Contents Welcome 02 Communication 03 The School day 04 10 Academic: Reception 11 Homework and reporting: Reception 12 Preparing for Reception Page 01 Medical information 05 13 Academic: Years 1 and 2 06 Uniform 14 Academic: Years 1 and 2 Food 07 Pre-Prep staff 08 15 Homework and reporting: Years 1 and 2 16 Miscellaneous Fees 09
We are delighted that you have chosen our school for your child and are very much looking forward to welcoming your family to the Abingdon Pre-Prep community. Our aim is to create a friendly, caring and stimulating environment for our young pupils and the information set out in the following pages is designed to help you in preparing for your child's start. Welcome Page 02 Settling in Our main priority is to calmly settle your child settled into life at school as quickly as possible. Your child's form teacher is your first point of contact for any questions you may have and they will help your child to settle quickly into their new routine. School houses When your child starts school, they will be welcomed into one of our four houses: Dragon, Griffin, Phoenix and Unicorn and they will remain in this house for the duration of their time at Abingdon Prep School. The house system enables children to mix across age groups from the very start. There are regular house challenges throughout the year. In Reception, children learn about their house during the first term and then can earn counters (merits) for making good choices in both behaviour and achievement thereafter. The importance from the beginning is to establish a sense of community and team work.
Website Plenty of useful information can be found on our website, including our calendar, details of the JPA (our parents’ association) and our lunch menu, not to mention news stories about what our pupils have been up to. The Weekly Mailing Each Thursday during term time, parents are emailed our password protected Weekly Mailing which contains important information about forthcoming events at school (usernames and passwords will be provided to parents separately). Please can we encourage you to read this every week and let us know if you aren’t able to access it. Class specific communications In addition, Pre-Prep parents are sent a newsletter at the beginning of each term which provides information on the topic for the term, plus any other information and an overview of activities. Your child's class teacher will send regular round ups of information, homework and upcoming events, via the class rep. Abingdon Prep News Our termly school magazine provides a snapshot of the wide range of activities our children have enjoyed throughout the course of the previous term. Photographs and social media As already mentioned, news stories are published on the school website and shared via social media channels including X, Facebook and Instagram and this is an engaging way for parents to keep up to date with all that their children are doing. As part of your joining pack, we ask parents to complete a consent form to enable us to include your child in all of our marketing and publicity. www.abingdon.org.uk/prep Communication Central to the success of your child’s time at Abingdon Prep is a strong relationship between home and school. As previously mentioned, your child's form teacher is your first point of contact. In the Early Years, Linda is the key worker for your child, with support from the TA team. Should you ever have any concerns or minor issues, these can often be dealt with at welcome in the morning. Please pass messages to Linda or the teacher who welcomes the children at the gate. Alternatively please email your child’s class teacher directly. They will respond as soon as they can. For a longer discussion, it is best for parents to make a separate appointment. Page 03
Arrival at school Children should arrive from 8.15am to be ready to start the school day at 8.25am. If required, children may be dropped off at our Early Birds Club from 8am, at no additional cost. The Pre-Prep gate will be open from 8am and a member of staff will be ready to welcome the children. Children joining in Reception have a staggered start to the academic year. End of the day Reception: Children in Reception finish school at 3.25pm and are collected from the Pre-Prep gate, adjacent to the Year 2 classroom. For parents who are unable to collect their child at the end of the school day, pupils may attend After School Club until 5pm. This service is supervised and children will be given a small healthy snack. It is available until 4.15pm at no additional cost, but a flat rate of £2.50 per day is then charged until 5pm. Years 1 and 2: Children in Years 1 and 2 finish school at 3.25pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; and 4pm on Thursday, due to the enrichment programme. They may also attend the After School Club which is available until 4.15pm at no additional cost, at £2.50 per day until 5pm, and at a further £4 per day from 5pm to 6pm (please note only children in Years 1 and above may stay until 6pm). Children in Years 1 and 2 may also participate in an Other Half Activity until 4pm. The clubs on offer are a mixture of those provided by staff and those provided by external facilitators (and therefore may be subject to an additional cost). Details will be provided before the start of term and you will be required to fill in an online form of your club requests. After the activity has finished by 4pm, children can be collected and taken home or stay in After School Club. Arriving late or going early from school If a child arrives after 8.25am or needs to leave school early for any reason, it is very important that they are signed in or out from the front office, so that we know the whereabouts of all children at all times. Attendance Holiday dates are published well in advance and parents are asked to book holidays during these times. In line with the latest Government directive, we are unable to authorise holidays in term time, unless there are extenuating personal circumstances. In such cases, consent must be granted by the Head - please email him directly [email protected] and copy in your child’s form teacher and section head. The School day Page 04
