Dear Parent/Guardian s6

Dear Parent/Guardian

On behalf of all staff and pupils of the school let me extend you a very warm welcome to our school - St Anne’s Middle School.

During your child’s stay with us, it is our wish that your child is happy and successful. At St Anne’s, we work collaboratively to foster in our children a positive attitude to work, progress, self, others and the environment. It is extremely important to us to develop the ‘whole child’. As such, we wish to focus on all aspects of development- academic, aesthetic, personal, inter- personal, social and emotional. To this end, we wish to work in partnership with you in the important task of assisting your child to reach his/her full potential, enabling him/her to be an effective, happy citizen in the 21st century.

Many activities are organized throughout the school year, giving parents the opportunity to meet with/work with us. We look forward to meeting you on as many of those occasions as you can manage.

No worry concerning your child is too small or unimportant to share with us; please contact us at any time. Harbouring worries is counterproductive.

We hope the following pages will give you a flavour of our school. Should any questions remain unanswered, we will be only too happy to help.

Yours sincerely

P A Duarte

P A Duarte (Mrs)

1 Head Teacher Our Philosophy and Ethos

At our school, we value learning as a life – long activity for all.

We recognise and support individual needs and through a secure, stimulating, happy and well-managed environment, we provide a positive experience for all.

Our welcoming community and positive environment will empower all individuals to grow, becoming responsible citizens and enthusiastic, lifelong learners.

At St Anne’s Middle School we aim to:

 Instil a sense of responsibility within learners preparing them for the challenges, responsibilities and experiences of life and citizenship in the modern world.

 Lead relevant knowledge, skill and understanding through the provision of quality learning and teaching experiences matched to the needs of individual learners.

 Provide a caring community where all individuals are treated with fairness, respect and equality, enabling them to develop relationships based on tolerance, goodwill and sensitivity.

 Allow all learners to develop as confident individuals who are effective citizens and contributors.

……………working together to be the best we can be!

Strive to do our best Treat everyone with respect

Always listen attentively Never waste time Never break the school rules Excel in all we do Success is our aim

2 The School

St Anne’s Middle School came into being around 1946, although it was not so called until later.

The present building was constructed and extended over a period of years as the need for a bigger school became apparent. The building of a much- needed extension was completed late in 2000 and officially inaugurated by the then Minister for Education, Dr Bernard Linares, on the 15th January 2001.

The school has a child population of over 400 pupils, boys and girls, between the ages of 8 and 12 years. These are divided into four year groups: Years 4, 5, 6 and 7. Each year group is subdivided into mixed ability classes.

At present, there are twenty- six teachers in the staff including the Head and Deputy Head. We have three Special Needs Learning Support Assistants. We also have a secretary, a caretaker, a full-time cleaner and seven part-time cleaners. Fourteen lunchtime supervisors complete the staff.

There are twenty classroom bases and some specialist rooms such as a full size Sports Hall, ICT Suite, Art / DT Room, Science Lab, Library and Music Room.

Important Information

Address: St Anne’s Middle School St Anne’s Road Glacis Estate Gibraltar GX11 1AA

Telephone: (350) 200 77161 Fax: (350) 200 74614

3 E-mail: [email protected]

School Staff 2016-2017 The staff may change before or during the academic year.

HEAD TEACHER: Mrs. P A Duarte

DEPUTY HEAD TEACHER: Mrs. J Graham-Linares

CORE SUBJECT LEADERS

ENGLISH Mrs. J Villa

MATHEMATICS Mr J Martinez

SCIENCE Mr K Sheriff

SPECIAL NEEDS COORDINATOR Mrs. A Piris

YEAR COORDINATOR AND FOUNDATION SUBJECT LEADERS

Yr 4 and PSCHE Ms M Azzopardi

Yr 5 and SPANISH Mrs. G Santos

Yr 6 and RELIGION Ms M Neale

Y 7 and GEOGRAPHY Mrs. Z Green

FOUNDATION SUBJECT LEADERS

ICT Mr J Gonzalez PE/GAMES Mrs. L Pardo-Gomez

MUSIC Mr N Guilliano HISTORY Ms M Hill

ART Ms S Poggio D&T Mrs N Abudarham

MAIN SCALE TEACHERS

Mrs R Balloqui Ms C Azzopardi Mrs T Perez Ms T Hook Ms E Adamberry Ms I Cantos Mr D Coitinio At the time of writing other members of staff had not been appointed

