Welcome back to most of our families and welcome to Galley Hill for those of you joining us this September. We very much hope that you all had an enjoyable and restful summer break. It was such a delight to welcome the children back this week, to see how excited they were to be back with their friends and to see how smart they looked in their school uniforms.
During our first assembly on Thursday, I shared a story called ‘The Perfect Fit’. Within it, Triangle was searching for his perfect friends, eventually deciding that the perfect situation was when all the shapes, despite their differences, came together. We concluded that this was just like our Galley Hill community coming together. We are very much looking forward to another successful academic year.
Staff News
We are absolutely delighted to have welcomed Mr Joyce to our staff team as our new Sports Apprentice. He will be working with classes, groups and individuals as well as supporting our after school sports clubs and developing sporting opportunities at lunch time. We are sure the children will all enjoy working with him.
Unfortunately, the student teacher, Mrs Gilmartin, who was due to train with us this year in 2 Diamond, has had to withdraw from her course due to a change in personal circumstances and will not now be joining us at Galley Hill. We wish her well for the future.
Communicating with Staff
As a school, we believe strongly that our children will make the most progress socially, emotionally and academically, if we work in partnership with you as their parents. We are always committed to communicating with you about your child. After school, you can usually catch your child’s class teacher for a chat. We do ask that you first wait for them to dismiss the rest of the children so we can ensure they get to the correct adults. Quick messages can be passed to staff on the door in the morning however teaching does start at 8:45am each day so teachers need to be in classrooms from that time. Similarly, members of the school’s senior leadership time are on both playgrounds before and after school each day for quick conversations if needed.
For more detailed conversations or to request a meeting with a member of staff, you should contact the school office either in person, on the telephone or by emailing admin@galleyhill.herts.sch.uk with FAO and the staff members name in the subject line. Please be aware that teachers are not in front of their computers all day and it can take up to three school days for an email reply.
Please remember that your first point of contact for any concern relating to your child should be the class teacher. If you have already worked with them and feel something needs to go further, you should next contact the Phase Leader:
Early Years (Nursery and Reception) – Mrs Oakley
Key Stage One (Years 1 and 2) – Mrs Reynolds
Lower Key Stage Two (Years 3 and 4) – Miss Featherstone
Upper Key Stage Two (Years 5 and 6) – Mrs Spooner
It is only once these avenues have been exhausted that an issue needs to be escalated to the Head (Mrs Birch), the Deputy (Mrs Reynolds) or the Assistant Head (Mrs Jackson).
Attendance
As we regularly communicate, absence from school has a considerable impact on pupil progress. While we understand that all children get poorly sometimes, we would encourage you to think carefully about keeping your child absent from school for any other reason. ‘Good’ attendance would be over 96%. When attendance drops below 90%, this becomes a concern and the child is considered a ‘persistent absentee’. If your child’s attendance is looking like it may drop, or has dropped, below 90%, we are likely to contact you in order to see if we can support in any way.
Just a gentle reminder that the national guidance on absence takes a firm view on unauthorised absence and that parents can be fined if a child has 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence within a ten week period. Our Attendance Policy includes the following list of what is considered unauthorised absence (although this is not exhaustive):
· parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily e.g. because they had a late night or for non-infectious illness or injury that would not affect their ability to learn.
· absences which have never been properly explained.
· children who arrive at school after the close of registration are marked using a ‘U’. This indicates that they are in school for safeguarding purposes, however, is counted as an absence for the session.
· shopping trips.
· looking after other children or children accompanying siblings or parents to medical appointments.
· their own or family birthdays.
· holidays taken during term time, not deemed ‘for exceptional purposes’ by the headteacher, including any arranged by other family members or
friends.
· day trips.
· other leave of absence in term time which has not been agreed.
Term dates for the coming years are published on our website so please check carefully, and encourage family members to do the same, before booking holidays.
