AIMS AND VALUES
At SummerbridgeCommunityPrimary School we will:
Provide a safe environment for our pupils, staff and visitors.
Provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which matches the needs of all our children.
Ensure all pupils are taught the basic skills in Literacy and Numeracy.
Promote independent attitudes towards learning.
Maintain effective partnerships between teachers, governors, parents and the
community
So that our pupils will:
Feel safe and happy at school.
Feel special and enjoy their primary education.
Develop their full potential.
Be inspired to be self motivated and self disciplined as they mature.
Have a commitment towards lifelong learning.
Become caring, creative, confident and co-operative members of the local and wider
community.
Together we can achieve and celebrate success
General information about our school
Summerbridge is a small thriving village in the heart of Nidderdale, which is designated as an Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty. This traditional village school, is an integral part of village life and a focal point within the community. The school primarily serves the cluster of villages comprising of Summerbridge, Dacre, Dacre Banks, Low Laithe, Smelthouses, New York and Hartwith. The school is well supported locally and also attracts children who live outside the official catchment area. It is within walking distance of most villages and is also on the main bus route.
Children start in the year that they are five years old and transfer to secondary education when they are eleven. The school building is set in attractive grounds and has a garden, grassed areas and a substantially sized playground for the children to use. We have an adventure playground which was kindly provided by the Summerbridge PTA. There is a large central hall, three large classrooms, a staff room, headteacher’s office, administrative office, stockroom and library area. There are two entrances which have cloakroom areas and toilet facilities. There is a gazebo at the front of school which serves as a collection point for parents picking up their children. The school has undergone extensive refurbishments and there is wheelchair access at both entrances to the school.
Healthy balanced meals are prepared and cooked on the premises.
Organisation of classes and staff
The school has three classes accommodating mixed age groups of Reception and Year 1, Years 2 and 3 and Years 4 to 6. This arrangement allows the school to function most efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of for all children. There are three full time teachers and the Headteacher who is shared with Darley Community Primary School and works 2½ days at each school. All teaching staff are trained, qualified and recognised as such by the Department for Education and Employment (DfES) and the senior teacher deputises in the absence of the Headteacher. Other staff in school are an essential part of the school team and include classroom support assistants, an administrative assistant, school cook and lunchtime supervisors.
School Organisation and Staff – from September 2016
Headteacher Mr. N. Coates
Chair of Governors Mrs J. Morris – Chair of Governors
Class teachers: Mrs K. Ward – Reception & School SENCO
Mr. I. Chisem –Years 1, 2 & 3
Mr. P. Corner – Years 4/5/6
Classroom support assistants Mrs. S. Weatherhead and Mrs. H. Boot
Administrative assistant Mrs. J. Williams
Lunchtime Supervisors Mrs. B. Lumley and Mrs. L. Hughes
Cook & Breakfast Club Mrs. L. Hughes
School Crossing Patrol Mrs. M. Fisher
Cleaner/CaretakerMrs Wyss
Admission
North Yorkshire County Council has an early admission policy whereby schools may admit from September of any school year, any child who will be five years old during that school year.
The policy which best suits our school and meets our needs is to admit rising fives once a year in September. These children would have their birthday between September 1st and August 31st of the current academic year. The school’s admission limit for all year groups is currently set at 12 pupils by the Governing Body.
Parents of Reception aged children are responsible for obtaining and completing a preference form which is available online at If you do not have access to the internet you can obtain a paper copy of the common application form from the admissions team on 01609 533679.
During the summer half term before the children start school they are invited with their parents to visit their classroom and to meet the staff and children. The arrangement is always flexible, with your child’s feelings of security and happiness of prime concern. When we know of your wish to send your child to our school, we will be contacting you to arrange visits. The Reception teacher in school visits the children in their pre-school settings to see them operating in a familiar environment during the summer term prior to them starting school.
