Before your child starts school, you will receive:

• A letter inviting you to an evening meeting in school, usually in June
• An information sheet for you to complete and return to school
• A letter detailing your child’s group and the times of the sessions your child is to attend.

At the meeting in school you will receive a presentation by the class teachers, your child will have the opportunity to talk to the teachers and the teaching assistants and to play in the Reception area.

The Church’s liturgical calendar is followed and your child is instructed for Confirmation, Reconciliation (their confession) and first Holy Communion in Year 3. Your active support and full co-operation is of invaluable assistance to the parish and the school in the preparation of your child before they can receive these sacraments. This preparation is organised by the parish, and you and your child are invited to attend meetings to discuss the preparation of the sacraments and services for the family. Every effort should be made to attend these meetings and services.

All of us (parents, school and parish) involved in the education of your child must work together to achieve success for each individual child. You are asked to sign a Home-School Contract before your child commences school, which contains the following criteria: –

We will:

1. Provide your child with the opportunity to learn about the faith of the Church, as part of a full education within a Catholic environment.
2. Implement the Sacramental Programme so that all children receive the sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.
3. Value each child as an individual in a well ordered, fair, just and caring environment.
4. Provide challenging programmes of teaching, guidance and a range of opportunities and support designed to enable pupils to achieve their full potential.
5. Teach the National Curriculum and publish details of our children’s SAT results at Year 6.
6. Set, mark and monitor homework which will consolidate, prepare for and/or practice work that is taking place in school.
7. Provide you with regular information about your child’s progress and performance.
8. Provide you with information about school activities through regular letters and our web site.
9. Inform you as early as possible about any problems or concerns affecting your child in his/her work, relationships or behaviour.

You will:

1. Make sure that your child attends school punctually, dressed in school uniform and properly equipped each day. School starts at 8.30 a.m.
2. Take a full and active part in the Sacramental Programme, come to mass at the weekend and support the class masses. (If this is appropriate to you).
3. Inform school, via phone, e-mail or letter on the first morning, when your child is absent and try not take any holidays during term time.
4. Support the school’s policies and guidelines for behaviour, discipline and dress.
5. Accept the school’s ethos and positive support to all staff.
6. Help your child to achieve his/her full potential.
   Attend parents’ day/evening and discussions about your child.
7. Inform school of any concerns or problems that might affect your child’s work or behaviour.

Together we will:

1. Try to live by and promote the teachings of our faith.
2. Support the children’s learning to help them achieve their best.
   Address any special needs.
3. Nurture capable and competent young people, who will take responsibility for their own actions, future, respect and care for other people and property and celebrate the achievements of all.

​​You have the right to contact the Chair of Governors, the LA or the Diocese, if you have a complaint about school.

Helping your child settle into school life.

 You can help your child look forward to school by removing the fear of the unknown. If they already go to nursery or pre-school the move up to ‘big school’ should be a bit easier, but in any case, knowing what to expect will help.

Always be positive and enthusiastic about all the fun things that will happen at school, use their teacher’s name (Miss Lawlor and Miss Crossley) so it feels familiar and talk about the new friends they’ll make. You’ll find plenty of books at your local library that bring the school day to life, and if your child likes sticker books and playing schools with their favourite teddies – go for it!

Equipping your children with some practical skills that will help them feel happy and confident about starting primary school is far more important than trying to get a head-start on academic performance.

Unless you particularly want to teach your child to read or write before they start school (and they want to learn), concentrate your efforts on getting a few basic skills in place. Encourage them to take an interest in the world around them, and to want to do things for themselves. It won’t be long before your child’s learning letters, numbers and words at school. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to support and praise them then.

At school, there are things children are expected to do for themselves that you may still help them with at home. Encourage them to do these things independently:

Get dressed

Encourage your child to get themselves dressed and undressed by putting on and taking off their daily clothes and pyjamas.  Encourage your child to do as much as they can but reassure them and help when they are struggling.

If your child goes to nursery or pre-school, they’ve probably already mastered putting on their coat. There are some interesting techniques including laying the coat on the floor, putting arms in and flipping it over the head – whatever works for your child. And when it comes to shoes, Velcro is easier!

Go to the toilet, wash and dry their hands

Make sure your child is happy going to the toilet on their own, their uniform is easy to pull down and up (or up and down), and they feel confident enough ask to go.

Don’t worry if they have the odd accident as they’re settling in.

Talk about how important it is to wash their hands really well after going to the toilet. Try covering their hands with paint (the germs) and getting them to practise washing it all off.

Eat with others and use cutlery

All children in England and Wales are entitled to a free school lunch when they start primary school. If your child will be having a hot lunch, involve your child when choosing what they’d like beforehand so that they are prepared. If they’re having packed lunch, make sure they can open cartons and packets and unwrap a sandwich without help.  We recommend a healthy school dinner and juices/fizzy drinks are not allowed.  We would also recommend not over filling your child’s lunch bag – you can always add to it as your child becomes familiar with eating dinner in the dinner hall.

