Section 1.1 updated 23.5.08
School Regulations
1.1.1 To and From School
Pupils are expected to behave with courtesy and consideration to any adult, especially members of the public, and to each other, at all times. Children should be encouraged to enter and leave School in a quiet and orderly fashion.
Many children are allowed to run into School by their parents. This will naturally lead to accidents and is then quite an upsetting start to the day. Children are encouraged to walk at all times in the confines of the School and it is one of our basic School Rules.

Children should not be allowed to eat when entering or leaving School and also during the journey to and from School.
Parents are requested to park safely according to the following:-
  • Stop on the correct side of the road
  • Do not obstruct neighbour’s drives
  • Do not stop longer than is necessary

Parents are encouraged to use the side walkway leading to the Adare Centre. Parking is normally available off Leigham Court Road but not in the roads inside the estate. These are private roads controlled by the estate managers.

1.1.2 Uniforms, Haircuts and Hairstyles
  • Full School Uniform must be worn at all times except in the case of approved School Visits where a special dispensation has been given.
  • All clothing must be clearly and indelibly marked with the owners name preferably using Cash’s name tape.
  • Jewellery and badges (except those issued by the School) are not allowed.
  • Girls with pierced ears may only wear stud earrings.
  • Girls with long hair must always wear it tied back and off the face.
  • Boys must have a conventional short haircut (no patterns or embellishments).
  • All pupils are required to have an Art Overall or similar protective clothing to be worn during art and craft lessons.
  • Children in the Nursery class should have a complete change of clothing available in School in case of accidents. Note that this is not to be the same as School uniform.
  • A Uniform List is available as a separate document and in the Appendix

    Larger earrings and free flowing hair are regarded as a safety risk. Unsuitable earrings or jewellery will be removed by staff at their discretion and returned to parents at the end of the School day. Boys with incorrect haircuts will be asked to stay away from School until hair styles have grown out.
1.1.3 Registration
Registration of children occurs at 0900 and 1300 each day.
No excuses can be accepted for a child being late and please do not telephone the School saying that you are going to be late.The registration time may be delayed at the discretion of the headteacher, if there is bad weather or other reasons for all children being late. Children that are late because they are out receiving treatment, usually of a medical nature are marked as ‘late due to treatment’ and this is not counted as a late registration. All absences are classified as authorised or unauthorised (see below).

1.1.4 Attendance
Regular and punctual attendance is essential for progress in learning. If pupils are likely to be absent for more than 2 days, parents are requested to inform the School either by telephone or in writing.

Please do not telephone the School on the first day of absence.

If a child is absent without notification for more than 10 days, it is assumed that the child is off role. The Educational Social worker may well be informed under such circumstances.

All absences must be explained by a letter sent to the School after the child has returned. If no explanation is received then the absence is marked as ‘unauthorised’. The final totals of absences are given in the full end of term reports.

The School cannot condone absences in term time for holidays. Any parents requesting leave of absence are requested to contact the Headmistress.

The School has first claim on a pupils’ time and interest in term time, including week ends. The latter applies in particular to attendance of Prize Giving Ceremonies held towards the end of each academic year, team games and drama productions.

Schools are bound by the strict procedures laid down by the DfEE. See the later sections on Arriving at School and Dealing with Punctuality problems. Late children may be barred from classes if a test or assessment has started.
Advance notification in writing of a child being late due to a medical appointment is required.

1.1.5 General Regulations
It is expected that all pupils in the primary school will remain at the School until the age of 11, if their conduct and work is satisfactory. Some pupils will leave at the age of 10 if they are able to pass the entrance examinations to the secondary schools a year early. Entrance to independent secondary schools is by examination and interview

Fees are due in the first week of term. Parents are able to pay by instalments, half of the fees are due in the first week of term and the second instalment in the first week after the half term. Payment by monthly standing order is available at the discretion of the school. See the handbook, section 5.1 for full details.

Parents are requested to give a full term’s notice of withdrawal of a child. Failure to do this will result in one term’s fees being charged in lieu.

The acceptance of a place at Beechwood School implies acceptance of all the School’s Rules, and Terms and Conditions as set out in the Acceptance Form signed during the admission procedure.

