1. 2015 - 2016 Prospectus Barnham CEVC Primary

2. Address: Mill Lane, Barnham, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2NG Telephone: 01843 890253 E-mail: ad.barnham.p@talk21.com Website: www.barnham.suffolk.sch.uk The information contained in this prospectus relates to the school year indicated on the front cover and is correct at the time of publication. We will endeavour to make sure that any necessary changes that arise during the school year are communicated to parents as soon as possible.

3. The school seeks to be a place where children are nurtured and encouraged to develop educationally, spiritually and socially within a strong Christian ethos of love and acceptance. We aim to encourage the development of Christian faith and values through the experiences we offer to all pupils; creating an atmosphere of love, care, stability and understanding. We aim to promote independence, self-confidence, mutual respect, tolerance and self-discipline. The school seeks to enable each individual to achieve fullness of life through discovering and developing their talents, succeeding to the best of their abilities and appreciating the achievement of others. We aim to enable parents, pupils and the school to work together in close partnership. We encourage all parents to become actively involved in the life of the school because we recognise the important role they play in their children's education. We aim to prepare the children for the next step in their education; with the ability to face this step with confidence and independence. We aim to make learning irresistible, resulting in children who cannot keep their hands of it. We aspire to make learning purposeful, meaningful and real for children. We aim to meet and exceed the requirements of the National Curriculum. We strive to offer a broad and balanced curriculum, in which knowledge, skills and understanding are developed. We aim to provide a wide range of learning activities, creating opportunities for children to grow up in a happy, attractive, secure and stimulating environment, in which the appropriate resources are provided. We aim to prepare pupils for adult life, by ensuring that they are literate, numerate, able to communicate and ready to make a positive contribution as good citizens to society and the environment in which they live. We aim to maintain good relationships with the local community. The school will seek to play an active part in the life of the local community, sharing its concerns and remaining open to those who seek help, support and resources. We aim to serve the community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. Aims

4. Barnham Church of England VC Primary is a small village school on the outskirts of Thetford which was originally built in 1956. The school currently has an intake of 18 in Foundation Stage and we have a total of 146 pupils. Our increasing number on roll in the last few years reflects our school’s standing in the local community, successful Ofsted reports, as well as the welcoming and successful environment we aim to promote. We are a Church of England Voluntary Controlled school. This means whilst we remain in Local Authority control, we have links with our local Diocese and members of Governing Body are linked to the church. They are known as Foundation Governors. This is not the same as a Voluntary Aided school, or a Catholic school, where the church has budgetary duties and the school may include faith as part of their admissions criteria. I hope you find this prospectus useful and informative, however, do not hesitate to get in touch if have any questions or would like any further information. You are also very welcome to arrange a visit to see the school. Amy Arnold Headteacher Headteacher Teachers Mrs Amy Arnold Miss Marie Rogers Mrs Suzan Shepperson Mr Ian Holman Miss Chantelle Goatham Mrs Emily Dowds Mr Ed King Staff Teaching Assistants Mrs Elaine Nicholas (HLTA) Mrs Sue Evans Miss Eleanor Woolf Mrs Katrina Lee Mrs Sherrie Barnes Mr Mike Marshall-Golding Mrs Victoria Truman Mrs Frances Pointer (HLTA) Mrs Gabriella O’Farrell Mrs Claudia Gower Midday Assistants Mrs Sarah Jenkins Mrs Alison Keast Mrs Karen Indge Mrs Wendy Marsh Mrs Megan O’Neill Office Manager Mrs Josephine Speller Administrative Assistant Mrs Janet Partridge Midday Assistants Mrs Sarah Jenkins Mrs Sarah Thomas Mrs Alison Keast Mrs Megan O’Neill Mrs Karen Indge Cook Mrs Mandy Palmer Kitchen Assistant Mrs Sandra Roberts Introduction