Starting School
Coming to school for the first time is exciting but sometimes an anxious time for young children. Even the most eager and outgoing children and those who have attended pre-school settings find that taking those first steps away from home to go to school is certainly a milestone in their lives. The children usually spend their first week in school attending on a part-time basis to help them become familiar with the routines of school life before they attend full-time. It is important for us to find out as much as possible about new starters. For the first half term the children will be encouraged to become engaged in appropriate activities. The Foundation Stage Curriculum allows for the needs of the Reception children. Foundation Stage Profiles are shared with parents after half term as a basis from which to develop individual programmes of learning for each child. This is also an ideal opportunity to discuss how parents can be involved in supporting their child’s development. Young children express their feelings through play. Play is a child’s work. It is the way through which they discover new things about the world, develop new skills and build up new relationships with friends. Before your child starts school it would be very helpful if you could prepare your child to become more independent by showing them how to:
Dress and undress
Hang clothes on a peg
Use the toilet properly and to wash hands
Fasten their own shoes
Sit at a table to eat and use cutlery properly
Be responsible for their own belongings
Care of Property
While all reasonable precautions are taken to safeguard pupils’ property, the school cannot accept responsibility for loss. To prevent theft or confusion it will help us if children do not bring in toys and personal items that are not relevant to school life.
School Uniform
At SummerbridgeSchool we are keen that children should wear a uniform. We believe this creates a sense of belonging to the school.
Boys*Navy blue sweatshirt or cardigan with school logo
*White or Navy polo shirt with long or short sleeves and logo
Black or grey trousers (long or short)
Sensible black shoes (not trainers)
Optional Summer Black or grey shorts
*Navy Blue Baseball caps with school logo
Girls*Navy blue sweatshirt or cardigan with school logo
*White or Navy polo shirt with long or short sleeves and logo
Grey skirt or *pinafore dress with school logo
Black school trousers are allowed but not leggings
Navy or black tights for the winter
Sensible black shoes or flat boots in winter
Optional Summer Cotton dress in blue and white checks
Navy or white socks
Navy Blue Baseball caps with school logo
Outdoor wear*Navy Blue Jacket and reversible fleece with school logo
Children are asked to keep a pair of Wellington boots in school
School BagsThere are a range of navy blue book bags with logo available to purchase in stock
P.E./Games*Complete navy blue PE kit – draw string bag, t-shirt and shorts with logo
White trainers
White socks
Please note that jewellery, including pierced earings, should not be worn for PE.
Children with pierced earings will be asked to remove them during swimming and PE
IT IS HELPFUL IF ALL ITEMS OF CLOTHING ARE BE NAMED
School Day
Our school day begins at 9.00 a.m. Children should not arrive at school any earlier than 8.50 a.m. as teachers need to prepare for lessons and there is no supervision for children prior to this time.
Assembly is daily. (There are opportunities for parents to be invited to some of these) Assembly is a non-denominational corporate act of worship.
Morning Playtime - 10.30a.m. to 10.45a.m.
Lunch - 12 noon to 1.00p.m.
Afternoon Playtime - 2.30p.m.to 2.45p.m.
School finishes at - 3.30p.m.
At the beginning of the day Class 1 children enter their classroom through the main entrance and at the end of the day they delivered directly to their parents or carers. Classes 2 and 3 (year 2 upwards) have a short playtime in the main rear playground from 8.50am until 9.00am at which time they line up for the class teachers and are led into school. At the end of the day they come out of school through the main entrance to be collected by parents or carers. We would prefer anyone who is collecting children to wait in the front garden as the main road is so busy. Parents of older children should make arrangements for their child’s safety at the end of the day, however we would never let a child go if they were not happy or secure with the arrangements that are in place. Please let us know if you are delayed in collecting them and about any changes.
The school encourages children to walk to school if they live locally, however, if it is necessary for you to travel by car we would ask you to respect all parking and traffic restrictions. Please do not park or drop off your child in Foundry Lane as it is a busy and narrow lane. We are also supportive of children cycling to school and there are cycle racks available. We are very lucky to have a school crossing patrol officer, Mrs Fisher, who is employed to safely assist your child in crossing the road.
The hours spent on teaching during the normal school week, including religious education, but excluding the daily act of collective worship, registration and playtimes (including lunch) amount to twenty three and three quarter hours.
School Attendance
Your child must attend school. If it necessary to withdraw a child to visit the doctor or dentist, you should come to school to collect him/her so that there is a clear handing over of responsibility. If your child is absent for any reason the school must be informed by letter or phone call so that absence can be authorised. Authorised absences are accounted for by a child’s illness and medical appointments.
