MARSDEN INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL
PROSPECTUS
2016 - 2017
Learning Together;
Learning for Life
Head TeacherMrs Frances Swallow
Assistant Head Mrs Vicky Sewell
Welcome3
About Marsden I and N School4
Vision and Values5
Our School Basic Rights6
Organisation of the School7
School Staff8
Governors9
Admissions10-11
Attendance12
School Uniform13
Sportswear13
Lost Property13
Behaviour14
Equal Opportunities15
Special Education Needs and Disability16
Pupil Premium17
School Meals17
School Fruit 17
Milk/Water18
Breakfast Club18
After school Club18
School Council 18
Health and Safety19
Road Safety19
Safeguarding19
Extra Curricular Activities20
Instrumental Lessons20
Educational Visits20
Visitors 20
Helpers in school21
Infant and Nursery Friend Organisation, INFO21
Introducingthe Foundation Stage Unit22-24
The School Curriculum25-27
Collective Worship28
Assessing and Reporting28
Home School Partnership28
School Performance29
Complaints30
THIS SCHOOL OPERATES A NO SMOKING POLICY
Welcome
Dear Parents/Carer
On behalf of the children, Staff and Governors, may I welcome you to Marsden Infant and Nursery School. This prospectus is designed to introduce you to our school and to provide you with as much useful information as possible to help prepare both you and your child for life at our school.
At Marsden we provide a happy, caring and secure learning environment which will enable all children to fulfil their potential. The Governors and Staff believe that by setting high standards in all we do, we will help the children to develop skills and attitudes that will equip them for later life.
Confidence in school comes from knowing and understanding what is happening in it and we feel that this is best achieved when a strong partnership exists between home and school.
I hope that this first communication will go some way towards telling you about our school. Please phone or call in if you would like to look around the school or have any questions you would like to ask.
Your sincerely
Frances Swallow
Headteacher
C ontact school on: 01484 222583/
About Marsden Infant and Nursery School.
The school is a community co-educational school, catering for children in the age range 3 to 7 years. The school has the capacity for 152 children and a further 46 part-time places. It is situated in rural surroundings near the head of the ColneValley, about 7 miles Southwest of Huddersfield town centre. The children come from a variety of social backgrounds but all are part of a close-knit, well-established community.
The main school building was built in 1870 and has interesting features and has had extensive alterations, which were completed in 1988. Further additions and alterations were made during 2001 to provide a Foundation Stage unit forpart time and full time pupils.Four class bases are situated off the downstairs hall and an upstairs hall provides facilities for PE, Library, baking and a staff room. There are high quality outdoor play facilities for both Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 children.
In the summer of 2013 the school had a further extension to its building, this is situated at the back of the building near the office. The room is used for small groups working away from class, the room has been named by the children as the ‘Rainbow Room’.
During easter 2015 the upstairs eaves were redesigned to create a number of small group rooms which are used throughout the day for focused learning session.
Further work is planned for summer 2016 in which a modular classroom will be installed, the kitchen extended, offices relocated and the foundation stage outdoor learning area redesigned. This is an exciting time for school.
We strive to be an inclusive school which provides equality of access to all pupils in an environment that fosters friendship, co-operation and high quality learning. We pride ourselves on being a hard working school and aim to strengthen our strong links with the local community.
At Marsden we welcome parents, carers and children as partners in the education process. A successful partnership involves close co-operation, support and trust as well as recognising that the best education can only be provided when we have a shared vision and responsibility. To this end we operate an “open door” policywhich welcomes everyone into the school.The head teacher is available on most days, however an appointment is advisable for prospective parents wishing to enrol their children for nursery and full time school, as a look around the school is positively encouraged.
The school was re-awarded National Healthy School Status and Kirklees Healthy School Gold Standard in 2011, Singup Silver, 2012, Active Mark in 2007/08 and FMSiS in 2010 and SFVS in 2015.
