INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENTERING CLASSES PREP I, II
AND Ill
Whether your child is moving up from our Early Years or joining from another setting, we would like to welcome you to the Prep classes. The Prep classes are encouraged to develop as critical, independent thinkers and natural problem solvers, ultimately equipping them with the skills to be life-long learners.
School Hours - Prep Classes (4+ to 7+ years)
Arrival time in the morning is between 8:00am and 8:50am (full time) and 8:45am8:50am (core day). Registration is at 8:55am, however, from 8.45am, the children engage in our ‘Soft Landing’ activities, such as learning about global news and childrens rights, therefore we do encourage you to ensure that your child is on site at 8.45am to make the most of these opportunities.
Lessons begin promptly at 9:00am and it is therefore essential that children arrive in time, in order to start the day in a calm and ordered fashion.
Core day children should be collected between 3:15pm and 3:30pm, and full time children can be collected between 4:30pm and 5:45pm.
Punctuality at arrival and collection times is essential and very much appreciated by the school. It is important that lessons are not disrupted so that the teachers can dedicate their time to the children's education.
Core Day Children are those who attend for a typical school year
Full Time children are those who attended for an extended school year
Emergency Contact
All parents are asked to provide work, home and mobile telephone numbers. The name and number of another adult who has agreed to be contacted should the child be taken ill or suffer an accident in school will also be requested on your annual 'Emergency Information Form'. Parents will always be contacted in the first instance and the emergency contact will only be used if parents can't be reached. The school must be notified immediately of any changes of pick-up list, address or telephone numbers.
Prep Classes
The Prep Classes are located at 68 Shoot Up Hill, NW2 3XL. Prep I, II and Ill are all based on the top floor in the school’s state of the art building extension.
Getting your child ready for the Prep Classes
In the weeks leading up to your child joining the school, it can be helpful to start preparations for the transition into the Preps Classes.
Ensure that you develop your child’s independence. They should be organising their own bags in the morning, taking ownership over their possessions and they should be able to dress and undress themselves independently. Please ensure all items are clearly labelled.
Continue to develop your child’s passions and interests. Encourage them to find out more about them by visiting galleries, museums and trying new things. You could even bring a photo/poster on their interests to discuss with their classmates on their first day.
Develop a love of reading through bedtime stories as well as stories that they are reading from the Oxford Reading Tree Scheme. Encourage your child to discuss and engage with texts, making links with their own personal experiences, looking at the language used and anticipating what may happen next, and encouraging the children to reason their thinking.
Continue to develop your child’s understanding of number and mathematical concepts; when you are out and about, look at identifying numbers on front doors and buses, for example, seeing how high they can count, or encouraging them to identify one more or one less than a given number.
Exploring mathematical concepts more practically, you could even carry out lots of cooking activities where the children explore weighing out ingredients and following a recipe!
Meals and drinks
All children need to be provided with a piece of fruit and a water bottle for morning snack. Please label all containers clearly with your child's name.
The school provides a vegetarian lunch, as well as an afternoon snack for full time children. The school has a dedicated nutritionist who works with the chefs to plan each menu. The menu is changed termly and can be found on the following link along with details of the school’s nutritionist.
https://mulberryhouseschool.com/school-news/lunch-snack-menus/
Nuts and seeds are not permitted on the school premises at any time for the health and safety of children with severe allergies.
We are able to offer core day children a hot lunch at an additional fee of £20 per week. Please contact the Bursar if you wish for your child to have hot lunch by emailing bursar@mulberryhouseschool.com.
Core day children should bring a healthy, balanced packed lunch in a clearly labelled container. We do not have refrigeration facilities available for packed lunches, so you may wish to include ice-packs during hot weather.
Please do not include crisps, sweets, chocolate, nuts and seeds. Please ensure that all snacks and lunches adhere to our Healthy Eating Policy.
Teachers eat with the children at snack times and lunchtime, encouraging them to eat their food and make healthy choices.
Communication with parents is made using a variety of channels.
Weekly updates are sent to parents through the Classlist app. This will help you to keep track of what events are coming up, news about the school and other information.
Newsletters are sent out at the end of each term via Classlist so that you can find out what topics will be covered in the coming term.
The Headteacher's Newsletters are sent out each Friday with key information on upcoming events for the whole school, as well as weekly challenges to get involved in.
Kelly will be based on the doors at drop off and collection times to welcome you to the school. We run a policy where you can see your class teachers for informal catch ups at drop-off and collection times.
