Lodge Parents' Handbook - September 2023

Miss Kate Bailey

Deputy Heads

School Development: Mrs Donna Sweeney

Pupil Development: Mrs Fiona Reynolds

Assistant Deputy Heads

Academic: Mr Paul Adams Organisation: Mrs Rebecca Rycroft

Boarding: Mrs Michele Western-Kaye Head of Lodge Mrs Claire Gillett

Hannah Smart

Contents

Structure of the School

A Day in Lodge

Godstowe's Term

Food and Nutrition

My School Portal

Health Centre

Homework

PE

Other Information

Uniform

Friends of Godstowe

Map

Structure of the School

Our year group names are listed below, alongside their National Curriculum equivalents.

Year Group Age Range National Curriculum Key Stage

Nursery Lodge

Beginners

Kindergarten

Transition

Main School

Form I

Form II

Lower Third (LIII)

Middle Third (MIII)

Upper Third (UIII)

Fourth Form (IV)

3 to 4

Pre School

4 to 7 (boys and girls)

4 to 5

5 to 6

6 to 7

7 to 13 (girls)

7 to 8

8 to 9

9 to 10

10 to 11

11 to 12

12 to 13

Reception

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Year 7

Year 8

Both Beginners' classrooms are in the blue Beginners Building. There are two similar classrooms. They join Nursery in the Main Lodge Hall for lunch every day.

Kindergarten and Transition classrooms are based in the main Lodge building. There are two classes per year group, as well as a Library, Art, Craft and Cookery room and Main Hall.

Structure of the Day

Lodge and Nursery Breakfast club, which includes care plus a choice of breakfast, starts at 7.30am. This must be booked in advance through Lodge Office, sarmstrong@igodstowe.org, and incurs a small charge.

When dropping off at Lodge, we operate a 'kiss and drop' system between 8.15am and 8.45am. This is to ensure there are no long queues in the morning. Your children will be met by a member of staff who will safely guide them to their classroom.

The School day starts at 8.15am with electronic registration at 8.45am. We are legally required to maintain full attendance registers and we would appreciate your cooperation so that this can be as simple and efficient as possible. Every day the children are registered twice, once in the morning at 8.45am and again at the start of afternoon lessons.

On a Monday, we hold an 'Achievement Assembly'. Kindergarten and Transition have their Form Assembly on a Tuesday and Fridays are a time for celebrating with our Birthday Prayers assembly. Parents are invited to join us on the Friday following their child's birthday.

The day ends at 3.30pm and children can be collected from their classrooms between 3.30pm and 4.00pm. Children may only be collected by a recognised parents/nanny. Staff will release children to another parent or to someone unknown to staff only by arrangement in advance. At 4.00pm, children are taken to their after school activities.

Structure of the Day

Aftercare club is available from 4.00pm until 5.25pm and can be booked via the Lodge Office, sarmstrong@godstowe.org. This is offered free of charge and includes a small snack. Judo, ballet, drama and gymnastics are also available as part of the Enrichment Curriculum These clubs are run by external providers and incur an extra charge.

When collecting children at the end of the day or after school cubs, please park on the Lodge tennis courts, not outside the building as this is reserved for staff.

Absences

If your child has an appointment, e.g. medical appointment, at some time in the future please email the Lodge office, sarmstrong@godstowe.org, as soon as you know the date.

If you require special permission for your child to be absent for any other reason (including late arrival or early departure at the start or end of term) then you must seek permission from the Head of Lodge. Please email sarmstrong@godstowe.org. The request will be passed onto Head of Lodge who will either approve or decline your request.

If your child is unexpectedly absent due to illness, you should call Lodge between 8.00am and 8.20am. Your phone call should then be followed up with an email to their tutor or Lodge. You can find all relevant email addresses on My School Portal.

Structure of the Term

Exeats and Half Terms

Generally there are two fixed Exeats each term, occurring either side of Half Term. There are no activities, only aftercare until 5.25pm. This is the same for Half Terms

School Calendar

A live, up to date school calendar is available on My School Portal. You are able to export this to your laptop or device. A typical year at Godstowe can look like:

Autumn Term

Harvest Festival

Parents' Meetings

Christmas Fair

Early Years Nativity

KS1 Nativity

Perriss Knight Awards

Spring Term

Parents' Meetings

Easter Bonnet Parade

Perriss Knight Awards

Summer Term Sports Day

Perriss Knight Awards

Summer Concert

Summer Fete/Ball (alternating years)

Food and Nutrition

At Godstowe, we are proud to be working with CH&Co for our food from Nursery to Fourths.

