A Guide to Life at OPJS!

Punctuality and Attendance

It is important your child is in the classroom by 8.55am. Registration and teaching start promptly and teachers are in their classrooms by 8.45am. If you arrive after 8.55am please ring the main door and report to the office.   If your child is absent from school please let the office know the reason by 8.55am on the first day of absence so that we can record it as an authorised absence.  Causes of unauthorised absences and frequent lateness are followed up by the school and in certain circumstances reported to the ‘Children Missing Education Officer’.

Planned Absences

Any planned absences, such as holidays, during term time are discouraged and unauthorised as they have an effect on a child’s progress in school.

The September 2013 DFE Statutory Guidance on School Attendance states that:

• Leave of absence will no longer be granted for extended leave or family holiday.
• The statutory threshold of 10 days leave no longer exists.
• Leave of absence may only be granted where there are exceptional circumstances.
   

Any request for leave in exceptional circumstances will be considered individually and forms must be completed in advance which are available from the school office.

Follow the link for a copy of our school's Attendance Policy: 
OPIS-and-OPJS-Attendance-Policy-2019-2020.pdf

First Aid

Every care is taken to prevent accidents but occasionally they do happen. All accidents are recorded in the accident book and treated by our trained staff.  Parents are contacted if additional medical care is considered necessary or if the child is particularly distressed.   In the event of an emergency an ambulance will be called and parents notified immediately.  Finally, staff at OPJS are classed as ‘Loco Parentis’ as the safety and care of your child is our main priority.

Medication

Children are not allowed to bring medicines of any kind into school including cough sweets etc. We would prefer any prescription medicines to be administered by parents before and after school rather than during the school day. Failing this, please bring the medicine (prescription only, non-prescription medicines will not be administered) into school yourself with the child’s name and dosage clearly written on the container and complete a medicine form available from the school office. No medicines will be administered by staff unless this form is completed. In such cases, non-teaching staff may administer the medicine but it should be clearly understood that the staff are not medically qualified and do not accept any responsibility. Parents are asked to ensure that any child receiving medication is fit enough to be in school. All medicines will be kept in a safe place and only accessed by an adult.  Inhalers – Inhalers are to be kept in the medical room and accessed as needed. Please complete a medical form if this applies to your child. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the inhaler is in date and available at all times.

We do not encourage children to bring mobile phones to school unless absolutely necessary. If your child has to bring in a mobile it is to be kept in the school office and accompanied by a letter giving the reason why. Phones used on the school premises or brought into school without permission will be held in the office for an adult to collect.

Below is a typical day at OPJS:
 

The class teacher will bring the children at the end of the day into the playground. We will expect either you, or a nominated person, to collect each child from the playground. If you wish your child to walk home alone, please complete the permission form available in the school office. If you are delayed or there is a change of person collecting your child, please let the office know.

The roads outside school are particularly dangerous due to passing traffic and to parked cars at the beginning and end of the school day. If arriving by car, PLEASE do not drop-off or wait to pick-up on double yellow lines or in a place that will put either your child or another child in danger.  This includes blocking the view of the crossing patrols.  We have two crossing patrols in the morning and after school. Both children and adults must cross at these crossing points. They operate from 8.30am to 8.55am in the morning and 3.25pm to 3.45pm in the afternoon.  Please also consider our neighbours who can be inconvenienced at these peak times of the day by cars blocking rights of way and obstructing the traffic. The private road between Ascension Church and school should not be used as a pick-up or drop-off location for safety reasons.

We expect all our children to wear our school uniform at all times as it creates a sense of identity and community while protecting them from social pressures to dress in a particular way. We are proud of our logo and wearing school uniform as it helps to reinforce a sense of pride in, and belonging to, Oldfield Park Junior School.

The School Uniform expectations are as follows and are illustrated in the photograph below:

• Navy polo shirt with school logo.
• Navy sweatshirt or cardigan with school logo.
• Grey or charcoal trousers and skirts or trousers for girls.
• Grey or black socks.
• Black leather shoes (no trainers and winter boots must be changed before class).
• Girls may wear a blue check dress.
• Boys and girls may wear tailored grey shorts.

Alex and Alexa looking great in the OPJS uniform!

For health and safety reasons all children change for Physical Education. The PE uniform consists of navy or black shorts and a T-Shirt, the colour of which depends on the House they are in. New children to Oldfield Park Junior School are allocated to one of four houses: Allen (red), Brunel (green), Minerva (yellow) and Nash (blue).  Each child also needs a PE bag.

House t-shirts proudly on show!

Children are expected to wear a coat during the winter months as outdoor play is valued all year round.

Jewellery should not be worn in school for safety reasons. Children with pierced ears should wear studs. Long hair should be tied back at all times.  Children’s haircuts should be appropriate with no emblems or patterns shaved at the side or into the back of children’s heads. All items of clothing must be named. The same applies to anything else that is brought into school for whatever reason. There is a lost property box located near the Play Centre.

Please follow the link with regards to our school uniform policy: 
School-Uniform-Policy-2019-2020.pdf

Finally, we source our polo tops, jumpers, cardigans and house t-shirts from a local supplier called Scholars. Please follow the link  www.scholars-uk.com/bath.php

The school places a high priority on safety and endeavours to secure the site at all times. The playground gates opposite the Church are opened at 8.30am when a member of staff is on duty in the playground. PLEASE ensure that your child does not arrive before 8.30am as the gates will be closed and the road outside school can be dangerous at that time of the morning. The children go into the school building at 8.45am when class teachers are in their classrooms ready to start the day. The gates are closed at 8.55am. During the day, the school is accessed through the locked main door which has a coded entry and is covered by a CCTV camera. Most areas of the playground are also monitored by CCTV cameras.  The gates are opened at 3.15pm for pick-up and locked again at 3.45pm or as soon as most of the children have left. Please wait for your child in the playground and not on the pavement outside the school.  If you wish your child to leave the school site on their own at the end of the day, please complete a permission slip, all visitors to the school, during the school day, must report to Reception, sign in the visitor’s book and wear a visitor’s tag. For class events we will take a register of those attending.