Barnes Primary School Prospectus

BARNES PRIMARY SCHOOL PROSPECTUS

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to BarnesPrimary School. Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make regarding your child’s future. The purpose of this prospectus is to provide you with some clear, succinct information about our school. We hope that after reading it you will decide that this is the right school for your child.

Staff at Barnes provide a warm, happy and stimulating environment that promotes an enjoyment of learning. Children are able to appreciate the importance of acquiring knowledge and skills and how relevant these are to their lives. Our goal is to assist all children to reach their full potential both as learners and as members of our school family. Everyone at the school is made aware of the three key elements of life here - what we refer to as the three Ls:

• Learning - children know that this is the main reason why they come to school each day.

• Love - our children are guided to learn to live in harmony together and to look after each other.

• Laughter - we believe that learning should be an enjoyable experience that involves having plenty of fun.

We are committed to developing and maintaining a close relationship between home and school. A positive working relationship involves regular communication between staff and parents. Parents and carers have a right to be kept fully informed about the progress their child is making. By working closely together, in partnership, we can jointly ensure all children succeed.

We would like all parents and carers to take a positive interest in what their child is doing at school and in the life of the school as a whole. We also hope that parents and carers are able to co-operate fully with any procedures that require their support.

We strive to be a listening organisation. As such we welcome feedback on the provision we offer. So, for example, we regularly canvas the opinions of parents, pupils and other stakeholders to ensure that what is on offer meets with their approval.

All children are accepted and respected here irrespective of their race, creed or culture. We actively celebrate and embrace the many different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds represented in our school and we are wholeheartedly committed to a harmonious and caring multi-cultural society.

We are proud of our school and do our very best to provide a high quality service to children and their parents. We believe that all children are capable of achieving the very highest standards in both their behaviour and their learning. I am also proud of my staff team who consistently show enormous dedication to children at this school.

Mark Hartley

Headteacher

Contents

A message from the Headteacher
Mission statement
Aims of the school
Contact details and how to find us
How the school is organised
Admission arrangements
School uniform
The house system
The school day
Punctuality and attendance
Absence and illness
Holidays outside designated school holiday times
Entering the school
The end of the school day
Emergency contact number
Administering medicines at school
Personal property
Behaviour expectations
The home school partnership
Home learning
The school newsletter
Lunchtimes
Packed lunches
Assemblies
The school Governing Body
The Parent Teachers and Friends Association
Equal opportunities
Disability access
Special Educational Needs
Support services
Higher attaining pupils
Supporting children whose first language is not English
The school playgrounds
The Foundation Stage
The core curriculum subjects
A brief guide to the foundation subjects
Religious Education
Assessing children’s performance
Music
Sport
Sports Kit
Drama
Modern foreign languages
Sex education
Theme weeks
Curriculum evenings
School visits and the school journey
Extended school provision
Charging policy
The school website
The school library
Secondary transfer
Personal organisation
Eating and sleeping properly
Complaints procedure

Mission statement

We aim to provide an intellectually challenging learning experience from which all pupils can benefit. This school is devoted to raising children’s expectations and aspirations. Our principal objective is for each pupil to develop a deep interest in, and love for, learning. Pupils will be taught to apply this learning to the everyday world around them. Our ultimate goal is for pupils to become self-motivated, independent learners with a wide range of generic study skills that will prove useful to them throughout their lives. Our curriculum is designed to develop seven personal qualities in children:

• Integrity – being honest, to oneself and others
• Self-sufficiency – showing independence in thought and action
• Creativity – possessing personal vision; being original, resourceful
• Personal responsibility – taking initiative oneself without having to be told
• Empathy – understanding others and being able to appreciate how they see things
• Self-belief – the personal conviction that one can achieve; success is always possible, and usually likely
• Positivity – being an optimistic learner who continually tries hard and takes a positive approach when problems or difficulties arise

We seek to make a real difference to children’s lives by providing them with the skills they will require to be successful in the future. The curriculum we offer is designed to prepare them for life and work in the twenty-first century. As well as preparing children for the future, we want them to enjoy their life now, as children. We are committed to children leaving this school having achieved high standards in the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic. In addition, we wish to inspire them by offering an exciting and broad curriculum experience that includes the arts, music and sport.

Aims of the school

The school will try to:

• treat all children fairly, care for them and ensure their safety.

• ensure that all children are well taught so that they achieve the best possible academic results.

