Infant and Junior School Induction Booklet A5 26_27 Issuu by AGC1

Abbey Infant & Junior School Gate College

An Introduction to Our Community

INFORMATION FOR NEW STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS

A Warm Welcome

Mrs Travis

Head of the Infant and Junior

School

Welcome to our College Community.

This information booklet is intended to help you, as new parents, to be aware of and understand some of the day-to-day essentials, regarding life at Abbey Gate College for your child.

Further details are on our website and Parent Portal and, please, never hesitate to ask us directly if you are unsure of anything or simply want to know more!

We trust that your child will settle quickly in our College and we look forward to working with you in the coming years, as your child grows and develops under our shared guidance and care.

We hope you will ﬁnd this booklet helpful.

With kind regards

Absence

Academic Progress

Arrival & Departure

Assemblies & Tutor Time

Bag Storage, Lockers & Valuables

Bicycles

Buses

Calculators

Calendar

Classroom Essentials

Co-Curricular

Curriculum

Daily Timings

Data Protection

Financial Matters

Food & Drink

Homework

Learning Enrichment

Houses

Library Lost Property

Medical Matters

Mobile Devices/Mobile Phones

Music Tuition

Online Safety

Parents’ Teachers’ Association (PTA)

Pastoral Care

Prefects

Rules & Code of Conduct

Safeguarding/Child Protection

Safety in Sport

Service

Speech & Drama

Term Dates

Trips and Visits

Uniform

Wellbeing

Head

Mr Jenkinson

Saighton Grange

Chester CH3 6EN

MEET THE TEAM

Head of the Infant and Junior School

Mrs Travis

Mrs Williams Foundation Teacher

Miss Parry

Mrs Parker and Miss Povey

Mrs Turner and Mrs Newman

Mrs Tomlins

Mrs Richards

Mr Jones

Infant 1 Teacher

Infant 2 Teacher

Junior 3 Teacher

Junior 4 Teacher

Junior 5 Teacher

Junior 6 Teacher

Mrs K Jones Teacher

Mrs Faithfull

Senior School Staff

Mrs Greening

Mrs W Jones

Mrs A Kinsey

Mrs S Kinsey

Mrs Nevett

Mrs Reid

Mrs Lee

Mrs Handley

Mrs Rooney

Ms Jones and Mrs Farley

Mr Lindrop and Mr Morgan

Ms Walker and Mrs Bailey

English Speaking Board Teacher

Junior PE, MFL, Music, Drama & Learning Enrichment

Teaching Assistant and After-School Care

Teaching Assistant

School Administrator and PA to Head

Head Caterer

Caterer

Caretakers

Cleaners

INTRODUCING SOME KEY PEOPLE

Finance Manager

Mrs Williams

IT Support

Mr Peers

Admissions Manager

Mrs MacLaren

OUR GOVERNANCE

The Board of Governors at the College is a highly committed and hard working group who give their time freely to support the leadership team in delivery of the key initiatives outlined in the College’s strategic vision.

We still have on the Board a number of the founding governors and parents who took on the task of setting up the College nearly 50 years ago, and continue to support it to this day.

FOUNDATION GOVERNORS

Governors who have served not less than 25 years may be offered the position of Foundation Governors. They are entitled to attend, but not vote at, Governor’s meetings and do not have the legal responsibilities of Governors.

All correspondence for the Chairman of Governors (Mr Gareth Lee) should be sent to the following address:

Abbey Gate College

Saighton Grange

Saighton

Chester CH3 6EN

Tel: 01244 332 077

Email: clerktogovernors@abbeygatecollege.co.uk

WHAT ARE THE GOVERNING BODY SUB-COMMITTEES?

Abbey Gate College has the following sub-committees:

a) Education

b) Finance

c) Promotions

d) Wellbeing

e) Estates

HOW ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNORS INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL?

1. There is an annual schedule of full meetings and sub-committee meetings, which include respective reports, updates and discussions of school business and implementation of procedures.

2. Each member has an allocated responsibility for speciﬁc regulatory policies, working alongside the College Leadership Team to provide additional support, advice and ratiﬁcation whenever a policy is reviewed or updated.

MEMBERS OF OUR GOVERNING BODY

Gareth Lee

James Brown

Chair of Governors

Deputy Chair of Governors

Chair of Finance Committee

Deputy Chair of Wellbeing Committee

EDI, Careers and GDPR Governor

Brian Wake Company Secretary

Estates and Compliance Committee

Valerie Bounds

Chair of Promotions Committee

Vanessa Brodie Chair of Wellbeing Committee

Safeguarding Governor, EYFS Governor

James Goddard

Damian Stenhouse

Emma Bunting

Andrew Chadwick

Chair of Estates Committee

Chair of Education Committee

ECT, SEND, MAGaT & Careers Governor

Finance Committee Member

Education Committee Member

Lynne Horner Promotions Committee Member

Canon Rosie Woodall Wellbeing Committee Member

Derek Bunting

Foundation Governor

Finance and Bursaries Committee Member

Noel Dutton Foundation Governor

Estates and Compliance Committee Member

Jane Robinson Foundation Governor

Estates and Compliance Committee Member

Key:

ECT: Early Career Teacher

EDI: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

EYFS: Early Years Foundation Stage

GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation

MAGaT: More Able, Gifted and Talented

PSHE: Personal, Social and Health Education

RSE: Relationships and Sex Education

SEND: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

ABBEY GATE COLLEGE

SET IN BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDS

Our wonderful Infant and Junior School is enviably located in the picturesque village of Aldford, just 3.5km from our Senior School and Sixth Form, which are housed within the historic Saighton Grange. This truly special setting is surrounded by rolling countryside, with far-reaching views across the Cheshire plain towards the Welsh hills and the sandstone ridge. Together, our campuses offer more than just a place to learn –they provide a peaceful, inspiring environment where curiosity is nurtured, and young minds thrive.

