Parents Handbook - Key Stage 1

SHERBORNE QATAR P R E P A R A T O R Y

S C H O O L

W E L C O M E T O K E Y S TA G E 1 AT S H E R B O R N E Q ATA R P R E PA R AT O R Y S C H O O L

OUR MISSION To produce well-educated, well-rounded individuals who have high aspirations and achieve their potential, in a happy and nurturing school.

OUR VALUES Respect, Honesty, Kindness, Perseverance, Responsibility and Teamwork.

OUR AIM All - round excellence

OUR L E A R N I N G D I S P O S I T I O N S Creativity

Independence

Curiosity

Communication

Resilience

Risk-taking

ERBORNE QATA

R E P A R A T O R Y 2

S C H O O

Contents 2

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5-9

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10-12

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Contact Details

Our Mission - Our Values - Our Aim

Attendance / Punctuality

Teaching Staff

Key Stage 1 Curriculum

Enrichment Programme

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19

Pastoral Care & The House System

PE

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Houses

Helping at Home

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Monitoring Progress

Keep up to date

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The School Day - Key Stage 1

Uniform

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The School Day - Pre School

Food & Drink

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Early morning drop off and after school care

Communications

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We would like to welcome you to KS1 at Sherborne Qatar Preparatory School.

This booklet gives you general information for new pupils to our KS1 classes.

BA (Hons) Music, Birmingham Conservatoire; PGCE Primary, Nottingham Trent University; MBA (Senior Leadership in Education), Coventry University.

H

eidi was Head of Pre-Prep at Sherborne Prep in Dorset from 2010 until 2022 when she joined Sherborne Qatar Prep School as Deputy Head / Head of Pre-Prep. She is passionate about giving young children the very best start in their educational journey, ensuring they are happy and confident to succeed. Heidi lives with her husband in Qatar and has 3 children at University in the UK. She is a keen musician; playing violin and singing, and enjoys running to keep fit.

MRS HEIDI BERRY Head of Pre-Prep

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BA (Hons) English and working with children, young people and families, Newman University PGCE Primary Wolverhampton University.

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essica began her teaching career at Smiths Wood Primary Academy in Birmingham, where she completed her NQT year in Year 2 and was given the middle management role of Head of Year. In 2016, she moved to Qatar and was been Head of Year 1 at Newton British Academy, Al Dafna for 2 years. Jessica has a keen interest in performing arts, and dance in particular and she loves to organise performances within school. She loves travelling, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.

MISS JESSICA DEANE Head of Year Year 1 Teacher

BA (Hons) in Coaching and Physical Education, University College Plymouth St Mark and St John; PGCE Primary, Plymouth University.

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MS ABIGAIL JESSOP Head of Jassim House Year 1 Teacher

bi worked as a 1:1 SEN Teaching assistant before returning to Plymouth to complete her PGCE. Her first teaching post was as a Year 5 Form Tutor in a rural Middle School in Dorset, from there she embarked on five years of teaching in EYFS. Three of those years were in a small First School where she also took the lead role in PE for the school, implementing school wide initiatives to encourage children to be fit and healthy, followed by two years in Reception at King’s College Doha. During her time in Early Years, Abi has developed a sound knowledge and understanding of Phonics teaching and taken part in several opportunities for professional development in teaching Maths, facilitated by the NCETM Maths Hubs.

Outside school Abi has several interests. She enjoys keeping active and has always been a keen swimmer, competing from a young age and playing water polo at university. She also enjoys cycling and loves to refuel by baking up some treats in the kitchen to share with her friends over coffee.

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BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences and PGCE Primary Education, University of the West of England.

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oxana is originally from Zimbabwe and has lived in Canada, South Africa, the U.K. and now Qatar. She has been fortunate enough to work with children in most of these countries. Roxana completed her PGCE in Bristol, where she thoroughly enjoyed working in both Key Stages 1 and 2. She taught Year 2 for two years at an independent school near Bristol before joining Sherborne Qatar. In her spare time, Roxana enjoys yoga, swimming as well as spending time with her family.

MISS ROXANA PEERZADA Head of Mental Health & Wellbeing Year 1 Teacher

BA(Hons) Primary Education, Manchester Metropolitan University.

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icole is from Wigan, a small town close to Manchester, famous for Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls, rugby and pies. Nicole studied to be a Primary School Teacher at Manchester Metropolitan University, specialising in EYFS. After graduating in 2015, Nicole travelled around South East Asia and Australia before returning to the UK, working in paediatric complex care and coaching a disability rugby team. Nicole then moved to Doha in 2018, working at her previous school as a KS1 class teacher then Key Stage Coordinator for Years 1-3. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys running, working out and playing netball.

