Term Dates 2011-2012
Please note school closure for three development days remain to be arranged
Autumn
Terms 1 &2
Monday 5th September- Wednesday 21 December
Half Term: October 24-28
Spring
Terms 3 & 4
Monday 9 January- Friday 30 March
Half Term February 13-17
Summer
Terms 5 & 6
Monday 16 April- Friday 20 July
Half Term June 4-8
Diamond Jubilee Bank Holiday Tuesday 5 June
KS2 SAT week: 14 - 18 May
If your child is in year 6 please avoid any absences during this week!
Luddenham School Calendar of Events 2011 -2012
September
Thursday 1 Development Day
Friday 2 Development Day
Monday 5 First Day of term
Monday 5 PESE Practice Test Week
Tuesday 13 PESE NVR & VR
Wednesday 14 PESE Maths & Writing
Monday 19 Cycling Proficiency Group 1
Friday 23 School photographer from 8am
Monday 26 Cycling Proficiency Group 2
Thursday 29 Strategy Team Meeting
October
Monday 3 Cycling Proficiency Session 3 (Provisional)
Wednesday 5 Junior Harvest Festival in Luddenham Church
Parents Evening Class R and One
Thursday 6 National Poetry Day & Luddenham Oratory Competition Parents Evening Class R and One
Monday 10 Governors' Meeting
Thursday 13 Friends' Association AGM (provisional)
Monday 17 PESE results posted to parents
Wednesday 19 Infant Harvest Festival. Junior festival TBC
Friday 21 Halloween Party: Half Term
Monday 31 Children Return Secondary School Application Forms
return date.
November
Wednesday 9 Parents Evening Class 2 & 3
Thursday 10 Parents Evening Class 2 & 3
December
Sunday 4 Christmas Fair (provisional)
Thursday 8 Infants visit to Gulbenkian Theatre
Tuesday 13 Infant production
Wednesday 14 Infant Production
Tuesday 20 Junior Carol Concert
Wednesday 21 Christmas Parties: last day of term
Interim Report issued
January
Monday 9 First day of term
Wednesday 11 Parents Evening Classes 4,5 & 6
Thursday 12 Parents Evening Classes 4,5 & 6
February
Saturday 4 Wine and Wisdom
Friday 10 Half term
Monday 20 Children Return to school
March
Monday 12 Book Week
Sunday 18 Mothering Sunday
Infant Spring Festival?
Thursday 29 Talent Show?
Friday 30 Last Day of term Interim Report issued
April
Monday 16 First Day of Term
Wednesday 18 PESE meeting for parents with children in year 5
Tuesday 24 Parents evening for parents with children in year 5
May
Monday 14 KS2 SATS week
Thursday 17 Open Evening for new parents
Thursday 24 Class photographs
TBA Yr 6 Visit to Brugge
June
Monday 4- Friday 8 Half Term Diamond Jubilee Holiday 5 June
Monday 11- Friday 15 IOW visit
Monday 18 Development Day: School Closed
Wednesday 20 Sports day
Thursday 21 Sports Day Reserve Sports Day
Saturday 23 Summer fair
Friday 29 End of year reports issued
July
Wednesday 4 Parents Evening
Thursday 5 Parents Evening
Friday 6 Junior Swimming Gala
Wednesday 14 End of Year Concert
Thursday 15 End of year concert
Friday 20 Last Day of term Leavers Assembly (2pm) Leavers BBQ
To be included: 3 development days
TBA Friends' Association Meetings: Class Visits, Rising Five Club & many more events
Luddenham School Single Equality Scheme (SES)
Equality and fairness are at the root of all we do in our school. Our school motto Every Child Can Achieve reflects this and we aim to present all of our children with the opportunity to explore their abilities and celebrate their achievements.
This Single Equality Scheme brings together the school's approach for promoting equality in our policies and day to-day practices and interactions with the whole school community.
This covers the areas of Race, Disability & Gender and how we tackle discrimination and promote equality and fairness. In school we analyse the educational outcomes of the different clusters of children (e.g. children on free school meals, children from ethnic minorities, looked after children, children with special needs) to highlight and explore any variations. We also monitor participation ensuring that no child feels excluded from any area of school life. Current analysis demonstrates that all groups achieve well and feel secure and happy in school. The statistics supporting this are included in our SES which may be downloaded from the school website. (Hard copies are available on request)
Our scheme includes our whole school – pupils, staff, governors, parents and carers and all those within our extended school community, including members of our Swale Rural Cluster. This why we welcome your views on our scheme. These will be included when the draft document is reviewed.
This scheme is essential for achieving the five outcomes of the Every Child Matters Framework and the objectives of the
Kents Children and Young Peoples Plan.
