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welcome to claremont primary school this booklet will tell you about our school this book is for parents children and visitors schoolbrochurecps 1

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claremont primary school claremont road moss side manchester m14 7na tel 0161 226 2066 fax 0161 226 0448 headteacher ms pauline dempsey b ed hons m ed welcome to our school if you are thinking about sending your child to our school this booklet will try to answer all the questions we think you would like answered if you would like to know more please contact the office manager or myself and we will try to help our school is open to every child in the community we welcome everyone into our school and celebrate the success of every pupil we believe our school is here to support children being happy secure and successful it is our responsibility to give as many learning opportunities as possible and encourage each child to make the most of these opportunities available places are limited and there are waiting lists at most age groups please register your interest and we will contact you as places become available i hope you find this booklet of interest yours sincerely pauline dempsey headteacher schoolbrochurecps 2

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general information claremont primary school is a community school situated in moss side and serves an area which includes parts of rusholme and fallowfield what are our aims for your child the aims of our school are to provide a safe happy and stimulating school to create a fair and just atmosphere in which each individual is valued and respected to develop self confidence self worth and responsibility in each child to ensure that each child achieves their full potential to stimulate children s learning through a broad balanced and rich curriculum to value and respect parents and carers as genuine partners who are actively involved in their children s education school ethos our children staff and parents come from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds cultural groups and religious beliefs we are extremely proud of this fact and believe it contributes towards the quality and vitality of school life we use this background on which to base our school curriculum by learning about each others customs practices and beliefs we hope to have a greater awareness and tolerance of each other in our multi cultural society we hope to develop in each child an appreciation of their own identity and an understanding of their cultural background and that of others each child should have a positive self image and a pride in the contribution they can make to society all parents and carers are expected to support and respect this philosophy racial abuse will not be tolerated we attempt to provide each child with an opportunity to achieve high levels of academic achievement and develop the appropriate skills to make the most of their abilities can you tell me about school times and the school routine key stage 1 school begins morning breaks dinner break school finishes 09.00 10.15 ­ 10.30 12.00 ­ 1 30 3 10pm key stage 2 09.00 10.35 ­ 10.50 12 05 ­ 1 10 3 15pm schoolbrochurecps 3

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punctuality is a good habit which we hope to develop in children lateness disrupts the children s daily work routine and we ask all parents to ensure their children arrive at school on time children should not arrive in the school grounds before 8 50 am this is the time when staff are on duty to supervise children and staff will bring pupils into school if the weather is bad neither the school nor the local authority will accept liability for children s safety before this time or after 3 25pm nursery and infant children must be escorted to and from school by an adult for their safety children are not allowed to leave the school premises during the day unless collected by a parent or on presentation of a written request signed by the parent all children must be collected by 3.25pm if your child goes home alone or is collected by an adult other than yourself please let us know who this will be how do you enter the school there is a main pedestrian entrance on claremont road one on grantham street and one on kippax street for nursery parents are asked to park on grantham street to drop children off by car for your child s safety the external gates to the grounds except for claremont road and the school building doors except for the main reception are locked during school time closed circuit television cameras are in operation at all times within the school grounds and building are there crossing wardens near the school a crossing warden is on duty each day outside the school on claremont road at a safe place for children to cross from 8 30am to 9 15am and from 3 10pm to 4 00pm there is also a crossing warden on duty where claremont road crosses lloyd street what are the admission procedures for a school place at claremont primary school parents carers wishing to visit the school with a view to placing their children should contact the admissions team at the education department of the city council by telephoning 0161 234 7163 if there are no places available immediately the local authority will find an alternative place for your child and your name will stay on our school s waiting list until a place becomes available places are allocated as follows children who are deemed to be in need in accordance with the requirement of the children s act 1989 this will include the medical educational and social needs of the child schoolbrochurecps 4

