Inside Part of the School's Prospectus

"To be the best that I can be" Dear Parents, We welcome your interest in our, friendly and thriving school. We appreciate that choosing a school is a very important decision for you.

I hope that this prospectus will give you some of the essential information you need to know about our school and that it will also give you a flavour of the ethos we work hard to create.

Blandford St Mary was a purpose built First School for children 4 to 9 years old. Established over a hundred years ago, it has been open on its new site in Birch Avenue since April 1997. Its design is attractive and highly individual with a striking zig-zag roof. In keeping with the innovative thinking that is so important at Blandford St. Mary Primary School, we have a mobile ICT suite that can be situated anywhere around our school, alongside the installation of interactive whiteboards in all of our classrooms.

In September 2005 the school changed its status from First, (4 to 9years), to Primary, (4 to 11 years). This exciting development has necessitated additional building to accommodate our children. The school now provides an inspirational and vibrant learning environment which includes a mezzanine school library providing a learning resource appropriate for the 21st century as well as a larger fully equipped sports hall.

The school grounds are both exciting and attractive, especially as the trees and shrubs are maturing. Creating a stimulating, learning environment both inside and out is one of our priorities. Currently we have a winding tactile nature trail; a „Peaceful Patch‟ and a large adventure playground, with an allotment and orchard area that help our children learn about sustainability and their responsibilities as part of the world community.

Our school is a very close knit community. We place a very strong emphasis on caring for each other and our environment. Our children are encouraged to have a voice in this, and our School Council meets regularly with this agenda. We pride ourselves on our Peer Mediation initiative and our team of Year 4 mediators are on duty each playtime. An experienced and dedicated team of teachers, support staff and Governors work closely together to ensure that your children take their first formal step into education within a welcoming and stimulating setting.

We share with you the wish that your children achieve the very best of which they are capable in every area of learning. We aim to help every child to grow up to be confident, hardworking, courteous and caring to others.

We strive to make learning an exciting and rewarding experience for our children, instilling a love of learning that will stay with them throughout their lives. We adopt a creative approach to delivering our curriculum fully embracing „excellence and enjoyment‟ identified in the Primary Strategy. The school is accredited with Artsmark Gold from the Arts Council of Great Britain for its outstanding commitment to the performing and creative arts as well as the Active Mark for our commitment to our active approach to all our learning. We are so proud of these accolades.

All schools offer partnerships with their parents. As an approachable and friendly team, we welcome the closest possible co-operation with you. Each child‟s progress is regarded with equal importance at our school, and each has the right to the very best education we can provide. Along with these rights come responsibilities for ourselves and others. The school has a commitment to the United Nations Charter for the Rights of the Child and as such the school is continually developing and encouraging the children‟s understanding of their rights and responsibilities.

The school liaises very closely with other learning communities in Blandford, such as the Little Birch community preschool on our site and The Blandford Schools‟ Network. Further details of these links and others can be found later in this prospectus.

I am always delighted to be able to talk to parents and introduce them to our school. Please feel free to contact our secretary or myself to make an appointment. Please also visit our website on www.blandfordstmary.dorset.sch.uk ~ this is an exciting and dynamic aspect of our school. It is regularly updated to provide information on current events and future happenings as well as providing ever changing examples of the exciting work we do at Blandford St. Mary Primary School.

We look forward to meeting you and warmly welcoming you to our school.

Yours sincerely Mr P Lavis

Headteacher.

MISSION STATEMENT We are a Church of England School and the staff and governors aim to work in partnership with parents: To meet children‟s personal and social needs while promoting their acquisition of Christian and moral values and the development of spiritual awareness;  To provide children with the opportunities to understand their rights and responsibilities as responsible citizens;  To provide an environment which celebrates personal achievement and in which children are happy, feel valued as individuals and can effectively co-operate with one another.  To provide a rich curriculum for our children that inspires them and which fosters a lifelong love of learning. We actively encourage our children to strive for high standards and….”To be the best that I can be”.  To enable individual children to realise their full potential through a curriculum delivered with careful consideration of teaching and learning styles, planned to meet all the children‟s needs.

