EYFS Parent Handbook
Table of Contents Welcome from the Headmaster
2
Mission Statement and Aims
3
School House system
4
School Hours
4
Arrival and Departure Procedures
5
School Uniform
6
Standards of Behaviour
7
Foundation Stage Behaviour Management
8
Bus Policy
9
Health
9
Attendance
10
Common Language Policy
11
Extended Curriculum
11
Home/School Communication
12
The Events and Fundraising Group
13
School Lunches and Snacks
15
Early Years Curriculum
15
Assessment in Early Years
18
How to Support your Child at Home
18
Role of the Parent
21
Birthdays Policy
21
School Complaints Procedure
22
In Summary
23
1
Welcome from the Headmaster
Dear Parents, It is our pleasure to welcome you to The British College of Brazil (BCB). We extend a very warm welcome to you all to our school. We are proud to be here in Sao Paulo as a British school that is wholly UK owned, and that thoroughly follows the English National Curriculum. We are looking forward to providing your child with an outstanding educational experience. We strive to build on our reputation of excellence as we seek to meet the needs of all children enrolled in our school. Our staff members are enthusiastic and passionate about teaching and bring a wealth of experience and expertise. At The British College of Brazil we have created a stimulating, safe and positive learning environment, with high expectations of achievement and behaviour. We are committed to making the curriculum accessible to all children by utilising a range of teaching styles and state of the art technology, which will motivate our students to develop independent, lifelong learning skills. We hope that you find this handbook useful and look forward to working closely with you to ensure the success of BCB and our pupils. Yours sincerely, Duncan Rose Headmaster
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Mission Statement and Aims
Our Mission
t The British College of Brazil, we value our reputation for providing a British education of the A highest quality within an international context. We believe that every child matters. All gifts and talents are recognised and nurtured so that pupils are prepared to become responsible, caring, active members of a global community in the twenty-first century.
School Aims
Philosophy To ensure that all those who participate in the life of our school leave us as better, more able, more responsible and more confident individuals. Governance To provide the highest quality of education to our students, where the long-term development and reputation of the organisation are safeguarded. Personal Development To encourage students to explore the extent of their intellectual and physical abilities, helping them to fulfil their maximum potential. Values To uphold values of honesty, integrity and respect for others. Environment To provide a vibrant, happy and secure environment that is conducive to the development of our students. Staff To ensure the school recruits and retains high calibre professionals who are worthy of the responsibility entrusted upon us. Social Responsibility To ensure our organisation and its members are involved in promoting the general good within our community.
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School House system
On entry to the school, each student will be allocated a ‘House’. Members of the same family being placed in the same house. We always seek a balance of male and female students in each one. The whole school is involved in the merit system and each teacher and teaching assistant will be part of a house. The house names and colours are as follows:
School Hours Times
Primary
7:30am
Gate open - children may arrive at school at this time
7:50am
Registration
8:00- 10:00am
Lessons
9:50 – 10:30am
Morning Breaks (KS1 9:50 – 10:10 KS2 10:10 - 10:30)
10:30 – 12:00pm
Lessons
11:20 – 1:00pm
Children’s Lunch Break (FS stage will begin earlier) KS1: 11:20 – 12:20 Yr 3 + 4: 11:40 – 12:40pm Yr 5 + 6: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
12:20 – 2:30pm
Lessons
2:10 – 2:30pm
Afternoon Break for KS1 only
2:40 – 3:30pm
Extended Curriculum
3:30pm
End of Day for children
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Arrival and Departure Procedures
Pupils should not arrive before 7:30 am. This is to ensure that teachers have sufficient planning, meeting and preparation time at the beginning of the school day. All students should be in school for 7:50am ready for registration at the start of the school day. At the beginning of each day, please ensure that a teacher, teaching assistant or the bus monitor receives your child (whichever is appropriate). Children should not be left alone for school to start. It will help the morning routine enormously if parents do not enter the school building unless there is a specific reason to meet with a member of staff. Please ensure that you or your designated guardian collects your child from a member of staff at the end of each day from the designated pick up point. Those children using the school bus service will be collected by the bus monitor and safely taken home. Please collect your child promptly at the end of each day. If for some reason you have been delayed, please telephone the school so that we are aware and can inform your child to avoid any worrying and so we can anticipate your arrival. Parents who are consistently late in collecting their children will be requested to meet with the Headmaster. If you are unable to collect your child, please inform the class teacher, the school receptionist and the appropriate bus company (if necessary) in writing, as to who will be collecting your child by 1:00 pm at the very latest. Teachers will not release a child to an unauthorised person. All pick-up cars must display the school identification sticker. It is imperative that parents respect the requests of the doormen at drop off and pickup times. Signage and pedestrian crossings outside of the schools should be observed at all times. Cars should never be left unattended outside of the school and parents are encouraged to park away from the school and walk to the main entrances.
