Parent Prospectus 2013

Geoffrey Field Infant Community School (READING Local Authority) Exbourne Road Reading RG2 8RH Telephone: 0118 937 5473 Website: www.geoffreyfieldinfant.co.uk

Contents
Welcome Message School Information School Staff Admissions Information The School Day Attendance and Punctuality Day to Day Information Curriculum Content page 4 page 5 page 6 page 7 page 9 page 10 pages 10 - 12 page 13

Welcome to Geoffrey Field Infant School

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Geoffrey Field Infant School. It may be that you already have or have had children at the school, in which case you will be familiar with our routines and organisation. However, if you are a new parent, we hope that you will find this prospectus very helpful. We are a large infant school, with 10 classes, including a Nursery class. The school is set in extensive and attractive grounds, giving children plenty of space to learn and play. In fact each year group has its own dedicated outdoor learning area. The school opened in 1949 and was later officially opened by Alderman Geoffrey Field, who had served as Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee. Our commitment at Geoffrey Field Infant is to ensure that your child: Feels safe whilst at school Enjoys learning Makes excellent progress and learns as well as s/he can We provide a broad curriculum whilst maintaining a particular focus on reading. This we believe is important both for its own sake and in terms of enjoyment and developing imagination but also in accessing all subjects.

The breadth of opportunity is seen in a wide variety of visitors who are invited into school to work with the children e.g. musicians, actors, artists, the mobile farm. The children really enjoy these sessions and learn a great deal from them.

We also have our annual Arts Week with professional artists, dancers and musicians working with the children plus Sports Day and Fun Day as well as after school clubs such as football and basketball for both girls and boys. Our aim is to support children to become confident, independent learners who gain enjoyment from and have pride in their achievement at each stage of their education. We hope you enjoy finding out about the school. S E Farrow Headteacher

School Information
Parents are a very important part of the school and we aim to work closely with you to support your child during his/her time with us. You can help us by: Supporting your child with homework Sharing reading books with your child Supervising a group of children on trips Supporting curriculum workshops (e.g.
Reading, Maths, Phonics, SATs etc.)

Ensuring your child comes to school everyday and on time (unless ill)

A highly trained Teaching and Learning Assistant supports each class and there is an Early Years Practitioner in Nursery.

We have close links with

Voluntary Reading Help volunteers come into school weekly All Whitley Schools and Nurseries and especially with Geoffrey Field Junior School Reading University

The schools is part of the Whitley Excellence Cluster (WEC) and supports the charity ASPIRE2. We have received an Outstanding Ofsted grade in:

For more information on WEC/Aspire2 visit www.whitleyaspire2.btck.co.uk

2007/2008 2012/2013

School Staff and Governors (updated October 2013)

Headteacher: Miss S E Farrow Finance Manager: Mrs H Mason Intervention Manager: Mrs D Mace Governors Community Governors: Ms L Wakelin (Chair ), Ms S La Rose (Vice Chair) LA Governors: Mrs G Knight, Mrs R Crabtree Staff Governors: Miss Z Dean, Mrs E Clements, Mrs S Hanton Senior Leadership Team Miss E Mustoe Mrs E Clements Mrs A Whyatt & Mrs A Chapman Class Teachers
Mrs H Underwood Miss J Stuart Miss A Knight Miss A McCallam Miss A Brown Miss A Siddiqa Mrs J Bennette Mrs J Arnold

Deputy Headteacher: Miss Z Dean Admin Officer: Mrs N Kirby Family Support Worker: Miss S King

Foundation Stage Team Leader Year 1 Team Leader Year 2 Team Leaders

Teaching and Learning Assistants (class based)

Mrs T Austin Mrs C Jarvis Mrs S Hanton Mrs T King Ms D Dymond Mrs J Sheppard Mrs B Holmes Mrs V Wicks Mrs L Quirke

Nursery Assistant: Mrs K Snarey Teaching and Learning Assistants (Literacy and individual support)
Mrs T Wright Miss S Geary Mrs T Shepherd Mrs J Baker Mrs S Allen Mrs C Statham Mrs G Alpar Mrs S Chowdhury Mrs M Harkin

Lunchtime supervisors
Mrs T Wright Miss S Geary Mrs V Varney Mrs J Baker Miss M Norgate Mrs T Shepherd Mrs D Ferguson Mrs S Allen Mrs C McManus

Site Controller: Mr D Batson 6

Admissions Information
The school has a morning and afternoon Nursery class and three year groups: Reception Year 1 Year 2

Nursery Admissions
Nursery admissions are handled internally by the School Admissions Panel consisting of school staff and Governors. Children can be registered onto the waiting list from the age of 2 years. Application forms and admissions policies are available from the school office or from the school website. Completed forms should be handed into the school office during school hours with the childs original birth certificate or passport to verify their date of birth. Children are eligible for placement in Nursery the term after their third birthday however the majority of places are filled in September due to the admission of children into the Reception year. Parents are contacted as soon as a place is available .

