Hilltop Junior School

Summary of School Prospectus

CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN)

SCHOOL ENTRANCE AND CAR PARKING

The admission arrangements are in accordance with the Education Authority's Policy as set out in the booklet entitled 'Primary Education 2007/2008 ', available at the school or Education Office.

Relevant looked after children will be given first priority ahead of all other applicants. There is no guarantee of a place for children living in the priority admissions area. In the event of over subscription places will be allocated using the following criteria in the order given:

. Children living in the priority admissions area with a brother or sister attending the
school at the time of application and determination;
. Children living in the priority admissions area with a brother or sister attending the
partner infant school at the time of application and determination;
. Other children living in the priority admissions area;
. Children living in the geographical area of Wickford (as defined on the map available
at the school) with a brother or sister attending the school at the time of application
and determination;
. Children living in the geographical area of Wickford with a brother or sister attending
the partner infant school at the time of application and determination;
. Other children living in the geographical area of Wickford;
. Children living outside the geographical area of Wickford with a brother or sister
attending the school at the time of application and determination;
. Children living outside the geographical area of Wickford with a brother or sister
attending the partner infant school at the time of application and determination:
. Remaining applications.

In the event of over-subscription within any of the above criteria, priority will be determined by straight-line distance from home to school, those living closest being given the highest priority.

Exception medical circumstances (supported by medical evidence) may override the above. Back to top

AIMS OF THE SCHOOL

Every Child Matters

Be Healthy
Stay Safe
Enjoy and achieve
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well being

At Hilltop Junior School we aim to provide a safe and welcoming environment where
pupils can experience the trust and support of peers and staff as they strive to understand, cultivate and explore their mental and physical development.

Through a balanced and broadly based curriculum, opportunities will be provided to:

. Promote the spiritual, cultural, mental and physical development of children in school and society.

. Prepare pupils for the appropriate responsibility and experience of adult life.

AIMS

* To create a safe and secure environment for children and staff. To make them feel valued and help them to grow in self confidence by developing their own roles which involves the expectance of mistakes. To ensure goals are attainable and worth striving for.

* To provide a caring and trusting environment in which children will feel confident to make choices and decisions related to their work with the support and guidance of their teachers and teaching assistants.

* To assist children to develop lively, enquiring minds, the ability to listen, question and discuss rationally and to use language, mathematical, scientific and ICT skills effectively.

* To promote a desire to learn, a knowledge of how to learn and the motivation to want to produce work of the highest possible quality.

* To encourage the development of self-discipline and an awareness of appropriate behaviour in a variety of situations.

* To instil respect for religious and moral values, an understanding of acceptance of other races, religions and ways of life.

* To assist children to understand and appreciate the world in which we live and the varied contributions of individuals, groups and society at large.

* To create and provide opportunities for the children to acquire and develop skills to enable them to appreciate and use music, drama, physical activities, art and design/ technology as a means of understanding and communicating human emotions.

* To encourage all children to be involved in sporting activities and provide opportunities for pupils to participate in competitive sport.

* To provide a tranquil and welcoming atmosphere where children's aspirations can be openly discussed and shared.

* To enable the school to play an active part in the community by involving children in their immediate physical environment and encouraging members of the community to actively participate in all aspects of school life.

* To develop the need to take responsibility for your own actions, to focus on important values, such as sharing, loving, helping, caring to encourage a respect for living things. Back to top

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

In order to give prospective parents the opportunity to get to know their child's school, arrangements may be made for parents to visit by appointment with the Headteacher, who is pleased to see parents, show them the school and provide further information. Parents of new entrants from the Infant Schools are invited to a meeting during the term prior to their child's admission to the Junior School. This provides an opportunity for parents to see the school and to meet their child's teacher. The children visit the school on a separate occasion.

We aim to provide as many opportunities as possible for parents to be involved in the life of the school. We consider that the education of the children is best achieved through parents and teachers working in partnership. Children of any age are more likely to be happy at school, and to achieve their best, if their parents take an active interest in their education and welfare during the time the child is in school. Our Home/School agreement formulated after consultation with parents, and governors outlines the aims and expectations for parents/carers and the school in ensuring our four year partnership is a successful and effective one.

Parent/teacher consultation evenings are arranged during the Autumn and Spring Terms and an Open Morning is held during the Summer Term.

