Head Teacher: Mrs N Bennett Northfield Road Primary School

Northfield Road Netherton

Dudley DY2 9ER Tel: 01384 818710 Fax : 01384 818711

Email : info@northfield.dudley.sch.uk

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Pages

Welcome 3

Our Aims 4

Core Values 5

School Rules 6

Playground Rules 7

Behaviour 8

School Uniform 9

The School Day 10

The First Day in School 11

Attendance 12

Illnesses and Accidents 13

Care Plans and Health Checks 14

Lunch Time 15

The Curriculum in a Nutshell 16

Homework 18

School Clubs 19

Other School Activities 20

Parents’ Evenings 21

Rewards and Awards 22

Concerns and Complaints 23

CONTENTS

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Welcome to Our School Northfield Road Primary School has been serving the local community of Netherton, with its rich history and proud community identity, for more than 100 years. The school itself is housed within two main buildings, the Victoria Building and the George Building both references to the time in which they were built. The buildings have undergone many improvements and modernisations over the years but still retain their charm and character. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are located within the Victoria building and have their own dedicated outdoor play areas whilst Year 3 through to Year 6 are located in the George building. In the large double mobile, named the Tardis by the children, there is our amazing library opened by the Mayor together with the Learning Lounge and a classroom area which is also used for Breakfast and After School Club. A third brick building houses the Community Hub and the Ladybird Room. Although we have no playing field on site, we do try to make the most of the playground with tubs of flowers, trees and zoned areas for play. We also have a sheltered outdoor classroom and an inner quad. We are two form entry with the capacity to have two classes of 30 pupils in each year group. We are proud that we have been awarded the following awards: Leading Parent Partnership Basic Skills Award Diana Award (anti bullying) Eco Warriors Silver Rights Respecting Schools Healthy School Status Quality Mark St John Ambulance Schools Mark ICT Mark School Games Award (Bronze) We send a monthly newsletter home which will keep you informed of school issues and will give you regular diary dates. Children are in school for 190 days. Staff are in school for 195 days. These extra five days are staff training days and not for children. You will be informed of these days well in advance.

WE HOPE YOU AND YOUR CHILD ENJOY YOUR TIME

AT NORTHFIELD ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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Our mission statement is

At Northfield Road, we absolutely believe that if we can build our children’s self confidence and raise their self esteem they will believe in themselves and will achieve much better outcomes. We aim to: provide a happy, secure and positive environment where we can all work together developing an atmosphere that promotes life long learning. enable all members of our school community to participate fully in all activities in order to achieve their full potential. develop confidence and raise self esteem through regular positive reinforcement. value members of our school and community as individuals and provide equal opportunities for all. have high expectations when educating each child and offer access to a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the Foundation Stage Curriculum.

encourage greater understanding of changing local and global environments and to develop respectful attitudes towards the world around us.

nurture each individual’s creativity and to offer every child the opportunity to play a musical instrument.

ensure that all children are kept up to date with technological developments through regular access to computing and acquire the skills to make use of them in their everyday lives.

Our Aims

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Visions and Values

Northfield Road Primary School is a safe place where pupils can explore who they are, who

they are going to be and how they fit into an ever changing world.

“Anchoring our future”

There is an inclusive curriculum that ensures every individual has high expectations of themselves and others. Oracy is developed to enable learners to articulate with increasing effectiveness; establishing a fuller and richer vocabulary across the curriculum. Pupils are taught explicitly about the local area and its rich heritage with strong community links. They learn from each other’s cultural diversity and our inclusive school.

It is the right of all pupils and members of the Northfield Road community to have access to high quality learning experiences, with this right comes shared responsibility.

We are:

Stronger together – working together towards a common goal

Linked together – between pupils, parents and the community

and Caring together – being open, respectful and showing kindness

We believe that we should all strive to keep getting better and invest in people: Pupils are explicitly taught what learning behaviours are, their features and what

effective learners do. Over time, pupils begin to use these learning behaviours automatically.

