Prospectus

Introduction

The children, staff and Governors of Brookside Primary School would like to welcome you and your family to our school. We hope that your child/children will be happy with us and enjoy their time as members of our school community.

This brochure has been prepared to provide you with information about our school. If after reading it you have any queries or wish for further information concerning aspects of school life, please contact the school. We welcome visitors in school to see us at work.

We aim to provide a happy learning environment where we encourage our pupils to aim for their highest possible standards in all they do.

To provide the best possible education for your child we seek your support. Working together in partnership school and home provide a sound base for learning. There will be many opportunities in the future for you to visit the school and we hope, share in our activities. We look forward to seeing you.
 

Background information about our school

Brookside is a community primary co-educational day school for children from the ages of four to eleven years old and is part of Stockport Children and Young People’s Directorate. It is a happy, friendly school and you are welcome to visit at any time. The school is situated in its own grounds on the outskirts of High Lane. There are two large playgrounds, excellent playing fields and gardens surrounding the school. We are extremely proud of our links with the local community and the after school activities that take place here. Our Choir and two Brass bands perform regularly at school and in the local community.

The school dates from1967 and is a modern comfortable building, consisting of seven classrooms, a staff room, an ICT suite and a large hall which is used for assembly meetings, physical education lessons, a dining room and for concerts. Good quality meals are prepared on-site in the kitchen. Administrative rooms are situated on the right of the main entrance and include the offices of the Administrative Officer and Headteacher. The school has well-stocked fiction and non-fiction libraries. Interactive Whiteboard technology is used by all children and is a fantastic learning resource. There is an Interactive Whiteboard in every classroom and also in our new ICT suite.
 

·        There were 138 children on roll in January 2010. ·        A pre-school group is run at school each day( Nursery classes) ·        A before and after school care club runs daily ( Big Fun Club) ·        Both groups are housed in a dedicated building in the school grounds. ·        There is a thriving, weekly stay-and-play session for babies and toddlers.

School Aims

At Brookside, we are interested in the education of the whole child. We aim is to create an environment in which everyone is enabled to achieve his or her potential in a happy, caring atmosphere; to promote a learning culture that embraces change and the desire for continual improvement. We want to encourage a valuable partnership between the school, the home and the wider community.

• We aim to provide a safe environment in which each child can develop self-respect, respect for others, the school and the wider community.

• We aim to ensure that all our learners have equal opportunity to realise their full potential.

• We aim to provide a curriculum which cultivates a range of skills for life-long learning, together with encouraging the development of healthy minds and bodies.

• We aim to deliver a curriculum, particularly in the Early Years, full of wonder, excitement, fun and enjoyment.

• We aim to promote a caring school where good communication and relationships lead to respect and appreciation of others regardless of gender, race, religion or disability

• We aim to develop perseverance and determination to complete challenging tasks

• We aim to help children to be able to work in a variety of situations, developing co operation, empathy and team spirit

 Our Governingbody

The Governing Body at Brookside is made up of representatives of the Staff, Parents and the Community as well as having some members appointed by the Local Authority (L.A.)

They are all volunteers who give up their free time to ensure that the school is managed effectively and to the benefit of all of the children.

The Governors have various legal responsibilities and duties. They are responsible for the effective management of the school, for the school budget and for Health and Safety. They help to set- and to monitor – the school philosophy and policies.

Governors do not make detailed day-to-day decisions about the running of the school: this is the role of the Headteacher, supported by the Staff.

The Chair of governors can be contacted here

Our Children

As a school, we will be aiming to provide for the developments of the whole child.

We encourage children to be activly involved in their learning. Quality teaching and learning opportunities will support individual needs and encourage children to identify future learning targets. We are proud to offer a broad and balanced curriculum to all children.

We provide a caring, stimulating enviroment, where children feel valued as individuals and where everyone has a role to play in the life of the school. We hope that it is a place where adults and children alike can reach their full potential.

Equal opportunities are provided for all children, regardless of gender, race religion or special needs.

In our school, children are encouraged to fulfill their potential intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. We aim to produce well rounded individuals who have the skills and positive attitude to maximize all opportunities presented to them, so they can enjoy life to the full.

