School Prospectus: 2018 ~ 2019 - St Theresa's Leeds · 2017-07-07 · St Theresa’s School Prospectus Page 2 of 24 2018 ~ 2019 WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL Prayer for our School Lord, bless

St Theresa’s School Prospectus Page 1 of 24 2018 ~ 2019

St Theresa’s Catholic

Primary School, Leeds

School Prospectus:

2018 ~ 2019


WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL

Prayer for our School

Lord, bless our school, So that by working together,

And playing together, We may learn to LOVE one another

And to serve YOU, Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord

Amen.

This prospectus aims to tell you a little about our school. It is intended for all parents, especially those of prospective pupils, and anyone who is interested

in their children attending St. Theresa's Catholic Primary School.

St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School is proud to serve parents and children from the Parish of Blessed John Henry Newman which now incorporates the

former parishes of St Theresa of the Little Child Jesus, Cross Gates and St Gregory the Great, Swarcliffe as well as Corpus Christi Parish, Halton Moor.

We hope that you find it a useful introduction to St Theresa's School. Should you have any queries which are not answered in the following pages, please

do not hesitate to contact the school. There is also a great deal of information about our school on our website: www.st-theresas.leeds.sch.uk

http://www.st-theresas.leeds.sch.uk/


Important Information and Addresses Head Teacher: Mr John Hutchinson St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School Barwick Road Leeds West Yorkshire LS15 8RQ Tel: 0113 293 0240 Fax: 0113 293 0242

Email: [email protected] Website: www.st-theresas.leeds.sch.uk Chair of Governors: Mrs Fiona Science St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School Barwick Road Leeds West Yorkshire LS15 8RQ Tel: 0113 293 0240 Fax: 0113 293 0242

Email: via the Head Teacher (see above) Diocese of Leeds, Vicariate for Evangelisation: Mrs Angela Cox, Principal Education Officer Enquiries to: Vicariate for Evangelisation Hinsley Hall 62 Headingley Lane Leeds LS6 2BX Tel: 0113 261 8040 Fax: 0113 261 8044 Email: [email protected]

Children Leeds Steven Walker (Head of Children’s Services) Children’s Services Adams Court Kildare Terrace, Whitehall Road Leeds LS12 1DB West Yorkshire Tel: 0113 222 4444 Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

../../../Documents%20and%20Settings/head1/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Word/www.st-theresas.sch.uk




MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to deliver an outstanding and distinctive Catholic education with Christ

at the heart of our community.

Together, we live, share and celebrate our faith and learning, while respecting and learning from other faiths, traditions and cultures.

We aim to empower all to thrive within the global community of the 21st Century,

reflecting the ever changing world in which we live, work and have our being.

We acknowledge the unique value of each person. Through mutual support, and in partnership with the home and parish communities, we endeavour to nurture and

inspire everyone to become the best they can be.

We strive for excellence in all we do.

Walking in Theresa’s Little Way

Aims of the School

The School Aims to: a) Provide a sound and balanced curriculum in keeping with the National Curriculum requirements, so that the children may acquire the skills, concepts and knowledge appropriate to the primary stages of education. b) Help pupils develop lively enquiring minds and to provide as wide a range of educational experience as possible. c) Enable all pupils to achieve their full potential, whatever their needs or talents, and to develop not only as individuals but as Christians and as Catholics. d) Provide a well structured, warm and caring atmosphere so that the children feel secure and older pupils are able to make an easy transition to secondary education. St Theresa’s School remains committed to achieving the 5 Outcomes of Every Child Matters:

Be safe

Be healthy

Enjoy and Achieve

Make a positive contribution

Achieve economic well-being

Overall Curriculum Aims: “Develop a modern, world class curriculum that will inspire and challenge

all learners and prepare them for the future” (Mick Waters, QCA)

“Make the curriculum fit the child... not the other way round.”


Strategic Aims for Continuous School Improvement ‘Every child walking in Theresa’s little way’

St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School promotes excellence in learning, achievement and attainment by helping its pupils to:

Know they are loved unconditionally by God

Have confidence in themselves and have high self-esteem

Become independent and well-motivated life-long learners who can work in a variety of ways

Leave St Theresa’s as fully rounded, responsible human beings able to understand and take part fully in a global and culturally diverse society

Achieve their full potential in all areas of the curriculum

Embrace future technology and all it has to offer them as life-long learners We believe that to achieve these aspirations for our pupils we must create a school where:

All in our community, home/school/parish, are given opportunities to develop their relationship with God and so come to full human wholeness on their journey of faith

All in our community are treated with mutual respect, openness and honesty in an atmosphere of security and love

All have access to excellent Learning and Teaching opportunities and experiences, within an inclusive, lively and stimulating environment

Key skills are taught in Literacy and Numeracy so that all children can achieve full potential across the whole curriculum

All have access to a broad and balanced, stimulating, interesting and relevant curriculum including extra-curricular activities and visits

Pupils have access to learning and teaching that makes full use of all that future technology has to offer including the very latest hardware, software and online learning resources.

Pupils have access to the best learning resources the school can provide

The search for excellence in all things is our common goal


ST THERESA'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL Barwick Road

Leeds LS15 8RQ Tel: 0113 2930240 Fax: 0113 2930242

E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.st-theresas.leeds.sch.uk

THE GOVERNING BODY Chair of Governors: Mrs F Science (Foundation) Vice Chair: Mr M Nicholson (Foundation) Head Teacher: Mr J Hutchinson Foundation Governors: Deacon S Quigley

Mrs H Farrell Mrs M Mahony Vacancy Vacancy

Staff Governors: Miss S Nicholson Parent Governors: Mrs L Oswald Mrs J Stones Local Authority Governor: Mrs D McGee Clerk to the Governors: Mrs J Childerson

Please note: All communications should be addressed to the Chair of Governors, care of the school.

