School Prospectus 2018– 2019

Old Park School

Contents

School Address 1 Welcome From The Headteacher 2 Board of Governors 3 Our Aims and Vision 4 School Organisation 5 The Staff 6 The Curriculum 8 Admissions 15 School Uniform 16 The School Day 17 Attendance and Absence 19 School Nurse, Illness & Medication 20 Home School Liaison 22 Annual Reviews 26 Complaints 27 Charging for School Activities 29 School Closure 30 Holiday Dates 2016/2017 31 Access to Official Documents 32

Old Park School Thorns Rd, Brierley Hill

Dudley West Midlands DY5 2JY

Headteacher: Gill Cartwright OBE

Old Park is a Community Special School

Telephone; 01384 818905 Facsimile: 01384 818906

E Mail: office1@old-park.dudley.sch.uk Website: http://www.old-park.dudley.sch.uk/

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Welcome From The Headteacher This prospectus is intended to give you some background information about us, encourage you to visit and consider the school as a place where your child can develop and thrive. It is also available to all parents and carers in a hard copy form or on our school website and gives an update on the running of the school.

Our most recent Ofsted Inspection in September 2013 was very successful and the school was judged to be ‘outstanding’ for the second time. Inspectors agreed that the outcomes were outstanding for pupils of all ages. We have a dedicated and highly skilled team of staff who ensure that every individual reaches their full potential. We believe that ‘Every Child Matters’ and this can be seen by the care and support we give to all children. We were designated a Specialist School in the SEN strand of Communication and Interaction in June 2008 and have developed our expertise in this area with highly trained staff and enhanced resources. We believe that communication is the key to all learning and we provide for all children a ’Total Communication’ environment. This can be seen as you look around our school. We provide training in communication and in particular Makaton across the whole community. We were delighted to move into our purpose built school in November 2011. The school has been designed to ensure every child can be included and their needs met. Classrooms are large and spacious and the school is extremely well resourced with sensory, soft play, woodwork and art, music, ICT, library and cookery rooms as well as a kitchen for development of independence skills. Older students have their own common room. We also have a swimming pool with lighting and a sound system. We have excellent outdoor learning areas where we are able to offer ’Forest School’ experiences. We are also part of the ‘Thorns Community Learning Village’ and are well situated near to a mainstream primary and secondary school. At Old Park School we believe that education is a partnership between home and school and we encourage you to be actively involved in the progress of your child. You are warmly welcome to come into school at any time to discuss your child's progress. Throughout the school year there are many opportunities to visit us to enjoy plays, special assemblies, open days, infor-mation sessions and family events. Regular newsletters are sent to parents and carers and we have two parents evenings each year. Parents are also asked to attend the ‘Annual Review of the Statement of Needs’ or Education Health and Care Plans which are held throughout the year. Gill Cartwright Headteacher September 2018

Board of Governors

Headteacher Mrs G Cartwright

Co– opted Mr A Burns (Chair of Governors) Mrs Rita Tonks (Vice Chair of Governors) Mrs C Donnison (Vice Chair of Governors) Mrs Laura Round Vacancy Staff Emily Cresswell Local Authority Ms Trish Marsters Parent/ Carer Mrs J Keppy Mr A Hegadus Associate Member Mr J Wiggin Mr Garth Alsopp Dr E Garratt The School Governors have overall responsibility for the school, the building and the curriculum. The Headteacher is responsible to the Governing body for the day to day management and administration of the school and its curriculum. The Full Governing Body meets each term to monitor and manage all aspects of the running of the school. There are also additional meetings for our committees who make decisions on Pay and Personnel, Finance, Curricu-lum, Premises and Health and Safety. The term of office for each Governor, other than the Headteacher, is four years.

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Our Aims and Vision

At Old Park School our Vision is to ‘Reach for the Stars’ We have six core values and these are to: Have dignity for all

Show respect Value the importance of every individual

Ensure the safe-guarding of our children

We believe in the importance of:

High expectations for all Relevance in our curriculum Community partnerships Quality teaching and learning Co-operation, dignity and respect for all A safe and stimulating environment A health promoting school

Our School Motto is “Towards Independence”, and this is at the heart of all we do. Our vision incorporates the five aims and outcomes of “Every Child Matters for all children, whatever their background or circumstances, to have the support they need to: Be Healthy, Stay safe, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution and achieve Economic Well– Being.

