Welcome to Wye Primary School!

Headteacher - Mr K Grout

"This is an outstanding school...Pupils are developing into citizens of whom the school and their parents can be proud." Ofsted Team June 2006

Who was Lady Joanna Thornhill?

Wye is a popular village school, founded by Lady Joanna Thornhill who was lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II. She was the great granddaughter of Sir Richard Grenville and widow of Colonel Richard Thornhill of Olantigh in Wye. When she died in 1708, Lady Joanna left an endowment ‘to the use and benefit of the poorest sort of children of the town of Wye, for their improvement in learning.’ And so began Lady Joanna Thornhill’s (Endowed) Primary School!

At Lady Joanna We Aim For...

* Excellent educational practices

* Effective partnership with parents

* Delivery of the National Curriculum with a range of extra-curricular activities

* High standards of behaviour

* Strong links with the community which we serve

* Children with confidence, self-esteem and initiative, ready to face a challenge


We acknowledge that these aims and objectives can only be achieved by the commitment of parent, pupils, staff and governors.

TOGETHER EVERYBODY ACHIEVES MORE!

MUSIC CLUBS

Kent Music - Kent Music teachers visit the school and provide tuition on various musical instruments (currently piano, strings, woodwind and brass). Application forms are available from the School Office or by telephoning Kent Music, Maidstone 01622 691212.

Orchestra -Our very popular Orchestra meets on Mondays from 3.15 to 4.30pm. Organised and run by Mrs Migden and Mrs Gow from the Kent Music and supported by Mrs Powell, it provides a wonderful opportunity for our young musicians to experience performing and making music together. Anyone fortunate enough to listen to their concert earlier this year will know what astounding standards of musicianship they achieve. All young musicians of varying abilities and experience are welcome to join. There is a small charge of £1.50 per session to cover costs.

Choir - We run a choir in the Tuesday lunch break from 12-12.30pm, taken by Mrs Royal. The choir added enormously to our Musical Evening during the summer term.

Recorder – There are a beginners and an intermediate group for Recorders during the Thursday lunch break from 12-12.30pm run by Mrs Harris and Mrs Yeomans.

SPORTS CLUBS

Cricket Club - runs on Wednesdays at 3.15-4.15pm for Year 3-6. Summer Terms only.

Athletics Club - runs on a Thursdays at 3.15-4pm for Year 4, 5 & 6. Summer Terms only. Unfortunately, because this is such a popular club we will have to limit it to a maximum of 50 children and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please hand letters into the school office.

Football - runs on Wednesdays at 3.15-4.00pm run during the Autumn and Spring Terms.

Netball - runs on Tuesdays 3.15-4.00pm for years 5 & 6.

LANGUAGE CLUBS

French Club
Unfortunately this club will not be running this term as Mrs Watson de Freminville has left to have a baby and we have not been able to find a replacement as yet. Watch this space...

COMPUTER CLUB

Grid Club - runs on Thursdays. Children will be using the ‘Grid Club’ website, which is a DfES approved website for KS2 and has won many awards for its fun games and activities. Look out for a letter for your year group...

DRAMA CLUB

This club has proved to be extremely popular with our Year 5 and 6 boys and girls. It takes place on Wednesdays from 3.15-4pm.

MUCKY PUPS (Art & DT) CLUB

Runs on Thursdays (Term 1) for our Year 2 Boys and girls. Places are limited but all the Y2 should get a chance to participate during the year!

GARDENING CLUB

Runs on Wednesdays and each term a different Year group will get to have go... With luck we will have something to eat or sell occasionally and little shoots of interest throughout the school grounds!!

SECRET AGENTS AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

This club is organised by a group of Christians from Wye Parish Church and other local churches.

They run a monthly after school club and summer clubs too. The sessions consist of games, team competitions, Bible stories, songs and crafts as well as lots of fun!

If you would like more information please contact Ali Poole or Steve Lillicrap via the Wye Church email link below.

The next Secret Agents After School Club is on
Wednesday, 19th September
Wednesday, 17th October
Wednesday, 21st November

Starting School
Children reach compulsory school age at the beginning of term after their fifth birthday. The children due to be admitted in any academic year are those born between 1st September and the following 31st August. Each school decides as a matter of policy when to admit four year old. In coming to a decision the Headteacher has to take account of the number of teachers, class sizes and the accommodation at the school. At Lady Joanna Thornhill we have two entries of Reception children: those with birthdays between 1st September and 31st March are admitted in September and those with birthdays that fall between 1st April and 31st August start in January. Children start on a full time basis.

Admissions Policy
In line with Kent County Council’s commitment to open enrolment, Lady Joanna Thornhill will do its best to provide a place for a child at the school, but this may not always be possible. The capacity of the accommodation or other constraints at our school may mean that parental preference cannot be met.

Admission may have to be refused, for example, if it would lead to oversized classes now or later, or it would prevent resources from being used efficiently. In some years we have not been able accept all applicants to the school.

The LEA has to plan the number of children admitted to each school very carefully to make sure that no school is overcrowded. For this reason Lady Joanna Thornhill intends to admit a maximum of 60 children into Reception for the new academic year. (There is no set allocation of places for admissions of children entering school other than in Reception).

If the number of preferences for our school is less than this figure, there is usually no problem in meeting parents’ wishes. However, there may be occasions where so many parents want places that difficult decisions have to be made.

When this happens, places at County schools are allocated by the LEA (or Headteacher acting on its behalf) taking account of the following priority order:

* Children in care of the Kent County Council;

* Current Family association (an elder brother or sister in the school at time of entry, where the family continues to live at the same address as when the sibling was admitted or has moved to a new property within two miles (via the shortest available walking route) of the school);

* Health reasons (for which a medical certificate may be necessary);

* Nearness of children’s homes and ease of access to school

Changing Schools
If you want to transfer your child from one primary school to another, other than at the normal transfer age (for example because you are moving home), you should contact the school, it would also be helpful if you could inform the Headteacher of your child’s present school. The transfer of a child to another school on educational grounds can be considered at any time.

Appeals Against Admission Decisions
Parents who are unhappy with an admission decision at a particular County school can appeal in writing to the Education Office. If you are not satisfied with this decision, the case can be referred to members of the Education & Libraries committee. There is a final stage of appeal to an Independent Statutory Appeal Committee, although if the admission of the child would breach Infant class Size Limit, this appeal can only be upheld where parents demonstrated the Authority has acted unreasonably or erroneously in refusing their child a place.

How to apply...
You should complete an application form, which is available from the school office. Or click on [admissionfrm.doc],[Admission Form] and return it to the school office. This form puts you on our mailing list and enables us to register your interest in our school. However, there are set deadlines and special forms for children entering Reception, which are usually available in the January before your child is due to start school.