Parent Teachers Association

We have an active Parent Teachers Association. All parents have automatic membership. The Friends of St Mary’s organises social and fund raising events. Friends committee meetings are held twice a term so that forthcoming events can be planned, volunteers identified and current issues discussed.

Parents are welcomed into school to help in classrooms or to take on particular projects. We encourage you to put yourself forward if you have time or skills to offer.

The School Day

The whistle goes at 8.50am

The school day begins at 8.55am

Lunchtime: Key Stage 1: 11.45am to 1.00pm Key Stage 2: 12.00 to 1.15pm

The school day ends at 3.15pm

Hours spent teaching each week Age 5-7 21.25 hours Age 8-11 23.75 hours

School Clothing

School uniform helps to establish good standards and to develop pride in appearance of self and school. It is also hard wearing, serviceable, sensible clothing for normal active children. It reduces the need for a varied wardrobe and argument’s over what to wear each day.

Set out below is a guide to our school dress, based on navy, grey, white and pale blue.

Summer Uniform:

Girls: Pale blue and white stripped or chequered dress or blue or white polo, or cotton blouse and navy or grey skirt.

Boys: Pale blue, navy or white polo, T shirt or cotton shirt. Grey, black or navy trousers.

Winter Uniform:

Girls: Pale blue or white blouse or polo. Navy or grey pinafore dress or skirt. Navy cardigan, jumper or sweatshirt.

Boys: Pale blue or white shirt or polo. Navy jumper or sweatshirt. Grey, black or navy trousers. Sports clothing for boys and girls:

T shirt and shorts with plimsolls or training shoes for outside games.

Navy school sweatshirts can be purchased from the School Secretary at any time. These are smart, hard wearing, easy care items.

All other items can be purchased easily at local shops and the market.

Key Stage 1 - we would suggest polo shirts or T shirts for easy dressing and ask that all footwear is manageable by young children e.g. Velcro fastening.

Please think carefully about footwear. Fashion is not for the playground, it can be dangerous. Flip-flops and high heels are not acceptable.

Labels - Please ensure that your child’s clothing is named.

Jewellery - Jewelery should only include a watch and simple small earring’s. No other jewelery should be worn. The school can not be responsible for loss or damage of watches or jewelery. For health and safety all jewelery must be removed for PE.

School Meals

School meals are cooked on the premises. They are served from a main hatch and the children have a multiple choice menu. Prices are notified from time to time. Payment should be made each Monday morning or the first day of the school week. Payment may also be made monthly, half-termly and cheques are acceptable, made payable to Cambridgeshire County Council, with the full name and address of the drawer on the back. It is not possible to give credit. Packed lunches are eaten in the hall at the same time as the school dinner is served. However, please see that these packed lunches are properly packed and hygienically wrapped. Cold drinks, not canned, may be brought but they should be in an unbreakable container.

Supervision at lunch times is carried out by the Supervisory Assistants who are responsible to the Headteacher, the Deputy Headteacher or the volunteer teacher on duty.

Health

If children are ill with the following diseases they should be kept away for the specified period of time:

Chicken Pox - at least six days from the appearance of the rash.

Whooping Cough - twenty-one days after the onset of typical cough.

German Measles - four days after the onset of the rash.

Mumps - until all the swelling has gone down.

Scarlet Fever - until the appropriate treatment has been given.

Medicines

Normally medicines will not be administered to children at school. However, there are circumstances where children require a regular dose of medicine. In these cases a request must be accompanied by:

1. a note to say the treatment is necessary and the child is fit to be in school.
2. instructions as to the dosage.

The School Nurse

The schools nursing officer visits the school from time to time. She is also willing to assist parents with any problems of hygiene and child welfare. She can be contacted through the school.

Safety

It is the school’s common law duty to take ‘responsible care’ of children. We endeavor to ensure that children are supervised at all times by a responsible adult in the classroom (particularly when using equipment such as scissors, knives and tools), in the hall when using the large apparatus and in the playground when teaching staff and Midday Supervisory Assistants are on duty under the guidance of the Headteacher. On outings and visits every possible care is taken and extra adults always accompany groups.

If you wish to withdraw your child from school for any reason you are asked to request this in writing and the child must be collected by their parent or nominated responsible adult at the appropriate time. Also if arrangements change for the delivery and collection of your child the school should be notified immediately.

Discipline

Children are expected to behave sensibly and politely and to conform to acceptable behaviour patterns. Rules are kept to a minimum and are based on safety, courtesy, common sense and consideration for others. The general aim is the creation of an atmosphere of mutual respect and collective responsibility. Good behaviour in school is essential. We insist children behave with care and consideration towards the school and towards each other,

Bad behaviour is not acceptable. Children know that disruptive and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and action will be taken. We maintain firm discipline and encourage self-discipline since we believe that children can not learn effectively in an atmosphere that is noisy and disruptive. Parental support is needed to achieve acceptable discipline and we rely on your wholehearted cooperation.

Consultation and Reports

We regard consultation and cooperation with parents to be of the utmost importance. The Headteacher is happy to see parents. The staff are pleased to discuss the progress of children throughout the year, but it is helpful if an appointment is made through the Headteacher to ensure that the correct staff are available. Individual parent/teacher interviews are organised during the year. An annual report is sent to you giving information about the progress of your child during the school year in the summer term each year.

Child Protection

The school has a child protection policy. We have a duty to ensure that our children are not at risk from any abuse. We will investigate physical injuries until we are satisfied that their cause was accidental. If we suspect any form of abuse we have no hesitation in informing social services. Your child’s safety is our primary concern.

Sex Education

The school has a sex education policy developed with staff, governors and parents. The policy provides fro a progressive approach throughout the school but with the majority of the formal sex education taking place in Key Stage 2. Sex education is referred to in the health section of this site. The policy is available for inspection from the school.

Religious Education and Collective Worship

We would like all children to participate fully in all school activities but you do have the right as a parent to withdraw your child from religious education and collective worship.

Charging and Remissions Policy

The Governing Body recognises the valuable contribution that the wide range of additional activities, including clubs, trips and residential experiences can make towards children’s personal and social education.

The Governing Body aims to promote such activities both as part of a broad and balanced curriculum for the children of the school and as additional optional activities.

The Governing Body reserves the right to make a charge in the following circumstances for activities organised by the school:

• school journeys outside of school hours.
• the board and lodgings element of residential activities deemed to take place within school hours.
• activities outside school hours - the full cost to each child deemed to be optional extras taking place outside school hours.
• individual instrumental tuition - the cost to the child for providing individual instrumental tuition.

The Governing Body may, from time to time, amend the categories of activity for which a charge may be made.

Nothing in this policy statement precludes the Governing Body from inviting parents to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of providing other educational experiences for the children.

Where the parents of a child are in receipt of income support or family credit, the Governing Body will remit in full the cost of board and lodging for any residential activity that it recognises for the child if the activity is deemed to take place within school hours.