Shipston-on-Stour Primary School

Information Booklet 2020-2021

Welcome to Reception!

Welcome to

Shipston-on-Stour Primary SchoolWe are very pleased to welcome you and your child to Shipston Primary School. The aim of this brochure is to help you prepare yourselves, as well as your child, for joining us full-time in September.

Between now and September there are lots of things you can do to help your child feel ready to learn. The most important thing you can do is ensure your child feels positive about school and that they understand it is a fun, exciting and safe place to be.

When your child starts school there will be lots for them to take on and it is likely they will be very tired by the end of the day. Please help them to learn better by ensuring they have a good night’s sleep!

Preparing for school is a very excit ing t ime for e v e r y o n e b u t w e understand it can be a bit scary for you and your child.

“Parental involvement in children’s education from an early age has a significant effect on educational

achievement, and continues to do so into adolescence and adulthood.”

The Impact of Parental Involvement in Children’s Education DCSF (2008)

“Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most

of their abilities and talents as they grow up.” Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage (2012)

You Can Make The Difference!

Our RESPECT Code

Reception Staff

Mrs. S. Davies Ducklings Teacher

Mrs. J. Clarke Ducklings Teacher

Mrs. S. Gratton Chicks Teacher

Mrs. D. Harper Chicks

Teaching Assistant

Mrs. J. Clarke is Foundation Stage Leader.

Mrs. C. Pelwenkhan Ducklings

Teaching Assistant

Mr. C. Hilton Executive Headteacher

(Designated Safeguarding Lead)

Mr. G. Roberts Head of School

(DSL)

Miss. D. Brogan Admin Assistant

Ms. M. Freeman Office Manager

Mrs. S. Mills Admin Assistant

Mrs. V. Faulkner Pastoral Manager (DSL)

Mrs. H. Cartledge Early Years Intervention

Co-ordinator

Mrs. L. Tyrer SEND Co-ordinator

Key Staff

Areas of LearningThere are seven areas of learning and development in the Foundation Stage Curriculum. All are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity, enthusiasm and building capacity to learn: Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development. These prime areas are strengthened and applied through four specific areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

We aim for our children to be happy – and to enjoy themselves!

Parent/Teacher Liaison

Teachers are always available to chat to you at the beginning or end of the day. If you have any concerns, you can make an appointment to see the teacher out of school hours.

During the year there will be formal occasions when you will be invited to discuss your child’s progress (usually in October and February) with the teacher. Parents are also invited to attend assemblies, sports days, etc. You will be advised of these events in the whole-school fortnightly newsletter and on Seesaw.

The School Day

The school day begins at 8.45am. Children in Reception classes wait at the front of school (to the left of the main school entrance) for teachers to open the doors between 8.35am and 8.40am.

At 3.15pm the children are collected from the Outdoor Classroom. The children will be let out one at a time only when the teachers can see the child’s parent.

Note: Please let us know in advance if somebody different will be collecting your child.

School Uniform

School sweatshirt or cardigan White polo shirt

Navy blue skirt or trousers (not bootleg or lycra)

Summer option: light blue and white gingham dress

(playsuits are also permitted)

Sensible black school shoes (NOT trainers) with white socks or navy woollen tights

School Uniform

School sweatshirt White polo shirt

Grey trousers (not cargo style)

Summer option: Grey shorts (not cargo style) Girls can also

wear grey shorts

Sensible black school shoes (NOT trainers) with grey socks

School Uniform and PE kits can be ordered online from the school website www.shipston.warwickshires.sch.uk/parents or http://www.pbuniform-online.co.uk/shipstonprimary.

School Uniform: PE Kit

House T-Shirt Navy shorts PE pumps

PE kits will be kept in school in a drawstring bag on your child’s peg. We will send PE kits home on a half-termly basis for washing and checking sizes.

DressingChildren coming into school will be at different stages in learning to dress themselves. It would be of great help to the teachers if children were able to turn their clothes right side out, know which order their clothes go on and to have practised doing up zips and buttons on their coats. Do encourage children to try to dress themselves and try not to automatically do everything for them because you feel that it is quicker!