The School reserves the right to implement changes to the School Rules and Regulations without notice.

1.1.6 Property
Money and articles of value must not be brought into School by children unless this is for a special payment (NOT FEES). In this case it must be sent into School in a clearly marked envelope stating what the payment is for and the name of the child. The School cannot accept responsibility for damage or loss to any property brought into School.
All children must have their own pencil cases with a good supply of all essential equipment. There must be no borrowing of equipment from any other child in the class.

1.1.7 Homework
Homework is set on a regular basis, usually each night, and, except where stated, is expected to be completed for the following day.
Homework is set first of all to reinforce the day’s work. As such, except in the case of special projects, no new work is set for homework. Often it will be the continuation of work set in class.

  • Parents are expected to provide a suitable home environment and support for children to do their best at home.
  • Guidelines are available indicating the amount of time that should be spent on homework and generally this should not be exceeded unless the child is keen to do more.
  • Parents should supervise and monitor homework at all times and, where appropriate, make sure any available documentation is signed on completion of work.
  • Do not use undue pressure to get homework to be finished, it should not be a chore for the child to complete. Any difficulties experienced due to incomplete homework should be communicated immediately to the School in writing for the next school day.
    If this is not done, normal excuses for incomplete homework will not be accepted and punitive action may be taken by the class teacher.
Communication with the School on the subject of homework difficulties is crucial. Please do not ignore any problems your child may be having, let the School know without delay. Many children experience difficulties with some areas of the core curriculum, Mathematics and English in particular, and we need to address these problems with parents at the earliest opportunity.


1.1.8 The School Environment
There are a number of basic day to day School Rules that parents should be aware of.
  • Children are expected to move around the School in a quiet and orderly fashion. No running is allowed in School. Children are expected to keep to the left at all times.
  • Eating is only allowed in designated places and at designated times. Normally this is at lunch times in the dining area. Children attending After School Care or after school activities may only eat or drink snacks in the dining area.
  • Children should not be in classrooms unattended during break times or after school. Parents are requested not to enter School unattended at any time.
  • All external doors must be kept locked at all times except when in use.
Parents please note that children are not allowed to re-enter classrooms unattended after dismissal. See the later section on Security and Access.


1.1.9 Games, PE and Swimming
Games, PE and Swimming are essential parts of the curriculum in the same way as Mathematics or English. These subjects can only be excused on medical grounds with a letter from your GP.

1.1.10 Health and Safety
Parents are requested to contribute to Health and Safety requirements by observing the following.
  • Children should not bring in to school such items as knives, blades, any other sharp objects used as tools, matches, lighters, medicines and tablets.    Some children get an early interest in DIY and occasionally turn up at School with all kinds of ‘tools’. Lighters and matches are a typical but infrequent problem.
  • Plastic bags that may lead to suffocation are not allowed in School into the main classroom areas.
  • Glass bottles or other glass objects are not allowed in School. Drinks must be in plastic or cardboard containers.
  • Cars are not allowed on to the site during the delivery and collection of children except after 1630.
  • Children must be accompanied on to the site during admission and collection unless they travel to and from School alone. We must be notified if children do travel to and from school alone as there are special procedures in place for these children. Refrain from running at any time within the School site.
  • Always open doors carefully, there may be a small child on the other side of a door that cannot be seen.
  • Sweets and gum are not allowed into School. Packed lunches must not contain nuts or nut products or sweets.
  • There is an automatic fire alarm system in the School. If the fire alarm is raised, leave the premises immediately by the nearest exit and assemble with the rest of the School with your child’s class.
  • Beechwood School has a ‘no smoking’ policy at all times.

1.1.11 Sanctions and Rewards
Sanctions
The School disciplinary policy is as follows. There is a broad classification of discipline problems into two types. The ‘more serious problems’ covered in the second part of this section are immediately recognisable as such and demand stronger action immediately.

This first category may start as less serious problems, probably indicating the wrong attitude to discipline, but ultimately may attract more serious action on the part of the School if matters do not improve.
Typical problems are minor disruption of a class, being mildly disrespectful to others, boisterous behaviour, insufficient effort, regular talking in class, poor homework.