Senior Leadership Team: September 2017 onwards

Senior Management Team: Mr J Hutchinson Head Teacher Mrs C Grady Deputy Head Teacher of Upper School Mrs J Ryan Deputy Head Teacher of Lower School Mrs A-M Strong SENCO and Head of Inclusion Miss K Hartshorne Deputy Phase Team Leader: Upper School (Y3 – Y6) Mrs J Ruane Deputy Phase Team Leader: Lower School (N – Y2) Mrs C Crowley Religious Education Subject Leader

Administration Staff: Mrs J Childerson School Business Manager: HR Mrs J Parker School Business Manager: Finance Mrs M Collins Administrative Assistant (part-time) Mrs N Jackson Receptionist Mrs J Winston Reprographics Assistant (part-time)


../../../Documents%20and%20Settings/head1/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Word/www.st-theresas.sch.uk


Our Philosophy of Education When you read our Mission Statement and Aims it will be very easy (I hope) to see and understand what the Philosophy of Education is for ALL the staff and Governors at St Theresa’s. This is, however, only part of the picture and I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on what we see as some of the purposes of Catholic Primary Education and their implications for your child if they attend St Theresa’s. All the staff at St Theresa's see the school as an extension of the home and we try to make the children feel as much at home as possible. For example, if your child is feeling unwell then they will be treated with the same respect and sympathy that you would expect them to receive at home. Parents are also very welcome in the life of our school and we currently welcome many of the parent body into the school to help in a variety of ways. The Head’s door is always open and nothing is ever too much trouble for Mrs Collins, Mrs Childerson and Mrs Parker!! You are always most welcome in school. Our school is a Catholic school and as such we try to offer something that is fundamentally different and that is distinctively Catholic. Our main purpose is the Education of the pupils in our charge, but this is hopefully done within a child-centred and Christ-centred environment that fully espouses the Gospel teachings of Jesus. We hope that this is most evident in the relationships that are present throughout the school. We are obviously concerned with the passing on of the “faith” but that on its own is not enough. We acknowledge that all our children are on a special and unique journey of faith and that as a primary school, we can only help and guide the children in the teachings of Jesus and provide opportunities for them to develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally on this journey. We also acknowledge the important part played by the non-Catholic pupils in the life of the school community. We hope to provide a wide range of experiences, both academic and social, that will enable your child to develop to his/her full potential and to have a wonderful primary education; one that they will remember forever and that will help them to have a ‘rich’ life and live it to the full.

Before and After School Club:

We now run a before and after school club in school. Details of this can be found on the school website but essentially what we offer is described below:

Before School Club:

Children can be dropped at school at either 7.30 or 7.45 and they will be cared for until school begins. 7.30 drop-offs costs £3.50/day and 7.45 drop-offs are £3.00/day. The children are given a range of food and drink for breakfast and are supervised 1:8. This includes Nursery aged children from September 2017.

After School Club:

Children are cared for from 3.15 – 6.00pm (at the VERY latest) and the charge for this is a flat fee of £7.00/child/night. The children are given a range of food and drink for tea and are supervised 1:8. This will also include Nursery aged children from September 2017.

There are very strict guidelines for behaviour at the Before and After School Clubs and a zero tolerance approach is taken. Full details of how to apply for this provision is available on the website. If you wish to speak to someone about this provision please contact Mrs Jackson on the Reception Desk and she will advise you how to proceed.

We do accept child-care vouchers from employers and there are systems in place to receive these payments.


St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School

Admission Policy 2018-19

Approved by Standards, Inclusion and Admissions Committee: 10th November 2016

Ratified by Full Governing Body: 1st December 2016

Review: Autumn Term SIA Committee Meeting 2017

Saint Theresa’s Catholic Primary School was founded by the Catholic Church to provide education for baptised Catholic children. The school is run by its governing body as part of the Catholic Church in accordance with its Trust Deed and Instrument of Government and seeks at all times to be a witness to Jesus Christ.

If the number of preferences received is less than the admission number then all preferences will be met. However, when there are more applications than places available, priority will always be given to Catholic applicants in accordance with the oversubscription criteria listed below. By applying to this school parents, or carers, are declaring their support for the aims and ethos of the school.

The governing body has responsibility for admissions to the school and intends to admit 60 pupils to reception in the school year which begins in September 2018.

Oversubscription criteria

At any time where there are more applications for places than the number of places available, places will be offered in the following order of priority:

1. Looked After Children from Catholic Families or children from Catholic families who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they became adopted or became subject to a residence or special guardianship order with a sibling who attends St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School.

2. Looked After Children from Catholic Families or children from Catholic families who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they became adopted or became subject to a residence or special guardianship order

3. Baptised Catholic children with a sibling who attends St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School.

4. Baptised Catholic children who live in the defined area.

5. Other baptised Catholic children.

6. Other looked after children or other children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they became adopted or became subject to a residence or special guardianship order with a sibling who attends St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School.

7. Other looked after children or other children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they became adopted or became subject to a residence or special guardianship order

8. Other children with a sibling who attends St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School.

9. Other children.

Tie Break

Where the offer of places to all the applicants in any of the categories listed above would still lead to oversubscription, the available places will be offered to those living nearest to the school. ‘straight line distance’ will be used as the measure (see notes).

If two or more pupils live equidistant from the school, the distance each pupil lives by road from the preferred school will be measured and the place offered to the pupil who lives nearest by this means. In the event of this being equal, places will then be decided by random allocation (see notes).

Where there is more than one application from a postal address contained within a block of flats, places will be decided by random allocation (see notes).


