Stockport Grammar School Junior School

The Good Schools Guide Review of Stockport Grammar School Junior School, Stockport, SK2 7AF

Our View

Within the overall Stockport Grammar grounds and part of the same school, the juniors dates from 1944. Co-ed since 1980, it now educates some 365 children in yellow gingham or yellow ties. Nursery for three-year-olds and two or three classes each from 4 – 11. Nursery, infants and juniors each have their own playgrounds; there are also a field, cricket pavilion and nets, and moreover the advantage of sharing senior school facilities including the 25m pool, dining hall and all-weather sports pitch.

Inside, the infant and junior sections are accessed from two sides of a large, light entrance hall which, during the day at least, feels like a calm hub, the head in and out of his study beside smiling ladies in a glass-fronted office behind reception. The classrooms are light, the atmosphere busy and happy. Infant walls groan under the weight of colourful artwork and projects, while confident, unstuffy juniors are keen to point out photos of their residential trips to the Lake District. Children are introduced to French and Spanish. A handful receive extra learning support, the quality of which was praised by ISI inspectors in 2011.

Bespoke music, art and DT, ICT and science rooms sit under modern skylights and red steel rafters. Over half the children take a musical instrument and you can join an orchestra once you’ve passed grade 1. There’s a joint library and children across the years compete in four houses for points and trophies and cross-age assemblies. The 2011 inspection described the extra-curricular provision as outstanding, and certainly pupils can enjoy canoeing or chess, Scottish country dancing, web writing or polishing their Polish. Everyone’s involved with charity fund-raising. Care from 8am, with a charged after-school club to 6pm.

Pupils consider the best things here to be ‘the atmosphere and the facilities’ and ‘lots of attention for my work because the teachers really care what you’re doing’. One mum of a child who joined for juniors told us, ‘it’s the first time my child’s really being taught and he adores it; he’s so happy every day and just wants to come to school’. Mind you, despite what seems to be a roomy car park they also describe the 3.30 pick up as ‘a nightmare’.

Headmaster

Since 2000, Mr Larry Fairclough BA (mid fifties). Came from headship of Rishworth Prep. A tall, thoughtful Yorkshire man who likes walking with his wife. Diverse science teaching career that’s included secondary and junior inner-city schools and teenagers in a residential home. Passionate about the children, with a reputation for bending over backwards to nurture all. ‘I want them to do as well as they can and enjoy their school life’. School is competitive, particularly through the house system - ‘we hope to provide the opportunity to succeed, to teach them to win with humility but also, as part of their wider education, to learn to deal with failure and not fear making mistakes’.

Entrance

Academically selective from SGS Nursery or other local pre-schools, by assessment days with exams for older children.

Exit

Mainly to SGS Senior School, providing half their 11+ intake, sitting the entrance exam with outside candidates, on a level playing field albeit with perfect preparation.

Special Education Needs Survey

SEN Statement

Stockport Grammar Junior School is a selective school which accepts pupils on the basis of aptitudes and abilities. The School welcomes enquiries from parents of pupils with additional and special educational needs. Reasonable adjustments can be made within the classroom to assist such pupils and the School provides some specialist support.
Sept. 2011

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Aspergers Syndrome Mild
Aspergers Syndrome Moderate
Aspergers Syndrome Severe
Autism Mild
Autism Moderate
Autism Severe
Semantic Pragmatic Disorder
Other Autistic

Behavioural Difficulties

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Attention Deficit Disorder Mild
Attention Deficit Disorder Moderate
Attention Deficit Disorder Severe
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorders Mild
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorders Moderate
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorders Severe
Emotional and behavioural difficulties Mild
Emotional and behavioural difficulties Moderate
Emotional and behavioural difficulties Severe
Conduct Disorders
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
Oppositional Defiant Disorders
Tourettes and other tic disorders

Genetic and related Disorders

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Down's Syndrome Mild
Down's Syndrome Moderate
Down's Syndrome Severe
Fragile X
Other genetic

Learning difficulties

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Moderate learning difficulties
Profound and multiple learning difficulties
Severe learning difficulties

Specific learning difficulties

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Dyscalculia Mild
Dyscalculia Moderate
Dyscalculia Severe
Dyslexia Mild
Dyslexia Moderate
Dyslexia Severe
Dyspraxia Mild
Dyspraxia Moderate
Dyspraxia Severe
Other Specific Learning Difficulties Mild
Other Specific Learning Difficulties Moderate
Other Specific Learning Difficulties Severe
English as an additional language

Sensory Impairment

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Hearing Impairment Mild
Hearing Impairment Moderate
Hearing Impairment Severe
Multi-sensory Impairment
Speech and Language Difficulties
Visual Impairment Mild
Visual Impairment Moderate
Visual Impairment Severe

Medical and Related Needs

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Cerebral Palsy Mild
Cerebral Palsy Moderate
Cerebral Palsy Severe
"Delicate" children
Epilepsy
Eating disorders
Physical Difficulties (Not indicated elsewhere.)
Other

General Questions

Are all children tested for SEN on entry to the school?		Lucid Rapid Dyslexia Screening plus standardised reading, comprehensive and spelling tests.
Please outline the screening programmes used by the school.
How many children with statements of need or equivalent do you have in the school?
Do you make special provision for exceptionally gifted children?
Please outline what is on offer for such children
Please indicate if the school has or has available to it any of the following:
Behaviour Support Unit.
Learning Support Unit.
Pupil Referral Unit.
Other withdrawal.		Pupils are withdrawn for specialist tuition and support on the basis of need.
Specialist language centre
Schemes or Initiatives such as SHARE or Playing for Success.
Please indicate if the school has any of the following characteristics:
SEN accreditation, for example by CRESTED?
Centre of excellence for SEN that is Not already outlined?
Good wheelchair access
Provides outreach support?
Receives outreach support?
Do children with SEN participate fully in sport and other extracurricular activities?
Please provide information on staffing. Does the school have:
A SENCO or equivalent?
Staff who will administer prescription medicines to a child
Qualified teaching staff with learning support or SEN commitment(please say how many, in full-time equivalent).
Non-teaching staff with learning support or SEN commitment(please say how many, in full-time equivalent).		The Learning Support Co-ordinator is full time and a specialist literacy teacher. There is one other part time learning support teacher who is a specalist maths teacher.
Please list specialist qualifications held by teaching staff with learning support or SEN commitment.		Certificate of Competence in Psychometric Assessment (Education). British Psychological Society Register of Competence in Educational Assessment and Testing.
Please list specialist qualifications held by non-teaching staff with learning support or SEN commitment.

School Features

Curricula

Standard English primary school curriculum

SEN attributes

Has SEN unit or class

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