Prospectus 2021/22 - Acorn Integrated Primary School & Nursery
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Acorn Integrated
Primary School
& Nursery
Prospectus 2021/22
1Please note that this booklet includes our normal routines,
changes may be in place in light of the current pandemic.
Contents
Title Page Number
Contact Details 3
Welcome to Acorn 4
School Origins 5
Governors and Staff 6
Teachers’ Responsibilities 7
Transport/Free School Meals 7
School Times 7
Admissions Criteria 8-10
Waiting List Policy 11
Uniform 12-13
Methods and Approaches 13
Homework 14
Charges and Remissions 14
Parental Involvement 14
Pastoral Care 15
Learning Support 15
Provision of the Arts 15
Sports’ Provision 16
Shared Education 17
2Contact Details
Acorn Integrated Primary School
110 Victoria Road
Carrickfergus
BT38 7JL
Tel: 028 9336 0115
Email: info@acornintegratedps.carrickfergus.ni.sch.uk
Website: www.acornips.com
Acorn Integrated Primary is an integrated, all-ability,
co-educational school for primary age children.
Opened at Kilroot Park 1992
Opened at permanent site
110 Victoria Road in September 1995
Extension opened January 2016
3Welcome to Acorn
If you are considering sending your child to Acorn, we hope that the
information within this prospectus is of use to you. If your child is to join
us for the first time we welcome you as parents and look forward to a
happy and constructive association over the coming years. If you already
have a child in the school, we are pleased to renew the links between us.
This booklet provides information on the school, its aims, curriculum and
activities. Confidence in a school comes from knowing and understanding
what is happening within it. We hope you will extend your knowledge
through contact and take advantage of the occasions for meeting and
consultation. It is important that mutual understanding and trust should
be the basis of our shared responsibility.
It is our hope that your child has a happy and successful time at Acorn.
Grouping of Classes
Each year group from Nursery to Primary 7 has one class.
Enrolment number: 203
Admission number: 29
Attendance Rate: 94%
The information in this booklet is correct at time of publication. However, there may
be changes during the course of the year or in subsequent years.
4School Origins,
Organisation and Future
In March 1991, a group of Protestant and Catholic parents in Carrickfergus met
to discuss the possibility of establishing an integrated primary school in the area.
This initial meeting was followed by a public meeting and with support from the
Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education they applied to the
Department of Education for permission to open a school in our town. Obtaining
a suitable building proved to be difficult but eventually Kilroot Business Park
agreed to allow its old computer room to be transferred into a temporary school
building. The transformation defied words. Parents literally worked day and
night to move a mobile for the playgroup and paint, plumb and equip the
buildings.
On 1 September 1992 the new school opened with 32 pupils in the school and
14 children in the Playgroup. The official opening at Kilroot Park was performed
on 23 September 1992 by Lady Jean Mayhew. From the earliest days, parents
consulted the Housing Executive and the Department of Education regarding a
permanent site at Prince Andrew Way. In September 1995, with the help of the
Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education and the Bank of Ireland, we
moved to our new building and temporary classroom. The new school building
at Victoria Road was officially opened by Trevor Ringland on 10 October 1996.
Each year we continued to expand. We now have one full class at each age
group. The school is directly funded by the Department of Education.
The playgroup continues to thrive at Victoria Road, operational daily from
12.30-3.15pm. In 2001 the Department of Education gave approval to a nursery
unit development at our school. This nursery is an integral part of the school,
admitting 26 pupils each year.
