Welcome To Halfway Houses Primary School Prospectus 2023-24
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to you and your child/ren. I am delighted that you willbe joining us, becoming part ofour Halfway Housescommunity and we are all looking forward to working in partnership with you throughout your child’s time with us.
I am extremely proudof our school and am fortunate to lead an incredibly hard-working, committed team, who are all motivated, passionate about our pupils and wider community andstrive to ensure that they themselvesand all our pupils aim: ‘To be the best we can be.’
Ifirmly believe thatallof our pupils are bursting with potentialand we offer a broad, balanced curriculum,which provides the best possible education, regardless of our pupils’ starting points. Our children are happy, confident and listened to.
I believe that learning is a life-longexperience and strong foundations need to be built, therefore we provide exciting and challenging opportunities for all within our safe and caring environment, where mistakes are respected and learnt from.
A trusting and open partnership between home and schoollies atthe heart of asuccessful educational experience for all children. You are warmly invited to join in our many and varied school activities and to share the experiences all pupils will have throughout the important years spent in their primary school.
We work as a team and are all proud to be part of the Halfway Houses Primary School community whereweensurethat childrenthrive, learntogetherand make theverymost of their time at Primary School.
LindsayFordyce Head of School
We are committed to providing a happy, secure and purposeful environmentwhereourchildren canlearnsuccessfullyand developfully.
Our purpose
Thismeans that we… valuethe individual. seekto enable everyone to achievetheir fullpotential. seektodevelop thewholeperson, recognisingandrewarding achievement in all spheres of school life. work to develop highself-esteem inall. promote attitudes of mutual respect and responsibility. attachhigh prioritytostronglinksbetweenschool, homeand our local community.
‘To be the best we can be’
Our address is:
HalfwayHousesPrimarySchool
Danley Road
MinsterOnSea
Kent ME123AP
Telephone:01795662875
e-mail: HHoffice@tiltrust.org
Website: www.halfwayhouses.kent.sch.uk
Age Range:
Fourtoeleven year olds:Years R,1,2, 3,4,5 and6.
School Hours:
8.30amto3.20pm
EYFSlunchtime11.50–1.20
KS1andKS2lunchtime12.20 –1.20
We are a three form entry primary school.We are lucky to be based ina reasonably new building with 21classes. Our younger children are downstairs and our older children are upstairs. We have 21classrooms, break-out spaces, a library, 2 halls, a pastoral room, a music room and our own kitchen. Outside we have two playgrounds, a playing field and a Forest School area where we also have chickens. We have an area of our field designated to our Year 6 children,with exercise equipment and a relaxing space. We are fortunate to also have a secure outdoor play area for our Receptionchildren. Theschoolcovers “The Foundation Stage", "KeyStage One" and "Key Stage Two”, that is from ages 4 to 11.We expect to have approximately 580 children on roll in September 2023,housed in 20 classrooms.
ReceptionClassesx3
Year 1 Classes x 3
Year 2Classesx3
Year 3Classesx3
Year 4Classesx2
Year 4/5Classx1
Year 5Classesx2
Year 6Classesx3
Theteaching teamconsists of class teachers, 2 Assistant Headteachers, 1 Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator andtheHead of School. We offer further support through our dedicated teamof teaching assistants, our sports coaches, our Pastoral Support Worker, our Family Liaison Officer and a superb teamof officestaff. Wehave many parents whoregularly helpat our school. Our officeisopeneverymorningfrom 8.00am andclosesat4.00pm each afternoon.If you have any queries about school or need to arrange to visit theschool,please contact our office and they will be pleased to assist you.
We believe that working together our childrensucceed, therefore parents are very welcome in school.Weholdregularparentconsultationsandopenevenings duringtheyear whereyoucancome and find out how your child is progressing.We also hold celebration events such as: class assemblies,reading afternoons and other events which show case our pupils’ learning and actively encourage parental support and participation. We have a very activeFacebook page where achievements are shared and celebrated.
We have an open-door policy if you have any concerns outside these times about your child then pleasecontact us.It helps if anappointmentcanbemadebutweunderstandthatsometimesthis is not possible.Parents are also welcome to email our class teachers to ensure regular contact is maintained.
Thisyear our classgroupsareorganisedasfollows:
FoundationStage: ReceptionClasses
Key Stage One:
KeyStageTwo:
YearOneClasses
YearTwoClasses
YearThreeClasses
Year Four Classes
Year Five Classes
Year Six Classes
Our groupstructure and gooddifferentiation of tasks ensures that the needs of all our children are catered for.
We ensure that our children receive quality first teaching at all times and are supported within their classroom environment. Our staff are dedicated to ensuring that thechildren are ableto learntothebest of their ability. If achildis notmaking theexpected progress,thenadditional support is given to them so they can break outfrom theclassroom and receive a structured intervention to ensureconfidence and understanding.
Wekeepour teaching approach flexible to ensureitbestsuitstheneedof thechild and theactivity.