Staff training and development is based on proven research and is a key

driver to ensure excellence in teaching and learning across the school. It is of high quality, regular and measured.

Parents in the wider community work in partnership with our school to

strengthen the links supporting school improvement.

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We have set a Code of Conduct for our children. This sets out the standard of behaviour that we want from them to make our school a happy place to learn in. Please help us by making sure that the children understand how important this is. Every class in school takes part in working out their own ‘Class Charter’, which outlines what they believe is really important to allow them to get on with and enjoy learning in their classroom. It is then displayed in the classroom, making sure everyone knows their rights and responsibilities. CODE OF CONDUCT

To be kind and considerate to everyone

To make it as easy as possible for effective learning to take place in lessons

To move sensibly and quietly about school

To speak politely to everyone

To work together to keep the school clean and tidy

School Rules

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There are some simple rules that we all need to follow in the playground. They are there to ensure everyone is safe and happy on the playground:- No swearing. No fighting. No name calling. No riding bicycles, scooters, skateboards or roller skates. Outdoor equipment is only to be used by children up to 11 years of age. The school is not

responsible for anyone playing on the equipment outside of school hours and all children must be supervised by an adult.

There are also some basic rules for adults, that we would ask you to respect:-

We have a zero tolerance policy for abuse – either verbal or physical. We understand that at some times you may feel angry about something that has happened in school but there are procedures in place to deal with this and any abusive behaviour towards staff or other parents will not be tolerated and may result in you being banned from entering the playground for a period of time agreed with the head teacher. For reasons of safety, please use the single gates, not the double gates that lead into the Car Park. In the interests of Health and Safety no dogs are allowed in the playground. Please do not tie them to the railings by the gate, leave them unattended or stand in such a way as to block the school gate . The school premises, including the playground, are a no smoking zone; this includes electronic

cigarettes

We work hard to keep our playground litter free, so please use the litter bins in the Playground. Please dress appropriately - especially remember that our children can read - so please check

your t-shirt before you leave the house. Remember - the playground is a very busy, noisy place. In addition to parents and school children, we also have grandparents, toddlers and prams, as well as older brothers and sisters. Please think about other people while you are in the playground. Thank you.

Playground Rules

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At Northfield Road we follows a Behaviour Policy based on positive reinforcement, rewards and sanctions. We have high expectations for good behaviour from all our pupils:- In Year Reception any children who have not behaved as expected are given a verbal warning. If the behaviour continues, they are sent to the Thinking Tree. Here they are required to think about what they have done and how they can correct this. They will then be encour-aged to apologise for their behaviour and will carry on the rest of their day. If there are any serious incidents these will be dealt with straight away and you will be spoken to by a mem-ber of staff. Years 1 to 6 follow Its’s Good To Be Green. Charts are in each classroom with all the children's names on. Everyone starts on a green card.

Year 1 & 2 For anyone who is behaving in a manner which is not deemed appropriate the following steps are followed:-

2 verbal warnings are given

if behaviour continues

a warning card is given (yellow card)

if behaviour continues

the child will be sent to the Thinking Tree - (red card)- and behaviour will be dealt with.

Years 3 - 6 For anyone who is behaving in a manner which is not deemed appropriate the following steps are followed:-

2 verbal warnings are given

if the behaviour continues

a “Stop and Think” card is given

if behaviour continues

the child will be sent to the Thinking Tree

if behaviour continues

a consequence card is given and the behaviour is dealt with accordingly by the phase leader or a member of senior management.

If there are any serious incidents these will be dealt with straight away and you will be spoken to by a member of staff.

