3. We are motivated:
By a love of children, understanding that
each child is unique and has different needs
To create inspiring learning for the children
To do all that we can to make sure that each
child reaches their potential
By seeing children learning, growing in
confidence and challenging themselves as
they journey through the school
What motivates us at ‘Sandygate’
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. PREPARING FOR SCHOOL
What we do to help prepare for your child for
starting school:
Transition afternoons
Transfer morning (Tuesday 2nd July)
Information pack
Home visits
7. Transfer morning
All children come into school to spend the
morning in their classes
Tuesday 2nd July
◦ 9.15
◦ 9.30
◦ 9.45
(your time will be in your information pack)
Bring your child to the Reception sliding doors
and drop them off at the time given in your
pack
Pick up at 12 noon from the Reception sliding
doors NOT the main school entrance
8. 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
9. 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
10. Information pack – key dates
At the front of the pack:
• Provides the answers to
many questions
regarding
• Transfer morning
• Dates for home visits
and first day of school
and start times
11. Information pack - forms
There are lots of forms in the
back of the pack
Blue forms are forms that
MUST be returned to school
at the latest by transfer
morning
◦ Tuesday 2nd 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
12. 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 10 minutes
Visits will take place on either Wednesday 4th or
Thursday 5th September
Please complete the form to accept your visit and
return by Tuesday 2nd July (or before if possible)
13. 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.”
14. PREPARING FOR SCHOOL
What you can do to prepare your
child for school:
• Complete the Getting Ready for school sheet
• Attend school events and information sessions
• Organise picnics or other social contact with
children who will be their school friends
(email list)
• Organise school uniform
• Lunchtimes – set up
15. How to prepare your
child for school
• Please complete this
form honestly as we
use this to inform our
baseline assessments
which are then in turn
used to plan learning
• Return to the class
teacher during your
home visit
16. Open Afternoon
Wednesday 3rd July 4.00–6.00pm
Meet the Teacher
Monday 9th September 6.00-6.30pm
MindUp Parents Information evening
Monday 16th September 7.00-9.00pm
Foundation Stage Curriculum evening
Monday 23rd September 7.00-8.30pm
Back to School Barbecue
Saturday 28th September 11.00am – 2.00pm
Attend school events
17. 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
Please attend the information evening on
Monday 23rd September for more details
Learning in Reception
– Information session
18. Uniform
◦ Red sweatshirt/cardigan with school logo
◦ Grey trousers, shorts or skirt
◦ Red and white checked dress/playsuit
◦ Black shoes
◦ A pair of wellies to stay in school
◦ School sun cap (to stay in school)
◦ PE kit (details in parent pack)
Please ensure EVERYTHING is named!
Send coats EVERYDAY
Sensible shoes and no jewellery
Organise school uniform
19. Lunchtimes – set up
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 family 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 ‘School Grid’
◦ If you are already using School Grid 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
20. STARTING SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER
Date & Time
Expectations
Entering the school site
Attendance
Medical needs
21. Starting school - Date & Time
First day at school
◦ Friday 6th September
Staggered drop off times
9.00
9.15
9.30
Pick up at 3.10 pm on Reception playground
All other school days
◦ Drop off at sliding doors from 8.45am
(doors close at 8.55am)
◦ Pick up at 3.15pm on the Reception playground
22. 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 6th
September
Starting school - Expectations
23. Entering the school site
Big gate
◦ At the end of Sandygate Road
◦ Car parking for users of ‘Big gate’ is
behind Gweneth Court
Little gate
◦ At the end of Oaktree Close
◦ Parking will need to be on the
roadside but not on the
pavements
Consider walking but if you do drive, please be thoughtful
about the residents in the roads surrounding the school.
24. Attendance
Poor attendance/lateness 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
Details of how to report sickness and the
difference between authorised &
unauthorised absences are in the pack
25. 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 Tuesday 2nd July (Transfer
morning)
◦ You will need to supply medicine to be kept in school
◦ Prescribed and in original packaging
26. 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. Communicating with your teacher
Morning drop off
End of the day
Change to pick up arrangements
Reading record book (yellow book)
Make an informal appointment
By phone or email (via the office email
address)
Meet the teacher session
Formal parent consultations – details in
September
29. School Communications with you
School Newsletter – weekly email (an
essential read)
Year group newsletter (termly)
Email update
◦ Through the app which is free to
download. All parents will need this app
on their mobile devices
Text messages for urgent messages
30. HELPING THE SCHOOL
Without our volunteers, Sandygate would not be
the same place. There are many ways that you
can help with various levels of time commitment
to fit with your circumstances:
Volunteering to suit everyone
Raising funds
Parents & Friends Association
Governors
How do I get involved?
31. Volunteering to suit everyone
Parent helpers
Supporting school projects
◦ Eco Schools
◦ School travel plan
◦ UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools
Outside learning environment
Wild World Team
Enrichment – eg trips
Fruit preparation
Specific skills
Parents and Friends Association (PFA)
Governors
32. Raising funds
97% of the school budget from the Local
Authority is used to cover staffing and
associated costs
How do we manage?
◦ Additional income streams
Lettings/Leases
Applying for grants
Parent & Friends Association (PFA) fundraising
The impact of this additional income
generation reduces the percentage of staffing
costs to almost 75% of the total income
33. The PFA 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
The Parents & Friends Association
34. The Parents & Friends Association
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 £30 000 each
school year
35. How has the PFA fundraising been
used?
This year these funds have purchased:
new security system for the school entrance
contribution to the rewiring of the school
curriculum resources
decoration of the school
curriculum resources
enrichment activities and trips for all year groups
Next year the funds will be contributing to:
decoration of school
upgrading the heating
new reading books
upgrading the school website
curriculum resources
enrichment activities and trips for all year groups
36. PFA Events
Biggest events are Christmas Bazaar and
the May Fayre raising over £12000
between them
Other events include Quiz/Bingo Nights,
Camping Night, School Disco (for the kids),
Doughnut Days, Second Hand Uniform
Sales.
All events aim to be Fun and to Fundraise!
37. 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
38.
39. 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 Governors
40. How do I get involved?
Register an interest today
Complete the ‘Get involved’ form
42. We are looking forward to developing a
happy partnership with you and your
children over the next 3 years
Welcome to the Sandygate family!
Editor's Notes
Join easyfundrasing.co.uk where possible if you shop online. This costs you nothing but raises free cash for our school. The school benefits from the marketing fee normally made to companies like Google or Bing or Apple. Three extra clicks more than usual can make a huge difference if big ticket items are purchased like holidays, flights or that little run a round you have your heart set on. Please ask friends and family to join and support our cause also once you have the hang of it.
If you work for a company and are a parent at our school you may be eligible for Match Funding. Please speak to your HR department to see if they operate Match Funding or Sharing Schemes for charities. The way it works is money raised during an event run by the PFA will be matched by your company if to operates the scheme. Until you ask you won't know. All for the cost of a conversation with HR.
For parents that are happy to, PFA would be grateful if you created a standing order mandates and donated regularly to the school, even as little as £10 pounds a month. We understand that some parents cannot afford to donate in this way and some are not comfortable with just plain cash coming out of their bank account.... but it really is not a lot and our children do better at school if parents can help contribute to the quality of their education.