Holidays During Term Time
The new law states that parents/carers do not have the right to take their child out of school for a holiday during term time.Under the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006 now amended 2013, head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances ie funeral.The head teacher will also determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the exceptional circumstances leave is granted. Requests for exceptional circumstances leave must be made in writing. Parents may be required to attend an interview to discuss their request. Your child’s attendance and progress will be considered as part of this process. Parent/carers will be notified in writing of the decision for the exceptional circumstances leave. Please refer to the LA’s policy ‘Holidays in term time for Primary Schools’, which is on our website.
Attendance Statistics
Information up to 1st June 2016
Number of pupils on roll45
Number of pupil sessions17550
Number of sessions of authorised absences562 (% of sessions of authorised absence 3.2%)
Number of pupils with at least one authorised absence36
Number of sessions of unauthorised absence 6 (% of sessions of unauthorised absence 0.2%)
Number of pupils with at least one unauthorised absence 1
Meals at lunchtime
School dinners are cooked on the premises and are nutritionally balanced. Menus are distributed at the beginning of each term. If a child has a specific dietary requirement please let us know so that our cook can assist with this. There is a cafeteria system operating in school and the children sit at tables with a range of ages to promote a family atmosphere. Children can bring in a packed lunch if they prefer we provide plates for them to put their food on. We support healthy eating in the school and hope that parents could reflect this in the choice of foods provided in packed lunches. We request that packed lunches do not include sweets, bars of chocolate or fizzy drinks. Please provide spoons for yoghurts. There are lunchtime supervisors who look after the children during and after they have eaten their lunch. Children who have school dinners are encouraged to try new food that they may not have had before. Payment of dinner money should be brought in the envelopes provided by school on a Monday morning to the office. Price: £2.30 per day or £11.50 per week. Cheques or cash are accepted. Please make cheques payable to: Summerbridge CP Primary School. We have a flexible approach towards encouraging children to have school dinners and they have the option to pay for a whole week or select particular days after reading the menu.
Snacks - If you think your child would like to have a snack during the morning playtime we offer the opportunity to buy a drink and a snack. This is an optional facility and costs 15p for a drink of fresh juice and 5p for a slice of buttered toast. The children themselves are responsible for looking after snack money so it would be helpful if they had a small purse and kept it in their drawers.
All pupils are provided with a free water bottle with the school logo on.
HOLIDAYS
Holiday Dates & Training Days 2016/17
Autumn Term 2016
Monday 5th September is a staff training day
Tuesday 6th September to Friday 21st October
½ Term Monday 24th October to Friday 28th October
Monday 31st October to Friday 16th December*
Christmas Holiday - Monday 19th December to Tuesday 3rd January
Spring Term 2017
Tuesday 3rd January is a staff training day
Wednesday 4th January to Friday 17th February
½ Term Monday 20th February to Friday 24h February
Monday 27th February to Friday 7thApril*
Easter Holiday - Monday 10th April to Monday 24th April
Summer Term 2017
Monday 24th April is a staff training day
Tuesday 25th April to Friday 26th May
School Closed-Bank Holiday Monday 1st May
½ Term Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June
Monday 5thJune to Friday 21stJuly*
Monday 24th & Tuesday 25th July are staff training days
*Please note that the pupils finish at 3.00pm on the last day of each term
Pastoral Care
Good home-school relationships are considered to be of prime importance. Parents are encouraged to visit school and discuss with the class teacher or Headteacher any concerns or changes in their circumstances which could affect their child’s time at school.
Consultations are very useful times to discuss any issues. We have an open door policy for parents to come and have a chat or to see their children’s work. If for any reason confidentiality is needed then please arrange for an appointment with the member of staff concerned at a time that is mutually convenient. There are 2 consultations half way throughout the Autumn and Spring terms.
Sickness
Children should not be in school if they are feeling unwell. Please ensure we are notified at the start of the school day if your child is ill as all absences are recorded. If you child is absent from school for medical reasons please send a letter to inform us as they are kept with the register.
Please seek advice from your GP if you suspect your child has a condition which may be infectious to avoid risks to adults or children in school. The school has guidance about how long a child should be kept off school with some of the common diseases and infections.
If you suspect your child has head lice, which can be common for very young children, please treat them promptly and return them to school when ready. We would be grateful if you could let us know as we will put out a letter to all other parents.
Emergencies
If your child is injured or becomes ill, we will make every effort to contact you. In order to do this the school needs emergency numbers as well as home numbers and mobile numbers kept up to date. If we cannot establish contact in an emergency, we will have to take the appropriate action in the interest of the child.