We acknowledge the importance of working together to achieve our aim of being fully inclusive and accessible and ultimately in providing a quality learning experience for our children.
We will demonstrate what we have done and what we plan to do to improve opportunities and outcomes for students, staff, parents and other users of Luddenham School. This scheme will be monitored and delivered through the Governors' role, plus school improvement and self-evaluation processes.
LUDDENHAM SCHOOL STAFF SEPTEMBER 2011
Head Teacher Mr MJ Croly BA : MA :PGCE (Universities of Kent and Leeds)
Deputy Head teacher Mrs A Mannering BA Hons (Birkbeck College University of London)
Assistant Headteacher Mrs K Edmonds B Ed Hons ( University of Kent, Christ Church College)
Assistant Teachers
Reception Mrs L Leeming B.A. Ed Hons (University of Kent, Christ Church College)
Mrs M Moor B.Ed (University of Kent, Christ Church College)
Class One Mr R Bassett BA (University of Kent, Christ Church College)
Class Two Miss C Powell B Ed Hons (University of Kent, Christ Church College)
Class Three Mrs N Ralph B Ed (University of Kent, Christ Church College)
Class Four Ms V Croly BA PGCE (University of Exeter Christ Church University)
Class Five Mrs K Croly BA Hons, PGCE (Universities of Kent and Leeds)
Mrs L Thomas BA Hons PGCE (University of Wales ,Swansea)
Class Six Mrs K Edmonds B Ed Hons ( University of Kent, Christ Church College)
Special Needs Consultant Mrs A Mannering (Deputy Headteacher)
School Secretary Mrs A Fox
School Finance &
Office Manager Mrs V Harwood
Learning Support Mrs L Clarke, Mrs M Fox, Miss G Everett, Miss D Friar, Mrs M Gray,
Assistants Mrs V Harwood, Mrs E Ledger, Ms J Reid, Mrs C Slater, Mr A Wise
Mrs N Watson HLTA
School Cook Mrs S Wenn
Catering Assistant Mrs N Collins
Meals Supervisory Staff Mrs Fuller Mrs Jarvis Miss Pearce Mrs Thompson
Responsibility Posts September 2011
Art Mrs K Croly
Assessment Mrs A Mannering Mrs V Harwood
Child Protection Mr M Croly
English Mrs A Mannering
Geography Mrs K Edmonds
Gymnastics Mrs M Gray
History Mrs A Mannering
ICT Mrs C Oliver
Mathematics Key stage One Mrs C Oliver Key Stage Two Mrs L Thomas
Music & Drama Miss V Croly
Personal and Social Education Mr R Bassett
Religious Education Mrs K Edmonds
Science Mrs L Thomas
Sport Mrs K Edmonds
Swimming Mrs N Watson
Key stage One Coordinator Mrs L Leeming
Key Stage Two Coordinator Mrs A Mannering
LUDDENHAM SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY
Chair of Governors
Mr R Woodroofe
Chartered Surveyor
Local Education Authority Governors
Mr R Woodroofe
Ms M Diamant
Community Governors
Robert Brewer
Mr C Floodgate
Mr M Tyler
Mrs A Morris
Parent Governors
Mr D Deeson
Mr J Johnson
Miss H Carr
Teacher Governor
Mrs A Mannering
Ex-Officio Governor
Mr MJ Croly, Headteacher
Associate Member
Mrs K Edmonds
The Local Education Authority (LEA)
Kent County Council
Springfield
Maidstone
Education line for parents 08458 247 247
Interim Director of Education Learning and Skills
Mr Andy Roberts
Kent County Council
Springfield
Maidstone
Telephone 01622 671411
Area Education Officer
Alison Osborne
East Kent Area Education Office
Clover House
John Wilson Business Park
Thanet Way
Whitstable
Telephone 01227 772992
The Local Education Authority is responsible for the administration of the education service in Kent. Currently the County is divided into three areas and our school is in the East Kent Division.
Kent Challenge Lead Advisor
Mr. J Truman
Our Children
The 218 Children at our school come from the villages of Luddenham, Oare, Uplees, Conyer, Deerton Street and from the towns of Faversham and Teynham.
Thank you for not smoking anywhere on the school site
Main Inspection Findings
The unexamined life is not to be endured. Socrates
Luddenham School had a highly successful inspection in February 2009 when Ofsted judged the school to be Good with outstanding features.
In summary the inspectors reported that:
Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and their behaviour is outstanding. They have excellent attitudes to learning, work eagerly and share with one another. They are exceptionally conscious of their own safety and that of others. They establish very positive relationships based on politeness and mutual respect amongst themselves and with adults. These contribute greatly to the atmosphere in the school which is friendly and purposeful. Pupils' eagerness to be at school and make the most of everything it has to offer is reflected in their attendance figures, which are above national levels.
