   
Admission to School
The responsibility for admitting children to Moira Infant School remains with Leicestershire County Council Education Authority. Parents living within the school catchment area that wish to register their child’s name for admission, are invited to contact the School office and we will be able to issue the necessary application form. This form is sent to the Allocations Department at County Hall and parents can then expect a letter from the LEA confirming the date that their child will be able to start school. Parents of children who live outside the school’s catchment area will be dealt with in a similar way.
Children whose birthdays are from 1 September to the 30th August will commence full time education at the start of the academic Year (30th August).
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Pre-admission Visits
Children are invited to attend several Wednesday afternoon sessions in the term prior to their admission to School. This helps them to prepare for school.
A meeting is also arranged for parents of children due to start, enabling them to meet staff, look around the school and ask any questions. At this meeting we will also talk about ways in which you can help your children during their time here at Moira Infant School.
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Visiting School
Schools, by their very nature, are open institutions but this very openness can, on rare occasions, pose a danger to the children in them. In the light of this, the back gate is locked between 9.10am and 3.00pm. We invite you to use the front entrance. When you arrive you will find a security lock in place, please ring the bell and wait for attention.
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When can I visit?
Prospective parents and their children are assured of a warm welcome whenever they visit the School. As the Head Teacher, Mrs Bird, also teaches, it would be helpful if you could make an appointment if you wish to speak to him. Please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or problems. All the staff are available before and after school.
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Class Organisation
At present we have three classes, the Reception Class, Year One and a Year Two class. The classes are arranged in chronological age groups, but they may be taught as a whole class or divided into ability groups or have individual attention according to their needs.
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The School Day
Morning: 8.55 am - 12.00 noon Afternoon: 1.10 pm - 3.10 pm
These times include a morning break and a daily Assembly.
Children are supervised on the playground from 8.45 a.m. by a teacher, therefore, it is important that children do not arrive at School before this time unless by prior arrangement. We are trying to encourage independence within the children and therefore ask them not to bring bags or money into school before 9.00 a.m. If weather conditions are extreme then the children will be supervised inside the School building again from 8.45 a.m.
There is a bus organised by Leicestershire County Council which transports children from the Donisthorpe Lane area and along Ashby Road to School. We ask all children, with the exception of bus children, to enter and leave the School by the side gate in Hazel Grove. Parents who come in cars to collect their children are asked not to use the staff car park and to park along the main road and walk to school.
Children are not allowed to go home on their own. The school request written notification if you wish your child to go home alone.
If a friend or other family member is to collect your child from school, please let the school know in advance.
If you are going to be late collecting your child at the end of the day, perhaps because of an emergency or heavy traffic then don’t worry they will be well looked after. However, a phone call to let us know would be much appreciated. Top Return to Home Home time: What do I do if I have children attending two different schools? At Moira Infants we know that a lot of our children have older siblings attending Donisthorpe Primary for their junior education. We know this can be a worry for some parents as they travel from Donisthorpe to Moira at 3.10pm. Please be assured that this is a situation we are very aware of; we will always keep your child safe until you arrive at school to collect them. Top Return to Home
What do I do if my child is absent?
The Government requires us to keep details of the attendance of each child. The School requires a note or a phone call if your child is absent for any reason. If your child is absent from school for a period exceeding 10 days and for sporadic periods of time the Education Welfare Officer will be informed. If you are planning to take a holiday during term time then a form has to be completed. This is available from the School Office. Leave of absence for this purpose will be classified as an "authorised absence" providing that no more than 10 days are requested in an Academic Year. However, we urge parents not to take children away from School during term time.
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Parents in School
Parents are invited to help with a wide range of activities, such as reading, cookery, craft, swimming and visits. An extra pair of hands is always welcome!
Formal meetings between class teacher and parents are organised during each school year. A detailed written report showing your child's progress is prepared during the Summer Term and you are given an opportunity to discuss it with the class teacher. For children in Year Two, the Report also incorporates details of Key Stage Statutory Assessments - SATs.
We try to be as honest with you as possible and if at any stage the teacher is concerned about the welfare or progress of your child, then rest assured, we will contact you. Equally, if parents have any worries, it is important that they feel confident in speaking to the Staff.
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Parents & Friends Association (PFA)
Moira Infant School PFA is all about fun, friendship and fundraising! It is a very active group which plays a vital role in forging links between home and school as well as fund raising. They organise a number of events throughout the year some of which raise money to help the school provide extra facilities for the children.
