Welcome to our school community!
Thank you for choosing Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre as your child’s preferred school. We are delighted that your child will be joining us and look forward to welcoming you to our school community.
This section of our website provides important enrolment information about our school. This information forms part of your enrolment at Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre and you are strongly encouraged to read it. New families are also encouraged to read our Parent and Carer Handbook before their child joins our school.
Our uniform is integral to our school identity, and we expect parents and carers to support our high expectations.
You can view images of our uniform items here.
Winter uniform
Our winter school uniform consists of the following items:
- Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre sweatshirt or cardigan (available to purchase now through your Arbor app)
- Grey or black trousers, tunic or skirt (available to purchase at local retailers)
- White shirt, blouse or polo shirt (available to purchase at local retailers)
- White, grey or black socks or tights (available to purchase at local retailers)
- Black shoes (available to purchase at local retailers)
Sports kit
Our sports kit consists of the following items:
- Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre sports kit (t-shirt and shorts) (available to purchase now through your Arbor app)
- Plain jogging bottoms (for outdoor lessons) (available to purchase at local retailers)
- Plimsolls (available to purchase at local retailers)
Sports kits are kept in school during each half-term; your child will take these home on the last day of each half-term for cleaning.
Additional items
- Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre book folder (available to purchase now through your Arbor app)
- Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre gym bag (available to purchase now through your Arbor app)
- Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centrel water bottle (available to purchase now through your Arbor app)
Children are not permitted to bring rucksacks, handbags or satchels to school. Only Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre book folders and gym bags are acceptable.
Summer uniform variations
During warmer months, the following variations to our school uniform apply:
- Red and white gingham dress
- Grey or black shorts
Shoes
All children should wear black shoes that are strong, safe, practical and sensible. High-heeled shoes or boots are not acceptable or appropriate for school. Similarly, open-toed sandals, slip-on shoes and ballet pumps are inappropriate as they leave feet unprotected.
Labelling clothing
All articles of clothing, including shoes, must be clearly labelled with your child’s name. It is essential that shoes, especially plimsolls, are marked.
Hair
Long hair must be tied back at all times. We do not permit extreme hairstyles, dyed, gelled, spiked hair or hair with patterns or lines shaved in.
Jewellery
No jewellery is to be worn in school, except small stud earrings (which must be removed for sports lessons). Hooped and larger stud earrings can be very dangerous, unsuitable and inappropriate for school, as are necklaces, rings and bracelets.
Ordering your child’s school uniform
All of the school’s uniform items can be purchased from our uniform supplier, Mapac. You can visit Mapac’s online uniform store here.
You may find this size guide helpful when making your order.
Second-hand uniform store
Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre works in partnership with Level Trust to provide free of charge second-hand uniform items to families.
You can access our second-hand uniform store at Level Trust here.
If you have difficulties meeting our uniform requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us, as we can often help families in these circumstances.
Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre provides a milk scheme available to all of our pupils. This scheme is operated by a third-party provider called Cool Milk.
School milk is free for under-5s, and, for over-5s, it is available at a subsidised price.
Each child that registers with Cool Milk will receive a 189ml portion of semi-skimmed milk every day, delivered fresh and chilled to the classroom. School milk will not only provide your child with essential nutrients, but as it is rehydrating and energy boosting, it also bridges the gap between breakfast and lunch to help them stay focused.
How to register
If your child will be under five when they begin attending Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre:
- register online at Cool Milk’s website
- register by a Tuesday at 5 p.m. for your child’s free milk to start the following week
- free milk will continue until the Friday before your child’s fifth birthday (you will receive a payment request four weeks before their birthday; if you wish your child to continue to receive school milk, make a payment)
If your child will be five or older when they begin attending Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre:
- register and pay online at Cool Milk’s website
- you can pay Cool Milk either online, over the telephone or at a local PayPoint in half-termly, termly or annual instalments
- please pay by a Tuesday at 5 p.m. for your child’s milk to start the following week
If you have any questions regarding school milk, please visit Cool Milk’s website or contact Cool Milk directly by telephoning 0844 854 2913.
Lactose-free milk and soya milk
Unfortunately due to low demand and limited supply availability with local dairies, Cool Milk cannot offer lactose-free or soya milk products.
