WELCOME TO URMSTON INFANT SCHOOL.

Information to help you and your child as they start school. Please contact Miss Bee with any questions.

A MESSAGE FROM MISS BEE We are very pleased to welcome you and your child to Urmston Infant school Nursery. We hope that you will find this booklet interesting and informative and that it will give you some insight into life at our School. Urmston Infant School is an exciting place to be, full of outstanding children, enthusiastic, dedicated staff and lots of wonderful surprises! We believe that Every Child Matters and learning at our school is fun and exciting, challenging and rewarding. We offer a warm and caring environment which enables children to feel safe and secure as they grow, learn and develop. The foundation of our success is happy children working hard in surroundings where they are valued and value others. We believe the first years in school are the most important and can shape children's attitudes to learning and school long after they leave us. We hope by the time the children leave Urmston Infant School they will have developed a good sense of self worth and a stimulated mind, so that they are happy and motivated as they continue on their journey through education. SCHOOL’S ACHIEVEMENTS. Everyone in our school works hard to achieve the best possible education for our children and at times we have been rewarded in a variety of ways… In September 2007 we were Awarded Healthy Schools Status and achieved an outstanding achievement award which reflected the high priority we place on the health, safety and happiness of the children in school. This was renewed in March 2011. Our most recent Ofsted inspection took place in February 2011. We were pleased that the inspectors found the children’s achievement and attainment to be outstanding and most other aspects of our school life to be at least good. In February 2012 we again achieved the Investors in People Award for achieving a high standard in management procedures and professional development and training. In September 2009 we were awarded the Basic Skills Primary Quality Mark for the third time for demonstrating continued good practice and standards of achievement in English and Mathematics. We have the Activemark accreditation from Sport England in recognition of the high quality of PE in our school. We also hold the Arts Council Arts Mark which acknowledges our commitment to the creative curriculum. In 2008 our Cheerleading team was very successful and were selected to represent Trafford in the Manchester Youth games where they won gold – they made us very proud. They continue to go from strength to strength competing in local and national competitions. The school is also supported by a loyal and committed Governing Body who work to involve teaching and non teaching staff as well as our parents in the ongoing school performance. The hard work and dedication of everyone concerned is crucial to our school’s success.

ORGANISATION School begins: 8.55 a.m. School closes: 3.30 p.m. Lunch: 12.00 - 1.30 p.m. Please make sure that your child is in the playground by 8.55 a.m. but not before 8.40 a.m. if possible. All children enter school from the playground entrance only. For security reasons the school doors are opened at 8.55 a.m. and the teachers escort their class into school. Please ensure your child is supervised in the playground by an adult until this time. There is a fifteen minute playtime during both the morning and afternoon sessions. It is essential that the children are suitably clad for the changeable nature of our weather e.g. Wellingtons when it is wet, warm coats and hats etc. if it is cold. We also ask the children to bring a coat or jacket even during the summer months as the weather changes so quickly. PUNCTUALITY Children are expected to arrive in school at 8.55 a.m. promptly. A bell rings in the playground to indicate the start of the school day. Registration takes place before 9.00 a.m. and the class is usually starting their first lesson at this time. Please ensure that your child arrives promptly in school, as this is an important time of the day when the teacher discusses the lesson. Children arriving after 9.00 a.m. will be recorded as a late arrival in the register. We understand when home circumstances disrupt your normal morning routine that lateness can occur and ask that you fill in the late book on these occasions. Regular lateness over time, however, does seriously disrupt the children’s education and we therefore ask for your support and co-operation. PARENTAL INVOLVMENT Parents are welcome to come into school to help in all areas of the classroom activities including reading, cooking, craft work and equipment maintenance. If you have time to spare and are able to help please let us know. We organise parent meetings or conferences in the Autumn and Spring terms when parents have the opportunity to come into school and discuss their child’s progress with the class teacher. Information about other events such as information evenings, Christmas activities, special celebrations, social evenings and fund raising events will be sent to you from time to time from school. Please join us on these occasions, you will be very welcome. We are a friendly and open school and welcome the support of our parents. SCHOOL FUND We also rely on the help and support of our parents for fund raising. The money we raise provides for many essential and necessary extra facilities throughout the school, which cannot be acquired from the educational budget. A small group of parents calling themselves “The Friends of Urmston Infants” have formed an active PTA fund raising group, which initiates and organises special events. They welcome anyone willing to lend a hand in any way possible. If you are willing to help please let us know. In addition to the special events we also request that parents send a voluntary donation in order to fund the on-going activities such as baking, sewing, gardening and purchasing consumable equipment. We ask for £1 on the last Friday of each half term in return for the children being allowed to wear their ‘own clothes’.

