2024-25 School Information Booklet FINAL VERSION (1)
Deighton Gates Primary School Information
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome to Deighton Gates Primary School in Wetherby. We are delighted to be welcoming your child into our school This prospectus aims to give the essential information that you will need for your child starting school It is an exciting time but it can be daunting. We aim to support you and your children to settle in as quickly as we possibly can. If your questions are still unanswered, please just pop in or give us a ring and we will help where we can.
We are an inclusive primary school with 208 children, a fantastic staff and thriving Parent/Teacher Association known as Friends of Deighton Gates. Classes are grouped in three Key Stages: Foundation Stage, often referred to as Reception; Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2); Key Stage 2 (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6).
We are lucky to have a large building with lots of teaching space to enrich our learning. We have developed a tailor-made Music Room, ICT Suite, Library and an Art and Design space, as well as extensive school grounds. Do look at what we are doing on our website www.deightongates.leeds.sch.uk, our blog (follow link in website) or our X (Twitter) feeds @GatesPrimary.
We work hard to provide an exciting broad curriculum in order to develop our dynamic learning community We often have open days where we throw open our doors to invite parents and friends in to learn alongside us and we also have theme or topic weeks Please look at our website to see what we have been up to! We are especially keen on taking our learning outside and we have introduced forest schools this year. Have a look at our orchard and wildlife areas.
In addition to the hard work we do in school time, we also have a wide variety of extracurricular opportunities, designed to cater for the interests of our older pupils. These include various sports such as football, athletics, rugby, netball, as well as art and crafts, ukulele and small group guitar lessons We also have two Forest School clubs (lunch and after school), Spanish club and Bal-a-Vis club.
Children are actively involved in decision making through the School Council, who organise charity events and aim to improve the school This year they have worked with the Senior Leadership Team to put on ‘Deighton’s Got Talent’ and have also organised charity fund raising events. Our Playmaker and Curriculum Ambassador schemes also ensure children are actively involved in school life, developing leadership skills along the way.
We are looking forward to working with you to help your child become the best they can be. We want them to be successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve their potential We will work with them to develop them as confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives. We aim for all our pupils to be responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
We look forward to working with you and your child.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Sarah Hawes
School Hours
School starts at 8:45am (gates open at 8:35)
Reception & Key Stage 1
Lunch break is from 12:15pm – 1:15pm
Afternoon session ends at 3:15pm
Key Stage 2
Lunch break is from 12:15pm – 1:15pm
Afternoon session ends at 3:15pm
For KS1 & KS2 there is a fifteen-minute break for playtime in the morning.
The school office is open from 8:30am - 9:30am and from 3:00pm - 4:00pm.
Between 9:30am and 3:00pm, you can contact us on 01937 584359
School Administration
Change of Address, Email Contacts and Mobile Telephone Numbers - It is very important that the school is kept informed of any change of address, telephone number or email address and where parents can be contacted in case of any accident or illness. These details need to be communicated to school via our information management system: www.sims-parent.co.uk/
Letters / Emails – Please check your child’s book bags and your email regularly. For any communication that requires a response, we would ask that you reply promptly.
Late for School – If your child arrives after 8:45am, please bring them to sign in at the office.
School Fund – School fund is a voluntary contribution of £20 per child, per year. This can be paid online through the Teachers2Parents payment app.
The proceeds are used to support additional activities in school such as theatre productions, transport costs for sporting events and professionals to support the curriculum. It does not cover trips or visits.
Messages via the School Office - Whilst we appreciate the need on occasion to convey urgent messages to children, for example a change in who will be collecting them from school etc. We would ask that the majority of this communication happens before the children arrive at school. Whilst we understand that these messages are important, we would ask that before parents/carers telephone school, they consider whether this could be communicated at another time. Thank you for your co-operation.
Communication, Letters and Consent Slips – We use Teachers2Parents to communicate information with you. At times, we will require you to complete a consent form, for example where your child’s class is going on a school trip. We will confirm details in a letter to you, which will be sent out via Teachers2Parents and you will also be able to complete the consent
form online. If payment is required, this is to be done via the Teachers2Parents payment app. Once your child has started at our school, you will be invited to register for our online systems/apps. These include SIMS Parent (for data held)/ Teachers2Parents (for letters/communications/payments).