5. Our Classes Our school is currently organised into 6 classes as follows: Hedgehog Class Mixed Reception / Year 1 class Teacher: Miss Marie Rogers Teaching Assistants: Mrs Sue Evans, Mrs Claudia Gower & Mrs Gabriella O’Farrell Mole Class Mixed Year 1 & Year 2 Class Teacher : Mrs Suzan Shepperson Teaching Assistants: Mrs Sherrie Barnes, Mrs Victoria Truman Badger Class Year 3 Teacher: Mr Ian Holman Teaching Assistant : Mrs Katrina Lee Fox Class Teacher: Miss Chantelle Goatham Teaching Assistant: Miss Eleanor Woolf Squirrel Class Teacher: Mrs Emily Dowds Teaching Assistant: Mr Mike Marshall Golding Otter Class Teacher: Mr Ed King Teaching Assistant: Mrs Frances Pointer Mrs Elaine Nicholas is a Higher Level Teaching Assistant with responsibility for supporting learning across all classes.

6. Governors are drawn from the teaching staff, parents and the local community. Our governors work closely with the Headteacher and teaching staff and are fully involved in the life of the school. The Governing Body meets at least once a term and, in addition to this, governors are involved in committees and regularly visit the school, either to help in classrooms or to monitor aspects of school life. Rev. Sue Nutt - Chair, Foundation Governor Marie Rogers – Staff Governor Susan Watson - Foundation Governor Richard Heading – Community Governor Peter Keast – Community Governor Katie Peach – Parent Governor Josephine Speller – Associate Governor All parents are 'Friends of Barnham School'. We all want to support the teachers in their endeavours to give our children the very best education possible. FoBS is an organisation for arranging social events and fund raising activities which will benefit the school. It was set up in 1986 with the specific objective of raising money to pay for some of the school's many activities & equipment. In the past we have funded laptops, PE equipment, days out, books, yearbooks, children's parties, class gifts and maths games to mention just a few. FoBS is run by a small committee of dedicated people who plan events for the children and parents to raise the much needed money for the school. Although the primary aim is to raise much needed funds, the social nature of the events serves to strengthen the links between school and the community. We aim to make our fundraising enjoyable for the children and their families and a good time is always had by all at the events! The School Council and Eco Committee is made up from representatives of each year group in the school who are elected to the council by their peers. They have an important role to play by giving the children a regular formal opportunity to voice their opinions on ways to improve school and they help organise a range of fundraising events. The school is now a Silver Eco Award school, and we continue to work to attain the highest level award available. The children all participate in initiatives to reduce, reuse & recycle, across the school. Governors FoBS School Council

7. This table shows the percentage of Year 2 children at Barnham CEVC Primary School achieving each level in their Teacher Assessments in 2015 (%’s may not add up to 100% due to rounding). The government expects that the average child should reach a Level 2B in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. Currently awaiting final data Key W = working towards Level 1 Dis = pupils disapplied (pupil did not have to take the tests because of special education needs) under sections 364/365 of the 1996 Education Act. Abs = Absent In 2012 the Government introduced a phonics test at Year 1.. At Barnham Primary School, 93% of children achieved at least the “pass” score in 2015. We are currently awaiting County and National pass rate data. W12C2B2A3DisAbs Reading 0% 25%45%35%0% Writing 0%5%0%35%30%22%0% Maths 0% 10%15%45%35%0% Results Ofsted Our most recent Ofsted inspection was in July 2013. We were delighted to be judged “Good” in all areas. In particular the Ofsted inspector praised (the full report can be downloaded from our website): Pupils make good progress and reach levels above those expected in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave the school. The progress made in the Reception class is often outstanding, with many children achieving levels above those normally expected. The rising proportion of pupils entitled to the additional funding often makes better progress than their peers due to the quality of help and guidance they receive. Teaching often has a good pace and teachers’ questioning ensures pupils are fully involved. The feedback provided for pupils has improved since the last inspection and is now of good quality, especially in response to pupils’ writing. The headteacher provides strong, very effective leadership. He has developed excellent systems for tracking and recording pupils’ progress. These are having a very positive impact on teaching and achievement.

