Parent & Pupil Junior School Handbook 2021/22

Parent & Pupil Junior School Handbook 2021/22

Our Values

Contents Our Values Welcome, The School, The Structure of the School Useful Contact Details, Parent Communication Staff List Health and Safety in response to COVID-19, COVID-19 Contingency Planning, School Routine Registration and Absence, The Curriculum Home-Learning, Firefly Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) iPads for all Year 5 and 6 Pupils, Assessment Reports, Parents’ Evenings Learning Enrichment, Breakfast Club Crèche, Co-Curricular Activities Additional Events, Musical Instrument Tuition, House Structure Behaviour Anti-Bullying Policy Home Environment E-Safety Safeguarding of Pupils, Emergency Contact, Late Pick Up/Missing Child Procedures, PE/Games/Swimming Letter, Catering The Medical Centre Uniform, Mouthguard Policy Health and Safety, Security Parent Helpers, The Parents’ Association, Parental Complaints Procedure, School Policies Appendix 1 – Safeguarding Poster Appendix 2 – Campus Map

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Welcome This Handbook for pupils and parents is intended to provide information about daily life in the Junior School and it will also act as a useful source of reference as time goes by.

It cannot be an exhaustive guide to every aspect of school life so please do not hesitate to contact the relevant member of staff to ask any questions you may have. Contact details are included in this handbook.

There will be updates to the handbook as we continually develop our procedures and policies to ensure an outstanding experience for children and their families. Significant updates will be highlighted in the Headmaster’s weekly newsletter.

The School Royal Russell School is a co-educational school with approximately 300 pupils aged 3+ to 11 in the Junior School and over 750 pupils aged 11 to 18 in the Senior School.

Mr John Evans is the Junior School Headmaster and Mr Chris Hutchinson is the Senior School Headmaster who has responsibility for the whole school. They report to the Board of Governors who are the trustees of Russell School Trust. An educational charity which administers the school.

The Chairman of Governors is Mr Andrew Merriman and he is assisted by other Governors who bring a breadth of educational, professional and technical expertise to the running of the school.

The Senior School Headmaster is a member of the Headmasters & Headmistresses Conference (HMC) which represents the top 250 Senior Schools in the country. The Junior School is a member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS).

For pupils and parents, IAPS and HMC guarantee the quality of education in their member schools by regular inspection and accreditation. They provide a wide range of opportunities for in-service training for the teaching staff. All teachers in IAPS and HMC schools are fully qualified.

The Headmaster of the Junior School is supported by two deputy heads; Mrs Ruth Bannon is responsible for Learning and Teaching and Mrs Sarah Pain has Pastoral responsibility. When necessary, these members of staff deputise for the Headmaster. Mrs Tanya Mwanda (starting January 2022) is the Head of Early Years. These members of staff form the Junior Leadership Team (JLT).

Mrs Alys Netherway oversees the operational elements of the Junior School in her role as Assistant Head Operations. Phase Leaders are responsible for both academic and pastoral matters within their phase in partnership with the Junior Leadership Team (JLT) and class teachers / subject specialists. The class teacher/s remain the first port of call for all matters concerning your child.

The Structure of the School There are eight year groups in the School: Lower Juniors

Upper Juniors

Early Years: Nursery Reception

aged 3 - 4 years aged 4 - 5 years

Key Stage 1: Year 1 Year 2

aged 5 - 6 years aged 6 - 7 years

Key Stage 2: Year 3 aged 7 - 8 years Year 4 aged 8 - 9 years Year 5 aged 9 - 10 years Year 6 aged 10 - 11 years

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Each class has a class teacher / teachers who are responsible for the pupils’ pastoral and academic development. Pupils receive specialist teaching in Art, Computing, Dance, Drama, Science, French, Spanish, Music, Sport and Swimming.

Useful Contact Details Junior School Office:

020 8651 5884 (8.00am – 6.00pm)

Main Switchboard:

020 8657 4433

Medical Centre:

020 8657 7861

Office email address:

juniorschool@royalrussell.co.uk

Reporting absence:

juniorabsence@royalrussell.co.uk

Headmaster’s email address:

juniorheadmaster@royalrussell.co.uk

Staff email address:

first initial and surname followed by @royalrussell.co.uk

Lower Junior Clubs:

lowerjuniorclubs@royalrussell.co.uk

Upper Junior Clubs:

upperjuniorclubs@royalrussell.co.uk

Parent Communication Our Virtual Learning Environment, Firefly, holds a wealth of information for Parents including curriculum information, home learning, reports, uniform lists, the school calendar, and forms such as medical and trip consent forms. More detailed information about school events will be emailed directly to you.

A weekly whole-school Newsletter is available on Firefly each Friday and a link to this will be emailed to you. In addition, you will receive a weekly email from your class teacher which outlines an overview of learning during the week as well as reminders of upcoming events. Sports fixtures are detailed on the sport website - royalrussellsport.co.uk - and our Twitter feed @Royal_Russell.

Please note, if you have a “Hotmail” or “Gmail” account please ensure you check your Junk/Spam Mail and remove all filters in the “Rules” option.

As above, please contact your child’s class teacher/s as the first point of contact for all matters concerning your child.

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Staff List Junior Leadership Team Junior School Headmaster

Mr John Evans

Deputy Head: Learning and Teaching

Mrs Ruth Bannon

Deputy Head: Pastoral

Mrs Sarah Pain

Head of Early Years Foundation Stage (From January 2022)

Mrs Tanya Mawanda

Junior School Management Team Assistant Head: Operations

Mrs Alys Netherway

Head of Learning Enrichment

Ms Cheryl Parry

Year 1 and 2

Mrs Claire Tunmore

Year 3 and 4

Mrs Alys Netherway

Year 5 and 6

Miss Danielle Barr

Teaching Staff Nursery

Mrs Ceri Warner

Nursery

Mrs Gemma Raveney

Reception

Mrs Lucy Summers

Reception

Mrs Natasha Edwards

Year 1

Mr Tyler Ward

Year 1

Mrs Claire Tunmore

Year 2

Mrs Karen Dapson

Year 2

Ms Jessica Sydney-Ford

Year 3

Mrs Alys Netherway

Year 3

Mrs Fizza Rizvi

Year 4

Mrs Louise Taylor

Year 4

Mrs Emma Austin/Mrs Melanie Couzins

Year 5

Miss Samantha Holman

Year 5

Mrs Caroline King/Mr David Edwards

Year 5

Mrs Laura Pasquel 5

Year 6

Mr John Janowski

Year 6

Mr Steve Urie

Year 6

Miss Danielle Barr

Head of Art and Design

Miss Cristina Ciccone

Head of Drama

Mrs Bethan Parkin

Head of Music

Miss Siobhan Fox

Early Years Music and Recorders

Mrs Katie Stanton

Head of Boys’ Sport

Mr Tom Hudson

Head of Girls’ Sport

Mrs Laura Lloyd

Head of Modern Languages

Mrs Aimee Gibbons

Head of Science

Mr Chris Lottering

Computing Teacher/Librarian

Mrs Jozie Quinn

Post Graduate

Miss Lauren Heasman

Post Graduate

Mr Peter Dobson

Breakfast Club Supervisor – Mrs Anne Willis Crèche Supervisor - Mrs Jan Vallance Crèche Assistants: Mrs Claudine Pettitt Mrs Claire Tree Teaching Assistants Mrs Teresa Bridgewater Mrs Adele Cane Mrs Jacqueline Cufley Mrs Susan Haig Mrs Denise Hall Mrs Yayoi Ikeda Mrs Sharmaine Nemar Mrs Karen Parsons Mrs Kelly Payne Mrs Jan Vallance Mrs Anne Willis

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Lunchtime Supervisors Mrs Maggie Hong Mrs Anne-Marie Nile Prep and Tea Supervisor Mrs Joanne O’Gorman Visiting Music Teachers Mr Jeremy Barnett Ms Hilary Cameron Miss Heather de Poitiers Ms Fiona Griffith Miss Erin O’Hanlon Mr Graham Scrivener Ms Barbara Snow Mr Matthew Strover Mr Myles Sutton Mr Andy White Headmaster’s PA

Mrs Melanie Jones

School Secretary

Miss Titia Lewer

Junior School Registrar

Mrs Kim Keen

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Health & Safety in Response to COVID-19 The COVID-19 outbreak is dynamic, changing daily, if not hourly, and there are many agencies providing information and updates. Following guidance from the UK Government and Department for Education, Royal Russell School have a Risk Assessment document currently in place which is frequently reviewed by the School Leadership Team and the full Board of Governors, taking into account updated advice and changing risk factors.

