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About Our School : Prospectus
CONTENTS
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Behaviour
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Pastoral Care
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Insurance - Personal Cover for Childre n
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Insurance - Parents'/Carers' Vehicles
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School Meals
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Absence/Unauthorised absence
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Uniform
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Naming of Clothes
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Jewellery and Valuables
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First Aid
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Medicines in School
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School Medicals
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Residential Visits
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Charging Policy for School Activities
Behaviour
At Dringhouses Primary School we have a policy of Positive Discipline. The aim of the behaviour policy is to create a school discipline which is fair and consistent and which establishes a safe, orderly, positive environment in which children may flourish.
The Positive Discipline plan has three parts:
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Praise and Rewards
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Rules
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Consequences
Praise and rewards are usually in the form of:
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Spoken praise
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Notes and phone calls home
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Special Privileges
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Certificates and stickers e.g. special mention assemblies etc., personal commendation by the headteacher at the end of every half term
The rules of the school are:
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make sure my words and actions do not hurt anybody
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do as I am asked the first time it is asked of me
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always tell if I am being bullied or I know someone else is being bullied
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treat the school environment and property with respect
Children are expected to follow the rules at all times. The rules are displayed prominently around school and in the classrooms.
Consequences of not choosing to follow the rules during class time are:
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a verbal warning
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time working away from the group or class
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name removed from the good behaviour chart
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sent to headteacher and class teacher contacts parents/carers
The headteacher has a separate, additional plan of consequences.
The school has a Behaviour Policy which incorporates positive discipline and anti-bullying behaviour at lunchtimes, and exclusions. This policy is displayed on the parents' notice board. A copy of the Anti-Bullying policy is also available by clicking on the following links.
 Behaviour Policy
Anti-Bullying Policy
Pastoral Care
Two major aspects of Every Child Matters (the government's white paper published in 2005) are being healthy and keeping safe.
Attending to a child's social and emotional needs is part of our overall educational philosophy. A happy, safe, healthy and caring school is one where learning will flourish. The class teacher takes the main responsibility for being aware of each of her/his pupil's needs. Parents/carers are encouraged to share with the class teacher, or with the headteacher, anything which may affect their child in school so that we can work together to create the best conditions. Similarly, if the staff are concerned about your child, they will invite you in to school to discuss that with you.
Insurances - Personal Cover for Children  
The City of York Council does not carry personal accident insurance in respect of pupils. It is the responsibility of parents, or carers, to take out an insurance policy if they are concerned that their child might suffer injury whilst engaged in school activities. However the school does arrange insurance cover for those children participating in residential visits, including residential visits organised by commercial businesses.
Insurance of Parents'/Carers' Vehicles 
All parents/carers who volunteer to transport children in private vehicles to out of school activities must ascertain that their insurance policy covers the use of their vehicle for such a purpose. The school must see a copy of the insurance policy.
School Meals 
We are pleased to provide nourishing and healthy hot meals, if required. If you are receiving Income Support/Job Seekers' Allowance Income Based your child is entitled to a free meal. Applications for free school meals should be made to Educational Services, City of York Council, Mill House North Street, York, YO1 6JD. Telephone York 551550. For more information please look at the following link. (www.york.gov.uk/benefits)
If you would like to see what your child(ren) will be eating for lunch please click on the link below:
www.myschoollunch.co.uk/northyorks
Please send dinner money in an envelope marked with the child's name, class and the amount contained. Payment by cheque is acceptable (cheques to be made out to City of York Council). If a child is not staying for school meals for a full week, please state which days the child will be staying. The money should be paid on a Monday, but if a child is absent then payment on the day they return will be accepted. Packed lunches may also be brought. If a child has a combination of packed lunches and hot meals, please let the school know at the beginning of the week those days on which they intend to have a school meal. All lunch containers should be clearly marked with the child's name and class and collected at the end of each day.
Children who arrive at school late (after registration at 8.45am) are asked to report to the school office to ensure that a meal, if required, has been ordered for that day.
Absence
Parents/carers are asked to notify the school immediately, by note or telephone, that their child is to be absent, followed by a written note on the child's return, explaining his/her absence.
Any parents/carers wishing to request an absence because of holiday arrangements should complete a leave of absence form (available from the office) as soon as dates are known.
The governors may authorise up to ten days (twenty sessions) per academic year, at their discretion. Each half day session is counted as an absence. Parent(s)/carer(s) may not authorise absence. Any absence exceeding this, or not authorised by the headteacher representing the governors, is recorded as unauthorised, including unexplained or unjustified absence.
