General Information

Friends of the School

The Friends of the School give great support through fund-raising, social activities for children and adults and practical help in the school. A number of activities are organised each year. Any parent or carer is very welcome to become involved in the work of the Friends, as a committee member or helping with activities. The Annual General Meeting is held in the Spring term and the committee meets each month. For further information please see the Friends notice board in the entrance or contact the Chair, Emma Withers, via the school office.

School Uniform

The school uniform is a maroon sweatshirt and yellow T-shirt, both of which have the school logo. Trousers, tracksuit bottoms or skirt (preferably in a dark colour) complete the outfit. There is a uniform shop in the hall each Wednesday at 9am or uniforms can be ordered from the school office. The wearing of it is optional but many parents prefer to send their children to school in uniform as it is practical and saves arguments about what to wear for school. If you do not choose school uniform, please send your child in practical clothing and footwear.

Personal Property

Lost property is stored in the lost property cupboard which is kept near the library. We are delighted that so many parents are supporting the uniform policy in school and therefore it would be helpful if all childrens clothing is named. Every term we dispose of a large amount of unnamed property. We would request that children do not bring large sums of money or valuable possessions to school as we cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage.

School Meals

Meals are available for all children at a cost of £2.10 per day or £10.50 per week. This needs to be paid on Monday. Absences can be credited to you and carried forward. Free school meals are available if you are in receipt of Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance (income based). Information can be obtained from Mrs Morrison on how to apply. It is vital that all parents/carers apply, even if they do not want to take up the option - the school benefits financially if we have a realistic picture of the numbers eligible for free school meals. Should your child, for some reason, be arriving late in school and require a school lunch, please contact Mrs Morrison before 10.00 am. If your child has any special dietary requirements please let us know; because meals are not cooked on the premises we do need formal notice of this. Alternatively, you may provide a packed lunch for your child. Please use a named and sealed container.

Snacks in School

Ideally, children are encouraged to eat a healthy snack at playtime, e.g. fruit. No sweets or chewing gum please.

Drinks in School

All children have access to a drink in school. Your child can have a drink of water at appropriate times during the day. Each class teacher will have a suitable routine dependent on the age of the child. Milk is available in the Reception classes to children under the age of five. Water is available at lunch time in the dining hall for all children. We regret that drinks may only be brought to school with a packed lunch and it is unacceptable for health and safety reasons for children to bring glass bottles, cans or fizzy drinks. There are water fountains in the playground which operate in warmer weather.

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Complaints Procedure

We want your child and you to be happy with the school whilst he/she is a pupil here. If you have any concerns, please discuss them with the class teacher initially. If you are still unhappy, please make an appointment with the headteacher. Most issues can be dealt with in an informal manner.

The Chair of Governors, or any other governor, will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have before you need to make a formal complaint. If it is not possible to resolve the concerns by this means, the Bristol complaints procedure is obtainable from the Headteacher, which outlines very clearly the stages to follow.

Charges for School Activities

There are times when we need to ask for voluntary contributions towards activities that take place in school, such as visits by theatre groups or musicians. No child will be treated differently if a contribution is not made towards the cost of an activity. However, it might be necessary to cancel an activity if there are not adequate contributions towards it.

The Governing Body reserves the right to ask for a contribution in the following circumstances for activities organised by the school:

School journeys and visits within school hours;
The board and lodging costs of a residential visit;
Individual or small group tuition of a musical instrument;
The cost of ingredients or materials in, for example, a cookery or craft activity if the parents/carers have indicated beforehand that they wish to own the product;
Other activities that may be planned from time to time.

The Governing Body wishes to make clear that under the terms of the 1988 Education Act all contributions are genuinely voluntary. Parents/ carers in receipt of Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance may apply for a remission of the board and lodging fees of a residential activity. However, the school would be unable to continue with the arrangements for any visit if the voluntary contributions are insufficient to cover a large proportion of the cost.

Very occasionally books, equipment and school premises can be damaged by anti-social behaviour or vandalism. The governors hold the view that, in helping children become more responsible for their own actions, the co-operation and support of parents is an appropriate way forward. We therefore reserve the right to seek suitable remuneration.

Breakfast Club

We are fortunate to be able to offer all children the opportunity to begin the school day in a calm and supportive environment. The School runs a Breakfast Club from 8.00 where your child is able to buy cereal, toast, juice and milk for a minimal cost.

After School Club

To continue the parent/carer partnership with school an independent After School Club operates between 3.30pm and 6.00pm at St Michael's and All Souls' Church. Please contact Brent Morris on 07791 557493, who co-ordinates the club, through the school office. http://stmichael.instabook.com/mpa.htm (opens in new page)

Attendance and Punctuality

We work closely with parents/carers to bring about a positive working attitude to school. Part of this process involves encouraging parents/ carers and children to make a prompt start to the school day. Children who are in school on time benefit by improved learning opportunities and social skills. We monitor closely the attendance and punctuality of all children. We use a reward system to encourage all children to attend school and get to school on time. We also work closely with the EWO (Education Welfare Officer) to support those children who may be experiencing difficulty with regular attendance.

Absences

Attendance 2007/2008: 92.4%
Half day sessions missed through unauthorised absences: 1.1%
Half day sessions missed through authorised absences: 6.5%

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