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School Organisation

Old Park is a large friendly community special school which caters for up to 150 pupils aged 4 to 19 years. Our pupils have diverse and complex needs and all are statemented as having severe learning difficulties (SLD) or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). Many pupils have autism, complex medical needs and communication difficulties. To meet the needs of our pupils we aim to keep class groupings small and staffing ratios high. The school is arranged into phases and we strive to make each area of the school age appropriate so that pupils enjoy a different experience as they progress through the school. Each phase is led by a member of the Senior Management Team and is organised as follows: Lower Phase ( Early Years Foundation Stage/ Key Stage 1) Middle Phase (Key Stage 2) Upper Phase (Key Stage 3) 14-19 Phase (Key Stages 4 and 5)

The school is organised to meet the needs of the children. Their need for struc-ture and continuity is complemented by a detailed understanding of each child’s individual development, learning difficulties, interests and home environment. The timetable is geared to maximise opportunities, to develop a close working relationship and to provide the correct climate for every child to achieve. We provide an enriched learning environment. All classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards and outside learning are-as. We have multi– sensory and soft play rooms, a swimming/ hydrotherapy pool, safe outside play areas, a ‘Forest School’ area for outside learning, outside play equipment and covered outside seating areas. Also within the school is a computer suite, library, common room and nurses room. Physiotherapists have a room and there are small group rooms for individual learning and speech and language therapy. There are well equipped bathroom facil-ities and care rooms throughout the school.

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The Staff

Senior Management Team

Gill Cartwright- Headteacher

Jonathan Wiggin- Deputy Headteacher

Claire Read- Lower Phase Leader

Emily Cresswell - Middle Phase Leader

Claire Urso- Upper Phase Leader

Michele Solecki- 14-19 Phase Leader

Gregg Poole- School Business Manager

Lower Phase:

Butterfly Class Team Claire Read- Class teacher (Phase leader)

Tracey Cadman- HLTA Amy Rodgers- TA Emma Smith- TA

Vacancy- TA

Bumblebee Class Team Elizabeth Addy- Class teacher

Zoe Simpson- TA Kate Mc Curry - TA (part time) Mandy Wood- TA (part time)

Lauren Amos- TA Chelsea Clayton- TA

Ladybird Class Team

Natalie Babb- Class teacher- Maternity covered by Caroline Stevens Steph Pugh- TA ( part time) Pam Taylor (part time)

Deb Bishop- TA Rebecca White

Sarah Scriven- TA- Maternity covered by Shannon Woodward

Giraffe Class Team Laura Phelan- Leeds- Class teacher

Sophie Jones- TA Leanne Taylor- TA

Kelly Beresford- TA Kalsuma Begum- maternity covered by Karen Warrell

Complex Care Team

Dee Garland- School nurse Sobia Akbar- School nursing support

Lisa Fearon- HLTA Helen Dade- TA

Karen Hughes- TA Nicola Sutton- TA

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The Staff

14-19 Phase

Post 16 Class 1 Team Paul Waterhouse- Class teacher

Kim Ameson- HLTA Bev Gold- TA Mike Lee- TA

Post 16 Class 2 Team

Michele Solecki- Class teacher (Phase leader) Deb Box- HLTA

Emma Bradley- TA Leanne Powis- TA (part time) Amy Whitehouse- TA (part time)

Emily Southorn- TA

Post 16 Class 3 Team James Shore – Class teacher

Sarah Cairns- HLTA Alex Florey

George Langman

Post 16 Class 4 Team Amy Croft- Class teacher

Carrie Parkes- TA Donna Bennett- TA

Kim Morgan- TA

Whole School Support Team

Usma Bibi- TA Kristina Walker- TA

Swimming Team

Marie Derbyshire- Swimming instructor (part time) Helen Melia- Swimming instructor (part time)

IT Technician Matt Savary

Forest School Leader

Richard Morris

School Administration Team

Gregg Poole: School Business Manager Jenny Stewart Alex George

Michele Atkins (part time) Ben Cooper (part time) Phoebe Jeavons

Rachael Satterthwaite

Site Managers Michael Poole

Vacancy

The Staff

Middle Phase:

Dolphin Class Team Harriet Craven- Class teacher

Julia Rogers- TA Liz Thompson- TA Sharon Darby- TA

Vacancy

Tiger Class Team Laura Foster- Class teacher

Rebecca Mills- TA Julia Astley- TA

Mike Bae- TA Jane Hall- TA

Parrot Class Team

Mary Edmunds- Class teacher Phoebe Taylor Hodgetts- HLTA

Nicola Ralph- TA Annabelle Knight- TA

Lee Roberts- TA

Bear Class Team Emily Cresswell- Class teacher and (Phase leader)

Emily Walters- HLTA Cody Talbot- TA Emily Judd– TA

Suzzi Burrell– TA

Upper Phase:

