ABOUT US

Welcome

Hello and welcome to Glastonbury Thorn School. If your child is to join us for the first time we welcome you as parents/carers and look forward to a happy and successful partnership over the coming years. If you already have a child here, we are pleased to renew the links between us.

Confidence in a school comes from knowing and understanding what is happening within it. We hope you will develop your knowledge of Glastonbury Thorn through contact and discussion with our members of staff and governors. We invite you to take advantage of the many opportunities we offer for you to come into school. It is important that mutual understanding and trust should be the basis of our shared responsibility.

We believe Glastonbury Thorn is a very special school. We hope that when you have visited us, you will want to come and join our school community.

School History

Glastonbury Thorn School opened in September 1993 and from September 2002 became a Foundation School. It was named after the Glastonbury Thorn tree which grows in the local churchyard.

Glastonbury Thorn was originally built to serve the Shenley Church End and Crownhill grid squares. However, we are a popular school with a high profile both locally and further a field – currently 52% of our children live outside our defined area.

The school underwent an Ofsted inspection under the new more rigorous framework in February 2010 (the report can be viewed on the Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk or can be downloaded here in pdf format). We are very proud of our school and it was wonderful to have our many strengths validated in this way. However, we are not complacent, and are always looking for ways to further improve –we strive to achieve our mission statement "Every day getting better in every way".

The design of the main building is open plan with a large teaching area, three practical areas and home bases for each class. We have a library, ICT suite, staff workroom, spacious hall and a music/drama room. In 2006 we held the official opening of our new purpose–built Foundation Stage annex. This includes three home bases, a large shared area, and a secure outdoor area.

The external environment includes children's seating in the playground, grassy areas and a large natural pond within a landscaped garden which provides a superb on-site resource for environmental studies. A fence is positioned around the pond area for safety. We are currently improving the external grounds of the school and with funding from our hard working Friends Association, we are planning to install a stage area, a climbing area and a secret den for all our children to enjoy!

AIMS OF THE SCHOOL

VISION STATEMENT

‘Every day getting better in every way’

To create a learning environment that is; safe, secure, nurturing, positive and challenging in which everyone in our school community feels valued, happy and can grow in self-esteem to develop their full potential. We encourage our children to enjoy challenge and develop a love for learning, through a broad, creative and balanced curriculum. This will enable them to develop their skills and attitudes in order to achieve their individual potential in a collaborative and caring atmosphere. We aim for children to develop their understanding of themselves, their diverse community, the wider world and realise their place within it. We value children for who they are as much as for who they will become, celebrating childhood in the here and now and developing in them a positivity for the journey ahead. We give everyone the opportunity to succeed and celebrate their achievements.

AIMS FOR THE CHILDREN (Pupil outcomes)

Glastonbury Thorn School promotes high achievement by supporting children to:

• have high self-esteem and the confidence to try


• become independent and motivated with a life-long love for learning


• achieve high standards and reach their full potential in all areas of their learning


• be flexible and adaptable for the demands of a modern world


• be excited and inspired by our world and each other


• develop a positive sense of moral responsibility and self-discipline


• learn and live together in a community showing sensitivity to one another


• adopt a healthy lifestyle to achieve physical, mental and emotional well-being

MISSION FOR THE SCHOOL (Our provision)

We believe that each child will achieve success through:

• a rich, creative and inclusive curriculum


• an enriching programme of extra-curricular activities and visits


• a stimulating and colourful learning environment


• a varied range of appropriate learning resources


• innovative teaching and an investigative approach to learning


• an ethos of support, challenge and encouragement to succeed


• a celebration of everyone’s strengths and achievements


• open and welcoming partnerships between school, home and the community


• a professional, clean, and safe environment which supports high quality learning and teaching

As a learning community we demonstrate our commitment by:

• striving for continuous improvement in all we do


• working collaboratively towards common goals


• being learners alongside the children


• recognising and developing individual's strengths and talents


• sharing our practice with others

The values we seek to promote include:

• Enthusiasm in learning


• Resilience in learning


• Enquiry and curiosity in learning

STAFF

Our current team at Glastonbury Thorn:

ADMISSIONS

Parents are most welcome to visit the school and see it in operation at any time. Please telephone Sheila, our Office Manager, on (01908) 504648 to arrange a mutually convenient appointment.

