Prospectus
ORGANISATION
SCHOOL TIMES
Morning 8.55 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. (Nursery Class)
8.55 a.m. to 12.05 p.m. (Foundation Stage & KS1)
8.55 a.m. to 12.10 p.m. (KS2 Years 3 & 4)
Afternoon 1.15 p.m. to 3.15 p.m. Key Stage 1 (Foundation, Reception years 1 and 2)
1.15 p.m. to 3.20 p.m. Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4)
The school opens its doors at 8.45 a.m. and parents and children are welcome in school after this. Children should arrive in school by 8.50 a.m. ready for registration at 8.55 a.m.
No child should be in school before this time as we are not in a position to provide supervision. Anyone arriving after registration will be marked late, and asked to fill in the late book. Registers are checked at regular intervals by the Education Welfare Officer.
If a child is absent a note of explanation must be brought to the class teacher on his/her return.
Where possible, the school should be notified in advance of all appointments for doctors, dentists or the hospital.
In line with our attendance policy registers are kept open between 9.00 and 9.15 a.m.
SEPTEMBER 2008 ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS
Applications for admission into the Reception class should be made on the Bedfordshire Local Authority Application Form, which is available from the school.
Your child’s name should be registered at the school for the Nursery when they are approximately 2˝ years old. You will then be offered an appointment to view the school. Children enter the Nursery class when they are approximately 3˝ years old .
If there are more applications than places available at the school (60), places will be allocated in accordance with the following criteria:
1. All 'looked after' children (see definition)
2. Pupils living in the catchment area
3. 'Very Exceptional' medical grounds (see definitions)
4. Siblings (see definition)
5. Children attending Dunstable Ickniel Lower School Nursery
6. Any other Children
Notes:
1. If applying these criteria results in there being more children with an equal right to admission to the
school than the numer of available places, the tie break will be the distance the pupil lives from the school, measured in a straight line, using a computerised mapping system. The local authority will measure the distance from the address point of the pupil's home to a central point on the school site determined by the governing body of the school. The local authority will not give priority within each criterion to children who meet other criteria.
2. The local authority will give overriding priority to the admissions of pupils who have a statement of Special Educational Needs which names the school. Priority may also be given to the admission of 'hard to place' pupils, e.g. excluded pupils, normally in accordance with any protocols which have been agreed with groups of schools.
3. The local authority will offer a place at the catchment area school if parents apply for a place at the school during the normal admission round. However, if a pupil moves into the catchment area outside the normal admissions round (or after the allocation process has been completed) there will be no guarantee of a place at the catchment area school if this would mean exceeding the admission number at the school. In this case the local authority will offer a place at the nearest local authority maintained school to pupil's home address which caters for pupils of the same age.
Definitions:
'Looked After' Children:
The Children Act 1989 defines a child who is 'looked after' as a child/young person who is accomodated by the local authority (section 22) or a child/young person who is subject to a full or interim Care Order ( Section 31).
Siblings
A sibling is defined as a brother or sister, or any other child who permanently resides at the same address and for whom the applicant has parental responsibility. That sibling must be in the school at the time of application and be likely to remain in the school at the proposed date of admission.
'Very Exceptional' Medical Grounds
'Very exceptional medical grounds refers to cases where there are exceptional medical reasons which make it essential that a child should attend a particular school and where the preferred school is the only school locally that could meet the child's needs. A medical report from the child's doctor or consultant must be submitted with the application form, setting out valid medical reasons why it is essential for the child to be admitted to the school in question and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school. The comments of the Authorities medical officer may be sought to decide whether it is essential for a child to be admitted to the preferred school on medical grounds. Admission on medical grounds cannot be considered where the medical condition relates to that of a parent, brother or sister or other relative or childminder.
Home Address
A pupil's home address will be regarded as the address of the parents/carers with parental responsibility with whom the child normally lives. This will not usually include grandparents, aunts or uncles. Where a child spends time with parents/carers at more than one address, the address used to allocate a school place will be the one at which the pupil is ordinarily resident and where the child spends the majority of the school week (Mondays to Fridays) including nights. If there is any query on the home address this will be checked against official documentation.
