Community Activities

CHURCH LINKS

The school has developed strong links with St Mary's Parish Church, Barwell. The Rector of Barwell, Rev’d Arthur Deegan is an ex-officio governor of the school. He regularly leads whole school assembly and takes an active interest in the school.

The school worships in St Mary’s Parish Church at certain times of the year. Junior Songs of Praise and carol concerts organised in the church by the school have proved to be very popular with the whole community. The Carol Services in 2007 were extremely well attended and the pupils in Year 4 led four excellent services. Our school choir linked with the choir of St Mary's to jointly lead worship at their carol service on the Sunday evening before Christmas.

Our Year 6 children will take part in a special service in church in July during the week before they leave our school. Each pupil will receive a Bible as a leaving giftfrom school and church.

St Mary's Church supports us each year in covering the cost of buying these Bibles to present to our Year 6 leavers.

St Mary's Parish Church, Barwell

The school has also forged links with the Salvation Army in Hinckley , with whom we work throughout each year and especially at harvest time when we donate gifts of money or tinned and packet foods to their appeal. Major Julian and Captain Julie Rowley are welcome guests in our school. Mrs Rowley enjoys leading assemblies and has spoken with the children on many occasions.

We are pleased to have active year round links with Living Rock Community Church . Alex Graves is the lead member of the Children's Worship Team in the church. Alex's lively assemblies in school are appreciated and enjoyed by children and staff each half term.

To find out more about Living Rock Community Church please click on the web link below:

Living Rock Community Church

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SCHOOL LINKS

Hinckley Area Schools Partnership

Barwell CE Junior School is part of the Hinckley Area Schools Partnership. Staff attend meetings and training with staff from twenty eight other schools in the area. This is an effective network of schools that provides an excellent and cost-effective range of training and development opportunities for teachers, support staff and governors on issues of current importance and relevance to education at infant, junior and senior levels.

In Summer 2005 pupils in Year 5 took part in a regional choral production of 'Food with Attitude'. The children were coached by Sophie Pascall, a brilliant singing tutor provided to us by the Local Authority. Mrs Stewart practiced hard with the children and made sure that all arrangements were in place. The final show was spectacular, with a choir of over two hundred pupils from a range of Hinckley area schools taking part.

Children in Lower Junior classes enjoy taking part in the annual Hinckley Area Schools Partnership Group Dance Festival. Twenty four children performed to packed audiences on two consecutive evenings at the end of Spring Term 2007.

The annual Hinckley Area Schools Partnership Sports Awards Evening is a highlight of the local sporting calendar. Individuals and teams are nominated by each school in the prtnership and pupils are honoured for their sporting achievements, dedication and fair play.

Barwell Infant School

Our school enjoys cordial relationships with all schools in the local area. Links are especially strong with the schools which we feed from and to. We liaise very closely with staff at Barwell Infant School and provide opportunities for parents and children due to transfer to us to see our school in advance and to get to know teachers and support staff in Year 3.

During Autumn Term 2007 the children in Year 2 at Barwell Infant School came to watch our Nativity Carol Service. Children in Year 3 in the Juniors enjoyed travelling back to the infants to watch the younger children perform and sing in their Christmas production.

During Autumn Term 2007 Year 2 children came to watch our Year 5 children's production of 'A Creepy Crawly Christmas'.

We shall again welcome Year 2 children into school this term to see our Year 3 production of 'The Wizard of Oz'

Heathfield High School

We also liaise closely with Heathfield High School where most of our children transfer to at the end of Year 6. Parents and children are invited to see the facilities at Heathfield during Autumn Term in Year 6 and all children have two ‘taster days’ at the High School towards the end of their final term in Year 6.

We are always delighted to welcome Graham Jones - the Headteacher at Heathfield - to our school. He liaises closely with our staff and children regarding transfer of pupils. During Spring and Summer Terms Mr Jones will lead special assemblies in our school for children in Year 6. The Head of Year 7 will also make special visits to our school to meet with Year 6 pupils. Year 6 teachers from our school team with a teacher at Heathfield each year to share good practice.

To find out more about Heathfield High School please click on the web link below:

Heathfield High School

William Bradford Community College

We have developed closer links with some departments in particular at William Bradford Technology College. Their technology college status releases funds for the senior school to support their feeder primaries in their development of the curriculum in ICT, Maths and Design and Technology. We have welcomed members of the Maths department from William Bradford into our school to work with our children on problem solving activities. Children attend occasional ‘Maths Masterclass’ activities at William Bradford – activities designed to stimulate the most able of our Year 5 mathematicians.

To find out more about William Bradford Community College please click on the web link below:

William Bradford Community College

Training Links

Barwell CE Junior School is recognised as a school which supports training and professional development of teachers at all stages. We are partnered with the University of Northampton, accepting onto our staff student teachers in training each year. We have links with the Loughborough Encompass Partnership who are the registered body for graduate teacher trainees who work with us. We also support the development of senior teachers who are moving towards headship by acting as a link school for the National College of School Leadership for training towards the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).

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LOCAL COMMUNITY LINKS

The Elderly

Children and staff from school visit the elderly residents of Harvey House and Saffron House each October to distribute gifts of fruit, vegetables and tinned food from our Harvest Thanksgiving. We visit the residents throughout the home, sometimes joining in activities. The residents and staff often ask the children to sing for them before we go. We also distribute gifts to elderly residents in Church Close and St Mary's Court.

The choir visited both Harvey and Saffron House during the final week of Autumn Term 2006. The children and staff sang traditional and modern carols for the elderly residents. The staff were very kind to us and gave us drinks and sweets as a Christmas treat.