A PLACE TO THRIVE

Abbey Gate College is a remarkable place to learn and grow - full of character, ambition and care. Our dedicated teaching and support staff go the extra mile to ensure every pupil feels supported, challenged and encouraged to be their very best.

OUR PUPILS

Our pupils are motivated, hardworking and unfailingly polite – they are a genuine pleasure to teach. From the earliest years in the Infant and Junior School through to GCSEs and A Levels at the Senior School, academic outcomes are consistently strong, with excellent value added. What truly sets us apart, however, is the positive and respectful relationship between staff and pupils – a quality often remarked upon by new colleagues and one that makes teaching here not only rewarding, but a real joy.

OUR STAFF

We operate professionally as a close and mutually supportive team, with a shared enthusiasm for working with young people and bringing out the best in them. Our staff willingly give their time, and this is recognised and appreciated by our pupils and their parents. Our teachers have passion, a belief in young people, good humour, energy, initiative and a genuine sense of teaching vocation, which is fully rewarded by working at the College.

MISSION

MISSION AND AIMS

We are committed, within our safe and caring community, that each one of our pupils will become the best that they can be, and have the self-belief to go forward into this changeable world with courage and with compassion.

AIMS

We pursue our whole College mission, guided by three deﬁning and aspirational aims: SELF, SERVICE AND SUSTAINABILITY

SELF

Each pupil cares for their mental and physical wellbeing; learns and achieves to their individual potential; and is content, comfortable and conﬁdent to be who they are in our diverse and inclusive College.

SERVICE

Each pupil makes a positive difference to the lives of others in our College, as well as in our local and in wider, global communities.

SUSTAINABILITY

Each pupil contributes towards preserving and protecting the planet we all inherit and share, and has the opportunity to be creative and innovative; to help further humanity’s progress in the future.

COMMUNICATION

We believe that the education of all our students is the shared responsibility of our students, their parents and our staff. We hope that you will never hesitate to contact us on any matter concerning your child’s work or welfare, and we shall make every effort to keep you informed about your child’s progress as well as life at our busy school.

IF YOU WISH TO CONTACT US

In the ﬁrst instance the ﬁrst point of contact should be the Form Tutor of your child.

1. By Email: If you wish to contact a member of our staff, please email into infantjunioradmin@abbeygatecollege.co.uk marking who the message is for and our Admin team will forward this on to them. We would ask all parents to respect, however, that staff will only respond to emails during professional hours of work. We also ask parents not to use email if you wish to raise any concerns; we would much prefer to talk with you in person and would again encourage you to contact your child’s class teacher.

2. By Telephone: Our Ofﬁce is open during term time from 08.00 until 16.30 on 01244 332077, press 2 for IJS; someone will take your call and try to help.

Out of Hours care number is 07955 268664 and this can be used between 07.45-08.00 and 16.30 – 18.00.

If your child is unwell and unable to attend school, please contact us immediately, at any time, on 01244 332077 – and select Option 2 for the Infant and Junior School

IF WE WISH TO CONTACT YOU

1. By Telephone: please ensure that we always have correct contact numbers, including for emergency contact. Please let us know immediately if any details need updating.

Our Out of Hours care number is 07955 268664 and this can be used between 07.45-08.00 and 16.30 – 18.00.

2. By Email: almost all school letters and other information are sent to you electronically (with a summary bulletin sent every Friday). Please check your email account on a regular basis and let us know if you are not receiving anything or if we need to update your email address.

3. By text: occasional, urgent messages are sent by SMS only, or by SMS and email. Again, please do let us know if your mobile device number changes at any time, so that the details we hold are always correct.

PARENT PORTALS

iSAMS Parent Portal enables you to log on securely via the iSAMS app or the internet. Within this portal you will be able to see up-to-date information about your child (or children) and also be kept informed of relevant school information that we hope you will ﬁnd useful.

Using the portal, you will be able to see your child’s:

•Timetable

•Attendance

•Academic reports for download

•Term and event dates

•Fee Invoices

Parents will be able to use the iSAMS Parent portal to make absence requests for dental and medical appointments, update contact information, and to update consents, for example for medication and use of your child's photograph. You can also view the medical information that we hold for your child. Around the time your child joins us, you will be sent your login details.

Fireﬂy VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) enables you to log on securely to access your child’s scheduled homework, along with a storage hub of messages from the school relevent to your child. Out-of-hour care and Parents’ Evening bookings are also made through the VLE.

Details about how to set up the VLE will be shared in September.

If you encounter any technical problems, please do not hesitate to contact us.