ADMISSIONS
The children enter the Nursery Class when they are approximately 3 ˝ years old.
Children attend on a part time basis, beginning in the afternoon, moving to the morning session and then into the Reception classes. Children who reach the age of 5 between September and March attend school on a full time basis from September, children who reach the age of 5 between April and August attend school on a full time basis from January. All parents/carers are required to fill in a Local Authority Admission forms for a Reception place.
It may be possible to defer acceptance of a place offered until April, under certain circumstances.
The school provides a high quality teaching programme that build's upon the children's previous experiences and lays firm foundations for the future. We recognise that the children have a wide variety of experiences prior to entering school and plan accordingly. The Foundation Curriculum is a statutory requirement.
The Foundation Curriculum follows the six areas of learning, Communication, Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Knowledge and Understanding and Personal and Social Development, Creative and Physical Learning can take place both inside and outside in the outdoor classroom. The Headteacher will be pleased to discuss admission arrangements with new parents and those transferring from other areas. Prospective parents are shown around the school by appointment.
You may enter your child’s name for the Nursery when they are 2˝ years old; you can do this by telephoning or visiting the school and supplying details of your child. This must be done by the parent/carer of the child and not by a third party, you will then be invited to view the school prior to your child starting school.
If you decide to accept a place at Dunstable Icknield, we invite you and your child to spend some time in the Nursery on an Open Afternoon. We also visit all new children at home to establish and forge excellent home/school partnerships.
IN YEAR ADMISSIONS
This applies to requests for admission during the school year, outside of the normal admission round. Parents/Carers of children from Reception to Year 4 will be required to complete a Local Authority Application form which can be obtained from the school or the Local Authority. Parents/Carers may request a visit to the school before completing this form.
TRANSFER ARRANGEMENTS
Children transfer to middle school at the end of year 4.
The middle schools in Dunstable are Priory, Ashton, Brewers Hill, Streetfield and Mill Vale Middle.
Each middle school holds an open evening in the Autumn Term. Parents and children are invited to attend all open evenings.
Lower and Middle school staff liaise during the Summer Term to ensure smooth transition proceedures are in place.
HOLIDAYS
The school will provide lists of term times and holidays, including training days. In addition to these statutory holidays, children may under exceptional circumstances be granted up to two weeks (10 school days) in a calendar year to accompany parents on their holidays. Applications must be made in writing to the headteacher
Absences for holidays in excess of ten school days will be marked as unauthorised and may be followed up by the Education Welfare Officer.
The attendance return for the school (2006/7) showed 94% attendance with no unauthorised absences.
SCHOOL MEALS
Your child may stay in School to have either a cooked meal or a packed lunch provided by you. School dinners must be paid for in advance weekly or termly but, however you choose to pay, the money or cheque should be in a sealed envelope, addressed to the Kitchen Manager, Dunstable Icknield Lower School. Cheques should be made payable to Eden Food Service and on the reverse, the card number, expiry date, child's name and address.
Packed lunches should be brought in a clearly marked box. Drinks may be brought in unbreakable containers - no cans please.
Sweets, crisps, biscuits etc. are not allowed in school for consumption at playtime, however, fruit or vegetables in a named bag are acceptable and encouraged.
MEDICINE
If your child needs medicine to be administered during the school day, please notify the Headteacher personally. You will be required to sign an indemnity form before the school is able to administer any medicine. Please note that we are only able to administer medicines prescribed by a doctor, clearly showing the prescription label and prescribed for the child concerned.
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Height and weight checks take place when your child is in the Reception class. The Audiometrician visits on a regular basis to check children's hearing.
