A list of school term dates is issued at the beginning of the academic year. The following dates are provisional and subject to amendment when dates of in-service training are known.

Whenever possible, parents are urged to plan family holidays to coincide with school holidays since very few children remain unaffected by lengthy absences from school. Regulation 12 of the Education (Schools and Further Education) Regulations 1981 permits a maximum of two weeks leave of absence from school for children to accompany parents on an annual holiday at the school’s discretion. A holiday form (obtainable from school) must be completed prior to any such absence.

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Pupil attendance is very closely monitored in school. Unauthorised absence is that which is not notified or for reasons which are unacceptable.

Morning: 8.55 am - 12.00 noon (Break: 10.55 am-11.05am)

Afternoon: 12.55 pm - 3.05 pm.

At present, the length of the taught week is 23.75 hours in total and will be kept under review according to legislation.

We ask parent's co-operation to ensure that children arrive at school punctually each day. Traffic conditions in the Camden Road area can be difficult and parents who drive their children to school are advised to leave in good time.

Late arrivals disrupt learning and add to administration, particularly for school meals. A note is made in the class register and parents are notified in writing if lateness becomes a problem. The school governors have determined that registration should close at 9.10 am, and pupils arriving after that time are deemed to be late and an unauthorised absence could be recorded against him/her. Registers are subject to checks by the Education Welfare Officer and official action can result in persistent cases.

We appreciate that some children do arrive earlier than 8.45 am, due to family circumstances but parents should note that this is at their own risk since supervision is only guaranteed from 8.45 am.

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Camden Junior School is maintained by the London Borough of Sutton and caters for approximately 340 children between the ages of seven and eleven.

Children are taught in single-age mixed ability groups; there are usually three classes in each year group. Within the classroom, teachers select and apply whatever teaching strategy is appropriate to the task in hand according to educational and organisational factors. This approach will lead to the natural balance of class, group and individual teaching which is endorsed by recent government reports.

Extra help is available for children with special educational needs, who may be taught individually or in special groups, or be given support within their class. Our aim is to give them sufficient skills and confidence to sustain further progress alongside their peers. In this respect, we concentrate particularly on Year 3 children, in order to identify problems and begin to deal with them as early as possible in a child’s school career.

The school operates a staged system for identifying and supporting children with Special Educational Needs. Class teachers will invite parents into school if there are any concerns about their child. In some cases, more specialist help is sought from the Borough Learning Support Team and the Education Psychology Service.

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The curriculum is designed to be balanced and broadly based so that development may take place in all the main areas of learning and experience. The curriculum must also serve to develop the child as an individual, as a member of society and as a future adult member of the community with a range of personal and social qualities and responsibilities.

In line with the National Curriculum as set out in the Education Reform Act 1988, (National Curriculum 2000), the curriculum includes core subjects, English, mathematics, science, ICT and six foundation subjects, technology, history, geography, music, art and physical education. In many instances, these subjects will be taught in cross-curricular topics or themes where they interrelate naturally. The inclusion of non-denominational religious education in promoting spiritual and moral development is also an important curricular element.

Under the provisions of the Education Reform Act, the curriculum includes attainment targets, programmes of study and assessment arrangements to cover the range of knowledge, skills and understanding which pupils should be expected and helped to master as they progress through the school.

End of Key Stage assessment takes place in May each year for Year 6 pupils.

National Curriculum documents and other programmes of study may be viewed in school on application to the Headteacher.

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Language is a means of learning through the curriculum. Opportunities are created to foster the children’s learning in all curriculum areas. The many schemes of work developed through the school indicate the variety of activities and resources which will enable pupils to make progress through the National Curriculum attainment targets. Speaking, listening, reading and writing are all bound together, and teachers provide avenues for children to practise all of these.

The children’s speaking and listening skills are utilised in a variety of situations, to extend their involvement and to show more awareness of the views of others.

In reading there is a small core of books purposely chosen and colour coded for their graded content with a progressive widening of other reading material available, including poetry and non-fiction.

The school library and classroom libraries are well stocked and are supplemented with books on loan from the Sutton Library Service. Study boxes for topic work are taken on loan to reinforce school resources.