However, if your child is lactose intolerant or vegan, the school can provide a daily lactose-free semi-skimmed milk or soya milk alternative.
The school manages this scheme directly at a charge of £2 per week. You can order and pay for your child’s alternative milk via Arbor.
Please complete this registration form to indicate which alternative milk you want your child to receive in school.
Note on fees: Fees may increase or otherwise vary throughout the academic year.
Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre is a paperless organisation. We will never ask you to complete paper-based forms.
Family Hub is integral to this approach. It provides families with a wealth of information about school attendance, how we manage allergies in school, resources to support both your and your child’s mental health and wellbeing, and resources to support you with keeping your child safe online.
It also provides up-to-date information about school lunch menus, calendars and links to our weekly e-newsletters.
Most importantly, Family Hub enables you to:
- Report your child’s absence from school online
- Notify the school of a medical or dental appointment online
- Apply for term-time leave of absence online
- Complete medical forms online
Please be advised that if you visit our School Office for any of the above reasons, our Business Support Team will refer you back to Family Hub to complete the relevant online form.
If you do not have access to the internet at home, our Business Support Team will support you with completing these forms via a tablet computer in our School Office.
Please take some time to familiarise yourself with Family Hub before your child begins school.
All pupils attending Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre receive a daily school meal free of charge.
Aspens Services Limited manage our school catering service, and all meals are freshly prepared daily by our on-site Catering Team.
When your child begins school in September, they will receive a daily school meal. They will be able to select their meal from a menu of daily options consisting of two hot meals and a variety of alternatives, including jacket potatoes and freshly-filled sandwiches and rolls.
You can view our current menu here.
Our school catering provider can accommodate any dietary requirements your child may have.
If you shared any specific dietary information on your child’s Enrolment Form, you will receive further communication requesting further information about your child’s dietary requirements and allergies.
Packed lunch options
Due to the range of meal options available to pupils at lunchtime, Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education does not encourage children to bring packed lunches to school.
However, if you do choose to provide your child with a packed lunch, you should read our Packed Lunch Policy carefully to ascertain what your child’s packed lunch can and cannot contain.
If your child’s packed lunch contains a restricted item on any occasion, they will be provided with a school meal in line with their dietary requirements. You will be contacted on these occasions via a contact slip in your child’s lunchbox.
Using cutlery
Your child must be able to feed themselves independently by the time they begin school. Although we recognise that your child may not be able to use a knife and fork correctly due to their age and stage of development, we insist that they can at least use a spoon to attempt to feed themselves independently.
You may find this information sheet about using cutlery useful whilst preparing your child for school.
Aspens Services Limited manages our school catering service, and all meals are freshly prepared daily by our on-site Catering Team. Aspens Services Limited are committed to providing meals for pupils with special dietary requirements due to medical, religious and cultural reasons or lifestyle choices.
You indicated that your child has allergies, intolerances or a special diet due to medical, religious and cultural reasons or lifestyle choices in their ‘New Intake Form’.
We, therefore, require you to complete this form as soon as possible to enable us to cater to your child’s dietary requirements.
Our school catering provider can accommodate any dietary requirements your child may have. We will share the dietary information you supply in this form with our Catering Manager.
Based on your responses to this form, a ‘Food Allergy Notice’ will be displayed in our School Kitchen. This will contain a photograph of your child and a list of their food allergies, intolerances or special diet due to religious or cultural reasons or lifestyle choices. This will only be visible to colleagues working in our School Kitchen and will not be publicly displayed.
You must accompany your responses to this form with a referral letter from a medical professional, for example, your child’s General Practitioner, consultant or dietitian. This can be uploaded using an option presented within the form. Alternatively, please email this information to [email protected] or provide a paper-based version to our School Office.
Once you have completed this form, it will be shared with our Catering Manager, who may arrange a meeting to discuss your child’s dietary requirements.
As is the nature of children, accidents do happen at school. These mainly involve bumps, bruises, scratches and scrapes. If your child does have an accident, they will be taken to a trained first-aider for treatment, and you will receive a message via Arbor informing you that they have received first-aid treatment at school that day.
This be as follows:
Dear Parent or Carer,
Please be advised that [Name of child] has received first aid treatment today for a minor injury.
