1. Welcome to The Smallberry Green Primary School
Reception Class Parents Meeting
1st July 2015
We would like to welcome you all here this evening in this nice calm atmosphere which is conducive to the matters needing to be discussed. You may have initially wondered why we asked for an adult only audience but all will become clear as we take you through this short presentation and our expectations of you as parents.

2. Key Staff
Mrs Serdet - Early Years Phase leader & Class teacher of Sycamores
Mrs Maher – Class teacher of Damsons
Mrs Benson – Parent Support Advisor
Mrs Jerabek – EAL teacher
Ms Pehlivan - S&L teacher
Mr Croft – Deputy Headteacher
Mrs Hodges - Headteacher

3. Starting Reception
To make the transition as easy as possible for the children, we conduct home visits and we stagger the entry over the first two weeks of term.
Your child’s entry date will be sent to you before the end of term.
We cannot stress enough, the importance of being on time to collect your child. Children who are not collected on time at this age particularly, become very distressed. In their mind, you have forgotten them and are not coming. If there is a good, valid reason why you cannot be here on time, please telephone the school office and let them know. They can then communicate that mummy or daddy has rung the school and they are very sorry they are late but will be here soon.

4. Mon 7th – Fri 11th September Mon 7th group 1 only attends
Date
Pick Up Time
Mon 7th – Fri 11th September
Mon 7th group 1 only attends
Wed 10th group 2 joins
Fri 11th group 3 joins
Pick up 11.30am
Mon 14th – Fri 18th September
Mon 14th group 4 joins
Wed 16th group 5 join
Mon 21st – Fri 25th September
All pupils attend & stay for lunch
Pick up 1.15pm
Mon 28th and thereafter
All pupils in full time
Pick up 3.15pm
We will expect you to say goodbye and stand your child in line outside their classroom at the 8:43am bell. You may wave and call goodbye as they enter class but when the 8:45am bell rings, you should be exiting the playground.
Parents of Reception children should not enter the classroom with their child in the morning, they should not come beyond the fence. If there are settling issues, we will deal with them and keep you advised but let us start as we mean to go on. If you need to speak to the teacher, please wait until the end of the day, do not talk to the teacher at the start of the day. If it is urgent, go to reception and speak to Miss Taylor who will happily pass a message on when necessary.

5. Lunch time arrangements
With the introduction of Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) from September 2014 we encourage all children to partake.
To receive a balanced, freshly prepared meal you will only need to complete one form at the beginning of the year and meals will be provided throughout your child’s reception year.
Your child will bring their rubbish home. This is not because we can’t be bothered, its to show you how much your child has eaten so you can gauge future portions.

6. Payments to school
On occasions where school requires a payment, for example a contribution towards a trip, the item will be set up on ParentPay.
We are a cashless school and ask parents to use our e-payment method through the very secure ParentPay website.
ParentPay activation letters will be sent soon after your child joins Reception class.
In a moment you will get to see and taste a sample of cooking by the school caterers. We would recommend that children try the school meals for a week before making a decision to have either packed lunch or school meals. After the first half term at school, a decision on lunch arrangements will need to be made for a whole half term. We cannot allow children to change their minds on a daily basis as this would be unfair on our kitchen staff who prepare the meals offsite.
If you think your child may be entitled to free meals, the criteria is clearly stated on the form enclosed with your information pack. This form will need to be completed and the evidence given to the school office prior to our shut down for summer. If you do not do this, you will have to pay for meals until approval is given by the LA. Entitlement is not immediate, it has to be applied for.

7. My child's school day
The curriculum consists of 7 areas of learning. All areas are connected to each other and all are equally important. The children will access the 7 areas of learning through structured play both indoors and outdoors. The children also take part in short focused sessions as a whole class and in smaller groups.

