Head Teacher : Miss Jenny Bingham Moss Lane Kearsley Bolton BL4 8SE

Telephone Number: 01204 333458 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.spindle-point.bolton.sch.uk 1

Dear Parents and Carers,

It is with pleasure that I welcome you and your child to Spindle Point Primary School. I hope that this brochure provides you with everything you need to know about our school and that it will support smooth transitions at the start of your child’s primary school experience.

Spindle Point is a vibrant, warm and happy place to be. Learning is exciting and challenging; children are nurtured to feel safe and to be resilient in their mindsets.

Our Ofsted Report 2017 states, “Pupils are confident, happy and settled in school. Pupils told inspectors that they felt that this is an ‘amazing school’ and that this school ‘really helps me to grow as a person”. This is very much the expectation we have for every one of our children at Spindle Point.

At Spindle Point, we pride ourselves in the positive partnerships that we have with our parents, families, the local and wider community. We work closely with other schools to ensure the very best outcomes.

We look forward to getting to know you and your children so that we can work towards the same goal which is to ensure that your child is happy, socially confident, well cared for, able to do their very best and to acknowledge and nurture their unique gifts and talents.

On behalf of the Governors, staff and children, I encourage you to visit our wonderful school.

Should you have any further enquiries, please so not hesitate to contact me at school.

Yours sincerely,

Jenny Bingham Head Teacher

Aiming high Building confidence Caring for each other

Spindle Point Primary School Aims:

 To provide a happy, safe, caring and stimulating learning environment, in which all children thrive.  To provide a relevant, exciting, purposeful and challenging curriculum.  To enable children to achieve challenging personal goals.  To develop children’s confidence, independence and self-esteem.  To develop lively, independent, enquiring minds.  To promote good and appropriate behaviour, through positive relationships and mutual respect.  To celebrate diversity.  To provide equal opportunities for all regardless of ability, race, religion, gender, cultural background or age.  To ensure everyone feels valued and is able to contribute to the Spindle Point team.  To develop a healthy lifestyle where children are encouraged to make informed choices.  To strive to work in partnership with parents, carers, governors and the wider school community.

Our Staff at September 2019

Name Title

Miss J Bingham Head Teacher

Mrs L Howarth Deputy Head Teacher

Teaching Staff Non- Teaching Staff

Mrs J Hamer Nursery Mrs J Bridge Office Manager

Miss R Mills Reception Mrs L Lansley Admin Support

Miss A Ashworth Year 1 Mr Gallagher Caretaker Mrs A Trow/ Mrs L Howarth Year 2 Before & After School Club Staff

