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Thank you for expressing an interest in Garstang St Thomas Church of England Primary School. The following pages offer an A-Z of life at our school and will hopefully answer any queries you may have. If, however, you do have any questions or would like to arrange to visit the school to meet staff and pupils please get in touch. We take great pride in our school and would be glad to show you round.
Mrs H Ife Admission to school The school was provided by Church of England Trustees to serve persons resident in Garstang. Admission is controlled by the Governors who take into account the policy agreed by the Diocesan and County Education Authorities. Reception Admissions
The Governors will not place any restriction on admissions for reception unless they are advised that the number of children for whom admission is sought is likely to exceed this number. In that event, the governors will admit by the use of the listed criteria. Withdrawal of offer of a place Once the Governors have offered a place it may only be withdrawn in very limited circumstances. These may include when a place was offered on the basis of a fraudulent or misleading application e.g. a false claim of residency which in effect denied a place to a child with a stronger claim or where the parent has not responded within a reasonable time. If the school is oversubscribed In this event the criteria in the admissions policy will be applied by the governors Informing Parents Parents of children to be admitted to the reception year are informed by the LEA before the end of April. Where a child has not been offered a place at the school, parents have a right of appeal against the decision. Deferred Admission If your child is due to start school in the next academic year it is important that you apply for a place for September. If your child’s birthday is between September and December you may defer admission until January. If between January and April admission may be deferred until the start of the summer term, though it is likely to be in your child's interest to start no later than January. Induction Arrangements In the months prior to admission, new entrants to the Reception class, along with their parents, will be invited to spend several afternoons in school, meeting the staff and the other children. Additional information will be made available at special induction meetings for parents. Children will usually be admitted to school full time from the beginning of the Autumn Term. Non Routine Admissions If a child needs to change schools for whatever reason such admissions are known as non routine. Parents wishing their children to attend this school should arrange to see the Head Teacher and visit the school. If there is a place admission will be arranged. If there is no place the governors will consider the application and if they do not offer a place will provide parents with details of how to appeal. Addresses Addresses must be current at the time of application. Parents must inform the school of any change of address. Where parents live at different addresses, the current at the time of application will be used ( where child normally wakes on Monday to Friday mornings). Parents may be asked to show evidence of address or in the case of dispute enquiries may be made of a third party e.g. G.P. Admissions Policy Copies of the full admissions policy are available on request from the school. Attendance
There is a requirement on school to differentiate between “authorised” and “unauthorised” absence. Teaching staff have a duty to classify any absence for which no message has been received as unauthorised. Our school sessions start at 8.50a.m. and 1.00pm. the school policy is to allow 5 minutes after these times before a child is classified as late and lateness noted in the register. Family Holidays
Charging policy It is unlikely that a full term will go by without each child being involved with at least one visit to a place outside school with the class, or by a visit from somebody to the school. In the 2006-07 school year these have included trips to Blackpool theatre, story tellers, maths workshops, visits from British Waterways, BAE Systems, ICT Installations and the ever popular Life Education caravan. Often it is necessary to ask parents for a voluntary contribution towards the cost of these valuable activities which cannot all be met from school funds. In cases like this the Governors charging policy will apply: The Governors of Garstang St Thomas’s Church of England Primary School will invite voluntary contributions of no less than a specified amount to cover the cost of any proposed activity requiring funding. Where possible refunds will be given if a child is absent for an educational visit. This is at the discretion of the Head Teacher. No child will be excluded from such an activity on purely financial grounds and any parents requiring financial assistance should contact the Head Teacher in confidence. The Head Teacher will decide, depending on the response to the request for voluntary contributions, whether a particular activity can proceed. In the case of activities that take place either wholly outside or more than one half outside school time, an appropriate charge will be made providing the activity is not specifically to fulfil the statutory duties of the Governors relating to the national Curriculum or to Religious Education. Child Protection For the protection of our children, on behalf of the Governors, the LEA initiates a criminal background check on all those in paid employment in the school. Through the Diocese the Governors initiate criminal background checks on volunteers and others associated with school. The school has a Child Protection Policy in place which follows the recommendations laid down in the “Lancashire Child protection Procedures”. The policy identifies those people in school who are responsible for the management and co-ordination of child protection policy. In this school, where it appears to a member of staff that a child may have been abused, the school is required to report their concern to the social services department. The school recognises the importance of confidentiality and assures parents that correct procedures which ensure confidentiality will be observed at all times. Classes Classes are organised according to age. The school tries to have single age groups in classes, but this is dependent on numbers. In Key Stage 1 classes are kept small, always below 30. As staffing allows children are organised into small teaching groups, especially for Mathematics and Literacy. The school also organises Additional Literacy and Numeracy Support Groups for children in Key Stage 2. Clothing – School Uniform The school uniform is smart, simple, readily available and reasonable in price. We hope it will instil in our children a pride in themselves and in their school. The school takes great pride in the children’s appearance and it is expected that all children will wear school uniform. The basic colours are dark green and grey.
