The Grange Academy Sparhawke

Letchworth Garden City Herts

SG6 4PY

01462 621444

01462 621544

www.admin@grange.herts.sch.uk

Headteacher: Ms Amanda Hopwood

Chair of Governors: Mr C Mitchell

The Grange Academy is a business name of the Agora Learning Partnership, a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 10290954. Registered office: The Orchard Primary School, Gammons Lane, Watford, WD24 5JW.

The Grange Academy Sparhawke, Letchworth Garden City, Herts SG6 4PY Headteacher: Ms Amanda Hopwood 01462 621444 www.grange.herts.sch.uk

Dear Parent(s)/Carer(s) I am delighted that you have chosen The Grange Academy as your child’s next school. Together, we are going to build on the strengths of the school to achieve the best possible outcomes

for all children. We truly believe it is GREAT at The Grange Academy and strive to promote our key values at all times in school.

Growth – we enable people to grow as all-rounders Respect – we respect ourselves, each other and the wider environment and take responsibility for our actions and choices Enjoyment – we enjoy our time in school, through learning and playing together Ambition – we work together to aim high, try new challenges and take risks in a safe environment Together – all of this takes place together as learners, teachers and friends Our school is happy, caring and inclusive. The staff and governors value all of our pupils equally and celebrate everyone’s diversity. We place a high value on mutual trust and respect. We expect our children to work hard and take ownership of their learning and to maintain high standards of self-discipline and courtesy at all times. At The Grange Academy, working in partnership with parents and carers is a priority as we face the challenge of meeting the developmental and learning needs of your child. We place a high value on the positive relationship we have with parents and carers as this partnership is crucial to ensure your child is successful, both academically and socially - after all no-one knows your child as well as you. Our school is a place where children, parents and staff respect each other and enjoy working together. I will be very pleased to meet and work with you so that we can achieve high standards for your child in behaviour, academic subjects and in a range of extra-curricular activities. I hope our prospectus provides all the information you need to support you in getting to know The Grange Academy. However, there is no substitute for visiting the school and seeing us all ‘in action’ and we warmly welcome the opportunity to show you around. Yours sincerely

Ms Amanda Hopwood Headteacher

The Grange Academy Sparhawke, Letchworth Garden City, Herts SG6 4PY Headteacher: Ms Amanda Hopwood 01462 621444 www.grange.herts.sch.uk

Dear Parents & Carers I am writing on behalf of the governing body to welcome you and your child to The Grange Academy. We are pleased that you have chosen The Grange Academy. Ms Hopwood and all her staff provide the very best for the pupils: high quality teaching, excellent levels of care and a broad and varied curriculum. We are confident that your child will thrive here and achieve his or her very best. We hope you will take some time to read through the school prospectus, which contains useful information about the school, and outlines some of the governors’ policies. We all work hard to ensure that there is good communication between the school, the children and their parents and governors. If at any time there is a matter that you wish to discuss, the staff will be pleased to talk to you. You are also welcome to approach any of the governors, although anything connected with the day-to-day running of the school should, in the first instance, be directed to your child’s class teacher or Ms Hopwood. We hope that you and your child will enjoy the time spent at The Grange Academy and look forward to seeing you at some of the events at the school in the future. Yours sincerely

Clive Mitchell Chair of Governors

The Daily Routine Getting your child into the habit of arriving in good time to start the day is vital. From 8.00 onwards a breakfast club is available, for which a charge is made – please ask at the school office for further details about the breakfast club 8.35 am School doors open for children to come into school Early morning activity Next steps improvement 8.45 am School Day Starts

Registration for attendance & lunches Please help to ensure that your child arrives on time

8.55 am Core subject learning 10.30 am Assembly Morning Break LKS2 10.45 am Morning Break UKS2 11.00 am Core subject learning 12.00 midday Foundation subject learning Y5/6 12.00 – 12.50 pm Lunch Break LKS2 12.50 – 1.40pm Year 4, 5 and 6 lunch break Some lunchtime clubs are held. 12.50 – 3.20pm Years 3 & 4 core and foundation subjects learning 1.40 – 3.20pm Years 5 & 6 core and foundation subjects learning 3.20 pm End of School Day 3.20 - 4.15 pm After school activities are held. Parents are always informed in advance of these. The time spent each week on teaching for each child is 25 hours. This does not include break times, lunch times or assemblies. We have curriculum maps which explain all the subject areas we teach. Copies can be found on our website www.grange.herts.sch.uk.

