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prospectus moss park junior school provides an outstanding education for its pupils ofsted april 2009

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 introduction m oss park junior school was built in 1930 and is situated in an area of private housing next to moss park in stretford manchester in the borough of trafford the school premises have been refurbished and an extensive information and communications technology suite built the children have access to a large playground and surrounding enclosed playing fields there is a separate games field for football rounders and other team sports the school is built around two attractive quadrangles the smaller quad belongs to the junior school and the larger one is shared with moss park infant school the children are expected to respect the school grounds and the environment by controlling litter and helping with gardening the school is a two form entry mixed junior school and caters for children from 7 to 11 years the staff are committed to ensuring that high academic behavioural social and moral standards are achieved by creating a caring secure and stimulating environment where each child is provided with a wealth of learning experiences in a broad and balanced curriculum our school is committed to working together with parents and their children to ensure that our pupils are offered only the highest educational opportunities we are proud of our relationship with the local community and of the reputation we enjoy within it the following information sets out the aims and values organisation and various activities of the school it shows how parents and carers can participate in the life of the school and help their children to derive the maximum benefit from this period of their education if you would like to know more come and see us we will be delighted to give you further details 2

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 members of staff head teacher deputy head teacher teaching staff september 11-july 12 year 3h year 3r year 4r year 4rg year 5s year 5b year 6a year 6m additional teacher teaching assistants mrs k stallman mrs h massey miss k higson mr c richards mr l read mrs a richardson mrs l grainger miss e savage mr r boyer mrs j archer mrs h massey ms j butler mrs p threlfall mrs l caulfield ms c walsh mrs k valentine mrs l france mrs s corrigan mrs l murray mrs j willett mr f ferns office manager administrative support assistants school site manager lunchtime welfare assistants supervisor mrs p threlfall mrs j lane mrs l tucker mrs c chapman ms k threlfall mrs s vaughan mrs l murray the following work at the school but are not employed by the school schools meals cook kitchen staff mrs s davies mrs t oxley mrs d saunders mrs a bartley mrs k stylianou 3

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 the school day coming to school t he children are expected to be at school in time to line up with their classes when the bell is rung at 8.50am when the children first arrive they should go directly to the junior school playground except in very wet weather when they may come directly into school from 8.45am children should not arrive earlier than 8.40am as there may not be sufficient supervisory staff to deal with any emergencies before this time we occasionally have some problems with car parking particularly at home time and have been reminded by residents living opposite the school to ask parents to refrain from parking across their driveways parking on the zig zag lines outside school and across the school gates should also be avoided for the children s safety times 8.50am the school whistle is blown and the children line up their teachers bring them into school years 3 and 4 enter via the lower school playground door years 5 and 6 enter through the upper school playground door at the rear of the building 8.55am school begins the register is taken children not present when their name is called out are marked absent children who arrive after this time are given a late mark the school monitors the number of late marks a child receives and may notify the school s welfare officer who may then visit the home the school day is normally organised as follows 10.15am 10.30am morning break 12 noon 1.00pm 2.20pm 2.30pm 3.30pm lunch time afternoon break school finishes the end of the day t he children leave school at 3.30pm in the interests of safety all the children leave through the main front door teachers are usually on duty by the entrance should parents require a quick word or to make an appointment all children are taught to return to the entrance hall in the event of the appropriate person not being there to meet them but parents are requested to ensure their child is collected at 3.30pm punctually please 4

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 absences t he school is fully appreciative of the response by parents to our request for co-operation with the authorisation of absence family holidays taken during term time however still account for a significant level of absenteeism parents may request up to 10 school days off within an academic year for their child such absences may not be automatically granted however and if the holiday goes ahead without the head teacher s permission the absence becomes unauthorised should the absence extend beyond 4 weeks the child s name may be taken off the school roll and parents will have to go through trafford admissions if they want a place in our school parents should be aware that a place may not be available it should be noted that only the head teacher may authorise absence a holiday request form may be obtained from the school office following discussion with the head teacher absences that are not authorised by the school will be listed in the register statistics as unauthorised and therefore dealt with under truancy regulations we strongly encourage all our parents to avoid the disruption to their child s education caused by taking holidays within the school term and particularly during standard assessments tests sats in the case of sickness or medical appointments we request that parents let us know of the child s absence as soon as possible by telephone in person or by letter we are very grateful to all our parents for their co-operation in this matter medicines in school f or health and safety reasons medicines are not routinely given at school parents are responsible for the administration of medicines to their children if a child requires medicine in the middle of the day they should return home for this or the parent/carers may come to the school to administer the medicine arrangements should be made with the head teacher the school is always prepared to make reasonable adjustments for instance in the case of long-term illness e.g epilepsy diabetes or conditions requiring ritolin pupils requiring medication will need to have a personal medical plan drawn up this will be with the agreement of the head teacher and may involve the school nurse in the case of asthma inhalers are kept in a locked but accessible cupboard in the medical room and should be clearly labelled with the child s name and the dosage 5

