Information from Mrs Driver

Welcome back! And welcome to our wonderful ‘new school!’ We are very excited by all that has happened over the summer and our refurbishment and our new school are amazing. It was always the case that certain areas of the work would not be finished, and this is still the case However, we continue to work with Willmott Dixon to ensure maximum security and safety whilst the hall, lifts and external works are completed.
There will be an opportunity for all parents to come into school to see all the work that has taken place. At the moment we are planning for Friday 30th September but the date and times will be confirmed in the next couple of weeks.
Clearly it is extremely important that we maintain site security. For that reason we are keeping with the practice established last year of parents of Year 1 – Year 6 pupils dropping them at the school gates and not coming into the playground. Reception children will have their own gate from the bottom playground and all other pupils will use the gates out into the lane.

We would also like to welcome our new pupils and their families into our school community. We hope you enjoy your time with us at William Ransom. 

Names on uniform!
At the beginning of a school year we always have a purge on names on uniform! Please ensure your child’s uniform and PE kit is named clearly. The first uniform shop of the year will be held on Monday 19th September 2016 at 3.25pm in the Dining Hall 

Dates
On Monday we will be sending home a list of known dates for this academic year. Please keep it handy. We make every endeavour not to change dates once they have been set, but there are times when this is inevitable, however we will try to give as much notice as possible.  

Absence
Please remember that we have been advised by County that we are to avoid granting permission for pupils to be absent during term time. The law is quite specific about this and allows for parents to apply for permission for their child to be absent, for UNAVOIDABLE reasons only. It is only the School that can authorise an absence. Attendance Inspection Officers visit all schools regularly to enquire about attendance and inspect registers and letters about absence. This happens once every half term. Therefore I would ask that all requests for absences are made in writing to me and if you are requesting an absence for longer than 2 days please make an appointment to see me so we can discuss the situation. Where possible, doctor and dentist appointments should be arranged for times outside the school day. All holidays should be taken during the official school closures. Could I also share with you that 3 absences every month equals a whole year missed over 5 years! 

Extra-curricular sport
Many of the extra-curricular sporting activities will start next week. Those that are run by outside agencies will also be starting. You will have been informed by Mr Sears that your child has a place and payment is now due. Please ensure these clubs are paid for before the sessions start.  

Music lessons
Music lessons from peripatetic teachers will also be starting next week. These lessons run for 33 weeks across the school year and parents are billed termly. If you have any questions about music lessons, don’t hesitate to come in and talk to Mrs Hopcraft.

Illness procedures
If your child is ill and unable to come to school:
– Please telephone school and leave a message on option 1 before 9.00am
– Alternatively you can email any information to the school office on admin@wransom.herts.sch.uk
– Please phone each day to keep us informed of their progress.
– Once your child returns to school please send a letter explaining their absence.
– In the case of long term absences we will assume the pupil will be off school unless you tell us otherwise.
– Any unexplained absences will be followed up with a phone call before 9.30am.  
All of these procedures are intended to keep your child safe, please help by keeping us informed.  I hope these arrangements are clear but if you do have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me. 

THE WILLIAM RANSOM PRIMARY SCHOOL, SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
September 2016 / July 2017
Every year we write a School Development Plan to highlight the areas of our work which we will be focussing on during the academic year and I thought you would be interested in knowing what some of our key priorities are for the coming year: To continue to monitor the progress of reading across the school and embed the new Bug Club online resource. To focus on the teaching of Maths to ensure there are plenty of opportunities for the application of knowledge and investigative skills. To monitor the introduction of 2 form entry in reception and evaluate the class structure as the year develops For all staff to make best use of the new facilities and to resource communal areas appropriately.  We will have information for you about the new Bug Club resource within the next few weeks.

NB There will be no crossing patrol for a week, starting tomorrow Thursday 8th September 2016.  

Please remember if you have any concerns about your child at school, do not hesitate to come in to see me. I look forward to seeing you in school in the very near future.  

Yours sincerely
Mary Driver