Mrs Z Newby Year 3 Mrs L Lansley Manager

Mr J Lomax Year 4 Mrs J Holt Deputy Manager

Mrs S Nalton Year 5 Mrs B Hurst Play worker

Mrs K Peters Year 6 Miss N Bennetta Play worker

Mrs S Ford Maternity leave

Mrs K Peters Maternity Leave Lunchtime Care Staff for F/T Nursery children

Miss A Peet HLTA Mrs S Nixon/Mrs B Hurst

Mrs J Boydle HLTA Mrs L Lansley/Mrs J Holt

Mrs F McGann HLTA School Meals Supervisory Assistants

Miss N Bennetta HLTA Mrs S Kershaw

Mrs K Trow Classroom Assistant Miss L Pasco

Mrs R Robinson Classroom Assistant Miss T Lomax

Mrs L Lansley Classroom Assistant Mrs S Caldwell

Mrs J Holt Classroom Assistant Mrs H Donovan

Mrs B Hurst Classroom Assistant Mrs R Bannan

Mrs A Johnson Classroom Assistant Kitchen Staff

Mrs S Nixon Classroom Assistant Mrs D Jackson Chef/ manager

Mrs S Caldwell Classroom Assistant Mrs C Haslam Assistant

OUR SCHOOL GOVERNORS

NAME DATE OFFICE DATE OF REPRESENTING COMMENCED RETIREMENT

Miss J Bingham 01.09.2017 Head Teacher

Mr D Burrows(chair) 10.12.2013 09.12.2017 LEA

Mrs N Clarke (Vice chair) 19.10.2015 18.10.2019 Co-opted

Mrs G Thorpe 3.10.2016 2.10.2020 Co-opted

Mrs L Lansley 14.2.2019 13.2.2023 Co-opted

Mrs K McKee 14.2.2019 13.2.2023 Co-opted

Mrs D Newall 14.2.2019 13.2.2023 Co-opted

Mrs C Burrows 16.06.2016 15.06.2020 Co-opted

Miss S Jones 03.06.2017 02.06.2021 Staff

Mr R Tobin 20.04.2016 19.04.2020 Parent

Mrs O Sokolova 30.06.2017 29.06.2021 Parent

Rev S Wild 01.01.2018 30.12.2021 Co-opted

The Governing Body consists of 12 members appointed or elected by various bodies and groups. The Governors work with the Head Teacher, Staff and Parents to ensure children are able to reach their true potential in a caring, safe and happy environment. Vacancies for Parent Governors occur periodically as terms of office come to an end or if serving Parent Governors resign. All parents/carers are eligible to be considered to serve as Governor. Please contact the Head Teacher if you require further information.

ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

Admission to the Reception Class is managed by the Local Authority, and places are allocated according to their admissions policy.

Many of our children come into school having spent usually a year or more in our Nursery. However, please be aware that children who have been in the Nursery are not automatically guaranteed a place in the Reception class.

INDUCTION ARRANGEMENTS

Children who are moving from our Nursery to the Reception class have opportunities during the summer term to spend some time in the Reception class and on the Infant playground. As our Nursery is so very much a part of our school, most children make the transfer quite easily, already being familiar with their new surroundings and the adults who work in school.

For children who have not been to our Nursery arrangements will be made with parents/carers for your child to spend some time in the Reception class and also to meet some of the children he/she will be with. Our Reception teacher will visit your child at their Nursery/pre-school setting. We encourage new parents to come and spend time in our school setting to build good relationships.

All parents of the new Reception intake are invited to a meeting in the summer term where they can meet the staff and receive information about the transfer. This is then followed up during the autumn term with a second meeting to talk about ways of helping your child at home and also individual meetings with the class teacher to discuss how your child has settled in

SCHOOL ORGANISATION AND INFORMATION

THE SCHOOL DAY

8.50 Bell to signal opening of doors 9.00 Bell to signal end of registration period (doors closed) 9.00 Session 1 - (1 hour) 10.00 Assembly (only Mon for Nursery, Mon and Fri for Reception) Children in EYFS also to attend important assemblies.

Reception & Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2 10.15 Snack time 10.15 PLAYTIME 10.30 Session 2 - (30 mins) 10.30 Session 2 - (1 hour) 11.00 PLAYTIME 11.30 Session 3 - (1 hour) 11.15 Session 3 - (1 hour) 12.30 LUNCHTIME 12.15 LUNCHTIME 1.30 Session 4 - (1 hour) 1.15 Session 4 - (1 hour) 2.30 Session 5 - (1 hour) 2.15 PLAYTIME 3.30 Home time 2.30 Session 5 - (1 hour) 3.30 Home time Children in Key Stage 2 do not have a shared Playtime in the afternoon. However, teachers use their discretion to offer some form of break between lessons at an appropriate time

THE START OF THE DAY All children should wait on the playground until the doors open. Parents/carers are welcome to wait with children.

Children are able to come into school at 8.50am. There are 3 entrances for the children to use. Children must not come in through the main front entrance. If parents need to call at the office please see your child into school first and then proceed to the office.

We would ask that you do not come into school with your child at this time as the cloakrooms are very small and soon get crowded. Messages are best relayed to teachers via a written note brought in by your child. If this is not possible, please see the Office Manager. We like to get the day off to a prompt start so if you wish to speak to your child’s teacher then please arrange this for the end of the day.

The doors remain open until 9.00am. All doors are monitored by a member of staff during the time they remain open. Children arriving after this will need to enter via the main entrance and report their arrival to the school secretary. Children arriving after 9.00am are marked as ‘late’.

On the occasions of wet weather, we will endeavour to open our doors at 8.45 to enable children to shelter.

Our Out of School Club is available for children who arrive earlier and we strongly recommend that parents utilise this facility, particularly for younger children, unless you are staying with your child until the doors open.

