| OPENING
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
SYSTEMS & PROCEDURES RESOURCES | ORGANISATION
CURRICULUM Assessment, Recording & Reporting
COMMUNICATION |
The Aim of this Staff Handbook is to present
information about the school to familiarise you with the basic
routines established.
Our key purpose at all times is to strive for excellence
in everything that we do and ensure that everyone experiences
enjoyment in learning.
Partnerships and Relationships
Activities and Approaches
Environment and Resources
Attitude and Aspirations
We will achieve the above commitments through team work, quality
staff, high level training, excellent resources, dedicated governors,
visionary leadership and effective management.
Monitoring and evaluating will regularly occur to ensure all aspects
of school life and future developments are in keeping with the
above Mission Statement.
1.1 FINANCIAL PROCEDURES
UPDATE - APRIL 1996
To keep up with the requirements of LRM4 and
the L.E.A's financial regulations. Please note the following when
dealing with matters of school finance.
Orders
Any requirements should be referred to the
appropriate budget holder. They will complete an internal order
form, available from the front office, and hand it to the Admin.
Manager. Once the order has been placed the internal order form
will be returned with details of the order number and date sent.
All goods must be ordered via an Official Order you should not
place telephone orders or arrange to 'collect goods' yourself.
The auditors are becoming very strict on this matter as LRM4 is
a 'commitment system' of accounting.
Inspection Copies
Please do not request inspection copies of
books unless you have informed the Admin. Manager. We have had
a number of problems involving these types of books.
Deliveries
When orders arrive they will be passed to the
person who placed the order along with the delivery note for checking,
if there are any discrepancies please let the Admin. Manager know.
The delivery note should be returned to the office for filing.
Invoice Payments
When the invoice arrives it will be passed
to the budget holder who should check that it is correct. They
should then sign the appropriate boxes to show that the goods/service
has been received and that they authorise it for payment. This
must be returned to the Admin. Manager as soon as possible so
that it can be processed in time for the end of month cheque run.
If an invoice comes to you directly please pass to the office
immediately.
Petty Cash
We keep a small amount of cash in school, where
possible this should be used to purchase goods valued at under
ten pounds and also those items that require a cash payment. You
should confirm with the appropriate budget holder that you intend
to make a petty cash purchase, if they agree the expenditure you
have two options :
1. You can buy the goods yourself and reclaim
the cost. When you have purchased the goods you should give the
receipt to the Admin. Manager who will attach a Petty Cash Voucher
that the budget holder has to sign to authorise the payment.
2. You can ask for a cash advance. This needs
to be arranged with the Admin. Manager who will get the budget
holder to sign a Petty Cash Voucher allowing the advance. The
receipt and any change should then be brought into the office.
Please note - If you need to claim any expenses
against Petty Cash you must submit a V.A.T. receipt ( this is
a receipt with the companies V.A.T. number printed on it). Supermarket
till receipts do not always have this and you may need to ask
for a V.A.T. receipt from them. If you do not hand in a proper
V.A.T. receipt the school is unable to reclaim the V.A.T. element
of the purchase and that particular budget area will be charged
to for the full amount.
Visitors / Residencies
If you plan to ask someone to come into school
to work with the children for payment, please speak to the Admin.
Manager before confirming the arrangement. Depending on the method
and source of payment there can be problems with National Insurance
and Income Tax.
Collection and Recording of any money received
It is very important to be thorough in keeping
a record of any money you collect from pupils. All children taking
part in a study visit should have a payment card that you record
all payments on and you should keep your own record of the money
you have received and the date. If you are collecting for a school
trip/mini bus use etc., class lists should be used to record the
amount received from each pupil and the date. All money should
be sent to the office on the day you receive it; where it will
be recorded in the daily cash book and a receipt will be issued.
This should match the amount you have recorded as sending to the
office. It is possible that the auditors may ask to see these
records to ensure all money received from pupils is accounted
for. Once a trip or study visit has taken place your records can
be stored on the Cannonfile to save you having to keep them.
Budget Information
Budget holders will receive a printout of their
expendiuture on a monthly basis. If further information is required
they should speak to the Admin. Manager.
The school diary is kept at reception and is
used to ensure that events, visits etc. do not overlap or cause
a day to become too crowded. Before planning any visits or inviting
visitors to school check the diary first. If you wish something
to be entered into the diary it should be noted on the diary request
form that is kept beside the main diary. This will be transferred
to the main diary and if it is felt that there may be a problem
you will be notified. Any reasons for being away from your class
must be checked with Ros or Claire before putting it on the sheet
for the day and arranging cover with Josie.
There is a First Aid Kit in each of the following
areas :
Each Year Area - Under Sink.
Science Lab.
Home Economics - Under Sink near Washing Machine.
Library
Staff Room
Deputy Head's Office
Inside the lid of each kit there is a list
of what should be there, when an item is running low please request
a replacement from one of the Admin. team. There should also be
a box of tissues with each kit these are for First Aid use only
and should not be used for any other purpose.