NICOLE CHAMBERS Head of Powys House Year 1 Teacher

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BA (Hons) Education and Early Childhood Studies, Liverpool Hope University; Primary PGCE, Liverpool Hope University.

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fter completing her undergraduate degree in Education and Early Childhood in 2015, Lucy completed her Primary PGCE in 2016. Before joining Sherborne Qatar, Lucy worked as a Year 1 teacher for three years in the UAE, where she also held the position of Reading and Phonics Coordinator (an area that she is particularly passionate about). Lucy joined the Year 2 team at Sherborne Qatar in August 2019 and has also held the position of Head of Year 2 since August 2020. Lucy enjoys reading and keeping active in her spare time. Since living in the Middle East, she has enjoyed travelling to different countries such as Australia, Oman and Sri Lanka.

MISS LUCY MCFAUL Head of Year Year 2 Teacher

BA (Single Hons) History, Queens University Belfast; PGDE General Primary, Liverpool John Moores University; MA in Educational Practice, Liverpool John Moores University.

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emma is from a small village in county Derry in Ireland. She completed her PGDE in Liverpool and qualified as a primary school teacher in June 2018. She moved to Qatar in August 2018 and taught Year 5 for one year, Year 4 for the last two years and now teaches Year 2. Gemma was the Reading Lead at her previous school and her own passion for reading helped motivate this role. She loves arts and crafts and reading in her spare time. Gemma is also a huge musical fan, leading the ‘Singing Club’ at her previous school and incorporating her experience of dance and drama. Her family and friends are extremely important to her, along with staying active and healthy.

GEMMA BOYLE Year 2 Teacher

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BA (Hons) Primary Education and Teaching, Chichester University.

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ob completed his teaching degree seven years ago at the University of Chichester and he has been working in England and Qatar ever since.

He has worked in schools in Brighton and London and then moved to Qatar in 2018. Rob has spent the last few years as Head of Year 1 before moving to Sherborne Qatar. In his spare time Rob enjoys football, reading, swimming and spending time with his family.

MR ROBERT BRIDLE Year 2 Teacher

BA (Hons) Sociology and Criminology; Middlesex University, PGCE Primary Education; Northampton University.

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inead used to be a Teaching Assistant and she has worked in many schools in London. After completing her degree, she trained to teach and has worked in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. She taught in Year 2 for some time before coming to Qatar and she has taught in our Pre School ever since. Sinead enjoys learning new things and going on adventures. She also enjoys baking and creating things.

SINEAD FERGUSON Head of Science Year 2 Teacher

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KEY STAGE 1 CURRICULUM

KEY Stage 1 covers Years 1 and 2 and marks a transition between EYFS and Key Stage 1 with teaching and learning gradually becoming more formal.

The Curriculum is broad, balanced and offers pupils a wide range of learning opportunities. Years 1 and 2 follow the National Curriculum for England and Wales. Form Teachers teach the core subjects including English, Maths, Science, Arts and the Humanities.

Maths is taught daily using the White Rose Maths framework where daily opportunities are created to develop fluency, reasoning and problem - solving skills. All lessons incorporate a combination of concrete materials and pictorial representation to support the children with their understanding of each abstract concept.

Time is taken to deeply embed understanding and provide children with the chance to reach mastery level within each concept.

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nglish writing is taught using the Talk for Writing approach in which children spend time getting to know the structure of a text and building their own composition around a well-known framework. This combines spelling, punctuation and grammar alongside creative writing skills and an exposure to quality vocabulary. Phonics is taught in sets via Read, Write, Inc. where children enjoy daily discreet phonics lessons suitable for their ability. In addition to the phonic lessons, children also take part in three sessions of Guided Reading in which they spend time studying a text together with a focus on a different area of reading such as inference, prediction or language. Spelling and handwriting are included in weekly sessions as well as incorporated as part of all written work.

Science, History, Geography, Art and Design Technology are all delivered thematically through enquiries. This means that the children are following a line-of-enquiry in order to answer a specific question, for example, ‘Can we use different materials to do the same job?’

Enquiries may have a specific subject focus such as Science or History whilst providing rich cross-curricular opportunities within them. We are passionate that an enquiry - led curriculum will enable children to take more ownership of their learning and be more creative and inquisitive in their studies. All enquiries start with a ‘WOW’ experience to engage the children and these range from specially created videos, treasure hunts and letters from mystery people.