5Governors and Staff
Board of Governors
Chairperson Mr Paul Comins
Treasurer Mrs Paula MacCorquodale
Governors Mr James Macaulay
Ms Alex Barnett
Mrs Lara Branagh
Mr Mark Kelly
Mr David Branagh
Mrs Gillian Revie
Mrs Tanya Phillips
Mr Gordon Milliken
Miss Karen McCosh
Mrs Athena Davis
School Staff
Responsibilities
Principal Mrs Clodagh Webb
P7 Teacher Miss Karen McCosh
P6 Teacher Mrs Judith Trussell
P5 Teacher/ Vice Principal Mrs Claire Hamilton
P4 Teacher Mrs Sharon McIlmail
P3 Teacher Mrs Athena Davis
P2 Teachers Mrs Juliane Keane/Mrs Joanne Arbuthnot
P1 Teacher Mrs Charlene Higgins
Nursery Teacher Mrs Anna Rolloos /Mrs Joanne Arbuthnot
Nursery Assistant Mrs Shonagh Patterson
Classroom Assistants Mrs Michelle Hill
Mrs Emma Middleton
Mrs Angie Dalton
Mrs Elaine Christian
Mrs Sharon Russell
Mrs Carlene Wady
Mrs Rosemary Welsh
Miss Ashley Lawder
Mrs Nicola Johnston
Miss Megan Stephenson
Mrs Jane Bromage
Ms Deborah Reid
Mrs Joanne Beggs
Mrs Lynsay McCulloch
Mrs Julie-Ann Humphries
Mrs Sharon Thoburn
Playgroup Leader Mrs Shonagh Patterson
Playgroup Assistant Mrs Sara Henderson
Reception Miss Sheridan Nicholl
Supervisory Assistants Mrs Sharon Thoburn Mrs Angie Dalton
Mrs Rosemary Seaton Mrs Nicola Patton
Mrs Julie-Ann Humphries Mrs Lyndsay McCulloch
Dining Assistants Mrs Laureen McFall Mrs Ruth Gregory
Building Supervisor Mrs Dawn Davidson
Contract Cleaner Mrs Tina Bennett
Crossing Patrol Mr Richard Burnside
6Teachers’ Responsibilities
Foundation and Key Stage 1 Co-ordinator Mrs Sharon McIlmail
Key Stage 2 Co-ordinator Mrs Claire Hamilton
Assessment Mrs Claire Hamilton
Special Needs Miss Karen McCosh
Literacy Mrs Athena Davis
Numeracy Mrs Sharon McIlmail
ICT Mrs Charlene Higgins
World Around Us Mrs Sharon McIlmail
The Arts Mrs Judith Trussell
Religious Education Mrs Charlene Higgins / Mrs Sharon McIlmail
Physical Education Mrs Judith Trussell
Child Protection Mrs Anna Rolloos /Mrs Sharon McIlmail
Pastoral Care Mrs Anna Rolloos
First Aid Mrs Judith Trussell
School Trips Mrs Judith Trussell
Teacher Tutor Mrs Claire Hamilton
Activity Based Learning Mrs Anna Rolloos
Community Relations Miss Karen McCosh
Transport/Free School Meals
To check your child’s eligibility for transport assistance or free school meals please access the
following link: https://www.eani.org.uk/financial-help/home-to-school-transport and
https://www.eani.org.uk/financial-help/free-school-meals-uniform-grants
School Times
Pupils must be in school by 8.55am
School begins at 9.00am
Break 10.30am – 10.40am
Lunch 12 noon – 12.55pm
Home time – P1, P2 & P3 2.00pm
Home time – P4, P5, P6 & P7 3.00pm
Children are expected to arrive at school from 8.45am to 8.55am
The playground is supervised by staff from 8.45am only
On wet days the children will come in to the assembly hall
The main school gates will remain closed and there is only pedestrian access to the school
grounds. Please be mindful of local residents when parking. Please do not drop off or pick up on
the yellow zig zag lines or double yellow lines or block the main school gates.
We are a Sustrans Active Travel School and we encourage the children to walk to school when
possible or to park and stride. Downshire Presbyterian Church have kindly allowed us to use
their car park for this on the understanding that the church is not responsible for any loss or
damage incurred by anyone when they are using the car park.
On Monday to Thursday the children are encouraged to bring a healthy break into school, no
crisps, chocolate or fizzy drinks please. Friday is treat day, with the children bringing in a small
treat for break. Access to drinking water or water fountains are available throughout the school
for the children and they are also encouraged to bring a bottle of water into school for use
throughout the day.
School dinners are available at the current rate, £2.60 per day or £13.00 per week payable on a
Monday via the School Money App.
Packed lunches should be well balanced and nutritious. The school operates a ‘nut free’ zone for
the safety of children with nut allergies.
7Admissions Criteria
RESPECTIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND PRINCIPAL IN RELATION TO
ADMISSIONS
Acorn is an integrated co-educational school which welcomes, respects and cherishes children
of all religious and non-religious categories, whilst retaining its own Christian character. It is
committed to educating children of differing beliefs together and strives to maintain a
balanced enrolment as defined by the Statement of Principles of the Northern Ireland Council
for Integrated Education (NICIE). To this end places will be allocated thus: 13 places for Roman
Catholic, 13 places for Protestant and 3 places for other children. (Other is defined as neither
Protestant nor Roman Catholic).