Leopard Class Team Joe Neil- Class teacher Megan Watkins- HLTA

Nina Meredith- Trafford- TA Marcia Cave- TA

Emma Harrison- TA- Maternity covered by Karen Butcher Devi Chand- TA

Lion Class Team

Dawn Taylor- Class teacher Katie Round- HLTA (part time) Jenny Morgan (part time)

Sharon Chamberlain- TA Jodie Wooldridge- TA Greg Andrukajtis- TA

Vacancy- TA

Eagle Class Team

Claire Urso- Class teacher (Phase leader) Marie Derbyshire- HLTA

Madeleine Salter - TA ( part time) Danni Mills- TA (part time) Claire Nicklin- TA

Owl Class Team

Ryan Jee- Class teacher Judith Tallett- HLTA Natalea Loines- TA Alice Cornhill- TA

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The Curriculum

The Curriculum is the total of all the learning experiences pro-vided by the school for your child. We aim to provide a broad, balanced and suitably differentiated curriculum, which will meet the individual needs of your child. Our pupils access the full range of National Curriculum subjects in line with national expectations, as well as additional opportunities to meet specific needs. Lower Phase - Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 We aim to provide all children in the lower phase a happy, secure, language rich envi-ronment where they can grow in confidence, become more independent, and acquire better communication skills. Through close observation and assessment, we are able to give each child a per-sonal and relevant approach to the curriculum. Our other priorities include speech therapy, physiotherapy, swimming, and multi-sensory experiences. Middle and Upper phase - Key Stages 2, and 3 Pupils progress through the school in Key Stages 2 and 3. They follow the core National Curriculum subjects of Maths, English and Science, and the Foundation subjects of Art, P.E. Technology, Geography, History, a Modern Foreign Language and Music. Pupils also follow a religious education curriculum and aspects of PSHE (Personal, Social & Health Education). Information Technology skills are mainly taught and used within the context of other curriculum areas.

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14 to 19 Phase - Senior and Post 16 Pupils in the Senior Phase have a full curriculum entitlement. They follow a more flexible accredited curriculum that enables them to integrate with the wider community and make their first college links. Students build on the educational skills learnt from the Upper Phase and develop life skills, moving towards independence. Post 16 students develop skills for the future and also prepare for Post 19 transition. Students follow the 14-19 Foundation Learning Curriculum and study 3 areas, Vocational, PSD (personal, social development) and Functional Skills (Maths, English and ICT) Total Communication Makaton signing, agreed symbols and objects of reference are used throughout the school to support our pupils communication and language development. Many pupils have technological aids to support their communication. Parents are en-couraged to learn Makaton to use with their child at home if required. The school provides information sessions and training in communication and Makaton signing to which interested parents are encouraged to attend. Further information on Makaton usage can be obtained from the school

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Staying healthy All pupils are timetabled weekly PE lessons and also have the opportunity to learn to swim or experience the benefits of hydrotherapy / physiotherapy in our own swimming pool. The school offers Sherbourne and Rebound therapy on our trampoline to students. We encourage pupils to take part in dance and we also have many visiting sports coaches to work with our students. Pupils are keen to take part in our lunchtime clubs. These include dancing, Football, small games , eco and ICT. Post School Provision Old Park has the services of a Specialist Careers Officer (Connexions Personal Advisor) to advise all school leavers and their parents on appropriate placements after school. All pupils may stay at school until they are 19, usually leaving at the end of the academic year in which their 19th birthday falls. The provision for school leavers range from full-time courses at an FE College, day services provided by Social Services and the Health Authority and sheltered work placements. One of the main aims of our careers education programme is to give students an opportunity to visit post school providers and for them to make informed choic-es about where they would like to go after school. These choices are key in the transition process.

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Curriculum Activities

Examinations All pupils are disapplied from key stage 1, key stage 2 and 3 SATS because the nature of these tasks are inappropriate for children with severe learning difficulties. Teacher assessments are undertaken for all pupils throughout their school life, and these are reported in pupils annual school reports. The school uses “P” levels for this assessment as they are most relevant to our pupils. These are the na-tionally recognised “performance levels” (1 to 8) which precede the national cur-riculum of attainment. All older students receive accreditation certification for their post 16 work through the nationally recognised bodies of ASDAN and OCR. Sex Education The Governors of the school fully support the need for sex education as part of the personal, social and health education curriculum. Because we are an all age school, with a wide ability range, it is not possible to state at which point your child will be offered sex education lessons. Parents will always be informed be-fore any sex education lessons take place. We aim to prepare pupils as far as possible for adult life, to give them an un-derstanding of how our bodies work, how we are affected by our emotions and the need for socially acceptable behaviour. Support Agencies In order for us to meet the diverse needs of pupils attending Old Park School, we work in partnership with the following support agencies: Physiotherapy Teachers of the Visual Impaired Speech Therapy Teachers of the Hearing Impaired Occupational Therapists Children’s Disability Team Connexions Adult Disability Team

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Integration with the Wider Community Outside links enhance all areas of the curriculum. These are wide ranging. Integration links and projects are encouraged. Outside visits bring life to curriculum work and support pupil’s independence and social skills. People are invited into school such as artists, assembly speakers/ participants, theatre groups etc to bring their particular expertise and perspectives into school. We have established links with local mainstream schools and many pupils spend time with their mainstream peers each week. Some pupils access the local swimming pool and Leisure Centre. Key stage 4 and post 16 students learn in local colleges as part of their curriculum and access our excellent Work Experience programme.