THE END OF THE DAY Please ensure your child is aware of your arrangements for collecting him/her at the end of the day. Again, we ask that you do not come into the cloakrooms to avoid congestion.

Please note For our younger children  Children in the Reception Class, Year 1 and Year 2 are dismissed by the teacher via the classroom exit.  Please let us know who will be collecting your child, particularly if this is a different person to the usual arrangements  Children must be collected by an adult

For our older children (Year 3 – Year 6)  Parents should assemble on the Key Stage 2 playground to meet up with their child OR meet them outside the school premises.  Please make sure your child is aware of your arrangements for the end of the day, particularly if these are different to the usual ones.  Children who discover that there is no-one available to collect them are told to come back into the school building to wait and should not wait at the school gate.

Children not collected will be cared for in our Out of School Club. Should children not be collected by 3.45pm then costs will be incurred.

PARKING  The school car park is for staff parking only at all times  Vehicle access to the school is very restricted and we ask that you avoid coming to school by car unless this is absolutely necessary  Please park with due consideration and be particularly mindful of children’s safety.  Please do not park on the yellow zigzags or block the car park exit.  Parking on the pavement on Moss Lane causes children and families to walk in the road which is very unsafe.  Please do not block or use the driveways belonging to the residents on Moss Lane  Parking is much easier and safer a short distance away from school rather on the immediate access roads.

LATENESS We expect all children to arrive at school on time (before the 9.00 bell). Lessons and children’s learning start promptly at 9 o’clock. Children who are not in class at this time miss important learning and often find it difficult to ‘tune in’ to the lesson. We also believe punctuality is a good habit to develop from a young age.

Children who arrive between 9.00am and 9.30am will be registered as late. If patterns of lateness are causing concern, we will contact parents/carers to discuss our concerns and find a solution. Children who arrive after 9.30am will be registered as an ‘unauthorised absence’.

We acknowledge that there may be a few rare occasions where circumstances prevent children arriving at school on time. We would ask that you still bring/send your child to school, rather than keep him/her at home.

Please note that the traffic on the main roads around school is always heavy and you are advised to set off in good time. We are not able to accept traffic problems as a reason for recurring lateness to school.

ATTENDANCE Attendance is monitored by the Head Teacher. Irregular or unsatisfactory patterns of attendance will be investigated and penalty notices will be issued in line with Bolton LEA policies

We have lots of evidence to show that children’s absence from school has a detrimental effect on their progress.

Sickness  Please phone school on the first day of absence, before 9.30am, to let us know why your child is not at school.  Please follow this up with a note on his/her return  We have a duty to follow up all unexplained absences and would ask that you assist us with this requirement. Where a reason for absence is not forthcoming the absence will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’.

Notification of planned absences Please complete an absence request form (available on our website or at the school office) at least 2 weeks before the date of the absence. Such absence from school can only be authorised by the Head Teacher in exceptional circumstances

The Head Teacher is not able to authorise absence for family holidays, so such absence is recorded as unauthorised.

Appointments during the school day Please try to arrange medical appointments during the holidays or out of school hours if at all possible. Where necessary children may be taken out of school to attend a medical appointment. Please note that if your child is not present for registration either in the morning or in the afternoon and is attending a medical appointment he/she will be marked as absent (authorised).

Children who are ill during the school day If your child is not well, we will contact you and ask that you arrange to collect him/her as soon as possible.

Please do not send your child to school if he/she has had some form of sickness during the night or if they are not completely well.

Administration of Medicines We prefer not to administer medicines to children and would ask that you arrange to give medicine during the time your child is at home or come into school at the necessary time to administer the medicine yourself. Only when this is not possible will we consider administering the medicine on your behalf. We ask, however, that you note the following  Only medication prescribed by your GP will be administered  All medicines must be left at the school office and parents must complete a medication form giving details of the type of medicine and the amount to be given.  Medication will only be given at lunchtime.  Only the Head, Deputy and School Secretary are authorised and willing to give out medication.  Medicine in a liquid or tablet form can be managed but we are not able to apply eye drops or ear drops or any form of cream preparation.  We accept that there might be occasions when your child needs access to non-prescription ‘treatments’ eg throat lozenges, lip balms. Children may self administer such treatments provided it is done appropriately.

