A to Z Handbook for Newbold School
Healthy Living
Holiday Request Form (click here to download)
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) Pilot Reading Test
Parent, Teacher and Friends Association (P.T.F.A.)
School Trip Letters to download
School Uniform
Not Sick, Just Tired - How Lack of Sleep Affects our Kids
Maryanne E Bezyack, RN, MSN, CPNP
(excerpts from article)
Children are not getting enough sleep. A poll indicated:
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Infants (0-11 months) average 12.7 hours of sleep / experts recommend 14-15 hours
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Toddlers (1-3 years) average 11.7 hours / experts recommend 12-14 hours
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Pre-Schoolers (3-5 years) average 10.4 hours / experts recommend 11-13 hours
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School-agers (5-11 years) average 9.5 hours / experts recommend 10-11 hours
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Adolescents and teens average 7.9 hours / experts recommend 8.5-9.25 hours
Effects of lack of sleep
Ironically, sleep-deprived children don't always look sleepy during the day. They are often overactive and disruptive. They may exhibit ADHD symptoms such as inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity, although these behaviours may be caused by the children's need to create a stimulating environment to keep themselves awake. Their mood may be cranky and irritable, they may act frustrated or silly, and their cognitive abilities may be impaired, affecting decision making, creativity and school performance.
Sleep is essential to a chid's health and growth. Children who get enough sleep function better and are less prone to behavioural, emotional and cognitive difficulties.
"Parents lay the groundwork for healthful living, and sleep is a significant factor in healthful living".
Girls
Items to be purchased where ever you wish:
- White shirt (winter: long sleeves, button down collar; summer: short sleeves, open neck collar)
- Grey skirt (up to Year 2 may wear grey pinafore dress with shirt beneath)
- Grey tights or socks - winter
- White socks - summer
- Black or brown shoes – trainers not permitted for normal school wear
- Plimsolls for PE and indoor wear for all children (School currently has a few pairs in stock)
- Trainers – PE wear for Years 5 and 6
The following items all need to be ordered through school office:
- Maroon V-neck jumper with school emblem
- School tie for wear with winter uniform; normal knot tie variety Year 2 upwards, elasticated up to Year 1 or 2
- Maroon School Blazer with school emblem
- School Fleece with school emblem (optional outdoor wear as extra layer for warmth)
- Maroon raincoat
- School hat with school emblem (optional extra – but no other hat permitted)
- White T-shirt for PE
- Maroon shorts for PE
- Grey track suit with school emblem / Early Years and Years 1 and 2
- Book bag
- PE/swimming bag
ALL CLOTHING SHOULD BE CLEARLY LABELLED
Click here to download School Uniform Order Form
Boys
Items to be purchased wherever you wish:
- White shirt (winter: long sleeves, button down collar; summer: short sleeves, open neck collar)
- Grey trousers: Short for younger boys for summer if preferred / all others, long
- Grey socks
- Black or brown shoes – trainers not permitted for normal school wear
- Plimsolls for PE and indoor wear for all children (School currently has a few pairs in stock)
- Trainers – PE wear for Years 5 and 6
The following items all need to be ordered through school office:
- Maroon V-neck jumper with school emblem
- School tie (For wear with winter uniform)
- Normal knot tie variety Year 2 upwards, elasticated up to Year 1 or 2
- Maroon School Blazer with school emblem
- School Fleece with school emblem (optional outdoor wear as extra layer for warmth)
- Maroon raincoat
- School hat with school emblem (optional extra – but no other hat permitted)
- White T-shirt for PE
- Maroon shorts for PE
- Grey track suit with school emblem / Early Years and Years 1 and 2
- Book bag
- PE/swimming bag
ALL CLOTHING SHOULD BE CLEARLY LABELLED
Click here to download School Uniform Order Form
Address: Newbold School, Popeswood Road, Binfield, Berkshire, RG42 4AH
Phone: 01344 421088
E-mail : p-eastwood@newboldschool.co.uk
Website: www.newboldschool.co.uk
Welcome to our school. We look forward to getting to know you and your child as you join our Newbold School family. Teachers and other school staff feel it is a privilege and pleasure for us to work with you in providing learning opportunities for your child and helping them to face and enjoy life’s challenges as they grow.
As Christians we aim to create a nurturing environment within the school that will help the children enjoy and achieve, be safe and healthy, and become good citizens for life, achieving economic well being and contributing to society.
We hope this booklet will be informative, useful and make you feel included.
Please feel free to chat to us or ring if you need further information. The school has an ‘open door policy’ and we always welcome feedback.
Finally, thank you for entrusting your children to our care; we look forward watching their development over the coming years.
Newbold School provides a warm, caring environment where all children can learn to relate positively to pupils, staff and other adults. It recognises the uniqueness of each individual and priority is given to helping every student develop socially, spiritually, emotionally, academically and physically.
All members of the staff are committed to giving quality education in a caring Christian environment where the worth and personal development of each child is respected and enhanced. We endeavour to help children distinguish between performance and their inherent worth. Each child must know that his/her performance has no bearing on their worth as an individual.
We welcome children from all faiths and backgrounds, and seek to enable them to achieve their full potential, laying firm foundations for their future role in society. Children accepted into our school are expected to maintain the high standards that set our school apart from many others.
Newbold School is concerned with upholding Christian family values, respect for authority and the overall development of each child.
