Click on our school logo to access our school prospectus

Whether you are a member of the public or an existing or prospective parent or carer, thank you for taking the time to visit our website and find out about Sunnymede Junior School. To find out more about our wonderful school, please view our school prospectus on this page; just click on the school logo below.  I hope you find it informative, but please do take the time to explore other pages on this website where you will find a wealth of useful information.

 

Kind regards,

 

R. Branch

Headteacher

A Warm Welcome to Sunnymede Junior School

 

On behalf of the pupils, staff, parents and governors of Sunnymede Junior School, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you and your child. We are delighted that you have chosen to join our learning community and are sure that your child will enjoy learning with us.

 

Your child’s safety, education and enjoyment of learning are our highest priority. We are well renowned for the care, guidance and support we offer all our pupils, regardless of their starting points, in order to help them meet their full potential and prepare them for secondary school. At Sunnymede, every child really does matter and we celebrate achievement at every opportunity, promoting a ‘growth mindset’ amongst our pupils. Needless to say, we have high expectations of all pupils, challenging and encouraging them to develop a range of skills and knowledge to help them flourish as responsible citizens and inquisitive, lifelong learners. 

 

To achieve this, we pride ourselves on offering children rich experiences as part of a broad, balanced, inclusive and creative curriculum, along with a stimulating learning environment. In addition to quality learning in core curriculum areas such as English, Mathematics and Science, we place great value on other aspects of learning. We place equal emphasis on their physical, emotional, social, creative, cultural and spiritual development.

 

At Sunnymede Junior School, we work as an effective team in which parents, children, staff, governors and the wider community, including volunteers, are all involved in providing the very best for the children.

This was recognised during our OFSTED inspection in May 2018, when we were graded as a ‘good’ school. They said that our school “provides a happy and vibrant learning environment in which pupils feel safe, are well cared for and are encouraged to do their very best. Pupils behave extremely well, both in class and around school. They are respectful, courteous and supportive of the learning of others. By encouraging them to learn from their mistakes and take them as opportunities – ‘mistakes are normal, we learn from them’ – pupils understand the value of persevering.” The full report, of which we are very proud, is available on our school website.​

 

This prospectus is designed to give you some key information about school life and the wide range of opportunities that we offer.  We also have a wealth of up-to-date information on our school website. Please do contact us, however, if you have any further queries or if you have any suggestions to help us achieve the excellence for which we always strive.

 

We are proud of our school and look forward to working in partnership with you and your child.

                                                                                                                                               

RBranch

 

Ronnie Branch

Headteacher

OUR VISION

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Our vision is that all our children leave our school equipped with the knowledge, skills and personal attributes to make them independent, well-rounded individuals and valued citizens of the future. We aspire for them to be reflective and confident, making wise and informed choices as they journey through life, making positive contributions in a global world.  Our ultimate goal is for every one of our children to hold their heads up high, respect themselves and be respected by others.

 

MISSION STATEMENT

We provide a nurturing and stimulating environment where children appreciate the value of learning and discovery in all its forms. Through a broad and balanced curriculum, combined with high quality teaching, children have the opportunity to become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens. As a junior school, we balance the promotion of children’s growing independence with mechanisms to support pupils appropriately with their learning and personal areas of need. We expect high standards of behaviour and attitudes to learning from all members of the school community.

 

We believe that children achieve best when supported at both home and school. As such, we encourage open and honest dialogue between parents and staff and urge parents to support with learning at home, ensuring optimum intellectual, social, emotional and physical success.

 

It is important to us that our children feel safe, are listened to and feel proud to be part of our school. Mutual respect is integral to our ethos and all our children are valued as the individuals they are. We appreciate and value diversity and maintain an ambience of tolerance and respect for all cultures and beliefs.

 

SCHOOL MOTTO

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Our vision is reflected in our school motto, ‘Learning for a Better Tomorrow’.

 

OUR CORE VALUES

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Our core values which, along with our motto, have been developed in consultation with pupils, parents, staff and governors, underpin our vision and our school motto, guiding everything we do. They are:

 

• Determination  
• Honesty
• Independence
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Tolerance
• 
  

OUR SCHOOL RULES

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Our school rules are:

1. ·       -We will keep ourselves and others safe
2. ·       -We will not interrupt the learning of others
3. ·       -We will treat people and property with respect

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At the start of each academic year, the school rules are shared in a whole school assembly. Following this assembly, each class will work with their class teacher to identify any further, more specific rules that may be appropriate to their own class for that year.  Pupils are reminded that respect must be earned. School rules will be displayed clearly around the school and in each classroom and will be used to reinforce good behaviour on a day-to-day basis throughout the year.

 

SCHOOL HISTORY

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Sunnymede Primary School was opened on 4th September 1958. In the mid-1960s it was split into separate infant and junior schools. At present, Sunnymede Junior has approximately 256 pupils on roll, divided amongst eight classes. Whilst we are separate schools, we maintain close links with Sunnymede Infant School, which is on the same site.

The school badge, which was designed by the first Headteacher, Mr Tom Williams, illustrates the history of the Billericay area.

• The eagle reminds us of the Roman remains found in Norsey Wood and on the site of The Billericay School
• The scythe and the sword represent the Peasants Revolt and the subsequent battle in Norsey Wood circa 1340
• The chevron and crosses remind us of the Chantry that used to be in Billericay before there was a church
• 
  

THE CURRICULUM

​A broad, balanced and inspiring curriculum is taught at Sunnymede Junior, in line with the 2014 National Curriculum and based on the recommended programmes of study.  Planning is rigorous and matched to the needs of our pupils and ensures support, challenge, continuity and progression. Children are taught core knowledge and skills in all curriculum subjects to enhance learning, using cross-curricular links where appropriate. We aim to foster a love of learning by drawing on and developing children’s interests wherever possible. We often block foundation subjects, such as art or history, to help make learning in that subject more meaningful and time-effective. We use computing to enhance learning across the curriculum.

Pupils are taught as whole class groups, in small groups or individually. A team of skilled LSAs (learning support assistants), along with specialist teachers, work with class teachers throughout the school, with the aim of ensuring that the needs of all pupils are met in full.

 

We ensure a rich curriculum by organising a range of trips and visits throughout the year to further enhance learning. We also encourage use of the local area, including outdoor learning opportunities. From time to time, we also have theme days or weeks where all year groups focus on a particular subject.

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English 

English is taught as a subject in its own right and across the curriculum. With its four main components of speaking, listening, reading and writing, it forms the basis of, and is a means of access to, other areas of the curriculum. Effective communication is a vital skill in today’s society and pupils are supported fully to enable them to master the necessary skills to express adequately their thoughts, feelings and opinions. All pupils will participate in daily English lessons which, over the course of a term, will focus on a broad range of skills. Some of these sessions will focus on skills such as spelling, grammar and punctuation, handwriting and comprehension. Whole class reading sessions help to ensure that pupils develop key comprehension skills. Pupils are taught in mixed ability groups, though where considered appropriate, ability setting may be used for some aspects of English, such as spelling or grammar and punctuation. When children join the school, they begin writing with pencil across the curriculum. Once the teacher considers a child’s writing to be sufficiently neat, consistent and with letters well formed, a ‘pen licence’ will be awarded, allowing children to write using pen in all curriculum areas except maths. All pupils in Year 6 will be required to write in pen in preparation for secondary school, regardless of whether they have acquired their pen licence. Suitable handwriting pens can be purchased at the school office for £1.30.

