On this page you will find Information about our School

Arrangements can be made to visit the school by appointment with the Headteacher who will be pleased to see parents, arrange for them to see the school and provide further information.

Parents of new entrants will be invited to bring their children to a meeting during the term prior to their admission to school.  This will provide an opportunity for parents and children to see the school, to meet the teacher whose class the child will be joining and to spend some time in the class.  New entrants will be invited to make some unaccompanied visits to us in the term prior to admission.

Parents of new entrants to the Reception class will have the opportunity to discuss the future needs of their child in an interview with the Reception class teacher.

There are three formal opportunities to meet with class teachers to discuss progress and future targets throughout the year. We encourage the children to attend the  Consultations to discuss progress and future targets. Throughout the year all staff are available to discuss concerns as they arise

If you are a new parent it’s never too late to :-

                     * make contact, have a chat and put your child’s name

                      down for entry to the school

                     * join us for some of our events, either organised through

                      the school or PTA

                      *visit the Nursery and introduce your child to future friends

Access to Documents and Information

The following information, as required by the Education Reform Act, is made available to parents:-

1  The LEA statement of Curriculum Policy

2  The Governors’ statement of Curriculum Aims

3  The National Curriculum documents

4  The School Curriculum Policy documents (synopsis)

5  The Governors’ statement on Sex Education

6  LEA complaints procedures

7  The LEA agreed syllabus for Religious Education

8  Recent inspection documentation

In addition the school keeps a file of any documents that the staff might use and other information for parents. A digest of our policies is available for parents, free of charge

Parents are also very welcome to view termly and weekly plans created by the staff. Our planning and assessment is completed through a computer program called “Curriculum Complete” and parents can have sections printed off for them, or, if preferred, can talk through the planning with the teacher. A lot of work goes into planning and the staff would be delighted by your interest. All staff will send home a rough digest of the work planned for the term.

Organisation

The school is divided into seven classes of which four are junior, two are infant, and one has Reception children at the Foundation stage. At present, Reception children start school full time in the term in which they are five, however, parents have the option to start their children part-time one term earlier.

All children spend four years in the junior department.  The junior classes are arranged as near as possible on age basis.  Actual groupings and ages are given on page 2 of this brochure.

In all seven classes children are mostly taught by their class teacher but there is some interchange of staff for such subjects as music, craft, RE, games/PE and science.  Within each class children may work in groups or individually, according to ability. We also actively encourage class pairing of older and younger age groups.

Special Needs

Children's progress will be monitored carefully.  In cases of special need this monitoring may be wider than that required by the National Curriculum. A member of staff is specially trained to diagnose individual needs and to suggest remedial help if necessary. The school has successfully integrated children with severe handicaps and the Governors will give sympathetic consideration to further requests subject to the resources available.

Summary of Aims

By the end of their time at this school we hope that our children will not only have made as much progress academically as possible, but will also have developed a responsible attitude to work and play as well as being aware of their social responsibility to each other.

The route to learning is :-

well planned             stimulating

balanced                   stretching

                  reviewed

The school is successfully incorporating the updated National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies into planning. Literacy  and Numeracy lessons form the largest proportion of planned teaching and learning time.

We believe it is important for your child to be stimulated, interested and enthusiastic about what is learnt and the way it is taught.

Experience has shown that a carefully planned series of topics or centres of interest is the most effective way to bring this about.

When we plan we take the following points into consideration :-

·       that many topics have a natural strength or bias towards one area or other of the curriculum and that we can recognise this and exploit it for our own use

·       that the cycle of topics chosen should cover all areas of the National Curriculum and that children should return to these areas at regular intervals

·       our topics centre chiefly around the sciences and humanities and there is a planned and balanced structure set out to provide  a progressive, non-repetitive sequence of interests

The Literacy and Numeracy Strategies concentrate on the basic skills :-

reading      writing      spelling      handwriting      computing

We are determined to ensure that every child acquires a real understanding and working knowledge of the basic skills necessary to read, write and compute. This work is covered on a regular basis enabling every child to achieve a level of understanding, confidence, and ability to manage all the challenges faced by children every day. There is an expectation on the part of the school that you will support your child in this experience and we ask that you will put time aside each evening for reading, writing, spelling, tables practise or other homework when these activities are set by the teacher. In key Stage 2 the children will have a homework diary that you should check and sign.

Pastoral Care

The school is a caring, Christian community in which behaviour is based on respect and consideration for others.  The class teacher, who knows each child well, is responsible for the care of the children in her class.  Particular problems are referred to the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, Head of Infant Department or Junior Co-ordinator.

Absences

·       Unavoidable Absence

Parents are asked to contact the office (by telephone, letter or visit) if their child is sick or has a dental or medical appointment.  Children who are clearly unwell must not be sent to school. Our office staff are instructed to telephone the child’s home on the first day of absence to confirm the authenticity of the absence if parents have not already contacted the school. A letter explaining the reason for the absence should be sent when the child returns to school. Although it may be more convenient to phone or pass on this information at the office window we do require a letter in every situation.

Where a child has to be taken out of school, for instance for the Doctor, Dentist or for education off-site, parents should sign the child out and later, back in again, at the school office.

·       Unauthorised Absence

In September 1999 the Governors voted unanimously to end the discretionary granting of authorised absence for holidays in term time except in exceptional circumstances. Therefore all holidays in term time will be recorded as unauthorised absences on the child’s report. This does not prevent parents from planning holidays in term time. Our Governors fully understand that in some circumstances work scheduling may create difficulties and where circumstances are exceptional a letter to the Governors should explain these circumstances.