The school council represents the pupils well and takes its responsibility seriously. Pupils know their concerns will be listened to by staff. Pupils of all ages are very keen to do their bit for the school community. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils learn about and respect the views, values and beliefs of others, and show a mature attitude to cultures different from their own. They have an outstanding understanding of healthy lifestyles and make sensible choices at lunchtime. The fitness awards won by the school demonstrate pupils' enthusiasm for being active. Pupils' above average standards in literacy and numeracy, and particularly their excellent social skills, mean that they are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their education.
School Clubs 2011-2012
| Club All clubs run from 3.45- 4.30 unless otherwise stated | |
Monday |
Net ball yrs 5 & 6 (once the playground is available!) Gym Club: Yrs 3 & 4 in the Hall |
Tuesday |
ICT Juniors and infants on a rota Cookery Club Yr 6 Chess Club Speed Stacking Not until after Christmas |
Wednesday |
Hand Writing 8.45 Recorder Club 8.45 Staff Meeting 4pm Junior Model Club (Lunchtime) Gardening (Spring onwards) |
Thursday |
Squash Club 8.30-9.15 (Yrs 4,5 & 6) Dance Club (Summer Term) Guitar club ( Year 4 initially) Tag Rugby (5 &6) Musical Ensemble Art Club |
Friday |
Junior Choir Squash- Syndale Park Football- When we have the field back! |
Curriculum Clubs and other sporting activities will be introduced during the course of the year
Home work Club is open every evening except Wednesday
Swimming and Gymnastics 2011-2012
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 | |
| Gym Club Tuesday |
6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Gym Club Thursday |
2 | 1 | R | 2 | 1 | R |
| Swimming Wednesday |
4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6/R* |
| Swimming Thursday |
5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
*Class R (Foundation Class) swim for one week at the end of the summer term
Homework Timetable Key Stage Two 2011-2012
| Monday |
Purple Yellow /: Literacy (Due in on Friday) Yr 5 Creative Writing (Due in on Friday) |
| Tuesday |
Purple/ Yellow: History if required (due in Friday) Blue: Geography / RE (Due in on Friday) |
| Wednesday |
Purple: Geog/ RE (Due in on Tuesday) Green: History if required to finish off class work Year 6 Maths+ Spellings (For the following Monday/Tuesday) Red : Grammar ( For the following Monday) |
| Thursday |
Yellow : RE & Geography (due in following Tuesday) Blue: Grammar due in Wednesday History if required |
| Friday |
Yr 5 Maths (for the following Wednesday) Year 3: Maths or comprehension due in following Wednesday |
Green Group will not be given formal homework unless not enough work is completed in class!
In addition to these scheduled subjects spelling and multiplication tables will also be set for Homework
Key Stage One: Homework will be set on a less formal basis.
Please also remember that homework should never prevent a child from participating in out of school activities. Music lessons Scouts and Guides are just as valuable experiences for children. If there is a clash please let us know!
Foundation Stage Curriculum Academic Year 2011 - 2012
Mrs Leeming and Mrs Moor
| Area of Learning | Subject | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
| CLL | Literacy | Letters and Sounds Phases 1, 2 & 3 | |||||
| MD | Maths | Calculations, Number, Shape and Space | |||||
| PD |
Dance | Write Dance & Lets Move |
Write Dance & Lets Move | Rig a jig & Write Dance |
Write Dance & Lets Move |
Rig a jig & Write Dance | Lets Move |
| PD |
Gym | Gym Club | Gym Club | ||||
| PD |
Games | Bean Bags | Medium Sized Balls | Hoops and Quoits | Ropes bats and Small Ball | Team games & Sports day | |
| CD |
Art & Design | Materials | Colour | People who help us | Ourselves | Animals & Plants | Seaside |
| CD |
Music | Working World | Moving Pictures | Special People | Ourselves | Growth and change | Going Places |
| KUW |
Science | Materials | Colour | People who help us | Ourselves | Plants and animals | Seaside |
| KUW |
ICT | Talking Books Izzy's Island Rigby Star Digital camera |
Maths Base 1 Fizzy Tape Recorder |
Listening matching and sorting skills | Bee Bot Fizzy |
Rigby Star Digital Camera & video |
Bee Bot Talking Books |
| PSE |
.................C I r c l e T i m e..................... | ||||||
The Foundation Stage is based on these six areas of learning:
CLL Communication Literacy and Language
MD Mathematical Development
PD Physical Development
CD Creative Development
KUW Knowledge and Understanding of the World
PSE Personal, Social & Emotional development
Numeracy and Literacy follow the National Strategies, with much added by our reception staff.