If the waiting list is oversubscribed the oversubscription criteria is clearly marked in the admissions policy. Nursery transfers are only accepted in exceptional circumstances.

School Admissions (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2)

The School Admissions Team at Reading Borough Council coordinate the school places in all Reading schools. For admission to any of the above years please contact the Admissions Team: Telephone 0118 9373777 or visit www.reading.gov.uk Registration Once your child has been allocated a place we will ask you to complete the registration forms. It is important that all the information requested is completed to enable the school to safeguard your child. Please list the contact details of all adults that have permission to collect your child. We will also require your childs NHS number available from your GP in case of emergencies and school trips.

Admission to Year 3
School Admissions coordinate the places for children finishing Year 2. Application forms are sent to parents through the Infant school in the autumn term whilst the child is in Year 2. Reading Borough Council allocate the places and contact parents directly to offer places.

The School Day

NURSERY
Morning Nursery starts at 8.50am with registration at 9.00am and finishes at 11.50am Afternoon Nursery starts at 12.15pm with registration at 12.25pm and finishes at 3.15pm

Children are expected to be in the class ready for the register before registration time and are expected to attend every day and on time unless ill. Parents are requested to contact the school office before 9.30am in the event of an absence. There is an answer phone available for messages during out of school hours.

THE SCHOOL DAY

8.50am 9.00am 10.30am 11.45am 12.00pm 1.10pm 3.05pm Doors open Registration Playtime Reception Lunchtime begins Year 1 and 2 lunchtime begins Afternoon registration School finishes

Teaching time
In a normal week we spend 21 hours and 40 minutes on actual teaching. This does not include time spent on the following: Registration (approximately 50 minutes per week) Morning Break (approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes per week) Collective Worship (approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes per week)

Security
Security is taken very seriously and all visitors are required to report to the office. If a child arrives after 9am a member of staff will take him/her to the classroom as the days teaching will already have started. A door phone system is in operation and staff are required to be vigilant at all times. Lunchtime Support Staff supervise the children during lunchtimes and are fully aware of procedures to be followed with regards to security and pupil welfare.

Day to Day Information

Pupil Safety and Welfare First aid will be administered if your child has a minor cut or bruise while in school. If a more serious accident occurs, every effort will be made to contact you. It is therefore essential that we have at least one telephone number on which we can contact you. If your child bumps his/her head you will be called and advised to monitor your child at home as bumps can lead to concussion in young children. Significant injuries are recorded and reported to the Local Authority.

Illness If your child has been sick or had diarrhoea, please keep him/her at home for 48 hours after this stops. Inhalers If your child has asthma and needs an inhaler during the day please complete an asthma card at the school office and leave the inhaler, marked with your child's name, with the classroom staff. Medicine in School This is given only at the Headteachers discretion and must be prescribed by a doctor. If this is agreed, parents must fill in the relevant form and all medicines must be clearly marked

Milk The school offers a milk scheme for children to have a carton of milk after break. Parents are required to register with the milk provider (Cool Milk) either by completing the registration form available at the school office (can take approximately 2 weeks to register and receive an invoice) or by completing the application and payment online at www.coolmilk.com or by telephone 0800 854 2913 .

Hazards: Please note that buggies should not be brought into the classrooms as they would create a hazard if there was a fire. You may leave your buggies in the entrance hall or on the patios but this is entirely at your own risk. It is recommended that you take your child out of the buggy and carry him/her with you down to the classroom as the supervision of your child cannot be provided.

Hazards: Exbourne Road is subject to parking restrictions:

Parking on the yellow lines will result in a 60 fine. There should be no parking around the roundabout. The speed limit is 20mph.

Parent/School Relationships This school has always had good relationships with the parents and all parents are treated with courtesy and respect by staff. It is expected that all staff will be treated in the same manner by parents. Any parent with a concern or complaint must raise the issue in a calm non-aggressive manner the school will listen and act upon issues raised. However, if a parent is abusive or threatening in any way then the matter will be dealt with through the Local Authority legal department. In extreme circumstances this can lead to banning from the school site. This school recognises that staff and parents working together enables children to learn as well as they can. Parent Board There is an information board in the main corridor near the entrance hall and outside the main entrance. Various notices are pinned up advertising events or giving information on services available. Newsletters Each year group sends out a termly curriculum newsletter. Other letters are also sent home giving information about dates, forthcoming events or school procedures. Copies of all newsletters are available to download from the website. Text Messages The school uses a text messaging system to contact parents. If you do not receive any texts over a period of time it could be an indicator that the school does not have your current telephone numbers. Please contact the school office to update information.