The Operation of the Junior School is based on following this Risk Assessment to create a safe and happy environment in which our pupils can thrive.

The control measures are: • Hygiene • Ventilation • Cleaning • Testing Please see the Whole School Risk Assessment (available on the School’s website) for more detail.

Hygiene Face coverings – Junior School Face coverings are not recommended for pupils of Junior School age.

Face coverings should be worn by parents when moving through the School. Parents are also asked to continue to wear masks where they may be in close contact with each other.

The guidance regarding the wearing of face coverings is under constant review.

Children and adults in School will wash their hands at regular intervals throughout the day. Good respiratory hygiene will be promoted.

Ventilation We will continue to ensure good ventilation in all teaching areas whilst retaining comfortable temperatures and working conditions.

Cleaning A comprehensive cleaning programme is in place. Please see the Whole School Risk Assessment for further details.

Symptoms & Attendance at school Please do not send your child to school if they, or any member of your household, are showing symptoms of coronavirus.

Testing If you or anyone in your household has any symptoms of Coronavirus, they should immediately seek a PCR test. Further details can be found here.

The three common symptoms of coronavirus remain as: 8

• • •

a high temperature a new, continuous cough a loss or change to sense of smell or taste

If any pupil has any of the symptoms associated with Coronavirus, they must not come to School. Further guidance can be found here. If you are unsure about attendance, please contact the School office.

Asymptomatic Testing Undertaking regular, rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing helps reduce transmission of the virus.

Detailed guidance can be found here.

If you have any queries about the tests please call 119 (free from mobiles and landlines). Lines are open every day from 7am to 11pm.

Children of primary school age (and below) without symptoms are not being asked to take a test.

Testing is voluntary, but strongly recommended to all who are eligible. Alongside the vaccine, washing hands, wearing face coverings, and maintaining social distancing, rapid testing plays a vital role in reducing transmission rates. Getting into the habit of regular testing as part of our everyday lives will help us all to play our part and do what we can to protect each other.

Travelling to School Safely • if you live a short distance from your school or college, walk, cycle or scoot to and from school wherever it is possible and safe to do so • avoid sharing a car with anyone outside of your household or support bubble • if you are using public transport to get to school or college, plan ahead and allow more time for your journey • when you are travelling by public or dedicated school transport, don’t forget to: • wear a face covering (unless you are exempt, including if you are aged 11 and under). It is important you wear them for the entirety of your journey, including inside a bus or train station • social distance where possible • wash or sanitise your hands regularly • be considerate to fellow passengers and staff.

COVID-19 Contingency Planning The Government have set out their contingency framework should the need for additional measures occur. All changes to School operation will be communicated to parents should these additional measures be required.

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School Routine Breakfast Club opens at 7.45am. Supervision for all pupils not attending Breakfast Club begins at 8.15am.

Playgrounds will remain closed until this time. Children who need to arrive at School prior to 8.15am MUST be booked into Breakfast Club on a termly basis. Any pupils arriving before 8.15am will be sent to Breakfast Club and Breakfast Club charges applied.

Breakfast Club Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and 2 Breakfast Club opens at 7.45am. Breakfast Club for pupils in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will take place in the Lower Junior Dining Hall. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Lower Junior Dining Room. We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the lobby and any indoor spaces. One of the Breakfast Club team will ensure a positive handover at the entrance to the Lower Junior Dining Room. Please use the doorbell should a member of staff not be immediately available. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Year 3 and 4 Breakfast Club opens at 7.45am. Breakfast Club for pupils in Year 3 to Year 4 will take place in the Junior School Gym. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Junior School Gym. We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the lobby and any indoor spaces. One of the Breakfast Club team will ensure a positive handover at the entrance to the Lower Junior Dining Room. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Year 5 and 6 Breakfast Club opens at 7.45am. Breakfast Club for pupils in Year 3 to Year 4 will take place in the Junior School Gym. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Junior School Gym. We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the lobby and any indoor spaces. One of the Breakfast Club team will ensure a positive handover at the entrance to the Lower Junior Dining Room. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 may access Breakfast Club independently from the car park. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Should any pupils booked in for Breakfast Club not been registered by 8am, contact will be made with families.

Pupils Arriving on School Mini Bus Service All pupils who travel to School on the school minibus service will be chaperoned to the Junior School Hall and supervised by their chaperone until 8.15am. The chaperone will ensure a positive handover to School supervision staff at 8.15am.

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Drop Off and Collection - Beginning and End of Core School Hours Nursery Drop-Off Supervision for Nursery pupils begins at 8.15am in the Early Years Centre. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk down the main slope to the Junior School. One of the Nursery team will ensure a positive handover at the gated entrance to the Early Years Centre.

Collection at 12.45pm for pupils attending for morning sessions only Collection for pupils who are attending the morning session only is at 12.45pm. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk down the main slope to the Junior School. One of the Nursery team will ensure a positive handover at the gated entrance to the Early Years Centre. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Collection at 3.15pm for pupils attending full days Collection for pupils who are not attending Crèche is at 3.15pm. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk down the main slope to the Junior School. One of the Nursery team will ensure a positive handover at the gated entrance to the Early Years Centre. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Reception Drop-Off Supervision for Reception pupils begins at 8.15am in the Reception Outdoor Learning Area. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Lower Junior Playground. We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the lobby and any indoor spaces. One of the Reception team will ensure a positive handover at the gated entrance to the Reception Outdoor Learning Area. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Collection at 3.15pm Collection for Reception pupils is at 3.15pm from the Reception Outdoor Learning Area. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Lower Junior Playground. We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the lobby and any indoor spaces. One of the Reception team will ensure a positive handover at the gated entrance to the Reception Outdoor Learning Area. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Year 1 and 2 Drop-Off Supervision for Year 1 and 2 pupils begins at 8.15am in the Lower Junior Playground. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Lower Junior Playground. We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the lobby and any indoor spaces. A member of staff will ensure a positive handover on the Lower Junior Playground. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Collection at 3.15pm Collection for Year 1 is at 3.15pm from the black gates to the Year 1 Outdoor Learning Area. Collection for Year 2 pupils is at 3.15pm from the Snail Quad door. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Snail Quad. We request that all parents wear masks 11

when passing through the lobby and any indoor spaces. A member of staff will ensure a positive handover. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Year 3 to 6 Drop-Off – Year 3 and 4 Supervision for Year 3 and 4 pupils begins at 8.15am. Families can either use the Drop-Off facility in the car park or can park in the main school car park or escort children to the green gates in the Upper Junior Playground. Parents are unable to enter the playground and are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Drop-Off – Year 5 and 6 Supervision for Year 5 and 6 pupils begins at 8.15am. Families can either use the Drop-Off facility in the car park or can park in the main school car park or escort children to Upper Junior Quad. Parents are unable to enter the playground and are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Collection at 3.30pm Collection for Year 3 to Year 6 is at 3.30pm from the Upper Junior Quad. Families should use the main school car park to park and then wait on the slope above the Upper Junior Quad. A member of staff will ensure a positive handover. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

All pupils arriving late, after 8.15am, should be dropped in the Junior School Lobby.