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 accidents and illness i n the event of an accident or if a child should be unwell at school then action will be taken it may be that a little first aid and sympathy is enough in which case this will be dealt with by the staff in the case of a head injury or more serious accident parents or carers will be contacted immediately in order for them to ascertain whether the child should remain in school parents/carers will be contacted either at home or at work it is for this reason that emergency contact numbers must be accurate and up to date the school has a dedicated medical room which is quiet but bright and fully fitted out with medical supplies and a locked but accessible cupboard for keeping inhalers it even has a bed our staff make caring for our pupils their highest concern three members of the school staff have the full and up to date first aid at work qualification and basic first aid training is part of the continual professional development for teaching and non teaching staff in the school emergency contact forms are sent to parents to complete annually in september when circumstances change parents are requested to inform school immediately please a copy of the governors health and safety policy is available upon request 6

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 dinners moss park junior school is a healthy eating school t lunch time children may have a school dinner these are delicious and are cooked in the kitchen which is situated in moss park infant school some children bring their own packed lunch and some go home for lunch children who stay for a school lunch should bring dinner money currently £9.00 per week on monday mornings in a sealed clearly labelled envelope please a children bringing a packed lunch should have a suitable lunch box in which to bring their lunch and keep it fresh through the morning drinks should not be fizzy and no glass bottles please children should bring their own spoons for yoghurts etc children who go home for lunch must be met by a responsible adult at 12.00 noon promptly and returned to school by 1.00pm children should not be brought back to school before 12.50pm there are no school crossing patrols on duty at lunch time and therefore it is the responsibility of parents/carers to ensure that children are seen safely across the road moss park junior school is an outstanding school ofsted april 2009 and achieves very good sats results we perform very well when compared to similar schools to make an accurate comparison with schools similar to ours it is very important that parents whose children are eligible for free school meals are registered with the authority whether they take the meals or not the school also receives extra funding dependent on free school meal entitlement and by registering parents can support our school in this vital area information can be obtained from the school please do not hesitate to ask 7

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 snacks and drinks t he children may bring snacks for break times snacks should be healthy apples bananas raisins etc sweets crisps and chocolate are not allowed at morning and afternoon break times and cans of drinks and chewing gum are not allowed at any time water is freely available all day and the children may have water bottles in their classroom with them these bottles should be clear plastic not too big and named they should be filled at home with water only please before school and can be refilled during the day from the water cooler which is accessible to all children money and security c hildren are discouraged from carrying loose money in school we ask that all money is sealed in an envelope marked with the child s name and class the amount and purpose in this way money which is lost in school can be more readily traced and returned to the child similarly children are actively discouraged from bringing toys and games jewellery or precious possessions the school cannot be held responsible for the safety of such items and we do not want a child to lose or break a special possession whilst in school the children are not allowed mobile phones in school at any time items brought to school for a one minute talk should be given to the class teacher for safe keeping 8

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 school governors t he governors have the overall responsibility for the effective management of the school including financial control and budget planning the governing body is made up of twelve members who each serve for a period of four years the present governing body of moss park junior school name mrs k stallman mr g bowen mr r p allen mr j wibberley cllr n hooley mrs m bennett vacancy mrs l moffat mrs j o gorman mr r boyer office staff community community l.a l.a parent community parent parent staff staff parent term ends ex-officio 10.05.13 16.06.14 17.02.12 31.05.14 04.07.11 06.05.12 09.03.14 21.05.13 12.11.11 06.05.12 appointed by statutory right governing body governing body l.a l.a parents governing body parents parents teachers staff parents mrs p threlfall mr m lee the chairman of the governors is mr r p allen mr allen may be contacted through school 9