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School Uniform
School uniform is compulsory for all students attending the school. We believe that wearing school uniform in a proud and smart manner promotes positive self-esteem and therefore is integral to the ethos of the school. All students are expected to arrive to the school everyday in clean clothes, to be worn in a tidy manner. We expect our students to take pride in their school uniform. School uniform consists of a summer and winter uniform. However, as Sao Paulo experiences a tropical climate there will be times throughout the year when either uniform could be worn. We therefore leave it to the discretion of parents to decide the most appropriate uniform for a specific day. However, on days that they have PE, students should wear that uniform. On all other days full uniform is required. Uniform will also be worn on class educational trips. (Either PE or full uniform depending on the nature of the trip) A house colour T-shirt is also part of the school uniform and can be worn on PE days as well as during house competitions. With young children we do understand that accidents do happen. We ask parents to provide a spare set of clothes, that include socks and underwear. These should be kept in your child’s school bag. Details of our school uniform are outlined on our school website. Parents will be notified if students are not wearing appropriate school uniform. We encourage independence in our students from the first day of school. This does mean at times some items of clothing may go temporarily missing. With this in mind, all clothes worn to school should be clearly labelled with the child’s name. Lost, un-named clothing and bags are placed in Lost Property (located at the front desk of both campuses).
Other items
Footwear is an important aspect of the school uniform. Shoes should be black leather and worn each day. On PE days, trainers should be worn. For younger children, we advise that the shoes are not lace up until the children are able to tie them unaided. For safety reasons, flip-flops should not be worn. Use of coats and anoraks are encouraged during cold and rainy days. Sunhats are a vital part of our school uniform and it is compulsory that all children wear one whilst on the playground otherwise they will not be allowed to play. 6
General Appearance
For safety reasons, children are advised not to wear necklaces, bracelets or earrings to school (except for stud earrings and removed completely on PE days). Hair should be worn in a neat style and long hair should always be tied back using a simple hair band or hair tie. Mohicans, tramlines and bright colours are not considered appropriate hairstyles for school. If a child attends school with a hairstyle that is deemed inappropriate the Headmaster will inform the parents and request a more suitable style. Temporary tattoos, nail varnish and makeup are not appropriate for school and should be cleaned off before children attend.
What you will need for school 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
A BCB School Bag A BCB School Hat A Change of clothes Mosquito repellant Suntan lotion Toothbrush and toothpaste
*All items must have the child's name and class on them. The school will provide all equipment and materials including stationery. To ensure that children’s belongings do not get damaged or lost. The following items are not to be brought to school: ● Toys or games unless for a special day (marble rewards) or at the request of a teacher ● Music playing systems, mobile phones or any other electronic devices ● Chewing gum/sweets The school accepts no responsibility or liability for loss or damage to personal items brought into school.
Standards of Behaviour
From an early age we encourage students to develop a sense of responsibility, independence, self respect and a respect for other people, property and environment. We ask our EYFS students to take care of their friends, classroom and the toys and resources within them We have systems in place to recognise and reward children’s effort and achievement. The vast majority of our pupils exhibit very good manners and care for their peers and learning environment, and this is valued and celebrated in class. 7
However, it is only natural that from time to time, children sometimes make poor decisions regarding their conduct. These will be dealt with in a sensitive way and the children will be reminded of acceptable behaviour. If a problem persists, you will be notified and asked to come to speak to the teacher or one of the school leadership team. All pupils are required to observe the following: • Treat everyone with respect and courtesy. • Behave in a way that aids learning during lessons • Walk at all times when indoors. • Walk on the left in corridors and staircases. • Hold doors open for others • Remove coats, jackets and hats during lessons and at lunch. • Make sure that classrooms and playgrounds are kept clean and tidy. It is important that we all have high expectations of pupils in work and for behaviour, and it is essential for parents and school to work in partnership so that the values encouraged by home and school are mutually reinforced.