"At CH&Co, we know that children directly benefit from good, wholesome and interesting food during the school day. We start with fresh ingredients, sourced from the right suppliers, which are seasonal and British wherever possible. We introduce modern food styles but retain traditional cooking methods.

The focus of our menu development is on quality and variety; they are designed to be attractive and appetising and to appeal to different age groups. It is critical to understand that eating habits change as we grow and that the needs of girls and boys are different. Using only the freshest ingredients dishes will be cooked from scratch. Pupils will be able to choose from a range of filled breads, freshly prepared salads, a selection of street food dishes, varied main meals from around the world, desserts, and homemade cakes and tray bakes."

At Lodge, a snack and a piece of fruit are provided at break along with fresh milk or water. A hot two-course lunch is served to all children in the dining room. This is prepared on-site using fresh ingredients. A vegetarian options is always available and children with specific dietary requirements are catered for. Boys and girls are encouraged to use good table manners and to finish their meal, but they are never forced to eat something they do not like.

The menus for the term are uploaded to My School Portal and these are changed every term. There are also lots of opportunities for themed-lunches including International Week, Sushi pop-up and "Best of British".

My School Portal

My School Portal is available for all parents and guardians to access. On the portal you will find:

School Communications

Attendance Records

School Timetables

Fixtures

Enrichment Curriculum

Exam Reports Reports

Invoices

You are also able to keep all of your contact details up to date via the Portal.

All School Communication will be emailed to you via our School Office as and when needed. If you are not receiving these, please contact our IT department, itsupport@godstowe.org.

Reports and Parents' Meetings

Full reports are written for all children at the end of the Autumn and Summer Terms. Parents are invited to meet with their child's teacher in the Autumn (Pastoral) and Spring terms to discuss their progress.

Health Centre

We have a qualified nurse available onsite at all times during the school term. The nurse on duty covers Lodge, Main School and the children that board with us. In addition, the majority of our school staff are qualified first aiders

Before your child starts at the school you will be asked to complete a medical information form, one of the nurses may need to call you to discuss information you have provided. It is also important that you update us with any new conditions/allergies and injuries so we can keep your child safe in school.

When your child starts at the school we will ask you to register for an app called "Medical Tracker" which not only allows us to inform parents/carers of first aid incidents and medication administered by email, it also allows us to keep track of any long term medical conditions and care plans. When a child becomes unwell during the day, a member of staff will send them to the Health Centre, via Reception. The nurse will communicate with the child's parent or guardian if they are too unwell to remain in school.

If your child is well enough to be in school but not able to participate in sports they will need a written letter addressed to their Form teacher and Director of Sport.

Medication

The Health Centre keeps a stock of age appropriate paracetamol, cough lozenges or syrup and hayfever remedies, so you do not need to send these in with your child. You will be asked to complete a consent to treatment and medication form on admission.

Health Centre

If your child has been prescribed medication short term (eg antibiotics) or long term (eg ADHD medication) you will need to complete a "Dispensing Medication" form via My School Portal. All medication must be handed directly from the parent to the school receptionist or to the nurse on duty. For safety purposes no child is allowed to carry their medication with them during the school day (unless they require an inhaler, epipen or the child has diabetes).

Inhalers

If your child has been prescribed an inhaler for asthma one of the nurses will contact you to discuss their individual needs.We will require the inhaler in school which will either be carried by the child or stored but easily accessible in Reception. Relevant staff will be made aware of their health needs. We also have emergency inhalers onsite and will ask you to complete a consent form. It is school policy that if we have been informed a child requires an inhaler they have it with them when they go off site for sports fixtures or trips. If your child does not have their inhaler they will have to remain at school.