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 moss park junior school aims · · encourage in our pupils a desire to learn and the ability to do so independently and to apply themselves to tasks and skills teach the children the differences between right and wrong good and bad and to respect others regardless of race gender or creed within a framework of equality of opportunity enable all pupils to reach the highest possible academic standards of which they are capable help our pupils understand the world in which they live and the interdependence of individuals and their importance within different groups encourage pupils to appreciate human achievements and aspirations and to understand the potential they have to offer and the offerings of different cultures recognise the individuality of all pupils and provide for their particular needs provide a pleasant happy and stimulating learning environment · · · · · our school values · · · · · each individual person as unique capable of spiritual moral intellectual and physical growth and development truth honesty and justice the support offered by parents and carers to create an effective partnership within our school relationships as fundamental to the development and fulfillment of ourselves others and to the good of the community the environment both natural and shaped by humanity as the basis of life and a source of wonder e recognise that these values working together create a community that promotes belonging and learning 10 w

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 the curriculum t he curriculum in its full sense comprises all the opportunities for learning provided by the school it includes the formal programme of lessons extracurricular and out of school activities that are planned and supported by the school and the climate of relationships attitudes styles of learning and behaviour established in the school community as a whole moss park junior school has been awarded the basic skills quality mark 3 active mark arts mark gold eco school silver study support silver international school award and is working towards the eco green flag award the development of basic skills in mathematics and english is given priority these are regularly delivered through other subjects such as science and history as well as discrete numeracy and literacy lessons the school aims to offer pupils a broad balanced and coherent curriculum encompassing both the legal requirements of the national curriculum and a wide range of activities that we believe are important to the development of children regardless of gender age or background enhancement through art days visits community projects and ict is a feature other activities cross subject boundaries and include environmental awareness modern foreign languages study support and personal social health and citizenship education 11

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 religious education m oss park junior school is not of any particular denomination although statutory religious education is followed in accordance with the agreed syllabus of the local education authority the education reform act 1988 requires all schools to have a curriculum which promotes the spiritual moral cultural mental and physical development of pupils it must prepare pupils for the opportunities responsibilities and experiences of life and it must include religious education for all pupils religious education requires the development of concepts skills positive attitudes and respect for other peoples beliefs it has an important role to play in helping us to form a positive school ethos where all are valued and respected a requirement of the act is daily collective worship the law in england and wales requires that most acts of collective worship should reflect the broad traditions of christian belief at moss park junior school we incorporate assemblies and worship which vary from simple gatherings and individual class worship to whole school and more complex occasions which may involve the work of the children or visitors parents have a legal right to request that their child be withdrawn from lessons in religious education or from acts of collective worship this is done in consultation with the head teacher sex education t he school includes sex and relationships education and drugs awareness as an integral part of the thematic work on growth health hygiene and fitness in years 5 and 6 sex education is delivered in the context of family life loving relationships and respect for others the governors have produced a policy statement on sex and relationships education and a copy of the document is available to parents upon request equal opportunities t he school is committed to equality of opportunity in education and to good relationships with those of all racial cultural and religious backgrounds we seek to celebrate the cultural diversity present in our society and our school this school will not accept any acts of discrimination and will fully implement its racial harassment policy copies of both the governors policies for racial equality and racial harassment are available upon request 12

