The Priory is a unique school. It is beautifully situated and our children are a pleasure to be with. There are many aspects of the school which, combined together, make the school what it is today. Firstly, of course, there are the children. The children join the school with a variety of previous experiences; we have no expectation about prior attainment and we are not selective. We simply work with the children at their individual stages of development.

 

There are many systems that support the formation of good attitudes to learning and encourage high standards of behaviour. However, perhaps the most important aspect to a child’s development is the happy atmosphere that pervades the entire school. Children actively want to come to school, they enjoy being with their friends and teachers and they love to learn.

 

It is hard to identify one specific feature of The Priory that makes the overall learning experience so special.  We always aim to provide memorable events and opportunities and some of these are listed below:

 

Bring a Guest Lunches: One child from each class is invited by the lunch time staff to bring an adult guest to a special school dinner. The child is chosen for his/her impeccable behaviour at lunch time.

 

Sleepovers: Occasionally, as a fund raiser or as preparation for a residential visit, we hold a sleepover in the school hall. We have a camp fire style evening meal and offer orienteering and team building activities before bed (and possibly sleep!)

 

Autumn and Summer Parties: We celebrate the start and the end of the year with a party, complete with disco, dressing up and party food.

 

Afternoon Tea with the Headteacher: Every Friday afternoon, one child from each class is chosen to have “tea” with Mrs. Kelly. In reality, there is no tea but there are lots of cakes! This event gives the children a chance to talk about what they have enjoyed that week – other common topics of conversation are pets, hobbies and holidays.

 

The Annual Awards Ceremony: This is now in its 5^th year and celebrates achievement, effort, progress, sport, citizenship and the arts. Children are presented with a medal and a book token and they are greeted by rapturous applause from their admiring parents.

 

Diverse Curriculum enrichment opportunities: From The Viking Man to drumming workshops, from the beautiful hawksof The Ye Olde Redtail Falconry  to the exotic animals of Zoolab,  from artists in residence to visiting storytellers and theatre groups – the opportunities are as different as they are plentiful.

 

Extra-Curricular Clubs to suit all tastes: Clubs operate every afternoon after school, every lunch time and most mornings. They range from Zumba fitness to ballroom dancing, multi-skills to tag rugby, French to Latin.

 

We hope that you and your child will enjoy the Priory experience!