Home School Association: Brookside Friends` Group (BFG)

The BFG is the Parent / Teacher Association for Brookside primary School, and is involved not only in raising funds for the benefit of all of the children who attend the school, but also actively seeks to develop links between everyone involved with the life of the school.

The fund raising has taken on many forms over the past few years including: Christmas Fair (with its famous Santa’s Grotto!), Summer Fair, Children’s Discos, Fashion Show, Race Night, and Promise Auction

All parents of children attending the school and all people employed at the school are automatically members of the BFG. Parents are invited to come along to find out more about how it is organized at the Annual General Meeting which is held in September. Many parents, who are not able to commit themselves regularly, help at various events and we are grateful for their support.
 

Big Fun Club Before and After School Care

Many parents enquire about before and after school care for their children. Our Big Fun Club is run by an independent organisation which works closely with the school. The club is registered with Ofsted.

The Club offers excellent childcare, (based in our dedicated building) the school premises. Please take a special pack with all of the detailed information you will require.

 In term-time, the Big Fun Club is open between the hours of:

7.45am - 9.00am
and
3.15pm - 6.00pm

The Big Fun Club also runs an established Play Scheme during the school holidays.

Each session is supervised by reliable staff, well-accustomed to caring for children. All of the Staff are fully trained and have child care qualifications.

A range of activities is available, including games, craft and outside play. A quiet area is set aside for homework and reading.  A drink and a light snack are provided.

The service is offered primarily to regular users, but occasional users who are registered with the Club are welcome, space permitting. Requests for occasional use should be made with payment on the previous day, wherever possible.

The Club Organisers wish to assure parents that our aim is to provide a homely atmosphere for the children. Stimulation, together with recreation, should make the time spent with us as happy and harmonious as possible for all concerned.

Contact number for enquiries 01457 865452

Busy Bees Pre-School

Brookside Busy Bees is an independently run pre-school nursery group based within Brookside Primary School and is part of Stockport Early Years’ and Childcare Development Partnership.

It aims to provide a happy, secure and stimulating environment in which children are able to learn through experience and structured play. Each child is unique and is valued as an individual and Busy Bees aim to promote equality and well being for all.

The day-to-day running of the group and the general administration is done by the Pre-school manager and her assistant. They work very much as a team and all aspects of planning are discussed and agreed at the weekly staff meetings.

They currently hold five morning sessions per week, which are open to all children, from 9.00 – 12.00 am. They also hold three afternoon sessions a week. Children are accepted from age 2 years nine months.

Busy Bees is a registered provider able to accept Government Nursery Grants. It also received the highest grade during its 2003 OFSTED inspection.
 

Contact Number for enquiries 01663 767879

Baby and Toddler

We have very popular sessions run from 9.15 – 11.00 am (term time) in the school hall, every WEDNESDAY.   These sessions aim to provide excellent play opportunities for parents and pre-school children.

There is the sole use of toilet facilities and a baby changing area.  Tea, coffee and healthy, organic snacks will be available during the session and are included in the price.  The cost of the each session is £1.50 per family (1 adult and 2 children, any subsequent children are 50p each).  This is to cover expenses (e.g. insurance, refreshments, equipment and  rent), as the group is run purely on a voluntary basis. 

School Organisation

The school is organised according to the numbers of children admitted each year. We currently have six mixed ability classes of infant to junior age range. It is school policy to keep class sizes as small as possible, particularly with the younger children, and in order to achieve this, classes with 'overlapping age groups' are sometimes necessary.

Class Organisation

This means that classes are decided upon according to academic ability birth date and children are grouped with others of similar ages although they may be from different year groups (e.g. older Year 5 children with Year 6 children).

There is always a spread of ability in any class and work is given according to the child's individual development. Teachers use a combination of individual, group, and whole class teaching as appropriate to the subject and to meet the needs of all the children. Personal academic targets are set at the start of each year (Headteacher and class teacher) for every child and their progress is carefully tracked over the 7 years they are at Brookside.