SPECIAL –NEEDS LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANTS

J Payas M Clinton I Montegriifo

Non – Teaching Staff School Secretary Mrs. T Calderon Caretaker Mrs. L Perez

4 Full-time Cleaner Mrs. R Piris

School Hours

It is the parent’s or guardian’s responsibility to ensure that children arrive to school on time. Arriving to school on time is essential for good discipline and academic progress. Parents/Guardians are requested to co-operate in sending their children to school on time.

School hours are:

MORNING SESSION 9.00am - 12.30pm

LUNCH 12.30pm - 1.30pm

AFTERNOON SESSION 1.30pm - 3.30pm

SUMMER HOURS 9.00am - 12.45pm

Children are required to be in school at least five minutes before our starting times. In the morning, the school gates open at 8.45am. After lunch, the main entrance will open at 1.20pm for those children who go home for lunch. The bell will ring at 1.25pm for the start of the afternoon session. Children will not be allowed into school before these times. Children will be dismissed from school at 3.30pm.

Attendance

The Law requires that children attend school regularly. If a child is absent from school we ask that the parent/guardian contact the school and inform us on the first day of absence. This can be done in person, by telephone or by E-mail. On the child’s return to school we request that a letter/note be brought to school confirming the reason for absence. It is this written information that can ensure an absence is authorised rather than unauthorised. The Department of Education Advisory Service works closely with the school and follows up cases of persistent and unauthorised absences.

We would prefer no family holidays to be taken during term time. This is disruptive to the child and does affect their progress. If for exceptional reasons a holiday has to be taken during term time then parents/guardians are asked to write to the Head teacher informing her.

Lunchtimes

Parents are given the option to provide a packed lunch for their children to eat in school or to have their children go home for lunch. A large majority of the children stay in school for lunch.

The lunch hour is divided into three sittings, each of twenty minutes duration. The other forty minutes are spent in the playground in good weather or in class if it is raining.

Parents can choose whether their children stay in school for lunch or not. The choice has got to be made for the duration of one term. It is not possible to have a child stay in school one day and not on the next, then stay again the following day and not on the fourth day. Children staying for lunch may be withdrawn for the rest of the term but it is not always possible to accept a child to stay for lunch if the original decision was for him/her to go home.

The school reserves the right to exclude a child from staying for lunch if it feels that his/her behaviour is detrimental to the good order and safety of the rest of the children. A warning letter will be sent to parents/guardians indicating the possible exclusion of the child. The school may decide that the exclusion should be immediate if any offence committed is deemed to be serious.

Various activities and clubs take place at lunchtimes throughout the year. Children will be given a list of these at the start of the school year.

Please ensure that lunch bags are clearly marked with the child’s name.

School Uniform

We believe that the upholding of high standards of dress and appearance are important factors in helping to set the tone of the school, encouraging a sense of pride and belonging.

SUMMER

GIRLS BOYS

Medium Grey Skirts Medium Grey Trousers

GIRLS AND BOYS

Red Polo Shirts with School Emblem. White or Grey Socks. Black School Sho

6 (No Trainers, Platforms, High Heels, Open Sandals or Flip Flops)

WINTER

GIRLS BOYS

Medium Grey Skirts/Trousers Medium Grey Trousers White Shirt White Shirt School Tie School Tie

GIRLS AND BOYS

Red V-Neck Jumpers with Grey Stripe on ‘V’ and School Emblem White or Grey Socks Black School Shoes

(No Trainers, Platforms or High Heels )

Other uniform rules worth noting

 No jewellery must be worn in school. If your child has pierced ears, small studs are permitted. However, these MUST be removed by the child for PE.

 Fashions which are unsuitable for school uniform are discouraged, e.g. extreme hairstyles and experimentations with hair colours.

 Pupils who have long hair should always have it tied back.

