Barkston Ash Catholic Primary School

Experiences and Opportunities

"Pupils relish participating in a wide variety of extra curricular opportunities , such as clubs, educational visits and inter school sports competitions. Pupils gain confidence through activities such as yoga, drama, computing and debate club. Pupils are keen to have responsibilities. They are eager to make a real difference in their school and the local community. For example, pupils raised money through The Young Apprentice project to fund new Christmas lights for the village."

Ofsted November 2022

Prefects

Each year, we hold an application process for Year 6 children to become Prefects.  As part of this role, they model excellent behaviour to other children, help out around school and host school tours for visitors.  We currently have a team of ten Prefects! 

Peer Mentors

We now have a team of twelve trained Peer Mentors in school. They are from years five and six. A Peer Mentor is someone who helps other children to figure out playground problems. For example, this might be if someone is feeling left out or upset. The Mentors aim to listen to both sides and help children to figure out how to solve things with their friends. The aim is to make things better by listening and helping younger children think of solutions together.

The Mentors will be helping Year 3 and below. They have been trained to get help from an adult if the problem is serious or if they are stuck.

They will share the job and work in pairs at break and lunch-time. They are visible to all in their Peer Mentor hooded tops.

 Diocese of Leeds Schools Singing Programme

We are proud to be part of the Diocese of Leeds Schools Singing Programme. Classes 3 and 4 receive weekly singing sessions delivered by an expert Choral Director from the Diocese, focusing on positive engagement with singing and supporting the Catholic life of the school through sacred music. The sessions offer practical and incremental coverage of areas of the music curriculum - including notation - in a two-year curriculum framework developed by the Diocese, the National Schools Singing Programme and the National Youth Choir of Scotland.
 
As a result of this, our pupils also have the opportunity to join one of the Diocese’s acclaimed after-school choirs, which offer an incredible opportunity to pursue a passion for singing and music. You can find online resources that support this work on the Schools Singing Programme’s YouTube channel (www.schoolssingingprogramme.org.uk). 
 

Music lessons and instrument hire

County music service teachers work in schools, where children can begin instrumental lessons from year 2. There is evidence that learning to play an instrument and read music benefits children in other areas of school life. Progress reports keep you up to date with how your child is doing. Lessons are usually taken in groups and last between 20 and 30 minutes, with up to 30 lessons offered in each academic year. Further information including how to apply for your child to have lessons, the costs involved and the weeks North Yorkshire music teachers will be in school can be found here.

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/music-lessons-and-instrument-hire

 

London Road, Barkston Ash, Nr Tadcaster, North Yorkshire LS24 9PS

01937 557373

Mrs Ward: admin@barkstonash.n-yorks.sch.uk