FAQs
Email any questions which are not answered in these FAQs to the School Business Manager lbrodin@collis.richmond.sch.uk and we will endeavour to answer them for you and add them.
Absence
What should I do if my child is ill and cannot come to school?
Every absence must be accounted for. In the first instance telephone the school office 020 8977 1458 (option 1) and leave a message. On the child’s return, please send a note to your child’s teacher confirming the reason for the absence.
Admissions
What is the school’s admission policy?
There are several points of admission to Collis Primary School; Nursery, Reception Infants and in-year admissions. The criteria are set out by the Local Authority and can be found at www.collisprimaryschool.co.uk/all-about-us/admissions. If you have any queries about admissions, please call Jayne King (option 2).
Aims
Our key aim is to VALUE and INSPIRE. Respecting and nurturing each child's unique contribution is at the heart of our work. We aim to provide a rich, exciting education which will inspire and motivate our children. You can see the school’s aims and values at www.collisprimaryschool.co.uk/all-about-us/aims-values.
Arriving & Leaving
What are the arrangements for arrival at school and leaving at the end of the day?
All children should arrive in school between 8:40 and 8:50 a.m. Parents are welcome to accompany the children to the playground. The Head and the Deputy supervise the children on the playground at this time and class teachers will be in their classrooms to receive the children.
The school day begins at 8:50. Children in Years 1 - 6 are sent into their classrooms at 8:45 and Reception staff open their doors for the children at 8:50. If it is raining, children should go to their classrooms on arrival.
At the end of the day, children are collected from the playground by their parents. Infants and younger juniors are ‘handed over’ individually to parents. If parents are going to be late collecting their children, they should inform the school and collect the children from the reception area outside the school office.
Assessment
How is my child assessed at school?
During their time at Collis, children will be assessed in many ways, both formally and informally using a combination of ongoing teacher assessments and formal tests. The results of these assessments are used to measure progress and inform parents about their child’s achievements.
Teacher Assessment is carried out on a day-to-day basis and is an integral part of the teaching process. Class teachers use many different methods to find out about each child’s knowledge and understanding; for example talking and listening to children, marking work and observing children as they work and play.
Children in Reception classes are assessed using the Foundation Stage Profile. It is a statutory requirement for all children in the Reception year to be assessed using this profile. The profile is extremely comprehensive and looks at all aspects of a child’s development.
Children in Year 2 and Year 6 take part in statutory assessment and are awarded National Curriculum levels for their performance.
In Year 2, the level will be based on the teacher assessment, taking into account each child’s performance in several tasks and tests. Children are assessed in speaking and listening, reading, writing, maths and science.
In Year 6, children will be awarded test level results and teacher assessment levels in English, reading, writing and maths. They will also be given a teacher assessment level for science.
Information about all these assessments is shared with parents during consultation evenings and in the annual school report.
Behaviour
What are the expectations concerning behaviour?
At Collis we encourage children to be caring, responsible, co-operative and polite. We try to create an atmosphere and
environment where all children are offered the best chance to develop and
succeed. To support this, at the
beginning of every year each class develops its own code of conduct. Within these codes of conduct, we
encourage self-discipline so that children learn to take responsibility for
their actions.
Typically pupils behave extremely well, both in school and on visits. Behaviour issues are dealt with as they arise by class
teachers and the leadership team. Parents are always involved if there are serious or more persistent
problems.
The Behaviour
Policy was developed
following discussion with parents, teachers, children and governors. The Home School Agreement, issued to all parents, also includes some elements of the Behaviour Policy.
CATS
What provision is there for children before and after school?
CATS provides wrap
around care for children at Collis. It is a safe and stimulating play environment, managed by a committee of
volunteers and run by qualified staff. The scheme is well supported, and caters for approximately 24 children
during term-time. There is a
waiting list for places.
In addition to
this, a wide range of extra curricular activities is offered before and after
school.
Clubs
There are a
range of music clubs and sports clubs available to children. There is a full timetable that details which clubs are
available during the school day.
To
see a list of clubs available each day please visit our clubs page.
Communication
How will I know what is going on?
A weekly
newsletter is sent to parents each Friday. The CSA (Collis School Association) also circulates CSA newsletters most weeks with information about upcoming events and how to get involved. The website is a rich source of
information; please let us know if there is anything you would like to see
added to the our growing site.
A curriculum outline
which is year group specific is posted on the school website for parents each
term. This sets out the areas of learning in each subject and provides an excellent
overview of each term's curriculum.
Information
booklets for the Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 3 (‘Passport to Year 3’) are
distributed to parents. Key Stage specific Numeracy booklets are also sent out.
These provide general information as well as clear guidelines to the approaches
we use for reading, writing, spelling and maths - thus ensuring continuity with
any support work done at home. All of these are sent in paper form but are also
available via the following Year Group pages; Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6.
