This document provides information for parents about their child starting at Marlow CE Infant School. It outlines the school's values of believing in every child's potential and providing a rich learning environment. It details the reception parents' meeting, information pack contents, transition activities, home visits, the curriculum, attendance policies, communication methods, lunch options and the roles of the governors and PTA. The overall purpose is to prepare parents and children for starting school.

1. Welcome to
Marlow CE Infant School
A Christian family enriching lives,
encouraging growth & creating
possibilities
Reception Parents’ Meeting
Monday 26th June 2017

2. We do this by:
 Believing in everyone’s potential
 Providing challenging independent learning
opportunities
 Offering a rich, exciting and stimulating
environment
 Encouraging a love for learning
 Helping everyone take responsibility for their
own development
 Nurturing resilient learners
We value everyone as an individual

3.  A love for children
 Children enjoying their learning
 Making sure that each child reaches their full
potential
What motivates us at ‘Sandygate’

4. Mr Richardson
Mrs White
Mrs Van Eeden Mrs Sam
Miss Carreras
The EYFS Team
Mrs Thirlway

5. Together we ensure that each child has...
 Love and care
 Physical contact and comfort
 Security and stability
 Nutrition, warmth and protection
 Play exploration with managed risks
 Education
 Friends
 Expectations
 Attendance
 Values and purpose in life
Home and School is a partnership

6. What we do to help prepare for your child for
starting school:
 Transition afternoons
 Information pack
 Transfer morning (Tuesday 4th July)
 ‘All about me’ preparation activities
 Home visits
Preparation for School

7. Information pack
 Provides you with key information which
aims to help make your child’s transition to
school as smooth as possible
 Gives you an idea of what you can expect as
a parent
 Outlines what is expected of the children and
of you as parents

8. Information pack - contents
Please read the pack carefully as it is a
source of important and useful
information:
• Key dates and times
• An introduction to our school
• Forms
• Additional leaflets and information
about suppliers and clubs

9. Information pack – key dates
At the front of the pack:
• Provides the answers to
many questions
regarding
• Transition day
• Home visits and first
day of school date and
start time

10. Information pack - forms
 There are lots of forms in the
back of the pack
 Yellow forms are forms that
MUST be returned to school
before the end of term but
ideally by transfer morning
◦ Tuesday 4th July
 Admission form - proof of
child’s date of birth
 Other forms are not mandatory
 Use the checklist to help you
make sure you don’t forget
any forms

11. Transfer morning
 All children come into school to spend the
morning in their classes
 Tuesday July 4th 2017
◦ 9.15
◦ 9.30
◦ 9.45
(your time will be in your information pack)
 Bring your child to the Foundation Stage sliding
doors and drop them off at the time given in
your pack
 Pick up at 12 noon from the Foundation Stage
sliding doors NOT the main school entrance

12. ‘All about me’ preparation activities
 Complete ‘All about me’ with your child
 This gives your child’s teacher an initial
understanding of their starting points
 It is important that this is an honest reflection
of what your child is able to do
• This information will be used to
plan early lessons
• Return to school by
Wednesday 19th July

13. Home visits
 Feedback from teachers and parents is very
positive
 Allow the teaching team to see your child in their
own environment and helps them to quickly get to
know the children
 Your chance to share information about your child
on a 1:1 basis
 Each visit is about 15 minutes
 Visits will take place on either Wednesday 6th or
Thursday 7th September
 Please complete the form to accept your visit and
return by Tuesday 4th July

14. Home visits - feedback
“A very warm, welcoming experience that really prepares
the child & parent before the nerve wracking first day!
Both teachers coming was really unexpected and very
nice. Reassuring and all questions answered. Brilliant
idea!”
“A great opportunity to discuss personal issues about our
child. They both demonstrated a genuine interest in
understanding our child. Made our child feel comfortable
and more confident to meet his teachers at home in a
relaxed environment. A great opportunity for teachers to
interact with their pupils on their own territory.”

15.  Sing number rhymes & songs together
 Share books & talk about the pictures
 Encourage making marks, shopping lists
 Lots of counting! (climbing the stairs and counting
as you go, shopping, house numbers…)
 Encourage children to talk
 Play simple board games
 Organise picnics or other social contact with
children who will be their school friends (email list)
 Attend school events and information sessions
How you can prepare your child

17.  Open evening
◦ Wednesday 5th July 4.00–6.00pm
 Meet the Teacher
◦ Monday 11th September 6.00-6.30pm
 Back to school barbecue
◦ Sunday 24th September 11.00am -2.00pm
 Foundation Stage curriculum evening
◦ Monday 25th September 7.00-8.30pm
Key School Dates

18.  Uniform
◦ Red sweatshirt/cardigan with school logo
◦ Grey shorts or skirt
◦ Red summer dress for girls
◦ Black shoes
◦ A pair of wellies to stay in school
◦ PE kit (details in parent pack)
 Please ensure EVERYTHING is named!
 Send coats EVERYDAY
 Sensible shoes and no jewellery
 Remember school provide a sunhat for your
child to wear while they are in school
What else you can do to prepare