During evening consultations teachers advise parents of their child's progress, and how to help children at home, thus ensuring that parents and teachers work together for the benefit of the children. It is also expected that parents will give the school information about the child, e.g. health details, home background, interests, worries, etc.

School reports are sent home to parents during July with an invitation for parents to visit the school to discuss the report with the child's teacher and Headteacher. We have an open door all inclusive policy and welcome parents to meet the teacher or Headteacher immediately prior to or after school to discuss points as they arise. When felt appropriate teachers may also contact parents in order to discuss any areas of concern.

It is natural that parents may, from time to time, be concerned about some aspect of their child?s education or welfare at school. This may, for example, be due to a misunderstanding about the school?s approach to aspect of the curriculum, or about the way we deal with behavioural issues. We therefore welcome enquiries from parents about these, and other, matters and are confident that, we can reassure you by explaining our policies and practices, and how they affect your child.

We are also pleased to welcome parents into school during the day to assist with a number of activities, such as art work, reading activities, ICT, mathematical games, helping in the library, making resources, accompanying children to swimming and on local visits. Parents wishing to volunteer should contact the Headteacher who will be delighted to provide additional information on request. Parents are also invited to sports afternoons, class assemblies, concerts and plays produced in the school, as well as various educational evenings, which are organised from time to time.

Regular newsletters are sent via the children and contain information about the events and other matters of interest.

All parents of the school are automatically members of our School Association with the aim of fostering relationships between home and school. The Association supports the school and the community to organise social events and provides additional items of equipment to enrich the life of the school.

We do hope that parents will be able to support the various functions organised throughout the year by the Association. Back to top

HOMEWORK

We believe the children achieve more when there is an effective partnership between parents and
carers and the school.

When children work at home there are opportunities for:

. consolidating and reinforcing skills and understanding, particularly in literacy and numeracy

. using items found at home to reinforce and enhance learning

. extending school learning

. preparing for future learning

. encouraging children to develop confidence as independent learners.

Our Homework Policy aims to:

. provide opportunities for parents/carers and children to work together to enjoy
learning experiences

. ensure consistency of approach throughout the school

. ensure progression towards independence and individual responsibility

. ensure the needs of the individual children are taken into account

. improve the quality of learning experience offered to children

. during year 6 prepare children for secondary transfer

. ensure parents/carers have a clear understanding about expectations from themselves and the children

As children move from Infant School to Junior School we continue to aim for parent/carers to be actively involved in their children's learning. Short activities of different kinds shared with an adult provide invaluable opportunities for children to discuss their learning and practise key skills. As children become older homework will provide opportunities for children to develop the skills of independent learning. We aim for the children to gradually get into the habit of regularly devoting periods of time, which may not be long, to study on their own.

By the time the children reach Year 6 their homework programme will cover a wide range of tasks and curriculum content with a regular weekly schedule. This approach will benefit their learning and also ensure that, in relation to homework as much as to other aspects, their transition to Year 7/Secondary School will be as smooth as possible.

The main focus of homework will be literacy and numeracy. As the children move through the school science and other subjects will be included in the programme.

The precise amount of time spent on homework is much less important than the quality of tasks set and the way they are planned to support learning. (DfEE Homework Guidance). Back to top

CURRICULUM

ENGLISH

Over the last few years we have followed the Essex Literacy Plans, adapted from the National Literacy Strategy. With the publishing of the new Primary Framework for Literacy and Numeracy we are currently looking to see how the new units for Literacy will dovetail into our existing curriculum to ensure that all our children continue to receive an enriched, quality curriculum.

We have already identified opportunities across the curriculum where literacy objectives can be met, practised or refined within other subject areas and we make good use of interactive materials and other media texts to add an extra dimension to our literacy learning.

The teaching of phonics has been high profile in the press recently, following the publication of the Rose Report. At Hilltop Junior School we understand the value of high quality phonics teaching, alongside other reading strategies, and the children extend the phonics knowledge they develop in KS1 to understand the many different ways our language has for writing the various phonic sounds. For some time now we have been developing a progressive programme of work using the THRASS materials for the teaching of handwriting, reading and spelling and are confident that we have a firmly established scheme of work that more than meets the latest government recommendations.

