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School Prospectus 2016-17

Reviewed April 2016

Reviewed annually

BVPS School Prospectus 2016-17 2

Contents

Welcome to our school – thoughts from our children Page 3

A message from our Headteacher – Mrs Allen 3

About our School 4

Our Vision 4

Our Aim 4

Our Ofsted Report March 2016 4

Our School Development Plan 2015-16 5

Our Staff 5

Our Governors 5

Our Curriculum – Statement, EYFS and Reading 5-7

Assessment 7

Our Forest School Programme 8

The Environment Dimension 8

Educational Visits and Visitors 8

Homework 9

Working in Partnership with Parents 9

Communication 9

Being a Healthy School 10

All About Behaviour 11

Our Home School Agreement 11

Our Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy 12

Our Attendance Policy 12

School Times 12

Extended Schools – Clubs and Out of Hours Activities 13

School Uniform 13

Lost Property 14

Medical Matters 14

Safety and Security 15

Travel Plan 15

Pupil Premium Funding 15

Sports Premium Funding 15

Starting School 16

In Year Admissions 16

What haven’t we talked about? 16

Access to Official Documents, Planning and Policies 16

Complaints Procedure 17

And finally… 17

Useful Contact Information 18


Welcome to our School – thoughts from our children What do we like about our school? Well, where do we start? Some of us love the playground and the play equipment; some of us think the library is the best thing. Lots of us like lunch and most of us think that the colours on the walls are quite interesting. But what do we all like? Let’s tell you.

The best thing about our school is everyone who helps us to be a school. All the grown-ups are there

every day helping us to learn amazing things and to find things out for ourselves. They help us when we get stuck or when we’re worried and even when we fall over and hurt our knee. We like Going for Gold – it works because you get a golden day every day that you do the right thing at the right time. It means we get treats and treasures and sometimes even Mrs Allen treats! We think Core Values make all the difference to our school and really like the Value Rewards such as Owl Day and the Celebration Disco in school time! If we were to move our school to the moon, the most important things to take would be all vegetables grown by the School Council, the camp fire kettle so we could make hot chocolate, assemblies because they’re great and make us laugh, the microphone in case anyone wanted to sing, our classrooms so we could carry on learning, the football table for some of us, the computers, Mrs Coats because someone needs to be in charge at lunchtime, fire steels so we could light the camp fire and probably our Forest School clothes in case it rains. We’d also have to take our Moonshot Thinking skills with us! Our school is the best. Come and find out all about it. We’re here to show you round and tell you more about our school. We have lots to say!

A Message from our Headteacher – Mrs Allen Every day we are delighted by what our young learners say and do. As the first self-governing parent-promoted primary school that is at the heart of our community, we're all working together to grow our school. We really do believe that 'It takes a village to raise a child'.

Our core values are Aiming High, Working Together, Respect, Independence and Celebration. These are at the heart of everything we do in school. Our children are happy, resilient, well rounded and motivated to learn.

Teaching and learning at our school fosters an inclusive, holistic approach to education that totally engages all children and celebrates equality and diversity. We make memories for children and learning is irresistible. Our Forest School programme balances our curriculum and puts children back in touch with the natural world around them. We use Moonshot Thinking to encourage children to think beyond the possible.

You just need to look at our termly calendars and weekly newsletters to find out just how busy and amazing our school days are. We're all about making sure our children 'skip to school' and develop a love of learning.


About our School Bolnore Village Primary School is the first self-governing parent-promoted primary school in the country. As a Foundation School, we deliver excellence and equality through a curriculum that develops the talents and potential of every child through creativity and discovery. Bolnore Village Primary School serves a new and expanding community which is surrounded by a rich natural environment that allows us to literally bring the outside right into the classroom! We are very privileged that the site is in regenerating ancient woodland within a local nature reserve.

We have been open since September 2009 and from September 2016 we will have 375 children on roll. Eventually we will have two classes of 30 in every year group and 420 children in the school. School organisation is subject to financial constraints and changes in funding and may involve more vertical grouping as we grow.

