School Prospectus

The school prospectus provides you with information you need as a parent about our school. It is particularly useful to parents of children who are new to Regents Park Community Primary School but is a useful reference for all parents.

The school prospectus is updated annually. Please click the link below to download the most recent edition of our school prospectus:

Regents Park Community Primary School

School Prospectus

2023-2024

Information on school routines, organisation and procedures for the guidance of parents

WELCOME TO REGENTS PARK COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

We would like to welcome you and your child to Regents Park Community Primary School and look forward to establishing a partnership with you in order to support your child. We believe everyone in our organisation is important and special and that children will learn best when they feel secure and happy.

Our site consists of a school Nursery and 2/3-form entry from Reception to Y6. In recent years, pupil intake has begun to fall in line with falling birth rates in Birmingham (an issue which is also impacting other local schools). As such, from September 2023, we will be 2-form entry from Reception to Year 5 whilst continuing to be 3-form entry in Year 6.  Altogether there will be up to 480 pupil places in school

We aim for Regents Park to be a happy and exciting setting where we will provide an excellent education for your child. We have high expectations of ourselves and each other and want every child to reach his/her full potential.

The school was last Ofsted inspected in December 2021 and was rated as an Ofsted GOOD provider.

The school has a Foundation Stage Unit consisting of Nursery and Reception. The Nursery building is a separate unit and is able to accommodate up to 30 FTE children aged 3-4 years old. Most Nursery children are offered daily part-time sessions, most recently in the morning. Children then make the transition into the main school building where they begin in our Reception classes. Children then move into Key Stage 1 followed by Key Stage 2.

Children throughout the school make use of the additional facilities on site:

• A large outdoor learning environment including artificial sports area, trim trail and our Forest School area.

• A well-resourced library and learning area from which children may borrow fiction and non-fiction books.

• Access to a range of ICT resources, including laptops, green screen and tablet devices such as iPads.

• A multi-sensory room complete with equipment for multi-sensory activities for small groups of children aged from 3 -11 yrs.

• The Sunshine and Sunrise Rooms – these are rooms set up to provide support for children across school with high level SEND

We hope this prospectus will be a useful reference to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require further information.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Address:                Regents Park Community Primary School

             Arthur Street

             Small Heath

             Birmingham B10 0NJ

Telephone:            0121 - 464 6746

e-mail:                   enquiry@rgntpark.bham.sch.uk

Website:                www.rgntpark.bham.sch.uk

Regents Park Community Primary School is a maintained community school within the Birmingham Education Authority. 

Whilst it is almost impossible to cover everything a Regents Park parent wishes to know in a document like this, we do hope this prospectus will be a useful reference to you.

Please do not hesitate to contact school should you require further information.

MISSION STATEMENT

School Staff List

School Governing Board

The Governors are representatives of the local council, the parents, the staff and the local community.  They take a keen and active interest in the running of the school and, in conjunction with the staff, try to foster a good relationship with the community.

The key role of the Governing Board is:

• To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• To hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
• To oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent 

The Governors meet termly and also meet in committee groups. They are elected for four years from the time of their election.

Governors are keen to visit school and meet and hear from pupils, parents and staff on a regular basis in order to support the successful running and governance of the school.

All parents are eligible for election to the Governing Body as Parent Governors.  This occurs either at the end of a term of office or when an existing parent governor leaves.

Governor List

Contacting the Governing Board

If you have a concern or query, you should first contact the school so that the matter can be discussed with the Head Teacher or a member of staff.  It is expected that the majority of questions and anxieties can be dealt with in this way.

If parents continue to have a complaint or concern, they should follow the procedure for contacting the Governing Board set out in the school complaints policy – this policy is available upon request and on the school website.

Parents should make formal complaints in writing to the Governing Board, address them for the attention of the Chair of Governors and either email or send into the school office.

Governors would also like to hear about success and positive aspects of school life.

Child Protection and Safeguarding Information

Regents Park is committed to the highest standards in protecting and safeguarding children and this is the responsibility of all adults working in school.

Safeguarding is protecting children from harm and promoting the welfare of all children within our school and is the responsibility of all adults working in school.

At Regents Park Community Primary School, in order to protect all children, we aim to:

• Create an atmosphere where all children can feel safe, valued and listened to
• Recognise signs and symptoms of abuse
• Respond quickly and effectively to cases of suspected abuse

The school will support all pupils by:

• Encouraging self-esteem and self-assertiveness whilst not condoning aggression or bullying
• Promoting a caring, safe and positive environment within the school

We recognise that some children may be victims of neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse.

Our first priority is your child’s welfare and therefore, there may be occasions when our concern about your child means that we have to consult other agencies even before we contact you.  The procedures we follow have been laid down by the Birmingham Safeguarding Children’s Board. If you want to know more about this procedure, please speak to Mr Beale, Headteacher, or Miss Paddem, Deputy Head.

If you have a concern that a child is being harmed, is at risk or harm or you receive a disclosure (intentionally or unintentionally) you must contact the following staff members as quickly as possible as they are our Designated Safeguarding Persons in school:

Miss Paddem – Deputy Headteacher

Mr Beale – Headteacher

Miss A Turner – AHT for EYFS

Miss N Khan – AHT for KS1

Mrs P Vara – AHT for LKS2

Mrs R McDonald –UKS2 Leader

Mrs S Khan – Parent Support Advisor/Attendance Officer

The School’s policy on Safeguarding and Child Protection is available on the school’s website or a paper copy can be made available in full on request. The Policy is designed with pupil’s safety and welfare in mind.

