How our school is organised

Classroom Organisation

We are a one-form entry school and children move from one class to the next according to their age. The classes are numbered according to the National Curriculum Year Groups.

Children work in key stages. In the Primary School pupils work in Key Stage 1, Yr. 1 and Yr. 2, and Key Stage 2, Yrs. 3 - 6. In The Foundation Stage learning is centred around The Early Learning Goals. The National Curriculum programmes of Study begin in KS1.

Foundation Stage

The Foundation Stage comprises:

Nursery
Reception

Depending on the child's birthday, three or more terms will be spent in the nursery, two or more terms will be spent in the Reception class. The nursery has a full time teacher and a full time nursery nurse. The Reception class has a full time teacher supported by a teaching assistant.

Please note that admission to the Nursery does not guarantee admission to the school.

Key Stage 1

Key Stage One comprises:

Year 1
Year 2

Each child will spend one full year in each of Years 1 and 2.

Each child starts school with his/her own particular abilities and talents and it is in the child's own home and community that the earliest learning takes place. The teachers therefore recognise that a partnership between parents and school should be developed from the start and maintained during the child's time at school.

Key Stage 2

We have 4 junior Classes:-

Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6

Uniform

Our uniform, detailed below, is simple, easy to wear and helps parents avoid problems about clothes to wear at school.

Jewellery should not be worn, apart from watches and small studs if your child has pierced ears. Hooped earrings and sleepers are not acceptable. Any studs worn must be able to be removed for PE and swimming and children have to be able to do this by themselves. All clothing must be clearly marked to help us return lost property easily.

We have a lost property box in the medical/print room which stores articles we are unable to return.

PE kit can be kept in school in a drawstring bag marked with your child's name. For art and technology activities, we would suggest that every child has an old shirt to protect their clothes. This can also be kept in their PE bag for convenience.

St. William of York School Uniform

• White or red polo shirt
• Navy blue school sweatshirt
  (bought from Paulro's in Sydenham
  - next door to Safeways)
• Short or long grey school trousers
• Navy school pinafore/skirt
  (a blue check dress can be worn in
  summer)
• Navy, brown or black shoes, not boots
  (suitable for school wear and no
  open-toed sandals)
• Tights or socks should be plain in grey,
  navy blue, white or red only.

Foundation stage: navy blue jogging bottoms or shorts may be worn in place of trousers or skirts.

P.E. Kit

• T-shirt - plain white
• PE shorts - plain navy blue
• Trainers or plimsolls (no trainer boots)
• Jogging tops and trousers can be added in cold weather and shoul
  be plain navy.

Discipline

At St. William of York we place great emphasis on self-discipline and praise. We have few school rules and we encourage the children to understand why these few rules are necessary, either for their own safety or the well being of others.

The School Behaviour Policy can be viewed on request. A brief summary is detailed below.

Aims

To ensure that behaviour of the children makes a positive contribution to their education, both academically and morally.

To prevent the misbehaviour of some children adversely affecting the happiness or education of others.

Context

• We aim to make school a happy place where children feel able to express themselves, make mistakes and seek help.

• We aim to adopt a positive attitude which enables the children to grow and change in an atmosphere that reflects Christ's love.

• The Catholic ethos of the school should be reflected in the way we all relate to members of staff, parents, visitors to the school, governors and, above all, the children.

The School Day

8:50 - Bell rings - children may then go to class to settle
           themselves for the day.
9:00 - Registration
9:05 - Assembly
10:30 - Morning break until
10:45 12:00 - Infant lunch-time begins
12:15 - Junior lunch-time begins
1:15 - Afternoon school starts
2:30 - Afternoon break (infants only) until 2:45
3:15 - School ends

Registration is at 9a.m. and children should be in the classroom at the time otherwise they will be marked as late. Children who are late should report to the School Office to be marked in and to give a reason for lateness. This is not a good start to the day and causes disruption for both your child and the class.

Absences

If your child is absent from school, please let us know the reason by telephone on the first day of absence and confirming this with a note to the class teacher when they return. Unexplained absences give cause for concern and are investigated by the Educational Social worker. If you are unavoidably taking your child away during school time for a holiday, please ask at the school office for a form to inform the governors. Authorisation will not be given during May when assessments are taking place, or at the beginning of a school year.

Accidents, Illnesses and Medical problems

If your child has a slight accident in school, they will be attended to by a member of staff. We do not use ointments or lotions, but clean and dress cuts where necessary.

Should the accident require it, parents or guardians will be informed, either by note or personally, particularly if there has been a bump on the head or face.

More serious accidents do sometimes occur and in these cases it is vital that we are able to get in touch with parents or carers as soon as possible, so that the child may be taken to hospital. It is therefore most important that you keep the school up-to-date with any changes in contact and emergency numbers, however temporary.

Should a child become ill at school, we will contact you so that they can be taken home. The child will be kept where a member of staff can observe them while they wait to be collected.

Please inform the school if your child suffers from any specific medical problem so that we can be aware of their special needs.

The school nurse carries out health checks in Years R and 1. The dentist visits regularly and parents/carers are informed if a child requires treatment.

Extra Curricular Activities

We have various clubs which run after school on a weekly basis. Some are for certain age ranges and sometimes restricted by the weather and seasons. The clubs that are currently running are:

Girls/Boys Football,
Netball,
Choir,
French,
Computer Club,
Cricket.
At lunch time for KS1 - Art and Drama

Equality

Our approach to delivering the curriculum to children is built on the underlying philosophy of our school. As a Catholic school, we have the aim of fostering a community with Christ as its centre. This community requires a commitment to love, understanding, encouragement, support and endeavour. We oppose any forms of discrimination on grounds of class, race, gender or ability.