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 accessibility t o ensure that every child enjoys equal opportunities and to prevent disabled pupils being treated less favourably than other pupils we constantly audit and monitor our provision including the curriculum building environment and additional activities and services the curriculum is broad and balanced differentiation to meet pupils needs is embedded in teachers planning developing high quality appropriate resources and equipment to meet the needs of all pupils is an ongoing target in our school improvement plan visible reachable displays and learning resources as well as alternate ways of recording work improve access and provision for all pupils policies and practice are evaluated to ensure all pupils can benefit the physical environment is constantly developing to improve accessibility for everyone who uses the building ramps fire doors and wide clear corridors provide access to classrooms and play areas an accessible toilet has been installed off the entrance hall additional educational needs and inclusion m oss park junior school aims to enable pupils with additional educational needs to participate in all areas of school life to realise their potential by working together towards the removal of barriers and improving provision the school s systems support the revised code of practice for the special needs of children with or without a statement we have an effective policy which aims to ensure that children s needs are identified early these needs may be associated with learning or may be physical emotional or behavioural in nature we believe working with parents to be an integral and essential element of additional educational needs provision the needs of the children registered are met largely within the usual classroom setting with assessment and special provision being made available by the la for those pupils who meet the criteria established by the authority we make every effort to liaise closely with all our support agencies and pass on information to the families of pupils concerned the school s additional educational needs coordinator is mrs s humphris the school s additional educational needs coordinator from 1st september 2011 will be mr r boyer the school s additional educational needs governor is mr r p allen copies of the governor s policy for additional educational needs and inclusion are available upon request the disability discrimination act april 2005 includes a new duty on public bodies including primary schools to actively promote disability equality the disability equality duty ded is not only about changes to buildings or making adjustments for individuals it is about weaving equality for disabled children and adults into the culture of schools in practical ways at moss park junior school we aim to maximise social inclusion by removing barriers to achievement for disabled pupils and staff we endeavour to promote disability equality eliminate discrimination and harassment promote equality of opportunity encourage participation by disabled people promote positive attitudes to disability and ensure steps are taken to take account of disabled people s disabilities in all aspects of school life and the community a copy of the school s equality scheme which includes the disability equality plan is available from school on request 13

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 homework a ll children are expected to extend their learning experiences at home working at home is of great value in completing and reinforcing work done in school and helps to establish the self-discipline of individual study the school in recognising the important role parents play in the educational development of their child actively encourages a positive parent-teacher relationship with the expectation that this partnership will instil and promote a positive attitude to school and schoolwork we therefore see homework as an important element in the overall curriculum and the educational development of the child children are set regular homework tasks alongside spellings tables and reading practice as children reach the latter years of moss park junior school they may be expected to complete homework including research english mathematics and reading homework will almost always be related to work in the classroom but if children are spending an excessive amount of time on homework or finding specific tasks difficult it is expected that parents would contact school and request guidance from the teaching staff on the appropriate support for their children the co-operation of and liaison with parents is very much appreciated by the school and is an important way for home and school to maintain a close and constant contact with the work that children are involved in a copy of the homework policy is available upon request behaviour at moss park junior school we speak and are spoken to politely and with respect we consider and care for each other m oss park junior school has high expectations of standards of behaviour and the ethos within the school is based upon respect consideration for others and working as a team the school does not accept fighting inappropriate language bullying or the constant attempts to disrupt the work of others there is a very clear code of conduct and we aim to foster encourage and support excellent relationships between all staff and children in the school persistent misbehaviour is referred to the head teacher targets for improvement are set but where concerns remain parents will be informed and involved we have effective policies for behaviour and anti-bullying which are available upon request 14

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moss park junior school prospectus 2011 extra curricular activities t hese activities range from judo dance athletics i.c.t and drama to the very popular residential experiences at robinwood in todmorden this outdoor activity centre provides exciting educational and adventurous opportunities for pupils to take part in canoeing rock climbing orienteering archery etc the visit develops team work and enhances the already positive relationships that exist between staff and pupils all visits are subject to the advanced approval by the governing body and organised to comply with strict guidelines for off-site activities and l.a and school policies on health and safety on educational visits we enjoy enterprise projects and curriculum enhancement opportunities provided by our links within the community the school is part of the school sports partnership and benefits from p.e training for pupils and staff as well as extra curricular sporting activities cycling proficiency takes place for year 6 pupils in the summer term we are always striving to provide more than just the statutory curriculum and with the extra-curricular activities that we have initiated for the children we hope that we can broaden their experience skills and knowledge whilst enhancing their fitness and health the school s behaviour policy clearly states that attendance at all extra curricular and off-site activities is dependent upon good behaviour charging policy t he school complies with the regulations for charging for school visits costs are kept to a minimum but for visits and some extra curricular activities which take place in school hours we may ask for a contribution towards the cost no child is ever refused a place on a visit because a contribution is not forthcoming parents are charged the full cost of residential visits although payment for these may be arranged over a number of weeks or months 15

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