Origins of the School

The school dates back to 1780 when the Reverend Francis Burton established it in an old farmhouse to cater for the children of the poor. Two new classrooms were built in 1870 and there has been a substantial building programme in the last 30 years

In 1997 the School became a Grant Maintained School and gained complete control over its finances. Since then the school has been through many changes. The nursery was established and started taking children in 1999. Also in 1999 the school changed its status to a Foundation School, which gives more flexibility with admissions and holidays.

New Entrants

In the summer term the school will write to those parents who have applied for a place for their child in the reception class for the following September, inviting them to come to a meeting at school one evening. At this meeting you will be shown around the school and given information to help you and your child settle into school life at Grimoldby.
If parents move into the locality or wish to change their child’s school once the school year has begun they should telephone the school for an appointment; they will be invited to come and have a look around the school at a mutually convenient time.

Children with Disabilities

The school has the full range of policies from Curriculum to Health and Safety, we do not discriminate where children have a disability, either mental or physical, and we operate fully an Inclusion Policy. The school has wheelchair access and a strong reputation for dealing with children with Special Needs.

School Admissions Policy

Children are admitted to Nursery from the beginning of the term after their third birthday, on a part time basis.
The Nursery operates in accordance with the arrangements and regulations applicable to Registered Early Years Providers which are subject to alteration as and when National and Local policies are formulated.
Please note; a place in our nursery does not guarantee a place in the reception class.
Parents who wish their child to attend our nursery should contact the school when their child has achieved their third birthday.

The agreed admission limit is 30 for the year. Children will be admitted to the reception year in the September of the school year in which they have their fifth birthday.
Where the application for admission exceeds the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied, in the order set out herewith, to decide which children to admit. “In accordance with the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs, the allocation of school places for pupils with a statement of special educational needs will take place before the school allocates other places as part of the normal admissions process.”
1. Where children are in public care.
2. Where the child has a sibling currently attending the school.
3. Where there are medical grounds (supported by a Doctor’s certificate) for admitting the child.
4. Proximity of the child’s home to the school with those living nearer being accorded the higher priority. Distance to be measured on a map as the crow flies.

School Uniform

The school uniform consists of a royal blue sweatshirt with the school emblem, (these can be purchased from the school), a white polo shirt, (also available from the school) grey trousers, shorts or skirt and shoes (not trainers). We also have royal blue fleeces again with the school emblem on, on sale at school. During the summer girls can wear blue and white checked dresses.

Organisation

There are 8 classes in school which includes the nursery. All children are taught in mixed ability classes. There is a class for each year group:

Foundation Stage Nursery
Reception
Key Stage 1 (KS1), formerly “Infants” Year 1
Year 2
Key Stage 2 (KS2), formerly “Juniors” Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6

Facilities

The school has single-age classes, nursery room, a Special Needs Room, ITC suite, Library, hard playground area, sports field, hall, outside classroom and adventure playground.

Adventure Playground Outside classroom

Sports field

Consent for Village Outings

We often wish to take children off the school premises for a short walk in the village to study buildings, habitats etc. We expect that you will be in agreement with this, providing the children are under the supervision of a qualified teacher and accompanied by a suitable number of adults. If you do not wish your child to take part without your prior knowledge, you must inform us in writing, so that the notification can be kept on record. For day trips that are further a field you will always be notified and asked to sign a separate consent slip.

Liaison with Parents

We ask all parents to keep us informed about changing circumstances at home. If the family pet has died or Granny is ill, it will affect how your child performs at school. If you change your mobile phone number or move house we do need to know these things, not because we are nosey but because we have to keep these things on record. In Key Stage 1 classes your child will have a Red Reading Record Book which can be used for messages. In Key Stage 2, they have a home school diary, again messages can be written here. Or you can write a short note and give it to your child to give their class teacher.
If you prefer you can pop into the school office and give a verbal message to the office staff who will pass this on to your child’s teacher. Staff will try and make time to see you after school or before school if you phone the previous day and make an appointment.

The Curriculum

The School follows the National Curriculum which consists of: English (Literacy), Mathematics (Numeracy), Science, Design and Technology (DT), Information and Communications Technology (ICT), History, Geography, ART, P.E, R.E, Music, Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).
The school is developing a thematic approach to planning, where class teachers may cover aspects of different subjects at any one time.
All curriculum policies are reviewed annually by staff and reports are presented to the governors by subject leaders.