Chair ofGovernors
CEO
DCEO
CFO
SeniorLeadershipTeam
MrsClaire Bridger
MrsDebbieWheeler
Mr Ryan Driver
Mr Phil Reynolds
ExecutiveHeadteacher:MrRyanDriver
Head of School: Mrs Lindsay Fordyce
AssistantHeadteachers: MrsLisaElderfieldandMrs Danielle Hall
SENDCo:Mrs Mcintyre-Lewis
TeachingTeam Teachers TeachingAssistants
EYFS Robin Claire Michel (Year Leader) EmmaHopper
1:1/Additional Adults
May Chisholm
PaulaKelynack
KarenSimmons
Year1
1:1/Additional Adults
Jo Edwards
MandyPayne
LuciaParrott
Blackbird LisaNoble
SarahKingsley
Sparrow Emma Peters Lisa Gammon
Pelican Robert Journeaux (Year Leader) ShelleyRiches
Swan Beth Yates Vicky Baughan
Duckling ClareJames Joe Ruffle
Year2
1:1/Additional Adults
Tania Voisey
Year3
1:1/Additional Adults
George Kippen
Year4
1:1/Additional Adults
JulieHawkes
Penguin Alima Sedge/Charlotte Pattison Joana Pullis
Hummingbird Amy Bell Jackie Luckhurst
Puffin BethSpencer
Woodpecker Shauney Thomsett
Curlew Kelly Smith
Chaffinch Rebecca Cooper
Sam Kiddle
Suezanne Nye
Kay Rose
Housemartin Natalie Watson Katie Hickey
Swift Katie Attaway Amy Taylor
1:1/Additional Adults
KaraAxten
Hawk Flo Wood AnneStickings
Eagle Hannah Fisher Leigh O’Hara
Year6 Yellowhammer Debbie Pickard JulieSpratling
Additional Adults
AimeeJacobs
1:1/Additional Adults
Julie Hawkes
Abbie Rook
Flamingo JasonGreen MichelleRogers
Toucan DanTragner Aimee Jacobs
MiddleLeadershipTeam(YearLeaders)
Miss Claire Michel
MrRobertJourneaux
Miss Amy Bell
Mrs Shauney Thomsett
Miss Natalie Watson
Miss Flo Wood
Mis Debbie Pickard
CoverSupervisors
Mrs Lucy Cockett
Ms Georgina Garett
Mrs Eva Macaleer
Mrs Lel Joy
Librarians
MrsJackieCoppins
Mr Chris James
SupportStaff
FamilyLiaisonOfficer:
PastoralSupportWorker:
MrsHelenPotts
MrsRebecca Hoggins
SportsCoach: Mr LeeSmith
OfficeManager: MrsCathyStevens
Administrative Staff:
Site Manager:
AssistantCaretaker
MrsLaura Mackenzie
Mrs Debby Rose
MrsLouise Bostock
Mr Mathew Smith
MrMartinBrown
Mr TerryBrown
Year5 Kestrel Emma Tickle/Libbi Maytum Ros Brown
Forest School
Forest school provides a rich and stimulating natural environment with activities that are carefully managedtoincludeanelementofchallengeandhelpchildrendevelopawarenessofriskandtheskills and confidence to manage risks. Forest School provides opportunities for pupils of all ages and abilitiestodevelopself-esteem andself-confidence.ForestSchoolsessionsenablepupilsto form positive relationships, develop emotional intelligence and improve their resilience and concentration skills. Pupils learn to cooperate with their peers and adults and develop a sense of responsibility. The open and free environment of Forest School fosters the development of children’snaturalintelligence. Itprovidesactivitieswhichenablethemtoproblemsolve andask questions, enabling them to become more independent, confident and creative learners.
Our Chickens
Our schoolishometosomefriendlyrescuedchickens.Thechickensarevery sociableand enjoy visits from different classes across theschool.The children havelearnthow to carefor thechickens and whatthey can eat.Did you know they really enjoy eating watermelon and tomatoes?
Sensory Room
Our Sensory Roomisafantasticenvironmentfor our childrenwhohaveawiderangeof needs,for example sensory, emotional regulation and social communication.
Itisaspacethat they areable toaccessona specificdayataspecifictimewhichiscalmand quietand supervised byan adult. It promotes a feeling of trust, empathy and confidence. Sometimes,on occasionsfor individualchildrenitenablesthemthe opportunity tore-focusand return to class to continue learning in a positive manner.
AtHalfwayHousesPrimarySchool,our curriculumhas beendesignedtohelpeverychildtobe ‘the
best they can be’
Thebestlearner,friend,citizenof theschool andindeedthewider community,nowandfor the future.
Our curriculum has been designed around theneeds of our learners, to overcometheir barriers to learning andtowidentheir understanding of their placeinthelocal,nationalandglobalcommunity.
At Halfway Houses Primary school careful analysis and discussion about our pupils’ backgrounds, life experiences and culture has helped us to design a curriculumwith three key priorities underpinning every subject area.We believe that by focusing on thefollowing key priorities our childrenwillbereadytosuccessfully meetthechallenges of the next stageof their educationand their lives.
The aim of our curriculum is to develop:
Successful learners with aspirations
Confident children who are independent andresourceful learners. Responsiblecitizens,pupils whovalue their environment and understand theirresponsibilities towards sustaining their local and global environment.
In order to be successfully prepared for thefuture our learners need to acquire a range of knowledge,personal skills, qualities and dispositions.Our curriculum, ethos, values and pedagogical approaches have been designed to provide thefull range of experiences to support our young peopletodevelop apositivesenseof self,a growthmindset,aspirationsfor thefutureandasense of responsibility for self, others, the community and wider world.Our children also leave us with a well-developed sense of moral and social responsibility, an absolute appreciation and acceptance of diversity, culture, sport and the arts. We aim to support children to attain highly so that they are very well prepared for thenext stageof their learning journey; they are aspirational, motivated, capable, curious and resilient learners.
LearnersatHalfway Houses Primary School sometimesenter withlowlevels ofliteracy,speaking and listening skills.Thinking and speaking are inextricably linked as such,every area of our curriculum places an emphasis on language acquisition:talk for learning is a cornerstoneof our approach to thecurriculum.Furthermore, we prioritise theteaching of reading: reading is the window to all areas of learning.We pride ourselves on our tangible reading culture, driven byour Accelerated Reading programme and this is evident in every area of our school environment. Reading supports pupilsto improve vocabulary, become more articulate, develop higher order reasoning,promotecriticalthinkingandisanecessary vehiclefor alllearners toaccesseveryarea of thecurriculum with increased confidence, enjoyment, reflection and success.
Wehavedesignedthecurriculumtoensureourlearnersexperienceaneducationthatisbroad, rich,deep,inspiring andexciting.