Our Mission is to create a secure, loving environment by presenting God as the source of all life and truth, encouraging children to practise Christian Values with respect to themselves, others and the environment.
At Newbold School every child is treated with respect as an individual and assisted in discovering their personal gifts, thereby encouraging their spiritual, social, physical and intellectual growth. By building close links between the school, family and church we seek to develop confident, motivated pupils who are equipped and inspired to extend their horizons.
Details of minor accidents at school are recorded in the Accident Book and a fair top copy will be sent home at the end of the day. You will be telephoned immediately in the case of a head injury.
When professional treatment is needed (e.g. stitches, broken bones) we will inform you immediately and take your child to the A&E unit. An ambulance will be called for very serious cases. Your child will be accompanied to the hospital by a member of staff and you will be asked to join them there.
Children are accepted into our Foundation 1 class immediately following their third birthday, but parents are advised that Local Authority vouchers are not issued until the term following the child’s third birthday. Foundation 1 children may commence with any number of sessions up to five morning sessions, and then may build on these until attending for nine sessions per week, as sessions are available. Arrangements are made for children to have a ‘Taster Session’ prior to their formal admission.
Children are accepted into the school in Key Stages 1 and 2 as places are available in each year group. Every effort is made to support a child who has special disabilities or educational needs. There are, however, situations where certain resources are necessary and where the Local Authority does not deem it possible to assist with support within the independent school sector. In situations such as these it may be necessary to speak with us to help all to arrive at the best conclusions for the education of the child.
At Newbold School we are a world-wide family and every effort is made to welcome families who newly arrive in this country, especially those who speak English as an additional language.
Please inform your child’s teacher and the Headteacher of any allergies and complete all medical information sheets thoroughly.
Foundation Stage:
We receive Government funding to deliver part-time early years education. This means that we are required to deliver the Foundation Stage curriculum.
Learning progresses within a play-centred environment where the general ethos of the school is displayed through gentle encouragement and sincere praise. We firmly believe that children of this age need to feel happy and secure in order to learn, and we take every child’s needs into account during each activity and presentation.
The Foundation Stage Curriculum is organised into the following six areas of learning:
· Personal, social and emotional development;
· Communication, language and literacy;
· Mathematical development;
· The development of knowledge and understanding of the world;
· Physical development;
· Creative development;
Key Stages 1 and 2:
We follow the National Curriculum which covers Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Information and Communication Technology, Design and Technology, History, Geography, Art, Physical Education, Music, Personal/Social, Health and Citizenship Education, and a modern language. We follow our own curriculum in Religious Education , our programme based on instilling Christian values for life. Sex education is incorporated into the Science and PSHCE programmes. Children receive dedicated lessons to learn and talk about their changing bodies in Year 6. Parents can ask for their children to be withdrawn, prior to this session, if they feel it would be in their individual child’s best interest.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the whole school meets for assembly. Monday assemblies and Wednesday assemblies are dedicated to following our Values themes with lessons from the Bible and life stories, and Friday is a celebration of the week’s achievements. Assemblies are Christian based and include songs and prayers. Tuesday’s assemblies are class based and Thursday’s Key stage based.
You are welcome to join us for our Monday and Friday assemblies; these commence at 9.00 am and finish at approximately 9.20 am.
We assess children informally on a day to day basis and mark work accordingly. We follow the Government recommended Assessment of Pupil Progress plan where accomplishments are high-lighted on their own personal tracking records as targets are reached. This helps us to know, at any given time, where your child falls in relation to the National Curriculum standards within Literacy and Mathematics. Opportunities are also given for more formal testing. Children in years 2 and 6 sit the Government S.A.Ts tests in May. Children of years 1-5 sit the optional tests at the same time. This helps teachers to compare test results with ongoing day-to-progress on the tracking record. Results are shared with parents at open evenings, through letters and school reports and upon personal request.
Children are expected to be in the school playground by 8:45 am. Foundation stage children should be taken through to their classrooms as soon as the door opens at that time. The other children will line up ready to go into school at 8.50 am. This gives the children just five minutes to be registered and to move over to the hall for assembly. It is therefore very important that they arrive on time.
Children who are late will find the main door locked. They will need to go to the outside door of their classroom to be admitted. Habitual lateness is disruptive and to be avoided. We will notify parents of our concern if the problem occurs frequently.
Permission to take children on holiday in term time must be requested from the Headteacher. Please note that we do not condone this practice and withdrawal that exceeds statutory limits must be reported to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
Children need to make the most of their education in a safe and secure environment. In order for this to happen, all staff in school work closely with parents to:
· Encourage a positive, calm and purposeful atmosphere where children can learn to the best of their abilities;
· Create an atmosphere where all children feel valued and treat all others with respect;
· Encourage children to take responsibility for their behaviour;
· Encourage pupils to sort out difficulties in peaceful ways;
· Praise and reward children when they are doing well and trying hard;
· Help and support children who are having problems;
The code of conduct is designed to ensure that all children can feel safe and know what is expected from them in school.
Sanctions operate on a five step system.
Step 1: Reminder of rule and verbal warning;
Step 2: Time out within class;
Step 3: Miss part of play with teacher / behaviour conference with teacher;
Step 4: Time out – child transferred to another class with yellow card (maximum 20 minutes) with a letter home. Teacher records date of letter and incident logged and filed in school office;
Step 5: Sent to Headteacher with red card.
