Kender Organisation
How we run our school
Staff | School Day | Admissions
& Transfer | Governors | Attendance
& Absence | Health & Safety | Safeguarding (Child Protection)
Lunch Arrangements
| Uniform | Behaviour | Bullying | After
School Clubs | School Council
Staff and care of children
Staff
at Kender
The school is managed by the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Leadership
Team. The school has a Phase Leader Leadership structure to support raising
achievement across the school. Each phase is led by a Phase Leader. Each class
is taught by a fully qualified teacher. Higher Level Teaching Assistants are
used to deliver Preparation and Planning Time as well as cover to enable continuing
professional development.
In our nursery class we have an experienced Nursery Nurse and a Teaching Assistants. Other teaching Assistants are employed across the school to support teachers to deliver high quality learning.
All teachers have leadership responsibilities to help in the management of the school.
Midday supervisors look after children who stay in school at lunchtime. Midday supervisors are responsible for ensuring the safety and well being of children at lunchtime in conjunction with the Leadership Team.
The administration of the school is organised by the Headteacher with the School Business manager and a consultant Bursar who ensures that all financial regulations are met. A Premises Manager who is responsible for the maintenance manages the premises and security of the school.
The children are also helped by:
- A school nurse
- A Speech & Language Therapist
- An Educational psychologist who visits twice a term
- An Educational Social Worker who monitors attendance and punctuality
The
School day
At 8.55 am the school bell will be rung. Children walk to their classrooms. All children are expected to be in their classrooms by 9.00 am, each day.
School dinner money for the week is collected on Monday morning in the school office. Children pay on a week by week basis
Nursery [Early Years Foundation Stage]
Morning 9.00 am to 12.00 am
Afternoon 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm
Early Years Reception and Infants [KS1]
Morning 9.00 am to 12.00 noon
Afternoon 1.15 pm to 3.30 pm
Juniors (KS2)
Morning 9.00am to 12.15pm
Afternoon 1.15pm to 3.30pm
Breaks
Morning [All] 10.30am to 10.45am
Lunch [Infants] 12.00pm to 1.15pm
Lunch [Juniors] 12.15pm to 1.15pm
Afternoon 2.30pm to 2.45pm
School ends 3.30pm
Admissions
The school admissions policy is determined by Lewisham Education: please see the “Starting School Booklet” provided by Lewisham Education for greater detail.
Website address: www.lewisham.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/Schools/SchoolAdmissions/StartingPrimarySchool.htm
Transfer to Secondary School
In the first few weeks of Year 5 the Headteacher holds a meeting to discuss secondary transfer. When children reach Year 6 parents are invited to make their choice of secondary school. At this time a great deal of information about the transfer is made available.
There are opportunities to visit local secondary schools. Parents are invited to a meeting and also to an interview with the Headteacher, at which they state their choice of secondary school. Further information about secondary transfer can be obtained from the Headteacher.
Governors
The Governors of the school are responsible for staffing, finance, premises, curriculum, exclusions and future planning of the school. The Governors work very closely with the Headteacher in making decisions about the school.
At Kender School there are 13 governors:
- 2 are elected by the staff of the school
- 3 are elected by the London Borough of Lewisham
- 4 are elected by the parents of pupils attending the school
- 3 are elected by the Community
- the Headteacher is also a Governor
Parent governors are elected by the parents and normally serve for four years. Co-opted governors are invited on to the governing body to add expertise and represent the local community.
Attendance and Absences
Attendance
If your child is absent from school it is important to inform the school,
by phone, by letter, e-mail or word of mouth the exact reasons for your child’s
absence.
If your child has to be away for more than a few days, then it is helpful to let us know if they are well enough, we can send work home. We aim for all children’s attendance to be better than 95%, putting them above local and national averages.
Please let us know in advance if you are planning to take your child out of school.
Being on time is crucial, since learning starts straight away at 9.00 am. Children can feel left out, if they arrive continually late and can miss out on important things. If you have a problem getting to school on time, then please let us know.
Authorised and unauthorised absence
Government regulations require schools to record reasons for absence, if the
school regards the reason for a child's absence as acceptable [e.g. sickness,
dental appointment], then it is an authorised absence. However, if the school
is not informed or an unacceptable reason is given, then it is an unauthorised
absence. Each time there is an unauthorised absence, a letter is sent to parents.
A record is kept of each child's unauthorised absences, and is recorded on
the Annual Report to parents.
Health
& Safety
First Aid
It is our responsibility to care for your children in school. The contact
form is our way of locating you at home or at work. Please make sure you update
this form, if you changed address or job. It is vital that we are able to
contact you, a friend or relative. We are able to perform first aid, treat
cuts and bruises, but for more serious illnesses, we will seek professional
assistance. We do not apply creams or lotions in case of allergy. Grazes and
cuts are bathed and, if necessary, dressed.
If your child has an accident, they will be attended to by a Teaching Assistant and a standard letter is sent home with your child.
We try to notify parents either by phone or letter if there has been a bump to the head or face.
Please note that children who are considered fit enough to come to school will be expected to take part in all school activities, including swimming, PE and going out to play.