Foundation Stage Behaviour Management
At the British College of Brazil we operate a positive behaviour policy, which praises excellent work, outstanding behaviour and good citizenship. Children receive house points for their efforts. Each child has a pirate themed house point chart displayed in our classroom. The children work towards earning a range of certificates depending on the amount of house points they receive each term. For every 10 house points a child earns, they will be rewarded with a very special jewel for their treasure chest and will receive the corresponding certificate of excellence in our Early Years assemblies.
NOTE: At the end of each term, house point totals revert back to zero for each child.
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Additionally, each class operates a Rainbow, Sun and Cloud system. All children begin each day on the sun. If they demonstrate excellent effort or behaviour, they will move their photograph to the rainbow. However, if a child is not following the class rules, after a warning, they will move themselves to the cloud. If this behaviour continues, they will then move themselves to the thunder cloud and will receive a few minutes time out to reflect on their behaviour. If the child continues to misbehave, they will have a further time out in another FS classroom and if there is a persistent problem, parents will be consulted. We believe it is always best to discuss the children’s behaviour with parents from an early stage, as working as a team will result in positive results much quicker.
Bus Policy
The school buses are an extension of the school and the same high expectations are still in place for all the pupils. There is often a wide range of ages present on a bus and the older children, especially, need to take care of how they behave and what they choose to talk about. There should be no inappropriate language, conversations or behaviour If there are problems with a student on the bus then the following procedures will be followed: ● First time – a warning ● Second time – a second warning and a phone call home ● Third time – a phone call home and a day off the bus ● Fourth time – a phone call home and a fortnight off the bus ● Fifth time – expulsion from the bus service Such incidences will be recorded in the student’s file. The class teacher shall make any warnings and phone calls to parents. In the case of repeated warnings, the class teacher shall notify the Key Stage leader and /or Headmaster, which may result in further action being taken. The organisation of the bus routes is extremely complex. In light of this, using the bus service to facilitate play dates and parties is not allowed. Parents are responsible for this.
Health Regular daily attendance is expected but sometimes absence is unavoidable through sickness. Please inform the school if your child is unable to attend by sending an email to the class teacher and the school receptionist. If your child uses the bus service it is imperative that you inform the school/bus monitor as soon as possible to avoid delaying the bus. 9
If your child is sick, they should not be sent to school to avoid passing on the sickness to others. A period of 24 hours should be observed to ensure symptoms have abated. If the school feels that a child has returned to school too soon, parents will be contacted to collect their child immediately. Please advise us of any medical problems your child may have when there is an allergy to materials or food. Please ensure that the health questionnaire has been completed upon admission to the school and updated when necessary and appropriate. If your child becomes unwell and the class teacher feels that s/he may not be well enough to participate in lessons, they will be referred to the school nurse on site. After further observation, if the child is clearly not well enough to return to class, you may be telephoned to collect your child. Please be aware that it is the responsibility of the parents to collect their unwell child and the school cannot provide a driver in such circumstances. In extreme emergencies, such as serious injury or extreme sickness the school will make every effort to get the child to medical facilities. Medication can only be administered with written consent and directions from the parents. Medicines must be given to the nurse by the parent, not the child. If your child has had to visit the nurse due to injury you will be informed of the incident in writing.
First Aid
The school employs a full-time qualified nurse and designated staff are first-aid trained and can deal with day-to-day matters such as cuts or bruises and children who feel unwell whilst at school. In the unlikely event of a more serious accident all students will be escorted to a hospital. Parents will be telephoned immediately to inform of the accident and asked to meet the child and nurse at the hospital.
Attendance We expect pupils to have good attendance at school with any absences being reported directly to the class teacher via email. They learn a great deal every day. We ask that parents ensure you support attendance at school whenever possible and avoid any absences. If parents are aware of such future absences please inform the teacher as soon as possible. Children that attend school consistently tend to enjoy school more and make great progress. Good timekeeping is also expected both with arrivals and pick-ups. Children who are consistently late for school have a poor start to the day which can affect their performance. Being consistently picked up late at the end of the day can cause distress and unhappiness to children. If these become a concern for the school, a meeting may requested by the headmaster. 10
Under Brazilian law, if a child misses 25% of school in any given year, it will be necessary for him/her to re-sit the academic year. He/she will be retained in the same year group and not progress with the peer group.
