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Ambergate
Primary School
Ambergate
School is a Derbyshire Local Education Authority Primary School for day pupils
aged four to eleven. The school is
able to admit twelve rising fives/five year olds in 2001/2002. The
school was first opened on 13th June 1898.
We celebrated our 100th birthday on the 13th June
1998 by purchasing a Centenary clock for the front of the school. The
Area Education Officer is Mr P McGann, who is based at John Hadfield House, Dale
Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3RD. Telephone
01629 580000 The
Director of Education is Mr Roger Taylor, Education Department, County Hall,
Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG. Telephone:
01629 580000.
The
Aims of the School Our
aim is to provide every child with full access to a broad and balanced
curriculum so that each individual can achieve their potential in an atmosphere
of collaboration and mutual support and respect. This
means helping children to: ·
develop
a positive attitude to school and learning in general. ·
experience
encouragement and success to enhance self respect. ·
develop
confidence, interest, initiative and responsibility. ·
learn
to work together with adults and peers to gain the skills, ·
communicate
effectively in a variety of forms. ·
participate
in a wide range of physical, sporting and creative ·
develop
tolerance, respect for the views of others and raise awareness ·
acquire
an environmental awareness, fostering a caring attitude to We
aim to provide a high quality environment in which: ·
there
is a high regard for children's safety. ·
children
have a clear understanding of what
is expected of them in ·
they
are treated as individuals with unique learning needs whose ideas, ·
the
achievement of children's highest possible standards is recognised ·
there
is an atmosphere of mutual co-operation, involvement and ·
a
belief in equal opportunity underpins all our work. Predicting
the make-up of classes from one year to the next is a very imprecise activity.
Birth rate, house moves etc. mean that the numbers in each year group can
fluctuate and in a small school such as ours this has consequences for all four
classes. As a result it is usually late in the summer term before classes for
the following year are finalised. Decisions
are based on age. We
have friends of the school who work regularly on a voluntary basis. We have two peripatetic music teachers who come to school
every week to teach selected children the piano and brass instruments. Mrs
Underhill
- who teaches Piano Music* Mr N. Farley - who teaches Brass Instruments**Depending on demand Behaviour Management The
caring attitude that is shown throughout the school is the basis from which we
expect good behaviour from the children. Honesty,
thought for others, fairness, good manners and respect for other people's
property are qualities that we encourage and value within the school community. Good
behaviour is reinforced through a reward system which includes individual, group
and whole class rewards. As well as
these we have weekly special assemblies where children who have been
particularly well behaved, kind and helpful are acknowledged. When
behaviour problems arise we always talk with the child involved and point out
how they have disrupted relationships within the school and suggest ways of
modifying behaviour. More serious behaviours will result in a letter home. Any
punishment would involve the withdrawal of privileges; corporal punishment is
not allowed in school. Parents will
be asked to visit the school to discuss any situation which is serious or
persistent. Bullying
is not tolerated. We provide a good level of supervision to deter this type of
behaviour. Children are reminded
that they must tell their teacher or parents if they are being bullied or if
another child is making them feel unhappy.
If your child experiences bullying in school then please speak to a
teacher about the situation. Give
the teacher as much information as you can.
Please don't tell your child to hit back or call names, this will make
the situation worse and more difficult to resolve. Our
behaviour management policy is available in school if you wish to read it. The
School Day is 9am. - 3.30pm. Lunchtime:
12noon - 1.15pm Morning
break is 15 minutes Afternoon
break is 15 minutes (infants only) Staff
are available from 8.50am onwards and are usually to be found in their
classrooms where they will have been preparing for the day.
Children should arrive at school no earlier than 8.50am when there will
be someone on duty to take care of them. Many
parents use this time up to 9 o'clock to read with their child or to give the
class teacher short messages. However,
we do ask parents to bear in mind that this is a busy time for staff and both
the teacher and children need to be ready to begin the day without interruption
at 9 o'clock. If you do need to
speak at more length it is always a good idea to fix a mutually convenient time
so that you can have more privacy and the teacher’s undivided attention. Afternoon
school starts at 1.15pm, children returning from lunch at home, or attending the
afternoon session only, should arrive at 1.05pm. ·
Registration
is limited to five minutes daily. We
are required by law to record lateness and provide reasons for this, so please
ensure your child arrives promptly at 9 o'clock. ·
Your
help is essential for a calm and orderly start to the day. Please could you : ·
make
sure your child is in school at the appropriate time ·
send
dinner money on the first day of the week and wherever ·
always
send absence notes when your child has been away from school, ·
please
be patient if there are a number of people waiting to see The
children in Classes 1 and 2 are escorted to the gate by their teacher.