8. 8:40 am Morning duty by a member of staff in the playground 8:50 amRegister 9:00 am Assembly 9:20 amLessons begin 10:30 amMorning break begins 10:45 amLessons resume 11:45 amLunch break begins for Year R, 1 and 2 12:00 pmLunch break begins for Year 3, 4 and 5 1:00 pmLessons resume 2:15 pmAfternoon break (Year R, 1 and 2 only) 3:15 pmEnd of the school day Autumn Term 2015 Begins 4 September 2015 Half Term: 26 October 2015 – 30 October 2015 Ends 18 December 2015 Christmas Holiday Begins 21 December 2015 Ends 4 January 2015 We also have 5 Professional Development (PD) Days each academic year, when the children do not attend school: Wednesday 2 nd September, Thursday 4 th September 2015, 23 rd October 2015 Monday 4th h January 2016 & Monday 6 th June 2016 Spring Term 2016 Begins 4 January 2014 Children return 5 th January Half Term: 15 February 2015 – 19 February 2015 Ends 24 March 2015 Easter Break Begins 25 March 2016 Ends 8 April 2016 Summer Term 2016 Begins 11 April 2016 Half Term: 30 May 2016 – 3 June 16 Ends 21 July 2016 Term Dates School Day

9. We have a duty to track each child’s attendance during the school year. This takes into account any time taken off from school due to illness or other circumstances. Our overall figures for the last two years are: AttendanceAuthorised Absences Unauthorised Absences 2014-2015 2015-2016 If your child requires medication to be administered during the school day please arrange to administer the medicine personally. If this is not possible please see your child’s class teacher with written instructions regarding the administration of the medicine that also give your consent for the school to administer it. Our school nurse is available for consultation on any matter related to your child’s health and will sometimes run drop-in clinics at the school. Please speak to the school secretary to obtain contact details. In addition to the above support, the government runs a programme to check the health of all Reception children. This includes a height and weight check. You should receive details about this in the term that your child turns 5. Attendance Health

10. If your child is not well and will be unable to attend, please phone school by 9:15 am to confirm their absence. This is important, as we then know your child is being looked after and cared for at home. Please note that we still would like the parent or guardian to sign a written note explaining your child’s absence on their return to school. To minimise the risk of transmission of infection to others, in cases of diarrhoea and/or vomiting, the recommended period for a child to be kept away from school is, 48 hours after the diarrhoea and/or vomiting has ceased. It would be appreciated if parents could keep to these guidelines to minimise the risk of transmission to others. If the absence is for more than three days a note of explanation should be sent to arrive at the school by the fourth day, otherwise the Education Welfare Officer may be involved in investigating the absence. The Education Welfare Officer may also investigate regular patterns of absence or if a child has had a significant amount of time off in total. Parents should also be aware that if a child arrives at school later than when the registers have been completed by the class teacher, it is considered as an unauthorised absence. If your child needs to attend a medical appointment during the day, then please make sure that you sign them out in the book in the front entrance and then sign them in on your return. The Government has changed the law since September 2013 and Headteachers’ are no longer able to authorise absence during term time, other than illness, unless in ‘exceptional circumstances’. Unauthorised absences will be marked as such in the register and may be followed up by the Educational Welfare Officer. A proposed leave of absence will be only authorised if you have met one or more of the following criteria set out in our school attendance policy: service personnel who have returned from active duty; when a family needs to spend time together to support each other during or after a crisis; cultural or religious observance; wedding of an immediate family member. The maximum amount of absence time that a Headteacher may authorise a particular child within a given academic year is 4 days. All absences during public examinations and SATs tests will not be authorised. We share and follow the same Attendance Policy as all schools in the Thurston Partnership. Our Attendance Policy, which covers both holidays and absences is available from the school office, or to download from the school website. In the event of severe weather conditions or an emergency, e.g. snow, Mrs Arnold will endeavour to keep parents informed of any closure by sending a parent mail message to all parents who are registered with Parent Mail and placing a message on the home page of the school website. There will also be announcements on announcements on either BBC Radio Suffolk (95.5, 95.9, 103.9 or 104.6 FM) or Heart (97.1 or 96.4 FM). However, as a decision has to be submitted between 6:00am — 7:00am to the County Council to guarantee it being broadcast on the radio, this may not always be possible! School closures are only considered if either pupils’ or staff safety is put at risk. This decision will be determined by safety of the journey to and from school (in severe weather) and the risk of exposure to dangers present at the school site. Closure Absence