Stage 1.
Single day to day problems of a minor nature are dealt with immediately by the class teacher with no further action usually being necessary.

Stage 2.
Persistent discipline problems or a single more serious misdemeanour are referred to senior staff and a suitable course of action is taken. Usually a second chance is given to ‘first offenders’ at this point.

Stage 3.
A further offence after stage 2 will result in the issuing of a report card. This is a record of a child’s behaviour during each lesson. It is completed by each member of staff at the end of each lesson and is presented to the Head Teacher at the end of each day for inspection. Parents are also requested to inspect the card, add their comments if desired and sign it each evening.
Report Cards may also be used to help organise children known to try to avoid doing homework by ‘forgetting’ books and homework diaries and similar essentials. This will be outside of the above stages of action.
The card is withdrawn after an agreed period of good behaviour. Parents will be asked to see staff at any time during stages 1 to 3 at the discretion of Senior Staff.

More Serious Unacceptable Behaviour
This category of problems includes bad language, use of force, disrespect to others and major disruption in classes.

Bad language and the use of violence has no place at Beechwood School. No excuses are accepted for the use of bad language despite the fact that it may have been copied from other relatives, or friends or unacceptable exposure to the media and may well not be understood by the child.
This is considered to be a very serious offence and will attract an immediate response from staff.
Parents are requested to monitor very carefully their child’s environment and their possible exposure to ‘adult videos’ and other material. Check carefully when they are left in the care of older adolescents and friends. Schools have a duty towards all aspects of the welfare of children in their care and this is an area that we monitor constantly.

Depending on the seriousness of the incident, a suspension may occur for a period of 1 to 5 days. Parents will be asked to remove the child from the School immediately if this occurs.
Less serious incidents not requiring immediate suspension will go through the following stages. Parents will be informed in writing at each stage and again interviews with parents will occur at the discretion of the Head Teacher.

Stage 1.
One off incidents attract a strong warning from Senior Staff depending on the seriousness of the offence. Usually the incident is left at that. Often a written apology from the child involved will suffice.

Stage 2.
A repeated similar offence will lead to a final warning being given to the pupil that if a similar offence occurs in the near future then an automatic suspension will occur.

Stage 3.
A repeated incident will lead to suspension for a period of 1 to 5 days.

School Visits and Trips
Children may be banned from taking part in School visits or trips at the discretion of the senior staff. This is not normally due to one offence but results from an on going lack of co-operation from a pupil.
Parents will usually be informed through the stages that may lead to this kind of sanction.

Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory Marks
These are awarded on a daily basis for such considerations as work, behaviour and attitude. They are totalled and the accumulated details are used in House competitions.
House Masters may award prizes for excellent achievement in this area.

Report Cards
These are used as a means of achieving daily guaranteed communication with parents. Usually this is to correct a particular problem but it may not always be related to discipline problems or other sanctions.
Report cards are completed at the end of each lesson and are usually used to check a pupils behaviour and attitude. They are checked by a senior member of staff before dismissal and parents are asked to also monitor progress and sign off the report daily.

Rewards
Pupils who work hard or try their best, behave well or who contribute to the ethos and values of the School in any exceptional way deserve to be recognised and rewarded. This may be in the form of:-
  • Written praise
  • Satisfactory marks
  • Commendations and commendation certificates and stickers leading to commendation awards.
  • Pupil of the Month Awards
  • Prizes and certificates at Prize Giving

The School will advertise pupil’s achievements in displays around the School, in the Newsletter or in the local and national news media as appropriate.

1.1.12 Child Protection
The Local Authority’s procedures give clear instructions to Schools to inform them immediately any allegations or evidence of abuse. Parents or carers are informed as soon as possible afterwards if required by the authorities.

1.1.13 Changes to the Rules
The School reserves the right to change any School Rules or Terms and Conditions on entry to the School without notice. Our normal policy however is to give at least a terms notice of any major changes.
This includes increases in fees and changes to the way fees are paid. Minor changes to this document will be issued immediately after they have been prepared.
Last Updated 2008-05-23