Behaviour

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School Uniform Suppliers of our embroidered school uniform (with the school logo) are as fol-lows: A Oakes Ltd, No 30 Churchill Shopping Centre, Dudley. Tel 01384 255600 Maple Tool Hire, Chapel Street, Netherton, Dudley. Tel 01384 212151 On-line ordering is also available from:- School Trends at the following address — www.schooltrends.co.uk Essential basic School Uniform: Red sweatshirt/jumper/cardigan White polo shirt/blouse/shirt Grey or black skirt/pinafore dress/trousers/tunic Black, red or grey Shalwar/Kameez Black, red or white headscarf Sensible dark shoes - NO trainers or trainer style shoes Black/Grey/White socks or tights An old shirt for painting and messy activities In addition for the Summer: White short sleeved shirt/blouse Grey or black skirt Grey shorts Red and white dress Sensible flat summer sandals with covered toes – NO trainers School baseball cap – we like the children to wear a cap outdoors in the summer P.E. Uniform: House colour T-shirt with school logo (available to purchase from school office) Black shorts Pumps with rubber soles A track suit for outdoors winter P.E PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILD’S NAME IS ON EVERY ITEM OF CLOTHING, INCUDING BAGS, SHOES, WELLIES, GLOVES ETC. This means we can return them to the child, instead of you having to search through lost property. Jewellery: Children are allowed to wear a watch and one pair of small stud earrings. These have to be taken off for PE and swimming. Unfortunately, teachers are NOT allowed to remove earrings from pierced ears. Your child will need to be able to take them out themselves or not wear them on PE days. This is in line with Dudley Education Authority’s Health & Safety Policy. Mobile Phones/Electronic devices Please do not send toys, electronic items i.e. iPod/mp3 players/games consoles, mobile phones etc. into school. It causes great distress if they get lost or broken. School is not responsible for damage to or loss of these items. The only exception to this is for Year 6, who are allowed (only in agreement with their parent) to bring a mobile phone into school. This is purely for communication with parent/carer on the way to and from school. The phones are collected in by Year 6 staff when the child arrives at school, stored securely and are handed back at the end of the school day.

Please note any items brought into school that are considered to be dangerous will be taken from children and stored safely. Parents will be contacted to collect the item as it will not be returned to the child.

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The School Day

The school day starts at 8:55am by which time children should be in their classroom for registration and to begin the day’s activities. Coming into school at the start of the day 8:45am–8:55am - Doors are open from 8:45am. There is no need to wait with your child once the doors are open. Teaching Assistants will be on the door to take messages or make appointments to see class teachers. Should you need childcare before 8:45am you may book your child into our Breakfast Club. (see page 22 for details) Late Doors Any child arriving after 8:55am will be marked as late. If you arrive with your child after 8:55am you will need to take your child in through the main Reception Office. You will be asked to sign your child’s details on to the main sign-in screen before your child is allowed to go to class. This is because class registers close at 9.05am prompt and in the event of an emergency we have to be sure every child is accounted for and safe. Your child will be allowed to go straight to class, however, children based in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, in the lower building, will be escorted to class by a member of staff. Healthy Tuck Shop We have a Healthy Tuck Shop in the School Kitchen which is situated in the Dining Hall, lower building. A variety of healthy options are available for children to purchase during break time. Please note that Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children are provided with free fruit. Break and Lunch times Children in Years Rec-Yr2 have a morning break of 15 minutes at 10:30am. Children in Years 3-6 have a morning break for 15 minutes at 10:45am. Lunch time is from 12:00pm to 1:00pm though Reception and Year 1 usually start eating a little earlier to ensure they have enough time to eat. Hot meals are served in the dining hall in the Victoria building. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils who bring packed lunches, eat in the dining hall with the rest of their class, Years 3-6 eat their packed lunches in the George Hall. Years 3-4 from 12:00-12:30pm and Years 5-6 12:30-1:00pm. Lunch times are supervised by our team of lunch time supervisors and Teaching Assis-tants. School Library All children have a timetabled library visit each week and are encouraged to take home a book of their choice. The library is also open at lunch times on Wednesday and Thursday each week. End of the school day The school finishes for all children at 3:15pm. At the end of the school day all pupils are taken to their pick-up point by their teachers. Please ensure that you are on time to pick up your child. If someone else is collecting your child please inform school as early as possible. A password should be given so that we know we are handing your child over safely. If you arrive late to collect your child, they will be held by the Reception/Office area until 3:30pm. After this time they will be taken to the After School Club and a charge of £6.50 will apply. You may book your child into After School Club if you need childcare after 3:15pm. (see page 22 for details).