During the course of the year children are continuously assessed across the six areas of development and the results of this development are discussed with parents in July prior to children starting the National Curriculum in year one
Year One: Mr Bassett 2011-2012
| Subject | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
| English | Non Fiction Labels, captions & titles Narrative Stories with familiar settings Poetry Pattern & Rhyme |
Poetry using our senses Narrative Traditional stories and fairy tales Non fiction using Dictionaries |
Narrative Stories from different cultures Non Fiction Writing instructions |
Non Fiction Alphabetical order & dictionary work Non Fiction Writing a factual account and using information texts |
Narrative Stories with a fantasy setting Non Fiction writing and exploring information texts |
Poetry Writing poetry Narrative Writing a fictional account Non fiction write a factual account |
| Maths | Units A1 B1 C1 Counting Securing number facts Measuring |
Units C1 D1 E1 Measuring Shape Securing Number facts |
Units A2 B2 C2 Counting partitioning and calculating securing number facts Understanding shape |
Units C2 D2 E2 Handling data Calculating number facts Calculations |
Units A3 B3 C3 Counting Partitioning Handling Data Number facts |
Units C3 D3 E3 Calculations Number facts |
| Science | Ourselves | Sounds & Hearing | Pushes and pulls | Growing Plants | Fairy Tale investigations | Nursery Rhyme investigations |
| Humanities |
All About ME | All around us | Toys | Around the world | Castles | Seaside |
| Art/DT |
Self Portraits | Homes & Houses | Moving pictures | Mother nature | Castles design and building | Seaside scenes |
| Music |
Sounds interesting | Long and short | Feel the pulse | Taking off | What's the score? | Rain rain go away |
| RE |
Judaism | Celebrations - nativity | Hinduism | Christianity | Hinduism | Story of Jesus |
| PE |
Gym Games | Faversham Gym Dance |
Swimming Gym |
Gym Dance |
Faversham Gym Games |
Swimming Games |
| ICT |
Within Class ICT will be utilised within cross curricular activities & child initiated study. Direct Teaching will be conducted by Mrs Oliver our IT specialist. | |||||
Year Two 2011 - 2012 Mrs Oliver
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 | |
| Maths & English |
Work will be drawn from the National Strategies augmented by enrichment activities | |||||
| Science | Materials and their properties | Life Processes/ Keeping Healthy | Forces and Electricity | |||
| Geography |
Passports around the world | The rain forest | Local Environment | |||
| History |
The Victorians | Florence Nightingale | The Egyptians | |||
| Art | Cross curricular work | Cross curricular work | ||||
| D&T | Puppets | Homes Toys | Making a Healthy meal. Food hygiene | Mechanisms and control | ||
| Music | Music Express featuring- sounds interesting, long and short of it, feel the pulse, taking off, what's the score? Rain rain go away! | |||||
| RE | Hinduism |
Celebrations | The Old Testament | How Jesus lived | Being a good citizen | Jesus the story teller |
| ICT | Communicating information in words and pictures | Exploring a range of ICT tools | Finding information | Experimenting with a range of software | Digital Story Books | |
| PE | Gym and Games Faversham Gym & Dance |
Swimming | Gym Dance |
Faversham Gym | Swim /Games | |
| Citizenship | Choices | People and animals | Living in a diverse world | People who help us. | ||
| French | Numbers & Colours | Animals | Food and drink | The body | ||
Key Stage Two Curriculum Plan 2011-2012
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 | |
| Maths |
Work will be drawn from the National Numeracy Strategy. The Published scheme used throughout Luddenham School is currently New Heinemann Maths. The National Strategy provides the framework but this is augmented by Problem Solving activities, geometry and other mathematical investigations to enrich learning. For further information please refer to Mrs L Thomas. | |||||
| English |
Once again work will be drawn from National literacy Strategy and augmented with enrichment activities- e.g. extended writing in year 6 and in year 5 art appreciation | |||||
| Science |
Forces | Materials | The Human Body | |||
| History Green Group |
Kings and Queens................................................................................. | |||||
| Yellow & Purple Group | Famous Victorians The Ancient Egyptians In Greater depth.. | |||||
| History Red Group |
Significant Historical Figures through the ages........................ | |||||
| History Blues |
Ancient civilisations Greeks Romans Angle Saxons and Vikings | |||||
| History Yr. 3 |
A chronologically coherent overview of British History starting with the Norman invasion and culminating with the World War Two. | |||||
| Geography |
Local Area (Term 1 &2) | St Lucia Contrasting Local area study | ||||
| RE | Aspects of Islam | Famous Christians | The Church | |||
| ICT |
QCA documents will provide a starting point for each year group but much of the work is cross curricular as IT permeates the curriculum | |||||
| Art & Design |
QCA documents will provide a starting point for each year group however this will be significantly augmented with enrichment activities eg sculpture and pottery | |||||
| PE |