WEBSITE: abbeygatecollege.co.uk

Our website is updated with all the daily news and stories about life in our busy school. It also has a lot of other information, which we hope you will ﬁnd helpful. For example, in our Useful Links section, you will ﬁnd access to a selection of some key policies, including:

Admissions Policy

Academic Performance Statement

Anti Bullying Policy

Attendance Policy

Behaviour Policy

Bursary Policy

Careers Policy

Complaints Policy

Curriculum Policy

Employers Liability Insurance

Exclusion Policy

First Aid Policy

Health and Safety Policy

More Able, Gifted and Talented Policy

Online Safety Policy (incl. Pupil Acceptable Use)

Privacy Notice

Provision of Information

PSHE and RSE Policy

Safeguarding Policy

Smart Technology Policy

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Policy

Vision, Mission and Aims Statement

The website also has links to our school’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

A GUIDE FOR PARENTS

YOUR CHILD’S LIFE AT OUR SCHOOL

AN ‘A-Z’ OF BASICS

Absence

a) Absence through illness - If your child is unwell and unable to attend school, please contact us immediately, at any time, please call 01244 332077 and select option 2 for the Infant and Junior School

Alternatively you can email the school at: infantjunioradmin@abbeygatecollege.co.uk

b) Absence other than illness - If there are exceptional circumstances and you wish to request leave of absence for your child, please write well in advance directly to the Head of the Infant and Junior School, Mrs Travis.

Please avoid taking children out of school during term time for holidays or social occasions, since this type of absence can impede academic progress and has a disruptive effect on the life of the school.

c) Absence from sport - If your child is not ﬁt to take part in sport on a particular day, please send a note to the teacher in charge of the activity.

Academic Progress

At Abbey Gate College, we take great care to monitor each pupil’s academic progress and personal development. Teachers assess pupils throughout the year using a range of information, including classwork, homework, and both formal and informal assesments. This allows us to identify strengths, support areas for improvement, and ensure that every pupil is working towards their individual potential.

Pupils also complete baseline or diagnostic assessments at key points during their school journey, including aptitude tests and subject-speciﬁc tasks. These help teachers tailor their approach and monitor progress effectively across all year groups.

High-quality feedback is an essential part of our teaching and learning approach. Pupils are given regular, purposeful feedback to help them reﬂect on their work and improve it. They are expected to act on this feedback through dedicated time in lessons or as part of their homework, in line with our whole-college “Progress and Response” model.

You will receive three reports on your child’s progress across the academic year:

•Two Progress Records, which include attainment and attitude to learning grades

•One Full Written Report, which also includes written comments.

In addition to written reports, we offer two formal in-person meetings for parents. At the start of the year, there is an individual opportunity to meet the teacher and this is followed up in the spring term with a more formal Parents’ Evening, offering the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with subject teachers. Where needed, the College may contact you at any point in the year to share concerns or celebrate achievement.

Come In And Talk With Us - if you wish to speak to us at any time, please call the ofﬁce and request an appointment. We are always happy to help and support.

Arrival & Departure

We operate an unofficial one-way system in the village at drop off and pick up to help with traffic flow.

We ask that you enter the village via Green Lake Lane and turn right along School Lane. Then please leave along School Lane bearing right onto Church Lane.

Please ensure you park safely and respectfully, keeping to the school side of the road. Please avoid blocking any access to houses, including pedestrian gates and ensure that other vehicles, including farm machinery and the school shuttle bus, can pass and turn onto School Lane. Please also leave turning space opposite driveways to allow residents exit their properties safely and do not park on the yellow lines outside of the school. We encourage the use of the village carpark.

There is a speed limit of 20mph throughout the village, and it is important that this is adhered to please.

Thank you in advance.

On arrival, we request that you accompany your child to the school entrance. Junior pupils will make their way into school independently and Foundation and Infant children can be accompanied to the door of Hazledine Lodge.

At the end of the day, parents are asked to wait in their vehicles or in the school carpark, avoiding waiting opposite the classrooms until a member of staff opens the white gate. Parents of Foundation and Infant children should collect from the patio doors to the classrooms and the Junior children will be lined up on the playground. Please go to the head of the line so staff and ensure they dismiss the children to you. Thank you.

We would like to remind you that staff will only allow a child to leave with an adult who is not a parent/guardian or a sibling from Senior School if prior notiﬁcation has been given. We are unable to dismiss children to Infant and Junior School siblings. Children who have not been collected at 3.30pm will be taken to After School Supervision and After School Care if necessary.

Junior pupils who are booked onto our school transport will be escorted to the shuttle bus by a member of staff.

Bus Service

Our Junior children are permitted to use the school bus service. The buses pick up and drop off at our Senior School and we operate a shuttle bus between the sites. Children with siblings at the Senior School are also permitted to use this service.

Details of the routes are listed on the website and are available from the Finance Department. If you are interested in using any of these services, please contact the Finance Department on 01244 332 077.

There may be occasions when pupils may need to use the service on an occasional basis. Parents are requested to contact Reception in advance to agree the dates or, alternatively, the pupil can pay for ad-hoc ticket, available from Senior School Reception on the day of travel, before 4.00pm. Ad-hoc tickets are not available for some routes.

Please note that there is no supervision on any of these services.