Speaking and Listening

We aim to encourage children to be able to listen attentively and speak confidently. Numerous opportunities, across the curriculum, are provided to develop children?s speaking and listening skills. They are encouraged to discuss a wide variety of ideas and texts and to communicate with each other through speech, drama and writing. Throughout the day, time is given to allow the children to listen to and value the opinion of others and to express their own ideas. More and more, we are using talk to establish ideas firmly before the children write, so that they are more confident to form sentences on the page.

Reading

Reading is taught carefully and systematically to all children in order that they develop the skills they will need to read with fluency and understanding. We aim for the children to become confident and enthusiastic readers who are self-motivated to read for both pleasure and information.

During literacy lessons children study a range of quality reading materials with their teacher and the rest of the class. The school has extensive printed and electronic resources which we update on a regular basis. The school library is fully automated and the children are encouraged to select books from their own classroom, or choose library books to take home to read with their parents. We also offer the opportunity to purchase books through book fairs or clubs several times in the year. Our latest interactive materials, which can be used with small groups, or the whole class, have broadened the children?s experiences into non-linear texts which offer choices and decision making in order to reach the conclusion of the texts.

Writing

We aim for children to become competent writers and encourage them to write for different audiences, varying their style accordingly. By incorporating some of our objectives into other subject areas we are able to show the children how to use their newly acquired skills in context, and they understand how valuable their different skills are. Children are given the opportunity to share their writing with a variety of audiences including, where appropriate, national competitions.

MATHEMATICS

Numeracy

We aim for the children to become confident and competent with numbers and measures. The whole school works from the National Numeracy Strategy which involves the children spending a timetabled hour each day on specific mathematical activities. This hour is usually divided into three parts.

. an oral and mental warm up of 5-10 minutes involving oral work and mental calculations with the whole class

. a main teaching activity of 30-40 minutes involving work on the same topic with the whole class, groups, pairs or individuals

. a plenary session to round off the lesson of about 10 minutes where the teacher works with the whole class to focus on what has been learnt and discuss the next steps to be covered.

The Ginn/Abacus Scheme is used throughout the school to support the Numeracy Hour. Other mathematical schemes are also used as appropriate to support the children's mathematical work. There are opportunities for children to work practically and be engaged in investigative activities along with appropriate Maths software which assist in the understanding of mathematical ideas. Number work and learning tables are regarded as very important and are linked with work in measurement, shape, data handling and graphical representation. Two mathematical activities are set each week for homework one of which involves the reinforcement of division and multiplication facts

ICT/INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Our new ICT suite has been fully functional since September 2003. For September 2006 we will have 13 interactive whiteboards with speakers which are used to enhance whole class teaching. The suite is a welcome addition to the network of RM Window Boxes currently distributed throughout the school. The RM Window Box has been designed especially for use within primary classrooms, and has an excellent range of software covering word processing, graphics, databases, spreadsheets and multimedia presentations. The programmes, in most cases, are modified versions of industry standards, such as Word and Excel and so provide an excellent introduction to the basics of computing. Children learn how to save their work in their own folders. In addition to this all children have the opportunity to use e-mail and classroom Internet access enhances teaching across all areas of the curriculum. The HJSA funded the school to join the Essex Virtual Learning Environment Project (e-folio) which provides all the children with a safe and secure password protected are on the world wide web where the children are able to save examples of their best work. The children are able to access their work anywhere where they have access to a PC and the Internet, eg at school, home or in the library. Each classroom has access to Espresso which us an internet based package which provides newspaper articles, video clips and acivities for all curriculm areas. Last year we used our Tesco vouchers to purchase digital cameras designed for children and appropriate software. This year we will be ordering a new digitl camera. In addition, we have installed a computer and projector in the hall for use in assemblies.

The aims of the school's ICT policy are:

. ICT will become a natural tool for staff and pupils to use and will be integrated into their everyday working lives.

. To enhance the quality of teaching and learning experiences for all.

. Every learner will be encouraged to use the ICT resources as an information source, a processor and presentation tool.

. To experience a variety of ICT equipment, including computers and software, and learn to select the appropriate ICT tools to use in any situation.

. To enjoy using technology in the process of achieving satisfying outcomes.