Children are continually assessed by class teachers and their achievements are reported to parents at parents evenings and in the annual report at the end of the academic year.

Planning, Preparation and Assessment Time
Each class teacher is entitled to 10% non contact time each week for Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA Time). The headteacher or another qualified teacher cover these times so that every class is always taught by a qualified teacher. We have a number of teaching assistants, some of these are for specific children, and some for specific roles in school. These assistants may take small groups of children for specific work either in an area in the classroom or if the activity needs a quiet environment into the Special Needs Room, which we call The Cabin (the old nursery building across the playground).

Physical Education
All children need shorts, ‘T’ shirt, black plimsolls and trainers. We do not specify colours but ask that clothes are suitable for P.E and not a fashion statement; crop tops and skimpy vest tops are not appropriate. Even during cold weather we take the children outside for part of their P.E time so a tracksuit or similar clothing is needed during the winter months. When the children first begin their schooling with us we provide a P.E bag. If this is lost a new one can be purchased from the school office for £3.

Swimming
Children in classes 3 and 4 go swimming each week. Boys need trunks (not shorts) and a one-piece swimsuit for the girls. These plus a towel should be in a named bag.

If your child is unable to take part in swimming or PE activities we need a letter from you explaining the reason. Parents are asked for a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the swimming.

Homework
There is an expectation from government that homework is given to all children so that parents are closely involved in their children’s learning. We would like all children to be heard to read at home and given help with their other homework tasks. Here is a list of recommended times for homework:

Reception 5 to 10 minutes a night going over books and learning to read words
Year 1 and 2 1 hour per week, hearing your child read, learning spellings, maths sheets
Years 3 and 4 1½ hours per week, hearing children read, doing maths and English homework, possibly assignments in other subjects
Years 5 and 6 30 minutes per day, reading, regular weekly schedules over different topics
If, for any reason your child cannot complete their homework it would be appreciated if you would inform their class teacher.

Newsletters

You will receive regular newsletters concerning events, information and organisation of the school. These are numbered, so you will know if you have missed one. Copies are kept on the notice board in the reception area by the school office; please come and take another if you lose yours. These can also be downloaded from the website.

Your Child’s Progress

In the Autumn term you will be invited to come into school on a parents evening to discuss your child’s progress and to see how they have settled down in their new class. There will also be a parents evening during the Spring term. In the Summer term you will be sent a report outlining your child’s achievements over the year. There will be an opportunity for you to come and view your child’s work and wander through the school to have a look at the art work on display. If you would like a confidential meeting with your child’s class teacher at the end of the year please ask for one.
If at any time you have concerns about your child’s progress or behaviour please do not hesitate to telephone or come and make an appointment with their class teacher or with the headteacher.

Discipline

Our Statement of General Principles:
By the time children leave our school at eleven they should have achieved the best academic results of which they are capable, have developed into happy confident children who are communicative and independent, yet self disciplined and adaptable to the changing world in which they live. We hope that by the example they have experienced they will be aware of their social and personal responsibilities, have sympathy for the less able and a desire to be a helpful member of the community in which they live.

The school has in place Anti Bullying, Equal Opportunities and Racial Equality Policies.

Food in School

We are in the process of becoming a Healthy School. At playtimes we encourage children to be active and become fitter, and so we do not allow them to eat food outside. Each class has a snack time where they can eat a healthy snack. The nursery and reception class are offered milk or water and fruit or vegetables. Years one and two are offered fruit or vegetables, supplied by the ‘Free Fruit and Vegetables’ scheme. Years three, four, five and six can purchase fruit or vegetables at 10p per item from school or they can bring their own fruit or vegetables to eat at this time.

All children are asked to have a water bottle with sports top in school so they have access to water during lesson time. We also ask that you send your child with a healthy packed lunch if they are not having a hot meal; items we do not consider healthy are fizzy drinks, sweets, crisps or savoury biscuits, and more than one portion of cake or biscuits.

The school offers hot lunches which are provided by North Somercotes Primary School and the current cost is £1.90 per day (free for children entitled to free School Meals). They comply fully with the Government standards for food in schools. Alternatively children may bring a packed lunch.

Your Child’s Health

Head lice
As with any illness or disease, it is the parent’s responsibility to be constantly on the look out for head lice and to take the necessary action. We cannot do anything in school about this apart from informing you when we have more than two cases in one class reported to us. You can buy over-the-counter remedies, or some doctors will prescribe a shampoo.