It is also important to make sure that ALL your child’s clothes are clearly named. This makes it much easier for us to return any lost items.

What will your child need to bring to school?

House-coloured drawstring bag for PE

kit. This will stay in school.

Water bottle with name on (water only please)

Book bag – We will use your child’s book bag to send h o m e a n y i m p o r t a n t information including letters, newsletters, home/school diary and your child’s reading and library books. Please check for new information every night.

School Meals and SnacksUniversal Infant Free School Meals started in September 2014, which means that all school dinners are now free for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

If your child chooses to have hot dinners they will be able to choose between a red, green, yellow or blue meal every day. Parents will be informed of the three-weekly menu and need to book meals in advance.

Debbie Howarth is our Cook. She ensures our school meals are freshly prepared each day on site.

Examples of current menus are available on the School Meals section of the school website: - www.shipston.warwickshire.sch.uk/school-meals Fruit is provided free of charge for all children from Reception - Year 2.

Children that are under 5 years old can register for FREE milk. You will receive a form for this and parents will deal directly with ‘Cool Milk at School’ (0800 3213248). Once your child reaches their fifth birthday you will then be sent a letter offering the option to continue on the parent payment scheme.

Toilets

We anticipate that when children come to school they will be toilet trained and able to go to the toilet on their own and know when to excuse themselves without leaving it too late.

Accidents do happen however; if a child has an accident we will provide him/her with clean clothes. Please wash and return these for others to use.

If you do have any concerns about your child’s toileting please do let us know. You may also like to keep a spare change of clothes in your child’s book bag just in case!

HealthPlease inform the teacher of any medical problems that your child has.

If your child is asthmatic, please supply the teacher with a named i nha l e r w i t h i ns t ruc t i ons on frequency of use on the school’s official form. Inhalers will be kept in

the classroom for easy access. Please check regularly that there is sufficient medication and that it is still within its ‘use by’ date.

You should also observe your child’s scalp for head lice. This is a common problem in schools but can be quite easily treated. Ask the staff or your own doctor for advice, if necessary. Regular combing with a special head lice detection comb is recommended.

If your child is sick or has diarrhoea, please keep them at home for 48 hours after the last episode of sickness/diarrhoea, even if they appear to have recovered. It is so easy for infection to spread in the school unless we are all prepared to take care. Please note the suggested times for keeping your child away from school if they suffer from any of the following illnesses: -

MedicinesIf your child needs medication you are welcome, if necessary, to come in and give this to your child. Specific staff are permitted to administer prescription medicine in certain circumstances where parents have completed the specific medication form. Children’s vision and hearing are usually checked during the school year.

Infectious disease Child should remain at home for:

Chickenpox 5 days from the onset of rash or until all spots are dry.

Measles 4 days from the onset of rash.German measles 6 days from the onset of rash.

Scarlet Fever Child can return 24 hours after commencing antibiotic treatment.

Mumps 5 days after onset of swelling.

Whooping Cough

5 days from commencing antibiotic treatment or 21 days from onset of illness with no antibiotic treatment.

Jaundice 7 days from start of illness.

ImpetigoUntil lesions are crusted and healed, or 48 hours after commencing antibiotic treatment.

Scabies, Ringworm Child can return after first treatment.

Absences

If your child is absent, please contact the school office – Mrs. Mills or Miss Brogan – as soon as possible. There is a voicemail option on the school telephone system for parents to leave a message before school if a child is unwell (option 0).

Headteachers only have legal authority to grant leave of absence during the school term for exceptional circumstances. Absence Request Forms are available from the office and should be completed and returned to school via the school office. If you do not submit a request the absence will be deemed by the Department of Education to be unauthorised. When considering any request for absence, your child’s overall attendance will be taken into consideration.