Information / Application Form
It is required that parents/guardians seeking admissions for their child or children must
complete both the Acorn Information Form and the Education Authority’s online application
form. The Board of Governors will use the information provided on all forms to decide which
children should be admitted in the event of over-subscription. Should no Acorn Information
Form be received the candidate will be placed in the ‘Other’ category. Should there be any
conflicting information between the online and paper applications in the admissions
process, the information provided on the written application form will supersede the online
information.
Documentation (including the child’s Birth Certificate) which is submitted in support of your
application should be provided to the school/provider of first preference on or before 12.00
noon (GMT) on 5 February 2021.
The Board of Governors of an integrated school must use its best endeavours, in exercising its
functions under the Education Orders, to ensure that the management, control and ethos of
the school such as are likely to attract to the school reasonable numbers of both Protestant
and Roman Catholic pupils. The collection and processing of information regarding the
religious/perceived community background of children set out above is necessary in order for
the Board of Governors of an integrated school to carry out its statutory functions and fulfil
its public task.
The Board of Governors seek to reflect in the total number admitted to the school the overall
balance set by NICIE (see opening paragraph) and to that end appoints and delegates to the
Admissions Sub-Committee, comprising the Principal and at least three Governors, the
selection process. The Admissions Sub-Committee divides the applications into three
categories, i.e. Other, Protestant, Roman Catholic. If any category is over-subscribed at this
stage the Admissions criteria listed below are applied. In any category which is under-
subscribed all those children which fit into this category will be admitted. Should there be any
surplus of places which arises from any under-subscribed category that surplus will be
distributed as follows:
1. Any surplus arising from the under subscribed category of ‘Other’ will be distributed
equally, where possible, between the categories of Protestant and Roman Catholic. If
there are an odd number of places the extra place will be allocated to the category with
the highest number of children.
2. Any surplus arising from the under subscribed category of either Protestant or Roman
Catholic will be apportioned in the percentage of 78% to an oversubscribed category of
8Protestant or Roman Catholic and 22% to an oversubscribed category of ‘Other’ where
possible or to the nearest workable number.
Where a distribution is made of any surplus of places to any of the three categories resulting
in such category or categories either remaining or becoming over-subscribed the admissions
criteria are applied.
Children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission to the school
will be selected before any child not so resident as per Article 16 of the 1997 Education Order.
When considering which children should be selected for admission, the Board of Governors
will only take into account information which is detailed on or attached to the application
form and the Acorn Integrated Primary School Primary 1 Admissions Information Form.
Parents should therefore ensure that all information pertaining to their child and relevant to
the school’s admissions criteria is stated on the application form or attached to it.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
During the admissions procedure when applying the criteria punctual applications will be
considered before late applications are considered. The application procedure opens on 7
January 2021 at 12 noon (GMT) and an application submitted by the closing date of 29
January 2021 at 12 noon (GMT) will be treated as a punctual application. An application
received after 12 noon (GMT) on 29 January 2021 will be treated as a late application.
Admissions criteria to be used in the event of the school being oversubscribed. The criteria
are listed in order of priority. Only children of compulsory school age will be considered for
admission.
1. The child who has a brother/sister; a half-brother/half-sister; a foster brother or foster
sister who currently attends or has attended Acorn Integrated Primary School.
2. The child is the first child in the family to attend a mainstream school.
3. The child has attended or is currently attending Acorn Integrated Nursery or Acorn
Playgroup at closing date of applications.
4. The child’s parent attended Acorn Integrated Primary School.
5. In the event of over-subscription children will be selected for admission on
the basis of initial letter of surname (as entered on the birth certificate) in
the order set out below:
H Z S B X C J W F I N P Y V O M R E D K U A T Q G L
This order was determined by a randomised selection of the letters of the alphabet. In the
event of surnames beginning with the same initial letter, the subsequent letter of the surname
as entered on the birth certificate will be used in alphabetical order. In the event of two
identical surnames, the alphabetical order of the initials of the forenames as entered on the
birth certificate will be used. In the event of forenames beginning with the same initial letter
the subsequent letters of the forenames as entered on the birth certificate will be used in
alphabetical order.
DUTY TO VERIFY
The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may
determine to support or verify information on any application.
If the requested evidence is not provided to the Board of Governors by the deadline given,
this will result in the withdrawal of an offer of a place. Similarly, if information is supplied
which appears to be false or misleading in any material way, the offer of a place will be
withdrawn.