Ice packs are stored in the freezer in the
Home Economic Area and the freezer section of the Staffroom fridge.
Please make sure these are returned promptly after use.
Minor cuts or grazes should be cleaned using
water and a tissue and if necessary covered with either a plaster
or a melolin dressing held by micropore tape. If in any doubt
check with a designated First Aider or a member of the Admin.
team.
Any serious injury (see year book)should be
reported immediately to a designated First Aider or a member of
the Admin. team. ALL ACCIDENTS / INCIDENTS MUST BE REPORTED TO
RECEPTION FOR RECORDING IN THE ACCIDENT BOOK.
Unwell Children
If a child becomes unwell and you are sure
that they really need to go home, please inform reception and
someone will see them and try to contact their parent/guardian.
If possible it is better that they remain in class or the year
area quiet room until they can be collected rather than sitting
in reception. We do have the facilities for them to lie down if
it becomes really necessary.
Medicines in School
If a child wishes to leave an inhaler in school
they will be kept in the filing cabinet in the Admin Quiet room;
they must be named. Children are not allowed to take any medication
during school time unless it has been prescribed by a G.P. and
it is accompanied by a note from the parent/guardian confirming
dosage and times required. These medications must be stored in
the rest room until required, it is the child's responsibility
to remember to come and take their medication.
Illness
1) see year book. If you are ill pleae phone
the member of staff with responsibility for cover, at home as
soon as possible, giving the reason for absence. Please complete
an absence form on the day of you return. These can be collected
from and returned to Allen.
Any urgent messages for a member of staff or
pupil will be displayed on the white board in the staffroom.
1.5 MONEY
Children bringing money to school for their
lunch are responsible for it - PLEASE REMIND YOUR CLASS ON A REGULAR
BASIS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR MONEY AT ALL TIMES. If a child should
lose their lunch money they should come to the office where they
will be issued with a voucher which they can use to purchase a
lunch from the canteen. The value of this voucher must be repaid
by them to the office the next day.
See Appendix K.
The School has a Cannon NP6500 which is located
near Year 5. Each member of staff is responsible for doing any
photocopying they require. Please ask if you are unsure how to
use the photocopiers.
Each member of staff has their own I.D. number
to use the Cannon NP6500 if you should forget it check with the
Admin. Manager. There is a termly allocation of 1000 copies each,
once this number of copies has been used your I.D. number will
be removed until the next term. DO NOT GIVE YOUR I.D. TO ANYONE
ELSE TO USE AND ON NO ACCOUNT SHOULD CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO THE
PHOTOCOPIER.
If the copier develops a fault or jams and
you cannot clear it, please report it to a member of the Admin.
team straight away. DO NOT LEAVE IT ! DO NOT PUT OHP ACCITATES
THROUGH THE COPIER UNLESS YOU HAVE CHECKED THEY ARE THE CORRECT
ONES!
COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS - the designated copyright
officer will provide you with a pack explaining the schools procedures.
1.8 POST / INFORMATION
Any post addressed to you personally or information
received by the school that applies to you in your capacity as
a class teacher, curriculum co-ordinator etc. will be filed in
your folder in the grey filing cabinet in the staffroom. Please
check it daily. This system can also be used to pass information
internally. Other general information will be placed in the grey
box file which is accessible to all staff and subsequently transferred
to individual files where appropriate.
Any post you require sending should be taken
to reception, where it will be stamped and recorded in the Post
Book and posted that evening. The post is not guaranteed to catch
the last post. There is an internal post system that is taken
to John Dryden House once a week. This can be used by members
of staff for post to any department in John Dryden House or any
other education establishment. Its use is not advised for urgent
post.
All absences must be explained in writing and
you should keep any letters you receive to enable you to correctly
mark the Absence Report form you will be asked to complete once
a week. This form should also be returned to Library along with
any letters.
If you have any queries regarding the Attendance
Module, please see either the Admin. Manager or Attendance Manager.
The staffroom has an assortment of refreshments
for you to choose from at a cost of 15p per drink. Your contributions
will be collected periodically and you can either pay weekly or
for the half/full term, which ever you prefer. Some members of
staff bring in items for their own use, these can be stored in
either the cupboard or fridge provided. There is also a microwave
oven which staff can use.
Everyone should have received training in how
to use the alarm system, if you have any queries regarding it
please see the Campus Supervisor. At the end of the day external
doors are locked and it is important that they remain locked.
It is advisable to leave the building by the front door, locking
it after you. You will be issued with a front door key, please
make sure you have it with you.
KEYS - The
following keys are kept at reception:
AVA store
IT suite
Field Stone
Outside changing room doors
These must be collected by a member of staff
and they will be logged out to you. Do not send children. Please
return promptly when you have finished with them.
