Grange Farm Primary School

Parents

Grange Farm is a happy and caring primary school where the whole community work together to give our children the very best experiences and opportunities.

School Hours:

8.55 a.m. to 12.00p.m. | 1.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. (EYFS, KS1 and LKS2)
8.55 a.m. to  12.30 p.m.  | 1.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.(UKS2)

School Sessions:

8.55 a.m. – 10.30 a.m. – First morning session
10:30 Approx – Morning break
11.00 a.m. – 12.10/12.20 p.m. – Second morning session
12.o0/12.30 p.m. – 1:00pm/1.30 p.m. – Lunch break
1.00/1.20 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Afternoon sessions

Assemblies take place most days but the times of these vary day by day.

Children in Reception do not have morning breaks in the same way because they have continual access to our outdoor classroom.  They also attend fewer assemblies, gradually increasing their participation in whole school events as their confidence grows throughout the year.

Lunches

Children at Grange Farm are able to either have a packed lunch sent in from home or order a school dinner which is cooked on site by our catering team. School dinners are free for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. The menu is now a two week cycle and dinners must be ordered at least two weeks in advance using the MyChildAtSchool app to ensure that we are able to source and store the food we need. Unfortunately, we are unable to make changes to choices within this two week period.

We continue to cater for children with allergies and specialised diets. All allergens are indicated on our menus during the selection process and also include may contain advice.

If parents prefer, children may bring a packed lunch. Lunch boxes should be secure and clearly marked with the child’s name. Children can also bring milk or a fruit drink to go with their lunch but containers must be unbreakable. Fizzy drinks and sweets should not be brought into school. Drinking water is always available. There is also the option of going home for lunch.

During lunchtime we have a team of Supervisory Assistants who look after the children during the lunch break both inside and outside.

Our lunch menus operate on a two-week cycle. You can view these menus below :

 

 

 School Menu Week One School Menu Week Two

 Menu week 1

 Menu week 2

Uniform

Our school uniform colours are royal blue and grey:

  • Royal blue cardigans or jumpers
  • White shirts, blouses or polo shirts
  • Grey trousers, shorts, skirts or pinafore dresses
  • In warm weather, girls can where summer dresses (e.g. blue gingham fabric)
  • Children should all wear sensible black school shoes

Jumpers, cardigans and white polo shirts embroidered with the school name can be purchased from Andy Blair Sports and School Wear but these are not essential – non-embroidered royal blue jumpers/cardigans and white polo shirts are absolutely fine.

Wearing uniform shows respect for belonging to our school community and we will talk to parents where uniform rules are not being followed.

PE Kit

Children will have a set timetable for PE but it is a good idea to have kit available in school every day as plans can change (especially as we work around varying weather conditions).

All children should have:

  • A plain white t-shirt
  • Black shorts
  • Black pumps/plimsolls

For outdoor PE we also encourage children to have:

  • Tracksuits
  • Trainers

Every item of PE kit should be clearly named and all PE kit should be brought in a clearly named bag.

Security & Safety

Children’s safety is paramount and the school has security fencing around the grounds and the only access to the school building and grounds during school hours is via the secure main entrance lobby. All visitors sign in electronically with photo before admittance. A member of staff is on playground duty in both the infant and the junior playgrounds from 8.45 a.m. until the start of the school day, as well as during the normal school playtimes. During the day, as well as staff on playground duty there is a member of staff on duty inside who is the designated first aider. Termly fire practices are carried out with the children and staff, and all fire fighting equipment is checked annually. The entire school is covered by a security alarm system which is directly linked to Coventry City Council’s Rapid Response Team.

At Grange Farm School we want to create a warm, welcoming, caring environment where relationships are based on respect and positive self-esteem is developed in each child.

We are committed to maintaining high expectations of good behaviour as an essential contribution to the educational experience of the children and to their happiness and well being whilst in school.

We hope that all parents and guardians will support our approach to behaviour which, we feel, will be of major benefit to all.

