Mission Statement:

We, the Governors and staff of St Therese of Lisieux Primary School, are committed to providing our pupils with a positive attitude towards Catholic education. Christ’s values and gospel message are an intrinsic part of our ethos, daily running of the school and our curriculum. We try to ensure that we work in partnership with the home, parish and the wider community to strengthen our pupils’ vision of their role as part of the Catholic community.

– Chairperson of the Board of Governors

Our Vision:

With a smile and a helping hand, we inspire the children of today to become the adults of tomorrow.

The Governors and staff of St Therese of Lisieux Primary School, are committed to providing our pupils with a positive attitude towards Catholic education. Christ’s values and gospel message are an intrinsic part of our ethos, daily running of the school and our curriculum. We try to ensure that we work in partnership with the home, parish and the wider community to strengthen our pupils’ vision of their role as part of the Catholic community.

We aim to promote high achievement and learning for life by:

• Providing a Catholic education within a caring, safe and friendly environment
• Developing our children’s individual needs and talents to their full potential
• Fostering positive, caring relationships within the whole school community where children are encouraged to recognise and respect the feelings and attitudes of others
• Encouraging children to accept responsibility for their own behaviour, through promoting self-discipline and increasing independence
• Providing a broad and balanced curriculum delivered with support and encouragement to succeed
• Continually striving for improvement, working together toward common goals.

St Therese of Lisieux Primary School is one of the parish schools of Holy Family Parish. The school is situated on the Antrim Road and the present bright and well maintained building opened in September 1988. It has been furnished with a purpose built lift catering for those children with mobility difficulties.

The main school consists of a two storey building containing 14 classrooms, a specially dedicated Special Needs Room, a Reading Room, a Library, a P.E. Hall, Canteen and Staffroom. Classrooms are grouped in clusters of three or four and open on to a shared learning area where children have access to a number of resources including computer work stations. Play areas are central to the Foundation and KS1 classrooms and create a stimulating, interesting and inviting area for Foundation and KS1 children. The P.E. Hall is well equipped to meet the demands of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. All classrooms in the school are connected to the C2K network and all rooms contain Interactive Whiteboards.

A new extension to the school opened in September 2008. The unit contains three classrooms, a music room, two main storage areas, self contained cloakroom facilities and a disabled toilet.

An outdoor classroom was completed in August 2010 and continues to grow in its ability to enhance greatly the learning and teaching opportunities across the curriculum.

In September 2011 a new modular unit was opened as a self-contained ‘Nurture Room’.

Staff

18 Permanent Teachers (including Principal)

2 Special Needs Teachers (Part-time)

2 Secretaries

18 Classroom Assistants

1 Building Supervisor

4 Cleaners

9 Supervisory Assistants

At present there are 444 children enrolled. Our current admission figure is 61 selected from a much larger number of applicants.

St Therese of Lisieux Primary School places in the forefront the development of its children. We are a Catholic school and as such provide an atmosphere where the pupils are part of a Christian community. Children are respected as individuals and helped to develop to their full potential. School policy emphasises the maintenance of high standards of behaviour and attitudes. We are dedicated to the creation of a caring believing community with Christian values that can be carried to the world outside.

We aim to provide an education that gives each child the opportunity of achieving the highest possible standards, with a staff that have developed the best professional methods to enable each child to reach his/her full potential.

We have a highly motivated staff who work as a team to ensure the highest possible standards and are well able to meet the challenges of the revised curriculum.

The success of our special needs provision in St Therese is based on the fact that each member of staff shares the responsibility to meet the needs of children experiencing difficulties and ensure each child shares the same value as their peers.

Music and Drama are highly valued in the school, with choir, recorders and traditional and orchestral tuition taught by a talented staff both from within our own school and from the City of Belfast School of Music. Musical productions of the highest standards are performed by all KS1 children in December and March, and in June by our KS2 children. Our school orchestra currently has 75 members.

Children have the opportunity to learn another language at St Therese of LisieuxPrimary School. Currently, all children in the school are learning Mandarin as part of the curricular day. We also offer a Spanish after school club.

There are a wide variety of extra-curricular activities including Gaelic, Soccer, Judo, Hip Hop and Arts &Crafts.

We operate a Breakfast Club from 8.00am – 8.45am and an afternoon Club, the ‘123’ Club from 2.00pm – 3.00pm for P1 – P3. We also offer Parent Evening Clubs and Classes.

The present accommodation comprises:

Main School

14 Classrooms (4 with self contained toilets)

2 Special Needs Rooms

1 Reading Room

Assembly Hall

Canteen (BELB)

Kitchen (BELB)

Principal’s Office

Secretaries’ Office/Reception

Staffroom

Library/Computer Suite

Disabled Toilet x 1

Staff Toilets x 2

4 Children’s Toilets

Caretaker’s Store x 1

4 Storerooms

Extension

3 Classrooms

Medical/Music Room

2 Storerooms

Disabled Toilet x 1

Children’s Toilets x 2

Cloakrooms x 2

Outdoor Learning Environment

Sensory Area

Role Play Area

Sand Pit

Garden

Nurture Room

One room with kitchen facilities

Disabled Toilet

Storeroom