Illness Young children who are unwell should stay at home in order for them to recover as quickly as possible. If a child is unwell, parents should email their child’s form teacher, the Head of Pre-Prep, Linda Gaskell, and the school secretary ([email protected]) by 8.30am for each day they are absent (or telephone the school office on 01865 391570). If a child is absent without notification, the school secretary will contact parents to establish a reason for absence. If a child is suffering from a sickness or tummy bug, in line with our school policy, they must be kept at home for at least 48 hours after their last symptom. First aid Teachers at Abingdon Prep School receive regular training in First Aid. In addition, Pre-Prep and other key staff, undertake Paediatric First Aid training. Healthcare There is a nurse on duty throughout the school day. Based in our small, friendly medical room, care is offered to children as a result of an accident, injury or minor illness. As part of the joiner pack, parents are asked to complete a form detailing their child’s medical history - please supply us with as much detail as possible. If there are any significant changes to your child’s overall medical condition at any stage during their time at Abingdon Prep, please notify our school nurse via email ([email protected]) and copy in your child’s form teacher and Linda Gaskell so they can keep their record up to date. Medication The nurse can administer medications, including paracetamol, antihistamine and those prescribed from home, such as antibiotics, once parents have completed the medicines form. We do ask that any Pre-Prep child prescribed with antibiotics stays off school, completing two days of the course before returning. The nurse also keeps named emergency medication including inhalers and adrenaline autoinjectors and will provide continued support to children with longer term health needs such as diabetes and asthma. Medical information Page 05
Uniform In Pre-Prep, we have an all year round uniform consisting of a navy polo shirt, grey shorts, long grey trousers, grey socks and a teal sweatshirt. Girls may also choose to wear grey skirts or skorts and grey tights, and, in the summer, a blue and white checked dress. Children will also need separate PE kit (please refer to the uniform list on the website). In addition, children will need a lightweight waterproof navy coat, navy waterproof all in one overall, a thick, waterproof winter coat, winter hat and school legionnaire cap. Please ensure everything is clearly named. Additional items Children need to come to school in black leather, well fitting shoes with a velcro fastening. White trainers for indoor gym / sport sessions (with velcro fastening). Wellington boots. Kit bags Children will need a school backpack to keep their PE kit in; a drawstring swimming bag and a school book bag. Children’s kit bags are kept in cubbies in the Pre-Prep corridor. They need to be brought into school on Monday with everything your child will need for the week. They are sent home when the kit needs to be washed. Where to source School uniform may be purchased through our uniform supplier, Stevensons. Second hand uniform sales are held regularly by our Parents’ Association and advertised in the Weekly Mailing. Shoes / trainers / wellies can be purchased through any reputable shoe shop or department store. Uniform Page 06
Lunch The children have lunch, supervised by the Pre-Prep team, in their classroom at 12pm. There is always a choice of two hot dishes with vegetables or salad, jacket potatoes, fresh bread and a pudding, fruit, jelly or yoghurt. All children are encouraged to use good table manners, try all the food that is on their plate and become independent in their eating habits. If there are some foods that will upset your child, please let us know. Lunch menus are available on our website. Snacks Parents should send their child in with a small, healthy snack for mid morning. Please make sure that, in line with school policy, the snack is nut-free, healthy and nutritious (e.g. fruit/cheese/vegetables). Please do not send in fizzy drinks, chocolate, yoghurt, smoothies, sweets, crisps or fruit winders. We will provide the children with a breadstick snack mid afternoon. Please also send your child into school with a transparent, named, water bottle so we can encourage them to drink water throughout the day. A school water bottle is available through Stevensons. Birthdays Children may bring in cupcakes (no sweets) to share with their form on their birthday, with an ingredients list. This will be overseen by the form teacher and given out at the end of the school day so that you can decide when you would like them to eat it. Please remember School is a nut free zone. Food Page 07
