Curriculum Page 5

 Curriculum

School Trips

The children often visit the village as well as places further afield. Such visits are used to highlight an aspect of a topic, allowing for direct experience. A general permission slip is required for village trips, which is signed when the child enters school. With trips that are further afield the children are very well supervised with a ratio of at least one adult to six children. Permission is always requested from the parents.

The Education Reform Act 2002 requires that the governing body should circulate to parents their agreed policy on charging for educational activities and arrangements for remission of charges. Highlights of the school's policy are therefore detailed below.

Where activities take place in school session times, parents/guardians will be invited to make voluntary contributions towards the cost of the activity (normally by a contribution to the school's Charitable Trust Fund), but a pupil will not be stopped from taking part in that activity because the parent/guardian cannot or will not contribute. In the event of insufficient funds being available the activity may be cancelled.

Where activities take place outside school session times, the school reserves the right to levy charges as deemed appropriate.

Any application for full or partial remission of charges will be considered by the Headteacher and Chair of Governors.

The school reserves the right to request parents/guardians to meet the cost of breakages and damages where it is the result of their child's misbehaviour.

Appropriate charges may be made for ingredients and materials if parents have agreed to own their child's finished work.

If a third party is involved (eg coach hire, travel company) a charge can be made if the activity takes place during school hours.

A charge can be made for individual tuition in music, following parental agreement.

The school produces Policies for both curriculum and non-curriculum areas. There is a file outside the Headteachers office containing all the school policies which includes our behaviour and anti-bullying policies. These are reviewed on a bi-annual or annual basis and all parents are welcome to view these policies at any time.

Certain clubs are held during lunch hours or after school. The clubs vary from year to year and include recorders, guitar, French, Spanish, short tennis and football.

The school is unique in having its own museum. The museum contains resources relevant to the topics being studied particularly in history, geography, science or religious education. The resources enable the children to have 'hands on' experiences thereby enhancing their understanding of the topics being studied. Parents have contributed many items to the museum.

The school has a behaviour policy written by the teaching, non-teaching staff, and children. Discipline is maintained by using a positive approach wherever possible, rewarding children who behave well and giving incentives for good behaviour. The children in each class help to decide their own 'Class Rules' so that they also understand the results of inappropriate behaviour. Parents will be consulted if their child's behaviour is giving concern. The Behaviour Policy is on display in the nursery and infant school.

Absences

If children need to be absent, parents are asked to inform the school by telephone giving the reason, followed by a letter. This early communication is important so that the staff can be alerted if communicable diseases are the cause of the absence. Your child's teacher will be made aware of the absence and will not worry unduly. The written note is used for record purposes - all unexplained absences are recorded and sent out to parents as part of a yearly report.

Holidays should not be taken during term time. Requests for holiday absence must be submitted at least one month before the date requested. The governors of the school consider each application on an individual basis. It is only in exceptional circumstances that an absence of 10 days or more in a school year will be considered by the governors. Parents are required to complete a holiday absence form, which is kept on record for future reference.

Children transferring from the nursery to the Infant school find the move very easy, due to their previous involvement in activities linked to the main school, such as attending whole school assemblies and visiting the classes. The nursery teacher also keeps comprehensive records of the children's educational and social development which will transfer with your child.

In the September following their seventh birthday, all children transfer to a Junior School. All pupils are given the opportunity to visit their new school before the end of the summer term.

Pupils are prepared for the transfer to the village Junior School by visits to the school: teaching staff ensure continuity by reciprocal visits and exchange of records of work. The Headteachers of both schools liaise on a regular basis to ensure continuity and progression between the schools.Children