The termly progress meetings take place on allocated days; the school office will send out a schedule ahead of these days.
Each class will have a coffee morning every term where you can meet and catch up with other parents and teachers from your child's class.
'Dates for the Diary' is a document which is circulated to parents each term via Classlist. This includes all the key events which are happening each term and we recommend adding these to your personal diary.
To keep you updated on what your child is covering at school, you will find key 'learning intentions' (our WALTSs) posted on the school's website each Friday. You can find this under the parent section of the website and the 'We are learning to' tab. This will support you in reinforcing they key concepts being covered in class.
On the school's website you will also find your child's class timetables, project maps and class targets, this will support you in knowing what we are aiming for your child to achieve by the end of the academic year.
Informal feedback is given daily to parents at drop off and collection times but if you would like a more formal meeting, please discuss this with your child's class teacher who can look to book this in with you.
Each term, you will be invited to a half term check in phone call with your Team Leader and end of term in person meeting for updates on your child's progress.
Communication
The Office Team are also on hand for any queries you may have. Please see the contact information below.
General Enquiries info@mulberryhouseschool.com / 0208 452 7340 Option 1
This should be used to report absences, updates for personal details, to pass on messages to the teachers and ask about events and clubs as examples.
Finance Enquiries bursar@mulberryhouseschool.com / 0208 452 7340 Option 2
For matters regarding school fees, childcare vouchers and general.
Admissions Enquires admissions@mulberryhouseschool.com / 0208 452 7340 Option 3
For new starters, siblings, changes to bookings and leaving the school.
Headteacher Enquires
Please contact the Headteacher's PA for any matters for the Headteacher.
Uniform
Full school uniform should always be worn and is available from Uniform4Kids. All clothes, including foot wear, should be clearly marked with your child's name, and an elastic loop attached to all outside clothing to enable your child to hang their coats easily.
You will receive a Uniform List and Uniform4Kids Price List separately. Please note, the Preps uniform is different to the Early Years. Children are welcome to wear nonschool uniform on their birthday as a special occasion.
Other Items Required
All items including the backpack must be clearly marked with your child's name.
All of the above items should be brought to school each day in your child’s backpack. Please check your child's bag for any circulars and pieces of work at the end of each day.
In winter, please send your child to school with a hat, scarf, and mittens.
In summer, please send your child to school in a sunhat.
Home/school links
Full progress reports are written for the children at the end of the academic year, and a parent/teacher meeting will be held to discuss the report in further detail.
We encourage parents to be fully involved in their child's schooling and welcome parents into the classroom for stories, workshops and assemblies. Please speak to your child's teachers to arrange this. For example, you may wish to talk to the children about your area of work, culture and religion, or other interests such as sports, the arts or cooking.
All staff at The Mulberry House School are committed to providing equal opportunity in care and education. To ensure this occurs on a day-to-day basis, we have an Equal Opportunities Policy, an Inclusion Policy and a Behaviour Policy, which are available for parents to read on the website.
Absence
Children are considered late arriving to the school from 8.55am onwards. Latecomers are recorded in the late book and will receive a letter from the school office after 3 recorded periods of lateness. Attendance is marked on the children’s end of year reports.
Home is the best place for an unwell child to make a speedy recovery. Please report absences by emailing the school by 8am in the morning at info@mulberryhouseschool.com. Please include your child's name and class in the subject line.
Children should not return to school until they are fully recovered. For sickness and diarrhea, children should remain at home for 48 hours for the virus to clear. Children will not be able to return to school any earlier than this period.
Only prescribed medication can be administered by the School's medical carer. Please remember to update medical information if appropriate. The school keeps a record of all medication administered during the day. This is to be signed by the Parent/Carer at the end of the day.
Children in the Prep Classes are statutory school age and therefore days off and holidays will need to be requested and permission granted from the Headteacher in advance. Please email info@mulberryhouseschool.com before booking this time off.
Time off should be limited to ensure children get the best out of their education at the school.
Infectious Diseases
Parents must inform the medical carers via email info@mulberryhouseschool.com at once if their child contracts any infectious diseases and remain at home.
Parents of children in the year group will then be informed of the case so that they can be on alert for symptoms.
Infections of head lice can appear from time to time. Parents are asked to inform the school and treat their children before allowing them to return to school.
Fire Drill & Lockdown Procedure
Every care has been taken to ensure the safety of your child whilst at school. Fire drills take place twice per term.
Lockdown procedures are also in place and are practised twice per term.