SCIENCE/ GEOGRAPHY/ HISTORY

During the year the children have the opportunity to study detailed topics, which are based on the science, geography and history National Curriculum programmes of study.

Parents are notified in our termly newsletters of the topics the children will be involved with for the term.

ART/DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Much of the work in Art, Design and Technology arises naturally from other curriculum areas and environmental work. In Technology the children are involved with the design and making of artefacts in order to solve a given problem.

We aim for the children learn to look at things carefully and develop an awareness of colour, pattern and shape. They use materials of all kinds including paints, inks, dyes, fabrics, wood and clay. They are also encouraged to use a variety of mediums to present and enhance their written work.

The children are also made aware of the History of Art, through the study of a variety of artists which includes their styles and media used.

MUSIC
We aim for all the children to have the opportunity to listen to and enjoy good music, to take part in group singing, compose their own music and to play a variety of tuned percussion instruments. The Stanley Thornes 'Sounds of Music' scheme forms the core of the music work throughout the school.

Individual music tuition lessons in violin, guitar, flute and clarinet are available, for which we make a termly charge in order to meet the costs levied by Essex County Council. Further details can be obtained from the school office.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
We aim to encourage all children to be involved in sport. The physical education programme includes gymnastics, invasion games, net/wall games, striking games, dance, orienteering and physical challenges and swimming. We use the Val Sabin schemes of work for gymnastics and dance and the Elevating Athletics programme of work to develop the necessary skills for the children to develop and improve their own personal performances.

During their first year at Junior School, the children attend swimming lessons at Wickford Swimming Pool. We aim for every child to achieve at least red ribbon standard, which is to jump or dive into deep water and swim continuously in a good style for one length (25m) on their front and one length on their back. In line with National Curriculum, the children are also offered the opportunity to develop the principles and skills of water safety and survival.

In addition to our curriculum provision, the school offers the children a variety of sports clubs including football, High-5 netball, athletics, cricket, basketball, swimming, and dance/drama. Through these clubs children are chosen to represent Hilltop and compete in teams against other schools in competitions.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE - SPANISH
Following its introduction in 2006 we continue to teach Spanish throughout the school. Greatest emphasis is on speaking and listening through a range of activities, games and ICT, with some writing and reading if relevant.

Through our teaching of Spanish we aim:

? To develop pupils? communication and literacy skills.
? To develop linguistic competence, extend their knowledge of how language works and explore differences and similarities between Spanish and English.
? To enhance pupils? awareness of the multilingual and multicultural world and introduce an international dimension to pupils? learning.
? To provide a medium for cross-curricular links where appropriate.
? To lay the foundation for future language learning.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
The county has an agreed syllabus which is used by the school.

Through our teaching of Religious Education we aim to:

1. increase the child's knowledge of the moral codes of practice and religious beliefs of our own and other faith communities

2. develop the child's awareness of the place of Christianity in this country's culture

3. acquire a basic knowledge of the concepts of the different religions studied

4. make cross curricular links where possible Back to top

ASSEMBLIES/COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

An assembly is held each day for all children when worship, mainly Christian, takes place. During our daily assemblies, which is an important and special part of the children's day, we aim to enrich the children's moral, spiritual, cultural and social development. Achievement and successes are celebrated and current topics of interest are discussed. Assemblies also afford excellent opportunities to discuss points of behaviour and the need for mutual respect. During the year parents are invited to share a class assembly with their child. An awareness of other beliefs is encouraged in order to develop tolerance and understanding

We are also pleased to welcome outside speakers to lead our assembly. These include local parish ministers, charity workers and representatives from the Police, British Rail and Road Safety.

Parents who wish their children to be withdrawn from Religious Education and Assembly should consult the Headteacher and alternative arrangements will be made. Back to top

CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN)

The 2001 Act Regulations for SEN, Code of Practice sets out guidance on policies and procedure, aimed at enabling pupils with SEN to reach their full potential. It states that the class teachers, SENCO, Headteacher, Governors and LEA must have regard to this Code as part of the identification, assessment and provision of SEN pupils.

Aims

The aim for all our children is to provide:

? An environment that is both secure and stimulating and which treats each pupil as an individual with differing interests, knowledge and skills.
? Encouragements for pupils to develop their full potential, intellectually, creatively, morally and socially within a caring environment.
? Access to a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum while maintaining high expectations for all.
? An environment which values the contributions and achievements of all so that pupils experience success thereby raising self esteem.
? Support for pupils who need it as part of their entitlements (inclusion).