The other children are dismissed from their classrooms.
We frequently remind the children that they must never go with strangers. All children are told to come back into school if the person
that they are expecting to meet them does not turn up. You may wish to remind your child about these safety measures
yourself. If
you have a last minute problem and cannot meet your child please try to ring
school. We are always prepared to
help out in an emergency, however, we cannot provide long term child care
facilities after school. Please
explain your child's home time arrangements to them very carefully.
This helps them to relax and feel secure during the day.
In the past there have been the odd occasions when children have been
left in school at home time unsure about who should be coming to pick them up. This is upsetting for the child and leaves the teacher with a
difficult situation to resolve. In
the interest of safety if your child is to be collected by someone other than
the person he/she usually goes with, it helps if you could let us know
beforehand. The
procedures for arriving and leaving school usually run very smoothly and there
is generally time for an informal chat and a chance to hear the children's news
at the end of the day. Because
parking outside school is very limited please be aware of children and of
parking across the driveways of our neighbours or on the yellow zig-zag lines. Home/school
links We
have always had a committed group of parents who have helped with sewing,
hearing readers, helping in the library, spotting at the swimming baths, baking
and helping on school journeys. Although
we are a small school your child will have plenty of adults to help care for
them and enable us to offer a wide range of learning situations. We
hope that you will feel encouraged to come in and help.
Perhaps you have skills and talents that would add to our provision.
If so we would greatly appreciate your contribution. We
hope that you will come along and get involved in activities that interest you.
Discos, Summer B.B.Q., Concerts etc, provide opportunity for parents to
meet the staff on a social basis. We
send out regular newsletters to keep you informed of events in school.
The 'Friends of Ambergate School' Association is very active and details
of their meetings and events are publicised.
Your support and participation would be very welcome.
Medical
Information It
is important that the school is informed of any medical matters, eg. hearing
loss, poor eyesight, allergies, illness etc. so that staff can be advised and
suitable provision made available when your child is in school.
As some children are allergic to plasters, we ask parents to sign a form
asking for permission for us to apply a plaster when the need arises. Medicines County
Policy on medication is that these should not be administered in school. If
children need medicine which must be administered during the school day eg.
where they have been prescribed four times a day, we prefer parents to come into
school to see to their own child. However,
we also recognise that this is not always possible and we keep a book in the
office in which a record is kept of medicines to be administered.
Parents must sign this if they wish us to administer medicines or send in
a note for inclusion in the book. Any
medicines sent to school must be in exact dosage, clearly marked. Inhalers If
your child has an inhaler then please take time to come into school to talk with
the staff about when and how this should be used.
Several children in school use inhalers, however, we do find that each
case is slightly different. We
welcome you giving us all the information that you can to help us to care for
your child appropriately. Inhalers
are never locked away. Please
remind your child that when they go out of school on a visit, even a short walk
to the recreation ground, they should take their inhaler with them. Accidents
and Illness Minor
cuts and bruises are dealt with by a member of staff.
Should an accident require more than first aid we attempt to contact a
parent and if necessary arrange for the child to be taken to hospital.
We always ensure that a sick or injured child is accompanied by a
responsible adult until parents are traced.
It is very important that we are kept up-to-date with contact numbers of
people to contact in an emergency. Medical
Inspection Dr.
Alikhan is our school doctor. Medical
screening is normally arranged for your child during their first year in the
infant class. You will be informed
of all medical inspections. Dental
Inspection Routine
dental inspections take place annually and you will be informed of any treatment
that is recommended. You may then
visit the school dentist or take your child along to your family dentist. The
School Nurse The
school nurse does still come into school to screen children for hearing and
sight problems. She can be contacted on Belper 820093.
Parents should note that these are just screening tests. If you do have
concerns about your child's hearing or sight then you are advised to seek full
testing from your doctor or optician. There
are no longer inspections for headlice in schools. Parents are advised to check
their child's hair regularly but please do not use headlice shampoo on a
preventative basis. Always check
with the doctor, clinic or pharmacist as to the current most effective
treatment. All
primary school teachers are trained to work with all ability classes.
We recognise that each child has different strengths and weaknesses and
that all children progress and learn at different speeds.
Age and attainment do not always go hand in hand.