Application Procedures and Timetable

A standard application form, known as the Common Preference Form must be completed and returned to the Local Authority [person, address indicated] by 15 January 2018. Failure to provide a Common Preference Form (CPF) would mean that the application is not valid.

If parents/carers feel that they should be in a specific category i.e. Baptised Catholic, then they are required to complete a Supplementary Information Form and provide the required evidence. The Supplementary Information Form is attached to this policy and must be submitted by [closing date] to the school [person, address indicated]. Therefore, failure to provide a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) could affect the category your application is placed in. Please note that it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to complete all forms and supply evidence – reminders will not be sent.

Parents or carers will be advised of the outcome of their applications on 16 April 2018. Unsuccessful applicants will be given reasons related to the over-subscription criteria listed above and advised of their right of appeal to an independent appeal panel.

Late applications Late applications will be dealt with according to the local authority co-ordinated scheme. Deferred entry to primary schools Parents of children who are offered a place at the school before they are of compulsory school age can defer their child’s entry until later in the school year or until the child reaches compulsory school age in that school year. Where entry is deferred, the school will hold the place for that child and not offer it to another child during the remainder of the school year. Parents cannot defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the academic year for which the original application was accepted. Parents can also request that their child attends part-time until the child reaches compulsory school age. Deferment for summer born children If your child's fifth birthday is between April and August then they can start school the following September. The expectation would be that parents have decided that the child will miss the full reception year and they would have to apply for Year 1 places (if any remained available). Requests for full year deferral with a retained reception start will be considered individually. Parents would be expected to provide substantial and exceptional evidence of the need for this to happen (personal views and reference to national research will not suffice). Admissions outside the normal admission round – applications should be made to the school and will be dealt with by the admission authority of the school i.e. the governing body. If there is more than one application for an available place the governors will make their decision using the oversubscription criteria listed in the appropriate policy for the year group. Unsuccessful applicants will be given reasons related to the oversubscription criteria listed above and will be advised of their rights to appeal the governors’ decision to an independent appeal panel. Waiting lists

As well as their right of appeal, unsuccessful applicants will be placed on a waiting list. This waiting list will follow the order of the oversubscription criteria set out above, therefore, this means that each time a child is added the list will be re-ranked. Names are normally taken off the list at the end of the academic year.

Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health & Care Plan

Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health & Care Plan that names the school must be admitted. This will reduce the number of places available to applicants. This is not an oversubscription criterion.


The admission of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health & Care Plan is dealt with by a completely separate procedure. This procedure is set out in the 1996 Education Act. Details of this separate procedure are set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

Notes (these notes form part of the over-subscription criteria)

Catholic means a member of a church in communion with the See of Rome. A certificate of baptism in a Catholic church, or a certificate of reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church, will normally evidence this alternatively a letter from a parish priest confirming membership of a church in communion with the See of Rome. This includes the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Looked After Child has the same meaning as in section 22 of the Children Act 1989, and means any child in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by them e.g. children with foster parents.

Looked After Children from Catholic Families – this has a dual meaning. It could be the child themselves who are baptised Catholic or it could be the family who are caring for the child that is Catholic. If it is the child who is a baptised Catholic normal rules apply and a baptism certificate should be seen by the admission authority. However, (in limited situations) this may not always be possible and in these cases the admission authority should seek to ensure that there is evidence that the child has been baptised. If a child is placed with a Catholic family who wish the child to have a Catholic education this should be evidenced by a letter from a priest evidencing the baptism of the parent carer.

Defined area is a geographical area. Please see boundary maps available for inspection in school (boundaries determined by the Diocese of Leeds).

Siblings (brother or sister) includes children with a brother or sister (including step-siblings, adoptive siblings and foster siblings) of statutory school age, living at the same address, in attendance at the same school on the date of admission. Twins or triplets (or multiple births) - where a family of twins or triplets request admission and if one sibling has been offered the 30th or last place the ‘excepted pupil’ rule comes in and the other twin/triplets are offered a place. Live - In all categories “live” means the child’s permanent home address. A child is normally regarded as living with a parent or guardian and we will use the parent or guardian’s address for admission purposes. You cannot lodge a child with a friend or relation in order to gain a place at a school. For admissions purposes only one address can be used as a child’s permanent address. When a child lives with more than one parent/carer, at different addresses, we will use the preference expressed by the parent/carer at the address where the child lives the majority of the time during the school week as the main place of residence. Straight line distance - in all categories, when decisions have to be made between children satisfying the same criterion, children living nearest to the school, using a straight line measure, have priority. The LA straight-line distance and national computer system are used to run the school admission system. Random allocation – this is only to be used when the last place to be offered would fall into one of the two categories above i.e. children living in a block of flats or children who live equidistant from the school using straight line distance criterion. An independent person will be used to make the random selection.

Admission Appeals - Appeals should be sent to – Office for Education & Schools, Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds, LS6 2BX.

Appeal timetable - Please see school website www.st-theresas.leeds.sch.uk for appeal timetable.

http://www.st-theresas.leeds.sch.uk/


Arrangements for Visits by Parents: Prospective Parents: The school usually has an open morning in September each year. Prospective parents receive an invitation to visit the school with their child during the summer term. Individual arrangements are also made as and when appropriate.

Existing Parents: "Parents' Evenings" are held twice yearly on an appointment basis, usually in the Autumn and Spring terms. This is an opportunity to meet with your child’s class teacher(s) and review their learning, their targets and their general demeanour in school. If you need to discuss issues which are likely to take longer than the 10mins allocated to each parent then it is suggested that an additional appointment is made. Parents’ evenings now take place in the main hall with the children’s work being available in the classroom. Parents who are not living together can request separate appointments.

The Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teachers are typically available to meet with any parents who are unhappy about any aspect of their consultation. Mrs Strong is also available at the parents’ evenings to speak to any parents of children with Special Educational Needs. Appointments with the Head Teacher: In accordance with the school’s Complaints’ Procedure we request that before making an appointment to see the Head Teacher that you speak with your child’s class teacher as many issues can be sorted out here first without involving senior management. However, on the very rare occasion that issues cannot be resolved in this way then parents should make an appointment to see either of the two phase Deputies or the Head Teacher. Appointments should be made through the school office. Parent Staff Association: Friends of St Theresa’s (FoST) The school has an active Parent Staff Association called FOST which welcomes you to its functions and meetings. It provides an invaluable source of additional revenue for the school and participates in many events of a social nature, which help promote the school as a community.

All parents are automatically members. FoST is a registered charity. Inclusion: Provision for Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) Mrs Strong is the coordinator for Special Educational Needs also known as the SENCO. St Theresa’s has a particular commitment towards including children with Special Needs and was awarded the Inclusion Chartermark in 2005. This was re-validated in May 2009. Mrs Strong works closely with Mrs Speight who is one of the school’s HLTAs; Mrs Speight works predominantly with SEN children and support staff across the school. The school continues to use the Local Authority's procedures for identifying and assessing children with special educational needs. The initial request for assessment or evaluation usually comes from the class teacher. Action is also taken when concern is expressed by parents. Children occasionally arrive in the nursery or main school with specific needs already identified or in the process of being identified. The level of need determines the provision made. In the first instance this would be provided by the class teacher who may also seek advice from the Special Needs Co-ordinator. Programmes of work would be devised and followed. Limited support may be offered on a withdrawal basis by the Special Needs Co-ordinator. If it was felt that the school needed further advice, help would be sought from


the Local Authority Support Services and/or the school's Educational Psychologist, Catherine Beal. The school may also request help from other agencies within the Local Authority. All funding delegated to the school through Additional Needs Funding from the LA is used to support children with special needs in the form of teacher time, Special Needs Assistant or Nursery Nurse Support. The costs are further supported from the school's budget. The Special Needs Co-ordinator also receives a resource budget through Capitation.

The school has a designated Special Needs Governor, Mrs Lucy Oswald, who regularly visits the school, and presents a report at the termly Governors' Meeting. The school's Special Needs Policy document is available for viewing in school and is available on the school website. Inclusion: Equal Opportunities: St Theresa’s School is committed to promoting equal opportunities in every aspect of the school’s policy and practice. To this end we seek to promote equality of access to the school building for all as well as ensuring that there is equality of access to the curriculum. We aim to provide this equality of access regarding:

background by respecting different life experiences racial, religious and cultural background by understanding and

respecting difference, choice and diversity disability by making reasonable adjustments gender by acknowledging the different needs and experiences of boys and girls

Policies promoting equality of opportunity can be found on the school website. In recognition of our work in promoting and teaching racial harmony the school was awarded The Stephen Lawrence Education Standard, Level 1, in 2009. The school successfully achieved Level 2 SLES in the summer term 2011. The school also works hard through many aspects of school life to promote Emotional Health and Well-being. Part of this work is conducted through our Healthy Schools Strategy but most of it is conducted in PSHE lessons and through work the Learning Mentor does with all the children but especially those with social and emotional needs. If you have any concerns at any time about your child’s Emotional Health and Well-being then you should ask to speak to either Mrs Strong or Mrs Rowbottom. Access for those with disabilities: The school has ramps to the front and rear entrances and a toilet for disabled pupils on the ground floor. The building comprises three storeys. There is an lift to the first and second floors. There are handrails on both sides of the stairs. Access facilities are under constant review. The accessibility plan is available on request and the Disability Equality Scheme Policy is published on the school website. Child Protection and Safeguarding: Changes in the law, notably the Children’s Act (1989), means that the staff in schools have a duty to report any concerns that a child may be suffering significant harm, particularly, as a result of abuse. It is a DoE requirement that the school nominates a senior member of staff who will have special responsibility for Child Protection. In Leeds schools this person is known as the Child Protection Liaison Teacher (CPLT). The CPLT and the Head Teacher receive professional training in this area, and staff will deal with all these matters in complete confidentiality. Mrs Strong, Mrs Speight and Mrs Rowbottom share the role of CPLT at St Theresa’s and they will deal with all Child Protection Issues. Mrs Lucy Oswald is the Governor with specific responsibility for Child Protection.


The school has a legal responsibility to collate basic information including who has parental responsibility for a child, and to pass on this information to the relevant agencies if requested. In the event of an investigation into a possible case of child abuse, the school has a legal duty to cooperate with the investigating authorities to the best of its ability to promote the child’s welfare. Whilst the school will always attempt to work in partnership with parents, and try to ensure that parents are fully informed of, and participate in, any action concerning their child, if there is a conflict of interest; the welfare of the child must be the paramount consideration. This policy, along with many other school policies, is on the school website for parents should they wish to access it. St Theresa’s School and its Governors are fully committed to safeguarding its pupils and vulnerable adults. The school follows closely the Children Leeds policy and practice for recruitment and the Health and Safety of all its pupils and staff. All those who work in school are expected to follow all relevant guidelines. Access to Information Requests to view documentation, as permitted by the 2000 Freedom of Information Act, should be made in writing via the Head Teacher who will make the necessary arrangements. Behaviour and Discipline The school has a positive attitude towards conduct and, as a Catholic school, politeness, good manners and respect for other people and their property are expected at all times. The school’s Behaviour Policy is available on the website; this policy makes it very clear what is expected in terms of behaviour and the kinds of sanctions that will be applied if a child falls short of our very high expectations. The school is proactive in dealing with bullying and has anti-bullying guides for pupils, staff and parents. If at any time during your child’s time at St Theresa’s you feel that your child is being bullied please do not hesitate to come into school to discuss it. The Student Council produced a revised booklet about bullying in school and how to stop it and this was shared with the children in Spring 2017. A copy of this revised booklet is on the website. Pastoral Care The school endeavours to provide a secure and happy environment for its pupils. The class teacher is the person primarily responsible for each child's welfare. Children causing concern, from a pastoral or safeguarding point of view, will be monitored by the Inclusion Manager and relevant teaching and support staff and if deemed necessary, the Head Teacher. The priests of the BJHN Parish regularly visit the school and would be approached if it were felt necessary. We also work in partnership with Catholic Care.

