Welcome to Ysgol Maesydre Junior School

‘Bringing out the best in each other, Ennyn y gorau o’n gilydd’

School Prospectus 2015/2016

Ysgol Maesydre Junior School, Howell Drive, Severn Street, Welshpool, SY21 7AT Telephone: 01938 552971 Website: www.maesydre.powys.sch.uk

Email: office@maesydre.powys.sch.uk Head Teacher: Mr R Cadwallader Deputy Head Teacher: Miss A Jones

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Contents

“Maesydre is a caring school. I always know someone will help me if I am stuck.”

“Our teachers are kind and helpful. They

are always there to support you.”

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..………..3 2. Aims of Ysgol Maesydre ………………………………………………………………..…………..4 3. The Governing Body ……………………………………………………………………………….….5 4. The School and its Staff ………………………………………………………………….………….5 5. Admissions ………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 6. Learning at Ysgol Maesydre ……………………………………………………………..……….6 7. The School Curriculum ………………………………………………………………………………9 8. Uniform and Equipment …………………………………………………………..……………..14 9. Parental Involvement ………………………………………………………………………………15 10. School Policies …………………………………………………………………………………………16 11. Positive Behaviour ………………………………………………………………….……………….17 12. Home–School Agreement ………………………………………..………………………………18 13. Useful Information ……………………………………………………………………….………….19 Appendix A – The Governing Body ……………………………………………………….…………….21 Appendix B – Ysgol Maesydre Staff …………………………………………………………………….22 Appendix C – Performance Information ……………………………………………………………..23 Appendix D – School Calendar 2015 – 2016 ……………………………………………………….24

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1. Introduction

Welcome to Ysgol Maesydre. By reading this prospectus we hope that you will learn a little about the life and work of our school.

Ysgol Maesydre is a friendly school which offers exciting opportunities for its pupils to learn, achieve and succeed. We are the only Junior School in Welshpool and have close links to our three feeder Infant Schools, Ardwyn, Gungrog and Oldford, with whom we work very closely to ensure we ‘Bring out the best in each other’. The majority of our children move on to Welshpool High School.

The school is a large Victorian building with excellent outside facilities. There is a hall with gym equipment, a music room, an ICT Suite, a library, good sized classrooms and a separate dining hall. We are striving to provide a quality learning environment for all our children, where they feel happy, valued and fulfilled.

We look forward to working and learning with you.

Mr Russell Cadwallader Head-teacher

“We have a great library, a big ICT suite

and use iPads; these all help us learn.”

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2. Aims of Ysgol Maesydre School

'Bringing out the best in each other, Ennyn y gorau o’n gilydd '

Each and every one of us working at Ysgol Maesydre is committed to ensuring the best education for every child. The families of the children we work with are a valuable part of our team and we need their support in order to succeed.

The key aims of Ysgol Maesydre are:

To provide a positive school atmosphere where children feel cared for, respected and develop confidence and enthusiasm for learning, so that they reach their full academic and creative potential;

To help children learn that good behaviour, respect and consideration for others and their possessions are important qualities;

To provide the children with opportunities to widen their knowledge and interests by providing an exciting, varied curriculum, whilst encouraging independent learning;

To encourage children to be aware of the culture of Wales, their community and environment as well as the world around them.

“I’m learning to play the drums – it makes

lots of noise!”

“World Book Day was great; we dressed up as

our favourite characters or authors.”

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Llangrannog Residential Trip: Teachers, as well as pupils, enjoy the range of opportunities that Ysgol Maesydre provides!

3. The Governing Body

The Governing Body is made up of four elected parent governors, three Local Education Authority representatives, three community representatives, a teaching staff representative and a non-teaching representative. The Head-teacher is also a member of the Governing Body. The Governing Body meets twice a term and is supported by the Clerk to the Governing Body. A full list of current Governors and the Clerk is included in Appendix A. Want to get involved? We regularly need to recruit parents to the governing body as children grow and move on to high school. If you would be interested in standing as a Parent Governor, please contact the School Secretary to register your interest.

