Our Values
We nurture children’s intellectual, social, physical, creative, cultural and moral development, encouraging an enjoyment of learning and the pursuit of academic excellence within a safe and stimulating learning environment. We offer children a broad, curriculum and co-curricular program for acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes in preparation for a fulfilling and successful future.
We promote spiritual and moral values through Christian principles, emphasising, honesty, integrity, generosity, and a respect for other people and the environment. We enhance pupils’ self-awareness and self-confidence, enabling them to develop their leadership skills, to value their own and others efforts and achievements and to develop a sense of care and responsibility for the School community and the wider society.
Our Moral Compass
Our enabling environments help all children develop self-confidence through positive relationships and enduring friendships. We build on this secure foundation developing resilience and the important characteristics of our Moral Compass: kindness, generosity, honesty and integrity.
Russell Powers
At Royal Russell we encourage our pupils to
We also ensure they develop
Welcome and the School
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 around 320 children aged 3 - 11 in the Junior School and 850 pupils aged 11 - 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 and Safeguarding responsibility. When necessary, these members of staff deputise for the Headmaster. Mrs Tanya Mawanda 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 supporting children within their phase in partnership with the Junior Leadership Team (JLT) and class teachers. Subject specialists are responsible for the curriculum and monitoring of progress within their area. The class teacher/s remain the first port of call for all matters concerning your child.
School Structure
There are 8 year groups in the School:
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 and/or Spanish, Music, Sport and Swimming.
Useful Contact Details
Junior School Office:
020 8651 5884 (8:00am–6:00pm)
Main Switchboard: 020 8657 4433 (7:30am–6:30pm)
Health and Wellbeing Centre: 020 8657 7861
Office email address: juniorschool@royalrussell.co.uk
Reporting absence:
Headmaster’s email address: juniorabsence@royalrussell.co.uk
juniorheadmaster@royalrussell.co.uk
Staff email address:
Lower Junior Clubs:
Upper Junior Clubs: first initial and surname followed by @royalrussell.co.uk
lowerjuniorclubs@royalrussell.co.uk
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 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 SOCS (School Calendar, Co-Curricular and Sports Communication Systems).
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.
Staff List
Junior Leadership Team
Junior School Headmaster
Deputy Head (Learning and Teaching)
Deputy Head (Pastoral)
Head of Early Years Foundation Stage
Junior School Management Team
Assistant Head (Operations)
Head of Learning Enrichment (SENCO)
Years 1 and 2
Years 3 and 4
Years 5 and 6
Nursery
Nursery
Reception
Reception
Year 1
Year 1
Year 2
Year 2
Year 2
Year 3
Year 3
Year 4
Year 4
Year 5
Year 5
Year 5
Year 6
Year 6
Year 6
Head of Art and Design
Head of Drama
Head of Music
Head of Sport, Health & Fitness
Head of Modern Languages
Head of Science
Computing Teacher/Librarian
PE Teacher
Sports Coach – PE & Games
Assistant Sports Coach
Assistant Sports Coach
Breakfast Club Supervisor
Mr John Evans
Mrs Ruth Bannon
Mrs Sarah Pain
Mrs Tanya Mawanda
Mrs Alys Netherway
Ms Cheryl Parry
Miss Grace Howard
Mrs Stephanie Harris
Mrs Debbie Moore
Ms Jessica Sydney-Ford and Mrs Natasha Edwards
Mrs Lucy Summers
Miss Katy Dickinson
Mrs Gemma Raveney and Mrs Claire Tunmore
Miss Grace Howard
Mrs Ceri Warner
Miss Natalie Craigie
Miss Elin Galvin
Miss Amy Ryckaert
Miss Danielle Barr
Mrs Alys Netherway
Mrs Stephanie Harris
Mrs Caroline King
Miss Sam Holman
Mrs Ellie McKie
Mrs Laura Pasquel
Mrs Emma Austin and Mrs Rebecca Cooper
Mrs Emma Lagartixa and Mrs Debbie Moore
Miss Emma Roberts
Miss Cristina Ciccone
Mrs Helene Salman
Miss Siobhan Fox
Mrs Laura Lloyd
Mrs Gabriela Jaime
Mr Chris Lottering
Mrs Jozie Quinn
Mr Tyler Ward
Mr Frank Knight
Miss Emma Doyle
Miss Daisy Fillingham
Mrs Anne Willis
Creche Supervisor
Creche Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Lunchtime, Prep and Tea Supervisor
Headmaster’s PA
School Secretary
School Secretary and First Aid Officer
Junior School Registrar
Visiting Music Teachers
Ms Hilary Cameron
Mrs Amanda Cousin
Miss Heather de Poitiers
Ms Fiona Griffith
Miss Erin O’Hanlon
