We hope that you will find this prospectus gives you some of the information you will need when considering choosing a school for your child. It is, however, important for you to visit the school to get a real feel for the ethos, facilities and approach to learning as well as seeing the children at work and meeting the staff.

Chestnut Lane School has long had a reputation for excellence but this is not at the expense of helping children to develop positive attitudes, good work habits and a sense of pride and enjoyment in all they are asked to do. All children are valued and encouraged to do the best that they can but acts of kindness and progress in personal development are recognised along with achievements in academic work.

The school has generous accommodation in a peaceful setting and provides plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities. The school has recently updated the IT provision with laptops used in each year group, interactive white boards and a good range of resources and books. The nursery provides a secure foundation for introduction to school life and there is a natural transition through reception to Key Stage 1 (age 5-7).

Parents are the first educators of their children and the staff at the school wish to build on this by developing a close partnership with parents, so that parents feel comfortable in discussing progress or any concerns with staff.

We hope you will enjoy reading about Chestnut Lane, we suggest making an appointment to visit and, if you are happy with what you see, will consider this school as an ideal place for your child to start their formal education. If you would like to make an appointment to see the school, please telephone the school secretary on 01494 727415 or email This page element needs JavaScript enabled to display.

 

David Begley - Chairman of Governors

Christine Plimsaul - Head Teacher

 

February 2013

 

The School

Chestnut Lane is a popular two form entry school catering for 4 - 7 year olds. Children from within our reserved area who have applied for a place, can be admitted in the term after they are four to the Nursery or as a Reception aged child. We are very much in favour of children joining our school at four as this gives greater continuity and makes an easier transition to full-time schooling.

Please note that applications to reception are allocated by the Local Education Authority and a place at our nursery does not guarantee a place in our reception. Most of our children transfer to Elangeni Junior School on the adjacent site at the end of Year 2.

The School is divided into year groups as follows:-

• 4-5 years in Early Years - Nursery, and Reception classes
• 5-6 years in Year 1 - Orange and Silver classes
• 6-7 years in Year 2 - Red and Green classes

Every effort is made to help new pupils at Chestnut Lane feel secure in their environment. New children and parents receive a starter pack which we hope will answer any queries they may have before they arrive. The children will also have the opportunity to visit the school and meet their new teacher.

Rights Respecting Schools

In 2011 Chestnut Lane School was awarded Level 1 Rights Respecting School Status.

This award recognises our achievement in putting the rights of the child at the heart of our work and means that rights and respect are modelled by all.

Equal Opportunities

The school's equalities and cohesion policy is based on accepting and responding to the strengths, needs and experiences of each individual. Through this, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to develop their full potential. Staff appreciate how factors such as gender, size, ethnicity, bilingualism, disability, exceptional ability and social circumstances may affect learning and self esteem, and plan to take these needs into account.

Admissions Policy

Entry into the Nursery

Parents are encouraged to visit the school before submitting an application form, and should contact the school office for an appointment to see around the school. We encourage all parents to take up the place offered in our nursery class as it serves as an excellent introduction to school.

Children will be eligible for entry the term after their fourth birthday. (Children born during the autumn term are eligible to join in the spring term, children born in the spring may join in the summer term). There are 26 places in the nursery class.

When the number of applications exceeds the places available the order for admission will be:

1. Children who have a statement of Special Educational Needs which names the School.
2. Children in Public Care for whom there is an agreement between a designated officer acting on behalf of the County Council as Corporate Parent and a designated officer of the LA, that the school will more appropriately meet the child's needs.
3. Children living within the catchment area of the school.
4. Places will then be offered in date of birth order.

Please note that attending our nursery has no bearing on being allocated a reception class place by the Local Authority.

Entry into Reception (Early Years)

Parents need to register separately for admission to the main school at five. Applications for places at the school must be submitted to the Local Authority (LA). More information can be found on the Buckinghamshire County Council's website in the education section.

:Buckinghamshire County Council

Criteria for Admission to Reception

As a community school we follow the Buckinghamshire County Council's  admission rules for primary schools.

Admission to Elangeni School

Admission to Chestnut Lane School does not imply automatic right of admission to Elangeni School.