In Years 3, 4 and 5 children are taken to the local library on a regular basis and are urged to continue as active members of the library thereafter. Parents are asked to co-operate in listening to and reading with their children at home. Class reading activities include individual silent reading, paired reading and group reading. Enthusiasm for reading is further supported through regular book fairs and book weeks.

Children’s writing has a number of purposes and children are encouraged to write for a variety of audiences, for example in bookmaking or writing for a wall display. They are also encouraged to talk about their work, leading towards the first draft being thought of as an initial attempt and redrafting seen as an opportunity for alterations. Children might work with partners who respond to their work. Writing enhances the creative and imaginative abilities of the pupils as well as giving a chance to talk over the correct use of Standard English in terms of correct grammar and spelling. The use of dictionaries and thesauruses is promoted. The National Curriculum advocates the teaching of a neat, joined style of handwriting and we liase actively with Victor Seymour Infants School in order to promote a style common to both schools in the children’s interests.

The National Literacy Strategy was launched in September 1998.

All our classes have at least one hour each day, which focuses on reading, writing, grammar and spelling.

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From September 1999, we have been following the National Numeracy Strategy.

All children have a daily maths lesson, of about 50 minutes in Y3/4 rising to one hour in Y5/6. All year groups are set for maths according to ability.

There is great emphasis on number and mental maths skills.

Children are helped to build up memorised number facts, such as number bonds and tables and are shown mental strategies to apply these to problem solving.

The teaching of shape, measures and data handling is included in our mathematics teaching. Each year group follows a detailed mathematics curriculum working together as a whole class, individually, in pairs or groups.

Homework is set once a week and parental help is definitely encouraged.

The children receive a variety of homework tasks: games, problem solving or a series of sums to be done ‘against the clock’. Our aim is that homework should promote confidence by being enjoyable and worthwhile, but should also contain an element of challenge. We welcome feedback from parents and children about homework. Some methods of working will be unfamiliar to parents, staff are happy to discuss any problems.

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Science is one of the three core subjects of the National Curriculum. Pupils will be helped to develop the intellectual and practical skills that allow them to explore the world about them in a scientific way and enable them to gain a fuller understanding of scientific phenomena and how they relate to everyday life. Where possible the emphasis will be on practical work, observation, investigation, and testing of ideas.

Throughout their work, pupils will be required to develop and use communication skills, presenting their ideas to others and setting out information in an ordered manner. They are introduced to conventions and diagrams, tables, graphs etc, given an opportunity to take part in small group discussion and are introduced to reference books and other sources from which to gain further information.

Visits and visitors to school are also used to support learning and understanding in Science.

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There is a network computer system based in two  ICT suites, on the upper floor there are 27 computers and a smaller suite on the ground floor where 9 computers are based. In addition there are 18PCs and 3 laptops used in classroom study. Each class has weekly timetabled use of these facilities,  allowing children to work in classes, groups, pairs or individually . A core of programs is used for computer work and these fall into four broad categories: handling information (databases), communicating information (word processing), measurement and control and for modelling (simulation programs).

On entry to the school Year 3 undertake an intensive keyboard skills programme.

Children are taught to load, store, enter and retrieve information, to print out their work and to write simple instructions and procedures. The majority of work is closely allied to other areas of the curriculum.

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In this area, the children are required to apply knowledge and skills to solve practical problems. Children are encouraged to identify needs, devise solutions, realise ideas practically and evaluate the end product. They should evaluate known products and use these as an inspiration for their own designs. A wide range of skills and techniques is used, including aspects of art, craft, food technology, science and computer studies, emphasising the cross-curricular nature of the subject.

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Geography is taught through some topic based or thematic studies. Children are given the opportunity to study a variety of places using geographical skills. They can use maps and plans, globes and photographs (including aerial photographs).

Studies will be based on the National Curriculum requirements and include studies of physical and human features in a variety of localities. The children can see how these localities are set within a region and a country. Features of the locality can be compared with and contrasted to the immediate area around the school, the county or region, and the home country.

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History is mostly taught through a topic-based approach, which can identify links with other areas of the curriculum. The children are helped to set their study of the past in a chronological framework. They are given the opportunity to develop an awareness of the past and the ways in which it was different from the present.