Common Language Policy
As an international school, there are over 30 different nationalities at BCB. As a result of this, it is important that we observe a common language and this English. At all times, we will encourage your child to speak in English and we expect support with this from home. Children will be reminded of our common language if they persist in speaking with their peers in their home language as this helps with integration and academic achievement at school. It encourages friendship and social development as well as providing an environment where second or third language learners can develop their English language skills quickly and effectively.
Extended Curriculum
Please note, these take place during the school day and not after school. The purpose of the Extended Curriculum (EC) is to utilise our staff expertise to enrich and extend learning in ways that may not be always possible in the normal time of a busy classroom. The children will benefit from enjoying carefully planned activities which reflect the interests and specialisms of our teaching staff, enhancing opportunities. The Extended Curriculum Programme takes place on Monday to Friday for 50 minutes a session (at the school’s discretion). ECs begin towards the start of term after normal routines have been established. The EC programme is supported and led by teachers and assistant teachers and sometimes outside coaches and parents. The purpose of the EC programme is to promote the creative and physical elements of the curriculum through stimulating, meaningful and fun activities that will deepen students´ understanding of the taught curriculum. We aim to provide an exciting range of opportunities for our students. Examples of activities could include: Portuguese/Spanish lessons, Gymnastics, Football, Art & Craft, Games, Drama, Dance, Music and Ballet. The EC Coordinator(s) will be responsible for ensuring a range of activities that reflect the interests of the students and aims of the school and ensure that there is an appropriate balance of activities for the age range and number of students. 11
Home/School Communication
Since BCB first opened its doors here in Sao Paulo it has had a strong sense of community spirit. All research shows that children benefit from a strong partnership with parents. We value the support of parents in school and are keen to promote strong home school links. Throughout the year, there will be multiple opportunities which will enable strong home/school links to be formed. We also have an 'open door policy' at BCB where we encourage parents and teachers to communicate frequently with each other in order to provide the best education for your child. If you have a question or wish to talk about your child’s progress or general welfare, then in the first instance you should discuss this directly with the class teacher. This can either be done in person or by email. If you wish to meet with the class teacher, we kindly request you to make an appointment in order to prevent any disruption to the teaching day. Teachers will not be able to meet during normal teaching times. You will be given your class teacher's email address when your child joins BCB. If you need further advice, help or guidance then please contact the appropriate member of the Primary Leadership Team.
Keeping us Informed
Parents are asked to keep the school informed of any changes that may occur to their home or telephone contact details. Please make sure you inform the Administration Department of any changes as soon as possible. We use a variety of methods of communication which we will use to ensure that you are kept up to date with your child's learning and progress.
Parent Portal
When you join BCB, you will be given login details for our Parent Portal. Each class has a blog where the class teacher will frequently post important information. In addition to this, the class teachers write a weekly update every Friday on their class blog which will inform parents of what has happened in class that week. Photos of that week in school are also published in order to show you the activities your child has taken part in, related to their learning. Class blogs are private and can only be accessed with a password which parents will be supplied with. Any letters from the school or from teaching staff of whatever nature (selecting enrichment activities, instrumental programme, field trips, weekly review etc) are sent by email and they are also published on the Parent Portal. It is through the Parent Portal that you will also be able to access your child's reports and attendance summary. 12
Meet the Teacher Sessions
At the beginning of the academic year, you will be invited into school for a 'Meet the teacher' session. This will give teachers, parents and also the children the opportunity to see their new classroom, meet one another and also give everyone the opportunity to find out key information or answer any questions you may have.
Curriculum Letters
Each term you will receive a Curriculum Overview letter. This will inform you of what your child will be learning within each area of the curriculum. It will also provide you with any important dates that you will need and any other key information.
Progress Reports
Throughout the school year, you will be issued with three reports. The first report is a settling in report and will focus on Personal, Social and Emotional development and how they have settled into their new class. The other two reports are full reports and these will be issued at the end of Term 2 and Term 4. These reports will be detailed reports and will explain your children's progress in each of the curricular areas. There will also be clear targets to help your child move forward with their learning.
Parent/Teacher Consultation
Parent/Teacher Consultations are held regularly throughout the school year, in addition to the distribution of Progress Reports. During these meetings, teachers will discuss with parents the academic progress of pupils as well as personal and social matters. Again, exact dates are provided in the school calendar. Pupils are also encouraged to share their own learning through a Pupil Led Consultation with parents.