At Halfway Houses Primary school our definition of progress is;thewidening and deepening of essential knowledge,skills, understanding and learningbehaviours. We design, organise and plan our curriculum to ensure that children are not merely covering content but achieving a depth to their learning, which enables them to use their skills, and understanding in all areas of the curriculum.We plan and design our curriculum to allow time for children to think, discuss, practise and explore but most importantly to embed.Our curriculum design allows for teaching, practice and repetitionso that our learners know andremember moreover time.Children areableto revisit previous learning, whichallows them to gradually develop a deeper understanding of theskills and processes within subjects, at their own pace and in thebest possibleway for each individual child. Our approachalsorecognises theimportanceofmakingconnectionsbetweendifferentexperiences inlearning andinessencedeveloping children’sunderstanding of thefundamentalprinciplesofeach subject and thelinks between them. Our curriculum is meticulously designed and planned to move thenature of children’sthinking to a higher order deep level of understandingrather than just acquiring new facts and knowledge.
At Halfway Houses Primary School itisour underlying beliefthatchildrenwillnotbesuccessful learners unless they areemotionally secure, therefore we carefully design our curriculumand adopta flexibleapproach to timetabling to ensure that we can meet and respond to any issues whichmayarise.Children’sphysicaland mentalwellbeing areasvaluedandimportantasacademic development.We carefully monitor children’s progress with their personal development and our well planned and thoughtful approaches help to ensure that every childis well cared for and supported.
Halfway Houses values,Learning muscles andGrowth mindset under-pinour curriculumtomake us a positive, successful community of learners.
Our balanced approachtothe curriculumisnotatthe expense of highstandardsincoresubject areas.High standards and enabling children to reach national expectations and above is of vital importance if they are to succeed at thenext stageof their education and go on to achieve full and happy lives and careers.
We have designed and planned our curriculumto offer a range of experiences which contributeto every childreceiving a full and rich curriculum. Therange of experiences we offer support and championour cultureandensures thatour childrenbenefitfromafullrangeof academic,spiritual, moral, social and cultural activities. These activities enrich their livesand those of our whole school community and make them proud of their British values and thediverse society to which we belong and play an active part.We are proud that our curriculumgives our children theskills, confidence and self-belief to lead a happy and fulfilled life by encouraging them to aim high and work towards their goals and dreams in life.
Young childrenareeager tofindoutaboutthe worldandaretryingto makesenseof it.They want to explore and investigate. Our aim is to welcome the children intoa warm, caring and secure atmosphere where they will have theopportunity to explore and discover in order to understand. Children are given opportunities to talk about and listen to, real, meaningful and imaginative situations in order to sequence and develop their thoughts.They areencouraged to think about whatthey are saying and to listen to others. Thecurriculuminour ReceptionClassfollowsthegovernment's ‘FoundationStageGuidance’, designed to develop skills in the3 primeareas of learning.
1. Personal,socialandemotionaldevelopment
2. Communicationandlanguage
3. Physicaldevelopment
Afurther four specificareasofleaningarealsoprioritised:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding theWorld ExpressiveartsandDesign
Earlyreading skills are developed as children listen to and discuss stories,rhymes or information books onadailybasis.Weteachthesoundsthatletters makebothindividually andwhencombined through thedocument ‘Letters and Sounds’ and a structured phonics programme called ’Jolly Phonics’.Thechildrenaretaughtabasicsightvocabulary of highfrequencywords thattheyneed to recognise.
Many of theskills to support reading also aid writing. We support thewriting process by demonstrating andmodelling writing,focusingonbothstructureandcontent.Thechildrenhave regular opportunity to practice forming letterscorrectly.We have writing activities,using everyday situations where thechildren can behave like a writer and 'write' for a purpose.
We are sensitive to the needs of all our pupils and their varying abilities. Some children are quick to grasp new concepts, where others need moretimeand help.What all our children need is positive encouragement and support.During theearly years practical work, painting and drawing, construction play,sand,water and roleplay form a vital part of thecurriculum.This essentialexploratoryandpracticalworkprovidesasoundbasisfor later learning andmoreformal language and numericalskills, ensuring that our children areready to enter Key Stage 1 as confidentandkeenlearners. Statutory assessments aremadeat the endof the EYFS tofurther inform parents, Year 1 teachers and to enable a national comparison to be made.
As oneof the core foundations to a child’s education,we place a strong emphasis on our English work.We aim to provide a language-richenvironment in which all children may become confident communicators in thespoken,printed and written word.All children pursue a planned curriculumdesignedtodevelopskillsinreading, written andverbal communication and listening.
Reading
We aim to develop the children as independent, successful and enthusiastic readers, as early as possible. In order to encourage them to read for a varietyof purposes and to become lifelong readers,weprovideawiderangeof attractiveandstimulatingbooks,coveringavarietyof styles, subject matter and levels of difficulty.All children follow a programme of reading activities.Once they have mastered thebasicsand learned how to read (which most have by the end of Year 2) they begin a course designed to extend their reading ability so that they become competent and confident.The emphasis then becomes onreading for understanding.Thechildrenundertakeactivitieswith fictionandnon-fiction books, which aim to help them:
followtheauthor’s meaning. makereasonedjudgmentsandstatements aboutthebookstheyread. use reference books effectively.
For mostof their readingactivities,thechildrenareabilitygrouped.Wefindthis thebestwayof catering for each child’s needs.We also place great value on personalreading for enjoyment and information.
Writing
Childrenareengagedinawiderange of activitiesintendedtoprovidetheopportunity toexpress their ideas,feelings andknowledgeandto help themdevelop the skillsnecessary toachievethis. Over their primaryyearsthechildrenread,experienceandwriteinthevariety of shapes,styles and forms that our written language is contained in.They are introduced to the mechanics of writing,suchas punctuationandgrammar,in aschemethat allows for continuity andprogression. Our National Curriculum now places an increased emphasis on grammar and Standard Englishand this is taught and expected to be used throughout all areas of thecurriculum. To develop and consolidate children’s understanding of grammar, daily lessons are taught across theschool. Rigorous attention is given to spelling, phonics, spelling patterns thepresentation of work and handwriting.We use a cursive, leading line style of handwriting from thereception year upwards. Thechildrenareencouragedto‘join’ their writingassoonastheybecomecompetent atforming all theletters and feel confident enough to do so.