Children with Asthma/Allergies Please ensure school has up to date information about your child’s asthma/allergies and how it is being managed. If your child has an inhaler in school please let the class teacher know and please ensure all related medication has not gone out of date.

Sun Creams We strongly recommend that parents apply sun block before children come to school. If sun creams are brought in they must be high factor(30+ recommended) and named. Staff will support younger children in applying the cream but are unable to apply it for them. We ask that parents show their children how to do this at home. Children must not ‘share’ sun cream with others due to potential skin allergies. We encourage the children to seek shade when the sun is particularly strong.

In the event of an injury  Minor grazes and scrapes are cleaned using cold water.  Plasters are put on if necessary.  We are unable to use any form of antiseptic or cream.  A standard ‘bumped head’ letter will be issued on the occasion of such an injury

For more serious injuries we will contact you immediately and the emergency services if necessary.

PLEASE ENSURE SCHOOL HAS UP TO DATE INFORMATION REGARDING CONTACT NUMBERS.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

SPINDLE POINT SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY

Spindle Point sweat shirts, polo shirts and other uniform items can be purchased from Ziggy’s, 6 Brackley Street, Farnworth, Bolton Tel 01204 577211 or Tesco online. Main uniform . dark grey skirts/pinafores/trousers/shorts . royal v neck blue sweatshirt/jumper/cardigan . white polo shirts for EYFS and Year 1, white shirts for Year 2 and KS2 . royal blue and silver school tie . summer dresses –royal/ light blue and white (optional) . black school shoes with no heels . dark grey socks/tights or white socks

PE . royal blue logo t shirt/black shorts . Pumps for inside and/or trainers for outside . A draw string bag for storage . Black track suits are recommended for cold weather

 Children who go swimming in Key Stage 2 will require trunks or costume and a towel.  Those with long hair must wear a swimming cap 11

Book bags - children are issued with a book bag in the Reception class. Replacement bags can be purchased from the school office for £2.50.

Reading diaries are issued by school when required Replacements (if lost) can be purchased at a cost of £1.50.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL ITEMS OF CLOTHING ARE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME. IF A MARKER PEN IS USED FOR THIS, PLEASE CHECK PERIODICALLY TO ENSURE THE NAME IS STILL VISIBLE. ALL UN-NAMED ITEMS ARE PLACED IN THE SCHOOL’S LOST PROPERTY

JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORIES In keeping with Local Authority Health and Safety guidelines we ask that children do not wear jewellery at school. Children with pierced ears may wear stud type ear- rings but will need to remove these for PE or leave them at home. Inexpensive watches may be worn but these will be removed if they become a distraction.

We would ask that you avoid sending your child to school with ornate or intricate hair accessories as these too can become a distraction or get lost or damaged.

OTHER PERSONAL ITEMS We discourage children from bringing toys or other possessions from home unless they are asked to do so in relation to their learning.

We provide a range of play equipment for children at playtimes and dinnertimes so there is no need to bring anything from home.

Mobile phones must not be brought to school unless there is a specific reason provided by the parent. On these occasions the phone must be handed in to the class teacher first thing in the morning and collected at the end of the day.

MONEY IN SCHOOL All money for the office e.g. trips/photos/book bags must be sent in a named, sealed envelope.

Dinner money £1.70 per day, £8 50 per week is collected every Monday morning. It must be sent to school in a sealed envelope with your child’s name on. All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will be provided with a School Dinner free of charge. This is in line with the current Government’s Universal Infant Free School Meal legislation.

Snack money Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 - £1.00 per week This is collected from Reception to Year 2 on a Monday morning and is used to pay for snack, including milk, and other items e.g. baking ingredients. Although this is a voluntary contribution we ask that parents/carers commit to it in order for us to continue to provide this. Payment can be made for half a term in advance if this is more convenient.

Snack money KS2 – 20p per day Children in Key Stage 2, Years 3, 4, 5 and Year 6, can purchase fresh fruit or vegetables from our Healthy Snack shop. Everything costs 20p. Snacks in school

 Children in the Nursery and Key Stage 1 are provided with a healthy snack everyday – milk or water, fresh fruit/vegetables and other healthy alternatives.  Children in Key Stage 2 may buy fruit/vegetables from the Healthy Tuck Shop or bring in their own fresh fruit or vegetables.  Children who bring a packed lunch may select fresh fruit or vegetables from their lunch as a snack. School Dinners Our school meal’s service provides a balanced midday meal that complies with all recommendations and guidelines relating to nutrition. Fresh fruit and a salad bar are available every day and the amount of processed food is minimal. Children are actively encouraged to ‘try’ available foods both by the kitchen staff and the School Meals Supervisory Assistants.

