BST EYFS Handbook

EYFS Handbook

Table of Contents Welcome from the Headteacher ....................................................................................................... 3 Welcome from the Head of EYFS ..................................................................................................... 4 Academic calendar 2015-2016 ........................................................................................................ 5 School hours ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Arrival & departure procedures ......................................................................................................... 5 Security ............................................................................................................................................. 6 School uniform .................................................................................................................................. 7 What your child will need for school ................................................................................................. 9 School Lunch .................................................................................................................................. 10 Behaviour ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Merit system ................................................................................................................................... 11 Attendance...................................................................................................................................... 11 Health and first aid .......................................................................................................................... 12 Role of the parent ........................................................................................................................... 13 Home/School communication ........................................................................................................ 13 Home learning ................................................................................................................................. 15 Using English in school ................................................................................................................... 16 Additional information ..................................................................................................................... 16 In summary ..................................................................................................................................... 17

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Welcome from the Headteacher Dear Parents, It is our pleasure to welcome you to the 20152016 school year at The British School of Tashkent. We extend a very warm welcome to all new and returning students and parents as we enter our sixth year here in Tashkent.

Our aspiration is to achieve a World Class Education for all pupils in our growing community here in Uzbekistan.

We are fortunate to be governed by the Executive Board of The British Schools Foundation, a network of schools established across the globe. We are looking forward to providing your child with an exceptional educational experience. We will continue to build on our reputation of excellence as we seek to meet the needs of all students enrolled in our school. Our staff members are enthusiastic and passionate about teaching, and bring a wealth of experience and expertise.

At The British School of Tashkent (BST) we have created a stimulating, safe environment, with high expectations of achievement, endeavour and committed to making the curriculum accessible to all students through teaching styles and state of the art technology, which will motivate our independent, life-long learning skills.

and positive learning behaviour. We are utilising a range of students to develop

As BST’s Headteacher, my role is to establish a culture that promotes excellence, equality and high expectations of all students. We value the opinions of our parents, therefore please feel free to send an email, call or arrange a visit. Parent input is invaluable and I look forward to working with you in the most important job you have - educating your child.

We hope you will find this handbook useful and look forward to working closely with you to ensure the success of BST and our students.

Yours sincerely,

Mr David Kirkham Headteacher

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Welcome from the Head of EYFS Dear Parents This Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) handbook will introduce you to the specific information that will help you to support your child in quickly becoming integrated into their life at BST Please take the time to read it through carefully and keep it at hand for future reference.

The Early Years are the most important years of a child’s life. In order to create happy, healthy and confident students, as well as lifelong learners, we choose to adopt the best practice of the EYFS framework of the English National Curriculum. This will provide your children with the best possible introduction to their school life. Every new academic year it is a pleasure to see the children gain such confidence and develop a natural curiosity for the world around them. They enjoy the feeling of being ‘grown up’ when they are expected to be independent and, consequently, they become less and less dependent on the adults around them.

The emphasis at Nursery age is on learning through direct experience, with a focus on play-based activities. Particular attention is given to children’s personal, social and emotional development to help them become confident, independent learners.

In Reception class at BST, although ‘hands on’ activities are still a part of everyday life, this is the year when children learn to read and write. We use the Letters and Sounds programme as the core of our reading and writing curriculum. This approach works best with parental support at home and good communication between teacher and parent.

The foundation classrooms are lively places, full of learning. Children are challenged and supported by class teachers, assistant teachers and specialist teachers in Music, PE and Russian to ensure that they are provided with the experiences to match the full range of their talents and abilities.

We have no doubt that you will see your child quickly develop a range of skills that will enable them to fulfill their potential in all aspects of school life. Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage at BST. Mrs Roma Currie EYFS Phase leader

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Academic calendar 2015-2016 Autumn Term September 2nd – 16th October (6 weeks 3 days) Half term 19th – 23rd October 26th October – 18th December (8 Weeks) Spring Term January 11th – February 19th (6 weeks) Half term 22nd – 26th February 29th February – 8th April (6 weeks) Summer Term 18th April – 27th May (6 weeks) Half Term – 30th – 31st May June 1st – July 7th – (5 weeks 2 days) Please note: • School will be closed on National Holidays • The last day of each term will be a noon finish

School hours 08:30 - 08:45 Registration 15:30 – School Finishes EYFS school assemblies will take place on Friday afternoons.