The School Day

Times of the day:

Start of the day 8.55am

Morning Break 10.25am to 10.40am

Lunchtime 12.00 noon to 1.00pm

Afternoon break (Key Stage 1) 2.00pm - 2.15pm

End of school 3.15pm

Children should not be at school in the morning before 8.45am
The total hours spent on teaching, including religious education, but excluding the daily act of worship, registration and breaks are as follows :-

Infants: 22 hours 30 minutes
Juniors: 23 hours 45 minutes
 

At the start of the day;

We want the children to hang up their own coats and sort out their own lunch boxes and snacks. The focus will be on the children’s learning from the very start of each and every day.

Parents should leave their children at the entrance doorway or classroom door, where their teacher will be waiting to receive them.
 

Attendance

The Education Act states that parents have the primary responsibility for ensuring that children of compulsory school age receive a suitable education. We ask parents to support school in promoting good attendance by:

Ensuring that children attend school regularly and arrive on time.

All children should arrive at school at 8.55am ready for registration at 9.00am. Please ensure that your child arrives at school on time so that we can check registers and lunch numbers efficiently and so that s/he doesn't miss any of the first lesson. Children arriving after 9.00am will be marked 'late' in the register and after 9.30am this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. If your child is going to be unavoidably late we would appreciate a phone call to this effect.

If your child is ill please contact the school on the first morning of absence. If a call has not been received by 9.30am, the school office staff will call, for safety reasons, to find out the reason for your child not being in school.

When your child returns to school ensure that a note is provided confirming the reason for absence.

Parents are always advised to avoid taking holidays during term time. Before requesting a holiday, think about the lessons your child will miss, the difficulty they will have in catching up and the effect it will have on how well they do at school. Other occasions such as bereavements or unavoidable family visits may also mean that children have to miss school. These are considered as 'authorised absences'. For all foreseeable absences parents are asked to complete an absence request form available from the office. Holidays are rarely authorised in term time, unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Notes concerning dental, clinic, doctor or hospital appointments should be sent in the day before to inform the class teacher. Children will not be allowed to leave school unless collected by a designated adult, and the class teacher informed. Parents should sign their child in and out of school at the office if they have to be absent during the course of a day.

At Brookside we have a responsibility to work with the LA and the Education Welfare Service to ensure that children attend school. We are required to inform the LA if a pupil fails to attend or is late regularly and if no reason for absence is provided.

 Extra Curricular Activities

The school offers a wide range of additional activities either at lunchtime or after school. Some activities are available to all children from Year 2 upwards whilst others are restricted to particular year groups.
Parents are advised on the availability and timing of clubs each term.

Activities organised voluntarily by staff, include:

Football, Netball, Cricket, Athletics, Art club, Computer club, Rounder’s, Maths Club (Mathletics) Cross Country, Brass band – senior and junior, Choir, Country dancing, Guitars, Drama, Skipping, Science, Cookery club.

A charge is made for other clubs available e.g. the gymnastics club, lacrosse, judo…..these are run by outside staff.
 

School Council

Our School Council meets every half term with the Deputy Headteacher, to discuss issues arising from the classroom, playground or any aspect of school life. At the start of every school year, each class votes for a boy and girl to represent them on the School Council.

There is an expectation that councillors will ensure that their behaviour; presentation and attitudes is a model for the rest of the school.

At Brookside, the school council is consulted on a wide range of school policies and developments.

They also work hard with their peer groups to organise fund raising events.

Sport

Pupils at Brookside are encouraged to take part in a variety of sporting activities. During PE lessons the principals of competitive and non-competitive games are taught from the earliest age. As they progress through the school, pupils have the opportunity to play football, netball, hockey, cricket, rounders and tennis. Year 6 pupils are able to use the facilities at Woodside Tennis Club in the summer term. Swimming tuition is available to all Key Stage 2 pupils and athletics is also taught.

Football and netball clubs meet in the autumn and spring terms and take part in matches. The school swimming team competes in the Stockport East Area Annual Gala and for the last four years the school has taken part in the Swimathon organised by the local Rotary club. The school organises lacrosse lessons, judo and a gym club is held at school once a week. The Year Two Infants attend a Multi-Sports festival each year.

