AZBUKA Russian-English Primary School admits children between the ages of 5 and 10. To ensure we provide the very best education for our children, the maximum class size is 12 pupils.
Subjects and areas of learning
English and Russian (main languages of the curriculum), Maths, World around us (history, geography, science), Arts, Music, DT, PE, Circus, Dance, Drama, Spanish, P4C (Philosophy for children), ICT, PSHE is embedded in all subject areas and includes Relationship and Sex Education. Assemblies are key part of the curriculum.
Extra curricular clubs: after school club, chess, STEM – SCIENCE club, violin, football
Azbuka runs a culture rich creative curriculum, therefore school year incorporates various celebrations, school trips, community events, productions, concerts and visits.
Children follow a unique programme ensuring equal language distribution. Each class has two teachers dedicated to teaching in their native language.
Under our specialist programme, the subjects are taught in rotation, allowing children to explore, learn and develop their vocabulary and skill sets in both languages.
The AZBUKA School meets all Ofsted and independent school requirements and fully prepares children for UK and Russian standardised testing, allowing for a seamless transition to secondary education in Russia or the UK.
All policies (2023-2024) have been updated and are made available from the school office on demand and free of charge.
AZBUKA Statement of SCHOOL AIMS
AZBUKA School-Parent Communication_Procedure 2023-24
AZBUKA Cooperation between school and parents (Eng)
AZBUKA Attendance
AZBUKA Behaviour and Anti-Bullying Policy
AZBUKA Discipline, Exclusions and Removal Policy
AZBUKA Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy 2023-2024
AZBUKA Relationship Education, Sex Education and Health Education Policy 2023-2024
AZBUKA Marking and Assessment Policy
AZBUKA Data Protection Policy
AZBUKA Provision for EAL and RAL Policy
AZBUKA More Able Students – Policy and provision
AZBUKA Home Work Policy
AZBUKA Equality Policy
AZBUKA E-Safety Policy
AZBUKA Health and Safety policy
AZBUKA First Aid Policy
AZBUKA Fire Safety Policy
AZBUKA Fire Safety Procedures
AZBUKA OUTINGS Policy and Procedures (Ravenscourt Park)
AZBUKA Supervision Policy
Early Years Foundation Stage Policy
SEND Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy
AZBUKA Risk Management and Risk Assessment
AZBUKA Recruitment and Employment Policy
AZBUKA Lost or Missing Child Policy
AZBUKA Late Collection of Pupils Policy
AZBUKA Administering Medicines Policy
AZBUKA Lock Down Procedures
AZBUKA Complaint Policy
AZBUKA British Values
The following policies and documents are made available from the school office on demand and free of charge:
- AZBUKA time-tables
- Extra-curricular activities
- AZBUKA Monitoring and Evaluation
- AZBUKA Accessibility Policy
- AZBUKA Premises Management
- Fire risk (prevention) policy, reports, records re to fire safety
- AZBUKA Managing Contractors
- AZBUKA Manual Handling
- AZBUKA Financial Policy
- Staff Book
Documents
Letters
Curriculum
AZBUKA Curriculum Statements
Curriculum Overview Year 1 2023-2024
Curriculum Overview Year 2 2023-2024
Curriculum Overview Year 3 2023-2024
Curriculum Overview Year 4 2023-2024
Curriculum Overview Year 5_6 2023-2024
PSHE at AZBUKA 2023-2024
AZBUKA Relationship Education Sex Education and Health Education Policy
Dance Curriculum Overview (Reception-Year 1)
Dance Curriculum Overview Year 2 – Year 6
ICT Curriculum Overview Autumn 2023
Science Curriculum Overview (Y4-6)
Spanish Azbuka Foundation, Year 3 & 4
Spanish Azbuka Foundation, Year 5 & 6
Circus Curriculum Overview – 2023-2024
Circus Curriculum Overview – Autumn 2023
The founding members have always been committed to community cohesion and inclusion of diverse families in the life and work of AZBUKA Foundation.
Our admissions policy as well as all other policies and practices reflect the fundamental values of universal access to education.
AZBUKA School is an educational charity and a new specialist school. An educational organisation of this kind has enormous fundraising challenges in the UK today. Generating income is never easy and takes a long time, achieved through the voluntary work of supporters, trustees, parents and patrons.