• help all children to develop a sense of personal responsibility and an awareness of the importance of being considerate and caring towards others.

• provide an educational service that meets the individual needs of all children within the school community.

• keep parents regularly informed about their child’s progress and about all aspects of school life.

• be welcoming at all times and offer parents the opportunity to become involved in the daily life of the school.

• promote physical fitness and an awareness of the importance of personal hygiene, exercise and diet.

• develop in each child an understanding, appreciation and respect for different religions, beliefs and moral values. Through the development of tolerance and mutual understanding we seek to prepare children for living in a multi-cultural society.

• provide children with a broad and varied educational experience which incorporates the National Curriculum and fully embraces physical education, the arts and music.

How to find us

The school is located on Cross Street SW130QQ, in the heart of an attractive residential community. The two school buildings are on either side of a quiet cul-de-sac. VinePark is just around the corner.

How the school is organised

We are a community primary school. The school has two forms of entry for pupils from reception to Year 6. Our maximum class size is 30. In addition there is an attached nursery offering 26 part-time places in the morning and another 26 in the afternoon. The school’s capacity is420pupils, plus 52 in the nursery.

There are two school buildings and this ensures that pupils have plenty of personal space. Both offer outstanding accommodation. The main school office is located in the building that houses pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. The following classes are located in this building:

Early Years Foundation Stage

• The school nursery (3 to 4 year olds)
• Two reception classes (4 to 5 year olds)

Key Stage 1

• Two Year 1 classes (5 to 6 year olds)
• Two Year 2 classes (6 to 7 year olds)

There is also an ICT suite and a small library in this building.

The Key Stage 2 site is a very short distance away on the other side of Cross Street. This spacious building houses the following classes:

• Two Year 3 classes (7 to 8 year olds)
• Two Year 4 classes (8 to 9 year olds)
• Two Year 5 classes (9 to 10 year olds)
• Two Year 6 classes (10 to 11 year olds)

The Key Stage 2 ICT suite and the music room are also situated in this building. There is also an art studio in a separate building and library facilities. Both sites have a large hall.

We are one, united school operating within two buildings and, as such, children sometimes move between the two sites. We try to minimise this movement. Great care is exercised when escorting children from one site to another. Our oldest pupils in Year 6 are allowed, in pairs, to move between the two buildings without adult supervision. All other pupils are not allowed to do so without an adult being present.

Admission arrangements

Barnes is a state community school with a nursery offering education to children from 3 to 11 years. Our admissions policy is set by the Richmond Local Authority

Should the school be oversubscribed the admissions criteria will be applied as laid down below. Priority will be given to children in the following order

• children who have a statement of educational needs that names Barnes as the school of choice

• those children who have a brother or sister attending the school
• children who live nearest to the school
• in exceptional circumstances the Headteacher, with the agreement of the governing body, will give priority places to children who have medical or social needs.

These admission arrangements laid down by the local education authority will be followed.

School uniform

Children at Barnes wear a school uniform as we believe this leads to them feeling a sense of belonging as a member of our school family. The school uniform can be purchased from the school office. We have ensured that the cost of our uniform represents value for money and is not prohibitive to any of our parents.

Boys’ uniform Winter

Red sweatshirt

Red fleece for outside wear

Grey trousers

White or grey shirt/polo shirt

White T/shirt

Black shoes

Grey T/shirt with logo for PE

Black sports shorts for PE

Summer

White shirt or T-shirt/polo shirt

White T/shirt

Grey trousers or shorts

Black shoes

Grey T/shirt with logo for PE

Black sports shorts for PE

Girls’ uniform Winter

Red sweatshirt or jumper/cardigan

Red fleece for outside wear

Grey skirt, trousers or leggings

White or grey shirt/polo shirt

White T/shirt

Black shoes

Grey T/shirt with logo for PE

Black sports shorts for PE

Summer

Red/white checked dress

White shirt or T-shirt/polo shirt

White T/shirt

Grey trousers, shorts or leggings

Black shoes

Grey T/shirt with logo for PE

Black sports shorts for PE

The house system

All pupils belong to one of four school houses. The houses are named after important locations in the area.

• Bank – In times past the Bank of Englandwas a substantial landowner in the Barnes area. The Bank of England Club is also nearby and the governor used to have a mansion here that was destroyed in the Second World War.