It is expected that children will take notice of their teacher a long time before the serious Step 5 sanction is required.
On rare occasions children engage in behaviour that is severely unacceptable. This may include:
· Swearing loudly and repeatedly;
· Seriously damaging property;
· Threatening behaviour;
· Racial / sexual harassment;
· Stealing property, refusing to return it;
· Serious fighting;
On these occasions a red behaviour card will be completed and the child sent to the Headteacher. The incident will be recorded and investigated. The parent will be contacted and asked to come to the school. Serious misdemeanours will result in fast tracking through the steps and the Headteacher will temporarily exclude the pupil for up to a week. Further exclusion whether temporary or permanent will be by action of the Board of Governors.
The role of the Board of Governors is crucial to the success of the school. It sets and reviews the general framework within which the school is run, provides support to the Headteacher and staff and has overall responsibility for the provision of a high standard of Adventist Christian Education. The school board, with reference to the South England Conference Executive Committee, is responsible for making all decisions relating to policy, teacher employment, and ensuring financial information is provided and procedures followed.
The following people are presently serving on the School Board:
Pastor P Johnston (Chairman) Mr M Markek (Church Representative)
Dr K Davidson (Education Director BUC) Mrs H Rennalls (Church Representative)
Mr E Ramharacksingh (Bursar) Mrs H Hanna (Parent)
The Headteacher (Secretary) Mrs A Pilmoor (Education Department BUC)
Miss G Ainsworth (Teacher) Mrs A Pilmoor (Education Department)
The alarm is tested every Monday at 10.00 and we can just hear it at Newbold. If it sounds at any other time a cascade system of phone calls takes place to alert us to the fact that there has been an escape. We will apply any special measures and will not allow any child to leave any building unaccompanied.
Newbold School does not tolerate any form of bullying and will act quickly if it suspects there is an incident. Parents and families, however, are often the first to detect that a problem exists. Do not dismiss it. Please contact the school immediately if you are worried. Victims of bullying may:
· Be frightened of walking to or from school
· Be unwilling to go to school
· Begin doing poorly in their school work
· Come home regularly with books or clothing damaged
· Become stressed, stop eating
· Have unexplained cuts, scratches and bruises
· Have their possessions go ‘missing’
· Refuse to say what is wrong
There may be other reasons for this behaviour but it would be worth speaking to your child’s class teacher if you have suspicions. Bear in mind that the teacher may have no idea that your child is being bullied.
What is bullying?
Bullying can take a number of forms. It can include:
· Teasing and name calling
· Nasty or mocking looks in the victim’s direction
· Threats
· Physical violence
· Excluding pupils deliberately
· Spreading rumours
· Sending nasty text or e-mail messages
· Manipulating another to get own way
Children can often get involved in these activities from time to time as a part of growing up. As long as these are confined to one-off problems, then, unpleasant as they are, it is not really bullying and to interfere too strongly can have a detrimental affect. It is an unfortunate reality of friendships, that even the best of friends can become bullies. They can often become the worst kind of bully because they are emotionally involved with the victim and know a lot of things about them.
How you can help:
· Reassure your child that he / she has done the right thing in telling you
· Explain that if anything further should happen then he / she should tell the teacher immediately
· If you are worried that your child is being bullied, ask him or her directly
· Take bullying seriously and find out the facts
· Don’t agree to keep the bullying a secret
· Give your child a chance to vent his / her feelings about being bullied
· Check your child is not inviting bullying by saying or doing things that may upset others
· Talk with a teacher or the Head teacher
· Never be tempted to ‘have it out’ with the parents of the bully or the bully themselves. Once parents have become involved then the problem often moves up a gear. Schools bear witness to the fact that many children will make up, but family feuds are much harder to heal.
If your child is bullying others, talk with him / her and explain that what s/he is doing is unacceptable and makes other children unhappy.
All children, parents and teachers at the school are expected to complete an anti-bullying contract. Breach of the contract will involve withdrawal from social activities within the school day and isolation from other children until a change of behaviour and attitude can be proved.
The Headteacher is the designated child protection officer for the school. Sensitive information is shared on a ‘need to know basis’ only. We have a statutory duty to report everything that gives cause for concern regarding any child in our care to Bracknell Forest Social Services.
Each member of staff has been trained to recognise signs of abuse, and has a responsibility to follow the procedures of the policy.
The school office notifies parents of the after school clubs on offer at the beginning of each term. Numbers for each class are limited and places are offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Important things for children to remember around the school.
In the Corridor
Always walk quietly
Respect displays of work
Always be safe and sensible
Listen to the Prefects
In Assembly
Always walk quietly in and out of assembly
Look, listen and reflect quietly
Sit still and keep you hands and feet to yourself
In the Lunch Room
Always walk
Speak quietly
Eat sandwiches first and sweet last
Be careful not to drop food on the floor
Be polite to all adults and to each other
Put your hand up for attention
Line up sensibly when you have finished eating
In the Playground
Always play safely and never play-fight
Share your games
Be a friend to others who want to join in
Always listen carefully to staff
Do not run on the top playground
Line up quietly to go inside
This code of conduct has been formulated with the safety and well being of the children in mind. Adhering to it will enable the school to function efficiently as a place of learning.
