FULBRIDGE SCHOOL
We believe that if we give them the roots children will grow wings and fly
School Book
PE1 3JQ
Telephone: 01733 566990 & 01733 343989
Fax: 01733 319403
E-Mail: office@fulbridgeschool.co.uk
Web Site: www.fulbridgeschool.com
Head of School: MR I M ERSKINE
Deputy Heads: Mrs C Krzanicki & Mrs C Dingle
GOVERNING BODY
Chairs of Governors: MRS H BATH
Vice Chair of Governors: MRS J BARNES
The Local Authority, teachers, parents and community are represented on the governing body.
The Chair of Governors and Clerk to the Governors can be contacted through the School Office.
Governors serve on the following committees for the school
Premises/Health & Safety, Curriculum, Personnel, Finance, Admission -which meet at least once per term. Full governors’ meetings are held at least twice a term.
The Governors are a voluntary body and no payments were made to any governor during the last school year.
ADMINISTRATION
The Local Education Office is situated in:
Telephone 01733 563141
Dear Parents/Carers
This book has been compiled to tell you something about our school, the routines, the curriculum and our expectations. I hope the information is helpful if and when any queries occur, please let me know if there is any additional information that you would like to see. Our School Aims, “Unlocking Potential”, describe our vision for the school and its community (see page 3). I am Head of the School and the Governing Body and I work very closely together and meet together on a regular basis.
We offer a warm welcome to all our families and the local community at
Yours sincerely
IAIN ERSKINE
HEAD OF SCHOOL
THE SCHOOL AIMS
“Unlocking Potential: We believe that if we give children the roots…that they will grow wings and fly.”
At Fulbridge we are preparing our pupils for the opportunity, experience and responsibility of adult life in a multi-cultural, multi-faith and multi-lingual society. We also recognise the importance of lifelong learning and the benefits of information technology capability.
Our aim is that they will be able to give of their best. To help them achieve this we will:
· Provide a broad, balanced and well resourced curriculum that allows all children to achieve their fullest potential.
· Ensure a learning environment that is safe, caring and looked after.
· Be understanding of each child’s emotional, social, intellectual, physical and spiritual needs.
· Be just and consistent in matters of discipline and conduct.
· Encourage honesty, self discipline and open-ness.
· Ensure respect and tolerance for the legitimate needs and beliefs of others and develop a true sense of community.
· Encourage creativity, innovation, enterprise, self-reliance and physical fitness.
· Monitor each child’s progress and development.
· Communicate and develop good relations with the wider community.
Admission policy to Reception Classes
We admit 90 pupils into 3 reception classes each year.
Applications for a Reception place must be made by December 14th – the year before the child is due to start in the following September. Applications can be made on line.
You will be notified of whether you have successfully gained a place in the school early in May.
We have an evening meeting for parents in the June or July before
your child is due to start in the Autumn term when you
will learn who your child’s class teacher will be. Your child will also have the opportunity to visit the school and their classroom during the school day and meet their classteacher and the other pupils in their class.
An individual appointment will be arranged at the beginning of the
Autumn term for you and your child to meet your child’s
class teacher in the classroom.
Please bring your child’s birth certificate with you before they start our school.
Part-time School First
Entry to school will be on a part-time basis at the start of Reception.
The children of any given class will be divided into two groups. One group will attend morning sessions and the other afternoon sessions. This arrangement normally lasts for the first two weeks of term.
School Lunch
Your child will be able to stay to lunch once they begin full-time school. Please advise us if you may be eligible for free school meals
or if you have any special dietary requirements. The school understands the problem posed by allergies and has led the way in providing for this.
(eg: we are a nut-free zone)
Early Assessment
The school will agree with you on a start date for full-time school. This may be discussed between the Parents and the Class Teacher if it is felt necessary to do so.
We are happy to speak to your representative eg Bi-lingual Assistant, Childminder, Grandparents etc, if this is more appropriate for you.
We are able to admit 90 pupils into 3 Reception classes each year under the following criteria:
1. LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
2. VERIFIED MEDICAL NEED RELATING TO THE PUPIL (please note that the requirements are strict). The application should be supported by a report from a doctor or a psychologist, obtained by parents, which sets out essential medical reasons why a child should attend the preferred school rather than an alternative local school.
3. CHILDREN LIVING IN THE SCHOOL’S CATCHMENT AREA - most schools are able to take all the children living in their catchment area. However, if there are more applications than places available, the allocation will be made in the following order:
i) Children with a brother or sister in attendance at the school, at the time of admission. In cases of equal merit, priority will be given to those living nearest to the school by the shortest available safe walking route, from the home address to the schools nearest official point of entry.
ii) Children who would have furthest to walk by the shortest available safe walking route to the nearest alternative primary school with spare places, from the home address to that school’s nearest official point of entry.