During the summer term a rounder’s club meets and plays friendly matches, an athletics club meets and the team competes in the Stockport East Area competition and the school holds an annual Sports' Day.

Homework

children have weekly homework. This is an excellent way to promote the partnership between school and home and we expect you to support your child with this.

All children have a reading record book. We ask you to hear your child read, ask them questions about the book and write a comment on a regular basis, in their reading record booklet.

Each piece of homework will be reinforcing something already taught in class. Your child’s class teacher will explain the arrangements for ‘setting’ homework at the ‘Welcome Evening’ in September.

 In setting homework we aim to:

• Promote positive attitudes to work and school

• Raise achievement of all pupils

• Consolidate and reinforce skills and understanding in literacy and numeracy and across the curriculum

• Encourage and develop independent learning and increase self discipline

• Develop the home/school partnership

• Prepare children for secondary transfer in Year 6.

Our homework policy recognises the need for children of primary age to have time after school for other activities and social occasions. All children are encouraged to read at home and to keep a reading record and we ask parents to help with this as well as helping children to learn tables and spellings.

Children in Years 1 and 2 also take home spellings to learn.

From Year 3 teachers ask for other work to be done or completed at home; this may include language, maths and science activities, researching and collecting evidence, topic work or activities designed for individual children.

The varying amounts of time children are expected to work at home increases from Year 3, and follows national guidelines.

We run a Homework Club once a week at lunchtime for any child who wishes to ‘drop in’ for advice and support.

The Curriculum

CARING AND SHARING IN OUR EARLY YEARS RECEPTION CLASS

• Communication, language and literacy
•  
• Mathematical development
•  
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
•  
• Physical development
•  
• Creative development

This provides the foundation upon which all other learning is based. As children move from Reception into Year 1 and until they leave us at the end of Year 6, we follow the published requirements of the National Curriculum in the core subjects.

English

Speaking and Listening, Reading, Writing, Spelling and Handwriting make up the English Curriculum.  Where appropriate, literacy teaching is linked to work in other areas of the curriculum.

We encourage children to take part in a range of activities to increase their ability to listen carefully and express themselves clearly. The activities include story time, drama and discussion.

Writing begins with lots of pencil control activities which lead to letter patterns and develops into “joined” handwriting. Children are taught to form letters correctly and to develop a high personal standard of presentation. Children will be given the opportunity to write for a variety of purposes.  This will include their  own stories and poems, descriptive accounts and other forms of factual writing.  They are taught spelling, grammar and punctuation.  They are also to taught to plan, draft, revise and edit their own writing.                                                                                                            

We aim to encourage children to become successful and enthusiastic readers. We teach a range of strategies to enable the children to get at the meaning of a text.  We use a range of books and materials for the teaching of reading. This includes fiction, non-fiction and a wide variety of reading schemes.  Children are taught basic decoding and spelling skills and to develop their knowledge of context and grammar.  Information-seeking skills are taught in conjunction with topic work.

Children are encouraged to borrow books from our school library and to use the library for their own research. A book fair is held at school each term

We take great care to match the teaching and learning to the needs of each individual whatever their ability level.  Children are set regular targets for achievement and these are closely monitored.  We are proud of our levels of attainment and particularly of our ‘value added’ scores for all children.        

 Maths

Maths is a major form of communication in the modern world and we aim to help our children enjoy the subject and develop confidence in their ability to use it in a range of different settings. Our children spend at least one hour per day working on maths using the Primary Strategy backed by other activities that help the children further understand the concepts of time, shape, space, money, measure, algebra and graphical representation.

Parents are encouraged to develop practical Maths skills at home. Activities such as practical counting, weighing and measuring, playing board games, doing puzzles and investigations as well as more formal practice in mental arithmetic, are of enormous value. Parents are given advice about appropriate activities to do at home for each of the different year groups at school. 

Science

Science is a natural and fundamental part of our lives and can be regarded as ‘organised curiosity’. Its study helps children to understand and respect the world around them.

From an early age children ask questions about their environment and our Science curriculum builds on this, encouraging children to ask questions, suggest ideas, test them out and evaluate and record their findings.  We aim to develop enquiring minds and a scientific way of thinking.