The studies will be based on the requirements of the National Curriculum, which examine certain periods in history. The children are taught to evaluate evidence and seek clues as well as simply learning facts.

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The overall aims for the art curriculum are to develop exploratory inventive thought and action. Children will be given opportunities to develop their powers of observation, as well as awareness of colour, form and space in the environment, and the man-made world. They will be working from direct experience, memory and imagination, and will sketch and record what they have seen in a variety of ways.

Each child will keep a sketchbook, which will continue with them throughout the school.

Children will experiment with a variety of media and processes in order to express their ideas and meanings in many different ways, e.g. drawing, painting, printing, collage, three-dimensional work and textiles.

Children will also be given the opportunity to study major periods of art history from a variety of cultures and become aware of other artists. This is critical to the development of pupil’s practical skills, but it is also highly significant in its own right as a source of enjoyment and understanding.

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Music in the classroom is the core of school music activity. The aim is to give children a wide variety of experiences to develop a musical understanding, interest and creative ability. Music teaching includes singing, learning listening skills, instrumental work and becoming involved in inventing and composing to cover the two attainment targets of Performance and Composing and Listening and Appraising.

Composing is an important element of work in the primary school. Everyone will be given the opportunity to explore sounds and to experiment with rhythmic and melodic patterns to create their own compositions. They will have the opportunity to use a wide selection of instruments including keyboards. Alongside our own rich musical culture, children will also be given the opportunity to explore music from different cultures.

Instrumental tuition is also available through visiting tutors (see under Charging for School Activities). This varies according to the availability of tutors and the level of demand. Parents are notified of vacancies in tuition groups by newsletter and are invited to submit their children’s names for consideration. Selection for instrumental tuition is a matter for the tutors concerned and payment is made direct to them under the Borough’s policy for instrumental tuition.

A recent innovation has been the introduction of a designated ‘Music Room’.

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There is a broad PE programme offered to all the pupils. During each school term, the children will experience games, dance and gymnastics, the core elements of the PE curriculum. Swimming, athletics and outdoor and adventurous activities will also be addressed at some point during the year. The latter take the form of orienteering or challenging activities within the school grounds or playing fields and at the Year 4 residential camp.

The school has a good-sized hall with fixed and portable apparatus for indoor work, an adequate playground and an excellent field (with changing rooms) for outdoor activities. There are also grid markings on the school playground for PE.

Children are encouraged to work in bare feet for greater control, movement and sensitivity in indoor lessons. For safety reasons, staff will require children with long hair to tie it back during games lessons. In the case of children who must wear spectacles during games activities, parents are encouraged to seek advice on the use of plastic lenses as a means of helping to avoid accidents. During colder weather, a tracksuit or suitable sweater would be an acceptable part of PE kit, at the discretion of the teacher for outdoor work. Children are encouraged to wear red shorts with a white vest or tee shirt for most work in PE. (See section on uniform.)

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We aim to promote positive attitudes towards health and health education.

Health education is approached in a cross-curricular way, as well as being an integral part of the science programme.

Sex education is taught within PSHE and there are links with RE, English and Science. It is taught within the context of the children’s learning about growth, change, relationships and feelings. Parents will be invited to regular workshop evenings to help them to be fully aware of the content of these studies.

Drugs Education is approached with the same cross-curricular approach.

Our policies for work in these areas are available on request.

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The aim is to promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of pupils so that they may make sense of their own lives and become responsible members of the multicultural and multi-faith society within Britain today. Religious education may form a natural part in some topics whilst still retaining its distinctive character.

On other occasions, RE may be taught as a subject in its own right. The emphasis is on Christian teaching and we are following the Sutton Agreed Syllabus, which includes the study of Judaism, Islam and Hinduism at Key Stage 2.

There is a daily act of collective worship, which is of a broadly Christian character, though without being distinctive of any particular Christian denomination.

Parents wishing to exclude their child from religious worship and education should contact the Headteacher.

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Clubs are a feature of school life and are run voluntarily by members of staff during lunchtimes or after school. Various clubs operate throughout the year, some right through the school year and others for half term or termly sessions.

