Welcome to the
Pre-Preparatory School Year 1 Parents’ Information
Welcome to the Pre-Preparatory School Dear Parents, It is a pleasure to welcome you and your son into Year 1 and to the beginning of what promises to be an exciting journey through the Pre-Preparatory School. We pride ourselves on the strong partnerships that we have with our Pre-Prep parents and cannot emphasise enough just how important it is that we work closely together. Now that you and your son are part of the Haberdashers’ family, we look forward to ensuring that your son enjoys a happy and fulfilling time with us. Our Pre-Prep School is full of children creatively immersed in their learning, making firm friendships and enjoying being carefree and happy. Without doubt, a happy boy will thrive and reach his full potential and we are committed to achieving that aim. Please rest assured that we will do our utmost to ensure that your son settles quickly into his Year 1 class and that he feels happy and secure in his new surroundings. I do hope that you find this evening useful. Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to ask one of the Pre-Prep team. Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to welcoming our new Year 1 boys back to School in September. With my very best wishes,
Ms Victoria Peck
Head of Pre-Preparatory School
Pre-Preparatory School Staff 2020/21 Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory Leadership Team Ms Victoria Peck Mr Matteo Rossetti
Head of Pre-Preparatory School Head of Preparatory School
Form Teachers Year 1
Miss Nippa Patel Miss Sophie Stables
Form Teacher (1NP) Form Teacher (1SS)
Mrs Jana Percival Mrs Natalie Young
Form Teacher (2JP) Form Teacher (2NY)
Year 2
Miss Louise Edwards Mrs Julie Barber Mrs Helen Pieri Mrs Helen Elliott
School Secretary Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant
Specialist Teachers Mr Gareth Thomas Mr Russell Bloch Mr Ed Barnett Mrs Helen Pritchard
Pre-Prep and Prep School Deputy Head (Pastoral)/ICT Teacher Head of English Pre-Prep and Prep School Head of PE and Games Pre-Prep and Prep Music Teacher (part time)
Support Staff Mr Michael Williams Ms Sharon Thompson Ms Samantha Eaglesfield Mrs Carly Morris Mrs Pawana Porter
Caretaker Catering Supervisor Catering Assistant Lunchtime Assistant Lunchtime Assistant
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Contact Telephone Numbers The Pre-Preparatory office is open Monday to Friday, between 8.30am and 4.30pm. Telephone: 0208 266 1950 Email: PrePrepOffice@habsboys.org.uk Preparatory School Office (at the Elstree site): 0208 266 1779 Senior School Office (at the Elstree site): 0208 266 1700
The School Day Supervision begins at 08:30. Please ensure your son does NOT arrive at the premises before that time.
08:30 – 08:50 08:50 – 09:00 09:00 – 10:15 10:15 – 10:30 10:30 – 12:00 12:00 – 13:15 13:15 – 15:15 15:15 16:30
Playground Supervision Registration Lesson time Break Lesson time Lunch Lesson time School ends - pupils dismissed School office closed
Lunch Hot school lunches are provided every day. There is a choice of either a vegetarian or meat dish. Should you have any queries regarding lunches or would like to discuss your child’s dietary requirements, please contact Ms Sharon Thompson, Catering Supervisor on 0208 266 1791. (Nut allergies – we do have some boys with allergies so please do not send any food into School which contains nuts or nut traces)
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Pastoral Care - a message from the Prep Deputy Head (Pastoral) We hope the following information will clarify our aims in the Pre-Prep School. As Deputy Head with responsibility for the pastoral care of your sons, I welcome the opportunity to inform you about the pastoral facilities within the Pre-Prep School and to clarify the systems in place that support your sons. For all staff, the pastoral duties are of paramount importance. Our aim is to nurture your sons as members of the Haberdashers’ family, offering a safe and secure environment for their learning and play. Mrs Barber, Mrs Pieri and Mrs Elliott are on duty in the playground. Should you feel there is a reason to inform us about a particular circumstance affecting your son then, in the first instance, the member of staff to contact is your son’s Form Teacher. This may be by an email or telephone call. I am aware that some issues may be of a delicate or personal matter and in these instances please contact Ms Peck, Head of Pre-Preparatory School.
Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory School Houses Boys are split into four Houses. The Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory School Houses are:
Andrews Davids Georges Patricks We have a House point system which your son can receive House points for being polite, changing quickly, for work or for sport.
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Communication The message book is for you and your son’s Form Teacher to communicate daily. Should you wish to get a message to the Form Teacher during the day please telephone via Miss Edwards in the School Office on 0208 266 1950 or email her at PrePrepOffice@habsboys.org.uk. In the event of an emergency e.g. if the School should close due to adverse weather or any other reason, we will post a pop-up message on the School website (www.habsboys.org.uk), we will operate an emergency SMS alert, and we will email all parents directly on the School’s iSAMS system, therefore it is important that you alert us of any changes to your contact telephone numbers or email. Reporting to Parents There are two parent evenings per year in the autumn and spring terms. A written report is sent home at the end of the summer term. Email Practice Parents and staff should be aware that an email is not private or confidential; it is a formal, recorded communication to which a number of people might have legitimate access. Emails should not be sent directly to teachers. Please use PrePrepOffice@habsboys.org.uk to communicate with the School. Email is a business communication tool and users (staff and parents) are obliged to use this tool in a responsible, effective and lawful manner. Confidential information may not be forwarded without the permission of the originator.
Parent Voice The parents of boys in the Pre-Prep and Prep School have a Parent Council called ‘Parent Voice Committee’. This committee consists of representatives chosen by the parents of children in each class to represent the views of parents. Each meeting provides a forum for the Parent Voice representatives to put forward their views to the Head of Pre-Preparatory School, providing a more accessible way to involve parents, enabling them to make a real contribution to the School. It is also a way for the School to consult parents about important issues. Parent Voice meets twice in the autumn term and once in each of the spring and summer terms. Meetings are minuted and made available to all parents via the Parent Portal and are conducted in a positive, constructive spirit and solution focused. A volunteer representative will be required in January 2021 from each Year 1 class, for a twoyear term of office, and in the event of a number of volunteers stepping forward for the role, a class parent vote will take place. The current Year 1 parent volunteers will continue in their posts when their sons move to Year 2 in September 2020. Mrs Bruce-Green will send out information closer to the time.
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Absences We strongly advise you not to request leave of absence for your son, as this can interfere with his progress and full participation in lessons or School events. Our School policy on Leave of Absence is detailed below: Leave of Absence (for non-religious reasons) Leave of Absence is only granted in exceptional circumstances and requires a written request to the Head of Pre-Preparatory School via Mrs Peck (PrePrepOffice@habsboys.org.uk) before any firm arrangements are made. Please note our School policy clearly states: “There is no right to leave of absence for parental holidays in term time. In very exceptional circumstances the Headteacher is prepared to consider a request made in writing before any commitment or booking is made�. Please try to avoid absences except on account of illness or religious observance. Absences can only be reported by a parent and must be sent by email. This is to maintain a written record of authorised absences for illness or other reasons. In the Pre-Prep, emails should be sent to PrePrepOffice@habsboys.org.uk. Absences must be reported each and every day a child is absent by 8.50am. If your son is not present in School and we have not received any communication, we will call parents by 9.30am to ascertain the whereabouts of your son and ask you to report the absence by email. Absence will only be authorised by those emails. We would also ask that if you are away from home for any length of time, and your son is staying elsewhere, please inform us, in writing, of the name, telephone number and address of the person(s) who is caring for your son in your absence. This is very important as if your son becomes ill at School or there was an emergency we would need to contact the designated person who would be acting on your behalf.
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JS - June 2020