Corshamprimary School

CORSHAMPRIMARY SCHOOL

Welcome to Corsham Primary!

Your Questions Answered

WHO WILL BE LOOKING AFTER MY CHILD?

At Pound Pill there are two Foundation Stage classes, each with one teacher and one early years teaching assistant. At Broadwood there is one Foundation Stage class with two part-time teachers and one early years teaching assistant. We are very confident that your child will be happy and make progress in their care.

WHAT IS THE NAME OF MY CHILD’S CLASS?

At the Pound Pill site, one class is Apples, the other is Pears. At the Broadwood site the class is called Strawberries.

HOW MANY CHILDREN WILL THERE BE IN MY CHILD’S CLASS?

There will be 30 children in each class.

WHEN WILL MY CHILDSTARTSCHOOL?

At Corsham Primary we have a 4-week settling in programme.

The first week, children attend school from 8.50am until 12.00 noon. The second, third and fourth week, children attend school from 8.50am until 1.30pm and stay for lunch. Hot lunches are provided by the school as part of the universal free school meals. Alternatively your child can bring in a packed lunch from home.

We have found that this 4 week induction works very well and as a result the children settle down to school life with few problems.

WHAT TIME DO THE CHILDREN START AND FINISH?

The school gates and classrooms open at 8.40am in the morning and registration is at 8.50am. Please make sure your child is in school by this time. The school day finishes at 3.10pm.

BY WHICH DOOR DO THEY ENTER IN THE MORNING?

The children should be brought in to the classroom via the door which leads out onto the playground, and encouraged to join in with an early morning activity. Please do not leave them on the playground unattended. At the end of the school day we ask all parents/carers to wait in the playground - the teachers will hand children over to their parents/carers. If your child is picked up by a friend or childminder, please let the teachers know in person or in writing. Children are not allowed onto the playground at the end of the day unattended.

WHAT OTHER THINGS HAVE I GOT TO REMEMBER?

It helps if you can remember the following:

PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CHILD’S CLOTHING IS PERMANENTLY NAMED.

P.E. kit – black shorts, white T-shirts, plimsolls. P.E. kit will be kept in a named P.E. bag on a coat peg in the cloakroom.

Lunch boxes – please label on the outside with your child’s name and class and help your child to place it in the class lunch trolley.

Tuck – we will be asking for a donation of 70p per week towards the cost of snacks in class. Tuck is prepared daily in school as part of our curriculum. Milk and water is available as well as a variety of snacks such as sweet and savoury biscuits, yoghurt, cheddars, raisins and toast which can be chosen on different days of the week. Children are also provided with a piece of fruit or veg. It is important that you advise your child’s teacher of any foods your child should not eat. Please do not bring any extra snacks to school.

Book bags – your child will need a book bag to keep all of the reading items they will be given at school. These can be any colour or make, although we prefer the school book bag type as they are easier for the children to put away in the morning and to retrieve at reading time.

Wellies–your child will need a pair of wellies for our famous weekly “wellie walks” and forest school sessions which can either be left at school or brought in on wellie walk days. Your child’s teacher and the Foundation Stage notice board will advise when walks will be.

Paint – the Foundation Stage curriculum involves lots of creative opportunities. Children are asked to wear art aprons which we provide. Unfortunately, children will occasionally end up with paint on their clothes despite our efforts to protect them. The paint is washable, but we apologise in advance for these occasional mishaps!

HOW CAN I HELP?

There are many ways that you can help us in school. Here are just a few ideas!

Do you have an hour to spare on one morning or afternoon a week when you could come and learn with us in class?

Do you have any special talents we could benefit from – sewing, art, playing a musical instruments, sport, etc?

Please let the Foundation Stage teachers know – they will look forward to welcoming you after the October break when all of the children are quite settled.

I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE CORSHAM PRIMARY “SETTLING IN PROGRAMME” – WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?

We are trialling a new process this year which will involve a staggered start time on your child’s first day. This should help the settling in process on the morning and be a little less busy for parents, children and teachers alike. You will find out your start time at the Play Morning, once we know which class your child will be in.

We have listed the dates you will need to know and pop into your diary that refer to the settling in programme. The programme’s main aim is to allow your child sufficient time to settle into school life; we want your child to be happy with us and in our experience this method allows the children plenty of time to build friendships and get to know staff before they spend the whole day with us.

Monday 7 Sept – Friday 11 Sept (inclusive)8.50am – 12.00 noon (no lunch)

Monday 14 Sept – Friday 2 October (inclusive)8.50am – 1.30m (children stay for lunch)

Monday 5 October onwards8.50am – 3.10pm

PLEASE NOTE: School is closed for Teacher Training Days on:

Monday 1, 2, 3 and 4 September 2015

Monday 11 April 2016

HAS CORSHAM PRIMARY GOT A SCHOOL UNIFORM?

Yes we have; the school colours are burgundy and grey. Please would you ensure that your child’s clothes, shoes and P.E. kit are clearly and permanently labelled with their name before he/she starts school.