It is important that you support your child by:

• Helping them to learn weekly spellings
• Encouraging them to write regularly at home
• Reading with your child every day, sharing different types of books / texts regularly
• Discussing the meaning of a broad range of vocabulary in everyday contexts

This may mean, for example: hearing your child read aloud, reading with or to your child, asking your child to answer literal and inferential questions about the text, asking them to make predictions or express opinions about a story, or to review the whole text or summarise the plot.  When reading with your child and when learning weekly spellings, it is helpful to discuss the meaning of unfamiliar words with your child and use them in the context of a sentence to reinforce the meaning.

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Mathematics

Mathematics is a daily part of our curriculum and is taught with the mind-set that it forms an essential part of everyday life. Mathematics equips our pupils with a powerful set of tools that they need to understand and change the world.  Teaching and learning within mathematics develops firm foundations of number and calculations for pupils.  We teach using a mastery curriculum, which ensures our pupils have a deep and varied knowledge of a mathematical concept before moving on and extending their learning. Fluency, problem solving and reasoning are regularly incorporated within the learning journey to help consolidate and extend our pupils’ mathematical knowledge.  Our pupils progress through stages of calculations, which consistently support the understanding of place value, whilst using both formal and informal written methods.  Pupils are also encouraged to explain their methods/ reasoning fully, developing their mastery of maths, as well as understand and use a wide range of vocabulary.  

You can help your child considerably by:

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• Ensuring that they commit to memory the multiplication tables and associated division facts and develop instant recall of the relevant facts (both in and out of sequence). Children have access to the ‘Times Tables Rock Star’ app at home to support this
• Supporting them to learn other mathematical facts, such as number bonds, money, units of measurement and telling the time. Children have access to the ‘Mathletics’ and ‘NumBots app at home to support this
• Encouraging them to use mathematics in real life contexts whilst carrying out everyday activities
• Encouraging them to explain why they have calculated an answer.
• 
  

Science

Science provides a means for pupils to explore and understand their world. It should encourage them to develop skills of investigation, prediction, analysis and interpretation. We teach children to develop an enquiring mind and a rational approach so that they can pose questions and devise fair experiments in order to solve specific problems. They are taught to record and analyse data. We also teach them to use equipment safely and begin to recognise possible hazards for themselves. We are extremely fortunate to have extensive grounds that include a wildlife garden with a willow dome, a separate pond area, a Forest Schools area, all providing a superb resource to enhance the science curriculum, as well as other subjects.

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Computing

As a school, we recognise the need to equip our children to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. We aim to ensure that pupils become digitally literate, able to use and express themselves and develop their ideas through computing technology at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in an increasingly digital world. Our comprehensive and progressive curriculum enables them to access, analyse, process and present information in a variety of ways across the curriculum. Computing is taught as a subject in its own right and is also used across the wider curriculum to enhance learning.  Computing lessons usually take place in our class bases using mobile technology. Pupils follow a structured and progressive programme involving a wide range of core computing skills, such as computer programming, app and game creation, debugging, data handling, computer simulation, control, word processing and computer presentation, audio and video recording and multimedia. Across the curriculum, pupils are encouraged to use a range of computing technology to support learning, which can be in the form of research, recording of work or creation of resources to reinforce and extend learning.  In order to achieve this, pupils have access to a range of mobile technology that is linked to our school network and our managed wireless system.

 

E-Safety is an important aspect of all work involving computing and pupils are regularly taught how to stay safe online and what to do when they have concerns. All access to the internet is regulated to ensure that pupils stay safe and secure when working in school. Pupils are required to sign an Acceptable Internet and Computer Use Agreement when they join the school. We also run E-safety workshops for parents.

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RE (Religious Education) 

At Sunnymede, we use the Discovery RE programme, which aligns with the Essex agreed syllabus for RE. Although this focuses mainly on Christianity, it also gives pupils sufficient opportunity to study other world religions such as Judaism and Hinduism, as well as Humanism. RE is taught as objectively as any other subject and no attempt whatsoever is made to influence children's beliefs, although they are strongly encouraged to respect the beliefs of others. From time to time, visitors of different religions are invited into school to speak to pupils within lessons or during assemblies. Whilst we discourage this, provided they notify the school in writing of their decision, parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE lessons.

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PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education and Economic) Education

All classes undertake activities which develop the social and emotional aspects of learning. Children also undertake other initiatives to improve their emotional well-being and social skills, such as First Aid training, Circle Time and external workshop providers to support this. We use the Jigsaw programme as a starting point for delivering PSHE.

Humanities (History and Geography)

In history, pupils learn about people, events and places from recent and more distant times. They study change and continuity in the British Isles and other parts of the world from a variety of perspectives including political, economic, technological, scientific, social, religious and cultural. They are taught study skills to enable them to increase their knowledge and understanding. They are also encouraged to understand that historical events are often recorded subjectively and, therefore, sources need to be analysed for accuracy.

In geography, we aim to teach pupils about their own locality, Britain and the wider world. We help children to appreciate and understand the variations between different localities and cultures. We teach them to realise the impact that human activities can have on the landscape. Pupils also learn basic mapping skills.

 

Art

Pupils are given the opportunity to develop an appreciation and understanding of art in its entirety. We create an atmosphere in which we hope that all children will feel confident to experiment with a range of materials and artistic styles in order to express their feelings and observations. They are encouraged to value their work and appreciate the skills and talents of artists, craftsmen and designers from around the world.

Design & Technology

In D & T, pupils investigate a need or respond to an opportunity to make or modify something. As well as constructing items from a range of materials and using a range of tools, pupils are expected to plan and evaluate their work. Although a subject in its own right, D & T requires children to use skills, knowledge and understanding gained in other curriculum areas.

 

Modern Foreign Languages

Children in all year groups take part in French lessons, which are taught by a specialist teacher. In Years 3 and 4, more emphasis is placed on speaking and listening, with more writing being introduced in Years 5 and 6.

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Music

We want all pupils to enjoy a wide variety of music and encourage them to develop skills as listeners and performers and use the Charanga scheme to support teaching and learning. They are given the opportunity to appreciate that music reflects historical and cultural change and to understand that it is an ideal medium for conveying emotions. All pupils have the opportunity to play a range of tuned and un-tuned instruments during class lessons. Each year, pupils in our choir take part in the local music festival. The choir also sings regularly to support community and charity events.

Physical Education (PE)  

Physical exercise is vital in order that children grow into healthy, active adults who are physically confident and it enables them to maximise their opportunities for academic learning. Using the ‘Get Set 4 PE’ programme, we teach the children a range of activities including gymnastics, yoga, games, athletics and dance, as well as encouraging them to develop socially by becoming team players. Lessons are taught by class teachers and also a qualified sports coach as part of our PPA arrangements. Year 4 pupils have the opportunity to learn to swim at a local pool each week.

