Headteacher's Welcome
A Warm Welcome to Harestock Primary School
As Headteacher of Harestock Primary School, it gives me immense pleasure to welcome you to our school website, where you can learn more about our ethos and values, our curriculum and the exciting opportunities we offer to our children.
A strength of Harestock Primary School is the nurturing, inclusive environment where every child is valued and celebrated for who they are. We encourage our children to explore and learn more about themselves through meaningful experiences, whilst receiving an excellent standard of education which is exciting and challenging.
Our dedicated team of teachers and support staff is committed to providing a stimulating and engaging school experience which will enable our children to thrive during their time at our school and be truly ready for their next stage in life and education. We provide a broad, balanced curriculum which caters for the needs and interests of our children. We have worked hard to ensure our curriculum is relevant, provides opportunities for creative thinking and supports the acquisition of skills required for successful futures, such as problem-solving, emotional intelligence and leadership. This is enhanced by a wide range of extra-curricular activities including school trips, music lessons, drama and dance and many sporting opportunities.
Tucked away in the middle of housing, visitors to our school are always pleasantly surprised by our huge outdoor spaces and how well we use them. Our extensive grounds include a separate junior and infant playgrounds as well as a large, well-resourced Year R outdoor area. We are also fortunate enough to have courts for sports and a large field and Daily Mile Running Track as well as a wooded area along our boundary which we have developed and use for Forest School. Finally, we are delighted to have a newly renovated pond, full of plant and wildlife which we use for learning, such as science and geography as well as an area for the creative arts and to focus on our wellbeing. We value outdoor learning; we know the positive impact being outdoors has on our physical and mental wellbeing. Therefore, we ensure that outdoor learning is frequent and regular in all classes and every year group takes part in Forest School with our fully trained staff.
We are proud of the enrichment offer. This includes opportunities for residential trips as well as school visit to the local and wider areas, including the Houses of Parliament, Sea City Museum and The Living Rainforest. We invite guest speakers into school to talk about their experiences and areas of expertise. We have strong links with our local secondary school and are able to take advantage of their generous primary school offer to use their facilities and specialist teachers. We have many sporting opportunities and enjoy participating in competitions in the local area. Music is important to us and we have a thriving choir who participate in many local events including the Winchester Christmas Lights switch on. We use Hampshire Music Service to provide music lessons, class music lessons where all children learn an instrument and Rock 2 the Beat where children learn to be in, and perform in rock bands.
I strongly believe that good mental health and well-being is vital. Therefore, at Harestock, we teach children strategies to support their well-being. This enables them to cope with day-to-day challenges and become resilient, confident young people. We care about our whole school community and work with parents and careers to support their needs as well as their children. This is reflected in our school values and across our whole curriculum.
We believe that good education is a partnership between school, home and the wider community. We value and encourage parental involvement and provide opportunities for you to be included within school life and for you to voice your views.
We hope that you find our website informative and helpful. You are most welcome to contact the school for further information or to arrange a visit to look around. We look forward to meeting you and your family.
With very best wishes
Aimee Dear
Headteacher
About Harestock Primary School
The full school profile can be found on the DirectGov website, but a summary follows below:
Children’s Service Authority: Hampshire County Council
Age range: 4-11
Number of pupils: 215
Headteacher: Mrs Aimee Dear
Chair of governors: Mrs Miranda Woolfenden
