The Willows Primary School

At our school we strive to ensure that pupils not only become great learners but also responsible and active citizens.

Headteacher's Welcome

Welcome to The Willows Primary School.

Here at The Willows, it is our aim to ensure that all children feel happy, safe in school and able to learn. We want them to thrive and develop confidence in themselves and their abilities. Our curriculum gives all children the opportunities, experiences and support to enable them to develop the key knowledge and skills needed in order to be successful at secondary school and later life.

The school opens at 8.35am and closes at 3.10pm each day. Children spend 32 hours and 55 mins in school every week.

All mainstream schools in England expected to provide a week of at least 32.5 hours. This includes the time from the official start of the school day to the end, encompassing both lessons, breaks, and lunchtime.

Our Vision and Ethos

We want all our children to be happy, feel safe and able to learn during their time at The Willows. Our staff strive to create a safe, happy and secure environment in which all children and adults can engage in a meaningful learning journey to reach their full potential. The school and learning environment is a tool for learning which values contributions from all children and adults. Staff and children work together to develop a positive “learning culture” across the whole community.

Personal development, self-esteem and wellbeing are a focus alongside opportunities to enhance key skills such as thinking skills, emotional skills and social skills such as co-operation and collaboration

“If we can give children the skills to communicate, to work together, to present, to talk, to be confident, to be successful – they will be confident and successful learners in whatever career they choose.”

Read more about our vision

I want to pass on my congratulations to all that took place in the football matches ending at Park House school last night. My grand daughter in her final year at the school rang and told me that the school and her team had won. Well done to all involved - from one very happy grand parent

I just want to say thank you for sending such wonderful young people today for training. They were so polite and full of incredible ideas! School Sports Network Manager

Dear Miss MacArthur,

Once again the Willows has excelled! What a super trip the year sixes had to London on Friday. My son and his friends were bursting with excitement before going and equally on returning. These trips create lifelong memories - how powerful that is! Thank you to you and your team for planning and executing such adventurous education. With thanks as always.Y6 Parent.

May we take this opportunity to thank you and the staff at The Willows for all of the work that you do with the children around taking responsibility for respecting and caring for the environment, which is something that my child certainly takes very seriously - I'm delighted that as a result of her learning at The Willows, at age 6 she is coming home and initiating discussions about caring for the world around her with her family and friends and talking about what we can do to help.

'Thank you' for the wonderful amount of Harvest gifts your school donated to the Foodbank. We are very grateful for the support and generosity of the students, staff and parents. Please pass on our thanks to everyone. The collection weighed 175.2kg which is an amazing amount. Sue Stevenson - West Berks Foodbank

I just wanted to send you THANK YOU to the whole team who have done a fantastic job at keeping going during the last few months and ensuring that as far as possible the children's education does not suffer. Working across a number of organisations and sharing experiences with others it is evident that The Willows team have done significantly more than many other schools and the focus on the needs of the children has been at the heart of the approach.

We really appreciate the approach at The Willows to push children to achieve without stressing or even letting them realise.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the hard work and great effort you have made to make this school safe for our children. I really appreciate it.

On Friday morning last week I was riding my bike down Pyle hill on the cycle pavement , a boy from your school was pushing his bike up the hill. When he saw me cycling towards him, he stopped moved over to the side of the path and waited , as I passed him I said thank you . In a bright cheerful voice he said you're welcome . I was so impressed I felt I had to write to you - he is a credit to his school and his parents. Thank you again .

I wanted to extend my thanks to yourself and your school community for being such a welcoming school. Every teacher I observed was enthusiastic and delivered such brilliant practice for me to reflect upon. You should be (and are as I can see from the lovely Praise Assemblies) so proud of the students. The children were lovely, mannered, well rounded, independent learners and I was astounded by the attitude across the whole school. I can see how hard you have all worked to ensure stable routines and feedback and how imperative this is to help the students thrive. I really had a lovely time and hope to pop in to see you all again soon. (PGCE Student)

I wanted to write to you to let you know just how impressed we were with your classes and adult leaders when they visited us last week.

I met them on arrival, and they were excited but also exceptionally well behaved. I met a few children during their self-guided visit in the morning and was impressed by their interest, enthusiasm and behaviour. They were polite friendly and intrigued by the things I showed them and chatted with them about.

We work with many schools and most are lovely, but I felt I had to write to tell you that your classes did you proud and you are one of our best school groups ever.

Clare Coleman, Education Officer Early Years to KS2 - Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology

My child was so excited and full of wonderful stories after his amazing trip to Didcot Train Station yesterday. Thank you so much for organising and providing these wonderful experiences away for the children.

Please could you pass on our thanks to the school and the staff that were on the Y6 residential trip. My child has just spent an hour telling me all about it. She had an excellent time and was full of it. She enjoyed every minute of it and didn't want to come home. Thank you so much to all involved, I'm sure this trip will stand out in their memories for a long time. Your efforts are really appreciated.

The Christmas Gift at The Willows is always a highlight. This year though, I do want to congratulate on your Year 6 students - they were so wonderful to work with. Their thoughtfulness, attitude to giving it all a go and their behaviour for learning was without doubt, exceptional. We have been working with many primary schools in the Newbury area this season, and The Willows this year, was outstanding. Organiser of the COINS project.

I visited a child in your nursery class this morning. I wanted to feedback on the amazing interactions between the staff team and the children that I observed during my visit. The adults were down at the level of the children, following the children’s lead, and using lots of strategies to support the development of speech, language, and communication skills. The children were all engaged in activities and it was a lovely calm environment. I rarely observe this when I visit early years settings and it was a pleasure to see such wonderful support in action this morning. Please thank your staff team for all they do.

I’m emailing to say thank you so much for hosting the football matches on Monday and for the very warm welcome my school received. My sports coach, came back full of compliments about what a friendly and welcoming school the Willows is and what a lovely calm environment you and your team have created. She really enjoyed her time at The Willows.

Dear all staff at The Willows, I just wanted to send an email to thank each and everyone of you for the help and guidance my child has been given on his journey though primary school. I wish you all the very best for the future.

I just wanted to say a massive and heartfelt thank you to you all for all of the support given to my child over her time at The Willows, for the opportunities she has had, the excellent learning and the best care a parent could hope for. I have had a long association with The Willows, my daughter being the last of my six children to attend. All of them remember their time there with fondness and positivity. My own experience now comes to an end after a massive 30 years!! As a parent I have witnessed the school go through many changes and under Miss McArthur go from strength to strength. The Willows is a great school. Y6 parent

We are so lucky to have a school , that comes together as a community , but also to have teachers / staff that look after our children just as their own . Thank you for treating our children and us the way you do and always looking after us . Your kindness , support does mean so much to us . Nursery and Y2 parent

We appreciate The Willows team for their outstanding contribution to my children's academic pursuits. Reception and Y2 parent

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