WHO‟S WHO AT BLANDFORD ST MARY PRIMARY SCHOOL Teaching Staff Headteacher Deputy Headteacher Class Teachers

Mr Paul Lavis Mrs Sam Harris Mrs Rosemary Rees Mrs M O‟Brien Mrs Sue Flavell Mrs Kirsten Collin Mrs Melissa Thomas Miss Rachel King Mr Nick Osborne

Classroom Support Staff Mrs Doreen Gibson Mrs Denise Lacey Mrs Sarah Thornton

Mrs Samantha Kennett Mrs Jackie Green Mrs Heather Dolman

Mrs Paige Cooper Mrs Lynne Hargreaves Miss Charlotte Grant

School Administration Mrs Niki Roberts

Mrs Jan Burge

Lunchtime Supervisors & Breakfast Club Mrs Milner Ms Cath Gent

Ms Lisa Gosney Mrs Sharon Rossiter

Cleaning Staff Mrs Sara Milner

Mrs Sue Upward

Maintenance Support Mr John Bannister

Governing Body Chair of Governors Vice Chair Governors

Mr Mike Brown Mrs Phillipa Daffern Mr Paul Lavis Mrs Sam Harris Mrs Sue Flavell Mrs Sue Billington Mr Peter Clark Mrs Paula Grant Mrs Sheila Robertson Mr Steve Griffiths Mrs Jenny Haywood Mr Mark Phipps Mr Mark Willson Mr Louis Minchella Revd Stephen Treeby

Clerk to Governors

Mrs Niki Roberts

Mrs Dawn Young Miss Kate Chad

THE BLANDFORD SCHOOLS‟ NETWORK Blandford St Mary Primary School is a member of the Blandford Schools‟ Network.

This group of schools comprises:  

The Blandford School, for students aged 11-18 Eight Primary Schools for children for 4-11 years: Archbishop Wake, Blandford St Mary, Downlands, The Dunbury Federation, Durweston, Milldown, Pimperne and Spetisbury.

The schools aim to offer to all the Blandford area children a rich and challenging education which will enable them to reach their maximum potential as future citizens.

We offer to our children:   

A happy transition between schools in the area Continuity and progress in their learning Increasingly, agreed policies and approaches to behaviour management across the schools

We work in close partnership at all levels through planning and evaluation and joint teacher development. The Network provides all our children with the advantages of shared resources, activities and teacher expertise. There is a steadily developing programme of network sporting fixtures, and there are exciting plans ahead to further develop the interaction between the schools in the coming years.

OUR SCHOOL CLIMATE Whilst we pride ourselves on being a modern, forward looking and forward thinking school, we hold firmly to our Christian foundations. We place a very strong emphasis on promoting these special attitudes and values. We have a close relationship with our local parish church and the Salisbury Diocese.

We focus especially on:

Teaching children to empathise with each other, understanding the importance of being sensitive to the needs and feelings of others.

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Teaching children to persevere and to aim to always give of their best.

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Understanding the meaning and significance of faith and how Christian teachings influence our lives.

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Appreciating and valuing our world and our individual responses within this.

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Having a positive attitude and respect for those who are of different religions and cultures both within our school and the wider community, especially as Dorset does not have a broad cultural diversity.

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Reinforcing the importance of equal opportunities for our whole school community.

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Celebrating differences.

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Recognising our rights and responsibilities as responsible citizens of both the school and wider communities.

OUR APPROACH TO BEHAVIOUR At the beginning of each academic year, the children work together with staff to write and agree our school golden rules. The emphasis is very much on the positive ~ what children will do and how they will do it to ensure good behaviour and the creation of a safe and caring environment for everyone. These distil into our classroom charters as well as charters for different areas of the school.

Our approach is built upon our awareness of the importance of consistency, firmness and fairness so that the children know very well the behaviour that is expected of them and the boundaries to which they may go. Our Good Behaviour Policy is available for parents to view should they so wish.

We take the issue of bullying extremely seriously and if such a situation arises we have specific approaches to deal with this. Primarily ours is a 'telling' school where worries and concerns are encouraged to be shared openly. As bullying is primarily a covert activity, this exposes problems which can be dealt with swiftly and purposefully. We celebrate children's good behaviour, their thoughtfulness and their social efforts.

