EARLY YEARS
Life at School
The school gates open at 8:15am and Reception children are expected
to be in school by 8:45am at the latest. The school day starts
at 9am. The morning sessions are literacy and numeracy based and
more structured than the afternoon ‘Explore Time’. The
children have a morning snack and drink of either water or milk. The
snack is brought from home and must follow our very strict NO NUTS policy. The
children have a morning playtime and then a longer afternoon playtime
after lunch. All children have lunch at school. We offer
a balanced, healthy, varied and very delicious menu that appeals to our
young children. The school day ends at 3:00 and the children can
be picked up at 3:10pm. Children with older siblings finishing
later are able to stay in our Reception area which becomes the Sibling
waiting area in the afternoon, where the children are supervised by a
member of staff while they wait. Our parents find this very useful.
From Mondays to Thursdays, we offer an after school ‘tea’ club
where the children can stay and be picked up at 5:30pm.
Homework
Homework is crucial to reinforcing learning but we do believe that it should be a fun and meaningful experience for the children. Importantly, it also provides a bridge between home and school, enabling parents to experience first hand some of the things which their children are learning. In Reception homework may consist of letter sounds and word building activities. Once a child has received a reading book, we ask parents to read with them when they bring their book home. A ‘home link’ book is sent home daily to act as communication between school and home, giving opportunities for us to say how your child is doing, if they have had a brilliant day or just to remind you to bring in a packed lunch for a school outing!
Parent Participation
We encourage parents to share in the life of the school. Many
parents volunteer to help with organised educational visits out of school,
as well as with activities within the classroom. Parents’ evenings
are held in the Autumn and Summer terms and we write a report at the
end of the Autumn term and at the end of each academic year. Parents
are welcome to come into school at any time to discuss any concerns with
their child’s teacher, the Head of Early Years or the Headmaster.
Hurlingham School has a flourishing Parents Association, which organises enjoyable social and fund-raising events for children and parents, and helps with open evenings, Christmas Fairs and sporting events during the school year.
School Uniform
Hurlingham School has an attractive uniform, giving children a feeling of belonging. The uniform, which is compulsory, is only available from Perry's.
Health and Safety
The health and safety of the children and staff is a high priority at Hurlingham School. A modern security system is in place and Criminal Record Bureau checks are undertaken for all people employed or who carry out voluntary work at the school. Staff are trained in First Aid and copies of their certificates are visible in the Reception area. The three Reception teachers are fully Paediatric first aid trained. All children are supervised throughout lunch time and playtimes and at the end of the day until they are collected. We ask parents to follow our guidelines when bringing and picking up their children by car.
I hope this gives you a positive insight into Hurlingham School’s Reception year, although I am sure it does not answer all your questions. If you would like to visit Hurlingham School and appreciate the friendly, homely atmosphere, meet the children, staff and myself, please make an appointment by contacting the school office.
