Sandilands Community Primary School

At Sandilands we have high expectations in both work and behaviour. Our dedicated staff work hard in order that every child develops to the best of their ability academically, socially and emotionally. This will ensure that children have the knowledge and skills to equip them for their secondary education and life beyond school.

Sandilands has a good reputation within the local community. We know that the relationship between home and school is a vital one and we appreciate parents and carers working with us to continue to develop the aspirations of all in our community.The standard number for our school is 60 i.e. two classes per year group.If you are looking to send your child to Sandilands and would like to have an initial visit before submitting your application form to the Admissions Team then do please ring staff in the school office. We will be able to give you some indication at this time as to whether or not we have vacancies in the year groups you are looking at.

The governing body should help to set, and keep under review, the broad policies and procedures within which the Headteacher and staff should run the school.In all its work, the governing body should focus on the key issues of raising standards of achievement, establishing high expectations and promoting effective teaching and learning.The governing body is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the schools effectiveness, asking challenging questions and pressing for improvement. The headteacher is responsible for leading the school providing high quality education and for the day-to-day management of the school. The governing body is responsible for ensuring good quality education in the school and decide on strategic direction. The headteacher and staff report to the governing body on the school’s performance. It is not the role of governors to rubber-stamp every decision of the headteacher.

Keeping our children safe is of paramount importance to us all and below is a series of links to information and services that may help to keep our children safe in a digital world. Just click on the relevant logos to visit the various information sources. In the digital age, it is vital that parents and carers are aware of the websites and apps that their children are using. Social media apps, including facebook, Instagram, Musical.ly, Snapchat and WhatsApp have a minimum age of 13, as set out in their terms and conditions.

Children under the age of 13 should not be accessing these apps. The NSPCC website Net Aware has a list of many apps and gives information about the age restrictions for each one.Sandilands First Steps offers a warm, caring, homely environment, providing stimulating activities to encourage your child’s development within the EYFS framework.Sandilands First Steps provides a totally inclusive environment for your child where we recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents / carers; thereby ensuring individual child’s needs are met. All children are encouraged to make their own choices and decisions. We provide continuous provision both indoors and outdoors to enable your child to explore actively and freely.

Children at school are considered to have Special Educational Needs if their abilities are outside the normal spectrum for their age range. The class teacher usually identifies children with Special Educational Needs.The school’s SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) would then be notified and where necessary help from other agencies would be sought.Parents would be included at each stage and their help and involvement are greatly valued. If you think your child has special needs or health needs before they are admitted to school then please inform us so that we can consider your child’s needs and whether specific transitional or supportive plans need to be put in place.

Sandilands is committed to a nurturing ethos. Staff are dedicated to identifying the particular needs of all children and providing intensive, tailored support to overcome barriers to learning.Our Nurture Group is an intervention for both KS1 and KS2 children which provides a structured environment with a consistent, predictable routine with a balance of education and emotional support within a home-like atmosphere. Our Nurture Group is important for the development of general well-being and to help the children regulate their own emotions. We offer children the opportunity to have nurturing experiences and to develop their skills to achieve their targets, build relationships and gain the confidence to deal with the everyday challenges of life.

Children access the safe and secure environment in The Base at different times in the day . Positive language is vital for children’s self- esteem and The Base helps children to develop social skills and build positive relationships with both their peers and adults. Children throughout the school know that The Base is a safe place they can go to if they are struggling in the playground or if they are upset for whatever reason ; they know that there is always a member of staff there to talk to them and who will try to help.