For each class :Outdoor Games termly, Swimming two terms, Gym/Dance two terms, Outdoor and adventurous activities one term, Athletics one term. Cycling Proficiency Year six: Autumn Term. Please refer to KS2 PE map | |||||
| Music |
Junior Singing, Choir and Recorder club. Individual tuition for a range of instruments. | |||||
Old Chestnuts
These old chestnuts will surface fairly regularly during your time with our school! This is a digest of the most common ones
Please take note:
PARKING
PUNCTUALITY AND SECURITY
COMMUNICATION
HOLIDAYS
SCHOOL DRESS
FOOD AND DRINK
PHOTOGRAPHY
CONFIDENTIALITY
MEETING STAFF
Discussing your child's needs and concerns is of course an important part of the constructive relationship we enjoy at our school. However Please remember that:
General Information
School Day
Morning 9.15- 12.15pm
Afternoon 1.15- 3.30pm
This gives a teaching day of 22.9 hours for our Junior children (Key Stage Two) and 21.6 hours for our Infant children (Key Stage One). We ask children not to arrive before 8.35am. Please note that a member of staff is on duty in the playground from 9-9.15 am.
Playtime
Children have a supervised playtime between 11 am and 11.15am. There is also a short supervised afternoon playtime for our infants.
During playtime children may continue with their studies in our study classroom. We want children to see learning as an intrinsically valuable and enjoyable experience. We also encourage children to use our garden, sports equipment and computers. These provide further opportunities for the development of personal responsibility, trust and self esteem - important aims of our school.
Lunch
We have our own full kitchen so that our children and staff can enjoy freshly prepared meals. Children may stay for a cooked meal or bring a packed lunch. During the summer months children may eat packed lunches in our supervised picnic area. Please contact the school office for further information about the cost of school meals and payment methods.
Morning Playtime Snacks
Some children, particularly the infants, find the gap between breakfast and lunch rather long and for this reason the school provides a healthy snack. Older children may bring a small snack of fruit or vegetables. To encourage healthy eating crisps and chocolate bars are not permitted. It is also worth asking does my child really need a snack at all?
Additionally, children may not bring sweets, and in particular chewing gum, to school at any time.
Absences
With young children it is important that any absence be notified by letter or a telephone call. Absence for holidays or leave during the normal school term can be arranged by completing an appropriate form. Legally parents are entitled to take up to 10 days in an academic year- i.e. September -July. Longer absences can seriously affect the continuity of your child's education. There are also times during the school year when examinations are held. The dates for these examinations can be found in the School Year Book which is given to parents at the beginning of the school year in September.
School Transport
A daily bus service operates from Faversham and Oare to the school. Further details are available from the school Office.
If your child travels by car to school please note that an unofficial one way system operates. Always approach the school by coming down the hill. In the evening it would be appreciated if cars could arrive after 3.30.pm. This will give the school bus the chance to negotiate the narrow school lane.
In the evening if you do arrive early please do not park in the layby as this is reserved for the bus. We also organise a car sharing scheme to help ease the congestion in the school lane. If you change the way your child is to travel please let your child's teacher or the Headteacher know. This is particularly important with young children who can be easily confused and upset by changes. On wet days children travelling home by car can be collected from the hall.
Cycling to School and the cycling proficiency scheme
It has been the sensible tradition that children have not come to school by cycle until they have passed the Kent County Council Cycling Proficiency test. Children must be 10 years of age before they can start this scheme. This age was not arbitrarily chosen as it is considered unsafe to allow children younger than this to cycle on our congested roads.
School Visits
We see great value in taking children on educational visits. These take place throughout the school year and involve all our children. We also arrange each summer a residential visit to the Isle of Wight for our oldest children. Before any visit takes place parents are fully consulted.
Governors' Policy on charging for educational visits
Under the terms of the Education Reform Act schools may no longer charge for educational visits that take place predominantly during the school day. This legislation is wide ranging and has important implications for a variety of school activities. As the cost of visits cannot be solely carried by the school we ask for a voluntary contribution of an appropriate amount. It must be stressed that if parents do not contribute and the visit proceeds their children will not be excluded.
Our Community
Behaviour
When young children are busily involved and interested in what they are doing they rarely present behavioural difficulties in the classroom. From an early age we wish to foster and develop self discipline.