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Religious Education Old Park’s programme for Religious Education is in accordance with the agreed Dudley Syllabus which is broadly Christian. Pupils are made aware of other religions and faiths as part of the R.E. programme. Parents not wishing their child to participate in Religious Education or the Collective Act of Worship have the right to withdraw their child. Pupils withdrawn from assembly will be supervised. Parents wishing to exercise this right should contact the Headteacher. Regular Acts of Worship are held as follows: Tuesday 9.10 am Secondary Assembly Wednesday 9.10 am Primary Assembly We also hold monthly Well Done Assemblies which parents are welcome to attend. A list of suggested themes are given to ensure an appropriate balance. Themes are linked to the environment, caring for ourselves and others, Bible stories, major Religious Celebrations of different faiths, Harvest, Easter and Christmas. Themes are reflected upon during the week in the classroom.

Equal Opportunities Old Park is committed to working towards equality of opportunity in all aspects of school life and an Equal Opportunities Policy is practised in the school. All re-sources and methods used aim to avoid racism, sexism and other forms of stereotyping. Special Educational Needs Old Park School has a policy for special educational needs and disability. All pupils at Old Park have special educational needs and a disability and the policy is concerned with the work of the school as a whole and how we can meet any indi-vidual needs your child may have. Every child has an Individual Education Plan formulated two months after entry to the school, which is updated every term. An Annual Review is held each year for each pupil to consider progress in relation to the individual targets and the statement

Pupil Premium All schools are allocated ‘Pupil Premium’ money within their budget. This money is aimed at raising achievement amongst disadvantaged children. At Old Park School we have used the funds to purchase communication aids, I Pads and specialised equipment to support pupils with specific learning needs and employed a Speech and Language Therapist. A full report on how we have spent our pupil premium and the impact of this is available on the school website .

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Admissions

Full details of the Admission Process and Old Park School Admissions Policy are available on the school website.

Prospective parents are welcome to visit the school at any time by making an appointment with the Headteacher. Old Park School caters for pupils who have severe and profound learning

difficulties. Places are recommended by the Local Authority to the school during or following the Education and Heath Care Plan or statement process. If a place is suggested parents can telephone to arrange an appointment to View the school.

Referrals can be from a number of sources such as The Local Authority, other schools, other local authorities, enhanced nurseries, and assessment units. Parents are warmly invited to look around the school, talk to the Headteacher or class teacher and are encouraged to bring their child with them on a pre-visit prior to the school being named on a statement.

Parents will be given a copy of the School’s Prospectus during the visit. The Head Teacher may contact a previous establishment and make a home or school visit if necessary. Admissions dates are usually September and January apart from pupils already in full time education. In exceptional circumstances, phased induction may be necessary. All pupils usually attend school on a full time basis. When it is agreed to admit a pupil, the following forms should be Completed: Medical, General Consent for outdoor activities, Pupil Information and Uniform Order the Home School Agreement. Parents are also invited to the school to meet with the school nurse and

class teacher to complete a comprehensive care plan. Parents may telephone or contact the school regularly during their child’s initial settling in period and we will also correspond regularly by telephone

and in the Home/ School book. The placement of the child, progress made and how your child has settled into school needs to be discussed and re-viewed at the end of the first six weeks. This meeting should include; par-ents, class teacher, teaching assistants and the school nurse. The review for Foundation pupils will take place during the home visit that is carried out by the class teacher and a teaching assistant.

Requests by parents regarding transport arrangements should be Directed to Children’s Services 01384 814301 and will be discussed at

the care plan meeting with the school.