The children wear;
Sweatshirts, cardigans and polo-shirts with the school name and badge can be obtained from Mike’s Sportsworld, Parkhill Road, Garstang. Tel No: 01995 605010. Mike’s Sportsworld is situated in the centre of Garstang adjacent to Booths supermarket and is open Monday to Saturday from 9am until 5.30pm. All children need a PE Kit, ( dark blue shorts, white t-shirt and pumps, preferably without laces.) to be kept in a draw string bag (draw string bags available from the school office, printed with the school logo) to hang on their cloakroom peg. We expect all items of clothing to be clearly marked with the child’s name, in order that mislaid items may be identified and returned. Collective Worship The school is conducted in accordance with the principles of the Church of England. Religious Education and worship are important aspects of our curriculum.
At festival times in the year, Christmas easter, Harvest etc as well as at the beginning and ends of term we hold our worship in St Thomas’ Church. Parents relatives and friends are more than welcome to join with us on these occasions. The nature of the Blackburn Diocesan Religious Education Syllabus and the principles that govern the running of the school ensure that the experience of the children can be related to an awareness of Christian values, standards and responsibilities. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from collective worship. However the Governors hope that in choosing a Church of England school parents are thereby committing themselves to their child’s participation in the religious life of the school, and will, hopefully, take part in collective worship involving parents and pupils at school and at St Thomas’. Communication between Home and School
From Us to You: At the beginning of each term you will receive a plan or letter from your child’s class teacher which outlines the themes and activities that your child will be undertaking during the term.
From You to Us: Parents who approach staff at the beginning or end of the school day are asked to remember that the priority of staff at these times is the organisation of the children so we would ask you to be aware of the constraints upon teaching staff. Parents who wish to talk to individual teachers about more detailed matters are asked to make an appointment by contacting the member of staff. We will ALWAYS contact you if we are concerned about your child. We are sure that you will do the same. Your worries or concerns are never regarded as trivial and will be dealt with confidentially. Complaints Procedure Problems may occur concerning curriculum, organisation, personal or site matters. We believe we can best help if problems are bought to our immediate attention. Our complaints procedure is firstly an informal approach to a member of staff or governor, secondly a formal approach to the head Teacher. If the problem is not satisfactorily resolved then the parents may approach any of the following:
At each level, the complaint will be heard, a decision taken and the complainant informed of that decision. Discrimination The school has policies that intend to prevent any discrimination in terms of race, disability or human rights. Document Access Parents/guardians have access to any documents in school concerning their children. Should you wish to see any records or documents please make an appointment with the head teacher. Drugs and drug Awareness As part of our Personal and Social Education programme, information concerning medicines/drugs is provided for all children appropriate to their age and development. The school is part of Lancashire’s Healthy Schools programme. Data Protection – Computer Stored Information
The type of personal information required by the school and stored on computer includes:
Much of this information is contained on the admission form, which all parents are asked to complete when registering their child for school. In order that data can be kept up to date and accurate, parents are requested to ensure that any change in their child’s personal details are made known to the school as soon as they occur. It is envisaged that for statistical Purposes, data will be stored for a maximum of five years after the child has left the school. The majority of the information will, however, be destroyed within two years of the child leaving. The type of academic data to be stored on computer will include details of the child’s class registration group, the results of national curriculum assessments, teacher assessments and other standardised testing. As a registered data user, the school will take every precaution to ensure that pupil data stored on computer will be held and used only for specified and lawful purposes and will not be disclosed in any manner incompatible with those purposes. Any parent wishing to examine the data related to their child, should apply to the Head Teacher for access. Garstang St Thomas’ Discipline Statement Garstang St Thomas’s School Good Behaviour Programme is based on praise and encouragement and supports the ethos of the school. Children are taught how to make wise decisions for their own behaviour. Decision making is taught just as reading and mathematics are. Children are taught that we all make mistakes, but the only failures are mistakes we do not