Vision: Learning for Life

Aims: ▪ to create an inspirational learning environment where everyone is respectful, responsible and makes the right choices

▪ to promote independence and high levels of challenge and achievement for all in order to develop the necessary skills for a successful, fulfilling life

Values:

This is what our children wrote:-

It’s great at The Grange Academy!

Growth: - we enable people to grow as all-rounders Respect: - we respect ourselves, each other and the wider environment and

take responsibility for our actions and choices Enjoyment: - we enjoy our time in school, through learning and playing together Ambition: - we work together to aim high, try new challenges and take risks in a

safe environment Together: - all of this takes place together as learners, teachers and friends

Staff List Ms A Hopwood Headteacher

Mrs N Murphy Deputy Headteacher/Class Teacher Mr S Rignall Assistant Headteacher/Class Teacher/Y3&4 Team Leader Mrs A Keech INCo/Class Teacher Mrs S Gatward Part-Time Class Teacher/Y5&6 Team Leader Mrs S Lewis Part-Time Class Teacher/Y5&6 Team Leader

Mr J Wilson Class Teacher Mrs C Robinson Class Teacher Mr P Walter Class Teacher

Mrs J Bailey Part-Time Class Teacher Mrs Demant Part-Time Class Teacher Mrs A Jones Part-Time Class Teacher

Mrs K Lucock Family Support Worker

Mrs A Jones HLTA Mrs N Newman Teaching Assistant

Miss L Young Teaching Assistant Mrs H Galvin Teaching Assistant Mrs A Curd Teaching Assistant Mr Z Uddin HLTA Mrs L Holland Teaching Assistant

Mrs Z Woodward Teaching Assistant Mrs S Nixon Office Manager Mrs L Rushmere Finance Administrator Mrs K Reeves Administrative Assistant Mrs L Thomas Senior Midday Supervisory Assistant Mrs A Curd Midday Supervisory Assistant Mrs V Isaacs Midday Supervisory Assistant Mrs N Marvell Midday Supervisory Assistant Miss J Willett Midday Supervisory Assistant Miss W Cordingley Midday Supervisory Assistant Mrs L Buchanan Breakfast Club Supervisor Mr M Laurence Site Manager

School Roll

There are currently 216 children on roll for the academic year 2020-2021 (7-11 year olds). The children in the school are organised into single age, mixed ability classes. There are eight classes with two classes in each year group.

Classroom Organisation

Children may be taught as a whole class, in groups or individually, depending on the nature of the work. The aim is to have a balanced programme of work over the week. We expect children to form good working habits. They work quietly in order to increase concentration. Accuracy, neatness and pride in presentation are habits which are positively encouraged. Each year group has a teaching assistant (TA) working with them. They are directed by the class teacher to work with specific children. This may be to help children who find learning more difficult, or to encourage children who lack confidence, or to ‘stretch’ more able pupils. They may be directed by the headteacher to work with small groups to increase the children’s learning potential for small bursts of time.

Special Educational Needs As with all curriculum areas the governors have a policy for special educational needs. It is available should parents wish to read it at www.grange.herts.sch.uk. A child with special educational needs is one for whom the teacher has a particular concern over either prolonged lack of progress, learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties or physical difficulties and prepares a particular programme in order to meet that child's needs within her/his classroom. Any concern about a difficulty a child may have will result in the teacher talking with the parent and the inclusion coordinator (INCO). These teachers will monitor the child's progress carefully and keep you, the parent, fully informed. If your child’s name needs to be included on the SEN register the teachers will “assess, plan, do review” which will record targets and strategies to support your child. These will be reviewed each term. You, the parent, will be invited into school to review progress and agree new targets. It is hoped that in this way we will ensure that the child does make progress. If progress cannot be achieved in this way then we may need to seek an external view (eg. school’s educational psychologist). This, again, will always be done in consultation with you the parent. The aim would be to give us even more detail about how work can be matched more closely to the child's ability and specific needs. If difficulties still persist it may be felt necessary to move towards a formal assessment of the child's special educational needs. A proposal for this would have to be agreed by the local authority. If agreed, it can mean that the child receives further learning support assistance/teaching time in school. All this would be done in collaboration with the parent. Whatever the ability of the child it is vital that we all work in partnership to secure the best possible outcome for the child. If you are ever concerned about your child’s progress, please, in the first instance, speak with the child’s class teacher. If your concerns continue, then please speak with the INCO or Headteacher.