Please check your child’s school bag (and diary in Years 5 and 6) each day. A newsletter and file of information is sent out every other Thursday. Please return the empty file promptly.
Parents are requested to make an appointment to speak to teachers as they are not always in a position to speak on demand, especially when preparing for the day before school, and safely dismissing children in the afternoon.
It is important that conflicts are resolved swiftly. Please make an appointment, for a mutually agreed time, with your child’s teacher or the Headteacher to discuss the matter.
Problems involving another child must be referred to a member of staff or the Headteacher. We respectfully ask you not to confront the child or his/her parents directly as this usually makes matters worse and causes complications.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Children are assessed on entry and a plan is drawn up of specific objectives for the child’s development. The class teacher then plans suitable activities and provides resources to assist the child in his / her learning. Progress is monitored and time taken to give specific teaching appropriate to his / her needs where necessary.
Twice a year visits are planned for each class to support and enhance their classroom work. The cost of these visits is considerable, therefore voluntary parental contributions are relied upon and details of visits are given as far in advance as possible.
From time to time visitors are invited to come into school to make presentations or carry out workshops. Again these come at a cost and voluntary contributions are anticipated. No child will be excluded if parents are unable or unwilling to contribute. However, if there are insufficient contributions the activity will have to be cancelled.
Fees are payable on the first day of each term. An invoice will be sent out before the end of the previous term. Cash or cheques are acceptable means of payment. Where necessary, standing orders can be set up for monthly payment.
Financial Problems
If you have told the Finance Department that you are experiencing financial hardship in advance of the payment of bills, it will be possible to negotiate a mutually acceptable outcome, whereby your circumstances will be taken into account, and looked at empathetically. However, if you fail to pay or do not keep us up-to-date with any problems that you may be experiencing, policies and procedures will be put into place to retrieve any monies outstanding. It is our wish to work together with parents, and provided we are kept informed, we can normally support you in this matter.
There is a fire drill once a term which follows the same procedures as an actual fire. The alarm and fire extinguishers are checked weekly.
Children are expected to follow the standard layout of presentation in all their writing.
Children in Years 5 and 6 use handwriting pens. Biros and gel pens are not allowed.
Hats are not compulsory uniform but only uniform hats may be worn. These can be purchased at the school office.
Please check your child regularly for head lice and ring worm. See your doctor or chemist immediately for treatment. Children with head lice or ring worm will have to stay at home until they have been treated and are no longer infectious.
Homework is set from Foundation 2 upwards and will vary according to the age of the child. Reading books and words to spell will be taken home from Foundation 2 whilst research and extensive written work will be expected in Year 6 in preparation for secondary school.
Our aims in setting homework are:
· To encourage children to share their work with their parents and enable parents to show interest in their child’s development
· To encourage learning together
· To reinforce and consolidate learning which has taken place at school
· To foster enthusiasm for finding things out
· To develop partnership between parents, children and the school
How you can help:
· Set aside a clear surface for your child to work on
· Try to get into a routine; work done late tends not to be so well done and also means a child is late to bed
· Try to reduce distractions, e.g. turn off the TV
· Show an interest; if your child feels that his / her work is valued then he / she will be more likely to do it well
· Praise your child for working neatly, quickly or concentrating
· If homework becomes a battle, then provide a reward or incentive so it is not seen as an alternative to fun; i.e. don’t turn off a favourite programme for homework, do it before or after.
If your child is not well, then it is best for them to stay at home. Please telephone the school on the first day of absence explaining the absence. The class teacher will mark the absence as ‘authorised’.
Teachers cannot administer medication without your written consent. If you wish us to do so, please complete the form in the ‘Medication Book’ at the First Aid post, tear off the top copy and give it to your child’s teacher along with the medicine. (Please state for how many days the child will need to take it.)
Children who become ill at school will be monitored for a while. If they do not improve we will contact you to pick up your child. Please ensure that we have all your up to date contact details as well as details of an additional guardian if we cannot reach you.
Please provide your child with a pair of black plimsolls or other footwear to wear inside school. Children change into and out of their shoes as they come into school and go out of school respectively.
Jewellery is not allowed except for stud earrings for those girls with pierced ears. Hooped earrings are a danger during playtime and sport activities. Watches may be worn, but the school does not take responsibility for damage or loss. These should be removed for P.E.
Please label EVERYTHING! All uniform items including shoes and hats
- All P.E. and swimming items
- School bags
- Lunch boxes
- Any stationery
Please make sure that all items of clothing and belongings have your child’s name marked in an obvious place. If it is written on in pen, then please check after washing to make sure that the name is still there.
We are proud of our newly equipped and furnished library. Books are available on a wide range of subjects to be borrowed and taken home. A record is kept of books issued and families will be expected to reimburse the school for any losses or books damaged whilst in their care.
Children should bring a healthy packed lunch each day and are encouraged to bring a plastic bottle of water to drink throughout the day. In the foundation classes, children have fruit time before or after morning break when they are encouraged to eat one of their five portions of fruit a day. Older children may choose to eat fruit at this time. Please do not send fizzy drinks or sweets to school.
Only medicines prescribed by the doctor may be administered in school.