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4. The School and its Staff

Ysgol Maesydre has 184 children on roll to date. The school has a compliment of over 30 staff from teachers to cleaners. All our staff are well trained and continually develop their skills. This ensures we provide the best teaching and learning environment possible so that pupils can grow and flourish. All staff and governors are vetted for criminal records before they can take up their positions in the school. A full list of the current teaching compliment is included in Appendix B.

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1. Admissions Policy

5. Admissions

Ysgol Maesydre’s admissions policy is in line with the Powys Education Authority policy for admission to primary schools and the school will work closely with the Local Authority in regard to the admission of all pupils. The Authority has adopted, in order of priority, the following criteria:

a. Powys pupils with a Statement of Special Need which names a specific school; b. Looked After Children in Powys; c. The presence of an elder brother or sister in the school (when the home remains in the allocation area of the school which applied in the year the elder child was first admitted); d. The location of the home in relation to the school and alternative schools; e. Any special medical and social needs relating to the individual child. f. The presence of a brother or sister at the school when the family home is not in the original or current allocation area for the school.

Arrangements for the admission of pupils with disabilities

Arrangements will begin before the child is enrolled. The school building is wheelchair accessible with a designated wheelchair accessible toilet, but access arrangement will be tested against the specific needs of the child and addressed where it is reasonable to do so.

6. Learning at Ysgol Maesydre

There are seven classes in the school, one of which, Uned Cymraeg, access their education through the medium of Welsh; the six other classes are taught through the medium of English.

English Medium Classes Year 3: The most important point in the early days of your child joining Ysgol Maesydre is that they settle down quickly and are happy coming to school. We hope that as parents and teachers we can work together to achieve that aim. During their time in Year 3 pupils will be building on the firm foundation they have built in infant school. Learning will continue to be hands on where practical with children encouraged to begin to develop the skills of independent learning. All National Curriculum subjects are taught and there will be plenty of opportunities for children to discover their own individual talents through a range of sporting, outdoor, musical, academic and artistic activities. Years 4 - 6: Throughout their time at Maesydre pupils build on their skills of independence and are actively involved in planning their learning. They develop research skills through an enquiry based approach to learning and are encouraged to make links between their learning in different subjects. Sometimes the children work individually, sometimes in groups and sometimes as a whole class. A strong emphasis is placed on ensuring Numeracy and Literacy skills are used and highlighted in all other National Curriculum subjects, ensuring that the most is made of every learning opportunity. Children are expected to use both iPads and computers as well as written reference material. During these years children also have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of educational day trips as well as a residential trip in either Year 5 or Year 6.

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6. Learning at Ysgol Maesydre (continued) Welsh Language Medium Class Operating as an integral part of the school, the Welsh Unit provides the opportunity for children in the Welshpool area to be educated through the medium of Welsh. The unit delivers education in a single location with Years 3,4,5 and 6 in a co-learning environment. This has the advantage for the younger children to learn from and with older children and gives the older children the opportunity of practising responsibility, empathy and mentoring. Located adjacent to the English classes, the children have the wider benefit of mixing through the school at break times, thus achieving a bilingual approach to their education. Outside the classroom we offer a wide range of related activities e.g. the Urdd, trips to Llangrannog and Glanllyn, school Eisteddfod, and at certain times of the year, Welsh medium after school clubs. Rainbow Room: Specialist Support Centre Children with additional learning needs are able to access the Specialist Support Centre located within Ysgol Maesydre. Here the emphasis is on small group or individual teaching allowing children to focus on their basic Mathematics and English skills. Children work towards individual targets and regular liaison meetings are held between staff to discuss progress.

