Thank you for your interest in our school.

The Freda Gardham Community School is situated to the east of Rye and is the only Primary School in the centre of Rye. There are currently 187 children on roll.

The building was completed in 1933 and initially opened as a Secondary Modern School. Following a major reorganisation of Secondary Education in 1969, the school became a centre for Primary Education. The school is named after Mrs Freda Gardham who was Chair of Managers for a number of years. In 1999 Freda Gardham School became a Community School and actively seeks links with the community of Rye and the surrounding area.

The school is a regular winner in the Rye in Bloom competition and local residents are daily visitors to the school, helping with reading, art work and web site design, as well as running after school clubs and activities. The school has close links with local churches. Reverend Lucy Murdoch from Camber is a regular visitor to the school, leading a weekly assembly and visiting classes to share events in the religious calendar.

Our two storey building accommodates children from the age of 4 to 11. Space within the school has been utilised well and in addition to the spacious well-equipped classrooms, has a newly completed, dedicated music room, a nurture room, a state of the art multi-sensory ‘Tranquillity Room’, with tactile lighting, a ball pond, tented ceiling and soft furnishings, and two well stocked libraries. Our large hall has a stage for school productions. We have a separate canteen where hot meals are served and children eat their packed lunches.

The extensive, picturesque playing fields at Freda Gardham not only give children a real freedom during break times, but also ensure that pupils have plentiful sporting opportunities and provide an ideal venue for many interschool sporting activities.

There are exciting times ahead for Freda Gardham School. Longer term is the prospect of a new, purpose built school building, accommodating ourselves and Tilling Green Infant school. Meanwhile the recently opened Rural Sure Start Children’s Centre located at the school, provides a base for a range of integrated services including family support, information on child care and child minding, and speech and language therapy.

The staff and Governors have high expectations of children’s achievement and behaviour. We believe in a strong partnership between home and school, where parents are expected to help promote good behaviour and a positive attitude to learning. We welcome parents into school to support their children through helping in classrooms or to discuss their child’s progress or challenges. Throughout your child’s education we will keep you up to date and informed of progress and development. You are welcome to see us at any time (though an appointment is often necessary), particularly if you have any concerns or worries.

I am sure that you will share the confidence of our current parents in entrusting the care of your child to our school. Education is not only about equipping children with knowledge and skills, but also about capturing their enthusiasm, nourishing their creativity and making school a happy place to be for everyone.

Please read through our prospectus or visit our web site which displays pupils’ work and provides information regarding all aspects of school life. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact us.

 Mr Smith  -  Mrs Charman 

Emerald Mrs. Lovell

Jade Mrs Thompson

Topaz Mrs. Howard

Music Lessons -Therapy

To to build a community, which is able to nurture, educate and equip children for life.

We are committed to developing a school where good relations between Governors, staff, pupils and parents are crucial. We will work together towards the common purpose of achieving and maintaining high standards for every child.

We work hard to provide the calibre of education every child is entitled to. We encourage them to believe in themselves, to achieve the most they can and we celebrate their success.

We believe that by building on the children's own strength and by providing them with a broad and balanced curriculum, we enable them to develop the skills and confidence they need to become responsible and reliable members of a society which celebrates diversity.

Through careful planning, nurturing and monitoring of school rules, systems and values we endeavour to create a caring community where mutual respect, consideration and sensitivity thrive.

We provide a well organised, stimulating, challenging and inviting environment where children feel at ease and are eager to learn and take responsibility for their own actions.

A high level of professionalism upheld by staff contributes towards a forward thinking, improving school and one that contributes significantly to the enrichment of life in the community.

Foundation Stage The Foundation Stage was introduced as a distinct phase of education for children aged 3-5 in September 2000. The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, which was distributed in May 2000 to all schools with nursery and reception classes, sets out six areas of learning, covering children’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. The six areas form the basis of the Foundation Stage curriculum. These areas are:

Personal, social and emotional development Successful personal, social and emotional development is critical for very young children in all aspects of their lives and gives them the best opportunity for success in all other areas of learning.

Communication, language and literacy Communication, language and literacy depend on learning and being competent in a number of key skills, together with having the confidence, opportunity, encouragement, support and disposition to use them. This area of learning includes communication, speaking and listening in different situations and for different purposes, being read a wide range of books and reading simple texts and writing for a variety of purposes.

Mathematical development Mathematical development depends on becoming confident and competent in learning and using key skills. This area of learning includes counting, sorting, matching, seeking patterns, making connections, recognising relationships and working with numbers, shapes, space and measures. Mathematical understanding is developed through stories, songs, games and imaginative play, so that children can enjoy using and experimenting with numbers. This includes numbers larger than 10.

Knowledge and understanding of the world In this area of learning children are developing the crucial knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world. It includes helping children develop the skills of observing, predicting, exploring, investigating, interpreting, discussing, decision-making and using tools and materials appropriately.

Physical development Physical development in the Foundation Stage is about improving skills of co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement. Physical development has two other very important aspects. It helps children gain confidence in what they can do and enables them to feel the positive benefits of being healthy and active.

Creative development Creative development is fundamental to successful learning. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extend their understanding. This area of learning includes art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play.