Each class is taught by a qualified and experienced teacher and supported by at least one full time Teaching Assistant (in Reception there are also additional part-time staff). We will introduce specialist teachers to your child when they join us in September. Pre-Prep staff Page 08
Payment of fees is due in advance and no later than the first day of term. Fees are fully inclusive of lunch, stationery and other classroom, musical and sporting resources. Any extras, such as individual music lessons, trips / visits are agreed with parents before billing. Monthly payment of fees The school cannot recommend a company that administrates a monthly credit scheme for the payment of school fees. However, there are a number of companies that offer this service and parents wishing to pay in this way can apply on their websites. School policies All policies are available on our website. Insurance schemes No reduction is made for absence but there is a School Fees Refund Scheme, which can be taken out through the school. All children are automatically covered for personal accident insurance. A medical cover scheme for pupils is also available. Further details and the policies can be downloaded from the website. If parents wish to join any of the schemes, please contact the Finance Department and arrange for the charges to be added to your termly school bill. Personal effects insurance Please note the school does not accept responsibility for, and the school’s insurance does not cover, a pupil’s personal effects such as laptop, mobile phone or musical instrument. Fees Page 09
Curriculum The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum is based on the recognition that children learn best through play and active learning. In Reception, teaching is based around the seven areas of Learning and Development as outlined in the new EYFS statutory requirements: These are broken into three prime areas: Personal, social and emotional development Communication and language Physical development Along with four specific areas: Literacy / Maths / Understanding the world / Expressive arts and design. Assessment A combination of formal and informal assessment enables teachers to identify a child’s progress in each area of the curriculum and thereby determine the next stage of their learning. Pupils’ progress is assessed in the seven key areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum (above) at the end of the Reception year. This is an observational assessment, where information is gathered, then collated to form the final outcomes. Rewards and Sanctions Positive behaviour choices are encouraged through the Golden Rules. Golden rules All children are encouraged to follow our ‘Golden Rules’ Be kind Be careful Be smart Be safe Reception have their own class rules, based around these golden rules that children develop themselves at the start of term. Academic: Reception Page 10
Homework This will begin with children being given a sound each day to practise at home as well as a picture book pack to share. By the end of the Autumn term, your child will be bringing books home every day to read. Later in the year, Reception will have a short Phonic and Spelling homework activity each weekend, along with an open-ended Maths problem-solving activity. In addition, there are regular opportunities for research projects to be carried out and presented by the pupils. Reporting There are two parents’ evenings during the academic year - one in the Autumn term and one in the Spring term. Additionally, reports with next steps for learning are given at the end of the Autumn and Summer terms. Any concerns you may have should be raised with Linda or with the Head, Craig. Homework and reporting: Reception Page 11
What can I do to help my child prepare for Reception? Complete a scrapbook over the summer holidays – Linda will give more information during Induction Day. Independence taking off and putting on socks and shoes self-toileting, children must be clean and dry and independent correct washing of hands using a knife and fork getting themselves dressed – knowing the order in which to get dressed carrying their own backpack tidying away their own toys and putting them back where they belong drinking water from a water bottle Sharing books Read to your child every day to encourage a love of books Encourage your child to share books with you and others to talk talk talk! Sing traditional nursery rhymes Counting stairs, pennies, pasta etc. Play outside Go swimming and have fun improving water confidence – key! Learn to ride a 3-wheel bike or scooter Kick a football, bounce a basketball, try hitting with a racket Look out for minibeasts, insects and different kinds of trees and flowers What is the weather like today? Jump in puddles, come back later and then look where the water goes Visit a park and take a teddy and a picnic Play inside Share domestic chores – ask your child to help prepare meals, sort the laundry or make the beds Make a cake or a pizza Look for shapes in your house – circles, triangles, rectangles, square Look for a toy beginning with the sound...s... Write down your family names, can your child recognise their name? Make a train track and count how many trains are on it Build a castle out of empty boxes for a princess or a dragon Play dress-up with some of their parents' old clothes Pretend to write down the shopping list Have a look at the Cbeebies website, just right for this age Preparing for Reception Page 12