Vision and Values
Vision
Our vision is of a vibrant and successful school that sits at the heart of our unique community, where we nurture each individual child to develop those skills and attitudes that will help them thrive to learn together and learn for life.
Values
- Every child is different and through a child-centred approach we will provide broad and challenging learning experiences.
- We are committed to being a well-led, motivated and skillful staff team who embrace change positively.
- Through being welcoming and approachable, we will build strong partnerships with parents and carers, encouraging them to be actively involved in the life of the school.
- We believe effective and timely communication will help us build engagement with stakeholders, parents and the wider community.
Mission
Through our professionalism and commitment we will nurture our children in our school community, empowering them to thrive as individuals in partnership with their families to enable them to become life-long learners.
Key messages
Learning together; Learning for life
Nurturing every child: Through a child-centered approach we will encourage every child to learn, grow in self-confidence and develop the life skills which will help them to thrive.
Inspiring and succeeding: We will bring our enthusiasm and our focused effort to helping the school and everyone in it be successful and achieve their goals.
Committed to Marsden community: We’re proud to be part of the Marsden Community, reflecting its history and environment, engaged with its interests and helping to build its future.
Inspire Succeed Belong Nurture
Building confidence
Our School Basic Rights
In our school everyone has the right :-
- To feel and be safe
- To learn
- To be treated with respect
Smile !!
September 15
Organisation of the school
There are currently 152full-time pupils and 46 part time children on roll from 3 to 7 years of age. The children are organised into 6 classes in school and nursery operating 2 sessions daily. Within Key Stage One, (Year 1 and 2 children) there are currently two classes per year group which work closely as year group units. The two reception classes also workclosely as a team and together with the nursery form a Foundation Stage Unit. Children are taught individually or in groups within the units at their own ability levels. All children are grouped in mixed ability classes.
Educational Teaching Assistants (ETA’s) work in all classes throughout the school. We are also grateful to parents and friends of the school/community who help regularly in school in a variety of ways.
The nursery admits pupils the term after their third birthday. Nursery children attend 5 sessions per week, the arrangement of which is chosen from 4 possible options. Five mornings, 5 afternoons, block start of week (Mon am/pm, Tues am/pm, Weds am) or block end of week (Weds pm, Thurs am/pm, Fri am/pm). The times for the nursery sessions are:
Nursery Times
Morning: 8.45am - 11.30am
Lunch Club: 11.30am – 12.45pm
Afternoon: 12.45pm - 3.30pm
Children begin school in reception class at the beginning of the school year in which they are five years old.
School Times
The hours spent on teaching are approximately 22½ hours per week.
Morning Session : 8.45am - 12noon
Lunchtime: 12.00-1.15pm
Afternoon Session: 1.15pm - 3.15pm
The children are expected to arrive between 8.45 & 9.00am.We feel that it is very important that children do not miss the initial start to the day, as they look forward to meeting their friends and begin to settle into their class. The school doors and gates are locked again and put on a restricted entry system at 9.00 am. Parents and children are asked to use the main door where the intercom is situated if they are delayed for any reason. This system is in place to ensure maximum security for children and staff.
At the end of the day children can be collected between 3.15 & 3.30pm, the doors will be unlocked at 3.15 p.m. Parents and carers are asked to wait outside their child’s classroom whilst the class teacher calls your child’s name. If a different person is to pick up your child, please inform the class teacher in the morning. Children will not be allowed home with anyone else. The school believes that young children of Infant Schoolage should be brought to school and collected by a responsible adult. This is for their safety.