learn from. Children are encouraged to look at the consequences of their behaviour. When these consequences bring about undesirable results, children are helped to look at the problem and then plan for better ways to handle their difficulties. Setting targets and plans for improvement are discussed, this is not a punishment but rather an opportunity for good decision making and growth. It is of paramount importance that children understand these rules. In order to achieve our aim that pupils learn self-discipline for the benefits of themselves, the school family and the wider community, parental responsibility is essential. If a teacher is concerned at the inappropriate behaviour of a child they will inform the head teacher who will invite parents into school to discuss how such behaviour can be modified. Serious
cases of inappropriate behaviour are brought to the immediate
attention of the Head teacher. When this is the case, parents are
informed immediately of the nature of the incident and are expected
to support the school in trying to eliminate anti-social behaviour.
The school does not tolerate violence or bullying in any form and
will do everything it can to eradicate this extreme form of
behaviour. The co-operation of parents in this matter is vital and
is much appreciated. Eco Schools — Silver Award Holders The Eco-Schools programme is an internationally recognized scheme set up for schools to analyse their operations and become more sustainable. By following the programme, schools become a more stimulating place in which to learn, whilst reducing the environmental impact of the whole school on the community. The scheme is rooted in a genuine desire to help children become more effective citizens by encouraging them to take responsibility for the future of their own environment. It is not about environmental excellence, it is about schools starting to look at how it impacts upon the environment and how this is decided upon and can be managed. Pupil involvement is a key part of the Eco-Schools programme. Having pupils engaged in the whole process, including monitoring, action planning and decision-making, leads to genuine ownership of the programme and an increase in their sense of responsibility for the school environment and local area. At St Thomas’ pupil involvement is through the school council and the Eco Detectives after school club. Garstang St Thomas registered with the programme in June 2007 and by September had been awarded with the bronze certificate. At the end of the first half term we achieved the silver award and are now actively working towards the prestigious Green Flag Award. Any parents, children or friends of the school who would like to be involved can speak to Mrs Hodge in the school office or Mr Marle our class 5 teacher. Equal Opportunities The school considers it most important to emphasis the Local education Authority’s policy and to interpret the policy through class and staff organisation. When pupils are involved in group work or assisting staff at the school, they are not chosen because of their gender, disability or race. First Aid
Friends of the School (P.T.F.A) We have a very successful Parents, Teachers and Friends Association. Everyone is welcome to join in the many activities planned to support the children. Every one of our parents is an important member of our PTFA. Parents are encouraged to become involved and a committee is elected at the AGM to co-ordinate and organise events. Fund raising and social activities to help foster relationships are organised on a regular basis for adults and children. Please come to the meetings which will be advertised through school:
Homework
Instrumental Tuition The school makes use of Lancashire Schools’ Music Services and currently offers instrumental tuition on woodwind. Keyboard and guitar lessons are also available with our music teacher Mrs Gaughan. The cost of this tuition is £4.00 a lesson at current rates. In the main, tuition takes place within school time and is taught in groups with a maximum of four pupils. There are a number of hire and purchase schemes available. We will be only too pleased to put you in touch with local music shops who operate these schemes for schools. Home School Agreement Parents are a child’s first and enduring teachers. They play a crucial role in helping their children learn. Children achieve more when schools and parents work together. Parents can help more effectively if they know what the school is trying to achieve and how they can help. Home-school agreements provide a framework for the development of such a partnership. We hope that as parents of the children at Garstang St Thomas’ you will feel warmly welcomed in school. You will be formally invited into school on a number of occasions, however we hope you will feel able to visit on a more informal basis, perhaps to discuss your child’s progress or to sort out any worries or problems. We hope that some parents may wish to be more closely involved in school and would like to offer their help. We appreciate help in the classrooms, the library, on the sports field, educational visits with ICT and many other activities. Please contact us if you would like to help. Health at School The information below gives guidance from the health authority on how long children should be away from school for certain illnesses:
