Welcome to Ash Grange a wonderful community school for boys and girls aged 2-11 years in the heart of Ash, in Surrey.  It is my privilege to be the Headteacher of Ash Grange and to lead this fantastic school, with a dedicated and hard working team of staff.   

Our ethos is clear for children and adults alike:  “We Care, We Learn, We Shine”, this encompasses all we do and the following pages share with you what this looks like day by day.

We have 3 core aims which underpin all that we do.

1. Enriched learning experiences that will broaden children’s knowledge and understanding of the world.

We provide a rich and varied curriculum delivered through half termly creative projects, which link all areas of learning/subjects of the Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery 1, 2 and Reception Year) and National Curriculum (Year 1 to 6) together in meaningful, exciting, enriching and broadening experiences.  Day to day learning is enriched with specialist teachers of Drama, Music, Swimming and wider sports.  Undertaking local and further afield trips widen children’s first hand experiences, along with visitors who come to share expertise from all walks of life with the children.  The learning is planned to develop children’s knowledge, understanding and skills to enable them to be lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

2. The development of effective communications and language skills so that children can be confident and powerful communicators.

Highly developed oral confidence is vital in life, to communicate needs, ideas and views to other people and in return to listen and respond to those expressed.  To develop communication skills is a fundamental part of each learning day.  Each class has special opportunities in lessons, assemblies, events to develop and hone these skills. Once children have acquired effective spoken abilities these are applied to reading and writing to broaden these communication skills.  We are so passionate about reading because it opens up to children the worlds of facts, imagination and creativity.  During their years at Ash Grange each child has the chance to build their own reading library and be awarded 20 fantastic books which are gifted to them when they achieve each level of school reading band system. Writing is a crucial tool for creativity and sharing all that they know and are learning, we enable the children to be confident, able writers who develop their interests and passions. The craft of forming efficient and effective handwriting is valued through pen licences and the awarding of an engraved fountain pen when presentation is consistently excellent.  We take every opportunity we can to write creatively and the children’s imagination and factual knowledge creates rich and interesting pieces that are award winning. With great communication skills the children can access and engage fully with the world around them and the grasp the opportunities awaiting for them.

3. The positive development of physical, mental and emotional health of all.

We care about the uniqueness of each child; their academic, social, spiritual, physical, mental and emotional health. We all know happy children learn, make friends, achieve their goals and become full active citizens; which is what we want for every child.  The development of positive emotional health equips children with the skills and tools to be able to recognise their own and others emotional health and needs, which enables them to have their needs met in a respectful, independent and consistent way.  We recognise that families need support at different times and we provide support to the family day by day and at significant points of need.  We appreciate and value the huge team of staff at Ash Grange who ensure our practice, expectations and support of children allows them to flourish and achieve so much.  Our provision in this whole area of Mental Health and Well-being has enabled us to be recognised with a national award. 

School Development Plan (SDP) 2023-2024

Every year we strive to improve the provision of Ash Grange to have the greatest impact we can on the pupils, parents, staff and community. Each year the school stakeholders review progress and attainment to identify actions to improve the provision for all children, our current targets are:

SIP Aspects

1. Leadership:

• Governors to improve triangulation and increase skills.
• To improve impact of subject leaders in the classroom to drive up standards.
• To create roles and timings that increase the strategic view of SLT (reducing operational).
• To develop the support of the parents in the cost of living crisis and reduce our impact on the environment.
• New Initiatives to develop the environment.

2. Pupil Voice

• To increase the impact of the School Council across the Nursery and School.
• To develop the role of the School Councillors as buddies and mentors of children (Circle Time).
• To increase the impact of the Eco Council members across the school.
• To increase the pupil voice to identify strengths of school and areas for development.

3. SEN

• To improve the IPP writing system and that which informs it.
• To improve the assessment, interventions and impact of Speech and Language therapy.
• To develop staff expertise and implementation of interventions for increase impact.
• Improve parental skills and knowledge to enable them to better support their child's needs.

4. Staff Development

• To utilise coaching methodology to support staff development and impact.
• To develop HLTA team members autonomy and impact.
• To develop the support structures for Mental Health and Well -Being to impact all staff.

5. Teaching and Learning

• Improve teaching and learning through expanding the use of the Enquiry Approach to all lessons to build engagement, curiosity and behaviour for learning. In turn to raise standards of attainment and progress.

Early years foundation stage: EYFS targets.

• To monitor and ensure all children make the maximum progress in prime and specific areas. 
• To identify SEN needs and how to support these needs within school and through outside support early. 
• To implement changes to the admission process to accommodate the increased numbers in nursery 1 and 2. 
• To ensure the indoor and outdoor environments are stimulating and challenging and they support rapid progress and enjoyment. 

In order to improve communication with parents, we have changed communication systems.

EYFS Target:  Implement the new system to utilise data to inform teaching and learning and raise progress levels.

Attendance remains our key focus to ensure children have the full opportunity to make progress and achieve their potential.

Attendance Target: Attendance is in line or above national average; persistent absence/lateness is reducing month on month. 

SUPPORTING FAMILIES

We work in partnership with families to create the best opportunities for children to thrive and learn. We have a strong parent/carer voice as we work together to improve the Nursery and School offer for all.  This year we are supporting families with the current cost of living crisis by reducing school meals to £1 a day and to not ask any parent/carer to contribute to education trips this school year.  

We are starting parental workshops up again to support families with learning at home, there will be Reading, Writing (Handwriting, Spelling, Grammar and Genres) and Maths workshops run after October half term.  See Latest News section for more details.

AWARDS

These are the ones that we have achieved so far:

1. Mental Health National Award 
2. Rights, Respecting in Schools Award (UNICEF) 
3. Anti-Bullying Charter Award 
4. Surrey Healthy Schools 
5. Guildford in Bloom 
6. Green Flag 
7. Sports Games Mark 
8. LAMDA Performing Arts School  

GOVERNORS

Governors monitor all aspects of the SDP as part of meetings, and on-going monitoring throughout the year. Find out more

I hope I have captured some of the passion I hold for this amazing school and community.  Our website is full of information and images to see more of school life but a visit will bring it to life; come and see our wonderful school in action.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Marie Curtis

Headteacher