Marsden Infant & Nursery School Staff 2016 / 2017
Head Teacher:Assistant Headteacher / Mrs Frances Swallow
Mrs Vicky Sewell
Teaching Staff: / Mrs Sarah Whitehouse ( SENCo PPA teacher 0.5)
Mrs Emma Doughty (Foundation Stage Leader of Learning)
Mrs Vicky Smith (Teacher)
Mrs Laura Karpouzi (Teacher)
Mrs Jaclyn Collinge ( Teacher 0.55)
Mrs Kelly Robinson (Teacher)
Miss Hannah Sunderland (Teacher)
Miss Nicola Dillon (Teacher 0.55)
Support Staff: / Miss Joanna Norcliffe (Nursery Nurse)
Mrs Sally O’Hare (Part time Nursery Nurse)
Mrs Colette Airey (SEN ETA)
Ms Tania Gill-Martin (SEN ETA)
Mrs Sharon Hirst (SEN ETA)
Mrs Jayne Simpson (SEN ETA )
Miss Julie Knott (SEN ETA)
Mrs Sarah Yates (Higher Level Educational Teaching Assistant)
Mrs Joanne Mitton (Educational Teaching Assistant)
Mrs Katherine Taylor (Educational Teaching Assistant)
Mrs Janet Foxlow ((Educational Teaching Assistant)
Miss Zoe Hunt (Educational Teaching Assistant)
Administrative Staff: / Mrs Val Arnell (Business Manager)
Mrs Charlotte Carr (Admin Officer)
Lunchtime Support Staff: / Mrs Sharon Hirst(Senior Lunchtime Supervisor)
Miss Jo Fell (Asst. Lunchtime Supervisor)
Mrs Cheryl Simpson(Asst. Lunchtime Supervisor)
Mrs Helen Longley(Asst. Lunchtime Supervisor)
Miss Julie Knott (Asst. Lunchtime Supervisor)
Mrs Sarah Yates (Playworker)
Cleaning Staff: / Mrs Cheryl Simpson (Caretaker)
Miss Kate Haigh (Cleaner)
Kitchen Staff: / Mrs Lesley Hinds (Cook)
Mrs Anna Dawson (Assistant Cook)
Mrs Lyndsay Thompson (Assistant Cook)
Education today is a partnership - another important member of our team is YOU.
Marsden Infant and Nursery School Governors
The School’s governing body has an important role to play in determining the strategic direction of the school and monitoring and evaluating progress. The work is interesting and important, involves regular attendance at Governing Body meetings which are currently held in the evening. At Marsden the full governing body usually meets termly, with sub committees meetings half termly.
The school’s governing body is made up of local people who voluntarily give up their time to serve the community by working to ensure that our children receive the best possible education.Parent representatives are elected by parents of the school; co-opted governors are invited to join the group following agreement by currently serving governors and will be drawn from local businesses or members of the community with a particular interest in the school. LA representatives are selected by the local council; staff and teacher representatives are elected by the staff and teachers of the school.
Whilst it is a responsibility, training is available to prepare for it.
Chair of Governors / Mr Paul Hoey (Community Governor)Mr Gareth Ackroyd (L A Governor)
Mrs Frances Swallow(Head Teacher)
Mrs Sarah Steele(Co opted)
Mrs Vicky Smith (Staff Representative)
Mrs Caroline Bolton(Parent Governor)
Mrs Sheila Bates (Co-opted Governor)
Mr Clive Pearson (Co-opted Governor)
Mrs Sharon Hirst (Co-opted)
Mr Gavin Freislaar ( Parent Governor)
Mrs Helen Allan ( Co-opted)
Mr Martin Jones ( Co-opted)
Mrs Vicky Sewell (Associate Member)
Vice- Chair:
Governors
Clerk to the Governors: Directorate for Children & AdultsPartnership Services, 2nd Floor, Kirkgate Buildings, Byram Street, Huddersfield HD1 1BY
Please do not hesitate to contact the Governors, through the school. They will be pleased to receive your comments and will, if necessary, take up any issue on your behalf.
ADMISSIONS
Parents who would like their child to attend Marsden I and N school are invited to contact the Headteacher. We are always happy to see prospective parents and children to answer any questions they may have.
Since the start of the academic year 2009-10 Kirklees Children and Young People Service have operated a single admission intake into full-time school.
Pupils are admitted into full time school as follows:-
Date of 5th Birthday / Term of Admission1 September – 31 August / Autumn (September)
From September 2009 Kirklees Children and Young People Service made a decision to operate three admission intakes per year into part-time school (nursery).
