Roehampton Church School245 Roehampton Lane London SW15 4AA

Telephone: (020) 8788 8650 Fax: (020) 8785 4636Email: info@roehampton.wandsworth.sch.uk

Website: www.roehampton.wandsworth.sch.uk

Unity

I dreamt I stood in a studio,And watched two sculptors there.

The clay they used was a young child’s mind,And they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher—the tools she used,Were books, music, and art.

The other, a parent—working with a guiding hand,And a gentle loving heart.

Day after day, the teacher toiledWith a touch that was deft and sure.While the parent labored by her side,And polished and smoothed it o’er.

And when at last, their task was done,They were proud of what they had wrought.

For the things they had molded into the child,Could neither be sold nor bought.

And each agreed they would have failedIf each had worked alone,

For behind the teacher stood the school,And behind the parent, the home.

- Author Unknown

Welcome !• On behalf of everyone here at Roehampton Church

School, Welcome to a new and exciting stage in your child’s life!

• During this year your child will make new friends, enjoy new experiences and learn the vital new skills of reading and writing.

• We, teachers and parents, have the chance to work as partners to ensure that at the end of this school year your child will have a positive attitude towards education based on social and academic confidence.

Headteacher

Mr. R. Woodfin

We believe…

“Is my little one ready for school ?”

When starting big school children need to be able to:

to express their needs appropriately

Use the toilet independently

Wash and dry hands

Blow their nose

Sit up at a table

Eat their lunch using a knife and fork

Dress and undress themselves

Sit quietly to listen to a story or a piece of music

Wait patiently

Share and take turns

Tidy up things they have used

Say goodbye with a smile !!!!!!!!

• Please be positive with your child, preparing them for school and

explain to them what will happen – talk about the teachers, other

children, breaks, sitting on the carpet, tidy-up time and home

time/collection time

• On arrival on the first day your child will be allocated a peg, be

asked to draw a picture of himself/herself for the peg and be

encouraged to engage in an activity

• The teacher will take a photo of your child to be used for their school

records

• Please let the teacher know of any medical concerns, allergies or

anything else (e.g. birthmarks) you feel is important for the teacher

to know about your child

• After meeting the teacher please say goodbye to your child and

leave. If your child is finding it difficult to separate from you, you will

be encouraged to support your child in settling at an activity before

you leave. Most children soon become distracted by their activity

and settle down

A few little pointers• When collecting your child from the school, please go to the correct

collection area, not in the car.

• Please keep a watchful eye on children accompanying you.

• Please do not smoke in the playground or in the school.

• Please do not allow children to run down the street between Ks1 and Ks2 sites. Please do not allow children to play on the grass or go through the priests’ garden.

• Please do not allow children to scoot or ride their bikes down the pavement between Ks1 and Ks2 sites

• Please do not bring dogs into the playground.

• PLEASE BE PROMPT! Children become very anxious if they are not collected on time.

• Please let the office know (and your child know) if someone else will be collecting them that day.

We will not allow a child to go with another adult unless the school has had prior notification via the school office.

Our School Uniform is important to us. It is one way in which we identify ourselves as a school family and it promotes a strong, cohesive school identity which supports high standards and expectations in all areas of school life. It promotes harmony between different groups represented in the school, and it enhances security, assisting the school to identify individual pupils in order to maintain good order. Smartness and high standards of appearance are expected at all times. At School, we believe that a school uniform is important, because it:♦ looks smart ♦ wears well ♦ contributes to a sense of belonging ♦ gives a common purpose ♦ fosters a feeling of pride ♦ reduces ‘fashion competition’ between children.

The children wear the standard uniform as per our uniform policy. No elaborate hairstyles are allowed.

Please ensure that all clothes likely to be removed i.e. coats, hats, scarves, gloves, jumpers etc. are clearly labelled with your child’s name as many children possess similar items.

We have some spare clothes and underwear for use if needed in cases of emergency, however if your child has any toilet problems please let the teacher know and send in a spare set of clothes for emergencies. You will be asked to sign a form giving us permission to assist your child in changing should he/she have an accident. We will inform you by phone if the accident is a major one and your child needs to go home.

There is no need for children to bring in toys into school and we do not encourage this practice because of breakages, competition and peer pressure.

From time to time we have ‘Show and Tell’ days when your child will be asked to bring in a small toy, book or object to share with the other children. (this needs to be labelled and small enough to fit in the book bag)

• Play is key to the way young children learn.

• Through play children can develop the confidence needed for learning; the social skills needed for personal development and the skills needed for reading and writing.