We currently admit up to 90 children at the start of each year. All applications for admission must be made through Milton Keynes Council.

For children starting school for the first time parents should complete the council's admissions application form, a paper copy can be collected from the school, or the form can be completed online on the council's website www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schooladmissions. Parents should also read the council's Information for Parents booklet. For in year admissions parents should contact the School Admissions Team email schooladmissions@milton-keynes.gov.uk or telephone 01908 253733 for information and an application form. The form can also be downloaded from the council's website.

Our School Admissions Criteria applies to the admission of children who are:

1. starting school for the first time in the year in which they are five;


2. requesting admission during the year, for example, those who have just moved into the area.

Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs naming Glastonbury Thorn School will be given priority for admission in the normal round of admissions for children starting school for the first time.

In the event of there being greater demand for admission into a particular year group than there are places available, places will be allocated in the following priority order:

1. Children in Care.
2. Pupils who live in the defined area, Shenley Church End and Crownhill to the south of and including Monro Avenue and Marley Grove. Proof of permanent residence may be required.
3. Pupils with a brother or sister who will be on roll at the time of admission (See sibling definition).
4. Other pupils for whom Glastonbury Thorn School is a preference.

In the event of over-subscription in any category, places will be allocated using the following tiebreaker:

Distance will be measured by the shortest walking route from the front door of the child's home to the school's main entrance gate, using the Local Authority's computerised measuring system with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.

It is important to bear in mind the criteria when completing the admission form.

Please note there is no automatic right to a place at Glastonbury Thorn School even if your child has a sibling already attending the school.

Sibling
A sibling is a brother or sister, which for admission purposes means brothers and sisters of whole or half blood or any other child (including an adopted child) who permanently resides at the same address and for whom the parent also has parental responsibility.

Multiple births
In cases where there is one remaining place available and the next child on the waiting list is one of a twin, triplet or other multiple birth group, the following will apply:

• For admission to Key Stage 1, when class sizes are limited to 30, only one child may be admitted. This will be the child who has the first name alphabetically. Parents have the option of seeking an alternative school able to admit both (or all) of the children.

SCHOOL THEME

To celebrate our tenth year we transformed our school into the ‘Rainbow Jungle’! The rainbow comes from the school logo and the jungle theme was chosen after discussion with both staff and children. Our school caters for three year groups;Foundation Stage, Year One and Year Two. Each year group is known as a different coloured zone. These are as follows:

Foundation Stage – Green Zone

Year One – Red Zone

Year Two – Blue Zone

As you walk through the school it is clear which Zone you are in as we have used colour co-ordinated furniture, soft furnishings and decoration.

Within each zone there are three classes, these are identified by different jungle animals. These are as follows:

Foundation Stage – Green Zone

Leopards – Mrs Downs

Tigers – Mrs King

Hippos – Mrs Whitbread

Year One – Red Zone

Chimpanzees – Mrs Cox

   Crocodiles – Mrs Hopper

Elephants – Mrs Armstrong

Year Two – Blue Zone

Giraffes – Mrs J. Nicholls

Zebras – Mrs Cullen

Lions – Mrs M. Nicholls

Our aim for the themed idea is to give each year group and class their own identity, benefiting for both the children and staff who work in them, as well as visitors to the school. It is our normal practice to reorganise classes across the year group for the beginning of each school year. This gives the children the opportunity to develop more friendships and ensures a positive learning environment for everyone.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Ofsted inspection

In February 2010 our school was one of the first to be inspected under the new more rigorous Ofsted inspection framework. Overall we were assessed as a good school and we were very pleased that the inspectors stated "many of the outstanding features outlined in the last report have been sustained". The report is a very positive one and recognises the many strengths of our school. The Governors and staff team are already addressing the recommendations contained in the report.

