Welcome from the children of St Giles Primary School - the school that stands out!

The school that is wonderfully different. The school where fun and learning are the same. In this school, we learn in exciting ways, in a good environment. We are powerful learners and we learn by the second! We believe in praise, working together and taking special talents forward. St Giles is jam-packed with fun and the best teachers and teaching assistants in the world! If you are shy you will soon feel at home. And our spectacular cook prepares yummy food 5 days a week! We have lots of different ways of learning and we are creative and happy. We believe all children deserve to feel appreciated and special. At St Giles, we do.

About Our School

Our school community is a collaboration of children, staff, parents and governors, all working together to create an exciting and challenging learning environment. We enjoy a friendly atmosphere of co-operation where everyone has a voice. Our children feel safe, cared for, respected and cherished.

"Small is beautiful” – E.F. Schumacher

St Giles is a small rural primary school, surrounded by farmland in the beautiful village of Great Maplestead, near Halstead. We are part of the Colne Valley Consortium and share many activities with other schools in the cluster. We have strong links with Hedingham School, which is where most of our Year 6 leavers go after finishing at St Giles.

George, Year 6

Creating Effective Learners

“Knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do.” (Guy Claxton)

At St Giles we are creating a learning environment that welcomes and nurtures the spirit of enquiry in all our members. Our philosophy for teaching and learning is based upon a firm belief that life long learners need deep rooted confidence and curiosity. These roots are secured by offering a sequence of experiences that enable and enhance learning in meaningful contexts.

We help our children become effective learners by...

• Keeping our timetable flexible to allow for all different kinds of learning and learners.
• Encouraging assessment for learning and peer assessment.
• Focusing on the “what” (the content) and the “how” (the learning muscles) of learning.

We encourage and challenge ourselves to use these “learning muscles”; resilience, resourcefulness, collaboration, reflection, empathy, persistence, imagination, questioning, attentiveness, flexibility, responsibility and self awareness.

Assessment for Learning is a key aspect of our approach to children moving their learning forward. This means children know the steps they need to take in order to progress their own learning journey.