There are a number of telephones located around
the school -
Each Year Area
Library
Reference Room
Deputy Head's Office
Head's Office
Admin. Office
Staffroom
Reception
If you wish to make a local outside call dial
9 followed by the number. If the number is not local dial 0 and
give reception the number you wish to obtain. They will then ring
you back with your call.
In case of an emergency all telephones have
access to 999 without going through reception.
Incoming telephone calls will not be put through
during teaching times unless it is a matter of urgency. A message
will be taken and passed to you at the earliest opportunity.
Any contributions towards personal calls should
be given to the Admin. Manager.
1.13 WORD PROCESSING
REQUIREMENTS.
If you need any word processing done, you need
to give at least 48 hours notice. Note down your requirements
in the typing log and place the item in the typing box. If work
is required urgently please speak to the Admin. Manager who will
try to help. Where possible information for parents should be
included in the half-termly Newsletter.
2 SYSTEMS
Although much has been covered in the first section some additional information maybe of value. Certain procedures have been adopted to enable the school to operate efficiently.
The school is opened by the Campus Supervisor
at 7.00 a.m., when the alarm is turned off. However the front
door remains locked until approximately 7.45 so a key will be
needed to gain entry up to this point.
There is a front door bell on the side of the
door and this can be used, (although we can't promise anyone will
hear it! If all else fails knock on a window.)
The school day begins for the student with
registration at 8.35 a.m., all staff are asked to be in their
rooms at least five minutes before this to make a prompt start
to the day. We encourage students to enter the building when they
arrive at school as this enables them to begin their work and
avoids congestion in the cloakrooms. The outside doors of the
cloakrooms should be checked to ensure they are unlocked in good
time. On occasions, as a sanction, students may be asked to remain
outside until 8.30, but this measure should be used sparingly.
One of the first tasks of the day is to draw
back the curtains and check that everything is ready for the days
lessons
- photocopying
- collecting AVA's ( the store is locked) The key can be obtained from reception. The booking
diary is inside the store.
8.35 - 10.10 First Session
10.00 - 10.20 Break
10.20 - 11.45 Second Session (Yr 5 & 6)
10.20 - 12.15 (Yr 7 & 8)
11.45 - 12.30 Lunch for Years 5 + 6
12.15 - 1.00 Lunch for Years 7 + 8
2.00 - 2.15 Music break Years 5 +6
3.05 Afternoon Session ends
At the end of the school day we encourage our
students to join curriculum enrichment activities and these generally
run until 4.00 p.m. The office needs to be made aware of any that
run later than this to enable them to answer telephone queries
about students returning home later than expected. They should
also be advised of the expected return time of any out of school
visits.
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Students leaving the building later than usual should be reminded to leave via the front door.
In the event of staff absence alternative arrangements
will be made for the students to remain in school.
A rota is established for the term and this
can be found in the black file in the staff room entitled 'Rotas
and Timetables'. This gives full details of who does what, when
and where.
There are opportunities for the whole school
or parts of the school to meet at different times throughout the
week. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the whole school meet in the
gymnasium for an assembly led by a member of staff. On alternate
Wednesdays the assembly is taken by the Rev. Richard Pratt. On
Mondays a singing assembly is held for years 5 and 6 during music
break, and for years 7 and 8 just before morning break. Thursdays
give year groups the opportunity to meet together to celebrate
achievements. On Fridays a class will present an assembly they
have prepared, and parents have an open invitation to attend this.
Straight after a holiday there is insufficient time for an assembly
to be prepared by a class as they are beginning a new topic. On
these occasions the rota is modified and a teacher led assembly
takes place.
Parents have the right to withdraw students
from assembly. However we take good care not to include any material
likely to cause offence to particular beliefs.
Teaching staff have similar rights, although
we do encourage everyone to take part in all aspects of school
life. The R.E. policy statement should be referred to if one is
in any doubt. Alternative tasks would be given to any member of
staff that choses to exercise this right.
Morning break begins at 10.00 a.m. or at the
end of assembly, but always ends by 10.20 a.m. Music break is
from 2.00 pm - 2.15 pm on Tuesday - Friday. (Yr 5 and 6). Each
day named staff have responsibility for supervision at this time,
generally one from each year group. When weather conditions are
suitable two members of staff look after the outside areas and
the third will focus on the inside, paying special attention to
the cloakrooms and library. The forth member of staff is the reserve
and will cover for any absence on the supervision rota for that
day. On wet days the reserves become fully operational to ensure
that each year group is covered, although most staff do like to
return to their rooms as quickly as possible on such occasions
- just in case!
In the summer months, when the weather is dry,
students are allowed to play on the field, however this is not
possible for much of the year. If there is any doubt at the beginning
of break as to the suitability of the grass areas the staff on
duty will make the decision. Ball games are permitted on the hardstanding
within the courts.