Our school first aiders, will give you an authorisation form to complete. Medicines are kept in the staff refrigerator if necessary or in the medical room in a locked cupboard. They will be administered by a first aider. We are NOT allowed to administer eye or ear drops. Class teachers are briefed where life threatening conditions are involved (e.g. nut allergies, asthma) and training is sought prior to the child joining the class teacher.
On occasions where money is needed in school, it should be handed to the class teacher at the first opportunity in either a purse or named, sealed envelope with a note stating what it is for. Money as payment for trips, visits, school purchases and fees can be placed in the letter box by the office. Any money not handed in is at risk.
Where we can, the school is willing to assist you in finding suitable tuition for your child in a musical instrument of their choice. Parents enter private contracts with teachers and pay them directly.
Should you wish to withdraw your child from Newbold School, a full term’s notice is expected. In the event of this not being given, we hold the right to retain a deposit or issue an invoice for any unpaid fees.
We welcome parent helpers. Parents can listen to readers, prepare resources and work with small groups. All work is voluntary, but very rewarding. All parent, student and other volunteers will need to be CRB checked, and by law we need to request two character references.
Parking spaces are allocated in the Church Centre car park for drop off and pick up. Please park only in allocated areas to avoid congestion at the entrance. Children should be accompanied to the school playground and collected from their class fire exit. Please do not drive or walk into the school through the car park entrance as this can be extremely hazardous with staff arriving / departing and deliveries being made. Access can also be made through the pedestrian gate on Popeswood Road.
Children must be picked up at 3:30 pm Monday to Thursday and at 12.30 pm on a Friday.
Children whose parents arrive late are to wait for them in the entrance foyer. As we cannot ensure constant supervision of children whose parents are late for collection, we strongly advise that you take this responsibility seriously.
There are odd occasions when unforeseen circumstances hold parents up. Please ring the school if you anticipate that you may be late so that we can keep your children informed.
A fine will be charged if children are habitually left stranded.
If your child is to be picked up by someone other than you, written confirmation or a telephone call must be received from you.
Children are expected to bring their full P.E. kit on Monday, keep it at school for the week and take it home on Friday for washing. Kit includes a pair of navy shorts, white T-Shirt, and plimsolls (trainers for years 3-6). Individual class teachers will inform you of days on which your child has P.E. Parents must write a note before, or on the day, if a pupil is to be excused from a lesson. Pupils who forget their kit will do supervised work.
The children are supervised in the playground by a member of Staff. A list of the playground rules can be found on the hall windows. Children are expected to behave the same out of school in the playground under parental supervision as they do within school time.
Playground rules
· ALWAYS WALK across TOP PLAYGROUND
· SWINGS – SIT. Backward / forward motion only.
No standing, twisting, or pushing others.
· CLIMBING FRAME / SWING AREA – walk only.
· DOWN ONLY on the SLIDE
· FOOTBALL – BOTTOM PLAYGROUND ONLY
GOALPOSTS – use cones from PE cupboard
· BALLS over fence retrieved AFTER school
· BALLS come to school in carrier bag. Keep on peg when not outside.
· OUT-OF-BOUNDS areas – behind shed
over fence
out of sight of teacher
· NO sticks or stones, digging or playing with leaves or berries.
· SHARE TOYS. Don’t give away.
All children in Year 6 will have the opportunity to become school prefects. These are positions of responsibility and honour and are therefore conditional on appropriate behaviour. Prefects help staff to maintain the smooth running of the school.
Parents, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA)
All parents, teachers and any others who would consider themselves friends of the school are automatically members of the PTFA, which aims to raise funds for the school and enrich the extra curricular activities. Meetings are regular and newsletters are sent home with future dates, activities and projects explained. Joining in activities, helping out etc. is a great way to meet other parents and support your children and the school at the same time.
Link to main P.T.F.A. web page
Reading is a very important part of your child’s learning, as the skill is essential in all areas of school. Parental involvement is an integral part of our school’s reading programme. In Foundation 2 and Key Stage 1 the basic reading programme is outlined as follows:
Reading is a complex task involving two main areas:
· Reading fluency
Which is made up of:
o Reading Accuracy – the number of correctly read words
o Reading Rate – the speed at which words are read
o Reading expression
· Reading comprehension: Making meaning of what is being read
Both areas are equally important and affect each other. A child, who may be able to accurately read quite difficult words, but may read slowly indicates that his / her decoding skills are not yet automatic. Much of the child’s brain power is being used to decode, leaving little or no brain power to understand what is being read. Another example may see a child reading at an appropriate speed (rate), but making a lot of errors. By not reading accurately, the meaning of the text will change and this will affect the child’s reading comprehension.
Learning to read involves the acquisition of several skills. Although these skills intermingle there is an optimal order of acquisition. If the skills are not learnt in the correct order, later reading may be affected. The basic order is presented below. As is shown, reading fluency and comprehension skills are learnt simultaneously.
|
Reading Fluency |
Comprehension |
|
1. Hearing and identifying the sounds that a word is made up of. For example: cat is made up of the sound c – a – t.
2. Learning the most common letter-sound correspondences and letter names.
3. Blending letters together to make simple words – this needs to be learnt as soon as two –letter sounds are learnt. For example: c-a-t makes the word ‘cat’.
4. Reading words then text made up of words containing the most common letter-sounds. It is not until this stage that learners should be given readers.
5. Learning letter combinations – two or more letters forming one sound. For example the letters ‘s’ and ‘h’ make the sound ‘sh’ as in ‘ship’ when they are put together.
