Every Child Matters at Watchfield Primary School but we also think that the staff, parents, extended school and the local community also matter too.

The village of Watchfield lies between Oxford and Swindon, in the picturesque Vale of the White horse. It thrives in close harmony with its neighbouring village of Shrivenham and the Defence Academy of The United Kingdom, an international training college for military officers.

Lying between the Ridgeway and the River Thames, the Vale of White Horse stretches from the edge of Oxford to the threshold of the Cotswolds. Its enchanting landscape is marked by a mysterious pagan past - the very name comes from the oldest chalk figure in Britain dating back to around 1000 BC.

The Vale is peaceful and tranquil but near to motorways and only 60 miles from London. The countryside is ideal for walking, cycling and horseriding. The River Thames is perfect for boating and fishing. Traditional English pubs are ideal places for lunch or a night out.

The market towns of Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage are full of beautiful buildings and provide excellent shopping opportunities. A stroll through the towns brings to life England's rich history; from King Alfred the Great to the Civil War and the MG sports car.

Our school, in its current form, was built in 1963 and mainly serves the village community of Watchfield and the immediate surrounding area. Children from locally settled families are the bedrock of the school but the nearby Headquarters of the United Kingdom Defence Academy and its multinational community provide the majority of the school's pupils. The international flavour of the Defence Academy creates a unique local atmosphere from which the school benefits greatly. An international theme resonates throughout the area as a result and the school is graced with a wide cultural make-up which enables all the children and staff to make good friends with families from across the world. We currently have pupils from 44 different nations with 33 different languages spoken in school. The January 2004 Ofsted report concluded: ‘ pupils' attitudes, values and behaviour are very good, and the school makes good provision for their spiritual development and very good provision for their moral, social and cultural development. There are very positive relationships between pupils and adults and racial harmony is excellent. Pupils enjoy the school and the attendance rate is very good'(1). The increasing success of the school and our reputation for providing a friendly and caring atmosphere have resulted in the school now attracting pupils from much further afield than our traditional catchment area.

The school, like the majority of others, faces many challenges. Central Funding is always an issue and the transient nature of the military community and courses they attend at the Defence Academy mean that the majority of the schools' pupils are only at Watchfield for a year and of those many do not have English as their primary language. We believe we meet these challenges pragmatically and with energy. The Friends of Watchfield School (our PTA) are very active in raising money for the school and our provision of language training to support our mainstream teaching is very effective.

Watchfield Primary School plays an active part within the Faringdon Partnership of schools and we continually strive to foster and maintain our good relationships across the partnership with the aim of working together in order to ensure best practice and opportunities are maximised for all. The other schools within the partnership include Faringdon Community College, Faringdon Infants/Juniors,

Ashbury, Longcot and Fernham, Shrivenham, Buckland, Shellingford, John Blandy and Longworth. The nearest secondary school is Faringdon Community College, to which, most Watchfield pupils transfer. A number of children also successfully transfer to other maintained and independent secondary schools.

We have 250 pupils on the roll currently aged from four to eleven. In addition to the Head teacher we employ a further 14 teachers, 9 teaching assistants and a nursery nurse. We also employ a wide range of non-teaching staff including a full-time Senior Administrator, lunchtime staff and caretaker. In all, there is a total of 37 staff plus the Head Teacher.

The school has 2 mixed year 1/2 classes, 1 mixed year 2/3 class, 2 mixed year 3/4 classes and one class for each of year 5 and year 6 children. For the younger children, there is the dedicated Alexandra C Stock Foundation Stage Unit. This is a purpose built facility and stands in its own grounds close to the main school buildings. The unit has a large playroom divided into three areas; two of which are carpeted and the other is for water and creative activities. The building is very light and the large, low windows provide views into our own outdoor area and over the school playing fields. The Foundation Stage Unit has a well-designed outdoor area, which enables the children to go outside all year round. It has a large tarmac area, a soft surface and also a grassed area. The main part of the school is also well provisioned for externally with good playground facilities supplemented by the school playing fields and outdoor play areas.

It is the aim of the school to give a balanced and wide education in a caring environment which is inclusive and meaningful for children of differing age, race, gender and ability. Our SEN numbers for children with specific learning difficulties is low (10) and in addition we have a group of 10 gifted and able children. The school strives to encourage within the children a liveliness of thought and a spirit of enquiry. We are concerned to maximise the potential of each individual whatever his or her ability, within a school environment, which is positive, supportive and caring. We feel the ethos of the school is all important and whilst striving to achieve good academic standards we do not forget that the values put forward by the school and the emphasis we place on personal responsibility is all part of the learning process. We aim to involve parents in all aspects of school life. We believe that the school can widen the scope of its activities with the active interest shown by parents, and enable the school to become an integral part of the community. We believe at Watchfield School that there should be partnership between caring adults, teachers, governors and parents to ensure sensitive support for children and young people as they grow and mature.

Governors work well in supporting the school. They have a clear understanding of the issues to be addressed, and are good at holding the school to account’

(1) Watchfield Primary School Inspection Report 25-26 March 2008 Inspection No. 314477