National Profile

We have worked hard to develop a positive learning environment for our children based on high self-esteem, different learning styles and success for all –we believe everyone is gifted and talented at something (In which ways are you SMART?). A major focus of our teaching is to provide broad and creative learning experiences for all our children. This approach has gained us a high profile both locally and further afield. We provide training for schools across the country, in the last 2 years 46 schools have visited Glastonbury Thorn to see the learning environment we have created.

In 2006 a Belair educational book was published on our school and the approaches we use for the benefit of our children – since publication it has been a "best seller" in its particular field!

National Awards

Over the last couple of years we have been delighted to receive a number of national awards:

• Basic Skills Quality Mark, which is given to schools who effectively plan and teach reading, writing and mathematics.


• Artsmark Gold & Silver for creative teaching and success in art, PE, music and drama.


• Investors in People, which is given to organisations who are shown to positively train and support staff for the benefit of the children.


• National Schools Healthy Status awarded to schools who promote and support healthy living for everyone in the school community.


• National sports Activemark, to acknowledge the range of physical activities and commitment to physical education that we include in our curriculum.


• National FMSiS (Financial Management Systems in School), which is given to schools with effective financial systems.


• International School Award, to acknowledge our rich and diverse curriculum and the international links we have made.



• National Leadership Development School, supporting other schools with newly qualified headteachers.



• NACE Challenge Award for the excellent provision we give for our more able children.



• Every Child Matters quality mark in recognition for the support and quality provision we give to our more vulnerable children.

We are very proud of Glastonbury Thorn and feel it is important to share our successes with you as they are a reflection of the hard work and commitment of everyone involved in the school. However we are never complacent and firmly believe we can always do even better.

Indeed our school's vision statement is "Every day getting better in every way"!

SCHOOL TOUR

Key:
Blue Zone is Year 2
Red Zone is Year 1
Green Zone is Foundation

CHILDREN @ GT

This section of the web site is used to show the pictures of Glastonbury Thorn school and some of our children's artwork. It also provides details of clubs that our pupils can attend after-school.

CLUBS

At Glastonbury Thorn we aim to provide a range of activities for children beyond the normal school day. Examples of these activities include Football, Multi-skills, Gymnastics, Dance, Drama, Spanish and Music. We do use outside groups to help run some of these activities which may, therefore, mean there would be a small charge.

GALLERY (FOUNDATION)

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GALLERY (YEAR 1)

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GALLERY (YEAR 2)

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GOLDEN TIME

In our school we have a positive rewards system in place that recognises all forms of social and academic achievement and effort.  Golden Time is central to our rewards system.  It operates on the basis that every child has the entitlement to 30 minutes Golden Time on a Friday afternoon when children in negotiation with teachers can undertake special organised activities such as painting, sport and drama.  Golden Time is promoted as a reward for adhering to the Golden Rules and demonstrating good behaviour in school.

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SMART ASSEMBLIES

We see our assemblies as an important part of school life – a daily opportunity to come together as a school community to reflect on spiritual and moral issues, or share and celebrate our achievements.

We have a regular celebration assembly which involves our children, parents and the local community.

Every half-term during a Year group assembly Mrs Webb invites the children to share some of their out-of-school achievements with the rest of their year group.  This gives them the opportunity to share their SMARTs (i.e. their strengths) in the areas of dance, drama, sport, music, art, swimming, gymnastics, horse-riding, nature etc.  The children are invited to bring in any medals, awards, badges, certificates or trophies they have been given. They may also wear any special uniforms or bring along any equipment relating to their achievements. Sometimes the children give a short demonstration or performance of their talents (This is an option for those children with the confidence!).

Parents of those children taking part are invited along to the celebration assembly along with the coaches/teachers/tutors to join in, promote and "spread the word" about the tuition they offer.