Our Behaviour Principles are that:

  • staff and pupils will be polite and respectful at all times, to each other and to visitors
  • any form of discrimination or bullying will be addressed promptly
  • staff and the governing body will provide opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and be involved in decision making
  • expectations of both staff and pupils will be explicit and consistent
  • staff will be fair and consistent and foster a culture in which pupils’ achievements are recognised and celebrated
  • staff will be empowered to take prompt and effective action when pupils behave inappropriately
  • the school will work in partnership with home and external agencies to maximise the chances of every pupil behaving responsibly

Please see our Behaviour Policy, Behaviour Levels and Behaviour Curriculum which can be found here:

Behaviour Policy DRAFT

Behaviour Curriculum DRAFT v2

Behaviour Levels DRAFT

These are currently in draft form until they are ratified by Governors.

Extra Curricular Activities

Extra-curricular activities can provide a range of opportunities for children to take genuine responsibility and some children respond more positively in this context.  It is, therefore, important for the school to consider the whole range of experiences offered to pupils to ensure children have every chance to make a commitment/contribution to the school as a community.

These vary at different times of the year. During the autumn and winter months school sports include football, rugby, netball and cross-country running.  Practices and fixtures take place at lunch time, weekends or immediately after school.   During the summer, rounders and athletics are the predominant sports. Short tennis, dance and cheerleading are very popular year-round activities

The school has a large hall and a good-sized playing field to enable these activities to take place.

We are proud of our successes in music and provide excellent provision for musical activities.  Recorder groups are arranged as extra-curricular activities during the lunch breaks.

Beyond sport, we vary the extra-curricular clubs we offer over time but these typically include Punjabi, Drama and Music. These classes are arranged according to age and the activities are sometimes led by outside agencies. Some of these classes therefore involve a cost to those participating.

Wrap Around Care

WELCOME TO FUN FOR KIDS

WHO WE ARE

Fun for Kids is an independent provider of before and after school care for pupils of Grange Farm Primary School.

OUR AIM

Our aim is to provide good quality childcare for children aged 4 to 11 years. We provide a welcoming, stimulating, and safe environment with lots of opportunities for children to play. Children are encouraged to develop positive relationships with each other.

PLAY

Fun For Kids provides a vast range of activities for children to play with. All activities are adapted to the age and ability of a child’s development. A variety of toys and games are available for the children to choose from.

We have the use of the hall for sporting activities. We also make good use of the outside play areas which consists of the playground, large playing field and a quiet resting area.

The children take an active part in deciding on the activities we provide for them. They are also encouraged to evaluate the routine of the day.

BREAKFAST / AFTERNOON SNACK

Breakfast and afternoon snack is provided by us, comprising of apple or orange juice, a sandwich, toast, pitta, crumpets or crackers with various toppings. Water is available at all times.

DAILY SESSIONS & FEES

Before school 8.00am to 8.55am £5.00

After School 3.30pm to 6.00pm £10.00

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

A full copy of our policies and procedures are on display on our notice board. They include EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES / BEHAVIOUR / HEALTH AND SAFETY / INDOOR & OUTDOOR PLAY / COLLECTION OF CHILDREN / SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN / COMPLAINTS / PARENTAL / ADMISSION / SPECIAL NEEDS & DISABILITY. A full copy of all our policies can be seen on our notice board

STAFF

Fun For Kids employs qualified and experienced staff. Our staff team are committed to providing quality play opportunities for children ensuring children’s individual needs are met.

CONTACT DETAILS

Tracey Russell-Brookes on 07940128172

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The school uses the app My Child At School (MCAS) to communicate with parents. This includes sending letters, messages and a weekly newsletter. This is also used for parents to pay for lunches, clubs and trips without the need for cash being held in school.

It is important that all parents have access to the app to ensure they are kept fully up to date with things going on in school.

If you have any problems with accessing the app please speak to the school office who will be pleased to help you.

Free School Meals

You may be entitled to free school meals for your child if you receive any of the following:

  • Income Support
  • Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
  • An income-related employment and support allowance
  • Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190

You should claim free school meals if entitled even if you do not intend to use them or if your child already receives free school meals because they are in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 as it means extra funding for your school.

To apply for free school meals please visit Free School Meals and apply online.

You will need to do this within two weeks of the date that your child is due to start school. If you submit your application after this, we will only be able to award this from the date that you submit your application.