Despite the challenges, we always knew that this small specialist independent school would be not just about academic achievement as measured only by test results, but as something much more valuable and universal: fostering happiness through an approach to education and schooling rooted in the shared linguistic and cultural values of the participating families, and their common interests in and demand for bilingual education. Since our establishment, we have always strived to be supportive, to admit very different and diverse families into the Nursery and School, and to collaborate externally with the local community and beyond.
Here are some of our achievements so far:
- There has always been room for Special needs (Senco) children in the nursery, with very good support resulting in amazing progress and achievement in all areas of learning alongside bilingual education. Two children with severe delays have studied at Azbuka Nursery.
- There are children from families where Russian is not spoken at home and who have been able with our support to develop as bilingual high achievers in secondary schools. They have expressed their gratitude for Azbuka’s system.
- Our published policies reflect a commitment to the development of special educational provision in the future (see our policy and open days).
- Four lower income families have benefitted directly from grants and bursaries from the AZBUKA Foundation and the Garfield Foundation, allowing them to begin their education at the AZBUKA Primary school. We continue to search for further grants and external financial support so that we can offer more bursaries to lower income families.
- The Azbuka Cultural Centre and Bilingual Resource Centre have undertaken substantial activities with support from staff and volunteers, to promote Russian culture, including:
- o supporting language teaching in other mainstream schools in the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames (LBRUT), including Orleans and St Stephens
- o organising the AZBUKA Fair for the wider community (2016 and 2017) which attracted many people from both the local area and further afield, and
- o participating in the Kings College Language Festival, Russian Educational fair in London, Pushkin House cultural events and other joint work
- The AZBUKA school has been offering volunteering opportunities for secondary school students from local schools working towards their Duke of Edinburgh awards.
- Pupils of AZBUKA participated in the Holland Park Opera Production of Queen of Spades in 2016.
- AZBUKA Foundation has run training courses for the wider community, including CPD courses for mainstream teachers to support bilingual development in early years and education.
- AZBUKA Nursery has been in the directory of educational providers for many years. It has participated in the Quality Assurance scheme to obtain Early Education grants for different families through Richmond Borough, including lower income families for 2-year old children.
- AZBUKA School has been open to collaboration in supporting academic research and CPD for students in London and abroad. Examples include Goldsmith College students who undertake regular visits to the Saturday school as part of their teacher training and linguistics work, and researchers from Edinburgh University and St Petersburg University, who have undertaken research and work at AZBUKA School.
- Tara Fortune from CARLA, the main language centre in the US, is one of our consultants and a patron.
- AZBUKA has support from Russian cultural institutions.
- Visiting artists, poets and theatre companies from Russia including the writer Andrei Ushachov have been involved in wider community project and visits led by AZBUKA, including at Kings College London, Eton College and Pushkin House.
One planned future project is to establish links with a home for elderly people in London as well as with Russian speaking elderly people in the community, so that our children can help support them while learning and appreciating the importance of charity and community service through long term and meaningful work and school life.
The AZBUKA School has been establishing links with bilingual schools both in England as well as abroad.
- It has obtained Pupil Premium for 3-4 year olds. This is how it was spent (2016-2017):
Azbuka Russian Nursery School SDP Aut 2017 – Total
£751.68 School trips, visits, contribution towards professional fees (theatre and story telling visits), photocopies (educational materials and resources), staff training
Azbuka Russian Nursery School SDP Spring 2017 – Total £1,373.76
Help to cover costs of school lunches (New Azbuka kitchen), school trips, additional materials, photocopies, additional part-time teaching assistants, staff CPD training
Azbuka Russian Nursery School Summer 2017
£1,373.76
Help to cover costs of school lunches, school trips, additional materials, colour photocopies and visiting professionals (story telling, music especially)
The community of parents, teachers, trustees and friends of Azbuka continue to seek financial support to help support the inclusion of people from diverse backgounds in the educational and cultural work and life of AZBUKA.
Visitors are welcome to Azbuka School. They make a contribution to the life and work of the school in many different ways. The learning, teaching, training and research opportunities and experience they bring are encouraged and appreciated (from the Russian, English and international community). It is the school’s responsibility, however, to ensure that the security and welfare of its pupils is not compromised at any time.