Each assembly includes several children's achievements and over the year every child who wants to will have the opportunity to take part.

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EVENTS

Throughout the year we have run a number of events during and after school.

Please click on the stars or menu above to view photographs from a number of our events.

D DATES – AUTUMN 2009

As part of our partnership with parents, we have recently set up a series of after school activity sessions for dads and their children to enjoy together. These are run with the help of the Milton Keynes Play Association. Sessions have included designing and building water rockets, and creating models with food. It seems the dads may have had even more fun than the children!

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ALL SMARTS WEEK – AUTUMN 2009

During our themed week in autumn 2009, our year 2 children re-enacted the story of 'St George and the Dragon'. They made all the costumes and the props, prepared the script and then performed the tale for all to see and enjoy.

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INVESTIGATION WEEK – SUMMER 2009

Our themed week in summer 2009 was investigation week. All the children in our school took part in a wide range of activities with an emphasis on science and maths. The tasks were deliberately open-ended and creative to ensure that they really challenged our children!

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ONE WORLD WEEK – OCTOBER 2010

The children and adults at Glastonbury Thorn School have had great fun learning about different countries, cultures and traditions during their recent 'One World Week'. One of the highlights was our first 'International Food Fair' where parents and children prepared and shared food from 14 different countries. Visitors to the fair also had the opportunity to make pasta and different types of bread.

A huge thank you to those parents and children who supported this event and made it such a success.

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ARTS WEEK – SPRING 2010

The whole school looked at Andy Gormley's, 'A field for the British Isles', an installation sculpture of thousands of clay figures made by over 100 volunteers from the pupils and their extended families of two local schools in St Helens. Using this as their inspiration, the children worked on their own individual 'sculptural self portraits'. They explored the use of clay for the modelling of their heads and selected materials to make their bodies, even the teachers and TA's joined in! When the figures were finished they were installed in the outdoor classroom on Thursday, to represent our school community as 'A field for Glastonbury Thorn'.

In Foundation Stage the children had the opportunity to explore making sculpture with lots of different materials; dismantled household objects, shells, sand, and other natural materials, tissue forms as well as working on 'big art' creating pictures on a large scale using their natural curiosity to develop their creative thinking. The children were also encouraged to bring their favourite piece of music to share with the class and responded to it in different ways.

Year one worked on an Easter theme, looking at the craft of stained glass. They saw how various artists, old and new, have interpreted the 'Easter Story' in stained glass and worked on their own individual designs using a ' wax resist' method to illustrate their ideas. Working together they selected elements to incorporate into their group design which they then produced using tissue paper and PVA glue to create an 'Easter Rose Window', for each class room.

Year two used ICT to explore the work of Henry Moore through the Tate Gallery's interactive 'sculpture detective' site. They worked in groups to make human sculptures of animals, composing their own 'soundscapes' to accompany their performance, as well as making 'big art' animals outside using the PE equipment. Reflecting on their individual and group personalities they created sculptures that represent more personal aspects of' who they are', thinking about things they like to do or take part in outside of school.

All the children took part in Bhangra dancing, dancing to Grease, a drumming session and had the opportunity to listen to a professional pianist and a professional guitarist.

Many thanks to all the parents and members of the local community who got involved and supported this special week.

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CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS PROJECT – THROUGH THE DOOR – AUTUMN 2008

In autumn 2008, our year 1 children took part in an exciting Literacy based project working in collaboration with Creative Partnerships; a team of Drama specialists who teamed up with Glastonbury Thorn to develop and enhance our children's literacy skills.

The project was known as "Leaving the door open" and was based on the idea of children travelling through doorways into imaginary worlds leaving the real world behind them!!! They created stories with exciting characters and settings within these imaginary worlds.

The project was a huge success and without doubt taught the children and teachers a range of new and exciting literacy based ideas. We were able to track the children's progress throughout the project and their speaking, listening and writing skills improved dramatically as a consequence of their involvement with this exciting venture.