Such clubs have recently included cross country running, netball, football, cricket, art, ICT, gardening, choir, science, bell ringing, and recorders. The range of activities will naturally depend upon staff interests and other commitments and are provided by staff voluntarily in the interests of the children.

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Homework will be set on a regular basis. Each year group will issue a homework timetable in September. Homework provides opportunities to consolidate, practise and extend skills learned in the classroom or research supporting material for topics being studied at school. Every child will have daily reading and weekly mathematics and spelling to do.

Year groups will inform you of additional requirements, particularly the upper school who do have project assignments to complete and Maths Group homework.

Occasionally children may be asked to repeat class work or undertake some extra studies to regain ground after a lengthy absence.

Parents have a valuable role to play in providing surroundings in which homework can be done, away from too many distractions and by being prepared to show an interest in what their children are doing, particularly with reading.

Whilst homework should always be given adequate time to constitute an honest effort, it should not be allowed to cause undue stress or deprive children of time for out-of-school recreational activities. Staff would be pleased to talk to any parent whose child has genuine and frequent problems with homework.

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In a primary school, the class teacher is every child’s first point of contact and will get to know the pupil very well in the course of a year. In the case of children transferring from Victor Seymour Infants’ School, our staff visit them on several occasions during the Summer Term prior to transfer and liase thoroughly with the Infant School staff. Children transferring from other schools are invited to visit us with their parents prior to joining the school.

Any pupil who feels anxious about a major problem is welcome to discuss it with the Headteacher or may be referred to her by the class teacher in appropriate cases.

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In addition to the school’s pastoral arrangements, the Education Welfare Officer can often give advice and support when pupils and their families face difficulties and act as an intermediary between families and other agencies of the Local Education Authority when problems arise. The Officer’s prime concern is to secure regular attendance and punctuality from all pupils but has another, often overlooked, supportive function, which is available to all parents in times of need.

Any parent who feels that the Education Welfare Officer might be of assistance is able to make contact either via the Headteacher or directly to the LEA, if preferred.

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Generally, the LEA takes no responsibility for accidents to pupils and staff or loss or damage to their personal property. Parents who wish to effect an accident insurance policy for their children should contact the Headteacher in the first instance for details of a scheme offered by the Borough’s insurers.

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Children are allowed to bring packed lunches to school and we have cupboards and trolleys where the lunches can be locked away until lunchtime. Along with all other items belonging to the child, we expect the sandwich box and flask/drink container to be clearly labelled with the child’s name and class.

Sweets and bars of chocolate should not be included in packed lunches.

Sutton Catering Services provide a wholesome meal each day for those who require it and there is often a choice of first course and sweet. Parents in receipt of income support may apply to the school office for free meals and milk.

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Parents and children are reminded of the following points:

1. Apart from weekly dinner money there is normally no need to bring money to school. Dinner money change will be looked after by the class teacher until the end of the school day.
2. If money is brought to school to pay for a visit, etc it should be secured in a sealed, labelled envelope, given in promptly and never left in the cloakroom, desks or bags. Responsibility cannot be accepted for cash left unattended.
3. Articles of clothing, bags, footwear, etc should be clearly named. 
   Children are advised not to bring valuables to school and if they do, they are the sole responsibility of the child. Staff cannot be held accountable for any loss of, or damage to such articles.
4. Under no circumstances are children allowed to exchange, buy or sell personal property in school and staff will not become involved in disputes about ownership which arise from a breach of this rule.
5. Items such as toys, stickers or other distractions should not be brought to school.
6. We do not allow sweets in school, but encourage the children to bring in certain fresh fruits (e.g. apples) for morning break.
7. The school provides the basic equipment required in lessons (pencils, rulers, felt-tips, etc). It is not therefore strictly necessary for children to bring in their own articles, but if they do it is their responsibility to look after them carefully.

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It helps enormously if, once a loss has been discovered, it is reported immediately to a member of staff rather than leaving the matter two or three days when retracing steps becomes difficult.

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Generally, the school is not able to administer medicines; however, asthma pumps are permitted provided the appropriate approval form has been authorised by a parent or guardian.