Children have a
home-school reading booklet which is used for daily communication.
Most Year Groups have a notice board to communicate information to Parents throughout the term.
Education evenings are held to provide more detailed information about the curriculum and
teaching approaches. Evenings have
been held in relation to numeracy, Jolly Phonics and art and design.
Class teachers,
phase leaders and class reps are always available to answer any questions.
Concerns
Who do we contact if we have a problem?
The school
welcomes dialogue with parents on any issue of concern. We ask that parents and carers contact
their child’s class teacher in the first instance. Further appointments may be
made with other members of staff through the class teacher or school office.
Any matters
still not resolved may be brought to the attention of the Governing Body either
informally through a parent governor or formally in writing to the Chair of
Governors. Our Complaints Policy sets
out the procedures in detail.
CSA
Does the school have a parents’ association?
The school has
an extremely active parents’ association called the Collis School Association. During the school year, the committee organises
various social events such as Christmas and summer fairs, quiz nights and coffee
mornings. These events generate
valuable extra funds for the school, as well as providing fun and informal ways
for parents, staff and children to meet.
The CSA raises a
huge amount of money every year and has supported many projects (large and
small) such as the refurbishment of the school kitchen, the school minibus and
playground equipment. For further
details and information about how to get involved visit the CSA page.
Equipment
What equipment is required other than school uniform?
Please refer to
the Year Group specific booklets given out for Foundation, Year 1 and Year 3
which indicate equipment requirements for the relevant Key Stages. This information is also available on
the school website for those year groups. Please follow the links; Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6.
Any other requests for equipment will be
sent to parents as required throughout the course of the school year.
Events
How can I find out what's happening in school?
Every term, a
wide range of exciting events and visits is arranged. These events enrich and broaden the learning experiences of
the children and bring fun and enjoyment to learning. Please spend some time looking at some of the different
activities the children have been involved in over the last year in our
scrapbook.
The school
calendar has
details of upcoming events.
Free Fruit
Is the school part of the free fruit scheme for infants?
As part of the National School Fruit Scheme all children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are provided with free fruit every day. In Nursery and Reception the children sit together to eat their fruit. Children in Year 1 and 2 take their fruit outside into the playground at break time.
Governors
What is the role of the school governors?
School Governors
are actively involved in many areas of school life including monitoring the
budget, personnel matters, taking care of premises and ensuring the curriculum
is appropriate and in line with statutory regulations. Governors act as ‘critical friends’ to
the Headteacher and Leadership Team.
The Governing
Body meets twice a term and there are a number of committees with delegated powers
who also meet regularly. Any
parent of a child registered at Collis School may run for election as a parent
governor, make nominations and vote. The website has more detailed information about the role of the school governors and the structure of the Governing Body.
History of the School
What is the history of the school?
Collis School
(then Park Road Girls’ School) was founded in 1865 by Sarah Collis in a house
in Park Road, Teddington. Initially, there were just 16 pupils, but this had
risen to 71 by the end of the year. Boys were first admitted in 1871 and by
1875, there were 318 pupils attending.
Following the
Education Act of 1891 and the introduction of free schooling, the school moved
in 1902 to Station Road and was re-named accordingly. Sarah Collis retired in
1906 and the school was taken over by her niece, Mary Collis. The school was
again renamed Christchurch County Primary School in 1937, before being finally
called Collis School in 1960.
Collis School
moved to its present location on Fairfax Road in 1972 and the school building was
completed in 1982 with a new nursery department. The present Headteacher, David
Butterfield took over in 1991. In
2005/6 a new building was built to catch up with growing demand for places in
the local area. Currently the school is three form entry and has 680 children
on roll.
Holiday Clubs
Collis After Time Scheme (CATS) runs a club in some holiday weeks. Other providers, such as Motive8 sports clubs and Computer Kids, sometimes run holiday clubs and activities. Details about these and CATS holiday clubs are circulated in the school newsletter.
Holiday Dates
Where can I find term time and holiday dates?
The school website and regular newsletters provide information about term and holiday dates.
Holidays during term time
Are we allowed to take holidays during term time?
Regular
attendance at school is essential. Requests for absence must be submitted to
the Headteacher in writing using the school’s standard form.
Absence will be
recorded as either authorised or unauthorised depending on the reason for
absence and the child’s pattern of attendance.
Homework
Are the children given homework on a regular basis?
Homework is
progressive as children move through the school and varies depending on the age
and needs of your child. Expectations are clearly outlined at the commencement of the school year
at the welcome meetings. Information sheets are also given out to parents to support this as well
as being posted on the School website within year groups; Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6.
In Year 1,
children take home a reading book which is changed 3 times a week. From the
Spring term, children will take home a weekly spelling activity. In Year 2,
children change their own book when necessary, take home a weekly spelling
activity and a fortnightly piece of homework linked to a particular curriculum
area.