CLASS ORGANISATION At the end of each academic year new classes are organised and usually each child has a new teacher. Class groupings are usually set according to age and friendship groups with a balance of ability, interests and boys and girls. The class structure may differ from year to year according to the number of pupils we admit and the fluctuation in numbers within any age group. Learning experiences are provided to match the children’s individual potential, interest and learning ability. Children with special educational needs are encouraged to take part in all normal class activities. The year group teachers plan their curriculum objectives together each week so that we maintain continuity, progression and structure. The Reception children will follow the framework for learning as set down in the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. The Year 1 and Year 2 children follow the National Curriculum and participate in daily Literacy and Numeracy lessons. CLOTHING The school uniform consists of a red jumper, sweatshirt or cardigan, a white polo shirt and grey trousers or skirt/pinafore dress. We have a special arrangement with a school supplier who offers a range of garments embroidered with our school logo. These can be ordered through school at reasonable prices and they are very durable. We also have a school fleece which incorporates a small embroidered logo. We organise one bulk order at the end of each term so that uniform is available throughout the year. You will receive a letter reminding you of the orders and indicating when to obtain an order form from the school office. We request that your child is sensibly dressed for school taking into account the weather and the time of year. It is necessary to ensure your child always has a coat, jacket or suitable outer clothing even during summer weather. This is always a necessary precaution in the case of rain or a sudden change in temperature. Footwear should be appropriate for the weather conditions and we ask parents to choose sensible rather than fashionable shoes. This will ensure a firm support for your child’s growing feet and avoid the risk of painful accidents. Boots are for wear outdoors only. Please do not send your child in shoes with laces until they are able to tie them themselves.

Please ensure that ALL clothing is permanently marked with your child’s name. We do not recommend biro as this washes out. This should include coats, cardigans, sweatshirts, footwear and PE clothing. Order forms for name labels are included in the welcome pack. Children are not allowed to wear jewellery apart from a watch. Earrings of any sort must not be worn. PLAYTIMES All classes are given a morning and afternoon break of 15 minutes when they are expected to play outside in the school playground, weather permitting. Playtimes are always supervised by a teacher who remains outside with the children. It is necessary to ensure that your child is always dressed appropriately for the time of year, bearing in mind the changeable nature of our weather even in summertime! Children do not bring a mid morning snack into school. We do however encourage the children to participate in our free fruit scheme.

EMERGENCIES and TEXTING SERVICE If your child is taken ill or has an accident at school we may need to contact you as soon as possible. IT IS VITAL THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST 3 ALTERNATIVE NUMBERS IN CASE YOU ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT SUCH TIMES. Please fill in the emergency contact form telling us where we may contact you in an emergency. We also request that you give the telephone number of a friend, neighbour or close relative, who lives in the vicinity and is able to collect your child in the event of your child being taken ill at school. If you change your address and/or telephone number it is essential that you inform us immediately. We make every effort to ensure that all the children are cared for in a safe and secure environment and ask for your support and co-operation in order to avoid any unnecessary delay in contacting you should this be necessary. School also has a texting service which we use to ensure parents are kept fully informed and up to date school events. MEDICINES If your child requires medication during the school day - e.g. inhaler for asthma, - such medications MUST NOT be given to the child to bring in unsupervised. These should be given to the Head or Deputy Headteacher, clearly labelled with precise written instructions as to the dosage etc. In the interests of the children’s health and safety, medicines (other than asthma medicines or medication for chronic conditions) may not be brought into school or administered to a child by anyone in school. We request that ALL OTHER MEDICINES are administered at home or alternatively given by the parent /carer/ nominated adult during the lunch hour in school with the agreement of the Headteacher. Children who suffer from chronic conditions, serious allergies and/or anaphylactic shock are able to keep medicines at school. These are only used with supervision and regular training by the school nurse who will train members of staff with delegated responsibility when necessary. The school nurse will discuss all procedures with the parent and will subsequently obtain written permission from the parent. FRUIT SCHEME This school is part of the North West Free Fruit for Schools scheme. Fruit is delivered on a daily basis and given out to the children during morning playtime. If you do not wish your child to receive fruit, you should inform us in writing. Similarly, if your child has an allergy to certain kinds of fruit, it is vital that you inform us immediately. MILK SCHEME We encourage the children to drink milk. This is delivered to school and stored in a refrigerator until required. We ask that money is sent into school in an envelope marked with the child’s name and class number on a half-termly basis. You will be notified regarding the amount payable. Once your child starts school you will receive further details that will explain how the scheme works. It is part of the agreement with the dairy that children do not bring an alternative such as fruit juice instead of having milk. However we do encourage you to send in bottled water.