Once your absence request has been dealt with you will receive a letter via your child’s class teacher to inform you whether your request has been approved or unauthorised. Applications for leave of absence which are refused will result in the absence being unauthorised, which may result in legal action against each parent, by Fixed Penalty Notice, if the child is absent from school during that period.

The school attendance target is 97.5%.

www.shipston.warwickshire.sch.uk/attendance

You are welcome to help in school

We are always grateful for offers of regular or one off help, however parents/grandparents must have DBS clearance through the school. This is done online and details are available from the office. You can help in a variety of ways:

• In the classroom: it could be playing games, working with a group, art or music activities or hearing children read.

• Becoming a FOSP Committee Member. • Supporting Forest School sessions come rain or shine

(or hail or snow)!

Learning at Home

After school please give the children time to play and relax. They will have had a busy day. Please find time to ask them about their day but don’t be surprised if they are unwilling to discuss it – they might just be too tired!

Any additional work will be set on Seesaw.

Starting school is a major milestone towards your child’s independence and can be daunting for both you and them. However, the transition will be much easier if you start to prepare your child in the months leading up to the start of term, even if they have been happily attending nursery.

How to prepare You may think that preparing your child for school involves getting them to learn their letters, numbers or colours. While you can discuss these with them, it’s actually much better to focus on practical skills that can support them in the busy school environment and help your child to become independent:

Sleep: establishing a good bedtime routine will enable your child to get plenty of sleep and cope with the rigours of the school day.

Toileting: help your child to go to the toilet independently, wipe themselves, flush and wash their hands.

Getting dressed: being able to dress and undress themselves will help your child to engage fully in the school day - for instance, changing into wellies for water play, putting on painting aprons, fastening their coat and getting ready for PE.

Eating: show your child how to use a knife and fork and, if needed, carry a tray. If they will be having a packed lunch, show them how to peel fruit, open tubs, drinks containers and yoghurt cartons.

Communication: encouraging your child to speak to adults such as neighbours, shop assistants or bus drivers - will help build their confidence to approach school staff for assistance and to answer questions or generally converse.

Becoming familiar with school: we usually hold settling-in sessions in June and July before children start Reception, but this has not been possible this year with the Covid-19 pandemic. There will be videos and further information sent to parents and carers before the end of term.

Preparing for Reception

Other ways to enable your child to become more familiar with the school include:

• pointing out the building when you’re passing • allowing your child to try on their school uniform • chatting about any friends who will also be attending • discussing what they will do at school, focusing on the activities

your child particularly enjoys • practising the journey to school

How your child may react The way your child reacts to starting school can be affected by their temperament. Children who are naturally more extrovert and curious often find it easier to cope with the new people and place and settle in, while those who are shyer and less adventurous may take longer to adapt. Many schools have a gradual settling period, with children attending for half a day or a few hours at first and then slowly increasing to a full day. Don’t worry if your child is upset when you leave. They are likely to calm down quickly when you’re not there, and staff will call you if they are distressed. You may find that even though your child is happy at school, they play up more for you in the afternoons or regress in their behaviour. This could be due to tiredness or the sheer effort of complying all day and then relaxing at home with familiar people.

After starting school • Aim to be really organised in the morning so that your child has a

good start to the day and their stress levels are low when they arrive at school.

• Try not to become frustrated if your child seems to take longer to settle in to school than their classmates. This may only upset them further and result in them taking longer to adapt.

• Your child’s anxiety is likely to increase if you are also anxious. Consider why you are anxious and speak to the school about your concerns to help you to feel more comfortable.

• It can take a few weeks for some children to settle into school. If your child seems particularly distressed or you are worried, then speak to the school and ask for additional support.

The importance of Reading

Teachingchildrentoreadandwriteisoneofthecorepurposesofaprimaryschool.Theseessen7alskillsnotonlyholdthekeysto the rest of the curriculum but also have a huge impact onchildren’sself-esteemandfuturelifechances.

