St. Joseph’s Primary School was opened in September 1985. It is a replacement school for the former St Joseph’s Infant and Junior Schools sited at West View, Blaydon.
These two schools had served the Catholic Community of St Joseph’s, Blaydon and St Anne’s, Winlaton since 1896. The school, in its own fairly extensive grounds, commands an attractive view across the Tyne Valley, is conveniently placed between the two parishes it primarily serves and is immediately adjacent to St Thomas More Senior School to which pupils normally transfer at 11+ years.
The building of modern design incorporates nine purpose-built classrooms, an attractive central library area, an ICT suite, an open central garden courtyard, a large school hall and a well-equipped modern kitchen which provides daily school meals. Outside facilities provide an allotment, wildlife garden, two large hard surfaced play areas and two grassed areas.
This school’s mission statement is underpinned by the school Aims:
• to provide an orderly, happy, tension-free atmosphere to foster individual development and learning.
• to create a Catholic ethos, embracing Religious and moral development, by means of example, instruction and practice within the context of family, school and parish.
• to build upon the partnership between home, parish and school which will help the children and integrate successfully with the wider community.
• to provide a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum within a Christian setting thereby matching the needs of each child.
• to show Christ-like concern for all members of the school community.
• to develop the whole person spiritually, intellectually, academically, morally, emotionally, physically and socially.
The school teaches the core and other foundation subjects across both key stages. This is a Catholic school which seeks to live out the values of Jesus Christ. We promote these values by our words and deeds, and Catholic doctrine and practice therefore permeates every aspect of the school’s activity. Accordingly, The school aims to help pupils: –
• Reach a high standard of achievement, satisfaction and enjoyment in all areas of the curriculum.
• Grow in self-confidence, have a sense of personal worth and be able to adapt to the changing world in which they live.
• Develop a set of moral values, understand the world in which they live, respect the views of others and tolerate opinions and beliefs whether racial, religious or political as well as developing British Values including democratic principles, value the rule of law, support individual liberty and foster a community in which different faiths and beliefs are respected.
All subjects are taught following the National Curriculum. Policies and Schemes of Work are available for parental perusal and available on the internet. Subjects are taught as an individual subject or in a cross curricular way linking to a theme or other areas of the curriculum, which enhances the knowledge and understanding of the children. The teachers use a variety of methods to introduce the work to the children e.g. group work, whole class or individual planned work.