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preference is given to children who have a brother or sister already attending the school other children are admitted according to the distance between home and school children who live the nearest are given priority what is the appeals procedure if a child is not offered a school place parents carers can appeal to the independent education appeals committee at manchester city council education department overseas house information on the appeals procedure is available from the school office how can i help my child before they start school encourage your child to dress himself/herself tie/untie shoelaces use a knife and fork use the toilet facilities properly make an appointment to visit the school with your child before they are due to start when my child has started school how can i help make sure your child has had adequate sleep talk to your child about all the good things that have happened at school encourage him/her to form their letters correctly encourage them to share books with you inform the school immediately if there are any changes in home circumstances likely to affect you child at school 6 make sure your child arrives in school on time every day 7 ask your child s teacher how you can help at home 1 2 3 4 5 what do i do if i transfer my child to another primary school if you are moving out of the area and your child will move schools please let us know as soon as possible we will pass on your child s records as soon as we hear they are admitted what do i need to do for my child to transfer to high school children transfer to high school when they have completed their year 6 at primary school in the october before transfer you will receive booklets from manchester city council giving comprehensive information about the process and the schools if you wish to apply to an independent school you must contact them yourself schoolbrochurecps 5

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how is the school organised the school has a two form entry and is arranged by age into year groups we have two classes in each national curriculum year three reception classes two year 1 and two year 2 classes and a sixty place nursery of four groups of fifteen pupils age range nursery reception national curriculum year 1 year 2 year 3 year 5 year 6 3 ­ 4.5 years 4.5 ­ 5 years 5 ­ 6 years 6 ­ 7 years 7 ­ 8 years 8 ­ 9 years 10 ­ 11 years foundation stage key stage 1 key stage 2 our school curriculum is planned around these year groups the school is divided into three phases for planning purposes phase 1 phase 2 phase 3 nursery reception early years years 1 2 key stage one years 3 4 5 6 key stage two can you tell me about the nursery classes we have 60 full time places for children of differing age groups the nursery class is where children first experience school we want all children to be happy and enjoy coming to school enjoy learning and begin to acquire skills in all the curriculum areas learn to be part of a group enjoy the company of other children learn to share activities and work alongside other children while gaining self confidence children may join our nursery after their third birthday when places become available can you tell me about the national curriculum and what my child will be learning it is every child s entitlement to have full access to all the national curriculum which includes literacy 6 schoolbrochurecps

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numeracy science ict design and technology history geography art music p.e religious education in addition to the subject areas listed there are cross curricular themes which are integrated into the children s learning health education citizenship economic and industrial awareness environmental education careers education all the planned learning in school is called the curriculum in primary schools we deal with three dimensions ­ skills knowledge attitudes the national curriculum subjects are not all always taught separately but are often incorporated in planned topics which maintain the subject integrity but relate to a central theme as well as curriculum subjects we teach other things which are very important these include good manners thoughtfulness friendship honesty respect for others and tolerance we hope these values help prepare children for life outside school please ask at school if you would like more information on what is taught through the national curriculum how is the curriculum organised each class has children of wide variety of abilities we use a variety of methods and approaches so that each child can learn in the best way suited to them sometimes the children are taught individually in small groups together as a whole class for most of the time children are taught through a set topic some subjects are taught separately alongside such as parts of numeracy and literacy what does the school do if my child is having difficulty learning schoolbrochurecps 7

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children do not always learn at a steady rate or at the same rate as each other we provide help in school for children who need it and most children need extra help at some time in their school career some more than others if your child is experiencing difficulties with their learning in school and you have concerns firstly speak to the class teacher who will monitor the progress the class teacher can also arrange for you to meet with the special needs co-ordinator senco so that she can tell you how we can support your child further if necessary at claremont primary school we can offer a range of support depending upon the particular needs of your child if your child is still experiencing difficulties then with your permission we can call on the advice help and support of many other professional people to help your child as much as possible if extra help is being offered to your child we will always discuss this with you and we often need your help too please ask for further information from school regarding special educational needs religious education and collective worship although it is not part of the national curriculum religious education is a compulsory subject we use manchester city council education department s agreed syllabus which was drawn up by members of all the different faith groups in the city as a multi-cultural school we think it is important that children are proud of their heritage and religious beliefs while at the same time respectful of other peoples we have a school assembly each day in each key stage either in class or together with other classes in the school hall fridays are awards assemblies assemblies are a time when everyone gathers together for an act of collective worship in line with the legal requirement of the 1998 education act children staff and visitors all help to organise and take part in our assemblies we aim to promote awareness understanding and tolerance in all our children by emphasising and respecting the different beliefs held by our community you are always welcome to join us parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious education and collective worship if you do not wish your child to be taught religious education or to take part in acts of collective worship please come in and talk to the headteacher we are proud to report that there are no parents in our school who withdraw their children from re and collective worship this is a testament to parents supporting the school in its aims and ethos for religious education and actively wanting for their children what the school aims to deliver sex education schoolbrochurecps 8