Our en7re curriculum has a strong emphasis on vocabularyacquisi7on. Vocabulary is key to understanding and learning.Children need to know, through high quality teaching, whatwordsmeaninordertounderstandwhattheyhaveread.Again,thisisacorepurposebehindthebookswereadtothechildren.

Most importantly of all, in all year groups, we encouragechildrentobereadingathomeeverynight. Wheretheinfinitejostling possibili7es of the touch screen make us feelscaGerbrained, a story read aloud engages ourminds in deep,sustainedaGen7on.

The language of stories helps babies develop the linguis7cscaffolding for early speech, and helps young children worktowardfluency.Whenchildrenareolder,novelsreadaloudgivethemaccesstocomplexlanguageandnarra7ves that might otherwise bebeyondthem.Theexperiencebatheschildren of all ages in torrents ofwords,imagesandrhythms.Itbringsjoy, engagement and profoundemo7onalconnec7onforchildren.

Reading - The Enchanted Hour“Familylifecanbeahec7candflailingbusiness.Some7mesit’sastruggletokeepeveryoneafloat, let alone tohaul themonto a read-aloud raO at bed7me. Yet it’s an effortworthmaking,especiallynowthatalmosteveryone’sraOistossingonawideandoOenlonelyseaofpixels.Youngandold,weneedwhatreadingaloudhastooffer.”

“The difference between [children] who get bed7me stories and those who don’t, thedifference in their life chances, is bigger than the difference between thosewho get eliteprivateschoolingandthosethatdon’t.”

“Weknowthattechnoferenceisarealissueformanychildren.Itcanbedistressingtoloseaparent’saGen7ontoelectronicinterrup7on,andsomekidsmisbehavebecauseofit.”

“Languageisavitaltoolforachildlearningtoregulatehisemo7onsandbehaviours,andtoestablishrela7onshipswithothers.Themoreadeptachildbecomeswithwords,thesoonerhecanhandlehimself.”

“Picturebooksprovidetheopportunitytotalkaboutmanydifferentwords:themoon,thesun, the planets. You can do this in book sharing,whereas itwould be kind ofweird ineverydaylife…booksopentheworldanditsinfinitepossibili7esforwords.”

“WhenitcomestopayingaGen7on,childrenfromread-aloud families go to school with a tripleadvantage. They’re used to listening, so it’s easyforthemtodoit.They’veheardlotsoflanguage,so their comprehension will be compara7velystrong. And they know from experience thatpayingaGen7onbringsrewards.”

“Children get a wider perspec7ve when they’retuggedoutofthehereandnowfora liGlewhileeach day. In an enchanted hour, we can readthemstoriesoftherealandimaginedpast.”

“When we read with a child, we are doing somuchmorethanteachinghimtoreadorins7llingin her a love of language. We are doingsomethingthatIbelieveisjustaspowerful,anditis something that we are losing as a culture: byreadingwithachild,weareteachingthemtobehuman.”

Curriculum Topics 2020-2021

Autumn

Why do squirrels hide nuts?

What happens when I fall asleep?

Spring

Who is afraid of the big bad wolf?

Are carrots orange?

Summer

Why do zebras have stripes?

Why do ladybirds have spots?

‘Under the Education Act 2002 (Section 175), schools must make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Parent/carers should know that the law (Children Act 2006) requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse. The staff will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with the parent/carer, and where possible, seek their consent to a referral to Social Care. This will only be done where such discussion will not place the child at increased risk of significant harm. Schools will seek advice from Social Care when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally, concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded. Parents/carers will appreciate that the designated person for child protection was carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interests of all children.’

Designated Safeguarding Leads Mrs. Faulkner (Pastoral Manager) Mr. Hilton (Executive Headteacher) Mr. Roberts (Head of School) Mrs. Bosley (Lower Key Stage 2 Phase Leader) Miss Lamb (Class Teacher) Mrs. Turner (SEND Teaching Assistant)

Safeguarding

We use ParentPay for all methods of payment (school meals, trips, visitors, events and to give consent for school trips. You will receive an account activation letter from our school office.

