Thank you for taking the time to visit our school website. Before you begin I’d like to share with you what we believe makes us special. We are very proud of our school and all that the children achieve during their time with us. We have a dedicated team of staff and Governors who give their time, expertise and support in making each day a special day for the children along with a committed PTA, who work tirelessly to raise funds for our extra-curricular activities.
We are a thriving and growing Junior School situated in the heart of Wallingford town. The majority of our children join us from our local infant school, St Nicholas, along with a number of children from the surrounding villages. Our admission number is 60 and this has allowed us to have two classes per year group. We presently have 217 children on roll.
We take pride in our ethos, which is underpinned by the values of; respect, responsibility, courage, tolerance, friendship and perseverance. The children learn about the importance of values and how values make the person you are. In becoming citizens of the world, we learn about different cultures, religions and beliefs; we learn to understand and celebrate similarities and differences. Each child in our care is unique. We are committed to providing opportunities for them to excel and achieve and to raise their self-esteem and confidence. We recognise that they have much to offer in their particular skills and strengths and they understand that with perseverance and challenge they can achieve more. This is based on Gardiner’s multiple intelligences and the children work at improving and excelling in their SMART areas.
The behaviour of all our children is important to us. Together we agree the rules for appropriate behaviour, which in turn fosters positive relationships and nurtures an environment for learning. We have adopted the Family Links programme, which is rooted in the principles of choices and consequences.
We believe that learning and teaching is far more exciting when children are given the opportunities to question, explore and investigate. English and mathematics is the bedrock of our curriculum, which is enriched with the arts and sports, whilst providing a thirst for exploring the sciences and humanities. We are living in a world that is moving very fast in the field of technology and our curriculum aims to provide the children with the skills to meet the demands of the 21st century. We pride ourselves as a learning community where everyone is a learner.
We are extremely fortunate to have extensive grounds where we are able to offer facilities for sports and opportunities for outdoor learning in our Forest and Kinder Garden. We grow our own fruit and vegetables, which are used in our renowned school lunches. Learning opportunities are further extended by arranging local and national visits as well as using experts who come and share their knowledge and experience with the children. The children are given opportunities to take part in various sports tournaments both in and outside school, competing in local events.
We have an after school club, Fir Tree Fun Time, which runs each day from 3.15-5.30. Parents can book via the school office. Plus, we have a range of after school clubs led by professionals and the teachers, who give their time to extend the children’s interests.
We work closely with our infant school, St Nicholas and Wallingford secondary school where the majority of our children transfer to in Year 7. We have a robust transition process, which involves visits from the children and meetings between the teachers to pass on relevant information
All that we do and achieve is because of the strong team of professionals who, without exception, work hard to ensure that each child achieves and enjoys their time at Fir Tree.
There is a lot of information to browse through and we hope that our website gives you an insight into life at Fir Tree. Choosing your child’s school is an important decision and we believe in working together with our families. You are very welcome to come and visit us and we look forward to meeting you.
Headteacher