9WAITING LIST POLICY
In the case of an unsuccessful application, the parent/guardian must indicate on the Acorn
Integrated Primary Information Form whether or not they wish to remain on the Acorn
Integrated Primary waiting list.
Our waiting list policy is as follows; should a vacancy arise after placement letters have been
issued all applications for admission to P1 at Acorn Integrated Primary that were initially
refused, new applications, late applications and applications where new information has been
provided will be treated equally and the published criteria applied. This waiting list will be in
place until 30 June 2021.
The school will contact you in writing if your child gains a place in the Primary 1 class by this
method.
Applications and Admissions to Primary 1
Year Total Applications Total Admissions
2018/2019 23 23
2019/2020 32 30
2020/2021 27 27
10Acorn Integrated Primary School
Waiting List Policy for Years 2 – 7
Transfer between Primary Schools Years 2 – 7
Acorn IPS operates a waiting list policy for all applications received by the school for
admission to Years 2 – 7. Consideration of applications for admission to Year 1 will follow
the normal processes and criteria as published in the EA (North Eastern Region) booklet
Admissions to Primary Education for the current school year.
A sub- committee of the Board of Governors, the Admissions Committee, which consists
of at least three Governors plus the Principal, meets to decide on criteria and the
application thereof OR the Board of Governors may delegate the responsibility for
organisation of admissions on a day to day basis to the Principal
A waiting list is defined as a record of the names of all pupils who wish to be considered
for admission to the school when a place becomes available. Application to Acorn IPS
will only be considered on completion of an Application for Admission to Acorn IPS other
than Year 1. This form is available from the school office. On this form
parents/guardians will indicate whether they wish their child to remain on the waiting
list if unsuccessful.
A child on the waiting list will be admitted if a vacancy arises provided that:
1. The school will not exceed its enrolment number as determined by DE
2. The class size of 29 pupils, as determined by DE, will not be exceeded
3. Their acceptance does not affect the efficient delivery of the curriculum within
the class and their admission would not be prejudicial to the efficient use of
resources
4. The Board of Governors reserves the right to limit the classes to a manageable
size
Admissions criteria to be used in the event of the school being oversubscribed i.e.
the number of applications for admission exceeding the number of vacant places for
Years 2 to 7
The criteria are listed in order of priority.
1. The child is resident in Northern Ireland
2. Religious balance to be maintained
3. Sibling(s) in attendance at the school
4. Preference will be given to children coming from other integrated schools
5. Date of application
6. Children will be selected on the basis of initial letter of surname (as entered on
Birth Certificate) in the order published in ‘Admission to Primary Education’ (EA,
North Eastern Region) for Acorn IPS for the current school year
The school will contact the parents/guardians of all those children whose names are on
the waiting list in June of each year to determine whether they wish to remain on the
waiting list.
11UNIFORM AND CLOTHING
The school uniform was designed and decided upon by parents. It is compulsory to
wear uniform at all times, unless otherwise advised. Uniform aids the image and
status of the school in the community. It also enhances good order and discipline in
the school.
ALL PIECES OF UNIFORM TO BE LABELLED WITH THE CHILD’S NAME
AND CLASS
Primary 1 and 2
Black or navy shoes or plain trainers with Velcro fastenings, no markings or shoelaces
please, navy joggers or leggings, white Acorn polo shirt and a navy Acorn sweatshirt
or navy Acorn jumper. Girls may wear a tunic or skirt but your child must be able to
adjust clothing e.g. tights to go to the toilet without adult assistance.
No belts, buckles or buttons and elasticated waists only for this age group.
Primary 1 – 4:
Wellington boots for outside learning
Primary 5 – 7
Old shoes or Wellington boots for outside learning
Primary 3 – 7
Boys: Black shoes, grey socks, charcoal grey trousers, navy v-neck Acorn jumper,
white shirt, Acorn school tie
Girls: Black shoes (no raised heels), grey socks or white socks or navy tights, charcoal
grey trousers or skirt or tunic, navy v-neck Acorn jumper, white shirt, Acorn school
tie
OPTIONAL SUMMER UNIFORM
(i.e. after Easter break to end of June and in September as the weather allows)
BOYS GIRLS
White short sleeved shirt or Green checked dress
Acorn Polo shirt White short sleeved shirt or
Grey school shorts Acorn Polo shirt
Grey school shorts
NO sandals for safety reasons NO sandals for safety reasons
12Uniforms can be purchased from Gordon’s, Green Street, Cuddy’s, West Street,
Pebbles, or Gary’s.