4. CHILDREN LIVING OUTSIDE THE CATCHMENT AREA
Priority will be given in the following order;
a) children with a brother or sister in attendance at the school.
b) to those children living closest to the school by the shortest available safe walking route from the home address to the school’s nearest official point of entry. Within this category, consideration would be given to any children unable to gain access to their local designated school because of over subscription.
The admission criteria for Nursery in priority order are:
1 Looked after Children
2 VERIFIED MEDICAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEED
(see Special Education Needs paragraph below).
3 Children who have attended Little Gems Nursery in
2 APPLICATIONS FROM PUPILS RESIDENT IN THE CATCHMENT
AREA -
If there are more applications than places available the places will be determined as follows:-
a) priority to be given to a child who already has a brother or sister in the mainstream school.
b) children living nearest the school from the home address to that school’s nearest official point of entry.
3 APPLICATIONS FROM PUPILS RESIDENT OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL’SCATCHMENT AREA - If there are more applications than places available then places will be determined as follows:-
a) priority to be given to a child who already has a brother or sister in the mainstream school.
b) children living nearest the school from the home address to that school’s nearest official point of entry.
Special Educational Needs in the Nursery Class:
In relation to special educational needs, DFE circular 1/80 “hopes that local authorities will give priority in admissions to nursery schools and classes to handicapped children and to children from socially and economically deprived families.” It should also be noted that the Children’s Act also makes it a duty for the Local Authority to provide for children in need.
In considering allocation of places the Head and Governors will have to take account of the admissions criteria above. Up to 5 full-time equivalent places out of 26 in a nursery class may be reserved for those children whose special educational needs have been registered with the LEA through the pre-school support service.
A further 2 full-time equivalent places may be reserved for identified local social need to be allocated at the discretion of the Head and/or Chair of Governors.
General Information
.About our School
Nursery Provision:
Little Gems 0-2 years and 2- 4 years (private - paying) Fulbridge Gems: 3-4 years (state funded)
There are 21 classes, not including our Nursery:
Reception 4-5 year olds (approximately 90 children) – 3 classes
Year 1 5-6 year olds (approximately 90 children) – 3 classes
Year 2 6-7 year olds (approximately 90 children) – 3 classes.
Year 3 7-8 year olds (approximately 90 children) – 3 classes.
Year 4 8-9 year olds (approximately 90 children) – 3 classes.
Year 5 9-10 year olds (approximately 90 children) – 3 classes.
Year 6 10-11 year olds (approximately 90 children) – 3 classes.
Each class is named after a well known poet as many of the roads around our school are named after poets:
NURSERY RECEPTION YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3
Little Gems Dahl Ahlberg Tolkien Clare
Fulbridge Gems Rosen Hughes Bronte Coleridge
Milne Carroll Blake Tennyson
YEAR 4 YEAR 5 YEAR 6
Browning Wordsworth
Keats Burns Shakespeare
Shelley Dryden Chaucer
SCHOOL ORGANISATION.
The children are organised into mixed ability groups according to age. The school is organised in three units by year groups:
Middle School: Year 3 and Year 4
Children in Nursery and Reception follow the Foundation Stage Curriculum, Year 1 and Year 2 follow Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum and Years 3 to 6, are working within Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum.
SECONDARY EDUCATION
During your child’s final year at Fulbridge parents will receive a booklet entitled “Secondary Education in the Peterborough Area.” This will list the schools to which your child may transfer to at the age of 11. The majority of the children will currently go on to the
DATA COLLECTION AND PROTECTION
Basic information about pupils is held on computer to assist with the efficient organisation of the school and the individual’s educational needs. Security measures are taken to ensure that the information is kept confidential and only available to authorised staff.
The school has however registered under the Data Protection Act a number of organisations to whom it may need to disclose information. Even where such a disclosure has been registered it is only done so in appropriate circumstances and is kept to the minimum necessary.
Pupils may use computers in the course of their studies. They do not have access to records of other pupils. If you are concerned about any aspect of personal information held on computer please contact the School Office or Head of School in the first instance.
Information Technology:
All children have access to computers to support their work and they have broadband internet access. The whole system is on a Learning Platform that allows access to all from home. In addition to this there are banks of computers in our corridors and an ICT suite. These computers are also connected to the World Wide Web. Children have access to this and there are very strict guidelines in place for both staff and pupil use that are strictly adhered to and a ‘firewall’ that stops access to inappropriate sites. All children have their own personal password. The computers are only used for educational purposes. There is a school website at: www.fulbridgeschool.com and a Learning Platform (virtual Learning Environment) that is available to the whole school community.
Computers are now an integral part of our everyday lives and the use of them is an essential skill for the children to learn. It is therefore a very important subject and we regard it as such.
When using the World Wide Web the site is set up for the children they do not have the opportunity to enter non-educational sites. The use of E-Mail is also restricted to curriculum use. There is not the opportunity to enter chat rooms or use inappropriate sites.
CLOTHING
School colour is light blue and maroon. All clothes, including hats, gloves, PE kit should be clearly marked with your child’s name.