Operation Encompass

At Regents Park Community Primary School, we are working jointly with Birmingham Children's Trust, Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police as part of Operation Encompass. 

Operation Encompass has been established to help schools to provide in-school support to children who have been present at or exposed to or involved in any domestic abuse incident. 

We have a dedicated and child-focussed Safeguarding Team. They are specially trained to effectively use the information the Police share, in confidence, and enable the school to provide the right support to any child and their family.  

We always endeavour to offer the best support possible to our pupils and believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved. 

The Key Adults are Inder Paddem, Anna Turner and Sheela Khan.

More information can be found at https://www.operationencompass.org/

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS ON ADMISSIONS

Children are admitted throughout the year and in-year admissions can be made by contacting our Office Manager, Mrs F Jabeen on 0121 464 6746. If places are available, Mrs Jabeen will contact parents and invite both them and the child to attend a meeting in school with a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Start dates will be arranged as early as possible.

If there are no places available in a particular year group, children will be placed on a waiting list managed by the school admissions team. The list prioritises children in order depending on siblings and distance from school. Please be aware that children can move up and down the list as other children join it.

If places are available children may be enrolled at Nursery any time during the year, as long as their 4^th birthday falls between September 1 and August 31 of the academic year. We can cater for up to 30 FTE children in the Nursery class and parents are notified of a place in the summer term. Currently we are offering part time places of 15 hours per week in our Nursery which is offered for morning or afternoon sessions.

For 2023-2024, we offer up to 30 part-time places in Nursery (mornings only), 60 places in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 and up to 90 places in Year 6.

Parents should apply to Birmingham Admissions & Appeals for a September Reception place between October and December of the previous year. This can be done either online or by paper form. During the spring term parents are informed by Admissions & Appeals if a place is available for Reception children for the following year.

In accordance with the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Birmingham Education Authority (LEA) has determined its relevant area as that contained within the City of Birmingham; children are admitted in September at the start of the academic year in which they reach five years of age, or later if their parents so wish.

If the School is over subscribed, the Local Education Authority operates an appeals procedure for school places. For further information please see the Headteacher or school office staff.

THE SCHOOL DAY

Our School Session Times

Arriving at school in the morning

School opens for children at 8.40am and we expect all children to arrive at this time when they are able to come straight into class and begin Start of the Day activities. Children can arrive at any one of the 3 gates located at Dixon Road, Arthur Street and Camelot Way. Parents should say goodbye to their children at the gate – children will then either walk through the playground or through school to their class.

Gates will close at 8.50am and formal lessons begin. After 8.50am, children are late and parents must accompany them to the school office via the Arthur Street entrance where they can be signed in.

Children should not arrive at school earlier than 8.40am (unless they are attending Breakfast Club) as there are no staff to supervise children before this time.

Breakfast Club

The school runs a Breakfast Club for children whose parents would like to drop them off earlier. There are 60 places available in Breakfast Club which runs from 8.00am to 8.40am.

Breakfast Club is free to children who are eligible for Free School Meals (the cost for these children is subsidised from Pupil Premium funding). For other children there is a charge of £1 per day payable in advance using sQuid – this money goes towards paying for breakfast food, resources and staffing.

Children should arrive at the Dixon Road entrance between 8.00 and 8.15am where they will be met by a member of staff and signed in. Children will be offered breakfast which consists of a choice of cereal, toast, fruit, juice, and water. Children will then be able to take part in activities either in the hall or outdoors until 8.40am when they will join their own classes.

The Dixon Road entrance will be closed at 8.15am and will not reopen until 8.40am. Parents should not leave children at the gate unattended.

Arrangements for collecting children at the end of the day

All children will be released at the end of the day at 3.00pm from a designated exit depending on which year group they are in and whether they have siblings in school.

All pupils with siblings in school will be released from the main playground; Parents collecting siblings may enter the playground from either the Dixon Road or Arthur Street entrance but are expected to wait behind the marked line until children are sent to them. Please walk toward where you are collecting the children – don’t call them over from a distance.

Reception, Year 1 , Year 5 and Year 6 pupils with no siblings will be released from the Camelot Way entrance.

Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 pupils with no siblings will be released from the Arthur Street entrance.

Wherever children are collected from, the children should tell staff when an adult is there so they can be released. Parents should collect children and then leave the school site as quickly as possible.

Some parents of children in year 5 and 6 may allow their children to walk home alone. Please write a letter or email giving permission for your child to walk home alone and hand it to the office so that the class teacher is made aware of this.

It is important to inform school if your child is to be collected by someone we do not know or by someone who does not normally collect them – again, please contact the school office if someone else is collecting your child. No child may be collected by anyone under 16 years of age unless by prior arrangement with the Head Teacher or Class Teacher. In these circumstances a letter of confirmation is required which should be brought with the person collecting the child.

Parents should make every effort to pick children up on time - Young children can become very upset while waiting to be collected. Please make sure that you contact the school office if you are going to be late collecting your child at the end of the day. It is essential that we know you are on your way. Pupils that are not collected at 3.00pm will be taken to the school office and parents will need to come to the Arthur Street entrance to collect them.