Speaking and Listening
The National Curriculum recognises the value of actively teaching and fostering speaking and listening skills. A wide variety of activities, formal and informal, are introduced to enable children tolistenwithunderstanding andspeakwithclear meaning.Astheprincipalmeans of communicating, speaking and listening skills are practiced constantly and are developed through conversation, discussion,messagegivingandreceivinganddrama,soastoserveasakeyskillthroughoutallschool activities.
A significantamount of timeis spent developing theskills of mathematical thinking and the understanding of mathematical knowledge in each child.We aim to help our children acquire computationalskillsbaseduponthedevelopmentofconceptualunderstandingandprocedural fluency.
Westrivetogivechildrenathoroughunderstanding of whatthey aredoing inmaths,by providing them with lots of opportunities to explore mathematics practically using concrete apparatus before proceeding to theuse of pictorial and then abstract representations.
Wefeel it is importantthat children seehow differentareas of mathematics link together and thatanunderstandingoftherelevanceofmathematicsinrelationtoeverydaylifeisdeveloped.
Agreatemphasisisplaceduponthevalueof promoting talkrichlearningenvironments,enabling children to express their mathematical understanding using mathematical language accurately.
We teach a singlemaths topic at the time to our classes,ensuring that logic, reasoning and problem-solvingskillsareencourageddailywitharangeof varyingcontexts providedtoenable pupils to use and apply their skills.
A strong focus is placed on mental mathematics which includes knowledgeofnumber bonds, times tables andunderstanding of theinverseoperations,encouragingspeedyrecallthroughregular practice.
We aim to develop positive attitudes and foster a ‘growth mindset’attitudetothesubjectsothateverychildfeelsthat they have theconfidence and ability to succeed.
Intheir Sciencework,thechildrendiscover howtheworldaboutthemworks.Weencouragethem to develop an enquiring mind, with a strong emphasis placed on experimental and investigative work.A scientific approach isencouraged where questioning, predicting and examining are essential tools of theyoung scientist. We follow theNational Curriculum Programmes of Study.Thechildren study materials, living things,andphysicalprocesses,includinglight,soundandtheforcesof theearthandbeyond. We teach most of our scientific work in themes, which enables us to makethework moremeaningful for thechildren,and allows us to offer a reasonable depth of study.
Considerableopportunity is provided for pupilsto develop the skills and confidence to cope with theever-changingworld of computers.Our wireless networked learn pads, laptops,iPads and interactive whiteboardsensure that computing practice is provided across thecurriculum, in individual,groupandclassorganisations,using awidevarietyof educationalsoftware.Thechildren also have safe and controlled access to the Internet.Our children make use of computers to retrieve information,organise data,and process their own material.
AtHalfwayHousesPrimary our policyisinlinewiththeKent Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.
Thecurriculumfor REaims toensurethatall pupils: Knowaboutandunderstandarangeofreligionsandworldviews. Express ideasandinsights aboutthenature,significanceandimpactof religionsand worldviews
Gainanddeploytheskillsneededto encourageseriouslywithreligionsandworldviews
All pupils learn from Christianity in each Key Stage in addition pupils learn from theprincipal religions that are represented in theUK, in line with thelaw. These are:Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, BuddhismandJudaism.Furthermore,childrenfromfamilieswherenon-religious viewsareheldare represented in all our classrooms.These worldviews, including for example, humanism,will also be thefocus for study.
Parents havetherighttowithdrawtheir childrenfromReligiousEducation after consultationwith theHead of School.
In their historical and geographical work thechildren study thelives of people past and present, key events in history,and attain a sense of order in which history unfolds.They investigatethe features of their own locality and the wider environment.They develop an understandingof howpeople liveandwork,whereplacesaresituatedandthemeansbywhichtheycommunicate,use theenvironment and take their place in society.Once again we organise most of our work in themes.To add to the children’s understanding and stimulation we use visits to places like museums,bothlocalandfurther afield.Wealsoinviteexpertsintoschoolto addto thechildren’s first-hand knowledge.
ChildrenexperiencetheArts bylooking at artists fromthepastand present andacross a variety of cultures to enrich their understanding and knowledge.They have lessons that focus onexplorationoftechnique andskillprogression withineachmodule.Our childrenare encouraged to be reflective throughout theentire process by commenting on pieces of existing artwork, discussing their explorations as well as evaluating any outcomes.We like to share our Artwork with membersof our community to celebrate our learning.Halfway is an Artsmark School and have achieved the gold award.
We recognise that many of our pupils attend school having had limited musical and associated cultural experiences and therefore we have developed an enriched curriculum, with a strong emphasis placed on developing creativity and cultivating areal enjoyment of music.All children are taught to playmelodic and percussion instruments, in addition to singing. We work alongside Kent Music School, whoprovide wholeclass instrumental provision to ensurethatallour pupilsexperienceworking alongsideandwitha professionalmusician.Kent Music School also offers a range of peripatetic music lessons for pupils.Following theNational Curriculum guidelines, our music curriculumincludes opportunities for children to perform, compose and listen to different styles of music.Our ambition where possibleis to sharethe enjoyment that music evokes by staging musical performances for parents and other community members.
Childrenworkindividuallyandingroupstotakeaproposalthroughfromthe design stageto the finished item.On the way they learn to design, to evaluate and modify their ideas, choose thebest materials for thejob and handle tools in a proper andsafemanner.Finisheditems range from instruments to cakes!