Mr David Hopkins
Mrs Jan Vallance
Mrs Claudine Pettitt
Mrs Christine Arulannarajah
Mrs Teresa Bridgewater
Mrs Adele Cane
Mrs Cairistine Clark
Mrs Maria Dutton
Mrs Maggie Hong
Mrs Yayoi Ikeda
Mrs Sarah Knolles
Mrs Sharmaine Nemar
Mrs Karen Parsons
Mrs Kelly Payne
Mrs Jan Vallance
Miss Kyla Webster
Mrs Anne Willis
Mrs Joanne O’Gorman
Mrs Melanie Jones
Miss Titia Lewer
Mrs Jacqueline Cufley
Mrs Debbie Webber
Mr Graham Scrivener
Ms Barbara Snow
Mr Tommy Stankovic
Mr Matthew Strover
Mr Andy White
School Day
7:45am Breakfast Club (chargeable extra, booked termly)
8:15am Arrive at school
8:25am School day begins / Registration
8:40am Period 1
9:10am Period 2
9:40am
10:10am Period 3 Assembly
10:30am Break
10:55am Period 4
11:25am Period 5
11:45am Nursery Lunch
11:55am Lunch
12:45pm Nursery collection for morning only children from the gate to the Nursery Classrooms
1:00pm Period 6
1:30pm Period 7
2:00pm Period 8
2:30pm Period 9
3:00pm Period 10
3:30pm End of school day for Lower and Upper Juniors
Start of Crèche (chargeable extra, booked termly), Prep and Clubs
4:30pm End of Lower Junior Clubs (Crèche provision available)
4:40pm End of Upper Junior Clubs Tea begins
5:30pm Collection of pupils from Crèche and Tea
If you are delayed collecting your child 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.
Parents may not collect children other than their own unless the adult collecting is known to us, and we have been notified of any changes in collection arrangements.
Nursery Sessions - If you wish to change your Nursery sessions after acceptance, please email the Head of Early Years providing a minimum of half a term’s notice as approval will depend on staffing levels.
Morning Drop-Off
Parents are welcome to use the main car park or the drop off area by the roundabout as usual.
Breakfast Club 7:45am
Using the zebra crossing by the roundabout, follow the path alongside the Junior School. Access to the playground will be up the newly constructed stairs and into the playground through the Reception Playground. Lower Junior Children must be escorted (Nursery to Year 2), Upper Junior Children (Year 3 to 6) can make their way independently.
School Drop-off 8:15 - 8:25am
Nursery to Year 2 (Lower Juniors)
Parents should park in the main car park and walk across the new zebra crossing near the roundabout and walk on the path alongside the Junior School. Access to the playground will be up the newly constructed stairs and into the playground where they will be supervised by a member of staff.
In the event of Wet Weather: Nursery and Reception children should be escorted to classrooms as normal via the new stairs. Year 1 and 2 children should be escorted to the main entrance for a positive hand over at the door.
Years 3 and 4
Children should be dropped off by the roundabout and walk across the new zebra crossing into the Upper Junior Quad where they will be supervised by a member of staff.
Years 5 and 6
Children should be dropped off by the roundabout walk to the CCF lawn where they will be supervised by a member of staff. In the event of Wet Weather: Upper Junior children will go via the Upper Junior Quad entrance to the School Hall.
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.
Afternoon Collection
Nursery
Collection at 12:45pm (Nursery only) - Children should be collected from the main entrance.
Collection at 3:30pm - Nursery children should be collected from the snail quad gate, access from the newly built stairs through the Reception Playground.
Reception
Reception children should be collected from the classroom doors, access from the newly built stairs to the Reception Playground.
Year 1 and 2
Years 1 and 2 children should be collected from the main entrance.
In the event of Wet Weather: Nursery and Reception children should be collected from classrooms/snail quad as normal from the newly built stairs. Years 1 and 2 children can be collected from the main entrance.
Years 3-6
Collection from the Upper Junior Quad across the zebra crossing by the roundabout. This will also apply in the event of wet weather.
Collection from Clubs at 4:30/4:40pm
Early Years from the Reception Playground.
Years 1 and 2 from the main entrance.
Upper Juniors (Years 3-6) collection from the Upper Junior Quad across the zebra crossing by the roundabout.
Collection from Clubs, Prep and Crèche between 5:30 – 6:00pm
Early Years, Years 1 and 2 collection from the Nursery playground, access from the newly built stairs through the Reception Playground.
Upper Juniors (Years 3-6) collection from the Upper Junior Quad across the zebra crossing by the roundabout.