The school reports attendance and absence to the DfES. The return for 2006/07 (up to the end of May) was:
Number of pupils of compulsory school age
at some stage during the year 324
Number of pupils sessions (half days) 310
Number of possible sessions attended 94206
Number of authorised absences 3720
Number of pupils with authorised absence 299
Number of unauthorised absences 82
Number of pupils with unauthorised absence 19
Medical Appointments
We appreciate that it is not always easy to make medical appointments outside school hours but, if at all possible, please try to arrange for your child to see the doctor or dentist at the end of the school day.
If it is necessary for your child to be absent for an appointment during school hours, please notify the class teacher and school office in writing, in advance.
Security Procedures
On collecting your child for an appointment or because of illness, please report to the school office to collect an Authorised Absence Pass and to sign your child out on the Pupil Absence Record. A member of staff will collect your child from the classroom for you.
On your child's return following an appointment, please report to the school office to sign your child back in to school on the Pupil Absence Record and to return the Authorised Absence Pass. A member of staff will return your child to his/her classroom.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL GATE ON ENTERING AND LEAVING THE SCHOOL PREMISES
Uniform
Our school colours are red and grey. Red and grey sweat shirts, with the school logo, can be ordered in school from the office by filling in an order form. Trousers and skirts are in grey, navy or black. In the summer, red striped or checked dresses may be worn. For P.E. and games your child will need P.E. shoes, shorts and a top. Please put these items in a named P.E. bag to hang on the child's peg.
Naming of Clothes
Please label outer garments and P.E. clothing with your child's name. It is difficult to identify similar clothing if not labelled. Lost property is kept in the community room for a full term and unclaimed property is disposed of at Christmas, Easter and in the summer break.
Jewellery and Valuables
The only jewellery permitted in school is a watch and stud earrings. Under no circumstances may jewellery be worn for Physical Education. Stud earrings need to be removed for P.E.,or covered with micropore tape.
The school can accept no responsibility for loss of any jewellery, or other valuables, which are brought into school.
First Aid 
Facilities for minor first aid are available at the school. Our named first aiders are Mr Woodings, Mrs Manson and Mrs Sillence. Where it is necessary for a child to be taken to hospital, every endeavour will be made to contact parents/carers immediately. It is therefore necessary for us to have an emergency contact in the event of sickness or accident, should we not be able to contact you. Parents/carers should advise us of any change in arrangements subsequently made.
Medicines in School
Parents are requested to discuss any long term ailments with the headteacher. Children with asthma are expected to administer their inhalers themselves. These are kept in the child's classroom in the care of the class teacher.
Medicines are not normally administered in school except in exceptional circumstances.
The School Doctor informs us that if medication is to be given three times a day it is quite acceptable for this to be given in the morning, at home time and before bed, otherwise a visit from the parent at lunch time to administer medicine may be required. In exceptional circumstances, and if the class teacher agrees, medicines may be administered on written instructions from the parent on a form available at the office. The school cannot accept responsibility for incorrect or missed doses.
Parents/carers may be invited to bring their child for a medical examination during his/her first year in school. A form is sent to complete beforehand; this asks for details of your child's health record and about any problems or worries which you may have. Other questionnaires will be sent later in your child's school life. These questionnaires, and any other records about medical problems, are seen only by the School Health Services staff and not by the head teacher and school staff. Records are kept in Health Service premises at York and Selby.
In addition, eyesight, hearing and colour vision tests are carried out in school by a visiting health technician. Parents/carers will not normally be told about these in advance, but will be informed if any problem is found. Any parents/carers wishing to withdraw their child from medical examinations may inform the head teacher.
Residential Visits
The school offers a residential visit once every two years for all Year 5 and 6 children who wish to participate. This is an educational visit, not a holiday, and is subject to the Local Authority's policy on charging (see below).
All children in Years 3 and 4 have the opportunity to visit Muston Grange in Filey for an overnight stay during the summer term, once every two years.
Educational residential visits are hugely beneficial. The children gain so much from being away from home, responsible for themselves and bonding with friends and teachers.
Charging Policy for School Activities
We strongly believe that a child's educational experiences are widened by the opportunity to see at first hand events and places outside school. We operate within strict City of York Local Education Authority guidelines about charging parents/carers for such activities. In certain instances this means that we may ask for a voluntary contribution towards costs, and trust that you would be willing to make a contribution, recognizing the benefits to be gained from day and residential excursions. If a large number of parents/carers are unable or unwilling to pay the voluntary contributions, however, the visits may have to be cancelled as the school has limited resources.
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