During lunchtime the Behaviour Support Supervisors have responsibility for the conduct and safety of the pupils. They also line manage the Supervisory Assistants at lunchtime. Parents are requested to provide the school with emergency telephone numbers which can be used in case of illness or accident. In the case of a severe injury, an ambulance would be called or the child taken to hospital by a member of staff. One of the Behaviour Supervisors covers first aid. School Health The School Nurse is a regular visitor and carries out routine checks on eyesight, height and weight in F2 and Y6. All children in Y1 are checked for hearing. Parental permission is not sought for these particular checks, but any concerns are reported to parents.


Parental permission is sought prior to medical examinations carried out by the doctor and for dental check-ups administered by the School Dentist. Head lice (‘nits’) are a problem in all schools. It is essential that parents inform the school of their occurrence. The school clinic is the best place to seek advice. The most effective preventative measure is combing with a small toothed ‘nit’ comb when the hair is wet and a conditioner has been applied. This should be done as regularly as possible. The school always informs parents if there has been an outbreak and asks for their support and co-operation in taking the appropriate action to avoid its spread. School Hours Morning: Start....... 08.55

Break....... 10.30 - 10.50 Lunch....... Lunchtime is staggered so as

to make it as calm as possible. Afternoon: Start....... 13.00

Finish...... 15.15 (Nursery finishes at 15.30) Registration takes approximately five minutes in the morning and in the afternoon. Reception/F2 classes may leave from 3.00pm. Please try not to be late for school. School Uniform: It is the wish of the School Governors that all pupils wear uniform. In Nursery and Foundation 2 the uniform is as follows: pale blue polo shirt; navy blue sweatshirt; boys (F2) grey school trousers; girls (F2) navy school skirt or pinafore and navy blue/dark leggings or joggers in Nursery.

From Year 1 the school dress for girls is white blouse, navy skirt or pinafore dress, or grey trousers. For boys, white shirt and grey trousers. A school tie should be worn and is available from our suppliers. A navy cardigan or V-necked pullover should be worn in appropriate conditions. Sensible black school type shoes must also be worn; all trainers, heels and ‘fashion’ shoes are prohibited.

We also have a summer uniform: girls may wear blue gingham style dresses. Boys and girls may also wear a short sleeved white polo-shirt with grey short trousers or a blue skirt or blue skorts. We prefer pupils to wear the polo-tops with the school logo. We would, however, ask you to be aware of the effects of the sun, as the school playgrounds have little shade and use sunscreen when appropriate. Our preferred supplier of school uniform is Rawcliffe’s on Roundhay Road: available on 2494025 though uniform can also be purchased at The Uniform Shop at Leeds Market and Jo Brand on Harehills Lane.

Jeans and other leisure items such as jogging suits, hoodies and football shirts and shorts, are not allowed.

Jewellery is not permitted and extreme hair styles are not allowed.

Year 6 are allowed to wear their Y6 hoodies and the Team Theresa’s Kit all year round.


For safety reasons, earrings may not be worn. Children with pierced ears are required to wear studs in school only until the studs can be removed then they should not be worn in school. This is for the Health and Safety of your child. NB All items of clothing, footwear and school bags must be clearly marked with the child's full name. This is essential as clothes are identical.

During the year children will require the following PE Kit:

PE shirt in the colour of your child’s house (available from our uniform stockists at approx. £3), plain black shorts.

Reception to Y2: Pumps

Y3 - Y6: Appropriate change of footwear for indoor use and appropriate sturdy footwear for outdoor use. In cold weather, either a school sweatshirt or similar, and jogging bottoms or a tracksuit in navy blue, may be worn for outdoor PE.

We have also introduced a Team Theresa’s Kit which can be purchased through school; this is extremely smart and ideal for sporting events and swimming. Information about this is available in the school office.

Children are not allowed to wear bright coloured, designer (logoed) tracksuits.

Many of the above items are available with the school logo and can be purchased at the school suppliers.

Year 4 go swimming each week and should come to school dressed accordingly. They should not wear their trunks before swimming as this is very unhygienic. They should wear a plain

dark coloured tracksuit/jogging bottoms and should have a suitable bag for their swimming things. Boys’ trunks and full girls’ costumes should be worn; NO long swimming shorts, bikinis or tankinis. It is also a good idea for them to wear goggles in the pool but this is optional.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Meals Arrangements: From September 2014 children in Foundation 2 and KS1 are eligible for a FREE school meal; this is a generous Govt. initiative and we would encourage parents to take up this offer. Your child DOES NOT HAVE to have a free meal if they/you don’t want them to... they can bring in a packed lunch if they wish but we do need to know; they/you can’t keep swapping and changing though as meals need to be ordered. Two week’s notice is required to swap one way or the other. Thank you. Lunches for NURSERY £2.00; Years 3 and 4 cost £2.20 per day £11.00 per full week, and £2.40 per day £12.00 per full week for Y5 & Y6. Chqs are payable to Leeds City Council. [These prices are subject to change

and are correct at the time of publication] Your child may be eligible for free school meals and it is VITALLY IMPORTANT for your child and the school that you claim this allowance if you are entitled as it not only releases money for free meals but also money for the Pupil Premium which is there to help our most vulnerable children. Dinner money is brought weekly on Monday mornings. It must be sent into school in a sealed envelope with the child's name, class and amount written clearly on the outside. No other money should be put in the envelope. Dinner money for more than one child may be put into a single envelope, providing that all of the relevant information is written clearly on the outside. Water is provided for all children. Two weeks’ notice is required for children to change from school meals to sandwiches.


