STROUD SCHOOL HANDBOOK Middle School 2021/2022
WELCOME In Middle School, we foster and develop a love of learning. Mistake making is an important part of this process, and children are given opportunities to contemplate and grapple through a dynamic and challenging curriculum. We provide experiences that cultivate curious learners who are excited by the opportunities Stroud has to offer. Lucy Tippett Head of Middle School Please do contact your child’s form tutor should you need any further information. Year 3 Lucy Tippett - lat@stroud-kes.org.uk Gary Rouse - grr@stroud-kes.org.uk Louise Cope - lec@stroud-kes.org.uk Year 4 Ellie Robinson - err@stroud-kes.org.uk Julian Applegarth-Jones - jda@stroud-kes.org.uk Polly Lindsey - pal@stroud-kes.org.uk Year 5 Olly Case - opc@stroud-kes.org.uk Therese Payton - tlp@stroud-kes.org.uk Kirsten Andrews - kla@stroud-kes.org.uk
The nurturing environment of Middle School not only ensures children flourish academically but also supports our children’s emotional development; helping them to become more disposed to being reflective and resilient with an ability to recover from setbacks. With our small classes and family feel, we offer outstanding pastoral care in an environment where children feel supported and thrive. An accompanying sports handbook, fully explaining all you need to know about sport at Stroud, is also available - please see this for more detailed sporting information.
CONTENT
STROUD SCHOOL TEAM
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THE CURRICULUM IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
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HOW YOUR CHILD WILL LEARN
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PASTORAL CARE
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DAILY ROUTINE
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ASSESSMENT
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WAYS TO HELP AT HOME 10 MEDICAL
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GENERAL INFORMATION
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COMMUNICATION
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PARENT PORTAL
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SSA 15 INSPECTION REPORT AND POLICIES
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MAP OF SCHOOL
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UNIFORM
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STROUD SCHOOL TEAM The team are looking forward to welcoming your family to Stroud and getting to know your child. Each year team has a learning support assistant, however the children will interact with all staff within the department. We operate an open-door policy and we are here to help. If you would like to discuss something in detail, please contact us via email to make an appointment.
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THE CURRICULUM IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
We have a lively curriculum designed to inspire young minds. We believe that children learn best when they are finding out for themselves and learning from mistakes. Each half-term, a curriculum overview will be put into your child’s diary explaining what your child is learning and allowing you to support your child at home. The children are taught by specialist teachers for Music, French, PE, Dance, ICT and Forest School (New this Autumn). Year 5 are also taught by Art and DT specialists. The day-to-day curriculum is enriched through trips, visitors and whole school events such as ‘Languages Day’ and ‘STEAM week’, where pupils take part in themed activities that provide inspiration and encourage collaboration. Our facilities offer a wide range of exciting indoor and outdoor learning areas. We also have use of an outdoor swimming pool, riding arena, tennis courts and adventure playground, due to be completed for this Autumn Term 2021.
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HOW YOUR CHILD WILL LEARN We know all our children in Middle School extremely well: what makes them tick, where their strengths lie, where they need support. We mould their educational experience to bring light into their eyes and to enable to them to aim high and be all that they can be. We believe variety is key to making school fascinating. Give children lots of different ways to experience learning and they will thrive and be hungry to learn more. Our smaller class sizes mean we have more time to teach, discuss and support. It also means we are light on our feet and able to plan and implement changes and ideas promptly. Making school a happy place requires several things, one of the most important of which are the adults present. We have an experienced, energised and talented team who welcome the children with broad smiles. Our children know that their teachers notice them and feel reassured and safe. Children are unique and we understand that children enjoy different aspects of school life. There is plenty of time built into the school day to play independently, to get outdoors, and to do Art, Drama, Sport and Music. Outdoor learning also appeals to and suits many children. Children have sport twice a week, as well as Forest School. (New for this Autumn Term). Prep, also known as homework, will be set in accordance with your child’s age. A separate Prep timetable can be found in your child’s home-school diary. Music and Speech & Drama lessons, also known as Extras, are available from Year 3 upwards. These will take place during the school day on a rota to ensure your child does not always miss the same curriculum lesson. Extras can be booked via a form that will be available in the school bulletin.