SCHOOL UNIFORM
BOYS
Winter - Any shade of grey/black trousers and a pale blue polo shirt with a maroon jumper, slipover or sweatshirt.
Summer - Trousers as for winter or shorts in grey/black and a light blue polo shirt.
GIRLS
Winter - Any shade of grey skirt or pinafore dress or any shade of grey trousers, light blue polo shirt, maroon jumper, cardigan or sweatshirt.
Summer - Dress (any style) in blue gingham or stripe or skirt in blue gingham, blue polo shirt and maroon cardigan.
All the above items are available from local suppliers.
Sweatshirts and blue polo shirts with the school name embroidered at the front can be ordered from school. There is a range of other school dress, book/PE bags available as well.
FOOTWEAR
Suitable indoor shoes must be provided, not trainers. Please ensure that footwear is clean when you enter the school premises. Children should wear shoes and not trainers around school.
SNOWFALL: If there is snow on the ground we only allow the children out to play if they have brought suitable footwear and clothing into school with them or a change of both footwear and socks.
TRAINERS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN SCHOOL (other than for PE) – SCHOOL SHOES PLEASE.
PE kit should be kept in a named bag on the child’s peg. Please keep it in school from Monday to Friday. It can be taken home for washing at the weekend.
PE (including swimming) is a compulsory subject. Exemption is only possible for verified medical need or injury.
Boys - black shorts, white T-shirt, trainers.
Girls - black leotard or black shorts and white T-shirt, trainers
(The children can wear plimsolls but they are not good for children’s feet and I recommend against them).
The children work in bare feet when using the Hall.
Tracksuits may be worn for outdoor PE. Please ask the class teacher if you have any concerns about appropriate or suitable PE clothing for your child if there are medical or religious circumstances we need to be aware of.
JEWELLERY:
It is unreasonable to expect children to take care of jewellery. Please do not allow your children to wear any jewellery other than items essential to your culture. If you do want them to wear earrings, only studs or sleepers may be worn. Ears only please. The school cannot be responsible for damage caused to ears through the wearing of earrings. For safety the Local Education Authority recommends that no jewellery at all should be worn - I agree with this recommendation.
CLOTHING:
School is a work environment and not a fashion show! Please ensure that the school uniform that your child wears is practical, they may get paint on it. Shoes should also be practical, not high platforms or heels, children do like to play!
HAIR: Hair should be natural colours and not cut shorter than a number 2, with no ‘designs’ please.
SCHOOL MEALS:
At lunchtime midday supervisors under my overall supervision supervise the children. These supervisors, due to their role, are very important members of staff. School meals are cooked on the premises and are provided for all children whose parents prefer this. Some parents may be entitled to Free School Meals for their children. Application forms are available from the school office, which when completed should be returned to the office and we will send them off for verification. It is important to apply for these if you are eligible as not only will you benefit but the school will benefit financially as well.
All dinner money should be sent to school on a Monday morning in a named purse or envelope. Dinner money will then be collected from the classroom - if your child is absent that day, please deliver money to the school office as soon as your child returns to school.
If your child is going to be late for school due to a medical or dental appointment but will still require a school lunch - please telephone the school or send a letter so that the dinner can be booked with the caterer.
PACKED LUNCHES
A packed lunch may be brought to school, if you do not wish to purchase a hot meal for your child. This is eaten in the class room.
Water is provided at lunch time to accompany the children’s packed lunch. Alternatively, you may send your child with a drink in a sealed carton or a flask. We regret that flasks which need a cup, cans, bottles and fizzy drinks etc are not allowed. Children may bring a sports drinks bottle to school with water in it to drink during the day. This is stored in the classroom and must be named.
If your child has a yoghurt with their packed lunch please remember to provide a spoon.
We regret that once your child has made a choice of meal, i.e. hot lunch or packed lunch then they must take that particular meal for the complete half-term. This is helpful, not only from an administrative point of view, but also for the caterer when she orders the food for hot lunches. Thank you for your co-operation.
Please call at the school office if you wish to make any alterations to your child’s dinner arrangements.
TOILET FACILITIES
Reception classes have their own toilet blocks near to the classrooms, as does the Nursery Class. In the main school there are toilet blocks for each year group. The toilets are equipped with urinals, water fountains and hand driers. Please teach your children to use the facilities correctly. Also please show your child how to wash his/her hands and flush chains. There is a disabled toilet and a toilet for visitors e.g. helping parents.
HYGIENE
Please provide tissues for your child when necessary and teach him/her how to clean his/her nose. Please teach your child how to use the toilet hygienically.
OUTSIDE FACILITIES
Our playgrounds are used by all the children in our school. There are also two small playgrounds, which are only used by Reception and Nursery. All children play on the field when the conditions permit. There is a seated area near the school field that all children use, known as our sensory garden. Next to this area is an adventure play area. In the large playground there is a low level climbing (traversing) wall and on the field an adventure climbing area called Excalibur.
Prams and pushchairs must be left at the entrances. We regret that we cannot accommodate prams and pushchairs in the school building.