Our Vision We take a child-centred approach and believe that each child succeeds only if every child succeeds. For us, success means that children feel safe, enjoy learning and achieving and make a positive contribution to the world around them. No child is left behind and children with special educational needs and disabilities are welcomed and their individual needs supported. Our vision is for a school that brings a growing community together as part of a wider whole.

Our Aim Our aim is to provide a happy, safe and nurturing learning environment. We encourage independent Moonshot Thinking and curiosity, foster a desire to learn and celebrate achievement. Children are supported to lead a healthy lifestyle, to respect and enhance their surroundings and to work together to create a strong sense of community where the views and feelings of others are respected.

Our Ofsted Report Highlights noted in our Ofsted inspection in March 2016

This is a happy, purposeful school that seeks to develop pupils into well-rounded, confident individuals who are interested and motivated to learn about the world around them.

There is strong leadership and clear vision to ensure that every child has the opportunity to do their best.

Safeguarding is effective.

School leaders and the governors are resolute in their determination to drive continuous improvement across all areas of the School.

The quality of teaching continues to be good. Teachers plan interesting and stimulating activities that are closely matched to pupils’ needs.

Teachers set appropriately challenging work and pupils are keen to attempt more difficult tasks.


Teaching focuses sharply on addressing gaps in pupils’ knowledge and deepening their understanding

Teachers provide helpful and constructive feedback to pupils.

Pupils understand how to improve their work and are clear what their next steps

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is actively developed.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They work hard, listen carefully and want to do well. They treat each other and adults with respect.

Key actions

Ensure that teachers’ subject specialist knowledge develops, particularly in mathematics, in order to fully challenge pupils to reach the highest standards

Ensure that attendance of pupils who are regularly absent from school improves.

Our School Development Plan Our current School Development Plan has three strands:

Precision teaching: We are using assessment to inform precision teaching to ensure good and better progress throughout the school.

Computing: In response to a new government initiative, we are teaching coding throughout the school and developing the creative use of ICT to enhance teaching and learning.

Moonshot Thinking: To complement the New Curriculum, we have introduced Moonshot or ‘big’ Thinking to develop our children’s creativity.

You can download our School Development Plan from the school website.

Our Staff Our staff are passionate about outcomes for children and understand that we all have a key role to play in ensuring that every child succeeds. Please contact the office for information on roles and responsibilities.

Our Governors Bolnore Village Primary School has a very strong, committed Governing Body. Governors work in partnership with the staff and it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure our school is a happy environment in which children can learn and play. Governors perform a vital function in developing expectations and capabilities from the earliest age. Together we are uncompromising in the level of ambition we have for all our pupils and for our school. A list of current serving Governors is available on the school website and through the office.

Our Curriculum Following the introduction of a New Curriculum, we have developed a high quality, context-led, creative curriculum and we place great emphasis on nurturing skills and attitudes such as resourcefulness, resilience and co-operation. We recognise the importance of making learning irresistible, meaningful and memorable. For this reason we teach through a themed, experience based approach to enable children to make connections and link ideas and areas of learning. Our

curriculum is designed to ensure that children are excited, challenged and inspired by their learning. Our curriculum is built around our five core values and strongly incorporates Moonshot Thinking.


Our Curriculum Statement

In line with ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ we work hard to draw on the resources offered by our local and wider community. Parents, carers and friends are invited in to help us and we take every opportunity to involve the ‘experts’ amongst us.

Our surroundings provide a unique and stimulating environment for learning about the world around us; for learning about the interdependence of people on nature and on each other; and for growing physically, intellectually and spiritually. Children move from Reception Early Years Foundation Stage into Year 1. From Year 1 through to the end of Year 6, we follow the new Primary Curriculum. We want the children at Bolnore Village Primary School to be independent Moonshot thinkers who are able to use and apply a variety of learning styles and develop key life skills. A peripatetic teacher teaches music across the school and some year groups learn to play an instrument.