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PASTORAL CARE FORM TUTORS Your child’s form tutor is their main point of contact. They are responsible for your child’s welfare in school and should be your first port of call if you have any questions or concerns. As appropriate, this will then be shared with the Head of Senior School or the appropriate ELT staff. REWARDS AND GUIDANCE Children collect stars for commendable work and actions. Gold Stars, worth ten stars, are awarded for going above and beyond. Children collect the stars for their Sections, and the Section that has collected the most stars at the end of each term is given a special Section treat. Poor behaviour will be dealt with by the form tutor and, where appropriate, senior managers. The focus will be on correcting children in a supportive and pro-active way what helps them to make better decisions in the future. Form tutors will communicate with parents to provide a cohesive approach. SECTIONS Each child is allotted a Section: Bulldogs, Greyhounds and Terriers. They collect stars for their Section and compete in sporting events throughout the school. Year 8 Section Leaders are responsible for leading their Section in assemblies, running litter picks and helping to build Section morale.
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DAILY ROUTINE
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07:45 - 08:15 08:15 08:30 - 08:40 08:40 - 09:00 10:30 - 10:50 12:55 - 13:55 13:55 16:30 16:30 - 16:45 16:45 - 17:45 17:45 - 18:45
Breakfast in the Dining Room Early arrivals to Middle School playground Drop-off at drop-off zone Registration Break time and snack Lunch in the Dining Room, followed by break time Registration End of school day Junior Prep tea After-school clubs or Junior Prep Late clubs
Middle School is located next to Highwood House. The school day is from 08:40 until 16:30 Monday to Friday. Wraparound care is available from 07:45 - 17:45 daily. If you arrive at school later than registration, we ask that you register your child at Reception. If you need to collect your child during the school day, please go via Reception to collect
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BREAKFAST CLUB Breakfast Club (for which there is an extra charge) is held in the Dining Room. It begins at 07:45 and finishes at 08:15. There is no need to sign-up in advance, your child is welcome to join us on the day but please arrive by 08:00. SNACK Children may bring in a healthy snack for morning break. Stroud School is Allergy Aware, pupils are specifically asked not to bring snacks to school that contain nuts or traces of nuts. Please also send your child with a clear water bottle each day. LUNCH The kitchen caters for all dietary needs. We offer a range of foods, which we encourage the children to try. Should your child have specific dietary requirements, please email Matron and inform your child’s form tutor. A weekly menu is posted in the weekly bulletin. END OF THE DAY At 16:30, children are dismissed by their form tutors from their form rooms. Uncollected children will be taken to Junior Prep. If you wish for someone other than a parent to collect your child, please inform the School Office. JUNIOR PREP TEA A light snack and drink will be provided for your child if they are staying for a club or Junior Prep. CLUBS Information and details on clubs, including booking, is available on My School Portal. Clubs normally start at 16:45 and finish at 17:45. Pupils will be dismissed from the Middle School building. Late clubs are dismissed from the ASD Hall. SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORT The school operates a fleet of mini buses. The bus routes are altered each year depending on parental need; please contact the School Office for further details and booking. Places are booked on a termly basis. JUNIOR PREP This is an opportunity for Middle School children to complete their homework at school. This is available everyday from 16:45 to 17:45. Half-Junior Prep is also available from 16:45 to 17:15. Children can sign-up each day in registration.
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ASSESSMENT Your child’s progress will be continually assessed throughout the academic year. This will be through informal, day-to-day observations and more formal summative assessments at the end of units, at the end of each term and at the end of the academic year. In the Autumn Term, pupils will participate in online GL Assessments that adapt to the performance of the children. They will also sit some summative online assessments in English, Maths and Science, in the Summer Term. These will help form a judgement about your child’s progress from the previous year. Reports are sent home at the end of the Autumn Term along with personalised targets for each child. At the end of the academic year, a full report is sent home with effort and attainment grades, and targets. There are regular evenings set aside for parents to discuss pupils’ progress with members of staff. Individual learning needs are supported by the Learning Support Department, where staff liaise closely with class teachers and parents to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to succeed.
