Prospectus

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Introduction

Welcome to Maidenbower Infant School. This booklet will introduce you to our school, where we hope your child will enjoy the early years of his/her education, achieving the objectives of the curriculum.

Education is a partnership between home and school. At home you provide many valuable learning experiences for your child. School will build on these experiences and offer new opportunities which will help your child to grow and develop to his/her full potential. Children learn best when home and school work together for their benefit, so that when your child starts school, it is not where your job ends and ours begins, but where our job begins and yours continues.

If you are considering Maidenbower Infant School for your child you are very welcome to visit. The Headteacher will be pleased to talk with you and to show you around the school.

The admissions policy of this school is common to all maintained schools in West Sussex. The policy is outlined in the booklet `Information for Parents’ which is published by the Authority. If you have not received a copy of this publication you may obtain a copy by writing to the Education Office (address at end of prospectus).

Headteacher

Please Note: The particulars contained in this prospectus were correct in relation to the year 2005/2006 at September 2005. It is not, however, to be assumed that there will be no changes before the start of or during the said year or in relation to subsequent school years.

Our Aims

Learning is a life long process concerned with doing and understanding as well as acquiring knowledge. Children learn best when they are secure, happy and confident and when they are valued and respected as individuals.

At Maidenbower Infant School we aim to ensure successful learning for each child in all areas of the curriculum and to provide a peaceful, caring atmosphere in which to learn and grow.

We encourage co-operation, mutual respect and the development of positive attitudes and values towards one another and the wider world.

We have a high regard for the personal and social education of each child and provide opportunities for the development of self esteem and independence.

Your Child’s Learning

The children are taught for the most part by their own classteacher in mixed ability classes with children of roughly the same age. It is sometimes necessary to have classes of mixed ages depending on numbers. The classteacher will get to know your child well and will be pleased to involve you in his/her life at school.

Children make progress at their own rates and in their own ways. It is important to value them as individuals and to provide learning opportunities which will build on their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.

The curriculum is broad and balanced and provides for the academic, moral, physical, creative, personal and social development of each child.

The core of the curriculum consists of:

The foundation subjects are:

Together with Religious Education and Personal, Social and Health Education these form the basic curriculum.

In our schools today we recognise that learning consists of:

In order for this to take place the children must:

The National Curriculum Programmes of Study are divided into Key Stages:

Religious Education

Non-denominational Religious Education is provided for all children as part of the curriculum and is in accordance with the West Sussex Agreed Syllabus. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious education and collective worship should they so wish.

Assembly is an important part of the school day when we meet together as a community. It is a time when we place emphasis on the development of values and attitudes towards each other and to the world around us. Assemblies are non-denominational and although they are of a broadly Christian nature due consideration is given to the multicultural society in which we live.

Sex Education

We aim to give each child access to sex education according to their development, maturity and cultural tradition. Sex education is offered within a moral framework, ensuring that all children have the information they require and that they are able to ask questions and seek clarification. Children’s self-esteem and self-confidence are central to their ability to develop healthy and positive attitudes and values and we place emphasis on this throughout the curriculum. The organisation of the school allows for sex education to be approached within the context of the whole curriculum in the early years. Children’s questions are answered as they occur, honestly, and with sensitivity, according to the individual maturity of the child.
The school has a Sex Education Policy which is available in school for parents to read.

School Hours

School begins at 8.50am and ends at 3.00p.m.
Lunchtime is from 12.00 noon to 1.00p.m.
The total time for the school day, excluding lunch time is, therefore, 5 hours 10 minutes.
Approximately 30 minutes each day is devoted to registration, and playtime, leaving 4 hours 40 minutes each day for teaching and assembly.

Special Needs and Special Services

Children’s progress is constantly monitored and assessed and careful records are kept. Occasionally we find that, for one reason or another, a child does not make the progress we expect. This could be in one of a number of areas and discussions between parents and teachers will lead to the child receiving appropriate help and support. Parents are consulted at every stage of this process which can be used for educational, personal or social needs. The school has a Special Needs Policy which is available in school for parents to read. Our Special Needs Coordinator is Mrs Kate Ayres.

Our Welfare Assistant, Mrs Mel Cripps, is available to care for the children should they feel unwell at any time and to administer First Aid if necessary.
The school nurse carries out a health check soon after the children start school and parents are informed if there is any cause for concern or a need for further discussion. The school nurse also carries out routine hearing and sight tests and all children receive dental checks. The Educational Welfare Officer is available for specific problems related to school attendance.

Discipline

The school aims to foster a consideration for other people and for the environment, and recognises that good discipline stems from a well organised, calm, learning situation. Once this is established and effective the majority of children are well behaved and develop positive attitudes towards school, their peers and their teachers. Any discipline matters which arise are dealt with by the class teachers initially, with the involvement of the Headteacher as appropriate. We recognise that there is usually an underlying reason for poor behaviour which needs to be identified before the child can be helped. If there is a cause for concern parents are consulted at an early stage in order to work out future strategies in partnership with the school. The partnership between home and school is vital if the common aim of developing good discipline is to be achieved.