Science is generally approached through subject specific lessons .The children follow a wide programme of study meeting all the requirements of the National Curriculum and based on the QCA Scheme of Work. 

Information Technology

The school has a well resourced central technology suite as well as a range of computers, software and audiovisual equipment in each classroom. Every child has access to a computer and is introduced to its different uses including word processing, control technology, simulations and data handling as well as to some of the social implications of Information Technology. The children will be introduced to most aspects of Information Technology through thematic work.

Every classroom has an Interactive Whiteboard to ensure that ICT is used to support and develop learning in all curriculum subjects. It also supports teachers’ assessment work. Our Internet access is via Broadband. Its use is carefully supervised and also electronically screened to ensure only appropriate material is accessible.
 

Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship

We believe that there are many areas of knowledge and understanding that lie outside the National Curriculum. In particular, the personal and social development of the children is an area that has become an increasingly important part of children’s education. In order to allow individuals friendship groups and classes to react to, and cope with, the pressures of the world around them, we allow time for talk, discussion and reflection so that everyone knows that they are important and that their opinions are valued

Healthy School: We cycle to school

Circle time allows children to participate as partners in the process of developing responsibility for their own behaviour and learning. It aims to encourage the development of self-esteem, interpersonal skills and strengthen relationships; whilst at the same time allows all involved to have fun together.  This forms an integral part of our discipline policy and pastoral support for the children.

Health Education is taught throughout the school and relates to personal achievement and self esteem as well as a physically healthy lifestyle . Sex and Relationships education is not taught as a separate subject, but is integrated into PSHE. From Year 4 upwards,  Brookside follows the Local Authority Guidelines for Sex education, and considers:

Ø  Family / personal relationships Ø  Appropriate behaviour and language

We invite all parents to view the materials and films and discuss the projects prior to their commencement so that the children can share this work with their parents. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from sex education if they wish.

Humanities

Our aim in teaching History and Geography throughout the school is for the children to develop an interest in, and an understanding of, the changes and developments in the world around them. We believe in working from a child's own experiences e.g. tracing back through their family, finding out about where they live, finding out about their school, and then widening this to include the nearest town and places they visit.

Through this type of work the children develop the skills needed to use reference systems and to extract relevant information from different sources such as people, maps, objects and places. School visits, either local or to places of special interest, frequently form part of this work and every year a residential visit is arranged for Year 5 and 6 pupils. In 2010 this was to Bendrigg Lodge in Cumbria, a fully inclusive outdoor activity centre, (www.bendrigg.org.uk). In 2011 the trip will be to Northumberland.

Through this type of work we encourage the children to develop an understanding of the consequences of the use and misuse of resources and the possibility of managing and protecting the environment. We hope to extend their range of experiences and encourage them to develop attitudes towards events, circumstances and people in the world around them and in the wider world, both past and present.  Our guardianship scheme with the National Trust (Lyme Park) is a good example of this.

Lyme Park visit.

Art, Music, Drama

The school has a strong commitment to all the arts believing they are of great importance both to learning and to the emotional and spiritual development of children. The aim of Music education at Brookside is to develop to the full the aural sensitivity of each child. Our school has two thriving Brass bands and a flourishing choir .

Children are introduced to music from the moment they enter school through singing, playing music games and using musical instruments. The activities of composing, performing and listening are central to our music education and children use a variety of sounds to produce increasingly sophisticated musical compositions. Singing, listening to recorded music, and to live performances both by children and by visiting musicians are also regular features of the school. Guitar, brass and percussion tuition are available.
Art has a dual role in the child's education. It is important as a vehicle for exploring awareness and imagination and for providing opportunities for expressing ideas and emotions, but is also an educational tool, which can support other areas of the curriculum. Experience in painting, drawing, model making, fabric/textile work and pottery (we have a kiln at school) are all included in our lessons. The children experience the use of a wide range of media, including scrap and found materials, and their work is carefully displayed around the school.
Drama is taught in all classes as part of our literacy work, but also to develop personal skills and to enhance topic and Literacy work. In recent years the school has taken part in the annual Manchester Arts Festival.