Our School Council takes a key role in promoting good behaviour and we train our own school Peer Mediators focusing upon children helping each other to solve any conflicts that may arise. Through learning the skills of mediating our children learn to empathise with each other ~ a vital skill for life.

THE SCHOOL COUNCIL Our council meets fortnightly with the Headteacher and other members of staff to work on projects aimed at making our school a better place for our whole school community. The council has focused on a wealth of activities.

Meetings are formally recorded and minutes are circulated to each class. Two students are democratically elected from each year group every half term. They represent their class and one of their prime actions is to gather ideas or opinions from their classmates. The morning assembly following a council meeting is often devoted to school council feedback. Our school council board and minutes file are kept in the school entrance hall.

HOUSES Our houses [Melbury, Bulbarrow, Hambledon and Stour] are a relatively new initiative at school

coinciding with our move to Primary status. Through the system our children learn to appreciate and value the efforts of others, fostering a strong team spirit. Regular inter-house activities are organised by our house captains.

Earning house points is the schoolâ€&#x;s key reward system, and is highlighted in our weekly celebration assemblies each Friday. In addition to this each class also has their own ways of celebrating childrenâ€&#x;s successes.

HOME AND SCHOOL WORKING TOGETHER ~ THE PARTNERSHIP Home/School Agreement ~ we highly value the partnership that exists between home and school.

When children join our school all three parties ~ the child, parents and the school sign an agreement that commits everyone to their own responsibilities during their time at school. For more details please contact the school office.

Website ~ This is an exciting development, which is a key element in our partnership. Log in and see!

Home/share reading ~ the children are encouraged to bring home a school reading book each day. The home/share record booklet that the children bring with the books is one of the means by which parents and school communicate about the children‟s reading. Parent‟s comments are valuable to us and we greatly appreciate your support. Details of our school reading system are printed on the back of these booklets.

Reports ~ These are sent home to parents in the Spring Term each year. Reports record our children‟s progress from the previous September, and then identify key targets for the children to focus on for the next steps in their learning. The school highly values its partnership with parents and sharing targets at an early stage in the year means parents are fully involved in the process of their child‟s achievement.

Open Evenings/Parent‟s Consultations ~ In the Autumn term we hold a „Meet the teacher‟ evening. This is an opportunity to share with parents how the children have settled in to their new classes. The individual consultations in the Spring term are where children‟s progress and achievements are shared and personal targets for the next half year are identified. Finally the Summer term is by individual appointment to reflect on the whole school year that has passed.

Home Learning ~ All children are given home learning at school. The quantity and content of this reflects the year group of the child. Parents are encouraged to ensure that their child completes the home learning to the best of their ability. Our fully networked ICT suite is available after school hours for parents to work alongside their children to support their learning.

Help in School ~ we warmly welcome parents who are willing to give some of their time to help in school.

This may take the form of helping individual children read, prepare resources, working alongside children in class or sharing expertise with staff and children.

Special Celebration Assembly ~ On Friday mornings we have a celebration assembly to which parents and friends are invited. [Please see our Child Centred School section].

After School Clubs ~ On most afternoons after school our children can choose from a selection of exciting after school clubs. These clubs change termly so that we can ensure a full range of opportunities for the children.

School Events ~ These include workshop evenings for parents, linked to key aspects of our School Development Plan, school productions, arts weeks, multicultural days, where parents are warmly invited to become involved.

Parents are welcome into school to share any worries or concerns at any time. We much prefer to sort out any problems at an early stage rather than let them grow over time.

THE CURRICULUM The curriculum is designed to ensure that our children receive a rich and well-balanced education that not only meets National Curriculum requirements, but also stimulates in them a love of learning that will sustain them and enable them to grasp the opportunities presented to lead successful and fulfilled lives.