Medicines & Illnesses
Medicines of any kind must not be brought into school. The exception to this
is asthma medication. Asthmatic children must keep an inhaler in school. Your
child should carry the inhaler at all times. All inhalers must be clearly
named.
If your child has a specific medical problem, please let us know so that we are aware of their special needs.
Safeguarding (Child Protection)
Our Safeguarding Policy is available for parents to read and this sets out the procedures we follow if a situation arises.
- Good communication between home and school is very important, so please tell us if your child has had an accident or is upset about something at home
- We have a legal duty to report to the Lewisham Safeguarding Children Board situations where we believe children to be at risk. If we believe that your child is at risk of significant harm, we can share information about your child without your permission.
Lunch Arrangements
Children may stay to school lunch, bring a packed lunch or go home to lunch.
If your child stays for school lunch, there is a choice of meals, including a salad bar. There is always a vegetarian option and most special dietary needs due to medical or religious grounds can be catered for. The menu is displayed outside the canteen.
Packed Lunch Boxes
Lunches must be sent in a suitable and named container. Lunches should
consist of: a sandwich, piece of fruit, raisins, dried fruit or nuts, biscuit,
packet of crisps and also fruit juice or water.
Children are only allowed to bring water or fruit juice. Drinking water is served to all children every lunchtime and this is available through the day. If your child goes home to lunch, please ensure that she/he is back in school in time. [1.15pm] for the afternoon session.
Free School Lunches
If you receive Income Support, then it is likely that you will be
eligible for free school lunches. Please see the Administration Officer for
advice and guidance.
School
Uniform
School uniform is compulsory. Please click on the images to see a large size version.
The uniform consists of: Grey/white shirts, grey trousers/grey skirts, bottle green sweatshirts with school logo, yellow polo shirts with logo, green/white and yellow/white striped/checked dresses.
All children should wear plain black shoes. For lunchtime sports activities children are allowed to bring trainers to wear.
Sweatshirts, polo shirts and Book bags can be ordered regularly via the Premises Manager.
Prices:
Sweatshirts £7.50
Polo Shirts £6.50
Book Bags £4.50
Fleeces £10.00
Sweatshirts and t-shirts should be clearly marked with your child's name. Shoes should be suitable for the playground, allowing children to run and play safely. We do not like children to wear high heels or platform shoes.
The wearing of jewellery is not allowed. Stud earrings and watches may be worn, but are the responsibility of the child. If your child does lose a sweatshirt, there is a lost property box placed outside the general office and outside the main entrance.
PE Kit
We encourage all children to bring PE kit to school for all PE lessons.
We expect parents to purchase the appropriate PE kit and provide suitable
footwear for games activities. For gymnastics activities children have bare
feet. Please click on the image
to see a large size version.
Kender PE kit:
t-shirt £4.00
shorts £4.00
sweatshirt £7.50
Behaviour
At Kender we emphasise the importance of self-discipline. We encourage children to understand what is and what is not acceptable. We try to encourage self-respect and respect for others. We expect the very highest standard of behaviour from all our children. We have a clear policy on Promoting Good Behaviour and Anti-Bullying. This policy is available for you to see. Bullying will not be tolerated at Kender.
At Kender Community School we all try to:
- Behave respectfully towards members of staff and visitors at all times
- Behave kindly towards each other, treating everyone as equals
- Show respect for each other’s property and those things that belong to the school
- Arrive at school well prepared, with the necessary kit or equipment
- Make school a safe and pleasant place to be in
All adults at Kender try to reward good behaviour and use it as an example for others to follow. We believe that reinforcing what we expect of children provides an excellent model for them to learn and follow.
Evidence supports our view that a positive attitude to children’s behaviour raises standards throughout the school.
Should a child choose to break a school rule or not meet behaviour expectations staff deploy a range of consequences for children.
Parents are always informed if serious incidents occur and are included in discussions about how to prevent further problems. When all other options have been tried, the Headteacher has the right to exclude children from school. Exclusion is a very rare occurrence at Kender.
Bullying
At Kender we define bullying as:
“Any action done to someone over a period of time, that leaves a person
feeling isolated, intimidated or not wanting to come to school.”
Bullying will not be tolerated at Kender. We have an anti-bullying policy, which was written by governors and staff.
We request that all parents and children tell us about any bullying or bullying behaviour at school.
We always respond to incidents of bullying. We encourage children to tell members of staff, friends and parents.
There is a "bully box" located on the ground floor corridor. Children who wish to remain anonymous can use this when reporting bullies.
After School Clubs
At Kender we run a broad and growing range of After school clubs. The majority of clubs start at 3.30 and finish at 4.30. Clubs are mostly run by staff at Kender. The clubs on offer can be provided through funding from various sources or we charge children and families for the clubs we run. The school has a Charging Policy which sets the cost of each club at £5 per half-term. Some specific music tuition is more expensive yet very competitive in comparison to private tutors.
School Council
Children of Kender nominate a group of children to represent interests, views and concerns. Council members are drawn from each class from Years 2 to 6.
There is a council notice board where minutes and communications are displayed.
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