Shenton Primary School

Prospectus

Our school prospectus contains general information about the school day, school uniform and also summarises key policies. If you would like paper copies of any of our policies please ask at our school office, email office@shenton.leicester.sch.uk or phone 0116 2628778.

THE SCHOOL DAY

Nursery Session: 8.40am - 11.40am.

Reception, Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6: 8.40am- 3:10pm.

LUNCHTIMES

Reception lunchtime: 11.30am - 12.30pm

Year 1 & 2 lunchtime: 11.45am - 12.45pm

Year 3 & 4 lunchtime: 11.30 - 12.30pm

Year 5 & 6 lunchtime: 12 mid-day - 1.00pm.

OTHER

Introduction

This is our school prospectus. Some information has to be published by law, and is available through this website

Here we have included other information you will also find useful.

‘Parents are a child’s first and most enduring educators.’

We believe that the best way a child can learn is through partnership between teachers, children and parents. We have high expectations for all our children and we aim to provide a high quality learning environment in which children can flourish.

Above all we believe that the broad, balanced curriculum we provide will enable children to enjoy school and learn well. We adhere to all national and city council legislation.

We are always available to discuss any aspect of your child’s development. You can talk to teachers at the beginning or end of the school day, or make an appointment if you would like to discuss your child’s progress in more detail at any time. We also have regular meetings arranged through out the school year to keep you informed.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to Shenton.

What OFSTED says about SHENTON PRIMARY - A GOOD SCHOOL

Full Report can be found here.

We were inspected in JANUARY 2020 by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). The OFSTED inspector visited the school and reported on all aspects of our work, we continue to be a ‘good’ school. These are some of the things they wrote;

‘Respect and fairness shine through all aspects of life at Shenton Primary. Pupils treat each other with kindness They thrive in the calm and purposeful atmosphere . Teachers expect

the best from all pupils and want them to do well. Pupils work hard and help each other in lessons.’

‘Pupils behave well in lessons and when moving around the school. They greet visitors with a smile . Pupils say they feel safe in school. They understand what bullying is and say

it rarely happens. They are confident that if it did, an adult would deal with it quickly.’

‘Pupils display a love of learning. Their positive attitudes and behaviour in lessons help them to learn well. In the early years , children behave well and are enthusiastic about

their learning.’

‘The school is well led. Leaders know the school community well. Leaders check carefully on pupils who are known to be vulnerable. They work effectively to engage parents and foster positive relationships.’

About Shenton Primary School

Shenton is a primary school admitting boys and girls from age 3 to 11. We are a multi-cultural school, with many children having lived in different countries before becoming a part of our school community. The children come from a variety of National backgrounds, speaking a range of languages including Gujurati, Katchi, Somali, Urdu, French, Dutch and Shona as home languages. Our school community is mainly Muslim (65%), although we have other major religions represented – Hindu, Christian, Sikh.

The school follows the National Curriculum for England, and all subjects within it.

All children at Shenton are entitled to an equal opportunity to receive the best possible education that suits their individual needs. Some children need additional support in learning English, others may have special educational needs or be identified as gifted or talented. At Shenton we believe every child has their own needs and we aim to ensure each receives the appropriate support, using the full range of resources we have available.

We are situated at the northern end of the Highfields district.

There is a separate 39 place Nursery, six classrooms for the KS1 (Year 1 and Y2), and a series of eight classrooms for the KS2 (Year 3,4,5,6).

We have a range of playing areas for the children all of which have been recently developed to ensure children have lots of fun activities to take part in.

Our PE Hall, doubles as a Dining Room, with dinners cooked and served by our onsite kitchen.

Children at Shenton Have Rights

The right to be treated as an individual.
The right to be listened to.
The right to express their emotions appropriately.
The right to a happy, friendly, positive, supportive safe environment.
The right to have access to all curriculum subjects.
The right to be valued and respected.
The right to be able to speak to all staff and not feel afraid.
The right to be free from abuse.
The right to use their home language in an appropriate way.

Children at Shenton HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY to Follow school rules:

We listen and do as we are asked.
We keep our hands and feet to ourselves.
We let others get on with their work.
We walk quietly and sensibly in and around school.
We ask before we leave our group.
We are always helpful, polite and kind in our language and behaviour.
We keep our school clean and tidy.
We will look after and respect our school, equipment, trays and belongings.

Good Behaviour:

We distribute certificates, stickers and special award nominations for good progress and/or good behaviour, which the children can take home and share with you.

We also run competitions through the school year to keep your child motivated and to celebrate the variety of talents children demonstrate.

Sanctions:

We have a 5 stage behaviour code used by all adults in the school. The children and adults follow this code to make sure all children are treated equally and fairly.