The Foundation Stage (Reception) Curriculum focuses upon the six areas of learning ~ Personal Social Development, Communication Language and Literacy, Mathematical Development, Physical development, Creative Development and Knowledge and Understanding of the World. Throughout the year our children progress through the stages finally reaching the Early Learning Goals in the Summer term. These dovetail into Key Stage One of the National Curriculum which the children begin in Year One. In Reception much emphasis is placed upon the Personal Social Development area for it is here that attitudes and values are established that stay with the children throughout all their years of education.

We focus on daily Literacy and Numeracy sessions, following the requirements of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. All other curriculum subjects are delivered through a carefully planned programme, which ensures a continuity and progression of skills and knowledge as the children move up through the school.

We teach with an emphasis on encouraging children to develop their thinking skills, often through a problem solving approach. This fosters lively and creative minds which add an exciting edge to learning.

Personal, Health and Social Education is an important feature of our curriculum, and we are officially a „Health Promoting School‟.

The Creative Arts is strength of our school. We believe the enrichment that Music, Dance, Drama and Art gives is unique. Additionally we are a „singing‟ school as we place great emphasis upon this. A whole school production is staged each Autumn Term and a 'Singing Concert' in the Summer. This not only develops children‟s listening and responding skills – the very nature of performance is excellent in promoting children‟s self-esteem.

ASSESSMENT The school focuses on „Assessment for learning‟. A teaching and learning style that actively involves children in their own assessment, giving them a real ownership of their day to day learning in school.

There is an emphasis on being able to discuss, ask and answer questions effectively that can bring all subjects to life.

Outcomes of formal assessments such as the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and Key Stage One and Two SATS are shared in detail with parents. However, as with all small schools we do ask parents to be aware that SATS results come with a health warning! In small year groups one child may be as much as 7% of the total percentage. This is why we focus our attentions here at Blandford St Mary upon individual ongoing tracking and assessment.

Please see our School Profile online for more information about our school‟s performance.

COLLECTIVE WORSHIP Our daily acts of collective worship at school are very special to us. It is a time when we all come together to worship God and to experience in words, music and silence a sense of belonging. Through bible stories, drama and the discussion of moral issues the children develop important attitudes and values.

For one day each week, we have a whole school hymn practice.

Revd Treeby, the parish priest of Blandford St Mary visits us on a regular basis to lead assemblies.

Pupils may be withdrawn from our collective acts of worship if their parents request it. However, we would hope that all our children were present at acts of worship. Parents are invited to discuss their wishes with the Headteacher.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Our Religious Education curriculum is planned from the Dorset Education Authority syllabus with guidance provided by the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education.

The Bishop of Salisbury +David Sarum has reflected that the Dorset curriculum “helps children to develop their own spirituality and contributes to their personal growth and formation. Children will learn to appreciate what it means to have a religious faith and to respect and understand those who have a faith other than their own, or no faith at all. This is an essential element in building healthy communities.� As a church school we maintain very close links with the Diocese and we are delighted that our Bishop has endorsed this curriculum.

Parents do have the right to withdraw their child from formal Religious Education and are invited to discuss their concerns with the teaching staff or Headteacher.

SEX EDUCATION We recognise that sex education is a joint responsibility between parents and school. Teachers approach all aspects of sex education sensitively and in a style that is appropriate for the age of the children in their class.

Sex education is taught through the wider health education programme which is part of the Personal & Social development of our children ~ it is seen as a gradual build up of sound values and attitudes of care and respect, knowledge of growth and change beginning with our 4 year olds making their own rules for their classroom to show respect and care for others.

At Key Stage 2, outside visitors including our school nurse are part of the programme. Materials such as video resources are available for parents to view.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Any child may experience learning difficulties at some time during their school life. Our staff are experienced in identifying children with problems at an early stage as it is so much better for the child when these are addressed sooner rather than later.

The DfES special needs Code of Practice provides the framework of support for individual children.

Children who are on the special needs register are provided with an Individual Education Plan [IEP]. These plans are used to highlight the child‟s targets and the levels of support that will be provided to enable them to be achieved. The IEP also identifies the outside agency support such as speech therapists, who may be involved in supporting the child.

We liaise closely with parents, and reviews are held at the end of each term to reflect on the child‟s progress and to consider targets for the term ahead.

We have specifically trained teaching assistants who work alongside the school Special Needs coordinator to support children with specific needs.