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First Day in School

We all remember how scary the first day in school can be. We try very hard to make school a warm, friendly place for everyone. We also know that parents are just as anxious as their children, if not more so. In the class your child will: Meet the class teacher

Meet the support staff

Be shown where to put their coat - there are coat pegs for every child

Be shown where to put their bag - each child will have a drawer with their name (and

the same picture as on the coat peg) Be shown where to put their PE kit - these hang on the same peg as their coat Be shown where to put their lunch box, if they bring a packed lunch Be shown where to sit The children will then be encouraged to settle into school life as easily as possible. If we have any concerns we will tell you. If you have any concerns, please tell us. Please do not be upset if your child is crying when you leave him/her. The staff are used to dealing with this and will soon have your child settled. Also, please don’t be too upset if your child runs into class without giving so much as a wave - they do still love you!

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Attendance Your child’s attendance at school is very closely monitored. If your child is absent too often the Education Investigation Service will become involved. EIS monitor attendance at school and can, and will, fine or prosecute parents for a child’s non attendance. However, we will do everything that we can to prevent this from happening by working very closely with you. If your child’s attendance falls below 96% we will contact you. If your child is having problems at school please either speak to your child’s teacher or Mrs. Price our Attendance Officer. We will do everything that we can to help. Obviously, we do not want your child to come to school if he/she is not well. However, we will need to know what is wrong. Please telephone school before 9.00am on the morning of absence , selecting Option 1, to leave a message that your child is poorly and what the problem is. If we do not hear from you, we will contact you by telephone. Whilst we can authorise illnesses as a reason for a child being away from school, we cannot authorise other reasons. Some of the reasons we cannot authorise are:

Not wanting to come to school

Shopping trips Missing the whole day because you got up late

Not wanting to go on a trip Not wanting to take part in special days

Missing the whole day for a medical appointment when you could have been in school before or after.

Parent being ill.

If you are ill, please make other arrangements for your child to be brought to school. Your child should not miss the day, and it gives you chance to recover.

These unauthorised absences are investigated by Education Investigation Services if they occur too often and can lead to a fine or prosecution. Please see the attendance policy for more details. HOLIDAYS IN TERM TIME Under new government guidelines holidays during term time will not be authorised. Parents are required to complete a leave of absence form, available from the school office. Holidays will be marked as unauthorised. Unauthorised absences can be referred to Education Investigation Services. This can lead to fines and even court action. Please note that fines are per parent, per child. If a parent feels that they have exceptional circumstances for applying for leave, they should book an appointment in school to talk to the Attendance Officer and the Head Teacher. Missing long periods of time for holidays places a child at a disadvantage due to work they will miss. A child may be taken off the school role if they do not return on the given date. Good attendance at school is rewarded with certificates and a special treat for all those children who have 100% attendance for the year.

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Illnesses and Accidents Below are some of the guidelines given for childhood illness which we are asked to follow by health professionals:

MEDICINE If your child needs to take medicine that has been prescribed by a doctor and needs to have 4 doses, one of which is during the school day, please contact the school office. If only three doses are needed these cannot be administered in school time. You will be asked to sign a form giving details of the medicine that needs to be taken. If you need us to administer medication to your child during the school day, please report to the main school office. MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS If your child has a doctor, dentist, optician or hospital appointment during school hours, please provide proof of the medical appointment when you collect your child from the main school office. If your child normally has a lunch provided by school, it needs to be ordered before 10am, please bear this in mind if you have a morning appointment booked! Please note that if your child misses a full morning or a full afternoon it will count as an absence. Ideally, try to make routine appointments for outside of school hours. If this is not possible, please bring your child into school before and after their appointment where ever possible. ILLNESS OR ACCIDENT AT SCHOOL If your child becomes poorly at school we will contact you to collect them. In case of minor incidents, first aid will be administered in the form of cold compress for

bumps and alcohol/medication free wipes for grazes. If hospital attention is needed we will contact you.

