New Reception Parents Information
Choosing a school and starting school are huge milestones for you and your child. St Paul's CPS VA is a one-form entry school in Alwoodley for children ages 4-11. Our families come from all around the local area, including Adel, Horsforth, Meanwood, Moortown, Shadwell and of course, Alwoodley!
Every child is special and important to us. We are lucky to have children in school who have moved from another country to join us at St Paul's. We now have over 30 different languages spoken in school which is incredible!
The majority of our children are baptised catholic but we also welcome children from other faiths (and children with no faith). You do need to be a baptised catholic to be welcomed to St Paul's.
If you would like to look around our school, please contact the school office; 01132939901 or email: school.office@stpaulscps.org.uk
Why send your child to St Paul's CPS VA?
If you are looking for a school with that 'family feel' then St Paul's is right for you. We are at the heart of our community and we are recognised locally for our charity work, community projects and wider curriculum offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) I live outside of LS17, will I get in?
We have families in school from a range of postcodes. Our furthest child lives over five miles from the school. Due to a falling birth rate locally, families are now able to access St Paul's from further afield.
2) Do I need to be a Catholic to get my child into St Paul's?
No. We have children from many different faith backgrounds in school. We celebrate all religions and welcome applications from all backgrounds and beliefs. We are proud to be a Catholic school and we all work together, following the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.
3) Do you offer a breakfast club or after school club?
We do not offer a school-based wraparound provider as we work closely with Little People who are based adjacent to the building in the church hall. Children are dropped off and collected from school by Little People staff. We allow Little People to use our playground after school for outdoor breaks and exercise.
4) Which High Schools do you feed to?
We work closely with all of our local High Schools. As a Catholic school we encourage all of our children to move onto Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School but we also support applications to Allerton High, Carr Manor or to private providers such as GSAL and Moorlands.
5) Do you have a PTA?
Yes! We have a wonderful and dedicated team of volunteers who run the amazing Friends of St Pauls. There are lots of social events throughout the year including; Family discos, Balls, Bazaars and Film nights.
6) Is pupil behaviour good at St Paul's?
Pupil conduct and behaviour is exemplary at St Paul's CPS VA. We work tirelessly to ensure our positive behaviour systems are effective and fair. We follow the five 'Golden Rules' of St Paul's and we celebrate positive behaviour through our Dojo system. We keep parents informed of our behaviour policy principles so they can replicate the stratgies at home, if they wish. All of our behaviour principles are based on the work of Paul Dix.
Enrichment and Extra-Curricular at St Paul's CPS VA.
We plan and deliver a broad and balanced curriculum at St Paul's CPS VA. We also offer a range of extra-curricular/lunchtime clubs free of charge.
Sports
We offer a range of extra-curricular sports at St Paul's, including athletics, football (U9s,U10s,U11s, Girls) netball, cross country, cricket, chess and triathlon. We enter both competitive and non-competitive events and have an open-door policy for practices and training sessions.
Music
Alongside our Diocesan music offer (melodicas, choir, singing) we have our own talented in-house music teachers. We attend Young Voices, Town Hall choir concerts, Trinity singing and charity choir fundraising. (You will often see us at Christmas outside M&S, Sainsbury's or St Gemma's hospice.) We deliver Charanga music across the school and have a junior orchestra who perform at music assemblies.
The Arts
Through class showcases and assemblies we champion art and creativity. All children use sketchbooks and a range of media to create individual pieces and sketches. Our after school Art club produce more sophisticated pieces including mod-roc, printing and 3d collage.