Burnt Oak School's work is based on children's entitlement to the National Curriculum. This incorporates the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, other core subjects, ICT and Science and foundation subjects which include Design Technology, History, Geography, Art, Physical Education, Music and Religious Education, PSHE (Personal, Social & Health Education) and Citizenship. The curriculum has extended to include modern foreign languages. Our first focus is on French and lessons take place in every year group. Swimming instruction is included within the PE syllabus for years five and six only, for which a small charge is requested to offset the expense of the non-statutory area of instruction.
Assessment is built in to our weekly and yearly plans to enable teachers, pupils and parents to have a view of progress. You will receive a termly outline of the areas of study your child will be working on to encourage discussion, homework support and maybe visits you might want to make to places of interest in connection with the curriculum.
All sports are encouraged as a vital part of our healthy school approach. Boys and girls take part in football, netball, athletics, rounders, cricket and swimming across the Borough and south-east England. This sometimes includes inter-school games and galas.
Religious Worship and Instruction
Religious affiliation: None
Arrangements for religious worship and instruction - Religious Education is provided at the school in accordance with the Bexley London Borough's Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. If requested in writing by the parents, a pupil may be excused from attendance at religious worship and/or instruction.
Pastoral Care
Each class teacher provides pastoral care. During the midday break pastoral care is provided by appropriate supervisory staff under the direction of the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher.
Listening Ear
A designated member of staff, again, under the direction of Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher provides a confidential 'Listening Ear' for any of our young people who wish to talk through any worries or concerns they have to an adult who will be able to offer support within the school environment.
Health and Sex Education
Emotional, mental and physical health are taught through topics on health education.
Sex education is provided at the school in accordance with the Bexley London Borough's agreed policy. It is taught in Year 6 and covers topics such as growing up, puberty, reproduction and the concept of caring for a new life.
Prior to these classes parents are invited to view the materials to be used. Parents have the option of excluding their children from these lessons.
Sex education is dealt with informally with the younger children.
Health and Safety
Health and Safety is of paramount importance with regard to the wellbeing and safety of your children whilst in school. We have a Health and Safety children's committee who meet and work with designated staff members. Additionally, the school works with the borough to ensure that all relevant good practice is being promoted wherever possible.
With regard to the wider community, to raise the awareness of Health and Safety issues we have visits from the emergency services, particularly the Fire Brigade and Ambulance services who give talks and provide some training to the pupils of Burnt Oak. Also, the Police have community officers who are available to come into school as and when requested. They join us for assemblies and give talks to year 6 before secondary school transition.
Record Keeping and Assessment
Assessment of learning and assessment to inform what needs to be done for future learning plays a vital part in our work. Sometimes this will happen formally, but more often informally without the children realising, such as marking work or in noting children's oral responses to planned questions.
Pupils' progress is monitored on a continual basis by means of assessment and records are kept for each child.
Children are assessed according to our assessment cycle throughout the juniors and targets are set for the next appropriate stages of progression. In Year 6, they are tested as part of the National Statutory Assessment procedure. National Curriculum testing takes place in line with current requirements. Parents and carers are made aware of the results of any testing or assessment.
As part of our aim to develop a love of learning, self-assessment plays an important part in children taking ownership of their learning.
Homework Requirements
We encourage pupils to continue with school work at home. Reading is a vital part of this - to foster a love of books (or the written word on-line, in whatever form) is one of the most precious gifts you can give to your child. Please let them see you reading and give time to discuss favourite books, characters and plots. Of course, aunties, uncles, Grandparents, younger and older siblings can all join in the fun!
Your child's teacher will send home an outline of homework for the week. We will all work together on making sure this is done regularly. If you need to talk to us about it, please do!
To assist with the planning of homework every child has a School Diary Planner. These are completed by the children to record what is required for homework. There is space for recording test results. They are also a good tool for communication between the school and home as they can be used for passing messages from the class teacher to parents, both of whom are required to sign the planner each week as having been seen.
Parents can help by discussing what they have been doing at school. All pupils are encouraged to take books home and there will be times when they are required to take home reading, spellings, multiplication tables and project research as required by individual teachers.
There is a SATs revision programme for Year 6 pupils.
Extra-curricular Activities
Thanks to the enthusiasm of the teaching staff, there are organised extra-curricular activities available for netball, football, rounders, choir, computer, recorders, newspaper club and chess, to name a sample. Children attending after school clubs must have the prior written permission of their parents to do so and attendance is subject to continued regular participation.
Children are encouraged to participate in organised school book weeks as well as to be members of the local library.
Instrumental music instruction is provided by visiting teachers from the Bexley Academy for Music and Dance. The pupils learn to play brass, woodwind and stringed instruments.
After school clubs include:
Drama* Dance Football Netball Karate* French*
* These clubs are independent and a fee is payable directly to the clubs
Specific Arrangements and Requirements
Pupils with Special Needs
Children are supported in class or withdrawn for short periods for additional support, as necessary in accordance with their needs. If necessary, and after consultation with the parents, arrangements may be made for pupils with special difficulties to receive help from the Authority's School Support Service. The school follows the SEN Code of Practice. The SEN policy is available at school for parents to see if they wish.
Provision is made for gifted and talented children within class, possibly with homework and extension activities.