Fridays at Senior School

Our Junior 3 to Junior 6 pupils have lessons at the Senior School every Friday to enable them to beneﬁt from specialist teaching and facilities. All Junior pupils should be dropped off at the Senior School between 8.00am and 8.50am.

Parents are permitted to drive onto site until 8.20am but are asked not to get out of their cars to fulﬁl our safeguarding obligations. Please stop brieﬂy to drop off your child and follow the one-way system. The children should make their way independently to the pavilion for registration or the tennis court or Sports Hall for clubs.

Parents arriving after 8.20am need to park outside and may walk their children to the main entrance. From there, the children should make their own way to the pavilion.

A GUIDE FOR PARENTS

A member of staff will be on duty at the main entrance from 8.30am to meet the children so parents who do not wish their child to walk to the pavilion unsupervised should drop off after 8.30am please. Breakfast club at the Infant and Junior School is also available for early drop off and we will ensure the children are taken to the Senior School in time for registration.

Junior children can also be dropped off at that Infant and Junior School at 8.30am for transportation to Senior School. Please note that the shuttle bus will leave just after 8.30am so if you arrive after this time, you may be asked to transport your child to Senior School.

J3 and J4 will be taken back to the Infant and Junior School at 12.15pm in time for lunch and J5 and J6 will stay at Senior School to eat before returning to the Infant and Junior School for afternoon lessons.

The children should be collected from the Infant and Junior School as normal, and the evening shuttle bus will run.

Assemblies

All pupils will attend a whole school and Key Stage assembly each week, in addition to regular House Meetings.

Our Key Stage Assemblies link with our PSHE, RSE and RS programme and are led by members of staff and visiting speakers, as appropriate. These gatherings are intended to be accessible to pupils and staff of all faiths, and none, and core themes will often reference a wide range of religious, cultural, and philosophical contexts.

Our Celebration Assembly is a weekly opportunity to celebrate the children and their contributions to Self, Service and Sustainability.

Bag Storage & Valuables

Pupils sometimes have to carry quite a lot of materials and, therefore, should think carefully about what they should bring into school each day.

Bag storage is available for all pupils. Pupils should take special care to look after valuables, such as computers, and the school accepts no liability for any loss or damage to any such personal equipment.

Please note that games kit should be carried separately from schoolbooks in the designated sports bags. Pupils should not bring valuable articles or money to school.

However, when valuables are necessarily brought to school they may be handed into the ofﬁce for safe keeping.

Bicycles

Due to the nature of the roads surrounding both sites, cycling is not recommended but, if anyone choses to do so, this would be the responsibility of the parent and we can arrange to secure them in a designated area during the day. Parents are asked to note the frame number (usually under the saddle on the upright column) and to insure the bicycles.

The school is not responsible for any damage or loss.

Calendar

The termly calendar for all school events is posted on the College’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Although it is helpful to read this on a regular basis and note key entries, we do send out speciﬁc invitations and reminders nearer the time of most events.

Co-Curricular

The co-curricular side of school life, both sporting and cultural, forms an important part of the Abbey Gate College programme.

The Infant and Junior School offer a range of activities that change termly to provide variety for the children. Some of these are run by outside agencies and will incur a charge and some are run by members of our staff. Details are sent out to parents prior to the start of each term, including booking details.

The children have the fabulous opportunity to access our wide range of individual tuition including piano, singing, woodwind, brass, singing and speech and drama. These take place during school hours and are paid for separately. From time to time, the children have demonstrations from the teachers and may bring home information for your consideration.

We do recommend that parents make sure they are aware of the lessons the children will miss if they are going to attend these lessons and ensure this is balanced alongside the curriculum.

Should you wish to discuss this, or indeed any other matter relating to music at Abbey Gate College, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Andrews, our Head of Music, at admin@abbeygatecollege.co.uk and Mrs Faithfull (Speech and Drama) via infantjunioradmin@abbeygatgecollege.co.uk.

We organise a number sporting ﬁxtures and other competitions for the children to participate in.

Parents attending events at the Infant and Junior School are asked to report to Reception to sign in and adhere to our Code of Conduct at all times. Copies of the Code of Conduct are available at the Reception desk.

Curriculum

Our Curriculum Policy is available through the school website.

The children have lessons in English, Mathematics, Science, Project (History, Geography, Art and Design Technology), Physical Education, (including swimming in Infant 2, Junior 3 and Junior 4), Computing, RE, Music, Drama, Modern Foreign Language and English Speaking Board.

Our Foundation children follow the Early Years Learning Framework.

Further information can be found on the class pages of the VLE. All pupils also have lessons in PSHE (Personal, Social, and Health Education), which includes content on citizenship and RSE (Relationships and Sex Education). Full details of what is taught and when are available in our RSE & PSHE Policies, which are available on our website.

Our Junior pupils also beneﬁt from having lessons at our Senior School on Fridays.

Daily Timings

7.45am - 8.30am Breakfast club (charge applies)

8.30am - 8.50am Pupils can be dropped off and will go to class with no charge.

We kindly request that children are not brought into school before 8.30am unless booked into Breakfast Club or activities.

