Welcome to St. Ignatius Catholic Primary School
A very warm welcome to our Primary School where we serve children from 3-11 years old.
We hope that our website is useful in providing the information you need. We feel very privileged to work with such a wonderful community of staff, children and parents. Grounded in our Catholic values, we welcome everyone to our school. One of the strengths of St. Ignatius is in our diversity. We are proud of the fact that whilst the majority of our pupils are Caymanian, the remaining families hail from continents across the globe, bringing a rich diversity of cultures and experiences to embrace.
Using a U.K. based curriculum, we aim for high academic standards, with a focus on reading and mathematics. Our results at the end of Primary School demonstrate that we achieve this aim. We are always eager to ensure that these academic standards are supported by a broad and balanced curriculum and we strive to ensure that our Primary pupils have a range of opportunities throughout the school in spirituality, arts, drama, music, sports -and most importantly -in social and emotional development, which we foster from the moment the children enter the school.
If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us or arrange a visit to see our school in action. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.
Primary (Years 1-6)
Welcome to St. Ignatius Catholic School. We use the English National Curriculum as our base in the school adapting as necessary to recognise Caymanian and Caribbean Culture and the Catholic Ethos of our school. We follow the programmes of study which focuses on four core subjects and a number of other non-core subjects.
Religious Education: Spirituality is very much at the core of everything we do at St. Ignatius and is evident throughout the day. We always start with morning prayers; we have prayers before lunch and a going home prayer. All students receive Religious instruction throughout the week and there is a weekly mass that all students attend. Assemblies also cover religious and moral themes. We are grounded very much in our Catholic values whilst including and recognising those of other faiths.
Literacy: Pupils have a great deal of exposure to a variety of text types. Earlier on in the school we try to encourage a love of reading and teach the skills for reading, with a focus on phonics. As children move through the year groups they are guided into how to read more deeply into a text, which in turn help to produce a range of writing texts. The focus is on enjoyment, challenge and self-reflection.
Numeracy: The focus here is on number, statistics, applying number skills in problem solving and shape. There is an emphasis on oral work and discussion with students getting opportunities to understand and apply concepts. Mental arithmetic skills play an important role. Amongst other tools, we use Numicon to assist in the learning of Mathematics.
Science: Through various units of study pupils explore and discover the world around them and there is a focus on learning and applying scientific method from an early age.
Art: In the first years of primary much of the art work is integrated into the topics covered. Children work with a range of tools and resources to produce creative pieces. As children progress, teaching focusses on development of skills and examination of artists.
Social Studies: In our study of Geography and History topics there will be a variety of resources from both the Caribbean and the Cayman Islands and those on the English National Curriculum Programme of Study.
Physical Education: Students will have opportunities to encounter a variety of activities including swimming and there is a focus on movement, co-ordination and healthy lifestyles. Some year groups participate in the Swimming programme and participation in sports is very much encouraged. The curriculum is enhanced with specialists who may teach skills such to participate in activities as diverse as life-saving and rugby.
Music: Specialist Teachers will provide the Music Programme for all pupils and there will be opportunities to perform throughout the school year. Recent developments include all children in Year 4-6 being taught either a band or a string instrument as part of the curriculum offer, culminating in a variety of performances and shows.
Drama: A specialist drama professional encourages the children to develop empathy, confidence and speaking and listening and performance skills. Periodically, parents will be given the opportunity to view the work of the children.
Spanish: Specialist Teachers develop a love and interest in the Spanish language and culture.
Computing: In addition to applying their skills and integrating their learning in other subjects, pupils will have the opportunity to learn discrete skills to develop their understanding of technology in their lives and their competences in using this technology to further their learning. There is a focus on development of coding from an early age.
Assessment: Progress is monitored through teacher’s record keeping and informal assessments on a daily basis. Formal assessments include the U.K Statutory Assessment Tests at the end of Years 2 and 6. Year 1 participate in the U.K phonics screening check at the end of the year and there are in year and end of year assessments in the core subjects for Years 3-6.
Enhancing the Curriculum: Children are given opportunities to engage their learning through a variety of visiting speakers, experiences and educational visits. Recent activities include visits to the Crystal Caves, examining physiology at George Town Hospital, online participation in a range of activities such as communicating live with an astronaut, National Trust Speakers, sustainable development initiatives and working with a wide range of charitable organisations.
Safeguarding Statement
Safeguarding is of paramount importance at St. Ignatius. In acknowledging this, we expect all adults in our community to adhere to our code of conduct which can be found here.
We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued. We are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure that children receive effective support, protection and justice.
The procedures contained our polices apply to all staff and Advisory Board members and are consistent with those of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Detroit.
Our Safeguarding policies and procedures can be found here, including our Code of Conduct, which we expect all adults involved in our school community to adhere.
Our Designated Safeguarding Leads and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are listed below. Any adult in our community can bring child protection concerns or any other concerns to any of the following:
Fr. Suresh Rajaian: Head of School
Peter Embleton: Head of Secondary
James Hickey: Head of Primary
Clare Shaffer - Early Years and Key Stage 1
Emily Garvey -Key Stage 2
Bernadette Devlin – Key Stage 3 and 4
Suzanne Goodwin – Sixth Form