Houses All children at Maesydre are part of one of three houses, Coch (red), Melyn (yellow) or Gwyrdd (green). Children have the opportunity to earn points for their house for positive behaviour or good work. House points are announced in a weekly assembly with the winning house earning a colour block. The house with the most coloured blocks at the end of each half-term is rewarded with a house treat such as an extra swim and play session at the local Leisure Centre, The Flash.

“My house won the house point reward

and went to The Flash, we were excited!”

“Sports Day is great, we compete in our house teams, I came first in

the 100m race.”

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6. Learning at Ysgol Maesydre (continued) Session times 8.05am Breakfast club starts 8.30am Children can arrive at school 8.50am Registration 9.00am Lessons begin 10.15–10.30am Year 3/4 break-time 10.30–10.45am Year 5/6 break-time 12.00–1.00pm Lunchtime 3.25pm School finishes 3.25 – 4.30pm After-school clubs Moving to Ysgol Maesydre A smooth transition from our feeder schools is extremely important to us so that children feel welcome and are able to settle into life at Maesydre as quickly as possible. Staff and pupils from Maesydre visit our feeder schools in the summer term and Year 2 children are also invited to attend events at Maesydre, such as our school concerts, throughout the year. A transition day is held during the summer term where pupils can meet their new class teacher and find out more about the school through an exciting range of activities. Moving on to High School In their last year at school, children are prepared to transfer to High School and we have good links with all the surrounding secondary schools. Teachers from Welshpool High School visit Year 6 pupils throughout the year in order to get to know the children. Year 6 children also complete a range of units of work that ensure the High School have a good understanding of pupils’ needs and achievements. Regular liaison between class teachers and High School is also conducted. In the summer term pupils spend two days at their chosen High School with all the other children that will be starting at the same time as them allowing them to familiarise themselves with the next exciting phase of their learning. All of this ensures that the move from primary to secondary education is less daunting for our pupils.

“We have fun on the field in the summer and have toys to play with on the

playground as well.”

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7. The School Curriculum

At Ysgol Maesydre we strive to make learning enjoyable and engaging for all pupils. We believe in an active approach to learning where pupils have a say in how and what they learn: we call this living planning. We ensure our teaching is relevant and interesting for all our pupils. As well as providing a broad and balanced curriculum we aim to promote the spiritual, moral, cultural and physical development of our pupils whilst preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of the future. We recognise pupils as individual learners and work is differentiated according to the needs of the pupil. We closely monitor pupil progress in order to identify the next steps on each child’s learning journey. The three core subjects of the National Curriculum are English, Mathematics and Science; ICT is taught and embedded throughout these and all other subjects. Teaching of Welsh as an additional language in the English medium classes is also given a high priority thus ensuring children are aware of their Welsh heritage. Teachers use Welsh phrases in all subjects to promote bi-lingualism and children are encouraged to use incidental Welsh as much as possible. We place a strong emphasis on the basic skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening and mathematical and scientific literacy. These underpin our children’s learning both in school and the wider world. The school holds the Basic Skills Agency’s Quality Mark for the teaching of basic skills.

Children utilise and practise these basic skills when learning about: the world and people around them in Science, ICT, PSE, Geography and RE how things are made and how they work in Science and Design and Technology people who lived in the past and about chronology in History their country, culture and language in Welsh

We also aim to encourage the children’s creativity through: English – through poetry, creative writing, drama and debating Science and Mathematics – through problem solving activities Art – through painting, drawing, modelling, sculpting and studying the work of artists

and architects Design and Technology – through designing, making and evaluating, including use of

control technology Music – through investigating, composing and evaluating PE – through gymnastics, dance and game creation Forest School – learning through nature and outdoors PSE – through use of the KiVa anti-bullying programme using role-play to solve

problems and develop empathy with others

“We do Forest Schools in our school garden. I have

made a den, grown vegetables, created leaf art and made mud pies!”