Children’s Progress

Children’s progress is monitored and assessed by their teachers throughout the year and parents are encouraged to take an active interest in their children’s progress by attending termly consultation evenings when discussions take place with the classteachers. If you have concerns about your child’s progress at other times you should make an appointment to see the Classteacher or Headteacher. Children are also assessed at the end of Year 2 with the National Standard Assessment Tasks. At the end of each academic year all parents receive a written report of their children’s progress which includes the results of the National Assessments for children at the end of year 2.

Starting School

Children are admitted to school at the beginning of the school year in which they become five. You are advised to reserve a place for your child on the school admissions list when your child is three years old. This will be confirmed by letter during the term before your child is due to begin.

If you live outside the Maidenbower catchment area it is necessary for you to inform the Education Office expressing a preference for your child to attend Maidenbower First School. The Area Education Officer will advise you as to whether a place will be available for your child at the school.

Starting school should be an exciting and pleasurable experience. It is important that you have the time and opportunity to become accustomed to the school and to understand what we are about. In order to do this we have set up the following induction programme for you and your child:

1. A parents’ meeting with the Headteacher in the Summer term.
2. An invitation to observe the Reception unit for an afternoon during the Summer term.
3. A pre-school programme which involves a variety of activities to introduce you to school will take place at the beginning of the Autumn term. This will ensure a gradual introduction into school for your child.
4. Following the induction programme children who were born between September and December will start school full-time. All other children will come part-time for the first term, beginning full-time after Christmas.
5. After your child has been in school for a few weeks there will be a programme of workshops designed to help you find out more about the early years of your child’s education.

It is helpful if you can encourage your child with the following things before beginning school:

• Being independent about dressing, undressing (including coat and shoes), and using the toilet including urinals for the boys.
• Listening to a story and carrying out simple instructions.
• Playing with other children.
• Understanding how books “work” (left to right, top to bottom).
• Recognising his/her name and knowing his/her address.
• Using pencils, crayons and scissors.
• Having a conversation with other adults
• Following simple instructions

Parents as Partners: At School

The involvement of parents in the life of the school helps to develop positive attitudes in the children towards learning and links the school with the local community. The role of parents in their children’s learning is highly valued and we hope that you will enjoy your years as a parent at Maidenbower Infant School.

Contact

Each term there will be opportunities for you to discuss your child’s progress with his/her teacher. These occasions will usually be in the evening and you will be asked to make an appointment. During the year there will be other occasions when you will be invited into school to see us at work.

There are, of course, many other occasions when you will be invited in to school, such as a Christmas production, and sometimes we like to invite Mums and Dads to our Assemblies. However, do remember that these are not the only times when you can come in to school. We are ALWAYS delighted to see you and welcome your interest and involvement at any time.

Young children sometimes have problems, usually quite small ones, which need dealing with immediately. Do speak to your child’s teacher or to the Headteacher, or contact us by telephone straight away. If a longer discussion is necessary we will suggest that you make an appointment.

Parent Helpers

We are most grateful to those parents who offer their help in school. This may be working with a small group in a classroom, perhaps sewing or playing Maths games. It may be accompanying us when we go out of school on a visit. You might prefer to become involved in activities outside the classroom, such as repairing books. We are always in need of extra pairs of hands and depend very much on the support of those parents who are able to spare their time. We usually hold three or four training sessions for new parent helpers during the Autumn term.

Parent Governors

The Governors work with the Headteacher to ensure the smooth and efficient management of the school. Parent Governors are elected by all the parents of the school. We would be delighted to talk with any parents who might be interested in becoming a member of our Governing Body.

Parents as Partners: At Home

Perhaps the single most valuable way in which you can help your child is through conversation. Encourage your child to discuss experiences of every kind, such as television programmes, a visit to the supermarket, or a walk in the park. Children need to wonder why things are as they are and to think about the solutions to problems. You can point out plants, insects, birds, colours, and shapes. You can help to make your child aware of the world by the way you draw their attention to what is to be seen and encourage them to discuss what they see.

Many simple household tasks, for example, setting the table form the basis for Mathematics. Any task which involves measuring, such as cooking or dressmaking is a real learning experience which no book can offer. Car and rail journeys offer possibilities for discussing distances, miles per gallon and talk about the dials on the dashboard. So many learning opportunities abound in the child’s environment.

Help your child to develop a real love for stories by reading with him/her in a relaxed, comfortable way and by sharing nursery rhymes together. Take advantage of the books your child brings home from school and enjoy “storytime” together, even when s/he has become an independent reader.

Value any writing that your child may do, even if it appears to be ’scribble’. If you do help your child to form letters please ensure that you show him/her how to form lower case letters, rather than upper case:

If your child wants to learn to write his/her name please do not write it all in capitals! In fact we will be teaching your child a cursive style of handwriting from their first days in school and we shall be introducing you to this during our pre-school introduction programme.