We believe that good manners and courtesy are important . We respect each child and wish them to learn from an early stage to respect adults and each other. We aim for high standards of behaviour and care for others in a friendly but firm community atmosphere. An aspect of this is the encouragement we give to older children to look after younger members of our community, this is the basis of our playtime and lunch arrangements. We also arrange shared reading and learning activities which take place during the school day.
Sometimes children have emotional needs that may cause upset or challenging behaviour and we would seek the parents' co-operation to resolve these difficulties. There is a copy of the schools' discipline policy and related documents in the parents library. Our policy for dealing with the restraint of pupils complies with DFE guidelines and is outlined in our Discipline Policy.
The care of your child
One of the many important roles of a teacher is to care for your child in the manner expected of any reasonable parent. Our teaching staff are fully supported in this endeavour by members of our ancillary staff. Our designated child protection officer is the headteacher.
Illness
If children are unwell it is better if they stay at home as the school is often a busy and lively place. Your child shares their teacher with many other children and it is not easy for a teacher to nurse a sick child.
If your child becomes ill during the school day we will contact you so that you may take your child home. We will also contact you if your child has any accident that may give cause for concern.
Certain illnesses may require a short period of exclusion from school to prevent the condition spreading. Your doctor should advise you of this but if you are in any doubt please contact the Headteacher or Secretary.
Medicines
There are strict Kent County Council Regulations governing the administration of medicines in schools. Generally speaking children should not bring medicines to school, the only exceptions to this are medicines for the treatment of asthma, allergies and epilepsy. These should be clearly labelled with the child's name and dosage and given to the Headteacher or Secretary. Please do not ask your child's teacher to administer antibiotics or any other prescribed medicine. The best place for a child under medication really is at home.
Secretary
Mrs Fox our secretary has many roles in school. Many of her duties help to alleviate the administrative burden on the teaching staff. She is often the first person you meet when you come in to school and is able to advise you in many areas.
Luddenham School Friends' Association
The education of children should be a partnership between home and school. A major function of the association is to assist in bringing this partnership to fruition. The school has a very involved Parent Association. Meetings are held throughout the year to discuss Association and School matters. In the Spring Term the Annual General Meeting is held and officers elected. At the last AGM the following officers were elected:
Chairman: Mrs J Greenwell Green
Vice Chair Mr D Burney & Ms H Carr
Secretary: Mrs T Henderson
Treasurer: Mr Frank Sowrey
All parents are automatically members of the Association and your help and support is always appreciated. The Association regularly organises social functions. Over the last year The Association have organised a Summer Fair, Christmas Bazaar, Barbecue, Annual Dinner, Salsa night, Race night, and a Wine and Wisdom evening. These events not only raised very valuable funds for the school, they also help create a happy environment for our children.
Parents in School
The involvement of parents in many aspects of school life is of great value and is something we actively encourage. Parents assist with school visits, cooking, sports activities and drama and musical productions. Parental involvement in reading activities in school and at home is also greatly valued. We always welcome parental help in school. If you would like to become involved in these activities please see your child's teacher or the Headteacher. We see this as an important expression of the partnership that exists between home and
school. An information leaflet for visitors may be found on The Parents Noticeboard in the entrance hall. This gives a brief outline of the staff and school routines as well as exploring the issue of confidentiality which we ask parents to observe when visiting school.
Parents' Library
Our Parents Library is situated in the entrance hall. It contains school policy documents and general information about educational matters. We have an annual survey of parental views and this is augmented by our suggestion box which can also be found in the Parents' Library
Parental Help With Transportation
We are always very grateful for offers of help with lifts to school events. However the following two matters need to be considered.
Insurance. Some parents have been surprised to find that their insurance does not cover transporting children to school events. This can be clarified by speaking to your insurance company.
Seat belts. We ask parents to offer lifts on the basis that each child has a belt.
Use of mini -buses
We may use a minibus to take children to Faversham Swimming Pool. If so It is our school policy that:
Clothing and Equipment Your child will Need
School Dress
We do hope that you will agree that uniform promotes a strong sense of belonging to our school, indeed we want our children to be proud of Luddenham School. For this reason children are required to wear our school dress. Additionally children may not wear trainers to school.
The school colours are dark blue and grey. Our supplier, Lea Ray Sports of Faversham, provides the following items of school dress at very reasonable prices.
Jewellery and personal effects
We do not allow children to wear jewellery at school. Children are permitted to wear a watch. Loss or damage to personal effects can cause great distress to children. Please encourage your child to leave valuables at home.