Fruit & Healthy Eating
The National Healthy Schools Programme is an exciting long-term initiative which is making a significant difference to the health and achievement of children and young people. The National Healthy Schools Programme supports the links between health, behaviour and achievement; it is about creating healthy and happy children and young people, who do better in learning and in life. The impact of the Healthy Schools programme is based on a whole-school approach to physical and emotional well-being focused on four core themes:
The whole school approach involves working with children and young people, parents, school staff and the whole school community to provide a solid foundation from which developments and improvement are embedded in a systematic way. These processes contribute to the physical and emotional development of all members of the school community. Insurance Arrangements The County Council’s insurance arrangements in relation to children and parents are as follows: (a) The County Council’s liability insurance arrangements provide protection for the County Council in respect of claims for compensation made by any person suffering bodily injury or damage to property due to some act or error of the County Council. These arrangements are in respect of the County Council’s legal liabilities only and it should be noted that the County Council does not automatically accept liability for any injury or damage which may occur as it would have to be proved that the County Council was legally responsible for the injury or damage suffered, i.e. it was at fault. (b) Where an injury or damage to the property arises due to some act or neglect of a Third Party (i.e. some person or organisation other than the County Council) any resultant claim for compensation would have to be directed towards the Third Party and not the County Council. (c) If a person suffers a bodily injury where no-one is at fault there would be no legal grounds for pursuing a claim for compensation against either the County Council or a Third Party. However this is a risk which can be covered by Personal Accident Insurance which provides limited benefits in respect of injuries suffered by the insured person, regardless of legal liability. Parents could arrange such cover on a general “all risk” basis applicable throughout the year or specifically for a particular event (e.g. a school visit/holiday). It is understood that the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations has such insurance available ; in any event, advice can be obtained from an insurance broker or insurance company. Jewellery We would ask that jewellery, nail varnish and make up are not worn at school. Items of special value to a pupil can cause upset if they are mislaid. Jewellery can be dangerous to not only the owner but also to other pupils during many school activities. If a child has pierced ears this should ideally be completed over the summer holidays in order for the healing period to be over before returning to school. If a child does have pierced ears, a stud may be worn in the ear but the child needs to be able to remove this themselves, as children are not allowed to wear earrings during P.E. Dancing or Games, and teachers cannot assist. Meals
Parents can pay a term in advance if they wish and cheques should be made payable to Lancashire County Council. Medicines If a child needs medication at school, parents need to discuss this matter with the Head teacher. In general if medication needs to be given at school, we would ask the parent to come and administer the medicine themselves. However, there are circumstances where this is not possible, i.e. when the pupil is on medication for a considerable length of time. In cases such as these please complete all the necessary forms, available from school, and return to the Head Teacher before any medication is given. Medicines must be clearly labelled and are kept in a locked medicine cabinet in the office. If a child has to have access to an asthma inhaler, we would ask that school are informed before the child brings the inhaler into school. Inhalers are kept with the child in class. If a child has any medical needs at all during the school day, please contact the school. Milk Milk money is collected from children in Years R, 1 & 2 once per term and should be sent to school in the same manner as dinner money. Money for different members of one family should be brought separately if possible or, failing this should be with the youngest member of the family. The correct change is much appreciated and saves time in the office. Out-of-school activities One of
the ways we try to widen a child’s interests and skills is to offer
extra curricular activities. These activities will vary from term to
term subject to the availability of staff and the to the time of
year. At various times throughout the year the following activities
may be offered:
Occasionally extra-curricular activities have to be cancelled at short notice. Under these circumstances the children involved are asked about parental instructions for their collection. Any child in difficulties is supervised in school until the usual time for the completion of the activity. The school regularly competes in a great number of inter-school events and activities, including football, netball, swimming, quiz teams, athletics, rounders, skittleball, music festivals. If events against other schools are postponed the teacher in charge will check with our children to discover if any parents were intending to meet their children at the other establishment. Those parents will then be contacted as soon as possible. The children needing supervision will be looked after in the usual way. Parents should ensure that children know what to do in such circumstances. Multi-cultural Awareness We believe we have a duty to ensure that our pupils are made aware of the many peoples who make up our world. There are many opportunities for this in assemblies, formal lessons and literature. The issue of race is considered to be very important and pupils and staff are to be encouraged to be vigilant and confront verbal statements which may offend a child or adult. The victim of such offence will be reassured and the offender discouraged from any repetition. It may be considered appropriate to involve parents in such circumstances. Safety & Security
Children are dismissed from the cloakrooms to their own playgrounds. Parents should collect children from the playgrounds and young children should not go home unaccompanied. Any child who is not collected is asked to wait for their parent/guardian inside school. School Day The school day begins at 8.50am and ends at 3.00 pm (KS1) and 3.10pm (KS2) . We would ask that all children are in the playground ready to come in at 8.50am in order that we may have a prompt start to the day. The lunch break lasts from 12 noon to 1.00pm. The children in Reception and Key Stage 1 (Infants) have a break of fifteen minutes duration each morning and afternoon. Children in Key Stage 2 have a break of 15 minutes in the morning only. The school is open for pupils for 190 days of the year. Sex Education The school curriculum includes the teaching of Personal and Social education, of which Health Education and Sex Education are important elements. Sex education is taught with care and sensitivity and the content of the lessons will be appropriate to the pupil’s age and understanding. As a church school, we believe that the teaching of sex education should take place within a moral, family based and Christian framework. Parents are encouraged to be closely involved in forming and revising our sex and relationships policy. On specific occasion, parents will be informed of talks offered to the pupils by the class teacher and school nurse. Parents are invited to view any videos/ materials used in teaching children about Personal and Social Education. Special Educational Needs
We have an established framework/register for pupils identified as having “Special Educational Needs”. Within this framework there are four set stages to follow. Throughout every stage of the process we work closely with the parents in order to support the child. We employ additional staff to provide extra help with individuals and small teaching groups. We maintain close links with the appropriate support services. Extension and enrichment activities are also planned into the whole curriculum for the pupils with appropriate gifts. Recognising Achievement
Incentives The children can gain house points for good work, effort and kind and thoughtful behaviour. These are calculated and acknowledged in assemblies. In “good work” assembly the children have the opportunity to share their successes and these are recognised. Head Teacher Awards are given weekly for children and groups or classes who have achieved and/or impressed their teachers. Incentives take the form of stickers, certificates, team points, or small gifts. Pre-school & The Rural Wyre Children’s Centre
Garstang Preschool offers morning and afternoon sessions along with full-time care (8am to 6pm) for 0-4 year olds in self contained facilities within the Rural Wyre Children’s Centre in the School grounds. Child care provision is available during school holidays. Pre-school offers a warm friendly, stimulating environment with the emphasis on learning through play. Anyone interested in enrolling their child in pre-school can obtain details of availability, times and costs from Mrs Sandra Rawlinson, the pre-school manager. Attendance at Garstang Pre-School does not guarantee a place in St Thomas’ school Reception Class—parents MUST register their child with school. Tommy’s Time & Breakfast Club
Parents pay for sessions in advance and additional sessions can be arranged providing there is a vacancy. A planned programme of activities is made available to parents at the beginning of each term. Anyone interested in either Breakfast Club or Tommy’s Time should contact Mrs Julie Dugdale or Mrs Andrea Russell at school. School Governors
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Applications
must be made on the form enclosed with the LEA’s brochure and
returned to the school in the October prior to the September
admission. How ever, parents are encouraged to register their child
early in order to help the school forecast numbers on roll
accurately. If there are fewer than thirty applications for the
places, all children are admitted automatically. The agreed number
of children to be admitted in Reception in September 2007 and 2008
is thirty.