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School Uniform

Foundation, KS1 and KS2 Black/Grey trousers or skirt. White or Blue Shirt or white polo shirt. Blue checked/striped dress for Summer. Blue tops: cardigans or sweat shirts, KS3 and KS4 Black/Grey trousers or skirt. White or Blue Shirt or white polo shirt. Blue Checked/Striped dress for Summer. Navy blue tops: cardigans or sweats shirts. Post 16 Department Smart casual clothing. P.E Kit White T-Shirt, Black Shorts, Black Pumps (slip on type), Tracksuit optional A bag for their P.E. Kit P.E. Kit should be sent into school at the beginning of each term. A dirty kit will be sent home for it to be washed and returned to school. Swimming Girls - full swimming costume. Boys – trunks. Towel (goggles optional) Further Information No excess jewellery to be worn and ear piercing to be covered with a plaster during P.E. We do ask that all pupils wear school uniform, as it provides group identity and a sense of belonging. We do understand that for some children a school uniform may not be appropriate or comfortable. Please speak to the school if this is the case. Polo shirts and sweatshirts, cardigans, fleeces and caps can be purchased with the school logo from the office. Please make sure that all clothing is clearly marked with your child’s name.

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The School Day School Hours – Pupils Day 8:50am to 12.00 1.00 pm – 3.00pm The school day commences at 8:50am and continues to 3pm. During the day there are break periods for pupils. Pupils are also allowed water or fruit juice to drink on request throughout the day. Breaks are 15 minutes long and during this time the children are closely supervised. The school provides drinks. The ‘early years’ have fruit and toast. Pupils can bring in snacks for the morning break if they wish, clearly marked. Lunchtimes School meals are cooked on the premises and are of a high quality with a varied, healthy menu. This is an important part of the school day. It provides an opportunity for pupils to interact and learn the social skills and manners that apply during periods when they are actively involved with others. We operate a cafeteria system for pupils, and where possible, pupils select their own food independently. Menus are sent home on request. At lunchtime, staff work with children for this important part of the day on individual targets. Lunch break is as follows: Lower and Middle Phases, 11.45-12.15 dinner, 12.15-12.45 play Upper Phase, 12.15-12.45, dinner, 12.45-1.15 break 14-19 Phase, 12.15-12.45 break, 12.45– 1.15 dinner Pupils are very closely supervised during the lunchtime period both in the dining hall and on the playground. We run a wide range of very popular lunchtime clubs every day! These include our Makaton Choir, The Mr Tumble Club, The Computer Club, Dance and Football clubs, The Eco Club, The games club and the Multi– Sensory Club. We also have Reading Clubs for our Gifted and Talented pupils.

The dance club

Dinner Money The school would like all dinner money placed in a envelope marked with the child’s name and class teacher, and to be sent into school on Monday morning. Should your child be entitled to free school meals you will be asked to re-apply annually at the Benefits Office and they will confirm to us if the entitlement is to continue. It is therefore important that you return documentation to them as soon as requested. Money can be sent into school for cookery, drinks, uniform and trips and this should be placed in a separate envelope and clearly marked. The cost of school meals is subject to change. The school uses Dudley Catering Services for its meals and full details of cost and menus are available from the school or Dudley Council website. Keeping our children safe At Old Park School we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people both within the school environment and outside. We have a Child Protection Policy, available from the school on request, detailing how our staff are trained to carry out this responsibility. We have a number of statutory responsibilities regarding safeguarding and we have policies and procedures to ensure that we comply with these. Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm . Our policies include issues such as pupils health and safety, anti- bullying, use of physical intervention to support our children, meeting the needs of pupils with medical conditions, providing first aid, intimate care, internet safety and school security. Policies and procedures in all of these important areas are available from the school upon request. They are also available on the school website.

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Attendance and Absence

Old Park School follows the attendance procedures as recommended by the Dudley LA. The main features are as follows: All registers are marked according to the 'Symbol' list that is in every class

register. The school expects notification of known absences and the reasons: sickness,

hospital appointment, dentist etc. This should be done by letter or tele-phone call to the school and arranged appointments notified in advance.

Messages should not be given to Transport Guides as this often causes confusion. If valid reasons are not given for a child's absence this is recorded in the

Register as 'unauthorised'. We ask for parental support in only allowing time off school if it is absolutely

necessary. If no message is received by 09:45 then the school will telephone home. All absences must be covered by written confirmation from parents. It is recognised that this is not always possible, in these circumstances telephone calls from parents or guardians will be required. Child Taken Ill at School If a child is taken ill at school or has an accident then we will endeavour to contact the parents immediately. It is therefore imperative that parents let us know immediately their telephone number changes. In the unlikely event that a child requires hospital treatment then we will call an ambulance. Parents will be asked to go directly to the hospital, and staff will re-main with the child until parents arrive.

