Parents and the School

Admissions Information; Parents Evening; Informal Meetings; Pupil Reports; School Policies; Parent Helpers; Featherstone Home School Association; Contact Forms; Policy on Smoking; Cars; Dogs

Admissions Information

Children must, by law, start school at the beginning of the term after their fifth birthday. However at present in Birmingham children are admitted in September at the start of the academic year in which they reach five years of age, or later if their parents so wish.

Parents have the right to express a preference for the Primary School which they wish their child to attend and it is the Authority's policy to meet their wishes as far as possible. In some cases this may not be possible because there are too many children for the places available. When this happens, places are offered in the following order of priority.

where the Education Committee has established a catchment area, the children in that area shall have priority over those outside it.
where there is no catchment area or where a school with a catchment still has places available after all its catchment children have been accommodated:
- children with Statements of Special Educational Needs, who have been identified as needing to attend schools with specific facilities to accommodate them;
- siblings who have brothers and sisters already in attendance at the school and who will still be in attendance at the time the sibling enters the school;
- pupils whose parents have made application on denominational grounds in the case of controlled Church of England Primary Schools;
- nearness of the child's home to the school as measured by a straight line measurement to one fixed point in the school.

Reception class places are allocated by Head Teachers, in accordance with the criteria, on a date set by the Authority. For the 2000/2001 academic year, it is intended that the date will be Friday 30th March 2001 in respect of all registrations received by Friday 2nd March 2001. All pupils offered places may take up their place at the beginning of the academic year in September. However, parents have the right to retain the place offered but start their child at the school later in the academic year if they so wish.

Parents will, of course, wish to contact Heads for places for children aged four plus throughout the year, but only provisional offers can be made, pending the final consideration of the position and offer of firm places for September, in accordance with the above dates.

At the present time the Governors have set a limit of 30 pupils to be admitted the reception class each year. Parents of new children are invited to view the school during the Summer Term prior to entry.

Parent's Evenings

There is a formal Parent's Evening each term at which parents are given the opportunity to discuss their child's progress.

Informal Meetings

teachers are available to see parents from 8:45-8:55a.m. and 3:20-3:30p.m. each day for informal talks. It is not possible for teachers to see parents during lesson time. Should you require further time could you make a mutually convenient appointment with the School Secretary.

The Headteacher is available at most times. Should the Headteacher not be available please make an appointment with the School Secretary.

Pupil Reports

All children will receive a School Report at the end of the academic year. This will report to parents their child's progress in the National Curriculum, R.E., Attendance, Behaviour and SATs results (Y2 and Y6).

Children and parents are invited to place their own comments on the School Report.

School Policies

All School Policies are the be found in the display rack by the school office. Other documents e.g. OFSTED reports, DfEE circulars about the curriculum, National Curriculum etc. are available upon request from the school office.

Parent Helpers

School constantly looks to use expertise and parents and friends of the school, be it helping with routine classroom jobs, trips, outdoor activities, book care, hearing readers etc. Such help releases the teacher who can then give more time and expertise to teaching groups. Assistance is given by staff to helpers at all times.

Featherstone Home School Association

There is an active Parents' Association supported by the school, which both fund-raises and develops social contacts between families and between family and school. Meetings and events take place on a regular basis and all parents support is welcomed. At the present time Mrs. Ruth Bruce is Chairperson of the Association.