At Halfway Houses Primary School we aim to teach children another language in order to provide them with a broader understanding of the world around them. Being exposed to a Modern Foreign Languageprovidesavehiclefor ustoimmersethechildreninthemulticulturalsocietyinwhichthey live, developing their understanding of other cultures and languages. We strive to encourage their curiosity about other cultures and endeavour to make language learning a fun and enjoyable experience, with links across other curriculum subjects, so that our children will go on to develop further at secondary school with an enhanced awareness of their diverse world
At Halfway Houses Primary School health and well-being is paramount. We strive to ensure all our children make well-informed choices through promoting our Halfway Muscles, Value of the Months and through delivering a broad and balanced Personal Social and Health Education curriculum. We place emphasis on developing, healthy respectful relationships whilst supportingthemindevelopingtheirresilienceandcharacter.Weuseacomprehensivespiralteaching approachinPSHEbuildingonchildren’sunderstandingyearafteryearvisitingtermlytopics;‘Meand MyRelationships’,‘ValuingDifference’,‘KeepingMyselfSafe’,‘Rights andResponsibilities’,‘Beingmy Best’ and ‘Growing and Changing’.
Relationships andSexEducation(RSE) is akeypartof Personal,SocialandHealthEducationat Halfway.Itis more than thebiology of reproduction and is taught in thecontext of caring relationships. TheRelationshipsandSexEducationprovidedformsafoundationfor further workinsecondaryschoolsandtheskillsandattitudes developedwillenablethechildrentolead happy, healthy lives where they are successful and productive members of society. In Years 5 and 6 children are taught about thechanges that they will go through as they grow up.We use established health education programs.Thegirlsare given more detailed information about menstruation.All parents aregiven theopportunity to view any materials prior totheir useintheclassroomandareinformedwhensexeducationisplanned totake place.Parents have theright, after discussion with theHead of School,to withdrawtheir child from these lessons.
Our Homework Guidance is designed so that we strike a balance between reinforcement and extensionof workundertakeninclass,whilstalsoensuringthatthechildrenhavefree“after school” time to develop all of their other importantout of school interests.Each week every child will have homework to complete;this will include reading, spellings, and times tables We encourageour childrentoreadaswidelyaspossibleandtotrytoresearchintospecificworkbeing undertaken in theclassroom.
Our termly passports to learning projectssupportchildreninenriching thecurriculum, with a range of selfselected activities centred around a topic.
We do ask for your assistance and support when thechildren bring work home.If we all work together andtakearealinterestinyour child’swork,thenwegivethemtheimportantmessageof how much we value their education and care about their progress.
We offer arange of extra-curricular clubs organised by staff and other agencies.These provide an opportunity for thechildren to follow up and develop their skills andinterests.Clubswehave offeredhaveincludedthefollowing: Football,Gymnastics,ForestschoolsClub,ArtClub, Choir, Karate, Creepy Claws Club and Multi Sports.
Children are regularly assessed across thewholecurriculum, throughout their timeat Halfway,to ensure that we deliver a curriculum matched to their needs.This means our teachers are well informed about theindividual child’s capabilities and aptitudes, and can plan future work accordingly.Class teachers will share theoutcomes of ongoing assessments with parents in the Parents’ Consultation Evenings.During these meetings, teachers will also share targets for your child in reading, writingand numeracy.In addition to constant teacher assessment, we use more formaltests,whereappropriate,bothfor diagnosticpurposesandasafurther toolfor ustostudy a child’s progress and academic potential.
Year Rteachersassess thechildrenineachof the areasof learningattheend of their reception year. These assessments are reported nationally and to parents. They are used within schoolto ensure a smooth transition to Year 1.
Year 2andYear 6childrenallundergotheStatutoryAssessmentTests/Tasks (SATs). Theseare government-designed tests in English (Readingand Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation)
Mathematics and Science (if theschool is selected as a sample school –Year 6 only) that are administered nationally to all children at the ages of 7 and 11. Theresults of these and ongoing teacher assessments will be reported to parents in the Annual Recordsof Achievement along with theresults of Halfway Houses pupils, as whole and national results.
Year 1pupilsundergoPhonicsscreeningandtheoutcomes of thesearereported toparentsand Year 4 pupils will undertake the new Times TableCheck.
An annual report or Record of Achievement is written for each child and sent out during the Summer Term.This details their progress andachievements over the year.A parent’s evening takes place at the end of Term 1 focusing uponhow well each child has settled into their new class andafurther parent’s evening takes place in thespring term.Parentsareof course welcome to make contact with their child’s Class Teacher at any in point in the year to discuss progress or any other concerns or worries.
We regard school visits, both short and extended as an important part of school life.Each year thechildren go on a number of day visitstoextendtheir knowledgeandunderstanding oftheworkthey are doing.In addition to these visits, we periodically organise longer residential visits for our older children.
Wealso take theopportunity to host a rangeof in-school experiences to enrich our curriculum. These have included:visiting authors,musicians and artists,theatreproductions anda range sporting experiences.
Theneedsthatindividualchildrenbring toschoolwillallbeslightlydifferent.Weaimasfar as possibleto ensure that these are met appropriately.
Sometimes it becomes apparent that a child has specific needs.They may have a learning difficulty in certain curriculum areas.In such cases we work closely in partnership with youto assess thoseneedssothat wecan offer thesupportnecessary.Itisimportantthat support or special programs of work are appropriately designed, monitored and evaluated. Sometimes aPastoral/BehaviourSupportPlan(PSP/BSP) willbedrawnuptoaddress specific behaviouralneedsor aPersonalised Provision Plan will be written by teachers which now accompanies an EHCP.
Insome caseschildrenrequiremoresupportthanwealonecanoffer.Wethenseekto obtain the provision of extra support. We are helped in this by theSpecialist Learning Support Team, whose lead is Rebecca Kenny. Her teaminclude specialists in thedifferent areas of need addressingthe MainstreamCore Standards of Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction,Social and Emotional Mental Health and Physical, Visual and Hearing Impaired Needs.Early Help is also availableto help support families with childrenpresenting with any of these needs.
Our FLO (Family LiaisonOfficer) leads on Early Help referrals.TheEducational Psychology ServicewillbecomeinvolvedwhenanEducationandHealthcarePlanisappliedfor.Sometimes this will mean specific learning programs are drawn up when needed;sometimes it mightmean a child having a Teaching Assistantto work with them during part of their day.
In all cases our teachers apply theMainstreamCore Standards for Teaching and Learning, as outlinedaboveandthe class teacher isthefirstpersonthatyouneed toliaisewith,if youhavean issue with your child or their progress.