School Staff 2024-25
Mrs Sarah Hawes Headteacher
Mr Luke Hale Deputy Headteacher
Teachers
Miss L Rhodes Reception
Mrs S Thompson/Miss K Welsh
Mrs R Bourne
Mrs C Gibson
Miss R Pickles
Miss H Shedlow/Miss H Johnson
Mr L Hale/Mrs R Smith
Mrs R Smith (SENco)
Teaching Assistants
Mrs L Armstrong
Mrs J Bailey
Mrs S Fisher
Mrs A Hagyard-Broscombe
Mrs N Hepburn (HLTA)
Miss J Johnson
Mrs A Kerr
Miss N MacFarlane
Mrs J McGowan-Leach
Mrs N McKenzie
Miss R Proctor
Mrs C Routledge
Mrs S Sagar
Mrs C Smith
Mrs M Watts (HLTA)
Mrs K Bamforth
Mrs S Wallis
Mr A Hewitt
Mrs C Evans
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
School Business Manager
Administrator
Site Manager
Learning Mentor
• White or red polo shirt
School Uniform
• Red jumper/cardigan with school logo
• Black sensible school shoes
• Grey skirt/grey trousers/grey shorts/grey pinafore dress/red and white gingham dress
Pre-loved Uniform
We have a wide range of good quality uniform that has been donated by parents. If there are any items that you require, please let us know and we will check our stock.
Other Suppliers
Deighton Gates logo jumpers and cardigans etc. can be ordered from the following suppliers:
APC Clothing - Unit 6a Guardian Park, Station Road Industrial Estate, Tadcaster, LS24 9SG; either direct or on-line at https://www.school-uniforms.co.uk/find-your-school/deighton-gatesschool.html
Kool Kidz – 17 North Street, Wetherby, LS22 6NU. Tel 01937 589422. Website https://www.koolkidzuniforms.com/
PE Uniform for PE Days Only
Please note that children will be asked to come in their PE kit on the days that they have PE.
• Black jogging bottoms/leggings
• White t- shirt
• Trainers
• School jumper or school PE hoody
(PLEASE ENSURE ALL CLOTHING IS NAMED)
To order name tags for clothing you can log onto: https://www.mynametags.com using ID number 33124, this can help earn FoDG some extra money
Food and Drinks
Snacks - Children are encouraged to bring in a healthy snack, fruit, vegetable sticks etc. to enjoy at break-time. Chocolate, crisps etc. are discouraged; we ask that you support us in our ‘Healthy Schools Campaign’ .
Afternoon snacks, Reception & Key Stage 1 - Children will be offered a piece of fruit or vegetable every afternoon, in line with Government policy
Drinks - Please provide your child with water, in a named water bottle (no juice, squash, fizzy drinks or glass bottles).
Lunchtime - The children are supervised during lunchtime by a Midday Supervisor and Assistants. Good manners and sociable behaviour are expected at lunchtime and we appreciate your support in promoting this. Children can select from main meal, jacket potato and sandwich options. If your child has any food allergies/cultural requirements, please request a catering form from the school office.
Packed lunches - As an alternative, children can bring packed lunches. Please send food that is easily managed by your child, e g. sandwiches and fruit. We would once again encourage healthy options. They may bring their own drink (no fizzy drinks or bottles) but water is provided. Please note that we are a nut free school, no nuts are to be provided in your child’s packed lunch. This includes Nutella spread.
Universal Free School Meals are available to all Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 children - The Schools Meals Service promotes a healthy diet through varied menus. The meals are well balanced and nutritious and there is usually a main course and dessert The children are encouraged to try everything but no child is forced to eat a meal or item of food they do not like. These are displayed in the classroom and on the website for your information. For KS2 pupils, school meals are currently £2.75 per day.
School meals and packed lunches from home are pre-booked via the Teachers2Parents App. You are able to book your child’s meals up to three weeks in advance. Log in details will be sent to enable you to do this.