If
your child is unfit for school please send a written message or
telephone ON THE FIRST DAY of absence informing the school of the
reason for absence. Parents should be sure their child is ready to
come back to school after illness, especially if this has been
infectious.
If you wish to take your
child out of school for a family holiday, please write to the Head
Teacher. The Head Teacher may authorise ten days absence from school
for this purpose although it is not encouraged. The requirements of
the National Curriculum make it even more important that children
miss as little of their education as possible. Absences will not be
authorised during the weeks immediately prior to SATs or during SATs
examination weeks (in May).
Once a week, usually
Wednesday our school worship is conducted by the vicar, Reverend
Michael Gisbourne.
The information stored
on our computer system is very similar to that recorded in the
school admission register and on the pupils personal record cards.
It is used to assist the school in the management of personal and
academic records and is treated confidentially by those members of
staff who have a legitimate right to use it. Access to the data is
governed by a series of computer passwords known only to those
authorised by the Head teacher.
Accidents and injuries are all too common where children are
concerned; we have a clearly defined policy for dealing with them.
First Aid supplies are readily available in school. All accidents
involving minor injury are treated appropriately by an adult and are
reported to the child’s class teacher. If the injury is more
serious, qualified “First Aiders” are involved and the Head teacher
is informed. In the event of a serious injury, parents will be
contacted as soon as possible. If the child needs to be sent to
hospital parents will be notified as soon as is practicable.
Fortunately most injuries are of a minor nature. Any serious
accident or injury is entered in the LEA Accident Book.
The
school has a homework policy. Children from as early as the
Reception Year will have some form of homework. This is likely to be
related to early reading or number skills. As children progress
through the school the home work asked for will increase in
relation to age and ability. Examples might include reading,
spellings, tables, research, writing and preparation for class work.
Children are encouraged to talk with their parents about their
school work. Parents are also asked to help and support their
children by hearing them read regularly. Parental involvement is
seen as important to each child’s development and parents are
informed in Year Groups as to the homework expectations of their
children.
Our
school has joined the LEA Healthy eating initiative and provides
fruit daily for KS1 Children. We have also gained healthy schools
status.
School
meals are available to all children at a cost of £8.25 per week (at
time of printing) i.e. £1.65 a day. Dinner money is collected in
advance, on Monday morning and should be brought to school in an
envelope marked as follows:
The
safety of your child is of the upmost importance. At the beginning
and end of the day, parents are asked to ensure that appropriate
arrangements are made to ensure the continued safety of all our
children. The school has a security system whereby all visitors are
asked to report to the office, sign in and gain admittance through
the security doors. Traffic congestion and dangerous parking can
threaten the safety of the children. Please exercise vigilance when
parking vehicles and ensure they are well away from crossings and
access ways for the school. Our safety record is excellent and we
rely on you as parents to maintain this. The school encourages
walking to school and takes part in the national
Our
school curriculum offers all pupils access to the whole curriculum
and provides pupils with individual opportunities for working at
their appropriate level. Some children, however, need additional
support to be included in our whole curriculum.
Whilst
every child develops through the school he/she will have his/her own
qualities to contribute to the class and whole school community. We
encourage each child to play as active a part in school life as
possible. Emphasis is placed upon praise and responsibility is given
to children at an early age.
Garstang
Pre-School has a management committee consisting of the Head
Teacher, a school governor, and elected parents. The AGM is in the
Autumn Term. Pre school is run by fully qualified, experienced staff
and meets all Social Services requirements and conditions.
Pre-school has received excellent Ofsted Reports including the most
recent in Spring of 2005. There is funding available for 3 and 4
year olds.
At
present our