If your child is starting school in September 2025, the application form must be completed and submitted to Luton Borough Council by January 15th 2025.

Tours of the school will be carried out during the autumn term 2024.  If you are considering Putteridge for your child, please book on to one of the tours, or we can arrange a telephone conversation with Mr Pickard or Miss Chinnery - please contact the office on 01582 728262 to arrange this.

Please explore our website to find out about life at Putteridge Primary, and please watch our video and read the further information below. If you do have any questions, please either contact the main school office on the number above or email us at enquiries@putteridgeprimaryschool.org.uk

We are able to take up to 90 children in to each of our year groups, split into 3 classes with a maximum of 30 children in each class. Please do not worry if you are not within our immediate catchment area - we have children across the school who come from a variety of different locations across the town.

We have a staggered approach to starting school to help build the confidence of our youngest pupils. Foundation Stage children start on a part-time timetable, building to full time by the end of the second week. For the first few days of their Foundation Stage, the children stay with us until the start of lunchtime, which increases to staying to the end of lunchtime for a number of days and finally builds to full time for the last few days of the second week that they are in school.

Foundation Stage working areas

Foundation Stage have their own enclosed playground area for use at break and lunch times. The outdoor space is also used throughout the day to enable children’s physical development, gross motor skills development and allows for imaginative play.

The ‘Shared Area’ is used by all three classes throughout the day. Some tasks are pre-determined by the teacher and will be led by an adult, whilst other activities are chosen by the children from the equipment and resources on offer – ranging from imaginative play, art and design, construction, through to maths and literacy-based activities.

P.E.

We are very fortunate to have our own sports coach, Mr Murgatroyd, who teaches 1 session of PE with each of the classes every week and his lessons focus on helping the children to develop their balance, co-ordination and control.

Reading

We have invested heavily in reading material for the whole school over recent years, ensuring that we have a plentiful supply of relevant and appealing books for the children. Foundation Stage have access to a range of picture books, phonic books and a variety of fiction & non-fiction books, at an appropriate level, along with individual pupil access to Collins Big Cat e-learning books for a greater variety of books that can be read at home.

Foundation Stage Curriculum

Currently, there are 7 ‘Areas of Learning’ which are split into Prime and Specific.  They loosely embrace the National Curriculum subjects with priority being given to Communication & Language, Personal, Social & Emotional Development and Physical Development. 

Communication and Language

The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development.  Children’s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development.  These outcomes cover important aspects of language development and provide the foundation for literacy.  Children must be helped to acquire competence in English as soon as possible, making use, where appropriate, of their developing understanding and skills in other languages - enriching and widening children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension. The outcomes focus on children developing competence in speaking, listening and understanding.

Personal, Social & Emotional Development (PSED)

Children’s personal, social and emotional development is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives, and is fundamental to their cognitive development.  These outcomes focus on children learning how to work, play, co-operate with others and function in a group beyond the family.  They cover important aspects of managing emotions, understanding their feelings and those of others, developing a positive sense of self, setting themselves goals and having confidence in their own abilities.    They will also learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and managing personal needs independently.

It underpins ALL we do, and it is also given specific timetable slots.

Physical Development

These outcomes focus on children developing core strength, stability, balance, awareness of space, co-ordination and agility, in indoor and outdoor environments.  Gross motor skills provide foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being.  Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination which linked to early literacy.  They also include establishing positive attitudes towards a healthy and active way of life.

In the context of co-operative work and play:

• Move confidently and imaginatively with increasing control and co-ordination.
• Have an awareness of space and others.
• Use a range of small and large equipment and balancing and climbing apparatus with increasing skill.
• Handle appropriate tools and objects construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control.

Literacy

These outcomes focus on the development of reading and writing.  It is important for children to develop a love of reading.  Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading.  Children learn to recognise and form letters.  Letter sounds are used to blend words for reading and writing in readiness for sentence building.

Mathematics

These outcomes focus on the development of a strong grounding in number.  Children will learn to count confidently and develop a deep understanding of the numbers up to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers.

There is a focus on achievement through practical activities and on using and understanding language in the development of simple mathematical ideas.

In the context of co-operative work and play:

• Use mathematical language such as circle, in front of, bigger than and more, to describe shape, position, size and quantity.
• Recognise and recreate patterns.
• Through practical activities understand the value of numbers and begin to show awareness of simple facts and the role of numbers in everyday life.

Understanding the World

These outcomes focus on children’s developing knowledge and understanding of their environment, other people and features of the natural and made world.  They provide a foundation for historical, geographical, scientific and technological learning, along with enriching and widening children’s vocabulary that will support later reading comprehension.

Expressive Arts and Design

These outcomes focus on the development of children’s imagination and their ability to communicate and to express ideas and feelings in creative ways.

In the context of co-operative work and play:

• Explore sound and colour, texture, shape, form and space in two and three dimensions.
• Respond in a variety of ways to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel.
• Through art, music, dance, stories and imaginative play show an increasing ability to use their imagination, to list and to observe.
• Use a widening range of materials, suitable tools, instruments and other resources to express ideas and to communicate their feelings.