Physical Education

All children participate in a wide variety of physical activities including athletics, gymnastics, dance and games. In addition junior aged children have swimming lessons at Marple baths and play netball, football, rounders, hockey, cricket and cross-country.

Many extra-curricular clubs support the work within the curriculum and the school takes part in competitive games with other schools. The school is well resourced for these activities with a light, spacious and well-equipped hall, two hard standing playground areas marked out for various games and sizeable playing fields.

Religious Education

Our religious education is nondenominational and follows the LA's  Agreed Syllabus. It is based mainly on Christian history and beliefs but also draws upon other cultures and beliefs in order to reinforce concepts, which span many religions.

Every school day contains an assembly, which incorporates religious education, celebrates achievements and raises awareness of current issues. The daily act of worship, which is broadly Christian in character, is part of this assembly and recognises, through its choice of themes and stories, a society made up of peoples of different backgrounds and traditions. We aim to encourage the children's' spiritual, moral and cultural development in all areas of their life.

Any parent wishing to exclude their child from such assemblies may do so following consultation with the Headteacher.

Special Needs

A child has special educational needs if he/she has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

Every child at some time in their school life may need special educational help for any number of reasons - emotional, behavioural, learning or related to a medical problem. At Brookside the special needs of children are identified by the class teacher or a colleague, by observation, testing, assessment and consultation with parents, previous school records and health agencies.

When a child has special needs the class teacher gives the individual help and sets appropriate tasks. We have a Special Education Needs coordinator (SENCO) in school that regularly helps to assess children with learning difficulties and works with the child’s class teacher to plan suitable programmes of work and support. If it is felt that the child's needs cannot be fully met by school, a procedure of consultation with parents will be set in operation and school will call upon the professional advice and experience of outside agencies provided by the Authority.

Parents who are concerned about their child in any way are invited to discuss their concerns with the Headteacher at the earliest opportunity. The school follows the LA procedures to implement the Special Needs Code of Practice, and also seeks their guidance with reference to the Disability Discrimination Act. Please refer to the booklet “Primary Education in Stockport – Information for Parents.

Disabilities

We are privileged to have been chosen as a 'resourced school' by the Local Authority. This means that from January 1996 we were able to admit some children with severe or profound learning difficulties. We receive substantial, additional funding to ensure the resource school model works to the benefit of all our pupils. In July 1996 a Sensory Centre was created in a small area of the school from money donated by local firms and the Local Education Authority. This is used by all children at school. All children benefit from the wider friendship groups the 'resourced school' promotes, at the same time as developing mutual care and understanding.

The Local Authority is responsible for the admission of pupils with disabilities. Parents of all prospective pupils are invited to look around the school so that they can indicate their preference to the Authority. Before admission, the SENCO or Resource School teacher and, where appropriate, teaching assistant, will visit the child at their current school and the child will be invited to come into school on several occasions.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, school is required to have an accessibility plan, which covers future policies for increasing access to the school by pupils with disabilities. Various physical adaptations have been made to the school, including ramps, a sensory room, toilets with facilities for the disabled and a resource base has created with specialist equipment and teaching aids.
  

BEHAVIOUR AND DISCIPLINE

We expect high standards of behaviour from our children and have a clear policy, which is central to the way in which everyone at school is expected to behave. The emphasis in our school is to praise good behaviour, attitude and effort and increase children’s awareness of the need to make appositive contribution to their community. When sanctions are necessary, they will be appropriate to the child and the incident. Our Code of Conduct emphasises 'Care, Courtesy and Consideration' and all our guidelines on behaviour, including our Golden Rules, our Anti-bullying Policy and Equal Opportunities Policy, stem from this. We are often complimented on the happy atmosphere in our school and the good behaviour of our children.

School and home are joint partners in developing a sense of responsibility and encouraging community awareness and Brookside is a school where parents and staff work together to maintain a high standard of behaviour. Unacceptable behaviour will occasion the use of appropriate sanctions and, if specific difficulties arise, consultation and co-operation with parents will be sought.

Children are awarded team tokens or Merit cards by their teacher in recognition of good work or good behaviour.