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It is the school’s aim to promote self-discipline in our pupils, respect for people and property and an awareness of the moral values of others irrespective of their sex, colour, race or ethnic origin. In order to achieve high personal qualities of character and behaviour, a great deal of initial guidance is needed, particularly with younger children. The school has a firm policy on bullying, a copy of which is reproduced at the end of this prospectus.

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This code of conduct is negotiated with the children annually and is used both in class and during assemblies to maintain the ethos of the school, as a safe caring place to be for everyone.

There are times when individuals do have difficulties and on these occasions we will make contact with parents. Similarly, if parents have concerns that home circumstances could be presenting problems please come and see us.

If all else fails, the school can exclude children either temporarily or permanently for the most serious offences but it is our aim to avoid that situation if at all possible by engaging in effective dialogue with parents.

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We wish children to enjoy their association with Camden Junior School and hope they will want to wear our uniform with pride. School uniform fosters a sense of belonging, contributes to the ethos of the school and paves the way for transition to High School where correct uniform is a universal requirement.

Standard dress is therefore compulsory at Camden and details are to be found overleaf. It is so designed that it may be purchased at most large chain stores at no greater cost than clothing, which would otherwise be required for daily use. Sweatshirts, cardigans, polo shirts, school ties, pullovers and PE kit are available at very reasonable prices from the school office.

Hairstyles should reflect the ethos of the school and, although it is impossible to prescribe certain styles or lengths, any fashion which distracts the pupil or others from their studies or encourages other pupils to emulate or exceed it is unacceptable.

Long hair should be tied back when safety dictates. Make-up and nail-varnish are prohibited at all times.

With the exception of a watch, jewellery is not allowed in school. If it is lost it is difficult to trace and accidents can be caused by some items. Potentially even more dangerous are hanging earrings, which during playtimes, PE lessons, or indeed at any time, can easily become entangled causing damage to the ear lobe. Where parents have allowed their children to have their ears pierced, one pair of small sleepers or suitable small studs, neither of which should protrude much from the lobe, are less dangerous and may be worn when necessary. These should be plain gold or silver, not coloured. In keeping with Health and Safety guidelines, staff may ask children to remove studs from pierced ears during games and PE. Your support in this matter would be greatly appreciated and will help us in our efforts to ensure the children’s safety at school.

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In common with our feeder school, Victor Seymour Infants’, our standard dress is based on the colours red, grey and white.

Trainers must not be worn inside school but may be worn as an alternative to shoes at playtime

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For PE all children require red sports shorts* and a plain white tee shirt*, black or white plimsolls and a drawstring bag. These items to be kept in school Monday to Friday. Cycling shorts, Bermuda shorts and tee shirts decorated with captions or cartoon characters, etc, are not allowed.

Children would be well advised to have a tracksuit. Children will also need a swimming costume and a swimming hat for use when their year group uses the Westcroft pool. Boys must wear swimming trunks, not cycling or Bermuda shorts for swimming.

* Red shorts and a white tee shirt printed with the Camden badge are available for sale from the school office.

Parent interviews are held in the autumn and spring terms.

Pupil Achievement Review Days (PAR Days) are held in the Autumn Term.

Pupils, parents and teachers meet together to set and agree targets which are reviewed at the Spring Term parents evenings. Written reports are given during the Summer Term. These reports will increasingly reflect the need to convey to parent’s information about their child’s progress as measured by the testing and assessment procedures required by the Education Reform Act. There is an opportunity to discuss reports with staff if required.

It is possible to talk to staff at other times by mutual arrangement through contacting the school office, since all teachers have a full teaching timetable. The Headteacher is always pleased to talk to parents about the progress of their child and it is often possible to arrange a meeting at little or no notice although a telephone call to the office is a wise precaution. In an emergency, someone would always be available.

We warmly welcome parents who wish to work alongside teachers in the classroom in a variety of ways. If you do have some time available during the week, your child’s teacher would be pleased to hear from you.

Newsletters are sent home every Friday in an effort to keep parents informed of school news and events.

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When coming into school it is important that you report to the school office first. We request this in the interest of the children’s safety, as it is essential we are quickly able to establish that anyone in the building is there for a legitimate purpose.