Obviously all uniforms look alike so please label each item of your child’s clothing.
If earrings are to be worn, studs only and they MUST be covered (at home) for PE
lessons and removed for swimming lessons.
Physical Education Kit
All primary school children have P.E. regularly and need a white Acorn polo shirt, navy
shorts and soft-soled plimsolls, not trainers. Primary 1 and 2 children use plimsolls
only initially. A bag that can be securely fastened with a drawstring is the most
convenient way of storing P.E. things in school. It is a good idea to ask your child to
bring home their P.E. kit each week for washing and to check that shoes still fit. Long
hair must be tied back for PE lessons.
All P.E. kits should be clearly named.
Kit bags and polo shirts are available from the suppliers listed above.
Lost property: Mrs Davidson, the Building Supervisor is in charge of lost property
which will be held for two months and then recycled.
Methods & Approaches
Integration
Our school is open to boys and girls of whatever culture or background, from
any religion and none. We aim to maintain a reasonable balance between
Catholics and Protestants, as laid down in the Statement of Principles of the
Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. Our children are educated
together, in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect.
Child-centred Education
At Acorn Integrated Primary School we are concerned with encouraging
children to understand and value others. It is therefore particularly important
that the children grow to value themselves. We are concerned about the
children’s happiness and well-being, their present as well as their future, and
each child’s self-esteem will be nurtured. In educating the children we take
account of their interests, abilities, and present stage of development.
13Homework
Homework should provide parents with examples of the work being done in school and also
give practice and reinforcement to the child. During parents’ workshops, parents will be given
guidance in ways to help their own children at home. Homework will also be seen as a means
of communication between home and school. Parents are asked to check and sign the work and
if they wish, add comments. No homework will normally be given at weekends or during
holidays. The time spent on homework should never be more than 45 minutes in P7 and
progressively less in lower classes in the school.
Charges and Remissions
Education provided wholly or mainly during school hours will be free with the exception of
individual music tuition if provided. There may be a charge for school trips during the year.
Parental Involvement
Parents are welcome in Acorn and are encouraged to become actively involved in the life of the
school. We aim to create an active partnership between parents and teachers. There are
Foundation and Key Stage 1 (Primary 1 to 4) and 2 (Primary 5 to 7) curriculum information
afternoons for parents held early in the Autumn term. Twice a year parents will be invited to
discuss their child’s progress with the class teacher. Parents will receive a detailed report at the
end of each school year. In addition, parents’ workshops may be organised to enable parents
to find out more about new developments in education with the class teacher or Principal.
Parent helpers occasionally help by going with classes on school trips or assist by supervising
other activities. We are very grateful for their help in the past and will be equally grateful in
the future. If you can offer any time, please obtain Access NI information from the school
office to have a police check carried out annually.
The school has an excellent Parents’ Council, which provides invaluable support for the work
of the school, both through fundraising and by organising social events for the school and the
wider community.
To keep parents up to date, information notes are sent home via email, text or with the children.
Current mobile phone numbers and email addresses must be given to the school office to
facilitate this, please note communication can only be sent to one text number/email address
for each family. A monthly Acorn Newsletter keeps everyone informed of activities, events
and successes and this is also published on the school website.
Parents are always welcome to come to the school to discuss any aspect of their children’s
progress. They should not hesitate to contact staff, by arrangement, to seek advice on any
matter. If there is a problem, the staff would appreciate knowing first. The Principal and the
staff will make themselves available to meet parents whenever possible. To avoid disruption
of classroom work, an appointment should be made at a mutually convenient time via the
school office.
14Pastoral Care
Arrangements
In line with the policy of maximising the potential of each child, the school recognises
that it has a responsibility to do everything possible to care for each pupil’s physical
and emotional well-being. The school will endeavour to provide a comfortable and
safe environment for learning. Due to the nature of primary education, it will be the
responsibility of each class teacher to look after the pastoral needs of the children in
his/her class. Class teachers will attempt to resolve the worries of new pupils and to
relieve their anxieties. All teachers will be grateful for information about any difficult
home or school circumstances which may be causing distress or anxiety to a child.
Should parents feel reluctant to divulge such information to a teacher, the Principal may
be contacted in confidence.
When a child is sick or injured the school will, in the first instance, attempt to contact
a parent so that they may care for the child. If this is not possible the school will, where
necessary, take the child to the clinic or hospital and efforts will continue to contact a
parent. All parents are asked to nominate an emergency contact for use in such
circumstances.