Collection from Clubs Nursery and Reception Clubs for pupils in Nursery and Reception end at 4.15pm. Pupils who are staying for Crèche will be escorted to the Early Years Centre.

Nursery pupils who are going home should be collected from the Early Years Centre.

Reception pupils going home should be collected from the Reception Outdoor area.

Families should park in the main school car park and then walk down the main slope to the Junior School to access either the Early Years Centre or Reception Outdoor Area (via the School Lobby). We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the Lobby and any indoor spaces. A member of staff will ensure a positive handover. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Year 1 and Year 2 Clubs for pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 end at 4.15pm. Pupils who are staying for Crèche will be escorted to the Year 1 classrooms. Pupils who are going home should be collected from the Snail Quad door. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Snail Quad.

We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the Lobby and any indoor spaces. A member of staff will ensure a positive handover. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

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Upper Junior Clubs Year 3 and 4 Clubs for pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 end at 4.40pm. Pupils who are staying for Tea will be escorted to the meet the Tea supervision staff in the Library. Pupils who are going home should be collected from the Snail Quad door. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Snail Quad. We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the Lobby and any indoor spaces. A member of staff will ensure a positive handover. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Year 5 and 6 Clubs for pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 end at 4.40pm. Pupils who are staying for Tea will be escorted to meet the Tea supervision staff in the Science Room. Pupils who are going home should be collected from the Upper Junior Quad. Families should use the main school car park to park and then wait on the slope above the Upper Junior Quad. A member of staff will ensure a positive handover. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Crèche Nursery and Reception All pupils must be collected from the doors of the Early Years Centre between 5.30 and 6pm. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk down the main slope to the Junior School. One of the Creche team will ensure a positive handover at the gated entrance to the Early Years Centre.

Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Year 1 and 2 All pupils must be collected from the gates of the Year 1 Outdoor Learning Area between 5.30 and 6pm.

Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk through the School Lobby down to Snail Quad. We request that all parents wear masks when passing through the lobby and any indoor spaces. One of the Creche team will ensure a positive handover at the gated entrance to the Year 1 Outdoor Learning Area. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Prep and Tea Year 3 and 4 Prep for Year 3 and 4 will take place in the Library. Tea will take place in the Senior School Dining Hall.

Collection for Year 3 and 4 will be from the School Lobby between 5.30 and 6pm. Families should use the main school car park to park and then walk down to the Junior School and wait outside the School Lobby.

A member of staff will ensure a positive handover. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

Year 5 and 6 Prep for Year 5 and year 6 will take place in the Science Room. Tea will take place in the Senior School Dining Hall. Collection for Year 5 and Year 6 will be from the Upper Junior Quad between 5.30 and 6pm.

Families should use the main school car park to park and then wait on the slope above the Upper Junior Quad. A member of staff will ensure a positive handover. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible for the safety and welfare of our community.

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Structure of the School Day 7.45am 8.15am 8.30am 8.40am 9.10am 9.40am 10.10am 10.30am 10.55am 11.25am 11.45am 11.55am 12.45pm 1.00pm 1.30pm 2.00pm 2.30pm 3:00pm 3.15pm 3.30pm 3.40pm 4.15pm 4.40pm 4.45pm 5.30pm

Breakfast Club (chargeable extra, booked termly) Arrive at School End of Breakfast Club. Registration.

Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Assembly /Form Time Break Period 4 Period 5 Nursery Lunch Lunch Nursery collection for morning only children from the gate to the Early Years Centre Period 6 Period 7 Period 8 Period 9 Period 10 End of School day for Lower Juniors. Start of Crèche (chargeable extra) and Clubs End of School day for Upper Juniors Prep/Clubs begin for Upper Juniors End of Lower Junior Clubs End of Upper Junior Clubs Tea Collection of pupils from Crèche and Tea

If you are delayed for any reason you should let the School Office know on 020 8651 5884 prior to 5.30pm. A member of the Junior Leadership Team is on duty until 6.00pm each day.

A charge of £15.00 will be incurred for each child collected after 6.00 pm and a further £15.00 for each child collected after 6.15 pm.

Parents may not collect children other than their own unless school has been made aware of any alternative arrangements.

We are required by law to maintain registers of attendance and to report attendance statistics to the Registration and Absence Department for Education.

Further guidance for parents on absence during the Covid pandemic can be found here.

If your child is absent, you should telephone or email the school on each day of absence / juniorabsence@royalrussell.co.uk to report the reason for the absence which will be entered into the register.

If parents need to request absence from school, they are required to write to or email the Headmaster well in advance giving details of the reason why the absence is necessary and asking for permission to be granted.

Absence due to significant family events and ceremonies such as weddings, graduations, landmark birthdays and funerals, along with religious celebrations clearly of significance to a particular family, may be authorised. Other frequent requests, such as those linked to holiday flight availability and price, may not be authorised. Where absence is unauthorised by the Headmaster, work will not be set. There are seventeen weeks available for holidays during the year and these dates are published well in advance.

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If your child arrives after 8.30am, we must record this as late. Should this happen, parents must accompany their child to the outside of the main Junior School Reception to record their attendance and give a reason for the late arrival.

The Curriculum The curriculum is the planned allocation of teaching and learning opportunities and the designated content for each subject to each age group throughout the Junior School. Throughout the Junior School, social, emotional development, positive behaviour and respect for Fundamental British Values are promoted across the curriculum and explicitly through the teaching of PSHE, Religious Education and the consistent implementation of our Junior School Behaviour Policy, as well as in assemblies.

In addition to the knowledge, skills and understanding planned in accordance with the National Curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage, pupils are encouraged to develop learning behaviours to maximise their educational opportunities and equip them with dispositions for lifelong learning and success in future workplaces. These learning behaviours and dispositions are known to staff and pupils as the seven Russell Powers (Initiative, Curiosity, Collaboration, Reasoning, Reflectiveness, Creativity and Resilience).

Our Early Years classes follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, which is a distinct phase of education for children aged from birth to five. This guidance sets out seven areas of learning which form the basis of the Foundation Stage Curriculum. These areas are: 3 Prime Areas of Learning • • •

Communication and Language Physical Development Personal Social & Emotional Development

4 Specific Areas • • • •

Literacy Mathematics Understanding of the World Expressive Arts and Design

Each area of learning has a set of related Early Learning Goals intended to help our staff plan to meet the diverse needs of all children. Most will have met or exceeded the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. We use a range of current methods for teaching children phonics, the letters and sounds correspondences combined with high frequency words.

In Key Stage 1 and 2 the largest proportion of the timetable is devoted to English and Mathematics. Science, French, Drama, Computing, History, Geography, Music, Art, PSHE, RE and PE are allocated appropriate teaching time. We use a number of Schemes (based on the National Curriculum) to ensure our pupils are experiencing a broad and balanced curriculum.

A curriculum newsletter is sent each term to outline the areas of learning. For more information on the Curriculum, please do not hesitate to ask your child’s Class Teacher or their Phase Leader.

In response to the COVID outbreak, Royal Russell School will continue to follow Guidance from the UK Government and Department for Education with regards to the curriculum and remote learning. As ever, our aim is to continue to provide a curriculum that offers breadth and variety, with high expectations for all pupils. In the event that a pupil has to self-isolate, as far as possible resources will be placed on Firefly for lessons (see Virtual Learning Environment for information on Firefly). Daily Maths and English tasks will be provided and these will remain open for the week so as to allow for flexibility where needed. There will be recorded teaching input for two Maths and two English tasks over the course of the week. Specialists will also set a task to be completed that week. In addition to this, all tasks uploaded to Firefly will receive feedback from the teachers.

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We recognise that children all progress at varying rates. As a starting point to the academic year we assess children in Maths and English, to provide a gap analysis for teaching to then be targeted at specific areas for development. We will continue to use regular and on-going formative assessments to inform our planning and the delivery of the curriculum. (See Assessment)

Home-Learning Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are expected to read on a daily basis. In Reception, children will receive weekly phonics activities to further support their reading and spelling and 'Maths Challenges' to reinforce the learning in class.