We have a number of extra-curricular clubs that are sports related, offering further opportunities for pupils to participate in a range of different sports. Pupils participate regularly in the local swimming gala, District Sports tournament and football, basketball, tag rugby and netball rallies, as well as friendly matches with other schools.

 

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

We encourage children to develop family values and moral principles and consider the teaching of relationships and sex education as a joint responsibility with parents and carers. We follow a programme of study for teaching which is age-appropriate. A copy of this can be obtained from the school office or by talking to your child’s teacher. A copy can also be found in the Relationships and Sex Education Policy on our school website.

 

Whilst not encouraged, parents do have the right to withdraw their children from sex education lessons if they wish and should put their request in writing to the Headteacher. Parents may not, however, withdraw their children from relationship or health education.  Parents of Year 6 pupils are invited to a meeting to view some of the materials we use and discuss the topics we cover before they are used in the summer term. The sex education programme is published on our school website, along with our RSE policy which forms part of the broader PSHE policy.

 

 ASSEMBLIES

As required by law, we hold a daily act of collective worship during our assemblies. Children are always given the option of joining in the act of worship, although parents/carers may withdraw their child, providing they notify the school in writing of their decision. During the assemblies we cover a range of topics, including aspects of RE, PSHE, SMSC and British Values in an objective manner. Assemblies also focus on our school values and using our growth mindset.  We also have a weekly singing assembly and a weekly celebration assembly. A range of visitors from the community, and further afield, come in to take assemblies from time to time. Parents are also invited to a celebration assembly once a year.

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ASSESSMENT

Pupils are assessed both informally and formally throughout the year, using a range of strategies. Pupils in all year groups complete tests in reading, grammar, mathematics and science on a termly basis. This prepares children for the statutory tests taken in the final term of Year 6. Teacher assessment judgements are also made each term across the curriculum subjects. All writing is based on teacher assessment.  Teacher assessments are based on work completed throughout the term, rather than on a single piece of work completed in a test, and these give a more rounded picture of a child’s achievement.

Results from teacher assessments and tests are analysed carefully and used to track pupils’ progress and identify additional support/interventions that may be required to enable children to make even better progress.

Consultation evenings are held in the autumn and spring terms so that parents/carers can be kept up-to-date with their child's achievements, along with targets for future progress. End of year reports also inform you of the progress your child has made over the course of the year.

The principles of Assessment for Learning are used within daily teaching and for on-going assessment purposes. This ensures that pupils receive timely and precise feedback, both orally and through marking, across the curriculum, encouraging more rapid progress. A range of strategies are used to support this.

ATTENDANCE, ABSENCE and LATENESS  

Good levels of attendance is vital in ensuring children make good progress in their learning. It is expected that children arrive at school on time (by 8:50 am) and attend regularly.

 

If a child is absent from school, the following procedures must be taken:

 

·     Contact the school on the first day of absence before 9.30 am. Absence should be recorded online via our Studybugs App (registration via:  https://studybugs.com/about/parents).The school also has an answer phone available to leave a message but this should be used only if you are unable to use Studybugs. Please do not report on both Studybugs as well as on voicemail and please do not record your child’s absence on ParentMail.

·     Contact the school on every further day of absence, again before 9.30am, unless otherwise agreed with the school office. If we do not receive communication from you, the absence will be marked as unauthorised.

 

Ensure that your child returns to school as soon as possible and you provide any medical evidence, if requested, to support the absence.

 

In line with safeguarding procedures and to ensure pupil safety, we have a policy of 'first day contact' in the case of absence from school. If we have had no contact with you and your child has not been registered, they will be treated as a missing person and appropriate action taken; this may involve conducting a home visit. An unauthorised absence will also be recorded.

 Arriving late at school causes disruption to others and means your child is likely to miss out on the first part of the first lesson. It also causes distress to some children. For the benefit of all, therefore, please ensure they arrive on time. Our Attendance Officer monitors attendance levels and lateness, with parents being challenged if a pattern of lateness emerges for a particular child.   Any parent who brings their child to school late should accompany them personally to the school reception, where they will be required to log the lateness on our electronic recording system in the reception area, clearly stating the reason for the lateness. If a parent is not able to accompany their child into school, the lateness will be logged by a member of staff.

Leave of absence is granted at the discretion of the Headteacher, in line with the School’s Attendance policy and acting on behalf of the Governing Body. In line with DfE statutory guidance, leave of absence cannot be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances. Holidays, however long or short, cannot be authorised. A routine medical or dental check-up is very unlikely to be authorised. However, a request to attend a medical clinic appointment that is supported by an appointment letter may be considered exceptional.  In the rare cases where leave is granted, the Headteacher will determine the number of school days the child can be away from school. Each written request for exceptional leave of absence will be treated individually and considered on its own merit. It is for parents and carers to decide whether they think their request is likely to be considered exceptional and decide whether to submit a request for exceptional leave of absence. Any request for leave of absence must be made in writing using the request form in Appendix 2 of the Attendance Policy.  It can also be found in the ‘Documents’ section of our website or obtained from the school office.

 

There is no legal right to take your child out of school and doing so can be detrimental to their educational progress. If leave of absence is not authorised and a holiday of five days or more is taken anyway, the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a penalty notice to each parent of each child for £120, reduced to £60 if paid within 21 days. A parent is committing an offence if they fail to make sure that their child attends school regularly.

Pupils’ attendance is monitored closely by the School, the Local Authority and the DFE. The school will work closely with parents and children where there is a risk of persistent absenteeism to ensure strategies are put in place, with the aim of ensuring that attendance and punctuality improves rapidly.

Our full Attendance Policy can be found on the school website or accessed via the school office and you are strongly advised to familiarise yourself with it.

 

BEHAVIOUR

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We expect all our pupils to work hard, observe our core values and to behave with kindness and courtesy towards others.

 

We have a Behaviour Policy which sets out clearly our expectations about how pupils should behave and conduct themselves and what constitutes acceptable behaviour. Our school rules underpin this policy. We prefer to use positive behaviour management strategies whenever possible, as we believe children respond best to praise. Whilst not an exhaustive list, below are some strategies we use to achieve this:

·       Weekly celebration assemblies to celebrate achievements in and out of school

·       Headteacher’s award (weekly certificates in assembly)

·       Stickers

·       Verbal praise

·       Letters or phone calls home to parents to recognise achievement

·       ‘Good egg’ award and an enamel badge for good citizenship being demonstrated

·       House points for good quality / exceptional  academic work and positive learning behaviours being demonstrated

·       Marble jar; pupils work together to earn marbles for good behaviour. When the jar is full they earn reward time for their class

·       ‘Neurone of the week’ class award for demonstrating a growth mindset approach to school life

 

However, we recognise that there are occasions when sanctions need to be imposed and we have a clear system for implementing this fairly and consistently across the school. We use a four step approach for low level disruptions and this is set out in our Behaviour Policy which can be accessed on our school website or in the school office. There is also a clear system for managing behaviour issues around the school and also for more serious breaches of good behaviour. These procedures are also set out clearly in the policy, available on the school website and to view in the school office. If your child has any problems maintaining a high standard of conduct, we will contact you so that we can work together to try to resolve any underlying problems or concerns. 