:Elangeni School Website

Arrangements for the Admission of Pupils with Disabilities

Chestnut Lane is an inclusive school, which welcomes children with special needs and disabilities. The main building has ramps and handrails, plus a disabled toilet. One  classroom in each block has wheelchair access. We have a learning support assistant in each key stage 1 class every morning, and all day in reception classes. All pupils have access to all areas of the curriculum, and physical access to the buildings. Our accessibility plan is available from the school office, as is the school's special needs policy.

Our Curriculum

Please see Our Curriculum in the School section.

Curriculum Statement

Special Educational Needs

Chestnut Lane special needs policy reflects the requirements of the most recent Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs.  Pupil needs are met whenever possible within the classroom. There is regular communication with the parents of these children and the termly reviews keep the parents and staff working closely together. If it is necessary, outside agencies are invited in to offer advice and guidance.

A member of the teaching staff is appointed as the special educational needs coordinator who becomes responsible for special needs throughout the school.

Special Educational Needs Policy

Working with Parents

At Chestnut Lane School staff are very keen to work in partnership with parents and we ask that you share with us information about other skills your children may have, such as being able to speak a different language, play a musical instrument or participating in a particular sport.

Times of Sessions

Children should arrive at their class gardens between 8.40 and 8.45am.

Key Stage One
Morning session: 8.50 am - 12.00 pm
Afternoon session: 1.15 pm - 3.05 pm

Early Years
Morning session: 8.50 am - 11.45 am
Afternoon session: 1.00 pm to 3.05 pm

A playtime is provided in the morning for Key Stage One and in the afternoon for Early Years.

Attendance

Regular attendance is important and we encourage parents not to take holidays during term time. If this is unavoidable, parents are required to request leave of absence and complete the relevant form at least one month in advance.

During the academic year 2011/2012 we had 97% attendance with 2.8% authorised absences and 0.2% unauthorised absences.

Attendance Policy

Uniform

• Boys:
  Grey trousers or shorts
  Red sweatshirt and red or white polo shirt
• Girls:
  Grey skirt or pinafore dress with tights (red or grey) or socks, or grey smart trousers
  Red sweatshirt or cardigan and red or white polo shirt
  Summer dress - red and white checked gingham with socks

Shoes: Children should wear sensible black shoes which are safe to run in.

PE Kit: For children to benefit fully from PE and games lessons it is essential for them to have proper kit. Children need to have a gym bag in which to keep their PE kit.

• Early Years: On PE day children should come to school in shoes, black jogging bottoms or red shorts, white t-shirt, school sweatshirt or cardigan.   They will change into black plimsolls wth elastic sides rather than laces in school.
• Key Stage One: Children will change into black plimsolls with elastic sides rather than laces, red shorts or black jogging bottoms and a white t-shirt.

Jewellery: Stud earrings must be removed for PE.

Long Hair: Should be tied back on PE days.

Afternoon Club

In addition to the statutory hours in school, we offer a flexible, optional facility, whereby children in nursery can stay for the afternoon. Parents pay £4.00 for the lunch session only or £12.00 for the whole afternoon. The pupils have an hour for lunch and a two hour activity session which includes role play, art and craft activities, music and outdoor play. The Afternoon Club children are collected at 3pm.

Assessment and Parent Consultation

We carry out informal assessment as part of the daily activities and record our findings. We make plans to provide each child with experiences and activities at appropriate levels to allow progress according to their potential. Assessment and targets for improvement will be shared with parents.  

The school has parent consultations during the autumn and spring terms. The consultations are in private and the child's progress will be discussed and targets are reviewed. All Year 2 parents will be offered the opportunity to discuss their child's National Curriculum End of Key Stage assessment result (previously known as SATs) at the end of the summer term.

All parents receive a written report at the end of the summer term. Parents wishing to discuss a particular problem with the class teacher may do so informally or by appointment. The Head Teacher also has an 'open door' policy to encourage good communication between parents and the school. 

Homework

Homework is given on a regular basis throughout the school and varies according the age of the children. The teachers send out guidance to parents regarding this subject.

Free School Meals

Any family who is entitled to claim free school meals is asked to inform the school. Care will be taken to ensure that pupils receiving free meals are treated in a sensitive way.