Pastoral Care
 

Children learn most effectively when they feel safe and secure and we work very hard to ensure that all our pupils are happy in school. Pastoral care is provided, in the first place, by the class teacher who is alert to the needs of individual children, but also by the Headteacher, teaching assistants, administrative manager and midday staff. Parents should not hesitate to contact school if they are concerned about something or wish to pass on information.

Equal Opportunities

 We wish to promote attitudes in children, staff, governors and parents so that the children can fulfil their potential and make choices, unhampered by expectations based on gender or role stereotyping.  We seek to fulfil the aims of the school regardless of age, gender, ability (both academically and physical), ethnic origin or background of the child.  

Child Protection Procedures

Because of day-to-day contact with children, schools are particularly well placed to observe outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour, or failure to develop. Parents should be aware, therefore, that where it appears to a member of the school staff that a child has been abused, the school is required, as part of Stockport Child Protection Procedures, to report their concern to the Social Services Department immediately.

Health Care

Several members of our support staff hold first aid certificates and care for children suffering minor cuts and grazes or children who may be unwell at school; teachers, the Headteacher, the school secretary and midday staff also provide such care. If a child suffers any type of head injury that we feel does not require immediate treatment, parents will be contacted by letter so that any ill effects can continue to be monitored.

Certain childhood illnesses such as measles or chicken pox mean that a child must be excluded from school. School has guidelines on communicable diseases and the length of time children should be excluded and will be happy to advise parents in these circumstances.

If a child has sickness or diarrhoea, they must be kept at home for 48 hours after all symptoms have ceased. Please note; if a child is too unwell to be in school then they must not attend social events at school either.

When a child is ill and needs to be taken home, parents will be contacted and the child should be collected from school as soon as possible. Emergency contact forms are kept in the school office and in order to keep these up to date, parents are requested to inform school immediately when any details concerning their addresses, employment or telephone numbers are changed.

In their first year at school children will have their sight and hearing tested by the school nurse. Any problems that may need further investigation will be communicated to parents and not to the school. You will be invited to attend your child's first medical examination with the school doctor.

Each year there are some children the doctor sees again for review medicals and again parents are invited to attend.
Normally there is a dental check once a year for the whole school. Where treatment is thought necessary a small card is sent home with the child. Parents can then indicate whether they wish to use their own or the school dentist.

Medicine

Some children have long term daily medical needs and these should be discussed initially with the Headteacher so that arrangements can be made for children on permanent medication to be supervised whilst taking it.

We do not encourage the presence of medicines and tablets on school premises and generally young children taking antibiotics for a short-term illness are not well enough to cope with a school day and should remain at home. For older children at the end of a course of treatment we encourage parents to consider the 'before school, after school and bedtime' routine for administering medicine which has to be taken three times a day.

When medicine has to be given during the school day a Medical Form, available from the school office, should be completed and returned to the office together with the clearly labelled medicine. The medicine will normally be administered during the lunch break. Medicines are kept in a cupboard in the school office or in the refrigerator in the staff room from where they can be collected at the end of the day
   

Educational Visits

The educational value of all proposed activities and visits and the health and safety of our children is carefully considered by staff. As part of the broad curriculum we offer at Brookside, a varied programme of visits to places of interest is arranged, as well as visits from theatre and music groups to school.

The school’s policy for Charges and Remission meets the requirements of the Education Reform Act 1988 and reflects the high standard of learning experiences which we provide for the children of Brookside Primary School. In order to fund these activities parents are asked to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the activity. Each visit/activity will only take place if sufficient voluntary contributions are received to enable us to fund it.

We aim at keeping costs down and the BFG subsidises most events. Parents who are in receipt of Family Credit or Income Support are asked to contact the Headteacher so that arrangements can be made to fund the activity for their children. Similarly, other parents for whom payment would be a difficulty should contact the Headteacher. Parents are assured that this is entirely confidential.

Parents and School

Parents considering sending their child to Brookside are invited to visit the school and find out about the philosophy, methods and general running of the school. Arrangements for visiting can be made by telephoning the school office.

You are your child’s first and most important educator. At Brookside we value and appreciate the important role you have to play in supporting your child in developing a positive attitude to school and learning.