BILLERICAY COMMUNITY TRUST (BCT)

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Sunnymede Junior School is a partner member of the BCT, a collaborative learning community that was established in 2009. Staff members across the schools support each other and share good practice with a view to providing the best possible education to children across the town. As a result of working in partnership with BCT, we have access to a range of support services for our families, such as a Home School Attendance Officer.

 

BREAKFAST CLUB / AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

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Sunnymede Breakfast Club provides childcare from 7.30am until 8.45am. The cost is £4 per child.  Places are limited. Please contact the school office for details. After school care until 7.00pm is available at Goldcrest Nursery, which is based on our site (for children up to the end of year four only).  They will collect children from Sunnymede at the end of the school day. They can be contacted on 01277 632428.

BRITISH VALUES

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We expect all our pupils to understand that all people living in England are subject to its law, regardless of their own personal viewpoint. Pupils, staff and members of the school community are encouraged to show respect and tolerance for different faiths, races and cultures. To promote the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, we have a broad curriculum that allows children to become rounded individuals.  We promote British Values by:

 

·       Enabling pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence

·       Enabling pupils to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England

·       Encouraging pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely

·       Enabling pupils to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England

·       Encouraging pupils to demonstrate tolerance and harmony of different cultural traditions by ensuring they appreciate and respect their own and others’ cultures 

·       Encouraging respect for other people and their opinions

·       Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in democratic processes

 

CHARGING & REMISSION POLICY

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The Governing Body will ask parents/carers for a contribution equal to the cost per child for any activities that incur an additional cost to the school, including swimming. No child will be excluded from such an activity due to the absence of a donation. However, without sufficient voluntary donations, the activities cannot always take place, so we do ask that you support the visits and trips wholeheartedly as they enhance pupils' learning immeasurably. In the case of financial difficulty, please contact staff in the school office, as you may be eligible for financial support. Our full Charging and Remission Policy can be found on the school website.

 

COMMUNICATION

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Effective partnership and communication between home and school is vital if your child is to receive the best possible education. Please let us know promptly if anything has happened at home that may have an impact on your child's well-being in school. In turn, we will communicate with you either in person, via your child's homework diary, by letter, email or by telephone, depending on the nature of the message. In the interest of your child, please ensure that we have your most recent contact information and that you notify us of any changes immediately.

The school also uses Parentmail PMX, which is an email based communications system. As soon as your child is on roll, parents/carers can register at www.pmx.parentmail.co.uk free of charge to receive communications from school. This system provides instant access to communications for parents/carers and considerable reprographic savings to the school. Those parents without internet access should inform a member of staff in the school office and will, wherever possible, still receive paper communications.

 

We ask parents to report their child’s absence using the online StudyBugs app. Parents can register at https://studybugs.com/about/parents

 

At the beginning of each term, parents will receive a year group curriculum plan. This will give parents and carers an overview of learning to be covered that term, along with information about any trips or visits that have been planned. It will also give details of optional homework projects for those families who would like to complete them. Year group curriculum plans are uploaded to the school website.

The Headteacher or Deputy Head will try to be available for brief conversations at the beginning and end of most school days. However, this cannot always be guaranteed. If they are unavailable, or the meeting is likely to take a little longer, the office staff will make an appointment for you as soon as possible. Your first point of contact should, other than in exceptional circumstances, be the class teacher or year group leader. If appropriate, you will then be referred to the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher or a member of the leadership team.

 

A half-termly newsletter called ‘Sunnymede Snippets’ is issued to parents electronically, which contains a range of information about past and upcoming events, including key diary dates. These, along with other key information, are uploaded regularly on our school website. Amongst other things posted, the website includes policies, guidance, curriculum planning and gallery photos of key events. Each year group also has a website page that is updated regularly with photos of children’s learning in action and information about what work they have been doing.

Parents are expected to record regularly in their child’s home reading record. All pupils also have homework diaries in which they record their weekly homework. On occasions, teachers use the diaries to send home brief notes regarding issues that have occurred within school and parents/carers are welcome to use them to send into school non-urgent information regarding their child, homework etc. However, it should be noted that teachers do not read each child’s book daily and may only check them once a week. Please encourage your child to tell the teacher if you have written a message; this encourages your child to become independent and ensures your message is responded to as soon as possible.

Where the information is more urgent, of a confidential nature or more complex, this should be communicated via a letter in an envelope, a telephone call or face-to face meeting. Should you wish to make an appointment to see your child's teacher or a more senior member of staff, please contact the school office. We always attempt to make mutually convenient appointments as soon as possible in order that any issues can be remedied promptly and efficiently. It is sometimes possible, though not guaranteed, to arrange an immediate appointment, especially at the end of the day, if the discussion is likely to be brief. Please do not approach the teacher at the end of the day in the playground until they have ensured all pupils have been discharged from their care. This is for safeguarding purposes and in line with exiting arrangements.

Every Friday between 3:15 and 3:40 pm, class teachers will host ’drop-ins’. During this time, you and your child are welcome to come in and look at your child’s books with them and reflect on the work they have been doing. This is a really useful, informal opportunity for you to talk about learning with your child. The class teacher will be present in the classroom and you can ask them informally about any little queries you may have. However, the main purpose is for you to have an opportunity to look at your child’s work and share in their classroom learning with them more regularly. Personal appointments will need to be booked with the teacher for anything that needs to be discussed in more detail. You can choose if you wish to come every week or every now and then. All we ask is that you leave when the bell sounds at 3:40pm, as teachers often have further meetings to attend.    

 

In the autumn and spring terms, parent consultation meetings will take place between parents and the class teacher, providing an opportunity to talk about your child’s progress on a one-to-one basis.  An online booking system is used for making these appointments.  In the summer term, we have an open evening, where parents are invited to tour the school and celebrate the work the children have been doing.

 

A list of our current school staff can be accessed on the ‘Who’s Who ‘section of our school website.

 

 

DATA PROTECTION

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Our school complies fully with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), with policies in place to support this. Regular checks are undertaken to ensure that control measures are effective and have been complied with. Relevant policies are available on the school website.

 

  

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

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It is important to us that all our pupils have full access to the school curriculum and wider school experiences. Pupils will receive their entitlement to access the curriculum in full in ways that take into account their starting point, irrespective of race, gender, socio-economic background, age, religion or disability.  Pupil Premium funding, allocated by the Government to address inequalities between pupils currently or previously eligible for free school meals, is used to help close any attainment gap between these groups of pupils.  Information about how this funding is used is published on our website.

 

EQUALITY

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We work to ensure that our children understand that there are no outsiders at Sunnymede Juniors, that everyone is different and these are celebrated, and that we are all equal in our differences. The Equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the Equality Act protects people against discrimination due to ‘Protected Characteristics’.