Curriculum Years 1 and 2 are part of Key Stage 1 and follow the National Curriculum requirements for this age group. There are some subjects that are taught independently in order to reach the necessary objectives. However, we also teach a creative curriculum which is more topic based, where several objectives are achieved within one activity. This helps to encourage children to be independent learners in an age appropriate way. A general weekly lesson breakdown looks something like this: English – min 14 lessons includes creative writing, Read Write Inc. Phonics, spelling, story time, library, handwriting, reading carousel and show and tell (class teacher) Maths – 7 lessons, mental maths, topic focus and problem-solving (class teacher) Science – 2 lessons (specialist teacher) Wherever possible this links with our topic focus Sport – 5 lessons made up of 1 double Games, 1 double PE and a weekly swimming lesson (specialist teacher) Music – 1 lesson Singing - 1 lesson (specialist teacher) ICT – 1 lesson (specialist teacher) Wherever possible this links with our topic focus Creative – 4 lessons (class teacher) Including Art and Design Technology, Drama and Enrichment Humanities – 2 lessons (class teacher) Including Geography and History Religious Education – 1 lesson (class teacher) French – 1 lesson PSHCE – 1 lesson (class teacher) 1 lesson Pre-Prep Assembly Forest School – alternates weekly (qualified forest school leader) Academic: Years 1 and 2 Page 13 Assessment A combination of formal and informal assessment enables teachers to identify a child’s progress in each area of the curriculum and thereby determine the next stage of their learning. Phonics Workshops for parents will be offered early in the Autumn term to show how we teach Phonics and what you can do to support your child. Red word spellings are taught separately (high frequency words).
Rewards and sanctions All children are encouraged to follow the class rules which are displayed throughout the Pre-Prep department. The class rules apply inside and outside the classroom. We have regular assemblies to reinforce the rules and follow a PSHCE programme to foster independent choices and consequences for behaviour. The children see these as fair rules that underpin everything. Enrichment The children are given the opportunity to take on extra-curricular activities every Thursday afternoon 1.15pm - 4pm. These are varied, extremely enjoyable for the pupils and involve performing arts and crafts, along with Forest School. Forest School Using our extensive outdoor area, the aim of Forest School is to promote pupils' rights to instigate, test and maintain curiosity in the world around them, make their own choices and assess the risk for themselves. Led by experienced and qualified staff, pupils will build, cook, discover and explore. Year 1 and Year 2 have this every other week for the whole year alternating with Enrichment sessions. Academic: Years 1 and 2 Page 14
Homework From the first week, children will be expected to read daily at home and new reading packs will be provided on a regular basis. At the end of each week, three pieces of homework will be put into book bags to be returned by the following Thursday. A Maths activity or game will be in the Maths folder. The sounds learned during the week and activities to reinforce this, will be in the Phonics folder. Also, there will be the ‘red word’ spellings to be reviewed for a weekly test. In addition, we provide special research projects each term which give the children an opportunity to explore a new topic and teach their class through a presentation. Reporting There are two structured parents’ evenings during the academic year, plus the option of an additional parents’ evening in the Summer term. Additionally, reports with next steps for learning are sent at the end of the Autumn and Summer terms. Any concerns you have should be raised with your class teacher in the first instance and Linda thereafter. Homework and reporting: Years 1 and 2 Page 15
Trips We aim to enhance children’s learning at least once a term with a trip outside the classroom for hands-on learning. Examples might include: local church, a Christmas farm visit, The Story Museum, science centre, exploration of a Wildlife Park, outdoor centre or theatre. Visiting speakers In addition, we regularly invite visiting speakers and educationalists in to support us with our learning. For example, authors, religious leaders, maths puzzle companies and dance workshops. Independence Please ensure children can get dressed independently, use a knife and fork at mealtimes, pack their own school bag and organise their own possessions. Home toys We have a fabulous selection of toys in our department and therefore we would like to ask that personal toys are enjoyed at home. What have we forgotten? If there are any questions which you feel have not been answered, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to welcoming your child and you to Abingdon Pre-Prep. Miscellaneous Page 16
abingdon.org.uk/prep Last updated: September 2024
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