If a child is put on the SEN register we will expect parents to assist the school in helping the child to make progress through frequent support at home.

Homework Homework will consist of weekly spellings and a maths fluency activity. Reading books will be sent home daily so that children can practice for 15 minutes each night. We want children to enjoy reading regularly. A half termly project will be set at the beginning of each half term. Children will be provided with details of the project together with some starting points and ideas. The project will be cross curricular and can be presented in any way that suits the preferred learning style of your child. These projects will be shared with the class on a half termly basis.

School Visits

Visits are organised during the school year to compliment school projects and themes. All teachers know that first hand experiences are vital to children because they are so memorable. During their years in school, the children enjoy a variety of educational activities. Some of these special activities may take place in school; sometimes they may include pupils walking to another venue or taking a coach. The children in Y6 have the opportunity to travel further afield and spend a few nights away from home. This is a very rewarding social and educational experience which enhances the children’s personal development. All parents are invited to make a voluntary contribution towards the costs of each activity. If there are not enough parents who are prepared to make this commitment, then the event may not go ahead.

Parental Liaison

Visits from parents are most welcome. Parents are kept informed on a regular basis about their child's progress in two ways.

Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term

‘Meet the Teacher’ - September Parents’ Evening – November Termly workshop event

Parents’ Evening – March Termly class assembly

Annual Written Progress Report Termly showcase event

Each term there will be an opportunity for you to discuss the progress of your child with your child’s teacher. Each year we will send you a report for your child. This will outline your child’s progress in each curriculum area, targets for improvement and also record social skills, personal attitude, behaviour, etc. Also included is an explanation of the levels of attainment. A copy of this summary will also be kept in your child’s file. In addition to these regular contacts individual parents would be contacted if we felt that there was cause for concern or to report exceptional work or behaviour. Newsletters also inform you about what has been happening in school – these can also be found on the school’s website. Each week we have a celebration assembly on a Friday at 9.00 am. If your child is celebrating an achievement then you will be invited along to the assembly.

If you have a particular query about any issue affecting your child then please contact us straight away. We would rather you came into school and let us know of your concerns so that we are able to resolve them.

Home/School Links

Your child will have a homework book to record spelling and maths work Your child will have a reading record to record how often your child reads We invite you to special occasions such as class assemblies, sports days and musical shows. At consultation evenings in the Autumn and Spring terms you can come and talk to your child’s

teacher about what we are doing and your child’s progress. You are welcome to see the class teacher after school if you have a problem, query or wish to talk

about your child’s work. Please ask for an appointment. We encourage after school meetings as teachers are busy in the morning preparing for the day.

We may also contact you if there is anything we feel you need to be aware of. You may like to become involved with our Friends of the Grange School (FROGS) association or

support the school at fundraising and social events. We also like to have parents helping in the classroom with activities such as reading, technology,

art and cooking. Most of the time this may be supporting the work of a class other than your child’s.

Parents are welcome to accompany school visits. Parent helpers will be subject to a DBS check.

School PTA

“FrOGS” - Friends of the Grange School The “FROGS” work hard to provide social and fundraising events throughout the year which go towards school improvements and equipment for our children. If you would like to be a member of “FROGS” please contact the school office.

Secondary Transfer At the end of Year 6 all children transfer to secondary school. At the end of Year 6, in 2019, the transfer process was as follows: -

Fearnhill School 28 The Highfield 10 The Knights Templar School 11 Hitchin Boys School 1 Hitchin Girls School 4 The Priory 1 Miscellaneous 1

Total : 56

Information on the secondary school application process is sent out to parents at the end of the summer term giving details of school open days. Further information is sent out in the Autumn term on how to apply for a secondary school place along with application deadlines. It is vital that all parents complete the secondary place forms no later than 30 October as late choices will not necessarily be allocated in secondary schools in Letchworth.

The decision about which secondary school your child will attend is not made by the school, or the secondary school you prefer, but by the local authority. The authority will notify parents of their allocation by the end of March. During the Summer term, secondary school teachers often visit the Year 6 children to talk to them about their new schools and children visit their new school to meet teachers and spend time there.