6. Learning that letters can make more than one sound. For example the letter ‘a’ makes a different sound in each of these words: ant, baby, about, any.
7. Reading words then text containing letter combinations and less common letter-sound correspondences.
8. At each step the learner must be accurate first then become automatic. |
1. There are three broad levels of comprehension.
Literal: Where the information is directly stated within the text.
Inferential: The information that isn’t directly stated but inferred. The reader may have to put two or more parts of the text together to understand the author’s intent.
Critical: The reader is asked to make a personal judgment. There are no clues given in the text.
2. The text that beginning readers can read will not lend itself to the higher levels of comprehension. However, a learner still must be taught how to think inferentially and critically. This is done via listening comprehension activities. As a learner’s reading fluency skills develop so will the complexity of the text that he/she is able to read. Comprehension tasks can then be based more on what the learner is reading. |
Your child may enter school part way along the reading continuum described above or he/she may need to start at the beginning. Wherever your child is on the reading continuum it is your child’s teacher’s aim to keep them moving forward. It is important to remember that no two children are alike. Do not become over anxious; allow your child to learn at his/her own rate.
Parent Involvement
Children are more likely to become good readers if parents:
· Read to children
· Read with children
· Listen to children read
· Visit the library with children
· Show the usefulness of reading via newspapers, magazines, TV guides etc.
· Enjoy reading themselves.
All children from Foundation 2 upwards will need a reading folder (book bag) in which to keep their homework in. These are available from the school office at £3.50.
Recognising children’s achievement is key to teaching and learning at Newbold School. Children’s work is marked and discussed positively with each individual and targets are realistically set to encourage success. Each class has its own reward system appropriate to the age of the children. Every Friday in assembly children’s achievement is celebrated through awarding merit cards for good behaviour, work, homework, behaviour at playtime and lunchtime. Children collect these and work towards a certificate for achieving 12 cards. Classes working cooperatively are awarded the class weekly cups for good behaviour in the lunch hall, quietness and topical, appropriate positive reinforcements of good behaviour.
At the end of each term a child is awarded star pupil for exceptional contribution to the school and consistent effort and consideration for others. Attendance certificates are awarded.
In May children are awarded certificates for L.A.M.D.A speech and drama examinations and in July swimming certificates for achievements throughout the year.
We also like to take part in schemes such as the Young Writers competitions and the Maths Challenge.
All children from year 3-6 have the opportunity to learn to play the recorder during the school day. Lessons are in groups and last 20 minutes once a week. This is compulsory for all children in year 3 as it is part of the curriculum.
Each year we:
· Celebrate Harvest at the end of September / beginning of October with a Harvest Festival
· Have a Christmas concert and party during the first or second week of December
· Hold a Spring Concert in March for children who take extra curricular lessons to perform
· Invite a photographer in the summer term to come and take professional pictures of the children for parents to purchase
· Hold a sports day in the last two weeks of the summer term
· Hold an International Day to celebrate diversity
Reporting on your child’s progress
Parents’ evenings are held in the Autumn and Spring terms to discuss targets and review progress. A letter will go out a week prior to these evenings to give you the opportunity to choose a time that is convenient for you to speak with your child’s class teacher. It is important that children do not accompany their parents to these evenings. If parents are unable to arrange child care, we can arrange for an alternative meeting time immediately after school on another day, when another member of staff will be available to take care of your child.
Written reports of your child’s progress are handed out in July with future targets and test and tracking record results are recorded from Years 1-6.
If you wish to discuss any issue with your child’s teacher outside of these meetings, the teacher will be pleased to arrange an appointment with you. We aim to make these within a week of being requested.
Should you wish to speak to the Headteacher please make an appointment via the school office.
Each year group in Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) has a representative on the School Council. This is an elected member of the class who sits with the other representatives in discussions with the Headteacher about how to make the school a ‘better’ place. Classes share their ideas with the nominated member to then bring these ideas to the monthly council meeting. Pupils become involved in the way the school is run.
We have a school song which is sung regularly in assemblies and at school events.
Listed below are some of the local secondary schools former pupils have gone on to after leaving Newbold School: -
Ranelagh Bracknell
Garth Hill Bracknell
Easthampstead Park Bracknell
Brackenhale Bracknell
St Crispins Wokingham
Emmbrook Wokingham
The Holt (girls’ school) Wokingham
Forest Comprehensive (boys) Winnersh
Cox Green Maidenhead
Piggot School Wargrave
Choosing a secondary school for your child can be a daunting task, and the process that comes with it can be confusing. We have compiled some information should you need help when you come to making this decision.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination and shares many beliefs in common with other Christian denominations. We believe in:
· The Holy Trinity – three equal persons in one Godhead. We believe in the virgin birth and that Jesus was fully God and fully man.
· The Holy Scriptures – We accept the Bible from Genesis to Revelation as the inspired word of God.
· The Cross – We accept that Jesus death on the cross is the full and complete sacrifice for sin.
We also believe that - :
· God has given us all free choice and our future is not predestined.
· Those who have died remain asleep until the Second Coming of Christ; therefore spiritualism and many New Age beliefs do not resonate with us.
· Jesus will return to this earth in the near future.
· Saturday is the Sabbath; God gave us the Sabbath as a day of rest and a celebration of His creative power. This is why keeping the day special is important to us.