Earrings in particular are unsuitable for young children. Many children have suffered ear injuries during Games and PE sessions and also in playground accidents. If your child has had their ears pierced then a stud, which must be removed during PE activities, is acceptable. However our strong advice is to avoid having your child's ears pierced, this can be left to much later!
Please note: KCC do not accept any responsibility for personal effects. With this in mind you may wish to make private insurance arrangements to cover your child's belongings
Sports Equipment
Our PE dress draws a distinction between indoor and outdoor kit. All children will need:
Indoor PE Kit
By not using outdoor shoes and clothing the hall floor should be kept clean and in this case we hope that children can also participate in PE in bare feet.
Outdoor PE kit
This could be:
Please note: Trainers should not be worn to school, these are for outdoor games only.
Children will therefore have two separate kits. Our supplier can provide all of these items of PE clothing:
Although these PE clothes are good quality and value, there is no compunction to buy from Lea Ray Sports. Feel free to buy from any supplier but please adhere to the uniform colour.
We would like children to keep their indoor kit at school as a change of clothing following accidents, is often needed, particularly so for our infants!
Art And Craft
An old shirt or overall that can be kept in your child's PE bag will help keep paint and glue off expensive clothes. This is a very important item of clothing- particularly with young children!
Lunch Equipment
If your child has a packed lunch and uses a lunch box can you please clearly label it on the outside. Most lunch boxes are very similar and confusion can quickly arise if a clear label is absent.
Labelling Clothes
Kent County Council do not accept any liability for loss or damage to personal property of pupils. marking clothes and other items of property with the owners name is, therefore, of the greatest importance. Please ensure that every item of clothing and foot wear is clearly labelled.
Starting School
One of the most frequent questions asked by parents of pre school children is:
"What can I do to help my children at home?"
Real learning can take place in all situations both in and out of school, consequently parents have a vital role to play. Some children can read and write before they start school. Many children also have a good understanding of basic mathematics and a good knowledge of the world around them. We value all the experiences that parents provide for their children. At Luddenham we see this continuum between home and school as a vital ingredient of a child's success. What follows are some suggestions for areas of experience you may like to help your children with, which will be very useful for your child when he or she starts school
1 Sharing real Life activities
Discussing and making enjoyable many family experiences in the relaxed atmosphere of the home, e.g.. shared bedtime reading listening and games. Children also thoroughly enjoy household tasks- bed making, dusting, gardening, cooking and tidying. All these activities help build a child's confidence, particularly when accompanied by praise and encouragement.
2 Using children's natural curiosity
This is an exciting area of a child's experience (and a very wearing one for parents!) and can be fostered through paint, drawing, modelling, water and sand play. Children also thoroughly enjoy collecting things, often in the hope mum or dad can tell them exactly what it is they have found!
3 Developing a child's basic general knowledge
on:
Colour, Shapes, Days of the week, months of the year, times of day, numbers 1 to 5 then 5-10 (further if they can be managed!), clothing and familiar objects in the street and home, fruit and vegetables, flowers and animals. Encourage your child to form letters and numbers correctly.
This is not an exhaustive list, neither do we intend for you to exhaust yourself and your child in trying to cover everything here. All children are individuals with different needs and talents. What they have in common is the need for encouragement and praise, and the innate pleasure that comes from learning
Rising Five Club
Legally, children reach school age in the term that follows their fifth birthday. As it is desirable for all children to have three complete infant years, they may be admitted before this time as "rising fives." We extend this opportunity to parents by admitting all our new children at the beginning of the school year in September.
In the summer term before children start at our school they are invited, with their parents, to join our rising five club. This enables children to meet each other, existing pupils and members of staff. A range of activities are planned for the children and they also have the opportunity to borrow books from our pre-school library. We also arrange for children to spend a whole day with us. This enables children to experience break time and
lunch time. This day culminates with a teddy bears picnic, which is prepared by our older children.
HOMEWORK
We do not see learning as a punishment and we encourage children to view education as intrinsically valuable and rewarding. We always encourage children to develop their interests, hobbies and talents. There are often times when children wish to continue their studies at home and we encourage them to do so.
As children enter the junior stage more homework will be formally set by our teachers. To help children, parents and staff we provide children with a homework diary which gives an outline of our approach to homework and a timetable. It also gives parents children and staff an opportunity to make notes and record observations. We always value feedback from parents. Although homework is an important part of a child's education, please remember that it is not intended to be a substitute for learning at school!