The learning opportunities we present to the children are geared wherever
possible to their individual needs. We
use a range of teaching methods to do this. Sometimes
the children will be required to work individually on a task that has been set
specifically for them. Your
child will also be required to work in group situations with other class members
who need to learn the same skills or knowledge.
When children are working in this way they will also be developing their
skills in collaboration and co-operation. At
other times the whole class will be set the same task, however, the class
teacher will expect different results according to the ability of the individual
child. An example of this is in
creative writing lessons. Children
may be given the same theme or title as a starting point for their writing,
however the teacher will encourage each child to produce work at their own level
of attainment. To
help us to make sure that your child is progressing records are kept and each
child has their own profile. We
praise and encourage success at every level.
We want your child to be proud of their personal achievements and to
learn to support and encourage their friends. You
will receive an annual written report and you will be invited to two parent
consultations each year. Please
don't feel that you have to wait for parent's evening to discuss your child. If at any time you are concerned about their work or any
aspect of school life, then please make an appointment to see the class teacher.
We also have an open day in the Spring Term when you, as a parent, can
come in and spend some time talking with your child about her/his work. The
children in Ambergate have taken part in National Standard Assessment Tests for
both 7 and 11 year olds. If your child is in this age group you will be invited
to a meeting to discuss arrangements for these tests which take place in May
each year. Your child's results
will be on their annual report and whole group results are published in the
Annual Report to Parents. Latest
assessment results can be found in Appendix A of this brochure.
All children from Reception onwards are also tested annually to monitor
progress in reading and mathematics.
The
Curriculum Our
aim is to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for the children using
relevant and, wherever possible, real experiences to assist the learning
process. For all children there is
a planned progression of work. As
the primary curriculum becomes increasingly diverse and complex, presenting this
succinctly, is more difficult. For
the purpose of the school brochure we have produced an outline of the curriculum
areas which your child will study. If
you require further information, School Policy Documents and National Curriculum
Programmes of Study are available in school. Core
Subjects English Oral
skills listening,
talking, reading, drama Writing
writing skills, reporting, letter writing, note taking, punctuation,
grammar Spelling
word building, vocabulary, word analysis, Wordshark Handwriting
letter formation, presentation, Nelson handwriting Reading We
have an excellent track record for teaching children to read.
The whole basis of School Policy is to promote a love of books and to
work in partnership with parents. From
their first week in school your child will bring a reading book home on a
regular basis. Please talk with
your child's class teacher about how you can support the work that is being done
in school. Children read a mixture
of real books and reading scheme books that provide core structure when needed. Mathematics ·
practical
early learning activities; counting, sorting, number games, ·
computation,
number patterns, tables, algebra, fractions, percentages ·
data
handling, charts, graphs, probability, ratio ·
measuring
length, weight, capacity, time shape;
angles, area, symmetry Science observations,
explorations, experiments, living things, plants, animals, space, elements,
weather, light, colour, sound, forces, power, electricity ICT We
have a range of computer hardware in school; 7 PCs, all with Internet access and
an interactive whiteboard as well as 2 Acorn computers, most with printers.
In addition, we have a whole library of software to meet the requirements
of the National Curriculum. Children are encouraged to use these resources
across the curriculum. Activities
include: ·
word
processing ·
data
handling ·
art
graphics package ·
control
technology ·
simulations ·
basic
maths/spelling practice Religious
Education Caring
for others, living in communities, famous people who have helped others,
conservation and caring for the planet, feeding the world, developing a
responsible attitude, caring for pets and animals. At
Ambergate School we provide information and opportunity for discussion on the
Christian and other religious faiths. We
seek to promote empathy, respect and tolerance towards other people.
The children will be told Bible stories, they will also be told stories
from other religions. We do recognise and celebrate the main Christian festivals in
school, however, we also try to widen the children's knowledge of the festivals
celebrated by other religions. Parents
do have the right to withdraw their child from religious education and
collective worship. Art
and Craft ·
observation
skills ·
drawing,
painting, collage, textiles ·
model
making, pottery ·
design,
graphics ·
use
of shape, line, tone, texture ·
introduction
to the work of famous artists and craft workers. Music ·
singing,
playing percussion instruments ·
composition
and recording simple music ·
listening
and appraising ·
performance Physical
Education ·
personal
fitness, health and safety ·
movement,
creative dance, gymnastic activity ·
games
skills, team games, co-operative games ·
Swimming
during KS2 Geography ·
map
work, local studies, environment ·
world
studies, pollution and conservation History ·
Stories
of historical events, famous people ·
Kings
and Queens, social and economical
history ·
Romans,
Anglo Saxons, Vikings, Tudors and Stuarts ·
Victorians,
Britain since 1930 ·
Non
European countries Design
Technology ·
making
ideas work, planning, designing, testing ·
building
with construction kits, working with wood and plastic ·
using
hand tools correctly and safely Personal
and Social Education One
of the great advantages of a small school such as ours is the development of a
close knit family ethos in which all our children are helped to show
consideration and respect for others. Ourselves, safety, relationships, working
together and caring for others, sharing looking after our bodies, dental
hygiene, physical fitness. Some
of the learning takes place through topic work where themes, are used to develop
knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes.