In Years 1 and 2, children have a weekly home learning activity relating to the phonics and spelling patterns they have learnt in school. Year 2 children also start learning their times tables from January.

Children in Reception to Year 6 are also provided with a login to ‘DoodleMaths’, an online resource containing a range of maths activities relating to our curriculum. These can be completed at the children’s own leisure and may also be set as Home-Learning tasks.

Children in Year 3 and above will be provided with weekly home learning tasks for Maths and English in addition to the expectation that they will read daily.

Children in Years 1-6 will also have access, through Firefly, to a bank of activities throughout the year. The activities will span all aspects of the curriculum and be presented in a variety of ways. These activities are introduced in Year 1 from the second half of Spring term and become increasingly frequent as children progress throughout the school.

Firefly Virtual Learning Environment (or “VLE”) Firefly is an online educational tool which provides access to lesson resources and home learning tasks. It can be accessed via any PC, tablet or any mobile device.

Firefly can be accessed at https://royalrussell.fireflycloud.net or via our school website www.royalrussell.co.uk, Click Firefly VLE. Pupils will be reminded of procedures for access and passwords issued for new pupils. Please do contact the school office if you have any difficulties in gaining access.

Royal Russell Office365 Users: Pupils in Year 1 - 6 will be provided with a ‘login card’ where we provide their password for the following which remain the same throughout the year: Linguascope (Modern Foreign Languages) DoodleMaths Pupils use the same password for Firefly and Office 365 and if updated in either one, this will update for the other.

Over the course of the year, all pupils will be able to access exciting learning materials via the VLE such as videos, quizzes, and lesson presentations to further enhance their knowledge of the curriculum.

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In addition, we will be encouraging our pupils to take a “flipped” approach to their learning. Children will have access to a wide range of content prior to their lessons and will be encouraged to visit Firefly to access learning materials chosen by their teachers. By allowing our pupils access to resources prior to the lesson, they will be better prepared for their lessons.

Firefly Virtual Learning Environment (or “VLE”)

iPads for all Year 5 and 6 Pupils “The vision is nothing less than the transformation of learning at Royal Russell from what to learn to how to learn, from passive to active, from teacher centred to learner centred, from impersonal to personal, from good to great. Modern mobile technology can play a huge part in transforming learning and teaching so that we can continue to meet the 21st century needs of young people”.

We are in a privileged position at Royal Russell to be able to offer each child in Year 5 and 6 their own School iPad for the academic year. This is a school owned device that they are permitted to use both in school and at home to further their learning. We believe that offering our children the opportunity to use their iPad will not only prepare them for the 21st Century but it will help to boost their IT skills. Furthermore, allowing our children to use Firefly in conjunction with their iPads will help prepare them for lessons using the flipped learning approach.

At Royal Russell we are using the iPad with a blended learning approach. Traditional methods of reading, writing and spelling are still very much encouraged and the iPad is to be used by the teacher to further enhance the work we are doing in the classroom. Our aim is to revolutionise our curriculum and to excite the children through the use of technology.

In order for each child to receive their iPad they must complete a Home/School Agreement which is to be signed and agreed to by the parents. At Royal Russell we encourage responsible use of technology and it is our aim to educate our children about using their iPads correctly and responsibly.

Assessment All pupils in the school will have their work continually assessed in order to monitor progress. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 complete online INCAS assessments. Additionally, the children undertake annual Verbal and NonVerbal Reasoning assessments.

These standardised assessments give an accurate measure of each child’s individual attainment compared with national statistics. Children in Y1-6 complete a termly Progress in Reading Assessment. Additionally, children complete regular independent writing tasks and half termly maths assessments (through our Assertive Mentoring Scheme) to enable teachers to identify areas of strength and those to develop. Any assessment data is shared with parents and is included on the termly reports.

Children entering the Nursery and Reception will be initially observed against a baseline assessment which will inform planning and next steps. Children in Reception and Nursery are observed and assessed daily.

Evidence of learning in the 7 areas is documented in their Early Years Digital Learning Profile. These ‘Tapestry’ journals are released to parents every half term. Attainment in relation to the Early Learning Goals is formally recorded at the end of Reception. Progress is outlined in regular parental reports and also reported to Croydon Council. Parents are encouraged to contribute observations from home to the ‘Tapestry’ Journals.

It is an assumption that a pupil in Year 6 of Royal Russell Junior School will continue into the Senior School.

All pupils progressing to the Senior School will be expected to demonstrate: good work habits, academic ability, willingness and ability to contribute positively to the life of the School and an ability to benefit from the educational opportunities on offer. There are occasions when our assessments suggest that a pupil may have difficulty coping with the academic demands of Royal Russell School and parents will be alerted at an early stage if this is the case. Where a pupil is struggling to make the expected progress, support systems are put in place. Careful monitoring of progress will take place and regular communications will be held between school and home (please see Learning Enrichment).

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Reports Reports are written termly and provide parents with information about progress and next steps. Reports are available via Firefly.

For Years 1-6, the Autumn term report includes comments on Maths, English and Science, and identifies areas for development as well as providing any assessment data that has taken place that term. A pastoral comment is also included in this report. The Spring term report contains effort and achievement grades across all areas of the curriculum. Attainment grades are provided to clarify whether your child is ‘emerging’, ‘expected’ or ‘exceeding’ expectations for that subject at that point in the academic year. The Summer term report contains a comment section for each area of the curriculum, as well as a pastoral comment and effort and attainment grades. All reports also include a grade (Emerging, expected or exceeding) for five different attributes: Behaviour, Courtesy and Consideration, Independence, Motivation for Learning and Organisation.

Effort grades for subjects focus on the following areas: 1. Approach to learning 2. Completeness of work 3. Behaviour for learning It is important to remember that effort is a very different measure to attainment as it is not linked to ability.

The children understand what teachers are looking for and why we award the grades and it is hoped they will then strive to improve their effort, enthusiasm and commitment.

For a full break down of how judgements are made on effort grades for subjects and the five different attributes, please see the Firefly link: https://royalrussell.fireflycloud.net/resource.aspx?id=142442&officeint=on Early Years reports are based on the seven areas of learning and the characteristics of effective learning from the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.

Evenings Parents’ Evenings are held regularly soParents’ that parents may discuss their child’s progress with the Class Teacher and with subject specialists.

In the Autumn Term, parents are invited (usually in week four) to make an appointment to speak with the Class Teacher early on in the term, with a pastoral focus and to ensure a smooth transition into a new year group has been made.

In the Spring Term, parents have a further opportunity to make an appointment with the Class Teacher and Subject Specialist Teachers.

If you would like to discuss any specific aspect of your child’s report in more depth with the Class Teacher or subject specialist, an appointment can be arranged at a separate time. Parents are welcome to have an informal discussion with a teacher at any mutually convenient time. Should you wish to arrange a formal meeting, please email the member of staff directly.

At the beginning of the day, teachers are often very busy welcoming their classes and taking the register, and it is often not possible for parents to have a discussion at this time.

Parents wishing to pass on information at the beginning of the school day are asked to speak to contact the School Office by telephone or email.

Parents wishing to speak to the Headmaster are welcome to call the School Office at any time for an informal chat, or may arrange an appointment with Mrs Jones.

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Learning Enrichment At Royal Russell Junior School we recognise that every single pupil has their own abilities, talents and needs. Therefore we are committed to providing a learning environment where all children are able to develop their own personal skills and abilities. Through an exciting and creative curriculum, we hope to challenge all pupils and provide opportunities to achieve their full potential.