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in key stage 2 the national curriculum requires the study of human growth and reproduction sex education in our school is presented within the context of loving and caring relationships and of respect for self and for others children will be given guidance and have their questions answered in a way which is appropriate to their age and understanding if parents wish to discuss what is taught through sex education please come in and speak to the headteacher will my child get homework for most parents the experiences they remember of school are quite different from those their children talk about please talk to your child s class teacher if you would like suggestions for activities to support the work of the teacher and help your child in school it is vital that children regularly read a wide range of material out of school children will bring home a book each day to read for at least ten minutes parents are invited to comment and sign the reading record book children will bring home spelling lists to practice and they will also be asked to memorise multiplication tables children may be also asked to find out information for project work or simply to complete work begun in class homework increases as the children get older more detailed work is given on fridays for the weekend to be completed for monday morning swimming lessons at the present time year 4 have swimming lessons free of charge children need to bring swimming costume/trunks towel swimming cap for long hair plastic bag for safety reasons all jewellery including earrings must be removed before lessons if you are concerned about your child going swimming for medical cultural or religious reasons please come in and discuss arrangements with the headteacher music at claremont primary school we recognise the valuable part music plays in helping children develop a variety of skills especially listening and language work we offer a high standard of music teaching and pupils have the opportunity to play a variety of instruments sing and listen to music of many styles in addition to classroom lessons there are peripatetic teachers who visit the school weekly for instrumental lessons there are opportunities for some children to take part in steel band african drumming guitar and drumming currently at no extra charge schoolbrochurecps 9

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all the children are given the chance to audition at year 4 to play an instrument although not every child can be given instrument tuition our drumming group and steel band all play at a very high standard and are often asked to perform in public can my child go on school visits as part of their learning the children are regularly taken on educational visits children in each year group from nursery to year 6 enjoy visits to museums galleries exhibitions the local park places of worship the theatre the library the cinema and many varied trips and experiences relating to the work they are doing in class we will let you know about these visits and you are welcome to join us and help children in year 6 have the opportunity to experience a residential camping trip to derbyshire where they take part in more adventurous outdoor pursuits such as canoeing and rock climbing are there any after school facilities there are a number of after school clubs in our school for music sport art dance it and many other activities throughout the year once your child has started school ask the class teacher what is available for your child there are also several after school clubs and services in our area which our children attend what is the charging policy the governing body have taken the decision that all school activities should be available to all children parents and carers are asked to contribute towards the costs of certain activities when we ask for a contribution school usually subsidises the major cost of the event what about equal opportunities everyone at claremont primary school is equally valued and given equal opportunities in all aspects of school life regardless of gender racial origin religious beliefs or disability what can i do if i am unhappy and i want to complain if you are unhappy about any aspect of school and you have not resolved the matter with the class teacher you may make an appointment with the deputy headteacher or the headteacher to try to settle the issue we prefer to settle all disputes and misunderstandings informally we believe that if you are unhappy about any aspect of school the best way to resolve matters is by sitting down and talking to us schoolbrochurecps 10