Morning time is used to welcome and register the students, complete any class administration tasks (e.g. letters to go home) and prepare for prompt starting of lessons. It is essential that students arrive at their classrooms for the beginning of class time so that they can begin the day with their classmates and teachers and, of course, are properly registered. Please understand that staff will not be available to meet with parents once their lessons begin. Please make an appointment if necessary.

Arrival & departure procedures It is essential that our youngest students be supervised at all times for their security and safety.

Therefore, we request that students should not arrive to classrooms before 8:15 am. This is to ensure that teachers have sufficient planning, meeting and preparation time at the beginning of the school day. All students should, however, be in class ready for registration at 8:40 am at the latest.

It will help the morning routine enormously if parents support us in promoting independence with students of all ages (even Nursery age) when changing shoes and hanging up coats, etc. If a brief chat with the teacher is needed at drop-off time, please ensure that you do this before 8:40 am, when registration will begin.

Please ensure that you or your designated guardian collects your child from a member of staff at the end of each day from school.

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Please collect your child at 3:30pm. School gates will be open at 3.25pm each day (please make sure you have your ID with you). On the last day of each term, school finishes at 12:00 noon. If, for some reason, you have been delayed, please telephone the school so that we are aware and can inform your child so as to avoid any unnecessary anxiety. If you are unable to collect your child, please inform the school at the earliest possible time as to who will be collecting your child. For security reasons, teachers will not release a child to an unauthorised person.

Please be aware that teachers/assistant teachers need to hand your child over to you; please assist this process by ensuring your teacher is aware you have received your child.

Security There is no issue that the school takes more seriously than the safety of our students. We have security guards at the front gate to ensure unauthorised personnel do not enter the school grounds and all visitors entering the school are required to sign in and out.

All families will be asked to have their photographs taken by BST administration team or send in electronic photos so that ID cards can be made for any adult picking up a child. No adult will be allowed on the school grounds without their ID card. Please support us in this.

It is essential that we have an accurate record of who is authorised to collect your child and their photograph in order to make an ID card. We also need current email addresses for both parents.

We will not release a child to the custody of a different adult unless we have received notification from the child’s parent.

If you need to collect your child during the school day please ensure that you inform your class teacher in advance. Parents will need to sign in, then they may go to collect the child from the classroom. An Early Release Slip will need to be collected from the front desk before leaving the school premises.

Parents should provide the school with at least two contact telephone numbers in case of emergencies. It is vital that you inform the school of any changes to these contact numbers.

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School uniform School uniform is compulsory for all students attending the school. We believe that wearing school uniform in a proud and smart manner promotes positive self-esteem and, therefore, is integral to the ethos of the school. All students are expected to arrive at school every day in uniform, worn in a tidy manner. We expect our students to take pride in their school uniform.

All students are expected to wear PE uniform on PE days. You will be informed about these days at the beginning of the academic year.

The Headmaster will give guidance regarding the dates when summer and winter uniforms are to be worn, according to the seasonal weather conditions. Summer uniform will be required at the beginning of the year.

Below is the set uniform for EYFS children: Boys

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Girls

P.E and Miscellaneous

Other Items The correct socks and shoes complete the school uniform (see above). Therefore, black leather shoes must be worn every day except PE days when proper trainers should be worn.

We believe that the children benefit a great deal from playing outside and enjoying fresh air whenever possible, even in winter. We always make every effort that they are dressed appropriately to go outside. It is therefore extremely important that your son or daughter has the appropriate clothes to go outside. Use of coats, snow pants, hats, gloves etc. are encouraged during cold and rainy days. Sun hats are recommended for sunny days. As well as the black leather shoes or trainers on PE days, students will always need a pair of outdoor shoes to change into for playtimes. We appreciate your support in ensuring that weather appropriate garments are provided.

With young children we do understand that accidents sometimes happen. We ask parents to provide a spare change of clothes, to include socks and underwear that should be kept in your child’s bag in school.

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For safety reasons the wearing of earrings (except studs), or other jewellery (metal or plastic) must not be permitted during sporting activities, PE or swimming. They represent potential hazards to all participants. Medical, professional and occupational safety advice confirms that they should be avoided at all times.

We encourage independence in our students from the first day of school. This does mean at times that items can go temporarily missing. With this in mind, please label all items of school uniform with your child’s name and class.

General Appearance Students should not wear necklaces, bracelets or earrings to school (except for stud earrings).