· The only way we can be saved from sin is by the grace of God who accepted the gift of life and death of Jesus, His Son, on our behalf.
· We encourage people to fully accept Jesus as their personal Saviour, understand what it means to be a Christian and demonstrate this by being born again into the church through baptism.
· The commandments in the Bible are a set of eternal moral guidelines and a blueprint for a happy and fulfilled life.
Adventist behaviours-:
Adventists believe that the body is the temple of God and therefore should be treated with respect. We avoid stimulants and substances that may harm the body. Generally Adventists do not smoke, drink alcohol or use recreational drugs.
We also believe that God gave guidance in the Bible to those foods that were deemed ‘clean’ and those ‘unclean’. Adventists choose not to eat foods derived from animals that are scavengers and therefore would not eat any meat from the pig. Many choose to be vegetarians.
Adventists recognise that, in principle, every good thing we have is from God and therefore to be valued. As a result we follow the tithing principle to acknowledge God’s goodness and avoid activities such as gambling that make light of this gift.
Children are able to take individual or group speech and drama lessons. Forms are sent out for you to complete. Parents enter private contracts with the teacher and pay her directly.
We operate within the framework of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Code of Practice, which defines the progressive stages of intervention. Initial concerns are often overcome by early classroom intervention and simple changes to class teaching programmes; further concerns are shared with parents and individual education plans are drawn up. These are monitored and reviewed termly. Full statements of Special Educational Needs may be applied for through the local Borough, and may be awarded, at their discretion, to children who need individually designed learning programmes and extra adult help. The school can help refer children to Educational Psychologists, Speech Therapists and Language and Literacy teachers, if needed. The cost of consultation would fall to the parent.
· Try to teach your child toilet hygiene – washing hands, flushing the toilet etc
· Encourage your child to dress him/herself without help
· Help your child recognise his /her name written down so they can find their belongings
· Give plenty of opportunities for your child to draw, cut out and colour to improve hand control
· Try to talk about school, involve them in buying uniform, school bag, and lunch box; answer any concerns (this often arises at bedtime when children are most anxious)
· Try to find books about starting school and share reading together
· Make sure your child knows you will be waiting for him/her at the end of the day
From Foundation 2 children receive instruction in swimming. Each class attends Bracknell Sports Centre weekly on a Wednesday for one term per year.
Children in the Foundation and Key Stage 1 classes may come to school in navy or grey tracksuits on these Wednesdays to aid changing. Key stage 2 classes are expected to come in full uniform.
Swimming is an important part of the curriculum and lessons should not be missed. A note excusing your child, stating the reason, must be handed to the teacher on the morning that the lesson will be missed. Statements from your child without a letter from the parent will not be recognised.
If a child has prolonged periods when he/she is unable to do swimming, a doctor’s letter will have to be sent to the school.
Children excused from swimming will remain at school where possible.
A range of teaching strategies are employed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum, our Adventist philosophy and the needs of pupils’ varying learning styles. Pupils will be taught as a whole class, in small groups or individually. For literacy and numeracy children may be grouped with pupils from different classes who have the same learning needs. Teacher time can be maximised in this way and pupils benefit from teaching at their ‘level’ for longer periods of time. Classroom assistants are used in the Foundation classes to aid more individualised teaching. Children in Key Stages 1 and 2 may benefit from volunteers who work one to one or in small groups to support learning needs.
8.45 am Doors open. Parents of children in the foundations stages are encouraged to come into the classroom with their child to settle them down. Parents of other children are welcome to come in and look at displays. Children in KS1 and KS2 are supervised in the playground or in the school hall, if it is raining heavily.
8.50 am Bell is rung. Children line up in the playground and are ushered into school. Parents leave.
8.55 am Registration
9.00 am Assembly
9.15 am Door closes Main door is locked; children arriving after this time should go in their outside door for admission or proceed directly to assembly in the hall.
10.30 am Break time Children are encouraged to bring an item of fruit to eat at break.
12.10 pm-1.00 pm Lunch Children eat a packed lunch in the school hall before going outside to play.
2.20 pm- 2.35 pm Break Break for Foundation children and Key Stage 1 children.
3.30 pm End of school. Children are dismissed via the outside classroom doors to awaiting parents.
Full uniform is expected to be worn at all times. Parents are expected to support the school in this matter. We work on the rationale that by breaking a school rule, e.g not wearing the official uniform, children feel empowered to flout other rules.
Long hair should be tied back at all times to avoid infestation and accidents.