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WAYS TO HELP AT HOME Continuing your child’s reading journey in Middle School is vital. Spending time listening to your child read is hugely beneficial to their learning, as is sharing a book at bedtime or reading more complex texts to them. Reading offers a chance to start discussions and enjoy a shared experience; reading a page of a book or enjoying an audiobook together on a long journey will help to make sure reading is fun and accessible. Maths is all around us and Middle School children can really start to appreciate this. Letting your child add up the cost of your shopping basket and predict the change they should receive helps them to use their growing skills in the real world. Telling the time is a challenging but important skill: try to make your child aware of analogue and digital clocks around the home. Discuss what time it is, what time they carry out daily routines and how long these things take. Baking is a fun way to learn weight and measuring skills, and timing the cooking brings in those time skills as well. Children in Middle School receive an age-appropriate amount of homework, so helping your child to complete this and embed their school learning is really helpful. Please also see your child’s home-school diary for recommended websites to support your child’s spelling and maths skills.
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MEDICAL If your child is unwell, please fill in the absence request form on the Parent Portal: https://my.stroud-kes.org.uk/login Any pupil who becomes unwell or injured during the school day is referred to Matron. If necessary, you will be contacted to discuss the best course of action. Medicines, including cough linctus, anti-histamine, paracetamol and ibuprofen preparations, will only be administered to children when there is permission to do so. If your child requires medication whilst at school, their medicine should be given to Matron in the medical room. A short-term medical needs administration of medication form must be completed. Please see Matron for these forms, or they can also be collected from the School Office. If your child is prescribed antibiotics, please ensure they have had 24 hours of the course before returning to school.
If your child has sickness or diarrhoea, they must be 48 hours clear of the last symptoms before returning to school. If they show signs of a temperature, please keep them at home until they have been 24 hours fever free. This is to stop the spread of infection. Stroud School is Allergy Aware and caters for pupils with a wide range of medical needs, including but not limited to, gluten intolerance (Coeliac), nut and peanut, egg, and dairy allergies. We also cater for a wide range of cultural dietary requirements. Foodstuffs containing nuts should not be brought on site to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Parents are requested to clearly label all food brought on site that may be shared or sold for charity events. Food brought in for celebrations birthdays should be clearly labelled and handed over to the form teacher.
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Water bottles
Birthdays
Sun Protection
Your child is allowed to drink water whenever they require throughout the day and we ask that your child brings a clear water bottle to school everyday. Water bottles are available from Stevensons. These should only contain water and be clearly named.
Birthdays are important days for the children and we enjoy sharing these special days with them.
On sunny days, suntan lotion should be applied at home prior to coming to school. For health and safety reasons, we cannot apply this at school to the children. Children should bring in their school sun hats.
Children are welcome to bring in cakes or sweets for their birthday, but these must be nut-free, in accordance with our allergy awareness policy. It must be clearly labelled and handed to the class teacher.
Holiday Requests Requests for absence should be made through the Parent Portal.
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COMMUNICATION Stroud is a vibrant school, with lots happening every week. We share our exciting news stories in the following media:
The Stroud Bulletin A round-up of all information and news is emailed to parents every friday evening. This also contains essential information about the following week and upcoming events.
Twitter (@Stroud_school) News stories as they happen. Facebook (@Stroudschool) News stories for you to share with your friends and family. Instagram (@stroudschool) News stories as they happen. School Website stories page (http:// www.stroud-kes.org.uk/whats-happening/news/)
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PARENT PORTAL The Stroud Parent Portal provides direct information to families about their child and the school. Inside this secure area, parents can access information about the school, such as the calendar, child-specific information, including timetables and school reports. Parents’ evenings, Clubs and Tea Club are booked through this system. Please report your child absent from school or request a leave of absence on the home page. The Portal can be found at https://my.stroud-kes.org.uk/login. When joining the school, you will be sent the link to register and details to log in for the first time. Please note: this will be sent within the first week of the summer holidays.
