Welcome to Reception Class

The first day of the next academic year is Wednesday 2nd September; start dates for reception are usually staggered throughout that first week.

However, due to these unprecedented times we feel transition into school could potentially be very different this year.

You will receive a letter informing you of your child’s start date as soon as possible.

Your child will attend fulltime from their start date.

Your child can ‘meet’ their teachers virtually in a film on this page.

School uniform can be purchased from:
Cat Ballou
1-3 The Burges
Coventry
CV1 1HN
Tel: 024 76555499
E-mail: sales@catballou.co.uk

They have an online shop: www.catballou.co.uk

Although you can purchase all your child’s uniform from the above shop, skirts, trousers, polo shirts without any logo are also available to buy at supermarkets.

Please find further information on our School Uniform page

Your child will require a named PE kit which will be kept in school. It will be sent home every half term for a wash and must be returned on the first day back. Our Parent Association kindly donate a drawstring bag to every new pupil to keep their PE kit in. This must be clearly named.

Please send your child with velcro pumps and spare pants and socks (for any little accidents!).

Please make sure your child knows what is in their bag and practises taking the items on and off.

You are asked to label all of your child's clothing clearly (including shoes) to minimise the amount of time spent searching for and returning 'lost' items.

The Early Years Outdoor Classroom is a considerable size, often commented on by parents/carers and visitors to the school. It features a covered space and a wide uncovered area for the children to explore the outdoors.

We are also proud to boast extensive school grounds beyond the Early Years provision with a pond, woodland area, wild meadow and an immense area of grassland. This allows us to access ‘Learning Outside the Classroom’ so as well as going on meaningful trips to broaden and enrich children's learning across the curriculum, children also go outside and use our school grounds in planned, lesson time activities. We ask that parents/carers provide a pair of wellington boots and waterproof clothing which can be kept in school for outside learning

Our school book bag is available to purchase from our School Office at a cost of £4.50. This will need to come into school daily so letters, reading and library books can be sent home safely. We ask that the children use the school book bag as it is the ideal size to fit into their own drawer. Space is very limited and big bulky bags do not fit.

If your child has been prescribed an inhaler, then you are required to bring one into school on their first day, so that it can be administered if and when required. A form will also need to be completed giving the school authorisation to do so. Please advise school if this is the case.

Parents/carers will be required to provide 1 and preferably 2 epi-pens to be held in school. Please make sure that they are in date. A health care plan will also need to be completed beforehand with the Learning Mentor and class teacher. Please complete the medical needs section on the ‘Confidential Form’ which will be sent out in due course, alerting school to any medical needs your child may have.

School will contact you to discuss any medical issues that may require a health care plan to be completed. In the meantime, if you have any medical concerns you wish to discuss, then please contact the school by emailing: admin@pearlhyde.co.uk.

There is always a qualified Paediatric First Aider working within the Reception team and they will assess and treat children with regards to minor first aid incidents. All incidents are recorded in our class First Aid books and will be shared with you at the end of the day. You will be asked to sign the book to confirm you have been notified. If your child attends ‘KIDZ ALOUD’ after school club, the book is sent down with the child so it can be shared and signed by parents/carers upon collection. You may be contacted if the First Aider feels the injury requires further assessment or treatment. Please be rest assured, that should an incident require further urgent medical assistance, then the school will follow usual procedures in calling the emergency services. Parents/carers will be notified and asked to attend the school.

The children experience a wide variety of educational visits arranged throughout the year. These have a specific curriculum area base and enhance the pupils' understanding of the appropriate subject.

Parents/carers will always be notified of any school trips their child will participate in. The letter will include all the details regarding where, when, time and any cost of the trip. You will be required to complete the permission slip at the foot of the letter and return it to school.The school operates a cashless system and uses an online payment service called SIMS Pay. Your child will bring home a letter on how to create an account during the first week of school which will include login and password details. This is used to pay for trips, clubs and school meals when they are in Key Stage 2.

The ‘Starting School’ document in Essential Information, gives you some guidance about what would help your child as they begin their learning journey with us.

All children will be dropped off at the classroom door under the canopy area. As soon as your child is happy to walk in by themselves we ask that you allow them todo this as it supports us in starting our school day swiftly. There is always a member of staff meeting and greeting if you have any information you would like to pass on to us. The school site has three pedestrian gates: two of these are directly on Dorchester Way and one of them is at the far end of the playground, opening onto the pathway which runs parallel to the playground boundary. All gates are opened at 8.40am and locked at 8:55am. Classroom doors open at 8:45am. The Site Services Officer will open the gates at 3.10pm to allow access onto site in readiness for pick up at 3.15pm. If you need to collect your child during the school day, then this must be via the School Office at the front of the school. Any children arriving late for school (9.05 onwards) or leaving early must report to the school office to be signed in or out.

