At St. Patrick’s we build a strong partnership between staff and parents and carers because we know this is important in helping children to achieve and to enjoy learning. We will keep you well informed about the school and involved in your child’s education.
How do we do this?
Newsletters
The headteacher regularly sends home a newsletter with each child to tell you about special events, school activities, news and to give you information on day-to-day school life. It is also published on the website. Furthermore, class teachers send home a newsletter each term to outline important notices within each class. Please see our
newsletters page for more details.
Parents Evening – Autumn Term
In the autumn term, parents and carers will be invited to make an appointment to meet the teacher who will be taking your child for the year. During this first meeting each year we tell you how well your child has settled in to their new class. We will also discuss and agree targets for children’s learning. Parents have the opportunity to contribute to their child’s conference book, a written record the children add to each year that follows them through the school.
Parents Evening – Spring Term
Mid-way through the school year, there will be invitations for all parents and carers to come into school to discuss their child’s progress and set targets for the rest of the academic year.
End of Year Report
In July your child will bring home their end of year report. This will include assessment information about your child. It will also notify you of the class your child will be in and the class teacher who will be taking your child for the following year.
Parent Workshops
These are occasions when parents and carers are invited into school to find out about children’s learning and how they’re being taught at St. Patrick’s. For example, we have held sessions on maths, literacy and restorative justice. Sometimes a guest speaker will be invited and sometimes children and staff give demonstration lessons and illustrated talks. These opportunities provide staff and parents and carers time to share ideas and information on important education issues.
Parent Questionnaire
Parents are consulted annually in the form of a parent questionnaire. The results of which are analysed in great detail and used by the headteacher to help set the priorities for school development.
Talking to the Teacher or a Member of Staff
If we have any concerns about your child’s progress, happiness and well-being or behaviour, the teacher will contact you straight away to discuss this with you.
If you have any concerns that you want to discuss with us then please contact us or come and see us as soon as possible. If you want to talk to a member of staff, then it is a good idea to telephone, send a note or email to request a mutually convenient time.
The most difficult time for teachers to talk to parents and carers is at the beginning of the school day. It is important for teachers to give their attention to welcoming and settling in all the children in the class, so please try to help us by leaving discussions until the end of the day.
If you cannot come to school, or do not want to arrange an appointment, you can write, email or telephone us instead. Please
click here for our contact details.
Parents with a serious worry or complaint should arrange to talk this over with the headteacher. We hope that most problems or worries can be sorted out in this way. If you do not feel that the discussion has resolved the difficulty then you can make a formal complaint. There is a formal procedure for making serious complaints and copies of the procedure are available from the school office or from Greenwich Education.
Home-school Contract
You will need to sign a home-school agreement when your child starts at St. Patrick’s. This contract sets out what we can all expect of each other in order that children are well supported in their learning both in and out of school.
How Can Parents and Carers Get Involved?
There are many ways in which parents and carers can support the work of the school. Most importantly you really help us when you support your child in coming to school on time and ready to learn each day. You help when you discuss with your child the work that they are involved in and when you follow it up at home. Research shows that children learn more successfully when their parents and carers are interested in what they learn at school.
There is always lots of learning that you can do at home to help children – reading to them, hearing them read, discussing books, taking them to the local library, helping them to learn their tables, to understand money and change, tell the time and by playing educational games such as Scrabble.
Helping in School
We welcome parental help in school but we ask that you commit yourself to a regular time slot so that we can plan for and rely upon your coming. Parents and carers help in classrooms in many ways including reading with children, working with them on their writing or providing extra adult support. You may also be able to share a special interest or skill with them – pottery, computing, sewing or sports coaching, for example.
Please let us know if you would like to help us. All adults who work in school are subject to full police and criminal records bureau checks (CRB clearance). We can organise this for you.
Outings and Educational Visits
When we take children out of school on an educational visit we need to increase the number of adults going with them. If you can come along when a class is going on an outing, please let the class teacher or school office know.
Parent Association
A group of parents, carers and friends of St. Patrick’s School work to raise additional money for the school and have organised summer fairs, Christmas fairs and cake sales. They are always grateful for volunteers and help. If you are interested in helping or joining the group, please give your details to the school office or to the headteacher who will pass on your message.