Milk is currently available daily for all children. A small charge is made by LCC. The charge for 2017-18 is £24.00 for the whole year and this is requested in the Autumn Term; cheques should be made payable to Leeds City Council. .

Government Fruit & Vegetable Scheme: Under this scheme all children from Nursery to Y2 are offered a piece of fruit daily; there is no charge for this. Sandwich Lunches: Children who wish to change to sandwiches may do so, having given a minimum of two weeks prior notice.

Cold drinks are allowed but must be in a suitable unbreakable container.

Children may bring a plastic beaker in order to access the chilled water provided.

Children on sandwiches are strongly encouraged to have a healthy lunchbox including fruit, salad and healthy drinks. Canned/fizzy drinks are not allowed in school.

Food in School: St Theresa’s has an excellent reputation for dealing with children who have special needs of any kind. Each time we accept new children we have to review our ability to provide a safe and secure environment for everyone. It is absolutely essential that if your child has a food allergy that you let us know immediately and before your child starts school. Currently, we have children attending school who have been diagnosed as being severely allergic to peanuts and peanut related products. This condition is potentially life threatening. Many modern foods contain traces of peanut products but especially some sweets, chocolates and snack foods. These children not only have to avoid eating these products but they can also be affected by minute amounts which may come into contact with their skin or even by the smell. As a consequence of advice received, the following decisions have been taken:-

1) No child or adult should knowingly bring peanuts or peanut related products (e.g. peanut butter) into school.

2) To help minimise the risks further, children are not allowed to bring any kind of snack into school for playtimes or class except fresh fruit or vegetables (e.g. apples, oranges, bananas, celery etc). We also sell fruit at break-time for 30p a piece.

3) Children bringing packed lunches to school must strictly follow the rules concerning not sharing food, eating only in the dining room, taking left over food home and not eating in the playground.

Your co-operation and support with all of the above points is greatly appreciated. All of the measures are being taken to minimise the risk of a potentially life threatening situation occurring. School Building Fund/Voluntary Contribution Scheme (VCS)

As a new parent, you may not be aware that the government pays 90% of the cost of building and repairing our Catholic schools and, as a community, we must try to raise the other 10% of the cost. We are asking parents to make a voluntary contribution of £5.00 per child per term to help towards the cost of school building works; maximum of £30.00 per family. If you are unable to send in the full amount, any contribution, according to

your means, will be gratefully received. More and more parents are contributing by Standing Order


starting at £1.25 per month. Forms are available in school to sign up both for Standing Order payments and for Gift Aid. We strongly encourage you to support the school in this way giving as much as you can reasonably afford. May I thank you in advance for your generosity and for the help which you give.

Homework Homework is given throughout the school. It increases as the child gets older, both in variety and in the time required to complete it. Parents, particularly of infants, are encouraged to take an active part in hearing their children read. On a practical point, we would ask you to encourage your child to take care of the books we send home and to return them promptly as requested. The school has a Homework policy which is available to parents. The homework timetable is issued annually. Extra-Curricular Activities: There are various clubs, societies and other activities run on a voluntary basis by members of staff. Details of extra-curricular activities are published in the weekly newsletter. The range of activities includes choir, music tuition, rugby, football, cricket, netball and a running club. Details of clubs are on the weekly newsletter. Sporting Successes: We are extremely proud of our sporting successes at St Theresa’s and we are always keen to be competitive but fair. Our sporting mantra is to play hard and play fair and accept victory and defeat with equal grace. We achieved the following successes in the last couple of years: U9s Football: Merit League Runners Up 2014 *Champions League Finalists and Runners-Up 2014 *Datacable Cup Champions 2014 U10s football: East League Champions 2015 and 2017 *Moran Cup Champions: 2013, 2014 and 2015 *Champion of Champions: 2015 U11s Football: *Leeds United Kids Cup Champions: 2015 and 2016 East League Champions: 2014, 2015 and 2016 *Champions League Champions: 2014; Runners-up in 2015 and 2016 *Falkingham Cup Champions: 2014 and 2016; runners up in 2015 *Bishop’s Cup Champions: 2013, 2014 and 2015. *Catenian Catholic Cup Champions: 2015 and 2016 West Yorkshire Finals Champions: 2016 and runners-up in 2015 Year 4 Skipping: Local Heat Champions: 2014 Local Heat Runners up: 2015 and 2017 Year 4 Cross Country: City of Leeds champions for the Y4 team event: 2017. Indoor Athletics: *Indoor Athletics Champions of Leeds 2015; runners up in 2016 and 2017 *Runners up in West Yorkshire Finals 2015; 2016 and 2017. Year 3/4 champions of East Leeds Catholic Cluster finals 2017 Netball: *Bishop Roche Cup Winners: 2015 and 2016; runners up in 2017 *All these cups are city or county wide competitions. We are very lucky to have a number of staff and volunteers who train and supervise the children at these events. Long may this continue as it adds greatly to our wider school life. We are building a reputation for excellence in sport and we are extremely proud of our young people’s achievements.


