Maple Infants' School

Introduction
Maple Infants' School is part of the St Mark's ward in Surbiton in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

The school is situated in the centre of Surbiton, midway between the main line railway station (Waterloo - 16 minutes) and the River Thames. Maple is a modern, popular two-form entry school with a nursery. There are 190 children on roll in the infants' school and 52 part time pupils in the nursery.

The school is currently undergoing an exciting phase of being re-modelled from open plan to separate, modern spacious classrooms plus additional specialist teaching areas. Phase 1 has been completed and the final phase will be finished by Summer 2001.

Parental interest and support is strong and the school is always oversubscribed. Admission to the nursery and infants' school is in accordance with L.E.A criteria.

The school hours are:
Nursery 9.00 - 11.30am and 12.50 - 3.20pm
Infants 8.55 - 12 noon and 1.15 - 3.15pm (Spring and Summer born children attend reception class on a part time basis until the term that they are 5 years of age).

The staff work together as a team and have high expectations of all pupils. We are currently very fortunate in that we have a high level of teaching and non-teaching support. The Governing Body take an active part in school life, giving much of their valuable time to endorse the school's aims and objectives.

Our parents automatically belong to The Friends of Maple Infants' School. The Friends work enthusiastically and tirelessly to support social and fundraising events. We also have a high percentage of voluntary helpers in school - parents, members of the community, work experience pupils and teaching students.

At Maple we aim to -

• Promote high achievement and outstanding academic success
• Involve pupils and parents and satisfy their needs
• Foster a sense of community and social responsibility
• Provide an attractive and stimulating environment.

How to contact us:
Our address is: Maple Infants' School, Maple Road, Surbiton,Surrey, KT6 4AL.
Telephone: 020 8399 3341   Fax: 020 8 390 4492
You can e-mail us at: enquiries@mapleinfants.co.uk
If you can offer any spare time to help out in the class room, we would love to hear from you. Just call or e-mail us.
If you would like to take an active part in fundraising and organising school events please contact us.

Historic Setting
Originally the local infants and junior school was sited in St Andrew's Road. This was an old Victorian building.
In 1972 the church, in conjunction with the borough purchased the land in Maple Road (an old industrial site) to build a new junior school St Andrew's & St Mark's.
In 1973 Maple Infants' School was completed. Maple, however is not a church aided school.

Current Projects

Organisiation
School Hours
For term and holiday dates please see The Diary.

Illness and Absence
if your child has an accident or becomes ill during the school day, we will contact you to take him/her home. In the case of sickness or diarrhoea it is important that your child should remain at home for at least 24 hours. Please ensure that we have an up-to-date telephone number (home and work) for you and someone else who can collect your child in an emergency.

Please do not send your child to school with medicines (including cough sweets, lip salves etc.)as we are unable to give them to children, unless it is for a long term treatment (e.g. inhalers for asthma)

With regard to prescribed medicines such as antibiotics, please ensure that if a dose is required 3 times a day that this is administered at home outside of school hours. If the dosage is 4 times a day, parents or adult responsible may come into school to administer this, but the school office must be notified.

All infectious diseases must be reported to the school as soon as possible. If your child needs to be absent from school it would be appreciated if you would let us know by letter, telephone or e-mail as quickly as possible as unauthorised absences are monitored and published.

It should be noted that if we do not have a reason for absence an unauthorised absence will be marked in the register. Class registers are regularly inspected by our Educational Welfare Officer and an accumulation or pattern of absences or late marks will be investigated. Please address requests for special leave of absence tot he head teacher.

School Meals
The weekly school meals menu is displayed on the Diary page under School Meals Menu.

The current cost of school lunch is £1.30 per day. The money for the week should be sent in on Monday morning, with your child, in a sealed envelope or suitable container and clearly marked with his/her name. You can also pay by cheque weekly, monthly or half-termly if you prefer.

The meals are prepared and cooked in the adjoining kitchen. There is always a choice for both first and second course. Salad, fresh fruit and vegetarian dishes are usually available.