Within our provision, we do not have a formal playtime but throughout the day the children will have access to our outdoor spaces. During lunchtimes, the children will play on the playground alongside Key Stage 1 children (Years 1 and 2), supported by our Lunchtime Supervisors and Sports Coaches.

One of the hardest things is leaving your child when they are upset, however, we would encourage parents/carers to remove themselves from the situation as quickly as possible. Although we do appreciate that this may be difficult, we usually find that the children settle far quicker, becoming involved in activities with staff and the other children. The school will call you once they are able to, to reassure you that your child has settled. If your child continues to struggle to settle, staff will discuss other strategies which can be used to help your child adjust.

We ask all parents/carers to complete a ‘Collection of Children at the End of the School Day’ form where you can list the adults who can collect your child from school. It is important that you please keep us updated of any changes to this list throughout the year. If someone else is collecting your child, for example they are going home with a friend, please inform your child’s teacher or the School Office. For safeguarding reasons, we will only let children go home with the named persons on the form unless we have been informed otherwise. This form will be sent out with other forms for completion in June and will need to be returned on or before Wednesday 2nd September.

Our lunchtime is between 11:45am and 12:45pm. The children will be taken to the dining room by their teacher and learning facilitator who will help the children to collect their lunches. A menu is sent out to parents/carers and you are required to choose your child’s lunches, which are on a 3-week rotation. If your child is a fussy eater, please do not worry. We often find they are more willing to try new foods with their peers eating the same things around them. Lunchtime Supervisors support the children in the dining room and initially teaching staff will also support as lunchtime can be one of the trickier times of the day. Children with packed lunches will also eat their lunch in the dining room. Once the children have finished, they will be taken to the playground where our Lunchtime Supervisors and Sports Coaches will support the children with games and equipment. Due to specific health risks to both children and staff, Pearl Hyde is a nut-free school. Please do not send any snacks/food items into school that may contain nuts. Please see separate heading ‘School Meals’ regarding Universal Infant free school meals and income related free school meals. An example of the school lunchtime menu is also available to view on this page.

Your child will be provided with a small piece of fruit daily through the National Fruit Scheme and children under 5 will also receive free milk. The children are asked to bring in a named bottle of water for use during the school day, this will need to go home daily. Please complete the request for milk form in your Welcome Pack for your child and return by Wednesday 2nd September.

Some Reception children may be less than reliable at using the toilet and even children who have been toilet trained for some time can slip up. Staff will be used to dealing with accidents, but it is useful to have some spare pairs of underwear, socks or tights in their PE bag.

During the Autumn term, your child will start to bring home a reading book. Regular reading at home is crucial. It is important to listen to children read and ask them about texts in order to develop comprehension skills. Sharing books is just as important as listening to a child read; this promotes a love of reading and shows the people around them as readers too. Alongside their school reading book, childrenshould be encouraged to read other texts such as a library book, a magazine or a book on the kindle. Any reading at home should be recorded in the child’s reading record. At the end of each term, your child will bring home their ‘Learning Journal’ which will allow you the opportunity to see what they have been busy learning at school. We also ask that you contribute to this in a similar way to share any new experiences or learning opportunities (such as learning to ride a bike, swimming badges etc) your child achieves outside of school – this can be at any point throughout the year. This helps us to gather an all-round picture of your child as a learner. It is also an opportunity for the children to look back on and share their learning with you at home.

The school uses a communication system called SchoolComms. This service connects schools and parents / carers, efficiently and reliably using modern technology, making essential communications much simpler for everyone.

Please ensure you add the school email address: SC3312117a@schoolcomms.com to your Address Book/ Contacts in order to prevent messages being blocked by your Spam/Junk filters.

Every Friday, the school sends out a newsletter by email, with important dates, information and news to share with parents/carers. This is an excellent way to keep in touch with what is happening in school and to receive information about forthcoming events. The newsletter is also available to view on the school website.

The text service is used to inform you of any urgent notifications, i.e. an extra-curricular activity is cancelled, school closures, a news reminder etc.

If your child is unwell and cannot attend school, then you will need to call the school office on 024 76 610165. Please provide your child’s name, class and the reason for their absence. We kindly ask that this is done before 9.30am. The facility is available to use 24 hours a day. This information is required in line with our safeguarding policy and procedures and is also required to be done daily, unless you are aware that your child is going to be off for a set number of days, e.g. Chicken pox.