Grove Vale Primary School

School Procedures

Admission Arrangements

Children in Sandwell are admitted to School at the beginning of the academic year in which they are 5, provided a School place is available. Places for reception classes will be allocated on the priority given below.

Reception

The order of priority for entry to Reception classes will be applied to children who are aged 5 between 1st September and the following 31st August in the admission year as follows ; (a) Children with a brother or sister who will still be attending the School, (b) Children with a brother or sister who will still be attending a Junior School on the same site or nearby (this wills will only apply to Infant School admissions), (c) Children living within the initial allocation area
and (d) Children living outside the initial allocation with priority determined by distance from the School (as the crow flies).

Junior School

If your child is already attending this School the following does not apply. The admission priorities for children transferring from Infant to Junior school or Primary School will be ; (a) Children with a brother or sister who will still be attending the School, (b) children with a brother or sister who will still be attending an Infant School on the same site or nearby (this will only apply to Infant School admissions), (c) children living within the initial allocation area and (d) children living outside the initial allocation area with priory determined by distance from the School (as the crow flies).

Ilness, Medicines and First Aid

Generally, the best thing is to keep young children at home. Sickness or diarrhoea causes should always be kept at home because tummy bugs spread quickly. Ask your doctor when children may return to school after infectious illnesses. Never send a child to school with a temperature or earache. Please ensure that your child is cared for at home until he/she is fully recovered from an illness, for their benefit and the benefit of others. If children are taken ill or have an accident at school, the school will contact you. It is very important that you leave a telephone number where you can be contacted in case of emergency. In no circumstances will children be allowed to leave school unaccompanied.

No parent may bring any form of medical treatment into school without the prior consent of the Headteacher. Children needing antibiotic mixture or tablets should be at home. Long term medical conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, etc. will require special arrangements for medication to be given at school. Please talk to the Headteacher about special arrangements.

Members of the school staff attend to minor injuries. If it is considered that a child needs expert attention, school will contact parents and arrange for the child to be taken to Hospital. Please inform the school immediately if you change your address or telephone number.

Attendance and Absence

We pride ourselves on a high level of pupil attendance and this emphasis needs constant reinforcement and support from parents. We are grateful for the co-operation of parents who are asked to adopt the following procedures ; (a) please telephone the school or send a note giving reason for absence. If a telephone call is made initially then a note should be brought on the first day of their return to school and given to the class teacher, (b) if a pupil is receiving treatment from a Doctor or Dentist and needs time out from school, please let the class teacher know the previous day. If parents' annual holiday does not coincide with the school holiday, please obtain a holiday form (SCH/7) to complete and return to the school. Please read "Governor's Leave of Absence Policy" below).

Governor's Leave of Absence Policy

Governors are aware of the disruption caused to a child's education by taking holidays in term time, and would therefore seek the co-operation of parents in ensuring that, wherever possible, family holidays are taken during School holidays. Where it is not possible, parents may request leave of absence for their child for a period not exceed two weeks in any school year. Any application for leave of absence in any other circumstances (including periods in excess of the two week maximum) must be made through the Headteacher to the Governing Body, who will consider each case on an individual basis. Where leave of absence is granted for periods in excess of the two week maximum, (when for example a child is taken on a long visit overseas) the parents should endeavour to make local arrangements for the child's education to continue. Any absence from School due to illness, visiting the dentist or any other medical service, taking part in an educational activity off site organised by the school or any activity previously authorised by the Governing body will be recorded as an Authorised Absence. Any other absence will be recorded as an Unauthorised Absence and the total number of such absences will appear on the individual child's report. The total of all unauthorised and authorised absences will appear in the Annual Report to parents provided a school place is available.

Charging and Remissions

The LEA will charge for the following areas of activity ; (a) Board and lodging on residential visits, (b) activities which take place wholly or mainly outside school hours, but which are not provided as part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examination and are not required to fulfil statutory duties relating to the National Curriculum or to Religious Education, (c) the cost of entering a pupil for a public examination not prescribed in regulations, and for preparing the pupil for such an examination outside school hours, (d) resits of prescribed public examination where no further preparation has been provided by the school, (e) in cases where pupils do not arrive for examination and where there is not a medical certificate or other good reason, and (f) individual music tuition where it is not part of the syllabus for a prescribed examination or required by the National Curriculum. Note, whilst the LEA may charge in these circumstances, it is not expected that there should be a need to change existing practices which operated prior to 1st April 1989.

Remission Policy

Any remission of charges to any pupil for "optional activities" which take place wholly or mainly outside of school hours will need to be determined by the Governors and met by the School (ERA Section 100(b) (ii)). The Governors will follow the above LEA policy on charges, except that the school will charge for individual music tuition. Also, that the school can ask for voluntary contributions as DES Circular 2/89.

Behaviour Policy

Home Learning Policy