Much of the Literacy and Numeracy work the children complete is undertaken in blocks of time and any unnecessary time away from school should be avoided. The Governors’ decision in 1999 reinforces this message.

In accordance with the Education (Pupils Attendance Records 1991) Regulations we publish the following data of authorised and unauthorised absences for the school year.

Our 2007/2008 Absence return (information up to May 2008) to the Department for Education and Employment is as follows :-

Number of pupils on roll attending at least one session....................191

(there are two sessions per day)

Total number of pupil sessions............................................................… 69144

Number of authorised absences.............................................................2903

Number of pupils with at least one authorised absence...................182

Number of unauthorised absences..........................................................779

Number of pupils with at least one..........................................................84

unauthorised absence.              

Medicines

We only administer medicines in special circumstances. Where medicine must be administered parents should ensure that medicines are safely delivered to the school office in clearly marked packaging with the dose clearly written down. A letter, giving the office or mid-day staff permission to administer the medicine should also be sent in to the school office.

Discipline

The values, standards and attitudes of the school community are made clear to the children by example and discussion. There are rules governing behaviour within the school, the playground and the games field.  In the very rare cases of serious and persistent indiscipline the County ruling for exclusion will be followed.

All parents are given a copy of the School’s Code of Behaviour. All schools have produced “Home - School Agreements” and ours forms part of a local Consortium initiative. A copy of our Agreement is given to each child on entry to the school. Parents should read this document carefully, talk to their child and sign to indicate their agreement.

Homework

All children, depending on age, will have either formal or informal Homework set by their teacher, The bulk of the work will be reading and keeping the reading log.

Our Homework Policy, a copy of which is available to all parents, has the following aims:-

·       to emphasise the parent’s role in the learning process

·       to encourage parents to spend time with their children

·       to reinforce the learning that has taken place in school

·       to encourage the children to study on their own

·       to encourage personal organisational skills

Members of staff run a “Support Club” each lunch time.

The club supports:-

·         Children who are required to attend to modify their behaviour.

·         Children required to catch-up on work where their work rate in class has been less than expected or where work standards are inadequate for the child’s ability.

·         Children who are unable to complete homework at home and prefer to work in school.

·         Children who wish to read to an adult.

·         Children who wish to follow up personal interests.

·         Children who wish to work quietly with friends.

·         Children who obtain an ICT pass to research homework or as part of the “Expert of the Week” assemblies.

Daily Act of Worship

All children in the school take part in an Assembly every day. As a Church of England school it is important for us to gather as a family, to worship and celebrate the life of the school and everybody in it. The Assembly includes an act of worship led by a member of staff or visiting speaker. All parents are invited by the whole school to share in the celebration of major festivals.

While we would emphasise the importance of all the children meeting together we are sensitive to the fact that some parents may not wish their child to take part in an act of worship. In these instances the parent is quite entitled to withdraw their child from Assembly. Any parents intending to withdraw their child should put their intentions in writing for the attention of the Headteacher and Governing Body.

School Uniform

We wish to encourage the wearing of the following school uniform:-

                 Girls                        (Mixed)                           Boys

White or grey shirt or blouse                                                 White or grey shirt

Blue jumper, cardigan  or school                                    Blue jumper or school sweatshirt

              sweatshirt      

Grey or black skirt or pinafore dress    

                                                Grey or black trousers

Grey or white socks                                                                        Grey or black socks

Grey, white or blue tights

                  Painting overall, apron or shirt (please cut those long sleeves off)

Swimming, Games and PE Clothing

                                                        Blue shorts

PE knickers                            

                                                       White T-shirt             

                                                        Plimsolls

                                               White or blue socks

                                         Track suit (blue if possible)

                               Football boots when needed (years 5 and 6 only)

All-in-one swimming costume (not 2 piece)                                               Trunks

                                 Swimming hats are worn without exception

All items of clothing should be clearly labelled. PE, Games and Swimming items should be stored in a bag and taken home for washing on a regular basis.

Parent/Teacher Association

All parents and teachers are automatically members of the school parent/teacher association.  There is no admission fee or membership charge.  The PTA holds social, educational and fund raising functions, and has provided much equipment for general school use.  It has been responsible for the building of the swimming pool and bears much of the financial burden of running it.

It is hoped that all parents will give the PTA active support and will take their turn in holding posts of office.

Meetings are chaired by Mrs Goodchild, Treasurer is Mrs Lee and the Secretary for 2008/2009 is Mrs. Partridge. She will be pleased to give further details of PTA activities on request. Please contact her through the school office.   

Extra Curricular Activities

Our wide range of activities take place during the lunch hour and after school.  The activities vary from time to time.  During 2008/2009 children may elect (subject to availability of places and age restrictions) to receive extra tuition and support  in:-

Crafts, country dancing, athletics, cross country, netball, football, recorders, rounders, table tennis, art, chess, board games, physical games/keep fit, origami, cross country running, , badminton, science, “swap clubs” and choir.

All of the above clubs are free of monetary contribution and are run voluntarily by the school staff and children

Additionally, children may apply for a fee paying place for music tuition. Places are available for woodwind, keyboard, piano, guitar, violin, percussion or brass. Pupils are taught by a member of the County music staff and lessons, subsidised by the school,  are arranged through the Education Authority’s Music Services.