 

Under the Equality Act, there are nine Protected Characteristics:

 

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Race
5. Religion or belief
6. Marriage or civil partnership
7. Sex
8. Sexual orientation
9. Pregnancy and maternity

 

At Sunnymede, we actively work to embed these in our ethos to ensure that everyone is respected and valued, thereby ensuring the highest possible standards. Our Equality and Community Cohesion Policy is available to view in the school office and on our website, setting out the framework by which we endeavour to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment, promote equality of opportunity, good relationships and positive attitudes between people of diverse backgrounds. We actively promote British Values in our school through a variety of planned activities.

 

Our school site is fully accessible for disabled pupils, staff and visitors. We have a stair riser, offering access from the main reception and school hall to the middle and upper school areas. We also have a DDA compliant toilet, which includes a disabled toilet, hoist and changing table. There is a ramp making access to the school from the car park accessible to all.

 

 

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

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Staff members and volunteers run a wide range of lunchtime, before and after school clubs to benefit our children. The choice of clubs vary slightly from year to year and sometimes from term to term, depending on the expertise available and the season. Whilst a number of clubs are free of charge, some are run by external agencies and there is usually a charge for these. However, costs are kept to a minimum. Occasionally, a small contribution is requested towards the cost of materials for clubs such as art and sewing. Some clubs are open to children in all year groups, whilst others may be targeted at specific year groups or pupils.

We run a weekly lunchtime homework club where children may receive some support with their homework if required. This is particularly useful for children to complete their weekly online maths homework if they do not have access to the internet at home.

Extra-curricular activities include a range of sporting, musical and academic activities. Details of all clubs are sent out at the beginning of each academic year and reviewed termly if required. They can also be viewed on our school website.

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ACADEMICALLY MORE ABLE AND TALENTED PUPILS

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Our more able students are supported fully to enable them to further their abilities and develop their potential. This support may take many forms, including carefully differentiated planning and challenges for academically higher attaining pupils. Local secondary schools also provide valuable opportunities for gifted and talented pupils to participate in a range of challenging extension activities e.g. maths masterclass sessions at the local secondary school.  Where appropriate, some other extra-curricular clubs may be targeted specifically at our more able pupils, including booster sessions, to support learning in core subjects.

 

GOVERNORS

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The Governing Body works closely with the school staff and the Local Authority. Its primary role is to set the aims and ethos of the school, to protect the rights of all members of the school community, to appoint senior staff, to ensure the delivery and access of the National Curriculum for all pupils and to manage the school’s budget. It has legal duties, powers and responsibilities.

 

GROWTH MINDSET

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At Sunnymede Junior School, we know that pupils who have a positive attitude towards their learning will make good progress and be successful. Instilling all our pupils with 'growth mindsets' is a key priority for the school and we have introduced the theories of Dr Carol Dweck to staff, pupils and parents, embedding its ideas within our school ethos. This was recognised in our 2018 Ofsted report.

 

We want all our pupils to relish challenges, embrace their mistakes as part of the learning process, value the importance of effort, respond carefully to feedback and take inspiration from others. This will help them to achieve now and in their future lives as adults.

 

Key aspects of a growth mindset are: 

• We celebrate making mistakes – we can learn from them
• We never give up – perseverance is the key if we are to succeed
• We learn from each other
• We don’t compare ourselves with others
• We challenge ourselves and take risks
• We remember that our brains are making new connections and growing all the time.

 

HEAD LICE

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Unfortunately, head lice are an unwelcome part of school life. In an endeavour to control the spread of any outbreak, the school will contact parents/carers and request them to take their child home for treatment should lice be spotted during the school day.

 

 

HEALTHY SCHOOLS

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Sunnymede places much emphasis on being a healthy school. It is integral to our practice and we have achieved Enhanced National Healthy Schools Status.  Many components make up a healthy school including:

 

• Physical activity
• Emotional and mental health and well-being
• Promotion of a healthy diet and provision of freshly cooked and nutritious meals
• Sense of community and commitment to producing good citizens who will make valuable contributions to society (PSHE)

 

The school has access to a range of services, including that of a school counsellor and pastoral support.

 

 

HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT

It is the belief of governors and staff that there should be a strong partnership between the school, parents and children. We all have responsibilities to ensure our children make good progress socially, emotionally and academically. These are set out in a Home School Agreement. We ask parents and children to agree with these responsibilities by reading and signing it when they join our school. Parents and children will be reminded of these at the start of each school year. A copy of this agreement can be found in Appendix 1 and on the school website.

 

HOMEWORK

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Homework provides an important link between home and school, encouraging parents to actively engage with their child’s learning, as well as preparing them for secondary school. As such, we set weekly homework tasks during term time that reinforce and build on what children learn in lessons. We very much hope that parents support their child with these tasks. The table below sets out the weekly tasks that are set for each year group and an approximate amount of time, based on DFE recommendations, these activities may take.

The homework guidance leaflet for parents, available on the school website or from the main school office, sets out what days homework tasks will be set, when they need to be completed and where homework should be recorded. Guidance is also offered on how to support your child with the different homework tasks. A full copy of the policy is also available on the website, along with the parent leaflet.

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	Y3	Y4		Y5	Y6
Daily Reading	15 mins per night			20 mins per night
Spelling (prep for spelling test)	5 mins per night
Daily Mental maths	5 mins per night
Weekly online Maths Task (Homework club available for children without the Internet at home)	Approx 15 mins per week
Weekly English OR cross-curricular OR  written/practical  Maths Task* *These will take place on a three week cycle	Approx. 1 hour per week (this may vary slightly from week to week)				N/A
Weekly English Task (comprehension, grammar, spelling  and punctuation activities)	N/A				Approx 1 hour per week
Other	N/A		Year 6: An additional literacy task will be given most weeks from Spring term onwards. Past SATS maths questions will also be given from time to time.

   *In Year 3, this task is not set for the first half of the autumn term to allow pupils time to settle.

 

Daily reading and recall of multiplication facts and number bonds at home are vital in ensuring your child makes good progress in literacy and numeracy. It is vital that you support your child with this in order for them to make good progress.

 

 

HOUSE TEAMS

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When children join the school, they join one of our house teams:

Chantry: Green      

Pilgrim: Yellow

Martin: Blue

Mayflower: Red

 

Pupils earn house points throughout the week for good work and houses work in teams to collect the most. The team with the most points is celebrated each week in assembly and at the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the trophy. They also work in house teams and across classes for ‘house mornings’ which take place from time to time, and also for sports day. On such occasions, we ask children to wear a t-shirt in the colour to represent their house so please make sure you have one available to use; these are available to buy through our online uniform supplier (Red Oak Roller) if you wish). You will be told which house your child is in when they join the school.

LUNCHTIME ARRANGEMENTS

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Healthy, balanced and nutritional school meals are provided daily by our own catering staff and currently cost  £2.30. If you wish your child to have a school dinner, payment must be made online via PlusPay (through your Parentmail PMX account) or by a cheque made payable to Sunnymede Junior School. Cash is not accepted for dinner money payments.  Dinners should be paid at least a week in advance. Cheque payments should be sent to school in an envelope clearly marked with your child's name, class and the amount of money enclosed

 

The menu is displayed in the main school entrance and may be requested from reception. When the menu is changed, this will be sent by Parentmail PMX and posted on our website. The school has no obligation to feed your child if meals are not paid for in advance, in line with our Dinner Money Policy. If you are receiving additional benefits for your family, your child may be entitled to free school meals. Please ask a member of the school office team who will discuss this with you in the strictest confidence.

