NORTHMEAD JUNIOR SCHOOL - Home and School Partnership Agreement

We wish to promote Northmead as a school which provides each child with the best possible opportunity for intellectual, creative, physical, social and moral development.  We believe that this will be better achieved in an environment where staff, parents and pupils work together in mutual support and encouragement.

In order to do the best for each pupil we believe that there must be an agreement between the school and the parents over the key aspects of that mutual support.  Through this agreement, the school will promise to provide for your child’s needs in important ways and will guarantee to provide you with relevant information to keep you properly informed.  In return the school asks parents to make certain commitments on behalf of their child.  By making this mutual commitment we believe that your child will be better supported and any problems can be more readily solved.

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

This means that we have a Child Protection Policy and procedures in place which we refer to in our prospectus.  All staff (including supply staff, volunteers and governors) must ensure that they are aware of these procedures.  Parents and carers are welcome to read the Policy on request.

Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare.  We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputies are:

Denise Lewis – Deputy Head (DSL), Aimee Fairhurst - SENDCO (Deputy DSL), Sarah Carrington - Executive Head teacher (Deputy DSL) and Jackie Wells- Home School Link Worker (Deputy DSL)

The School’s Promise

• To aim to provide a safe and secure environment
• To ensure that there is a planned programme of high quality education suitable to the needs of your child
• To provide a range of lunchtime and after school extra-curricular activities
• To assess work and progress regularly and give your child positive, constructive feedback
• To provide a formal opportunity each term for you to discuss your child’s progress with the teacher
• To provide informal opportunities for you to discuss your child’s progress with the teacher providing an appointment is made
• To deal with problems calmly and fairly having listened to each child’s point of view
• To inform you by letter or telephone about serious problems or difficulties or behavioural issues.
• To take account of your views about your child’s needs
• To provide a written report about your child’s progress each year and to provide opportunity for that report to be discussed
• To inform you about set homework tasks
• To make homework relevant to the needs of the child
• To provide a regular newsletter about school life
• To send a calendar of dates for the year ahead in September
• To monitor the appropriate use of the internet for educational purposes
• To contact you if there is no mark on the class register by 10.00 a.m. to ensure the child is safe where possible.

The Parents’ Promise

• To ensure that your child attends school unless prevented from doing so by illness or other agreed reason
• To contact the school, via the Studybugs app, by 9.00 a.m. if your child is ill or unable to attend.
• To ensure that your child arrives for school by 8.50 a.m. but not earlier than 8.30 a.m.

• To return data collection forms to the school office when requested
• To provide the school with an emergency contact telephone number, updated when required.
• To attend the autumn and spring term consultation meetings with the class teacher
• To ensure children are supervised at all times on the school site outside of normal school hours or after school clubs.
• To attend meetings called by the school to discuss the welfare, discipline or work of your child
• To support the school in our stand against violence, intimidation, name calling or inappropriate language and bad behaviour.
• To financially reimburse the school, upon request, when wilful damage has been caused to school property by your child
• To support your child with home reading and other homework tasks organised by the school
• To name all items of school clothing including PE kit
• To supply any medication in its original packaging, clearly marked with your child’s name and the dosage required to be given and a letter dated and signed by you requesting the school to administer the medication.

Communication

The home/school partnership can only work well if we keep in touch with each other.  Communication is especially important if your child is not happy at school for whatever reason or if you have a concern or complaint.  In these instances, please advise your child’s class teacher and then if it is not resolved you could speak to the year leader or senior member of staff.  If the situation is not resolved, parents have access to the Head teacher and ultimately, the Governing Body.  Parents also have the right to complain to the LA via the Local Education Office in Guildford, Tel 03456 009 009.

As part of the Parents’ Promise, we would ask that parent’s do not make any negative comments regarding the school or school staff which may bring the school into disrepute on social media sites i.e. Facebook.  Breaking this agreement could result in legal action in respect of the comments made.