The school is equally responsible to the whole school community (as well as the community of the partner THS school) for ensuring that visitors comply with the guidelines.
| Headteacher | Maria Gavrilova | headteacher@azbukafoundation.org |
| AZBUKA office general enquiries | 0208 392 2286 office@azbukafoundation.org | |
| Office manager | Svetlana Malinina | admin@azbukafoundation.org |
| Nursery (EYFS) manager | Oksana Pavlykivska | oksana.pavlykivska@azbukafoundation.org |
| Reception (Russian section) | Lia Smith | lia.korzheva-smith@azbukafoundation.org |
| Reception (English section) | Ahlam Abdisalam | ahlam.abdisalam@azbukafoundation.org |
| Curriculum lead/Russian section | Elena Rosenberg | Jelena.Rosenberg@azbukafoundation.org |
| Curriculum lead/English section | Paul Hume | Paul.Hume@azbukafoundation.org |
| Safeguarding and Child Protection (DSL) | Paul Hume | Paul.Hume@azbukafoundation.org |
| Deputy (DSL) | Oksana Pavlykivska | oksana.pavlykivska@azbukafoundation.org |
| Safeguarding Nominated Governor | Jason Manning | +44 (0) 750 012 8095 Jason.Manning@azbukafoundation.org |
| Admissions | Svetlana Malinina | admin@azbukafoundation.org |
| SEND coordinator (school and nursery) | Oksana Pavlykivska | oksana.pavlykivska@azbukafoundation.org |
2023
Azbuka visit to the Imperial College
English Folk Dance and Song Society Event 27thFriday
Gurdwara letter
Imperial College Visit Eng
British Museum
Courtlaud Gallery Yaear 6
Little Angel Theatre Trip
NW London Polio letter to schools September 2022
PGL School trip 2022
PGL Train Fares
Spooky Autumn Festival 21 October 2022
Visiting theatre Reception Year 1-2 September 2022
Year 4 and Year 5 teaching arrangements Sept 22
Azbuka Nursery Newsletter AUTUMN 2022
Azbuka SCHOOL Newsletter Autumn 2022
AZBUKА School-Parent Communication Procedure 2022-2023
AZBUKA Relationship Education, Sex Education and Health Education Policy
Curriculum Overview Year 1 2022-2023
Curriculum Overview Year 2 2022-2023
Curriculum Overview Year 3 2022-2023
Curriculum Overview Year 4 2022-2023
Curriculum Overview Year 5 2022-2023
Curriculum Overview Year 6 2022-2023
Early Years Foundation Stage Policy
PSHE at AZBUKA 2022-2023
Circus Curriculum Overview – Autumn 2022
DANCE Curriculum Year 2 – Year 6
DANCE Curriculum Reception and Year 1
ICT Autumn term 2022 at Azbuka Year 3
ICT Autumn term 2022 at Azbuka Year 4-6
Science-STEM Curriculum Overview Autumn 2022
Spanish curriculum overview – Year 3
Spanish Curriculum overview – Year 4-6
ICT – Summer 2023
Science Programme Summer 1 2023
Newsletters and letters
2022
Autumn 2021 – Letter to all parents
FOOTBALL – Sports at AZBUKA
Trip to V & A Museum – Alice in Wonderland
Nursery NEWSLETTER Autumn – Winter 2021
Christmas Cooking Master Class 13 December
Azbuka School NEWSLETTER Autumn-Winter 2021
Trip to V & A Museum – Alice in Wonderland
Science museum
Spooky Autumn Festival
PGL School trip 2022
Christmas Performance Letter December 2021 – to all Nursery and Receptin parents
British Museum
AZBUKA CULTURAL RESOURCES WINTER 2021-2022
Azbuka CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION – Letter to all parents
Alice V and A
Spring 2022 – Letter to all parents 5 January
Courtlaud Gallery Year 6
Little Angel Theatre Trip
NW London Polio letter to schools September 2022
PGL School trip 2022
PGL Train Fares
Spooky Autumn Festival 21 October 2022
Visiting theatre Reception Year 1-2 September 2022
Year 4 and Year 5 teaching arrangements Sept 22
Oct 2022 Overview EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Open letter. Maria Gavrilova – Founder of Azbuka Foundation.