Definition of Special Educational Needs

Children have special education needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special education provision to be made for them:

? Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age or
? Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority.

(SEN Code of Practice 2001 ? Chapter 1, Paragraph 1:3)

The SENCO, Mrs P Mogford, is responsible for the day to day implementation of special needs provision within the school, with regard to the 2001 Code of practice. She liaises with staff, parents and outside agencies, also taking on the view of the child, to ensure that each child?s needs are assessed and the correct provision made. From September the SENCO will work for 2½ days a week.

The SEN teacher, Mrs C Robinson, works alongside the class teachers and SENCO in order to provide additional SEN support. Class teachers and the SEN teacher plan work for the children based on their individual needs. This ensures that the children have support that is focused and relevant. The children work mainly in the classroom, but on occasions are withdrawn to a more suitable location to provide appropriate support for their needs. Where possible the child will not be excluded from any one aspect of the curriculum on a regular basis. The SEN teacher currently works three days a week. Four mornings a week she teaches a SEN group collectively across all three Year 6 classes for Literacy and Numeracy.

MORE ABLE PUPILS
Through our More Able Pupils Policy we aim to identify children who:

? demonstrate abilities which place them into the highest achieving 5% of our school population in one or more areas (not necessarily in the academic curriculum)
? have a broad spectrum of high ability when compared against national levels
? have a particular skill and ability in discrete areas e.g. art, music, P.E., etc

The co-ordinator, Mr P Hillson, maintains the More Able Pupil Register and monitors the provision for the children, which includes various opportunities for the children (from all year groups) to work together. Back to top

CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

The school's ethos is founded on full access and integration for all pupils and admission arrangement are the same for all pupils. Whenever necessary the LEA assists with funding for modifications to the school premises. The demountable classroom installed in 1997 has wheelchair access and an adapted toilet for the disabled. The new extension completed in 2003 has an adapted toilet and shower area for the disabled. The newly built roadway at the front of the school allows access to the playground for children with disabilities and for people in wheel chairs. Back to top

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

These vary from term to term depending on the particular interests and availability of staff. These activities occur during the lunch time break or immediately before and after school. Parental consent is sought before the children can participate. There is an expectation that the children who participate in these clubs will do so with commitment.

For 2007/2008 these included:- Mathematics Club
Recorder Clubs
Athletics Club
Netball Clubs
Football Club
Art Club
Stitch Club
Swimming Club
Basketball Club
Dance Club
ICT Club
Chess Club
Fantasy Football
Cricket Club
Digital Imaging

SCHOOL COUNCIL
The School Council is a group of children who meet regularly with two members of staff to discuss and pass decisions about matters whch affect their school life. The council, which consists of two elected representatives from each class (boy and girl) help the teacher and governors to know the children's views and opinions, and gives the children a voice; a chance to change things which can be improved. Back to top

TRANSFER TO SECONDARY SCHOOL

Most children transfer from this school to the two local secondary schools in Wickford. A small number of children transfer to Grammar Schools in Chelmsford or the Southend area. During their final term at Hilltop Junior School the children are visited by teachers from the secondary school they have chosen to join in September.

The children also have the opportunity to attend the secondary school for a half or full day, so that they may become familiar with the organisation and geography of the school, and meet the headteacher and staff. We work closely with the secondary schools to ensure that the transfer is informative and smooth. During the year there are occasions when activities, lessons or performances particularly for years 5 and 6 are planned with Beauchamps School, which offers the children the opportunity to visit and experience a secondary school, and also enhances liaison with our local school. Back to top

SCHOOL HOURS

8.50 a.m. to 12 noon
1.00 p.m. to 3.10 p.m.

There is a teacher on duty each morning from 8.40 a.m. Parents are asked not to send their children to school more than ten minutes before the morning session begins, as the Local Education Authority accepts no responsibility for their safety before 8.40 a.m.

The bell rings at 8.47 a.m. for the children to stand still and then enter the school. Teachers who ask children to arrive prior to 8.40 a.m. or to remain in school after 3.10 p.m. are responsible for them while they are on school premises.