Business Support Team
Please note that this is an automatically generated communication. Unless you have received an accompanying telephone call from our School Operations Team before you received this communication, please be reassured that your child is perfectly well, and there is no reason they cannot remain at school today.
If your child bumps their head at school, you will receive a separate message via Arbor informing you that they have bumped their head that day, which will advise you to observe for any signs of concussion and contact your GP if you are concerned.
This document outlines our first aid procedures and guidelines.
If your child bumps their head at school and this is not considered significant, you will receive a message via Arbor informing you that they have bumped their head at school that day.
This be as follows:
Dear Parent or Carer,
[Name of child] bumped their head at school today.
Although we do not think this was serious, please observe for any signs of concussion and contact your GP if you are concerned.
Business Support Team
Please note that this is an automatically generated communication. Unless you have received an accompanying telephone call from our School Operations Team before you received this communication, please be reassured that your child is perfectly well, and there is no reason they cannot remain at school today.
Although this email may be concerning, we are required to contact you in these circumstances.
If you have not received a telephone call before receiving this communication, please assume that this incident is not deemed urgent and that your child is safe and well.
We always contact parents or carers directly if we have any immediate concerns about your child’s safety or wellbeing.
If your child’s injury is more serious, you will be contacted immediately to talk about what has happened and asked to collect your child.
This document outlines our first aid procedures and guidelines.
Administration of medicines
School staff are only able to administer prescribed medicines in school. We are able to administer unprescribed medication such as Calpol, etc. if parents have consented using this form
A doctor must prescribe medicines administered in school, and their label must clearly state that they require four doses per day.
School staff cannot administer medicines that require only less than four doses per day, but parents and carers are welcome to come into school to administer medication to their child during the lunchtime break.
If you require school staff to administer medicine to your child you must complete this form before any medicine can be administered.
Please be advised that this form can be completed by visiting our School Office at any time.
Please note that all medicines must be provided in their original container as dispensed by a pharmacist.
Asthma
At Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre, we are aware of the need to ensure that asthmatic pupils have access to their inhalers. We have procedures in place to ensure that inhalers are readily available. The school maintains a record of all those who are registered as asthmatic. If a child requires an inhaler and does not have access to their own, we have implemented this policy and procedures.
If your child has an inhaler, you must complete this form before they can use their inhaler in school.
Please be advised that this form can be completed by visiting our School Office at any time.
The school will not administer medicine to your child unless you complete and sign this online form.
Emergency salbutamol inhaler
In the event of your child displaying asthma symptoms, and if their inhaler is not available or is unusable, they can receive salbutamol from an emergency inhaler held by the school for such emergencies. However, you must complete the above form before they can receive salbutamol from an emergency inhaler maintained by the school.
Anaphylaxis
At Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre, we are aware of the need to ensure that pupils who have allergies that make them susceptible to anaphylaxis have access to their adrenaline auto-injectors. We have implemented this policy and procedures to ensure that adrenaline auto-injectors are readily available. The school maintains a record of all those who have allergies.
This page of our school website provides further information about how we support pupils with allergies.
If your child has an adrenaline auto-injector, you must complete this form before they can use their adrenaline auto-injector in school. Paper copies of this document are available upon request from our School Office.
Please be advised that this form can be completed by visiting our School Office at any time.
Emergency adrenaline auto-injector
If your child displays symptoms of anaphylaxis and their adrenaline auto-injector is not available or is unusable, they can receive adrenaline from an emergency adrenaline auto-injector held by the school for such emergencies. However, you must complete the above form before they can receive adrenaline from an emergency auto-injector maintained by the school.
Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre offers a wraparound care provision for all pupils attending Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre, including its Nursery.
Our wraparound care provision operates between 7.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. daily.
Castle Club is our on-site wraparound childcare provision. It is located in Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre’s main school hall and is open every morning and afternoon throughout term time.
All wraparound childcare staff are Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre employees, fully qualified, and DBS checked.
We offer the following wraparound care sessions.
Breakfast session
Our breakfast session operates between 7.30 a.m. and 8.50 a.m.
Children can be dropped off at any time from 7.30 a.m.
Session fee: £4 per day, per child.
Breakfast is served by wraparound childcare staff and consists of healthy cereals, fresh fruit, toast, muffins and bagels, and various spreads. Fresh fruit juice, milk, and water are available throughout the breakfast.