Early Years Foundation Stage Children in Reception follow the Foundation Stage Curriculum in which learning and development is categorised into three prime areas of learning:

Communication and language

Physical development

Personal, social and emotional development

Additionally there are four specific areas of learning:

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the world

Expressive arts and design

Achievement of these prime and specific areas of learning is by:

Playing and exploring

Active learning

Creating and thinking critically The curriculum during this vital part of your child’s early education provides the foundation upon which all other learning is based. We want your child to enjoy coming to school, to be enthusiastic about learning, and develop the confidence to ask questions and find out about the world around them.

Reading Across the School

We believe that children learn to read with greater confidence and motivation when their books are exciting, rich and varied. We use a combination of colour banded reading schemes alongside ‘real’ books and encourage our children to read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Our teachers teach a daily phonics session based on Read Write Inc. Children enjoy regular guided reading sessions in class and teachers foster a love of books in everything they do. Our classrooms are language-rich environments and books are at the heart of our learning. We encourage parents and carers to read to and with their children at home and all children have a reading journal. We run family workshops to support parents and carers to help their child read at home.

Assessment Regular assessment takes place and is carried out by all teaching staff using a variety of techniques and professional expertise. Baseline assessment takes place within the first six weeks of a child starting school in Early Years. Teachers maintain detailed records of the progress and achievement of all pupils and these are shared with the School Leadership Team half termly.

Teachers work closely with parents, teaching assistants and the leadership team to ensure that each child succeeds. The School uses Classroom Monitor as an assessment package. Through careful, continuous assessment we aim to meet the needs of all our learners. Children sometimes work in ability groups, friendship groups, mixed ability groups, whole class groups and occasionally different class groups in order to challenge, support and motivate each other in their learning.


Throughout the year, we hold parent-teacher meetings and provide a written report at the end of the year. Please see our Principles of Assessment on our website.

Our Forest School Programme As part of our strong environmental ethos, we have integrated a Forest School Programme into our curriculum. A Forest School Programme is an inspirational process that offers children regular opportunities to appreciate and enjoy their local woodlands. Our programme nurtures an understanding of and respect for natural places. Our children experience nature at first hand through a series of engaging and achievable tasks. The Forest School experience brings learning to life and improves a child’s ability to work co-operatively while offering the opportunities to take risks, make choices and initiate learning. Forest School information leaflets are available from the school office.

The Environmental Dimension Our children are taught about the need to look after our planet and our school curriculum reflects this. We practise recycling of paper, batteries and textiles. We encourage the children to compost vegetable matter. We use our outside areas to help the children grow their own plants. We explore the need to save water and energy and keep records of consumption. Our Eco- Warriors are a strong group within the school and keep us on track to save the world. Here they are bird spotting.

Educational Visits and Visitors We believe that experiencing something helps our learners really understand and make links in their learning. Trips and visitors are a core part of our curriculum. Each class will usually go out on a key trip once a term and a host of other visits and visitors are arranged to support their learning. Trips are linked with the current learning. From September 2016, Years 3 and 4 will have swimming lessons. In Key Stage 2 we also plan residential trips for the children: Year 3 have a sleepover at school, Year 4 and 5 have a night away at an Activity Centre and Year 6 have a longer residential trip. We ask for voluntary contributions towards the cost of the trips and swimming. School trips are no more than £10 a trip or £20 in total per term. We set up instalment schemes for all residential trips. Trips for children eligible for free school meals are paid for out of the Pupil Premium Fund within the budget.


Homework Year group Expected Homework – see our Homework Policy for more information

Reception Reading at home with an adult for 10 minutes AT LEAST 5 times a week. This can include reading comics and magazines, children’s websites.

KS1 Year 1 and 2

Reading at home for 10 minutes with an adult and/or independently AT LEAST 5 times a week. High Frequency Word spellings and topic words to learn off by heart. Practise me cards – aspects of learning to work on as identified in class. Alternate literacy and numeracy weekly homework – given out on a Friday and returned the following Friday.