Health Centre

Adrenaline Auto injector pen

It is imperative that we are aware of any allergies your child may have. Our catering company has requested that we have a medical letter to confirm your child's allergy We are an allergy aware school and practise a 'No Nut' policy, please do not allow your child to bring in nuts eg. in a cake or picnic. If your daughter has been prescribed an Adrenaline Auto Injector pen due to a risk of anaphylaxis, we require two in school that are clearly named. We also have emergency pens in school and staff have received training on the use of them. The nurse will contact you to discuss your child's individual needs and staff will be informed of your child's allergy. Again, It is school policy that if we have been informed a child requires an autoinjector they have it with them when they go off site for sports fixtures or trips. If your child does not have it they will remain at school.

Immunisations

We work closely with the Bucks Immunisation Team and offer annual onsite flu vaccines (for relevant year groups) and the Year 8 HPV vaccines

Vision and Hearing screening checks

We have started using an outside company for vision and hearing screening. They will visit the school annually and you can book with them directly for a small fee if you would like your child tested.

Homework (Prep)

All stationery, home readers, exercise books and textbooks are provided by school.

For all children, home readers will be sent home for parents and children to share and enjoy together. Children will gradually become more competent at recognising and reading the key words in the text. Kindergarten and Transition children will also bring home their spellings to learn. Transition will also have multiplication tables in the same book. On some days, Transition will also be given a maths sheet, which is related to their class topic. This is to be shared with a parent.

A green reading record book accompanies the home reader and is for you to note that your child has finished the book. Unless you sign and initial that the book has been read, we will assume that you would like to enjoy the book with your child for another night. All children have a two-way red message book.

Our aim is to teach the children a strong foundation of skills, which can be developed upon and transferred to a wide range of sports. At this very early age, we focus on agility, balance and coordination, which, combined, underpin almost all physical activities In order for the children to learn, and for the environment to be safe, it is crucial that our pupils learn how to listen, how to follow instructions and to become increasingly independent as they progress through Lodge.

We help pupils to strike a balance between competitive instincts and the necessity of working together. Physical Education is fun; it can build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve social skills.

Throughout the three years in Lodge, we develop physical skills through gymnastics, games and athletic activities. All year groups swim and every child will participate in Sports Day in the Summer Term.

During games lessons, pupils initially work individually, before partner work and the small-sided teams. The aim by the end of Transitions is to have introduced simple invasion games (such as football and hockey), net games, striking and field games. In gymnastics we teach body management via skills on both the floor and apparatus. As the children progress, we increase the challenge and learn to link skills together. In swimming lessons, pupils are taught pool safety and are helped to improve their water confidence before being taught the basic strokes. During the Summer Term, we enjoy using the track for athletic activities of running, throwing and jumping.

Other information

Water

Please could your child have a small named water bottle in school every day. There is a water fountain by the kitchen for the children to refill their bottles throughout the day

Music

All year groups in Lodge have weekly music lessons taught by a dedicated music teacher. In addition, Transition receive a further lesson where they learn to play the recorder and read music. Many also enrol in an after school recorder club. Once a week all Lodge children come together to rehearse for concerts and re-visit aspects of their previous class lesson.

We hold Recital Concerts twice a year, where children have the opportunity to perform to their peers and parents.

Individual Violin and Piano lessons are available to the children in Lodge (at an additional charge) during the lunch break or after school, subject to the teachers' timetables. If you would like your child to start individual lessons, please discuss the possibility with the music teacher.

French

French for Fun is taught to all children in Lodge.

Other information

Outings

As well as supporting our curriculum work, trips offer a wealth of experience which is invaluable to children. In addition to the fun of engaging with activities outside of the classroom, school trips allow children to develop important skills. The opportunity to broaden friendships and cement current ones through shared experiences can also not be underestimated.

Examples of outings include:

Woodrow House

Chiltern Open Air Museum

Odds Farm Park

Oxford Botanical Garden

Natural History Museum, Tring

We also have lots of visitors to Lodge, including theatre workshops, kindness workshops, Maypole dancing and National Gallery artists.

Other information

Rewards

Children are rewarded with stickers, stars and smiley faces in the classroom.

Perriss Knight Awards are held at the end of each term where academic and non-academic achievements are recognised. Children also receive achievement certificates at our weekly Achievement Assembly.