Children from Reception to Year 6 may choose their food from the daily menu, subject to availability. We operate a ‘rota’ system in Key Stage 2 to prevent the same class being served last every day.

If you have any queries about our school meals service please contact school in the first instance

Parents may choose to send a packed lunch as an alternative. We ask that you note the following.  Please try to support us by providing a balance of foods.  We always encourage children to eat ‘sandwiches’ (or similar) first.  Please do not send too many items and limit the number of ‘treats’.

 Children must select only fresh fruit or vegetables from their lunch box for morning break, where this is required (Key Stage 2)

 Drinks must be in plastic bottles, plastic flasks or cartons (not cans).  Fruit based drinks are preferred to ‘fizzy’ drinks  Children can have water to drink with their packed lunch.  All uneaten foods will be sent home where this is practical.  Children can only move from school dinners to packed lunches at the end of a half term - please inform the school office at the time

Drinking Water We recognise the importance of drinking water on a regular basis throughout the day. Not only does this help maintain a healthy body but also it helps children learn and be more alert. We have 2 mains fed water cooler machines in school providing refreshing, cooled water. Children need to have a small plastic water bottle in school, with a push down top, in order to access water regularly. Water bottles can be purchased from the school office at a cost of £1.50.

What do children learn?

The Early Years Curriculum From the start of the Nursery through to the end of the Reception Class children’s learning is planned in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Activities and experiences are planned around the 3 Prime Areas (Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal and Social Education) as well as the Specific Areas (Literacy, Maths, Understanding the World, Expressive Arts and Design). Children have many opportunities for playing and exploring, active learning, creating and thinking critically.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (Year 1 to Year 6) Our school curriculum refers to all the learning that takes place in our school. We know that children learn best if they enjoy their learning, are given every opportunity to be successful and have their successes acknowledged and celebrated. A large proportion of the curriculum is made up by the National Curriculum. The current National Curriculum became statutory from September 2014. Children in Year 1 to Year 6 study the following subjects; English, Maths, Science, Art, Computing, Design and Technology, Geography, History, Music, PE (physical education) and RE (religious education). Children in Y3 to Y6 will also study French.

To supplement the statutory National Curriculum, we also provide a wide range of additional learning experiences as part of the Spindle Point School Curriculum. This includes, for example, a deeper, enhanced study of particular topics, off site educational visits, visitors to school, special topics that reflect a local, national, or international event (eg the Olympic Games, Anti-Bullying week, Book Week). In addition, we identify learning that we believe will contribute to children’s safety, health and wellbeing, citizenship, personal and social education, and economic awareness; for example, Keeping Healthy, Safe and Well Week, Around the World Day, Enterprise Projects.

Our curriculum includes a range of opportunities to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs. Our aim is to make learning interesting, engaging, purposeful and fun so that children develop into independent, life-long learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in the next stage of their education.

Curriculum Enrichment The school is very proud of its wide range of enrichment activities and visits. We firmly believe that children learn best by seeing and doing and activities are planned to enhance this. Specialists, artists, musicians work with children in school periodically. We make good use of the local area and places of interest for example Clifton Marina, Smithills Farm, local libraries, Bolton Museum as well as organising visits further afield for example Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, Imperial War Museum, Blackpool Zoo. Such events have clear links to the children’s learning at the time.

We take advantage of many of the activities offered by local High Schools which often means our children have access to specialist equipment or teaching.

Our Year 6 pupils enjoy a residential visit to an outdoor pursuits centre. The purpose of these extended visits is to broaden the children’s horizons and to offer challenging activities in a safe and secure setting. These experiences are invaluable for the personal and social development of the children.