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EVENTS

Throughout the year we have run a number of events during and after school.

Please click on the stars or menu above to view photographs from a number of our events.

BRING YOUR DAD TO SCHOOL – JUNE 2010

On 9th June 2010, Glastonbury Thorn School hosted its biennial 'Bring Your Dad To School' event. Over 200 dads, granddads and uncles came to the school for the afternoon to share in the fun.

The event began with a real helicopter landing on the school field – it was difficult to see who was most excited – the children or the dads! Then, supported by the MK Play Association and MK Dons, the children and grown ups tried their skills at a wide range of creative learning activities including building spaghetti towers, shooting 'spelling' penalties, den building, making and shooting water rockets, African drumming and boat races! The event was planned to give children the chance to share their learning with their dads.

The many comments from the visitors were all very positive:

"A fantastic event – it was great to see my child take the lead and show me what to do!"
"It was lovely to meet all my child's friends – I hear so much about them at home!"
"I enjoyed meeting all the other dads – I have made some new friends!"
" I now appreciate the importance of getting involved in my child's education."

The children, staff and governors were delighted that so many found it an enjoyable experience and would like to thank everyone who helped to make the afternoon such a huge success.

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BRING YOUR MUM TO SCHOOL – JUNE 2011

In June 2011 we held our first 'Bring Your Mum to School Day' which was a huge success – thank you to the 250+ mums, grandmas and aunties who were able to join us. The afternoon began with the official opening of our new outdoor learning area.

Thank you to Thelma Robinson (one of our governors), for opening the area, and of course to the Friends Association and all our parents for raising the money over the last few years to purchase the fantastic play equipment.

The children were so thrilled to spend the afternoon with their guests. It was wonderful to see the children so enthusiastic and clearly enjoying themselves. We are very grateful to MK Play Association, Janine (Spirit Hoop Cake hoola-hooping), Siobhan (ceramic tile painting from Chiki Ceramics in Oxley Park) and the mums/grandparents who set up and ran the wonderful activities throughout the afternoon that helped to make the event so special. Also thank you to Jaz Ampaw-Farr for taking photos during the afternoon, and the staff team who worked so hard to organise the event (and clear up afterwards!).

Thank you for your feedback – which was overwhelmingly positive. We are delighted that so many found it an enjoyable experience.

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Year 2 Singing Squad!

At Glastonbury Thorn School we believe every child is gifted and talented – our children have strengths in many different areas.

Just over a year ago two of our teachers, Mrs Carol Downs and Miss Faye Jenkins decided we should give our "music smart" children the opportunity to be part of a school choir so they formed the Glastonbury Thorn Singing Squad! To be part of this group the children had to undergo an "X Factor" type audition and now we have a fantastic Singing Squad made up of some of our Year 2 children who enjoy singing and having fun together!

The Singing Squad have weekly practises to lead assemblies and help everyone in our school learn our special school songs. Over the last few months the Singing Squad have been in demand performing at various school events and other events within the local community.

The Singing Squad recently took part in a school choir competition at the Link 2 Health and Care Event in the city centre. Despite being the only infant school taking part we came second! We are very proud of this achievement and the fantastic way the children performed and behaved as representatives of our school. Well done to you all!

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FRIENDS @ GT

The Glastonbury Thorn School Friends Association organises social events to raise money for the school. We meet regularly at school to organise and plan the timetable of events. Meeting dates are advertised in school and everyone is welcome to attend. The Committee is an elected group of parents who represent the school. The Head Teacher and a staff representative also sit on the committee. Although schools receive government funding for basics, there are many things which are not included in the budget, so the aim of the association is to contribute towards the extras which help make your child's education special.

Some of the ways we have helped recently include paying for:

• Christmas presents for all the children, delivered by Father Christmas.
• A touring children's pantomime performance.
• Leavers presents for all Year 2 children.
• A trim trail for the playground.
• New equipment, such as digital cameras.
• An outdoor classroom.
• An artist to visit the school during Arts Week.

