This booklet consists of three sections:
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2
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Starting School
School Routines and Procedures
The Early Years Curriculum – The Foundation Stage
STARTING SCHOOL
THE FIRST DAYS AT SCHOOL
The children will start school on Monday 9th September on a part time basis, for
either a morning or an afternoon session. Children will begin full time on Friday 13th
September. Past experience has shown that this gradual introduction to school is very
beneficial to the young child. It enables the class teachers and the teaching assistants
to spend more time with individual children in order to get to know them. It helps the
children to make new friends and to become familiar with, and secure in, their new
surroundings.
When preparing your child for school, be positive about such an enjoyable
experience.
During these first days, the children will learn about new classroom routines such as:
Recognising their name in the cloakroom.
Learning to take turns in the hall activities.
Learning where toys are stored and how to
help tidy away.
Learning good and acceptable behaviour.
Also during this part-time settling in period,
your child’s teacher will be finding out about
their stage of development. Your child will be
completing a baseline assessment, the
first step in a continuing programme of
testing throughout their school life.
This covers such areas as:Do they know their colours?
Can they identify and copy simple shapes?
Can they recognise letters and numbers?
Can they recite a nursery rhyme?
Can they hold a pencil correctly?
Can they identify a word on a page and identify common objects?
Can they count accurately up to 10?
Can they recognise or write their own names?
Foundation Stage Pupil Profile
Throughout your child’s first year in school, teachers will be continually assessing
your child’s ability NOT through tests, but by observing how your child works and
plays on a task. This helps them not only plan future learning activities but it helps
them complete the pupil profile which is a national record keeping system for children
in Year F, the contents of which will be written on your child’s end of year report.
WHICH CLASS WILL MY CHILD BE IN?
Your child will be in the Foundation class.
Class 1:- Teacher - Miss Riley
Teaching Assistant - Mrs Chapelhow
Teaching Assistants work alongside the Foundation class teacher, to help your child
settle into school life. Your child will eventually be welcomed into the full life of
school, through assemblies and playtimes
Ideas for a Happy Start

There are many things you can help your child with before they start school, to
give them a happy, confident beginning.
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Help your child to :
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Dress and undress (P.E.)
Take off and put on shoes
Go to the toilet alone
Tidy away toys
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ENSURE THAT ALL P.E. KIT AND CLOTHES ARE NAMED.

Arrive at school before the bell rings, so your child does not feel
rushed.