At present the students use the canteen at
Mereway Upper School. We have five supervisors employed specifically
at this time, one based in the canteen, one for each year group
plus a person in the playground to lead games. Each year group
is taken over when there is space for them in the canteen.
If there is an out of school visit planned
that goes over a lunch break the supervisors should be informed.
The canteen staff also need advanced notice of this in order to
help them plan the catering needs and prepare packed lunches for
children entitled to a free school meal.
In the canteen students have the opportunity
to buy a hot meal, but many prefer to bring a packed lunch. These
should be stored in the classrooms, on the lowest shelf in the
stock room. No food should be kept in cloakrooms as there is no
appropriate storage space there. Staff support the dinner supervisors
on a voluntary basis, but in return for this are entitled to a
meal voucher that can be collected from reception. Three members
of staff are involved in this each day and the time spent in the
canteen is shared -
11.45 -12.10
12.10 -12.35
12.35 -12.55 - At about 5 minutes before registration,
it is advisable to have a word with the supervisor on duty, and
if things are going well, a quick retreat to the classroom is
advisable to be able to greet the students on their return to
class. This rota is compiled at the beginning of the school year,
a copy of it will be available in the black file.
While on lunch time supervision in the canteen,
one's role is to support the supervisors. Whilst eating your lunch
it is necessary to keep an eye on events and provide support as
required. All staff should, as always, be in their classes
in good time to meet their students.
We expect all students to wear their school
uniform and ask that all items are named, to enable lost property
to be returned to the owner as soon as possible. Details of uniform
are given in the school brochure. The students are also asked
to change into white plimsolls or other indoor footwear when they
come into school.
We encourage punctuality and expect that all
students are organised. We do have a supply of pencils and rulers
for those in need and berol pens can be purchased from the school.
The co-ordinator in charge of resources can provide details of
how these can be obtained.
If the fire alarm goes off, you need to evacuate
the building as quickly as possible via the nearest fire exit.
Do not allow children to collect anything or change shoes. The
children should be taken to the playground and lined up in classes,
the class teacher should collect the register from the Librarian
and do a roll call. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE CHILDREN REMAIN
SILENT WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING. Once you have checked your
class is all present raise your hand, if you have a missing child
report it immediately. If you have a visitor or parent helper
in school when the fire alarm goes, please check they have also
arrived at the playground. In the event of the alarm going off
before you have returned your register to the Library make sure
you bring it with you.
Please remind all visitors that they should
sign in and receive a visitors badge. The visitors book will be
brought out to the playground in the event of an alarm to assist
us to account for all on the premesis.
In order to book the minibus, it is essential
to check in the Minibus Diary (located in the front office) to
ascertain its availability. If it seems to be available, a booking
form should be obtained from the Vehicle Holder (Chris) and returned
as soon as possible. If a driver is required, this should be arranged
in consultation with the vehicle holder. Some consideration will
need to be given to costs and charging. A list of passengers will
need to be completed before departure and a copy should be left
in the front office as well as on the minibus at the time of the
journey. A mobile phone should be taken on all journeys. Only
drivers qualified under the County Councils Assessment Scheme
may drive the minibus, and anyone wishing to become a registered
driver should contact the vehicle holder in order to arrange assessment.
3 RESOURCES
There are a range of resources in school to
support the curriculum.
The library is open during most all the school
day. Our librarian has her lunch from 1.00 - 1.45 p.m. to enable
the facility to remain open to students during the lunch break.
The computers based there have every book in the school entered
on the system and each book is key worded to allow searches via
subject, author or title. Each student has a card and may change
their books throughout the school day, except for a brief period
when Lynne deals with registration and after the lunch period
when she has her break. During the day it is usual to allow a
maximum of two students from any one class to visit the library
at a time. Classes may visit the library with their class teacher
at times negotiated with the Librarian.
At morning breaks each year group has, in turn, priority use of the facilities.
Monday Year 8
Tuesday Year 7
Wednesday Year 6
Thursday Year 5 - Two classes
Friday Year 5 - The remaining two classes
At lunch time the library is open to all, as
use of the canteen naturally staggers demand.
The Librarian is assisted in the running of the library by a committee which is made up mainly from the student body with some staff input. It is an important feature of the committee that all the officers are students.
As well as books, videos, C.D.s , cassettes,
maps and posters are stored here.
At the beginning of each topic the Librarian
compiles a selection of suitable material to support the theme.
Staff may have up to 99 books out on their
card, but are reminded to use the system and check all resources
out correctly, so they can be recalled if someone else needs them.
We have a large number of frames within the
school. The clip frames have glass in them and need to be treated
with care. If the glass breaks it needs to be wrapped with care
and passed to the Campus Supervisor for disposal. The back board
and clips should be sent to the Resources Co-ordinator. If you
have a piece of work worthy of framing for use within a classroom
display the Resources Co-ordinator will be able to help you. Once
the display comes down, if the work is excellent, it may be used
as an addition to the Gallery, send it along to the Art or Display
Co-ordinator.