2021-2022
PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic incl. British Values, Relationships education, Health incl. Wellbeing Education)
AZBUKA Relationships Education, Sex Education and Health Education Policy
Autumn 2021 – Letter to all parents
Curriculum Overview YEAR 1
Curriculum Overview YEAR 2
Curriculum Overview YEAR 3
Curriculum Overview YEAR 4
Curriculum Overview YEAR 5
Curriculum Overview YEAR 6
Science – STEM Curriculum. Year 4-6. Autumn term 2021
Spanish curriculum Planning
Azbuka Circus 2021
ICT Curriculum Autumn term 2021 at Azbuka Year 3 & 4
ICT Curriculum Autumn term 2021 at Azbuka Year 5 & 6
DANCE Curriculum Reception and Year 1
DANCE Curriculum Year 2 – Year 6
FOOTBALL – Sports at AZBUKA
2020-2021
Letter to Parents January 2021
AZBUKA Online Learning Provision Update – December 20
AZBUKA Pre-school closure – Reception Online Learning Provision Update – December 20
AZBUKA School-Parent Communication Procedure 2020-2021
Curriculum Overview Year 1 2020-2021
Curriculum Overview Year 2 2020-2021
Curriculum Overview Year 3 2020-2021
Curriculum Overview Year 4 2020-2021
Curriculum Overview Year 5 2020-2021
DANCE at AZBUKA
Curriculum Overview Year 5 2020-2021
IT Curriculum Overview Autumn term 2020
CIRCUS Curriculum Overview 2020-2021
AZBUKA protective measures and safeguarding practice during coronavirus period
CORONAVIRUS IMPORTANT NOTICE
Educational and cultural resources for AZBUKA children Christmas 2020
PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic incl. British Values, Relationships education, Health incl. Wellbeing Education)
AZBUKA Relationships Education, Sex Education and Health Education Policy
Newsletters and letters
Additional reports
Letters 2019-2020
VISIT FROM A FIREFIGHTER – У НАС В ГОСТЯХ – ПОЖАРНИК 0.3Mbyte
AZBUKA winter home project advent calendar 0.3Mbyte
Power of Reading Year 3 and 4 book list 0.3Mbyte
Educational and cultural resources winter holiday 2019-2020 0.4Mbyte
Letter Russian Traditions 0.3Mbyte
Religious education – Father Azariah 0.2Mbyte
EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES YEAR 1-4 0.4Mbyte
Azbuka SUMMER TERM 2020 – Letter to all Nursery parents 0.2Mbyte
Azbuka SUMMER TERM 2020 – Letter to all School parents 0.2Mbyte
Letters Archive
Newsletter Summer 2019 0.7Mbyte
AZBUKA School Summer Project 2019 0.2Mbyte
Registartion SIMPLY out of school AFTER SCHOOL AND BREAKFAST CLUB 0.1Mbyte
AZBUKA Christmas, 12 Dec, Wed, 2018 0.2Mbyte
9 May Letter 0.5Mbyte
Battersea zoo park 0.2Mbyte
Church trip parents letter 0.4Mbyte
Cold Weather Memo POSSIBLE SCHOOL CLOSURE PROCEDURE 0.2Mbyte
Into film 0.3Mbyte
Museum of Childhood Letter 0.2Mbyte
Museum of water and steam letter years 1 2 and 3 0.2Mbyte
Natural History Museum trip letter 0.3Mbyte
Natural History Museum Y3 trip letter 0.3Mbyte
Newsletter Autumn 2018 1.2Mbyte
Scarlet Fever – Letter to all parents 0.3Mbyte
Tate Britain May 15th Years 2 and 3 0.2Mbyte
2019-2020
Overview Year 1 2019-2020 0.5Mbyte
Overview Year 2 2019-2020 0.4Mbyte
Overview Year 3 2019-2020 0.1Mbyte
Overview Year 4 2019-2020 0.3Mbyte
Art Lessons Year 3 and Year 4 Autumn term 1 0.1Mbyte
IT Technokids Curriculum Summary 0.5Mbyte
AZBUKA School/Techno-Kids IT curriculum Autumn 2019-2020 0.2Mbyte
The Dance Programme 0.2Mbyte
Azbuka Circus Academy 0.3Mbyte
Fees 2019-2020 0.4Mbyte
2017-2018
Azbuka Ofsted Full Inspection Report November 2017 0.2Mbyte
AZBUKA Russian-English Nursery/School Agreement 0.3Mbyte
AZBUKA Term Dates 2017-2018 0.2Mbyte
Vauxhall City Farm letter 0.2Mbyte
Mall Gallery letter 2018 0.2Mbyte
AZBUKA term dates 2017-2018 0.2Mbyte
AZBUKA term dates 2018-2019 0.2Mbyte
AZBUKA newsletter Autumn 2017 1.2Mbyte
AZBUKA newsletter Spring 2018 0.5Mbyte
AZBUKA timetable 2017-2018 Y1 and Y2 Autumn2 0.2Mbyte
Curriculum year 1 overview 0.4Mbyte
Curriculum year 2 overview 0.3Mbyte