We will monitor late collection of children and, if necessary, we may charge parents who are regularly late £1 for every 15 minutes if their children are not collected from the office by 3.15pm. If parents do not inform school of a child’s whereabouts and there are safeguarding concerns, the police and social services may be informed and a “safe and well” check carried out.

ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY

Children with good attendance and punctuality make the most progress and do well in school. They are also the children who feel most happy and confident in school.

Children who attend school every day make much better progress and feel confident in their learning. Similarly, children who are in school on time feel more settled and ready to learn. Please ensure your child attends school every day in order to gain maximum benefit from his/her education.

We have a School Attendance Team which includes Mrs Vara (AHT – Pastoral & Attendance Lead), Mrs Jabeen (Office Manager), Mrs Khan (Parent Support Advisor) and Mrs Preece (Learning Mentor).

It is the role of the School Attendance Team to monitor absence and punctuality and, if necessary, to contact parents to discuss any issues or concerns the school may have. Parents may be telephoned, visited at home or asked to attend meetings in school to discuss their child’s attendance or punctuality.

We follow the local authority Fast Track Attendance procedures and in certain instances we may need to develop an attendance or punctuality plan with parents in order to see an improvement. We hope to work closely with parents; however, if, having put a plan in place, there is little or no improvement in a child’s attendance or punctuality, parents can be given penalty notices and fined by the local authority.

Reporting Absence

To ensure children’s safety and help us meet Government guidelines it is essential that parents contact us whenever possible by 9:00am on each day of their child’s absence. Parents can ring the school office (0121 464 6746) or email (enquiry@rgntpark.bham.sch.uk).

It is the parents’ responsibility to contact school and report their child’s absence. However, in cases where parents do not contact school, a member of office staff may ring the child’s home. If no contact is made, calls will be made to other named contacts for the child or a member of the School Attendance Team may visit the child’s home.

Where a child has been absent for a number of days, further calls to the home may be made to check on the child’s absence and, in some instances, visits to the home may be made by a member of the School Attendance Team.

In some circumstances, a child’s absence may raise a safeguarding concern – in these situations advice may be taken from the Birmingham Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). If there has been no contact with parents, a child has not been seen for some time or there is any other concern about a child’s welfare, then the Police may be asked to do a “Safe & Well” check at the child’s home.

Collecting your child early during the school day

It is essential that children attend school all day. As much as possible, appointments should be arranged out of school hours. Parents should try to make alternative arrangements for children to be collected by another trusted adult if they have an appointment or in situations such as if a parent needs to travel with another relative to their airport. Please try not to disrupt your child’s learning.

If there is no alternative and your child needs to leave school during the school day for a medical, dental or an urgent appointment, please give us prior notice whenever possible and ring the school office in advance. In order for your child to have an authorised medical mark a hospital or dentist letter should be shown to the office.

Holidays and trips abroad taken during school term

Please do not book trips abroad and family holidays during school term time. Trips abroad during term time will not be authorised by the Head teacher.

We follow BCC Fast Track to Attendance procedures. Fines will now be issued for on-going unauthorised absence as well as issuing Penalty Notices for leave in term time.

If you do need to take your child out of school during school term time, please inform the school office who will ask you to complete a leave of absence form. You will be asked to give the dates of absence and may be asked to show any relevant paperwork such as flight tickets, hospital letters, etc.

It is important that you inform us if you are taking your child way somewhere including trips abroad. We may not be able to authorise this trips unless they are essential; however, it is vital that we know where your child is when they are likely to return to school

LUNCHTIME ARRANGEMENTS

School Meals

School meals are provided by our own catering staff who are responsible for preparing cooked food daily on the school site.  Any meat served is Halal; however, a vegetarian/vegan option and cold food is always available. A menu is also available which caters for children with allergies – this is published on the school website.

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 have free school meals under the Government Universal Infant Free School Meal programme.

For children in KS2 meal prices from September 2023 will continue to be £2.40 each day.  It is much preferred that payment is made using sQuid (an online payment service - there is a link on the school website and the office can help to make sure you are set up to use it) at the beginning of each week, but arrangements can be made to pay for the term.  If you think your KS2 child is eligible for a free school meal, please enquire at the school office.

Provision is made for KS2 children who opt to have a packed lunch. We encourage children to bring a healthy packed lunch and we monitor this.

Your child may be collected at lunchtimes but currently all children stay on the school site and supervisors are employed by the school to ensure that your child takes full advantage of the lunchtime break.

Equipment is provided for the children at lunchtime.  Supervisors have received training to ensure that safety matters and basic first aid needs can be dealt with effectively.

Some staff have received training in supporting children with particular difficulties in socialisation and we offer support to the children through lunchtime activities.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

It is important that children look smart and wear correct school uniform – this helps to foster a sense of identity and pride in being a student at Regents Park Community Primary School.

We make sure that all of the school uniform can be bought cheaply at local shops and supermarkets; however, we do insist on children wearing a sweatshirt, jumper or cardigan with the Regents Park School logo on it. Again, this ensures a sense of identity and belonging to the school community and also helps to make sure that children are easily identified, for instance when they are on school trips.

Sweatshirts, cardigans, shirts and book bags displaying the school logo can be purchased from the school office. If parents buy sweatshirts, jumpers or cardigans from elsewhere, they must make sure they buy an iron-on school badge – these can be purchased from the school office.