 All items of uniform must be clearly marked with your child’s name.

Physical Education / Games Kit

GIRLS BOYS

House colour T-shirt House colour T - shirt All black cycling shorts Black shorts White socks White socks Non – marking gym shoes Non- marking gym shoes

GIRLS & BOYS Red and black school track suit or Red top and black track suit trousers.

7 Children will be allocated a House in September Please note children are not to wear parts of their uniform over their PE clothes –the proper outer wear for Games/PE is the school track suit. Pupils must only wear the school track suit on the days when PE / Games are timetabled.

Essential School Equipment

In addition to wearing the proper uniform, all children should come properly equipped for school. Children should bring the following: a pencil, a ruler, a sharpener, a rubber and some coloured pencils. Children should also have a sturdy school bag in order to carry the books and papers necessary for home and study work without the risk of these being torn or crumpled.

We urge all Parents / Guardians to ensure that all clothing and personal property is clearly marked with a nametape or indelible ink to reduce the amount of lost property.

Pupils should not bring into school valuable items such as mobile phones, iPods, electronic games or unnecessary money. We are not insured against the loss or theft of personal possessions.

The Curriculum

St Anne’s Middle School has a holistic approach to education. The school curriculum aims to:  Provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve.  Promote pupils’s spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

The school sets out to provide a broad, balanced and relevant education, which is designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and enable pupils to become responsible citizens in today’s world.

The National Curriculum sets out the statutory entitlement for pupils of compulsory school age. It determines the content of what will be taught, and sets expectations pupils should achieve.

The Subjects taught are:

 English  Maths  Science  Computing

8  Spanish  History  Art & Design  Geography  Design Technology  Music  Physical Education  Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education. (PSHCE)  Religion

In Years 4, 5 and 6 they will be completing the four-year Key Stage 2, which they commenced in the last year of their first school. In Year 7 they move on to Key Stage 3 which they will eventually complete in the following two years of their secondary school.

A significant approach to the National Curriculum at St Anne’s Middle School is our belief that no one subject area should be seen in isolation and wherever possible, we attempt to combine or link subjects through cross-curricular work.

Our classes are mostly mixed ability but we set for Maths and English throughout the school. Children will usually be placed in a set that matches their ability level and regular assessments and testing ensures that the set meets their particular needs. The sets are reviewed regularly and pupils moved between them where appropriate.

All classrooms are equipped with smart boards and have internet access. This makes the learning experience more exciting, stimulating and interactive.

Religious Education

At St Anne’s we provide a caring environment for children from all kind of backgrounds. In Religious Education we aim to explore and to foster an understanding of the part played by religion in human experience. We aim through RE to help the children acquire appropriate attitudes, values and beliefs. We follow a course based on the Catholic / Christian tradition using materials from various courses.

Parents or guardians wishing to withdraw their child from R E lessons should request this in writing to the Head teacher.

9 Special Education Needs

Every child at St Anne’s Middle School is valued and given equality of opportunity in all areas of school life.

We have a strong and effective Special Educational Needs Policy, which conforms to the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. We register any concern which might have a detrimental effect on your child’s educational progress and well- being. This concern may be a temporary or a long-term need and may be raised from home or by school. We will discuss any concern you may have regarding your child’s progress or well-being as early as possible to ensure their needs are met.

Our policy is based on early recognition of these concerns, followed by monitoring and assessment of your child’s area of need. When a pupil is not making progress and shows signs of difficulty in acquiring literacy or numeracy, presents persistent emotional and behavioural difficulties, has sensory or physical problems or has communication or interaction difficulties, the school will provide support in a range of ways. These may include reviewing classroom organisation and management, in –class support by teacher, withdrawal for individual/small group work, behaviour modification programmes, use of specialist equipment or alternative teaching strategies and programmes.

An individual Education Plan (IEP) may be written which will set up a specific programme of support for your child. Most concerns are addressed by this school- based provision. A further stage may include advice, guidance, assessment and direct involvement of other out –of-school specialists such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and educational psychologists.