8.50am - 9.00am Registration

Children need to be in school by 8.50am

9.00am - 10.30am Lessons

10.30am - 10.50am Break

10.50am - 12.20pm Lessons

12.20pm - 1.20pm Lunch

1.20pm - 1.30pm Registration

1.30pm - 3.30pm Lessons

3.30pm - 4.00pm After school supervision (no charge)

3.30pm - 4.15.4.30pm Co-curricular Activities (Charges may apply)

4.00pm - 6.00pm After-school care (charge applies)

The children will be given a copy of their timetable on the ﬁrst day of school.

Data Protection

As a school, we take our responsibilities with regarding to Data Protection very seriously.

Some information pertaining to this is included in our Terms and Conditions, but fuller detail is provided in our local Privacy Notice, which is accessible in the Policies area of our school website.

Equipment

The children will each receive a communication book on their ﬁrst day. This provides a communication tool for the children, parents and is used to record reading progress, notes and House Points.

Stationery

The children will require the following equipment (These items should be checked and replenished regularly):

• A pencil case

• HB writing pencils

• Blue pen

• Rubber

• 30cm ruler

• glue stick

• highlighter (preferably yellow)

• scissors

• sharpener

• colouring pencils

Other

Drinks bottle with sports cap (only water is permitted).

Wellington boots that can be left in school.

Please ensure all items of equipment are labelled.

Exercise books are provided as well as access to all textbooks or other resources.

Financial Matters

Should parents wish to discuss any ﬁnancial matter, they should contact the Finance Department in the ﬁrst instance as follows:

Mrs A Williams at anna.williams@abbeygatecollege.co.uk

Food & Drink

We are proud of the consistent quality and range of food on offer, all of which is freshly prepared in our own kitchens daily by our dedicated catering staff and managed by Lodestone House. College lunch is compulsory for all pupils and lunch fees are added to the termly bills for all parents.

You will be provided with the menu, and the children will be able to select their choice at the counter, or you can pre-select what you would prefer your child to have. Most dietary requirements can be catered for.

Children have a choice of water or diluted juice at lunchtimes and again, parents can inform us if they prefer their child not to have diluted juice. Pupils should bring a named water bottle with them that they can ﬁll at one of the water stations throughout the day.

Pupils should bring in a snack for morning break time in a small named container in order to reduce single use plastics. This must be nut-free and items such as a piece of fruit, cereal bar or cheese and biscuits are suggested. We ask that crisps, chocolate and sweets are not sent in for snack time please.

Infant children may also wish to bring in an afternoon snack, in agreement with the teacher and children who are booked into after-school activities may also bring a snack to eat before the club begins.

Homework Support and Expectations

Homework can play an important role in reinforcing classroom learning and supporting your child’s development of independent study skills. At primary level, the importance of out of school activities and family time is also recognised as an important part of a child’s development.

Therefore, the children will be set some consolidation practice every night and also have access to our exciting new Abbey Gate Award Scheme. Both are posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), so you and your child can keep track of tasks and deadlines. The children are expected to read every night and record this in their Pupil Organisers. Extra homework can be made available on request.

Teachers explain homework clearly in class and ensure pupils understand what is expected. Your child is expected to complete homework to the best of their ability and hand it in on time. If this is not possible, we ask that they speak to the teacher before the dead- line or that you contact the College to explain the reason.

Homework is not usually set for holidays or half terms, unless it forms part of a longer piece of work, coursework, or revision. Tasks set prior to a break will not be due immediately after the holiday.

Please support your child in managing their time effectively by encouraging them not to leave work until the last minute and letting us know if your child is experiencing difﬁculties If there are any concerns about homework, teachers will also communicate with you directly.

Houses and Rewards

The House System provides pupils with the opportunity for personal development, representative participation, involvement with different year groups, and leadership through a wide range of organised competitions and events.

Pupils and staff are grouped into three Houses, Abbott, Douglas and Talbot. The children are placed in a House when they start school by our ‘Sorting Hat’ and are given a House tie and pin badge to wear. Siblings are not necessarily sorted into the same houses.

The name Abbott derives from Abbott Simon Ripley, who was responsible for building the Gatehouse at Saighton Grange. The name Douglas is derived from the architect John Douglas, who designed houses in Aldford. Finally, the name Talbot is linked the the hunting dog favoured by the Eaton Estate.

Pupils are awarded House Points for good work, effort, co-curricular achievements, being kind and courteous etc, and they are recorded in their Pupil Organisers.

House points contribute to the half-termly tally and the winning House of the half-term receives a treat afternoon in recognition of their effort.

Each House is led by a House and Vice-House Captain from Junior 6 and is also responsible for one of our College aims of Self, Service and Sustainability. The ‘Sorting Hat’ also decides this, and the children are given a badge to show their area of responsibility.

The children can earn ‘Class Awards’ each week. These are awarded for whole class efforts and achievements to develop a sense of group pride, belonging and responsibility. The class with the most awards takes ‘Buddy’ to their class for the week and has an extra 10-minute break one afternoon.

Individually, each child has a turn at being ‘Pupil in the spotlight’. A pupil is selected at random and the children in the class share all their positive thoughts about the child. These are recorded on a certiﬁcate for the children to take home.

Learning Enrichment

We have a highly qualiﬁed and experienced Learning Enrichment Department, and our Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Policy is available through the school website. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs L Hornby our Head of Learning Enrichment, at admin@abbeygatecollege.co.uk

Library

The Infant and Junior School library provides a range of books for the children and is led by our Junior 6 librarians.