Over the past school year, some of the ways we have raised funds are by holding cake sales, a school disco, a catwalk show, a family Christmas party, selling DVDs of the children's school performances and having an Easter egg raffle.

We are always happy to welcome anyone who would like to get involved with Friends, so please contact us through Reception or join us at the AGM in September, when we need to elect the new committee. It's a good way to meet other parents and get actively involved with the life of the school.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

2011-2012 Glastonbury Thorn Friends Events

• Next Friends Meeting
  Monday 19th March 2012
  6.30pm in the School Staff Room
  All Welcome!
  For those who can make it, we welcome your involvement.
• Future meetings are announced via your child's school bag or Parent E-Mail.

• 14th May, Monday – Friends Summer Bash planning meeting 7pm @ Toby Inn, Shenley Church End

• 17th May, Thursday – "Bags 2 School"


• Another chance to have a good clear out of serviceable clothes. Bags will be provided through children's book bags. Fill bags and bring them to school on 17th May.
  
  9am at side gates of school nearest parents' car park

• 19th May, Saturday – Family Photo Day - main hall of school

• 29th June, Friday – Summer Bash, early evening


• One of the last socials for the school year and it's a fun way to kick off the summer. Lots of fun for everyone.

TESTIMONIALS

Here are some of the testimonials that we have received over recent years.

"Glastonbury Thorn is an exceptional school, both in the teaching and also the care and attention given to each child."

Parent 2009

"Your school was a real pleasure to visit.
It was clear that there is so much good practice, warmth, support, sense of family and happiness in the school that it was tangible. The school has a strong focus on the quality of relationships – with children, parents, staff, governors and the community – and in recognising people's strengths and having fun! Please pass on my thanks to everyone involved for what was a very enjoyable and heart-warming visit."

Investors in People Assessor 2011

"The staff provide outstanding education for the children in their care. The "team around the child" is seamless at Glastonbury Thorn, and improving learning is at the heart of the school."

Every Child Matters Assessor 2011

"We are totally impressed with Glastonbury Thorn. My daughter has been wonderfully nurtured by the school. All the staff, without exception, want the best for our children. Who could ask for more?"

Parent 2009

"So many aspects of your lovely school
are exactly what I'd like for my children – your educational philosophy, the quality of provision, teaching standards, school facilities, etc. All these are excellent and exist in a warm, vibrant atmosphere of clearly engaged and happy students. It really felt like 'coming home'."

Parent 2008

"Excellent continuity and progression in support of children's learning exists in all areas of the school. Teaching and learning are outstanding. Relationships throughout the learning community are excellent. The staff demonstrate high expectations and practise continuous self improvement."

Basic Skills Quality Mark Assessor 2011

"Thank you for letting me come to
your school. I wish I could stay and learn lots more!"

Pupil 2008

"Thank you so much for a brilliant placement – you have been so welcoming and helpful. I have enjoyed working alongside you and all your lovely children.
Thank you again."

Trainee Teacher 2008

"I would like to thank your wonderful staff for giving my daughter the best start to school life she could have had. Due to your dedication and wonderful support she has begun to grow and develop in such a positive way."

Parent 2009

"This school is so friendly and helpful. The pupils are polite and kind. I really enjoy working with the staff team."

School Nurse 2011

"As I retire from being a governor
I would like to formally add that I believe Glastonbury to be a wonderful school with
an extremely caring, supportive and creative environment that positively fosters the development of young children. I have learnt an amazing amount about early years schooling through my involvement as a Governor (and parent) at Glastonbury and could not have wished for a better environment for both my children. I wish you all the very best and know with certainty that I shall miss being part of something that is so creative and instrumental in positively shaping children's outlook and development. It was a pleasure to have contributed alongside
you all and to have been
associated with the school
these last few years."