There are a large number of drapes in school
for use in displays. Approximately 450, in a range of weights
and colours. They are kept in the resources store, next to the
prep. room in the entrance to year 8. The Resources Co-ordinator
has the key for this, although in the holidays it is left unlocked
for access. A large financial investment has been made in this
area and drapes should always be returned in the condition that
you would wish to find them. To assist with this there are washing
and ironing facilities in the food and fabric area.
Sharing the resources store with the drapes
are a range of artefacts bought to support our themes. These can
be borrowed for use in classrooms, year areas and in display throughout
the school.
Some of the artefacts on display around the
school belong to members of staff. If you wish to borrow any of
these check with either the Art or Display Co-ordinator they should
be able to help you to track down who to approach.
Basic art equipment, both consumable and non-consumable
is classroom based. There are additional materials stored in the
year area because their use is restricted to the tiled area. The
following should be stored in the year area cupboard -
- easy brush powder tubs
- drawing ink
- printing inks
- mod roc
- clay bin
- clay tools
- lin marbling
- lino blocks
- tubs of poster paint
- squeezy bottles of paint
- fixative
- spray mount
- wood glue
The Design Studio has stock that allows for
more adventurous activities, such as batik, screen printing and
enamelling .
All consumable items are ordered to arrive
for the start of the new academic year. The majority of this is
allocated to classrooms, with some going to specialist areas and
shared stock going to the year co-ordinators. Generally stock
is ordered for the year and is allocated on that basis. If you
find you are running very low on any particular item do mention
this to your year co-ordinator.
Each class has a stock list to enable non-consumable
items to be checked on a regular basis.
It is a good idea to have members of the class
look after one other drawer apart from their own, to keep it tidy
and check the contents on a daily basis.
Technology is extremely well resourced. In
the Design Studio there is a food and fabric area. There are also
irons, ironing boards and sewing machines. Consumable and non-consumable
stock items are in appropriately marked cupboards. There are two
store rooms, one to support technology and one specifically for
fabric work.
The resistant materials area has a range of
machines and new staff are trained in their use as part of our
Induction programme.
There are a range of computers available in
addition to those in the library, classrooms and year areas. If
you experience any difficulties with these, our technician will
be able to help you.
For a full list of resources in this area refer
to the Creative Activities document.
Resources for music are kept in the Music and
Drama room and the Music Suite. Although these may be used in
the classroom it is necessary to check with the class timetabled
for that area that they will not be needing them.
Any problems with instruments should be reported
to the subject leader as soon as possible to enable remedial action
to be taken.
Students that have additional music tuition
and are working towards grades are allowed to use this area with
specific permission from the co-ordinator, although this has to
be limited to two students at a time to enable them to concentrate.
Additional Tape Recorders are available from
the Audio Visual Aids store.
A range of equipment is stored in the A.V.A.
cupboard which is sited in the Gallery next to the disabled toilet.
Items can be prebooked to assist planning and need to be signed
out in the diary placed there for that purpose so that they can
be located efficiently.
Faults with any equipment should be reported
to the Technician as soon as possible to enable appropriate action
to be taken.
The store is opened before school starts in
the morning to allow staff to collect what they need for the day.
At all other times it is locked. A key is obtainable from the
Technician, or in an emergency, the office also has one. This
is not a room that is used by students and all equipment should
be collected and returned by the member of staff requiring it.
Films for cameras can be obtained from the
Librarian. When they are ready to be processed the films should
be passed to the Campus Supervisor who will arrange processing.
Once developed, prints can be framed as part of a display or added
to the year area album. At the end of each year these albums are
passed to the library and become a pictorial history of the school.
Other prints should be sent to the Librarian for filing, this
will allow them to be used to support future work. As films demand
a substantial financial investment all prints should be made good
use of.
Blank video and audio tapes are also available
from the library. Once used they should be returned to the Librarian
with guidance as to whether they should be added to the library
collection for future use or can be re-used by other members of
staff.
Portable overhead projectors are also available
for classroom use. Photocopiable transparencies for these are
available from the Resources Co-ordinator. O.H.T. marker pens
and transparencies are held by year co-ordinators.
Slide projectors, video cameras, C.D. , tape
, and videorecorders are available, alongside a laminator and
heat binder .( In fact if we haven't got it there is a good reason
why!)
A small T.V. and video is set up in the store
to record programmes. If you require a programme to be taped ask
the Technician in advance. The large T.V. on a stand, is kept
in the P.E. store by the gymnasium. This takes at least two to
move with confidence.!
Resources for use in the gymnasium are kept
in the store nearby, and those needed for outside activities are
kept in the outside store situated between the two changing rooms.
Larger equipment, such as netball posts and long jump stands are
in another store that can be found further to the left. Both doors
are opened with the same key that is used for the front door.
Also in the outside store is a First Aid kit which you must take
with you when doing outdoor P.E.