Learn Together Sessions
Parents will be invited into school to add to their child's Learning Journal. These will be after a holiday and provide a great opportunity for you to discuss the work that your child has been doing in class, as well as share their holiday experiences with others.
The Events and Fundraising Group
The Events and Fundraising Group (EFG) is a very active part of BCB and is run by a group of parents. The group frequently holds special events at school in order to raise money to support our school charities and other worthwhile causes. We support a local organisation; Arca do Saber. Arca do Saber is based in Vila Prudente, one of the favelas in Sao Paulo. It is a pedagogical centre for extremely impoverished children aged between 6 and 13. It is partially funded by its own craft workshop, subsidies and donations. We feel that this is an excellent charity for the families of BCB to support. 13
Not only does EFG help support the school in organising events, it also serves as a valuable resource for new parents to our school and indeed Brazil. Quite often new parents look to the EFG to help them become acquainted with the local area. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend EFG meetings as and when they happen. Any involvement, no matter how big or small, is embraced and appreciated.
Class Representatives
The EFG recruit one or two parents from each class to represent the EFG as well as support their child's class community. Class reps help the EFG by passing on messages and arranging small events such as coffee mornings. Previously they have also been called upon by teachers to help with things such as chaperoning school trips, helping organise costumes for assemblies/productions and coming into school to support certain class activities. It is also a wonderful opportunity to get to know other parents from our BCB Community and the role helps to facilitate effective links between teachers and parents To help facilitate effective links between teachers and parents each class appoints one or two class representatives from the parent body. There are guidelines for parents to help them with their role and the Head of Primary supports this group of parents by organising meetings or giving advice. The role involves: ● With approval, collating class contact details. This list can be helpful when organising playdates or parties but should remain confidential amongst the members of the class. Class chat groups can sometimes cause issues and are not always the best form of communication. ● Supporting the class teacher with class events, often enlisting the help of other parents. For example, decorating the classroom for a special festival such as Diwali. ● Introducing new parents to the class/school community. ● Supporting and/or enlisting other parents to help organise social or fundraising events. A good way to start the year is to organise a class coffee morning providing the opportunity for the class parents to get to know each other. Please note, the role of a class representative is not to act as a problem solver in the class for academic issues. Please direct parents initially to the class teacher or, thereafter, the Phase Leader before approaching the Deputy Head or Head of Primary.
Special Days and Events
A number of special days and events are organised by the EFG and take place throughout the school year which celebrate different festivals and occasions. These include Halloween, the Christmas Fayre, Festa Junina etc. 14
Other events, such as book week, special history-related days or International Day also give the children a chance to immerse themselves through dressing in character. All events are all calendarised.
School Lunches and Snacks
Each day, children receive a morning and afternoon snack as well as a hot lunch at school. Morning snack is a very healthy snack of fruit and vegetables and the afternoon snack is juice and crackers or biscuits. A hot lunch is served to all children in school. School lunches are paid for in advance along with tuition fees. It is essential that you inform us immediately of any dietary restrictions your child may have due to allergies, health reasons or religious beliefs. The kitchen staff will also be notified of any dietary restrictions to ensure they have a suitable alternative available to them. The lunch menu will be published on the school website each month. At BCB we promote healthy eating and also independence during snack and lunch times. All children are encouraged to eat independently. In Pre-Nursery they will use a spoon to eat, but in Nursery and Reception, all children are encouraged to use a knife and fork. Please also support us with this at home and encourage your child to be independent eaters.
Nut Free School
Please be advised that BCB is a nut-free zone. No products containing any nuts whatsoever are allowed at school.
Early Years Curriculum
Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside. Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development. Children should mostly develop the 3 prime areas first. These are: ● Communication and language; ● Physical development; and ● Personal, social and emotional development. 15
These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning. As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in four specific areas. These are: ● Literacy; ● Mathematics; ● Understanding the world; and ● Expressive arts and design. These 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. The adults teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities are suited to his or her unique needs. This is a little bit like a curriculum in primary and secondary schools, but it's suitable for very young children, and it's designed to be really flexible so that staff can follow your child's unique needs and interests.