Atall times, our aim is to maximize thepotential of all our children,whatever their needs.We work closely with you as parents to ensure this happens.If you feel this close liaison has not worked,or youfeelthatwehavenot dealt withanAdditionalNeedsissuethoroughlyenough,we have an official Complaints Procedure.This is outlined in our SENPolicy and Guidance, available from theSchool Office.
Our Special EducationalNeeds (SEN) lead,who works closely with the FLO, Helen Potts and the PSW,Rebecca Hoggins,isMrs Gemma Lewis
Theschool has a policy for supporting childrenwith special educational needs which is revised and implemented everyyearbythestaffandgovernors.Theimplementationofthis policyismonitored by theGovernor responsiblefor SEN.TheSENpolicy,together with theSENinformation repost is availableon our website to read and is updated each year to reflect current practice.
HalfwayHousesPrimarySchooliscommitted tosafeguarding andpromoting thewelfareofall children entrusted to our care.
SafeguardingarrangementsatHalfwayHousesareunderpinnedbythefollowing principles:
Safeguardingiseveryone’s responsibility:allStaff,GovernorsandVolunteers shouldplaytheir full part in keeping children safe.
That all Staff, Governors and Volunteers have a clear understandingregarding abuse and neglectinallforms;includinghowtoidentify,respondandreport.Thisalsoincludesknowledge in theprocess for allegations against professionals.Staff, Governors and Volunteers should feel confident that they can report all matters of safeguarding children in theschool where theinformation will be dealt with swiftly and securely,following thecorrect procedures with safety and wellbeing of thechildren in mind at all times.
Werecognisethatbecauseof their day-to-daycontactwith children,schoolstaffareideally placed to observe outward signs of abuse.Staff in school will therefore:
Reportanyinappropriatebehaviour/activitiestodesignatedstaff. Establishandmaintainanenvironmentwherechildrenfeelsecure,areencouragedtotalkand are listened to.
Establishthatchildrenknow thattheycanapproachanyadultinschoolif theyareworriedand they receive a consistent, supportive response.
Staffwillpromoteaflexibleandrelevantcurriculumwhichpromotessafeguarding andprovides pupils with theopportunity to develop skills they need to stay safe, protect themselves and takeresponsibilityfortheirownandothers’safety.
Alladultswhoworkintheschoolhavea responsibility toreadandunderstandour ChildProtection Policy.
Alladultsarealsoexpected to readtheDfEguidance:KeepingChildrenSafeInEducation guidance.
Sometimes wemayneedtoshareinformationandworkinpartnershipwithother agencieswhen there are concerns about a child’s welfare.We will ensure that our concerns about pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL) are:
Danielle HallDSL.
Lindsay Fordyce (HoS) DDSL.
Lisa Elderfield (AHT) DDSL
ClaireMichel(EYFSLead)DDSL
GemmaLewis(SENDco)DDSL
Ifyoubecomeconcernedaboutthewelfareof achildintheschool,pleasecontact either the DSL or a DDSL on:01795 662875.
If you have an urgent concern about a child in the community linked to something you have seen or heard please do not wait to contact a member of school staff but contact Children’s social careon: 03000 411111, out of hours 03000 419419.
TheNSPCCcan also be contacted on 0808 800 5000 to offer adviceon reporting a concern about a child.
Ifyouthinkachildisinimmediatedanger,don’tdelayandcontactthe policeon:999.
Our schoolaimstobeaninclusiveschool.We hopeto makeall our childrenwelcomeandfeel happy to look forward to their school day.Every child is different and we view differences as an opportunity for adults and children alike to learn more about themselves.
Ifyour childhasadisabilityheor shewillbetreated noless favourablythanother applicantsfor admission.We make reasonableadjustments to ensure that pupils withdisabilities are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.Our accessibilityplan (availablefrom theschool office) describes thearrangements we have already madeand thefurther proposals planned, to improve physical access to the school, access to the curriculumand access to written information.
Theschool has a policy for supporting childrenwith special educational needs which is revised every year.This policyisavailablefromtheschooloffice.Our aimisfor allchildrentohaveaccess toallaspects of school life,asfar asisreasonableandpractical.Weaimtopreventdisabledpupils in our schoolbeing placed atasubstantialdisadvantage.Wewilltake allreasonablesteps to ensure people with a disability are not treated differently without lawful justification.We will make reasonableadjustments for disabled pupils andwe will know we have succeeded when disabled pupils are participating fully in school life.
Inorder for effectivepartnership workingbetweenhomeandschool totakeplace,weanticipate that parents will want to:
Inform theschoolatthe earliestopportunity if their child has adisability and the exact nature of it;
Provide the informationschoolneeds to planeffectively for thechildto be a full member of the school community;
Acknowledge that when deciding whether an adjustment is reasonable, one of the factors theHeadofSchool must consider is the effectof the proposed change on all members of the school community;
Recognisethe importance of schooland home working inpartnership.
Communicationbetween schoolandhomeisvitalifwearetomaximise thepotentialof our children at Halfway Houses Primary School.We are always availableto discussany problems or anxieties concerning your child.
We try to deal with matters as they arise, rather than wait for problems to grow. In non-urgent cases teacher-parent meetings usually take place by appointments through the School Secretary or Pastoral Support Worker (PSW).Parents can also email the school office: HHoffice@tiltrust.org
Anymessageswillbeforwardedtoyour child’sclass teacher.
The Head of School,Assistant Headteachers or FLO can usually be found outside themain entrancebeforeschool starts inthemorning,andarealwayswillingto discuss anyconcernsyou may have.
During theschoolyear weholdParentConsultationEvenings whereparentscandiscusstheir child’s progress with theclass teacher.At the end of theSummer Term we send home an Annual Report which describes theprogress your child has made.
There are regular newsletters which keep you updated with developments within theschool and keepyouinformedabouttheschoolnews.Theseletters arealsoavailableonour schoolwebsite:
www.halfwayhouses.kent.sch.uk
Wealsoencourageparentsto participateinschoollifewherethey canandhostregular school/class events which celebrate our school,community and pupils’ learning.