11. On entry to our school, we ask that parents and pupils sign a Home-School Agreement. The agreement outlines the expectations we should have of one another. WHAT PARENTS EXPECT FROM THE SCHOOL The school will provide challenging and stimulating opportunities, guidance and support so that each child can achieve their full academic potential within the framework of the National Curriculum. The school will value each child as an individual. The school will contact parents at an early stage if it has concerns about a child’s behaviour, learning or attendance. The school will be open and welcoming to parents and enable them to become involved in the life of the school. The school will keep parents informed through regular letters home, by holding regular meetings with parents and providing them with an annual report on their child’s progress. The school will value all its children, regardless of race or gender, by showing them tolerance and respect. It will have high expectations of the children’s social behaviour. The school will provide a safe, secure, stimulating and welcoming environment in which the children can live and work and take a pride. The school will expect children to participate in caring for the building and grounds. The school will promote the development of the children’s moral and spiritual values. The school undertakes to look after the children’s physical well-being during school time and will contact the parents if it has concerns about the child’s health. The school undertakes to begin promptly at 8:50am each day, to end at 3:15pm and to work with parents to ensure punctuality and good attendance. WHAT THE SCHOOL EXPECTS OF THE PARENTS/GUARDIANS Parents will make sure that their child goes to school regularly, on time and properly equipped, with clothing and belongings labelled. Parents undertake to support the school by helping and encouraging their children in all their learning activities, including home-learning. Parents will inform the school of any changes that may affect their child’s behaviour, learning or attendance. Parents will ensure the school has up-to-date medical information and emergency contact numbers. Parents will attend the meetings provided for them by the school. Parents will support the school’s behaviour policy and dress code, necessary to ensure the smooth running of the school. By their own example, parents will show their children how to care for the school site, talk to staff calmly and courteously in a friendly manner, and comply with school rules designed to ensure the health and safety of everyone on the school site. Parents will work with the school and other professionals in any procedures which require parental involvement. Parents will ensure that their children behave in a sensible, orderly and kind way outside as well as inside school. Parents will support the school in the development of their children’s moral and spiritual values. WHAT THE SCHOOL EXPECTS OF THE PUPILS Pupils will arrive at school on time. Pupils will be polite, friendly and helpful to others at all times. Pupils will try to complete all their class work and home-learning as well as they can. Pupils will talk to an adult if there is a problem. Pupils will help look after their classroom and school environment. Pupils will move around the school and classroom in a calm and quiet way. Working Together