Gifted and talented children are also identified as having special educational needs. These children are placed on a register and are given opportunities on a regular basis for extending and challenging activities.

The Governing Body‟s policy on pupils with Special Educational needs is available for parents to view. This policy is updated regularly.

ADMISSIONS POLICY Children are admitted to our school in the September term following their 4th birthday. The school follows the Dorset policy of part-time attendance for the first term.

The standard number for our school, which states the maximum number which can be accommodated in any one year group, is 30.

The school‟s equal opportunities policy and accessibility plan ensure that all children are welcome at our school. Parents of children with disabilities are advised to contact the school to make individual arrangements.

Full details of the Governors‟ Admissions Policy can be obtained from the school secretary or downloaded from the school‟s website.

We actively encourage prospective parents to visit our school ~ please telephone to arrange a suitable time.

TRANSITION TO SCHOOL We place a strong emphasis on ensuring a smooth transition into school from pre-school settings. We are aware that children come to us with a wealth of different experience and so we try to gather as much information about each child as we can prior to their starting school in September.

During the summer term, prior to starting in September we hold our 'Pre-school club' where children come in for several afternoons to make friends with all of us. During this time a meeting is held for new parents. Also this term, Reception staff visit the local pre-schools to meet the children and liaise with play leaders. At the beginning of the September term, we carry out our home visits. These visits are so valuable because they enable new parents and children to develop a close relationship with the class teacher and teaching assistant.

We operate a staggered entry programme for our youngest children ~ Children for the first week attend school in very small groups ~ with the whole class attending on the fourth day of their first week. This approach ensures our children's first experiences at school are warm, welcoming and secure.

The Little Birch Pre-school The pre-school is situated in our school grounds. Although it is independently run by a fully qualified staff, the school does liaise very closely with the pre-school - both academically and socially (indeed, the several members of the school staff and governing body sit on the committee) - as many of the children from Little Birch transfer to our school each September.

If you would like more information about the Pre-school, please contact them on 07929 363291

THE GOVERNING BODY Blandford St Mary is a Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School and as such the majority of governors are Foundation governors appointed with the support of the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education. Other governors are parents, school staff members, local council, community and LEA appointed representatives. Governors have legal duties, powers and responsibilities.

Governors meet regularly both as a full Governing Body and as separate committees which focus on specific aspects such as Personnel and Finance, School Development and Environment. The minutes of these meetings are available to parents via the school secretary.

Governors act as a body - they cannot act individually. They work very closely with school staff, and are 'critical friends' to the school who:      

Are the admissions authority of the school Ensure the school meets National statutory requirements.

Support standards of behaviour across the school.

Take a key role in interviewing and appointing staff.

In consultation with the Headteacher, manage the school finances.

Are linked with key areas of the curriculum, and who liaise regularly with the teachers who lead these subjects in the school.

Spend time actively supporting the school.

OUR FRIENDS OF SCHOOL We are supported by our enthusiastic and committed 'Friends' association. The group works hard throughout the year organising a range of enjoyable social events for both children and adults to raise extra funds to enrich the provision for our children.

We warmly welcome parents and members of the community to join our Friends of School to work together in this highly valued aspect of our school life.

HEALTH & SAFETY i)

Health  Our school operates a NO SMOKING policy in the school grounds, including the car park.  During the Reception year at our school, all children will have medical checks. We have close links with our school nurse and Medical Officer, Dr Gready. Do let us know if your child has experienced any health problems which could affect their schooling - for example a hearing loss. The more information that the school receives about each child the better.  If your child has been unwell the previous evening or during the night please do not send them to school the next morning as it unfair to your child and to the other children in the class. Parents are requested to telephone the school on the first day of absence - an answer phone will pick up messages before 8.30 am.  If your child has an accident or becomes unwell during school hours we will contact you immediately and for this reason it is essential that we have up to date contact telephone numbers from you.  Our support staff are trained in First Aid, including our Lunchtime Supervisors.  The whole school staff work as a team to give any pastoral support a child may need in the classroom or playground. The teacher co-ordinates this support with the Headteacher. An unhappy child cannot learn effectively.

ii)

Medicines in School  No medicines are to be sent into school except those taken on a regular basis (such as for asthma). If your child has to receive medication throughout the school day a permission form is available from the secretary.

iii)

Head lice We are all at risk from these unwelcome visitors and so we ask that you observe the following procedures: 

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Iv

Please check your child's head regularly.

