Start of Year Information Booklet

Castle Gardens Primary School

Parental Information Booklet

September 2018

Telephone 028 91813827

Email jgray246@c2kni.net

Website www.castlegardens.org.uk

Facebook @CastleGardensNI

Twitter @CastleGardensPS

Breakfast Club is open daily from 8am. £1 charge per pupil per day.

Schools Out NI offer after school care until 6pm.

More details including prices can be found on school website.

Telephone Susannah on 07710953959

Email info@schoolsoutni.co.uk

Dear Parents

Another school year has started and we are all getting back into the routine of the school day. At the outset of this new year can I again say to all parents that we at Castle Gardens Primary School have always, and will continue to put the best interests of your child as our first priority. Should you at any time during the year ahead have concerns please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or myself.

I would take this opportunity to especially welcome all new parents and pupils to the school. I trust your association with Castle Gardens will be a long and happy one.

At the start of each school year we remind parents of some points so as to ensure that the day to day arrangements work for the benefit of all. Please take the time to read the following information in this short booklet and I ask that you retain it throughout the year for your information.

If there is any matter you wish to discuss with me, please get in touch.

Mr J Gray

Principal

CHILD PROTECTION

In Castle Gardens the welfare and interests of the child are paramount.

The school’s Pastoral Care Policy along with related safeguarding policies are available in school for inspection and can also be found on the school website. This policy deals with all the relevant areas of Child Protection in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.

All members of staff refreshed their child protection training on Friday 24^nd August this year.

Should you have any concerns during the school year of any child protection issues please report these to our Designated Teacher Mrs P Harbinson or the deputy Designated Teachers Mrs N Alcorn & Mr J Gray.

Access NI (Child Protection)

We are grateful to those parents who regularly help us by accompanying school trips.   However, all parent volunteers must complete an Access NI Check Form each year. Details to enable completion are available from the office.

NUT FREE SCHOOL

All parents are asked to note that we are a NUT FREE SCHOOL. Over recent years we have had an increased number of children allergic to nuts and products containing elements of nuts.

Children with this condition could have a severe reaction if they come into contact with nuts, or related products. For some of these children a severe allergic reaction may be caused simply by touch or smell alone. This therefore has serious implications for all areas of the school both inside and outside of the classroom.

Consequently, I would ask that no nuts or related products are brought into school for your child’s break or packed lunch. Your agreement with this and compliance could prevent a serious medical emergency developing.

I am sure you will appreciate the reasons for making this request and trust that you will give it your full co-operation.

FLU VACCINATION DATE

Please note – a team of nurses will be in school on Friday 19^th October to give the vaccine to our children. Further details will be sent home nearer to this date.

ANNUAL SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS

School photographer will be in on Monday 1^st October 2018 to take photographs of all pupils. Permission form will be sent home a week beforehand.

PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held week beginning Monday 22nd October and Monday 4th March.

School will finish at 1.00 pm for all classes during these weeks to facilitate the meetings. P7 transfer meetings will be held at the end of January.

Further details relating to interviews will follow in due course.

VALUABLES

Pupils must not bring valuable items of any kind to school as we cannot take responsibility for any personal items or money which may go missing.

WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS

Newsletters will be available online on a Friday via our website and social media as well as the Schools NI app. Hard copies will be sent home at various times throughout the year.

ANIMALS       

No animals are permitted on the school grounds without prior permission from the Principal with the exception of guide dogs.

CLOTHING LABELS  

Please ensure that all items of clothing are clearly labelled with your child’s name. It is important that coats are also labelled.

LOST PROPERTY

Items of lost property will be kept in a basket in the photocopying room. Parents can call to the office and will be assisted by office staff.

EXCEPTIONAL CLOSURE PROCEDURES

As parents may be aware we had to close school several years ago due to the severe weather conditions. Should such a situation develop in the year ahead or should it be necessary to close the school at short notice for any reason the following procedure will apply.