All uniform should be labelled with the child’s name and class in case the child loses it.

The Regents Park School uniform is as follows:-

• Regents Park School bottle green sweatshirt/ cardigan with school logo
• Grey or black trousers, skirts or pinafore dress
• Green gingham summer dress (may be worn with white leggings)
• Plain bottle green headscarf is preferable, if not then plain grey or black
• White shirt/ polo shirt – with or without school logo
• Grey/ black socks or tights
• Black school shoes (NOT trainers and NO shoes with heels or open toe sandals)
• NO jewellery (plain ear studs if absolutely necessary)

PE Kit

At the start of the year, children will be told on what day their PE lessons will be. On these days, children will be allowed to come in to school already wearing their PE kit – this helps to increase teaching time as time is not wasted changing. As children will be wearing PE kit all day, it is important that it is clean and washed. On PE days, children should still wear their school sweatshirt/ jumper/ cardigan.

The Regents Park School PE kit is as follows:

• White T shirt – with or without logo
• Black PE Shorts or black jogging bottoms
• White sports socks
• Black plimsolls for PE indoors
• Trainers for outdoor use only in the playground, on the astroturf and in the Forest School. Wellies and waterproofs can also be brought in for Forest School especially during the wetter months.
• Appropriate swimming costumes and towel for swimming (Y3 only)  

On some occasions, children may take part in activities after school or in sports competitions. When this is the case, children will change into their PE kit in school. Children from Nursery to Year 4 will change in their own classrooms supervised appropriately by a member of staff, either their class teacher or one of the PPA/ sports teachers. Children in Year 5 and Year 6 will change separately with boys and girls from the year group in different rooms, again supervised appropriately either by class teachers or PPA/ Sports Teachers.

Children in Year 3 will change into their swimming costumes in the changing rooms at the swimming baths supervised by either male or female members of staff as appropriate.

Again, all PE kit should be clearly labelled with the child’s name. We cannot accept responsibility for any losses in school or accidental damage of clothing in school.

A – Z OF OTHER GENERAL INFORMATION

After-School Sports Clubs & Activities

We are very fortunate to have a large staff, many of whom are happy to give up time to provide clubs and activities for children after school. Most of the clubs are planned for Tuesday or Thursday after school. Clubs that we offer include sports such as football, multi sport, cricket, etc. Other clubs include art, book club, music, performance, computing, sewing, forest school etc.

Clubs change throughout the year but we hope that all children will be able to take part in some extra-curricular activities at some part of the year.

Children attending after school sports clubs may wear trainers for outdoor activities only.

After-school tuition

To support children’s learning, children will sometimes be asked to attend after-school tuition. This could be to give a child a boost with their reading, writing or maths.

Staff give up their valuable time after school to provide this tuition which is offered to parents with no charge (the cost of a private tutor could be as much as £30 per hour). It is important that parents are committed to making sure their child attends all the tuition sessions offered.

Anti-Racism & Discrimination

The Governors and Staff are committed to doing everything possible to combat forms of racism and discrimination within the school and have clear systems in place to deal with any incident should it occur.  All racist and homophobic incidents are recorded.

We expect all parents to support us in ensuring that all children are aware of the need to respect everyone in school and commit to zero tolerance of racism and discrimination in school.

Assemblies and Collective Worship

Assemblies are held twice a week – there is a Key Stage assembly and usually a class-led assembly or a singing assembly.

By law the school is required to provide a short act of collective worship every day – this is usually no more than a few minutes long and takes place in assemblies and on other occasions in the classroom. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the act of collective worship (not from assemblies) by writing to the Head Teacher.

There is also a Gold Achievers Assembly at the end of every half term to which the parents of the selected children from each class are invited

Behaviour Policy

At Regents Park School, we follow a whole School, positive approach to behaviour management, with a strong emphasis on praise and rewards. CEDRIC is the school mascot and the acronym for the school values. CEDRIC stands for Compassion, Equality, Determination, Responsibility, Integrity and Consideration. The Values are displayed around school and all members of the school community will share and promote these. We believe that embracing these values will allow pupils to feel happy and safe, in an environment conducive to learning.

Please see the Behaviour Policy for more detailed information.

Bullying and racism are not tolerated. Any incidents of this nature should be reported to the Head or SLT who will investigate thoroughly and deal with the matter seriously and promptly. All incidents are recorded, and parents are informed of any action taken.

Bikes and scooters

We would like to encourage all our children to walk to school or use alternative transport such as bikes or scooters. We have some storage areas for children to leave scooters and bikes in school and whilst we ensure our school site is safe and secure, please remember that scooters and bikes are left at your own risk.

Charging Policy

The provision of statutory education is free, and most requirements are funded from the school budget.

Voluntary contributions are requested to fund the cost of transport, admission and charges for school trips and visitors into school. Without these voluntary contributions it may not be possible to organise these trips and visitors. We ask for parents to pay these contributions using sQuid.