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he enquiries culminate in an outcome such as a sharing day with parents, a performance, a written report or a presentation. During the enquiry, children are immersed in the required skills and knowledge and are given the opportunity to ‘have a go’ before embarking on the final challenge. Because the children know their challenge from the outset and they are provided with a model example, their learning is purposeful and with clear direction.

Our school values of Responsibility, Perseverance, Teamwork, Kindness, Respect and Honesty are intrinsically linked into all learning and the daily life of a child at Sherborne Qatar.

Our assemblies, circle times and class discussions guide our conversations with the children about their actions. We are relentless in our positivity and praise of children in order to develop their self – esteem and positive attitude.

Specialist teachers extend the curriculum with:

Music, Modern Foreign Languages, PE and Games.

Year groups also operate together for big projects, such as year group productions.

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PASTORAL CARE & THE HOUSE SYSTEM

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orm Teachers have the day-to-day responsibility for the welfare of pupils in their forms and they monitor pupil progress by taking account of what is happening in a pupil’s life.

Additionally, all pupils and staff belong to one of six Houses which allow for the vertical integration of pupils and the House Leaders, in particular, become important people in helping to shape and guide the pupils out of the classroom.

There are regular Inter House events and challenges, including whole House days. Older pupils are encouraged to support and help the younger and these events help pupils to develop their social skills, confidence, independence and the ability to work and play harmoniously together. The Houses are each grouped in ‘families’ with a child from each year group.

All children are expected to wear the correct colour House shirt on these special days: Khalifa – Orange Irons – Red Sheppard – Blue Jassim – Purple Powys – Yellow Amna - Green We want our pupils to be caring and considerate of others and to respect fellow pupils and staff alike. A whole school PSHE programme includes a variety of developmental issues and Assemblies during the week both underpin the school’s ethos and celebrate pupil success. The school has a team of nurses who administer to the pupils’ day to day ailments and maintain an overview of the pupils’ health and physical development.

We have a positive rewards system through which pupils earn Merits towards certificates at different levels and they can become Star of the Week or Term.

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MONITORING PROGRESS

Year 1 – Year 6 • Teachers assess using the Current UK National Curriculum.

• Children are assessed against their ‘age-related expectations’.

• There will be three ‘formal’ parents’ meetings throughout the year starting with a non-academic meeting in September and then two further academic meetings later in the year. The door is always open should you wish to make an appointment with the Form Teacher at any point.

• You will receive a mid-year report and an end of year report to provide you with information about your child’s current attainment as well as other key pieces of information such as attitude, attendance expectations and their general approach to school life.

• Children will complete assessment papers in maths, reading, punctuation and grammar three times per year towards the end of each term. These results are used as part of evidence to inform the teacher’s judgment and are not a fixed, end result. Teachers continually assess children through observations, marking and moderation; this forms the majority of our assessment process.

THE SCHOOL DAY KEY STAGE 1

Gates open at 6.50am and children can wait under the ‘Circus Tent’ where they will be supervised by a teacher on duty. They will make their way to class at 7.00am and the register is taken by 7.15am. Children will be ready for collection at 1.45pm. In Year One, children are dismissed from classrooms. In Year Two, children are dismissed from under the ‘Circus Tent’. Children who haven’t been collected by 2.00pm will be taken to After School Care.

The children will have two breaks throughout the day. A short 15 minute break for a snack mid-morning and a 45 minute break for lunch.

Entry and exit for Years 1 & 2 is via Gate 1. However, if children have a sibling in a different year then, for ease logistically, parents can choose the relevant gate to use.

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E A RLY MORNING DROP OFF A ND A FTER SCHOOL CA RE

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arly morning Drop Off and after school care are only offered to pupils from Reception to Year 6. The Early morning Drop Off is a booked service for which an additional fee is applicable.

After school care is an emergency service if you are running late for our pickup time. You will be charged for using this service if you are over 15 minutes late.

Contact Mrs Heidi Berry if you wish to book a place for these services: hberry@sherborneqatar.org when term resumes.

CONTACT DETA ILS

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t is really important that we can contact parents/carers quickly and easily if we need to.

Please keep contact emails and especially phone numbers up to date by informing the school office of any changes.

ATTENDA NCE/ PUNCTUALITY

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t is important for children to attend school everyday and on time, unless unwell. Getting children into good routines and habits as young as possible supports their learning and development. Please email or telephone the school office by 8.00am if your child is going to be absent from school due to illness, medical appointment etc.

Otherwise your child will be entered as an unauthorised absence in the register which in turn is recorded on their school report. Please refer the attendance expectations in the separate letter from the Headmaster.