BOTTLED WATER We encourage our children to bring bottled water on a daily basis. The children will have access to this in the classroom throughout the day. . For hygiene and convenience the bottles should not be a screw top, but fitted with a non-spill resealable cap. Please make sure you label the bottle clearly with your child’s name. Since water is a healthy option and we are a healthy school, we cannot agree to your child bringing an alternative such as flavoured water or juice. LUNCHTIME ARRANGEMENTS From September 2014 all Infant school children are entitled to free school dinners and all our children will be having a school lunch. Our school dinners are prepared in the Junior school kitchen and have always been popular with our children. We are a ‘Healthy School’ and the dinners are healthy and appetising, including a choice of salad or hot meal followed by a choice of pudding, yoghurt or fresh fruit. During the lunch hour the children are carefully supervised by the lunchtime organiser and a team of caring midday assistants. SHARED READING From our nursery onwards we introduce our shared reading approach, which runs alongside the normal class reading activities and supports our school reading. We hope in this way to extend each child’s reading experience in an enjoyable way. Parents welcome this involvement, as it is a positive and pleasurable pursuit of reading with their child. A booklet explaining this approach is available and we are always happy to answer any further queries should you require more information. We have a supply of school book bags which are available from the school office at a cost of £4.00 each. They are bright, weatherproof and practical and keep books, money and school letters safe. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The Trafford LA syllabus is used throughout the school. This forms the basis for our class teaching and school assemblies, when we encourage children to learn about the main world faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. The school has no affiliation with any particular religious denomination and we remain sensitive to the needs of all our children and their parent’s wishes. Most children join our assemblies, but all parents do have the right to withdraw their child from assembly time or from any religious education, if this is appropriate to their needs. You are welcome to discuss any further issues with the Headteacher. RELATIONSHIP AND SEX EDUCATION The school has a clear and sensitive approach to relationship and sex education which takes into account the age, maturity and understanding of the children. A copy of this policy is available for parents to read in school in order to reassure themselves that our approach is one of a caring and responsible parent. Should parents feel it necessary they may discuss any concerns with the Headteacher.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION We try to ensure that all our children experience regular physical exercise throughout the week. For PE activities the children will need a pair of pumps, a red or white T-shirt and navy or black shorts, all contained in a drawstring pump bag. We request that pumps have an elasticated gusset or a Velcro fastening – not laces. For indoor PE activities we encourage the children to work in bare feet as this promotes quality footwork, though they still require pumps to walk from the classroom to the hall. Please check the fit of your child’s PE kit regularly and ensure it is in school everyday as the PE timetable can be subject to change. EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Through the year we organise extra curricular activities. These cover a range of topics including physical activities, art and craft clubs and also activities organised by visitors to school eg sports coaches. The activities are always very popular and are often over subscribed so please look out for letters and answer them as soon as possible! (Extra curricular activities are available to the reception children generally from the summer term onwards to take into account their age and that they are often tired at the end of a long school day). BEHAVIOUR School rules and the need for good standards of behaviour are regularly brought to the attention of all pupils by the staff. All members of staff are responsible for discipline in the school and misdemeanours are usually dealt with by withdrawal of privileges. Serious breaches of discipline may be dealt with by the Headteacher, in consultation with the parents involved. ‘Golden Time’ is used throughout school to reward good behaviour – all children who have tried their best will be rewarded with some fun activities on Friday afternoon. Those children who have not tried hard may miss part or all of the reward time. A system of sunshine and clouds in every classroom allows all the children to monitor their own behaviour to earn ‘Golden Time’ OUTDOOR VISITS It is sometimes necessary, as part of a topic, to take children out of school within the locality or further afield. The children are carefully supervised at all times and great care is taken to ensure their safety. If, however, you do not wish your child to take part in these visits please notify the Headteacher and your wishes will be respected. Parents who are able to help are always welcome to come along. Where transport is required we always use the services of a reputable and reliable coach company, which provide coaches, fitted with seatbelts. This incurs a substantial expense which, in order to maintain our outdoor visits in the future, we pass on to parents who are asked to donate a set amount according to the nature of the visit.