Lunches Hot meals are offered at lunchtime and cost 2.04 for a dinner and a pudding. Drinks can also be purchased separately. Water is provided on the dining tables. Copies of the menus are given to parents and children can order one of three dinner options during morning registration. Dinner money must be paid daily and brought to school in a named purse/wallet. The school meal provider is Chartwells and more information about school meals, nutrition and sustainable sourcing please visit the website www.dineatschool.co.uk.
If your child/ren are eligible for free school meals please complete an application form and provide current evidence of the benefit being received. A full list of eligible benefits are on the back of the form. Free school meal entitlement is checked each term, September, January and April and you will be required to provide current evidence of entitlement to continue receiving free meals.

Alternatively children can bring their own packed lunch from home.

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Uniform
The school colours are blue and grey and we are pleased to see that so many parents support the wearing of school uniform. Uniform items with the school logo are available from the school office, during the school day, size 3/4 years, 5/6 years and 7/8 years. Larger sizes can be purchased from the Junior school.
Prices (October 2013) Royal blue sweatshirt 7.15 Royal blue cardigan 8.50 Royal blue polo shirt 6.00 P.E. t-shirt 4.00 P.E. royal blue shorts 3.50 Royal blue book bag 3.00 Royal blue P.E. rucksack 3.50 Baseball caps from 2.20 Water bottles 0.25

P.E. Kits Please ensure your child has a P.E. t-shirt, shorts and pumps in school each Monday, these are taken home on a Friday for washing. Footwear Young children are very active and need to run and enjoy themselves at playtime; it is advisable that children wear appropriate - i.e. safe footwear. Shoes with high-heels are not considered appropriate for young children. Please ensure that all items of clothing, including P.E. kits are named.

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Attendance and Punctuality

Regular attendance makes a great deal of difference to your child's achievements, and the school welcomes your support with this matter. Schools are required to publish rates of attendance annually. If children regularly miss school then this is time that is lost forever, which clearly has an effect on levels of attainment. Please support your school by: Making sure your child comes every day unless ill. Letting the school know the reason for absence. (If a notification is not received by 9.30 a.m. you will be called by a member of the admin staff.) Making sure your child arrives on time every day.

Attendance reports are given to parents each term during Parents Week. The report shows your childs attendance as a percentage and this will include the number of authorised and unauthorised absences. The Education Welfare Officer from the Local Authority monitors childrens attendance and where there are concerns will work with the family to increase attendance and/or punctuality.

Attendance Rates for the Year 2012/13 94.1%

The Local Authority expects all primary school children to have a minimum of 95% attendance.

Requests for leave from school The current situation, from 1st September 2013, is that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Please note a family holiday does not meet the criteria for exceptional circumstances. The Headteacher must be satisfied that the circumstances warrant the granting of leave. The Headteacher will determine the number of days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted.

For further information on these changes please see: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/behaviour/attendance/a00223868/ regulations-amendments A Holidays in Term Time leaflet can be requested from the school office.

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Curriculum Content
This school provides education for children from 3-7 years old. This means that there are two phases: the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) and Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2) . The following is a brief description of what is covered in the curriculum during these stages.

The year groups covered are:

Nursery (3/4 year olds) Reception (4/5 year olds) Year 1 (5/6 year olds) Year 2 (6/7 year olds)

The Nursery and Reception curriculum is called the Early Years Foundation Stage and covers the following areas of learning and development:

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development Physical Development Communication and Language

Specific Areas

Literacy Mathematics Understanding the World Expressive Arts and Design

The Year 1 and Year 2 curriculum is called The National Curriculum and covers the following areas of learning:

Literacy (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening) Mathematics Science Religious Education (R.E.) Physical Education (P.E.) Information and Communication Technology (I.C.T.) History Geography Music Art and Design Design and Technology (D.T.)

The Phonics Scheme used by the school is Read Write Inc. Please note the school does not use the reading or writing programmes within this scheme.

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For further information please visit the school website: www.geoffreyfieldinfant.co.uk

Or contact the school office on: 0118 937 5473

Geoffrey Field Infant School Exbourne Road Reading RG2 8RH

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