Information about Churchgate Primary School (1 September 2007)

The School Day and End Of School Day

P.E. Clothing and Indoor Shoes

Records, Reports, Parent Contributions

How Can You Support Your Child At School

Parent's Invovement In School and Reading Arrangements

Events Through The Year and Assembly

We are pleased to welcome you to the family of Churchgate Primary School.

To help you become familiar with many aspects of school life, we have compiled this booklet to offer you easy access to some useful information and details about the school.

CHURCHGATE C.E. (AIDED) PRIMARY SCHOOL
HOBBS CROSS ROAD
OLD HARLOW
CM17 0LB

Tel 01279 866059
Fax 01279 866063 Back to top

The School Day and End Of School Day

The children should arrive at school between 8.45 and 8.50 a.m.
Morning session begins 8.55 a.m.
Break time 10.30 a.m.
Second session begins 10.45 a.m.
Lunch time 12.00 noon (11.50 a.m. for lower school)
Afternoon session begins 1.00 p.m.
End of school day 3.15 p.m.

Children are collected from their classroom doors in classes R, 1, and 2. Children from other classes will wait on the playground until collected. At 3.25 p.m. any remaining children will be taken to the entrance hall to await collection. Children are encouraged to collect their own clothing items.

The class teacher will be happy to consult with parents once all the children have vacated the classroom at the end of the day. Back to top

Lost Property and Name Tapes

Lost property is generally taken to classrooms for identification. It is worth looking in cloakroom areas for missing clothing.

We strongly recommend that all the children's clothes and other items are labelled. Order slips for name tags are available from the school office.

Note from the webmaster 21Feb06 >>> There is often a box for unlabelled lost property by the school office. Back to top

Money

All money coming into school for the payment of school dinners, trips, sponsors, music tuition etc needs to be placed in a SEALED ENVELOPE with the following details CLEARLY MARKED. NAME, AMOUNT, PURPOSE, CHILD'S NAME and CLASS. Back to top

Medical Records

All medical information concerning your child's needs are to be presented to school in writing before your child starts school. The medical form provided is to be completed and returned to the school as soon as possible.

Your child's birth certificate is required for acknowledgment prior to admission. Back to top

Contacts

It is important that the school is equipped with current home address, place of work and telephone numbers, including mobile telephone numbers. Please inform the school office as soon as they change Back to top

P.E. Clothing and Indoor Shoes

Your child will need separate clothing for P.E. daily which can be placed in a bag and kept on a peg in the cloakroom.

P.E. clothing consists of a T-shirt (maroon), shorts (navy or black), socks and plimsolls, plus a P.E. bag with your child's name on.

For the purpose of health and hygiene, children need to change into a separate pair of indoor shoes on entrance to school. This can be slippers or a second pair of shoes. Back to top

Car Park

For reasons of safety, parents are requested not to use the school drive or car park (unless involved with an activity at the school).

Please do not use the drive to reverse your car, and please do not park on the zig zag lines. The safety of the children is paramount. Back to top

Toilet Management

Children will be sharing toilet facilities and it is essential, in the interests of hygiene and personal management, that they are aware of the procedure and are capable of using the toilet facilities. Please encourage them to flush the toilet and wash their hands. Back to top

Records, Reports, Parent Contributions

A number of records are kept to monitor each child's progress across the curriculum range, and from the very start of the child's involvement with his / her learning pathway at school, your child will be encouraged to evaluate his / her achievement.

At the end of the first six weeks the class teacher will give a verbal report on the child's progress, and will have an informal chat about how they have settled in. A written report will be completed at the end of the child's reception period to address the overall pattern of progress. Similarly at the end of each year written reports are presented.

Parents are invited to specific consultation sessions periodically through the year. The first of these is an invitation to meet your child's new teacher. The second is a consultation appointment to discuss progress and the final meeting is an opportunity for your child to show you the work he/she has done through the year. Parents are also encouraged to take opportunities for further discussion with the class teacher through each term. In some instances where special learning programmes are devised, parents will be invited more frequently, to participate in the design and implementation of these programmes accordingly. Back to top

Finance And Charging

To assist with the ever increasing demands of meeting the children's needs for equipment, materials and books with very limited funds we are dependant on your valuable support. Voluntary contributions will be requested towards the cost of class trips, swimming etc. Back to top

Friends of Churchgate

The Friends of Churchgate organise a number of events which take place each term and your help or assistance with these functions is always gratefully received. It is also another opportunity to get to know other families as well as making a worthwhile contribution to the school. Everyone in the family is, in fact, a Friend of Churchgate and therefore is involved with the organisation and management of these events. New ideas and initiatives are always welcome.