These topics often draw together all the National Curriculum subjects and
make learning a continuous process where all areas of the curriculum
inter-relate and where children can develop individual interests. We
have agreed policies and guidelines for each subject area.
These are reviewed and up-dated as appropriate. If
we feel a child is having a particular difficulty with either learning or
behaviour we would always share these concerns with parents as soon as possible. The
'Code of Practice' ensures that children who are having problems are monitored
systematically. The Head as Special
Needs Co-ordinator is responsible for this in conjunction with class teachers.
If it is felt appropriate and agreed upon by staff and parents we are
able to call on the Educational Psychologist and the Primary Support Team to
provide expert help. If you require
any other information on our Special Needs provision you are very welcome to
come in and talk to us.
Charges
for School Activities A
small contribution to the cost of some practical activities is occasionally
requested. This is mainly for
cookery and sewing. We try to keep
this to a minimum. We also organise
visits to various places such as museums, theatres etc. where this is
appropriate. Occasionally we have
visitors in school to work with the children. We are not allowed to charge for
these as they are part of the curriculum we offer to all our children. However we do ask for a voluntary contribution to cover the
cost, as we would otherwise be unable to include these activities which add
significantly to the children’s education.
We are always grateful for parents’ support in these matters.
Educational
Visits/Activities during School Hours Educational
visits involve the children in active learning opportunities and help to widen
their experience in an interesting and enjoyable way. Sometimes children are taken to places of interest that are
within walking distance of the school such as the local woods.
On other occasions, when a day or part day visits requiring transport are
organised, we rely on your support to help us to meet the cost of travel and any
charges for admission. Schools are
only allowed to ask for voluntary contributions for school journeys.
We are grateful for the response we get to this because without these
contributions we could not continue to organise such visits.
The school tries to keep costs as low as possible, however, we are always
very careful that we do not overload coaches to do this. Derbyshire
County Council has public liability and Third Party Insurance cover. The
Governors of Ambergate School have taken out extra personal accident insurance
for pupils at this school. This
policy provides cover for all school activities.
In addition we take out extra cover for school journeys through the
Derbyshire School Journey Association. During
Years 5 and 6 pupils follow a course of health education videos. These videos are designed specifically for children of this
age group. Parents can have the
opportunity to view the videos before giving their consent for their child to
take part in the lessons if they wish. When
the children have seen the programmes they are offered time to discuss and ask
questions. Questions are answered
simply and honestly according to the age of the child in a way that reflects the
caring attitude of the school. If
parents have a complaint about their child's schooling, they should raise it
with the class teacher or headteacher. However,
there is a special procedure for dealing with complaints about the school
curriculum including religious education and collective worship. If you have a complaint or query you should contact the
school so that the matter can be discussed with the headteacher.
It is expected that the majority of questions and anxieties can be dealt
with in this way. However, if
complaints cannot be resolved, then a formal procedure involving the Governors
and the LEA can be invoked, a copy of which can be obtained from the school or
your local Area Education Office. Children
learn best when school and home work in partnership.
Your active support will make a difference to both the level your child
achieves and to their attitude to school in general. Children
take home reading books and library books on a regular basis from the time they
enter school. Do please find a quiet time to look at these with your child. Your
interest and enthusiasm can provide positive motivation. Later
you may find that learning spellings and tables, finding information for topics,
playing maths games and collecting items for projects are all activities the
children have been asked to complete at home.