As parents/guardians, you are fully involved at every stage of meeting your child's Special Educational Needs. Parents are invited to discuss IEP’s at Parents’ Evenings. In addition, our SENCO Mrs. A Piris is available at certain times during the week to discuss concerns.

Homework

All pupils are required to do homework. Homework has the advantage of teaching pupils how to study on their own, how to find information for themselves and is useful as a follow-up to lessons or preparation for future lessons in school. All pupils are provided with a ‘Student Planner’ in which they are expected to write their homework. Parents are asked to look at this book regularly and to sign it. Parents can use this book to convey any problems arising to the appropriate member of staff.

10 We ask parents to support their children with homework by:  Providing a suitable, quiet place in which it may be completed, away from distractions of television , music, smart phones , I pads etc  Supporting your children in the completion of homework.  Demonstrating that you value homework.

Tasks set will vary in their nature and will not necessarily be of a formal pencil and paper style. For each year group parents are informed of the homework timetable.

Behaviour

At St Anne’s Middle School we pride ourselves on our high expectations and standards of behaviour. Our aim is to encourage the children to develop self discipline. We do this by creating and maintaining a positive atmosphere where children can make appropriate choices and be successful. We believe in a fair and consistent approach, which recognizes appropriate behaviour while dealing with inappropriate behaviour effectively. The school exercises friendly, though firm, discipline which leads to fewer serious difficulties when children have been given a clear idea of what is expected of them. These expectations include the importance of respecting other people and their property, displaying good manners and exercising self-discipline. This is summed up in the school’s code of conduct:

 Be prepared

 Be courteous

 Let others learn

 Respect the rights and property of others.

A system of rewards is in place to foster and encourage good behaviour. Details of the system will be explained to the children during the first weeks of term.

Behaviour which is against the best interest of children and teachers in general, is not tolerated. A system of sanctions exists, which includes verbal correction, being deprived of playtime or loss of privileges. Occasionally a child is put on report, when their behaviour is monitored throughout the school day. We will inform parents if a child’s behaviour begins to cause concern.

It is important for parents to realise that we always attempt to act in the child’s best interests. We do expect your support. We will also expect parents/guardians to sign our Home-School Partnership Agreement as a formal commitment to work together in the best interests of all concerned.

11 Bullying Most children will, at some time, face the problem of falling out with their friends. These difficulties are usually short-lived and, in most cases, the friendships are restored within a few days. Parents and staff can help by explaining this and suggesting strategies to help children deal with the situation. Do please encourage your child to talk to their class teacher if they are unhappy – staff is usually able to resolve the matter very swiftly but need to be aware of it first.

The more serious problem of bullying can take many forms and we are well aware of the suffering it can cause, both at home and at school. Thankfully, bullying is not commonplace within our school but, when discovered, we will always act to resolve the problem. We regard it as a basic right that the children within our school receive their education free from humiliation, oppression and abuse. Anti- bullying education and material has a place within our curriculum. The school has a policy on behaviour and anti- bullying within school, which deals with the problem in more detail than space allows for here. The school will not hesitate to contact a parent if there is clear evidence that their child is involved in bullying.

House and Prefect System

The traditional House system exists in our school. There are four houses namely:

 CARMEL (Red)

 EUROPA (Green)

 FATIMA (Yellow)

 LOURDES (Blue)

House Captains – a boy and a girl, look after each House. Captains are selected from each year group but the most important appointment is that of the Year 7 Captains who oversee their House across the four year- groups. Their main responsibilities are to help teachers with their Houses for sports and House games.

We also have Prefects. Prefects are selected from Year 7 children. They are responsible for assisting the teachers with a number of tasks.

In charge of the House Captains and Prefects are the Head Boy and Head Girl who will also represent the pupils and the school at any important function. All of these will be appointed early in the new academic year.

12 Extra – Curricular Activities

Providing stimulating extra curricular activities is important to us all at St Anne’s. Pupils have the opportunity to involve themselves fully in a wide variety of school clubs catering for all interests. A range of clubs and activities are organised during lunchtimes and after school these include:-

Art Drama Dance Chess

Football Badminton Hockey Basketball

Cricket Library Choir Rock Band

Hip-Hop Drama Rugby Science

School Trips

There are times when the school organises visits to various places of interest to supplement work in some academic areas. You will, normally, be advised by letter about any visit which may change the start/finishing time of the school session for your child. Some visits may take place wholly within the school day.