Health and Safety The governors have a policy for health and safety which every child and every adult working in the building has to abide by. The policy is available to view at www.grange.herts.sch.uk. Children are made very aware of the dangers that there can be in school (eg. slippery floor when running, safe working in PE, swimming pool safety requirements, safety on the playground). During the year there can be a number of initiatives, which children can be exposed to, eg. road safety talks, British Transport Police talks, railway safety, safety associated with making sensible choices and personal safety issues such as stranger danger.

School Uniform

Children are expected to wear school uniform which consists of grey trousers/skirt with a royal blue logo sweatshirt/fleece and a plain white polo shirt/blouse/shirt and smart black school shoes. School uniform can be purchased on-line from Uniform Direct at www.uniform-direct.com. GIRLS

Grey skirt/ trousers No tracksuit bottoms/jogging pants White blouse or polo shirt Royal blue logo jumper/sweatshirt Blue and white checked dress (Summer term) Black school shoes

BOYS

Grey trousers No tracksuit bottoms/jogging pants Grey shorts (Summer term) White shirt or polo shirt Royal blue logo jumper/sweatshirt Black school shoes

No jewellery or make-up is allowed except for stud earrings. We advise that children do not wear watches either but if your child decides to wear one, we cannot accept responsibility for anything that happens to it. Earrings must be removed for PE (reference should be made to our PE Health & Safety Policy). Physical education - it is essential that children have kit to change into. Children need a plain white T-shirt and blue/black shorts. A tracksuit can be worn for games in winter. All children need trainers for PE.

The Grange Academy Golden Rules

Do be kind and helpful – Do not hurt people’s feelings

Do be gentle – Do not hurt anybody

Do look after property – Do not waste or damage things

Do listen to people and show respect – Do not interrupt or be rude

Do work hard – Do not waste your or other people’s time

Do be honest – Do not cover up the truth

We have a behaviour policy for the school and this is discussed with the children throughout the year. Our expectations of good learning behaviour, both in and out of school, are high. Children are expected to reflect on their learning behaviour and how it supports the learning of themselves and others around them.

Food

Children are positively encouraged to stay at school for dinner - they have a choice of hot meals with vegetarian options available. The current cost of school meals is £12.75 per week (£2.55 per meal) which may increase from September 2020. All meals must be booked in advance, via ParentPay, our online payment system. Meals must be pre-ordered by midnight the previous day. Children who bring sandwiches eat together under supervision in the dining room. No fizzy drinks, cans or bottles. Please be aware that we are a ‘nut free’ school as several of our pupils have a nut allergy. No child leaves the premises at lunchtime and the children are under supervision at all times. Children are encouraged to bring in a snack for break-time. However sweets, chocolate bars and crisps are strongly discouraged as part of teaching children about healthy lifestyles.

Charging Policy Please refer to our charging policy. A copy can be found on our website at www.grange.herts.sch.uk/school-policies or a copy can be obtained from the school office upon request.

Collective Worship

In this school we combine our acts of worship with assembly, helping to ensure that worship takes place within a broad educational framework. UKS2: Monday – Thursday, 10.30am-10.45am. LKS2: Monday –Thursday, 10.45 – 11.00 am. Friday, 9.00 – 9.30 am there is an opportunity for pupils to reflect. There is a rota that includes each member of staff leading assemblies, with Tuesday being class events, Thursday music assembly and Friday being celebration assembly. The school year has been divided into weekly themes which encompass religious festivals, known national or international events, and aspects of how we learn. Staff leading worship can then plan around the themes and a development of ideas can build up.

We believe that creating the right atmosphere is crucial to the quality of the worship. Therefore, the time is not over-dominated by school administration or moralising. We plan the time so that there is a variety in content and methods, allowing opportunity for quiet personal reflection/worship. Parents have a right to withdraw their children from assemblies on religious grounds. Emergency Procedures It is sometimes necessary to contact parents during the day if their child has an accident or is taken ill. For this reason we keep a file in the office containing details of where a child's father, mother or carer, can be contacted during the day.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS & CARERS KEEP US UP-TO-DATE WITH CONTACT DETAILS Please inform us of any changes without delay

If a child has an accident at school which requires hospital attention every effort will be made to contact the parent so that he or she can accompany the child to the casualty department at the Lister Hospital, Stevenage. If a parent cannot be contacted, or if the emergency demands particular haste, the child will be accompanied by a member of staff. Emergencies arise very rarely, but when they do it is essential that we are able to contact parents.