Half a term's notice should be given to the school for a change from school meals to a packed lunch brought from home. Packed lunches must be in a standard container clearly labelled with the child's name, preferably by the handle for ease of distribution and storage. If a drink is included, please make sure it is in a well sealed non-breakable container. Drinks of water are provided for all children at lunch time.

In certain circumstances, free school meals are available. Enquiries should be made to the school secretary.

The only snacks permitted at school are apples, a carrot or a stick of celery. For Nursery snacks, please see Parent Guide under 'Starting Nursery'.

Playground and school grounds procedures and breaks
Infant children have a mid morning and mid-afternoon break. The time available for teaching infants during a normal school week, excluding these breaks, registration and collective worship is approximately 21.5 hours per week.

School begins at 8.55am . No children should be on the school premises before 8.45 am and no responsibility can be accepted for children brought to school before that time.

Children must not be left unattended in the playground but taken to their class doors. All children should be collected promptly at 3.15pm (see Parent Guide 'Starting Nursery' for Nursery times). If you arrive early, please wait outside the school gates.

The Junior School playground and car park are out of bounds for the infant children. You are welcome to wait in our playground for the junior brothers and sisters to come out, but the infants must wait with you. Neither school can accept responsibility if your child has an accident after being collected from the class. The children are aware of the school rules and know themselves what to do at the end of the school day. Please help us by seeing that your child behaves in a sensible manner while waiting in the Maple Infants' playground.

Office Hours and Security
Administrative queries, payments, etc., are best dealt with at the beginning and end of the day when the security system is not in place. Please note that the office is closed from 12.15 to 1.00pm. Please do not telephone the school at this time unless it is an emergency.

Road Safety and Car Parking
Please will parents who bring their children to school in cars park away from the entrances to the school. The roads in close proximity to the school are yellow lined and zig-zagged zones. The designated illegal parking times are clearly displayed. Do not stop or drop off children in this area. Please be prepared to walk a short distance to the school. All parents are asked to set a good example by using the pedestrian crossing in Maple Road. Our car parks should never be used by parents. This area is strictly for staff.

School Uniform
We prefer the Nursery and Infant pupils to wear school uniform. The school colours are red and grey. School sweatshirts and polo T-shirts can be purchased from the school office.
For details of the Nursery uniform please see Parent Guide 'Starting Nursery'.

Infant School Uniform
Boys grey trousers (short or long)/ red school sweatshirt £8/ red 3 button polo T-shirt £7
Girls grey skirt/ pinafore dress red/ school sweatshirt £8/ red and white striped/check dress £7

All clothes should be clearly marked with your child's name.

Footwear: Sensible shoes or sandals please. Trainers, clogs, boots, 'jellies' fashion footware etc. are not permitted.

Please choose clothing to suit the activities in school and the weather conditions. Choose clothing and footware your child can cope with. This encourages independence and promotes self confidence.

All infants require plimsolls with elastic inserts for outside games and activities (trainers are not acceptable unless requested by a teacher for a specific sport). Please provide your child with a draw string shoe-bag or Maple bag and a chair bag (pattern available form the office).

Long hair should be tied back at all times.

Sun Protection: Plain red and white beanie hats and Legionnaires caps can be worn. baseball caps are not permitted at any time of year.

Tissues: We would be grateful if you could provide a box of tissues for your child. One box for the year is fine.

Jewellery: No jewellery should be worn at school (except for religious purposes). Watches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets etc. are best left at home.

Birthday Treats
At assembly each Friday we celebrate birthdays for the week and the children are allowed a treat from the birthday cake tin which contains a selection of treats including dried fruits. Please do not send in treats on your child's birthday. If you wish to make a donation of a book, new or second hand, please do this instead. The class teacher will be happy to advise you of the schools present needs.

Pastoral care
The class teacher is responsible for the pastoral welfare of the children in the first instance, but problems can always be referred to the head teacher and more serious ones are referred as a matter of course.
Where necessary, there is a liaison between school personnel and outside agencies such as school welfare, health and social services. Children are referred to the Borough's School Advisory Service and or the Educational Psychologist whenever we feel in need of advice regarding a child's potential learning abilities.

