PARTNERSHIPS
Downham C of E Primary School is proud to work with the following partners:
The Seven Spires Partnership
The Seven Spires Partnership consists of a group of church primary schools within 30 minutes drive of one another. The schools within the partnership are:
- All Saints’ C of E Primary School, Maldon
- St John’s C of E Primary School, Danbury
- Downham C of E Primary School
- East Hanningfield C of E Primary School
- West Hanningfield C of E Primary School
- Stock C of E Primary School
- Woodham Walter C of E Primary School
Our shared Christian visions and values shape the aspirations for our school communities.
Each school has its own governing body. The schools share common goals expressed via the partnership’s vision, terms of reference protocols and agreements. The partnership can make joint recommendations, but it is up to each individual governing body to authorise plans.
Our Mission Statement:
“To develop the right people, to do the right things in the right ways, for the right reasons.”
Our vision:
“To support and nurture the Christian ethos of our individual school communities which permeates our shared partnership in order to fully prepare children for their futures.”
We deliver this vision by:
- Providing a forum for essential collaboration, using combined experiences, to sustain and develop school improvement
- Respecting each school’s individual ethos, culture, values and identity
- Ensuring the strengths of each school are identified, celebrated and shared across the partnership.
- Providing appropriate support and challenge across schools.
- Driving good or outstanding outcomes.
- Providing high quality tailored professional development to continually improve teaching and learning.
- Moderating assessment judgements to ensure consistency across the partnership
- Identifying potential leaders and develop expertise in curriculum areas
- Building cohesion, confidence and skills through networking with colleagues
- Responding to national and local initiatives
Wuxi School, China
Here at Downham we are increasingly aware finding opportunities of raising pupil awareness and understanding of the global world we live in. As a predominantly white British community, any openings for raising pupil understanding of the global world are actively encouraged at Downham. In the school was represented in the International Educational Forum in Nantong, Jiangsu Province China and this led to a twinning between Wuxi School, Jiangsu and Downham School.
Our partnership agreement establishes ourselves as sister schools. Our main aims are the following:
- To strengthen relationships and increase cultural awareness and respect for each other’s cultures
- To provide opportunities for students and teachers to develop skills which enhance China / UK relationships
- To develop ties of friendship through communication
- Develop students into citizens who are globally engaged, comfortable with diversity and have the skills to cooperate effectively across cultures.
We use this partnership to enable staff from Downham to visit and learn from the school in China.
We welcome pupils from Wuxi School on an annual basis to visit and learn alongside our pupils at Downham.
We also are able to use the links with Wuxi to continue to teach our pupils and school community about international relations, respect, difference and culture.
Billericay Community Trust
A group of schools in the Billericay area who work together in a number of areas for the benefit of all the schools involved. The organisation involves primary, infant, junior and secondary schools. It allows teachers and pupils to work together on specific aspects of education and share knowledge and learn collaboratively.
The Billericay Community Trust (BCT) is a registered charity comprising of fifteen schools in Billericay, Anglia Ruskin University and Billericay Educational Consortium.
Promotion of community cohesion
The BCT works with a range of local partners to ensure that schools and education remain at the heart of the community.
“Together Towards Excellence”
Our vision is to ensure improved outcomes for children by collaborating with each other to:
- Provide a forum for collaboration to sustain and develop school improvement and enrichment.
- To ensure outcomes in all schools are at least good or outstanding.
- Narrow achievement gaps, especially for vulnerable groups which include those children supported via pupil premium, special educational needs and disabilities.
- Respect each school’s individual ethos, culture, values and identity
- Ensure the strengths of each school are identified, celebrated and shared across the partnership.
- Engage with the latest research based approaches to continually improve teaching and learning
- Work with partners to identify and develop potential leaders.
- Share and develop expertise in curriculum areas.
- Develop outstanding teachers through the highest quality Initial Teacher Training programmes and professional development opportunities.
- Build cohesion, confidence and skills through networking with colleagues
Billericay Teaching School Alliance
Downham C of E Primary School is pleased to be working in collaboration with Billericay Teaching School Alliance.
Billericay Teaching School Alliance works with teachers, schools and a wide range of organisations seeking innovative ways to impact on every day learning experiences of children in the classroom. We partner with Billericay Educational Consortium SCITT (Initial Teacher Training) to recruit and train both Primary and Secondary teachers as part of our Initial Teacher Training programme.
We provide a wealth of developmental opportunities for non-teaching staff, support staff, administrators, managers, teachers, leaders and governors, developing practice and striving for the highest of standards. We constantly reflect on classroom practice and School Improvement through Research and Development, creating opportunities for individuals and groups to link theory and practice in order to be more effective.
Working collaboratively we aim to drive significant improvement in the quality of professional practice, improving the life chances of every child.
For further information please visit www.billericayteachingschoolalliance.com
St. Margaret's Church
Downham Primary School is a voluntarily controlled Church of England school which enjoys close links with the local church, St Margaret's.
Our Christingle service takes place at St Margaret's every year.