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Access to documents and information in schoolEvery year parents will receive a written report about their child’s progress. There will also be information provided at parents evenings and as mentioned elsewhere, informally via the home-school diary. Obviously information about individual children will only be shared with their parents/guardians. Other information about the school such as the curriculum, subject and management policies and procedures, governors' minutes (other than confidential issues) etc. are available for inspection from the school office. If parents require a copy of this information a charge to cover the cost of photocopying will be made. Accident proceduresDespite every effort care and concern, it is possible that your child may become ill whilst at school or have an accident. Minor accidents and illnesses are dealt with in school, the incident recorded and the child checked by a qualified First Aider. You will be informed if your child has had an accident or injury during the school day. First Aid can be given in school but injuries requiring further treatment will mean the school needs to be able to contact parents. For this reason it is very important that the school has up to date contact information for all children. For more serious incidents appropriate action will be taken and you will be fully informed.
The school can admit 12 children into each year group. Children will normally come into school in the school year in which they are five. If a year group is oversubscribed children are given priority according to criteria set by the Local Education Authority in order to be consistent and as fair as possible. The criteria are as follows, in order of priority: 1.Special Educational Needs a) Where the child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs which names the school. b) Where the child has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. 2.Children in Public Care 3. Local siblings Local siblings are defined as: a). Those living within the Area of Prime Responsibility (catchment area, as set by the LEA) b). Where there is no Area of Prime Responsibility, those living up to a maximum of 2 miles from school by the nearest available walking route or c). where the distance is over 2 miles but the school is still the nearest school with a place available. 4. Geographical Considerations Where there are more applications for places for children living within the Area of Prime Responsibility than there are places available, priority will be given to first preference applications living within the defined area who live closest to the preferred school and/or furthest from an alternative school with a place available as measured by the nearest available walking route from home address to school. Second preferences will only be considered after all first preferences have been met and third preferences will be considered after first and second have been met. After places have been allocated from within the Area of Prime Responsibility, any remaining places will be allocated to those children living closest to the school and/or furthest from an alternative school with places available, as measured by the nearest available walking route. If a place is not offered at the parents preferred school then an Appeal may be made to an independent body, details available from the LEA or school. After school activitiesCurrently there are after school activities run by teaching staff and some parents. These run from 3:15pm to 4:00pm. For Key Stage 1 children there is Country Dancing and PE club. At Key stage 2 we offer, French, Recorders, Drama, Computer Club, Netball, Robot Club and Football. The standards of behavior in the school are very high. This is encouraged through a system of positive reinforcement and other rewards. All adult members of the school community are expected by their example to promote good behavior in a caring environment. Sanctions, when they are required, are known throughout the school and are used as uniformly as possible. The school is well aware of child protection issues and will involve the appropriate agencies if required, according to the school’s policy and current Social Services/Department of Health guidelines. It is hoped that most complaints will be satisfactorily resolved through informal direct discussion with the child’s class teacher and/or the head teacher. These should be the first people to be approached by parents with any concern. It is recognised, however, that there may be a need for a formal mechanism for dealing fairly and effectively with complaints which it has not been possible to settle informally. To this end there is a formal Complaints Procedure, copies of which are available from the school office. In addition to general complaints there can be some complaints which fall within certain categories for which there is a specific and set procedure, which must be followed. Neither the school nor the Governors can take action about such complaints. The categories are: i) complaints about the curriculum, under section 23 of the Education Reform Act 1988, as consolidated in the 1996 Education Act; We aim to provide a curriculum which is well balanced and in which each subject receives appropriate time allocation. We hope to ensure progression and continuity in all subject areas and, through planning and assessment, we aim to ensure that each child’s needs are met and that each child is enabled to meet their full potential. In keeping with the Mission statement, this is done in the context of a community which seeks to nurture the spiritual, moral, social and emotional development of each child in a Christian environment. This environment seeks to include all individuals regardless of their gender, disability, race, religion or circumstances. Details for each subject. On rare occasions it may be necessary to close the school at short notice, for example due to extreme weather conditions. We will endeavor to inform parents as best we can in the following way:
We take a common sense approach when deciding what action to take in order to ensure the safety of all children and staff Equal opportunities, disability and inclusion The school adheres to its equal opportunities and disability policies and inclusion statement to ensure that no pupil is treated less favorably than other pupils. We are also committed to the provision of equal opportunities for all people connected with the school in any way, regardless of age, sex, ethnic origin, ability or disability and marital status. The Governors and staff are all aware of the new Disability Discrimination Act and this is implemented in the life of the school. The Friends of Iron Acton School The Friends of Iron Acton School is the parent teacher association. All parents/guardians of children in the school and all staff, teaching and non-teaching are members. The aim of the Friends is to raise money to support the school in providing resources for the use of all children in the school. In common with all schools extra finance is needed to support the daily activities of school life. These range from books to PE equipment to computers, as well as toys for use at wet playtimes. Other events, which are not for fund raising, are also organised to help to strengthen communication and links within the school community. The Friends is run by an elected committee who meet to organise events and who are always keen to welcome every parent/guardian to help in supporting the children in the school. Parents play a valuable role in supporting classroom and after-school activities. The Friends organise a wide variety of social and fundraising events for children and adults which help to build relationships within the school community Parents help the staff in running some of the after school clubs. Until her retirement in January 2006, Rector Sue Rushton and her team were regular visitors to the school and school services were held in the parish church of St James the Less. The school looks forward to continuing this close relationship with her successor The school community supports village events, for example providing Maypole dancers for the village May Day celebrations, attending Parish council meetings, and Carols on the Green . The school writes regular articles for the village news letter ‘Focal Poyntz’. Villagers are welcome at school events and several older residents have been to school to share their memories with the children. The day to day running of the school is the responsibility of the head teacher, who is supported in this role by the governors. The governors are a group of volunteers who have a strategic role in the running of the school. Many governors have no specific professional education background, although some do, however they are all able to bring other areas of expertise and experience to this role. Under the various Education and children’s Acts the governors carry significant legal responsibilities in carrying out their duties. These responsibilities include, ensuring that the National Curriculum is delivered throughout the school, setting of statutory targets for pupils, ensuring there is provision for Special Educational Needs, and having an overview of Health and Safety within the school. The governors are also involved in the setting and monitoring of the school budget. At Iron Acton Primary School the governors, head teacher and staff enjoy a close, mutually supportive working relationship. There are termly full governing body meetings and the various committees meet prior to these. The committees are Finance, School Improvement and Buildings. The Chair of Governors meets the head teacher once a week, during school time, at present. This allows for a free exchange of views and ideas and, if necessary constructive criticism in order that the children benefit from this team work. The Governing Body of Iron Acton Primary School currently consists of twelve members. 2 Foundation Governors appointed by the Bristol Diocesan Board of Education “ one of whom is the Rector by virtue of office, 1 teacher governor, 4 parent governors, 2 governors appointed by the Local Education Authority, 2 community governors and the head teacher. Due to changes in legislation the structure of the governing body will change during this academic year and it will then have 3 Foundation governors, 4 parent governors and 1 LEA governor with the others remaining as before. There are 2 LEA governor vacancies. However the governing body is in the process of reconstituting itself and we hope to recruit to fill all vacancies during the coming year. In general these cannot be administered by school staff and so if your child is attending school at the same time as receiving medication (such as antibiotics) we would ask you to make arrangements to administer this yourself. Under certain circumstances some essential medication can be administered in school with written parental consent but this must be discussed on an individual basis. Children with asthma will be expected to be able to use their own inhalers. For Key Stage 1 children these will be kept by the members of staff who have care of the children whilst Key Stage 2 children may take responsibility for their own inhalers. We welcome and value all support from parents and by working together we can deliver the high quality of education your children deserve. The school aims to maintain and develop good links with parents, the local