Introduction to Highfield Primary School

Highfield is situated on the outskirts of Leeds about 4 miles north east of the city centre in the area known as Moortown. The school is situated just off the Ring Road next to housing and a synagogue. The school serves an economically diverse community living in a mixture of privately owned and local council owned housing, although  the majority come from private housing.
 
The school is set in beautiful grounds with green space and mature trees. There are large playground areas and a playing field adjacent to the main building .

The school was opened in 1959. There are two buildings.

1.  The Main Building houses an entrance hall, an assembly hall with adjacent kitchens, offices, library, baking room, resource rooms, an Information Communication Technology room and  toilet areas. Downstairs are the Reception, Key Stage 1 and year 3 classrooms. Upstairs there are six classrooms for years 4, 5 and 6, a library, a changing room and a staffroom. The main school was extended in 2010 in order for it to accomodate 420 children.

2.  The Annexe building is our Extended Services and School Club building. This building was refurbished in 2011 and houses accomodation for up to 60 children in the before and after school club. In addition the building has a community room/dance and music studio with toilet, kitchen and large store.


We have an excellent, motivated  team of staff who are hard working and committed to Highfield.  

The governors and staff firmly believe that  the school should be a secure caring environment for children where they can build close relationships with each other and with staff. All adults provide very positive role models. There is a commitment to fostering and developing relationships within the school and the wider community, and a positive and affirming attitude to good behaviour and achievement. There are clear behaviour procedures, rules and values that we all try to follow. The positive ethos enables children to make progress in learning and to grow in confidence and show respect to each other. Children are keen to learn, which contributes to the good progress they make in lessons. We are a school with a reputation  for being well organised and caring, for having a calm working atmosphere and high standards of work.

Our parents are interested, supportive and have high expectations and there is a strong community spirit in school. We try to involve parents in the life of the school as much as possible by sending regular newsletters, putting information on a parents' notice board, holding curriculum information evenings, social events and open evenings as well as inviting them to school functions. Parents attend the weekly Class Assembly and our Friday Celebration Assembly. Parents are encouraged to help in classrooms as well as on educational visits. The Headteacher is keen for parents to feel that both she and the school are approachable. The Headteacher aims to be outside in the playground every morning before school and again at 3:30 so that parents may approach her. Keeping the parents informed about the curriculum is important; we make available a copy of the curriculum plans for each year. Parents are given an opportunity  to comment on their child's progress and aspects of school life by returning the parents' report form at the end of the year. We also send out questionnaires on different aspects of school, such as the effectiveness of the behaviour policy, homework and other issues as part of the self evaluation process. The results are discussed and fed back into the review process.

The Friends of Highfield Association is active and contributes tremendously to the life of the school, running successful fund raising and social events. The aim of the Friends is to provide an opportunity for parents, staff, governors and children to meet together socially for fun and fund raising activities. In doing this it is hoped that relationships between parents and staff are strengthened and that parental involvement helps their children to succeed. We are fortunate in the amount of parental support we have in school. At present we have a few parents who give their time regularly each week to work alongside teachers and children in the classroom. Parents also help at the various events by providing coffee at musical afternoons, new parents' evenings and coffee mornings.

The Governing Body takes an active interest and involvement in school. We are working together to provide the necessary focus to ensure that the school continues to work successfully towards its aims. The overall commitment is to achieve the best for the children at Highfield. The Governing Body meet every term and sub committees meet to consider appropriate issues. Each governor is attached to a class and all are welcomed into Highfield at anytime to see the school at work.

Highfield has a very strong musical tradition. There are peripatetic teachers for violin, woodwind and cello. Many children learn recorder. We have an excellent orchestra and choir which perform at  concerts  during  the year.

After school clubs take place on most evenings after school. They include Football, Netball, Spanish, French, Gymnastics, Basketball and Taikwando. These are taken by either staff or outside coaches.

In addition, we organise two residential trips each year. The Year 4 children go to Robin Hood's Bay and the Year 6  children go to Marrick Priory in the Yorkshire Dales.