Please make sure we always have an up-to-date address and telephone number. If we only have a mobile number, please make sure that your mobile is switched on during the school day.

Please remember... When you have to collect your child, you need to come to the main reception.

We do not allow children to leave school during the day without an adult.

ILLNESS HOW LONG TO STAY AWAY FROM SCHOOL

Chicken Pox From the onset of the rash until the last spot crusts over

Measles 7 days from start of rash

Mumps 9 days from start of symptoms or until the swelling goes down.

Rubella (German Measles)

4 days from start of rash

Whooping cough 21 days from start of cough

Diarrhoea and Vomiting

48 hours after all symptoms stop, if solid food and fluids can be kept down.

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Care Plans and Health Checks CARE PLANS If your child is well enough to be in school but needs to stay in at breaks and lunchtime e.g. if they have a broken arm, they will need a ‘Care Plan’. You will need to come into school on the first day your child is back in school in order to complete the care plan with school staff. Please contact the school office to arrange this. HEALTH CHECKS During the school year, Dudley Health Authority carries out a series of health checks. These include: Reception class Health screening takes place for all reception class

children covering height, weight, hearing and sight. Hygiene The School Health Advisor visits the school regularly for healthcare interviews. Parents are informed before these happen. Head Lice Formal checks are no longer carried out in school. PLEASE CHECK YOUR CHILD’S HAIR EVERY 3 DAYS. If you notice that your child has head lice treat them at home before sending them into school. Please notify the school so that a general open letter/ Groupcall can be sent to your child’s class. The best way to treat head lice is to comb your child’s wet hair with a fine toothed comb and conditioner. This removes the head lice and you can then deal with them. The combs are available from your local Health Centre. Treatment should be repeated every three days until everything is clear. It is also a good idea to change and wash bed linen, especially pillowcases. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU TREAT EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE. Drop-In Sessions: The School Nurse is available in school regularly to give help and advice to anyone with a health issue. Please look out for details in the monthly Newsletter or call the school office to find out when she is next in school. In addition to this, other medical examinations, such as height or weight, are carried out for pupils in Year 6. Your permission will always be asked first.

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HOT DINNERS: Children have a choice of hot meals each day, which they order first thing in the

morning. You will receive menus telling you what is on offer. These menus change every term but there is always the choice of a meat, fish, vegetarian dish or a jacket potato with a variety of fillings. All meals are cooked freshly on site by our excellent catering team.

Under the universal offer School dinners are free for children in Reception, Year 1 and

Year 2. However, if you think may have an entitlement to Free School Meals outside of this offer, please make sure that you complete an application form, even if your child has a packed lunch. This will help school.

You may be entitled to claim free school meals for children in Years 3 to 6. For further

information on how to apply please contact the Free School Meals team at Dudley MBC on 01384 814988 or speak to the school office and they will help you with this process. The government provides extra funding to schools for every child receiving Free School Meals, therefore, we encourage every parent to apply, even if your child has a packed lunch. It really helps the school so please give this your consideration.

If you have to pay for school dinners, you can either pay at the beginning of the week or

on a daily basis. Please place money securely in the white envelopes provided in the school reception with your child’s name and class clearly marked on the front. This can either be handed in by your child to their class teacher or put into the post box in the main reception area. A drink can also be purchased, however, water is available during the lunch time period.

PACKED LUNCHES: We want to encourage children who bring sandwiches to have a healthy lunch box. A suggestion for a healthy lunchbox would be a sandwich— preferably using brown or 50/50 bread, fruit, salad and a low fat yogurt, with a drink. Crisps and chocolate should be a treat, not for everyday. Food also needs to be kept healthy. Please use an insulated cool bag, with a frozen cool pack inside. HOME LUNCHES: If you wish to take your child home for lunch, please collect them from school at 12:00pm and return them at 12:55pm. Children will not be allowed to go home alone.