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7. The School Curriculum (continued)

PE and Swimming Ysgol Maesydre holds a Healthy Schools award and PE is very much part of our approach to developing healthy, active children. We aim to develop a love of physical activity which will benefit children throughout their lives by offering a range of experiences and opportunities through their weekly PE lessons and as part of extra-curricular clubs and activities. We are an active member of the Welshpool Area Sports for Primary Schools (WASPS) as well as the Urdd organisation and take part in galas, competitions and events throughout the year. The PE curriculum is organised on a subject basis as per the National Curriculum covering the areas of: dance, gymnastics, athletics, games, outdoor activities and swimming. We hold an annual sports day where children compete both individually and for their house team. Children swim at The Flash leisure centre for one half term of the year with children taught by specialist swimming teachers as well as their class teachers. In line with the policy of The Flash girls should wear one piece swimming suits and boys should wear swimming trunks. Sex Education The children are taught about health and relationships throughout the school through our PSE and KiVa work. During Years 5 and 6 children are given lessons about sexual development as part of a series of health education lessons. The school nurse also visits the school to talk to older pupils about puberty and personal care. Questions are encouraged and answered sensitively according to the child’s age and maturity. Parents will be notified when lessons containing sexual development will be covered and may withdraw their child if they wish though we would encourage you to talk to the Head-teacher before doing so. KiVa Ysgol Maesydre is one of a small number of Kiva schools in Wales. Kiva is an anti-bullying programme developed in Finland which is part of an ongoing study into bullying and how it can be prevented and dealt with. Children take part in a programme of activities in each year group helping them to identify good friendship skills, what bullying is and how they can be part of the solution to bullying. The programme is highly interactive and makes use of drama activities and a computer game to help develop the children’s understanding of bullying further.

“KiVa helps us be a friendly school and

helps us sort out any problems.”

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7. The School Curriculum (continued)

Additional Needs At Ysgol Maesydre we see pupils as individual learners and as such every child will have individual needs and learning styles. As a result of this lessons are differentiated to ensure that all pupils can make good progress.

Class teachers continually assess the progress of pupils and, if they feel a child is experiencing any difficulties they will, in the first instance, discuss this with parents/carers. They may then, in discussion with parents/carers, wish to refer the child to another professional such as the Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ALNCO), Educational Psychologist, physiotherapist or speech therapist to help assess the child’s needs further and put in place a plan of action. Sometimes a child needs more specific help and, in consultation with parents/carers and the Local Authority, a Statement of Educational Needs may be drawn up. The Local Authority is then legally obliged to provide the means to meet the needs set out in the Statement.

The school employs one teacher as a co-ordinator for matters concerning additional needs. There is a register of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) which fully complies with the SEN Code of Practice. All children on the SEN register have Provision Maps to monitor progress which are set up by the Class teacher on advice from the ALNCO. In addition to this the Specialist Teaching Centre, based within the school, has space for twenty four children and works as outlined above.

Children who are More Able and Talented (MAT) in subjects are also identified at an early stage in order that additional provision can be made for them.

Homework All children at Ysgol Maesydre are given homework on a weekly basis which they are expected to complete to the best of their ability and hand in on the date given. Homework in all years will include reading and times-table work. In addition to this children may be asked to complete a task related to their learning in school or to research and find out additional information on a particular topic. As children progress through the school the number of homework tasks and the length of time these take will increase.

The school offers a homework club where children can access the school computers to help them with their homework. If parents/carers would like to know how to support their child further, please contact your child’s class teacher and they will be happy to help.

MAT Science trip:

“Finding out about biodiversity at Llanymynech Rocks Nature Reserve was

interesting and fun.”