1. Check the school website – www.castlegardens.org.uk or our social media pages. We will keep these updated at times of severe weather or other exceptional situations and we will endeavour to make a final decision by 7.30 am or earlier if at all possible.
2. We also now have a text messaging service available and we will also text parents of exceptional closing. In this regard it is important that you inform the school office of changes to your mobile phone number.
3. Telephone school – 028 91813827. We will endeavour to have our phone lines manned from 7.30am if a late decision is taken.Parents are asked to appreciate that we will work on the basis that school will be open every day. This basic premise means that a decision to close the school will be left as late as possible. In future on any given day we will try to take that decision before 7.30am (and earlier if possible) and communicate that decision by means of the above as soon as possible thereafter.     

AFTER-SCHOOL CLUBS

Many clubs will require sign up online and have limited spaces so please keep an eye out for information that will be sent home or posted online in the first two weeks of term.   

Full details regarding clubs can be found on our website

The clubs for P1 and P2 pupils will run from 2pm to 3pm with the majority of clubs for P3 to P7 pupils running from 3pm to 4pm. All Block 1 clubs will start w/c Monday 10^th September.

Terms this year will run in two blocks. Block 1 runs from September until the end of November. Block 2 runs from January until the end of May. Clubs will not run during parent interview week – w/c Monday 22nd October and Monday 4th March,

Parents are reminded to collect pupils on time at the end of the club from the front of school. Any child that has not been collected will wait in the office with a member of staff.

We operate a wide range of after-school clubs at Castle Gardens that include choirs, gymnastics, football and gardening. Further information will be sent home regarding the after-school clubs in the first week of term including dates and times. Some clubs will require payment as these are provided by external coaches or organisations.

 TURNING CIRCLE

ARRANGEMENTS FOR DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP CHILDREN

School operates on a one-way system as a normal roundabout.

The circle should be used only as a drop off or pick up zone – no parking at all.

Should you need to park to drop a younger child to class or to speak to a teacher, park in the large car park to the right of the roundabout or alternatively outside the school.

The small car park on the left at the main entrance is for staff.

There are four blue badge parking spaces, please do not use these if you do not have the appropriate permission.

Care must be taken when dropping off children or picking them up. There is a speed limit of 5 mph when in the school grounds.

Please be aware that there will be about 300 children entering school each morning and we must avoid any behaviour that jeopardises their safety.PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS

All pedestrians should use the crossings when crossing any road within the school grounds.

Cars should not park or wait on these crossings at any time.

SUPERVISION

Children will only be supervised from 8.45 am until classes begin at 9am. School cannot accept responsibility for children before this time unless they are attending Breakfast Club.

The main entrance can be used by all pupils in the mornings however P3-P7 pupils can also use their classroom entrances in the mornings, accessible from the rear playground.

Doors remain unlocked until 9.05 am.

Please be aware that there will be several taxis bringing pupils in our provision classes to school each morning. Parents are asked to be accommodating towards these vehicles.

Once you collect your child at home time you must ensure that they remain under close supervision. Pupils are not permitted to use the playground afterschool. There have been several minor accidents in the past and we wish to avoid this.WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL We would advise that P1-P4 children will not be allowed to walk home unaccompanied due to safety concerns. They should be collected by a responsible adult.

HOME TIMES

P1 pupils finish at 1.50pm from October. Exact dates and times of phased starts for P1 pupils can be found in the induction booklet parents received at their orientation visit in June.

P2 pupils finish at 2pm every day and should be collected in the foundation playground.

P3 pupils finish at 3pm on Monday and Tuesday and 2pm the rest of the week. Pupils should be collected from the main entrance.

P4 to P7 pupils finish at 3pm. P4 pupils should be collected from the main entrance. P5 to P7 pupils will exit via the rear playground and can be collected at the canteen. On wet afternoons they may be collected from the main entrance.

LATE COLLECTION OF PUPILS

From time to time parents/guardians will run late when collecting children from school. Should this happen your child will be brought to the office to wait with the secretary. If the child has not been collected within 10 minutes a phone call will be made to the parent to find out how much longer the child will have to wait to reassure them.