Lunch Time

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From the early days of playing in Reception to the leavers assembly in Year 6, your child will be encouraged to learn in a variety of areas including Maths, Literacy, Science, RE, History, Design and Technology, French, Geography, Art, and Computing following the National Curriculum. RECEPTION As your child settles into the routine of school life, he/she will learn much through structured play activities. The curriculum focuses on the following areas: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; problem solving, reasoning and numeracy; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development.

YEAR 1 Becoming more structured in its daily routine, life in Year 1 will continue building on Maths and English, adding in science and problem solving. Work will be geared to the needs of the child and children will be split into groups according to their abilities and needs. YEAR 2 Year 2 continues to build on the experiences gained during the first two years in school. Still based on the child’s needs, the work becomes more independent. Children are taught in groups according to their ability for Phonics and Maths but are taught in classes for English.

YEAR 3 Work continues to build upon the basics learnt in Reception and Key Stage 1. Children are taught in groups according to their ability for Maths and English.

YEAR 4 Maths and English continue to play an important role and work is planned to the need of the individual child. Children are set for Phonics, Maths and English.

YEAR 5 Pupils are encouraged to develop independent and social skills by working individually and in groups. Practical activities and problem solving are given a high priority. They are set for Phonics, Maths and English.

YEAR 6 By Year 6 we hope that all our children are able to work confidently on their own and as part of a team or group. It is an important time for Year 6 as they sit their exams and prepare to leave us to move on to Secondary School. We do everything that we can to make this move as easy as possible for our children. Other National Curriculum subjects are Computing, Science, Music, Art, DT, RE, History, French, Geography, PE and PSHE/Citizenship. Music lessons are offered on a whole class basis from Year 2 to Year 5 and cover a range of instruments including fife, drum and flute.

The Curriculum in a Nutshell

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HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMME

We aim to provide a programme which responds to each child’s needs of how his/her body is changing and growing. We aim to teach them to respect other people around them. We aim to do this in three main ways: By providing cross curriculum topic work Direct involvement with outside agencies such as the School Health Advisor and School Dentist We are a member of Dudley Health Promoting Schools. In accordance with the 1986 Education Act, sex education will be given to Year 6 children. These lessons are conducted by school staff and the School Health Advisor. Children in Year 5 receive separate talks on menstruation, puberty and growth. Parents have the option to view all teaching materials to be used. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from these lessons if they so wish. It is hoped that parents will view this as just part of the curriculum. PHYSICAL EDUCATION All children take part in PE. If your child is unable to do so because of a medical condition a full letter of explanation must be sent in to your child’s class teacher. Dudley LEA regulations state that NO TRAINERS are to be worn and that ALL forms of watches and/or earrings must be removed for PE, Games and Swimming. Sports Day is held once a year, usually in the Summer Term. SWIMMING Children in Year 3 have the chance to go swimming at Haden Hill Leisure Centre. School pays for the lessons and parents/carers are asked to contribute to the cost of the transport only. Children must not come to school wearing the clothes they need for PE or swimming. STANDARD ATTAINMENT TESTS (SATS) Children are formally assessed in Year 2 and Year 6. In Year 2 the emphasis is put on teacher assessment. The tests in Year 6 are in Maths and English, and comprise of teacher assessment, as well as more structured testing. We try to make this as stress free a time as possible. National Curriculum information can be seen by appointment with the Head Teacher, or by arrangement on Parents’ Evening.