.

• Good quality play activities provide experiences through which children learn

.

• Play helps young children to progress in a non-threatening and enjoyable way and instills confidence

You can increase your child’s confidence and self esteem

by working on a range of independence skills.

Look for opportunities to apply simple skills such as

• observing,

• counting,

• pointing out labels and words

• sharing books and pictures

• talking and listening with your child.

• reinforcing good learning attitudes and relationships, particularly sharing, caring and considering safety.

Getting Ready for September

At home you could practise these activities to improve your child’s

co-ordination:

Holding a pencil correctly

Colouring in accurately

Using scissors

Using glue and paint carefully

Hopping and skipping

Balancing, running and jumping

Kicking a ball,catching and throwing a ball

Tying shoe laces

Peeling fruit

Drawing straight and curvy lines

Playing board and matching games

Completing jigsaws

Playing ‘I Spy’

Playing ‘spot the difference, snap and dot to dot games

School Policy Documents

• Please familiarise yourself with all school policies as these are very important to the day–to-day running of the school.

• Parents are asked to support and follow the guidelines laid down in these documents.

• Policies are reviewed regularly and changes are sometimes made…please be familiar with any changes made.

• The key policies are available on our school website.

Health and Safety• As part of our school health programme we encourage

regular washing of hands, particularly around eating time and after toilet use.

• Unfortunately germs and viruses spread very quickly in a classroom environment so it is vital that the children are encouraged to use a tissue when blowing their nose and to cover their mouth and turn away when coughing.

• If your child develops any contagious illness such as chickenpox please keep him away from school until the period of contagion is over and inform the school immediately.

• We recommend that you check your child regularly for lice which are highly contagious, treat immediately if they occur and inform the school so that notification may be sent out to other parents. All information regarding your child’s health is treated in the strictest confidence.

• Occasionally your permission will be required for dental, eye or other health examinations.

We are a Healthy School• Our school meal providers ensure that lunches

meet the Education regulations Nutritional standards Requirement for School Food England 2014. The hot meal service is provided through Edwards and Ward (Wandsworth Council). Food is cooked fresh daily on site and served hot.

• Children are taught to enjoy treats in moderation. Special celebrations such as Christmas parties are times when foods other than fruit are shared and celebrated. Party bags and treats (e.g. birthday cake) for children are not allowed.

• We are a nut, sesame and coconut free school.

• Parents of children who have allergies or are on

special diets for medical or religious reasons are asked to provide information about which foods are suitable or which must be avoided. The information is displayed in our staffroom and in the dinner hall.

• Children are encouraged to bring

water bottles to school and have

access to drinking fountains in the

playground and around school for

unlimited drinking.

Information /letters

• Please keep an eye on your

child’s school-bag for letters

or school information for

parents.

• This is especially important if

your child is the only little

person from your house

coming to school.

• The school uses a text

service to keep parents

informed as well. Please

ensure we have up to date

contact information for you.

Absence from School• The school is obliged to notify the Education Welfare

Board if a pupil is absent from school for a total of 20 school days in the school year

• ALL ABSENCES MUST BE EXPLAINED IN WRITING

• Your child’s absence will be monitored on a regular basis. If it falls below the required 96% you will be asked to come in for a stage 1 meeting with the Wellbeing and Inclusion Lead. At this meeting targets will be set and support given for your child’s attendance % to rise within a given amount of weeks.

• Lateness will also be monitored regularly.

Getting in Touch

with the school

• …. your child is going to be late

• … your child is ill

• … your child has been away from school for any reason

• … you are going to be late picking up your child

• … your home or family circumstances change eg address

• Please note: Holidays during term time are not allowed and are not authorised!

Please fill in a Special Leave

Form requesting to take your child out of school at least 2 weeks in

advance

Phone numbers

• If your child has an accident or becomes ill at school we shall make every effort to contact you, or failing that, any other emergency contacts you have given us.

• Please tell us if these numbers change, or if you move house or change your place of employment.

• Should we be unable to make contact for any reason, we will act in your child’s best interests.

Other Key Staff members • Mrs Victoria Graham –

Deputy Headteacher,

SENCO & Safeguarding Lead

• Mrs Ruth Azurdia –

Deputy Headteacher

& Safeguarding Lead

• Mrs Joanne Rochester –

• Wellbeing and Inclusion Lead

Other Key Staff members

• Mrs Nellisa Gooljar-King -

School Business Manager

• Mrs Linda Larkin –

Senior Adminitstrative Officer