About the School
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parent
Choosing a school for our children is one of the most important decisions we ever make. Thank you for visiting our website and for giving me this opportunity to tell you about Firwood Manor Preparatory School.
The school opened in September 2002 and is an independent day school for boys and girls aged from 2¾ to 11 years. It is situated on Broadway in Chadderton, Oldham close to the beginning of the A627M. This location makes it very accessible from a number of places in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, including Bury, Rochdale, North Manchester and Ashton. It is also an easy dropping-off point for parents who commute to work. The school is open from 7.30am to 6.00pm to care for your child.
Leading the school into what is a very exciting future is a challenging task. The school is being developed through teamwork, close interaction, open communication and collaborative planning and has a hard working, dedicated, well-qualified and experienced staff. In March 2006, following its first inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, the school received accreditation by the Independent Schools Council, thus enabling us to become a member of the Independent Schools Association. The inspection report described the school as having “quickly created a vibrant environment where pupils from all backgrounds thrive and achieve good standards” – we love the word “vibrant”.
The school was also one of just 171 North West schools which achieved one of 1,220 Arts Council England Artsmark awards announced on the 9th of June 2006. We were thrilled to receive this affirmation of our commitment to each child’s all-round development.
Artsmark is the national arts award for schools that demonstrate a commitment to developing their arts provision – from drama to music, design to literature, dance to sculpture. The scheme also encourages schools to work in partnership with artists and arts organisations. The arts can transform lives and raise aspirations, and improving opportunities for young people and their local communities to engage with the arts is a key priority for the Arts Council.
In October 2007 our catering staff achieved the Heartbeat Award for the fourth consecutive year from Oldham’s Environmental Health Department, celebrating the school’s commitment to healthy menus.
At Firwood Manor we are very aware of our responsibility to provide children with the very best educational possibilities and to optimise the opportunities for children to reach their full potential, so that their years of primary education culminate in the maximum appropriate outcomes.
As you will see, our exceptional facilities certainly help us to realise these aims. Each classroom has its own interactive whiteboard and computer and the building is fully networked.
The starting point of every teacher is the infinite worth of each child. Every day our aim is to provide each and every child with exciting and challenging learning experiences, which are traditional and innovative, old-fashioned and modern.
Our children are encouraged to be independent, confident, responsible and compassionate with a strong sense of purpose and self-discipline. They have a love of learning for its own sake with enquiring minds and the ability to freely express their likes and dislikes. We aim to give them opportunities to develop skills to enable them to be good team players, to solve problems, both academically and in their daily lives, and to enable them to manage change, risk and uncertainty. And above all, they have a strong belief in themselves and in what they can achieve.
On this website you will find details of our facilities, fees and admission procedure and a registration form together with some background information. I know that you will enjoy reading about our school online but it is only by visiting that you will realise just how special and different we are.
If you would like to discuss your child’s education or you would like to learn more about the school, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment to meet me. Please telephone the school secretary who will be pleased to arrange this for you.
I look forward to meeting you in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Pam Wild, B.Ed.
Headteacher
pwild@firwoodmanor.org.uk