Nursery Education is on a part-time basis, and whenever possible provision is made for parental choice from the 4 options previously outlined.
Pupils are admitted to part-time nursery as follows:-
Child’s Date of Birth / Term1 September 2012 to 31 August 2013 / September 2016(Autumn)
1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013 / January 2017 (Spring)
1 April 2013 to 31 March 20014 / April 2017 (Summer)
Priorities for Admission to full time school
In Kirklees places will be offered to children in the following order of priority:
1)Children in public care (looked after children).
2)Children living in the school’s priority admission area who have an older brother or sister attending from the same address at the date of admission.
3)Other children living in the school’s priority area.
4)Children who live outside the priority area who have an older brother or sister attending from the same address at the time of admission.
5)Other children who live outside the priority area.
Community and controlled schools will admit children with Statements of Special Educational Needs where the school is named on the Statement.
Notes
a)Children in priority 1 above may also be admitted above the Published Admission Number (PAN).
b)If we cannot agree to requests for admission in priorities 2 to 5 above without exceeding the PAN, we will give priority up to the PAN to children living nearest the school. Distance is measured in a straight line from the child’s home address to the school.
c)‘Live’ means the child’s permanent home at the date when the applications close or if a significant house move is involved, the latest reasonable date prior to the final allocation of places.
d)A Priority Admission Area means geographical area determined by Kirklees in consultation with the governing body of the school.
NB: There is no longer a guaranteed place for any child in any of the priorities at any key stage.
For further information contact school admissions
Kirkgate Buildings, Byram Street, Huddersfield HD1 1BY
Tel: 01484 225007
Fax: 01484 2225264
Email:
School Attendance
Unauthorised absence: 2014/15 - 0.63%
Authorised absences: 2014/15 – 4.05%
Good attendance is a significant aspect of a child’s progress at school and is regarded by the Department for Education as a key indicator of performance. We believe that if a child’s attendance falls below 95%, this is likely to have a negative impact on a child’s attainment. The Educational Social Worker works with the school to monitor the attendance of all children in school on a regular basis and will contact parents or carers if their child’s attendance gives cause for concern.
All schools are required by law to keep a record of authorised and unauthorised absences. All absences are coded, according to the reason given for them. Illness or visits to the doctor are an example of absence that is recorded as ‘authorised’. Family days out, or difficulty in finding transport to school, are examples of absence which would not be authorised by the school. If no explanation is received for a child’s absence, it is recorded as ‘unauthorised’. It is therefore important that you inform the school, in person, by telephone, or in writing, of the reason for your child’s absence.
Please notify the school as soon as you can if your child is absent. If we have not been previously notified, nor received a phone message from you, the school will contact you on the first day of absence. This is in the interests of the safeguarding all children.
Leave of Absence in Term Time
Wherever possible, parents should avoid taking their children out of school during term time. Such absences can be very disruptive to pupils’ learning and development. In accordance with Government Legislation introduced on 1stSeptember 2013 holidays cannot be authorised by the school EXCEPT in exceptional circumstances. Please see the schools attendance policy which is on the school website.
Where the Head Teacher decides that authorisation cannot be given but absence occurs, consideration will be given to the issuing of a Penalty Notice in line with Kirklees Code of Conduct.
Any request for leave of absence must be made in writing to the Head Teacher, in advance.
School Uniform
The school has a compulsory school uniform for all children. The uniform consists of a red sweatshirt or cardigan (with or without the school logo), red or white polo shirt (with/without the school logo), grey or black trousers, skirt or shorts and a red checked summer dress. In order to make it affordable to all parents items are available with or without the school logo from Tesco online. Most alternative supermarkets will offer the items without the logo.
Children should wear clothes that are easy for them to manage when they undress and dress for P.E. We strongly advise that all personal property is marked with the child’s name as so many articles of clothing for children look alike. Unless articles are clearly marked, the recovery of missing property proves to be very difficult.