Lost Property
What happens to lost property?
The school is not responsible for items of property brought into the school which get damaged or lost, although every effort will be made to find lost property. Please ensure everything is named. Expensive games or toys should not be brought into school. Parents should insure any items, such as musical instruments, before sending them into school as the school insurance scheme does not cover these items. A lost property bin is kept in every year group and items in this area are available for retrieval at all times. The lost property bin is often emptied and the contents are put out on show for the items to be claimed.
Music Lessons
Do you have any individual music lessons available to pupils?
Please see our music page for a list of individual music lessons available to pupils.
Lunch Time
We are very proud of our cooked lunches! All food is prepared and cooked on-site from fresh ingredients, locally sourced where possible.
Reception lunchtime arrangements are different from the rest of the school. In Reception, when children stay for lunch after Christmas, class teachers and teaching assistants supervise lunches in the school dining hall (the small hall next to the kitchen servery).
For the rest of the school, lunches are supervised by lunchtime supervisors, the Headteacher, Mr Butterfield, and the Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Way. Children are served either from the kitchen servery in the dining room, or from the mobile servery in the infant hall. All food options are available from both serveries. Children may eat in either hall, and can sit with children who are taking packed lunches if they wish. Drinking water is provided.
To see the current school lunch menu, click here. To arrange for your child to have school lunches, contact Jayne King in the school office for further information, on 020 8977 1458.
Medical Arrangements
What are your arrangements for children who are unwell or injured at school?
All our Teaching
Assistants are trained first aiders. They take care of children who are unwell or who are injured. In cases where children become ill
during the school day, parents are contacted. Please ensure the school has up to date contact numbers for
your child.
If children are well enough to attend school, we are able to administer
medicines providing a consent form is completed. Click here http://www.collisprimaryschool.co.uk/parents/medicines-in-school/ for
the form and further details about this.
It is essential to let the school know of any serious or recurring medical
problems such as asthma. We should
also be notified immediately of any infectious diseases diagnosed. Parents need to ensure that inhalers
and epipens are kept in school for children who have asthma or severe
allergies.
All medical incidents are recorded and the appropriate authority notified,
if necessary.
Money in School
How should money be taken in to school?
Money should be
placed in a sealed envelope, marked with the child’s name, the child’s class,
and the reason for the payment, and brought in to school in the book bag. In Reception the book bags are checked
by teaching assistants. In Year 1
and above, children should hand envelopes to the class teacher.
Please pay lunch
money by cheque, made payable to ‘Collis School.’
Children should
not bring pocket money in to school.
Ofsted
When was the last Ofsted inspection?
The school
achieved the highest rating possible in its most recent Ofsted inspection (May
2008), with "Outstanding" given in every category.
In addition to
this, a history subject inspection was carried out in May 2009. Again, the school was judged to be
‘outstanding’ in every category.
The full reports
can be found here - http://www.collisprimaryschool.co.uk/all-about-us/ofsted-report/
Packed Lunch
Are there any packed lunch requirements?
Due to the number of children with severe allergies, it is important that no nut products are brought in to school. Packed lunches should be healthy, with healthy drinks. Water is available to all children at lunchtime.
The following items should not be put in packed lunches: Nuts, Sweets, Fizzy drinks.
Parent Helpers
Can Parents help in school as volunteers?
Yes! We value your help enormously. Parents regularly help in all Key Stages. We find that this works best if you do not help in your own child’s class and also if you can help on a regular basis. We also sometimes ask for help with trips, school events and swimming. Please see the ‘Guide for Adult Helpers’ on the school website.
Parking
As Collis’s
catchment area is small, we encourage all children to walk to school. The majority of our pupils (80%) walk to
school every day.
Parents can park
in the roads around Collis, but these become very congested at the start and
end of the day. Do not stop to
drop children off on the zig zag lines outside the school – this
endangers other children. Parking
on-site is for staff, disabled parents and parents with disabled children
only.
Progress
How do we find out about our child’s progress?
Parents are kept
informed about their child’s progress through consultation evenings which are
arranged in the Autumn and Spring terms. A detailed written report is sent home towards the end of the Summer
term and an opportunity to discuss the report is also available, if parents
wish.
Parents are, of
course, welcome to make an appointment to see their child’s class teacher or
the Headteacher at any time of the year to discuss progress or other
matters.
Residential Trips
Are there any residential trips?
In Year 6, there is an annual residential trip to the Isle of Wight, during the second half of the summer term.
SATs
What are your latest SATs results?
We are delighted
with our excellent SATs results for both KS1 and KS2. Attainment of our pupils is consistently high in all subject
areas tested by the SATs. Progress
of all children is also well above the national average.
