Pooles Park Primary School is a one form entry primary school in the heart of Finsbury Park. The school has beautiful facilities and offers a rich and fulfilling teaching and learning environment. We have a national award winning garden where children learn about growing food and sustainability and we even have our own chickens.
As part of the Bridge Mat we are proud of all of our pupils’ talents and achievements. We believe that each child is special and unique and we expect them to achieve to their fullest individual potential, both in their learning and behaviour, regardless of ability. We take pride in the nurturing of every pupil and having a positive learning environment, to provide both support and challenge to all of our children.
At Pooles Park we have an inclusive ethos and we are proud of all of our pupils’ talents and achievements. We believe that each child is special and unique and we expect them to achieve to their fullest individual potential, both in their learning and behaviour, regardless of ability. We take pride in the nurturing of every pupil and having a positive learning environment, to provide both support and challenge to all of our children. We are dedicated to providing the best possible education for pupils in a safe and stimulating environment. We follow a literacy rich curriculum which links arts, science and humanities subjects through engaging, meaningful themes and project based learning.
We work in partnership with our parents and community and are committed to providing a welcoming community atmosphere which celebrates the achievement of every child. As a school, we are always looking forward in order to find innovative ways for our children to learn.
We are delighted to welcome current or prospective parents to our school to see for yourself what we have to offer.
Jo Stephens, Executive Headteacher
At Pooles Park we aim to be outstanding. The aims and ethos of the school underpin everything that we do. This includes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of children as well as their development as successful learners. We are particularly keen to develop children’s’ understanding of the environment. All children learn to grow food in our nationally celebrated garden and to understand sustainability.
Our mission, embodied in our school values, is to ensure that our children are responsible, respectful and ready for the next stages of their lives and we believe that it is our role to ensure that we provide a positive, supportive environment which will allow Pooles Park children and their families to thrive. This includes ensuring that we promote a positive environment through a holistic approach to enhance both their physical and mental health.
At Pooles Park Primary School, our curriculum is designed to inspire enthusiasm for learning, to ensure achievement and to support pupil well-being and happiness. The curriculum is uniquely designed to meet the needs of our children. We place particular emphasis on three areas; Reading, Culture and Sustainability. Each year group will also engage in a major enrichment project in addition to their core timetable.
Reading is the foundation of our curriculum. Word recognition and phonics begins in the Nursery. Expanding children’s vocabulary is one of the most important things we do. Reading for understanding and enjoyment remains a key focus until children leave for secondary school.
The school employs a Cultural Leader whose role is to ensure that all children receive a wide range of experiences in theatre, music and Art. This includes visits to London venues such as Shakespeare’s Globe, The National Gallery and The Guildhall School of Music. All year groups study a Shakespeare play and other aspects of British culture. British values are embedded across the curriculum. These are:
Sustainability and learning about the environment has been a key strand of our curriculum for many years. The recent national and international interest in this area is very welcome. We have an award winning garden which is used to teach all areas of the curriculum.We employ an Environmental Teacher who teaches the children how to grow food in an urban environment.
We use a thematic, cross-curricular approach. We provide an engaging and exciting curriculum to embed the key skills, knowledge and understanding of the National Curriculum.
Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to explore and maximise learning opportunities outside the classroom environment. This includes visits to the local area as well as visits to a range of attractions across London. We also maximise the use of our own garden where children are engaged in a range of activities to ensure they develop an understanding of sustainability and caring for our environment.
We place a strong emphasis on the development of basic skills. These skills are necessary for lifelong learning. We have ‘non-negotiable’ basic skills outlined for each year group, which are taught and expected to be applied.
London is the most exciting city on earth and we are very proud of being a London School. We take every opportunity for children to learn its history, geography and culture. The classrooms are all named after London stations which are on the three lines that meet at Finsbury Park. Children go on a wide range of educational trips in and around London. Visits to The National Gallery, The British Museum and many others, are an important part of the curriculum.
Since Roman times, 2000 years ago, London has provided a home for people from all over the world. Pooles Park continues this tradition with children from five different continents, speaking twenty five different languages.
The school particularly celebrates Shakespeare who spent most of his working life in London. Each year group studies a different Shakespeare play and we take part in the National School Shakespeare festival. This ends with Year 5 performing a Shakespeare play in a West End Theatre.
London is also renowned for its many parks and gardens. Our own award winning garden is a valuable resource for our pupils and is open to the public once a year.
Phone: +44 (0)20 72722655
Email: poolespark@thebridgetrust.academy
Key contact: Jo Stephens, Executive Headteacher
SENCo: Maxine Pattison
SEND enquiries: jo.stephens@thebridgetrust.academy
School Office Opening hours: 8am – 4.30pm
School day for children: 9am – 3.30pm
