Dale Community
Primary
School
“The behaviour of pupils is good. Relationships between pupils and with adults are very positive. Pupils are polite and considerate towards each other because of the good example all adults set for them. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is sometimes exemplary.” OFSTED 2014.
Welcome to our School We believe that Dale Community Primary School is a very special place where all children, parents and staff work together as part of a happy, positive and caring learning community. As parents we want you to enjoy being part of Dale and hope that you will feel able to enter into a partnership with us so that your child may achieve their full potential.
Every Child is Special Every child at Dale is recognised as an individual. We aim to know them well and our priority is to ensure that they enjoy school, are happy and feel safe. We believe that, alongside academic skills, children need to develop a wide range of concepts, skills and attitudes to enable them to become life long learners. Emphasis in school is placed on teaching our children to have self respect, confidence, a sense of responsibility for their own well being and for that of others and the environment. The children at Dale are encouraged to contribute through the school council and value is placed on their suggestions and used.
Learning and Teaching Excellence and enjoyment are central to our school ethos. Learning and fun go hand in hand as we develop and encourage our children to become independent and creative learners. Our curriculum is planned carefully to ensure that all children are challenged, engaged and motivated to learn. We aim to ensure our curriculum meets the needs of our children and responds to the local environment. Educational experiences, visits and visitors help to widen the children’s understanding of the topics. The children’s development is carefully monitored and parents are kept well informed of progress.
Extra Curricular Activities As an ‘Active Mark Gold’ School Dale is fully committed to providing quality facilities and opportunities for children to participate in a range of sporting activities. Children can enjoy choosing from cricket, football, rugby, dance, gymnastics, athletics, orienteering, netball, tennis, badminton and many others. In addition clubs are offered in creative arts, ICT and music. Dale wears it’s title as a community school with pride and we work closely with local groups and services to ensure our children become active participants in the wider community, through involvement in local celebrations, events and activities.
Working Together Parents are very important to us at Dale. We maintain an ‘open door’ policy, where parents are welcomed into school. Sharing special events, times and activities with parents and encouraging parents to join us as often as possible to share the milestones in their child’s life is a key feature of our school. We are continually looking for ways to develop stronger, more positive links with parents. We have a range of family learning opportunites offering parents the chance to find out how to support children’s learning in a fun way. We always welcome comments, ideas and views from parents.
Our School Year – 3 Terms The School Year is divided into three sections (terms), with holidays in between them. There is also a short holiday about half-way through each term. 1. (Autumn Term) is from September to December, with a half-term holiday at the end of October. 2. (Spring Term) is from January to March, with a half-term holiday in February. 3. (Summer Term) is from April to July with a half-term holiday at the end of May. You will receive a School Newsletter at regular intervals. The Newsletter will include exact holiday dates and additional dates when the School will be closed.
1
Autumn Term 2014 Thursday 4th September – Friday 24th October Half Term Week: 27th – 31st October Monday 3rd November – Friday 19th December
2
Spring Term 2015 Monday 5th January – Friday 6th February Half Term Week: 9th – 13th February Monday 16th February – Friday 27th March
3
Summer Term 2015 Monday 13th April – Friday 22nd May Half Term Week: 25th – 29th May Monday 1st June – Thursday 23rd July
Public Holidays 25th December 2014 26th December 2014 1st January 2015 3rd April 2015 6th April 2015 4th May 2015 25th May 2015
Inset Days 2014/15 Monday 8th December Monday 5th January Monday 16th March Friday 19th June Monday 22nd June
Our School Day 8.50 am
Children begin to come into School
(It is important that children should not arrive at School before 8.50 a.m. as we are not able to supervise them before this time.)
9.00 am
School day begins
11.45 am Lunchtime begins Foundation Stage 12.00 noon Lunchtime begins Key Stage 1 12.30 pm Lunchtime begins Key Stage 2 1.00 pm 1.15 pm 1.30 pm
Lunchtime ends for Foundation Stage Lunchtime ends for Key Stage 1 Lunchtime ends for Key Stage 2
If children go home for lunch, please ensure that they do not return to School before 12.50pm. 3.20 pm
Children’s day finishes
In each full week, Foundation and Key Stage 1 children receive 23 hours and 20 minutes of teaching and Key Stage 2 children receive 25 hours.
Absences If your child is absent from School because of illness or any other reason, please let us know by telephone as soon as possible. If you are unable to telephone, please contact us in person or send a letter to the School as soon as possible. School does not authorise holidays in term time. Please make an appointment with a Learning Mentor to discuss any request. If you do not contact us, a form will be sent to you asking the reason for the child’s absence. The School has a legal duty to record all absences and to determine whether they are authorised or unauthorised.