The School Health Service looks after the developmental health of your child in school. The scholl's doctor makes regular visits to the school.
Our school nurse is available to any parent who has a health query about their child, either via the school office or telephoning Hawkes Road Clinic on 020 8546 5812.

School Outings and Special Activities
Our children have greatly benefited from the various activities of an educational nature that we have been able to organise in the past.
In accordance with the Educational Reform Act 1988, parental contributions for such activities are voluntary. We should like to point out, however, that whilst we endevour to keep the cost of such activities as low as possible and are often able to receive a donation form a sponsor, we do rely heavily on parental contributions. We hope that we will be able to continue to receive your backing via goodwill and voluntary contributions.

Discipline and School Rules
Each child is expected to play his/her part as a member of a caring community. Anti-social behaviour is a disappointment and occasionally a child has to be temporarily withdrawn from the situation which has provoked that behaviour. Punishment may take the form of withdrawal of privileges i.e. loss of play time, lunch play etc. parents will be consulted if their child shows persistent behavioural problems.

Our staff work hard to establish self-discipline, to create a situation where children plan and organise themselves. It involves giving the children the opportunity to behave in a self-disciplined way and supporting them while they learn to manage themselves.

Admissions
If you wish your child to be considered for a place in the Nursery class you should register the child's details when the child is two years of age. After reading this section, you can find more information about our Nursery in the Parent Guide section under 'Starting Nursery'.

Should you be considering sending your child to the Nursery/Main school then please contact our secretary to arrange a visit. Children commence school year in which they become five years of age. However children are not allowed to attend on a full time basis any earlier than the term in which they become 5 years old unless the director of Education and Leisure considers that there are special circumstances.

Registration does not guarantee a place in either the Nursery or school. Admissions are dealt with strictly in accordance with the criteria laid down in the boroughs' admissions policy.

A general information meeting will be held one evening during the Summer term prior to your child commencing main school. Each class in the school is known by its group name (e.g.Reception: Gold and Silver, Y1: Ruby and Sapphire, Y2 Amber and Jade.). There are six infant classes arranged into three groups of two. Reception year 1 and 2.

All children have an opportunity to visit the school towards the end of term prior to the term of entry.

During the first half of the Autumn Term parents will receive general information relating to classroom/curriculum organisation.

Parent/teacher Consultation Evenings are usually held twice a year, in the Autumn and Summer Terms, when you are invited to discuss your child's progress without your child being present. In addition we organise workshops, meetings, exhibitions, School in Action Days etc. as appropriate and in conjunction with aspects of education that are topical or being reviewed.

Reporting to Parents
Halfway through the academic year a brief contact report will be sent to parents.

Parents of children of statutory school age will receive an annual written report of their child's educational achievements. The report will be issued before July 31 each year and will cover the pupil's performance in all National Curriculum subjects plus achievements in other subjects and activities undertaken during the year.

Parents and classteachers will be required to sign the report and may add further comments if they so wish, or if appropriate.

If you have a specific concern about your child's progress or welfare you can make an appointment to see the classteacher at any time during the academic year.

Special needs
School is a learning environment in which we support and encourage each child to reach his/her full potential. Each child will do this as an individual, but also as part of a larger social group. Therefore, each child must learn to relate and interact with others. We will always have regard for the efficient use of resources for all the children in the school. If any one child is deemed to be making excessive use of these resources, the school will instigate urgent discussion with the appropriate LEA service and the parents with a view to provision for that child.

Behavioural Special needs
The welfare and educational progress of all children in our school is of paramount importance. If a child develops significant behavioural problems parents will be notified early on, and agreed behavioural remedies will be implemented. In extreme circumstances a child could be excluded from part or all of the school day.

Children with special needs
This term covers a wide variety of possible problems.

