Starting School !

This is an important time for both you and your child and we understand, whether you have had children through the school or not, that you may have many questions. We hope the information that follows will answer these, but if there is anything else you would like to know, please feel free to contact us.

Before Your Child Begins

Below are some of our most frequently asked questions. We hope they will prove to be a useful checklist for you.

Am I in the catchment area?

The catchment area for North Baddesley Infant School is North Baddesley and Chilworth, but please check with us or with the Admissions Team at Hampshire County Council if you are unsure. Your permanent address determines your catchment school, and only your permanent address can be used on the application form.

How do I apply for a school place?

Collect an application form and Hampshire "Starting School" brochure from your catchment school in the autumn term. The application form will have the deadline date for the application to be returned to school. In due course, you will receive a letter to inform you if your application has been successful. You will be asked to confirm acceptance of this offer in writing. The full procedure for applications and what to do if you do not get your first choice is in the Hampshire Starting School brochure. Our admissions policy for the current academic year is available from the school office. We are always pleased to show prospective parents and pupils around the school. Please ring the School Office to make an appointment.

When will my child start?

Although your child does not have to attend school full time until the term of their fifth birthday, we feel children have the best possible start and equal opportunities if they follow our carefully designed induction programme that builds to full time entry by the end of the autumn term. Details for the current year are included as a booklet in this pack.

What can I expect before they start? We work closely with pre-schools to ensure your child is able to visit the school to gain confidence. We will give further details of the current arrangements as part of our induction programme.

Getting Ready for School

Uniform, PE Kit and Jewellery

We ask all pupils to wear our school uniform of jade green, white and grey. The jade green sweatshirts or cardigans carry the school logo, and a brochure and order form is enclosed in this pack. The P.E. kit is a tee-shirt and shorts, with black plimsolls. Please make sure each item is clearly named. Wearing school uniform is important as it creates a sense of pride, belonging and community. It also saves time each morning! We ask you not to let the children wear jewellery as it can cause injury.

Lunchtime and snacks

Each child is able to have a free fruit or vegetable snack each day. This is an excellent way to encourage them to eat more fruit and vegetables. We aim to help children have a healthy start in life by enjoying fruit and vegetables. If they wish, children can also bring in a healthy fruit or vegetable snack from home.

At lunchtime your child may choose to bring a packed lunch or order a hot dinner. Cooked meals offer very good value for money and are nutritionally balanced. Further details on school dinners can be found in the additional information at the back of this prospectus.

Please do not let children bring sweets into school !

Bookbags

These can be purchased from the school. These are used to keep reading books, homework (where appropriate) and school letters safe and dry. We ask you to help us by ensuring your child brings their bookbag every day and to check the contents each evening for any letters or communication from the school.

Water bottles

Dehydration can have a negative impact on both learning and health. To help support us as a healthy school, we ask you to provide a named water bottle with a sports cap (to prevent spills) for your child. This enables them to have constant access to drinking water throughout the day.

Toys

Toys encourage positive play and we are happy to let your child bring a small toy for playtimes. If you are happy for your child to bring a toy, please ensure that it is appropriate (no guns or knives please!), named and not expensive or of great sentimental value as we cannot be responsible for any damage or loss.

Starting School

We want children to start school feeling happy, confident and settled. Our "starting school" new entrant programme is designed to help children and parents get to know the school, staff, routines and what to expect. Further details and the current entry timetable are shared with you before your child begins.

Settling in...

Meet the teacher

We organise regular opportunities for parents to visit school and meet their child's teacher. At these meetings we hope to answer queries and give guidance so that we can work together to help each child make the best possible progress. At the initial meeting in the Autumn term we will discuss how well your child has settled and how they are managing the curriculum and learning experiences. The meeting in the Spring term is a review of their progress.

Buddies

To help children settle in, they are paired with a "buddy" from the year above. Your child’s buddy is there to look after your child at key times of the day such as playtime and help them with any worries or questions they may have. All our buddies have been trained and we hope your child will find them to be a source of comfort and support if they are ever worried. There is nothing quite as reassuring as a friendly face!

Preventing bullying

We pride ourselves on our caring, friendly ethos and we foster a culture of respect for each other and ourselves. We actively work to create a school community free from bullying and teach children to behave responsibly. Any reports of bullying are dealt with according to school policy. Please contact the School Office if you wish to view a full copy of this.

During the year...

Attending school

Regular school attendance is important and we work closely with the Educational Welfare Team to support this. We know that healthy children are better learners, so we want children to come to school fit, well and rested. Good attendance enables children to take advantage of all educational opportunities in school.

What happens if I want to take a holiday in term time?

We would prefer parents to take annual holidays out of term time to enable children to access all learning opportunities we provide. If you need to take your child out of school for a holiday in term time please come into the school office and complete a leave of absence form. The Headteacher is only able to authorise 10 days in any school year for pupils with a good attendance record. Unfortunately we are not able to provide work for children who miss school due to holidays.

What happens if my child is ill?

If your child is ill please contact the school on the first morning of absence to let us know. If your child continues to be absent please keep us regularly updated. Absences for which a reason has not been given, unauthorised absences or patterns of absence are recorded and the Education Welfare Officer notified. If your child becomes ill or has an accident during the school day, we will contact you. It is therefore essential that we have an emergency telephone number in order to contact you should the need arise. In an emergency your child may be taken directly to the hospital prior to contacting you.

What happens if my child is late?

It is important children get to school on time as a late start can be unsettling for your child. If you know in advance your arrival will be delayed or you have an appointment, please let us know. If you arrive after 9am when the entrance doors close, please ring the bell to be admitted to the office as you will need to sign your child into school. This is very important.

What happens if my child needs medication?

We are only able to administer medicines prescribed by a doctor. All medicines need to be taken to the school office and a permission slip completed. We do not allow children to keep or administer their own medicines or take cough sweets or other such over the counter remedies.