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If your child is away from school, you are required to notify us as soon as possible, especially if it is an infectious illness. Legislation introduced in the autumn of 1991 enforces strict monitoring of absences and we will always seek an explanation if none is offered. Failing a suitable explanation, absence will be regarded as unauthorised absence/truancy.

If an absence is not covered by a telephone call to the school office, a letter explaining the absence must be sent in on the child’s return to school. Absences for doctors/dentists appointments should be dealt with in the same way.

A letter is also required to excuse children from PE or games on medical grounds.

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The school has an Equal Opportunities Policy which is underpinned by the Equal Opportunities Policy of the London Borough of Sutton and aims to foster an understanding and appreciation of the multicultural society in which we live, to encourage children to share the same playground areas and to provide access to all games for both sexes, except where the rules of national associations state otherwise.

We welcome pupils, staff, parents and governors from all sectors of the community and act emphatically against discrimination on any grounds.

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Individual tuition in the playing of a musical instrument is the only activity taking place in school hours for which a charge may be made, subject to parental agreement being obtained beforehand.

Day visits in school hours will be funded by seeking voluntary contributions.

It must be pointed out, however, that if sufficient funds are not forthcoming from voluntary contributions to finance a day visit, then it may have to be cancelled.

Residential journeys also operate on the basis of voluntary contributions.

School meals and milk remain free of charge in the case of pupils whose families are in receipt of income support. Other pupils are charged according to the current rate set by the Local Education Authority.

A charge will also be made for articles made at school and taken home.

The charge will be a nominal one to offset the cost of materials/ingredients.

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Whilst it is anticipated that any complaints against the school or the Education Authority would be made initially through the Headteacher in an informal way and thereby resolved, it is essential to advise that there is a further right of appeal in the event of the complaint not being dealt with satisfactorily. The full procedures as approved by the Secretary of State are available for inspection at the school on request.

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The Friends of Camden School is run by a committee of twelve parents who, with four elected officers, organise social and fund-raising events for parents and children alike. An Annual General Meeting is held in the Autumn Term and the committee welcomes fresh ideas for events which parents might like to put forward.

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Key Stage 2 SATS are taken in May by Year 6 children.

IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNISE THAT ACHIEVING BELOW LEVEL 4 REPRESENTS SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT FOR SOME CHILDREN.

We are directed to publish our targets for current year 6 pupils. The work is undertaken from the data at the end of year 4, optional SATs scores and teacher assessment. Fixed at that point it takes no account of progress in Year 5 or indeed changes in the profile of the year group.

Our targets for 2006 are 73% for English and 76% for Mathematics. These targets are challenging and inspirational and we hope to exceed them.

A bully is someone who in some way is stronger than other people are and abuses that power, resulting in some distress, harm or neglect of necessary attention for another. A bully deliberately tries to hurt, threaten or frighten someone and whether it is just once or over a long period, it is never right and will not be tolerated in this school.

Hitting, kicking, pushing, pulling hair, spitting and other things which hurt our bodies are all bullying. Spreading rumours, calling names, using bad language or nasty words, leaving people out of games and other things which hurt our feelings are all bullying. Standing and watching without getting help and keeping quiet about what you have seen is helping the bully. There is no such thing as an innocent onlooker.

If you are bullied or see bullying happen, tell a teacher. Tell your parent. Tell a friend. We will always listen and try to help.

All children who strive for and achieve high standards of work and behaviour deserve praise from parents and teachers. No adult should fail to praise genuine effort.

Our behaviour targets are clear and achievable. Those who work to meet them will be rewarded by:

Sanctions or punishments should target the act and not the pupil, giving the pupil a chance to change for the better. Initial responses could include: 

Please report any actual or suspected bullying to a member of staff. If your child is bullied remain calm, reassure him/her but do not tell your child to fight back or be aggressive with other people. Do not take the law into your own hands but support the school if action is needed. We want to eliminate bullying as much as you do.

Bully victims generally lose self-esteem. Work can deteriorate, attendance can suffer and they may beg to stay at home with imaginary illnesses. They may become isolated, clingy, have nightmares and be generally distressed. Possessions, clothing and books may be damaged, pocket money might go missing and unexplained bruises and scratches may appear.

Send mail to jshort@suttonlea.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2002 Camden Junior School
Last modified: August 29, 2007