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Extra Curricular Activities
We try to provide the children with a range of opportunities for learning outside the scope of the normal school day. Here are a few examples:
 | A weekly recorder club for children in Year 1 & Year 2 | | Art Club | | Gardening Club (Autumn and Spring terms) | | Cross country club - running races against other local schools (Autumn and Spring terms) | | Visiting Theatre groups. | | Outside speakers e.g. road & fire safety, RSPCA inspectors. | | A Year 2 Residential Visit to Sherwood Forest Youth Hostel. | | A French club for children in Year 2 |
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Lunch Arrangements
 At lunchtimes children can have either a cooked meal or bring their own sandwiches. The cooked meals are transported each day from Ashby Hill Top School.
Children of parents in receipt of Income Support are entitled to free school meals and free milk. Claim forms are available in School.
Wherever possible, dinner money is collected on Monday mornings and the cost of a meal is £1.70p per day. It is really helpful if money is placed in a clearly marked envelope. Cheques should be made payable to Leicestershire County Council or LCC.
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Milk
There is an opportunity for your child to have a third-pint carton of milk each day. It is free up until their 5th birthday, otherwise it is 14p per day. A letter will be send to every child each term asking if they would like milk the following term. Again cheques should be made payable to Leicestershire County Council or LCC. Top Return to Home
Mid-morning snack
The children receive a free piece of fruit each day as we are hoping to achieve the 'Healthy Schools' award during the next two years.
Accidents and Illness
If a child is ill or has an accident, then we will notify parents as soon as possible. In the unlikely case of the School not being able to contact you, then we have to take such action as we feel is appropriate. This is why we ask you to provide telephone numbers in case of any emergency. Please update them as necessary, especially mobile numbers that change regularly.
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Medicines
Children who are acutely ill and who require a short course of medication e.g. antibiotics will normally remain at home until the course is finished. If it felt by a medical practitioner that your child is fit enough to return to school, the dosage can usually be adjusted so that none is required at lunchtime. If, however, this is not possible a member of staff can administer prescribed medication with written consent. This does not include Calpol or over the counter products. Medicine Rules: Parents / guardians must take responsibility to update the school of any changes in administration for routine or emergency medication and maintain an in-date supply of the medication. All medication must be clearly labelled with the child’s name, route, dose, frequency and name of medication being given. Inhalers: If your child requires an inhaler one must be kept at school, and can be administrated by the user of the inhaler. Prescribed medicines can be administered in school time. If medicines are to be given in school, parents will be asked to sign a consent form giving details of dosage and time. The medicines can be stored if necessary within cold storage. Staff will do all that they can to help children but responsibility for informing the teachers of the need for a medicine to be administered rests with the parent. We can only give prescribed medicines (i.e. no Calpol etc)
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Child Protection
The school has a responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of the children entrusted to its care. We work closely with other agencies, Fosse Health, the Educational Welfare Service, the Social Services and the Police, who all share our commitment to protecting children. Occasionally this means that we may need to consult with them about any concerns that we have about the safety of individual children without prior reference to the parents. This procedure is in line with DfEE guidelines and the Child Protection Procedures produced by Leicestershire. The Head Teacher will be pleased to give you more details about these procedures if the need arises.
Top Return to Home Head Lice Head lice are always prevalent in schools. In fact 10% of children at any one time can have head lice. This, although an interesting fact, doesn’t actually help parents to deal with the issue. As a school, our policy is in line with the guidance we have received from our school nurse; if we see live lice in a child’s hair to the extent that it is causing discomfort to the child, we will contact you and ask you to take your child out off school and treat their hair. However, this is in exceptional circumstances and as a rule, we do not expect children to be kept off school for the treatment of head lice. As you will appreciate, this could result in a child being off school for longer periods of time than actually attending school. Top Return to Home Good Behaviour and Discipline
Discipline is a long-term process and begins at home. Parents expect their children to follow simple rules for their own safety. At School, it is important that children understand what is expected of them. We have standards of care, respect and tolerance that we share with the children. We expect them to be polite, courteous and considerate.
Self-discipline is encouraged and school rules are kept to a minimum and are intended to encourage good behaviour.
Deliberate or disruptive behaviour may mean consultation between the parents and staff. The school encourages positive behaviour. Any incidents of bullying will be dealt with immediately.
The School has produced a Home-School Agreement that explains the aims and values of the School. It also spells out the responsibilities of the school, the parents and the children and will help to promote the important partnership between the home and the school.
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The School Curriculum
It is our aim to provide a happy, stimulating environment where each child feels valued, respected and confident to accept challenges. Every child is unique and we try to give each one an equal opportunity to fulfil his or her potential. We aim to provide a rich and varied curriculum.
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The Foundation Stage
The children in the Reception Class have their own exciting Early Years curriculum that covers six areas of learning and is ideally suited to the needs of young children. It is based on play and “hands-on” experience and prepares children for the National Curriculum that begins in Year One.
