1. Welcome to St. Thomas’ C.E. Primary School
Parents’ Meeting: 14th June 2017

2. This evening we aim to… begin our partnership together.
provide you with the opportunity to meet all of the staff working with your child.
give you a clear overview of our school day.
provide you with the chance to ask questions.

3. Key staff members Mr Moss – Head Teacher Mrs Toft – Deputy Head
Mrs Parker –KS1 Leader & SENCO & Year 1 teacher
Miss Johnson – EYFS Leader & Reception teacher
Mrs Fleming – Reception TA
Mrs Moss – EYFS HLTA

4. When will my child start?
All children will start on Tuesday 5th September 2017 at 8.50am.
Please feel free to bring your child into the classroom.
Please take time to settle them to an activity.
All staff are available to discuss any concerns or pass on any information.
An invite will be sent out to the children.

5. Our school day Our day begins at 8.50am
Lunchtime – 11.45am until 1.00pm
Our school day finishes at 3.15pm

6. What will my child need to wear?
White shirt/polo shirt
Royal blue jumper/cardigan
Grey trousers/skirt/pinafore/shorts
Black shoes
White/grey/black socks
During the summer a pale blue gingham dress may be worn

7. What will my child need to bring?
Water bottle
Book bag
P.E. bag
Warm coat
Pair of wellingtons
No jewellery
Long hair tied back

8. What will my child need for P.E.?
White t-shirt
Blue shorts
Velcro pumps
Please could all
items be named
and placed in a
drawstring P.E. bag.

9. Forest Schools afternoon
Every other Tuesday afternoon we take part in Forest Schools workshops within our outdoor environment.
This is provided by Learning in the Woods Forest Schools Group.
Children wear their school top & jumper but their own trousers or leggings.

10. School dinner or packed lunch?
A government initiative provides all Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 children with the option of a healthy, nutritionally balanced free school meal each day.
You are automatically included within this scheme. If you would like to opt out please pop to the office for an opt out form.
Please complete an allergies form within your pack.

11. What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?
The Early Years Foundation Stage (E.Y.F.S.) is the stage of education for children from birth to the end of the Reception year.
It is based on the recognition that children learn best through play and active learning.

12. The E.Y.F.S. Curriculum Prime Areas
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language
Specific Areas
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

13. The E.Y.F.S. Curriculum Across all areas of learning are
3 important characteristics of effective learning:
Playing and exploring – engagement
Active learning – motivation
Creating and thinking critically - thinking

14. that meets the needs of all of your children.
The first few weeks
We will get to know your child, explore what they already know and can do
and use this information to help us develop an exciting, challenging curriculum
that meets the needs of all of your children.
Each child has their own home/school partnership book “My Learning Log” where we share home learning, communicate successes and provide you with the opportunity to add to the learning we do in school by adding photos, drawings, pictures, children’s writing and your annotated notes of things your child has worked on or visited at home.
Learning log are in your pack please collect these at the end of the meeting. Also some books to share with your children as a gift from the school and an information pack with lots of forms to go through.

15. Letters and Sounds - Phonics
An approach to teach children to read quickly and skilfully by:
Recognising the sound each letter makes.
Identifying the sounds that different combinations of letters make.
Blending these sounds together from left to right to make a word.

16. How we teach your child to read

17. Getting the balance right!
Learning to read
Phonics
Developing reading strategies
Reading to learn for purpose and pleasure
Quality texts
Key authors
Talk about books
Engagement and motivation
Set date for first weeks- reading meeting-afternoon and early evening Monday 11th September

18. Medical Matters
If your child has any allergies or medical conditions, please let staff know so we have the correct medication on hand if it is ever required.
If your child is absent for any reason, please give the school office a ring at the start of the school day.
If your child suffers from sickness or diarrhoea they should remain at home for 24 hours after symptoms stop.
Let Nikki know any allergies tonight.

19. This information is confidential to the school and is not shared.
Pupil Premium
If you as a household receive one of the following benefits:
Income support
Income based job seekers allowance
Child tax credit
Guarantee element of state pension credit
Income related employment and support allowance
Then school may be entitled to apply for additional money to support your child’s individual needs within school.
This information is confidential to the school and is not shared.

20. Please can you help us! Velcro shoes & pumps.
Names on all items so we can always get them back to you!
Try to dress them in polo shirts and skirts on P.E. days.
Please could children practise independently getting changed for P.E.

21. Please can you help us!
You will do some lovely activities with your child, please could your photograph these and include them within the ‘My Learning Log’ book.
If you have any concerns, no matter how small, please do pop in to share them.