The School seeks to identify pupils’ needs at an early stage and Class Teachers who are concerned that a pupil is not progressing as expected will raise any concerns with parents in the first instance. If, after some carefully planned intervention within class, a pupil is still not making expected progress, our Head of Learning Enrichment may conduct an assessment and suggest further support strategies. An individual plan may be created for the pupil and this will be shared with parents. Our Head of Learning Enrichment may advise parents to consult outside specialists for more detailed assessment. In a small minority of cases, where a pupil’s educational needs are very specific, the school may advise parents to consider other schools with more specialised provision in the best interest of the pupil.

On the other hand, within the class there may be some children, working in the more able group who need more challenges and exceed expectations. At Royal Russell School we define such children as ‘High Achievers’ - children who show an exceptional level of ability in one or more areas of the curriculum.

Individual pupils with specific gifts and talents benefit from different and additional learning opportunities.

We seek to provide these within the framework of the school curriculum and also look for enrichment activities within the community. Enrichment activities allow High Achievers to promote higher level thinking skills, to have a broader learning experience or to complete peer work with other High Achievers.

Breakfast Club Breakfast club runs from 7.45 – 8.30am daily. Mrs Anne Willis is our Breakfast Club Supervisor, ably supported by our own Teaching Assistants.

There will be two Breakfast Club facilities. This forms a part of our contingency plans should it become necessary to reintroduce ‘bubbles’ for a temporary period, to reduce mixing between groups.

1 – For pupils in Nursery to Year 2 – Lower Junior Dining Room 2 – For pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 – Junior School Gym Breakfast Club is open to all pupils and the children are offered a healthy selection of breakfast options that includes cereals, toast, crumpets and spreads as well as fruit juice, milk, fresh fruit and yoghurt. The cost is £3.90 per day. Breakfast Club must be booked in advance for the half term. Booking forms are available on Firefly and bookings may be made for one or more mornings per week. Drop-ins will be charged at a cost of £4.65 per session.

Crèche (Lower Juniors only) The Crèche runs from 3.15-6.00pm daily and is overseen by Mrs Jan Vallance and our own Teaching Assistants. When the weather permits, full use is made of the School grounds. Tea is included in the charge of £12.90 per session, which is added to the School fee account. Drop-ins will be charged at a cost of £15.50 per session.

Nursery and Reception Crèche is based in the Early Years Centre. Years 1 & 2 Crèche is based in the Year 1 classrooms and Outdoor Learning Area.

Application forms for a place in the Crèche are available on Firefly. Bookings may be made for one or more evenings per week, however parents must commit to booking for a whole term in advance. This termly charge will not be reduced if the child does not attend Crèche for any reason. Bookings for Crèche may be amended after clubs have been allocated. Half a term’s notice of withdrawal from Crèche must otherwise be given.

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Parents eligible for extended Early Years Funding may receive a funded place in Crèche subject to availability.

Lower Juniors

Co-Curricular Activities

Co-Curricular activities are an important part of the Junior School experience. These activities are organised through our online system, SOCS. A separate email will be sent with details on how to use this system.

In the Lower Juniors, a range of co-curricular activities are offered after school. These activities vary according to demand. Parents will be informed of club options and should log on to SOCS in order to register interest for these activities. Places be limited and allocated as fairly as possible. As we also offer a childcare facility after school in the form of Crèche, we would request that club selections are based on a child’s preference or interest in the chosen club and not as a child care option.

We aim to ensure all children can access at least one club per term and do not allocate these on a first come first served basis. We ask that parents please collect children promptly, as detailed above at 4.15pm. It will not be possible for children to return to Crèche after their club if they have not already been booked in ahead of time. Please use the booking form on Firefly to ensure your child is booked into Crèche as ad-hoc sessions will not be available.

Clubs for Nursery pupils commence after pupils have attended a full term.

Upper Juniors A varied programme of co-curricular activities is provided for pupils in Years 3 - 6, and families are invited to sign-up to clubs via SOCS before the Autumn term (and then towards the end of each of the following terms). Parents will be notified via SOCS which clubs their child has been accepted into. If a pupil is unable to attend their club, we ask that they inform their Class Teacher at Registration and to apologise to their club teacher or coach.

Most activities run from 3.45 - 4.40pm daily; however, some activities run until 5.30pm and in this event, it is not possible for those pupils to have tea. Pupils who register for an activity are expected to attend regularly throughout the term. Healthy snacks are provided for those pupils who are staying for a match after school or a club which continues through to 5.30pm.

There is also a supervised learning session (Prep) from 3.45 - 4.40pm every day. Pupils should book into Prep via SOCS. Pupils who have stayed at school to participate in an activity, or join the supervised learning session, may either be collected at 4.40pm or may stay for Tea. Those not collected at 4.40pm will be taken to Tea. We ask that all pupils who are staying for Tea to sign up to the appropriate sessions at the beginning of term so that we are able to arrange staffing accordingly. Bookings for Prep and Tea can be made through SOCS. Pupils who stay for tea must be collected between 5.30 and 6pm. There will be a member of staff on duty each day until 6.00pm. A charge of £15.00 will be incurred for children collected after 6.00 pm and a further £15.00 for children collected after 6.15 pm.

Trips / Outings & Sports fixtures Trips, outings and sports fixtures will resume this term, subject to guidance. Communication and full details regarding any trips, outings or fixtures will be sent by relevant members of staff.

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Additional Events We know that school events form an important part of the rich tapestry of life in the Junior School and often form an important part of the link between home and school. It is clear that many established events will not be able to run in the same way, however, we remain committed to establishing new procedures where possible.

We will send out a message when the calendar can be consulted on Firefly for full details of the various events in which your children may be participating or may be expected to attend.

Musical Instrument Tuition All pupils receive class music lessons with our specialist music staff every week. In addition to this, opportunities exist for pupils to receive individual tuition in a range of musical instruments. All pupils in Year 1 learn to play the recorder and all pupils in Year 2 will participate in starter lessons for violin as part of their class music lessons, in the Autumn Term.

The tuition fee for the academic year 2021-2022 will be £19.75 for a 30 minute lesson. Instrumental teachers charge parents directly and lessons can only be provided if the fees have been paid in advance as requested by the teacher. In the unlikely event of wishing to withdraw a pupil from instrumental lessons, parents are expected to give five weeks’ written notice (not including holidays), or they will be liable to a half term’s fees in lieu.

Any parents who wish their children to learn to play an instrument should complete an Instrumental Lessons Request Form which may be obtained under the Junior School Forms section, on Firefly.

For any child wishing to take up a new musical instrument, please discuss with our Head of Junior School Music (Miss Siobhan Fox). Pupils are able to commence musical instrument tuition from the Summer Term of Year 1.

The House Structure All children in the Junior School belong to one of four Houses - Canterbury, Durham, Exeter and York. Each House is a “vertical slice” of the school which provides exciting opportunities for collaboration, competition and team spirit in all aspects of the curriculum as well as providing opportunities to develop and use our Russell Powers and Moral Compass. Each House has approximately equal numbers from each year group.

Siblings will be placed in the same House.

Instances of exemplary, age-appropriate, behaviour may be rewarded with a pastoral token. Children place their token directly into the House Tokens collection point. These, alongside other tokens, will be totalled every half term and the winning house will receive the House Credits Cup. Additionally, pupils may be awarded the ‘Silver Star’ for exceptional behaviour that is above and beyond expectations for that child.

Children who reach the Silver Star during the week will also be awarded a certificate in the weekly celebration assembly. Any child who is moved to the Silver Star will gain a silver star token (worth 5 house tokens).

In the Upper and Lower Juniors, a child may be awarded a certificate for using or displaying Russell Powers.

These Russell Powers are learning skills that are essential to develop and can be applied across all areas of the curriculum (for example the powers of being reflective, curious and creative). Certificates are awarded according to who is most deserving and a tick list / turn taking approach is discouraged. Certificates are awarded at the Lower and Upper Junior Celebration Assemblies.

Certificates are also awarded where pupils demonstrate characteristics from our Moral Compass. These certificates are awarded where pupils model and demonstrate one of the key characteristics, in an age – appropriate way.

