How Montem is Structured
Two things about our structure make us special. Firstly, our school is federated with another local primary, Drayton Park. The schools are independent entities, with their own pupils, staff, budgets, policies and ethos. They share a Governing Board and are run by a single Executive Headteacher, Damien Parrott. Our federation is called The Edventure Collaborative. Find our more by clicking here.
Secondly, our school is currently based on a 1.5 form entry model. This means we have on average 45 children in each year group. Children can start with us from the age of two. Uniquely, our Early Years department runs to the end of Year 1. We believe strongly in the advantages of a child-centered, play-based approach for our youngest children.
In Year 2, pupils are taught together in a single form-entry class. This enables us to manage their transition to more formal learning very well. We ensure our Year 2 children receive a broad, inspiring curriculum and aim to guarantee that all children can read to a high standard by the end of the year.
In Reception and Year 1, in Years 3 & 4 and in Years 5 & 6, some pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. We work this out by children's age, primarily. We also take into account special needs, social factors and the needs to create balanced classes.
For example:
Our 1.5 Form Entry Model Our maximum class size is 30. We have up to 45 children in each year group. So we join two years together, to make 90 children, which we then divide into 3 classes by age, as follows... |
Reception (45 children) | Year 1 (45 children) |
Reception Class The youngest ⅔ of the Reception cohort | Mixed Reception and Year 1 Class The oldest ⅓ of Reception and youngest ⅓ of Year 1 | Year 1 Class The oldest ⅔ of the Year 1 cohort |
What this means for teaching Our curriculum is designed on a two-year cycle, so that children never repeat topics but do engage with the full curriculum. Our approach to teaching and learning is designed to ensure that all pupils are challenged in the right way, and make progress in every lesson. |
This enables us to effectively address the disadvantage faced by summer born children in many schools. At Montem, children are in classes with only a few months' gap between them, rather than the full year common to many schools.