A charge of £20 will be incurred for children collected after 6.00pm and a further £20 for each 15 minutes thereafter.
Breakfast Club
Breakfast club runs from 7:45am–8:15am daily. Pupils should arrive by 8:00am so as to allow time to eat breakfast before 8:15am. There are two Breakfast Club facilities:
For pupils in Nursery to Year 2 - Lower Junior Dining Room
Breakfast Club opens at 7:45am. Breakfast Club for pupils in Nursery - Year 2 will take place in the Lower Junior Dining Hall. 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 so that the children can settle into their morning routine.
For pupils in Years 3 to 6 - Junior School Gym
Breakfast Club opens at 7:45am. Breakfast Club for pupils in Year 3 - 6 will take place in the Junior School Gym. One of the Breakfast Club team will ensure a positive handover at the entrance to the Lower Junior Gym. Parents are asked to leave as promptly as possible so that the children can settle into their morning routine. Pupils in Year 5 - 6 may access Breakfast Club independently from the car park.
Breakfast Club is open to all pupils and the children are offered a good selection of breakfast options that includes cereals, toast, crumpets and spreads as well as fruit juice, milk, fresh fruit and yoghurt. The cost is £4.65 per morning, which is added to the School fee account. Please note that our breakfast service will stop at 8:10am. Pupils arriving after this time will be offered a light snack, such as a piece of fruit, which can be taken to the playground. The Breakfast Club booking form is available on Firefly and bookings may be made for one or more mornings per week, however, parents must commit to booking for a whole term in advance
Crèche Booking and Fees (Lower Juniors only)
The Crèche runs from 3:30pm–6:00pm daily and is overseen by colleagues from the Junior School and our own staff. When the weather permits, full use is made of the School grounds. Tea is included in the charge of £15.40 per session, which is added to the School fee account.
The Crèche booking form is 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.
Parents eligible for extended Early Years Funding may receive a funded place in Crèche subject to availability.
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. Parents will be informed of club options and should log on to SOCS in order to register interest for these activities. Places are 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 childcare 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 4:30pm. 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 allocated 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 3:45pm–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 3:40pm–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 5:30pm - 6:00pm. There will be a member of staff on duty each day until 6.00pm. A charge of £20 will be incurred for children collected after 6:00pm and a further £20 for each 15 minutes thereafter
Trips / Outings & Sports fixtures
Trips, outings and sports fixtures are part of the academic year at Royal Russell. Communication and full details regarding any trips, outings or fixtures will be sent by relevant members of staff.
It is our school policy that, unless your child has authorised absence at least two weeks in advance of a trip, the cost of the visit will be added to your school account. We are unable to refund the cost of the trip if your child is absent on the day.
Registration and Absence
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. We do not set work for absence, apart from in exceptional circumstances. There are seventeen weeks available for holidays during the year and these dates are published well in advance.
Children are expected to swim if they are in school as it is part of their timetable, there is no planned supervision if they are not participating in their lesson. Swimming lessons form an important part of our curriculum for all pupils within the Junior School. Our expectation is that all pupils who are well enough to attend school will participate in their swimming lesson. Any pupil who has a severe cough or cold should stay at home. If there is a specific medical reason a pupil could attend school but not swim, please contact Mrs Pain, Deputy Head, in advance of the swimming day to enable other arrangements to be made for them during swimming. Please note that we ask for a doctor’s note to be provided if a pupil is well enough to be in school but is unable to swim.
The beginning of the school day is a vital time for children to prepare for their day ahead. If your child arrives after 8:30am, we must record this as late. Should this happen, parents must accompany their child to the Junior School Office 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.
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.
Home Learning
Children in Reception - 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 maths, phonics and spelling patterns they have learnt in school.
Children in Reception - 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 HomeLearning 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.
Firefly Virtual Learning Environment
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 and 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.
In addition, we encourage 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.
iPads for all Year 5 – 6 Pupils
(or “VLE”)
We 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 and 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. We encourage responsible use of technology, and it is our aim to educate our children about using their iPads correctly and responsibly. All school devices are monitored carefully using ‘Securly’ software.
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 Non-Verbal Reasoning assessments.
These standardised assessments give an accurate measure of each child’s individual attainment compared with national statistics. Children in Years 1-6 complete a termly Progress in Reading Assessment and Progress in Understanding Maths Assessment. Additionally, children complete regular independent writing tasks 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. Significant moments are evidenced on the ‘Tapestry’ digital Home/School ‘Learning Journal’. Parents are encouraged to contribute observations from home to the ‘Tapestry’ Journals.
Attainment in relation to the Early Learning Goals is formally recorded at the end of Reception. Progress is outlined in regular parental reports and reported to Croydon Council.