The 7 Areas of Learning
1. Literacy
In Foundation Stage the teaching of literacy involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children are given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest Reading By the time your child has finished Foundation Stage she or he will be able to: ● read and understand simple sentences. ● use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. ● read some common irregular words, and ● demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read. Writing Your child will learn to use phonics to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. We love it when children can write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words will be spelt correctly and others will be phonetically plausible, but in the Foundation Stage all ‘mark making’ and beginner writing behaviour is a celebration.
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2. Numeracy
Teachers at BCB provide Foundation Stage children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers; calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and describing shapes, spaces, and measures. Numbers By the time your child has completed Foundation Stage she or he should be able to: ● count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20, place them in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number. ● use quantities and objects to add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer, and ● solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing. Shape, space and measures We encourage children to use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money, and to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems. In Foundation Stage they will learn to recognise, create and describe patterns.
3. Communication and Language
We give your child constant opportunities every day to experience a rich language environment; to develop confidence and skills in self-expression; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
4. Physical Development
At BCB your child will be active. We ensure all children are given opportunities to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement.
5. Personal, Social and Emotional Development
It is vital that from the moment your child begins at BCB that we help him or her to: ● develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; ● to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; ● to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; ● to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; ● and to have confidence in their own abilities.
6. Understanding the World
It is vital that children in Foundation Stage are helped to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment. 17
7. Expressive Arts and Design
Every day our children explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. They are encouraged to share their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
Assessment in Early Years
Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage is an ongoing process. We used a variety of strategies in order to capture and record where your child is with their learning. It is important for us to do so in order for us to be able to identify their next steps, ultimately helping them to progress. Most of our assessment takes place in the form of observation. Through teacher led and child led activities, we are able to assess your child's knowledge and learning as well as identify their next steps.
Learning Journals
These books allow us to document physical work the children have completed in class. They might be teacher led activities, or child led from the provision within the classroom. These Learning Journals allow us to evidence your child’s progress and the children are encouraged to take great pride in them. The children select most of the work that is within the book and it becomes an effective way to reflect on the learning that has taken place as well as the accomplishments the children have made throughout the year. The children also explain their work and this is documented against each piece of work also. This is an opportunity to record the language development of your child. You will receive opportunities throughout the year to discuss the progress of your child at Parent Interviews and you will also receive 3 reports which will document this as well as identify their next steps.
How to Support your Child at Home
Your child will not receive homework in Early Years, but there are many ways in which you can help at home to consolidate key skills which have been taught at school. The children are still young in Early Years and have a long day at school so at this age, they are not able to do too much at home. The more learning through play they do the better. Learning should be a fun and positive experience for your child. Helping them to play educational games is one way to ensure this. 18
Spending time with your child is the most valuable experience you can give them. In order for young children to make sense of the world around them, they need as many learning opportunities in their environment as possible. Any experiences you share with your child, gives you the opportunity to discuss and question them on what they have observed in order to develop their understanding of the world around them. This also allows them to make links in their learning. All the fun activities that you do with your child at home are important in supporting their learning and development, and have a really long lasting effect on your child’s learning as they progress through school. Even when your child is very young and is not yet able to talk, talking to them helps them to learn and understand new words and ideas. If you make the time every day to do some of the following things with your child it will make a real difference to your child’s confidence as a young learner.
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Exploring Books
Each week your child will bring a library book home to share with you. This is the perfect opportunity to help develop their early reading skills. Reading is a very important skill that children need to develop in order to progress in all areas of the curriculum. Reading allows children to learn about new things and read for information on a daily basis. The more children read, the better they will become. It also helps to increase vocabulary and develop a better understanding of the world around them. In order for your child to succeed in reading they need to develop a love of books. The best way to help your child is to read as many books as possible in English and their native language. In order to develop early reading skills you should: 1. Read a book to/with your child on book on a daily basis. Reading aloud helps develop fluency and understanding. 2. Talk about the books you have read together. Discuss the events and characters and encourage them to make predictions about what will happen next. This helps to develop your child’s comprehension skills. 3. Let your child see you reading – show them reading is both highly enjoyable and very useful. Set a great example.