It is worth noting that we do not use whistles
during inside activities and refrain from using them outside unless
essential.
The Challenge Centre is a high tech room within the school, that houses a wide variety of equipment, including C.D.ROM's and a modem link. The Centre is accessible to all children in the school and has a wide variety of functions.
1. To present children with a variety of challenges. These challenges are being devised by the school's teaching staff, in partnership with advisory teachers, community members, local businesses and industry.
2. To provide enhanced education opportunities for the More Able Pupil.
3. As a base to support the provision of SEN
throughout the school.
We have an IT facility situated in the Upper
School. As part of your induction programme you will be shown
where to find it! Staff going over need to collect the key and
mobile phone to facilitate access and communication. From September
1996 there will be an IT Technician available to assist you.
A large range of resources are available through
different agencies. Library collections are ordered by the Librarian
to support our themes. The collections are ordered in advance
based on information from our established theme grid.
The Northampton Professional Development Centre
also has a library that can be used and houses the Modern Foreign
Language resource collection.
Science, Maths., R.E. , Design and Humanities
resources are based at the Spencer Centre. The Multicultural Education
Service have resources that can be obtained from there too, while
the English and Drama Centre is based in the Queen's Building
in Barrack Road. Addresses, telephone numbers and more details
about these can be found in the file entitled 'Professional Development
Opportunities in Northamptonshire'. Maps are also included in
this ( so when you know where you want to go you can find out
how to get there! )
4 ORGANISATION
Mereway Middle School is organised in four
year groups, with four classes in each year. In each year group
the four classes are grouped around a central shared area with
a tiled floor. This area is used for activities that are unsuitable
for the classrooms. It is here that you will find the sinks for
washing up. Students are encouraged to care for the equipment
they use, but at the end of the day the sink areas have to be
checked to ensure they are cleared ready for the cleaning staff.
Specialist areas are block timetabled and within
this structure teams plan how they can best make use of particular
areas to compliment the half-termly theme.
Staff at Mereway Middle work in teams that
meet to discuss teaching and learning strategies. Most teams meet
on a weekly basis at a time that is convenient for all members.
Each team has a co-ordinator, this role is
voluntary and allocated on an annual basis.
All team members share responsibility for the
smooth running of the year group and the role of the co-ordinator
could be summarised as being a communication tool and assisting
the Professional Tutor in matters of Professional Development.
At Mereway Middle we have a thematic approach
to the curriculum and work on a seven topic year. The key forecasts
of work are housed in the reference section of the library. These
are the result of much planning and refining over the past few
years. In the light of new developments in the National Curriculum
these are to be fined tuned.
Planning takes place under National Curriculum
headings :-
Each area is co-ordinated by a member of staff,
for details of this refer to the staffing structure. Naturally
not all subjects can come out of a theme without it being too
contrived. Work is therefore planned to ensure continuity and
progression throughout the curriculum. The forecasts of work have
been adapted by subject leaders to ensure this.
Class teachers will need to refer to the master
forecast in the library, but there are other copies available
in the filing cabinet in each year areas quiet room. These, however
do not have the additional material and reference to the main
forecast is recommended.
Updated material is circulated by subject leaders
in the 1/2 term preceeding a study.
Year teams will discuss a topic prior to it
being taught, with particular regard to resources, visits and
other areas requiring forward planning.
A well organised classroom is essential for
the promotion of independent learning. Equipment should be stored
in correctly labelled drawers, with students being made aware
of what is available to them. A range of fiction and non-fiction
should be around the room to support learning. Above all the room
should be tidy and well organised to give the correct messages
to those that work within it. Stock rooms should also reflect
the standards expected in the classroom.
Displays are an important resource within the
classroom and it is recommended that early reference is made to
the two documents provided by the school :-
'Classroom Organisation and Management' and
'Display'
It is important to remember that another class
will be in your room next year. As a new school it is especially
important that we care for our environment and equipment to maintain
it in good condition.
With regard to displays - PLEASE - only staple
in the wall boards, not in wood or other surfaces !!!!!!
Mereway Middle School operates an Appraisal
Mentoring system for all staff, this encompasses the regulations
for teacher appraisal. All staff, whatever their role and responsibilities
in school, are involved in the system and are entitled to full
access to the process. The mentoring appraisal process includes
critical friending and professional support and guidance in the
fulfilling of agreed individual targets. If you are a newly qualified
teacher the mentoring process you will be engaged in will cover
much of the ground of the school's mentoring appraisal system
and will be sufficient in your first year. The Professional Tutor
and the school's Appraisal Manager co-ordinate the system and
towards the end of the induction process, and thereafter yearly,
they will ensure you are clear about the system and have a copy
of the policy and documentation. They should help you understand
your role and responsibilities as an appraisal mentee and appraisal
mentor - if you are also taking up this role. A teacher may want
to develop an action research project connected to their targets
in order to help them gain a clearer understanding of a particular
aspect of teaching and learning in their classroom.