The uniform is as follows:

Grey trousersWhite polo shirts

Grey shortsWhite cotton shirts – long or short sleeves

Burgundy sweatshirtRed striped summer dresses

Burgundy cardigans or jumpersBlack shoes/sensible sandals with socks

Grey skirtsBurgundy fleece jackets

School uniform can be purchased at Scholars in Chippenham.

WHAT IF MY CHILD BECOMES ILL AT SCHOOL?

We have a number of qualified First Aiders on the staff, so help is always at hand if any children are ill. If your child becomes ill during the day we will contact you immediately. Please make sure we always have at least two contact telephone numbers in case! The Department of Health advises that children should be kept off school for at least 24 hours after the last bout of sickness and/or diarrhoea.

WHAT IF MY CHILD IS AWAY FROM SCHOOL?

Please let us know if your child does not attend school for whatever reason. We must be informed first thing in the morning by telephone on the first day of absence.

WHAT ABOUT LUNCH TIMES?

All children have lunch in our school hall – sandwich eaters and hot dinner eaters sit together. Reception children always eat first and then play in the playground after lunch. Their lunch time runs from 12.20pm until 1.20pm, slightly earlier than the rest of the school. Please see our separate sheet on lunchtimes for further information.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AT SCHOOL?

We always try very hard to keep our parents in touch with events in school. In the first term we issue weekly class catch up notes to keep you informed. Every month we issue a school newsletter which gives you all the latest information and dates for your diary. Every term we issue a curriculum newsletter which gives you information about what your child will be learning in class. Our school website has up to date news and information for parents. If you have any constructive ideas that you would like to share with us, please talk them over with your child’s teacher. For working parents, Reception staff hold a termly “Working Parents’ Surgery” to discuss any worries or queries in the early evening. The dates for these will be set in September.

WHEN WILL MY CHILD BE GIVEN A READING BOOK?

Your child will begin to bring home a reading book, reading record, word cards and character colouring book once they are settled into school. All of these are kept in their book bag, which needs to come to school every day. We ask that children practise their reading at home regularly and parents and carers record this in the blue reading log. Members of the foundation stage team will read regularly with your child and also write in the blue reading log. On Thursdays, book bags stay at school and children bring a class library book home for the evening to be returned on Fridays. We recognise that each child is different and develops at their own rate and we will ensure that your child is supported through the process of learning to read and that their progress is appropriately paced.

During the first and last weeks of school it should be noted that staff carry out individual PIPS assessments with the children. Such assessments are fun for the children providing the school with a measure of your child’s progress across the year and involve interactive reading and maths activities. As a result of this you will notice that your child may have their reading book changed less frequently in these periods. We ask you to bear with us during these times and be rest assured that the teaching and practising of reading skills is still happening in class teaching and phonics sessions, even though your child’s book may not have been changed.

WHAT ABOUT JEWELLERY?

We actively discourage the wearing of any jewellery in school as it can be dangerous, especially in P.E. and on the playground. If you wish your child to wear earrings, ensure they are studs only please.

ARE CHILDREN ALLOWED TO BRING TOYS TO SCHOOL?

Generally we do not encourage children to bring their own toys as they could be lost or broken. However, class teachers do allow toys to be brought in if they relate to a topic being taught in the classroom or as part of “Superstar” displays.

DOES THE SCHOOL HAVE A BEHAVIOUR POLICY?

At Corsham Primary we believe firmly that children learn most effectively in a secure and caring environment, where each individual can strive to reach their potential, feel a happy and valued member of the school community. This can only be achieved where there is effective discipline and behaviour management. The most effective discipline is self-discipline where children are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves wherever possible so that they can eventually become independent, thoughtful and responsible adults. We believe discipline is as much to do with praise as it is to do with sanctions and that children, parents and staff are very clear about the aims and objectives of the policy and everyone understands they have a responsibility for its implementation. It is therefore important that we have agreed goals and acceptable standards of behaviour. All new families to the school will receive a copy of the school’s Behaviour Policy.

DO I GET TO MEET MY CHILD’S TEACHER?

Yes you do. During the “Settling in Programme” in September your child’s teacher will make an appointment with you to discuss the school’s Entry Profile and this provides you and the teacher with an opportunity to discuss your child in a relaxed and informal setting.

WHAT IF I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY CHILD?

Any worries or concerns that you may have are always best dealt with quickly. Please pop in to see your child’s teacher before or after school as it may be that your worry can be solved in a couple of minutes. If not, she will make an appointment for you to discuss your concerns. Alternatively you can come along to see the staff at termly “Working Parents’ Surgery or make an appointment with the Deputy Head Teacher or Head of School.

HOW ABOUT PLAYTIMES?

During the first term of the school year, Reception children have a separate play time from the rest of the school in the mornings so that they can have the opportunity to socialise with other foundation stage children and make new friends. After this, Reception children will share their playtime with the children in Key Stage 1.

We are all very much looking forward to welcoming you and your child to Corsham Primary in September.