Hair should be worn in a neat style. We consider mohicans, tramlines and bright colours are not considered appropriate hairstyles for school. If a student attends school with a hairstyle that is deemed inappropriate the Headmaster will inform the parents and request a more suitable style.

Furthermore, a student may be required to wear hair tied back and/or to remove jewellery if it is deemed hazardous to an activity.

What your child will need for school Water bottles: • Each student will be asked to bring their own re-useable water bottle to school • The bottle should be individual and never shared with others • It should be clearly labeled with the name and class of the student • The bottle will be returned home at the end of each day to be washed • Only water should be contained in the bottles - no juice, carbonated or flavoured drinks • Water dispensers will be available at school for refills whenever required Storage & Usage • Water bottles will be stored neatly in class and students will be able to carry them to specialist lessons • Teachers will establish clear routines in their class to ensure drinks are available to students at certain times but do not interrupt their lessons in anyway • Please note that students may not be permitted to use water bottles in locations which are deemed hazardous, e.g. in the vicinity of ICT and/or electrical equipment

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Prohibited Items It is school policy not to bring the following items to school: • Sharp or pointed instruments (e.g. scissors) • Chewing gum and sweets • Toys or games unless at the request of a teacher • Music-playing systems, mobile phones or any other electronic devices not supplied by the school. This is to ensure that students’ belongings do not get damaged or lost. If a parent needs to contact a student urgently a message can be passed through the school office.

School Lunch A hot and nutritious lunch is served to all children in school (except half-day Pre-Nursery children who wish to leave before lunch). School lunches are paid for in advance along with tuition fees. If you have not already informed the school that your child has dietary restrictions (whether for health, religious or allergy reasons), please do so immediately. We will inform the school kitchen and special arrangements will be made to provide proper suitable alternatives. EYFS children eat first, and are served directly at their table.

As snacks are provided in EYFS there is no need to send in a snack for school. BST discourages sugar-laden foods for health reasons and also because they can have a negative effect on concentration and learning. Under no circumstances should snacks be shared amongst students.

Occasionally, families send in a small individual cup cake for each child to celebrate a birthday.

Please avoid sending in one large cake or gift bags. Also, please note that, due to existing serious allergies present within the school, snacks with nuts must be avoided. If in doubt please speak to the class teacher - BST is a nut-free zone.

Behaviour From an early age we encourage students to develop a sense of responsibility, self-respect and a respect for other people, property and the environment. We ask our EYFS students to take care of their friends, classroom and the toys and resources within it.

It is essential for parents and school to work in partnership so that the values encouraged by home and school are mutually reinforced.

The following is not an exhaustive set of objectives, but outlines the key expectations we have of students: • Treat everyone with respect and courtesy • Behave in a way that aids learning during lessons • Walk at all times when indoors • Walk on the left in corridors and staircases • Hold doors open for others • Remove coats, jackets and hats during lessons and at lunch • Make sure that classrooms and playgrounds are kept clean and tidy; litter should be placed in bins • Greet the teacher and guests in the school • Speak and listen in turn

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Always look after school resources and ensure that furniture and resources are tidy at the end of lessons Do not leave the classroom without the teacher’s permission From Reception age, students are responsible for clearing trays and plates after break and lunch

We encourage all students to act as positive citizens and bullying will not be tolerated at our school.

Merit system Certificates in EYFS At BST, we believe that great efforts should be rewarded and recognised. With this in mind, we have a ‘Mr Men’ reward system designed to encourage high standards and positive action from our students throughout the year.

During the year, students will be awarded stickers for excellent work, effort, progress and good citizenship. Teachers award points to each student when deserved his/her rewards are displayed on his/her chart in the class. There will be no negative actions such as minus rewards. Certificates will be awarded in assembly/class to successful students.

Attendance Regular daily attendance is essential for even the youngest students. They learn a great deal every day. We ask that parents ensure that parents support attendance at school wherever possible and avoid any absences.

Parents who are aware of such future absences should inform the class teacher and seek permission from the Head of Primary/EYFS as far in advance as possible.

If students do not make the progress required to enter the next year group due to poor attendance, the student may need to repeat the year.

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In summary, please get your child to school every day, on time if possible - it will really help them enjoy school and make great progress.

Absence Through Sickness While regular daily attendance is important, sometimes absence is unavoidable through sickness.

Please inform the school if your child is unable to attend school for health reasons. Please telephone as early as possible after 8:00am and leave a message for the class teacher.