• Beverley - A name synonymous with this area (Beverly Brook; Beverly works).
• Castelnau– Barnes’s most famous road, named after the estate of a French family who built it. North Barnes used to be known as Castelnau.
• Mortlake - A locality with a rich history: famous for the Mortlake tapestries, the university boat race and the burial ground for plague victims.

Siblings are always in the same house. Various sporting and educational competitions are held throughout the school year and children have a chance to represent their house. Parents are asked to purchase a special house T-shirt so that pupils can be easily distinguished when taking part in competitive events.

House / House colour
Beverely / Blue
Castelnau / Green
Mortlake / White
Bank / Yellow

The school day

A.m. P.m.

Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1

Nursery 9.15 to 12.15 12.15 to 3.15

Reception 9.00 to 12.15 1.15 to 3.15

Year 1

Year 2

Key Stage 2 8.55 to 12.15 1.15 to 3.15

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

All children in the main school have a fifteen minute break between 10-30 a.m. and 10-45 a.m. Reception and Year 1 children take a short afternoon break.

It is extremely important that children arrive for school on time. Lessons begin promptly and children who arrive late miss important information.

Punctuality and attendance

Our school attendance target is 96% for all children. Parents and carers who are unable to support their children to meet this target should appreciate that an attendance rate below this figure is likely to have a very negative impact upon their child’s academic progress. Analysis of pupil performance data reveals that, as a general rule, pupils who come to school more often achieve higher results than those who attend less frequently.

Every week attendance figures for each class are published in the school newsletter and there is a class competition for the best attendance over the course of the academic year.

If children are unwell they should remain at home, resting, until they are well enough to return to school. We believe that in the majority of cases children who are well enough to be out of bed are healthy enough to be attending school.

We also believe in the importance of consistently good punctuality and we ask parents and carers to do their very best to ensure their children arrive at school on time each day. The Key Stage 1 school gates are opened at 8-45 a.m. and the Key Stage 2 gates at 8.30 a.m. We expect children to be at school by 8-55 a.m. each day. The school doors are opened at 8.45 to allow children to be in class by 8.55am.

We accept that occasionally, for a variety of different reasons, children may be late. Lateness should, however, be a rarity rather than a regular event. Children who are persistently late start the day in a negative way. In addition, they interrupt the learning of the vast majority of other children who arrive at school on time. We feel that this is unfair as it affects the learning of everyone and we ask parents and carers to support us in our attempts to teach children the value of good timekeeping.

Absence and illness

If your child is absent from school you need to inform us of the reason for his/her absence. Please call the school, send an e-mail or leave a message of explanation at the start of thefirst day of your child’s absence. If you are unable to do this, please send a note with your child on his/her return to school. The school operates a policy of First Day Telephone Enquiry for those children who are absent without explanation. This involves a member of the administrative staff making a call home to those families who have not provided a reason for their child’s absence.

Failure to follow the above protocol is likely to lead to your child’s absence from school being unauthorised. Parents of children with a number of unauthorised absences are likely to be contacted by the Education Welfare Service. This service works closely with the school to ensure that all children receive their full educational entitlement of five days a week, thirty-nine weeks per year schooling.

The school has a very clear policy for looking after children who become unwell during the school day. A trained first aider will assess your child’s condition. If your child is clearly unfit to be at school we will contact you and suggest that you make arrangements to have your child collected from us.

Holidays outside designated school holiday times

There are thirteen weeks of school holidays per annum (a quarter of the year) and we believe that family holidays should be taken during these times. In exceptional circumstances children may be entitled to a maximum of two weeks holiday a year outside of these times, but this is strictly at the discretion of the Headteacher and as a school we strongly discourage additional holidays as they lead to children missing valuable learning. Children who take long unauthorised holidays may be removed from the school roll and their place will be offered to another family.

Entering the school

There is one main entrance to the Early Years Foundation Stage/Key Stage 1 building and two entrances to the Key Stage 2 building. Slightly different arrangements operate for pupils in the reception and nursery classes. For security reasons the playground gates are only opened between the following times:

Morning 8.30 a.m. to 9.15 a.m.

Afternoon 3.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.

An electronic registration system is operated. Registers are completed in class by 9.10 a.m. Latecomers who arrive after 9.10a.m. should report to the school office in the building where they are taught, so that their attendance can be registered. Late arrivals will have to press a buzzer to release the security lock on our gates. We ask KS1 parents to sign their child in the late book and in KS2 the children can sign themselves in. On rainy days children may be allowed into the school buildings slightly earlier at the discretion of the Headteacher.