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Homework We have a simple Homework Policy which consists of the following: Year 1 Reading Spelling Shed MyMaths Year 2 - Year 5 Reading Spelling Shed MyMaths Times Tables Rock Stars Year 6 Reading Spelling Shed MyMaths Times Tables Rock Stars CGP Books Ways to help your child. Be on hand to support them if needed - but don’t do it for them Encourage them to do their best Hear your child read on a daily basis Your child will be issued with a school reading book to bring home to practise their reading, along with a reading record which will need to be signed by whoever hears them read. Books are a very expensive item in school and we need to make sure that they are well looked after. If your child loses their book you will be asked to pay for a replacement. Likewise, if the book is returned to school damaged, ripped, wrote on or covered with food, you will be asked to pay for a replacement.

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School Clubs We run a variety of clubs for children before school, during lunchtime and af-ter school. Some of these clubs are only offered to certain age groups.

BREAKFAST CLUB This runs daily from 7:30am to 8:45am. Children are welcome for one day or for a full week depending on your needs. As well as eating a healthy breakfast the children take part in a variety of activities and are taken to their class ready for the school day. There is a split cost for the session depending on your time of arrival. If you arrive any time after 7:45am the cost per child is £3.50, however, should you need to take advantage of the earlier start time of 7:30am the charge is £4.50 per child. Anyone interested in a place in Breakfast Club should ask for a registration form, if booking for the first time, and complete a booking form, both of which are available from the school office or directly from the Breakfast Club. AFTER SCHOOL CLUB After School Club runs every day after school from 3:15pm to 5:45pm. A snack is provided for all children. After School Club costs £6.50 per session per child. Activities include games and craft activities. Anyone interested in a place in After School Club should ask for a registration form (if booking for the first time) and booking form both of which are available from the school office or directly from the After School Club. Please note: Places in Breakfast and After School Club are very limited. To secure your booking we advise that you send in your booking forms together with your payment well in advance. SCHOOL TEAMS Your child might be able to represent the school in a sports team, or be able to perform in assemblies, concerts and productions. You will always be informed if your child needs to stay for an event after school. AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS CLUBS We are fortunate to have links with several sports clubs and are able to offer a variety of after school clubs. These all run from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Examples of the clubs offered: football, tennis, gymnastics, dance, cricket, tag-rugby, multi-skills, netball, basketball and tri-golf. De-tails of clubs and their costs will come out to you in the form of a letter. As places are limited, it is usually on a first come, first served basis and all payments have to be made when you ap-ply for your child’s place.

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Other School Activities There are also a variety of other activities for your child to take part in. MUSIC

Music plays a very important role in school life. Currently children learn to play the fife and drums in years 2 and 3 the flute in year 4. School funds these lessons.

PHOTOGRAPHER

The school photographer visits yearly, usually around October. You can view the photograph and purchase as many as you want - an ideal Christmas present! All year groups have a group photo taken during the summer.

EDUCATIONAL VISITS

Your child will be given lots of opportunities to visit different places in connection with their studies. All visits are fully supervised and closely monitored. Year 6 are given the opportunity to stay at Astley Burf for a week.

CHARGES FOR EDUCATIONAL VISITS

Educational visits are always closely linked to the work that your child is studying. However, these cost money. Parents are therefore asked if they will contribute towards the expense of the trip. School cannot fund these alone, and if insufficient money is raised, the trip has to be cancelled. The school does not receive any financial help from the education authority for trips. If you are concerned about being able to pay the full amount in one lump sum, please feel free to contact school to arrange alternative payment options. Money for any activity needs to be in a sealed envelope stating your child’s name, class, amount enclosed and what it is you are paying for; then sent in with your child to give to the class teacher or put in the post box situated in the office reception area. NO money should ever be handed over to members of staff on the doors/gates/playground.