Lower KS2 Year 3 and 4

Reading at home for 10 minutes with an adult and/or independently AT LEAST 5 times a week. High Frequency Word spellings and topic words to learn off by heart. Practise me cards – aspects of learning to work on as identified in class. Times tables to learn off by heart. Alternate literacy and numeracy weekly homework – given out on a Friday and returned the following Friday.

Upper KS2 Year 5 and 6

Reading at home for 10 minutes independently AT LEAST 5 times a week. High Frequency Word spellings and topic words to learn off by heart. Practise me cards – aspects of learning to work on as identified in class. Times tables and inverse (division) to learn off by heart. Alternate literacy and numeracy weekly homework – given out on a Wednesday and returned the following Monday. Additional homework for Year 6 to support with SATs.

Show My Homework App

The School uses an app to help pupils and parents access homework more effectively.

Working in Partnership with Parents Bolnore Village Primary School encourages parents to participate in pupils’ learning in many ways, particularly in sharing and enjoying books with children as well as supporting homework. Parents are always welcome into the school to share their knowledge and skills. We greatly appreciate parents sharing their time, skills and talents with us. We also provide a variety of workshops and Learning Fairs designed to

support parents and families in helping their children, e.g. reading, writing, numeracy, E-safety, computing and Moonshot workshops.

Communication Teachers are always happy to speak with parents both informally after school and at parent-consultation evenings. Our weekly school newsletters keep parents informed of both achievements and important school events. These are available on our website for reference. Parents are also invited in after school on the first Friday of every month for ‘Find Out Fridays’ to look at their child’s progress and learning. Information is displayed on class notice boards and School notice boards. More information on policies and School practice can be found on the School website. Parents are asked to register with ParentMail in order to receive online correspondence from School. Parents are also able to receive notifications about their child’s ‘real time’ learning through the School’s use of SeeSaw. Parents need to register to receive notifications.


Being a Healthy School Through our Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) curriculum, our healthy eating policy, our approach to physical activity and emotional health and well-being, we are working towards being a healthy school. Healthier packed lunches: We ask that packed lunches do not contain sweets, chocolate or fizzy drinks and that crisps are limited to once a week.

An example of a healthy packed lunch

• A good portion of starchy food, e.g. wholegrain roll, tortilla wrap, chapatti, pitta pocket, pasta or rice salad;

• A portion of lean meat, fish or alternative, e.g. chicken, ham, beef, tuna, egg, beans or hummus;

• Plenty of fruit and vegetables, e.g. an apple, satsuma, handful of cherry tomatoes or carrot sticks, small tub of fruit salad or small box of raisins;

• A portion of semi-skimmed milk or other dairy food, e.g. reduced fat cheese, yogurt or fromage frais;

• A drink, e.g. fruit juice, semi-skimmed milk, yogurt drink or a bottle of water.

The British Nutrition Foundation www.nutrition.org.uk has lots of information relating to healthier packed lunches for children (4-11 years). Their online leaflet provides practical ideas for creating healthy lunch boxes for children. Children can either bring their own packed lunch or parents can order hot meals online through Chartwells. All children in Reception and Key Stage 1 are eligible for universal free school meals. Some children in Key Stage 2 may be eligible for free school meals. Please contact the school office for details.

Other food in school

Cooking regularly takes place as part of our curriculum and the school plans carefully to meet the dietary requirements of all our children to ensure that these sessions are safe and tasty! Please remember that we are a NUT FREE SCHOOL. Cooking at Forest School is particularly popular. We have quite a range of BVPS recipes that are regularly enjoyed.

Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 are provided with free fruit every day. Milk is also available free of charge to children under the age of 5 and at a discounted rate thereafter. Milk can be ordered through Cool Milk www.coolmilk.com

Being mindful of the range of allergies experienced by children, we are not able to accept birthday cakes or sweets to share in class. Birthdays are important and we will celebrate these in other ways in school.

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/

http://www.coolmilk.com/


All about Behaviour

Our Core Values and Gold Card system reward good behaviour and encourages all pupils to want to go for ‘Gold’. The Gold Card system also provides a visual prompt for children who may find managing their own behaviour difficult.