5 CURRICULUM
5 CURRICULUM
Every half term staff set individual targets
for their students. These are National Curriculum based in the
main but there is scope for negotiating personal targets, although
these do have to be quite specific to be achievable. Targets are
set according to the areas covered in the theme, and are the ones
that are most likely to be achieved, by that child within the
timescale. Students are encouraged to work with a copy of their
targets available and to ask for them to be marked off as they
feel they have achieved them. There is space on the target sheet
for the achievement to be dated, and therefore the work can be
traced and used as evidence. At the end of the half term the target
sheet should be included in the students Record of Achievement.
A target sheet can be created for each student
using our network facilities. New staff will be shown this by
their mentor.
Once teams have met together for an initial
discussion on a theme, it is wise to establish a timescale to
work to. Following this, weekly plans can be created in more detail.
During a week it is unlikely that every lesson will be planned
to the same depth, however a number of key lessons should be planned
to some depth and individual and team efforts should support this.
A key lesson should be planned with an eye to the specific learning
outcomes for individual students and groups of students within
the class. The teaching strategies involved and supporting resources
should also be considered in some detail.
Team meetings are opportunities to share ideas
and reflect on the outcomes of this work. If areas are identified
where additional input or training is required this can be provided
by partnership teaching.
All staff are issued with a box of documents
that covers all the key areas. There is an additional booklet
on Mentoring that is given to all N.Q.T. and their Mentors for
use to support this work. Documentation in all areas is constantly
under review and any up-dates will be distributed after the usual
period of consultation.
There is a full list of the documentation in
the boxes on the inside of the lid.
Various groups meet on different evenings and
a rota of these can be found in the black file in the staff room.
On Monday evenings either Strategy Group, Curriculum Managers
and team co-ordinators meet. Staff meetings are held on a Tuesday
evening with a prompt start at 3.30 p.m., these are held in a
different classroom each week and this is indicated on the rota.
Every week there is an organisational element and/or training
element. The training sessions may occasionally involve several
groups meeting separately, but generally the whole staff meet
together. When a classroom is used for this the furniture has
to be arranged to a board room style.
There are additional opportunities for groups
to meet according to their interests, and staff can be involved
in one or more of the following :
These groups will be able to establish and
prioritise initiatives that they wish to become involved in to
support the promotion of excellence.
5.5 THE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT
PLAN
Future developments planned by staff are published in the development plan, these generally support the main aim stated for the timescale involved, but this doesn't exclude specific initiatives put forward by co-ordinators. The staff / INSET meetings are driven by:
I) Development plan, and the training implications within it.
ii) Curriculum audit.
5.6 ASSESSMENT RECORDING
AND REPORTING
Assessment is a natural part of our work in
school to ensure that we plan the best route forward for each
child. We see it as a positive and motivating experience and fundamental
to the target setting that takes place each half term.
Reporting should be an on going process and
opportunities for this are built into the forecasts of work, and
should highlight both successes and problems.
There is an Annual Report to Parents that produced
by a database which has been developed within the school and copies
of this can be seen in the students profiles.
For more details refer the policy statement
on this area.
Marking guidelines have been established and
up-dated. We feel it is necessary to mark sensitively and positively
to provide feedback to the student that is helpful to them. As
this is an important issue.
All students within the school develop their
own 'Record of Achievement'. A considerable amount of development
work has been undertaken to ensure these are of value. It is essential
that staff know the whole child in their care, far beyond the
constraints of the curriculum. A 'Record of Achievement' should
show the student's growth both socially and academically. It should
be produced in partnership with the class teacher and parent,
but above all the ownership should belong to the child.
Year groups will consider the content appropriate
to the individual.
There is a booklet charting the progress of
R. of A. in the document box issued to all staff, in this you
will also find the policy statement.
As part of the Induction programme for staff,
training is given on Health and Safety in the Design Studio and
in the Laboratory. In the Induction booklet there is additional
information on safety in Physical Activities.
It is important that students wear their indoor
shoes in the Design Studio and in the Lab. at all times. These
are also areas where it is necessary to tie back long hair.
If in any doubt about a specific issue seek
further advice from the co-ordinator of that area, and refer to
the School Health and Safety Policy which appears in your Year
Book.
The school operates audit cycles for curriculum
areas in order to provide the school with information about learning
and teaching in each area. Each half term up to three subjects
will be audited by the teacher in school responsible for this
curriculum area. As part of the audit you and the children may
be asked for information which may for instance take the form
of a questionnaire or interview. There are three different types
of audit which operate as part of the cycle and the timetable
for audits will tell you which cycle audit is planned. Occasionally
internal and external audits will be done for other aspects of
school life i.e.:- financial management, multi-cultural issues,
display etc. The findings of audits are presented to the curriculum
committee of governors, the teaching staff and non-teaching staff
where appropriate. The work for audits may inform and/or lead
to research projects in school.