 

Children who bring a packed lunch should do so in an appropriately sized container that is clearly marked with their name.  We take our status as a Healthy School seriously and ask you to support this by ensuring your child’s packed lunch is healthy and nutritionally well balanced. For example, we encourage you to provide your child with at least one portion of fresh fruit or vegetable.  Please provide them with a drink (water, squash or fruit juice) in a sensible container that does not leak. Fizzy drinks, glass bottles and cans are not allowed. Please provide spoons if required and avoid foods that are messy. Chocolate coated products are not encouraged. Sweets are not allowed for snacks or in lunch boxes. Packed lunches are stored on trolleys in the school corridors during the day and these areas can become quite warm. We recommend, therefore, that you put a small ice pack in your child’s lunch box to keep food fresh and cool.

 

A team of experienced Midday Assistants supervise the children over the lunch period, both in the dining hall and in the playground.  Members of the teaching staff are always nearby if they are needed.

 

Children may go home for lunch if collected by a parent/carer. The child should make this clear when the dinner register is called and remember to report to the school reception staff at the start of the lunch period, Parents should report to the main office in person when collecting their child for this purpose and make it known to the office when they return at the end of the lunch break. They should not arrive back at school before 1:00pm and must return before the afternoon session begins. The parent collecting the child will be required to sign the child out electronically when they leave/return.

 

 

NUT-FREE POLICY

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We aim to be a nut-free school, with the intention of reducing the risk to those children and adults who may suffer an anaphylactic reaction if exposed to nuts to which they are sensitive. The school aims to protect children who have allergies to nuts. We do everything we can to ensure that nuts or nut products are not brought on our school premises. However, we require parents and carers to help us achieve this by ensuring they do not include such items in their child's lunch box. Midday Assistants will do their best to ensure that children's lunch box contents adhere to our policy".

 

Our “Nut-Free Policy” means that the following items should not be brought into school:

• Packs of nuts
• Peanut butter sandwiches
• Fruit and cereal bars that contain nuts
• Chocolate bars or sweets that contain nuts
• Sesame seed rolls (children allergic to nuts may also have a severe reaction to sesame)
• Cakes made with nuts

 

We have a policy to not use nuts in any of our food prepared on site at our school. Our suppliers provide us with nut-free products. However, we cannot guarantee freedom from nut traces.

 

 

MEDICAL VISITS

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If a child needs to be released from school during lesson time to visit the doctor, dentist etc. a note should be sent to the school office/class teacher in advance. In the interests of safety, all pupils must be collected from the school office by an adult, who will be required to sign the child out/in electronically when they leave/return.  Pupils will not be allowed to leave the premises unaccompanied during lesson time. It should be noted, however, that routine medical and dental appointments and check-ups should not be organised during the school day. In line with our Attendance Policy, appointment cards or letters, or other relevant evidence, may be requested in some circumstances, particularly where there are concerns about a child’s attendance or the number of appointments being attended during the school day.

 

MEDICATION

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Members of the office staff are prepared, in most situations, to administer medication providing that a consent form has been completed by a responsible adult. For those children with more serious medical conditions, it is standard practice to draw up a protocol agreed with parents/carers and medical advisers. Key staff members have regular training to use Epi-pens.

 

Under no circumstances should your child be sent into school with medication unless staff members have been informed and a parent / carer has brought this to the school office and signed the relevant permission forms. With the exception of inhalers, all medicines must be stored in the school office.

 

 

MONEY, MOBILE PHONES AND VALUABLES 

We can only be responsible for money, or other valuables, if it has been handed to a member of staff for safekeeping. It is not appropriate for pupils to bring unnecessary sums of money or valuable items into school.

Pupils are not allowed to have mobile phones in their possession whilst in school. However, we recognise that some pupils in Years 5 and 6 bring them to school so they have access to them after school, particularly if they walk home alone. Children must ensure their mobile phones are handed in to the class teacher in the morning before registration, where they are locked away during the day. At the end of the day, these will be returned to the pupils. As mobile phones look very similar, we trust pupils to take their own phone, as we cannot possibly know which phone belongs to which child. As such, we cannot take responsibility for a child’s mobile phone. If a child is found to be in possession of a mobile phone or other electronic device during the school day, this is a serious matter and the child will be sanctioned accordingly. 

 

Where children choose to bring in personal items and / or those of value e.g. expensive pencil cases, the school will not take responsibility if they go missing.

 

 

MUSIC LESSONS 

 

Peripatetic music teachers provide private tuition for many instruments within school on a fee-paying basis. Currently, lessons are available for keyboard, cello, violin, guitar and drums. Please contact the school office and speak to the School Business Manager if you require information about any of these lessons. Please be aware that any such lessons may take place during lessons so your child could miss part of those lessons on a weekly basis in order to have their music lesson. This may be a Maths or English lesson.

 

 

ORGANISATION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

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Work is planned in year groups so that all classes have equal access to the curriculum. Children are taught as a whole class, in groups and as individuals, using a range of teaching styles in order that their needs can be met. All pupils, regardless of ability, are both supported and challenged at an appropriate level.  Pupils with learning difficulties are supported with work differentiated to meet their needs. A skilled team of LSAs (Learning Support Assistants) support class teachers in meeting the needs of individuals and groups and run a number of targeted intervention groups for selected pupils of all ability groups. Some pupils will also receive specialist support from our outside agencies.

 

 

PASTORAL CARE AND FIRST AID 

The welfare of our pupils is most important to us, so please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any concern about your child's happiness or safety. It does help if you keep us informed of any changes in home circumstances that may affect your child e.g. bereavement (people or pets), the birth of a new baby, change in living arrangements. We may also contact you should we have any concerns regarding your child. Any information received will be treated in the strictest confidence.

 

Minor injuries are dealt with by a responsible adult who has received regularly updated, accredited first aid training. There are a number of members of staff who have qualifications in either basic or paediatric first aid. All reported injuries are logged in the accident book, which is kept in the office.  Minor injuries are not routinely reported to parents but a note is sent home if your child has sustained a head bump. If your child is involved in an accident that requires more than basic first aid, or if we consider them too ill to remain in school, we will contact you by telephone so that you can take your child home or to a doctor. It is, therefore, important that we have up-to-date contact numbers registered in school. If we are unable to contact you, or any other nominated person, we will, of course, act in loco parentis and ensure that your child receives appropriate medical treatment.

PLAY LEADERS

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Playleaders are trained each year to work alongside Midday Staff to promote participation in a range of physical activity during the lunch break. This is an excellent opportunity for our older pupils to develop leadership skills.