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7. The School Curriculum (continued)

Assessment Statutory tests in English and Numeracy have been introduced for children in Wales on an annual basis. In addition teachers make an end of Key Stage assessment of children’s abilities at the end of year 6. The results of this are reported to all parents alongside comparative information for other children in their year group. Aggregated results at Key Stage 2 will be published in an annual report to parents. Children in years 3 – 5 undertake formal in-school assessments on a half-termly basis, the results of these tests are conveyed to parents/carers at the Autumn and Spring Parents’ Evenings. At Ysgol Maesydre we believe children should be involved in assessing their learning as this helps them develop an understanding of what good learning looks like. Children regularly assess their own work and the work of their peers against Success Criteria developed by themselves as well as by teachers. All children are also involved in assessing and reviewing their individual targets; these targets are shared with parents/carers at Parents’ Evenings.

After-school Clubs

Ysgol Maesydre runs a number of clubs during lunchtime and after school. The emphasis on these clubs is enjoyment and participation. A letter will be sent home at the start of each half-term outlining the opportunities available. Clubs may include:

Sports – such as football, cricket, rugby, netball, hockey, dance Art Debating Archaeology Gardening Homework Pyramid club (an invitational club for children needing to build their self confidence)

Extra–curricular Music In addition to class music lessons, the children in the school are given the opportunity to learn to play an instrument from a choice of guitar, piano and drums. Please contact the school secretary for more information if your child would like to learn to play one of these instruments.

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7. The School Curriculum (continued)

Educational Visits At Ysgol Maesydre we believe going on educational visits to develop classroom based learning further is essential. Some visits may be local, for example visiting Powysland Museum, exploring Welshpool or visiting local churches, whilst others may be further afield to historic sites, theatres or museums. Tudor trip – Chirk Castle DT trip – Tesco Bakery Llangrannog Year 5 and 6 residential trip Science trip – Erddig When necessary we hire a bus to take us on the visit. Parents are asked to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the educational visit with the costs being worked out on the following basis:

cost per child = total cost of transport and admission / number of children attending trip

Should not enough parents make voluntary contributions, it may not be possible for the visit to go ahead. If any parents/carers have difficulty meeting the costs of trips, please talk to the Head-teacher as it may be possible to pay in instalments or make other arrangements.

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7. The School Curriculum (continued)

Parents’ Evenings and School Reports You are always welcome to look at, and talk about, your children’s work when it is convenient for the teacher. There will also be two formal Parents’ Evenings each year for you to discuss your child’s progress; we hope you will attend these evenings which are held in the Autumn and Spring terms.

Once a year you will receive a written report on your child’s progress and will have the opportunity to record your comments on the school copy of the report. The report will give you details of what your child has studied over the course of the year as well as giving you a grade for their effort and attainment level.

Collective Worship School assemblies include Christian acts of worship together with a moral lesson. They may also cover the beliefs of other faiths. In addition to this, once a week, a singing assembly is held and classes also hold an individual class assembly based on an area of PSE. Parents who wish to remove their child from assemblies on religious grounds have the right to do so but we would encourage you to talk to the Head-teacher before doing so.

8. Uniform and Equipment

Ysgol Maesydre encourages all children to wear school uniform to instil a sense of belonging and pride. We expect that parents/carers will support the uniform policy and label all equipment/uniform. It is essential that pupils wear a suitable coat to school to keep them warm and dry. Individual pegs are provided for pupils to hang up their coats and other belongings.

Boys Uniform Girls Uniform

White polo shirt (with logo optional) White polo shirt (with logo optional)

Navy sweatshirt with logo or navy cardigan Navy sweatshirt with logo or navy cardigan

Dark grey or black trousers / shorts (summer) Dark grey or black trousers or Navy blue or dark grey skirt or Blue and white gingham dress (summer)

Black shoes Black shoes

The school colours are blue and white and we have a small stock of second hand uniforms. Pupils are not allowed to wear jewellery for health and safety reasons and in case of loss; watches and stud earrings are permitted. All jewellery should be removed while participating in PE or sporting activities. We also discourage nail varnish and make up.

PE Kit The children should have a PE kit in school at all times. PE kit is: black shorts, white T-Shirt and trainers/plimsolls. In winter black jogging bottoms may be worn.