When a parent/guardian arrives to collect the child, particularly a younger child, they will need to come to the office to collect them as children will not be sent outside to a car.

COLLECTION OF PUPILS DURING THE DAY

Children will not be allowed to leave the premises during school hours unless a note, signed by a parent/guardian, is given to the teacher. Any pupils being taken out of school early for any reason will need to be signed out by a parent/guardian in the office.

PUPIL ATTENDANCE

I wish to remind all parents that the recording of pupil attendance is now computerised and that all absences and late arrivals will be closely monitored and analysed by the Department of Education.

Pupils are marked present for morning and afternoon sessions and it is therefore essential that your son/daughter’s absence – whether part of/complete day – is covered by an explanatory note from you on his/her return (or, if applicable, before they leave). This applies to all absences from school eg: illness, appointment with dentist, doctor etc.

All pupils should be in class at 8.55 am. Classes begin promptly at 9.00 am. Any pupil arriving after 9.00 am will be marked late and any arriving after 9.30 am will be marked absent for the full morning session.

HOLIDAYS

An increasing numbers of children are being taken out of school during term-time for family holidays. We cannot sanction or ‘give permission’ for children to be taken from school and this is entirely the decision of parents. I would remind parents that teachers cannot provide work for children going on holiday.

VISITING ARRANGEMENTS

We value the opportunity to talk to parents and we will attempt to address any issues raised. Parents are permitted to enter the school building each morning to briefly speak with the class teacher. In order to assist in the smooth running of the school, it would be appreciated that any parents that would like a longer conversation with a class teacher or the Principal should contact the school office for a convenient appointment.

I will be at the front door almost every morning and I would encourage parents to speak to me if they need assistance in any matter.

At any time apart from between 8.45am and 9am parents must enter school via main entrance and report to the Office. In the interests of safety and security, parents are not permitted to go directly to rooms to collect pupils during the day.

A ‘signing-in book’ for visitors is used and they must wear visitor passes at all times when in the school building or grounds.

CONTACT DETAILS

It is vital that the class teacher and/or school secretary is informed of any changes in family circumstances, change of address, telephone numbers or contact details. This ensures that our computerised records are kept up-to-date and emergency situations dealt with effectively.

Accompanying this booklet should be a data capture form, could you please complete this and

return to the class teacher as soon as possible.

Please notify the office as soon as possible of any changes to contact details during the year.

MONEY

This year we are going cashless in school with the introduction of the School Money online payment system. This will allow all payments to be completed without the need to send cash or cheques into school to pay for dinners, tuition, trips or anything else. This system will be up and running for the first week of term and further information will be sent home in a separate letter.

SCHOOL DINNERS

School dinners will be paid for online this year. Class teachers will still need to record what days dinner is taken to ensure numbers are correct. Payments will be processed via the school money system.

The present cost is £2.60 per day and £13.00 per week.

Please ensure that if you are entitled to free school meals that a new form is completed at the start of this school year.

BREAKFAST CLUB

There is a Breakfast Club available in the Canteen from 8.00am to 8.45am each day. It costs £1 per pupil per day and will be processed through the school money system. Pupils can purchase a selection of cereals, breads and fruit to eat and cash will need to bring cash that is paid to kitchen staff.

BREAK TIME SNACK

A break will be available to all children to purchase from the school kitchen – juice, milk, fruit, toast and pancakes – with prices starting at 40p. There will be no other snack break available in school. Pupils will need to bring cash that is paid to kitchen staff.

If you are giving your child a snack break we would encourage you to send one healthy item to eat and one to drink. No fizzy or sugary drinks, are permitted.

As detailed earlier in this booklet, Castle Gardens is a NUT FREE ZONE. Any breaks containing nuts will be removed from the child with an alternative from the school kitchen being offered with money to be paid the following day.