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ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME

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he Enrichment Programme takes place after school on every day of the school week and is designed to enrich the curriculum and encourage the pupils to try things which they may not have done before. Activities include Football, Rugby, Art and Crafts, Lego Club, French Club, Cookery and Dance. Most activities are offered free of charge with additional fees only applied to clubs offered by external providers.

Sign up procedures are emailed to all parents at the start of each term.

PE

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upils in KS1 have two PE lessons per week with our specialist PE Department. They should spend the full day in their PE kit on the days when they have PE and this includes arriving to school in PE kit. PE kit should include a PE shirt, navy PE shorts, white socks, predominantly white trainers and a PE bag.

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HELPING AT HOME

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ead with your child every night. Little and often is the most effective. A few pages of their school reading book or taking some time to practice their Read, Write, Inc sounds and words.

There is so much more to reading than just finishing the book with many activities to enjoy along the way.

Suggestions include guessing what the book will be about by looking at the front cover, making predictions throughout the story, spotting RED words, finding sounds such as ‘special friends’, thinking up an alternative title for the book and discussing the characters and how they are feeling.

Read to your child - picture books, chapter books and non fiction books about things they are learning about or interested in.

Ask them questions about their learning. Rather than ‘What did you do at school today?’ you could ask ‘What did you learn at school today?’. Ask them about a particular lesson as this may help to jog their memory ‘What were you learning in English today?’

If they have a chance to explain what they learnt in a lesson, this will help them to consolidate their understanding and return the next day having ‘practised’ it.

Language acquisition continues to be a key part of the KS1 curriculum and this includes listening, understanding and speaking. Encourage conversations and explore new words and phrases together.

Speak positively about school with your child. Communicate with your child’s teacher and attend our Open House events and workshops wherever possible. If you are unsure of anything, please always ask so that we can help.

KEEP UP TO DATE

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o u will receive Parent Notices every week which include whole school information, important messages and updates.

You will also receive year group newsletters which provide an overview of the learning that has taken place and what is coming up next. There will also be notification of dates such as ‘WOW!’ days and other events.

If you would like to arrange to meet your child’s form teacher or a specialist teacher at another time, please contact them to arrange a meeting.

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UNIFORM

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our child should wear the standard uniform as provided by Noble House for every school day. Please see our website for contact details and location. All items of clothing should be clearly named, either with a sewn-in/iron on label or by writing on the label.

Please refer to the separate Prep School Uniform List, found as part of the Welcome Pack, for further details.

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FOOD A ND DRINK

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t Sherborne Qatar we are strong believers that a healthy diet and plenty of fluids are very important in helping your child to learn more and be happier in school. We encourage our pupils to eat and drink regularly. With this in mind, we ask that you support us by providing your child daily with: •

A named, refillable water bottle. Please note that bottles are kept together in the classroom and so it must be possible for your child to identify which bottle belongs to him or her so as to avoid mix-ups.

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A snack box containing healthy food, such as: raisins, dried or fresh fruit, fruit juice or milk, a small sandwich or wrap.

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A larger packed lunch, containing similarly healthy items.

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If your child is coming to school on the bus, or otherwise leaving home very early in the morning, you may like to supply them with a little extra breakfast to eat in school before lessons start, such as a banana and some milk.

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All food containers need to be named clearly, and should identify whether the food is for snack, lunch or breakfast.

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Please note that the school has a ‘no nuts’ policy due to allergies, and chocolate, sweets and fizzy drinks are not allowed. Please also do not send food and drinks in glass containers or bottles.

• We appreciate children enjoy celebrating birthdays with their friends. Unfortunately, we cannot allow cakes, muffins, donuts, sweets etc to be shared in class. This is due not only to our healthy eating policy but also the risk they pose to children with allergies. Thank you for your understanding.

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COMMUNICATIONS

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f you have any questions or concerns throughout your child’s time in school, please see your child’s form teacher at the beginning of the day or at end of a day.

Please be aware that this is a busy time of the day and therefore we suggest getting in touch with your child’s Form Teacher first to make an appointment.

KEY STAGE 1 Head of Prep-Prep Mrs Heidi Berry – hberry@sherborneqatar.org

Head of Year Miss Jessica Deane – jdeane@sherborneqatar.org Year 1 Miss Nicole Chambers – nchambers@sherborneqatar.org Miss Roxanna Peerzada- rpeerzada@sherborneqatar.org Miss Abigail Jessop – ajessop@sherborneqatar.org

Head of Year Miss Lucy McFaul – lmcfaul@sherborneqatar.org Year 2 Mr Robert Bridle – rbridle@sherborneqatar.org Miss Gemma Boyle – gboyle@sherborneqatar.org Miss Sinead Ferguson –snixon@sherborneqatar.org

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