Mobile Phones, Toys, Games and Sweets We do not allow the use of mobile phones by pupils. If a child needs to contact their parents in an emergency they may use the school office phone with the permission of the School Secretary. Any mobile phones found will be kept safely in the office and returned to the child at the end of the day. We also discourage children from bringing toys, games or sweets.

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9. Parental Involvement

Ysgol Maesydre values its relationships with parents and carers and we aim to make everyone feel welcome in school at all times.

At certain times of the year you will be formally invited to the school, for example: Parents’ Evenings, school plays, Harvest Festival, parent lunches, sports day and other special occasions. We also believe effective communication with parents and carers is vital in order for children to make excellent progress; you are your child’s first teacher! We keep parents up-to-date by means of SMS text. These messages will inform you of any changes in respect of after school clubs, any important letters you should find in your child’s school bag, PTA events and general reminders. If you would like to speak to your child’s teacher then, for urgent matters they are available from 8.30-8.50am and after 3.25pm, for non-urgent matters please ask for an appointment, we will be happy to help.

Parental Help There are many opportunities for parents to become involved in the life of the school and to gain a greater understanding of its work. For example:

To help listen to readers To help with art or design and technology activities To work with small groups to develop maths skills through playing games To help with a trip or event

If you would like to be involved in this way, please speak to your child’s teacher.

Working parents often feel they cannot come into school during the day to help and so cannot contribute to school life. This doesn’t have to be the case! By spending time with your child on their homework or by listening to them read you are showing that school matters, you are interested in what they are learning and you will help them progress further. By coming to Parents’ Evenings, fundraising activities or Friends of Ysgol Maesydre meetings all parents can support the school. We are also always looking for Parent Governors, if you would be interested in finding out more about what this involves please talk to our School Secretary.

If you need us to communicate in a language other than English then please let the School Secretary know on, 01938 552971.

Os hoffech i ni gyfathrebu mewn unrhyw iaith yn wahanol i saesneg, gadewch i ni wybod os gwelwch un dda, 01938 552971.

Jesli potrzebuja panstwo abysmy komunikowali sie w jezyku innym niz angielski prosze daj nam znac, 01938 552971.

Baking for the School Summer Fete

“The Friends of Ysgol Maesydre raise money and

give us fun discos.”

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10. School Policies

The school has a range of policies covering different aspects of school life, including social curriculum and safety areas. These policies are constantly being reviewed and updated by the teaching staff and governing body. All school policies are available on request. The following are a selection of policies that have been adopted:

Race & Disability

Anti- Bullying Homework Assessment Discipline Marking

Monitoring & Evaluation

Performance Management

Complaints Health & Safety

Sex Education

EAL

Restraint Positive Behaviour

Attendance & Absence

Charging School Session Times

Equal Opportunities

Teaching & Learning

Child Protection & Safeguarding

SEN Freedom of Information

Strategic Equalities Plan

Uniform

Parents are welcome to discuss any policy that is of interest to them, by appointment with the Head-teacher. Some of our key policies are: Equal Opportunities Policy and Equalities Statement At Maesydre School we seek to develop the particular abilities of each pupil as an individual. We are committed to the elimination of unfair discrimination and the provision and promotion of equality of opportunity for all in education. We will strive to ensure that no pupil or member of staff receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, marital status, age, language, colour, race or ethnic origin, socio-economic status, sexual orientation or disability. Sex Education Policy Sex education at Maesydre School will be approached in a balanced and responsible way in order to help the children in our care, at the appropriate stage of their development, to cope with the physical and emotional changes of growing up. Sex education is an integral part of the school’s Personal and Social Education programme, and will be taught within a clear moral framework in order to meet the aims identified in the school’s PSE policy document. Teaching regarding human reproduction will not happen until Year 6. Health and Safety Policy We take the health and safety of pupils, staff and anyone else visiting the school extremely seriously. A Governor has specific responsibility along with the Head-teacher for monitoring health and safety, as set out in the Policy.