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THE SCHOOL DAY 8.40: Doors Open |
This is Open House Time when parents can share in the first activity of the day. At 8.40 am the doors open. | |
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8.45 am |
School Begins Teachers are on duty in their classrooms and registers are marked Do not arrive on the school site before 8.40am. | |
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8.50 am |
Registers are closed | |
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Between 10.15 and 11.15 am there are three separate 15 minute playtimes. |
For safety reasons we stagger playtimes to avoid over crowded playgrounds. | |
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12.00 – 1.00pm 12.15 – 1.00pm 12.45 - 1.30 1.00 – 1.45pm |
Lunchtime – Reception Lunchtime - Years 1 - 2 Lunchtime - Years 3 - 4 Lunchtime – Years 5 - 6 | |
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As above |
Afternoon school starts | |
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3.00 pm 3.05 pm 1.45pm (Fridays) |
School Day ends for Reception and Years 1 & 2. School Day ends for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. On Friday the school day finishes at 1.45pm. | |
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Fulbridge Gems Nursery (3-4 yrs) 8.40 to 11.40 am 12.05 to 3.05 pm |
Little Gems Nursery (0-2 years and 2-3yrs) 8.00am to 6.00pm |
START OF THE DAY
We do not have a playtime before school; no child should arrive on the school premises before 8.40am. Children in Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 make their own way into school via the large playground. You may help your child into the cloakroom and are invited to change their reading book with them if you wish. Lessons start at 8.45 am. Please leave the school by 8.55 am at the latest as teachers will have started the first activity of the day by then. If a child arrives after 8.50 am they should be taken to the school office and not the classroom. We will then deliver them to the classroom for you so that minimal disruption is caused during lesson time. Due to the time pressures of the Key Stage 2 curriculum the children make their own way into class each morning so that lessons can begin promptly. Children can benefit a great deal from seeing that their parents and teachers have a mutual respect for each other so please feel free to contact us at the school office and make an appointment to see the class teacher. We believe that the more opportunities teachers and parents have of getting to know each other, the better.
It is very important that parents and carers do not interrupt lessons once they have begun.
If children are late they lose part or all of their playtime to make up for the time they missed at the start of the day.
Obviously as parents you know your children so much better than we can hope to and we as teachers rely on you to help us to encourage your child to adjust to the routine and discipline of school. If a child is upset at the beginning of the day, they are often trying to make you feel guilty! As soon as you go, the tears are often switched off! It may be in the interests of your child to leave quickly. Once they are settled and the habit is broken you can successfully return to spending a longer time in the classroom.
Our main entrance on Keeton Road is not used as an entrance or exit at the beginning or end of the day, only during school hours when, for security, this must be the only entrance to school you use.
Reception, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 enter at the rear of school either via
SCHOOL TRIPS
The children will go on at least one out of school outing each term. There may also be further local visits. All of these trips are linked to the topic work and are an important part of the term’s work, and one which the children thoroughly enjoy. We ask for a payment towards these visits. We also ask the parents to sign a permission form to allow us to take the children on short walks within the local environment whenever it is necessary to do so in line with the work they are doing in class.
If we do not receive a contribution for school visits then these visits may not be able to go ahead as the school would not be able to fund them by itself.
It is important to return reply slips for these visits promptly.
In year 2 the children have the opportunity to go on a one night residential visit to Stibbington Field Studies Centre. As this is an overnight stay the cost of the visit must be met by the parents/carers. Year 4 stay two nights camping in Derbyshire as their residential trip and year 6 children also go on a two night residential trip to Norfolk for an ‘adventurous’ activities weekend. The school has a policy with guidelines about all school trips based on Local Authority guidelines. We adhere strictly to these guidelines.
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
Due to the age of the children combined with the length of the school day After School Clubs are more appropriate to the older children. We have to charge for some of the clubs.
We are very fortunate in having a talented and dedicated staff who give freely of their own time to run a wide variety of extra curricular activities. These are run before school, during the lunch break or after school. The clubs presently offered include:
Football Country Dancing Netball Singing Recorders Choir Drama
Athletics Cricket Guitars Keyboards Cross Country Computer Line Dancing
Gymnastics Dance Violin
We are also fortunate to be able to offer a number of other musical activities.
We also run a breakfast club in the mornings for identified children. This is sponsored by the Bakens Oven.
TELEVISION
On the rare occasion when the children watch TV in school they watch educational programmes especially devised for children by educationalists to assist in the development of literacy, numeracy and scientific skills or to provide general knowledge at an appropriate level for young children.
Occasionally, these programmes are recorded, or professionally produced DVD’s are shown to the children, linked to the Topic work or literature that is being studied at time. However, research shows that many children spend 5 hours or more a day in front of a screen so we try to keep this to a minimum. At the end of term the children may watch a film as a treat.
PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
All children under the age of 7 years need adult supervision when coming to school. DO NOT send them on their own. Children are deemed to be late if they arrive after 8.50 am. The school doors open from 8.40 am onwards and registers are called by 8.50 am approximately. This gives an informal start to our day, when you, as parents, can come into the school and personally hand over your child to his/her teacher. Indeed, it is your parental responsibility to do this. If you are both working parents, then perhaps a neighbour or registered childminder will take on this responsibility for you. Many groups of parents share this job. Whatever your arrangements children must be supervised by an adult on their journey to and from school. Teachers are not officially on duty before 8.40 am.
ENTRY FROM
Oil tankers, lorries, delivery vans and staff cars use the drive at the rear of the school. For reasons of safety, children and parents are not allowed to use the driveway entrance. Two footpaths have been provided for your use at the rear of school. The path for pedestrians and cycles leads past the Conservation Area to the bike racks near the outdoor PE store.
Parents are not allowed to bring their cars into the drive and car parking area.
PARENTAL BEHAVIOUR ON SITE
Thankfully we have had very few incidents of inappropriate behaviour, by parents, on the school site. Our aim is to provide the children with good examples of appropriate behaviour. We do not expect to hear any foul language on our school site in any context or observe any violent/aggressive behaviour. If a parent/carer behaves in an aggressive manner, verbally or physically, then they will be asked to leave the site. Such behaviour may result in the offender being banned from the school site and/or the police being called. Local Authority and police advice is that we should phone’999’ if there is any such unacceptable behaviour by adults on the school site.
SCHOOL RESPONSIBILTY
The staff in Years 1,2 and Reception are instructed to hand your child over to you personally at the end of each day at 3.00 pm. The staff will not release children to anyone other than parents unless previous arrangements have been made with the classteacher. It is very important that you (or your representative) are not late. We keep a daily record of children who are not picked up on time and will write to you if we are concerned about the children being regularly picked up late. The whole site is a no smoking area and no dogs are allowed either.
PASTORAL CARE
The class teacher observes your child on a day to day basis and will point out any worries he/she may have about progress or development. As the Headteacher I also accept overall responsibility for all children and I am vigilant in ensuring their safety and well being. We have an accident book in which we write all reported incidents of illness or injury. It is important that if your child hurts him or herself or is hurt by someone else that they report it immediately after the incident occurs. Only then can we act. If an accident has occurred that concerns you please see the class teacher as there are often many opinions about what has happened!
CHILDREN/ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
The school is equipped with ramps and a disabled toilet. The buildings are all on one level, and corridors are wide. We have a disabled access policy and any disabled visitors should try and contact the school in advance so that we can arrange easy access for you. All children regardless of their disability have access to the same curriculum or if necessary it is modified. With the new Children’s Centre we have modified some doorways and access points to make it more accessible to disabled people and provided disabled parking at the front of school.
SCHOOL SECURITY
Our school security has improved significantly over the past few years. The grounds are walled in and within that there are green security fences. There are security locks on many doors and security cameras are in constant operation at both the front and rear of school. The school itself has an alarm system throughout in case of break-ins. During school hours all visitors are asked to enter via the main entrance on
LOST PROPERTY
If the children lose any items of clothing etc in school, please come in to help check the cloakroom or lost property box, which is kept near the Year 5 exit/art room. Lost property is always easier to identify if is clearly named. Children are responsible for their own belongings in school. The school cannot accept responsibility for the loss of jewellery, toys, sweets, money, pens and pencils etc which should not be brought into school. We do not allow pencil cases in school.
ABSENCE
If your child is absent you should telephone the school or e mail, especially if the child has a communicable disease e.g. German Measles, but please send a note explaining the absence when your child returns to school.
Please remember that children often need a day to recover once the worst of the illness is over. Please do not rush them back into school. However, there is no doubt that a low level of attendance seriously affects a child’s progress in school.
Medicines
No medicines can be stored at school. Only in very exceptional cases will medicines be administered to children in school. Generally speaking however, if your child is able to return to school before the completion of a course of treatment, please make arrangements to come to school in order to give your child his/her medication yourself, or arrange for the dosage to be given at home.
We do keep a register of all children who have a medical or physical disability – please inform us if your child has any such condition from asthma/ear or eye impairment to a fatal allergy.
Asthma - if your child suffers from an ongoing complaint eg Asthma, we will allow treatment to be kept in school and administered by staff, when necessary on completion of a permission slip. Please call at the school office to discuss details and make arrangements.
PROVISION OF MILK/FRUIT - Milk is provided free of charge for all children in our Nursery or if recommended by a hospital consultant on medical grounds. The government also provides funding to give all KS1 pupils a piece of fruit/vegetable on a daily basis. Children may still bring their own healthy snack.
SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE
Every child has a vision and hearing test in their first year. The school nurse also visits school regularly and is available if you have any queries - please ask at the school office if you need to contact her.
HEAD LICE: “A COMMUNITY – NOT A SCHOOL PROBLEM.”
Please note that there are no checks of children’s hair by the school health service.