Adult Learning

Family Learning (Keeping up with the Children)

We are privileged to work with our adult tutor, Mrs Marion McMillan each week. Marion comes into school each week to work in the Community Room with families of our pupils so that they may better understand the ways in which English and Maths are taught in school today. Adults find this a really useful and interesting class which helps them to brush up on their own skills whilst learning about how their children are taught. Training and refreshments are provided free. Some participants have even gone on to complete GCSE Level Maths and English within this setting.

If you would like to join in the next class wich begins in January, please ccontact the school office.

Barwell Girls' Football Club

Barwell Girls' FC have been partnered with us for many years. This loocal girls' football club is active and successful due to the dedication and tireless support of volunteer helpers and of the girls and their families. They train on our school field each week and use the facilities as their home ground for matches.

Barwell Athletic Minis Football Club

Barwell Athletic Minis have used our field as a training ground on Saturday mornings and for matches on Sunday afternoons from June 2007. We are pleased to be able to offer this facility to the club who have direct links with the school through parents and pupils.

For more details about Barwell Athletic Minis Football Club click on the website link below:

Barwell Athletic Minis FC

Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness

The Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club hold their Tuesday evening meetings and exercise classes in our hall each week.

For more information click on the website link below:

Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness website

GKR Karate

The GKR Karate Club meets every Thursday evening 6p.m. - 9p.m. in our school hall. For further details visit their website by clicking the link below:

KGR Karate Website

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BUSINESS LINKS

Earl Shilton Financial Services

We continue to benefit from the sponsorship of Earl Shilton Financial Services. Mr Colin Gibson has provided support for sport in school through provision of football kit and full squad sports T-shirts complete with our school name. Mr Gibson has also donated sports equipment and trophies to the school.

We are very grateful to Mr Gibson for the level of support provided by Earl Shilton Financial Services and we have been delighted to welcome him into school each Summer to present our end of year sports trophies to pupils and teams.

Barwell + Earl Shilton Building Society

We are delighted to have formed links with the local building society.

We had the opportunity to enter a recent competition in which our children designed and made items to celebrate the 150th birthday anniversary of the building society.

Jake from Year 6 was delighted with his success, and so were we. Jake's prize was £250 with which to open a Child Trust Account + £150 for the school to spend on Art and Design resources. Well done Jake!

Leicester City Football Club

We are part of the LCFC Incentives Programme and enjoy the associated privileges.

Children in Year 3 enjoy the visit that Filbert Fox makes to school each year to promote reading.

End of year certificates for 100% attendance and outstanding achievement are awarded to pupils. We have the opportunity each year to take one pupil with 100% attendance and one pupil who has displayed excellence in achievement to the Walkers Stadium for a special celebration and presentation. The pupils are given a conducted tour of the stadium and meet first team players for photographs and autographs.

Crowfoots Carriers

We are indebted to Crowfoots Carriers for their extremely generous gifts of fabric to support our dramatic productions. We now have a wardrobe department to be proud of!

Focus DIY (Hinckley)

We are also very grateful to Focus DIY (Hinckley) for providing us with gifts of emulsion paint to prepare the backdrops for our productions. We seem to go through gallons so all donations are welcome!!

Asda and Morrisons, Hinckley

We are grateful to the Asda and Morrisons Superstores in Hinckley for supporting us with a range of projects, including the provision of bottled water in school and donation of gifts of food for the elderly and homeless at Harvest Time.

Local shops, restaurants and small businesses

We are very grateful to over thirty local businesses who supported us very generously by donating prizes to our 2007 Christmas raffle and who helped to distribute promotional leaflets about the event. These contributions were very much appreciated.

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CHARITABLE LINKS

Over the years we have supported a wide range of charities, regularly raising over £3000 each year for good causes. Below is an update of our activities and plans for this academic year.

Autumn Term 2006

Harvest Gifts

Fresh and packaged food were donated to school by families of pupils as part of our Harvest Thanksgiving celebrations. All donations were distributed amongst the poor and needy and the elderly. The Salvation Army took six large boxes of tinned and packaged food to give to the poor. Some produce was donated to Harvey House and Saffron House and every elderly resident of Church Close and St Mary's Court received a gift box containing fresh and packaged produce.

Breast Cancer Care

In October we donated over £400 to Breast Cancer Care through our 'Think Pink' activities organised again this year by Miss Peace, with Mrs Marston's support. These included a 'Pink Day', a 'Ladies' Pink Pamper Evening' evening, a Pink raffle, and Pink games .

British Legion Poppy Appeal

Mr Spring again brought us poppies to sell in early November. We actually ran out of poppies this year and had to ask for extra supplies. We raised over £50 for the British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Children in Need

The children were keen to support the National Children in Need appeal again this year. Through a non-uniform day and various sales we raised approx £300.

NSPCC

Through our participation in the NSPCC Spellathon we succeeded in raising a total nearly £1000 for this worthy cause. All pupils who took part were given a badge as a token of appreciation. Children who raised large amounts received other small rewards.

Hope Cancer Charity and St Mary's Parish Church, Barwell

The children chose these charities as the charities to which we would donate the money raised through collections at the Nativity Carol Services held in St Mary's Church.

We were able to donate £65 to St Mary's Parish Church and £65 to HOPE. We intend to continue sponsorship of HOPE throughout the year, and have linked with Mrs Wendi Stevens to arrange for some of our Y6 pupils to visit the Cancer Research facility at the University of Leicester as part of this venture.

LOROS (Leicestershire Organisation for the Relief of Suffering)

We have again sold 'Christmas Cuddlies' - small soft toys costing £1 each, to raise funds for LOROS

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