When your child first comes to School you will be asked the name of your family doctor and for an emergency number that we can use if your child is taken ill during school time. It is essential that you keep us informed if there is any change in these emergency arrangements.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Any money brought to school should be in a sealed envelope with the child’s name, class, the amount enclosed and the purpose for which the money has been sent.
Children should not wear jewellery to school. For safety reasons, the wearing of long earrings is not allowed, although studs are acceptable. Please note that boys with pierced ears should also wear ‘regulation’ studs.
The school cannot accept responsibility for any personal items brought to School. This includes any small toys brought into School for playtime activities.
All items brought to school, including their school uniform should be clearly marked with the child’s name.
CONSULTATION EVENINGS
The School holds three consultation evenings a year. The first, in the Autumn Term, is to discuss how the children have settled into their new classes. In the Spring Term parents have the opportunity to view their children’s work and discuss progress. The third is an optional evening designed to give an opportunity for parents/carers and teachers to meet if required after the annual reports have been received. Annual reports are issued in the Summer Term, parents are given the opportunity to discuss these further if required.
TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF - NAMES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Mrs L Prewett Headteacher, Child Protection, Assessment Recording & Reporting, Staff Training,
Library
Mrs R Harrison Assistant Headteacher, Class teacher,Maths, Child Protection,
Curriculum Planning, Staff Governor
Mrs L Large Foundation Stage Leader, Class Teacher, Supply cover, Science
Admissions
Mr P Surgey Class Teacher, Geography, RE, PSHE,
Mrs L Edmond Class Teacher, Music, ICT Co-ordinator
Mrs S Hunt Class Teacher, Assessment for Learning, Literacy
Miss F Pantling Class Teacher, SENCo
Mrs K Angus Class Teacher, First Aider, Art, Design Technology
Miss C Bentley Class Teacher, School Council, PE, Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning,
Collective Worship
Mrs S O'Neill Class Teacher, History
Miss K Frost Class teacher
Miss N Green Class Teacher
Mrs J Cobley Nursery Nurse, Student Co-ordinator
Mrs L Arthur Nursery Nurse. Transistion Co-ordinator
Mrs W Holland Nursery Nurse, Work Experience Co-ordinator
Mrs C Hill Teaching Assistant, First Aider
Mrs V Barnes Teaching Assistant Named Child
Miss J Gooding Teaching Assistant, First Aider
Mrs L McCarthy Teaching Assistant
Mrs J Beswetherick Teaching Assistant, Support Staff Governor
Mrs M Marr Teaching Assistant
Mrs J Bench Teaching Assistant
Mrs G White Teaching Assistant Named Child
Miss F McKinlay Teaching Assistant
OFFICE STAFF
Mrs J Palmer Office Manager, Clerk To Governors
Mrs J Johnson Finance Administrator
Mrs T Sanders Office Assistant, First Aid Manager
SITE MANAGEMENT
Mr I Taylor Site Agent.
Miss R Bernarde Cleaner
Miss T Stevens Cleaner
Miss K Millett Kitchen Manager
LUNCHTIME SUPERVISORS
Mrs G White Senior Lunch-time Supervisor, First Aider
Mrs H Smith Lunchtime Supervisor
Mrs A Newman “
Mrs W Smitham “
Mrs J Cooper “
Mrs K Neville “
Miss M Davies “
Mrs J Klisz “
Mrs M White “
SUN SAFETY
During the summer months it is important that we protect pupils in our care from the damaging effect of the sun.
These are our recommendations:
Parents should:
- Dress their child in loose clothing that protects the upper limbs
- Provide their child with sunhats or caps on hot days
- Apply sun block before the child comes to school
- Train their child to apply sunblock in a sensible fashion.
The Headteacher and governors endeavour to, where reasonable practicable:
- Provide shady areas in the school grounds
- Allow children ready access to fresh water
- Allow children to apply sunblock before play and sports lessons if a written request is made by parents or carers
- Be particularly careful on sports days and visits when longer periods of time are spent outside.
Children should be discouraged from sharing sunblock, but the risk of infection from sharing is very low.