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Testing a shelter built as part of an English lesson

11. Positive Behaviour

We place great emphasis on good behaviour amongst our pupils. Everyone involved with the school has helped write the Behaviour Policy, which includes a variety of rewards and sanctions. We encourage our pupils to be courteous to each other, staff and visitors, and to be honest and respectful of others.

“In Year 6 we have Secret Student, it helps keep us motivated and

behave positively.”

“Our celebration assembly is fun. You

get to hear all the good things people have done and find

out which house has collected the most

house points.”

“I received the Head-teacher award, it made me proud.”

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12. Home–School Agreement

We ask that you look carefully at our Home-School agreement; you will be asked to sign a copy of the agreement before your child joins the school.

The School’s Commitment

The school will make every effort to:

Encourage children to do their best at all times to achieve full potential;

Provide a broad and balanced curriculum ensuring equality of provision for all children;

Inform parents of their child /children’s progress at Parent’s Evenings and through annual written reports;

Provide a caring, well-disciplined working environment;

Keep parents informed about general school matters;

Be open and welcoming and offer opportunities for parents to become involved in school life;

Set homework whenever appropriate.

The Parents’ Commitment

Parents will make every effort to:

Make sure their child attends school regularly and arrives on time;

Inform the school promptly about any reason for absence;

Attend Parents’ Evenings to discuss their child / children’s progress;

Consult the school regarding any queries and make the school aware of any concerns or problems that might affect my child’s work, behaviour or happiness;

Support the policies of the school;

Encourage the child/children to do their best at all times;

Support the child/children in homework and other opportunities for home learning.

The Pupil’s Commitment The child will make every effort to:

Work to the best of their ability at all times;

Share the responsibility for and respect the school environment;

Recognise the importance of good behaviour and fulfil school and classroom expectations;

Treat all school staff and pupils with respect and be polite and helpful to others at all times.

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13. Useful Information School Dinners Ysgol Maesydre provides a daily, nutritious and appetising hot meal as well as jacket potatoes and sandwiches; there is always a vegetarian option. All our children eat dinners on school premises in our school canteen. Pupils have the choice of bringing their own packed lunch or having a meal provided by Powys Catering. All meals are paid for in advance and children should bring their dinner money for the week on a Monday, or on the first day back at school. It is also possible to pay for meals for half a term or a whole term, please ask the School Secretary if you are interested in this option. There is a charge for school meals which is set by Powys County Council and is periodically increased, please check with the School Secretary for the current prices. Free School Meals If you think your child may be entitled to Free School Meals please contact Beki Williams at the school for advice. It is important if your child is in receipt of Free School Meals and you are sent a form to continue receiving Free School Meals that you fill in and return it immediately, otherwise you may lose your entitlement for a time and be required to pay for dinners.

“The food in our canteen is tasty. I like the roast

dinner best.”

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All information given is correct at the time of writing and meets requirements of the changes of School Prospectuses Advice as sent to schools on 4th June 2001 by the N.A.W.

13. Useful Information (Continued)

Notification of Absences from School – Including Holidays It is essential that the school is notified of a child’s absence, whether through illness or a medical appointment, through a phone call before 9 am or a note on the first day that the child is away. Absences without explanation will be classed as unauthorised and are likely to be followed up by the Education Welfare Officer (EWO). Holidays taken during term time are classed as an unauthorised absence and a fine may be payable in line with the Local Authority policy on term-time holidays.

Contact Names and Addresses – Illness and Emergencies During the School Day Occasionally, when a child is ill or if there is an emergency at school, it may be necessary for us to contact you during school hours. We ask that you give us daytime telephone numbers where you can be contacted and also the name, address and telephone number of someone else whom we could contact if we cannot reach you.

If a child is taken ill during the school day, every effort will be made to contact the parent/carer. We hold a medical record of each pupil. If your child needs to be given medicine during the school day we encourage you to come in yourself to do this. However, staff may be able to do this with clear instructions and written consent.