PUNCTUALITY

Children should be on the playground by 8.47a.m. Punctuality is an attitude to be encouraged and gives the children a relaxed start to the day.

TEACHING HOURS

The time spent on teaching per week, including religious education but excluding the statutory daily act of collective worship, registration and break is 23 hours 30 minutes.

PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

All parents are requested to complete an admission form for each child when he/she joins the school. Contact numbers are a very important aspect of this form. Please inform the school of any changes.

EMERGENCY CONTACT

The admission form also requests an emergency contact number of a close friend or relative who could be contacted if the need arises. If your child is ill or injured and the school feels he/she needs to go home or receive medical treatment, every effort will be made to contact parents or the emergency contact. If we are unable to contact, the Headteacher will decide the course of action.

ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

All absences from school are recorded in computerised registers and any unauthorised absences are totalled at the end of the school year and reported to you, in line with Department for Education regulations.

In order to assist us with monitoring children's attendance in school parents are requested to inform the school office on the first day of absence. This ensures the first day of absence is officially recorded.

After any absence from school a letter should be sent to the class teacher with the reason for absence. This will enable us to ensure the correct code is inserted in the register.

Authorised absences fall into the following categories.

Sickness - Where school is advised by letter or verbal explanation by parent/carer (telephone or personally.)

Holiday - Up to 10 days, when permission has been sought and granted on a school holiday application form. Please note this is not an automatic entitlement.

School's Discretion - Exceptional circumstances where permission is sought and approved for absence outside the above two categories eg compassionate grounds, urgent family business.

Medical - Dental treatment, opticians, speech therapy, physiotherapy etc.

Religious Observance - Days of religious observance that occur under the religious faith to which the parents belong.

Any other absences are recorded as unauthorised absence in the register.

Please note that taking your child out from school for day visits and for the first 2 weeks at the beginning of the academic year in September will be recorded as unauthorised absence. If your child is absent from school and on return does not give their class teacher an explanatory note, this is also recorded as an unauthorised absence. Taking children out of school during SAT's / QCA test week will also be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Should your child arrive late at school after registration has taken place, the school office must be informed (by the child) so the register can be altered accordingly and meal requirements noted.

If your child should contact an infectious illness, we would be most grateful if you could notify the school as soon as possible.

HOLIDAYS

Please note that all holiday dates are sent out in September for the academic year. (Dates for more than one year are available from the school office.)

Should it be necessary to take your annual family holiday during term-time, please complete a holiday form which is available from our office prior to the holiday. At the school's discretion. permission will be granted for term-time holidays of up to 10 school days in any academic year (i.e. September - August).

Time away from school is always detrimental to your child's educational progress especially the first few weeks of the school year and we do ask that you consider carefully before requesting any holiday absences. A few days, a week or at worse a fortnight out of school can put your child behind and make catching up difficult. If this is repeated every year then the cumulative effect can be a serious disadvantage.

Absences for unavoidable personal reasons, other than holidays, should be discussed with us whenever possible.

APPOINTMENTS

Written notification of dental and hospital appointments should be sent to the child's teacher. All children must be met in the school office. A member of the office staff will collect your child from the classroom. No child will be permitted to leave school unescorted. Back to top

SCHOOL LUNCHES AND SANDWICHES

School lunches are cooked daily on the premises and the children are offered a choice of two freshly cooked meals, a salad bar, a dessert, fruit yoghurt, fresh fruit, and a drink of water. Our kitchen staff provide exciting and healthy school meals which meet the Government?s new Food Based Standard for School Lunches. The menus and recipes have been designed by Ashlyns Organics Limited and a vegetarian option is available every day. The present charge is £1.70 a day, which is collected in pre-printed envelopes at the beginning of each week. Each child then has a card issued, which records personal details including name, class and amount of money on each account. These cards, which remain in the kitchen, are scanned as they queue for lunch. Money is deposited on the child?s account either termly or weekly by cash or cheque. A child can have a meal on any day they wish and the balance is retained on their account. Children who are entitled to free school meals (make no payments) also have a card.

Children may bring packed lunches in a container clearly marked with their name and class. We encourage the children to bring healthy lunch boxes. We would prefer pupils to bring only water or fresh fruit juice and that chocolate bars be excluded. Drinks may only be brought in a non-breakable, leak proof container. For safety reasons we do not allow cans of drink or bottles in school.