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Children in the Lower and Upper Juniors may also receive a credit for academic work which is above the standard expected in relation to the ability and effort of that individual child. Staff stamp the child’s book, record the credits on a central spreadsheet and award physical tokens to children which are added to the class collection point. One person from each house then takes tokens to the main collection point on a weekly basis.

On a weekly basis, the class with the most academic credits will receive the Class Academic Cup in the Upper Juniors or Russell Lion in the Lower Juniors. At the end of the year, all credits and tokens are totalled and the House Shield for the best performing House is awarded to the house representatives on Royal Russell Day. Prizes for individual effort and achievement are presented at both Royal Russell Day and at Prize Givings.

Throughout the academic year, as the children in the Upper Juniors collect credits, they will be awarded certificates by the Headmaster during Celebration Assembly. Once a child has reached the Bronze/Silver/Gold stages, they will also be awarded a star badge alongside their certificate which they may wear on their blazers.

Year 3-6

Pink 10

Blue 20

Purple 30

Bronze 45

Silver 60

Gold 75

Headmaster’s Merit Cards are awarded for work that is exceptional for that individual child at the discretion of the Headmaster. This award will be presented in the weekly Rewards and Recognition Assembly. Gold Merit Badges are awarded if a child has gained four Headmaster’s merits in an academic year.

The children are very well motivated by the House system and are keen to participate in the competition it encourages. There are exciting competitions between the Houses in many areas throughout the year, including competitions in sports, drama, maths, games and music.

Behaviour This School is a calm and purposeful working environment and the playgrounds must be places where the children can enjoy playing sensibly together. Each member of the School, irrespective of gender, culture, social or background, should be free from discrimination of any kind. The school’s Behaviour Policy clearly sets out the expectations in the Lower and Upper Juniors, together with the rewards and sanctions that are in place.

Staff will act in accordance with the school policy for managing behaviour. All forms of corporal punishment are forbidden.

Our Moral Compass helps to guide our pupils behaviour as well as guiding their personal growth and development. Our Moral Compass characteristics are: integrity, generosity, respect and kindness. These values are discussed and modelled daily.

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Children and Adults We expect children and adults to: * Listen to each other * Care for all people and treat them with respect and politeness * Disagree without losing their tempers * Care for their surroundings and other people’s property * Value and respect the school environment * Ensure that other people are not put at risk by their actions * Respect other people’s views * Adhere to the high standards of punctuality, appearance and politeness Classroom In the classroom, we expect children to: * Complete work responsibly and to the best of their ability * Use resources sensibly and return them to the appropriate place * Let others complete their work * Listen to and follow instructions * Raise hands and wait to be asked to contribute Outside the Classroom Outside the classroom, we expect children to: * Walk quietly and sensibly around school, holding doors open for each other and adults * Greet teachers and visitors in a polite and courteous manner * Respect the right of other children to play without interference * Resolve differences of opinion without resorting to aggression * Line up quickly and quietly at all times * Respect other teachers and supervisors, in the playground, at lunch, in clubs and during ‘Prep’ and tea * Remain supervised and move around the campus only when accompanied by an adult * Wait for their parents in the agreed place at the end of the school day * Only leave school if accompanied by an adult, unless other arrangements have been authorised by the Headmaster for Year 6 children.

Behaviour other than this is unacceptable Fundamental Values Throughout Royal Russell School, the Fundamental British Values underpin our Code of Conduct, Policies and Practice and are promoted by staff and pupils in every aspect of our school lives: * Democracy * The rule of Law * Individual Liberty * Mutual Respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and those without faith.

Anti-Bullying Policy Statement: Bullying will not be tolerated in any form. Pupils are encouraged to speak out if they are being bullied or aware of someone who is being bullied. All allegations of bullying will be thoroughly investigated; the punishments will be severe and can include suspension or expulsion. Bystanders also have a role to play in reporting acts of bullying. Bullying will not be tolerated in any form. Pupils are encouraged to speak out if they are being bullied or aware of someone who is being bullied. All allegations of bullying will be thoroughly investigated, and the punishments will be severe and can include suspension or expulsion.

Bystanders also have a role to play in reporting acts of bullying. Royal Russell School develops strategies to prevent bullying in the first place. This includes talking to pupils about issues of differences during antibullying week, in Assembly, tutorials and in our PSHE programme. Good behaviour where pupils treat one another and the school staff with respect is modelled by both staff and older pupils, which helps create a culture of respect that permeates the school environment.

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Advice to pupils: Procedure for pupils either observing or being bullied A pupil who feels that they are being bullied should report it to their Class Teacher, Phase leader, Tutor, Housemaster/Housemistress (HoM), Head of Year (HoY) or any member of staff they feel they can approach, remembering that being a bystander and doing nothing is passive bullying. Any pupil observing an incident should report the matter to their Class teacher, Phase Leader, Tutor/HoM/HoY or any other member of staff who will then take the appropriate action.

The concern will be recorded on MyConcern, our safeguarding platform, and logged against all relevant pupils’ names, in order to track any trends in behaviour or repeated instances of bullying behaviour.

Parents will be informed by the appropriate member of staff.

If necessary, other agencies may be consulted or involved, such as: the police (if a criminal offence has been committed) or other local services including early help or children’s social care (if a child is felt to be at risk of significant harm). In this case, we will be working alongside external agencies and parents to support the pupil.

If you are being bullied: ● Be firm and clear, look the person in the eyes and tell them to stop ● Get away from the situation as quickly as possible ● Tell an adult what has happened straight away.

After an incident of bullying: ● Tell a teacher or another adult in the School ● Tell your family ● Ask a friend to come with you if you need support in telling a teacher or an adult ● Keep on speaking up until someone listens ● Do not blame yourself for what has happened.

When talking about bullying with an adult be clear on: ● What has happened to you? ● How often this has happened to you ● Who was involved? ● Who saw what happened to you? ● Where it happened to you ● What you have done about it already.

Bystanders: The School makes it clear to all pupils that bystanders have a key responsibility to the School community and to anyone they see being bullied or victimised. They are encouraged to stand up for what they know to be right, for example by telling a member of staff what they have seen or heard.

Advice to parents/guardians: A note of reassurance Bullying is a rare occurrence at school and any incident runs counter to the traditions of Royal Russell. Consequently, reported incidents will be explored very carefully.

Experience has shown that any episode dealt with quickly and in line with this policy has led to a positive outcome. Sensitive handling by staff is necessary, of course, and the support of parents in a ‘no blame’ approach is very important, too.

The guiding principles of all the adults involved must be to resolve conflict or misunderstanding, amend behaviour patterns appropriately, and help the pupils involved to move on.

A bullying incident can be treated as a child protection concern when there is “reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or likely to suffer, significant harm”.

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Procedure for parents who feel that their son/daughter is being bullied The Anti-Bullying policy is referred to in this Handbook however the full policy is available on the School Website. It is also fully discussed within the PSHE curriculum and assemblies. Our annual Anti-Bullying week in November enables pupils to explore topical issues and raise awareness.

Parents of a pupil are asked to notify Royal Russell immediately if they are concerned that they are being bullied. They should report the incident to their Class Teacher, Phase Leader, Tutor, HoM, HoY or any member of staff they feel they can approach. The appropriate measures will then be taken as set out in this policy.

Advice to parents: ● Make time to talk to your child and ensure that they are happy at school ● If your child’s behaviour changes, try to establish the reasons why ● If the situation does not improve, contact their Class Teacher, Phase Leader, Tutor, HoM, HoY or any member of staff you feel you can approach for an informal chat ● If the problem persists, make an appointment to discuss the matter in person as soon as possible ● If you believe your child is being bullied, as defined by this policy, you should contact their Class Teacher, Phase Leader, Tutor, HoM or HoY immediately. They will take the matter very seriously, follow the procedure set down in this policy and keep you informed at every stage of the enquiry. ● It may be that following initial enquiry the matter will be investigated by the Deputy Head/s who will draw up a plan of action for a successful outcome.

