Behaviour
Good behaviour is expected at all times. Consideration and respect between all children and adults in our community is required.
The school aims to foster self-control. There are rules, however, which must be adhered to for safety and social reasons.
The class teacher is concerned not only for your child’s educational progress but also for his or her personal and social development. We try to combine high expectations of behaviour with a sympathetic approach instilling in children a sense of reliability and responsibility. The few simple rules we do have are designed to allow all members of the school to work, learn and play effectively, cooperatively and happily. Sometimes however problems do crop up and parental co-operation is sought at the earliest opportunity if any child behaves in an anti-social manner, rather than let a situation deteriorate.
We hope that you will do the same with us. Bereavement, a new baby or an upset at home can cause your child to behave differently, just as falling out with a friend or a worry about school can cause a problem at home. Hopefully we can work together to overcome any difficulties. Procedures for dealing with behaviour are written in the Behaviour Policy and include sanctions such as time out.
Within the school family all children are encouraged to take care of each other and there are plenty of opportunities for friendships to be forged irrespective of age.
Snacks
We hope to promote, with parental support, healthy eating practices, particularly at playtime. As part of a national initiative all children in Reception, Year1 and 2 (Key Stage 1) receive a piece of fruit each day funded by the government.
Children in Key Stage 2 may bring a small healthy snack such as a piece of fruit/ vegetable or a small sandwich. This is eaten in the playground during the morning playtime. Please note that neither sweets nor fizzy drinks are allowed. Your child’s snack must be named.
Children are welcome to bring a clear water bottle into school to keep in their classrooms and drink water as required.
Medical Information
During the first year at school, after obtaining parental consent, the school nurse, will give your child a medical examination to which parents are invited. At various times during a year children have specific checks e.g. sight, hearing, speech, dental. If parents or staff have any reason for concern individual checks can be arranged.
When children join us parents are asked to complete an 'information sheet', giving a daytime contact number to be updated as necessary. These details will be useful if your child becomes unwell or has an accident during the school day. Members of staff are trained to administer first aid if required.
It is not the school policy to administer medication to children during the school day. Long term arrangements can be made in extreme circumstances if supported by a doctor’s note.
Medicines
Medicines are administered in line with the LEA directives:
- We need to have written instructions from the child’s parents before we can administer medicine and a form needs to be completed by the parent.
- Only medicines prescribed by the doctor with the child’s name and details of dose on the container can be given to children in school hours. We cannot give non-prescribed medicines such as calpol, disporal. etc.
- Only medicines that need four or more doses per day can be given in school hours.
- If your child needs an asthma inhaler in school it should be kept in the school office (named) and will be available at all times.
Absence
If your child is unable to attend school a telephone call before 9.15am on the first day of absence is required. The answering machine is always on. An explanatory note to the class teacher is required on return or by the third day of absence.
Registers will be called each day at 9.00am and at 1.20pm. If a pupil arrives after the registration period they must sign the lateness book in the school office. They will then be registered 'late' for that session. If for any reason you need to take your child out of school during the day you will be required to go via the school office and sign them in and out. This is in the interests of the children’s safety.
If a child has diarrhoea and sickness he/she should not return to school until free of symptoms for 24 hours. The school office has details of symptoms, incubation and exclusion times of the common infectious diseases.
Children are disadvantaged when holidays are taken during school time.
Child Protection
Parents and carers need to be aware that should any member of staff suspect that a pupil may have been deliberately harmed or neglected by their parents or carers; the school has a responsibility to inform the local Social Services Department. It is then the Social Service Department’s duty to decide the best way of carrying out an investigation. The decision about when and how the child’s parents or carers are informed of any investigation is made by Social Services and the police, not by the school.
The school also has a written Child Protection policy, a copy of which is available on request. This policy accords with Northamptonshire's Area Child Protection Committee's Child Protection Procedures. We feel sure that you will realise that these safeguards are necessary to ensure the welfare of all children, and that referrals have to be made in all cases where harm to a child is suspected.
Internet Child Protection
In order to protect children from access to undesirable content, our school Internet Service provider operates a filtering system, in line with LEA requirements. This filtering service restricts access to inappropriate materials. Children will be supervised at all times when they are using the Internet, and every reasonable precaution will be taken to protect children from accessing undesirable material. However, it is impossible to give an absolute guarantee that the supervision and filtering devices will prevent access to undesirable material. Individual e-mail identities will not be published. Full names will not be given on the web site, including pupils' work.Children will be made aware of the Code of Conduct drawn up for Internet use.