If your child is involved in any incidents at stage 4 or 5 you will be automatically notified. We will also notify you if your child has been behaving extremely well or if there have been any concerns. You are always welcome to ask the teacher and find out how well your child is doing.

The Five Stages for sanctions within our Behaviour Policy, are below. You can read the full policy here:

STAGE 1

Warning for behaviour after one reminder

STAGE 2

Time out in class

STAGE 3

Time out

in another class

or with a pastoral support assistant.

STAGE 4 - Serious

Time with Deputy Head or Head Teacher and a call home to parents

STAGE 5 – Very Serious

Parents called into school

As a school we have policies that comply with legislation to ensure we can deal effectively with any incidents involving bullying, racism or other forms of prejudice amongst the children.

We have a full time member of staff devoted to supporting children’s pastoral needs, helping the children to learn right from wrong as they grow and develop.

OFSTED Jan. 2020

‘Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe in different situations. They know a lot about how to keep safe online. Pupils told me that they feel safe in school. Their

parents agree. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any worries.’

Admissions - Nursery

If you would like your child to come to Shenton Primary School, please ask for an admissions form. We accept children from the age of 2 years to be placed on our waiting list for Nursery.

Our Admission Policy for Nursery is also available on the website or a hard copy can be obtained from the office.

Admissions – Reception to Year 6

The Local Education Authority decides which children are able to come to Shenton from Reception to Y6. This depends on specific criteria including if there are places available and whether brothers and sisters attend the school. Further information can be found here.

The Admission limit for Shenton is 60 per year group.

This will not be exceeded except in exceptional circumstances, agreed with Leicester City Council.

We have full wheel chair access across and through the whole site, with various other supporting facilities including disabled toilets. If your child has a disability please speak to us so that we can ensure we are able to meet your child’s needs and provide you with any specific information.

Curriculum

Shenton Primary School teaches the full National Curriculum for England. Please click here for further information.

Equal Opportunities

As a school we welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010 and are determined to comply with it.

We understand the principles of the Act and the work needed to ensure that those with ‘protected characteristics’, or connected to someone with protected characteristics (such as a parent or sibling), are not discriminated against and are given equality of opportunity. (See our Equality Policy for more details).

The school aims to provide equality of opportunity for all its children regardless of ability, disability, race, sex or belief. We are responsible to a mixed society and the school will therefore:

Ensure that prejudice and stereotyping are not contained in its practices and process.

Ensure our curriculum presents a range of experiences and perspectives, which will introduce our children to the beliefs and customs of different groups within our society.

In keeping with these principles the school is opposed to any form of discrimination on any grounds consistent with the protected characteristics outlined by law. Any abusive language or behaviour will not be tolerated within the school. Further information about our Equality Duty can be found here.

Teaching

At Shenton we use a variety of methods. Whole class teaching, smaller groupings and one to one teaching as needed. We explain learning in different ways to ensure children to learn. We aim to meet the needs of individual children to enable each to be successful. We also use audio-visual technology in most lessons. All our staff undergo regular professional development in order to provide your children with the highest quality of teaching and support.

Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities

Please find further information here.

Nursery

We have an open plan purpose built 39 place Nursery that has part time places. You can put your child’s name on the Nursery waiting list as soon as he/she is 2 years old. Priority is given to children whose families live in our priority area and pupils who have brothers and sisters in the school. If you do live out of our catchment area and do receive a place in our Nursery, there is no guarantee that your child will automatically be admitted into the main school in Reception, this is organised by the local authority. Parents have the right of appeal over any decision made regarding admission to the school. Please remember to bring your child’s birth certificate with you when you come along.

The Nursery session runs from 8.40 a.m. to 11.40 a.m.

Before children start school, the Nursery staff will make a home visit to talk about the life at Shenton and provide you with the relevant information you need.

Details about our curriculum can be found here.

Reception

Children at this phase in their education attend school all day, the children follow the curriculum set by the Government of England.

It is a curriculum that encourages children to learn through practical activities and play. The key areas of learning include their social, emotional development – helping them to make friends and feel happy and ready to learn, and the area of communication, language and literacy – helping the children develop the language skills so they can access all aspects of the early years curriculum.

Details about our curriculum can be found here.

Infant (Key Stage 1 - Y1 & Y2)/Junior (Key Stage 2 - Y3,4,5 & 6) - Curriculum

The school follows the National Curriculum for schools in England. Details about our curriculum can be found here.

Collective Worship

The nature of the collective worship in this school is morally and broadly based to take account of the diverse religious backgrounds represented within our school community. Permission has been given by the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE).

This means that we do not pray in school, but we do share factual information about different religions and reflect upon moral and ethical issues e.g. being kind.

You have the right to withdraw your child from Religious Education.