Encouraging and Developing Independence
It is really important for your child’s development that they begin to be as independent as possible. We create very independent classrooms and encourage this development within all children regardless of their age. Please support us by encouraging your child to be as independent as possible at home and at school. You can encourage your child to: ● Carry their own school bag. ● Be responsible for putting their school bag in their own locker. ● Eating independently (please encourage Nursery and Reception children to eat with a knife and fork. ● Helping to dress themselves. Even in Pre-Nursery, children are encouraged to put their own shoes on. ● We create very independent classrooms where children are responsible for tidying up, ● looking after the resources and they also do jobs within the classroom, which they love. This is something that you can promote at home.
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Role of the Parent
We recognise that as a parent, you have chosen our school because of the values we hold and our approach to education. We view the parent and school integration as a partnership and as we do our best to provide you and your children with a world class education, we rely on your support to achieve this. We expect and appreciate the support given by parents in all aspects of the school including adherence to uniform, completion of homework and attendance at school events and parent meetings.
Birthdays Policy
At The British College of Brazil we feel that a child’s birthday is an important day in their lives and that it should be celebrated. In order to keep celebrations appropriate and to ensure the minimum of disruption to the school day, we ask that the following requests be observed: 1. Cakes are allowed to be brought to school to share with the class, but must be 100% nut free. 2. Parents may be present when the cake is shared with the class, but must refrain from taking photographs which include children other than their own. 3. Parents must arrange the cake delivery with the teacher at least 3 days in advance and must not turn up unannounced. 4. Gift bags, balloons or other small gifts should not be distributed to the other children in the class as this can cause an unwanted precedent for other parents. 5. Entertainers, such as clowns or magicians, are not permitted. 6. The celebration must cause the minimum of disruption to the school day and the requests of the class teacher should be respected at all times and never questioned.
Birthday Parties outside of School
The responsibilities of teachers and admin staff at The British College of Brazil are vast and varied. As a result, it is not possible for any member of the school team to be involved in the organisation of children’s birthday parties that take place outside of school. The following guidelines should be observed at all times: 1. Invitations to parties may be distributed by the child to other members of the class or school. In pre-nursery and nursery, teachers can assist in placing invites into bags or folders, but only when the whole class have been invited to the party. 2. Invitations should contain all relevant information regarding organisation, timings, location and correspondence. These should be completed by the parents including all names and other details. 3. Teachers and admin staff cannot assist in the collection or collation of party invitations. This should be made clear on the party invitation. 21
4. Teachers and admin staff cannot assist in the logistical organisation of parties such as buses and other transportation. 5. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to organise all aspects of parties outside of school. Teachers and admin staff should not be approached or contacted about these matters.
It is the responsibility of every child’s parent to inform the school of how their child will be going home, including parties. As a reminder, all alterations to a child’s mode of transport must be made before 1:00pm of the given day.
School Complaints Procedure
The school welcomes all feedback of all kinds from parents. On occasion you might feel that our service has fallen below the levels of your expectation, or require further explanation on an area of which you are unsure. If you have a complaint regarding any non-financial matter concerning the school the first point of contact is normally your child’s class teacher. They will take the matter up for you and will do one of two things; 1) Reply directly within 24 hours when possible. 2) Pass the matter to the appropriate person. Please note that email is the preferred method of handling communication with class teachers as they are busy during the day and cannot respond to phone calls. Alternatively, a meeting can be requested via reception or via email. If the complaint is regarding the class teacher and you feel that it would not be appropriate to raise it with them you may contact the Head of Early Years. If the complaint is concerning the head of school then the complaint should be lodged directly with the Headteacher. Urgent matters of child welfare (safety) can be immediately addressed to the school in person and a meeting will be arranged as soon as possible with a senior member of staff. Complaints of a financial nature should be directed to the school’s Finance Department. Appointments can be made to see heads of school via reception. Complaints are handled as swiftly as possible and in confidence where appropriate/requested. Parents will be kept up to date of the progress of their enquiry throughout the process.
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In Summary
We hope that this handbook provides an informative introduction to the school. Of course not every piece of information will be here and if you should need any further guidance, please feel free to contact the appropriate member of the school for further advice. We look forward to working with you this year and welcoming your child to BCB. We hope you have a wonderful year ahead. 23
Avenida Engenheiro Oscar Americano, 630 Cidade Jardim, São Paulo SP, 05673-050, Brazil +55 11 3031 4697 R. Álvares de Azevedo, 50 - Campo Grande, São Paulo SP, 04671-040, Brazil +55 11 5523 5052 https://britishcollegebrazil.org
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