The six areas of learning are:
| PERSONAL, SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
This teaches the children to be self confident, take an interest in things, know what their own needs are, tell the difference between right and wrong and how to dress and undress. |
| COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE & LITERACY
This encourages the children to talk confidently and clearly, enjoy stories, songs and poems, hear and say sounds and link them to the alphabet. They will also read and write some familiar words and learn how to use a pencil. |
| MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
The children will develop an understanding of Maths through stories, games and imaginative play. They will become familiar and comfortable with numbers and with ideas such as “heavier/lighter than” and “bigger/smaller”. They will also be taught about shape and space. |
| KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
Here the children explore and find out about the world around them. We encourage them to ask lots of questions. They will build with different materials, know about everyday technology and learn what it is used for. They will find out about past events in their lives and their families’ lives. They will also investigate and explore different cultures and beliefs. |
| PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
The children will learn to move confidently, controlling their body and handling equipment. |
| CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
The children will explore colours and shapes through dance, making things, telling stories and making music. |
Our Foundation Stage class now has a secure and exciting, new outdoor learning area where the children can enjoy a number of activities all carefully planned to cover the aspects of learning mentioned above. Top Return to Home 
The National Curriculum
The National curriculum at Key Stage 1 consists of:
Top Return to Home English The National Literacy Strategy was introduced in September 1998 and it provides a structured basis to the teaching of English. Children are encouraged to listen attentively to others and to talk about their feelings, ideas and experiences. They also write clearly and fluently and then learn to evaluate their work. They write in many styles. For example, they write signs, labels, instructions, recipes, stories as well as factual accounts.
This school has always been committed to helping our children to acquire basic reading skills and indeed to become fluent readers. We want children to enjoy reading both for pleasure and for information.
The Literacy Strategy puts great emphasis on reading. The children will be reading in groups in the lesson and will also read individually. They will often bring reading books home and parents can encourage the children by sharing a book with them. With the book is a reading diary, which we ask you to sign to confirm that your child has shared a book with you. Top Return to Home  
Mathematics
Mathematics is an integral part of the educational development of the children here at Moira. The daily Maths lesson provides opportunities for children to practise and consolidate their skills and knowledge, to develop and extend their techniques and strategies and to prepare them for their future learning. Emphasis is also placed on mental and oral activities as well as the writing down of “sums”.
Children develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in the following areas:
| Number | | Shape, Space and Measures | | Using & Applying Mathematics |
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Science is usually explored as part of a topic. We plan to help the children to develop knowledge and understanding in using scientific methods of investigation and recording. The children will gain skills in observing, asking questions, measuring, testing and predicting results.
Science in Key Stage One covers the following areas:
| Scientific Enquiry | | Life Processes and Living Things | | Materials and their Properties | | Physical Processes |
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Information & Communication Technology
Information and Communication Technology covers the handling and processing of information using electronic devices. Children of all ages have the opportunity to develop their skills within ICT by having a wide range of experiences using computers, programmable robots and cars, colour printers and digital cameras.
The children are always supervised when using the Internet and e-mail.
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Religious Education
Moira is a non-denominational School and Religious Education is seen as an important part of the development of our children. We use the brand new Leicestershire Agreed Syllabus, which reflects the multi-cultural society in which we live.
As a parent, you have the right to withdraw your child from Religious Education if you so choose.
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Collective Worship
The School meets for a daily act of worship that is of a mainly Christian nature. Our themes include ourselves, the world around us, relationships and religious stories linked with festivals and traditions. The assemblies are usually led by the staff, but sometimes we invite local clergymen and other visitors into school. As a parent you have the right to withdraw your child from collective worship if you so choose.
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Non Core Subjects
History, Geography, Art and Design Technology
Many of these will be planned as part of a topic, which may last for several weeks and therefore gives the children a good introduction to these subjects.
In Art and Design and Technology the children experiment with a variety of materials. They communicate their feelings based on what they can imagine, remember or observe. They look at certain paintings by famous artists and develop an awareness of beauty.
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Physical Education
We are concerned with the physical and mental development of our children. Activities include dance, gymnastics and games. Swimming is offered to Years One and Two children in the Autumn and Spring terms and the children are taken to Ashby Leisure Centre for these lessons. In the Summer term, we are able to encourage the children to take part in a range of team games and our Annual Sports Day is one of the highlights of the School Year.
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Personal, Social and Health Education
Our children grow up in an increasingly complex and threatening environment. One of our aims is to give the children the knowledge and skills to make sensible decisions in life, and to learn emotional and social intelligence.
The School provides a secure environment and helps the children to take responsibility for their actions. They learn to respect each other’s property and learn to resolve issues in a non-violent way. Bullying and name calling are actively discouraged and a policy of non-retaliation is practised at all times. Children have the right to individuality, respect, dignity and freedom from discrimination, such as racism and sexism.