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School Nurse, Illness & Medication

Medical Support The school employs a full time School Nurse so therefore pupils may receive medication with parental consent, during school hours, if necessary. The LA policy covers teaching and support staff to administer emergency medication when on an offsite activity. Trained school staff are also able to administer medication at school. Once a year pupil’s receive an invitation to attend a medical with the School Medical Officer, which will only be undertaken in the presence of a parent/guardian. During Year 8 students receive their BCG (TB) vaccination given by the school nurse following a Heaf Test. In Year 10 – Diphtheria/Tetanus and Polio boosters are given. We have adopted Dudley’s Asthma Policy to improve the care and diagnosis of asthmatic pupils. Copies available from the school nurse. The Epileptic Policy for Dudley has also been adopted by the school. The Dental Service visits the school every year and treatment is offered, but parental consent is required before treatment is undertaken. Physiotherapists attend regularly to advise staff and check equipment etc We write to parents to ask for feedback prior to the annual visit from wheel-chair services to ensure any problems are dealt with, and additional visits are made as and when required. Medication If your child receives respite care immediately after school and medication is sent into school for the carers, this should be clearly marked and handed to the coach guide and then directly to the office staff for safe keeping during the day.

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Sudden Illness or Accidents in School The school nurse or staff will give immediate first aid, and if there is any doubt as to the seriousness of the incident, then an ambulance will be requested to transport the patient to hospital. Please note that parents need to give the hospital consent for any examination or treatment of their child oth-er than if emergency life saving measures need to be taken, it can not be given by school staff. Parents/emergency contacts will be informed of the situation as soon as possi-ble, and parents will be asked to go directly to the hospital. Where there is no immediate danger, the pupil will be supervised by staff whilst parent/emergency contact is requested to come to school to collect the child as soon as possible. It is vital that the school is kept informed of any telephone number chang-es, and that we require at least 3 emergency contact numbers for each pu-pil. Please note that children must not be sent to school if they are unwell. It is within Dudley’s Infection Control policy that any pupils suffering from sickness or diarrhoea be kept at home for at least 48 hours after their last episode of either sickness or diarrhoea. This avoids other pupils and staff contracting any infections which can pass very quickly through a school such as ours. Always Inform the School Nurse:- If your child is on antibiotics Has had a bump to the head at home or any other accident that may require observation in school. There is any change in your child’s medication Any new condition or allergy is diagnosed.

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Home School Liaison

Old Park recognises that we cannot deal totally with the needs of children without the involvement, opinion and knowledge provided by parents. Teaching is a partnership between parents and school. Every effort is made to encourage parents to take an active interest in their child’s education, and parents are welcomed into school at any time. Parents wishing to speak with a particular teacher should attempt to do so around 8.30 or alternatively at lunchtime or after 3.15 pm. However if there are concerns that are considered urgent the Headteacher can always be con-tacted to arrange an immediate appointment. When a child first begins school there is frequent contact between the class teacher and parents. During this important time the school understands that parents need reassurance and as such a daily diary will be sent home. This diary continues throughout the Foundation stage. From Key Stage 1 onwards, your child will have a Home School Book. This is not a diary but rather a communication between home and school for noting important developments and issues. These books are checked daily by the class teacher but should not be used to advise us of illness or absence. Parents are invited into school for Parents Evenings held during the Autumn and Spring Terms. At these times, parents are invited to contribute to setting their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets. The school holds many events bringing parents and friends into the school. A parents group meets weekly at the school and informative sessions take place as well as resource making and fundraising activities. We hold regular family nights, summer fetes and various sponsored events.

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Events Throughout the School Year

Behaviour The school aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for our pupils. The school has a behavioural policy, available to you on request from the school, that details our whole school approach. A small minority of pupils attending Old Park School may require additional sup-port to manage their behaviour. All children who require additional support to manage their behaviour have an Agreed Behaviour Support Plan. This plan is de-veloped through discussions with all staff involved with your child, parents/ car-ers and other relevant professionals. All school staff are trained by BILD (British Institute of Learning Disabilities) accredited trainers. This training teaches staff the principles of good behaviour management and methods of de-escalation. The training also includes approved methods of physical intervention (escorting, guiding, holding). These techniques are rarely used for most pupils and are agreed with parents and carers should they be required. Should you require more details on this matter, do not hesi-tate to contact the Headteacher. Rewards The school operates a system of reward for good work and behaviour which in-clude: Stars, Stickers and Well Done Certificate. There is a well done assem-bly on the last Friday of each month when certificates are given out. The pupil of the month for the whole school receives a trophy and their name is added to the shield. Parents are always welcome to attend these important events. The school will ask you to read and sign a Home School Agreement on admission of your child that re-affirms everyone’s role in providing and supporting your child through their educational life. Homework We ask parents to support any homework we may send. Homework is given because; It provides communication with parents. It is a way of consolidating classroom work. It helps develop learning skills. It provides opportunities for the individual to proceed at their pace.