Scooter Park
We are able to store scooters for children in the Scooter Park located at 68 Shoot Up Hill by the entrance gate.
Assessment
We use Schonnell Reading tests for Prep Classes to assess each child’s sight-reading age ability. The outcome of these are shared with you via your child's reading records each term for all classes. Other tests and formative assessments include PIPS for Prep I (Performance Indicators in Primary Schools) which assesses Maths and English - the children participate in these at the start and end of the Prep I class. These are in conjunction with teacher assessments.
Children in the Prep classes take reading folders home on a daily basis. It is essential that your child has the opportunity to read to an adult frequently during the week. To support comprehension, it is important to discuss the storyline, characters, illustrations and language used etc. Please make a note of how much they have read and any other comments you think the teacher may find useful in your child’s reading records. Reading books can be changed throughout the week as and when required.
Please visit the 'Home Learning' section of the school website for further resources should you wish to engage in useful revision activities at home.
During the Spring term of Prep II we begin Study Skills sessions as part of preparations for exams and assessments for entrance to their next schools; these are led by the Headteacher.
Spelling
All children will have spellings to learn which are recorded in a book that goes home each week.
The Prep I Class children have a week to learn their spellings.
The Prep II and Ill Class children are given their spellings on a sheet each Friday, to be returned on a Monday. The children are encouraged to write sentences putting each focus word into context to support their understanding of the word as well as committing it to long term memory. We recommend that your child keeps these in a labelled folder for future practise and reference.
Music
The Prep I Class receive weekly music tuition which includes music theory.
On entering the Prep II Class, children should be provided with a recorder and a recorder book for their weekly recorder lessons with our specialist music teacher, Janie Mack. The recorder required is an 'Aulos Descant Recorder' available from DOTS The Camden Music Shop, 132 St. Pancras Way, NW1 9NB, telephone number 020 7482 5424. The recorder book is called 'Red Hot Recorder Songs Student Book/CD' (Publisher: Kevin Mayhew, ISBN: 1848671229). This book is widely available on the internet from sites such as Amazon.
Please label the book and all three pieces of the recorder clearly with your child's name.
Recorder lessons will be listed on the class timetable, so both these items will need to be brought to school on this day. This will be highlighted in your child’s Class newsletter at the beginning of each term. For the rest of the week the recorder and book can be kept at home so that the children can practise for a few minutes each day.
Pupil Assemblies
To support development of the children’s Speaking and Listening skills, each term, the classes and pupils within them take turns to share their passions, interests or experiences in one of our special weekly pupil assemblies. At the beginning of each term, parents will be issued with a schedule via the Classlist app.
Autumn – The Prep III Class
Spring – The Prep II Class
Summer – The Prep I Class
Pupil Parliament
At the beginning of each academic year, we encourage the pupils to consider their passions and interests, and how these might fit within one of the ministerial roles on
our Pupil Parliament. Considering what new initiatives they might like to introduce within their area of interest, or actions they might like to take in order to make a positive contribution to school life, the children are then encouraged to create a campaign poster detailing their ideas. The posters are shared with each class constituency ahead of our annual elections which take place at the end of September. Following the elections, our newly appointed Pupil Parliament is announced to the whole school community via our Headteacher’s Newsletter.
Ministerial roles for the Prep I, II and III Class Constituencies include:
Minister for Health and Wellbeing
Minister for the Community
Minister for the Environment
Minister for Education
Minister for Co-Curricular
Minister for the Arts
Minister for Technology
Additional ministerial roles for the Prep III Class Constituency include:
Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
Speaker of the House
Soft Landings
Every morning, from 8:45am to 9:00am, the children start off their day with one of our ‘Soft Landings’ which provides them with special opportunities to apply and extend their thinking skills. Our soft landings include:
Motivational Monday, where the children learn about the lives and accomplishments of a myriad of inspirational figures.
Challenge Tuesday, where the children explore problem solving challenges and work collaboratively to investigate approaches to how they can be solved.
World News Wednesday, where the children learn about what is happening in the local and wider world through platforms such as First News and Espresso’s ‘Newsbites’.
Rights Respecting Thursday, where the children learn about their rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Discovery Friday, where the children share their ‘Big Questions’ that have developed on the ‘Wall of Wonder’ throughout the week, using their research skills to help them discover the answers to these.
PE and Games
The school PE kit is required for PE days. On these days, the children may wear their kit in, however, they must bring their normal uniform in their bag to get changed back into following their lesson. Please check their fit regularly and ensure that all pieces are labelled clearly with your child's name.