In order for us to ensure the health and safety of your child, please advise us of any medical problems they may have when there is an allergy to materials or food. Please ensure that the health questionnaire has been completed.

If your child becomes unwell and the class teacher/tutor feels that they may not be well enough to participate in lessons, the student will be referred to the school nurse on site. After further observation, if the student is clearly not well enough to return to class, you will be telephoned to collect your child. Please be aware that it is the responsibility of the parents to collect their unwell child, and that the school cannot provide a driver in such circumstances. Please ensure that school always has updated contact phone numbers and email addresses.

Health and first aid The school employs a full-time qualified nurse on each site and many of our staff have first aid training who can deal with day-to-day matters such as cuts or bruises, and students who feel unwell whilst at school. In the unlikely event of a more serious accident, emergency services will be called to the school and parents will be telephoned immediately. In consultation with parents, transportation will be organised to a hospital or international clinic.

Medicine For Students Academic and administrative staff are prohibited from giving any medication to students whilst on site. School nurses require a prescription from a doctor with the doctor’s signature and stamp in order to administer any medication to a child. If this cannot be provided, a family representative known to the school will need to give medicine to the student.

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Role of the parent At BST we acknowledge the importance of involving our parents in their child’s education and we encourage the support of parents throughout the school.

Parents are often invited to support class assemblies, activities, open days and curriculum days in order to be involved in school life as much as possible. Each class will elect a parent class representative (normally at the ‘Meet The Teachers’ evening) who will act as a liaison with the class teacher for such events.

In addition to your role within school we also encourage your support with your child’s learning at home. The enjoyment and knowledge that young children get from books is invaluable at this age and we encourage parents to read with their child as often as possible at home. At BST we consider homework to be an excellent way to review or reinforce work taught in school rather than a way to extend learning.

Other opportunities to get involved at British School of Tashkent: To be involved in school life as much as possible parents are invited to take part in the following activities: • Reading with children in class (support booklet is given) • Helping with class trips • Helping with cookery or art lessons • Supporting class assemblies and other activities Please get in touch if you would like to offer some of your spare time in school. We would love to have your input.

Home/School communication At BST we greatly value working in partnership with parents and guardians to ensure the very best for your children. As part of this, we place a strong emphasis on opening up many avenues of communication between parents and teachers. Please take the time to read the following to help you understand the different ways that we can share information with each other.

Daily Communication: •

Parent Portal. Most communication from the school is provided via the online Parent Portal.

Therefore, it is essential that all parents review all of the information on the Portal regularly.

Not only will information from key staff members be presented there but also important calendar events that we would hate you to miss.

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Email. Critical/individual communication can also be maintained by email, though we ask you to do this selectively and concisely so that email communication remains manageable for teachers and they can focus on their classroom work. The class teacher would be the first point of contact on most issues. When appropriate, they will refer any important issues to the Senior Leadership Team. If you wish advice on administrative aspects of school our admin team are always happy to help.

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Weekly: •

Weekly Blurb. Teachers will inform you of learning experiences that took place during the week and upcoming events via the weekly class updates that are posted on the Parent Portal.

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Weekly Update. Each week a message from the EYFS Phase Leader and Head of Primary will be posted on the Parent Portal.

Half termly •

A school newsletter will be published on the Portal and the school website every half term. It includes articles from staff and students and photos celebrating what the children have done throughout this period.

Termly: •

Curriculum Letters. At the beginning of each term, a curriculum letter is sent out to inform parents of the topics and objectives that will be taught in the coming term.

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School Reports. Each term you will receive a full written report on your child’s progress and attainment that can be downloaded from your Parent Portal account.

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Parent Teacher Consultations. These take place 2 times a year and give you the opportunity to talk one-to-one with the teacher about your child’s progress, development and targets.

Additional Information and Correspondence during the Year: •

Meet the Teacher. During the third week of Term 1, a ‘Meet The Teacher’ evening will be held, during which time parents will be invited to visit the classroom of their son or daughter and gain an insight into their new class and teaching staff. It is also an opportunity for the teachers to share important information about class procedures and expectations.

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Class Timetable. This timetable indicates which activity your child is doing at what time during the week.

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Curriculum Overviews. These will be posted directly onto our school website and class portal and is an overview of what the year group will be addressing.

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Face to face. Class teachers are happy to discuss concerns you may have about your son or daughter but are unable to do so during teaching time. Any small issue that can be discussed briefly at drop off or pick up time, must be completed outside of lesson time.