If your child is infected please treat with the necessary lotions or procedures from your doctor or chemist. Remember to check daily after treatment to prevent re-infection ~ THIS IS CRUCIAL. The school secretary has details of the treatment advice.

Road Safety 

We place great emphasis on ensuring the safety of our children when coming to and leaving school, for this reason the car park is for staff and visitors only. For those children who are brought to school by car, we ask parents to drop their children lower down Birch Avenue and walk up to school. We ask that no parents drive into the school grounds.

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Our School Travel Plan actively promotes safe walking routes to school, and we provide regular pedestrian training for our children. The school supports all 'walk to school' initiatives

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The school uses coaches fitted with seatbelts for all outside trips.

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At the end of the school day we do not allow our children to leave the school gates unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian or we have personal or written permission.

Jewellery We ask that children do not wear jewellery at school as this can be hazardous especially in PE. Children with pierced ears may wear simple studs.

LUNCHTIME Children in full-time schooling may go home or bring a packed lunch in a clearly named lunchbox. We now offer very healthy, locally produced hot school meals. If you are interested in the hot school meals – please enquire at the school office.

We would like to suggest unbreakable flasks with a spout and a straw. We do provide water. No fizzy drinks or sweets please.

Dairy products such as yoghurts do pose a health hazard in our warm classrooms. If you do include such items please provide a teaspoon and show your child where to put them in the fridge in the servery. Please prepare your child to cope on their own with what you provide. Our supervisors cannot peel and cut 100 apples!

Children are asked to take home any uneaten food so that you can judge how much your child eats in school. Plenty of time is allowed for eating.

Families in receipt of Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance are entitled to free lunches, provided by a contract through County Hall. The Information and forms are available from the school secretary. We do encourage families who are entitled to the lunches to claim (or at least let our secretary know they are eligible) as the total required by the school is used by the DfES and the Local Education Authority and helps determine many statistics.

We place great importance upon developing our children's social skills. Consideration for others, quiet conversation, good manners and politeness are encouraged at lunchtime.

MID MORNING BREAK Our Reception and Key Stage 1 Children take part in the free fruit and vegetable initiative for mid morning snacks. We encourage our Key Stage 2 children to bring a healthy snack. Our school Council has decided that as well as being better for our children‟s health, healthy snacks keep our litter problem at bay. Most children bring fruit, carrot sticks, small sandwiches, pieces of cheese or small boxes of raisins. Although we have water fountains in each class, some children do bring a drink to have a playtime. Milk is available,

[free to under fives] this is organised by an outside agency. If you would like your child to have milk every day at school, please contact the school office.

BREAKFAST CLUB As part of the extended schools programme, we offer a breakfast club to our children. This is especially designed to help our working parents. The club starts at 8.00 am each morning and runs until 8.30 am. There is a charge for this facility which includes a healthy breakfast and supervised activities. If you would like your child to join our breakfast club, please contact the school office.

SCHOOL TRIPS

From time to time we organise outside visits to enrich our planned curriculum. On these occasions we do ask parents for voluntary contributions towards the costs. No child will be excluded from trips because the parents are unable to contribute. However, if costs cannot be covered, parents will be informed that the trip has had to be cancelled.

Our older children have opportunities of visits further afield and residential trips such as a visit to the field studies centre at Leeson House – a Dorset Environmental Centre, or a visit to Little Canada – an outdoor education centre on the Isle of Wight. For visits such as this, which are more costly, payments may be spread over time.

Prior to any off site visits, a full risk assessment is carried out to ensure the safety of all our children.

SCHOOL UNIFORM (Recommended) PLEASE NAME ALL BAGS AND ITEMS OF CLOTHING Shoes No „fashion‟ shoes please – our children like to run in the playground. Children especially early years may have difficulty with laces. They find Velcro fastenings much easier.