In Y5 and Y6 children are set homework on a weekly. However, extra formal work is not the only way that you can
support your child and the school. In
developing a fully rounded individual with an enquiring mind interesting visits,
hobbies, craftwork, membership of clubs etc. all contribute to their education. OFSTED
Inspection All
Schools are inspected by the Office for Standards in Education on a regular
cycle. An inspection of Ambergate
was carried out in January 2002 and a full copy of the Inspection report is
available in school. A summary of
the main findings and key issues for action are in Appendix B. At
Ambergate School we have a dress code which is as follows:- Plain
sweatshirts *
- Red or Navy Plain
polo shirts
- White, Red or Navy Plain
trousers, skirts, pinafores, shorts
- Grey, Black or Navy Checked
or plain dress
- Red or Navy Plain
socks/tights and shoes including trainers, provided that they are mainly dark
coloured. *
Sweatshirts and zip-up fleece jackets in red or navy with the ‘Ambergate
logo’ on may be ordered through the school office. We
request that all school clothing (indoor and outdoor) be clearly labelled with
the child's name. In the winter it
also helps if children have a peg to clip together wellingtons, sorting 30 pairs
of identical un-named wellingtons can be very time consuming. Shoes We
have steps to one side of our building and a slope at the other so it is very
important that children wear sensible footwear. Decorative
Items Such
items are best kept for out of school wear. Accidents can happen and items can
be damaged or lost. The wearing of
jewellery can be an unnecessary burden to the child and the teacher. Wristwatches can be worn but these are the responsibility of
the child. In
line with the Physical Education Adviser's Guidelines, we request that earrings,
including sleepers, are not worn on P.E. days.
Experiences throughout the County indicate that the wearing of earrings
in PE lessons can result in very nasty accidents. Art
and Craft Providing
an old shirt for your child to wear in Art and Craft lessons can save a lot of
spoilt clothes and tears. PE
Clothing and Equipment T-shirt
plain style short sleeves P.E.
shorts - cotton please - no cycle shorts or knee length Bermuda shorts as these
slip on the apparatus. PLIMSOLLS
ARE ESSENTIAL for indoor P.E. as trainers are not sensitive enough and can be
dangerous. All
P.E. equipment should be labelled and kept in a bag which can be hung on your
child's coat peg. It is useful if
this is brought on the first day of the week and taken home each weekend.
This ensures that equipment is in school when required.
Children must have appropriate clothing for P.E.
We cannot provide P.E. clothing when children forget to bring their own
and they will miss P.E. lessons if no suitable clothes are brought. Our
meals are prepared at Ripley Junior School Kitchen and delivered to the school's
serving kitchen. The lunch consists of two courses with a choice of main or
vegetarian meal on request. A glass of milk or squash is provided with the meal.
If your child requires a special diet please discuss this with us so that
suitable arrangements can be made. With
three mid-day supervisors and a member of staff on duty, there is always plenty
of adult supervision. Children are
encouraged to eat properly and use good table manners. School
meals cost £6.50 per week. The
money is collected on Mondays. Cheques should be made payable to Derbyshire
County Council. If
you feel that your child may be entitled to free school meals please ask the
School Secretary for details and an application form.
Free school meals are the right of families who have limited income and
should be taken up. Packed
Lunches If
you would like your child to bring a packed lunch, supervision is provided in
one of the classrooms. To accompany
the packed lunch a drink may be brought in a plastic container, flask, can or
carton. Glass bottles should not be
brought as they are a hazard to your child and others in school. Drinking
beakers can be provided. It
is necessary for us to book lunches two weeks in advance.
Therefore, it is essential that we have two week's notice of any changes
from dinner to sandwiches, or sandwiches to dinners. Everyone
looks forward to a play time after lunch. The
three mid-day supervisors stay with the children. When the weather is fine bats, balls, skipping ropes etc. are
provided for the children on the yard. For
wet lunchtimes there are board games and craft activities. We want lunchtimes to
be a pleasant experience for everyone. It
is important to send money for school journeys, dinner money etc. in a named
purse or envelope to be handed to the teacher at the beginning of the day.
Personal money should not be brought to school. Basic
information about pupils is held on computer to assist with the efficient
organisation of the school. Security
measures are taken to ensure that the information is kept confidential and is
only available to authorised staff. It
may be used for statistical purposes but this will not enable any individual to
be identified. The school has
registered with the Data Protection Registrar, details of persons to whom they
may wish to disclose information. By
law, under the provision of the Data Protection Act 1984, information can only
be disclosed to other persons in accordance with this registration. The school is registered to disclose personal information
to:- family, guardians, doctors, dentists, The Department of Education, The
Local Authority and Social Services. It is the policy of the Governors that such
information is confidential and that, even where a need to disclose information
has been registered, it will only be divulged in exceptional circumstances and
will be kept to the minimum necessary. The
policy is, of course subject to any law that imposes a duty of disclosure on the
Governors. If you are concerned
about any aspect of this information please contact the Headteacher. |