St Teresa of Calcutta.
The vision for every child at the Rosary School is for them to ‘dream, believe and achieve.’ As a school we have considered how best to meet the needs of our children and families as we understand the importance of being ready to learn in order to dream anything is possible, believe it can happen and achieve their true potential. In order for this to happen we have developed our Rosary Universal Pledge - our universal pledge for every Rosary pupil. We understand the importance of preparation for learning and so provide breakfast provision from 8.25am every morning; an opportunity for children to enjoy a healthy breakfast with friends, to socialise and prepare for their learning. Subsidised by the school, costs are kept to a minimum but no child will ever be excluded for monetary reasons. Breakfast will be provided for anyone who wants or needs it. Senior leadership members are on hand every morning at the gate to meet and greet families and the children; this being an opportunity to discuss anything of importance that may impact on learning so that support can be put in place. Teachers and classrooms are ready from 8.35am with pupils having the opportunity to settle and prepare for the day. This is an extended opportunity for our staff to support with reading, homework or any issues that may be causing anxiety so that barriers to learning are reduced or removed. We understand that morning routines can be difficult in busy households and our pastoral team are always on hand to provide advice and support for families and will always ensure children have breakfast and are emotionally ready to learn, on those mornings when things have been more hectic.
Research has shown the importance of hydration with studies showing that it improves concentration and attention span, ability to learn and behaviour. As a school we provide filtered water systems where children can replenish water bottles throughout the day. We encourage pupils to bring their own water bottles into school on a daily basis for hygiene reasons but will always ensure that resources are available in school for those who do not have a bottle. The fruit and vegetable scheme at key stage 1 is an effective means of providing essential vitamins and minerals and contributing to ‘5 a day.’ Recognising the many benefits of this scheme, the Rosary School has extended this offer to pupils in key stage 2. Lunch menus have been adapted with a salad bar provided and pupils are encouraged to try different fruits and vegetables.
Using a trauma informed approach, as educators we look at behaviour in what it may be telling us and reflect upon our practice so as to better support pupils. The pandemic and post pandemic period have impacted significantly on the emotional well-being of all our children and so our philosophy is that of connection and building relationships to support all pupils to thrive. Trauma informed approaches have been used in developing our policies and practice and we focus on supporting children to find ways to manage their emotions and feelings rather than punish behaviours that are trauma symptoms.
During the last few years, children have been impacted by the pandemic and research from Carpenter in preparing recovery sited the importance of routine for children. We recognise the importance of this for our children and have researched how we can embed this in daily practice. Visual timetables in every classroom enable pupils to have a clear understanding of the daily routine thus reducing anxiety. For those with heightened anxieties this has been adapted further to reflect a shorter time span so that they are clear on what is happening now and next. Predictability is key especially at moments of stress and transition and so school have implemented an uniform approach to our working walls. For pupils this allows a sense of continuity and familiarity at a time when other things may be in a state of change.
All members of our school community recognise the importance of mental health and well-being. Using trauma informed approaches we have created a calm and safe environment for all children to learn and play. Areas throughout the school have been developed for pupils to have quiet spaces including the chapel area, used for pupil prayer at break time as well as the well-being area in the playground where pupils can sit, talk, read, colour or simply reflect. Understanding the importance of talk, our 'Good to Talk' area has been developed so that pupils can write their name and post it, indicating their need to talk, knowing that a member of our pastoral team will set aside time to discuss any worries or anxieties they may have.
Our curriculum offer is broad and balanced with many experiences offered to enhance the learning experience for all. No child is ever excluded from experiences for financial reasons and we work closely with families to ensure all pupils irrespective of their needs benefit from such experiences. Using the many cultural experiences Birmingham and the wider area has to offer as well as a residential experience for pupils, we aim to widen cultural experiences to enhance our curriculum offer. For some this may cause heightened anxiety and so we have developed our ‘Rosary camping offer’ where they can camp overnight at the school to develop self-confidence. As a school we recognise the limitations in the locality for extra-curricular activities and so we have developed a comprehensive after school provision for all children offering a range of sporting, creative and educational activities. Working with partners in the locality we are proud of our holiday provision for families, which has benefited many of our families.
Recognising that each child is created in the unique image of God with different gifts, talents and needs we adapt our curriculum learning to meet the needs of all pupils. Using technology and trained adults we adapt teaching to ensure all pupils make progress from their individual starting points and celebrate daily the many successes of all our pupils.
Children greeted each morning by member of senior leadership team, pastoral team and class teacher.
School open for all from 8.15am with time to settle and prepare for teaching and learning.
Time to complete homework and reading during this time if needed.
Filtered water available throughout the day for hydration.
A trauma informed approach.
Visual timetables reinforcing routines enabling continuity and familiarity.
Quiet spaces in school and in the playground.
A broad and balanced curriculum with experiences to enhance learning and after school provision in sport, arts and education.
Adapted teaching to meet the needs of all pupils.
A celebration of each child unique characteristics and their successes.
As a school we recognise that our universal pledge will meet the needs of most of our families but that at times there may be a need for additional support. Our philosophy is to work with families at the earliest possible opportunity to implement the support required. Details of all that school can offer are shown below and we would always encourage families to seek support and advice at the earliest opportunity so that issues do not escalate.
Please click on the icons below for the targeted support services we offer within school to meet the needs of our pupils and families.
There may be times when we need to work with families and the Children's Trust in order to support families. As a school we feel it is important to work together in order to meet the needs of all children. Further information about Child Protection and Safeguarding can be accessed on our dedicated page for parents.
The school works closely with Hodge Hill Hub to access support for families. Please use the link below to see the resources and support available for families.