In Leeds, one form is used to apply for school meals, council tax support and rent allowance. Therefore, if you apply for these benefits, your child will receive their school meals and no charge will be made. Some people who are eligible for free school meals do not fill in the form if they will not benefit from the council tax support or rent allowance. An example would be a single parent living with their parents. When you apply for these benefits, the school gets additional funding for your child, called the Pupil Premium. It is therefore very important you continue to fill in this form. If you are unsure whether you are eligible you should ask the school office. Support is also available at One Stop Centres; Housing Offices; or the LBS Helpline 0113 2224404. Please note: If you qualify for certain benefits you’ll be entitled to free school meals (KS2 onwards). You should apply to the local benefit office.
Please contact Mrs Bamforth in the school office if you:
• Have any concerns regarding school meals.
• Would like more information about Pupil Premium funding.
Milk – If your child is under five, they are entitled to ‘free school milk’ through Cool Milk - https://www.coolmilk.com/. If your child is over five, they are entitled to subsidised milk. Shortly before your child turns five, you will be offered the opportunity to pay a subsidised rate for your child to continue to receive milk, this will be sent via Cool Milk who we currently receive the milk from.
Pupil Welfare
Illness
If your child is unable to attend school through illness, please leave a message before 8:30am, on the first day of absence, on telephone number 01937 584359 or send us an email to staff@deightongates.leeds.sch.uk Please keep us updated on subsequent days of absence.
Sickness & Diarrhoea
It is very important that your child is not brought back into school until a period of 48 hours has elapsed since their last symptoms.
Medical Appointments
If the absence/appointment is known in advance, could you please send an email to staff@deightongates.leeds.sch.uk to let us know when your child will be absent from school and if he/she will be returning to school in time for school lunch
Medical Conditions/Allergies
Please make sure that the school office is fully informed of any allergies, serious illness or other medical conditions which may affect your child in school Where required, together we will create an Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP).
Medicines
If your child needs to take prescribed medication at school you must complete a consent form, which details the dosage and time that the medication is to be taken. This must be handed into the school office with the medication. Forms are available on the school website under Parents – Forms, or can be requested from the school office. This medicine will be administered by a member of school staff. Please note we can only administer medicines where the doctor has stated they need to be given four times a day or more or where an IHCP is in place. This is in accordance with our medicines in school policy
Head Infestations
Please don’t panic!! If you suspect your child has been infected with nits or head lice, wash his/her hair in special medicated shampoo and use a fine-tooth comb to comb through to remove the problem. Please inform the class teacher and consult your local pharmacist for up to date information. If live headlice are found in your child’s hair whilst they are at school, we will contact you. If they have not been treated yet we will ask you to take your child home so that they can be treated.
First Aid
If your child falls he/she will be attended to by a first aider and grazes and bumps will be cleaned and bathed. If the injury is more serious we will contact the parent if it is felt that hospital treatment is needed If we cannot contact you, we may act on your behalf and take your child to receive medical attention.
Requests for Leave of Absence / Holiday in Term Time
School is not able to authorise leave in school time, except in the case of exceptional circumstances, such as bereavement Holidays will not be unauthorised and may incur a fine You must notify us if your child is going to be absent before the absence so that we do not spend time investigating absence that has been planned. Requests for leave of absence and the Attendance Policy are available on the school website under Parents – Forms and are also available from the school office
Safety
Car Park
Please note due to safety reasons only staff cars are allowed in the car park. However, in exceptional circumstances e.g disabled access, arrangements can be made Please speak to someone in the school office. During school hours the gates are closed at all times. If you do need to drive into the car park for any reason during the school day, please ensure you close the school gates on your way in and out.
Parking
If you drive your child to school, please follow the guidelines below:
• Do not pause, stop, or park on the zig-zag lines outside school
• Do not stop in the gateway to drop children off
• Ensure that children use the paths and do not cut across the car park
• Please consider residents when parking in local streets, we ask that you avoid obstructing driveways (Police often patrol this area to enforce good practice).
Safe Walking Routes
Our children are not allowed to cross the car park, either on the road or grass, to the front of the school buildings. When entering or leaving school they must use the footpath around the outside of the car park.
Dogs
For Health & Safety reasons dogs (except guide dogs) are not allowed on the school premises.