Homework Our policy on homework is centred around the following principles  Parents want to support children with their learning at home  Parental support is crucial if children are to reach their potential  Good habits and attitudes to homework can be established at an early age  Homework should be supportive of the learning that is going on in school  The amount, type and frequency of homework should be age appropriate  Children may be asked to complete tasks at home if these are unfinished

‘Homework’ starts in the Nursery with book sharing and suggested home activities eg collecting pictures for a new topic and evolves into a range of tasks, including independent research, by the time the children reach Year 6. Specific details about homework requirements are issued by the class teacher at the beginning of each new school year. Reading and enjoying text with your child is crucial to enhancing all areas of learning and we encourage this daily.

For children in Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6 we run a weekly homework club one lunchtime each week. Children have access to laptops and the support of a teacher if required. Individual children who regularly do not complete set tasks at home are expected to attend these sessions.

If there is an issue about homework at any time please contact your child’s teacher.

Extra Curricular Activities The school operates a range of after school activities. These are changed periodically to attract a wider range of children. Some activities are directed at a particular year group and others are open to all children from Year 1 upwards. Most activities run for approximately half a term (6 weeks) Clubs organised and delivered by independent specialists may involve a charge. I.e. Cricket, dance, fencing, art, netball and many more.

We are always keen to increase the range of activities we can offer. If parents/carers are interested in helping with these or have suggestions for new ones please contact school.

Pupil Premium Funding The school receives a fixed amount of money for every child who is eligible for free school meals. This money is used to support all children within our school in order to promote good attainment and progress.

Behaviour We have developed a whole school approach to encourage good behaviour and self- discipline set within an ethos of positive behaviour management.

We have 3 whole school rules that we expect all our children to adhere to at an age appropriate level. A - Always do your best B- Be kind to everyone C - Care for our school

From these we then develop, together with the children, more specific class rules or rules for particular times eg playtime rules.

By setting clear expectations and boundaries and through consistency of application we teach children the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. We believe it is important that children take responsibility for their behaviour and learn from an early age that their actions can lead to positive or negative consequences. These age appropriate consequences are made very apparent to the children.

Bullying We spend time during PSHE lessons talking to and listening to children about their understanding of ‘bullying’ and their own personal experiences. We take a firm stand against bullying which we believe can be identified as  Actions of one or more targeted at a particular individual or group  Actions that involve physical, emotional or psychological harm  Actions that are repeated Several Times On Purpose (STOP)  Actions that are carried out by an individual or group who are perceived to be more powerful than the person(s) being bullied.

We teach children the importance of speaking to a friend, parent, teacher or other confidante so that the matter can be dealt with. We strive to enable children to understand the impact that such behaviour can have on another. Where staff, children or parents believe that bullying may be happening it must be referred to either the Head or Deputy for investigation.

‘Bullying’ is a very emotive word that brings to mind a range of unacceptable actions. In teaching children about bullying we believe it is important to establish that:-  unkind behaviour is never acceptable but it is not always bullying  a disagreement or a fall out between individuals and groups is actively discouraged but is not always bullying  provocation by one individual towards another that leads to an inappropriate response is not bullying

Health and Safety  All staff are instructed in their responsibilities for the Health and Safety of all members of the school community and invacuations  Evacuation and invacuation drills are carried out at least 3 times per year

 Risk assessments procedures are followed for all potentially hazardous activities  Risk assessments are completed prior to any off-site activities

Child Safeguarding Procedures The school takes its role in safeguarding children very seriously. The Head Teacher is the named person for safeguarding and all concerns are reported to her in the first instance. The school adheres to the procedures and guidelines detailed in the document ‘Framework for Action, for all children, young people and families in Bolton’, as drawn up by Bolton Safeguarding Board. Staff receive appropriate foundation training in safeguarding. The school’s Safeguarding Policy is on the school website or parents may request a copy from the school office.

Before and After School Club Spindle Point operates a very successful before and after school club that provides a good standard of care and peace of mind for parents who need extended child care. The club operates from 7.45 – 8.50am and from 3.30 – 6.00pm. Please see the school website or contact the school office for further details.

Links with other Services  We have a named school nurse who is available to all families for help and advice (details from school office).  We facilitate Health Checks for all Reception children and a range of other checks throughout your child’s time with us eg vision, hearing. You will always be notified when such checks are going to be carried out.  We organise for age appropriate Health information to be given to the children, utilising the services available eg input from Dental Health in the Reception class, information about drug abuse provided by the Community Police Officer.