As a school we are extremely proud of our workingrelationships with parents and carers. We haveaveryinformativeandactive Facebook pagewhereachievementsarecelebrated andnewsis shared.
Recognising theimpact thatparent/carer partnerships haveonachild’slearning,wearealways looking at further waysto develop aspects of our home-school partnership and welcome feedback and suggestions from our parent body.
AtHalfwayHousesPrimary School webuildarelationshipwiththechildren. Welistento themand we nurture them to be thebest they can be. We have a supportive pastoral teamwho work alongside thechildren when required.
As a first principle we take a positive approach by valuing the good we see in school. This might be work or behaviour.Every opportunity is taken to give praise to children where it is deserved.Selfdiscipline is encouragedand self-esteem nurtured.
In school we have routines to enable us to work happily and safely together. Each class agrees their own classroom code of conductand sees them enforced fairly and consistently. Occasionally problems will occur.These will often be dealt with by staff using a restorativejustice approach. If a child displays persistent behavioural issues, a consultation will be arranged between theteacher,PSW or FLOor SENDCo and/or Head of School and parents so that strategies can be implemented to understand thechild’s needs and support them.
A consequence that fits themisdemeanour will be actioned if appropriate. TheNurturing RelationshipandBestBehaviour Policyisupheldrigorously,inrarecases serious andpersistent unacceptablebehaviour can lead to the possibility of fixed term or permanent exclusion.
Anurturingschoolenvironmentisof vitalimportance.Itisimportantfor staff toidentifywiththe individual needs of our children by developing good relationships with them, helping to create an atmosphere of security.We try to help thechildren cometotermswiththe complexissuesofgrowingupandhope that they see school staff as adults who carefor them and with whom they can share their problems and achievements.
AtHalfway Houses Primary School,we encourage our children and adults in school to look after their physical, emotional, social and mental health.Research shows that resilience andstrength directlyimpacts onacademicprogress andattainmentandthatchildren,whoare ableto express their emotions and seek help when things are tough areableto take these skills intotheir adult life.At Halfway Primary School we are equipped to help our families and staff.
Our Wellbeing Offer:
Families:
Parentalengagement–opendoorpolicy.
Family Liaison Officer.
PastoralSupportWorker.
Effective relationships.
PTA(TheFriends)– ParentTeacher Association
Rangeofcommunication– Facebook,ParentMail,Website,Newsletters.
Parent workshops.
Signpostingtoarangeof relevantservices.
Children:
Nurturingrelationshipsatalllevels.
Broad and balanced curriculum.
Worry Box
PupilParliament
Eventdays:SaferInternetDay,Anti-bullyingweek.
Attendance monitoringand awards.
Mindfulness.
PositivefeedbackandMarking.
Pupil conferencing.
Canopy and Sensoryroom
Referralsmadetoexternalagencies.
Celebration assemblies
Pupils workshop
SEMH (Social,Emotional,MentalHealth)interventions
At Halfway Houses Primary Schoolwe knowthat goodattendance is the key to successful schooling and we believe our pupils can be amongst the best!
Good attendance at school is not just beneficial, it’s essential. Statistics show a direct linkbetweenunder-achievementand absence.Children thatattendregularly makebetter progress; both socially and academically, they find schoolroutines, schoolwork and friendships easier tocope with and find learning moresatisfying.As wellas this, going to school helps to develop:
Punctuality
It is important that your child attends school every day and on time. Arriving late to schoolis unsettling for childrenand meansthey miss key informationand important input at the beginning of lessons.
Reporting Absence
It is a parents/carers responsibility to notify school if their child is absent. Areasonmust be provided and for prolonged periods of absence medical evidence may be requested.
Medical Appointments
Where possible allappointments should bebooked outsideofschoolhours. Wherethisis not possible, the amount of school time missed must be kept to a minimum. To authorise this absence medical evidence must be provided.
Too ill to attend school?
We understand thatwhenchildrenfirststart schoolthey canbe susceptible to childhood illnesses such as chickenpox etc., children can attend school with minor ailments (toothache,headache,stomachache,cold,sorethroat)over thecounter medicinescanbe given before school and then if required, administered during school. We will call you shouldyour child become too illto remain inschool.
Family holidays should be taken during school holiday periods. There are 175 non-school days for day trips and holidays.
Requestsfor any additionalleave must be made inwriting.
Fines of£120per parent/carer may be issued where unauthorised leave has beentaken during term time.
We expect all children to achieve 100% attendance with a minimum of 96% and we follow up absences withfirstdaycalling. Weroutinelymonitor allpupilsfallingbelow96%. Parentsmaybe invited to meet with the FLO, HoS or governors to explore reasons for poor attendance. Equally we routinely expect to seemedical evidence for pupilsbelow 96%before we authorise absences.
Wearerequiredtorecordalloccasionsofabsence. Ifyourchild’sabsencelevelappearsexcessive, wearerequiredtoalerttheSchoolLiaisonOfficer,whowillworkwithyouandusinordertoimprove attendancelevels.TheEducationalWelfareServicealsomonitorslateness. Pupilsarrivingbetween9 –9.15a.m.arerecordedaslate.Ourregisterscloseat9.15a.m.andafterthistimelatepupilsare recorded as having an unauthorised absence.
Parents havealegaldutytoensurethattheir child(ren) attendschool regularly andarriveon time. Itis theparent’s responsibility to contact the school on the first daytheir child is absent.If parents have not phoned in, theschool will be in contact to investigatewhy thechild is not in school.This is a safeguarding issue so that all parties know that your child is safe.Parents should regularly update theschool and inform when their child isreturning.
Children are expected to be suitably dressed for thevariety of indoor and outdoor activities that theywillbepursuingduringtheschoolday.Weencourageallourchildrentowearouruniformandto be proud of their appearance at all times.