Fire/Evacuation Practice - A practice is held regularly to familiarise the children and staff with the procedure for either leaving or remaining safely inside the building in an emergency
School Security
In order to keep your children safe, we have code locks in place on all outside doors. We certainly do not wish to make parental access difficult and if ever you wish to come into school please contact the school office or the class teacher. The main foyer is always accessible and school office staff are happy to deal with your enquiries and allow you entry to the school.
Communication
School News
School news will be sent out via the Teachers2Parents app. Please download this app! School meals are also booked using this app. Newsletters will be distributed regularly to keep you updated Any information in between times will be sent out by email or via the Teachers2Parents app Please keep us informed of any changes to your contact details via our information management system www.sims-parent.co.uk/
Community, school and FoDG posters will be displayed outside the school office and in classrooms. The website is updated regularly with letters that have gone out to parents and also includes a school calendar. Please also see our X (Twitter) page @GatesPrimary
Texting Service
We use Teachers2Parents for reminders and to let you know of any closures or special arrangements, due to snow etc. The texts or emails will be sent out to parents of children at the school
Complaints/Bullying
Most complaints and concerns can, and should, be dealt with by your child’s teacher or a member of staff attached to the class. In the unusual circumstance that this does not lead to a resolution, then please ask for an appointment with Mrs Hawes or one of the Senior Leaders
The chair of the governing body can be contacted via the school office, if you wish to take any concern beyond the school staff once all other resolution options have been followed.
Other Items
Friends of Deighton Gates (FoDG)
FoDG aims to support school by assisting with fundraising, by organising social events for parents and children. By virtue of your child attending the school, you are automatically a member of FoDG. Meetings are held regularly and we always encourage new members.
School Visits
These are regular features of the curriculum and are linked to the topic. We plan opportunities for the children to extend their curriculum by looking at the local neighbourhood, for which written permission will be sought.
When taking children on organised trips to places further afield and which require transport, you will need to submit an online consent form prior to the visit. Under the terms of the Education Reform Act 1988, the school is not allowed to make a charge for this activity, but we are permitted to ask for voluntary contributions and the Governors have authorised us to do so No child will be excluded if his/her parent does not make a contribution, however, if insufficient contributions are made then the visit may be cancelled.
Cloakrooms
The children are encouraged to keep the cloakroom tidy. We would be grateful if you would ensure that your child’s coat is named and has a hook sewn in so that it can be hung on a peg – each child has his/her own named peg Children’s belongings should be brought in a pump bag rather than a rucksack/backpack, which is too large for the cloakroom.
Jewellery
The only items of jewellery allowed in school are stud earrings and watches, which are the child’s responsibility Earrings must be either removed or covered by plasters for PE (within the first 6 weeks of piercing)
Photographs
The school photographer visits twice a year – in the autumn for individual/family photographs and in the spring for class groups.
Class Assemblies
During the year each class gives a class assembly for the rest of the school. We invite parents, grandparents and carers to join us. It is a good opportunity to see the children’s work, and to join us for a coffee and a chat.
Religious Education
Parents are entitled to withdraw their child from assemblies. Arrangements are made to meet parents’ wishes with regards to RE
Behaviour & Discipline
The school has a Behaviour Policy, which encourages acceptable standards of behaviour. Realistically there are occasions when unacceptable behaviour occurs. When such behaviour arises, it is discussed immediately with the child concerned, sanctions may be imposed and the parents contacted if necessary. The policy is available on the website.
Parent Helpers
We would really welcome helpers in school on a regular basis. If you have a spare hour or two, please contact the school office.
Students
We are committed to the development of future teachers and support staff in school. Therefore each year we have a number of students from local colleges and universities undertaking work experience
Please do get in touch if there is still something that you need to know.
Holiday Schools close
Summer break
Autumn mid-term
Friday 25 October 2024
Christmas break Friday 20 December 2024
Spring mid-term Friday 14 February 2025
Easter break Friday 4 April 2025
May Bank Holiday Friday 2 May 2025
Summer mid-term Friday 23 May 2025
Summer break Tuesday 22 July 2025
Schools open
Monday 2 September 2024
Monday 4 November 2024
Monday 6 January 2025
Monday 24 February 2025
Tuesday 22 April 2025
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Monday 2 June 2025
At the end of each full term school closes at 1:30pm, Christmas, Easter & Summer