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at any school it is difficult to agree with all decisions that the school may make but most parents understand this and decide that on balance they are happy with the school and the rules that are laid down and want their children to attend the school however if you feel you have a complaint and you have discussed this with the school and you are still unhappy there is a complaints procedure which parents may use if they believe that the school is failing to to provide the national curriculum in the school for a particular child to follow the law for charging for school activities to offer only approved syllabuses to provide religious education and daily collective worship to provide information that they have to provide to carry out any other statutory duties related to the curriculum every effort will be made to settle the complaint quickly and if possible informally if you are unhappy with the head teacher s response you may ask the governing body to hear your complaint this will require putting your concerns in writing then a meeting will be held to consider the matter if you are still not satisfied then you may take your complaint to the local authority a copy of the school s complaint procedure is available from the school office when did you last have an ofsted inspection and what were the outcomes our last ofsted inspection was in june 2009 and we received a very favourable report does the school have a uniform yes it does it gives all the children a sense of belonging and community it stops competition between children and does not impose pressure on parents and pupils for designer brands which are discouraged the uniform is a red sweat shirt or t shirt with the school logo printed on it these are available from the school office at a very reasonable price children can wear a white shirt underneath the sweatshirt with a black skirt or trousers children wear black sensible school shoes or non brand plain black trainers in the summer some girls wear red and white checked dresses all these clothes and shoes are available at the local supermarket at very reasonable cost for more details ask one of the staff in the school office we also sell school book bags and pe bags with the school logo that can be purchased from the office please make sure every item of clothing has your child s name clearly marked in it all children work with paints and glue and while we do provide aprons on occasion clothing can get marked lost property schoolbrochurecps 11

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if your child loses anything please ask the class teacher first and check all the cloakrooms please put your child s name in every item of clothing especially coats so that we can return lost property quickly to the owner there is a lost property box outside the school office physical education claremont primary school values the importance of physical education p.e sport and exercise the pe curriculum is broad and balanced each pupil at key stage 1 participates in gymnastics games and dance at key stage 2 the p.e curriculum includes swimming athletics outdoor and adventurous activities pupils experience a variety of games e.g netball basketball short tennis rugby hockey and football there are opportunities for children to attend extra curricular activities children are required to take part in all pe activities and need suitable clothing to change into for p.e particularly at key stage 2 the kit includes a tee shirt and shorts for gym and track suit bottoms and sensible pumps or trainers for games class teachers will inform parents on which days pe takes place for safety reasons no jewellery may be worn during p.e lessons small sleepers or studs may be worn in pierced ears at low risk no jewellery may be worn for swimming assessment and testing how will i know how well my child is doing assessment children s progress is continually monitored throughout their school time staff after assessing what a child can do plan the next steps in the child s learning records are kept of the child s progress along with samples of their work you may be asked to contribute to the records of this assessment when you meet with staff testing at the end of each key stage children undertake standard assessment tests sats in key stage 2 children also take tests annually the results of these tests together with the teachers own assessments show which level a child is working at and help the next teacher plan the learning for each child reporting to parents and carers schoolbrochurecps 12

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it is very important that you are kept informed of how your child is progressing as well as the meeting with staff at the start of the year and the end of the year staff are available through the year if parents wish to discuss their child s progress and how you can help at home these meetings also give you a chance to ask questions and offer any information you have about your child s learning the children will also be asked to say how they think they are making progress and generally what they think about their learning pastoral care and behaviour in our school our school prides itself on its warm and caring atmosphere to its community it is important that we not only care for and respect ourselves but care for and respect all others this is fundamental to our approach we encourage anyone with a problem or concern to come in and talk about it to any member of staff they feel comfortable with so that it can be sorted out to everyone s satisfaction part of social development is being able to deal with emotions and feelings and we do a lot of work in this area we therefore discourage fighting and aggressive behaviour and find it better to get those involved in a dispute together and talk about it this can only be effective if we have the support and help of parents and carers please do not encourage your child to fight back in school bullying bullying violent behaviour abusive language and fighting of any kind are not acceptable nor are they tolerated at claremont primary school under any circumstances if an incident occurs we take the matter very seriously all parents will be informed immediately and the incident recorded sanctions will be taken as appropriate we will not tolerate any form of racist abuse either verbal or physical we will immediately inform the parents record the incident and inform the local authority if necessary any child who is troubled by bullying either verbal or physical should talk to an adult in school about their concerns what are your expectations of the children s behaviour we think of the school as a community any rules we have are common sense ones to ensure the smooth running of the community and the safety of the people in it in order to run a school where everyone can achieve their full potential we must have high expectations with regard to behaviour care and respect for people are the most important things for all of us to observe our expectations are in our school we expect adults pupils and visitors to follow our expectations to enable us to teach and learn these are:1 we welcome everyone into our school schoolbrochurecps 13