DOUGLAS

ABBOT

TALBOT

Lost Property

All losses should be reported immediately to the Class Teacher. Pupils should ask at Reception if they have misplaced any particular item, in the ﬁrst instance. We strongly recommend that all items are clearly named.

MAGaT

We recognise that all pupils are individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses, gifts and talents. Excellence in all areas is encouraged and celebrated throughout all pupils’ school careers, whilst developing and supporting their future beyond our College. Provision for any individual pupils who are identiﬁed as more able, gifted and talented is an integral part of the personalised approach to teaching and learning in every lesson at Abbey Gate College, while also providing speciﬁc pastoral support and intellectual extension as appropriate and applicable.

Medical Matters

At the Infant and Junior School most of our staff have basic ﬁrst aid training and a number are trained pediatric ﬁrst aiders.

If there is anything that relates to your child’s medical wellbeing, about which you think we should be aware of, please do tell us.

If your child feels unwell at school, they are asked to go to the Medical Room or to Reception where a member of staff will assess them and take any necessary action. Any ﬁrst aid administered will be recorded and parents are informed if necessary, at the end of the school day. Should an incident be more serious in nature, we will contact you immediately and take appropriate action. Please ensure we are informed of any telephone number changes.

As a school, we are bound by strict regulatory procedures regarding medicines, in order to minimise the risk. It is also our legal duty to ensure as much as possible that any medication on the school site is kept securely. Our policy sets out clearly how medication can be administered during the school day, and there is due procedure to be followed for the protection of both staff and pupils. We would appreciate your support in adhering to our policy.

If your child requires any medicine to be administered at school, we will require it to be handed in at reception and a consent form to be completed. Infant and Junior School pupils are not permitted to carry any medicines unless it has been agreed by the school.

There are rare occasions where we ask that a child remains absent from school until they are clear of symptoms or complete a course of medication. Vomiting and diarrhea, for example, requires the child to remain at home for 48 hours from the last episode. Sometimes young children require a change of clothes, and we ask that parents of infant children ensure they have a fresh set that can remain in school. We do have a small stock of clean items, and we request that you please return any borrowed clothing, so it is available for another child if required.

Mobile Devices/Mobile Phones

The College is a "Phone-Free" school. Further details of our approach, expectations, and guidance in relation to pupils’ ownership and use of smart devices are in our 'Smart Technology' policy, which was co-written with parents, as well as our 'Behaviour', 'Acceptable Use', and 'Online Safety' policies.

It is our preference that pupils at the Infant and Junior School do not bring mobile phones into school. If one is needed due to travelling on school transport, this must be a basic phone as outlined in our policy. The phone must be switched off on entry into school, handed in at reception and collected at the end of the day.

We would ask for your support and understanding in this, by not trying to ring, text or otherwise contact your child at school through their mobile phone; if you wish to communicate with your child, please contact Reception, who will pass on any message.

Online Safety

We all share the responsibility for ensuring that your child learns how to use the Internet safely and sensibly. Advice and guidance on this are incorporated into our PSHE curricula and the school’s Acceptable Usage policy; further information will also be given to all parents during their child’s school career.

However, in the ﬁrst instance we would strongly advise that your child does not have unsupervised Internet access at home; the recommendation is for Internet access to be from a computer in a family room, which enables reasonable supervision of how the Internet is being used by your child.

It is also worth bearing in mind the following regarding social networking:

Pupils should not:

• have social media accounts before the age speciﬁed by the particular company.

• give out personal details to friends online. Personal information includes their messenger ID, email address, mobile number and any pictures of you, your family or friends.

• open ﬁles that are from people they do not know. They will not know what they contain – it could be a virus, or worse – an inappropriate image or ﬁlm.

• believe, reply to, or use SPAM/ Junk email and texts.

Pupils should realise that:

• if they publish a picture or video online – anyone can change it or share it.

• some people lie online, both about who they are and what they believe to be the truth

• it is better to keep online friends online. They must not meet up with anyone they ‘meet’ online.

• it is never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable.

• there are people who can help. Pupils can talk to someone in school, their parents or report their concerns online at www.ceop.gov.uk or the AKS help button on the website.

**SEE

Out of Hours Care

•Breakfast Club

Breakfast club runs from 7.45am until 8.30am and is booked in 15-minute slots for ﬂexibility. The sessions are 7.45am – 8.00am, 8.00am – 8.15am and 8.15am – 8.30am and each session costs £1.90.

The children have the options of toast with a variety of spreads, cereal, fruit or yogurt and a drink.

This is booked using our online booking system.

Children can be dropped off free of charge from 8.30am.

•After School Care

If you are unable to pick up your child at 3.30pm we will supervise the children free of charge until 4.00pm. Children are expected to sit quietly and read their reading book or complete any homework. Please report to the ofﬁce to collect your child.

From 4.00pm until 6.00pm, we also have After School Care. This is a paid facility and, as with Breakfast Club, is booked in slots until 5pm to give parents ﬂexibility. 15-minute slot costs £1.90. Bookings after 5pm are for the hour.

Children attending until 5pm will be given a small snack and drink and children booked into from 5pm will also be provided with a sandwich.

Parents, Teachers and Association (PTA) and Year Group Representatives

The PTA exists to enable parents to meet socially, build our community and to provide valuable ﬁnancial support for our school.