MIXED AGE CLASSES Some of the classes in school are what is called ‘vertically grouped’ This means that children from more than one year group are in a class together. We have 2 vertically grouped classes in school – a Reception / Year 1 class and a Year 1 / Year 2 class. Many children will spend some time in a vertically grouped class while in our school. These classes are NOT ability based or streamed. Being in one of these classes is not an indicator of a child’s ability. All teachers work closely together to plan work for the children ensuring all children in each year group cover the same or similar work and all the children in school are supported and extended at their own level. We work extremely hard to ensure all children achieve their potential, whatever the organisation of the class. Parents whose children who have spent time in a vertically grouped class have been delighted with the progress they have made. ABSENCES Government regulations require all schools to record all reasons for absence in your child’s class register and to report both authorised and unauthorised absences to the Local Authority. Authorised absences Should your child be absent from school you are asked to notify us by phone on the first day of absence and always in writing on the day of child’s return to school. You will need to give reasons for this absence, which we will enter into the class register as a record of your child’s absence. This may relate to sickness, family holiday, religious celebrations, medical treatment or family events. We advise that where a child has suffered either sickness or diarrhoea you allow 48 HOURS from the last occurrence before they are fit to return to school, in line with Health Protection Agency guidelines. Unauthorised absences Absences are recorded as unauthorised where there is no reasonable explanation for your child’s absence. It is at the discretion of the Headteacher to make this decision and the school registers are monitored by Trafford’s Education Welfare Officers. Where there is serious concern regarding any child’s attendance the officers will notify the parent concerned either in writing or by visiting the home. Continued unauthorised absence can lead to prosecution. General information Schools are required to report their authorised and unauthorised absences annually to parents and you will also be given a summary of your child’s attendance when you receive the written progress report at the end of each school year in July. The government sets a lower limit of acceptable attendance at 85%. You will be contacted by school if your child’s attendance comes close to this level. TERM TIME HOLIDAYS / LEAVE OF ABSENCE. The law allows Headteacher’s, at their own discretion, to give permission for parents to take their child out of school during term time only in exceptional circumstances. Term time holiday will not be authorised. If you would like to appeal against any decision you can do so in writing to Mrs Gill Stock, the Chair of the governing body, C/O the school office.

ROAD SAFETY The roads around school are extremely busy – if you must drive to school plesae take the utmost care! We ask all parents to park with due consideration to our residents by making sure all driveways and access points are kept clear. PLEASE FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PARK. Trafford organise a strict parking restriction and Traffic Wardens patrol regularly throughout the day issuing parking tickets where offenders park illegally. PARKING IN THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL GROUNDS IS NOT PERMITTED AND THERE IS NO ACCESS TO VEHICLES THROUGH THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL GROUNDS OR CAR PARK VALUABLES The children should not be allowed to bring toys to school or to wear jewellery, as we cannot be held responsible for items that are lost or damaged in school. We do have a lost property collection and if something goes missing you are asked to enquire at the school office. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT WEAR ANY JEWELLERY - IN PARTICULAR EARRINGS - TO SCHOOL.

HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT You will be given 2 copies of our Home School Agreement. This document aims to encourage a working partnership with all our parents. We hope you agree with its objectives and return a signed copy to school.

ENQUIRIES AND APPOINTMENTS If for any reason you have a concern about the welfare of your child no matter how small please do not hesitate to contact us, either by telephone or come in. We endeavour to work in friendly partnership with our parents and would be happy to discuss any issues with you. Class teachers are not normally accessible during school time, but the Headteacher is usually available and would be pleased to help or to make you an appointment with the class teacher out of school hours. The teachers, including the Headteacher are usually available after school for any messages concerning your child’s welfare. You will be notified well in advance of our Parent Conferences during the year and an appointment time will be sent to you. This will give you the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with the class teacher concerned. We hope you will feel able to inform us if there are any domestic arrangements, which you feel, may affect your child’s well being in school. Any discussion regarding your child will be treated as confidential.

We are here to help your child to develop their talents and skills and with your support we aim to make their time in school as happy as possible.

Our Vision for Education. At the centre of all we do are our children. We are committed to recognising the important and unique nature of their needs at this, the start of their learning journey and we aim to provide them with the best possible start to their education, preparing them for their future. Expectations of everyone are high and the careful planning of a rich and diverse curriculum, tailored to the distinct needs of our children, allows all to meet challenges, reach their potential and to achieve success. The learning, teaching, achievement and attitudes of every child matter regardless of individual talents and limitations. We are a learning community with a vision shared by all and a commitment to providing a caring and happy environment in which children can learn and develop. Our children have only one childhood and it is our duty to make their learning experiences vivid, real, challenging and enjoyable.