Menstruation
It is quite common for girls in years 5 or 6 to begin their menstrual cycle. It is a great help to us if we are informed of this so we can deal sympathetically with any problems she may have.

Medicines
We are reluctant to administer any medication during the school day. However, if your child has a long-term illness or is taking a short course of medication that they need during the school day we will administer medication advised by the doctor, providing the following safeguards are observed.
1. A written note explaining the need for the administration of the medication in school.
2. The medication must be clearly labelled with contents, owner’s name and dosage, and must be handed to a teacher or the office staff.
3. Under no circumstances should tablets etc be left in lunch boxes for self-administration by the child.

Security

We need to keep the school site as safe as possible for your children. If you need to collect your child early would you please come to the school office and someone will fetch your child for you.

If your child is being collected by someone different unknown to us please inform us. Some children go home by bus or taxi; if these arrangements change, please let us know. If we are in any doubt we will not let your child go with an unknown person without confirming the arrangements with you.

In a morning when your child arrives at school they should use the playground entrance. If you would like to see a member of staff concerning your child the best time is after school. An appointment can be made through the school office. From time to time you may need to leave a message for your child’s class teacher, this can be done through the school office. Please do not follow your child into school to find their class teacher as they will be in the classroom ready to receive the children and not in a position to talk to you freely about your child.

Extended Schools

The school itself does not provide after school provision but allows Mrs Georgina Pepper, an Ofsted registered child minder, to rent a mobile classroom on the school site. This operates every afternoon when the school finishes for the day. Children from school are collected in the playground and taken over to the ‘Cabin’, known as Manby Kiddie Care School Club. Mrs Pepper is able to provide the children with a hot meal if needed for their tea. Mrs Pepper also provides care during the school holidays.
Throughout the year staff and outside agencies run a variety of after school clubs. These are usually for Key Stage 2 children. Letters are sent home to inform parents of these activities and children have to sign up to them. Other extra Curricular Activities for Key Stage 1 are offered from time to time at lunch time.

Absences

If your child has a hospital, doctor’s or dentist appointment it would help us greatly if you inform either their class teacher or the office staff the day prior to the appointment. Should your child become too ill to be at school please phone the school as early as possible on their first day off school. At 9.00 a.m the office staff will begin telephoning to find out why a child is not in school. We are not being nosey but it is our legal responsibility to know where all the children are on school days.
Should your child become ill while at school we will telephone you if we think they are too ill to remain at school. If you do not have transport to collect them we can make arrangements to have them brought home. It is important that we have an up-to-date list of telephone numbers for us to use should the need arise, so if you change your place of work or mobile please inform us.
The new requirements are that the Headteacher can only authorise 10 school days of absence, which includes illness. If your child is absent for more than 10 school days the Headteacher will have to ask you to come into school and discuss this.

Special Educational Needs

The school recognises that many children will have special educational needs (SEN) during their school lives and have therefore instigated a programme of assessment and remediation under the guidelines of the Code of Practice.

The 1933 Education Act deals with assessing and making provision for the special Educational Needs of children. The children who are directly concerned are those whose needs warrant provision beyond which is normally available in ordinary schools. The provisions of the Act are detailed and complex and parents requiring further information should ask to see the leaflet produced by Lincolnshire County Council Special Needs, or contact the school.

The school has formulated, implemented, monitored and evaluated individual education plans to support full access to the curriculum and has given consideration for example to the child’s space requirements in the classroom and such matters as the maintenance and storage of equipment. Children with disabilities and special educational needs without statements are admitted under the same criteria as other children providing that their needs can be accommodated in physical terms (the suitability of the building) and educational terms (the staffing is suitable for their needs).

Copies of the school’s SEN policy and arrangements for requesting advice or making complaints regarding SEN issues are available from the school office. The school makes effective use of its relationship with other schools, agencies and parents, as well as its own internal assessment procedures to identify and assess pupils with special educational needs and the provision made for these pupils.

The school has provided additional help in terms of ancillary hours for non-statemented children as well as contacting staff from the Learning Support Service to provide assessment and learning provision for the children with special educational needs. The Special Needs coordinator and class teachers have purchased suitable equipment particularly to facilitate reading and number for children with special needs.

We have wheelchair access and a separate toilet for the disabled. The school has taken all reasonable steps to improve access to independent learning and the physical environment of the school for the child, seeking external advice on basic