12. Barnham CEVC Primary School has adopted a positive behaviour policy. We strive to praise and reward good behaviour. Our Behaviour policy links closely to our ‘school wide ‘Values for Life’ activities which promote moral and spiritual development.We have a whole-school system of house points which can be awarded by any member of staff. In most instances, a member of staff will deal with inappropriate behaviour within the classroom. In instances where it is felt necessary, the pupil will be sent directly to the Headteacher and if appropriate the parents will be informed. For more details our Behaviour Policy is available from the school office or on our school website: Each week we hold an assembly where the children can share their work with the rest of the school and with their parents. In addition to sharing work, the assembly allows us to celebrate a ‘Star of the Week’ from each class, which has been decided on by the class teachers. Whenever possible, we also celebrate achievements from outside school, e.g. swimming certificates. The assembly starts on a Friday at 9.00am and all parents & grandparents are welcome. We offer a Rise and Shine Breakfast Club and an After School Club each day. The breakfast club operates from 7.50am – 8.50am and costs £3 per day. Our After School Club is available from 3.15pm – 5.15pm and costs £2 per half an hour. These both must be booked in advance, booking forms are available from the school office. We also provide a variety of lunch time and after school staff run clubs. These vary each term and details are issued at the start of each new term. We work with a variety of external providers who also offer after school clubs. Behaviour Celebration Clubs

13. Educational Visits During the school year there will be opportunities for the children to attend educational visits. These might be visits to local features within the village, e.g. St. Gregory’s Church, or further away, e.g. Framlingham Castle. The teachers carefully plan these visits to enhance the curriculum. In addition to school organised visits, we are also involved with liaising with the other local primary schools and Thurston Community College. The opportunities provided are an excellent chance for the children to prepare themselves for the transfer to a new school at the end of Year 6. For most educational visits we will ask parents for a voluntary contribution towards the cost of running the trip. Whilst parents have the right to refuse making a contribution, certain visits would be made unviable without them. We seek to enhance children’s learning experiences by regularly inviting in visitors, for example :– experts, such as, The British Ornithology Trust, theatre groups, members of the community, a circus or authors. Safeguarding in Barnham Primary is considered everyone’s responsibility and as such our school aims to create the safest environment within which every pupil has the opportunity to achieve. Barnham Primary recognises the contribution it can make in ensuring that all pupils registered or who use our school, feel that they will be listened to and have appropriate action taken to any concerns they may raise. We will do this by endeavouring to work in partnership with other agencies and seek to establish effective working relationships with parents, carers to develop and provide activities and opportunities throughout our curriculum that will help to equip our children with the skills they need. This will include materials and learning experiences that will encourage our children to develop essential life skills and protective behaviours. It is the responsibility of the Governing body to ensure that all staff and volunteers are properly vetted to make sure they are safe to work with the pupils who attend our school and that the school has procedures for handling allegations of abuse made against members of staff (including the Head teacher and volunteer helpers). The Governing body will ensure that there is a Named Governor and a Senior Designated Person (SDP) who has lead responsibility for dealing with all safeguarding issues in our school. The Senior Designated Person is: Mrs Amy Arnold. If they are not available then their SDP Alternate is: Miss Marie Rogers. The Name Safeguarding Governor is: Rev. Sue Nutt Safeguarding

14. When a teacher plans their lessons they will always take a into account the different abilities of the children in the class and ensure that their teaching matches the learning and development needs of all of the children. However, some pupils will need further support than the normal class teaching will provide. These needs might be addressed by small group ‘catch-up’ programmes or through working closely with the parents to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to meet the child’s specific needs, which may require additional support from one of our teaching assistants. Parents who have concerns over their child’s progress should initially speak to the class teacher. Where appropriate, any child who needs additional support will be referred to the Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENco). Currently, Mr Holman is the SENco for Barnham CEVC Primary School. The SENco will then liaise with the parents, class teacher and the child to devise well matched and proven support programmes and strategies to support the child in their learning. Regular meetings throughout the year are then put in place to review the progress of the plan. If a child is Gifted or Talented, the school will work to find opportunities for the child to develop their ability in school or out of school. They may also be given the chance to work with an adult on an extension programme, or take part in challenge activity days, on occasion with children from other schools. The school will work with parents in planning this provision. For more details, our SEN Policy is available from the school office or on our school website: Arrangements for the act of collective worship and for religious education are made by the school in accordance of the 1988 Education Act. In this Church of England Voluntary Controlled School, religious education is in accordance with the Agreed Syllabus approved by the Suffolk County Council. We have collective worship on a daily basis, in which the stories (either from the Bible or others with a strong moral basis), songs and prayers reflect the Christian ethos of the school. However, members of staff also regularly include moral stories from different cultures. We are very fortunate to have strong links with our local church. Rev. Sue Nutt will lead Open The Book twice each month. This is essentially retelling Bible stories as a drama and the children love it! We are visited once a month by Tony Hood from Hopton Free Church and he leads a whole school assembly. Tony also runs an after-school club in the summer term known as Splat! Club. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from both collective worship and religious education. We ask that any requests are made to the Headteacher in writing. Religious Education Special Needs