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).
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:
• Approach to learning
• Completeness of work
• 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.
Early Years reports are based on the Prime and Specific areas of learning and the characteristics of effective learning from the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.
Parents’ Evening
Parents’ Evenings take place with class teachers 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 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 or contact the School Office team 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.
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 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.
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.
Please look ahead at the Calendar on Firefly to see what events are on offer each term.
Musical Instrument Tuition
All pupils receive class music lessons with our specialist music staff every week. From the Summer Term of Year 1, 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.
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.
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
The link to our Behaviour Policy can be found here
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 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 pupil’s 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.
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
The link to our Anti-Bullying Policy can be found here
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 exclusion. 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 anti-bullying 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
Advice to pupils
Procedure for pupils either observing or 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.
Advice for parents who feel that their son/daughter is being bullied
The Anti-Bullying policy is published 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 or Phase Leader. The appropriate measures will then be taken as set out in our policy.
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. You should never talk to people online that you do not know.
• Do not respond to any email, text messages or online messages from unknown senders and show these to a trusted adult.
• 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. If someone is being unkind to you, speak to an adult you trust.
• 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.
• Do not retaliate or reply to offending emails, text messages or online conversations.
• Save the evidence. Always keep a copy of offending emails, 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 0800 1111 in confidence.
• 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.
• 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 make use of the parental controls.
• Set time limits for their usage and ensure they are using their device in a communal room with an adult present.
• Consider the most appropriate device for the age of your child.
• Be proactive and attend school meetings on E-Safety. 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; www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers E-Safety 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.
Safeguarding of Pupils
The link to our Safeguarding Policy can be found here
The Designated Safeguarding Lead for the Junior School is Mrs Sarah Pain. Mrs Pain is supported by our Phase Leaders Should you have any concerns or information you think the School should be aware of, Mrs Pain or your child's Phase Leader would be more than willing to talk with you.
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 Collection / Missing Child
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 6:00pm, your child will be taken to a member of the leadership team. 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 6:00pm will have a £20 late collection charge added to their termly account. A further £20 will be added to the School Fee account for each 15 minutes or part thereof after 6pm
Exemption
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, Games or swimming, please send an email to Mrs Lloyd 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
In the event of a soiling accident in the swimming pool, Early Years pupils will be required to wear a swim nappy whilst swimming. In conjunction with parents, we will work together to support a pupil whilst also ensuring the pool remains sanitised and open.
Library Books
Our Library is a place where we foster children's love of books and reading and our reading scheme is packed full of wonderful books that our children learn to read, step by step, at school and at home. Please ensure that any books given to your child to enjoy are returned each week.
Any costs associated with lost or damaged books either from the Library or from our reading scheme will be applied to your fee account.
Catering
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 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 Junior Tea is also included.
A weekly menu is available on Firefly.
The catering team produce a varied daily menu (via Firefly). There are always options suitable for Halal, pescatarian and vegetarian diets. Alternatives to beef and pork are available when these are on the menu. We will try our best to cater for any medically diagnosed food intolerances and food allergies, in accordance with the Food Allergen Policy and would ask that you make an appointment to discuss these requirements.
If your child has a special dietary requirement based on religious or medical grounds, the School will seek to provide a suitable alternative. Please complete a new Medical Information Form on Firefly, providing as much detail as possible. In the case of a proven medical allergy please complete the Firefly Medical Information Form and upload a supporting 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.
It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure that all medication is in date
The Health and Wellbeing Centre
The School provides a medical service which is staffed by healthcare professionals. This operates whilst day pupils are on site.
In Lower Juniors 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. In Upper Juniors pupils should carry one inhaler with them. When pupils need to take medicine at school, their parents should bring any medication to the Junior School Office where they will be asked to complete and sign a consent form. A member of suitably trained Junior School 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 to by a qualified first aider or the School Health & Wellbeing 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.
Uniform
Please refer to the separate Junior School Uniform and Sports Kit list, which is also available on Firefly.
Our policy is based on the notion that our 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 un-named items.
The “Coach House” Shop for sustainable 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.
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. Any Health and Safety concerns should be raised with the Headmaster in the first instance.
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.
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.
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
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 5mph 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 to the School by their parents before and after school using the crossing.
Parents are not permitted to leave vehicles in the car park during the day. As our grounds are in use for school co-curricular activities after school with large numbers of visitors, for reasons of safeguarding and safety children must stay with adults at all times. Families are not permitted to use the playgrounds or school facilities after school and should leave the grounds promptly.
Parental Volunteers
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.
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
Who can I talk to at Royal Russell School?
All of these people are here for you if you would like to talk about anything.