TheGoverningBodyrecommendsthefollowingdresscode:
Whiteshirt,blouseorpoloshirt
Bluecardigan/jumperorschoolfleece
Greytrousers(longorshort),skirtorpinaforeorblueandwhitecheckdress
Whitesocks,black socks,grey socks or grey tights
Flatblackshoes(thisdoesnotincludesporttrainersorleisureshoes)
Blue striped tie (Year 6 only)
Whilst any dress code can only be voluntary in a primary school, we do hope for your co-operation to ensure that thechildren are suitably dressed.We discourage any clothing that could be dangerous(e.g.highheeledshoes) or unsuitable(e.g.bare-midriff tops,etc.).
Lost property can be a real problem in school. Please ensure that your child’s clothes are labelled. That way we can return them easily if mislaid.
Children will require alternative clothing for Games and PE. Thechildrenareabletocome intoschoolintheir PE Kit on the days that they have PE.They will need:
Lightbluet-shirt,blueshorts
Awarmsweatshirtortracksuitisrecommendedforgameslessonsduringcoldweather.
Children with pierced ears are asked for safety reasons only to wear stud earrings.All types of physical education will require theremoval of any earrings.This cannot be undertaken by the teachers.Noother formsof jewellery except for awatch(thisexcludesSmartwatches) maybe worn.
Atmorning break, our EYFS and Key Stage 1 children are provided with fresh fruit or vegetables aspartof our involvementwiththe‘Fruit&VegetableScheme’.All childrenareable to enjoy milk from our milk bar to drink with their morning snack.Our children are also encouraged to bring their own healthy snacksfrom home to eat at break time, therefore, no crisps, chocolate or fizzy drinks are allowed inschool for break time.
Cookedmeals areprepared onthepremises.Theyareverygoodvalue.Parents areaskedtopay online if possible, as this helps our financial administration.
Children who do not have a cooked meal can bring a healthy packed lunch to school. We have Healthy School Status andweencourageparents toprovideabalancedandhealthylunch.
For healthandsafetyreasonswedonotallow childrentobringcanneddrinks,glasscontainersor nuts or nut-based products such as: Nutella,to school.Please ensure packed lunch boxes are secure and labelled on theoutside where possible.
All parents automatically belong to Halfway Houses Primary Parent and Teacher Association (The Friends). This thrivingorganisationexiststopromotesocialeventsandraisefunds for theschool. We hopethat you will not only supportevents but also become actively involved in helping to organise them.
A list of theschool holiday dates is availableon our website.Our School policy strongly discourages holidays during school time. Indeed permission for term timeholiday will only be grantedtoparentswho’scircumstances matchthoseoutlinedinlawas ‘exceptionalcircumstances’. A copy of our Leave of Absence policy can be obtained from theschool office.
Ifyour childisillor hurtwhilstatschoolweshallmakeeveryefforttocontact you or your named representative via a medical note or by telephone. It is vitally importantto keep contact information up to date with our office.
Ifyour childisabsentfromschoolduetoillness pleasecontactuson thefirstdayof absenceand each subsequent day of absence.Please also speak to the FLO or classteacher when they return to school.
Basic first aid is applied in school. We have a number of staff with current first aid training qualifications.If an accident requires hospital attention,we will try to contact you first.It is essentialthatwehave anupto date address andcontactnumber of whotocontactifnecessary. In theevent that we are unableto contact you we will act on your behalf.
Allchildrenareexpectedtoachieve96% attendanceandroutinelywemonitor thosewhofall below this threshold. Parentsmay be asked to provide medical evidence if their children are showingup with high levels of absence. Unauthorised absences will mean a possible penalty finewill be issued.
Theschool follows the Kent Code of Practice for theAdministration of Medicines to Pupils'.This means that normally medicines will not be administered to children inschool.However, there are circumstances where childrenrequireregular medication (e.g. asthma/sore throats/allergies) and inthesecasesanAdministrationof MedicinesFormmustbecompletedandreturned totheschool office, giving permission to staff to administer themedication. All medicines must be in their original containers with dosage instructions.Only medicines supplied on prescription will be administered.
TheSchoolGoverning BodyisrequiredtoobserveGovernmentlegislationonchargingandremission (1988 Education ReformAct). Therefore, no mandatory charges willbe madefor curriculum activities with thepossibleexception of:
Individualmusictuitionor sportsclubsprovidedbyexternalfacilitators. Board and lodging on residential trips. Somefinishedproducts(e.g.somemodels, etc.)
Whereapprovedchargesaretobemadeparentswillbenotifiedinadvanceof the activity and those charges will be waived for those who have an entitlement to remission of fees.
Theway in which theschool manages to maintain any additional enrichment activities is through voluntary contributionsfrom parents. All children eligibleto take part in such activities are included,whether or nottheir parentshaveelectedto makeavoluntarycontribution.However,the school may have to cancel an activity if there is not enough financial support from parents.
In anidealworld complaints would not exist. We do not,however, live inanidealworld and complaints arise from time to time despite our best efforts. This is as true in schools as anywhere else.
Parentsmay appreciate guidance on howtoapproach this matter.
Parentsareencouragedtodiscussallcomplaintswiththeclassteacherinthefirstinstance,aswe believethatthegreatmajorityofcomplaintscanberesolvedinthisway.Theheadofschoolisalways availableifyoufeelthesituationwarrantsit.However,ifyouarestilldissatisfiedyoucanreferyour complaintinwritingtotheClerktotheGovernorswhowillarrangeforagovernortoreceivethe complaint. Therearealsofurtherappealstages,totheLocalEducationAuthority,andfinallytothe Secretary of State should theneed arise.
Wehopeyoufindour prospectusinformativeanduseful.
Alltheinformationinthis bookletiscorrectatthe timeof publication,butmaybesubjectto change as theyear proceeds.
Ifyouever requireanyfurtherinformation,thenpleasedon’thesitate tocontactus.
Welookforwardto welcomingyouto our school community
Telephone:01795662875
e-mail: HHoffice@tiltrust.org
Website: www.halfwayhouses.kent.sch.uk