The full Anti-Bullying policy is available to view on the school website.

Home Environment The home environment has a very significant effect on the children’s performance and happiness at school.

A close partnership between home and school will help to support your child’s development and progress.

Please inform us of any changes or events at home that could emotionally impact on your child, e.g. illness, family separation, death of a relative or pet, in order for your child to be offered the support required.

E-Safety Advice E-Safety advice for all pupils: • Make sure you use the privacy settings on social media sites and only use sites that are appropriate for your age.

• Always respect others – be careful what you say online.

• Be careful what pictures or videos you upload. Once a picture is shared online it cannot be taken back.

• Only add people you know and trust to friends/followers lists online. When talking to strangers, keep your personal information safe and location hidden.

• Treat your password like your toothbrush – keep it to yourself and change it regularly.

• Block the bully – learn how to block or report someone who is behaving badly.

• Do not retaliate or reply to offending e-mails, text messages or online conversations.

• Save the evidence. Always keep a copy of offending e-mails, text messages or a screen grab of online conversations and pass to a parent, a carer or a teacher.

• Make sure you tell an adult you trust, for example, a parent, a carer, a teacher, or the child protection officer or call a helpline like Childline on 08001111 in confidence.

• Most social media services and other sites have a button you can click on to report bullying. Doing this can prevent a bully from targeting you and others in the future. Many services take bullying seriously and will either warn the individual or eliminate his or her account.

• When using a mobile device, make sure you also pay attention to your surroundings.

• Be kind online – you wouldn’t say something hurtful in person, so don’t do it online Parents - How you can protect your child?

• Talk to your child – show an interest. Know what your child likes to do on their mobile device, what apps they like to use and who they are communicating with.

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• Keep all mobile devices in one central place at night. At Junior School age, no child should be going to bed with a mobile device. This can be very disruptive to their sleeping patterns and can lead to friendship issues if they are sending and receiving messages late at night.

• Know your device and the parental controls.

• Set time limits for their usage and ensure they are using their device in a communal room.

• Does an 8 year old really need a smartphone? If your child is asking for the latest device for Christmas and birthdays, stop and think about whether they really need it.

• Be proactive and attend school meetings on eSafety. There is a wealth of information and expertise at both the Junior and Senior School and we are more than happy to speak to you regarding any questions you may have around this topic.

• Sign up to alerts and newsletters to receive the latest news.

For example; http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers . eSafety and mobile technology is forever changing and keeping up with the latest apps is difficult for both teachers and parents alike. Signing up to newsletters will help you keep abreast with the latest updates.

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Safeguarding of Pupils The Whole School Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs Nathalie Hart, Deputy Head People. In the Junior School the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs Sarah Pain, Deputy Head Pastoral supported by Miss Siobhan Fox, also Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. Should you have any concerns or information you think the school should be aware of, Mrs Pain or Miss Fox would be more than willing to talk with you. Our Safeguarding Policy is published on the school website.

Emergency Contact It is vitally important that the school always has a contact telephone number which may be called in case of emergency, this is in addition to the parental contact information. If the emergency contact number given to the school should change, parents must inform the School Office immediately.

Late Pick-Up / Missing Child Procedures The processes and policies in place ensure children are safe and secure at all times. In the case of your being late collecting your child, it is very important that you phone the School Office as soon as you can before 5.30pm. After 6pm, your child will be taken to the Headmaster/Deputy Heads. In the event that children are repeatedly collected late, the school reserves the right to temporarily remove the option of after school activities.

Although being late is sometimes unavoidable, the children do find it extremely unsettling, so please bear this in mind and make contact with the school, so that your child can be reassured. Any child collected after 6pm will have a £15 late collection charge added to their termly account. A further £15.00 will be added for children collected after 6.15pm.

PE / Games / Swimming Letter If your child is well enough to be in school, they should be able to participate in all activities, including swimming. However, if for genuine medical reasons your child is unable to participate fully in PE or swimming, please send an email to the PE staff and to your class teacher explaining the reasons why. This should be before the start of the day to enable staff to make suitable arrangements for the care of children not participating.

Catering As ever, our catering team aims to provide pupils with a healthy and varied menu. We are fully committed to meeting the dietary requirements of all pupils.

All children are offered a choice of a piece of fruit and a drink at mid-morning break. At lunch time, pupils are provided with a full meal from a broad and nutritious menu. For Lower Juniors, morning snacks and lunch are included in our School fees; for Upper Juniors Tea is also included. A weekly menu is available on Firefly.

If your child has a special dietary requirement based on religious or medical grounds, the School will provide a suitable alternative. Please contact Mrs Jones / mjones@royalrussell.co.uk giving full details of any such requirements in advance of your child starting school. In the case of a proven medical allergy please send in a letter from your Doctor, confirming the diagnosis, and provide full details of the foods which must be avoided and pass any medication, which must be available in the event of an allergic reaction, to the Medical Centre.

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The Medical Centre The School provides a medical service which is staffed by healthcare professionals. This operates whilst day pupils are on site.

There should be no medicines in the classroom or in children’s pockets or bags. For children who have asthma, two inhalers should be provided, one for the School Office and one for the Medical Centre. When pupils need to take medicine at school, their parents must take the medicine to the Medical Centre and sign a consent form. The Medical Centre staff will look after the medicine and dispense it at the correct times.

A pupil who is ill should not be brought to school. In this event, parents must telephone or email the School Office juniorabsence@royalrussell.co.uk to explain the absence. Pupils should not be given pain relief, such as Calpol, and then sent to school if they are under the weather as this can mask symptoms.

If you are aware that your child has an infectious condition, please do not send your child to school, but telephone the school so that, if necessary, other parents may be warned of the infection. A pupil who has suffered from sickness/diarrhoea may not return to school until 48 hours after their final episode.

A pupil who falls ill while at school, or who is injured, will be attended by the School Medical Centre Staff, who will be able to administer appropriate treatment.

If, in their clinical judgement, a pupil needs to go home or to attend hospital, they will telephone the parents and an ambulance should an emergency situation occur.

In line with Government guidance as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, any pupils who present with the following symptoms will be required to be collected immediately and to undertake a PCR test:

• • •

a new continuous cough a high temperature a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

For many people, COVID-19 will be a mild illness. However, if you have any of the symptoms above you must stay at home and arrange a test and only return to school following the advisory isolation period or when a test has been confirmed as negative. Parents are asked to inform the School of the results of any tests and liaise over arrangements to return.

As this is a respiratory illness, it will, inevitably, be difficult to differentiate from some other non-COVID respiratory illnesses. Therefore, all pupils who display symptoms will be sent home and should be tested and isolate until advised otherwise.

As a school we appreciate sending pupils home will be disruptive and will only be advised if completely necessary. The school has taken other preventative measures to reduce the risk of COVID 19 and limit the risk of infection.

Should you require any additional support you can speak with our nurses at the Health and Wellbeing Team onsite or contact NHS 111 or for contact tracing NHS 119.

Current Government guidance on Covid-19 can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

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Uniform Please refer to the separate Junior School Uniform and Games Kit list, which is also available on Firefly.

Our policy is based on the notion that school uniform: • • • • • • • •

promotes a sense of pride in the School in line with our ethos; engenders a sense of community and belonging towards school; supports positive behaviour and discipline; is practical and smart; identifies the children with the School and encourages identity with the School; prevents children from coming to school in fashions or ‘designer’ label clothes that could be distracting in class or create a sense of competition; makes children feel equal to their peers in terms of appearance and helps nurture cohesion between different groups of pupils; is designed with health and safety in mind.

ALL CLOTHING SHOULD BE CORRECTLY LABELLED WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME

There is a lost property basket at the rear of the Assembly Hall and in the Reception cloakroom containing un-named property. The School cannot accept responsibility for lost property and cannot easily return unnamed items.