Mrs Rolloos is the Designated Teacher for Child Protection. Mrs McIlmail is her
deputy.
Mr Paul Comins, Chairperson of the Board of Governors and Mrs Tanya Phillips are
the designated Governors for Child Protection.
Learning Support
Our learning support policy ensures that provision is made to support children who have
a requirement for learning support. All teachers plan to cater for the needs of all
children in their care. Our school was built to suit children with physical handicaps.
There are no steps and we have a medical hygiene room. Miss McCosh is the Special
Educational Needs Co-ordinator.
Provision of the Arts
We aim to have a production of a school musical event biennially. This provides the
children with an opportunity to participate in drama and or song and is greatly
enjoyed by all.
We offer piano, guitar, brass and string tuition with private and EA tutors who visit
school on a weekly basis. Our school choir takes part in services such as Harvest,
visits to local nursing homes during December and have participated in Carrickfergus
Music Festival and Larne Music Festival.
15Provision of Sport
Aims
The aims of our physical education programme at Acorn are to: -
1. promote a sense of fun, success and enjoyment in all physical activity;
2. develop a sense of fair play, sharing and co-operation;
3. develop increased confidence in sport;
4. promote an awareness of health related issues.
Curriculum
In accordance with the N.I. Curriculum the children will participate in the following
activities as available:
1. Games: Football coaching for Primary 2, 3 and 4 and Tag Rugby and Cricket
coaching for Primary 7 pupils.
2. Gymnastics
3. Dance
4. Athletics
5. Swimming (P4 - P7)
Our Under 10/Under11 Football Teams compete in the local schools’ league.
Timetable
Each class is timetabled for two sessions per week.
Facilities
We have excellent facilities at Acorn. We are proud of our well-equipped
gymnasium, our tarmac area with and our generously sized playing field, with large
outdoor play equipment.
After-school activities
In addition to the curriculum there are also a variety of after school clubs offered, e.g.
football, gymnastics, drama, street dance and cycling proficiency. For Primary 6 and
7 there are also annual educational trips during which activities such as football,
kayaking, sailing and orienteering may take place.
P.E. Uniform
In order to provide the P.E. curriculum pupils MUST wear the appropriate clothing.
They will need:
• Acorn polo shirt
• navy shorts/skirt
• sports socks
• plimsolls/non marking trainers
• long hair must be tied up
• jewellery is not to be worn (if earrings are worn then only sleepers covered in
tape and removed for swimming)
• trainers and shin pads are compulsory for football and hockey and mouth
guards for hockey.
16Shared Education
Our Shared Education partner school is Oakfield Primary and all our classes from
Nursery to Primary 7 participate in shared education classes with their peers from the
partner school.
Context:
The partnership started with a solid foundation resulting from work on the Community
Relations Equality and Diversity NI (CRED) programme with key stage two classes from
both schools. The next natural step was to extend this through Shared Education with the aim
of involving all classes from Nursery to Year 7. Within a relationship built on trust, common
areas for development were identified and actions planned to address these. The areas
identified included activity-based learning and numeracy. The overarching aim of making a
positive difference within the wider community, was achieved through collaborative work
involving stakeholders including the staff, parents, pupils and governors.
Our Shared Vision
Creating a collaborative Shared Education partnership between Oakfield Primary
School and Acorn Integrated Primary School, developing pupils as successful learners in
a secure atmosphere and empowering confident individuals to respectfully contribute
and transform their community and the wider world.
Intervention:
Carefully planned training in a number of areas which married to the shared school
development needs, was rolled out to stakeholders. A useful example was the playful learning
course facilitated by Stranmillis College. Staff returned enthused about their shared learning
and disseminated the key points to all staff. The practical out workings of this resulted in the
direct development of outdoor learning within each school. Parents from both schools
subsequently attended a seminar, provided by school staff, followed by a practical and
interactive joint play session with the children from their Year 1 classes.
Outcome:
Staff now feel empowered to confidently deliver activity-based learning and have the capacity
to sustain this improvement. Parents report how valuable they have found the experience and
how they could adapt what was presented, in the many areas and stations, to a home
environment with their own child. Parents and children from both schools continue to
integrate naturally, with friendships and connections that will be nurtured into the
future. Significantly, through the Queens University Survey, the Year 7 pupils report
increased confidence, regarding their transition to post-primary schools, as a direct result of
the extensive friendships made through our Shared Education programme.
172021/2022
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