The Parliamentary Review :: Vernon Primary School

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

36 | VERNON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Head teacher Joanne Carvell

with some year 5 children

Stella Walker, assistant head teacher, and

Sarah Tootell, Key Stage 1 leader, lead an

immersive drama lesson with year 5 children

Vernon is a large, successful and thriving primary school in

Poynton, Cheshire East, with a strong ethos for creativity

and holistic learning, with the individual child at the heart

of everything they do. The school motto, “Nobody Else Is Quite

Like Me” permeates throughout their daily practice. Children

are equipped with lifelong skills, a love of learning and the

key values of respect, independence, co-operation, creativity

and curiosity. Children at Vernon Primary School are confident

in driving their own learning forwards and striving to achieve

their potential. Head teacher Joanne Carvell here discusses how

high expectations, a personalised curriculum and outstanding

teaching and learning enables pupils to flourish and ensure that

standards are consistently high.

Rapid improvement

We became a primary school ten years ago when the existing infant and junior

schools amalgamated. During this time of challenge and change the consistency and

strength of the senior leadership team ensured that the journey, though rigorous, was

ultimately rewarding and successful. Rapid improvements across the school reflected

the outstanding leadership during this time. Two Ofsted inspections following

amalgamation have recognised the positive impacts of the change, resulting in an

“outstanding” grade administered in all areas under the 2012 framework. The senior

leadership team, alongside a very strong governing body and a highly skilled team of

team of staff, continue to drive our school forward with energy and determination.

REPORT CARD

VERNON PRIMARY SCHOOL

»Head teacher: Joanne Carvell

»Based in Poynton, Cheshire

»Vernon School is 150 years

old, though it has gone

through numerous iterations,

and has been a primary school

since 2009

»Type of school: Primary

maintained

»No. of pupils: 367

»No. of staff: 55

»www.vernonprimary.cheshire.

sch.uk

Vernon Primary School

37VERNON PRIMARY SCHOOL |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2018

Outstanding provision

We have maintained our “outstanding”

provision and continued to build upon

this success, consistently ensuring that

we retain the ethos and core values

that make our school unique. The key

elements to our success are:

»Visionary, forward-thinking

leadership – succession planning and

ongoing continuous professional

development (CPD) ensures the

development of every level of leader

throughout the school.

»A stimulating, vibrant and creative

specialised curriculum that inspires and

motivates children and teachers alike.

»Outstanding teaching, learning and

behaviour is maintained through

rigorous and meaningful monitoring

processes, strong mentoring and

CPD structures and the development

and implementation of innovative

learning approaches.

»Strong partnership with all

stakeholders (governors, parents,

carers, staff and children), as well as

external professionals. Our inclusive

practices deliver individualised

learning opportunities through a

collaborative approach.

»Strong links with key teams within

Cheshire East local authority – the

high level of support we have

received has been invaluable along

our journey.

»An engaging, inspiring, visual

environment that places emphasis

on creativity and immersive learning

experiences.

Bespoke curriculum

Vernon Primary School’s curriculum

has an excellent reputation. Noted for

its richness and breadth by Ofsted, it

teaches children the highest levels of

skills, knowledge and understanding

that they will need to prepare them

for the world, within an inspiring and

innovative curriculum. High standards

across the curriculum are sustained

within government frameworks.

Our senior leadership team have

developed a specialised learning map

for each year group that provides

opportunities for the cross-curricular

approach we have always embraced

at Vernon. We ensure that children

see the connection between subjects

within a relevant context. This holistic

curriculum provides opportunities for

real, hands-on experiences to excite,

inspire and engage.

Teachers consistently deliver a

dynamic, structured, topic approach

which is continually adapted to

appeal to every individual, finding

their “hook” and exciting their

interest. This is revised regularly to

ensure that we respond to the varying

learning styles and needs of every

child. Outstanding lead teachers have

developed, refined and cascaded –

meaning they have shared across the

whole school – teaching techniques

to inspire our children. For example,

using innovative, immersive drama

opportunities as a tool for learning

across a range of subjects has had a

significant impact on progress and

attainment, particularly in writing.

Another successful technique is

“guided writing”, which has been

regularly developed and adapted to

reflect current curriculum expectations.

Many of these techniques and

strategies have been widely recognised

and celebrated beyond the school.

Displays are interactive

and vibrant

Music lessons

including drumming

take place weekly

We ensure that

children see the

connection

between

subjects within a

relevant context.

This holistic

curriculum

provides

opportunities for

real, hands-on

experiences to

excite, inspire

and engage

“

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

38 | VERNON PRIMARY SCHOOL

We pride ourselves on our visual learning

environment which not only provides

a platform to celebrate children’s work

but also offers a scaffold for learning

across the curriculum. Children take

ownership of display work and its

impact enables them to engage further

interest and enjoyment in their creative

study work across both core and

foundation subjects.

“Nobody Else Is Quite Like Me”

We create a rich, safe, stimulating

and purposeful learning environment

which enables every child to grow in

confidence and achieve their potential.

Individuals are valued, and their

unique, diverse qualities are nurtured

through secure, trusting relationships

between adults and children within an

open learning environment. We invest

in the emotional health and wellbeing

of individual children. As part of our

senior leadership team, a strong

network of pastoral care, including a

pastoral manager and counsellor, is

in place to ensure that children are

well supported both emotionally and

mentally. The pastoral team work

closely and effectively with our special

educational needs consultation team,

deploying a collaborative approach

to the implementation of early

intervention strategies.

We regularly track our children’s

progress over the course of their

journey through school, using our

unique, rigorous assessment system.

We not only adapt teaching and

learning strategies to ensure every child

makes rapid progress but also design

individualised programmes of support

and intervention to enrich and scaffold

within a supportive resource structure

our children’s learning, accelerating

progress towards individual targets.

Children take ownership of targets and

are given opportunities to develop skills

of self-assessment and reflection. Pupil

voice is integral to our everyday practice.

For example, our proactive school

representatives, such as our school

council and safeguarding committee,

all take responsibility for contributing

to areas of school development.

Embracing opportunities

We are now a “hub teaching school”,

working alongside Manchester

Metropolitan University to train

teachers for the future – an area where

we are keen to further develop. We

are proud of the outstanding teachers

and leaders in our school and the

coaching skills they offer both within

our school and beyond. One of our

aims for the future is to contribute

towards enriching the teaching

profession by sharing our techniques

for outstanding practice with openness

and transparency.

We will continue to work creatively

despite current external challenges

such as national budget constraints.

We will always stay true to our

ethos, always put the child at the

heart of learning and always strive to

develop innovative and individualised

strategies tailored to our children.

We are successful because we find

creative solutions to any challenge we

face, thinking “outside the box” and

embracing opportunities to enrich

every child’s learning experience now

and for the future.

We will always

stay true to our

ethos, always

put the child at

the heart of

learning and

always strive to

develop

innovative and

individualised

strategies

tailored to our

children

“

Study books showcase

children’s work from

year 1 to year 6

Year 1 children sharing

their creative writing

with Sarah Kiely, deputy

head teacher