Key Information
Please note that some of these links will open in an external website. Please note that we are in no way affiliated with any advertisers who may appear. Key Information Important information and links Department of Education –https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education Education and Learning – https://www.gov.uk/browse/education Local Authority Schools – https://www.southglos.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools-and-education/school-finder/find-school-south-gloucestershire/
Admissions
Admission arrangements are organised by the local authority. Applications for admission must be made through the local authority using a form online. We welcome visits to our school and are keen for prospective parents to come along, meet with the Headteacher and have a tour of our facilities. Please telephone the school office on 01454 866523 if you would like to enquire about places at St Chad’s or visit South Gloucestershire Schools Admissions. If your child is due to start school in Reception, we hold open events during the Autumn term for those starting in the following September.
Uniforms
Please see the bottom of the page for links to help you get the correct uniform. There are many photographs of pupils in school uniform and PE kits in the newsletters and in the Entrance Power Point in the foyer. School Clothing/Uniform Uniform helps develop a sense of unity and teamwork, bringing together a widely diverse group of pupils into one harmonious and cohesive way. We are not attempting to set up rules that can be pushed against to see “what we can get away with” instead there are simple directions that allow everyone to feel together as part of a team. Pupils often wish to test boundaries (especially as they get older) and dress sense is certainly a common way this is done. We do wish for all of our pupils to feel they are able to express themselves as individuals whilst understanding in a school setting they are part of a group where there are rules which are important to follow for a host of reasons, not least to help learn that we live in a society which has rules that help us all interact successfully. As a school, we aim to be understanding and work with families and children to achieve the balance of these two opposing aims. Therefore, it is with pride that we can say that all families over the years have 100% reinforced us in doing this with a healthy support of school unity and an understanding that we are all aiming towards the same goal of providing the very best all round education for each and every child. Thank you everyone for supporting this. There is a basic uniform which consists of: White or light blue shirts/polo shirts. Navy sweatshirts or cardigan. Grey or black trousers/skirt/pinafore. Summer option – black/grey shorts, blue/white check or stripe dresses but not patterned beach wear or cycle shorts. Black sensible shoes. We do not allow high heels or raised shoes for safety reasons. Navy school fleece. Games and P.E. Kit Games and P.E are compulsory for all children, except for those permanently excluded on health grounds. If this is the case, a note from the child’s GP must be sent into the school. For those children suffering from minor ailments, a brief note or Class Dojo message must be sent into the class teacher prior to the P.E lesson taking place. Following on from last year, we are asking children to come into school wearing their P.E kit, when it is their class P.E day. Suitable clothing for P.E is essential and we are asking for the following to be worn: Plain black shorts, Completely plain white t-shirt or completely plain t-shirt in your child’s house colour (the school logo is allowed), Appropriate sports’ trainers that can be used within PE lessons (ideally black), Plain, black sweatshirt/zip-up top, Black jogging bottoms or black leggings. Black daps to change into when outdoor shoes are wet or muddy (can also be the same as those in school PE kit). With the same uniform being worn by all the children, please label all your child’s clothing and equipment! School uniform and book bags all with the school logo are available as described on this page. We do not insist on items with the school logo on them, but we do insist on the colours and designs as described above. If you have any school uniform that is in good condition, but you no longer need for your child/ren, we would appreciate it if you could send it into school for other families to use. Sun Safety We ask that all children wear sun hats at playtime and lunchtimes during hot weather. We encourage children to wear sun cream also but please be aware that staff will not put sun cream on children. The most successful way has been for parents to put it on their child in the morning, for older children to re-apply throughout the day and in KS1 teachers stand at the front and instruct children on how to apply sun cream to themselves. Jewellery /Fashion Items/Hair The school discourages the wearing of jewellery, nail polish, designer sportswear, and inappropriate footwear. The exception is ear-rings where appropriate studs are allowed but these must be removed for any PE activity to minimise the risks to themselves and to others. Children whose ears are in the healing period following piercing will need to provide medical tape to cover the ear lobe during PE. No ear-rings are allowed for swimming so children need to be able to remove them for themselves. The school cannot accept responsibility for the loss of personal items such as watches, ear-rings etc. Hair bands, ribbons/bows or ‘scrunchies’ and other hair wear should be moderate in size and hair bands should not have large items attached. We ask that parents avoid allowing their child to sport “extreme” hair fashion (for example spikes, vivid colour etc), and this can be identified as a look that will attract a large amount of attention from other pupils, this can have a negative effect on the harmonious nature of our school. It is not possible to list all of the future fashion trends that will come and go, there will be times that the school may ask your child to remove something that is not listed in this policy (such as ‘Heelys’ when they were in fashion for example). If it isn’t mentioned here the general rule of thumb is: does it create unity as a school? Does it show the school in the best light (imagine we had a Royal Visit, what would school uniform look like on that day)? Does it create a uniformed whole team approach? Is it likely to cause danger to the wearer or other people in any aspect of the school day (think break times, going on the field, walking home, carrying lunch, going into assembly, during a fire drill, during a PE lesson and so on)? Mobile Phones For obvious reasons, children are