If you do not have access to the internet at home you can visit your local library or failing that you can visit the Customer Service Centre in the city centre (next to River Island) Monday-Friday 9-5pm to use the computers to apply online.

Our children are growing up in what is an increasingly digital world and they need to be equipped with the skills required to make the most of it and to protect themselves from the potential dangers.

 

eSafety is an integral part of our Computing and PSHE curriculum in school and encourages children to be safe and aware users of the internet as well as teaching them key skills they need to help them.  We teach eSafety in dedicated lessons and also frequently recap the key messages.

 

As well as children learning about eSafety in school, it is hugely important that families at home support them with this too.  Parents and carers should teach children what to do if they come across something they are uncomfortable with online (this can mean computers, tablets, phones, games consoles and more besides) – they key rule is to tell a responsible adult.  The other crucial advice to parents and carers is to monitor extremely carefully what children are doing online:

  • Do you know what apps they use?
  • Do you track who they are communicating with?
  • Do you know what age limits apply to social media apps?
  • Do you know how to set up devices to limit or monitor what children are doing>

It can be a tricky world to navigate but there is plenty of good advice out there:

Below is the eSafety policy for the school.

Grange Farm E-Safety Policy

Below is a poster that outlines the acceptable rules for use of IT by pupils in years 3 to 6.

Pupil ICT Acceptable Use

If you want to know more about eSafety or have particular issues that you need support with, please let us know.

 

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Homework

Appropriate home learning activities can support children’s progress in a number of ways and also prepare children for taking on increasing responsibility for their own learning as they get older, especially as they prepare for secondary school.

However, we are always mindful that whilst much importance has to be placed on academic progress, all children also need time to play and explore the world independently and therefore we try and ensure a balance with the amount of homework that is expected.

From very early on in a child’s time with us (during their Reception year), children will begin the routine of home learning that will stay in place until they reach the end of Year 6.  Reading, spelling (or phonics) and mental arithmetic (e.g. number bonds, times tables) all benefit from a “little and often” approach where short periods of 1:1 support and questioning at home can have a big benefit back in school. We expect that children complete their reading, phonics/spelling and maths homework weekly.

Beyond this, children from Year 1 and above will start to be given an additional series of project based tasks which can be completed over a term or half term, to encourage creativity and foster enjoyment in learning. These will be tasks that draw on their cross-curricular learning linked to their topic theme and could involve producing and presenting work in a range of interesting ways – teachers will often be more than happy for families to use their imagination to extend and develop the tasks! An example of a homework project grid can be found here:

If you ever have questions relating to homework, please do let us know.

  Useful Links

We hope you will find these links useful to you.

Coventry City Council Schools
Coventry City Council’s web pages containing information about Coventry Schools and related issues.

Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, where you can read school inspection reports and find information about the organisation and the inspection process.

DirectGov – Schools
Find information about schools, childcare and nurseries, including School Profiles.

DirectGov: Parents
Lots of information from the government on parenting issues, such as having a baby, money issues, family and the law, adoption issues, bullying, child care, health, and much more.

DfES
The Department for Children, Schools and Families: creating opportunity, releasing potential and achieving excellence.

SchoolsNet
The No. 1 schools guide for parents, and by parents.

www.bbc.co.uk/children
News, revision and useful sites for children.

Friends of Dol y Moch
A charity set up to support Coventry’s outdoor centre in Snowdonia.

 parentview  Link to the parentview ofsted page.

DfE  Click the icon for a link to the DfE Compare Schools site

eSafety

ceop-logo-900x506px

The NCA’s CEOP Command (formerly the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) works with child protection partners across the UK and overseas to identify the main threats to children and coordinates activity against these threats to bring offenders to account. We protect children from harm online and offline, directly through NCA led operations and in partnership with local and international agencies.

NSPCC
Helpful advice and tools you can use to help keep your child safe whenever and wherever they go online.

 

ceop_thinku_know
Resources for protecting your children from abuse online.

Find Us

Grange Farm Primary School
Dewsbury Avenue
Styvechale
Coventry
CV3 6NF

Phone

024 7641 1098

e-mail

adminstaff@grangefarm.coventry.sch.uk