Art lesson plans Autumn term 1 0.1Mbyte
Art lesson plans Autumn term 2 0.1Mbyte
Fееs 2017-2018 0.4Mbyte
Fееs 2018-2019 0.4Mbyte
School-Parent Agreement 0.2Mbyte
Dance Programme 0.2Mbyte
Cooperation between school and parents 0.2Mbyte
Parents Forum at AZBUKA 0.1Mbyte
Ofsted Report 2017 0.2Mbyte
Art Lessons Y1 and Y2 (Spring term 1) 0.1Mbyte
Art Lessons Y1 and Y2 (Spring term 2) 0.1Mbyte
Art Lessons Y1 and Y2 (Summer 2018 term 2) 0.1Mbyte
Yoga Lesson plans Y1 and Y2 (Winter magical adventure) 0.1Mbyte
Yoga Lesson plans Y1 and Y2 (My feelings and emotions) 0.2Mbyte
Yoga Lesson plans Y1 and Y2 Summer 0.2Mbyte
AZBUKA Learning Educational and Cultural Resources SPRING 2018 0.5Mbyte
The school website is under development and updated regularly.
Curriculum Subjects and Areas of Learning
Two-way immersion bilingual curriculum. Our curriculum is a blend of the Russian and the English education systems.
Subjects are taught in both Russian and English. The curriculum complies with all English legislation relating to primary school education, enhanced with the best of Russia’s educational traditions in maths, science, music, art, language, literature and the humanities.
Language distribution in the curriculum
50%-50% in core subjects
Teachers
Native Russian and English teachers, qualified professionals, with teaching experience from the UK, Russia, the Baltic States, Europe and the rest of the world. Most teachers have many years’ experience of teaching their subjects to monolingual or bilingual speakers in English or Russian schools or schools with a bilingual educational curriculum from around the world. All are DBS-checked.
Class sizes
Small class sizes – between 5 and 12 children.
Assessments and progress
Ongoing teacher observations, formative and summative assessments, tests, preparation for exams.
School lunches and uniform
There is the option of either packed lunch or hot lunch (subject to availability).
We have compulsory uniform from Reception class.
Timetable
8.45am – 3.15pm
Monday – Friday.
3 terms a year. The academic year runs from the beginning of September to the end of June. The spring term starts after Russian Christmas (7th January).
Admission
Year 1 (5 years old) – admission by interview only. A good balance of Russian and English is required (Russian language competence being more important at this stage).
Year 3 (7 years old) – admission by interview and entry assessments/examinations in English, Russian and maths.
AZBUKA is a selective academic school. Please refer to School ADMISSION Policy.
Open days
Open Days for parents are run twice a year.
Key Facts
- UK’s leading Russian-English International School (including
Nursery) - Full member of the ISA (Independent Schools Association)
- The only school in the UK implementing a unique Russian-English
bilingual
curriculum - High ratings across all areas examined by Ofsted and ISI
(Independent School Inspectorate) - More than 15 languages spoken and cultures present
- We welcome applications from children – refugees from Ukraine
(Ukrainian or Russian speaking) and consider special bursaries for
these families. We support the Ukrainian language in the curriculum - Culture rich broad curriculum including extensive music, arts and
sciences - Holistic approach to education and learning
- Small classes (8-10 children)
- Successful transition to British independent, state and international
secondary schools - The AZBUKA Foundation has been pioneering Russian-English
bilingual education since its launch in 2000
For more information on Admission, Curriculum and AZBUKA Project please go to our website www.azbukafoundation.org
email: office@azbukafoundation.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azbukafoundation
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azbuka_foundation
Telegram: https://t.me/azbuka_school