You will need to indicate whether you agree to allow your child to take part in school outings. This will be taken care of at the start of the academic year when we will be sending you a circular to this effect.

The school reserves the right to exclude from these visits, any child who is known to be disruptive or who misbehaves regularly in school.

There are also outings as part of social, education/outdoor pursuits to adventure camps and cultural places in Spain or the UK. Attendance at any of these is at the discretion of the school dependant on behavior, attitude to school and progress in schoolwork throughout the child’s schooling and not just coming up to a particular event.

Parents are given ample time to be able to pay for these trips. .

13 Medical Arrangements

If your child is taken ill at school we will always attempt to contact parents so please ensure that the school is notified of any change of home or work circumstances .We have qualified first- aiders on the staff but if any doubt exists as to the seriousness of an injury , we will not hesitate to seek professional medical advice.

We ask as a matter of courtesy that the school be informed of any illness. Please notify the school by telephone, on the first day of illness and send a letter of explanation when the child returns to school. This procedure aims to ensure that both home and school know the whereabouts of every child on the school roll at the start of each school day.

If medical or dental appointments occur during school time, we insist on safety grounds, that parents collect their children from school. If this is not possible, we will only release a child on receipt of a signed letter from the parent/guardian, accepting full responsibility for their child’s safety. Children must sign out when leaving and sign in again on their return at the school office.

Medicines in School We accept that, on occasions, it is necessary for certain medicines to be administered during the school day. The Head teacher is not able to ask any member of staff either teaching or support staff, to administer medicines to pupils. It is only possible to administer medicines prescribed by a doctor, which require a dose to be given during the school day. Parents must bring the medicine into school in the first instance, clearly labeled with the child’s name and dosage, and must complete an ‘Administration of Medicines Authorization Form.’

Children with Asthma We fully recognize that certain children need inhalers close at hand. Staff have instructions to work closely with all concerned to ensure that the child’s needs are met. Please let the school know of your child’s requirements and ensure there is an extra inhaler kept in the school office , clearly labelled with your child’s name.

Head Lice Despite all that has been done to eradicate them, the problem of the common lice still emerges from time to time.

If you find them, or suspect they are in your child’s hair, don’t worry and carry out the ‘Bug Busting Routine’.

Cases of head lice should be reported to the school. Please note that the School is not

14 responsible for treatment. The Health Authority clearly places responsibility with parents. In cases of persistent head lice, please phone the school health nurses on 200 72945, who will give you an appointment to visit the clinic for advice and support.

The school will endeavour to keep parents/guardians informed if there is an outbreak.

Communication with Parents

Arrangements are made during the Year in an effort to inform you of your child’s progress and achievements. These are our assessment and reporting procedures:

September - Introduction Talks in year groups

February - Interim Progress Report will go out to parents informing parents of their child’s progress so far. (Sept – Feb) Parents given option to meet teachers and discuss report further.

June - Annual Report will go out to parents informing parents of child’s achievements throughout the year, assessment results, targets etc

July - Parents invited into school to view and celebrate their child’s achievements.

Throughout the year appointments can and will be arranged to discuss any concerns that may arise over your child’s progress. These concerns may be brought up by yourselves the parents or by the teachers. No worry concerning your child is too small or unimportant to share with us; please contact us at any time. Harbouring worries is counterproductive

Standard letters and regular calendars keep parents informed of all school activities. The Student Planner is also used as a means of communication.

15 And finally…….

Some of the best ways you can help your child

 Make sure your child arrives punctually  See that she/he is wearing suitable clothing and footwear  Check that he/she has all the necessary equipment, books, kit and homework  Clearly label all clothing and lunch boxes  Provide explanations for all absences  Talk regularly with your child about what she/he does at school  Let us know of any changes to your circumstances or anything which might affect your child at school  Let us know of any changes e.g. telephone numbers, contact numbers etc  Support the school’s policies.

Working together for success at St Anne’s