Retiring Governor 2010

"We have been so completely happy at Glastonbury Thorn and we could not have asked for a better start to our child's school career. We thank you for the fantastic standard of education and support you have given her and will praise and recommend Glastonbury Thorn always."

Parent 2008

"Glastonbury Thorn is a fantastic school.
The staff at the school are friendly and enthusiastic which makes it a pleasant environment to work in. I have led the after school club for 3 years now and have thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff and children. The children at the school are polite, helpful and willing learners and are a pleasure to work with. Both the staff and the children
are a real credit to the school."

MK Dons Community Events Officer 2011

"We are really pleased to see what a positive effect the "Do It With Dads" project is having on the families involved and the schools relationship with them. It's been great to work with such a committed school who fully understand the aims of the project and have been so helpful and committed to making it happen in order to benefit the children and their families."

Anna Francis - Milton Keynes Play Association 2009

"This is the last child of mine to leave Glastonbury Thorn. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank every member of the school team for their patience, determination, hard work and support over the last 6 years. Your school has helped shape my children into the stars they are today."

Parent 2010

"I am overwhelmed with the amount of effort and commitment to my daughters progress."

Parent 2010

"Glastonbury Thorn is such a friendly school and everyone cares so much."

Parent 2010

"We think the teachers should get superstar certificates too!"

Parent 2010

"My daughter has progressed amazingly since starting school. Her confidence has grown and she looks forward to coming to school every day."

Parent 2010

"The school has a whole school commitment to further improving provision for the More Able children. Children enjoy their school experience and are happy to work hard."

NACE Challenge Award Assessor 2011

"I cannot praise the school enough – I wish I was four!"

Parent 2011

"I have enormous respect and admiration for the hard work and added value Glastonbury Thorn puts into making my son's early years in school the best they can be. Thank you."

Parent 2011

"In the three years that my child has attended Glastonbury Thorn I have seen her grow into a confident, happy young girl. This is all thanks to fantastic, positive teaching and a wonderful, caring headteacher. Thank you all so very much."

Parent 2011

"The leadership at Glastonbury Thorn is exceptionally good and this reflects in contented staff who are united and offer learners their very best."

Parent 2011

GOVERNORS @ GT

The Governing Body is comprised of volunteers who are interested in the continued progress of Glastonbury Thorn and in ensuring the best possible education for your children. We work closely with the Headteacher and the staff in all aspects of school life. The full Governing Body meets once a term, as do the three sub-committees;

• Finance and Personnel
• Premises and Health & Safety
• Curriculum and SEN

Our current Governors at Glastonbury Thorn:

POLICY DOCUMENTS

The following are links to Glastonbury Thorn School policy documents.

GT Accessibility Plan

GT Charging and Remissions Policy

GT Complaints Procedure

GT Disability Equality Scheme

GT Equal Opportunities Policy

GT Freedom Of Information Act

GT Privacy Notice

GT Safeguarding and Child Protection

OTHER GOVERNOR INFORMATION

All types of people can become governors at our school, you don't even need to have a child with us at our school. You must be 18 or over on the date when you are elected or appointed but other than that no special qualifications are required. An interest in education, enthusiasm and, above all, commitment and are the most important qualities.

With this in mind here are a couple of useful links about school governors:

      Direct Gov

      Governor Net

PARENTS @ GT

Communication

At Glastonbury Thorn we are committed to clear open communication with all members of the school community. We have an open door policy where there are many opportunities for you to come into the school and speak to members of staff. Furthermore we have a range of approaches to allow for simple and effective communication.

Parent’s Board
This is a designated area in the school where all parent’s and visitors can find a whole range of documents and information on the school. It is situated opposite the Reception Desk in the reception area.

School Newsletters
Informative and detailed school newsletters are published regularly throughout the term. They include latest curriculum, staffing and miscellaneous news items. Updates on events and forthcoming events are also included in these. A copy of all newsletters are kept in the ‘Letters File’on the reception desk.

