Our school is a large primary school for children aged 3 to 11 years. It is situated in Torquay: a seaside town in the South-West of England. The employment in the area is mostly seasonal (due to tourism) and this means that there is significant social deprivation in the area.
The school has approximately 700 pupils and 32 teachers, with three classes in each age group: 30 children in each class. Within the school there are over 100 children with Special Educational Needs: 11 support staff are employed to work on a 1:1 basis with individual children. There are a further 30 support staff who work with small groups of children throughout the school. 37 of our children come from ethnic groups and for many of these children English is a second language. Approximately 20% of the children receive Free School Meals as a result of their parents' low income.
The school has worked hard to gain the 'Healthy Schools Award' and 'School Active Mark' and we are extremely proud of our sporting achievements. Throughout the school, children are encouraged to learn about other countries and are given opportunities to try modern foreign languages such as French, Spanish and German.
We believe the project will help our children to experience other countries, their people, their history, their customs and beliefs. Our vision is for our children to celebrate our differences, yet at the same time, appreciate that all children across Europe are alike. We see our role in the project as being part of a committed partnership: following our recent prep visit to Belpuig all the children and staff are extremely keen and excited about the opportunity to work with our friends across the continent.