Admissions Policy Parents can get information about the schools in the area either from the Council, schools or the internet. Parents will be advised of the likelihood of places being available, but as school rolls can change daily, availability of places is decided only at the time the application is received by the Admissions Team. An application form can be obtained from the internet at: www.derby.gov.uk/admissions or the Council Admissions Team at: Middleton House, 27 St Mary’s Gate, Derby, DE1 3NN. The form is also available on the website in the following languages: Czech, Polish, Urdu, Punjabi and Dutch. The Admissions Team considers the application against schools admissions criteria. If these schools have not reached their Published Admission Number, a place will be offered. If any school is over its Published Admission Number, the application will be refused and the right of appeal offered. The Admissions Team will write to parents informing them of the outcome of their application, together with the notification of the right to appeal if applicable. The school is also sent notification that a place has been allocated by the Admissions Team and the pupil will be admitted into the school by the date stated on the letter; usually between two to three weeks from the date of application. No pupil will be refused access to school as a result of disability. School, parents and the Local Authority will work together to ensure appropriate support and access to school is provided. Details of accessibility can be found in the Primary Admissions handbook or in detail from the school. Copies of the Special Educational Needs policy and the Accessibility Plan are available on request from the school.
Behaviour and Discipline Good behaviour in our School is essential if worthwhile and effective learning is to take place. The promotion of good behaviour is part of good practice in every aspect of the work in the School. The responsibility of ensuring good behaviour is shared by all members of the School community. The Governing Body beileves that all pupils have the right to high self esteem and self respect and that good behavior will maintain and enhance these values. In addition our Governing Body promotes the values of personal responsibility, honesty, kindness, forgiveness, tolerance, respect for others and an understanding of cultural differences. The Governors will ensure that the implementation of the School’s Behaviour and Discipline Policy is the means to this end. The values held and standards set will apply to all members of the Dale School Community. Pupils Code of Conduct: 1. Behave in a way that will not let yourself or the school down. 2. Be kind and polite to everyone and show respect to others. 3. Remember it is wrong for you to hurt others. 4. Keep yourself and others safe. 5. Always try to do your best. 6. Remember there are times when you need to be quiet in order to listen and do your best work. 7. Bad language offends people, we do not use it in school. 8. Walk quietly in and around the School building. 9. Look after your own property and respect the property of others. 10. Keep the School clean and tidy and take care of School equipment and buildings. Home and School Agreement: All parents of children attending School are required to sign a Home and School Agreement. The agreement focuses upon the ways in which home and school can work together in order to support your child’s education. Copies of the agreement are signed in the learning log by parents/guardians and staff. A copy of this agreement can be obtained from the school office.
Meals at School At 11.45am midday meals begin to be served in our dining hall. The cost of each meal is ÂŁ2.00. All meals for the week must be ordered and paid for on Mondays. If parents wish, several weeks of meals can be paid for in advance. Cheques should be made payable to Derby City Council. Lunches from Home. If you wish, your child can bring a packed lunch from home. All packed lunches must be brought to school by children in the morning. Please do not include fizzy drinks, or sweets/chocolate bars. We cannot accept hot food into school for packed lunches. Dinnertime Supervision. Our Teaching Assistants supervise the children in the playground and dining hall. The School is responsible for its own catering procedures and meal provision. As a health promoting school we pride ourselves in being able to provide a healthy midday meal which includes raw vegetables/salad and fruit. This encourages children to make healthy choices to prepare them for adult life. The school governors have specified no meat meals will be served in school but a meat substitute is available.
Fruit for Schools and Snack. Children in Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 receive a free piece of fruit daily as part of the Government’s ‘Fruit for School’ initiative. Water is available throughout the day. Children in Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 are also provided with a drink of milk or fruit juice at a small cost. Special Occasions. If you want to send sweets to share for special occasions, please ensure that they are gelatine and nut free.
School Uniform The wearing of School uniform is compulsory for all pupils. The School takes no responsibility for items brought to School by children. The Governors of the School wish to promote a smart and corporate image among pupils and staff. The uniform is as follows: Winter
P.E.
Trousers Grey Skirt/Pinafore Grey (may be worn over) Salwar Kameez Grey or White Shirt/Blouse/Polo-neck White or Light Blue Sweatshirt/Cardigan Navy Blue (School Logo) Hidjab/Scarf White or Light Blue Shoes Black (school type)
White T-Shirt and Navy shorts or NavyLeggings Dark coloured track suit Black pumps Trainers Clean vest (optional)
Summer (Optional) Polo Shirt Dress Salwar Socks
White or Light Blue Blue or White Check (may be worn over) Grey or White Black or Grey or White
Jewellery. Jewellery can be a health and safety risk, both for your children and others. Stud earrings and jewellery worn for religious purposes may be worn, but will be taken off or taped over for PE lessons. Art. An overall or old shirt is ideal to help prevent getting paint on clothes!
Clothes for School. We encourage the children at Dale to take care of their clothes, but sometimes things get lost! It can get very upsetting when clothing is lost. To try and prevent this from happening, please ensure you label all items of clothing with your child’s name. Lost property is kept in school for 4 weeks, after which unclaimed items are given to charity.