Information
about our SATs results is posted here - http://www.collisprimaryschool.co.uk/all-about-us/sats/
School Council
Yes. The purpose of the School Council is to give children the opportunity to participate in decision making and to enable them to develop a greater understanding of their rights and responsibilities. The School Council also enables us to take account of our pupils’ views.
School Hours
What are the regular school hours?
Timings for the
school day are as follows:
Nursery, 9:00 - 11:30am & 1:00 - 3:30pm
Infants, 8:50 - 12:00am & 1:15 - 3:15pm
Juniors, 8:50 - 12:10am & 1:15 - 3:20pm
School Nurse
Do you have a school nurse? What is her role?
Yes we do. The
school nurse can be contacted through the main office with any particular
queries.
The school
nursing service is provided by locality-based teams offering screening and
health assessment for school children. The school nurse forms a close link with school staff and liaises with a
wide range of individuals making referrals as appropriate. School nurses also provide health
education for pupils on a range of subjects and training for school staff on
health issues. Support and advice
for parents is also available.
Secondary Transfer
Where do children transfer to after Collis?
The majority of children transfer to Teddington School – this is a mixed comprehensive school for children 11 – 16. Waldegrave School for Girls also takes a number of our pupils. About 10% of our leavers move to the independent sector.
Security
What security systems are in place?
We take safety and security very seriously. Gates to the playground are closed during the school day. All visitors must enter through the front door and report to the school office. During school hours, visitors, helpers and contractors are required to sign the visitors’ book and wear a visitor sticker. This allows us to record who is on site for security and fire safety. During the school day, parents should come to the school office to collect a child or to drop off items that have been forgotten.
Starting School
What do I need to know when my child starts in Reception?
Every year, in June, we hold an evening meeting for new Reception parents. We give out a Reception Welcome Pack which includes detailed information about the new classes and an outline of our routines and expectations. A copy of the Starting School (I’ll email you this very soon Richard) booklet can be found on the school website.
Special Needs
How are children with special needs supported?
At Collis, our
aim is to meet the needs of all the children in our care, including those with
special educational needs. We are very proud of our excellent SEN provision and
through our programmes children make very good progress, both socially and
academically.
Children’s needs
are met in different ways depending on the particular need of the child
concerned. For example, children
may be taught in small groups for particular subjects or given individual
support. Specific programmes of
support are devised for the children to support their progress.
In line with the
legislated Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, teachers carefully
monitor and assess the children to enable them to identify special educational
needs and plan appropriate support. The school works in partnership with parents and carers, the local
authority and outside agencies to help children reach their full potential.
Parents of all children receiving support are consulted and kept fully
informed.
Sports
Which sports are available for the children?
At Collis, there is access to a wide range of different sports through the PE curriculum. As well as being taught games skills, children will have the opportunity at some point to play football, tag rugby, tennis, netball, hockey, rounders, cricket, athletics and other team games. We are also fortunate enough to have a swimming pool on site, which is used weekly by all classes in the second half of the summer term.
Do you play sports against other schools?
In
Years 5 and 6 children have the opportunity, if selected, to compete against
other schools in boys’ and girls’ football and netball. Collis
is entered in a league at the start of the year and fixtures are played until
March. There are also annual girls’ and boys’ football and netball tournaments.
Year
6 participate in the following Borough tournaments throughout the school
year: indoor athletics, cross country, swimming, cricket,
rounders and Borough Sports (athletics event).
In
Year 5, children can compete against other schools in cross country, swimming,
cricket and Borough Sports (athletics event) if selected.
In
Year 3 and 4, children have the opportunity, if selected, to compete against
other schools in swimming and Borough Sports (athletics event).
Uniform
What are the uniform requirements?
At Collis, we try to encourage a feeling of community amongst the children. One of the ways that we do this is by having a clear uniform policy, and by expecting all children to wear the correct uniform.
Collis uniform consists of black or grey shorts, trousers or skirts (not jeans or leggings), plus a red or blue Collis sweatshirt and/or polo shirt. In the summer girls can wear a red or navy gingham summer dress.
Further detailed information can be found here along with a uniform order form as school uniform can be purchased from school.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL ITEMS OF CLOTHING, SHOES AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS ARE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR CHILD'S NAME.
Visits
What educational visits do the children take part in?
There are many opportunities for children to take part in educational visits. At least once during the school year, year groups will plan a trip to support a particular curriculum area. Please refer to year group pages; Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6. and the scrapbook to find out which particular trip your child will be involved in.
Water Bottles
Can the children bring water bottles to school?
Children may bring a bottle of water to school to keep in the classroom and access when necessary. Please label bottles clearly with the child’s name and class. There is also access to water fountains should children not have a water bottle.
Email any questions which are not answered in these FAQs to the School Business Manager lbrodin@collis.richmond.sch.uk and we will endeavour to answer them for you and add them.