The Going for Gold Card System is displayed in every classroom. Each child has a set of cards: gold, white, blue, yellow and red. Children start on gold every day and only change their card if asked to do so by an adult in response to poor behaviour choices. Children are able to select a reward ‘treat or treasure’ from their agreed reward menu when they have achieved a certain number of Gold Cards. The class teacher tracks the card colours daily and behaviour is regularly monitored by the Headteacher. A teacher may choose to discuss issues with parents, at any stage, as appropriate. If a child’s behaviour continues to be unacceptable, the involvement of a behaviour specialist may be requested. Whole class behaviour targets are also set by the Headteacher. We do not accept any form of bullying, racism or discrimination of any kind. We encourage children to talk to a member of staff if they feel that they are being bullied or experiencing any form of racism. We are aware that bullying and/or racism can take place and may go unreported. We ask parents to inform the school if they suspect their child is being bullied or experiencing racism or discrimination in any way. All allegations of bullying, racism or discrimination are thoroughly investigated, acted upon, recorded and reported to West Sussex County Council and the Governing Body. Parents are notified if their child is involved in any bullying or racist incident. Victims of discrimination are re-assured, offered further support and their parents informed and involved.

Our Home School Agreement We wish to create a culture of learning, where children are happy, enthusiastic, motivated and ambitious. We encourage mutual respect, support and collaboration between all adults and children, both within the school and the wider community. We believe that it is important to provide a secure, caring and stimulating environment for all our children, thereby promoting a sense of pride in our school. This can be done most effectively when all staff, parents/carers and children understand their responsibilities and

work together towards the same goals. When children start at our school, we all sign a Home School Agreement.

We all aim high

We work together

We work independently

We respect ourselves, others and the world around us

We celebrate success


Our Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy Bolnore Village Primary School is committed to providing an appropriate and high quality education to all the children at our school. We believe that all children, including those identified as having special educational needs and disabilities have a common entitlement to a broad and balanced academic and social curriculum, which is accessible to them, and to be fully included in all aspects of school life. Our policy describes the way we meet the needs of children who experience barriers to their learning. These may relate to sensory or physical impairment, learning difficulties, mental health, emotional or social development, or may relate to factors in their environment, including the learning environment they experience in school. Our SENCO, Mrs Moden, will be happy to help you with any questions. Please contact the School Office to make an appointment.

Our Attendance Policy The Governors, Headteacher and Staff are keen to ensure that all our children attend school regularly and punctually so that they receive the best education possible. Parents are encouraged to understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality. We are aiming for an attendance rate of 97% and above.

The school will authorise absences for

illness

medical appointments with an appointment card

days of religious observance

exceptional circumstances, e.g. bereavement, certain family circumstances Our school does not authorise any holidays taken during term time. Registers close at 9 am. Children are late if they arrive after 9 am. Children are marked as absent if they arrive after 9.15 am and may receive an unauthorised absence. Parents are asked to call the office on 01444 456715 by 9 am on the morning of any absence and thereafter ensure that the school is informed of any further absence. The School operates a first day absence calling system. We operate a 48-hour no-school rule following sickness and diarrhoea. Children receive half termly attendance certificates for attendance of 97%+ and 100%. The Headteacher will write to parents of children with half termly attendance at less than 90% and may refer to Pupil Entitlement should attendance continue to be poor.

School Times 8.55 am until 3.20 pm (classroom doors open at 8.45 am). Morning session 8.55 am - 12.00 noon (15 minute break – supervised play) Lunchtime session 11.50 am – 1 pm Afternoon session 1 pm - 3.20 pm (15 minute break in Reception and KS1 – led by staff)

Children should arrive at school no more than ten minutes before the day begins and should be collected on time. Reception and Key Stage 1 children cannot be left in the playground on their own before school. Please advise the office if you are going to be late collecting your child. The School Office is very busy and staff are not able to supervise children unless in an emergency.