• Special learning difficulties
• Physical handicap
• Speech, hearing or site impairment
• Behavioural, emotional and social problems
• Under achievement of children with possible high potential

Such children's progress is closely monitored. All children with specific learning difficulties are assessed: given a work programme, and when possible will receive additional help from a support teacher or ancillary helper.

Parent Page
The National Curriculum
What is it?

• The National Curriculum sets out the most important knowledge and skills that every child has a right to learn.
• It is a framework given to teachers by government, so that all children are taught in a way that is balanced and manageable, but hard enough to challenge them.
• It gives standards to measure how well children are doing in each subject - so teachers can plan to help them do better.

At Maple Infants' your child will cover the foundation stage and Key Stage1.
The foundation stage happens before the National Curriculum: It is a framework for your child's learning in nursery or reception class.

The Foundation Stage
All 4 year olds and many 3 year olds are entitled to free part-time education. These early years, together with their time in reception class, make up the foundation stage.
Your child will see the foundation stage as fun and play. But their time in nursery is structured to ensure that he/she will develop all the basic skills they will need for the years ahead. At this stage we will focus on speaking, listening, singing, dancing, stories and counting.

The foundation stage lasts from age 3 to 5. The six broad areas of learning are:

• Personal, social and emotional development. Your child will learn to be self-confident, take an interest in things, know what their own needs are, tell the difference between right and wrong and be able to dress and undress.
• Communication, language and literacy. Your child will learn to talk clearly and confidently, enjoying stories, poems, songs , hearing and saying sounds and linking them to the alphabet. They will learn to read and write some familiar words and learn to use a pencil.
• Mathematical development. Your child will develop an understanding of maths through stories, songs, games and imaginative play. They will become comfortable with numbers. They will be aware of shapes and space.
  
• Knowledge and understanding of the world. Your child will explore and find out about the world around them, asking questions about it. They will build using different materials and find out about everyday technology. They will begin to understand the concept of the past and discover different cultures and beliefs.
• Physical development. Your child will learn to move confidently controlling their body and handling equipment.
• Creative development. This area covers the exploration of colours and shapes and trying out dance, making things, telling stories and making music.

Your child will not be tested at the end of the foundation stage. The emphasis is on playing and having fun whilst covering the above key areas. If you would like to talk to the staff involved with your child's development please let us know. These early years are very important and it is essential that we all work together to ensure your child reaches his/her full potential.

When your child moves into reception class the teacher will carry out a base line assessment. It's not a formal test. Your child will not be aware of the assessment. There is no need to worry about the assessment, it's purpose is to ensure that we are totally aware of your child's learning needs.

Key Stage 1
At key stage 1 your child will be taught: English, mathematics, science, design and technology, information and communication technology, history, geography, art and design, music and physical education. We also teach religious education.
The staff at Maple Infants' design their own teaching strategies and plans which fit in with the National Curriculum. Not every subject will be taught in a separate lesson.
Each National Curriculum subject has a target and at the end of key stage 1, your child should have reached the level of skill, knowledge and understanding specified for Maths and English.

Why do we have targets and tests?

• Children get a sense of achievement.
• We use the targets and tests to check on your child's progress so that we match our teaching strategies to meet the needs of your child.
• The government also uses the the targets and tests to see how many children are making the right kind of progress.

Children develop at different rates. If you are at all concerned about any aspect of your child's educational, social or psychological development please either talk to the teacher or come and see the Head Teacher. We are always happy to listen and advise.

You will probably find that you are helping your child already. Asking them what they have done in class and encouraging them to talk in detail about what they have experienced during the day. Talk about any work they bring home in a positive and enquiring manner. Encourage them to ask questions. Encourage them to listen to others and try out new skills. Reading your child stories, learning rhymes will all help to enhance their learning experience. Giving positive feedback to your child can not be understated.