19.  From the term after a child’s 5th birthday it is
a parent’s legal obligation to ensure that
their child attends school full time
 It is our recommendation that all children
start full time from Friday 8th September
 Some parents choose to start their children
with mornings only
◦ This needs to be arranged with Mrs Reynolds
◦ The expectation is that these children will start full
time after half term
Starting School

20. Starting school in September
 First day at school
◦ Friday 8th September
◦ Staggered drop off times
 9.00
 9.15
 9.30
◦ Pick up at 3.10 pm at either Big or Little Gate
 All other school days
◦ Drop off at sliding doors from 8.45am
(doors close at 8.55am)
◦ Pick up at 3.15pm at either big or little gate (sign up
today) – for the first full week this is likely to be earlier
as we try to get to the pick up points before the rest of
the school.

21. Attendance
 Poor attendance can seriously affect a
child’s:
◦ attainment in school
◦ relationships with other children and their ability
to form lasting friendships
◦ confidence to attempt new work and work
alongside others
◦ relationships with teachers and other school staff
◦ general behaviour towards others and equipment
 How to report sickness and the difference
between authorised & unauthorised
absences are in the pack

22. Medical Needs
 If your child has any medical needs which
would make it necessary to administer
medicine in school (e.g. asthma inhaler) or
conditions that we need to be aware of (e.g.
intolerance to fruit)
◦ Take away a form today
◦ Complete and return on Wednesday 12th July
(Transfer morning)
◦ You will need to supply medicine to be kept in school
◦ Prescribed and in original packaging

23. Communicating with your teacher
 Morning drop off
 End of the day
 Reading record book
 Make an informal appointment
 By phone or email (via the office email
address)
 Meet the teacher session
 Formal parent consultations – details in
September

24. School Communications with you
 School Newsletter – weekly email (an
essential read)
 Year group newsletter (termly)
 Email update
◦ From September these will come through
the app which is free to download.
All parents will need this app on their
mobile devices
 Text messages for urgent messages

25. Lunchtimes
 From September 2014 all children in Reception, Year 1
and 2 in England were eligible for Free School Meals
 We have been providing hot school meals in school for
nearly 3 years using a catering company called Dolce
 Ordering
◦ Every child has an account
◦ The account allows you to order from home but to be able to
do this you need to email Mrs Beckett (office@marlow-
infant.bucks.sch.uk) with your child’s name, your full name
and your email address and she will activate your access to
Live Kitchen
◦ If you are already using Live Kitchen for a sibling you don’t
need to do anything
◦ If you order at home, please do this with your child
◦ Children are able to order in school each day

26. We follow the Early Years Foundation
Stage curriculum:
 Hands on learning
 Fun and creative approach
 Learning through play
 Open, fluid learning environment
 Learning takes place indoors and
outdoors
 2 classroom bases
How do we learn in Reception

27. There can be a lot to remember in the first
few days. Please do not worry as your child
will quickly be teaching you the routine!
All clothing
NAMED!
Book bag
everyday
Lunch boxes or
hot school dinner
Doors open
at 8:45am
First few days

28.  Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic
direction of the school
 Hold the headteacher to account for the
educational performance (school, pupils and
staff)
 Oversee financial performance of school to
ensure money is well spent
Our hardworking Governors

29.  Parents and Friends Association, is an
organisation designed to encourage closer
links between school & home
 Facilitates social functions, connecting
parents, staff and pupils
 Fundraising for the school
 If you are a parent or guardian at the school
you automatically become a member of the
PFA
Our wonderful PFA

30. The PFA
 A registered charity running over 25
events throughout the school year
 Consists of a core committee of
parents who work with all parents and
teachers at our school to execute
these events and raise much needed
funds
 The PFA raises around £25-£30k each
school year

31. How are the funds raised spent?
 In the past these funds have purchased:
◦ playground equipment
◦ interactive whiteboards
◦ gates & fencing for site security
◦ IT equipment including Learnpads
◦ enrichment activities and trips for all year groups
 This year the funds will be contributing to:
◦ the redecoration of our school
◦ new flooring in the reception classrooms
◦ IT equipment
◦ flooring in the staff room
◦ new furniture for KS 1 & Reception
◦ setting up of a nurture room
◦ enrichment activities and trips for all year groups

32. PFA Events
 Biggest events are Christmas Bazaar and
the May Fayre raising over £12000
between them
 Other fundraising events include Family
Bingo Nights, Camping Night, Rockyaoke
 Social event – Back to School Barbecue

33. What can you do to help?
 There are many things parents can do to
help as well as attending the events. There
are big jobs and little ones depending on
your commitments
 The key is that the more people that help,
the greater load is spread
 Other important things that make a
difference:
◦ join EASYFUNDRAISING
◦ enquire about MATCHFUNDING with your employer
◦ STANDING ORDER MANDATES
◦ HELP with events

36. We are looking forward to developing a
happy partnership with you and your
children over the next 3 years
Welcome to the Sandygate family!