Extended Schools - clubs and out of hours activities We run a variety of clubs before, during and after school for children in Key Stage 1 and 2. Clubs range from football, recorders to Lego, choir, Ink Pots and drama. The School works in partnership with Pioneer Club, an out of hours child care provider. Children are dropped off and collected by Pioneer staff. All clubs will need to be paid for using ParentMail.

School Uniform All children are expected to wear the school uniform. The School colours are green and grey. The items of clothing listed are available from most large stores. Sussex Uniforms currently stock our uniform – please call 01444 227066 or see their website www.sussexuniforms.co.uk for details. Further information on uniform can be found on our website.

Boys Girls Forest School Days

White polo shirt Grey trousers or shorts Green sweatshirt Grey socks Black sensible Velcro fastening outdoor shoes (not trainers)

White polo shirt Grey trousers, skirt/tunic Green sweatshirt or cardigan (white or green) White or grey socks or tights Black sensible Velcro fastening outdoor shoes (not trainers) Summer: Green and white check summer dress Sturdy, supportive sandals (white, brown, black)

Winter: hat, gloves, a snood, layers of clothing, tights/football socks (all children), waterproof jacket and trousers, adventure boots with two pairs of socks.

Summer: layers of clothing, sun hat, adventure boots, socks. Not shorts. Insect repellent and sun cream.

On wet days and snow days we ask children to come to school in Wellington boots with a change of shoes in a named bag.

Games kit : White T-shirt and navy shorts with black plimsolls in a clearly named drawstring bag. Children will need a tracksuit for Autumn and Spring to enable us to deliver PE outside.

And of course, there are plenty of dressing up days too!

Children receive a ‘Welcome to School’ book bag from the Governors when they start school.

Jewellery, Make-up and Hair

Children are allowed to wear only bar studs in their ears which have to be removed for P.E. and games lessons or covered with a plaster (supplied from home). The children have to be able to do this themselves. Necklaces, rings and other jewellery are not allowed. Dyed hair is not allowed. Nail varnish and make up are not allowed (except on dressing up days!).

http://www.sussexuniforms.co.uk/


Please check your child's head every week for head lice. If you find any, inform the school and check and treat everyone in your household. Children with long hair (girls and boys alike) must have their hair tied back to reduce the likely spread of head lice and for safety reasons at Forest School. We learn how to safely light fires using fire steels and hair can get in the way.

Lost Property

All items of clothing must be named before a child starts at our school and then at the start of each half term. The lost property box is in the main foyer. If something is lost, please check the lost property box and school cloakrooms first. If still not found, it can then be reported to the class teacher. Our lost property box is overflowing with unnamed items, so please name everything to help us return items to owners. After a reasonable amount of time, lost property will be donated to charity.

Medical Matters When a child starts school, parents are asked to complete an admissions form which asks for details of allergies or relevant medical conditions of which the school ought to be aware, together with a request for the telephone number of someone who may be contacted in the event of an emergency should parents be unavailable. Children with significant health issues will also need to complete an Individual Healthcare Plan. All forms are regarded as confidential and information is kept on a computer database. It is the parents’ responsibility to keep this information up to date.

Minor accidents, e.g. bumps and grazes are treated in school and are recorded in the school’s First Aid file. If necessary, parents are advised through a letter sent home with the child. We will telephone you if your child has a serious bump/injury to their head and you will receive a pink letter to let you know the details of any head bump/injury. We have nominated qualified first aiders on the staff who have received training in first aid.

The school is able to administer medication (with certain caveats) to children during the school day. Parents are requested to complete the relevant form in the School Office. If a child has a prescribed inhaler, the school must be informed and the medicine will be kept by a member of staff in a safe place away from the reach of other pupils. Parents will need to complete an Asthma Management at School Plan. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that all inhalers and epi pens are in date and ready for use. We operate a 48-hour rule following sickness and diarrhoea – children must be free of symptoms for 48 hours before returning to school. Routine height, vision, hearing and dental inspections may occur from time to time. Parents will be informed of these examinations and their outcome.