parish and the wider community. This is accomplished through regular communication with parents, parental involvement in the classroom, and an active PTA (The Friends of Iron Acton Primary School). A parents’ forum meet termly to discuss school issues and raise money to support school visits. To support all areas of children’s development and learning fully there needs to be effective communication between home and school. There is a white board outside the office provides daily information. Daily communication is through the Home/School diary where comments, advice, questions etc are exchanged. Parent evenings are organized three times a year to discuss your child’s progress and targets for the future. In addition to this, reports are sent out at the end of each year. If there are any problems or questions about your child which need immediate attention, contact can be made with the class teacher in person or via the home/school diary to arrange a convenient time for discussion. All parents are asked to sign a Home/School Agreement which clarifies what we can all expect of each other to ensure the best learning environment at the school. The children take home a weekly newsletter which provides a source of day to day information and news. Teachers regularly send out suggestions about how you can help your child, with for example, shared reading at home. Curriculum evenings are organized focusing on specific subject areas. The school has a web site which is regularly updated to provide information on the curriculum and pupil achievement. Help from parents is most welcome in all activities especially art, cooking, reading, library and other practical lessons. Please contact the class teacher if you would like to help in some way, you will be given guidance. We also have a policy on Parental Involvement which can be obtained from the school office. Iron Acton C of E Primary School is a Voluntary Controlled School set in the village of Iron Acton which has a population of around 1300 and lies 9 miles north of the city of Bristol. The school was opened in January 1874 and retains many original features. At that time the head teacher's salary was £60 a year, this has been increased slightly since then! Over the years there have been many alterations and improvements and the school now has two classrooms in the main building. One on the ground floor along with the head teacher’s and the secretary’s offices, the other is suspended above the school hall among the rafters! The third classroom is in an Elliot building close by. The hall is a good size and is used for assemblies, P.E., lunch, school concerts, Friends of Iron Acton (PTA) social events and other activities. Connected to this building is the old head teacher’s house which now contains a small group teaching room, staff room and pupil kitchen . Upstairs is out of bounds to pupils and contains resource rooms and a shower room. Outside there is a good sized playground, an enclosed play area for younger pupils and a large playing field, where we are currently developing conservation and wildlife areas including a pond and native woodland. In September 2007 there were 74 pupils on the school roll. Most of the children come from Iron Acton and the surrounding villages but a significant number of children come from further afield to enjoy the benefits of a small village school. The standard number of children admitted to each year group is 12.
The school can accept responsibility for your child whilst on the school premises from 8:45am. In bad weather the children will be allowed to go to their classrooms from this time until the start of registration at 8:55am. Children who have successfully completed their Cycling Proficiency may, if they wish, cycle to school. However the school currently does not possess facilities for the safe storage of bicycles. The school asks that parents give written permission for their child/ren to travel to and from school in this way and that they accept responsibility for their bicycle and conduct. The school health service works with children, their parents and teachers to detect health and social problems and to help children develop a healthy lifestyle. The service aims to promote the health of school age children so that they can enjoy and benefit from their education. The service aims to:
Any medical information known to the school health service is confidential and will not be passed to school, however, the school needs information from you about medical problems which may affect your child during the school day. We would also ask parents to inform us of any infectious diseases their child is suffering from in order to warn vulnerable individuals. These are cooked on site by the kitchen manager. The South Gloucestershire School Meals Service offers a choice of meals, including a vegetarian option, and the menu is sent to all parents and on view in the school notice board. The school encourages healthy eating and has signed up to two healthy eating initiatives. These are the National fruit and vegetable scheme for the Key Stage 1 children and the Healthy Tuck Shop for all pupils. Parents may purchase milk for their child/ren over the age of five to drink during the school day, this is through a scheme run by a local dairy, the milk is free for the under-5s. Dinner money is collected on Mondays for the whole week or it can be paid termly on the first Monday of each term. This should be brought to school in a sealed envelope with the child’s name and the number of dinners required clearly written on the front. The value of meals missed due to illness will normally be given as credit. The price of school meals for the 2009 school year is £1.60 per day, £8.00 for a full week. Children may bring