General Information
Admission to School
The children in our catchment area are admitted into our Foundation Class the term after their fourth birthday.
Children transfer from the Foundation Class into the reception class according to Leicestershire County Council's Common Admissions Policy. The chart below illustrates when the children enter the Foundation Class, when they transfer from Foundation Class to Reception and how they move from part-time to full-time education.
Children from out of catchment area but within Leicestershire are admitted into the Reception Class at the time that they would be admitted into their catchment area school. Children from out of catchment area and out of County will be considered for admission into the Foundation Class in accordance with our Planned Admission Limit (PAL).
All parents need to register their child's name with the school by completing a 'pink form' and returning it to the Allocations Section at County Hall.
Parents who are considering sending their child to Blackfordby School are very welcome to visit the school, meet the staff and talk with the children. For the well being of each child, a close relationship between parents and school is of the essence. We do our utmost to create a warm and caring atmosphere within school.
Prior to the term, at the beginning of which the children are admitted into the Foundation Class or Reception, our Early Years Co-ordinator together with the Nursery Nurse arrange a home visit. Shortly afterwards, the parents are invited to school for a meeting, and the children to spend a morning in their class.
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School Attendance
School attendance is measured by sessions, morning and afternoon each day, for every child.
Should parents wish to take their child out of school for holidays in addition to school holidays, a holiday form, available from the school office, should be completed. It is not expected that parents should request permission to take their child out of school for more than 10 school days in a school year but such a request would be considered in exceptional cases.
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Unauthorised Absence
The DFEE requires schools to give details of the level of unauthorised absence, for example truancy of pupils, absence where there is no reason supported by a letter or telephone call from home, or where parents have taken children out of school for holidays and not received authorisation. We ask parents to let us know if a child is ill, has an appointment with the doctor or dentist, or will be away from school for some other reason.
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Parent's access to documents and information
Full lists of LEA policy statements, Administrative Memoranda and Minutes of Governors' Meetings are available on request from Miss Vernon. We also provide access to statements of aims of the school, school policies, and schemes of work and children's records.
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'Parents in Partnership'
All parents are most welcome to attend meetings of 'Parents in Partnership' when fund raising events, usually one each term, are planned. 'Parents in Partnership' has raised money to buy for the school, large construction equipment, window blinds, television and video and books for guided reading.
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Charging for School Activities
The Governing Body has accepted the LEA policy statement on charging for school activities. It accepts that for certain school activities to take place, it is essential for voluntary contributions to be made by parents towards the costs.
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Arrangements for lunchtimes.
We are unable to provide meals for the children at lunchtime. All the children bring packed lunches and a drink from home and these are eaten, under supervision, in the classrooms. After eating, the children go outside to play, again under supervision, but remain inside if the weather is wet.
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Arrangements for free school meals
Parents who are in receipt of Income Support or Income based Job Seekers Allowance may apply to the Awards, Loans and Grants Section at County Hall for free school meals. Parents receive a refund in lieu of packed lunches provided from home.
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Arrangements for morning break
At the beginning of morning break, the children may have a snack of fruit which is supplied by school or biscuits. Parents are asked for the cost of the biscuits - 15 pence each week, at the beginning of each half term. The children in the Foundation Class also have a choice of milk or squash to have with their morning biscuits for which the parents pay at the beginning of each half term. Unless the weather is unsuitable, the children play outside in the playground, supervised by two members of staff. Drinking water is available throughout the day.
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School Uniform
We encourage our children to wear uniform which consists of grey skirt, pinafore or trousers, white blouse/shirt or polo shirt, and dark red Blackfordby cardigan or sweatshirt. In Summer, the boys may wear grey shorts and the girls dresses, either checked or striped in dark red. Order forms are available from the office, or print it from the following link.
What your child needs to bring
The children need for P.E in the village hall shorts, T-shirt, shorts, plimsolls and socks, although when appropriate, the children work in bare feet. In Years Two and Three the children have football skills witht he David Hunt School of Soccer, they will need suitable clothing for outdoors, football boots etc. Please ensure that all items are clearly named.
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Behaviour and Discipline
Our aim is that all the children understand what is expected of them, and standards of care, respect and tolerance are taught. At Blackfordby St. Margaret's, we hope and expect that children learn truth and justice by the example of those around them.
At Blackfordby St. Margaret's, everyone is valued, and the importance of courtesy, tolerance and consideration is a constant emphasis. The school is committed to rewarding positive behaviour. Deliberate or repeated disruptive behaviour is dealt with firmness and fairness, and this may require consultation between parents and school if it is to be resolved.
Any incidents of bullying are dealt with immediately, and parents of the children involved are always informed.
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Arrangements for P.E
Blackfordby St. Margaret's does not have a hall: P.E lessons take place in the Village Hall which is 10 minutes walk from school, and in the playground. The walk to and from the Village Hall is always supervised by a teacher and two other adults. The wearing of jewellery on P.E days is discouraged.
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Health and Safety
The Governors have a Health and Safety Policy which is reviewed regularly. Risk Assessments and Fire drills are also undertaken termly by the Governor with the responsibility for Health and Safety.