Emergencies In cases where professional medical treatment is considered necessary after an incident at school and it is not possible to contact parents, then the child may be taken directly to either the local health centre or the hospital by a member of staff. The child’s parents will be informed of the situation as soon as possible. If you as a parent have a medical emergency in the playground, please let one of the staff know immediately and one of our first aiders will help you.


Safety and Security

We are committed to the safeguarding of children, young people, their families and staff. This means that everything we do is designed to promote the safety and well-being of the children we work with, as well as that of children and young people in general. We believe that safeguarding and good practice are best

promoted by staff who, after thorough selection processes, are trained, encouraged and appropriately managed and supported in the work they do.

Bolnore Village Primary School recognises its responsibility for child protection and takes care to protect and support all of our children. Full details are available from the Child Protection Policy which can be viewed on the School Website or in the school office. Mrs Allen, Mr Sears, Mrs Moden and Mrs Coats are all Child Protection Officers and can be contacted on 01444 456715. Staff and Governors make a termly inspection of the premises to ensure the children’s safety. More immediate safety issues are dealt with promptly. Our Health and Safety Policy can be viewed in the school office or on the school website.

All visitors are asked to enter the building via the main entrance and to sign in at the School Office and must wear a visitor’s lanyard. Our playground gates are locked between 9.00 am and 3.10 pm and after 3.30 pm. Dogs are not permitted to come into the playground at all; parents may tie dogs up in the plaza area by the main entrance. No scooters or bikes are allowed to be ridden on school grounds. Our school operates a ‘No Smoking’ policy throughout its buildings and grounds.

Travel Plan Walk to school! Bolnore Village Primary School is committed to increasing the number of children walking, scooting or cycling to school. There is extremely limited parking around the school and, in the interests of health and safety, we ask all our parents to walk or at the very least ‘park and stride’ to school. Bikes and scooters can be left at School during the day. We now have a Road Crossing Patrol outside the school. Our Travel Plan is available on our school website.

Pupil Premium Funding 10% of our children are on free school meals and are eligible for Pupil Premium (now referred to as Disadvantaged Pupil) funding. In our School we use this funding to pay for all school visits and visitors for eligible children. We also use some of the money to purchase resources and pay for additional teaching assistant support for those children eligible for pupil premium funding.

Sports Premium Funding We use our £9000 to pay for our membership of Mid Sussex Active, a local sports network. Through this organisation, we are able to access specialist support and a range of organised competitions. We also fund coaches to teach after school clubs such as netball, rounders and cricket. We support pupils who are gifted and talented in sport with expert coaching - badminton, dancing, football and snow boarding.

We have also purchased equipment to develop Tri-Golf, skipping and boxing.


Starting School Our full Admissions Policy and map of the school’s catchment area is available on the school website or from the School Office. Children are expected to start school in the September following their fourth birthday. Parents have the right to choose whether they wish their child to attend school part time or full time following a settling in period until the term after the child’s fifth birthday. Part time hours are negotiated with the Headteacher. Parents may prefer to defer admission to the Spring or Summer term. In such cases, the school can hold a place for the first two terms only (i.e. your child would have to take up their place in Reception at the start of the summer term at the latest.) Please see our Starting School Policy for more information.

In Year Admissions Parents seeking admission for a child to our school outside of the usual admissions round should apply for a place through West Sussex County Council on telephone 0845 075 1007 or by email [email protected]. WSCC manage our admissions and hold our waiting lists.

What haven’t we talked about? Did we mention art, music or sport? Have we talked about our marvellous library and our amazing ICT equipment? We’re not sure we mentioned that our school hall is enormous and has lots of highly technical equipment to use for school performances. Or what about our fundraising and our fabulous Friends of Bolnore Village Primary School? Or our friends in Kenya? Did we tell you we’ve fostered two elephants?

What about our wilderness area on the edge of the school grounds? How about our website? Or our amazing School Council? Did we tell you that everyone who walks through the door says how much they like our school?

Did we talk about the great team of staff and parents who make a difference every day to our children?