Try to arrange that your child can attend all our pre-school
visits. School will then seem more welcoming and
familiar.
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A Happy Start to working in school
You can help your child in many ways:
o Talk to them and answer their many questions!
o Look at a variety of books and enjoy them together.
o Encourage your child to talk about the pictures and tell you the stories in their
books.
o Allow them to see you enjoying reading – sit and read
a
book, magazine or newspaper in their company.
o Sing songs and nursery rhymes.
o Encourage your child to write and draw
with a variety of materials.
o Count at every opportunity e.g.
Climbing stairs, buttons on clothes,
shopping.
o Play shops and talk about money.
o Know the names of colours and shapes.
o Let your child use catalogues, cards or leaflets to cut out, paste, colour and
paint.
All these skills will lay the foundations for a happy start to learning at school.
GENERAL ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES
LUNCHTIME....Whilst children are here on a part time basis, at St. Saviour’s, we
ask that all children go home at lunchtime.
Once in school on a full time basis, children may stay for dinners or sandwiches or
continue to go home. If you think your child will be entitled to Free School Meals
please make sure that you apply before your child starts school as entitlement is NOT
backdated.
Dinner money is £11.00 per week or £2.20 per day,
subject to change, and is collected on Monday
mornings. Please send the exact amount of money
in a sealed envelope, with your child’s name and
class number written on it. No loose cash will be
accepted. Payment MUST be made on a weekly
basis unless arrangements are made with the school
office.
Sandwiches should be in a named container. Drinks should be in a flask, plastic
bottle or carton.
Children who go home at lunchtime should be collected from the main entrance at 12
noon and return to school via the main entrance at 12.55 p.m. ready for the afternoon
session.
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EARLY MORNING SNACK
Each morning children may receive an early morning snack. Each day children will
receive a variety of breakfast snacks such as a breakfast bar ,biscuit, crumpets fresh
fruit and juice. The cost of this is 10p a day. 50p is collected on Monday morning by
Mrs Chapelhow.
NATIONAL SCHOOL’S FRUIT SCHEME
As part of this scheme children will be offered a free piece of fruit each day. The fruit
will be fresh and of good quality. The aim is for children to have a positive and
enjoyable experience of fruit. We hope that this will encourage children to eat a
healthy and balanced diet. You will receive a letter about this scheme soon after your
child starts school.
TOAST
At break time children have the opportunity to buy toast during the morning break at
20p a slice. Money can be bought in daily or alternatively you may wish to purchase a
toast card for a £1 a week.
BAKING
We bake in school regularly. All children have the chance to bake and this takes
place on a rota basis. All the children in the class sample the day’s baking, be it
cakes, biscuits or savouries ...... and needless to say they all enjoy them! Please send
a voluntary contribution of 20p into school each Monday to help pay for the extra
ingredients needed.
PLAYTIMES
Your child will not need a snack for playtime as they will get a piece of fruit each
day.
SCHOOL BAGS
When buying your child a school bag/PE bag please obtain a drawstring bag as these
take up less space in the classroom and cloakroom and so prevent accidents that can
happen when large school bags fall off hooks. All school bags should have the child’s
name on them.
PE
All children will be expected to take part in PE lessons, for which they will require a
white T-shirt, black shorts and black elasticated pumps. PE takes place for all
children during the first week of full time school. Please make sure all items of
clothing are named and that earrings are not worn on PE days. We also request
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that children do not have their hair braided and beaded as this can cause facial injury.
Please send your child’s PE kit in a small drawstring bag rather than a large shoulder
bag as it takes up less space in the cloakroom.
WATER BOTTLES
Children are welcome to bring bottles of water to school in case they get thirsty
during the school day. They should be taken home every night.
SCHOOL UNIFORM
St Saviour’s School has a school uniform and the following items are required.
The uniform can be purchased from whichever shop you prefer.
Grey trousers or skirt
Royal blue sweater, cardigan or sweat shirt*
White or pale blue shirt or blouse
Girls – Blue and white check dress for summer
Sensible black low-heeled shoes – NOT trainers
For PE
White T-shirt
Black shorts
Black pumps
*School sweat shirts, polo shirts and shorts are available from “Ann’s” in Bacup.
PARENT HELPERS
Parents are always welcome in school. They help in a variety of ways i.e. playing
maths and language games with the children, helping in art and craft activities,
hearing children read and by helping the teacher within the class doing general jobs
such as mixing paint, mounting pictures and sharpening pencils. If you have any
free time and would like to help please see the class teacher.
LIBRARY BOOKS
Each Monday children select a library book from the
school library to take home to read. It should be returned
to school before Monday the next week. If the book is lost
or damaged we request £5 towards the cost of a
replacement.
READING AT HOME
When children are ready and able to learn to read they will bring a plastic bag home
with letters to learn and books to read in it. There is also a reading record book for
you to sign when your child has read at home. The reading bag and its contents
should be returned to school daily. Your child will read this book to his/her teacher
once a week. They will also do reading activities during Literacy sessions each day
and a daily phonics session.
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OPENING AFTERNOON
During the Autumn Term there will be an opportunity where you will be invited to
come into school and work with your child. We hope that by doing this you will see
how your child learns in school and the teachers will give suggestions of how to help
at home.
MEDICINES
If your child requires medication, which has to be administered during school hours,
we ask you to come into school to give it yourself. Alternatively one dose may be left
at the school office. An adult will need to sign a consent form at the office before any
medicine can be given to a child. We do not accept responsibility for medicines in
Foundation Stage. Asthma inhalers must be handed to the class teacher clearly
labelled with the name of your child.
WORRIES OR PROBLEMS
If you have any questions or problems, however small, do please come into school
and talk to your child’s teacher. You may make an appointment directly with your
child’s teacher or through the school office.
SCHOOL SECURITY / VISITING SCHOOL
All main doors have security locks, to ensure that your child is safe in school. If you
need to enter school during the school day please enter through the main school
entrance and report to the school office.
What Will My Child’s Day Be Like?
Regular routine will help your child settle into school quickly.
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 Each class teacher comes out into the playground
to meet the children at 8:50 a.m.
 The children line up when the bell rings, then they
walk into school with their teacher.
 Children hang up their coats and walk into the
classroom.
 Lunch boxes are put in a box and book bags in a
basket.
 Children then sit quietly on the carpet for
registration.
A busy learning day then starts!
Children will have the opportunity to play
outside each day.
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12.00 is lunchtime, when children eat cooked meals or their packed lunch in
the hall and play out together.
School starts again at 1 p.m.
Home time is at 3.15 p.m. Please collect children in the playground promptly
at 3.15 p.m..
If you are going to be late at 3:15 p.m. please phone
school as young children can become very upset if
they are left behind unexpectedly.
If your child is ill please phone school by 9.00 a.m. on the
first day of absence.
School’s phone number is 01706 877900.
For the first few weeks they may be falling asleep over their tea, they will be so tired!
However, they will soon adjust to school life and we look forward to a long and
enjoyable association with you and your child as we work together to give your child
the very best education possible.
As OfSTED have quoted: Children get a good start to school in the Early Years
Foundation Stage because of good teaching. They settle in quickly to school life
and progress at a good rate. Children become confident and secure learners, well
prepared for Key Stage 1. The teaching team is a strong force and the teaching
assistants make a good contribution to the education of all pupils.
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