Membership of the PTA is open to all current parents and staff in Abbey Gate College and they entitled to join in and attend all events. The Committee welcomes new members, with the only requirement being some of your time and lots of enthusiasm!

PTA meetings are held regularly throughout the year. Dates of all meetings and social events appear in the school calendar and on the PTA page under the About Us tab of our website.

The Infant and Junior School also has Parent Representatives for each class to act as a point of contact in addition to the work of the PTA.

If you are interested in joining the PTA or representing your child’s class, please contact the ofﬁce on infantjunioradmin@abbeygatecollege.co.uk

Pastoral Care

We have an extremely well-developed pastoral care system.

In addition to your child’s teacher, who will see your child every day, our Head of the Infant and Junior School has speciﬁc responsibility for pastoral care, and we are able to offer some ELSA support.

Each member of teaching and non-teaching staff also has a pastoral duty of care, and we all work closely together to maintain our school’s happy atmosphere.

We also offer an anonymous reporting platform to all students called Whisper for our Junior 5 and Junior 6 pupils. This allows them to pass on information, concern or comment (via a link on the VLE). They then receive a personal response from a member of the College safeguarding team, with help and advice relevant to the comment you have raised. There is the option to add their name if they wish to do so and the aim is that all issues with be dealt with within 24 hours.

Playtimes

The children have two playtimes at mid-morning and lunchtime supervised by members of staff.

Whenever possible, the children are allowed to play on the ﬁeld and are provided with a variety of equipment. If the ﬁeld is too wet, play zones are set up throughout the grounds and the children can choose their activity. These are led by J5 play leaders.

We aim to allow the children to have their playtimes outside as far as possible, so it is important that they bring their coat to school daily and ensure they have sun protection (sunscreen and a hat) during the summer months. If the weather is considered to be too wet, cold or hot the children will remain indoors.

Pupil responsibilities

All our Junior 6 pupils have roles and responsibilities including House Captains, Junior Safety Ofﬁcers, Sports and music ambassadors and Eco monitors to name a few. House and Vice House Captains are elected by their Houses and other positions are applied for.

Every class has 3 representatives, one from each House and are elected by their classes. They represent their class and House at Pupil Parliament meetings and report back to their classes.

Rules & Code Of Conduct

The School Code of Conduct is there to ensure that we have an orderly and courteous community in which our students can thrive.

Further guidance is given in the Rules, Rewards & Sanctions handbook, as well as in our Behaviour and Exclusions Policies, which are available on our website in the Policies section.

**SEE OUR COLLEGE CODE OF CONDUCT INFOGRAPHIC AT THE END OF THIS BOOKLET**

Safeguarding/Child Protection

The school’s approach to the care of our children is intended to ensure that they feel safe, that they are able to talk, and that they feel that they will be heard.

The RSE and PSHE curriculum play a crucial role in this process. Although this formal curriculum is important, the culture of the school, and the positive relationships formed between children and teachers all enhance our overall level of care and increase the likelihood that our children will feel able to conﬁde in us, and that we will be aware of any causes for concern.

Our day-to-day contact with the children means that we are well placed to observe any child protection issues.

The Children Act (1989) requires that all school staff pass on to The Head and/or the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from non-accidental injury, neglect, emotional or sexual abuse. The school will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with parents and, where possible, seek their consent for any referral to the Social Services Department.

However, this can only be done where such discussion and seeking of agreement will not place the child at increased risk of signiﬁcant harm.

In all such matters, the school is bound by, and willingly complies with, its legal obligations and, with regard to the above, the school follows the procedures set out in our Safeguarding Policy, which is available on the school website.

All members of staff, including volunteers, are DBS cleared to Enhanced Level.

Safety in Sport

Your child may be participating in activities at Abbey Gate College for which it is strongly advisable to wear a mouth guard. Furthermore, the governing bodies of rugby and hockey strongly recommend the wearing of custom ﬁtting mouth guards, made to a speciﬁc standard by a dental surgeon. The school policy is to follow these guidelines, and the PE staff will notify you if a guard is required.

The self-mouldable mouth guards that are available in most sports shops no longer meet the minimum standard required and do not hold the ‘CE’ mark of approval. Sub-standard mouth guards not only fail to provide adequate protection for your child but are potentially dangerous as they can be easily dislodged and in extreme cases can cause choking.

If you require further information, please contact our PE coordinator at: infantjunioradmin@abbeygatecollege.co.uk

Shin pads for participation in football and hockey are also a mandatory item of protective equipment.

Service

Through our House system, every year the College nominates and fund-raises for local charities, as well as supporting larger national events.

A range of events takes place throughout the year and pupils are encouraged to get involved and take the lead in all fundraising activities.

Abbey Gate College also has a long-running partnership and service project with the Mlindzini community in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). We have been working with the Mlindzini High School and its two feeder primary schools since 2013.

Term Dates

Term dates for the academic year can be found on the College’s website under School Life, Term Dates.

Trips and Visits

We offer a wide range of trips and visits, many of which are part of the Curricular and Co-curricular Programme.

These range from local trips to residential overseas trips.

Information on trips will be sent to you as, and payment is made via a portal called ParentPay.

