Raising aspirations and celebrating diversity among aims of Sheffield primary school

Every staff member at the school on Dykes Lane works hard to ensure that pupils have the best possible education in which they develop skills, knowledge, qualities and values needed to reach their full potential in life.

Regular opportunities are built into the curriculum to engage with pupils and make learning fun, allowing them to grow and progress as learners in a range of areas including reading, sport, English and maths.

The week starts with an assembly from headteacher Robbie Mcgrath, focusing on a certain subject or topic in keeping with the school values or one which teaches the children the importance being a good citizen – the most recent being ‘a sense of fun’ to fit with the festive season.

He said: “We’d been learning about elf on the shelf, I read them the story and all the classes had an elf arrive at some point during the week. We didn’t want to make it purely about Christmas because some of our kids don’t celebrate it so we wanted to make it about a sense of fun.

“The whole idea of the elf on the shelf is that it is a bit cheeky but we said that the elves we’ve got coming are actually ones who will get bored and do something a bit cheeky but they’re also going to do some nice things. They’ve done things like bring a Christmas tree that needs decorating, in one class they brought cookies for all the kids.”

The school ensures that children are equipped to be successful life-long learners through a behavioural system that praises and spots the good.

Pupils that go above and beyond are rewarded, receiving items such as positivity postcards which are sent home to parents and celebrate great behaviour or being allowed a ‘best seat in the house’ in assembly where they can sit on a bean bag.

Reading is a big focus at Malin Bridge Primary with a selection of books available in school to help entice pupils and help them develop a love of reading.

Mr Mcgrath said: “We’re not blessed with space so we’re trying to create that wonderment with a ‘reading den’ which is really lovely.

“That’s got fairy lights and done in a Hogwarts style with a secret door and a place in the back for storytelling.

“There’s regular groups in there reading with the kids. I do a picture book every week in assembly that links to a moral or a story that we are going to look at or focus on throughout the week.”