School Visits School visits are arranged during the year in accordance with the charging policy agreed by the Governors. It is important to point out that many of these visits could not take place without voluntary parental contributions towards their cost. The addition of mini-buses to the school has helped greatly in reducing the costs of school visits especially local ones. School Crossing Patrols For normal school hours, Barwick Road is supervised by a crossing patrol. Whilst LCC and Police make every effort to cover sites at all times, there may be occasions when they are unable to do so. Whenever possible, parents will be given notice if the school crossing cannot be covered. LCC is, however, unable to guarantee a crossing patrol service at all times. Full responsibility for ensuring the child's safe journey to and from school remains with the parents. If a child takes part in after school activities, parents should ensure that adequate arrangements have been made for the child's journey home. Drop Off Scheme: The school typically employs a drop off scheme for the mornings that works really well. This is available for all children from Y2 onwards. The children are dropped at the gate at the far end of the front playground where a member of staff will greet them. They then make their way around to the rear of the school where a member of staff will be on duty from 8.50am. If you want details about the drop scheme then please see the Head Teacher or administrative staff. End of Day Arrangements: The school car park at the end of the school day is closed. The children are collected from the front of the school in the area outside Little Rascals’ Nursery. School ends at 3.15 and the majority of the children will exit the building at that time. Children in Year 1 and Year 2 line up with their teacher and you should approach them for your child to be released to your care. The older children come down in classes and the teachers monitor that each child is collected by an adult. No child is allowed to go home by themselves unless an arrangement has been made in the latter stages of Year 6 as part of the Y6/7 transition process. F2 children can be collected from 3.00pm from in the classroom. Nursery children should be collected between 3.00 and 3.30pm. School Bus; the Yellow “MyBus” Scheme: We have two school buses, the P44 & S21, operated by the Metro ‘MyBus’ scheme. The school buses come for the children at 3.30 and 3.40; bus children are monitored by staff in the dining room until the buses arrive to collect the children. Bus children The MyBus scheme is a fully chaperoned scheme with dedicated drivers who drive the same buses every day so they get to know the children really well. They register the children as they board and they do not allow them to leave the bus without an adult there to collect them. It is an excellent way to travel to school without using the car. If you are interested in your child using this facility please contact MyBus on telephone number 3481122. The person you should ask to speak to is Mr Steve Wainwright. A Few Requests: a) Please let your child’s teacher know if a child is to be collected by someone who does not

normally do so.

b) Please do not ask the teachers to administer medicines. In exceptional circumstances, see the Head or Deputy Heads to discuss your child’s needs.


c) Before and after school, access to the rear playground is by the footpath around the Nursery fence. Parents and children should not use the front entrance to enter school unless accompanied by an adult who wishes to speak to a member of staff.

New Children It often takes a while for new children to settle into school and there are nearly always little problems which arise in the first few days or even weeks. Do not be afraid to let us know if you are concerned. We can only help if we are aware that a problem exists!

Tuesday Newsletter and Home School Communication. Each Tuesday the Head Teacher sends home a folded A4 newsletter with all the information required for the week. It carries news, views, information and bits and bobs that hopefully help the school run more smoothly on a week-to-week basis. This is usually the only information that is sent home each week, so there is not usually the need to go searching in bags for lost notes etc. every day. The newsletter always goes out on Tuesday and parents now come to expect it on that day, I am told that some parents even look forward to receiving it! The children certainly enjoy seeing their name or having their class mentioned! On very rare occasions flyers are sent home as reminders, these are usually on A5 paper. We also introduced a text service in 2009 by which we communicate urgent information to parents as well as timely reminders. This has proven very popular with parents and students alike.

Introduction of School Diaries: We operate a home/school diary for every child in school. These are hard-wearing diaries and will be issued to every child in the first week of the start of school each year. There will be lots of vital information in this diary and it will be imperative that your child brings the diary to school with them every day (in their book-bag preferably!). There will be pages for home school liaison and recording reading at home as

well as information about the curriculum. These diaries will be available at approx. £3.00 for each diary. If your child loses their diary you will be liable for the cost of the replacement. These diaries are very popular with both staff and parents as they provide a direct link between home and school. School Student Council: We have a very proactive school student council structure in school with elected members of the pupils meeting every half term to discuss relevant issues to the pupils’ lives in school. There are now two ‘councils’ with one for Y1-3 and one for Y4-6 and they meet separately The children work with the Head Teacher and staff to make their own agendas and take minutes from the meeting. The Student Council has organised the following initiatives in school:

Supporting the school’s bid for Healthy School Status Developing playground games and toys Developing car park rules for parents! Discussed the revised Golden Rules and behaviour strategy Designed an Anti-bullying and e-safety leaflets for the children Interviewing potential senior managers

This is an exciting addition to school life and one that I hope will continue to have a very positive impact on how we do things at St Theresa’s. Mrs Dodd and Mrs Strong are responsible for coordinating the School Council.


School Awards: The school has achieved many nationally and locally recognised awards for its work in supporting both staff and pupils to achieve their full potential. We are rightly proud of our achievements that include the following awards:

School Calendar: The School Calendar is published on the school website. This is updated annually. School Results: An up to date analysis of the school’s results is also published on the school website along with data from previous years. Whilst we are very proud of our school data we would not want any parent to simply choose our school on this basis. Catholic primary education is about so much more than raw data. We would rather you judged our school on the quality of its young people rather than how ‘clever’ or otherwise they are. This does not mean that we don’t have exceptionally high expectations for your children, because we do, but rather we see primary education as a totality of experience not just a narrow academic measure. Our standards are always well above national as you will see below and on the website:

Key Stage 2 SATs St Theresa’s 2017 National 2017

At Standard Av. Quotient At Standard Av. Quotient

Reading 88 107 71 104

Writing 80 76

Maths 88 109 75 104

Grammar 93 112 77 106

Reading, Writing and Maths combined

79 61

These results are all an improvement on 2016.