It is advisable to check and comb your child’s hair each night. You can buy a special comb from the chemist. It is not uncommon for head lice to appear from time to time. There is nothing to worry about. Contrary to popular belief head lice prefer clean, shiny hair, so do not be embarrassed! A special lotion can be purchased from the chemist or obtained from your clinic to treat them. If in doubt consult your health visitor.
Head lice usually begin in the community outside school. Children may bring a comb to school (this must have their name on it) to use at break time. Regular combing helps to prevent the spread of head lice. “If you break their legs, they can’t lay eggs”.
We will telephone and advise you if we see head lice and will send a letter home with each child in the class informing parents that there has been a case of head lice in the class. If your child has head lice the whole family will need treating. We ask you to take an infected child home for treatment to avoid further transfer of the complaint.
ILLNESS: PUPILS TAKEN ILL AT SCHOOL
We do have a medical room with a bed for a child to rest but please check that your child is well enough to be sent to school in the first place. If your child is taken ill or there is an accident of some kind, staff will decide on the course of action. Usually, the parent or person nominated by the parent will be contacted and requested to collect the child. In an emergency we would take or accompany the child to the hospital and request that the parent meets the child there. We may telephone you to inform you of a minor injury if we feel you need to know or wish you to come into school to look at the injury.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
If we are in doubt about a child’s condition, we will err on the side of caution and request that the child is excluded for a few days.
FIRST AID
All class teachers have a first aid kit in their classroom in case of mishaps there. Some teachers have qualified in basic first aid. There are members of staff trained in first aid available at break and lunch times to advise and support with first aid should the person on first aid duty need extra help. As required by law some members of staff are the designated First Aiders and have completed extended First Aid training.
FIRST AID IN THE PLAYGROUND
There is a member of staff on duty every day to give first aid for accidents that happen in the playground during playtime. Except for minor scratches, parents are always informed of bumps to the head or injuries incurred in case they need further attention. Please stress how important it is for your child to tell the teacher on duty if he/she is injured in any way, however slight.
CHILD ABUSE
It may be helpful for parents to know that the Authority requires Heads to report any obvious or suspected case of child abuse - which includes non-accidental injury, severe physical neglect, emotional abuse and/or sexual abuse. This procedure is intended to protect the children at risk and schools are encouraged to take the attitude that where there are grounds for suspicion it is better to be safe than sorry. This does mean that Heads risk upsetting some parents by reporting a case, which on investigation proves unfounded. In such circumstances, it is hoped that parents, appreciating how difficult it is for the Head to carry out this delicate responsibility, would accept that the Head was acting in what were believed to be the child’s best interests.
BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT
The children are expected to behave in a sensible and responsible way. They are trusted to move around school and to organise themselves in a variety of situations appropriate to their age, in a manner which shows respect and a sensitive attitude to other people’s rights and feelings. (For further details please read the School Policy for Behaviour, available on the school website)
If the behaviour of any pupil continues to be of concern to us after reasonable requests for improvement, a short letter will be sent to parents. This will request their co-operation in dealing further with the problems and ask them to make an appointment to visit school to discuss the problems with the Headteacher and class teacher. If we all work together in this situation this approach will be in the best interests of the child.
LEARNING MENTORS:
Some children who have emotional and/or behavioural challenges will work regularly with our Learning Mentors who will give them support in these areas. They work under the direction of the schools Lead Behaviour Professional.
SECLUSION CENTRES:
In some cases children, whose behaviour is very poor, will be sent to the Seclusion Unit at
BULLYING
We have a detailed bullying policy and treat any incidents of bullying very seriously. It is a very complex subject but there are two main priorities:
i) the child must tell someone as soon as incidents occur
ii) everyone involved, children and adults should remain calm.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
The LEA has adopted the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on this issue that no corporal punishment of any kind should be administered to a child.
ASSESSMENT AND TESTING/REPORTING TO PARENTS
The children’s progress is continually assessed, recorded and monitored by class teachers using National Curriculum guidelines. Parents are invited to a consultation evening each term to discuss their child’s progress with the child’s class teacher and other specialists involved in their child’s education.
If a parent has worries about a child’s social or academic progress in between these consultation evenings they are encouraged to make an appointment to speak to the class teacher at a mutually convenient time. Parents will receive a written report detailing their child’s progress in all areas of the curriculum, behaviour and social progress at the end of each academic year.
All children will be assessed using national tasks and tests in Year 2 when they are aged 6/7 and again in Year 6 when they are 10/11 years old. The results of these assessments will be reported to parents, the DFES and passed on to their Secondary school. Parents will receive statistics that will enable them to compare their child’s achievements with both their year group and nationally.
PARENTS IN PARTNERSHIP
In the Reception Classes at an appropriate point during the first term the children are encouraged to bring their reading books home. There are guidelines inside the Reading Record Book to help you to help your child with reading at home.
The reading books are kept in classrooms. The children choose their own books, there is a guide for them to follow.