REFUNDS

We understand that it is extremely upsetting when a child is ill on the day of a trip and is unable to go with the rest of the class. If there is an admission fee per child, charged on the day, then this part of the payment will be refunded. Unfortunately, when the trip is a pre-paid entrance fee ie) to the theatre and we have already been charged for the tickets, school will not be able to refund this money. In addition, we are unable to refund the proportion of the trip money that is for the coach as the cost is divided equally between the children in the year group. Quote from Governors’ Policy on Charging: “The school reserves the right to ask parents for voluntary contributions for any activity organised by the school which takes place, wholly or mainly during normal teaching time. Non-contribution would not prejudice a pupil’s place; however, unless most parents were prepared to make a contribution, the school may have to cancel the activity. Such enriching activities are an important aspect in supporting the curriculum. Voluntary contributions will, in all circumstances, be invited through individual letters to parents.” A copy of the Insurance Policy for Educational Visits is available to view in school.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

There is an act of worship every day as stated in the Education Reform Act. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from this worship if they so desire. Phases perform special assemblies to which parents are invited.

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Parents’ Evenings

Parents’ Evenings are held every term and are a really valuable time for us to get together to make sure we are all working together to do the very best for your child. It’s your chance to meet the teacher and discuss your child’s progress. We actively encourage that you bring your child along too. The Autumn Term Parents’ Evening is a chance for you to meet your child’s new teacher - and for them to meet you. It gives you an opportunity to find out how they are settling in to their new class and to see what they are being expected to achieve that year. The Spring Term Parents’ Evening gives you a chance to look at the work in your child’s books and to talk about the progress that they are making. During the Summer Term, there is a Transition Evening. This is an opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher for the next year, to find out about topics, routines and so on. This is a really important time for you and your child so that they can look forward with confidence to moving up a Year Group. After reports are out, there is also the opportunity to book an appointment with your child’s class teacher to discuss any issues. We try to make the Parents’ Evenings as private as possible. We aim to give you an appointment time in a time slot to suit you. Please do your best to attend Parents’ Evening. It is a good way to show support for your child. Please remember that if you are concerned about anything you do not have to wait until Parents’ Evening to talk to a member of staff. Please let us know of any worries you have as soon as possible. Likewise, if we have any concerns we will contact you if we think we need to.

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Rewards and Awards We firmly believe in praising children as often as possible for as much as possible. To back this up we have a variety of awards and rewards.

STICKERS As small and as simple as these might seem, the children love them to bits. It is a quick and simple way of saying well done – but means so much more than words. They may be stuck in the book or stuck on the child!!

HOUSE POINTS Each child is a member of a house. There are four houses – Blue, Green, Red and Yel-low. Points can be won for a variety of reasons. The points are added up monthly for each house. At a special House Assembly, the winning house is announced and has their colour ribbon tied to the cup. Each house has a captain elected by the children. CERTIFICATES Certificates are awarded for good work, good presentation, extra effort etc. They are awarded at the weekly praise assembly, and the child is called to the front to receive their certificate. HEAD TEACHER’S AWARDS These are given out by the Head Teacher for exceptional pieces of work. Children are sent to the Head Teacher who talks to them about the work they have done. A sticker is placed on the child’s work and they are congratulated in assembly and included in the Head Teacher’s blog on the school website.

Please celebrate these awards with your child. Whether it is a sticker or an achievement award they will have done something special to win one and deserve your WELL DONE!!!!!!

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Concerns and Complaints

We hope that your child’s stay at Northfield Road will be as happy as possible. However, we are fully aware that at times there might be issues. We want to work as closely as possible with all our parents to overcome any concerns.

If you do have a concern or issue, please use the following procedure:

Ask for an appointment to see your child’s class teacher

Still not happy

Ask for an appointment to see your child’s phase leader

Still not happy

Ask for an appointment to see the Head Teacher

However, we know that there are times when the issue is so important or has made you angry and you need to see the Head Teacher first. The Head Teacher understands this and will make every effort to see you as soon as possible. Please make an appointment via the school office. If a situation is still unresolved, you may put your complaint in writing to the governing body or the Education Authority, but please make sure you have followed the above procedure first. An up-to-date list of governors can be obtained at the school office. The address for the Local Education Authority is:

Director of Children’s Services

Directorate of Children’s Services Westox House 1 Trinity Road

Dudley DY1 1JQ

Telephone: 01384 814219

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