Voluntary Donations to the School Fund

We ask parents to make a voluntary contribution of £12 per family per term to provide additional resources for the benefit of the children.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The school organises a variety of extra-curricular activities which include French, yoga, keep fit & dance, environment & gardening lunch time clubs, as well as TAG multi-skills coaching and Judo after school clubs.

Visits and Charging

All the children during their time at Chestnut Lane are offered the opportunity to visit places of interest relevant to their topic work. These trips are only possible if parents agree to make a voluntary contribution to help cover the cost of the trip, however, no child shall be excluded on financial grounds.  You may wish to view the Charging Policy.

Safeguarding our Pupils

At this school, the health, safety and well-being of every child is our paramount concern. We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. Our aim is that children will enjoy their time as pupils in this school. We want to work in partnership with you to help your child to achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution.

To promote a safe environment for pupils, our selection and recruitment policy includes all checks on staff and regular volunteers’ suitability, including Criminal Records Bureau checks, as recommended by Buckinghamshire County Council in accordance with current legislation.

In accordance with our responsibilities under section 175 of the Education Act 2002, we have a Designated Person for Child Protection (Mrs Plimsaul) who has received appropriate training for this role. It is her responsibility to ensure that all staff in contact with children receive child protection awareness training on a regular basis.

On rare occasions our concern about a child may mean that we have to consult other agencies. Unless it is not safe for a child, we would always aim to achieve this with a parent's consent. The procedures, which we follow, have been laid down by the Local Safeguarding Childrens Board, and the school has adopted a Child Protection Policy in line with this for the safety of all. If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to Mrs Plimsaul or your child’s teacher.

Safety, Health and Welfare

Minor accidents are treated by staff but we let the parents know if we are concerned about an injury and these are recorded in an accident book. If a child becomes ill during the session we keep them comfortable and contact the parents without delay. In an emergency we would phone for a paramedic or an ambulance.

The school cannot undertake the responsibility for administering medicines to children and children must not bring medication to school. If a pupil uses an inhaler this will be kept in the child's class, and supervised by the class teacher. Parents, however, may call at the school to administer antibiotics if necessary but in most cases the doctor will be able to prescribe a course of treatment which will not require administration during school hours.

In exceptional circumstances, e.g. a severe nut allergy or diabetes, the staff are trained to administer vital medication. This is done in partnership with the parents.

Access to Documents

Parents are welcome to look at any of the following documents which are available in school:

• Statement of Curriculum Aims and Policies
• LA agreed syllabus for Religious Education
• Full details of the LA complaints procedure
• Last Ofsted Report
• School Policies  
• Publication scheme on information available under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Behaviour Policy

We expect our children to behave in a reasonable manner and we will encourage them to be kind and considerate, and to respect others and their belongings. If a child causes us concern then the parents are notified and consulted and the appropriate action is taken. The school has a behaviour policy and an anti-bullying policy and any form of discrimination is not tolerated.  We actively encourage children to 'tell the teacher' if they feel someone has made them feel sad or upset.  The teacher is concerned with the pastoral care of each child in their class. Our approach to discipline is firm but kind. There are a few rules which our children quickly learn. The school's 'Five Golden Rules' are:

• Speak quietly
• Sit properly and walk safely
• Be kind and polite
• Care for our school
• Tell the truth

There are other classroom rules which are decided by the children. The children learn to recognise that unsociable behaviour is not acceptable and that everyone and everything should be respected and cared for. Parents will be informed if any discipline problems arise.

Behaviour Policy

Anti-Bullying Policy

Complaints Procedure

Chestnut Lane follows the complaints and resolutions procedure as laid down by the Local Authority. If a parent has a complaint, they should first bring the matter to the attention of the class teacher who will inform the Head Teacher. If the outcome is not satisfactory, the matter should then be referred to the Chair of Governors.

Chestnut Lane and Elangeni School Parents' Association (CLESA)

The association is very active and successful with many functions a year including a Quiz Night, Christmas Bazaar and Summer Fete. It is a joint association with Elangeni School. All parents are automatic members. Funds raised are used to provide extra resources for the school.