Communication, Care and Guidance

Assembly is an important part of the school day, providing the opportunity for us all to come together as a community.  It is a time when we promote the values and attitudes that inform our ethos.

For the children, it is a means by which they understand how they should behave towards each other and make sense of the world around them.  Our assemblies are organised in a variety of different ways, often involving story telling so that the moral messages which bind us all together, can be conveyed.  We also celebrate the diversity of our community by organising sharing assemblies where children can explore the cultures and traditions of each other. Above all else, we celebrate good attendance, good behaviour and achievement so that every child recognises the importance of personal effort and ultimate success.  Families are welcome to attend class assemblies as this engenders pride in the children and reinforces the partnership between home and school.

 From the outset we encourage full involvement in your child’s learning and routinely provide a variety of activities which can be completed at home.  The nature of this home learning depends on the age and ability of the child; promoting a meaningful partnership between home and school; ensuring that all children have the opportunity to practice new skills acquired at school, reinforcing concepts, knowledge and understanding in all areas of the curriculum.  In the longer term, it helps children to develop good working habits and ultimately means they become independent learners.  Generally the focus is on reading, spelling, multiplication tables and mental arithmetic.  However, Brookside also values topic based learning which allows individual children to pursue areas of their own interest and co-construct future learning.

Effective communication is very important and therefore we seek to maintain regular contact between home and school through the weekly School News.  Additional information is readily available on our website.  However, if you prefer to deal with matters face to face, please remember to make an appointment as for the majority of our staff, the timetabled day is already fully committed to working directly with the children.