We do not encourage eating during the morning break, but if your child does require a snack then we suggest a piece of fruit or raw vegetables. Please note that sweets, crisps or biscuits are not permitted. Children can purchase a piece of fruit for 20p from the school tuck shop.

Children who go home for lunch are requested not to return to the school premises before 12.50 pm.

Drinking Water ? children are welcome to bring small plastic bottles of drinking water to school to consume in the classroom during the working day. Bottles should be clearly marked with your child?s name. Back to top

CHARGING POLICY

The Governing Body has agreed that in order to assist with the funding of educational activities and visits, parents may be asked for voluntary contributions. Back to top

MEDICINES

In line with Essex County Council Health and Safety Codes of Practice, parents/carers should ask their Doctor to prescibe medication, in dose frequencies, which enable the medication to be taken outside school hours. If, in exceptional circumstances, this is not possible the parent/carer must then complete a request form for the school to administer medication . The school can then decide whether or not it will allow its staff to administer the medication or make arrangements for the parent/carer to come on site and administer it themselves.

Non-prescibed pain relivers cannot be administered by school staff although a parent/carer can make a written request (Appendix A) to come onto school premises and administer it themselves.
Inhalers for hay fever or asthma should be kept with your child at all times, although the school office needs to be informed if your child carries an inhaler. Parents are offered the option of leaving a spare inhaler in the school office in case of emergency. All inhalers should be clearly labelled with the child's name.

Mrs Hoy, Mrs Gaitens, Mrs Greenwood, Mrs Pocock, Mrs North and Mrs Rattray are qualified first aiders. Minor accidents/administration of medication (once authorised) are dealt with by school staff and recorded in the school daily accident/record book. Parents are informed of any specific accident and are welcome to view the record book regarding any incident concerning their child only.

A full copy of Hilltop Junior School's 'Administration of Medication' policy is available, from the School Office, on request. Back to top

CHILD PROTECTION

Please do note that the welfare of all the children is of paramount concern and under the 1989 Children Act, all schools have the responsibility to report any concerns to the relevant agencies. Mr J Wood is the named governor with responsibility for Child Protection. Back to top

INSURANCE

The Local Education Authority is insured in respect of its legal liability to pupils, should it be proven negligent and/ or in breach of some statutory duty. However, it does not have a personal accident insurance for pupils and that parents should make their own arrangements if they feel it is necessary Back to top

SCHOOL ENTRANCE AND CAR PARKING

While we appreciate the difficulties in finding somewhere to park, for the safety of the children we would be most grateful if the following guide-lines could be adhered to:

* cars should not be brought onto the school premises without prior permission

* pedestrian access for adults and children is either from Hill Avenue or Redgate Close. (Please note there is no pedestrian access from Glencoe Drive.)

* would you please be considerate of our neighbours if you have to park near the school and not obstruct their driveways.

* please also refrain from parking, waiting or dropping children off in the hammerheads in Glencoe Drive or Redgate Close, or on the zigzag road markings in Hill Avenue Back to top

WALKING BUS

The Hilltop Schools currently organise four morning walking buses. Parents and their children are encouraged to join these buses rather than drive to school Back to top

SECURITY

Over the last few years the school governors have made many improvements to the security arrangements at the school, which now includes CCTV cameras

All the classroom doors and entrances cannot be opened from the outside. When the bell rings at 8.47am the staff open the doors for the whole class to enter the building. Any children arriving after this time should enter the school by the front entrance.

We operate a front door entrance system. When entering one needs to press the button and await further instructions from the intercom which is connected to the school office. Back to top

NON-SMOKING POLICY

The school has a No Smoking Policy. All employees of the school, teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and visitors are requested not to smoke while on the school site (please note this includes the school grounds). Back to top

SCHOOL COUNCIL

The School Council is a group of children who meet regularly with two members of staff to discuss and pass decisions about matters whch affect their school life. The council, which consists of two elected representatives from each class (boy and girl) help the teacher and governors to know the children?s views and opinions, and gives the children a voice; a chance to change things which can be improved. Back to top

DOGS

Please note that dogs are not allowed on to the school site. Back to top