Here are a few tips. If you have any tips you would like to add to the list, please the to us e-mail us:

• Take a few moments to listen to the sounds around you. Encourage your child to describe the sound in lots of different ways.
• Put junk mail to good use by helping your child to identify letters, big words, small words, words which begin with the same letters.
• Count as much as you can with your child, guess how many steps, find three trees, develop the important skill of estimating. Tell your child what time it is and encourage them to look at the clock. Count out lose change. Sing counting songs. Concentrate on the sounds and identifying the numbers with how they are written.
• Think of a number and ask you child to guess it by asking 10 questions. Is it bigger than, smaller than, odd, even and so on. Get them to measure objects and weigh them. Ask would they sink or float and why. Incorporate these tasks into normal everyday living.
• Play the old games like, I Spy and Animal, Vegetable, Mineral.
• Tell your child what you did when you were their age. What you ate and wore. Look at photos an discuss clothes people, generations etc. Can they spot the differences in clothes, cars, kitchens, gardens, hairstyles. Encourage the concept of history and the likely experiences of people at different points in history.
• Look at what is old and what is new. The street is a good place to start. Is a building, statue, pillar box, phone box old or new? Look at the clues.
• When reading stories try to ask: What would you do in that situation? Get your child to tell you what has happened so far. What do they think will happen next?
• When out shopping or in the kitchen, look to see where food has been imported from. Look at a map of the world and help your child to find the countries and trace the journey to home.
• Develop awareness of surroundings by encouraging your child to draw the park, your street. Ask them about directions and the fastest or most pleasant way of getting somewhere. Why do they like a park, shop, room. What would make it better for babies, children, adults, dogs etc.
• Ask open ended questions. Ask what could happen next, evaluate and discuss situations.
  

Some local organisations offering out of school lessons and activities. Please e-mail details of any local classes which may be of interest to other parents.
Stagecoach offers a drama related workshop. See their web site at www.stagecoach.co.uk

We hope you will find the following information useful but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask a member of staff.

Nursery Times
Morning session: 9.00am to 11.30am
Afternoon session: 12.50am to 3.20pm

Parents are welcome to come to Nursery with their children at the beginning of the year while they are settling in. Once a relationship has been formed with nursery staff, we would ask parents to leave as soon as possible.

Admissions procedure: You can call the school to arrange an appointment for a 'tour' of the Nursery and school. After you child's second birthday, call the school and ask for a nursery enrolment form. Complete it and return it as soon as possible. The entry criteria can be seen on the Admissions page. We will advise you by post ****date******* whether we can offer your child a place.
If we can offer your child a place you will be asked to confirm your acceptance. You will then be asked to attend an introduction evening (parents only) where we can tell you more about the Nursery and you can meet the staff who will work with your child. At this point you can make an individual appointment for a short meeting with the Nursery teacher. This meeting is in the nursery and you can bring your child along so they can begin to familiarise themselves with their new environment.

Aims and objectives:

• The main aim of the Nursery is to convey that learning is pleasurable and fun.
• We aim to provide as a rich, exciting, stimulating and carefully structured environment via a wide range of balanced activities. The environment will allow the children to acquire the skills which will lay a good foundation for future life in school.
• We endeavour to provide a happy and relaxed atmosphere in which the children can gain sufficient confidence to undertake new experiences.
• We aim to cover all areas of learning through play and practical experiences.
• We encourage the children to observe, investigate, explore and achieve.
• We encourage the children to share and care and to respect resources and equipment.
• We aim to provide an opportunity for the individual child to express themselves and to develop a full range of learning skills.
• We aim, through good attitudes and understanding, to encourage the children to become confident, caring and useful members of society.
• We aim to prepare children to make a confident and happy transition into main school.
• We have developed close links between the Nursery and Reception classes. This will ensure valuable liaison between staff, sharing of expertise and continuity for the children.

Mid Session Refreshment
During the session the children have a 'coming together' time when they are given a drink of water and a small snack (e.g. a piece of carrot, apple, satsuma etc. Parents are requested to donate fruit, which will be shared. 'Snack time' is a learning experience concerning hygiene, (washing hands, cups, preparation) social skills and number skills.
Please ensure we are aware of any allergies or strong dislikes your child may have.