Curriculum Newsletter
Each year group publish a Curriculum Newsletter once every half term. They include all necessary information on the themes to be studied that half term and any research or resources required. Additional copies of these publications are available at the Parent’s Board in the reception area.

Life @ Glastonbury Brochure
This is a termly publication and is designed to inform the whole school community about new initiatives and activities taking place in school. Copies of this publication are available at the ‘Parent’s Board’.

Website
Our school website is kept up to date with all the latest curriculum newsletters and parents' newsletters. It also includes our range of pocket guides which are small handy booklets that focus on a whole range of individual school topics. The Website also includes term dates and a calendar of school events.

@ Glastonbury Sign
This sign can be recognised throughout the school and is a information sign for all parents and visitors. Examples around the school at present are:

• Staff @ Glastonbury: Shows photographs of all staff in the school and their job role. Situated in the reception area.


• School Council @ Glastonbury: Shows photographs of all School Council members and their work. Situated in the school hall.


• Assemblies @ Glastonbury: Information on assembly programme being followed in the school. Situated in the school hall.

CALENDAR

Here are some useful school dates.

CURRICULUM NEWSLETTERS

The following are links to Glastonbury Thorn School curriculum newsletters.

Summer Term

Green Zone Summer Term Foundation (Unit 6)

Red Zone Summer Term Year 1 (Unit 6)

Blue Zone Summer Term Year 2 (Units 5 & 6)

Green Zone Summer Term Foundation (Unit 5)

Red Zone Summer Term Year 1 (Unit 5)

Spring Term

Green Zone Spring Term Foundation (Unit 4)

Red Zone Spring Term Year 1 (Unit 4)

Blue Zone Spring Term Year 2 (Units 3 & 4)

Green Zone Spring Term Foundation (Unit 3)

Red Zone Spring Term Year 1 (Unit 3)

Autumn Term

Green Zone Autumn Term Foundation (Unit 2)

Red Zone Autumn Term Year 1 (Unit 2)

Blue Zone Autumn Term Year 2 (Units 1 & 2)

Green Zone Autumn Term Foundation (Unit 1)

Red Zone Autumn Term Year 1 (Unit 1)

DOCUMENTS

The following are links to Glastonbury Thorn School related documents.

We hope you find these useful.

Ofsted Report February 2010

Ofsted Report March 2007

Prospectus

Prospectus Extra! (1MB)

Application for leave of absence

NEWSLETTERS

The following are links to Glastonbury Thorn School newsletters.

04.05.12 Parents Letter

20.04.12 Sats Year 2 Info Letter

20.04.12 Parents Letter

26.03.12 Parents Letter

23.03.12 School Council Recycling Competition

07.03.12 Consultation Letter and form to parents

10.02.12 Parents Letter Open Day

09.02.12 Parents Letter

25.01.12 Parents Letter

16.01.12 Parents Letter

06.01.12 Parents Letter

06.01.12 2012 Parent Election Letter

06.01.12 2012 Parent Governor Election Procedure

06.01.12 2012 Forms for Election of Parent Governors

14.12.11 Parents Letter

FRIENDS NEWSLETTERS

The following are links to Glastonbury Thorn School Friends newsletters.

04.10 Friends Newsletter

02.10 Friends Newsletter

12.09 Friends Newsletter

10.09 Friends Newsletter

FRIENDS COMMITTEE MINUTES

The following are links to Glastonbury Thorn School Friends committee meeting minutes.

06.02.12 Friends Association Committee Meeting Minutes

POCKET GUIDES

These are small handy booklets focussing on a whole range of individual areas in the school.

Click on the links below to open them:

assessment	behaviour	celebration	communication
community cohesion	creative curriculum	EAL	events guide
foundation	healthy schools	home learning	ICT
literacy	maths addition	maths subtraction	maths multiplication and division
maths foundation	maths year 1	maths year 2	more able
our school	our staff	reading	SEN
transition	voluntary help

TERM DATES FOR 2011/2012