Organisation of School
There are two classes of mixed ability and gender in each of the four-year groups. On entry to the school, the year three classes will have, as near as possible, an equal number of boys and girls and a balanced range of abilities based on the SAT scores achieved at the end of Key Stage One. There is no streaming, but differentiation in numeracy and literacy is arranged by organising groups in each class. Currently the time spent teaching per week is in line with recommendations by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (previously Department for Education and Skills).
Breakfast Club
A Breakfast Club operates every day of the week should you wish to use this service. Sessions start at 7.45am and finish at 8.30am. A healthy breakfast is provided including cereals, toast, etc and supervised activities are available until the session ends when the children are taken to the playground. The cost at this time is £3.00 per morning, though of course this may increase in the future.
Arrivals and Departures
The school day commences at 8.55am and finishes at 3.30pm. Gates are opened at 8.30am, locked at 8.55am until they are opened again at 3.15pm.
In the interests of safety it is important that the road and pavement immediately outside the school are kept as clear as possible.
Children are encouraged to play away from the perimeter fence and not to talk to anyone through the fence. Please support us in this security measure.
As part of our 'Healthy Schools' initiative we strongly encourage families to walk to and from home to school. Parents working together to accompany groups of children on a rota basis can help. If you do come by car please park well away from the zig zag lines and, for your benefit, be aware of the parking restrictions in the local vicinity.
If your child would like to cycle to school we ask you to let us know in writing. We expect them to wear a protective helmet and would recommend that they complete a course of the National Standards for Cycle Training (previously known as the Cycling Proficiency Test).
No vehicular access is allowed onto school premises at the beginning of the school day between 8.45am and 9.15am and in the afternoon from 3.15pm until 3.45pm for health and safety reasons. If you have an appointment with a member of staff it is permissible to use the school car park, however, you will need to have arrived before the designated times and, in need, wait to leave the premises until gates open again.
We would be grateful if parents would wait at the upper end of the playground (near the fence) for the children at the end of the day
If you are going to be late for any reason please inform us as soon as possible so that we can make alternative arrangements until your arrival.
First Aid and Illness
We have designated First Aiders in school who are trained and qualified to attend to the immediate care of our children that sustain minor injuries during the school day. As we are not allowed to use medications in school, the majority of cases are managed with a cold water compress and a few minutes quiet sit.
In the event of an injury being more serious, parents will be contacted to seek their advice and preferred course of action. Of course, should a major injury occur we will take appropriate action, and advise parents as soon as possible.
It is, therefore, vital that Emergency contact details of who to contact, should the need arise, are kept up to date and in the event of any changes the school notified immediately.
Medicines must not be left with pupils. If medication is required during school time this must be carried out by parents, except in exceptional circumstances such as asthma.
Where this is not possible then a single dose can be left with the School Office or with the First Aider, accompanied by clear written instructions signed by the family doctor, parent/ guardian. If you wish to discuss any special arrangements then do not hesitate to contact the Headteacher.
Health and Safety
Access to the school car park is restricted and, for reasons of safety, cars cannot get in or out between 8.45am - 9.15am and 3.15pm and 3.45pm, thus ensuring the safe arrival at and departure from the school premises at each end of the day
Jewellery must not be worn as it can present a safety risk. Pupils with pierced ears may wear simple studs but only if the parent takes full responsibility. Valuable items should not be brought to school as the school cannot accept liability for any items lost or damaged on the premises. This includes mobile telephones and money.
School Rules
Like any other large institution, rules for the safety and well being of all who work there are essential. Rules of conduct and behaviour are regularly reviewed with the children and members of the school community such as PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers). The school, as a whole and within each class, work on these elements as part of teaching junior citizenship with emphasis on individual and corporate responsibilities.
We aim at rewarding those who do the 'right thing'.
We expect all our pupils to be polite and courteous to each other as well as to staff, parents and visitors, on and off school premises. The school is responsible for ensuring the protection of the rights and privileges of everyone in the school community. Children democratically elect a Head Boy and Head Girl and Deputies every September, as well as House Captains and Deputies. These children provide good role models and leadership. We have a team of playground buddies made up from children of all year groups. They learn skills that will enable them to help children who need a friend on the playground.
In following our school Behaviour for Learning policy, serious breaches of school discipline punishment such as withdrawal of privileges may be administered. In extreme cases the matter will be referred to the Deputy or Headteacher and parents contacted.
Out and About
As part of the PE syllabus years 5 and 6 have swimming lessons at the local swimming pool, for which, a nominal charge is made each term.
School Visits - Enriching the Curriculum
Designed to support the work in school an exciting range of visits is planned every year. When such visits occur we may ask for a contribution towards the cost. We use public transport, if possible, and welcome help from families. The costs are always kept to a minimum.
School Journeys
Over the years, school journeys have become an important part of our school life, enhancing and developing further not only educational but also social skills. We try to encourage as many pupils as possible to take part in these journeys.
Within the constraints imposed by the building the school will ensure that the full curriculum and all facilities are made available to all pupils regardless of disability.
Similarly the school will endeavour to provide full access to all areas of the school for all visitors.
Let us know if you have special car parking needs.
Unless otherwise stated, the information in this brochure relates to the school year 2007/08. Every effort has been made to ensure that the details were correct in relation to that year at the date of publication. Where future changes in the arrangements could be foreseen they have been mentioned in the brochure but it cannot be assumed that there will be no further changes before the start of, or during, the school year 2007/08, or in relation to subsequent school years.