Reception Classes
Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception Classes; age 3 - 5 years)
The Foundation Curriculum is offered in the Nursery and Reception years which combine to form the Foundation Stage. Nursery education can be accessed in two main ways, through pre-school provision, including the Childminding Network, or maintained nursery classes.
The first year of the Foundation Curriculum is offered by all providers who are registered to take the Nursery Education Grant. This includes maintained sector nursery classes, voluntary, private and independent settings and the Childminding Network. Further information is obtainable from the Childrens’ Information Service – 01202 261999 or by e-mail.
Maintained Nursery Classes
There are currently four schools that have maintained nursery classes led by qualified teachers. The Children’s Information Service can provide you with details. Maintained nurseries are funded through the Nursery Education Grant. The adult/child ratio in these classes is restricted under legislation to 1 adult to 13 children.
When your child starts in a Reception class every effort is made to ensure a smooth and happy transition from their previous nursery or pre-school.
Their year in the Reception class will give them an introduction to school life. The Foundation Curriculum has six areas of learning which lead to the early learning goals. These areas are:
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Communication, language and literacy development
- Mathematical development
- Knowledge and understanding of the world
- Physical development
- Creative development
These link naturally into the Key Stage 1 curriculum. Children will learn by exploring, talking and listening through first hand experiences and play opportunities planned by the teacher and teaching assistant. Reception classes must not exceed thirty children and they have a teacher and a teaching assistant. Both receive regular updates and training in Early Years education, building on their existing qualifications and experience. All Reception classes have a secure outdoor learning area.
Assessment
During the first few weeks in the Reception class your child will undertake interesting and exciting activities as part of their usual school time. These will be assessed and noted to clarify what your child knows, understands and can do. Then, in consultation with you, the next steps will be planned so that your child makes good progress in their learning.
During the year, observational notes will be made on your child’s progress towards the early learning goals. This helps the teacher make sure that activities are right for your child and are offered in the way they like to learn.
Near the end of the Reception year these observations are transferred onto the Foundation Stage Profile, which summarises your child’s achievement. This is a statutory requirement. The profile is shared with you and your child’s next teacher. This ensures your child has a promising start in the next year group, Year 1.
Key Stage 1 - Years 1 and 2 (ages 6 and 7)
In Key Stage 1 pupils follow the National Curriculum, which sets out in broad terms what schools must teach. This includes the core subjects of English, mathematics and science as well as an emphasis on information & communication technology, and religious education. In addition, the foundation subjects of design & technology, history, geography, music, art and physical education are taught. The Primary National Strategy has a strong emphasis now. Pupils will encounter different ways and situations for learning that will help them to enjoy and want to learn.
Teachers will keep track of the pupils’ learning throughout Key Stage 1 to ensure that the next steps in learning are supported. Towards the end of Year 2, pupils are statutorily assessed by the teacher in English, mathematics and science. This happens as part of the usual classroom activity. The school will send each parent of Year 2 pupils a report showing their child’s achievement in the assessments. A summary of the school’s results will be reported to parents but no individuals will be identified. The school profile will have a summary of the previous year’s results.
Key Stage 2 - Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 (ages 8 - 11)
Pupils follow the National Curriculum programme of study for Key Stage 2, which focuses particularly on English, mathematics, science, information and communications technology and religious education. They will also have lessons on history, geography, music, art, design and technology and physical education.
During Year 3 (and Year 4 at Springdale, Broadstone and Merley first schools), your child’s progress in all the National Curriculum subjects will be recorded. Particular attention will be paid to progress in English and mathematics, as they are the basis for learning many other subjects, and pupils may be tested each year in these two subjects.
At present all schools implement the Primary National Strategy which aims to raise standards across the country in English and mathematics. Teachers will assess pupils’ progress in the whole National Curriculum during the year and may test pupils using the National Curriculum optional tests, though this is not a statutory requirement.
Schools arrange meetings for parents to discuss their children’s work with the teachers. The school keeps a record of your child’s progress and achievement, which you are entitled to see. The school will provide you with a written report on your child’s progress at least once a year. At the end of Year 3 (or Year 4 at Springdale, Broadstone and Merley) your child will transfer to a middle school for the rest of Key Stage 2, unless he/she is at a primary or combined school.
Admission Arrangements
If you wish to apply for a place in a Nursery at a maintained school please contact the school concerned for an information leaflet and admissions form. Please note the closing date for these applications is 12.00 o'clock midday on 12 January 2007.
The closing date for these applications is 12.00 o'clock midday on 12 January 2007.
At schools that have a Nursery, you should be aware that transfer to the Reception year is not guaranteed. You must fill in an application form which will be considered at the same time as applications from parents whose children are not attending the school’s Nursery. If there are more applications than places available places will be allocated in accordance with the priorities set out in the school’s admissions policy. Children currently attending the Nursery do not receive priority when all the applications are considered.
Application form
Applications for places in the Reception Year in September 2007 must be made on the
application form which is used by all schools within the Borough of Poole and must be received by the local authority by 12.00 o'clock midday on 12 January 2007.
Alternatively you can apply on-line until the published closing date. PLEASE DO NOT DO BOTH.
If there are any changes to the information you have provided you must notify the Admission Team in writing before the published closing date even if you have made an on-line application.
On-time second and third preferences for September admissions will only be considered if your first preference school is unable to offer you a place. If there are too many applications for the places available, places will be allocated in accordance with the priorities set out in the school’s admissions policy.
Applications received after the published closing date for admission in September will be considered after all on-time applications have been processed. The on-line facility will not be available after the published closing date.
The local authority operates waiting lists on behalf of those admission authorities which have them. The length of time an applicant has been on a waiting list is not taken into consideration when a place becomes available. Places are offered as and when they become available using the criteria set out in the school's published admissions policy.
Children born between 1 September 2002 and the 28 February 2003 will attend part-time in September 2007 moving to full time attendance after the Autumn half term. Parents of children born between 1 March 2003 and 31 August 2003 can defer entry to the Reception Year until the start of Spring term in January 2008, at which time the child will attend full-time. A place that has been offered will be kept available for those parents wishing to defer their child’s entry.
If you are refused admission to a school you have a right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. Each admission authority deals with its own appeals. For voluntary aided schools this is the governing body and for community and voluntary controlled schools this is the Borough of Poole. You should be aware that there are limited grounds for appeal to infant classes (Years R, 1 and 2). You can contact The Admissions Team in Children and Young People's Integrated Services for further information telephone 01202 261936 or by e-mail.
a) Where, after making an offer of a school place, an admissions authority finds evidence of fraudulent or intentionally misleading information on an application form the result of which is that an applicant with a stronger claim is denied a place at a school, the local authority may withdraw the offer of the place and consider the application afresh using the correct information.
b) Where applicants are offered a place at a school and fail to accept the place by the date specified, the offer may be withdrawn.
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