Communicating school information

Parents are fully informed about school routines and information throughout the school year through the following means:

• admission and registration procedures, which include familiarisation sessions during pre-school visits
• a prospectus that provides practical information
• our school website (www.rgntpark.bham.sch.uk)
• our school twitter feed (@rgntparkschool)

• termly parent consultations with a member of staff
• a mid-year progress report
• an end of year report detailing your child’s achievement and progress
• newsletters and information sheets
• text messages (please keep your mobile phone information up to date in the school office)
• standard letters following accidents bumps on the head and other letters about trips, swimming etc.
• information at the start of term about the activities your child will be involved in during the term
• invitations to assemblies, concerts and curriculum workshops
• opportunities to meet the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher by appointment when a need arises
• invitations to join us and help with aspects of school life such as reading stories, playing games etc.
• information at the start of the term about the work your child will be involved in during that term.

At the start of each school year, we ask that all parents complete a new contact sheet with at least 2 contacts and to confirm home address, telephone numbers etc. We ask that any changes to information such as new mobile telephone numbers is brought to the school’s attention as soon as possible, by letter or notifying the school office. It is crucial we are able to make contact with parents should there be an emergency.

Communication with class teachers

We know how important it is for there to be good communication between school and home. However, please be aware that class teachers are very busy at the start and end of the day supervising children and ensuring their safety. Class teachers will try their best, but it is not always the best time to speak to them. If it is not possible, please ring the school office and make an appointment to do so.

If you need to telephone the school and speak directly to a member of the staff, please call before 8.30am or after 3.15pm if possible.

Complaints

Whilst we hope that there will be no reason for parents to feel that they need to raise an issue or complaint about school, we understand that there are some occasions where this might be the case.

If you do have an issue or complaint about school, we would like to be able to discuss and resolve it with you in a calm and productive manner. Usually this will involve meeting with the class teacher or a senior leader in school such as Mr Beale, Miss Paddem or one of the Assistant Head Teachers such as Miss Turner, Miss Khan or Mrs Vara.

On the rare oaccasion that you feel the issue or complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction, then we would ask you to follow the Complaints Procedure which has been agreed by the Governing Board, a copy of which can be found on the school website or can be collected with notice from the school office. Following the Complaints Procedure, complaints may be escalated through the Head Teacher and then on to the Governing Board as appropriate.

Drinks and Fruit

Water is available any time during the school day. All children are provided with a school water bottle on starting at the school. 

Milk is provided free for all children under the age of five and is available to all children at lunchtime. Fruit is free for all children in Nursery, Reception and KS1.

Equal Opportunities

The school building meets the statutory requirements regarding the Disability Discrimination Act.

Jewellery

Earrings and decorative jewellery is not considered appropriate school wear and can be a health and safety issue. Only stud earrings may be worn in school – please no hooped or dangling earrings, chains, rings, or bracelets.

The Local Authority Health and Safety directive requires that all earrings, including ear studs, be removed before P.E. including swimming. 

Late Arrivals

The gates to the school playground are closed at 8:50am. If, in exceptional circumstances your child arrives late at school, please take them to the main entrance on Arthur Street to ensure registers are accurate. Children should be accompanied by an adult to the main office where the children will be signed in on our electronic signing-in system; this is to ensure we are aware they are in the building in case of a fire, and a school dinner is ordered. Children who arrive after the register is taken will not be marked present on the class register as it will have been submitted by the class teacher at 8:55am.

Medications

 Should we admit a child with Special Medical needs we will work closely with parents and our School Nursing Service to discuss individual needs.  A Care Plan will be drawn up by the School Nurse.

Parents are asked to inform the office or Miss Paddem if their child needs to use a blue salbutamol inhaler in school.  We request that parents provide their child with an inhaler to be used in class.

We do have emergency inhalers which can be used in the event of an emergency.  We will ask for written parental consent in order to administer this.

Parents must also inform school if their child has an allergy and has been prescribed antihistamine or an adrenalin auto-injector (previously known as an Epi-pen) by their GP.  The School Nurse will draw up an Allergy Alert Card. We do have an emergency epi-pen which can be used in the event of an emergency.  We will ask for written parental consent in order to administer this.

We can only administer medication that has been prescribed by the GP and is clearly labelled with their name, frequency and dosage. Again, parents must contact the school office if they wish for children to be administered with any medication in school.

Parental consent for use of photos online

Children at Regents Park take part in many varied and exciting activities and we like to share them with the children and parents in a number of ways.

One way is to publish photos online on our school website and on our school twitter feed. Parents have told us that they like seeing what the children are up to during the school day or when they are on school visits or residential trips.

We are aware of safeguarding issues and so we never publish a photo with the child’s name attached to it.

If you do not want photos of your child to be published online please let us know and we will make arrangements not to do so.

Parents in school

An invitation will be given to you to attend an induction meeting prior to your child’s admission in the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2. There is also a comprehensive transition programme for children entering into Reception, which includes a home visit by staff, usually in the summer term preceding the child’s entry into Foundation Class Unit.

Parents are always welcome in school. Mr Beale, Head Teacher and the Deputy Head Teacher, Miss Paddem, are normally available to parents, so please do not hesitate to come into school if you have a query to raise. The school office will arrange an appointment as soon as they can.

Our staff are always willing to set your mind at rest should you have any problems or worries, however slight.  Please contact the school office and request an appointment to meet your child’s class teacher. It is most important we develop a positive working partnership in order to give your children the very best possible start to their education.

Parents taking photos/ videos in assemblies

We know that seeing your child take part in an assembly is a special thing and a memory you would like to keep. We are happy for you to take pictures or video of your child in assemblies providing you do not share them on social media as they may include images of other children who have not given permission for them to be taken.