Money in School Please help us. We ask you to help us ensure that no money is brought into School unless required for a specific purpose. Please send all money in a sealed envelope labelled with your child’s name and class. Envelopes are available for purchase from the school office. Lunchtime. Money must be brought in on Monday morning if your child is having a school meal on any day during the week. The envelope is to be handed to your child’s class teacher. School Visits. Educational visits are an important part of the class work and voluntary contributions are sometimes asked for otherwise we may not be able to arrange visits. Book Club. Children can order books from the book club. Details of the cost of books will be given on the order form that your child will bring home each term. School Photographs. School photographs are taken at School each year. Details of the prices are included in the photograph packs.
Charges and Remissions The School is not permitted to charge for educational visits during term time. However we do ask for voluntary contributions from parents in order to subsidise such visits. We believe that these visits are very valuable, but the School does not have the resources to enable them to take place unless we have financial contributions from parents. Please contact the Head Teacher if there is any difficulty. No child will be penalised, treated differently or excluded from an activity if parents are unable to contribute towards the cost. Parents are required to meet the full cost of board and lodging on residential courses. Parents will be charged tuition fees for individual music tuition. The School encourages parents to provide materials for practical subjects where appropriate. The School expects parents to replace or purchase items of School property, which are lost or damaged, on or off the School premises. The School will charge willful damage to School buildings or property, by pupils to parents.
Children left at School
Child Protection
The school has a policy for children who are left in school after the end of a school session.
Parents should be aware that the School will take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. In cases where the School has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, staff have no alternative but to follow the Derby City Child Protection Procedures and inform Social Services of their concern.
If a child is not collected for lunch; after 10 minutes they will be given a school lunch and a charge will be made. If a child is not collected 30 minutes after the school day ends and we have had no contact with you, the Local Authority are contacted and Social Services can be involved. The full policy is available in school.
Racist Incidents: Racism in any form is not tolerated in School. All incidents are recorded and sent to the Local Authority for collation. Parents will be informed of any occurrence that involves their children either as victim or perpetrator.
Pastoral Care We will need to know if: You or your child is concerned about anything at School, there are health problems, new or old, there is a change in circumstances that affects your child, for example, the arrival of a new baby, the excitement of visitors from abroad Class teachers are available to talk to parents/carers both before and after School. An appointment can be made within School time if necessary or if you prefer you may speak to the learning mentors who are available in the community room every morning. All information will be treated confidentially. If your child feels a little unwell before School or has a minor injury, our trained First Aid staff will provide the care that is required. In more severe cases parents will be contacted as soon as possible. If your child needs hospital attention, you will be expected to take him or her to hospital yourself. However, if your child needs to go to hospital and we cannot contact you, we will arrange for him or her to be taken. Please ensure that we have up to date telephone contact details for your child. Notify the School Office of any changes. IF YOUR CHLD HAS VOMITED EITHER AT HOME OR AT SCHOOL, YOU MUST ALLOW 48 HOURS WITHOUT SICKNESS BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL. Children must not be sent to School with medicines of any sort, unless prior arrangements have been made. In special circumstances it is possible for us to administer medicines. Please see a member of the office staff if this becomes necessary. Children who use Asthma inhalers MUST bring their inhalers to School. Your child’s teacher will need to know if he/she needs any inhaler. The following people also support the children at Dale School: The School Doctor; the School Nurse; the School Dentist; the Speech Therapist; the Education Social Worker. Under the Data Protection Act we are registered to provide personal data about pupils to Health Service Professionals. This information is treated confidentially. Bullying incidents are recorded and sent to the Local Authority.
Complaints The Governors and Staff of Dale Community Primary School welcome any suggestions or comments that parents may wish to make about any aspect of the School. We continually strive to improve the quality of the education at Dale by frequently monitoring and reviewing School policies and procedures. Parental involvement in this process is essential. Please talk to us. We will listen and act upon your suggestions. Complaints may be related to: 1. The curriculum (what is taught in the classroom). 2. Staff employed in School. 3. Policies and Procedures. 4. Health and Safety. 5. Pupils. If you have a problem or complaint PLEASE TELL US. We will do our best to resolve it. We solve the vast majority of complaints we receive on the spot, or during the day. In any case we aim to respond within 24 hours. Your first point of contact should be the Class Teacher. She/he will offer advice as to who can deal with the problem. If required, bilingual staff are available to assist you. The class teacher or member of staff will record your complaint on an informal complaints form to be passed on to the Head Teacher. If you are not satisfied, having spoken with the appropriate member of staff, please take up the matter with the Head Teacher. If the complaint is to do with matters of health and safety or is a complaint against a member of staff then please contact the Head Teacher directly. If you wish to make a complaint against the Head Teacher, the Chair of Governors should be contacted through the School.
Dale Community Primary School Porter Road Derby DE23 6NL 01332 760070 admin@dale.derby.sch.uk www.dale.derby.sch.uk Created for Dale Community Primary School