Welcome to Wantage Church of England Primary School.

Please take a moment to read this summary about us; we hope that it will give you a flavour of what a great place Wantage CE Primary School is to learn and to work.

Pupils at Wantage CE Primary School are safe, happy and enjoy their learning. We are well-supported by the Vale Academy Trust, governors, the local church, parents, and the wider community. This allows us to offer our pupils a broad and balanced curriculum that enables pupils to flourish and to live life to the full.

Last year, pupils from Wantage CE Primary school attended trips to the Vale and Downland Museum, Kilvrough Outdoor Education Centre, Court Hill Outdoor Centre, Oxford Castle, Wantage Library, The Bristol Sea Life Centre, Roves Farm, Hill End Outdoor Centre, Millets Farm, Winchester Science Museum and The Planetarium.

Attainment at Wantage CE Primary school remains strong in the Early Years Foundation Stage and it has improved at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In 2018, 70% of Reception pupils achieved a good level of development; 88% of Year 1 pupils passed the phonics check; and Year 2 pupils achieved well in statutory assessments: 75% expected or above in reading, 70% expected or above in writing, and 80% expected or above in maths.

At KS2 in 2018, Year 6 pupils attained above national averages for expected or above in reading, writing and maths, 86%, 81% and 78% respectively, with a combined RWM figure of 71%. Our school priorities for 2018-2019 are to improve pupil progress between KS1 and KS2, and to close the gap for disadvantaged pupils.

We are pleased to offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities including sports clubs such as judo, rugby, netball, tennis, frisbee, water-polo, tri-golf and ‘quad kids’ athletics.  We are very proud of our sporting successes and the ever-increasing percentage of children who take part in a wide range of sports.  We achieved the Schools Sports Mark Platinum Award this year, an accolade which we are proud of. We also competed in several local maths competitions and ran popular computing and robotics clubs.

We have a rich tradition of music at Wantage CE. Every year, Year 3 learn a brass instrument; and individual instrument lessons take place in all years including flute, keyboard, piano, drums and guitar. Gordon Campbell, VAT music specialist, teaches one day a week, leading Key Stage choirs and whole-school singing.

Our church links are very important to us. A team from church present a weekly Open the Book assembly and Fr. Philip regularly joins us for collective worship. We attend church each term and we look forward to the Prayer Space team who visit us twice a year. Our Year 5 pupils enjoy the dedicated support of the nuns from St Mary’s Convent Wantage in helping them to understand the deeper meaning and significance of the Passion play which the pupils write, produce and perform every Easter.

Wantage does ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ is organised and hosted by the school council, and this annual event provides an afternoon of fun and fund-raising for children’s charities.  In 2017-2018, The school council and ‘Friends’ worked together to raise funds to re-furbish our outside play areas raising over £8,000 for a new climbing wall for KS1 and trim trail for KS2.

Staff development continues to remain at the heart of Wantage CE Primary School. We have two staff who have completed their teacher training and are now teaching full time with us, we employed the first apprentice TA in the trust (he is performing extremely well), and this year we have a TA who has progressed to train as a SCITT with us.

Since September 2018, school staff, parents and governors have been working together to formulate a distinctive Christian vision for the school. Excellence for all in an environment of love, respect, hope, forgiveness and courage; where every pupil flourishes and lives life to the full.

If you would like to find out more about us, or if you would like to arrange a visit to our school, please contact the school office.

Andy Browne

Headteacher