Parking and driving around school

Parking around school is a major issue and is complicated by the fact that we are located at the end of three cul-de-sacs (Camelot Way, Dixon Road and Arthur Street). This creates a lot of dangers and hazards around school in the morning and afternoon.

Many parents insist on driving up as close to school as possible to drop children off and then have to do difficult manoeuvres (such as 3-point turns) near where children and families are walking and crossing into school. Whilst parents may be good drivers, the children may not always be good pedestrians and these manoeuvres could put children and their families at risk no matter how good the driver is.

We hope that most parents will encourage their children to walk with them to school and will not have to drive and park near school. However, we understand that some parents live a long distance from school and others have to get lots of children to different school sites in the morning and collect them at the end of the day.

If you must travel to school by car, please allow enough time to park away from the school site and walk with your child. Please do not park or stop on yellow zigzag lines, pavements or double-park as this puts all of our children and families at risk. If you have to turn your car around, please do this away from the school gates and do not bump up onto kerbs or overhang pavements. Please also have respect for our neighbours and do not block drives.

Community police and local traffic enforcement officers are aware of the issues with parking around school and often patrol at the start of the day and at home time. They will issue fines to drivers who are not respecting signs or road markings or who are parking dangerously. We will also take the details of drivers who repeatedly do this and pass on to the local police.

Pastoral Care

The School aims to provide a secure, caring and happy environment where the relationship between children and staff is pleasant and secure. Staff are responsible for the welfare of the children during the school day. We also employ two learning mentors, a play therapist and a play worker to support with pastoral care across the school.

Personal Insurance

The Local Authority is only insured against its legal liability for accidents to pupils.  There is no general cover for personal accident either within the school boundaries or outside those boundaries (e.g. school trips); and parents/guardians who are concerned about this area of risk are advised to make their own personal arrangements.

Protective Clothing

Practical activities can be messy. Foundation Stage children are provided with aprons, however, accidents do happen even though children wear protective aprons when painting etc.  We cannot guarantee that the paint we use in school comes out of some fabrics fully. We would like you to be aware of this fact.  Manufacturers do recommend that clothes with paint stains are soaked in cold water for 24 hours prior to washing.

Children that have learning sessions in the Forest School may also get muddy and dirty. We have some overalls and wellies for children to use in the Forest School but not always enough for all children. Parents can send children to school with old trousers and shoes/ wellies to wear in the Forest School if necessary.

School trips and visits

An important aspect of our curriculum is children learning through practical experience. Learning in the classroom is enhanced by the use of resources such as books, pictures, photos, videos, etc. However, nothing is better than actually getting to visit a place or meet people and so we put a lot of emphasis on children going on school trips or having visitors come into school.

Often we will ask parents to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the trip to help cover transport or entry fees.

Trips that are in the local area (within Birmingham) do not require consent if parents have signed a local trips letter when the children have started school.

Security on Site 

We want all children to feel safe at Regents Park. Visitors to the school are asked to report to the school office, where they are checked and sign in and have a pass to wear whilst on the site (for parents this is usually a “Parent Visitor” sticker – please wear it if given one).  Access gates are closed at the start of the school day and we have security locks on all main doors.

Transfer to Secondary Education

Places at secondary schools are allocated on broadly the same criteria as for primary schools, i.e. children in Local Education Authority schools are given highest priority for a school place in their catchment area, provided the school is chosen as their first preference.

Should places be available for children living outside the catchment area, then parents’ preferences are met as far as possible in accordance with the LEA’s admission policy.

Verbal abuse of school staff

Please remember that if you are upset or have a complaint, you should ring or come to the school office and ask to speak to a member of staff, usually the Head of School or Deputy Head.

Verbal abuse of any member of school staff and/ or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated and may lead to parents or carers being banned from the school site.

CURRICULUM INFORMATION

Learning is a life-long process which enables us all to play a full part in society, to contribute to it and benefit from it.  Parents, children, teachers, governors and the wider community are involved in this process. It is therefore of vital importance that the curriculum provides a solid foundation for future life experiences.

At Regents Park, we emphasise that all children have an entitlement to:

• equality of opportunity
• a curriculum which recognises the individuality and special needs of each child
• a curriculum which involves children in their learning
• a curriculum that equips children with the knowledge and skills to be successful in the next stages of their lives

The staff and governors wish to ensure that through this curriculum, children will develop and apply the skills, knowledge and understanding gained from their families, our school and the community.

Foundation Stage Curriculum

The Early Years Foundation Stage forms a firm foundation for learning in our school.

The children enjoy a stimulating and happy atmosphere where they learn important skills through their play, such as co-operation, communication and concentration. They are encouraged to develop their imagination and independence whilst acquiring those skills necessary for reading, writing, maths, science and information technology.

We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. This enables us to organise carefully planned practical activities through themes and cross-curricular topics, so that the children gain experience in all the following areas of learning:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

All areas align to the National Curriculum subjects.

Key Stage 1 & 2 Curriculum Information

As a state-funded community primary school, we follow the national curriculum. The national curriculum is divided into Key Stages.  Key Stage 1 is for children aged 5-7 and corresponds with the Infant phase. Key Stage 2 is for ages 7-11 and relates to the junior phase.

The ‘basic’ school curriculum includes the ‘national curriculum,’ as well as religious education and sex and relationships education. The national curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.