We are currently developing a scheme of work for PSHE which addresses children’s physical, emotional, moral and spiritual development. It will also help prepare them to play a part in society and community life.
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Music
Music plays an important part in the life of Moira Infants. It is considered a vital part of the children’s development and our aim is to make music fun and enjoyable. Each child will develop musical skills whilst actively participating in composing, performing and appraising music.
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Homework
In April 1998, the DfES drew up a set of guidelines for Homework. The recommended time allocation for the Reception Class is 10 minutes reading and 10 minutes for other activities.
For Year One and Two the time allocation increases to 20 minutes reading and 10 minutes for other activities.
Our Home-School Agreement contains the phrase:-
“I will try to help my child with reading or other activities which he / she is given and sign the reading record”.
Please encourage your child to complete the tasks, which we set for them.
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The Governors have drawn up a Policy on Health and Sex Education. This forms part of our Personal, Social and Health Education programme and we deal with issues which are appropriate to the children's age.
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Special Educational Needs
Our aim is to help all children to reach their full potential. Some of our children are gifted and need to be extended beyond the normal curriculum. Other children may be immature or have learning difficulties. When they start school, all children are assessed using several baseline assessments – and their progress is carefully monitored. If children need additional expertise then outside agencies and services may be contacted, but we do actively involve the parents at all stages.
There is a Code of Practice drawn up for identifying and helping children with any learning difficulties. Any children with a specific or general need will be registered on one of three stages, these are:
| School action | | School action plus | | Statement |
An Individual Educational Plan is drawn up for each pupil and progress is reviewed regularly. This plan (I.E.P.) will describe the learning need together with the action that is suggested. This will include details of extra support needed, any outside specialist needed (e.g. speech therapist) and specific reference to programme, activities, materials and equipment to be used. Also specific and realistic targets will be set and a timescale within which we expect these targets to be met.
Both the staff and all the ancillary staff are well trained in helping our children to make good progress.
The School also recognises the needs of the more able children. They need to develop their full potential and so the Curriculum is differentiated so that these children are challenged and feel fulfilled.
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More Able Pupils
At Moira Infant School we identify more able children and provide for their needs by extending their learning in all subjects so that they can reach their full potential.
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Statement on Equal Opportunities and Anti-Racism
The Governors and teachers are totally opposed to racism and discrimination and will continue to work to overcome intolerance and prejudice. We want the children to treat everyone fairly and to develop attitudes appropriate to living in a multi-cultural society. This is fostered by including Multi-Cultural Education within our curriculum.
The school wants to provide a suitable curriculum and an accessible environment for all children, adults and staff including those with disabilities. We will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995.
We want to welcome everyone into our school community and therefore invite parents and visitors to tell us of their needs and of their children’s needs in order that we can make the appropriate arrangements.
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Charging Policy
Some activities at School unfortunately rely upon voluntary financial contributions from parents. Examples include, swimming, residential visits, school trips, cookery, theatre visits etc..
We believe that the curriculum is enriched by these activities and that the children gain much by extending their learning activities outside the confines of the classroom and the normal curriculum.
In order that the valuable experiences can continue we may at times invite parents to make voluntary contributions to support these special activities.
The following points must be made:
| There is no obligation upon Parents to make a voluntary contribution. | | No child will be excluded from a school activity because their Parents do not choose to make a voluntary contribution. | | If large numbers of Parents decide not to make a voluntary contribution then it will become necessary to cancel that activity. |
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Complaints Procedure If you are unhappy or have a complaint then please talk to the teacher or the Head Teacher. Most problems can be dealt with in this way. However, if the complaint cannot be resolved, then the Governors or the Education Authority can be contacted and formal procedures involving the Governors and the L.E.A. can be put into place. Top Return to Home
Transfer
At the age of seven, the children transfer to Donisthorpe County Primary School:
www.donisthorpeschool.org.uk A carefully planned programme ensures the transfer is as smooth as possible. The children are taken to the School for visits, educational and fun activities. The staff members from Donisthorpe and Moira also visit each other for formal and informal discussions. Detailed records of progress are passed on to Donisthorpe School.
The staff of each school has a long standing relationship with each other and often train together on new initiatives. Top Return to Home
Links with other Schools
 It is very important for a small village school such as Moira Infants to link closely with other local schools. We are part of Development Group 23 and the Ashby family of schools, which includes Ivanhoe College and Ashby School. The Head Teachers of these schools meet regularly and development work is undertaken by staff from within the groups, ensuring consistency and continuity across the partnership of local schools.
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Access to Documents and Information
The documents listed below are available from School and may be requested from the Head Teacher:
| National Curriculum documents | | School Policy documents | | Governing Body Minutes | | Complaints Procedure for Curriculum and Religious Studies | | Governors' Charging Policy |
A charge (not exceeding the cost of production) may be made for copies of documents supplied.
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