Assemblies

We have a larger Assembly twice a week. Topics and themes are based on moral values. They are not of a mainly Christian nature. We ensure all children are able to learn about all major religions at a factual level. Parents are always welcome in our Assemblies.

Relationships and Health Education / PErsonal, social and mental health education

Details of our curriculum can be found here.

Parental Involvement

Shenton Primary School recognises that effective and efficient education is the product of the partnership between pupils, parents and us as the providers of education. We believe that by working together we will make the children’s learning experience more enjoyable, exciting and successful. We wish to promote an environment where parents feel they are welcome in the school and that their contributions will be valued. You should feel supported by the professional expertise of our teachers.

There are regular meetings throughout the year when time is made for you to discuss your child’s progress with their teacher. At the end of the year a written report is sent to you. However, if you have any questions or issues please come and see your class teacher straight away. We can then work together to resolve any issues quickly and help your child to stay happy and therefore continuing to learn.

More information about what we teach and how we track children’s progress can be found here.

Homework Policy

This is the school’s policy for the provision of homework to pupils and has been drawn up in accordance with guidance issued by the Department for Education (DfE).

In all year groups, homework is usually set digitally, Your child will be issued with an email address and password, we use Microsoft Teams. Your child will therefore need access to the internet at home, as well as a tablet/laptop. If you have any concerns please contact us, we may be able to help as we have a limited number of devices we could loan to you.

The school regards the purpose of homework as being to:

Develop an effective partnership between the school and parents and other carers in pursuing the aims of the school’s Home/School Agreement.

Consolidate and reinforce skills and understanding

Exploit resources for learning, for example through additional reading.

Encourage pupils as they get older to develop the confidence and self-discipline needed to study on their own, and to prepare them for the requirements of secondary school.

Our Homework Policy can be found here.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Please find information here.

Jewellery

We are advised by the Education Department that pupils should not wear any jewellery for P.E. or games. However, if jewellery is worn for religious or cultural reasons, school has a duty to make the wearer and pupils safe. We may use special tape to secure some jewellery, alternatively we may ask you to come in and help us.

For swimming - CHILDREN in year 4

All children will need their own costume and a towel. You can also provide a swimming cap or goggles if your child requires them. Any other equipment will be provided for example, floatation devices.

Attendance & Punctuality

At Shenton we believe that good attendance and time keeping is important. If your child is late, not only do they miss important learning, but they disrupt the class when teaching has begun so please be on time. If lateness or attendance is a persistent problem, we will discuss this with you. If a resolution can not be found, the Education Welfare Officer may become involved and you may be taken to court. Every child has the right to a good education by law.

School Times

School Day: 8.40 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.

Nursery Session: 8.40am – 11.40am

Please arrive at school on time.

The playground gates will be open at 8.30am, please stay with your child until classroom doors open at 8.40am, children must be in class by 8.45am.

Reporting Absences

If you child is away from school, please let us know the reason by email or telephone.

office@shenton.leicester.sch.uk

0116 2628778

If your child has any of the following symptoms, you must not bring them to school without seeking medical advice.

a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Please make sure your child is fully recovered before allowing him/her to return to school. This means that if your child has been sick or has had diarrhoea, they need to be free from symptoms for 24 hrs before returning to school. This helps to stop any illnesses spreading between children.

The school has to send to the Department for Education and Employment figures showing authorised and unauthorised absences.

If your child is frequently absent from school, without a strong understandable reason, the Education Welfare Offices (EWO) may meet with you to discuss the reason why. In extreme cases, court action may be taken as every child has a right to a high quality education.

Extended Holidays

We do not encourage children to take extended holidays in term time.

The effects on children’s education may be long term. Not only do they miss learning new skills, they also miss specialist tuition from other support staff.

A Pupil Attendance Policy regarding leave during school time, for example taking extended holidays, can be found here. Parents risk the allocations of fines and could be taken to court if absences are a cause for concern. It is your child’s right to receive a good education. If you do decided you need to take your child away from school please complete this form.

Collection of Children

To ensure the safety of all our children, we ask parents of all children to make sure they are collected on time by a responsible adult (16 years and above). Children in Y5 & Y6 may walk home alone if the school considers it safe, and parents sign a permission slip. This ‘right’ could be refused if children do not behave appropriately on the way home and any changes will be discussed with you.

Parents are asked not to park in the school car park, this is for school staff only, when collecting children. Please drive very carefully down Dunlin Road, the road is narrow and has a dead end, Do not park on the double yellow lines as this creates a very unsafe space as 450+ children and parents arrive/leave the site. If you must drive park a few streets away from the school and walk your child in.

If you see any dangerous driving or parking please make a note of the number plate and REPORT IT HERE.