As Friends of Churchgate provide the main source of additional income needed by the school we are constantly seeking to widen our horizons to meet targets. Whilst a few families are dedicated members of FOC giving their time, energy and care to organising functions, this can only continue if new parents take the initiative to assist in whatever way they can.

Committee members are:
Chairperson Mr Ian Stacey
Secretary Mrs Linda Helm-Manley
Treasurer Mrs Kate Ross

Meetings are held every half term and are advertised in advance. Back to top

School Fund

To meet the daily needs of school management each school operates a school fund to cater for short falls in school visits, class items, equipment, inter school sports. In order to generate funds we offer a monthly book club, Webb Ivory catalogue at Christmas, tuck shop and a jumble sale. Back to top

Parental Contributions

We have been delighted by individual responses made by families from time to time when they have bought specific items for the school or who have made an isolated donation. Evidence of this is in full use in the school. Back to top

How Can You Support Your Child At School

With many cuts that are being made in our education services today, it is essential that we try to find means to support our children's development through their school years.

Recent legislations have imposed enormous burdens on schools, and in particular the provision of further resource materials due to the implementation of the National Curriculum. The implementation of this, in terms of financing the demands for additional equipment, tools, books and materials is an ongoing process and can only be met by the concerted efforts of all those who are concerned for the school and meeting the children's needs.

You can help by supporting school events, for example-Christmas Fair, quiz evening, Family disco, Summer Fair. Back to top

Parent's Invovement In School and Reading Arrangements

We welcome parents into the school to help with a wide range of activities. These can be during the day working alongside the teacher or with the many extra-curricular activities. Please do not hesitate to consult your class teacher if you are interested.

Reading Arrangements

Inside your child's reading record there are some suggestions. Also there is a booklet for you to read. Back to top

Attendances And Absences

All absences must be clarified in writing or by a phone call to the school. Holidays are to betaken during the given school holiday dates. On rare occasions when additional days are required (no more than 2 weeks in any year) the request needs to be completed on the special form available from the Office. Back to top

Swimming

We are privileged in being able to offer the additional curricular activity of swimming for all the children, during the summer months in our heated outdoor pool. This activity equips our boys and girls with the skills and confidence in yet another area of the curriculum, and also provides them with the means to be WATER SAFE and to develop skills in self-survival.

To cover the cost incurred by heating the pool, chemicals and swimming tuition, we need to receive agreed contributions prior to the swimming sessions taking place. Notification of the amount due will be given during the course of the year. The children need to come to school equipped with a costume, towel and suitable footwear (flip-flops) to walk to and from the pool for swimming sessions.

Children in Yr R, Yr 1 and Yr 2 will need socks or soft water shoes to wear in the pool to protect their soft feet. Back to top

Events Through The Year and Assembly

Churchgate is a very busy school and many events and activities take place through the year including both children and parents alike. Notification of these events are produced continually through the term, in addition to the calendar of events given at the beginning of term. These should be placed in a safe place for reference. Holiday dates are supplied by the school.

Assembly takes place every day at Churchgate, and these assemblies take on a variety of forms;
Assembly takes place every day at Churchgate, and these assemblies take on a variety of forms;
Monday Church Family led by Captain Tim Stanford and Rev?s Dave Welch
Tuesday KS2 Deputy Head, KS1 Class teachers
Wednesday Headteacher
Thursday Musical assembly
Friday Shared Back to top

Letters

Information is sent home regularly with your child. It is part of your child's development to take on the natural responsibility of delivering these letters / information sheets. However you may need to encourage this responsibility by checking their school bag frequently. All current copies of school mail are also on display on the school notice board. Back to top

School Uniform List

Boys
Saxe blue shirt/polo
Grey shorts/trousers
Burgundy jogging bottoms
Burgundy sweatshirt/jumper

Girls
Saxe blue blouse or polo
Grey skirt/pinafore/trousers
Burgundy jogging bottoms
Burgundy sweatshirt/cardigan
Blue & white check/stripe dress

All clothes should be clearly marked with their name.

Clothes can be bought from the uniform shop at the Stow.

Top Form.
93 The Stow
Harlow
Essex
CM20 3AP
Telephone 434813 Back to top

Lunch Times

Children may either bring a packed lunch to school or order a school dinner. In either case the lower school's lunch time is from 11.50 a.m. until 1.00p.m. There are seven mid-day assistants on duty that will settle your child at the table and encourage them to eat their food. Junior lunch times are from 12.00 noon till 1.00p.m Back to top

Curriculum documents

Curriculum documents are available for parents to read or borrow from the entrance hall.

Note from the webmaster 21Feb06 >>> Many of these documents are available online. Back to top

Drinks

Your child can bring in a bottle of plain water (sports top only, no screw tops) for use in the school day. Please write your child's name on it to prevent "sharing2. Back to top