Teachers will gladly arrange for you to make an appointment to discuss any important topics that you wish to raise.

In order to maintain consistent lines of communication, we ask that you ensure that your contact details including mobile phones and email addresses remain regularly updated with the school office.

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Student Work and Portfolios Parents will have regular opportunities each term to see the work being achieved by the students as part of the parent teacher consultations and work that is sent home. All student work will normally be sent home by the end of each term (with the exception of examples required for inspection or display purposes).

Home learning It is very important that school and home work together to develop a love of learning in our students. It helps enormously if work done at home is completed at a regular time and under the best conditions in order for the child to enjoy learning. Teachers are happy to give guidelines so that the support given at home mirrors what is learnt by your child in school.

Parents will be invited to a ‘Phonics For Parents’ evening at the beginning of the academic year.

This will help parents to understand how we teach young children to read and write at BST. Pre Nursery & Nursery In Nursery, home learning would simply involve supporting us by promoting independence at home (e.g. encouraging/teaching your child to take off and put on their own shoes and coat and eating by themselves, etc).

Parents can involve themselves and their child at home in the topics being learnt in school. This helps to reinforce what is being taught and students can get a fuller learning experience.

Reception In Reception, parents should reinforce letter sounds, blending and listen to their child read.

Initially phonetic word lists to be ‘sounded out’ with children will be sent home. Later, ‘Tricky Words’ will be introduced and exposure to these words at home will really help children to feel confident when reading.

It is always good to get children to make predictions about the story, answer open-ended questions and even write about what they enjoyed about the book.

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Counting objects, identifying shapes, using mathematical language (e.g. more, less, rectangle, add, subtract) and learning number bonds by heart to 10 (e.g. 7+3=10, 8+2=10, 5+5=10) will all help your child in class.

General Home Learning For EYFS Students • Encourage independence • Share books together and discuss them • Using their fine motor skills (building up the muscles in the fingers by writing, colouring, cutting, squeezing and threading etc.) Please ensure the correct finger/scissor grip is reinforced at home • Ask a lot of questions (get students thinking) • Get students physically active and playing alongside others • Do jigsaw puzzles and encourage them to solve their own problems As ‘home learning’ in the EYFS is not as structured as with older students, it can often be considered less important.

However, please remember that these are the foundation years on which everything else is built and, therefore, the most important.

Using English in school Bilingualism is an asset to the pupil and the school, and this is reflected in the way we approach the use of language in school. English is the first language of the school and we should encourage it to be used as much as possible. It is the one common language that all pupils will share and therefore has the capacity to unite all pupils.

It is not forbidden for children to use their native language in the EYFS classroom, however our graduation towards exclusive of use of English in the classroom and on the playground grows with the age of the children and their English language proficiency. Very young children and those new to English, may use their native language when necessary but move gradually towards more and more English.

When determining use of native language in school, the age and capability of children is key and all staff will take a common sense approach.

Pupils are not reprimanded or sanctioned for using their mother tongue. Instead, they are positively encouraged to use English wherever possible.

Additional information Assessments are continually made throughout your child’s education to ensure they are progressing at expected levels and are suitably challenged and supported. Work samples are collected to help document each child’s progress.

Cultural awareness is promoted throughout the year. We celebrate International Day as well as sing songs, enjoy various festivals and of course recognise the range of cultures represented in our classes. Time is given for expression through art, music, dance and drama.

During International Day, each class studies a different country and learns about traditions, cultures, foods and much more. At the end of the week, classes then share with one another information about their country; they also get to dress in clothes that represent their own or another country.

As children who attend BST are living in Tashkent, we feel that it is very important that they learn about the customs and language of the country. All children in Nursery and Reception attend

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classes of Russian each week. In addition, the children in these classes are able to enjoy and benefit from the enthusiasm and expertise of having specialist teachers in Music and PE.

In summary We hope that this handbook provides an informative introduction to the school. Of course not every piece of information will be here and if you should need any further guidance, please feel free to contact the appropriate member of the school for further advice. We look forward to working with you this year.

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Lower Campus: Yassi Street Bld 15, Mirzo-Ulugbek District, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Tel.: +99871-262-60-20 Upper Campus: Sayram Street Bld 30a, Mirzo-Ulugbek District, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Tel.: +99871-268-55-61/ +99871-268-55-62 admissions@britishschool.uz - info@britishschool.uz www.britishschool.uz

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