Mondays to Thursdays are the days when we highlight Healthy Eating and we would appreciate a healthy break being sent in with the children.

JEWELLERY

We would strongly discourage the wearing of jewellery and advise that no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage.

Jewellery must not be worn during physical exercise because of the risk of loss or personal injury.

Pupils are not permitted to wear make-up in school.

SWIMMING

Swimming lessons are now £3.50 per week.

We would be grateful if parents could make themselves available to accompany classes to swimming lessons. Without parental support these trips may not be possible. Parents that are available should contact the office to complete an Access NI Check Form.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Keep up to date with everything going on in Castle Gardens via:

• The school website www.castlegardens.org.uk
• Facebook and Twitter
• Schools NI app for smartphones and tablets downloadable via the app store or Google Play

MOBILE PHONES and RECORDING DEVICES

Pupils in Key Stage 2 only are permitted to bring mobile phones to school with the following conditions applicable:

Phones must be switched off and handed to class teacher at the start of the day and will be returned at the end of school. This means:

1. No phoning
2. No texting
3. No photographing
4. No videoing
5. No taking phones into the playground.
6. No playing of music stored within the phone.They are for emergency use only.They should be clearly marked with the owner’s name.The school will take no responsibility for looking after mobile phones or their loss or damage. Phones may be turned on after 3.00 pm. This allows for example, a case when parents have sent a text with a change to pick-up arrangements.Staff reserve the right to confiscate mobile phones if they are not being used appropriately. Parents will then collect them from the school office at 3.00 pmAny younger pupils will have their device confiscated and returned to the parent at the end of the day. This agreement can be found accompanying this booklet and should be signed and returned to school by the end of the first full week of term.

SCHOOL DEVLEOPMENT PLAN 2016/17/18

What is a School Development Plan?

School Development Planning is an ongoing process whereby a school identifies agreed short and long term targets for development across a number of areas aimed at improving the educational opportunities of the children.

Who is involved in School Development Planning?

The whole school community should be involved in this process.

What timescale does a School Development Plan cover?

Normally schools are advised to plan School Development for three years ahead. We are in Year 3 of our current plan.

In recent years the process has been developed and extended to more actively involve parents and children as well as Governors, staff and the wider community.

At the beginning of this school year we wish to briefly share with our parents the main areas for curriculum development which were identified for this year and on which staff will be working over the coming months.

What does a School Develop Plan include?

The Northern Ireland Curriculum is fully operational across all year groups and all co-ordinators will continue to review and adjust our programmes as it is considered necessary in light of external advice and internal and local changes to our needs and circumstances. These reviews and adjustments are detailed in Action Plans and these are used identify priorities for our School Development Plan.

A summary of the priorities for Year 3 of our current School Development Plan can be found below.

Communication

1. Implementation of Nelson literacy scheme in P3 to P7 year groups.
2. To develop a writing portfolio for each child detailing all stages of the writing process
3. Expansion of support for reading via partnerships and paired programme.

Using Maths

1. Implementation of problem solving resources throughout the school
2. Audit of numeracy resources
3. Expansion of digital resources to support numeracy underachievement

Using ICT

1. Expand opportunities for digital storytelling using iPads throughout school
2. Develop online safety awareness throughout the school community
3. Implement cloud storage options to facilitate saving of pupil work on multiple devices

SEN

1. To implement SEND amendments in light of changes to SEND legislation
2. To plan for further integration opportunities between mainstream and provision classes

Assessment

1. To implement new analysis module within sims to allow for more detailed analysis of standardised scores.
2. To review and update policies

Further information regarding the School Development Plan will be sent home to parents during the Autumn term.

Holiday List 2017/18

Please note that changes to Staff Development Days can occur.

A regularly updated list of holidays and events can be found on the school website.

Additional documents accompany this booklet and should be returned asap to class teachers:

• Data collection form – essential this is returned asap to allow for school money to be setup.
• Internet Acceptable Use and Photographic Permission Form
• Mobile phone agreement
• First Aid Permission