Lunchtime usually lasts around half an hour, so get them used to sitting at the table without getting up and down and using cutlery to eat their food – it will be expected of them at school.

You may want your child to be able to read and write a little before they start school. That’s fine if it’s what you want and your child is keen to get started, but it’s definitely not a requirement. However, there are a few things you can do that will help on a practical level, and encourage your child to enjoy learning:

Help them recognise their name

It’s helpful if your child can recognise their name written down (you can practise this when you’re labelling all their stuff!). But really don’t worry if they can’t, teachers often put a picture or photo by each child’s name on their pegs and trays to make it easier for them.

Read to them

Research tells us that reading to your child is the most important way you can support your child’s early learning. So make time for bedtime stories and sing lots and lots of nursery rhymes.

Get them used to letters and numbers

This doesn’t need to be anything more than recognising a few familiar letters of the alphabet and numbers up to 10 or 20. There are loads of really colourful and fun alphabet and counting books available – charity shops are great places to pick these up. Choose a few and you’ll soon find a favourite.

With the exception of their first initial, please remember to use lower case letters when writing their name (a, b, c rather than A, B, C).  Children will learn capitals (the names of the sounds) later into the Reception year.

Over the years much has been written about how children learn to read. Different methods have claimed to have the answer. We feel that there is no one way, what is right for one child may not suit another, and we must view each child as an individual with individual needs.

At First

• Spend a little time looking through the book discussing what some of the pictures show.
• Make sure the child can see the print and pictures.
• Point to the words as your read them (use the pictures as well).
• Allow time for discussion before you turn over. A valuable question is “What do you think will happen next?”
• Let the child ‘read’ the story to you afterwards – even if this means reciting by heart or making the story up from the pictures. This is a very important stage. Children learn to behave like readers by these activities, so praise all their attempts.
• Do not force participation – if the child is tired, read to them or choose another time.
• If your child likes a particular story s/he may want to hear it over and over again. This should be encouraged (if you can stand it!). It may be that a well-loved story is the first one your child learns to read independently.

Later on

As your child gains confidence, you should ask your child “Are you going to read this to me, or should we read it together?” If your child would like to try then let him or her do as much as possible, being ready to help if your child asks you to.

If your child doesn’t know a word, try the following: –

• Re-read the phrase or sentence leading up to the word then stop and ask what it might be.
• Read on after the unknown word and see if the child can guess.
• Look at the illustration, which may give a clue.
• Look at the first letter or sound of the word.
• If they are still struggling – tell them!

It is important that your child becomes confident about his/her ability to read, so please do not apply pressure. Never make comparisons with the progress of other children. Children learn to read at different rates.

Reading Record – The teachers will record your child’s progress in his/her reading record book. This book is then passed onto the next years’ teacher and is kept throughout your child’s time in the Infant Classes. A new reading record book is given to your child when s/he enters Key Stage 2 in Year 3.

Top tips for Reading: Reading At Home

What is meant by phonics?

What do teachers mean when they talk about teaching phonics? They generally mean drawing children’s attention to the relationship between single, printed or written letters or groups of letters, and the spoken sounds which the letters usually represent. Thus children are taught that the letter “P” for example, is usually sounded as in ‘pig’ or ‘pen’. If you can play games with your child to emphasise the initial letter sounds e.g. ‘I spy’; this is an enjoyable way for your child to learn.

The way that we teach Literacy (reading and writing) and Numeracy (maths) will be discussed at the meeting held in October.

We have a very active PTA at St. Vincent’s. New members are always welcome. Keep an eye on the school website PTA page with details of the next meeting and do please try to come along and join in the fun!

Meetings are usually held on Tuesdays, during term time, at 6.00pm in the school Staff Room. Anyone interested in being a member should contact the PTA Chair for further details.

To view our dedicated page, click here.

Session Times

8.30 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. and 1.00 p.m. – 3.10 p.m.
Your child will be in Year R and in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Class Organisation

At present children of the same age are taught most subjects together. The children are taught the curriculum by a variety of methods which involves teaching the children individually, in groups, in ability groups and as a whole class.

Please find below a link to a really useful website ‘Hungry Little Minds’ which provides simple fun ideas and activities to support children from birth to 5 years old. Here you will also find appropriate apps and websites for your child to use as well as a link to local activities/clubs for children to partake in.

https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/

https://www.ourrochdale.org.uk/kb5/rochdale/directory/family.page?newfamilychannel=5

Bottles

Dummy Use

Saying Sounds

Tips For Talking

Turn Taking

Technology