There is so much more about our school that we could include in our prospectus but sometimes you just need to be here to really

understand how we feel about teaching and learning. If you are interested in our school and want to find out more, please come and visit. Call the School Office on 01444 456715 and we can arrange for an ambassador’s tour.

Access to Documents, Planning and Policies Bolnore Village Primary School is a very open school and we welcome all our parents to take an active interest in the content of their children’s learning. The staff and Governors have spent many hours in planning the delivery of the curriculum and you are welcome to look at policies, planning and other related documents. Please contact the School Office for more information or to make an appointment. Our key policies are available on the website or from the School Office.

mailto:[email protected]


Complaints Procedure

We hope to sort out any worries or concerns straight away but a copy of our Complaints Procedure is available in the School Office and on the school website. If for any reason you feel dissatisfied with your child’s education or any other aspect of school practice, you should address your complaint first to the teacher and/or Headteacher, secondly to the Chair of Governors and finally to West Sussex County Council, County Hall, Chichester, PO19 1RF, Tel : 0845 075 1007 Fax : +44 (0)1243 777229. E-mail: [email protected]

Please give specific details and tell us how you would like us to resolve your complaint or concern.

And finally… Staff and Governors are here to help. Please call or email us if you have a question that has not been answered in this handbook. The Governing Body can be contacted by email on [email protected]. The Chair of the Governing Body is Mr Philip Alsford.

Children skip to our school.

© The Governing Body of Bolnore Village Primary School




Useful Contacts School Bolnore Village Primary School

Updown Hill, Bolnore Village, West Sussex, RH16 4GD

Tel : 01444 456715 Website: www.bolnorevillage.w-sussex.sch.uk School email: [email protected]

Admissions to school

West Sussex County Council contact point 033 301 42903

Adult education For information about local learning opportunities for adults, you can contact the Adult Education Centre in Burgess Hill on 01444 810710

Benefits If you need advice about claiming housing or council tax benefits, you can contact CenSus on 01444 477264. For information and advice on other types of benefit, contact Jobcentre Plus on 0345 604 3719

Children’s services

If you feel you need support to care for your own children, or have concerns about the welfare of a child, contact The Children’s Access Point on 01403 229900

Community projects

If you have an idea for a community project, a good place to start is the Bolnore Village Residents Association, who can be contacted on [email protected] Hyde Housing Association also offer advice on how to get started with a good idea- 01273 234286

Crime For emergencies dial 999. To report a non-urgent crime, contact Sussex Police on 101. Your local Police Community Support Officer can be contacted on 0774 7052242

Family For information about family activities, childcare or family support services, you can contact West Sussex Family Information Service on 01243 777807

Financial advice You can get help and advice about a range of issues, including personal finances from the Citizens Advice Bureau on 0344 4771171

Grounds maintenance

For grounds maintenance issues, including playgrounds, in Bolnore Village, please contact First Port Property Services on 0333 321 4080

Health For emergencies, dial 999. For non-urgent advice, contact NHS Direct on 111

Housing If you need general housing advice, you can contact the Citizens Advice Bureau on 0344 4771171. If you live in Hyde Housing property, you can contact them on 0845 600 1595

Neighbours If you are experiencing a problem with your neighbours and cannot approach them directly, you can contact West Sussex Mediation Service on 01403 258900. If you want to report a noise issue, you can contact Environment Protection Team on 01444 477292.

Rubbish & recycling, dog mess

If you have any questions or concerns about refuse collection, dog bins or recycling, you can contact the council’s Refuse and Recycling Team on 01444 477440. The Park Rangers are responsible for enforcing dog fouling laws and can be contacted on Tel: 01444 477561, Email: [email protected]

Traffic & roads If you have any concerns about traffic or want to report a problem with a road, you can contact West Sussex County Council on 01243 642105. You can also report anti-social driving and abandoned vehicles through Operation Crackdown on www.operationcrackdown.org

http://www.bolnorevillage.w-sussex.sch.uk/



Date post:	11-Jul-2020
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