Morning activities encourage a calm start to the school day, including reading, drawing, board games and construction kits.
All children are escorted to their respective classrooms by wraparound childcare staff at the end of each morning session for a smooth transition into class.
Note on fees: Fees may increase or otherwise vary throughout the academic year.
Early drop-off service
Castle Club offers an early drop-off service which enables families to drop their children off at Castle Club at 8.30 a.m.
Session fee: £1.50 per day, per child.
Children dropped off at this time will be escorted to their classroom in time for registration.
If you want to use our early drop-off service, you can book this via your Arbor account. Bookings can be made up to a day in advance, and payment is required at the point of booking.
However, if you need to use our early drop-off service at short notice, take your child to Castle Club at 8.30 a.m. on that day, and they will be welcomed. You will then receive a notification of how to make your payment separately.
Our early drop-off service is open to all pupils and is not restricted to those attending our wraparound care provision.
Please be advised that doors will not be open until 8.30 a.m. and breakfast is not provided as part of our early drop-off service.
Note on fees: Fees may increase or otherwise vary throughout the academic year.
After-school session 1
Afternoon session 1 operates between 3.15 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.
Session fee: £4 per day, per child.
After-school session 2
Afternoon session 2 operates between 3.15 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.
Session fee: £6 per day, per child.
Note on fees: Fees may increase or otherwise vary throughout the academic year.
At the end of the school day, wraparound childcare staff collect children attending Nursery and Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre from their classrooms.
Afternoon snacks are available to all children attending Castle Club and include toast, bagels and fresh fruit. Fresh fruit juice and water are available throughout the afternoon session, too.
During each afternoon session, children enjoy various indoor and outdoor activities and access Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre’s playgrounds, equipment and apparatus.
Hobby School extension session
We also offer a Hobby School extension session for any pupils attending Hobby School sessions at Someries Infant School or after-school clubs at Someries Junior School.
Children attending this session can remain in our wraparound care provision between the time their Hobby School or after-school club ends and 5.30 p.m.
Children can be collected at any time between the time their Hobby School or after-school club ends and 5.30 p.m.
Session fee: £2 per day, per child.
Note on fees: Fees may increase or otherwise vary throughout the academic year.
How to book a place in our wraparound care provision
Places at our wraparound childcare provision can be booked and paid for through Arbor.
Castle Club details
Wraparound Care Manager: Mrs K Byrne
Email address: [email protected]
You can view our Wraparound Care Policy here.
When your child joins Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre, they will be taught according to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.
What to expect, and when
The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework sets out children’s learning and development stages as they grow from birth to five years.
In this booklet, the seven areas of learning and development are split into three age bands. Each band contains suggestions about what your child may be doing, and how you can help them.
After each age band, you will find top tips for fun, playful experiences that you and your child can do together at home.
It is important to remember that children develop in different ways and at different rates.
Stages of speech and language development
Children develop language at different rates, too. However, understanding what is typical can help you identify speech and language problems early.
This guide provides information about the typical speech and language development stages in babies, children and young people. You can also learn how to help your child learn to talk and develop communication skills.
What if my child requires additional support?
When your child joins Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre, our focus will be settling them into new routines. During this time, class teachers will engage with your child to perform simple baseline assessments to understand their current stage of development.
Suppose your child is identified as requiring additional support with their learning or development. In that case, this will be arranged by their class teacher in consultation with our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator, Mrs Nicholson.
This may, for example, take the form of additional sessions led by the school’s Compass Team or involve your child receiving speech and language therapy sessions delivered by our Speech and Language Therapist.
You can find further information about our graduated approach to providing additional support to pupils here.
Whatever the situation, please be assured that you will be involved in every step.
Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre is part of Operation Encompass, a national scheme operating jointly between schools and police forces.
Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, before the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has experienced domestic abuse.
As a school, we have ensured that a member of our staff, known as a Key Adult, has been trained in Operation Encompass procedures, allowing us to then use the information that has been shared in confidence to support the children in our care.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 identifies children who experience domestic abuse as victims of domestic abuse in their own right.
We are keen to offer the best support possible to all of our pupils and believe our participation with Operation Encompass benefits everyone involved.