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Parents are encouraged to support their child at home and are asked to support the school by recognising their important role in the success of work to be completed at home . Parents may wish to comment about homework and are encouraged to Write in the Home School Book. Homework will be given to meet the individual pupil’s needs, i.e., not necessarily on a regular basis. Records of Achievement All pupils’ achievement is recorded in their ‘Record of Achievement’. Pupils are presented with these at the end of year six, year nine and when they leave school.

Day to day issues Medicines Please help us to monitor medical needs of pupils by completing and updating the medical pro-forma on request. Care plans will be drawn up, with parental agree-ment, for the management of pupils’ medical needs. The school health adviser will then manage and monitor these plans. Medicines and tablets should be brought into school by yourself or your repre-sentative, with instructions regarding dosage clearly labelled. Written permis-sion must also be given to enable us to administer any medication. Health Visits Please inform us if your child has an appointment to visit the doctor, dentist, hospital or clinic during school hours. Please keep the school fully informed of any hospital treatment your child undergoes.

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Annual Reviews Under the requirements of the 1981 and 1983 education acts, every child who is the subject of a statement of special educational need must have their statement or plan reviewed annually by the school. The SEN code of prac-tise also makes provision for a transitional review to take place during the year of the pupils’ 14th birthday, At Old Park School, we hold an annual review of the child's statement or Educa-tion, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) every year for each child. The aim of the meeting is to review the childs’ current statement and progress over the previous against IEP targets. Targets are also agreed for the coming year. Present at the meeting are parents or carers, class teacher, plus representa-tives from any other agencies who are actively involved with the child (eg speech therapist). All students, if appropriate, are invited to attend their annual re-view. Pupils complete their own questionnaire prior to the annual review about how well they are doing at school. If parents are unable to attend, we can arrange a home visit by the class teach-er to discuss the report. We can offer help in interpreting or parents may bring a friend. Parents are of course welcome to contact the school at any time to dis-cuss any problems or queries concerning their child. Transitional reviews must take place during the year after a pupil reaches the age of 14 years. The purpose of the review is to start planning for adult life. As well as school staff, representatives from social services, career services and Connexions are also asked to make contributions. At the end of the review, a transition plan will be agreed, which is then updated every year until the student leaves school. The transition plan is designed to help the student identify all the services they will need after leaving school. The recommendations of the Annual Review or EHCP Meeting are forwarded to the LA who inform parents of any changes to their child’s statement or plan. Changes from September 2014 The Department for Education has made some changes in the law which will change the way your child's current statement is written. The changes are de-signed to bring together the information about your child's learning, health and social needs into one document called an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) These changes have taken place over a three year period at Old Park School.

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Complaints

Our aim is to make sure that it is easy for anyone who feels that things have gone wrong to make their complaint, and to tell us how things can be improved. We want to treat complaints positively and fairly. Many complaints arise from genuine misunderstandings and we would therefore suggest that firstly you discuss your concerns with the teacher involved. If however, you feel your child has been unfairly treated by another child or mem-ber of staff, has been bullied, or you are unhappy with behaviour, delivery of National Curriculum or Religious Worship contact the Headteacher. If the complaint arose from the proper execution of governor’s policy or duties then the complaint will be dealt by the school. If the complaint relates to the policies of the Council it will be dealt with by the LA. eg. Special Needs Provision, School Re-organisation. We have set out below the procedure, which you can follow to help us to deal ef-fectively with concerns. Step 1 Firstly make an appointment to see your child’s class teacher to discuss the problem, and if the situation does not improve or the problem is not resolved, make a further appointment to see the appropriate senior member of staff or the Headteacher. The Headteacher will respond to your complaint immediately, and where this is not possible will investigate your complaint and invite you to a meeting to explain the outcome or respond in writing within 10 days. It is hoped that all complaints can be satisfactorily dealt with at this stage. Step 2 If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should contact the Governing Body in writing, It is important that you contact the Governing Body within 4 weeks of any discussions held with the Headteacher or Senior Management, and give clear details of your complaint. The school complaints policy is available on the school website.