It is a policy of Powys County Council that any child who has been sick should not return to school for 48 hours after the last incident.

School Closures In the event of adverse weather or any other exceptional circumstance, the Head-teacher will notify parents of the school’s closure by posting it on both the Powys and school website. Parents will also receive a text from the free texting service Teachers2Parents.

Questions and Complaints

If a parent wishes to discuss a query this should be done in the first instance through their child’s class teacher. If the query is of an urgent nature relating to the welfare of your child(ren), class teachers are available between 8.30–8.50am or after 3.25pm. Non-urgent matters can be discussed with either the Head-teacher or Class teacher by making an appointment.

The school has a complaints policy which includes the curriculum, which may be obtained from the school office; complaints about the curriculum should be made to the Head-teacher.

“I like researching in a team, we can work together to solve

problems.”

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Appendix A – The Governing Body Governing Body as at July 2016 LEA (Chair) Cllr P Pritchard LEA (Vice Chair) Mrs M Bailey LEA Mrs A Bowen Parent Mrs L Mills Parent Mrs H Chave Parent Mrs K Kerr Parent Mrs A Sidwa Teacher Miss W Terry Staff Mrs S Bills Community Vacancy Community Mrs B Martin Community Mr R Holden Minor Authority Cllr A Holloway Head-teacher Mr R Cadwallader Clerk Mrs C Barker

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Appendix B – Ysgol Maesydre Staff

Head-teacher: Mr R. Cadwallader Teaching Staff Teaching Assistants Miss A Jones (Deputy Head-teacher) Mrs J Ellis (HLTA) Miss C Davies Mrs C Gittins Miss C Watkin Mrs Z Davies Mrs L Tuffin Mrs S Bills Mrs C Hamer Mrs S Thomas Miss N Lloyd Mrs A Sidwa Miss W Terry Mrs H Rowlands Mr R Protheroe Ms G Rolinson Mr G Morgan Family Liaison Officer Mrs R Williams Emotional Well-being Co-ordinator Ms Z Spencer Welsh Peripatetic Mrs C Andrew Specialist Support Centre Teacher Mrs T Day S.S.C. Assistant Mrs J Woodhouse (HLTA) Secretary Mrs C Barker Cleaner-in-Charge Mrs C Thomas Cleaner Mrs M Lewis Cleaner Mrs E Ekin Caretaker Mr N Watkins Head Cook Mrs A Edwards Assistant Cook Mrs Z Owen Cashier Mrs M Macdonald Mid-Day Supervisor Miss K Jones Mid-Day Supervisor Mrs K Edwards Mid-Day Supervisor Ms G Rolinson Mid-Day Supervisor Mrs K Gill Mis-Day Supervisor Mrs C Gittins Breakfast Club Leader Mrs C Gittins Breakfast Club Assistant Mrs V Entwistle After-School Club Leader Mrs C Gittins After-School Assistant Mrs V Entwistle

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Appendix C – Performance Information

Number of children on roll as at 30.06.16: 184 Attendance Data: Our attendance percentages for the last two terms to 30.06.16 are as follows. Spring Term 2016 94.14% unauthorised absence 0.46% Summer Term 2016 92.23% unauthorised absences 0.18% Number of pupil exclusions 2015 – 2016 = 8 End of Key Stage 2 Results 2015-2016 The school’s results for Key Stage 2 (% children achieving Level 4 or above)

2016: Teacher Assessments

ENGLISH ...0%

MATHS ….0%

SCIENCE ...0%

WELSH ...0%

The Core Subject Indicator for Key Stage 2015-2016 was 0 % This year’s results and comparative information for Key Stage 2 are available as a separate document; please contact the School Secretary for further information.

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Appendix D – School Calendar 2016 – 2017

See the Powys County Council website: http://www.powys.gov.uk/en/schools-students/school-term-dates/