Most Recent OFSTED Reports:

Our school was inspected in January 2017 by the Diocese of Leeds under Section 48 of the Ofsted code of practice and by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) in March 2017. The full report for S48 and the S8 letter from Mr Phil Smith are available on the school’s website. Here are a couple of quotes from the Section 8 Inspection by OFSTED from March 2017: the letter is addressed to the Headteacher of the school which explains the nature of the quotations presented:

We are understandably delighted with our inspection letter. Please read the full text on the school website.


Section 48 Inspection: As St Theresa’s is a Catholic School the Diocese of Leeds arranges an Inspection of the school’s religious education and character. This Section 48 Inspection was conducted in February 2012 and again in January 2017. We are most proud of our achievements here as both reports describe our school as an Outstanding Catholic School.

Inspirational leadership and management including governance are deeply committed to, and highly proactive

in, implementing the Church’s mission in education. All associated with the school are encouraged and supported to follow the mission of the school by “Walking in Theresa’s Little Way.” (January 2017)

They (the pupils) value and respect the Catholic tradition of the school and its links with the parishes in which they live. They treat others, peers and adults alike, with utmost respect and know acutely that their actions

always have consequences. During the time of the inspection the pupils’ general conduct and behaviour in all areas of the school was exemplary. (Feb 2012)

Across the school, the pupils concentrate very well in their lessons and show and enthusiasm for their learning in RE. They generally make very good progress during their early years, through key stage one and lower key stage 2. The inspectors noted accelerated progress in upper key stage two, which was evident in the higher expectations set out through detailed planning, the level of challenge in lessons and pupils’ responses to the

tasks set. January 2017)

Parents also reported that the school is a very happy, welcoming place where children are encouraged to fulfil their potential in all areas of their lives. They expressed their pride that pupils from St Theresa’s Catholic

Primary School actively participate in parish life through family Masses, being altar servers and helping at children’s liturgy groups. (January 2017)


A gentle word about Social Media: Whilst as a school we accept that there is a great deal of interest and chatter on various social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter we feel it is important that we make the school’s stance on this kind of activity very clear. We have a Twitter account for the school and parents are encouraged to follow this for information and tweets about their children and their activities in school. Our hashtag is #StTheresasRCPS and if you make a request you will be allowed to follow us especially if we can tell who it is.

However, what I do need to be very clear about is the kind of social media interaction that can sometimes take place between parents or groups of parents on Facebook or the like. What cannot be tolerated, simply because it is wrong at every level, is the following:

Comments or posts about children other than your own

Comments or posts about other parents and issues in school

Comments or posts about any staff in school including the Headteacher, any senior leaders or Governors

Comments or posts about school policy and practice

Photographs of children other than your own.

Please DO NOT MAKE FRIEND REQUESTS to any members of staff or Governors as they have been instructed to refuse them and it puts them in an awkward position.

This includes positive as well as negative comments. It is lovely for people to make comments or posts that are mutually supportive but there are better forms of doing this than using social media where it is so easy to write or post something that can be misinterpreted. Negative comments, especially about school pupils, staff or policy could land you in hot water with the LCC legal dept. especially if those comments are found to be defamatory or libellous.

As a school we usually get to hear about this kind of activity from parents who are typically supportive of the school and feel that it is their duty to inform us. We are not saying any of this because we believe that we are above question because we are not. However, there are proper and correct channels for making a complaint about school and we would far rather parents/carers came into school and spoke to us directly. In most instances we can resolve issues that arise and if we don’t then there is a formal complaints procedure.

Thank you for your cooperation here.

Changes in Arrangements Though the particulars within this document are correct at June 2017; it should not be assumed that there will be no change affecting the relevant arrangements or some matter particularised:- a) before the start of, or during the school year 2017 - 2018 b) in relation to subsequent school years. NB: If you require a copy of this prospectus in large print we will make one available to you following your request. We may also be able to translate some school documents into other languages. Please contact the school office for details.


Getting Ready for School. How can you best help prepare your child for school? Here are a few pointers in the right direction:

make early contact with the school

Help your child to be independent, especially with dressing and toileting

Help your child to develop good speech and teach them to listen

Read to your child regularly; enjoy nursery rhymes and songs together. Encourage your child to have a respect for and a love of books; they can introduce your child to magic, mystery, excitement, knowledge and pleasure

Let your child see that you have faith and trust in the teachers.

Support your school in social and fund-raising events

Try to give your child a calm, ordered start to the day; enjoy breakfast together! (I know that’s easier said than done!!)

Try to take an interest in all that your child does

Let us know of any medical or social problems that your child might have; it is important that we know as much about him/her as possible

Encourage your child to use pencils, crayons and paints

If you are writing with your child, please use lower case letters and letter sounds; capital letters and letter names can cause confusion at the early stages of children’s learning… if you are unsure, talk to school

Contact us if you feel that your child has any problems or worries in school; we are here to help and my door is always open

Try to develop politeness in your child and encourage good behaviour at home and school: we can only build on the foundation you provide

Try to treat your child as an individual; try not to compare

Please remember to mark all your child’s clothing with his/her name; including coats and shoes

Please give your child lots of praise and encouragement; we all respond well to praise!

Remember this is your school! We look forward to your co-operation, your help, your support

and your friendship over the next few years.

God Bless and Good Luck!

John Hutchinson Headteacher Updated July 2017