We have a lovely selection of books for the children, many of them have been donated by the parents. Do come in and help your child to choose sometimes too. We have a parent/teacher reading record notebook for you to write in when you have heard your child read. Please do not lose it! Books must be placed in a polythene bag for transport to and from school, this helps preserve them for future Fulbridge children! There are reading bags available for purchase from the school office.
HOMEWORK
In Reception, Year 1&2 homework concentrates predominantly on reading. In Year 1 and Year 2 the children may bring books to read or multiplication tables home to learn if and when it is appropriate for their ability and stage of development. Sometimes the children will be asked to find out about something to do with their topic or gather relevant information for research. I hope you will support your children when they are asked to do such tasks. It is advisable to hear your child read every day if they are to make progress in this most important area of their learning.
HOMEWORK IN YEARS 3, 4, 5 AND 6.
Homework is regularly set for the younger children. A comprehensive range of reading books exist for children of all ages.
This includes an expectation that a certain amount of reading will be carried out at home. We regard reading as a basic and invaluable skill and seek the co-operation of parents in sharing the responsibility for developing skills and fostering an enjoyment of books. As your child progresses through the school there will be activities that can usefully be completed at home. This has a number of benefits.
1. Parental involvement with the child's learning.
2. Development of independent learning skills.
3. Reinforcement and practice of new skills.
4. Development of good homework habits in preparation for Secondary Education.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
At Fulbridge we follow the Cambridgeshire syllabus for Religious Education. It is now a requirement that RE is taught each week and this takes the form of both religious and moral education. The syllabus specifies that if pupils were to understand the nature of religion they would need:
· A knowledge of religion (recognising that a greater amount of time would be spent on Christianity because of its relationship to the culture of this country).
· An exploration of those aspects of human experience which raise questions about the meaning of life.
· Skills of interpretation to help them understand the significance of religious beliefs and practices.
A sensitive attitude towards other people’s deep convictions and towards their own maturing ability to think about questions of belief and value.
The objectives in the syllabus are therefore set out in four sections which relate to knowledge, experience, skills and attitudes.
The daily act of worship is seen as a time for the children and adults to come together, an integration of staff, pupils and on occasion’s parents and friends. This takes the form of either assemblies or a Pause 4 Thought reflective session at the end of the school day.
We recognise the local requirement that parents can withdraw their children and teachers can withdraw from collective worship and that no reason need be given.
SEX EDUCATION
In accordance with the 1986 Education Act the school governors have a policy on Health and Sex Education. This states that towards the end of Year 5 the school nurse will give talks separately to the boys and girls on the problems of growing up. Our experience has been that this system works in a natural, sensible way. Many parents have expressed their appreciation of the efforts we have made in this area. We fully appreciate that parents may wish to retain full responsibility for this area of their child's education and we are usually quite happy for this to happen.
ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
The school employs a number of staff to support children with EAL. This allows us to provide for the developmental needs of non-English speaking, bi-lingual and traveller children. The school receives an allocation of financial support from the LEA and the Government according to the number and the language development needs of these children.
Our school has a part-time teacher. We also have a bi-lingual nursery nurse and four bi-lingual assistants. These members of staff work with mainstream staff within the classroom. Planning, preparation, teaching and assessment are all done in partnership with mainstream colleagues.
LEARNING SUPPORT for:
Pupils with Special Educational Needs
Bilingual Support
Statemented pupils
Gifted pupils
At Fulbridge our lessons are carefully planned to ensure that pupils are given work which matches their current ability and yet offers them challenge, or the opportunity to develop even greater skills, knowledge and understanding in all subjects.
Exceptionally able pupils are quickly identified, as are pupils who may be experiencing some difficulty with learning.
Some pupils come from homes where English is not the first language.
A few pupils will have already had their needs identified and a formal statement of special educational need will have been made on their behalf by the Under Fives Advisory Support Team.
The school has its own highly developed system of identification and assessment of needs. Head of School, Deputy or Assistant Heads, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, Class Teachers, Learning Support Teachers and Assistants, Ethnic Minority support staff and Bi-lingual Assistants, Educational Psychologists, Social Services, School Doctor and Nurse combine and liaise to ensure that pupils needs are effectively met.
Systems and progress are monitored and reviewed. Parents are involved at every stage and are kept informed of their child’s progress as well as being involved in target setting and planning.
There are three stages of need for children who are experiencing difficulties in learning.
1. School Action: The Special Needs Co-ordinator, in liaison with the classteacher is involved in devising appropriate work for the pupil.
2. School Action Plus: An agency from outside the school is involved in monitoring the pupil’s progress and creating an educational programme appropriate to that pupil.
3. The Educational Psychologist is then involved in assessing the pupil.
The pupil may then be statemented and is entitled to an appropriate number of hours of individual or small group support with a Learning Support Assistant. This final part of the process is applicable to children with a very high level of need. For example Autism or Downs Syndrome and accounts for only 3-4% of children nationally. The decision to allocate these hours lies with the Local Education Authority, not the school.
