Great Bookham School is part of South Farnham Educational Trust is a popular 2 form entry primary school for children aged 4 to 11 in Great Bookham with a pre-school for children aged 3 which opened in May,

At Great Bookham School we create an environment in which every child is nurtured and cared for. Through our broad and balanced curriculum we strive to ensure our pupils reach their full potential - academically, emotionally and socially.

Your children should leave primary school with a secure set of skills, knowledge, and understanding to prepare them for the next stage of their education and an unpredictable future. We believe that our forward thinking approach means that every child can build on their strengths and develop the confidence and skills in which to succeed.

The core values we promote in the school are:

            P – Positive attitudes to everything we do

            R – Respect for ourselves and for each other

            I – Independence of thought and of action

            D – Difference, we celebrate the uniqueness of each individual

            E – Excellence in all we do.

Our ethos is to create a love of learning

It is our aim for our school to be viewed as making excellent provision for all its community, knowing and celebrating the strengths of all individuals and having high aspirations for everyone. We aspire to a culture of successful high quality outcomes within a supportive, stress-free environment as well as being progressive and outward facing in terms of the curriculum and the wide ranging opportunities that the school offers.

The children who are currently in our school are the citizens of the future. The world of tomorrow is likely to be a very different place than that of today and we have no idea what knowledge will be most appropriate to them. It is likely that when our children enter the workplace, many of them will be doing jobs that haven’t yet been invented…

therefore, it is more important that we teach children the purpose of learning and HOW to learn not WHAT to learn.

We know that the world is a stressful place and that mental well-being is as important as physical well-being in order to lead successful and fulfilling lives. In order to be successful, we believe that it is important for young people to be able to manage their feelings and emotions and develop their own sense of worth. We make this a feature of the opportunities offered to all members of our school community.

In preparing our children for their future, and indeed in preparing us all for the future, we know that being numerate and literate is essential but other skills are also prized above all others. Key employers such as John Lewis and Unilever ask for so-called ‘soft’ skills above the more tangible exam grades when they are recruiting. Rightly, they believe that it is more important that their employees are: creative thinkers; have and maintain good relationships; can work as part of a team and have a ‘can do’ mentality…

Our school environment therefore, has to be:

safe and secure, encouraging children and staff to question and encouraging a culture of trial and error

a place where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities

a place where striving towards personal excellence is actively acknowledged and praised

motivating and encouraging, praising the effort rather than outcome

outward facing, showing what is on offer in the wider world and giving opportunities for experimenting

able to provide a range of experiences to inspire as many children and staff as possible in whatever area that interests them

Ultimately our school should be a place where successful learners; responsible citizens and confident individuals are developed for the future whatever that future may hold!

South Farnham Educational Trust is a growing Multi Academy Trust which was formed in 2015.

Our Trust currently consists of seven schools (six full members and one associate member), a Teaching School Hub and thriving SCITT.

South Farnham School consisting of 837 pupils from 4 to 11 years is situated on two sites, one in Menin Way and the other in The Bourne. It is an ‘Outstanding’ school, an RSHE hub, a Teaching School Hub and the Accredited Body for the Surrey South Farnham SCITT. South Farnham is the designated Academy Sponsor.

Highfield South Farnham School, a two-form entry primary school with a Nursery, catering for children from three years. After working with the Trust it has just become an ‘Outstanding’ school with a reputation for high-quality provision following an Ofsted inspection in January 2018.

The Raleigh School, a popular two form entry primary school in the semi-rural village of West Horsley. Following an Ofsted inspection in December 2017 it has also moved to an 'Outstanding' school from the previous 'Good' judgement, it is a primary school consisting of 436 pupils from 4-11.

Wallace Fields Infant School and Nursery, a thriving two form entry small, friendly, caring infant school and Shining Stars Nursery based in Ewell recognised as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted.

Busbridge Infant School, a popular two form entry infant school based in Godalming, Surrey.

Great Bookham School, a two form entry primary school based in Great Bookham, Surrey.

Our associate member is St Mary's C of E (Aided) Infant School.

Our Teaching School Hub is one of 87 centres of excellence for teaching training and development in the country. We provide high-quality professional development to teachers in over 300 schools and at each stage of their career (from TA to executive leadership), outstanding teacher training and appropriate body services.

South Farnham SCITT - a primary Initial Teacher Training partnership of over 220 schools; graded 'Outstanding' in all areas by Ofsted. Nationally recognised within the DfE to be at the forefront of school-based training.

Vision and purpose of the Trust

• To create a group of schools that have a shared commitment to ensuring the highest possible outcomes for their children.

• Through close co-operation children, parents and teachers will share professional expertise, training opportunities and facilities to ensure that the whole is greater than the part.

• To create a learning environment where the highest possible standards are a feature of all schools.

• To establish a shared understanding of what works and a reflective, research-based approach to school improvement.

• To celebrate and develop the uniqueness of each school within the MAT family of schools.

Please click here to view our Careers Page & Website for further information