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SSA
Every parent automatically becomes a member of the Stroud School Association (SSA). Our aim is to organise social events for the children, families and staff to help build the strong community and friendships that make Stroud such a special place. All the funds we raise from events such as the Christmas Fayre, Prosecco Party and Easter Egg Hunt are used to fund projects for the benefit of the children. If you are interested in helping the SSA, please join the SSA Volunteers group on Classlist, or email us on thessacommittee@gmail. com if you would like more information about joining the committee.
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INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTION REPORT In December 2019, Stroud achieved ‘Excellent’ – the highest possible grading – in its latest Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The top grading was achieved in both academic achievement and personal development, and was recognised as such from Nursery to Year 8. The ISI is the Ofsted equivalent for independent schools, approved by the Department for Education. This was the first inspection of this type that the school has had since 2011 and follows a Regulated Compliance Inspection in 2017 which the school passed with no recommendations. A copy of the full inspection report can be found on our website: http://www.stroud-kes.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Stroud-School-King-Edward-VI-Prep-School-RCI-report-v5-2017-03-02.pdf
POLICIES All of our school policies can be found on the Stroud School website: https://www.stroud-kes.org.uk/about-stroud/key-information/
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STROUD MAP
Key Facilities: 1 2 3 4
School Reception Highwood House Early Years Key Stage 1
5 Middle School 6 Music 7 ASD Sports Hall 8 Dining Room
9 Matron 10 Wellbeing Centre 11 Forest School 12 Riding Arena
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UNIFORM Girls
Boys
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Stroud navy coat Stroud green rucksack Black leather shoes Wellington boots and socks Water bottle
Winter • Stroud tartan kilt • Stroud green crew neck jumper • Collared, long or short sleeved white shirt • Navy tights • Stroud green knitted hat • Gloves Summer • Stroud tartan dress • Stroud green cardigan • White ankle socks • Stroud green sunhat
Stroud navy coat Stroud green rucksack Stroud green/white striped short sleeve shirt Stroud green crew neck jumper Grey ankle socks Black leather shoes Wellington boots and socks Water bottle
Winter • Mid-grey school trousers • Stroud green knitted hat • Gloves Summer • Mid-grey school shorts (not cargo style) • Stroud green sunhat
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UNIFORM SUPPLIER: STEVENSONS All items * are to be purchased from Stevensons. You can order from Stevensons in the following ways: 1. Order online at www.stevensons.co.uk To register, enter ‘Stroud School’, select and follow instructions. 2. Shop in store. For expert fitting advice and a range of other school essentials’ visit our Bournemouth branch; open 9.00am-5.30pm Monday-Friday and 9.00am-5.00pm on Saturdays. 148-150 Seabourne Road, Bournemouth, BH5 2JA T: 01202 425192 E: bournemouthbranch@stevensons.co.uk 3.
Telephone orders Call Customer Services Department on 01727 853262 and choose option 1. Available 9.00am-5.30pm Monday-Friday and 9.00am-5.00pm on Saturdays. Items will be posted to your home address.
Please direct any queries regarding uniform to: nearlynewuniform@stroud-kes.org.uk Nearly new uniform items can be viewed or purchased at https://stroudschool.square.site ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If the weather is warm up to the Autumn Half-Term, summer uniform may be worn at the beginning of the Autumn Term. Pupils will be reminded in assembly when to change between uniforms. Please ensure that children with long hair have it tied back – bottle green hair ties or bands are preferred. Lost Property - Please ensure all uniform is clearly labelled with your child’s name. Lost property will be collected and stored in cupboards on the mezzanine floor in the ASD. Please look here for any items misplaced. Please view the lost property list. https://vle/stroud-kes.org.uk/lost-property
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