Compulsory national curriculum subjects at primary school are:

• English
• maths
• science
• design and technology
• history
• geography
• art and design
• music
• physical education (PE), including swimming
• computing
• ancient and modern foreign languages (at key stage 2)

Schools must provide religious education (RE) but parents can ask for their children to be taken out of the whole lesson or part of it - please inform the Head Teacher in writing if you wish to do so.

As a school we also teach:

• personal, social and health education (PSHE)
• citizenship
• health and relationships education (HRE)

English

At Regents Park Community Primary School, we look to develop confidence in all children as readers, writers and speakers, and to foster a love for the English language.

We believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. We start teaching phonics in Nursery/Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. As a result, all our children are able to tackle any unfamiliar words as they read. We also model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing across all subjects. We teach phonics through a whole class approach which allows all children to keep up with age related expectations. Interventions are put in place for children who need additional phonics support so they can keep up with their peers. 

We know that writing is a key skill both in school and outside of school, therefore it is a crucial part of our school curriculum. Across school, children are provided with many opportunities to develop and apply their writing skills in different contexts. We plan for writing using high quality texts which are also used during reading lessons. We teach spelling rules each week and provide regular opportunities for children to develop their handwriting. Speaking and listening is an important aspect of the English curriculum and children are given opportunities to perform through role-play and drama.

In EYFS and KS1, we teach our children to read through Reading Practice sessions three times a week using books matched to their secure phonics knowledge. Each reading session has a clear focus: decoding, prosody (reading with understanding and expression) and comprehension (understanding the text). Children in KS2 who need additional reading support are taught in this way too. Children are provided with the same reading practice book to take home, so they can share this with parents. In KS2, reading is taught as a whole class at least three times a week. These whole class reading sessions will focus on a specific reading skill linked to our Reading Skills.

Our library is well stocked and provides new collections of classroom books each term. All children are expected to choose a book to read and share at home weekly from the school library. We encourage children to read at home with an adult therefore reading records for parents to record home reading are provided and will be monitored by class teachers. These are also a valuable way for parents to communicate about their child's reading.  

Philosophy for Children  

We teach Philosophy for Children from Reception to Year 6, which is an approach to teaching and learning that explores big ideas. Its aim is to encourage children to be more rational, reflective and sympathetic in their thinking. P4C is about developing thinking and reasoning skills, through talking and posing challenging questions. P4C helps with children’s ability to express themselves effectively with confidence, to speak eloquently in order to articulate ideas and thoughts and structure their views so they make sense to others. A P4C 'enquiry' session provides an opportunity where adults and children can search for meaning together. Children become proficient at reasoning and they are open to the reasoning of others. In short, P4C is designed to get everybody thinking… ‘Not all questions can be answered but all answers can be questioned!’  

Maths

At Regents Park School, we feel that it is important that children enjoy maths and feel confident about the subject. Emphasis is put on children mastering skills and concepts that they can apply to problem-solving and real-life situations. We understand that children need to learn basic number facts and acquire fluency in procedures, alongside developing conceptual understanding. Teachers plan high-quality maths lessons using a range of resources. Children are taught maths through the CPA approach where they use resources to develop an understanding of maths and then move on to representing their maths through pictures and finally using abstract methods such as written methods. Children are given opportunities to learn number facts through our 10 and 99 Clubs and use online resources to learn multiplication and division facts.

We want to foster a belief in our children that given the right teaching, a range of resources, thinking time and effort and determination will help them succeed at mathematics. We encourage our children to become active and independent learners. Maths in school is taught through whole class teaching and intervention is provided for pupil who need extra support.

Science

In science, it is our intention to provide a high quality science education that provides children with the foundations they need to recognise the importance of science in every aspect of daily life. Our curriculum enables children to become enquiry based learners collaborating through researching, investigating and evaluating experiences. It encourages respect for living organisms and for the physical environment. Lessons hook the children’s interest, enabling them to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. Children are encouraged to ask questions about the world around them and work scientifically to further their conceptual understanding and scientific knowledge.

Religious Education and Collective Worship

Religious Education is provided for all pupils based upon Birmingham’s agreed syllabus. This includes the themes of tolerance, respect for the beliefs of all religions and races, with an emphasis on understanding, encouragement and praise.

As part of our RE curriculum we ensure that children have an opportunity to study all the main faith groups that are significantly represented within Birmingham. Part of what we do is to meet representatives of these faiths and visit their places of worship. Children are not asked to take part in any act of worship but it does give them an appreciation of other faiths and beliefs and prepare them for the future to become a citizen of Birmingham.

A short act of collective worship takes place each day and there are times when the whole school comes together to participate in celebrations.  You will be invited to attend your child’s class assembly.  Collective worship will be broadly and mainly Christian in character, whilst valuing and sharing the celebrations of other beliefs. In this way, we aim to ensure that our pupils become tolerant and respectful members of our school and community.

Computing

At Regents Park, we understand that the skills developed through a high quality computing curriculum are essential for children to become confident and creative participants in an increasingly digital world. As part of the computing curriculum, we ensure that children cover the three stands which are Computing Science, Information Technonology and Digital Literacy. Children build on previous learning as well as being introduced to new concepts and skills. The school provides opportunities for a class to access information from the internet, through laptops and mobile devices such as iPads. All classes have access to the internet and an interactive whiteboard which forms an important part of the learning and teaching.