Concerns

It would be unrealistic to imagine that all children will go through school without meeting any setbacks. Temporary difficulties with school work or friendships can cause anxiety. If there are concerns or problems, they need to be identified and dealt with before they become serious. If you feel that there is a problem please speak, email or write to any of the following:

Headmistress

You may drop in, or appointments can be made via the Lodge Office.

Special Education Needs and Learning Support

Those children identified as having learning difficulties in acquiring specific skills will initially be given support within the context of the classroom or within a small group. Assessment results will be monitored to ensure the child's progress. If difficulties persist, the school, in consultation with the parents, may suggest further assessment, either in school by the Learning Support department, or by an external specialist. A child with such difficulties may receive individual learning support from specialist staff within the school for an extra charge.

Form teacher Head of Lodge

Uniform

Pupils should arrive and leave looking neat and tidy wearing the correct school uniform.

Hair must be neat and worn away from the face Shoulder length hair must always be tied back. Girls may have red, brown or black ribbons, hair bands or scrunchies.

A red lunch overall should be kept in school at all times.

Makeup and nail varnish are not appropriate to wear with school uniform. No jewellery or watches are to be worn by any children in Lodge. Girls whose ears have been pierced before joining the school are allowed to wear plain gold studs only, but these must be removed on days when they have PE lessons. Parents are requested not to have their children's ears pierced during term time, or during the Christmas or Easter holidays, as this can lead to problems in school.

All items of clothing and other possessions should be clearly marked and all shoes and trainers must be labelled. Everything should be clean and in good repair. Hanging loops are required on games clothes, blazers, coats and overalls.

Uniform can be purchased from the onsite Uniform Shop (until October 2023). It can also be purchased online at www.thedirectclothing.co.uk. Scan the QR code below to be taken to the Godstowe page

Uniform ordered online can be delivered to school free of charge. The deliveries will take place on Wednesdays during term time only. Alternatively, the uniform can be delivered to your home address for a cost.

You are able to return your item using the delivery note included with your order. You can find out more information via My School Portal.

Good quality, nearly new uniform is sold in our Second Hand Uniform shop on site. The shop is open on Mondays and Fridays during term time.

Uniform

Girls Autumn and Spring Terms

Black fleece-lined coat with crest

Plain red scarf

Red gloves

Red ski hat

Grey pinafore skirt with bib top

Grey and white figured blouse

Red v-neck jumper

Grey knee-high socks

Plain red tights

Girls Summer Term

1 straw boater

Summer dress

Red cardigan

Plain white ankle socks

Red wool blazer with badge

Boys Autumn and Spring Terms

Black fleece-lined coat with crest

Plain red scarf

Red gloves

Red ski hat

Grey shorts

Red polo shirt

Red v-neck jumper

Grey knee-high socks

Boys

Summer Term

Red wool blazer with badge

Uniform

Boys and Girls all terms:

Supportive black leather shoes (velcro until children can tie laces)

Red lunch overall

Red painting smock

Red Godstowe prep bag

Games for boys and girls all terms:

Godstowe drawstring games bag

Red polo shirt (boys need an extra one for PE)

Red Godstowe tracksuit

Outdoor trainers (predominantly black or white; no flashing lights)

Black plimsolls

Black cycle shorts (girls)

Red games shorts (boys)

Red Legionnaires cap

Black pimple gloves

Red short socks

Red Godstowe swimsuit (girls)

Red swimming trunks (boys)

Red Godstowe swim hat

Red swimming bag

Godstowe swimming towel

Swimming goggles with clear lenses

Friends of Godstowe

Friends of Godstowe, or FoG, is a group of volunteers who organise social activities and events for the school. Through these events, we aim to ensure that all Godstowe children, parents and guardians feel, and enjoy being, a part of our school community

We are parents who volunteer to help the school provide exciting opportunities for our children. Along with the main FoG committee, there are individual representatives, known as Class Reps, for each form within the school.

We have helped the school achieve incredible new heights, including:

Donation to the refurbishment of the Swimming Pool

New sandpits and play equipment for Lodge

New school mini bus

Chrome tablet computers

Sound equipment for the JK Theatre

Games for the Boarding Houses

Laser cutter for DT department

The list is never ending and else we can achieve. If you would like to