Swimming takes place during the summer term. Further details will be sent via Classlist nearer the time.
Please check your child's class timetable for PE days. This will also be shared on your child’s Class newsletter at the beginning of each term. This may change each term.
E-Safety
Please visit the E-Safety page on the schools website for further information and to find out what we are doing at school in this area. https://mulberryhouseschool.com/esafety/
Behaviour
Children are taught to be role models for their peers.
All staff in the school will praise and endorse desirable behaviour such as kindness and willingness to share in line with our Mulberry Mindset. Stickers, house points and Special Headteacher Awards celebrate and acknowledge academic and personal achievements.
Mandarin
The children in the Prep classes are taught Mandarin. The lessons are for the most part oral and the children learn through songs, rhymes, and games.
Prep children will perform the songs, words, and phrases that they have learnt at the Mandarin Breakfast. This is held in the Spring Term as part of our Lunar New Year celebrations.
Eyesight
We recommend that all children entering the Prep classes have regular eye tests. This will ensure that any issues are identified sooner rather than later. The school offers an eye test onsite at the start of each academic year. This is carried out by a consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital at a cost of £25. Details of this will be sent via the school's 'Dates for the Diary.'
Dropping off and collecting
In line with Camden's policies, the school operates a Green Travel Plan in that we encourage parents to not use cars when coming to school. We wish to discourage parking outside the school at all times but if it does become necessary to use your car, please do not double park or park in front of neighbours' driveways.
Parents are unable to drive on Minster Road between 8am-9am and 3pm-4pm as part of the ‘Healthy School Street’ campaign. This is a Camden run scheme and may result in a fine from the council.
The school assumes care for each pupil when the responsible adult delivers them to the classroom, having signed the attendance register. The school concludes its responsibility when the responsible adult collects the pupil and signs them out from the attendance register. Outside these times the care of the pupil rests fully with the responsible adult.
How can I help my Child?
As a parent, you have a very important role to play in helping your child learn and supporting what is being covered at school. The most important things you can do to support their learning are as follows:
Take an interest in what your child is learning at school and encourage them to tell you about it. The 'We are learning to' documents are uploaded to the school's website weekly to give parents an overview of the activities for the week ahead.
Praise your child when they have done well; we use 'Growth Mindset' language within the curriculum and praise pupils for the 'effort' they have put in to achieve something and not the end result. Encourage this at home as you begin to build on their resilience.
Give them a quiet space to do any reading or related activities.
Offer them support and guidance when necessary.
In the classroom, we always refer to the letters of the alphabet by their pure phonetic sounds and use the jolly phonics actions to support their learning.
Learning at The Mulberry House School is not limited to academics. Please encourage your child to walk or scooter to school to develop their gross motor skills. We also encourage lots of sport, music, arts and STEM activities.
In the evenings and weekends, we ask parents to limit screen time and explore the wealth of culture that the city has to offer. Museum visits, extra-curricular activities and outdoor time is a great way to achieve this.
Bedtime stories are a great way to develop your child’s communication and language, comprehension skills and build on their vocabulary. Ensure that you continue to read above your child’s level and expose them to a range of genres and texts so that they begin to develop a love of literature.
Personalised Learning
We encourage Prep I, II and Ill pupils to read and be read to every day with their parents.
Pupils also have the opportunity to engage in other platforms at home including Purple Mash, Reading Eggs, Maths Whizz and Espresso. Log in details are provided at the end of your child’s first week in the Prep Classes.
Weekly Headteacher’s challenges are set and the children receive a special award for getting involved – a great way to boost self-esteem and confidence!
Pick 'n' Learn: Children will have the choice to engage in creative activities to extend their learning at home. These will be posted on the notice boards outside the classrooms and a copy can be found in the reading folder. When completed, the children will have the opportunity to present these to the class.
From the Summer Term in the Prep II Class to the Spring term in the Prep Ill Class, children will have access to the online Atom platform. This will provide personalised learning across Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal, Literacy and Science in preparation for their upcoming assessments.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning takes place once a week for Preps children.
Children will need to bring appropriate clothing for Outdoor Learning including rain boots and coats during the colder months.
Outdoor learning days change each term and will be listed on your child's class timetable: https://mulberryhouseschool.com/prep-years/curriculum/
We welcome parent volunteers for Outdoor Learning. Please speak with your class teacher if you are available to help out.
We look forward to welcoming your child to the Prep classes next term and wish you an enjoyable summer.