15. We ask that your child has a full PE kit in school during each school week. The kit should consist of black shorts, a plain white t-shirt and a pair of plimsolls for indoors and trainers for outdoor activities. We will always endeavour to use the outside area, so in the months of winter and early spring you may wish to give them a pair of jogging trousers or a warmer PE top. However, the trousers should not be too long in the leg, as they then become a trip hazard! As the children’s feet continually grow, we often find that they struggle to fit into their plimsolls or trainers. It would be helpful if all parents could check termly to see if a new pair needs to be purchased. Finally, children with hair at approximately shoulder length or longer need to have it tied back during PE. They can use hair bands but not an Alice band. Parents need to be aware of the health and safety rules we are asked to follow regarding the wearing of earrings for any physical education, including swimming. Firstly consider carefully the timing of when the child has their ears pierced. Due to the 6-week initial period earrings should be left in after piercing, we would advise that children have their ears pierced at the beginning of the summer holiday. Failing this then parents are asked to provide medical tape to place over the earrings during PE lessons for the 6-week duration. Assuming that your child has worn their earrings for more than 6-weeks, then they must remove the earrings for all physical education activities including swimming. Please note that members of staff, or other children, are not allowed to remove or replace earrings. Hence, if your child can not do this independently we ask that they do not wear earrings to school on days they have PE or swimming. During the summer term we travel to the Bury Leisure Centre to take part in swimming lessons with Year 3, 4 and 5. Your child will need to bring their named swimming costume and towel in a named bag. If your child needs to wear goggles please send a letter stating this requirement, which we will pass on to the swimming instructors. In addition to this, all children are being asked by Suffolk County Council to wear a waterproof swimming hat and to remove any earrings. We can arrange the purchase of a hat in time for the first lesson of the year if you speak to the school secretary. Swimming is an integral part of our PE Curriculum and therefore children are required to participate, unless medical evidence is provided. Swimming Physical Education

16. We have our school meals freshly prepared and cooked in the school kitchen each day. The menu has been devised by Suffolk County Catering to give a nutritionally balanced diet over the whole week and meets current government requirements. At the time of printing a school meal is £2.30 per day. A link to the current menu on offer is available on our website. In addition to the main menu, our cook also offers jacket potatoes with a choice of fillings, e.g. baked beans, cheese or tuna. Depending on your family income your child/children may be entitled to free school meals. Parents sometimes worry that the children might be identified as different from the others. When taking the dinner register, a member of staff only asks if a child is having a school dinner or a packed lunch, so they don’t identify which ones are having free school meals to the other paying children. Please speak to the secretary in our school office for further details on how to apply. Of course you can provide your child/children with a packed lunch and drink as an alternative. We would ask parents to consider the contents of any packed lunch carefully, so that their children receive a nutritionally balanced diet. All school meal orders for the whole week should be made with the secretary at the school office on a Monday. Money should be sent in a named envelope. As part of our financial regulations we cannot accrue any debt, we therefore require payment in advance or on the day for school meals. We strongly recommend paying using the online service. We believe it is important to keep the children hydrated throughout the school day, as this helps with concentration and their overall health. Please provide your child with a water bottle, with fresh drinking water in, each day. Barnham CEVC Primary School follows a fully cursive form of handwriting. Below shows all of the letters and indicates how they are then joined: Food and Drink Handwriting