 

 

PPA (PLANNING, PREPARATION AND ASSESSMENT)

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In line with statutory government legislation, all members of the teaching staff must receive 10% of the teaching timetable as non-contact time for planning, preparation and assessment. Classes within each year group are taught by specialist teachers or instructors during this time. At present, these lessons include Physical Education and French.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STAFF

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All staff, teaching and non-teaching, undertake professional development based on the needs of the school and the needs of individuals or groups. Pupils' learning is enhanced considerably by this training and every effort is made to avoid any disruption to the normal timetable. However, there are times when supply staff or other members of our existing staff, including Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs), teach a class. We expect pupils to accord the same respect to these teachers as they do to their regular teacher. In such situations, where possible, the class teacher will have planned the lesson for the supply teacher in advance.

 

 

PTA

The PTA, our parents’ and teachers’ association, is run jointly by Infant and Junior parents and raises a considerable sum of money each year to provide additional resources to enhance pupils’ learning. They are responsible for organising a range of activities that benefit the children, as well as raising funds e.g. regular discos for pupils and other events. All too often, the bulk of the work involved falls upon the shoulders of just a few individuals. If you feel that you can spare some time to help at, or even organise, any of these events, please contact the school office and someone will arrange for a member of the committee to contact you. The PTA can be contacted via the school office or by email at sunnymedepta@gmail.com.

 

 

PLUSPAY ONLINE PAYMENTS

We accept online payments for school trips, school dinners and breakfast club via PlusPay, which is a module within Parentmail PMX. If you would like to use this payment method, please activate the PlusPay module through your Parentmail PMX account or contact the school office. If unable to play by this preferred method, we will accept cheque payments, although we do not accept cash.

 

RAISING CONCERNS AND RESOLVING COMPLAINTS

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From time to time parents, and others connected with the school, will become aware of matters which cause them concern. To encourage resolution of such situations, the Governing Body has adopted a Compliments, Concerns and Complaints procedure. The procedure is devised with the intention that it will:

• Usually be possible to resolve problems by informal means
• Be simple to use and understand
• Be non-adversarial
• Provide confidentiality
• Allow problems to be handled swiftly
• Address all the points of concern identified
• Inform future practice so that the problem is unlikely to recur

The policy may be obtained from the School Office. It is also available on the school website.

RECYCLING

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We encourage recycling at Sunnymede Junior School. The following items can be brought to the school office for recycling: used batteries, clothes/textiles and shoes (in pairs). We are also happy to take school uniform for our second hand uniform sales, which take place at least termly.

 

 

ROAD SAFETY & PARKING

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Please support your child by walking to school whenever possible to enable him/her to practise road safety skills. Walking to school also reduces the congestion on the roads around the school, thereby aiding pupil safety.

If you do bring your child to school by car, please park off the school premises and with consideration for other motorists and local residents. Parents must not park or ‘drop off’ outside the controlled access gates on The Meadoway or on the yellow markings on Mons Avenue. The car park gates leading from The Meadoway are the entry point for emergency vehicles and must always be clear. Parking legally is essential for the safety of children and local residents; any parent or visitor who parks illegally or with lack of respect for others will be challenged by the school.

 

Pedestrian access to the school is via a controlled access gate on The Meadoway and is the school’s only access point during school hours. This gate is, however, open for breakfast club drop-off between 7:45 am and 8:00am. It is also unlocked between 8:40 and 8:50am 9:00 am in the morning and is then locked until 3:05pm. Access at this gate at other times should be sought by the electronic buzzer that connects to the main school office. Once access is gained to the site, the footpath must be used and nobody should enter the staff car park. There is also a disability ramp leading to the main school entrance.

The gate leading to Mons Avenue is for convenience only and for start and end of day access but and is not the school’s primary entrance. It is opened for pupil only access between 8:40 am and 8:50am each day and at the end of the day between 3:05 pm and approximately 3:20 pm for end of day collection. If a pupil should arrive late for school, they must not be left unattended; the parent will need to bring them to the entrance on The Meadoway and buzz for access. The parent should accompany the child to the main office to explain their child’s lateness.

We have a bike shelter in the school grounds and, once Year 6 pupils have passed their Bikeability test, they can cycle to school and lock their bike there during the school day. If you decide that you would like your child to cycle to school, please note that we cannot take responsibility for them.

Bikes and scooters must not be ridden on the school site; this includes toddlers, school pupils and adults.

 

SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION

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The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other workers in the school to share this commitment. It is the school’s responsibility to keep the children and adults who work within the school safe. We follow Essex Guidelines for safeguarding.

 

Our policies and procedures for safeguarding pupils are designed to ensure that pupils feel safe and are safe in school. Safeguarding is a priority in all that we do. The school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs Ronnie Branch. She is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of these procedures. The Governing Body also plays a key role in evaluating their effectiveness. The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Miss Catharine King.

 

All staff members are appropriately trained in Safeguarding (child protection) procedures and safer recruitment procedures are rigorously pursued when appointing members of staff or other adults who will work regularly in the school. Ofsted (2018) confirmed that the school meets current government requirements for Safeguarding.

 

A copy of our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy may be obtained or viewed from the school office and is available on the school website.

 

 

SCHOOL SECURITY

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Staff members are required to wear an identity lanyard at all times. All visitors to the school, regardless of their role, must enter via the main school office and are required to sign in via our electronic system and wear a photo badge if they are staying on the premises. Anyone not wearing such a badge will be challenged appropriately to ensure the safety of our pupils and staff. Visitors are required to sign out and return their sticker badge on departure.

 

Children are always supervised in school or on the playground during school hours. In the morning, a member of staff will be on duty at each gate as children arrive for school. Parents are not permitted on the school site in the morning. Parents should drop children off at the gate and should not enter the playground themselves. Parents and carers are permitted onto the school site at the end of the day to collect their child.

 

It is expected that parents behave responsibly and in the interests of all pupils whilst on the school premises. Parents are expected to speak to and behave towards others politely and act as positive role models to our pupils. Dogs must not be brought on to the school premises at any time unless, in line with The Equality Act, it is a registered guide or assistance dog. In this case, permission will be granted by the school following the inspection of the relevant proof of registration. Parents must not film on the school site or take photos. Unauthorised smoking, vaping, drug use or consumption of alcohol is not permitted on site and will result in an instant ban from the school site.

 

We have CCTV, enhanced lighting and alarms on the school premises to further enhance the safety of our pupils, as recommended by the Police Crime Prevention Officer.

 

 

PUPIL PARLIAMENT

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Our Pupil Parliament consists of two democratically elected members from each class. The brief of its members is to improve school life for all pupils within the school and class representatives are able to act as a voice for their peers, as well as express personal opinions regarding day-to-day aspects of school life. They actively participate in the decision making of the school.  Meetings are held on a regular basis and the minutes are shared with all pupils during class discussions. Members of the Pupil Parliament may have the opportunity to participate in regular Student Voice activities across Billericay and within Essex.

 

SCHOOL HOURS AND END OF DAY COLLECTION ARRANGEMENTS

School hours are 08:55am to 3:15pm.  This means that children are expected to have been registered and ready to start their learning by 8:55pm. Children must, therefore, arrive on the school premises by 8:50am. The school gates will be unlocked and staffed from 8:40 am. Parents should drop their child off at the school gates between 8:40am and 8:50am. Children will make their way to their classes for registration.