Games and jigsaw puzzles are a very useful way of helping children learn. Ideas such as “I spy” are beneficial when your child begins to learn the sounds which letters make, and later, games like “Scrabble” help children with the patterns of spelling.

Whatever you do, be encouraging, and value your child’s efforts.

School Uniform

Uniform is not compulsory, but we strongly recommend the following:

WINTER:

SUMMER:

We recognise that cultural traditions may require children to wear specific items of clothing. School sweatshirts, cardigans, fleeces and T shirts are available from the school office. Ties are not worn. It is important that the children wear suitable, STURDY, FLAT shoes or sandals. Long or looped earrings are NOT allowed at all for safety reasons. Studs only should be worn at school and these must be removed for PE. Tights are permitted but may we remind you that they are expensive to replace and difficult to manage when you are five and in a hurry! Please avoid fancy hairbands and ribbons as these tend to encourage a great deal of `hairdressing’to go on! P.E. kit is required. Shorts and T shirt (or leotard for girls) should be kept at school in a draw string bag, for this purpose. It is recommended that indoor P.E. is best done in bare feet, although plimsolls are necessary for outdoor P.E. in the Summer term. Long hair must be tied back when working on the large apparatus.

THE MOST IMPORTANT REMINDER……..PLEASE NAME OR MARK ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN’S CLOTHES!!!!!!!! IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

Sporting Provision

At Maidenbower Infant School, in accordance with our school aims, all children have the opportunity to achieve in a range of sporting activities. This consists of Games, Gymnastics and Dance with the emphasis being on the development of skills and confidence. The time allocation for these activities is approximately 1 hour per week.

Charging for School Activities

No charges are made for activities which take place during school time. However you will be invited to make a contribution of all or part of the cost for activities such as school visits. It should, however, be noted that without the support of voluntary contributions it is not possible for such activities to take place.

Complaints

If you have any general concerns about any aspect of your child’s education you should contact your child’s classteacher and then if necessary the Headteacher. If you are still not satisfied you may contact the Education Office. However we do hope that this will not be necessary and that your child’s education at Maidenbower Infant School will be happy and satisfying. Full details of the arrangements for dealing with complaints are available at the school.

Further Information

The following documents are available at the school should you wish to study them in detail, although a small charge will be made if you require copies:

The Local Education Authority’s statement of curriculum policy.

All Statutory Instruments, Circulars, and Administrative Memoranda relating to the Education Reform Act, e.g. Charging for School Activities.

1. Schemes of work currently used in school.
2. Local arrangements for the consideration of complaints.
3. The Local Education Authority’s Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.
4. The Annual Governor’s Report to Parents.
5. Reports of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate, if any exist which refer to Maidenbower First and Middle School.

The address of the Area Education Office is:

Other Reminders

ABSENCE: Please inform the school as soon as possible if your child is absent for any reason (including dental and hospital appointments). If the school does not receive a reason for absence on the first day a telephone call will be made to the child’s home to ascertain the reason for absence. The DfES requires schools to note all absences and reasons for absence in the registers. Pupil attendance in 2002/2003 was 96%. Absences were 4%. Of these .2% were unauthorised, involving 20 pupils (ie the school did not receive a satisfactory explanation for the absence).

If you wish to take your child out of school for reasons other than sickness (including medical appointments) or religious observance, it is necessary to apply in writing to the Headteacher explaining why it is necessary for your child to miss school. It is then for the Headteacher to authorise the absence or not, stating reasons for any non-authorisation. The absence will be recorded as authorised or unauthorised in the school registers. Absence for family holidays will not be authorised for the first two weeks of the Autumn term as it is important for the children to be in school at the start of the new school year. Absence will also not be authorised for Year 2 children during the period when they are undertaking SATs (first half of the summer term).

EMERGENCIES: Please ensure that we have an emergency contact number for you during the day. It is essential that you inform us of any change to this number. Please also let us know if you change your address or phone number.

HOME TIME: If you are not meeting your child from school, please make quite sure that s/he knows the arrangements and who is picking him/her up. We normally expect the children to be met from school.

LUNCH TIME: Children may go home for lunch or bring a packed lunch to school

MEDICATION IN SCHOOL: Medicines are not administered in school with the exception of inhalers for asthma. You are welcome to come into school at lunchtime to administer medicine to your child yourself or alternatively it is generally accepted that where medicine is required three times each day it can be administered in the morning before coming to school, when the child comes home in the afternoon and at bedtime.

PARKING: When bringing your children to school or collecting them at home time please park in the car park by the shops or at the Pavilion at the other end of Harvest Rd. The school car park is for use by staff only and you should not bring your car onto our site at all. In addition please do not park in front of the school gates or on the roundabout as this creates a very dangerous situation for the children entering or leaving the premises. If you are coming onto the school site by foot please use the gate in the playground and do not enter the site through the car park.

DOGS: Parents are requested NOT to bring dogs into the school grounds at any time.