Socks/tights

White, blue, black or grey

Winter

Grey trousers/skirt/pinafore dress Navy or white polo shirt Jade green school sweatshirt Navy fleece (optional)*

Summer

Grey shorts/green gingham dress Navy or white polo shirt Base ball caps/hats

PE

Navy school T-shirt*, navy shorts*. Plimsolls/outside trainers for the summer term.

All PE kit to be kept in a clearly named bag please.

 SWEATSHIRTS, POLO SHIRTS, TEE SHIRTS, FLEECES AND BASEBALL CAPS/HATS WITH THE SCHOOL LOGO CAN BE PURCHASED THROUGH THE SCHOOL.

BAGS Our cloakrooms are tiny. Please ensure outside clothing can be hung up and please do not bring large backpacks to school. Shelving accommodates lunchboxes.

THE SCHOOL DAY Dates and Times School begins at 8.45 am [doors open at 8.30 am] Assembly at 8.50 am Morning playtime is at 10.35 am Lunch: KS1 12 – 12.55pm, KS2 12.15-1.10 pm School finishes at 3.15pm The total teaching hours per week including Religious Education but excluding collective worship, registration and breaks is 22 hours 5 minutes for Key Stage 1 and 25 hours for Key Stage 2 children.

The school will be closed to children on 5 days for staff training, whenever possible in conjunction with the other schools in the Blandford Network. These dates are notified to parents in our regular Newsletter and on our website.

Please see Supplementary Information for academic year calendar.

ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL (Statutory requirements) Absence should always be covered by a letter or telephone call on the first day of absence. We are required by law to record the reasons for an absence and to publish all figures (see Appendix). Children arriving late have to be marked as unauthorised absentees. There are 2 sessions in each day.

Holiday forms are available from the secretary. The normal maximum time allowed in a year is 2 weeks.

We ask you to consider very carefully before taking your child out of school during school term time.

School days are very valuable, and lessons missed are lessons not learned! If you have no choice, we ask that you try to avoid the first week of term as this is a very important settling down period for all children.

Key Stage 2 and Year 2 children should not be absent during the first half of the summer term when they are involved in the National Standard Attainment Tasks and Tests.

For absence and attendance data please see Supplementary Information

COMPLAINTS If there are any concerns regarding the education of their child, parents are asked to contact the class teacher in the first instance. If they wish to discuss the matter further parents are welcome to talk to the Headteacher.

In the unlikely event that concerns still exist, the Chair of Governors, Mr Brown should be contacted. He will consult with the Governing Body as necessary.

If parents wish to make a formal complaint about the curriculum under Section 23 of the Education Reform Act, copies of the local procedure to be followed can be obtained from the local library or from the Area Education Officer for Blandford, Education Department, County Hall, Dorchester DT1 1XJ. We have a school policy on the Management of Concerns which is available in the school office for parents to view.

POLICY FOR EMERGENCY CLOSURE During very severe weather conditions it may be necessary to close the school. This will only happen when conditions make travelling to and from the school hazardous for the children or for the staff, some of whom travel quite long distances.

If this should happen parents are asked to listen to Two Counties Radio (2CR) who broadcast School Alert bulletins at breakfast time during severe weather.

If at all possible, a member of staff will be available to answer the telephone and a notice will be posted at the school gates.

If unforeseen circumstances should arise and the school had to close earlier than normal, the school office would communicate with parents to make arrangements.

TERM DATES 2009/2010 Autumn Term 2009 Thursday 3rd September Friday 4th September Monday 7th September Monday 26th October – Friday 30th Friday 18th December

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Staff training day Staff training day Children back to school Half term Children break up for Christmas holidays

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Children back to school Half term Children break up for Easter holidays

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Staff training day Children back to school May Bank Holiday Staff Training Day Half term Staff training day Children break up for Summer holidays

Spring Term 2010 Monday 4th January Monday 15th February – Friday 19th Thursday 1st April

Summer Term 2010 Monday 19th April Tuesday 20thApril Monday 3rd May Thursday 6th May Monday 26th May – Friday 30th May Friday 2nd July Friday 23rd July

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