Uniform

We place great importance on personal appearance and expect all pupils to adhere to the school dress regulations. Our uniform requirements are outlined below. Please note that all items of clothing, including games kit, must be clearly and indelibly marked with the owner’s name.

Our designated supplier is Schoolblazer: schoolblazer.co.uk and pre-loved uniform can be purchased directly from the school shop.

Uniform - Winter

• Blazer with College Crest – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Black trousers (Tailored trousers of a formal style i.e., regular or tailored ﬁt, worn at waist height and touching the shoe) – commercially available or Designated School Uniform Supplier Styles not suitable are skinny ﬁt and leggings/jeggings or any made of jersey fabric

• Black skirt (Permanent or box pleat commercially available or kilt from Designated School Uniform Supplier – Length: on the knee) Skirts should not be made of jersey fabric.

• White collared long/short sleeved shirt - commercially available or Designated School Uniform Supplier

• School Tie – House colours (ﬁrst tie is issued from the College)

• Grey cardigan or jumper with College Crest – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Black shoes (Formal style, polishable/patent, ﬂat heeled)

• Green knee-length socks/green tights worn with skirt

• Black socks worn with trousers

• Navy regulation coat with College Crest – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Knitted Hat and Scarf with College Crest (optional) – available through College (Plain bottle green or navy blue wool hat is also permitted)

Uniform – Summer

• Black knee length shorts (tailored ﬁt, no side pockets and not made of jersey fabric) – commercially available or Designated School Uniform Supplier

• White collared long/short sleeved shirt – commercially available or Designated School Uniform

• School Tie – House colours (ﬁrst tie is issued from the College)

• Green and white striped dress – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Grey cardigan or jumper with College Crest – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Black shoes (Formal style, polishable/patent, ﬂat heeled)

• White knee length or ankle socks worn with dress

• Black ankle socks worn with shorts

• Thin green coat with College Crest (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Legionnaire style hat (optional and available through College) or wide brim hat that is bottle green or navy blue in colour

Other

• Green crested rucksack small/large (personalised with maximum of 2 keyrings if desired) – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Outdoor learning kit (waterproof clothing and footwear e.g., Wellingtons) Hair longer than shoulder length should be completely tied back using appropriate fastenings in bottle green, navy blue or neutral colours.

Children are permitted to wear a wristwatch. Jewellery worn for religious reasons should be worn under clothing and preferably be removed for PE lessons. Small silver or gold sphere shaped stud earrings may be worn in Juniors (J3 to J6). This must be a single piercing in both ears and must be removed for sporting activities or taped if recently pierced.

Children may opt to wear the Winter uniform during summer months, but we request that this is worn with the correct accessories. Green socks with skirts for example.

Children may wear their PE kit to school on days they have PE lessons. They should change into kit for Co-curricular activities unless told otherwise.

Sports Kit – Foundation and Infants

• Navy shorts or skort – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• White polo shirt with College logo – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Navy base layer top (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier or high street equivalent

• Navy base layer bottoms (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier or high street equivalent

• Navy midlayer with College logo (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Navy tracksuit bottoms (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier or high street equivalent

• Green drawstring PE bag with College logo – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Pair of trainers (non-marking soles)

• White sports socks for summer or blue knee length sports socks for winter

• Swimming costume (full) or trunks and cap (pupil’s own) for Infant 2

Sports Kit – Juniors

• Navy shorts or skort – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• White polo shirt with College logo – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Navy and yellow games socks – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• White ankle socks for summer – high street

• Navy base layer top (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier or high street equivalent

• Navy base layer bottoms (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier or high street equivalent

• Navy midlayer with College logo (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Navy tracksuit bottoms (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Navy Holdall with College logo - Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Green drawstring PE bag with College logo (optional) – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Pair of trainers (non-marking soles)

Other – Pupils will be informed if they are required in September

• Pair of football boots and shinpads (Junior pupils who play football)

• Boot/Trainer bag

• Rugby shirt with College logo (Junior pupils who play rugby) – Designated School Uniform Supplier

• Swimming costume (full) or trunks and cap (pupil’s own) – I2, J3 and J4 pupils

• Gum shield may be requested (see Sport Safety section for more information)

Wellbeing

At Abbey Gate College, wellbeing is a way of being – a context for who we are and how we are. Pupils in our ‘Self’ House work alongside us, as teachers and leaders, in developing our understanding and practice in relation to wellbeing.

The beautiful, natural surroundings of both our sites, together with the historic buildings, and general sense of calm and community – all contribute to our daily perspectives and mindsets. Additionally, we organise speciﬁc events and sessions, which raise further awareness and also enable our pupils to have some fun and enjoy each others’ company in activities beyond the classroom.

MISSION AND AIMS

MISSION

AIMS

We pursue our whole College mission, guided by 3 deﬁning and aspirational aims:

SELF

SERVICE

Each pupil makes a positive difference to the lives of others in our College, as well as in our local and in wider, global communities.

SUSTAINABILITY

Nurturing Personal Excellence

Care for our own Wellbeing

Give of our best in learning, perseverance and participation

Uphold our high standards of appearance, behaviour and manners

Respect

Will your post negatively affect someone’s wellbeing (either physically, emotionally, or both)? Do you know your post is wrong?

Does your post contain lies (or statements you suspect are not true)?