Reporting to parents
A close partnership will develop between the staff and yourselves and there is an opportunity to address any concerns on a daily basis.
A brief mid-academic year Contact Report will be issued to indicate general progress and whether the Nursery class teacher wishes to discuss the needs of your child. At the end of the school year you will receive a report that celebrates your child's achievements.

Parent/Teacher consultations ( Summer term)
Parent/teacher consultations are held in the Summer Term. You will be notified of the details well in advance. However, if you are concerned or have any worries about you child please do not hesitate to speak to us.

Security and Safety
No jewellery or watches are to be worn at Nursery.
If someone is collecting your child who is not familiar to the staff, you must let us know in advance.
Kindly ensure that the Nursery gate is closed at all times.
Please do not allow your child to climb or sit on the front wall.
We always promote walking to and from school but if this is not convenient for you please do not park on the yellow road markings outside the school. Please do not park on or block the residential or business properties close to the school. Both residential and business property owners will report your registration number to the police.
On no account should parents or children cut through the staff car park

School fund
There is a voluntary school fund for the school. The Nursery fund provides refreshments, cooking ingredients and goes towards replacing resources and improving facilities for the children in general. Voluntary contributions are collected at the beginning of each term. (Suggested amount £5) Without your contribution, many activities will not be viable.

Books
The Nursery has a wide variety of story books, a selection of which are freely available to the children throughout the session. Your child will have the opportunity to listen to these stories.

Music
Cassette tapes and CDs are used for stories, music and movement.

Art and Activities
Children's visual sense is their strongest sense. Painting, drawing, collage etc. are used to record their ideas and experiences. These recordings are as important as the writing of an older child or adult. Your child will bring many of their 'creations' home. Please talk to them about their work and show a positive interest.
They will also learn about the properties and characteristics of water, sand and clay.
As you will observe when you visit the nursery with your child, many other activities are organised to support learning which include dough, plasticine. bricks, construction toys, cutting and pasting, jigsaw puzzles, pre-reading and number activities, story books, junk modelling and various interest tables.

The Outside Play Area
We have a variety of outside toys which encourage the development of motor skills. We like the children to play outside daily, weather permitting. Our covered area allows outdoor play even when it's raining. Please ensure your child has a coat in cold weather.

Clothing
The children need to be able to manage as many of their own clothes as possible so that they can feel independent and don't need to wait for busy teachers to help them. There are many instances when socks, shoes and other clothing will need to be removed for large floor painting, dressing up, outdoor sandpit etc.
Please be aware of the following:

• We would like all Nursery children to wear the red school sweatshirt with leggings or jogging trousers. We stock these in the school office.
• In warmer weather it may be more suitable to wear the school's polo shirts with elastic topped grey shorts or red and white skirts (No difficult buttons at cuffs and waists please!
• Shoes must be safe for climbing. Velcro fastening shoes are the best choice. Lace up shoes and boots are not permitted at Nursery. Buckled shoes are permitted only if your child can fasten them easily.
• Please label all items of clothing clearly. Before your child begins school you will receive an order form for clothing labels form a company called Cash's. The school receives a percentage of your order with Cash's for our school funds so we would really appreciate it if you could order your name tags through them. If you need another order form please ask at the school office.

Health Care
Following Tummy upsets or sickness, children must stay away from school for at least 24 hours. Please inform the school office if your child has an infectious or contagious illness.
Your child MUST be toilet trained and able to wash their hands.

Outings
As part of our normal activities, the staff sometimes take the children offsite (for a walk to the shops etc.). Please make sure that you sign our letter of consent or indicate that you do not want your child to participate in off site visits.

Attendance and Punctuality
Nursery places are at a premium and we always have a waiting list. Your child must attend on a regular basis unless unwell when we should be notified by telephone or a note. Failure to attend on a regular basis may jeopardise your child's nursery place.

Useful Publications:Learning Journey: A guide to the primary school curriculum. Ages 3-7. This is a free guide which will be given out by the school. You can also request a copy from the DFEE orderline. Call 08000 96 66 26.