At Brindishe Manor we try to build a strong partnership between staff and parents and carers because we know this is important in helping children to achieve and to enjoy learning.

We aim to keep you well informed about the school and your children’s education.

How do we do this?

Newsletters

The headteacher’s newsletter is published on our website every Friday and sent out by email, telling you about special events, school activities, news and to give you information on day-to-day school life. It is also published on our school website each week.

At the start of every half term your child’s teacher will send home information about the learning planned for the class.

You will also receive regular class newsletters explaining what the children have been learning, and to suggest how you can support at home.

Parent/Teacher meetings

In the autumn term parents and carers will be invited to make an appointment to meet the teacher who will be taking your child for the year. No evidence of learning (books or folders) will be available at this meeting as it is very early in the term. During this first meeting each year we also carry out a data check to make sure we have the most up-to- date information about your child. We will also discuss and agree targets (or next steps) for your child’s learning.

Parents’ meeting

Mid-way through the school year, there will be invitations for all parents and carers to come into school to discuss  their child’s progress and set targets for the rest of the academic year. Your child’s learning will be available for you to see and discuss with their teacher.

End of year summary

In July your child will bring home their end of year report. Parents and carers can make an appointment to discuss the report with their child’s teacher if they wish. Parents and carers’ written responses to the report form part of their child’s records.

Curriculum evenings and open learning days

These are occasions when parents and carers come into school to find out about children’s learning and how they’re being taught at Brindishe Manor. For example, we have held sessions on maths, reading, writing, and learning in the Early Years. Sometimes a guest speaker will be invited and sometimes children and staff give demonstration sessions or illustrated talks. These opportunities provide staff and parents and carers time to share ideas and information on important education issues.

Consultation

As school policies are being developed, parents and carers are formally invited to give their views, particularly on draft and final policy documents.

Each year parents and carers are asked to consider and review our school development plans and to make suggestions about future targets and areas for development.

Sometimes a policy is not subject to consultation at school level and parents and carers are then informed about how to make their views known at local and national government level. This would apply, for example, to the Local Authority’s admissions policy and government regulations and requirements.

Copies of school policy documents are freely available from the school office.

Talking to the teacher or a member of staff

If we have any concerns about your child’s progress, happiness and well-being or behaviour, the teacher will contact you straight away to discuss this with you.

If you have any concerns that you want to discuss with us then please contact us or come and see us as soon as possible. If you want to talk to a member of staff, then it is a good idea to telephone, send a note or email to request a mutually convenient time. The most difficult time for teachers to talk to parents and carers is at the beginning of the school day. It is important for teachers to give their attention to welcoming and settling in all the children in the class, so please try to help us by leaving discussions until the end of the day.

If you cannot come to school, or do not want to arrange an appointment, you can write, email or telephone us instead.

Parents with a serious worry or complaint should arrange to talk this over with the deputy or headteacher. We hope that most problems or worries can be sorted out in this way. If you do not feel that the discussion has resolved the difficulty then you can make a formal complaint. There is a formal procedure for making serious complaints and copies of the procedure are available from the school office.

Home-school contract

You will need to sign a home-school agreement when your child starts at Brindishe Manor. This contract sets out what we can all expect of each other in order that children are well supported in their learning both in and out of school.