1. Navigate to parentpay.com 2. Select Login at the top right corner of the screen. 3. Enter the username and password (activation codes) provided in your account activation letter and select Login. 4. Complete the activation as detailed on the screen. 5. You can now log in to your account.

To set alerts: 1. Login 2. Go to Communications 3. Go to Alert Settings 4. Select the type of Alert (low balance and/or new item) and select how you want to receive alerts, email and/or SMS Text.

Email alerts are free of charge. If you opt for SMS text alerts there is a small charge per text.

We use the Parent Selection  system on ParentPay to help the school kitchen manage their food orders and to maximise learning time in school. Parents will need to select meal choices for the forthcoming week by midnight on Sunday.   Please note that if you haven't booked a lunch in advance then your child will need to bring in a packed lunch.

ParentPay

Like many schools, we use SIMS as our Management Information System. The SIMS Parent app helps schools comply with the new GDPR data requirements, by providing a simple way to collect, manage and handle information by obtaining accurate data securely from parents.

Parents will receive an email invitation to the system. Parents can access the SIMS Parent website by going to https://www.sims-parent.co.uk.

The SIMS Parent app can be downloaded from either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Search for SIMS Parent and follow the d o w n l o a d a n d r e g i s t r a t i o n instructions. Once the SIMS Parent app is downloaded onto a mobile device, an icon will be available on the device menu that will take users directly to the app.

Once you make any changes a link is sent to school advising that there is new data to upload. This data is then uploaded securely onto the school system.

SIMS Parent

STOUR FEDERATION PARTNERSHIP TERM DATES 2020-21

Autumn Term 2020Designated Teacher Training Day Tuesday 1st September 2020

Term Starts Wednesday 2nd September 2020

Designated Teacher Training Day Thursday 22nd October 2020 Friday 23rd October 2020

Half Term Monday 26th October 2020 to Friday 30th October 2020

Term Ends Friday 18th December 2020, 1.30pm

Spring Term 2021Designated Teacher Training Day Monday 4th January 2021

Term Starts Tuesday 5th January 2021

Half Term Monday 15th February 2021 to Friday 19th February 2021

Term Ends Thursday 1st April 2021

Summer Term 2021Term Starts Monday 19th April 2021

Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May 2021

Half Term Monday 31st May 2021 to Friday 4th June 2021

Designated Teacher Training Day Monday 7th June 2021

Term Ends Wednesday 21st July 2021

Autumn Term 2021

Designated Teacher Training Day Thursday 2nd September 2021 Friday 3rd September 2021

Term Starts Monday 6th September 2021

TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER, 12PM - 1PM: FAMILY PICNIC ON THE SCHOOL FIELD (ENTRANCE VIA TILEMANS LANE). WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME, BRING YOUR OWN PICNIC AND FOLLOW SOCIAL DISTANCING REGULATIONS IN PLACE).

WEDNESDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER - FRIDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 9AM - 11AM: GROUP A CHILDREN START SCHOOL FOR THREE MORNING SESSIONS.

WEDNESDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER - FRIDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 1PM - 3PM: GROUP B CHILDREN START SCHOOL FOR THREE AFTERNOON SESSIONS.

MONDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 8.45AM - 3.15PM: ALL RECEPTION CHILDREN IN SCHOOL FULL TIME.

STARTING SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 2020

SHIPSTON-ON-STOUR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Home Visits by the class teachers are not permitted this year due to Covid-19.

We will be live-streaming a virtual induction evening on Tuesday 7th July at 6pm. Parents will also be sent a tour of the school and a welcome video by Mr. Hilton, Executive Headteacher.

All information will be communicated via Seesaw.

School Information

School Address Shipston-on-Stour Primary School

Station Road Shipston on Stour

Warwickshire CV36 4BT

TelephoneNumber01608 661266

Emailprimary@shipston.warwickshire.sch.uk

Websitewww.shipston.warwickshire.sch.uk

Twi5er@shipstonhead

http://twitter.com/shipstonhead