Newnham Middle School Prospectus

Newnham Middle School Achievement through opportunity

Welcome to Newnham Middle School

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ur aim at Newnham is to help your children develop into high achieving, confident young people who enjoy learning and understand how to make the most of their talents. We do this by achieving excellence in all aspects of school life and providing opportunities for our pupils to give their best. We encourage our pupils to see their time at Newnham as part of a life-long learning journey that requires commitment but also brings huge rewards.

This booklet will tell you more about Newnham, but we urge you to visit the school too and see us in action.

Miss M Warner Head Teacher (to December 2013)

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am delighted to be joining Newnham Middle School as Headteacher in January 2014.

Newnham is a school with great traditions and a bright future. We will channel and develop the enthusiasm, skill and dedication of the staff to ensure that the pupils reach for and achieve the very best. High expectations extend to all and together we will build on success to create a school in which every single pupil and every single parent can be fully confident. We will do this by ensuring that every child has excellent teaching, wide and exciting opportunities and the right support. I look forward to meeting everybody associated with the school and to working with you to achieve success over the coming months and years.

Mrs R Wilkes Head Teacher (from January 2014)

AiMiNg high

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taff at Newnham have high expectations of all the children they teach and data shows that our children make well above average progress across the curriculum in their four years with us. we are particularly proud of the very high standards achieved by all pupils at the end of Year 8. Newnham is a school that is moving forward and offering pupils new and exciting learning opportunities.

All children receive personal academic targets that are challenging but achievable; we measure and report on their progress every term. Pupils are set in english and maths from entry in Year 5 but we monitor sets and review them regularly. extra study and activities further enable our pupils to succeed. For example, many Newnham pupils enter the uK Mathematics challenge and every summer several attend the First university — formerly the children’s university. Themed curriculum enrichment days encourage pupils to work across year groups and think critically and creatively about the world around them.

For pupils who are making less progress, we use learning mentors, workshops and other interventions to develop their self-esteem and confidence in their ability to learn. homework is an essential part of the children’s learning and they receive maths, english and science homework weekly. homework in other subjects is set regularly.

when i first came to Newnham i didn’t know anyone but the friendly atmosphere here meant that i soon made friends. Newnham has really helped me to find out who i am and has enabled me to develop personally. i have loved my time at Newnham.

Louise, Year 8

celeBRATiNg AchieVeMeNT

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ur reward system encourages pupils to aim high. They can receive praise points for good work and responsible behaviour and golden tickets for courtesy. celebration assemblies encourage children to share in and appreciate the success of their peers and we hold special reward events at the end of Key Stage 2 and Year 8. we send praise postcards home when children demonstrate particularly high achievement and each week we select one outstanding piece of work to display in the entrance hall. children also receive awards for sporting achievements such as certificates for our marathon runners. we even have chef of the week awards for the best cooks in food technology lessons. we encourage full attendance by running a prize draw each term for all children with a 100% attendance record. we have recently launched a new praise system called “epraise”. Pupils are awarded praise points for a number of things including high quality work, excellent progress and teamwork.

Praise points can be checked online and are also collated by house and form group. Praise points translate into vouchers which can be spent in the school shop. Pupils can also win mufti days and other treats.

There are brilliant opportunities such as being in the school play. Being in “little Shop of horrors” was a great experience.

Juliette, Year 6

Engaging all pupils

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ewnham has an excellent reputation for strong pastoral care. This ensures our pupils feel safe, enjoy school and are ready to accept learning challenges. In addition, our vibrant programme of extra-curricular clubs encourages all our children to play an active role in the school. Our clubs cover a full range of sports, music and visual arts activities including singing, football, athletics, tennis and art. We also offer a drama club for budding thespians and a marathon club for would-be Olympians.

As a result of our many sports clubs, we are able to field teams in a huge variety of events and have notched up some great sporting achievements at district and county level over the past few years.

Pupils have access to a variety of musical instrument lessons as part of the curriculum and the opportunity to hone their performance skills through our regular concerts, theatre productions and dance displays.

Moving up the school, children are able to take part in a number of residential visits. For example, this year a group of Year 7 pupils enjoyed an activity week at Grafham Water while Year 5 children will spend a fun week in Dorset. For pupils who are unable to take part in residential trips, we organise a varied range of exciting activities in school.

For all pupils, local visits to museums, theatres and sports venues further compliment the curriculum. For example recent Year 6 enrichment days have included a visit to Bradwell Abbey.

We have a strong tradition of music and drama success. In the last two years, there have been fantastic school productions of Bugsy Malone and Little Shop of Horrors. Our concerts are also excellent as are our more informal, half termly musical soirees.

woRKiNg wiTh PAReNTS

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t Newnham, we like to work in partnership with parents and to encourage them to take an active role in their children’s education. we do this by keeping them informed about the curriculum and their children’s progress. our SATs evenings and learning Partnership evenings are well attended and we enjoy working with the children and their parents together at these events. we also encourage parents and carers to take part in school life by assisting with residential and day visits or sharing their expertise in the classroom. our vibrant PTA, which runs regular events and fund raising activities for children and families, welcomes all willing hands.

The homework at Newnham can be quite challenging but i always enjoy it.

Sam, Year 5

PRePARiNg PuPilS FoR ADulThooD

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cademic achievement is central to Newnham’s vision but we are also preparing pupils for life after Newnham. our aim is to develop them as able, caring and responsible young people.

our house system encourages competition between pupils and our School council equips our children with the skills to make informed judgements. we encourage all our pupils to assume extra responsibilities perhaps as library assistants or reading buddies to younger pupils, or by taking on monitoring duties in their form. Many of our older pupils act as prefects and some assist our neighbouring lower school as playground leaders. our links with the local community help further pupils’ understanding of citizenship. For example, pupils and parents are encouraged to get involved in our fundraising events, including our annual Macmillan coffee morning.

liNKiNg wiTh oTheR SchoolS

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taff at Newnham work closely with lower and upper schools to ensure children’s transition through the school system is happy and successful.

The teachers are kind and i have made lots of new friends.

Catherine, Year 5

Newnham Middle School, Polhill Avenue, Bedford MK41 9DT

T: 01234 303403 F: 01234 303404 E-mail: office@newnham-middle.org.uk You can find out lots more information about the school on our website

www.newnham.beds.sch.uk