Medicines and Tablets If medication is needed parents are asked to call in during the day to administer them to their child. Children who require asthma inhalers should keep these in class. A medical form needs to be completed for all children who keep an inhaler at school. This form is available from the school office.

Absence If your child is absent from school please telephone the school office detailing the reason for absence and send a note into school upon their return. A note must be sent if you wish your child to be excused from school to attend an appointment or be excused from an activity such as PE, swimming, etc. Whenever possible we expect medical appointments to be made outside of school times. Please do not send your child to school if he/she is ill.

Attendance Attendance is monitored very carefully. Any concern that a teacher has about an individual’s time away from school is expressed to the headteacher. The attendance is monitored and followed up either by a call home or a call to the attendance improvement officer (AIO). The AIO visits the school termly to view registers and note any concerns. As a result of any major prolonged periods of absence she may conduct home visits. All absences need to be authorised by the headteacher. Parents need to support the work of the school and encourage children’s willingness to come to school. We discourage the taking of holidays during term time because this can have an adverse effect on children’s learning. No absences for anything other than illness will be authorised unless in exceptional circumstances.

Child Protection Procedure We are concerned with the welfare of every child and will take any reasonable action to ensure his/her safety. Parents should be aware that where the school has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ‘significant harm’ from neglect, and/or physical or other forms of abuse, staff are required to follow child protection procedures and inform Social Services of the concerns. The school has a detailed child protection procedure and staff are trained in child protection issues. A copy of our policy is available on our website (www.grange.herts.sch.uk). If you wish to discuss this matter or require further information, please contact the INCO or headteacher.

Security All visitors, including parents, are asked to enter the school through the main entrance and report to the office manager. Visitors must sign in/out when they arrive and leave. All visitors must wear a ‘visitors’ badge. Parents are asked not to go directly to their child’s class or enter through any other door. If you are bringing your child into school late please report to the office and your child can then make their own way to the classroom. If you have a message for the class teacher please can you leave it with the office. The intention is that no unauthorised adult should be visiting the school for any reason. Parent helpers who assist at various times must also sign in/out and wear a ‘visitors’ badge.

Parking

The school car park is for staff only. When delivering or collecting your child please do not block the school gates. Please be considerate to the local residents – it is important that the school has a good relationship with our neighbours. Give way to children crossing the road. The road outside the school is busy at the beginning and end of the school day so your children need to be closely supervised.

School Policies Documents which refer to the work of the school are available to parents on-line at www.grange.herts.sch.uk/school-policies and include: National Curriculum 2014 SEN policy Charging, remissions & Refund Policy Attendance Behaviour

Complaints Procedure It is our hope that the good working partnership that we foster between school and home means that any difficulties can be resolved quickly and to your satisfaction. If you have a complaint or want a matter further investigated then please:-

First, always speak to your child’s teacher Refer the matter to the team leader if you are not happy with the teacher’s response Refer the matter to the headteacher if you do not feel satisfied with the team leader’s

response or if you require some further assistance. If the above steps do not resolve the matter, please refer to our complaints policy for further

advice and instruction.

Clubs Last year we were able to offer a variety of lunchtime and after-school clubs. They included:-

Athletics Football Netball COGS Dodgeball Handball Rugby Glee Club

We will inform you of any clubs available to your child throughout the year.

Governors

Governors visit the school whenever possible in order to become familiar with, and assist, the work of the school. The governing body consists of representatives from the local authority, the community, parents and staff.

School Access Plan Curriculum Delivery The school has in place an on-going approach of reviewing teacher skills in terms of delivery of the curriculum, providing different styles and format, so that all children can access the curriculum.

Making Information Accessible School makes information available in a number of formats to meet the needs of pupils and parents/carers. These include provision of a reader and/or translation to another language. Please advise us of your needs.

Access for Wheelchair Users & those with Mobility Difficulties Our building meets requirements for disabled access. We have one disabled toilet. There are no stairs. A disabled parking space is also provided.

Emergency Warnings The school employs audible warnings only in emergency situations. However, picture signs are also displayed. Close supervision of all pupils reduces need for alternative types of warning.