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2 we speak and behave calmly and quietly and only say positive things about one another 3 we do as we are asked first time 4 we try our best at all times 5 we value all property and possessions we encourage children to think about their behaviour and its consequences the expectations or rules are discussed with and explained to the children regularly we focus on and celebrate good behaviour and children receive praise individual awards certificates and class treats for good behaviour the sanctions against unacceptable behaviour are warnings spending time in isolation in class spending time in another class and for further misbehaviour a letter home you as parents will always be informed if your child is giving cause for concern if you are sent a letter informing you that your child has misbehaved we do expect your support by imposing sanctions at home and returning the slip to inform us of this if there are further problems we may ask you to come into school and discuss this in more serious circumstances exclusion from school may be thought necessary when a child joins the school you are asked to sign an agreement saying you have read the school rules discussed them with your child and agree to support school we would stress that the majority of our children never give any cause for concern toys games money and valuables children are not allowed to bring toys and games into school unless this is part of a special topic which the teacher has requested children should not bring valuables to school this includes i-pods game boys etc any child needing a mobile phone for parent contact should deposit this with the school office staff in the morning and collect it at home time whilst we do our best to keep things safe we cannot be responsible for such items if money is brought to school for any reason it should be given to the office staff at the beginning of the day for safekeeping any money brought to school for visits meals or photographs should be handed to the person responsible for the class at that time in an envelope with the child s name class and the amount written on the front jewellery it is advisable for children not to wear jewellery to school the school and staff take no responsibility for its loss or damage for safety reasons all jewellery must be removed before pe lessons small sleepers or studs for pierced ears are low risk but school takes no responsibility for accidents incurred when these items are not removed no jewellery may be worn for swimming schoolbrochurecps 14

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sweets children are not allowed to bring sweets into school except for special occasions like birthdays when they should be handed over to the teacher to be given out towards the end of the day chewing gum is never allowed in school our school holds the healthy schools gold award at key stage 1 children are given fruit to eat mid morning and we run a healthy snacks tuck shop at key stage 2 water is freely available for children to drink as required what are the arrangements for school meals and how do i pay dinner money there are three options for your child at lunchtime ­ your child can go home for lunch and return ten minutes before the end of the lunch break your child can have a school meal your child can bring a packed lunch into school school meals are cooked on site for all pupils with a halal option for muslim pupils children have a choice of meals and we emphasise healthy eating options children may register as vegetarian halal or no meat a sandwich choice is also available if your child goes home for dinner they must not return to school any earlier than 10 minutes before the end of the lunch break if you pay for your child s school meals please send in the money on monday morning in an envelope marked with your child s name and the amount paid the office staff keep a close record of payments and we will let you know your balance as required cheques are accepted at the school office only if supported by a banker s card meals are paid for in advance if you are receiving income support your child is entitled to free school meals we can advise you about claiming at the school office please send your child s packed lunch in a suitable container with drinks in plastic bottles or cartons no glass or sweets please if you wish your child to change the way they have a lunchtime meal eg from paid dinners to packed lunch please let us know with at least two weeks notice changes to lunchtime requirements may only be made on a half termly basis children are not allowed to have school meals on odd days and packed lunches on others is there an extended school service before and after school yes there is school runs a breakfast club for all school children from 8 00am each morning at very reasonable prices there is also an after school club which operates schoolbrochurecps 15

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