Studies have proven that children learn best when home and school work in partnership. At Brookside we offer a wide range of opportunities for parents to actively participate in supporting their child at school.
 

Parents/Teacher Consultation

In the term preceding the start of a child's career at school, parents are invited to a 'new parents' evening to meet the Headteacher and class teacher for informal discussions. All new children have the opportunity to spend time at the school, meet their new class teacher and familiarise themselves with the school situation.

Early in the Autumn term parents are invited to attend a first parents’ meeting at which class teachers explain the organisation of their class and their day, the programme of work for the year and the kind of activities the children will do. This is an opportunity for parents to find out about the routines for homework and how they can support their child, and is intended to establish lines of communication that can continue throughout the year.

Class teachers write to parents at the beginning of each term outlining the work and activities planned for the coming term.

Individual parents’ consultation evenings are held in November and March. This is an opportunity to discuss in detail each child's achievements and progress and to set targets for the future. At the end of the school year each child receives a written report and there is an open evening when children bring their parents to see displays and exhibitions of their work.

We wish to establish close contact with parents who are always welcome in school. Sometimes you may wish to see us on an urgent matter and although making an appointment is helpful, it is not essential. At other times parents are welcome to telephone or come into school and arrange a mutually convenient appointment time so that more lengthy discussions can take place uninterrupted. 

Information Evenings

We organise information evenings for the benefit of parents on a regular basis. These might be on curriculum matters or on matters of general interest such as an evening about SATs for the parents of Year 2 and Year 6 children, a Maths evening, a Health Education Evening or a meeting in preparation for our residential visit.

School and Community

We regard ourselves very much as part of the community and incorporate the physical and social environment of the school into the children's learning. We spend time in the neighbourhood using the community as part of our learning and look for opportunities to bring members of the community into school to bring an extra interest and dimension to the children's learning.

We contribute to the community by entertaining at various functions, and by inviting members of local groups to functions at school. The school is used for activities after school hours; an aerobics club meets on Thursday evenings, the University of the Third Age use the ICT suite twice a week and local football teams use the pitch at weekends.
 

Complaints Procedure

We encourage parents who have concerns or complaints to call into school to discuss these directly with the Headteacher or members of staff.

The school aims to resolve, as far as possible, any complaints on an informal basis. However, if the complainant still remains dissatisfied after this stage has been exhausted, then the formal procedures adopted by the LA will come into effect. This means that the compaint would be referred to the Governing Body, then the Local Education Authority and, if necessary, the Secretary of State.

Duties to be covered under the complaints procedure are the provision of a curriculum, including Religious Education and worship, plus implementation of the National Curriclulum. Full details of the complaints procedure can be obtained from the school.

Access to documents

Copies of school policies are available from the Headteacher and copies of Governing Body minutes are displayed on the Governors notice board outside the office.  Copies of the most recent Ofsted report are available.

A great deal of documentation containing advice, orders and regulations is received from the Department for Education (DFES) and the Local Education Authority (LEA). These are reference documents and mostly stored in office files, but much of this is open to parents and reasonable access is required to be provided.

Anyone wishing to read a particular document is asked to contact the Headteacher so that it can be made available.

School term times

School Year 2010/2011

Autumn Term 2010 - Monday 6th September 2010 to Wednesday 22nd December 2010
Spring Term 2011 - Tuesday 4th January 2011 to Friday 8th April 2011
Summer Term 2011 - Tuesday 26th April 2011 to Friday 29th July 2011
 

Mid Term Holidays
Autumn Term 2010 - Monday 25th October 2010 to Friday 29th October 2010
Spring Term 2011 - Monday 21st February 2011 to Friday 25th February 2011
Summer Term 2011 - Monday 30th May 2011 to Friday 10th June 2011
 

Public Holidays
Good Friday (Friday 22nd April 2011) to Easter Monday (Monday 25th April 2011)
May Day - Monday 2nd May 2011
Spring Bank Holiday - Monday 30th May 2011

Brookside Inset Days
Monday 6th & Tuesday 7th September 2010
Monday 1nd November 2010
Tuesday 4th January 2011
Monday 28th February 2011
Friday 27th May 2011

For more information on term times and inset days follow this link