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In turn the Governing Body will acknowledge your letter again within 10 days excluding holidays and advise you how they intend to investigate your complaint, and if arrangements are to be made for you to discuss your concerns with the Governors who deal with these matters The Governors have 20 school days to thoroughly investigate any complaint and will write to you within 5 days of the completion of this process. If your complaint is against the Headteacher you should contact the Chair of the Governing Body who will, if necessary liaise with an LA Officer. If you have a complaint against the Governing Body you should in the first instance contact the Governing Body direct, then the LA, and finally you have recourse to the Secretary of State. Step 3 You can write to the Director of Children’ Services as he has a responsibility to draw concerns to the Governing Body. You should give full details of your complaint and send any supporting documentation and your letter will be acknowledged within 3 days and the Directorate will look at how your complaint was investigated, and will write back to you again within 21 days with the outcome and recommendations. He will also contact the school and advise them of the outcome and steps needed to resolve the matter. If the complaint still remains unresolved you can contact the Secretary of State on the grounds that the Governing Body or Council are acting unreasonably. Complaints About the Curriculum Parents may use the complaints procedure if they believe that either the Governing Body or the LEA are failing : To provide the National Curriculum in the school or for a particular child: To follow the law on charging for school activities: To offer only approved qualifications or syllabuses: To provide religious education. To provide the information that they have to provide; To carry out any other statutory duty relating to the curriculum or; Are acting unreasonably in any of the above cases.

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Charging for School Activities

No charges will be made for educational activities offered during the normal teaching day. Parents may be asked to provide a voluntary contribution towards the cost, or voluntarily provide the materials for the making of a specific product made by their child. Children of parents unwilling or unable to pay will not be discriminated against. Voluntary contributions will be invited from parents to cover the cost of some additional enrichment activities provided by the school. We also ask that parents and carers make a voluntary contribution of £15.00 per year towards the upkeep of our school fund. No pupils will be denied inclusion in an activity because a contribution has not been made. Parents may be asked to make a voluntary contribution to the cost of a school visit. These contributions are voluntary and no pupil will be denied a place on a visit because a contribution has not been made. However, the school reserves the right to cancel a visit if full costs prove prohibitive. Where a residential visit is arranged, parents will be asked to meet the costs of board and lodgings. Where parents are receiving; income support, family credit, disability working allowance or an income based job seekers allowance, this charge will be voluntary. In addition, parents will be asked to make a voluntary contribution to the costs of travel and any activities incurring a charge. No pupil will be denied a place on a residential visit if a voluntary contribution is not made, but the school reserves the right to cancel a residential visit if the likely costs to the school proves too high.

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School Closure If closure is imminent due to a severe weather forecast school would warn parents the day before, and the school closure would be announced on local radio stations first thing in the morning. Parents would be given details of local stations in advance of inclement weather and also advised by text. To receive a text message you would need to speak to the school office and register with ‘Parent Mail’. Unless the school is declared closed by the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher or The Local Authority, it must be assumed that it is open as normal. If, during the school day, we suffer a heavy fall of snow, please ensure someone is at home, as transport will be arranged to bring your child home early. We al-ways make telephone contact in these circumstances and would not send a child home until this contact has been made. Pupils may only be sent home when the school has been officially declared closed to pupils and any arrangements for their health, safety and welfare made. Pupils will never be sent home early if parents have not been contacted. Closure for Other Reasons. If the school is closed for any other reason e.g. water or electricity failure, we will endeavour to provide as much notification as possible. In the event of an un-foreseen emergency you will be telephoned before your child is sent home. Please ensure the school has up to date contact and emergency telephone numbers.

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Term Dates 2018-19 Autumn Term 2018 Monday 3rd September and Tuesday 4th September are INSET days Wednesday 5th September- School opens for pupils Autumn Half term: Monday 29th October to Friday 2nd November Monday 5th November is an INSET day. Pupils break up for the Christmas Holiday on Friday 21st December Spring Term 2019 School opens for pupils on Monday 7th January Spring Half Term: Monday 18th- Friday 22nd February Pupils break up for the Easter Holiday on Friday 12th April Summer Term 2019 School opens for pupils on Monday 29th April Whitsun Half Term: Monday 27th May- Friday 31st May Term Ends Monday 22nd July Note- 3 INSET days have been set so far for 2018-19. A further 2 INSET days are yet to be agreed. We will give you this information as soon as the days are set. Holidays taken in Term time A reminder that there has been a change in regulations about parents or car-ers taking children out of school during term time for holidays or extended leave. From 01 September 2013, Head Teachers are not allowed to authorise hol-idays during term time. New legal consequences and fixed penalty fines have also been set for parents who take children out of school for holidays.

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Access to Official Documents Freedom of information Old Park School Governors have adopted a publication scheme in line with Freedom of Information requirements. Parents may request to see their child's records. Most day to day documents are available for parents to see on request. If documents are not immediately available we would ask that you put your request in writing. Reasonable notice will be required to se or obtain certain documents. If the information can be shared according to Freedom of Information and Data protection, the school has twenty days to complete the request.

Further information about the school

Full details of our School Improvement Plan are available from the school office. If you would like more information about school policies, including our policies on Special Educational Needs, admissions and our complaints procedure please contact the school by telephone. Our website is http://www.old-park.dudley.sch.uk. There is much useful information on the website about the school including information about the curriculum taught, the staff and governors.

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