadership Team Vision
This is a happy and friendly school, staffed by a committed and talented team of teachers, teaching assistants and office staff and supported by an active Governing Body and Parent Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA). Wirksworth Junior School is a successful school, where children are at the heart of everything. The Governors support the staff in creating a secure, caring and stimulating learning environment in which everyone can develop his or her aptitudes and abilities to the full. We all share a commitment to achieving the highest possible academic standards alongside the development of children as confident, caring and responsible citizens. Everyone at the school firmly believes that a key factor in helping children develop and achieve lies in the relationship between home and school. We believe that face to face communication is best if people have concerns – we encourage parents to drop in before or after school and chat to their child's teacher. We are always looking to improve what we do and how we do it.
General Information Wirksworth Junior School is located on the edge of the small, historic market town of Wirksworth. The town is a vibrant community, high spots of the year being the Welldressing and Carnival weekends and the Wirksworth Arts Festival held in September.
The Main Building Wirksworth Junior School celebrated its centenary in 2012, and is now a listed building. The building was originally designed by George Widdows, who was the architect responsible for over 100 schools in Derbyshire.
Widdow's pioneering style allowed for "plentiful light and air" to be introduced into schools, by means of the verandah style corridors that lead from the school hall to the classrooms. The idea of these "marching corridors" was to allow PE to take place even in wet weather!
The corridors have long since been enclosed, and many former pupils remember the wall separating the playground into boys and girls areas, but despite these changes, the school still retains much of its period charm and character.
The children and their learning experience The school currently has 149 children across 5 classes. This academic year the classes are distributed into two classes of years 3 & 4, one class with years 4 & 5 and two classes of years 5 & 6. We want all children who attend Wirksworth Junior School to reach their potential. All children have objectives and targets set and are closely monitored by teaching staff with interventions evaluated as to their effectiveness.
Forest Schools We have an active Forest Schools group, who regularly use the local community woodland. Forest Schools is an inspirational process that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve, develop confidence and selfesteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees.
Extra-Curricular Activities Here at Wirksworth Junior School we are very lucky to be able to offer the children a wide range of activities in addition to the national curriculum. We believe in encouraging children to be the best they can be, in all that they do. Everyone has a talent in something and by offering a wide range of additional activities, we hope to encourage and inspire children to reach their full potential. We have visiting peripatetic music teachers offering a wide range of instrumental learning; a variety of sporting activities that is partly funded by the school’s sports funding and other creative activities such as drama and photography, all offered here on site either within the school day or as after school activities. In addition, the children and staff also participate in lunchtime clubs and also sporting competitions within the local cluster of schools area.
Experience & learning away from home Each year, we take our year 6 children away for a weekend of activity during the first half term of the year. This involves the children staying away from home, which for some is the first time that they have experienced this. Our staff take great care in preparing the children for this time away and encourage the children during the weekend to participate in the outdoor adventurous activities on offer.
The garden and outdoor learning area In addition to our large playground area, we are very lucky to have a lovely grassy area and garden. In the middle of the grassy area is our large wooden gazebo, where staff are able to take children outdoors and use as an outdoor learning area. With views of the countryside surrounding Wirksworth and fields to the rear of the school, it is a lovely place to be.
Attendance, Behaviour and Uniform Although the most recent Ofsted inspection found behaviour in school to be good, the school has recently updated its behaviour policy and changed some of the actions taken, including the monitoring and reporting of poor behaviour. We have also updated some of the reward systems in school and put in place a “house system” for some aspects of school activity. The children enjoy the competitive elements of collecting house points and other marks of achievement, which are celebrated each week during assembly, with parents & carers invited to celebrate with us. We have a uniform policy where we encourage all parents and children to adhere to the uniform of navy jumper, dark trousers or skirt, dark school shoes and white or pale blue shirts. We are proud of how smart the children look in their uniform and encourage the children to feel the same about wearing it. Attendance of pupils is generally in line with nationally expected levels. It is an area that we have been paying particular attention to this year. We are developing systems that enhance the pastoral care of the small number of pupils who find it difficult to get to school on time or find that illness in the family makes attendance a challenge.
PTFA At Wirksworth we have a wonderful Parent Teacher and Friends Association supporting the school through a variety of events they organize across the year, including cake sales, school discos and family bingo nights. The money we raise goes towards the “extras” that the school cannot fund from its main budget. Last year PTFA raised £2,818.73. They are currently funding the development of the school garden and nurture kitchen but we also provide support for smaller items such as a visit from the ice cream van!
Governors The school is very fortunate that it is able to recruit a variety of people with a range of interests, skills and knowledge to be part of the governing body. The governors are committed to ensuring that the school is the best it can be for the children of Wirksworth, always seeking to improve and develop what the school has to offer. This year, the school was faced with a challenging Ofsted report and also the retirement of our head teacher. With plans in place and work already underway to address the areas highlighted for improvement, the governors are looking forward to helping the school achieve great things.
Staff Here at Wirksworth Junior School we are very lucky to have a staff group who are committed to delivering high quality of teaching and looking for opportunities to inspire and motivate children to learn. We have a teaching and teaching assistant staff group who are all experienced teachers or teaching assistants, many of whom working part time. Although not all live in Wirksworth, they are all enthusiastic about the community and the place that the school and children have in that community. We have a group of midday supervisors who are part of the local community and our current leadership team are working closely with them to develop their role in school. Our office staff consists of two part time posts, both of these covering all aspects of administration, but in addition are our first aiders, web-administrators, flyer designers and sports assistant…..all at the same time!
CPD – Our Ethos At Wirksworth Junior School we believe in the concept of lifelong learning and that both adults and children learn new things every day. All staff members are encouraged to undertake training and we have a track record of supporting and developing staff at all stages in their career. In addition to formal training and support we are part of a strong network of schools including our cluster group who feed into the local secondary school, and in particular the local Federation of Infant Schools in Wirksworth. We are currently working very closely with them and looking at more opportunities for working and learning together.
Location and Key Information
Wirksworth Junior School Wash Green Wirksworth Derbys DE4 4FD 01629 822457
Further information about the school including school policies and the most recent Ofsted inspection report can be found on the school website. www.wirksworth-junior.co.uk If you think you might be interested in joining our team please don’t hesitate to arrange an informal visit. Contact xxxxx or email
[email protected] The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