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Health Education
Health Education begins at Blackfordby St. Margaret's when the children join us and is developed through the years. It draws on the curriculum areas of science and physical education and includes consideration of the human body, diet, personal hygiene and physical fitness. Sex education, appropriate to the age range of our children forms part of the health education programme.
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Road Safety and Personal Safety
Road Safety and personal safety are major areas of concern, and the children receive regular talks. Ours walks to the Village Hall help to emphasise the necessity for awareness of personal safety.
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Medicines
Should your child require medicine during the school day, please ask in the office for a form, which should be completed, and the medicine left in the office. The member of staff who administers the medicine, signs the form when the medicine is administered.
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Accidents and illness in School
If there is an accident, or if a child is ill, it is necessary to contact a parent as soon as possible. It is essential that our records of contact numbers are kept up to date and to this end we ask parents to provide a comprehensive list of contact numbers which is reviewed regularly. If, on rare occasions, we need to contact a parent because of accident or illness, and we are unable to, then we will take such action as we think fit in the circumstances.
Children who sustain minor accidents receive simple first aid and two members of staff are trained in first aid. However, children are better at home if they are poorly, and in most cases of illness, it is of considerable help to us, if parents, assuming that we are able to contact them, are willing to collect their child. We always notify parents if their child has had an injury to the head or if an injury is serious enough to require an accident report to be sent to the L.E.A.
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Collective Worship
We aim to give the children a meaningful insight into the moral values of the society in which we live. We help children to understand others to become caring in their relationships; to respect others' feelings and beliefs; to acquire a sense of responsibility and to become valued and useful members of the community.
At least one assembly each week takes place in St. Margaret's Church, and the remainder take place in the classrooms as we do not have a hall. Our assemblies are broadly Christian, with references to other religions.
Individual successes, whether in or out of school, are shared by all so that others will want to develop a sense of responsibility to our society.
If, as a parent, you wish to withdraw your child from collective worship, you have the right to do so under the Education Reform Act.
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Statement on equal opportunities and racism
At Blackfordby St. Margaret's, we consider every person to be of value, irrespective of race, age, faith, culture or gender, and believe that every person should be treated fairly.
The school abides by the laws which govern equal opportunities and racial equality and follows the policies set down by Parliament and by Leicestershire County Council.
Our school curriculum is designed to give boys and girls experience in all areas of study, including other lifestyles and beliefs which contribute to our society.
At Blackfordby St. Margaret's, intolerance of people of different sex, race, back grounds or faith, will be dealt with firmly.
The Governors have drawn up a policy on Equal Opportunities and Anti Racism, which is available in school.
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Special Educational Needs
At Blackfordby St. Margaret's every child is known to us individually, and every child is a special child with his or her own needs. Extra help is provided when we feel that it is required. In cases which present particular need, we seek advice from the appropriate agencies available to us, such as Education Psychology Service, the Hearing Impaired Service and the Visually Impaired Service. The school has a Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), Miss Vernon, whose role is to co-ordinate provision for the children with special education needs by maintaining a record and overseeing all the children's records. The Governors have a policy for special educational needs which is reviewed regularly. They do their best to secure the necessary provision for any pupil with special needs, ensuring that the teachers in the school are aware of the importance of identifying need and providing for those pupils.
At Blackfordby St. Margaret's, children with special needs are assessed and where a need arises, they are supported in small groups, or within the class, as appropriate. We feel that it is important to ensure that all children have access to the same balanced curriculum.
Pupils who are newly identified as having SEN that meet the LEA's criteria, will initially be placed on the Special Needs Record at 'School Action' during which time, their educational difficulties will be targeted using school initiatives. If, subsequently, there has been little / no improvement, pupils will then progress to 'School Action Plus at which point, outside advice and / or support will be sought.
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Extra Curricular Activities
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Visits
All of our children participate in educational visits as part of the National Curriculum. The children in Year Three are offered, during the Summer Term, a residential visit to Beaumanor Hall, Woodhouse Eaves, where they stay for two nights. Activities include canoeing, rock climbing and archery.
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Homework
From their admission into the Foundation Class, we hope that the children will share the work which they do in school with their parents and carers. Homework is part of this process, and from the outset, we expect parents and carers to hear their children read. Children are also offered a 'choice' book from the classroom or the library to share at home. As they progress through the school, the children will be given spellings to learn, and Literacy and Numeracy homework to complete. We hope that all parents and carers will encourage and support their children in these activities.
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Assessment
Children are assessed, both formally and informally throughout their time at Blackfordby School. Teacher assessments, informed by the continued appraisal of children's work, take place in all subjects and profiles of each child's work and progress are kept in school.
Standard Attainment Tasks (SATs ) for the Year Two children, at the end of Key Stage One, take place during May, towards the end of the academic year. Parents are informed that these will take place and before the end of the Summer term, they are given the results.
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Permission Forms
To download any of the following; Holiday Permission Forms, Uniform order forms, Rucksakes, Book Bags, please see the Latest News page.
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