Safeguarding Children & Child Protection

Please read our policy carefully. All staff in schools have a 24/7 duty of care towards children. Whilst we do not ask specific questions or probe for information, children may share worrying information about their home life. If this does occur, we will discuss this with you. Safeguarding is about protecting children and supporting families in need.

The school has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular police, health and children’s services. Schools are not able to investigate concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances, the school will be able to inform the parents/carer of its need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school is advised by Children’s Social Care or police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the interests of the child.

Copies of our Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy is available from the School Office free of charge and is also on the school website. If you need information, the Headteacher will be happy to discuss our procedures with you. All adults working with children have been checked to ensure their suitability to work with children – Disclosure Barring Service Check.

GDPR

We collect and hold personal information relating to our pupils and may also receive information about them from their previous school, local authority and/or the Department for Education (DfE). We use this personal data to:

support our pupils’ learning
monitor and report on their progress
provide appropriate pastoral care; and
assess the quality of our services

This information will include their contact details, national curriculum assessment results, attendance information, any exclusion information, where they go after they leave us and personal characteristics such as their ethnic group, any special educational needs they may have as well as relevant medical information.

We will not give information about our pupils to anyone without your consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so. If you want to receive a copy of the information about your son/daughter that we hold, please contact us at school.

A full copy of our Privacy Notice can be read here.

Health Education

Health Education is part of the school curriculum. We will always inform you if it has been advised that your child has a medical and seek your permission.

The School Nurse contributes to the Health Education Curriculum. With your approval your child will have regular health checks at school. These will be done by School Nurses and other trained medical professionals. You may discuss the health of your child with any of our Health Visitors.

Medication

If your child requires any medication, please inform the class teacher and office. We are advised not to have medicines at school unless absolutely necessary. Medicines will be kept in a locked cupboard. A form has to be completed by parents/guardians before any medicines can be given at school. Parents of pupils who have asthma are required to complete a card for our school records, and are asked to leave an inhaler in school. Parents will also receive a copy of our asthma policy.

Allergies – we ask you for any relevant information when we invite you for your induction meeting. Please make sure we are kept up-to-date of any changes.

Lunchtimes

Children can choose to go home for dinner, bring a packed lunch or have a school dinner. The school has a kitchen which is able to provide Halaal meals, traditional meat meals and vegetarian food as required. Special diets are also catered for if your child has medical needs. At lunchtime, children are looked after in the dining hall and playground by our mid-day Managers and Supervisors.

The menu is on the school website, https://www.shenton.leicester.sch.uk/parents/school-dinners and children can choose which meal they would like each day.

Breaktimes

There is a morning break where children can eat fruit or breakfast bars. They can also bring water to drink in a plastic container. School milk is provided free for all under 5 children and those children who are entitled to free school meals. For all other children, milk can be purchased, current costs are available from the school office.

Accidents

Incidents which need medical attention, are attended to by trained staff. If your child has an accident or feels unwell, we will contact you. If it is not too serious we will send you a note explaining what has happened. In cases of an emergency we will contact you immediately. Always make sure you return the contact forms with an emergency telephone number on. All accidents and incidents are recorded following the city council procedures.

Complaints Procedure

Parents have a right to make a complaint about any aspect of the school. Your child is entitled to receive a broad and balanced curriculum including all elements of the National Curriculum. If you have a concern or query, please see your child’s teacher first, then the leader of that team and if you are still unsatisfied, the Headteacher. Most complaints can be resolved in this way. However, if this is not possible, then the normal procedures involving. Our complaints procedure can be found here.

School Visits & Activities (including Insurance)

Charging for School Activities

Our policy can be found here.The children are taken on regular trips as part of their education. This provides them with an additional stimulating learning environment, thus widening their experience and increasing their knowledge. Trips are linked to the learning work covered in class.

In order that school trips may take place, the school will ask parents for a voluntary contribution which may be a percentage of the total cost. This may vary, according to the nature and cost of the trip. The remainder will be paid from school funds. Legislation states schools cannot force parents to pay for a school trip, if however, enough payments are not made, a trip may be cancelled.

Parents are not asked to contribute financially to any learning opportunities that take place on the school site.

All children eligible for free school meals are not charged for any learning opportunities including trips.

Transfer to Secondary School

The parents of Year 6 children will need to apply online during late September and early October the year before they are due to start. Parents will then receive a letter from the authority stating which school has been selected for their child. The letter contains information as to the procedure for appealing to change if you are unhapppy with your child’s allocated place.

Information about appeals can be found here.

Children

Year 6 children have several opportunities during the year to visit the two main Secondary Schools, which are Crown Hills and Moat Community College. Each secondary will communicate directly with parents about their own arrangements.

Teachers from the main transfer schools come into the Year 6 base to work with the children. Each secondary school has its own Induction Day in the Summer Term. Information will be forwarded to parents about these.