Summary of Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy The main aim of the SEND policy is to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are identified early, viewed in a positive light and receive a curriculum that is broad, balanced and relevant to their needs, with the full involvement of parents and, where appropriate, the child in planning a programme of support.

We recognise that the individual needs may be learning, emotional, behavioural, communication, physical, sensory or motor or any combination of these. We work closely with Ladywood Outreach , Educational Psychology Service and other external agencies, as appropriate, to plan a special programme of action or intervention (Pupil Passport) which is carefully monitored.

The school follows the graduated response as outlined in the SEN Code of Practice.

Admissions for pupils with a disability Admissions are controlled by the Local Authority according to their policy. We strongly recommend that parents/carers make contact with school as soon as possible if you are considering applying for a place. This will allow the school time to plan and prepare for the admission in terms of securing specialist equipment, support and advice.

Existing facilities to assist access and to prevent disabled pupils being treated less favourably.  Internally the school is all on one level with easy access to all classrooms, due to the open plan nature of the school and the wide open corridors.  All classrooms have ramped fire exits  All playgrounds are accessible via ramps  There is an equipped disabled bathroom with wheelchair access and facilities for personal care procedures.  Staff receive specialist training to enable them to support individual children more effectively e.g. personal care, Speech and Language programmes, provision of emotional support.

 Staff are effectively deployed to allow all children to fully participate in all aspects of school life e.g. support workers work through the dinner time to assist pupils who have difficulty with social integration  Laptop computers and tablets are available for children and there is a wide range of specialist software.  The school endeavours to ensure all pupils are able to participate in enrichment activities e.g. by providing specialist transport for educational visits that allows children with a disability to travel with their peers rather than in isolation.  Support workers can be deployed to support individuals in accessing after school activities.  The curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of the individual child such that the experiences provided are appropriate to the developmental stage.

Summary of the Accessibility Plan The school has set the following long term aims for accessibility at Spindle Point  To ensure accessibility for all children and families who choose to come to Spindle Point School.  To provide a curriculum that enables all children to access learning appropriate to the needs of the pupils  To ensure all parents, carers and pupils are able to access information that enables them to make informed judgements and contribute to the effectiveness of the school.

Equality Scheme The school is committed to being an inclusive community by valuing and caring for every one of its members, adults as well as children. All incidents that involve discrimination of any kind are challenged and acted upon. All racist incidents are referred to the Head Teacher for investigation and recorded in accordance with the Local Authority requirements.

Partnership with Parents/Carers

We recognise the essential role that parents/carers play in the education of their children. We strive to work in partnership with you to ensure children achieve their potential in the widest sense. If we have particular concerns about your child we will always arrange to speak with you to discuss these. If you have concerns please make an appointment to see your child’s teacher or, if you prefer, the Head Teacher.

We try to keep parents/carers informed of events in school through our website, newsletters and text messages. Please check your children’s school bags for letters on a daily basis.

We operate a text messaging service for parents but we must have an up to date mobile number for this to be effective.

Parents/carers who need some assistance with reading letters or filling in forms can get help at the school office.

We encourage parents/carers to become involved in school life in a number of ways.

 By working as a voluntary helper e.g. hearing children read, assisting Forest Schools and educational visits. Please let the office know if you are able to offer your services.  By being an active member of the PTFA  By becoming a Parent Governor  Becoming a volunteer

Parent/Teachers/Friends Association (PTFA) We have an active and successful PTFA who organise and run a number of events through the year. Not only do they raise additional funds for the school, they also provide enjoyable social events for families. The association is always keen to recruit new parents. Meetings are held about once every half term and are very informal in nature. Details of meetings appear on our regular newsletters

The PTFA make a substantial annual contribution to the school to help towards the cost of computers and new technology as well as purchasing specific items eg climbing frame (hall), books and furniture for the infant library.

Complaints Procedure Through effective communication we try to resolve issues as they arise. However, should you wish to make a complaint this should be referred to the Head Teacher, in the first instance. Should you feel the outcome of this is unsatisfactory please put your complaint in writing and address it to the Chair of Governors. A copy of the school’s Complaints Policy can be found on our website.

School Website The school website contains a range of documents and information for parents/carers to access. We also publish newsletters and diary events on a regular basis. www.spindle-point.bolton.sch.uk