Girls
Items to be purchased where ever you wish:
- White shirt (winter: long sleeves, button down collar; summer: short sleeves, open neck collar)
- Grey skirt (up to Year 2 may wear grey pinafore dress with shirt beneath)
- Grey tights or socks - winter
- White socks - summer
- Black or brown shoes – trainers not permitted for normal school wear
- Plimsolls for PE and indoor wear for all children (School currently has a few pairs in stock)
- Trainers – PE wear for Years 5 and 6
The following items all need to be ordered through school office:
- Maroon V-neck jumper with school emblem
- School tie for wear with winter uniform; normal knot tie variety Year 2 upwards, elasticated up to Year 1 or 2
- Maroon School Blazer with school emblem
- School Fleece with school emblem (optional outdoor wear as extra layer for warmth)
- Maroon raincoat
- School hat with school emblem (optional extra – but no other hat permitted)
- White T-shirt for PE
- Maroon shorts for PE
- Grey track suit with school emblem / Early Years and Years 1 and 2
- Book bag
- PE/swimming bag
ALL CLOTHING SHOULD BE CLEARLY LABELLED
Click here to download School Uniform Order Form
Boys
Items to be purchased wherever you wish:
- White shirt (winter: long sleeves, button down collar; summer: short sleeves, open neck collar)
- Grey trousers: Short for younger boys for summer if preferred / all others, long
- Grey socks
- Black or brown shoes – trainers not permitted for normal school wear
- Plimsolls for PE and indoor wear for all children (School currently has a few pairs in stock)
- Trainers – PE wear for Years 5 and 6
The following items all need to be ordered through school office:
- Maroon V-neck jumper with school emblem
- School tie (For wear with winter uniform)
- Normal knot tie variety Year 2 upwards, elasticated up to Year 1 or 2
- Maroon School Blazer with school emblem
- School Fleece with school emblem (optional outdoor wear as extra layer for warmth)
- Maroon raincoat
- School hat with school emblem (optional extra – but no other hat permitted)
- White T-shirt for PE
- Maroon shorts for PE
- Grey track suit with school emblem / Early Years and Years 1 and 2
- Book bag
- PE/swimming bag
ALL CLOTHING SHOULD BE CLEARLY LABELLED
Click here to download School Uniform Order Form
Children are encouraged to bring plastic screw top bottles to fill up with water, to drink during the day.
Parent, Teacher and Friends Association (P.T.F.A.)
The PTFA at Newbold School has been in operation for a number of years, with great success. Each year a board of new members are voted for by the parents and staff, and elected to hold the post for one year. The aim of the PTFA is to raise funds towards items for the school that will benefit, help and assist all of the children who attend Newbold.
A lot of time and effort is put into the organization of the PTFA and we are constantly looking for ideas and suggestions on how we can raise funds, so if any of you can assist the team, we would be more than happy to hear from you - please feel free to come and talk to us (a list of current board members is detailed below). We are always looking for lots of help too, especially on Bake Sale days and the School Fete. Any help is always appreciated.
Year to date, the PTFA have raised the following:
Bake Sales £255.26p
School Fete £2060.25p
Sales of Second Hand Uniforms £7.00p
Table Top Sale £125.37p
Interest on the above £25.27p
Grand Total £2473.15p
This amount has gone towards the purchase and installation of an interactive white board for Years 3 & 4, which the children are now enjoying.
In previous years the efforts of the PTFA have helped purchase new PE equipment, tables, a new school hall carpet and an outside school clock.
Current Board Members
Paula Bold - Chairperson
Andrea Vassall - Secretary
Estera Zemlich - Treasurer
Rosemary O'Regan - Press Relations
Foundation 1 - No Representative
Foundation 2 - Nicole Kohtz
Year 1 & 2 - Jonna Laine
Year 3 & 4 - Elena Telyukina
Year 5 & 6 - Mrs Hudson
If any of you have any questions, suggestions for fundraising, or want to offer your help please contact Mrs Eastwood or your son/daughter's teacher.
2009-2010
AUTUMN TERM 2009
Thursday 3rd September 2009 – Wednesday 16th December 2009 (12.30pm)
Half Term: Monday 26th October – Friday 30th October 2009
And Monday 2nd November (Teacher’s training day)
SPRING TERM 2010
Tuesday 5th January 2010 – Wednesday 31st March 2010 (12.30)
Half Term: Monday 15th February – Friday 19th February
And Monday 22nd February (Teacher’s training day)
SUMMER TERM 2010
Tuesday 20th April 2010 – Thursday 15th July 2010 (12.30)
Half Term: Monday 31st May – Friday 4th June
And Monday 7th June (Teacher’s training day)
SCHOOL TERMS AND HOLIDAY DATES
2010 – 2011
Autumn Term 2010
Friday 3rd September 2010 (Teachers’ training day)
Monday 6th September 2010 – Thursday 16th December 2010
Half term: Monday 25th October – Friday 29th October
And Monday 1st November (Teachers’ training day)
Spring Term 2011
Monday 3rd January 2011 (Teachers’ training day)
Tuesday 4th January 2011 – Friday 8th April 2011
Half term: Monday 21st February – Friday 25th February
And Monday 28th February (Teachers’ training day)
Summer Term 2011
Monday 25th April 2011 (Teachers’ training day)
Tuesday 26th April 2011 – Tuesday 19th July 2011
Monday 2nd May – May Day holiday
Half term: Monday 30th May to Friday 3rd June
And Monday 6th June (Teachers’ training day)
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) Pilot Reading Test
You may be aware that we have used the NFER (National Foundation for Educational Research) reading test for many years to annually measure the reading levels of the children. For some time we have felt that these tests are becoming out of date and have been wondering whether it is worth our while to continue using them as many of the words and phrases presented to the children are no longer in use.
As we have used them consistently, however, we have now received a request from NFER to assist them in a pilot trial of a new test system that they are currently devising which should be more in line with modern standards and trends and word and phraseology usage. We felt honoured to be allowed to take part in their research, and the children in Years 2 and 6 are currently undergoing these tests that will then be returned to the NFER to enable the Foundation to aim the assessments at the right levels.