The “Coach House” Shop for Second-Hand Uniform sales is run by The Parents’ Association and is situated behind the main car park. We will advertise opening times in the weekly newsletter. Parents wishing to donate items of uniform should leave them in the container outside the shop. All items of clothing donated to the Coach House Shop should be washed and have name tapes removed.

Mouthguard Policy – Upper Juniors only In accordance with England Hockey guidelines, we would like to advise you that all children from Year 3 to Year 6 will, as part of their Physical Education programme, participate in hockey for which a mouthguard is compulsory.

Our supplier, OPRO, is booked in to visit school on Thursday 9th September 2021 to take moulds for those who wish to purchase a custom fit mouthguard. If you wish to purchase a custom fit mouthguard for your son/daughter you will receive details on how to purchase nearer the time. There are a number of alternative arrangements available including purchasing a self-fitting boil and bite mouthguard. OPRO provide many options available online and these mouthguards vary in protection and price depending on the sport or use.

There are many other mouthguard alternatives, however, in our experience, OPRO offer good quality options. www.OPRO.com

Health and Safety The School takes all Health and Safety issues very seriously and there is an extensive Health and Safety Policy document. All staff carry out regular Risk Assessments of their classrooms and communal areas of the campus to provide the safest possible environment for the children’s work and play.

The Headmaster carries responsibility for the Health and Safety of pupils and staff, but this responsibility is entrusted to the Operations Director on a day to day basis, who ensures that our facilities are properly maintained. If parents have any Health and Safety concerns, they should take these up with the Headmaster in the first instance.

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Prior to any off-site visits, the staff involved will undertake a rigorous Risk Assessment of the activity and will submit this to the Educational Visits Coordinator for approval. Only then will parents receive information about the visit and be asked to provide their formal consent.

The Swimming Pool has its own staff, led by the Sports Facilities Manager, and all aspects of Health and Safety in the pool area are continually monitored.

Security The School provides a secure and safe environment for our pupils. The number of access points to the building are minimal and external doors have security key-pad locks or electronic swipe card entry. Only pupils and staff may freely pass through doors with security locks operating. Throughout the School day, pupils are kept under appropriate supervision by members of the staff.

Parents may not enter the school building without an appointment. Please assist us in keeping pupils safe by speaking to the Office Staff before entering the school buildings for any reason.

All Staff have been issued with security passes and are required to wear these at all times whilst at School.

All visitors to the School are required to sign in a visitors’ book, read safeguarding information and wear a security pass at all times whilst on School premises.

The car park and driveway are potentially very dangerous places and all who drive on site are required to limit their speed to a maximum of 5 mph. There is a security barrier across the drive and only those drivers who have been authorised by the School will be given a security pass to operate the barrier.

Parents must not park on any part of the driveway. Please park considerately to enable as many parents as possible to be accommodated at one time.

There is a ‘stop and drop’ zone for Upper Junior and Senior School pupils only. Please do not park in this area. All Lower Junior School pupils should be accompanied across the drive by their parents before and after school using the crossing.

Parents are not permitted to use the school car park as a ‘Park and Ride’ facility.

As our grounds are in use for school co-curricular activities after school, for reasons of safeguarding please do not use the playgrounds or adventure playgrounds. Once you have collected your children, please keep them with you until you make your way home.

Parental Helpers Central to any requests for parental involvement are the learning needs of the children. The School may contact parents in certain year groups to help with trips or events. Please do not worry if you are not available to help. Regular helpers will need to be approved by the Disclosure & Barring Service and required to read our Safeguarding Policy.

The Parents’ Association There is a flourishing Parents’ Association, “The 1853 Society”, which organises many social events and raises funds to provide extraordinary items for the School for the benefit of the children.

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In recent years, the Junior School has received generous donations from the Parents’ Association to purchase extra facilities for playground use and contributed to the adventure playground, which the children enjoy and use extensively.

The Committee of the 1853 Society meets from time to time to arrange activities and to decide how to spend the funds raised. New parents are warmly encouraged to join. Posters and notices advertising the AGM, Christmas Fair and many other events are brought to the attention of parents, who can volunteer to be involved or just attend and enjoy. Each class has a parent Class Representative.

More information can be found on the School website.

Parental Complaints Procedure Royal Russell School has long prided itself on the quality of the teaching and pastoral care provided to its pupils. However, if parents do have a concern or complaint, they can expect it to be treated by the School in accordance with this procedure. The Complaints Procedure is published on the School’s website for easy access by parents.

School Policies The following policies and information are available to be viewed on the Website.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Current Risk Assessment Curriculum Policy Anti-bullying Policy Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy Admissions Policy Behaviour Policy Health and Safety Policy E-Safety Policy Parental Complaints Procedure Inspection Report Staff List

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Appendix 1

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SPORTS FACILITIES Sports Facilities

15 Swimming Pool Sports Facilities 16 Sports HallPool 15 Swimming 1 Car Park 21 32

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

PARENT & PUPIL HANDBOOK 2021/22

Reception Car Park / Headmaster’s Study Junior School Reception / Headmaster’s Study

17 16 18 17

Top Pitch Sports Hall

19 18 20 19

Netball Courts The Paddock

The Pitch Paddock Top North Pitch Netball Courts

Centre 43 Early 21 North Astroturf Pitch JuniorYears School 20 Pitch Sports Facilities Performing Arts Centre / Auditorium 54 Early 22 MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) Years Centre 21 Astroturf Pitch Facilities Swimming Pool Hall Arts / CaféCentre /15 23Sports West Pitch Performing Auditorium 56 Dining 22 MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) 16 Sports Hall 1524Swimming Pool 76 Chapel Pavilion Dining Hall / Café 23 West Pitch 17 Top Pitch 16 Sports Hall 8 Great Hall 24 Pavilion Car Park 7 Chapel 18 The Paddock / Day Houses 17 TopBoarding Pitch Quad 98 Chapel Great Hall Reception / Headmaster’s Study 19 Netball Courts Buchanan / Reade / DAY 25The ParkTree Quad 1 10CarLime 18BOARDING Boarding /HOUSES Day Houses Paddock Junior School 20 North Pitch Quad 9 Chapel Cambridge / Headmaster’s Buchanan / Reade Courts 25Netball Early Years2Centre 21 Astroturf Pitch 1926 Aston Webb Building Study 11Reception Lime Tree Quad 10 Hollenden 27North Performing3 Arts Centre / Auditorium Junior School 22 MUGA (Multi-Use20 Cambridge Games Area)Pitch 26 Library / Sixth Form Study Centre 12 11 Aston Webb Building Dining Hall / Café 23 West Pitch Keable Early Years Centre Centre 4 13 2128 Hollenden Pitch 27Astroturf Medical Library / Sixth Form Study Centre 12 Chapel 24 Pavilion Latessa Arts Centre / Auditorium 5 14Performing 2229 Keable(Multi-Use Games Area) 28MUGA Science Block Medical Centre Great Hall 13 Madden 6 Dining Hall / Café 2330 Latessa West Pitch 29Houses Boarding / Day Chapel Quad 14 Science Block Oxford 31Pavilion 25 Buchanan / Reade2430 7 Chapel Madden Lime Tree Quad 26 Cambridge 32 Great Hall 8 Building Oxford 31 Queen’s Aston Webb Boarding 27 Hollenden Andrew’s/ Day Houses 33 St Library / Sixth Form Study Centre Quad 9 Chapel Queen’s 32 28 Keable 25 Buchanan / Reade Medical Centre Lime Tree Quad 10 33 St Andrew’s 29 Latessa 26 Cambridge Science Block 11 Aston Webb Building 30 Madden 27 Hollenden 12 Library / Sixth Form Study Centre 31 Oxford 28 Keable 32 Queen’s 13 Medical Centre 29 Latessa 33 St Andrew’s 14 Science Block 30 Madden

31 Oxford 32 Queen’s