 

At the end of the day, some classes will exit via their classroom doors and others via the main school exit into the junior playground. You will be informed of the exiting arrangements for your child’s new class each year via Parentmail PMX.  If you are responsible for collecting children who exit from different parts of the school building, you may want one child to meet you in a preferred location away from their usual place of exit, for example at the Infant school. If this is the case, please communicate this in writing using an exiting arrangements’ form. Parents will also be required to complete an ‘exiting arrangements’ form if anyone other than themselves will be collecting their child or if they are required to walk home or to another school on one or more days on a regular basis.  Exiting arrangement forms are on our website or available at the school office. Completed forms should be returned to the main office and be updated immediately when circumstances change.  For one off changes for a single day, parents should let the class teacher know.

We encourage pupils to be collected by an adult at the end of the day, particularly the younger pupils. If, however, a parent of an older pupil has made a decision that their child is to walk home unaccompanied, we will, for safeguarding purposes, also need confirmation of this in writing using the exiting arrangements form.

 

It is the duty of parents and carers to collect their child promptly at the end of the day. If a child has not been collected on time, they will be asked to wait in the medical room and not leave it until collected by their parent / carer. It is the responsibility of the child to ensure they stay safe and wait in the medical room where they will be collected. However, it is expected that children are collected promptly and this procedure will only need to be followed in emergency situations. Parents or carers must report to the reception desk to collect their child if they are late.

 

SNACKS AND WATER BOTTLES

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Pupils may bring in items of fresh fruit or prepared vegetables to eat at morning break time. Fruit and vegetable sticks are also available to purchase from school at 25p per item. Other snacks, such as fruit flakes or cereal bars, are not permitted.

 

We encourage pupils to drink plenty of water as this aids concentration and promotes good health. Children are also encouraged to bring in bottles of still water, labelled with their names, to be kept in the classroom during the day in order to avoid dehydration.  These bottles must contain WATER ONLY. Water is also available from hygienic water fountains situated through the school and in the playground. Though children will be reminded from time to time to have a drink, children should develop their independence by remembering to take a drink when they need it. There will be times in a lesson when it is inappropriate to take a drink.

 

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES

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Our Inclusion Manager, Miss Catharine King, has been trained as a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and is responsible for strategically planning support for pupils on the SEND register. Staff members liaise with a range of outside agencies to provide the best possible education for our pupils. If a staff member has any concerns about progress being made, or behaviour being displayed by your child, you will be contacted and arrangements made, if necessary, to place him/her on the special needs register. Provision will be made according to their needs.

 

 

UNIFORM and DRESS CODE  

  

It is expected that children come to school dressed sensibly, wearing the correct uniform and following our policy. It is important that all parents read our full Uniform Policy before purchasing uniform. This can be found at  http://www.sunnymede-jun.ik.org/uniform.html but a summary of items can be found in APPENDIX 2

 

Please note that we expect the royal blue jumper or cardigan to feature the Sunnymede logo. Other items can also be purchased with the school logo but is optional.

 

Please also note that on planned P.E. days, which you will be notified of at the start of the academic year, children can come to school in their P.E. kit and wear it throughout the day.

 

 

Footwear: Shoes and Boots

It is vital that all footwear is ‘fit for purpose’ and provides adequate support.  Smart, plain black school shoes must be worn on days when children don’t have P.E. They should be sturdy and provide adequate support for use in the playground. For health and safety reasons we do not allow children to wear shoes with platform soles or high heels. Shoes must not have open backs or toes. Trainers must only be worn on PE days and this is detailed in the PE kit section. 

Sensible, ankle length boots may be worn to and from school and in the playground during cold or wet weather. However, children are expected to change into shoes when indoors. Shoes must always be worn with socks or tights for protection and to prevent blisters. For health and safety reasons, sandals must not be worn.

 Hairstyles and hair Ornaments

For health and safety reasons and hygiene reasons, hair that is long (falling below the shoulders) must be tied back. For health and safety reasons, we will provide children with a hair band if they come to school without long hair tied back.

 

Extreme hairstyles are not appropriate for school. The use of styling products should be kept to a minimum and hair should not be gelled into inappropriate shapes. We ask that parents try to avoid extreme decorative patterns cut into their child’s hair or have hair coloured or dyed in a colour that stands out.

Hair accessories should be kept to a minimum and should not be of an ‘ornamental’ nature. Any hair accessories must be either blue, black, white or, when wearing a summer dress, blue / white gingham check pattern can be worn. Hair accessories may include plain headbands, hair clips, hair bands or scrunchies. All must be plain and in the above colours. Hair bands should not have large flowers or other decorations attached to them, though a very small, neat bow is acceptable.

Make-up and Nail Varnish

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Nail varnish, lip gloss and make up are not permitted. Temporary tattoos are not allowed.

 Jewellery and Watches  

For health and safety reasons, we do not allow children to wear jewellery. The exceptions to this rule are small, plain gold or silver earring studs in pierced ears. However, children are required to remove earrings themselves prior to a P.E. or swimming and store them independently. In line with the Local Authority Code of Practice, staff members are not permitted to remove or handle them. Ideally, children should not wear earrings on these days.

P.E. is a statutory National Curriculum subject so please make sure that your child has their ear pierced at the start of the summer holidays if this is something you are considering.

 

A plain, simple and inexpensive watch may worn, though the school will take no responsibility for this at any time. ‘Smart’ watches with internet access and watches with alarms and buzzers are not allowed. If a teacher believes the watch is distracting the child or those around them from their learning, the teacher reserves the right to ask them not to wear it to school again and will discuss this with the parents.

 

Implementation of the uniform and dress code

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Our uniform is gender neutral. Amendments to the uniform and dress code may be made for individuals in order to respect the protected characteristics of individual pupils, for example for religious or medical reasons. Requests should be made in writing to the Headteacher.

Parents may also request an amendment on religious grounds. Such requests should be made in writing to the headteacher. Children may also be required to wear different clothing for school trips or similar activities.

Please refer to our full policy for advice on actions that will be taken if your child is not wearing the correct uniform or following our dress code

 

Please make sure that all items of clothing are clearly labelled with your child’s name, including their P.E. kit, which should also be kept in a named bag.

 

 

LOST PROPERTY AND SECOND-HAND UNIFORM SALES

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Please make sure that all items of clothing are clearly labelled with your child’s name, including their P.E. kit, which should be kept in a named bag. We have a lost property box just off the school hall. We check it regularly and, where items are named, we endeavour to return them to their rightful owner. However, if items are not collected after a two week period, we will recycle them into one of our schemes to raise money for our school.

 

We hold second-hand uniform sales at least once per term where you can buy good quality pre-worn items for a very small cost. We also have a small emergency fund for those families who may need financial support.

 

If you have good quality second hand uniform that you are happy to donate, please place these in the large blue bin outside the main school reception entrance.

 

 

UNIFORM – ONLINE ORDERING

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Much of our uniform can be purchased in high street or online stores. Our badged uniform is available to purchase online from https://myclothing.com/sunnymede-junior-school/7455.school or Red Oak Roller www.redoak-schooluniform.co.uk  who also run a uniform shop.

APPENDIX 1: HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT

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