Parents are kept informed and consulted at each stage of the process. We have had considerable success in recent years at identifying children with SEN. Assessments are more thorough and support for these children more rigorous. Numbers on our SEN register tend to remain at a similar level as we remove some children due to the improvements they make with additional support and identify others who have speech emotional, behavioural or learning difficulties. We
Use a variety of strategies to support these children including Sensory Integration Activities and Specific Learning Programmes.
The children attend school for 190 days in total per academic year. In addition to the 190 days, staff must attend for another 5 days as part of their professional development (teachers’ training days) - you will be notified of these days in advance.
As a school we are very aware of the different cultures and religions that exist within our school community. Consequently if we are informed in writing we are happy to allow children to celebrate the main festivals at home, to a maximum of 2 days per year.
EXTENDED LEAVE
If children are away from school for longer than 10 days on a holiday, then they risk having their name removed from the school register and have to re-apply for their place on return – if the place is still available.
Family holidays during term time will not be authorised and if the child’s attendance is below 95% then in line with government regulations a £50 fixed penalty fine will be imposed for taking such a holiday.
FUND RAISING
If you wish to take an active part in raising money for the school we organise events such as disco’s and fetes and welcome parent support.
We are always looking for extra volunteers to help. Please ask at the school office for further information. It is an ideal chance to get more involved in the life of the school.
We usually have an annual sponsored event for school and support national charities including Children in Need Day, Sport Relief and Comic Relief.
Each year staff take part in a continuous professional development programme to improve their knowledge of National Curriculum subject areas and related topics. Staff attend a weekly staff meeting and also courses that take place during the school day or after school hours. This training has a beneficial affect on the quality of education, teaching and learning opportunities that we offer the children.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR MAKING COMPLAINTS:
Under Section 23 of the Education Reform Act 1988, there are certain arrangements for dealing with formal complaints about the curriculum or any other related matter.
Should you have a complaint, please follow the procedures below:
Stage 1: Informal Complaints.
ü Parents/carers and others should raise complaints or concerns with the child’s class teacher.
ü If not satisfactorily resolved you should inform the teacher of your feelings and approach the Team Leader for Foundation, Lower or
ü If the parent believes that the complaint or concern is of a more serious or sensitive nature then they can go to the Assistant Head or Head directly. They will investigate the issue and if necessary report back in writing within 5 days.
ü Every effort should be made to resolve the issue at this informal stage. Complainants who remain dissatisfied at this stage will be informed by the school that they have the opportunity to make a formal complaint.
Stage 2: Formal Complaints.
ü Formal complaints should be made in writing and will normally be investigated by the Head of School in the first instance. If the complaint directly concerns the Head of School, however, complaints should then be sent to the Chair of Governors.
ü Any other governors in receipt of complaints will refer them to the Head of School or the Chair of Governors as appropriate, and will not become further involved themselves.
ü If the complainant is dissatisfied with the Head’s response, they should contact the Chair of Governors, who will decide how the complaint should be further pursued.
ü The Chair of Governors will determine a method of further investigation and of formal response to the complainant.
ü The complainant will receive a written response to his/her complaint within 5 working days setting out any decisions and the reasons for them. A meeting may also be arranged.
In some cases, a complaint may lead to disciplinary action against an individual, for which there are separate procedures. If this is the case the complainant will be informed that the complaint will be pursued through disciplinary action. Under the Governing Body’s disciplinary procedures, the outcome of these procedures is confidential.
Stage 3: Appeal
ü If the complainant remains dissatisfied after the Stage 2 investigation, complainants may appeal to the Grievance Panel/Hearings Committee of the Governing Body for a final resolution of their complaint.
ü Under this complaints procedure there is no provision for further appeal beyond a consideration by the Grievance/Hearings committee.
ü THE LEA IS NOT PART OF THE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE AND THEY WILL REFER YOU BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND THE GOVERNORS.
SCHOOL CLOSURE
In the event of an emergency school closure, the following procedure for releasing children will be adopted:
OVERNIGHT SNOWFALL
Staff
If there was an overnight snowfall or severe fog it may prove difficult for staff to get into
Parents
· You may telephone the school
· Bring your child to school and take him/her to the Hall and wait
· The teacher in charge will already have taken messages from each teacher and will know whether they can manage to get into school that day.
· We may need to send a class home if the teacher cannot get into school.
DAYTIME SNOWFALL OR VERY THICK FOG CONDITIONS
Staff
I would release some staff early to ensure that they had daylight in order to tackle their journey home in severe weather conditions.
Parents
You may need to collect your child from a different teacher.
FINALLY
In the unlikely event of no teachers being able to get into school or a power cut causing heating and lighting problems there may be a need to close the school.
Please note that Hereward Radio and Light FM operate a service for informing parents of unavoidable closures or early closures. The Emergency Officer for schools in the
I WOULD LIKE TO RE-ITERATE THE POINT THAT NO CHILD WOULD BE SENT HOME UNSUPERVISED.