17. Home learning Homework should never be too onerous nor should it ever create stress to the child. If parents have any concerns they should not hesitate to contact the school. Normally, more than one day will be allowed for the completion of a homework task, except where daily practice is to be encouraged e.g. reading, spelling and times tables. The following are government recommendations as appropriate time allocations for homework activities. Years 1 and 2 - 1 hour per week Years 3, 4 and 5 - 1.5 hours per week There is no recommendation for children in Reception. The homework activities may include: Reading, spellings, literacy activities, numeracy activities (including maths games), real life numeracy related problems e.g. shopping, learning times tables or a project related to their curriculum topic. At Barnham CEVC Primary School we are very keen for parents to support and help their children with homework. We take the view that children are likely to get more out of an activity if parents get involved as long as they do not take over too much. We promote this collaborative approach through our maths games, homework projects and regular reading at home. However, there are times when we will want to see what children can do on their own. It is particularly important, as they get older, for children to become increasingly independent in their learning. If a parent is unsure about what their role should be, they should discuss it with their child's teacher. During the academic year we organise opportunities for parents to come and discuss their child’s/children’s progress with the teachers. In the autumn and spring terms we have a formal parent’s evening, where parents have a 10 minute appointment per child. Of course, we communicate and talk with parents on a daily basis and provide lots of opportunities for parents to share and celebrate their child’s learning. We also welcome parents in to school to support children’s learning and share their own skills and expertise. After the reports have been circulated to the parents in the summer term, parents are offered the opportunity to individually arrange an appointment with the class teacher if they feel this is necessary. Of course, whilst these are more formal opportunities to discuss your child’s/children’s progress, we strongly encourage parents to make appointments to see the teachers throughout the year if they need to discuss a concern with them. Parents’ Evening

18. The admissions arrangements follow Suffolk Local Authority guidelines, so for this academic year: The reception aged children will attend school full-time from September. As parents you have the right to withdraw your child from full-time education until they are 5 years old. However, we would ask that parents discuss this fully with the school. Because of a change in the law, parents/carers applying for a place at our school cannot be guaranteed a place even if they live in catchment. Children with siblings will be given priority ahead of children living in our catchment area. Parents/carers should contact our school office for further details on how to apply for a place. Please note, the Local Authority organises the admissions into schools so the school does not hold a waiting list. We are committed to providing the best education for our young people and want our pupils to be healthy, happy and safe and to do well. We recognise the importance of establishing and maintaining good relationships with parents, carers and the wider community. We are aware that there may be occasions where people have concerns or complaints and the following outlines the process. A full copy of our complaints procedure can be requested. STEP 1: Please start by telling the class teacher or head about your concern. This is usually the best and quickest way of resolving issues. STEP 2: If you feel dissatisfied with the outcome of discussions with the class teacher, please ask for an appointment to meet with the Headteacher. STEP 3: If you feel that the issue you have raised has not been resolved through the informal process and you wish to pursue it further you may raise it through the formal procedure. To do this you must write a formal letter of complaint to the Headteacher. Your letter should set out clearly the concern which has previously been discussed and why you feel that the issue is unresolved. It is also helpful if you can set out in your letter what resolution you are seeking. STEP 4: If you believe that the school has not properly followed its complaints procedure or has not acted fairly or reasonably in responding to your complaint you may refer the matter to the Local Authority. The Local Authority has no legal right or duty to deal with most complaints about schools but will provide advice to the parent/carer and governing body in the event that a complaint which has been considered under the formal procedure remains unresolved or if the complaint is specifically about the Headteacher. You will need to write to the Local Authority giving the details of your complaint, what action you have already taken to try and resolve your complaint and attaching a copy of the written response from the school. Admissions Complaints