Children with Special Needs cover a wide range
of issues; physical, educational and behavioural.
Here at Mereway Middle School we have a Designated
Special Provision (DSP) for children who have statements of Special
Educational Needs for signifiacant learning difficulties. There
are 16 places in our DSP but we also have other statemented children
within school. Children placed in our DSP will receive support
appropriate to their needs as specified in their statement. Some
children will also receive in class support provided by the Curriculum
Support Staff to allow them to follow the National Curriculum.
Band 2 (stage 3) children have mild educational
difficulties. An individual education plan will be completed and
support will be provided by the Curriculum Support Staff for one
hour each week, either individually or in small groups. Detailed
records need to be kept so we can show the progress being made
by the child.
Band 1 children are children with marginal
educational difficulties. At the first stage (stage 1) all support
is provided by the class teacher and involves little record keeping.
At the second stage (stage 2) the child will have an individual
education plan but the support will still be carried out by the
teacher. Records on progress relating to targets will have to
be kept by the class teacher.
Children with physical or behavioural difficulties
have programmes specifically written to cover their particular
need.
The work of the Special Needs Team is co-ordinated
by the Special Needs Co-ordinator and each year team has a named
teacher to assist the work of this team.
The following points must be adhered to regarding all study visits, both residential and day visits / part-day visits.
6 COMMUNICATION
6.1 LETTERS TO AND FROM
PARENTS
All letters from home relating to absence need
to be sent to the Librarian with the Absence Report form. Letters
about non-participation in Physical Activities need to be kept
with the P..E. Participation Record and held for future reference.
Any letters about specific queries need to be dealt with appropriately
and promptly with a response, either by letter or telephone. If
appropriate suggest that an appointment is made to discuss the
matter. All replies in the form of a letter need to go through
the office and the Headteacher should see these before they go
out. A copy of the letter will be kept on file in the office for
future reference.
When appointments are made to see parents they
should be noted in the smaller diary in the office that is there
for that purpose. A note should also be made of it on the diary
request form, so it can be included in the main diary, if the
appointment could have any effect on the school day.
Open evenings are held twice in the school
year, in the autumn and in the summer, following reports going
out to parents. These evenings are an opportunity for parents
to view the school as a whole which is open between 7.00 and 9.00
p.m. Refreshments are served in the Music / Drama Studio during
the evening. All the students work is displayed and most parents
enjoy looking at it, however this is not an occasion for an in-depth
conversation with each parent and staff should have their diaries
with them to make appointments for a longer conversation at a
mutually convenient time.
A newsletter goes out around eight times in
a school year to all our students, year 4 pupils in all our feeder
schools, the local library and to members of the governing body.
This enables us to share our achievements with the community,
keep parents informed of events in school and give notice of future
events and the work to be undertaken by students.
If you have an item for the newsletter pass
it to the office and it will be included in the next issue.
If a student produces a piece of work worthy
of inclusion, that can be scanned in or photocopied successfully,
it should be labelled appropriately and passed to the office.
Every year a very detailed report is set to
all parents about their child's progress and achievements. The
contents of this report should not come as a surprise to them
if there has been adequate communication throughout the year.
The aim of the reports is to be of a positive nature, but with
guidance towards future targets. To get a clear picture of the
format of these reports, that may inform your record keeping during
the year it is best to read last years reports. These will be
in the student's yellow profiles.
Parent helpers are worth their weight in gold,
but quite a rare breed. Parents, Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents
are all welcome. It is worth finding out if they have a special
talent that they would like to share, although most are generally
happy to help out as asked.
Having an additional helper needs planning
!
All helpers are encouraged to join staff for
a drink at break times, although it might be necessary to explain
that we have a no smoking policy in school.
Mereway Middle School is part of the Mereway
Education Partnership, the cluster of schools that feed Mereway
Upper School. A representative from each school forms the co-ordinators
group, it is this group that sets up and co-ordinates curriculum
groups within the partnership and all liaison initiatives should
be channelled through them.
We have a very supportive governing body and
two members of staff are elected by their colleagues for a four
year term.
The staff, as a whole meet with the governors
several times during the year, for social events.
The 'Annual Report to Parents by Governors'
gives an indication of their role within the school.
6.9 THE FRIENDS OF MEREWAY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Friends of Mereway Middle School support
us in many ways. Staff are equal partners in this and it is an
opportunity to work together with parents and mix on a social
basis.
The Educational Welfare Officer is a regular
visitor in school and if you have any concerns regarding a student
he/she will be happy to discuss them with you. Always follow up
any concerns you may have. It's better to be safe than sorry.
If, at any time, you suspect child abuse, in
any form, you should not wait for a visit but inform the Designated
Teacher at once to enable set procedures to be put into action
immediately.Refer to the School documentation.
stafforg/Handbook