8. Dining Hall
Please use the summer to refine your child’s ability to eat independently. Children at this age should be able to use a knife, fork and spoon. They should be able eat at a table without too much adult assistance.
As you can imagine, while you sit at home with your small family, meal times can be trying but when you have a class of 30 children and each needs their dinner cut up or their straw put in their drink or an orange peeled, we simply do not have the staff to cope with this demand and ask that you bear this in mind when preparing lunch. Please don’t send in Capri Suns or carton drinks. The children can’t put the straws in by themselves. A resusable sports cup or water bottle is far better. Don’t send an orange that needs peeling – peel it at home and put the segments in a small plastic pot ready for eating. Think about your child’s ability.
May we also say at this point that it is not possible for us to heat lunch for your child nor is it possible for us to take a heated lunch later in the school day from you. Lunch boxes should arrive with the children. Again, staff distributing forgotten, late or heated lunches is very time consuming on a busy office.

9. Promoting Independence
When buying school uniform for your child think about the following things: Can they do a belt up on their trousers? Or remove it quick enough before having an ‘accident’? Can they tie their own shoes? If the answer is no, please buy shoes with a velcro fastening. Has your child got their book bag? This will need to be brought to school daily.
It may be obvious and we apologise if you find this patronising but again, in a class of 30, even if 10 children need their shoe laces tied and there is only one teacher, this eats into valuable learning time.
Book bags need to be checked on a daily basis for letters home, notes from the teacher and of course, to access the reading book you have to read with your child. Get into a routine with reading so it becomes a daily habit. Either read at bedtime or read as soon as you come in or when the 6pm news starts. It doesn’t matter when but if it fits into your home lifestyle, it will work for both you and your child as a time to look forward to. As predictable as being asked to clean their teeth before bed.

10. Term time holidays will not be authorised
Attendance
All children should have attendance of +90%
Term time holidays will not be authorised
Medical appointments (where possible) should be made outside of school time.
Attendance in the Early Years can be problematic, we know that children are still building their immune systems and are likely to become ill on occasions. We don’t want a sick child in school any more than you do. However, sickness needs to be judged quite harshly. If a child has a cold, we expect them in school. Children are resilient and often a dose of Calpol before school will see them through the day. If your child has a temperature, they should be at home. A raised temperature is a sign of a child fighting infection and we would not expect them in school. If your child has been given antibiotics three times a day, we would expect them to return to school if well enough in themselves and the doses to be given one at breakfast, one immediately after school and one before bed. If the doctor has prescribed four times per day, you may need to discuss this with one of our Welfare Officers, Mrs Spaull or Mrs Rivers and we will see if we can help. Whilst on the subject of health, if your child suffers with asthma, please ensure an inhaler is kept in school at all times and the permission to administer medicine form is signed. If your child has any other medical needs, please speak to a welfare officer.
As it was correctly pointed out quite recently, we cannot refer families who take term time holidays to EWO for a fine to be issued if children are under 5 years old. However, I can and will off roll children who take holidays in term time before they are 5yrs old as they don’t legally have to be in school.

11. Absence
Please call the school office or send a text or on the first day of absence and explain why your child is not in school. Do not be surprised to receive an absence text or call from us if you have not contacted school.
We will accept a call, message on the answerphone, text or on first day of absence but please contact us. You will be asked what is wrong with your child. In some circumstances, say a vomiting and diarrhoea bout, we may have had several cases reported and need to report this to the authorities. Please do not be rude to office staff when questioned, it is their job to find out and EWO will not accept ‘unwell’ as a reason for missing school.

12. Playground Rules
Teachers set up for morning activities prior to the start of the school day, please do not allow children or younger siblings to play with school equipment. Do not come onto site before 8.30am Do not come later than 8:43am (the tardy bell rings at 8.45am) Do not come onto site prior to 3pm
Yes, we are a school and love to see children play but not when an educational activity is scuppered by the misuse of equipment.
We are not covered by insurance for children on site before 8.30am.

13. Before and After School Clubs
Breakfast Club runs 7:45am – 8:45am
£3 per session
TWIGs After School Klub (TASK)
Runs 3:15pm – 5:45pm
Further details can be found in your information packs
Information for both clubs are in the information pack including registration forms.

14. What’s in your packs? Application for free school meals
Parent pay activation sheet
Breakfast club and TWIGS application forms
Term dates
Uniform
Cool milk forms

15. Thank you for coming, for listening and for choosing Smallberry Green.
Please remember to collect your brochure and information pack before leaving and to try the samples Chartwells have to offer.