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
It is our intention to provide support for all children with special needs. In our school we consider that children may have special needs due to learning difficulties or because they are gifted in one or more curriculum areas. In the identification and support of these children we always involve parents. A child who is potentially gifted will have the opportunity to participate in extension activities planned by their teacher and our special needs consultant, Mrs A Mannering. They will also be encouraged to pursue individual interests and abilities through personal study
A child who is felt to have learning difficulties will be given support according to their need. For the majority of children this support is provided by their class teacher, in consultation with our Special Needs Co-ordinator. For children with greater difficulty support may also be provided by a class assistant for special needs in the form of a programme of work developed by the Special Needs co-ordinator and class teacher. Children will generally work with a class assistant in their classroom, although there are times when it is appropriate to withdraw a child to a more private area.
The special needs co-ordinator keeps a register of all children receiving support and also conducts an annual review of all our children. At the conclusion of this review the parents of identified children are invited to come to school to discuss their child's needs.
If you would like more information about our special needs provision, please contact Mrs Mannering who is our special needs co-ordinators, or the head teacher.
ACHIEVEMENTS REPORTS AND CONSULTATION EVENINGS
Every child can achieve! In our school recognition of achievement is viewed as vital. We have an Achievers Board where childrens' achievements are celebrated.
Additionally, children are presented with awards and certificates at special assemblies to which parents are invited.
We also believe it is important that parents should have clear information about their children's efforts and achievements. For this reason we provide parents with a termly report. Parents also receive an end of year report which is a summary of the year's work. If a child is in year two or six this report will also contain the results of the end of key stage tests.
We have formal consultation evenings during the course of the school year and informal meetings in the Autumn and Spring terms to discuss the interim termly reports.
Reports are written in a positive spirit and parents are encouraged to share the contents with their children. All our detailed academic records are available for parents to read. The prohibitive cost of photocopying makes it itmpossible to provide parents with a personal copy. However records are always available for inspection when the school is in session.
It is important to note that these are not the only avenues open to parents for discussion. All parents and teachers are concerned about the welfare and development of children. Consequently if you have worries about your child's progress or social development, please do not hesitate to contact the school. You will have the opportunity to see your child's teacher, or the head teacher, at a mutually convenient time. Likewise as teachers, if we have concerns we will invite you to come and see us.
We aim to establish an open and honest partnership
ADMISSION TO LUDDENHAM SCHOOL AND DEPARTURES FROM LUDDENHAM SCHOOL 2011
Registering children and Governors' Admission Policy
To register your child at Luddenham school you will need to complete our registration form which is available from the school office. In the Spring Term of the year of admission we send to all registered parents explanatory notes and form PR1 which is the Kent Education Authority admission form. Returning this to the school confirms the application for admission. Children are admitted to our school in September or January, depending upon parental preference.
Prior to a child starting school, parents are legally required to present their child's birth certificate. We recommend that you bring this in to school rather than post it. We will also ask you to provide:
As our school is oversubscribed Governors employ the Local Education Authority admission criteria when considering applications:
Whilst recognising the service the school provides to a broad community, Governors are anxious to preserve the historic links that exist between the school and the villages of Luddenham, Oare and Uplees.
Visiting Luddenham School
If you would like to visit the school please contact our secretary Mrs Slater, who will be pleased to arrange this for you. Prospective parents are always encouraged to see the school in session. During this visit you will have the opportunity to meet the head teacher, Mr M Croly and the staff. Naturally we shall be pleased to answer any questions you may have about our school and the approach we take to education
Departures- Au Revoir!
This year children from our school gained places at :
The Abbey School , Archbishop's School, Fulston Manor School, Highsted School, Kent College, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School ,Simon Langton Boys' School, Simon Langton Girls' School St Anselms Comprehensive School, Sittingbourne Community College, Canterbury High School.
We like to know how our departing children have prospered. Consequently children who have left our school have a standing invitation to come back and see us and there are many opportunities for this to happen during the year. We also like to keep in touch with parents who have a similar invitation.
LUDDENHAM SCHOOL NATIONAL CURRICULUM RESULTS
SUMMER 2011
Key Stage One
| Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2/3 |
| Reading | 3 | 56 | 40 | 96 |
| Writing | 6 | 66 | 20 | 86 |
| Mathematics | 6 | 70 | 23 | 93 |
| Science* | 6 | 53 | 40 | 93 |
*At KS1 There are no science tests. However Mrs Oliver structured a test to support her teacher Assessment
Most children at the age of seven are expected to achieve level two with the more able achieving level three.
Key Stage Two
| Level | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4/5 |
| English | 50 | 50 | 100 | |
| Reading | 21 | 79 | 100 | |
| Writing | 18 | 60 | 21 | 82 |
| Mathematics | 50 | 50 | 100 | |
| Science | 42 | 58 | 100 |
Most children at the age of eleven are expected to achieve level four with the more able achieving level Five