packed lunches to school and we would encourage these to be healthy food. For Health and Safety reasons, packed lunches should not include any hot drinks, glass containers, vacuum flasks, sweets or fizzy drinks. If children do not wish to use the Healthy Tuck shop they may bring a snack for morning break, this should be fruit, a plain biscuit or a bag of crisps and not any form of confectionery. The safety and well-being of all pupils and staff is of primary concern to the school. The head teacher and governors regularly monitor and improve the safety of the whole school site. Visitors to the school site are asked to report to the school office where they sign in and are asked to wear identification. External doors are kept locked where appropriate but allow for any child to open them in case of fire. Obviously detailed information about security arrangements cannot be publicised but it is constantly under review and risk assessment processes are used where appropriate. The school cannot guarantee the safety of items brought to school and so children should not bring expensive or precious items, such as personal stereos, electronic games or toys. 'Show and Tell' sessions may be organized by the teaching staff and time-tabled each week. Children may, for these times, be allowed to bring an artifact for this activity but will not be allowed to take this out of the class. Mobile phones are not permitted; if parents/guardians need to be contacted during the school day this will be done by a member of staff The use of a school uniform promotes a sense of community amongst the pupils, it is also of practical value. The school has a red uniform, which we feel is warm and friendly. The Friends of Iron Acton School (PTA) sell uniform (*).throughout the school year, order forms are available from the school office The children undertake many different activities in the course of a school day and practical clothing and footwear is essential for their comfort and safety, particularly in view of the stairs and slopes within the school environment. GIRLS
BOYS
For all children: coat, hat, gloves and Wellingtons for wet/cold weather conditions. All items should be permanently and clearly marked with the child’s name. Watches may be worn to school as may one pair of stud earrings. Other jewellery will not be accepted because of safety reasons or value if lost. Earrings must be removed when the child is engaged in physical activities (newly pierced ears may be taped) Children with long hair need to have this tied back and fringes should be kept off the face. Iron Acton is proud of its small village school status . It belongs to an active small schools cluster group with 8 other schools in the local area which provides support, an opportunity to share interest and expertise and to work on joint projects. During 2005-7 the schools are working on a joint project designed to use the arts to raise pupil awareness of their own culture. This has led to pupils working on Mummers' plays, sculpture days, dance workshops, orienteering and a Maths trail. Teaching In September 2009 there are 3 classes. The head teacher shares the teaching with 2 full time teachers and 2 part time teachers. All staff are entitled to one afternoon a week out of class to enable them to plan and assess pupil progress . The teachers are hard working and committed to the school and work well as a team. Class One consists of Reception and year 1, Class Two of years 2 and 3 and Class Three of years 4, 5 and 6. Pupil numbers in the year groups vary from year to year necessitating changes to this structure to ensure that the Key Stage 1 class always has less than 30 children. Non-teaching At present we have one full time and two part time Learning Support Assistants who work throughout the school providing individual and group support and are valued members of the school team. The school secretarys works for 30 hours a week on a job share basis. They are very efficient and facilitates the smooth running administration of the school. The caretaker/cleaner has a long established family link with the school. There are 4 School Meals Supervisory Assistants who are also locals and one being a pupil from many years ago. We also have a school crossing patrol staff at the beginning and end of each day. In July 2006 the school kitchen underwent regeneration to enable meals to be cooked on site A kitchen manager oversees this service We welcome student teachers and work experience pupils from local schools and colleges. The curriculum that meets statutory requirements, is broad and balanced, and offers interest and vitality, with continuous opportunities to develop personally, socially and academically. At Iron Acton school the curriculum is based on the National and locally recommended strategies and schemes of work. The QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) have produced exemplar schemes of work for each foundation subject. The core subjects are taught on a weekly basis but the work in the foundation subjects may be blocked into longer, less frequent topics. Class work is enhanced with whole school projects, skills afternoons, activity days, theme weeks and visits. Details for each subject. Recent visitors to the school have included the South Gloucestershire recycling team who led workshops for the children, various religious groups to support acts of collective worship, Bubble man and Life skills bus. Visits for pupils outside of school over the last few terms have included the Clifton Cathedral, Bristol Old Vic, Weston Super Mare, a whole school trip to the Cotswold Farm Park. Year 5/6 pupils have the opportunity to attend a weekly residential visit in Ross on Wye. |
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