Geography

We begin with the child’s own home and children learn about their immediate surroundings.  Then they look beyond their local world to study other countries and people.  Children examine and consider the effect humans have on the environment and how they can help to protect and safeguard the world for future generations.

History

Through the teaching of history, children are encouraged to develop a clear sense of their identity within the family and the time in which they live.  As children move through the school, the topics they cover lead to the study of other civilizations and world history.

Art and Design Technology

Children will experience a wide range of art, craft and design activities. They will focus on drawing, printing, colour, sculpture, collage and textiles; learning to explore and embed the skills across year groups. Children will also explore the work of various artists or craftmakers, many of whom are BAME artists. They will compare the work of artists, using topic vocabulary to discuss their artwork.

In Design Technology, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in the process of designing and making through a variety of creative and practical activities. Children design and create products that consider function and purpose and which are relevant to a range of sectors (for example, the home, school, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment). When designing and making, the children are taught how to design, make and evaluate products while developing their technical knowledge.

Music

Musical experiences in school have three elements:

• listening and appraising
• musical activities
• performing

Musical learning is built around the interrelated dimensions of  music, which are at the centre of all learning. Activities will include listening to a wide genre of music, singing and using tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments, to improvise, compose and perform. The school takes an active role in performances, working with the Music Service, the Birmingham Hippodrome and other outside agencies to develop the children’s skills.

Musical Instruction Tuition

The school takes part in the Wider Opportunities music programme; therefore all children in Y4 learn to play an instrument. As they move into Y5 and Y6 they elect to continue with this tuition. The Governing Board is committed to funding this opportunity from within school funds, so there is currently no charge for this musical instrument teaching. 

Foreign Languages

Children from Year 3 to Year 6 have the opportunity to learn Spanish.  Children take part in a range of lessons that embed the skills of speaking and listening, reading, writing and grammar activities. Each year group completes work based around a specific topic, which incorporate the key skills.

Physical Education and Sport

All children need to move and be active. At Regents Park, we feel that the physical development and wellbeing of a child is a fundamental part of the school’s curriculum. The school has two halls. The PE hall has been well equipped with specialist gymnastic equipment. During their time at Regents Park, pupils will be offered the opportunity to learn to swim at a local swimming pool.

We aim to provide pupils with a range of sporting opportunities to extend their experiences.  We run a number of extra-curricular clubs. 

Outdoor Learning

We are fortunate to have a beautiful and well resourced forest school on site which all pupils have weekly lessons in. Forest school focuses on personal, social, emotional and physical development and uses a child led philosophy. Health and safety is paramount while pupils learn thorough practical, real world experiences. Learning about the natural world and how to manage and protect it for future generations is part of the key learning alongside play based learning.

Swimming

Pupils should wear appropriate dress such as a swimming costume, trunks or swimming shorts with an inner lining. 

Costumes that are modified or when additional clothing is worn to cover the arms and legs for reasons of religion or modesty are acceptable as long as they are close fitting.

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)/Citizenship

Children are given regular opportunities to develop their understanding of social issues through role play, circle time and group discussions. Children need to be encouraged to see and respect different attitudes and appreciate that solutions may not always be easy to find.

A School Council operates with representatives from each year group (Y1–Y6). This gives the children a say in issues in the school.

Health and Relationships Education (HRE)

At Regents Park Community School, our intention is to provide children with the knowledge, understanding and emotions to be able to play an active, positive and successful role in today’s diverse society. Through our Relationships and Health education curriculum, we inform children of issues related to morality and individual responsibility. The aim is to develop children’s self-esteem and develop their attitudes in order to manage relationships and respect themselves and others. We work closely with parents, carers and governors to create an ethos that will ensure all pupils receive a planned programme of education to provide them with life skills they need to make informed decisions and protect themselves. 

As a Rights Respecting School, we uphold the articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

The following underpin this policy: 

Article 19: Every child has the right to be protected from harm. 

Article 2: Every child has the right to be treated equally and with respect. 

At Regents Park, we only teach statutory requirements from the Health Education and Science curriculum. We believe in ‘No Outsiders’ and use a variety of texts which promotes equality for all sections of the community. 

Fundamental British Values 

It is an aim to ensure that attitudes and conduct appropriate to living in a multicultural society are developed within the school.  Pupils will be encouraged to understand and respect different religions, customs and races as well as learning about Fundamental British Values 

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

All teachers are committed to meeting the needs of all the children in their care, including those with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities. These may be in the form of sensory impairment, physical disability, communication, learning, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Children with Special Educational Needs are provided with an individual programme of work with clear targets set to meet the needs. Mrs A Turner is the SENDCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) at Regents Park and she assists in planning, monitoring and, in some circumstances, implementing the programmes. Support agencies including Pupil and School Support Services and Communication and Autism teachers, visit the school on a regular basis to advise, support and to monitor progress.

The area of Special Educational Needs receives funding from the school budget to allow the purchase of specialist equipment and resources to aid the implementation of programmes.

The liaison between home and school, which is vital for all children, has a special significance for children with special educational needs.  In addition to the termly parents evening, special review meetings are held each term to ensure the partnership is maintained throughout the child’s time at the school.

The school is part of a local network which provides training and resources to support children with Special Educational Needs.

The School Local Offer is published on the school website and outlines the provision on offer.  You can also find information on the Birmingham City SEND Offer.