Welcome to our school!
" I feel very proud and privileged to be the Head teacher at Cippenham Infant School. My headship began over seventeen years ago, and during this time, there have been many changes.
Recently, it was a great honour for me to represent the school at a luncheon to acknowledge all the child care providers, schools and colleges that were judged to be outstanding when they were inspected in 2005/2006. The lunch reception was held at Lancaster House, London, on 25th January 2007, and hosted by Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector.
Many visitors comment on the 'lovely atmosphere' in our school. Such comments are testimony to a committed and hardworking staff. As a school, we also benefit from a very supportive Governing body. Both play their parts in making our school the success that it is, and I am extremely fortunate to work with them."
Mrs V Henderson, Head teacher, February 2007
This year, 2007, is our school's 70th birthday. If you have any memories, information or pictures of Cippenham Infants from the past 70 years, please contact us. We would love to hear your stories!
The school badge is a rose. It was grown in the early 20th century by a man called George Lilley. The circlet around the rose represents the moat that surrounded a palace in Cippenham. The site was from Norman times, but no trace remains. Since the school's early days, we have grown in strength. We currently have 270 children, from Reception to Year 2. The 9 classes are divided into:
3 Reception. 3 Year 1. 3 Year 2.
We now take reception children in each September as rising 5s.
The staff work together as a team and welcome others to the school. Our Head teacher is Mrs V Henderson, and our Deputy is Mrs R. Cross.
Cippenham Infant School staff:
Teaching staff Reception - Miss S Squires, Miss H Power, Mrs S Lindsay
Year One - Mrs Kenyon, Miss S Dewberry, Miss N Bowers
Year Two - Miss C Lambourne, Mrs A Coetzer, Miss M Foster
Special Educational Needs - Mr C Smith, Mrs S Adlam, Mrs H Burton
Gifted, Able and Talented - Mrs F O'Reilly
EMA ( for children who have English as a second language) - Mrs M Walker
Supply Teaching staff- Mrs L Laouira, Mrs S Adlam, Mrs F O'Reilly, Mrs A Mohan, Mrs G Gomes
click here for Post of Responsibilities
Support staff Mrs N Baughen, Mrs A Rutti, Mrs G Roberts, Mrs J Kerby, Mrs D Emery, Mrs J Gardiner, Mrs J Williams, Mrs J Lightfoot, Miss H Bleakley Mrs S Way, Mrs M Overton, Mrs J Lacey
Ancillary staff Office - Mrs L Donnelly, Mrs S McCarroll, Mrs D Brown Caretaker - Mr R Penney
We have all been working very hard, especially Mrs Cross, towards a number of awards. We were very pleased to receive a School Achievement Award for 2001-2002. In March 2005 we were presented with the Investors in People award and in November we were awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark. We have now been awarded the Healthy Schools Award - June 2006. Congratulations to all involved, especially Miss Foster, our Healthy Schools co-ordinator. We now have another achievement, this time for sport. The Activemark 2006 rewards exceptional delivery of the National School Sport Strategy.
Our proudest moment this year was when we were given the grade of 'outstanding' in our last OFSTEd inspection in September 2005. This is the result of all the hard work and dedication from all the teaching staff, teaching assistants, cleaning staff, lunchtime controllers and office staff.
Curriculum
Literacy Numeracy Science ICT History Geography RE PSHE PE Art D.T
Which is your favourite subject?
In the Reception classes, the curriculum differs from Year 1 and Year 2. Children who are in this year group are in the Foundation Stage and the teachers deliver a curriculum based on six different areas of learning. These areas are
Personal, Social Development Communication, Language and Literacy
Mathematical Development Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Physical Development and Creative Development.
Each of the areas of learning are divided up in to Stepping Stones, leading up to the Early Learning Goals. The Stepping Stones show the children's progress in that particular area of learning, while the Early Learning Goal is the end target for most children to achieve by the end of the Foundation Stage ( the end of Reception Year). The teachers use the Stepping Stones and Early Learning Goals to plan a varied and exciting learning environment with activities and experiences for the children.
For more information about the curriculum in Reception, please see our Reception staff or follow the link to Foundation Stage Guidance.
Science Garden
A company called Bluehat.Uk approached us to ask whether we would be interested in working with Egmont Books PLC to develop an outdoor space for the children. We put together a plan of what we would like and were delighted when, on the 29th June 2005, a large team arrived to transform what had previously been 'dead' space following a school extension.
As part of their teambuilding day the company had to design the garden based on the brief they had from the children. We were keen to have a multi-sensory, multi-purpose garden that could be used all year round as a learning resource. Here is the winding gravel path being laid.
The ground was like concrete as it is in full sunshine and it had been glorious weather for a couple of weeks. Copious amounts of watering had done little to make the ground any more diggable. There were a number of sunburnt backs and necks that day!
A large amount of mud and stones had to be removed. The children were willing and able helpers for this tedious part - anything to get their hands dirty!!
Here is the sundial in the ground. Each stone represents a number and in the centre of the handmade square bench an apple tree has been planted to cast a shadow for the sundial. Very clever - and it's nearly accurate.
The Head and Deputy were keen to have a proper entrance to the garden. The Deputy ordered this arch from Squires garden centre (they were very good to us by subsidising the project), which the team then constructed and 'planted'. It really does finish the job nicely.
The planter was designed and made from scratch by two female team members who had never used saws, screwdrivers or the like before. It took them most of the day and they were, like everyone else, very very proud of the efforts. A special plaque commemorating the day has been fixed to the front of this.
And so to the finished piece! Our garden is beautiful. What was once a dream is now real. The plants have flourished. We have eaten apples, beans, blackberries, courgettes and tomatoes from our garden already. The children have spent some time exploring and helping to keep it looking good. We have plans to start a gardening club, run by parents, and to install some benches so that classes can use the space to work in.
Our thanks must go to all at Bluehat.Uk, especially Lorraine for the organisation of the day, and to Egmont Books Plc for their hard graft and dogged determination to get the job done no matter what obstacles lay in their way. |