School Information
This School Information section of our website appears in A to Z form.
Absence from school
The school day starts at 8.45 and registration takes place between 8.55 and 9.10. Please inform our School Secretary if your child is going to be away from school and write a note in your child’s Home-School Communication Book when he / she returns to school.
Accessibility
The school's Accessibility Plan (2007-2009) focuses on ensuring the school building is accessible for all wheelchair users, ensuring the external environment is safe and accessible for mobility-impaired children and adults, and ensuring children have access to appropriate technology to support their learning and developement.
Admission arrangements
Admission to Meadow Wood is determined by Hertfordshire County Council. This is done through a Statement of Special Educational Needs. Children may be admitted into Meadow Wood at any time during the school year. Visits to the school by prospective pupils and their families are very welcome. Arrangements for visits can be made with the School Secretary.
Advice and information
We can provide you with advice and information including:
the world of education, health and social care
transition to secondary school
holiday playschemes
respite provision
If we are unable to help, we will try to put you in touch with someone who can.
Annual Reviews, Statements and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
The purpose of the Annual Review of a child’s Statement of Special Educational Needs is to ensure that at least once a year the provision set out in the Statement is monitored and evaluated. The Annual Review meeting will consider your views of your child’s views progress over the past year, especially in relation to each objective identified in his / her Statement, the successes your child has achieved in meeting the targets in her / his Individual Education Plan (IEP), identify any significant changes, if any, in your child’s special educational needs, and note any changes to requirements for equipment, aids and access.
In the early years (when children are of nursery and reception age) we invite parents to come and discuss their child's progress twice a year. The first of these meetings is an informal progress update and review of the child's Statement of Special Educational Needs. The second meeting is of a formal kind which considers in more detail the views of you, your child, and all those professionals working with him or her. After this time we will meet with you once a year to discuss your child’s progress in relation to the objectives identified in her / his Statement.
We will give you two weeks notice of the meeting. If the date and time are inconvenient for you, please get in touch with us. We will be happy to re-arrange the meeting for a more convenient time. We will also invite, where we think it is helpful, one or more of the professionals involved in your child's life. You can also suggest who you would like to attend. The Annual Review meeting is your meeting about your child. You are very welcome to bring along a friend, relative or adviser to the review meeting. The Local Authority will be aware of the date of your child's Annual Review meeting and may wish to send a representative - your child's SEN officer, for instance. (We provide the Local Authority with dates of planned Annual Review meetings at the beginning of each school year; we also give you notice of the planned date of your child's Annual Review meeting when we send home your child's school report at the end of the school year). At the end of the meeting, the various professional reports, together with your views, will be sent to the Local Authority for its consideration.
We will discuss with you our teaching and learning intentions for your child in the year ahead during the review meeting. This called the Individual Education Plan (or IEP). We would really like you to help shape this plan for your child as well.
Charging
In general the school will try not to charge for educational activities occurring in the school day. On occasions parents may be invited to make voluntary contributions to enable an activity or event to take place. Where this is a problem, please talk with us as you may be able to be partially or wholly exempted.
Child Protection and Safeguarding Children
It is our duty to share with you and others any concerns we may have about the welfare and well-being of your child.
Communication
Meadow Wood aims to be an accessible and responsive school. Class teachers and parents are able to share information daily through each child’s Home-School Communication Book. Every two months we will send home a newsletter with information about life at Meadow Wood. If you prefer to contact us by email, please send your message to admin@meadowwood.herts.sch.uk and we will pass it on to the relevant member of staff.
Complaints
If you have any concerns or complaints, we will endeavour to deal with problems as quickly and effectively as possible. The way we handle complaints is guided by the school’s Complaints Policy, which is available on request.
Curriculum and learning
Our purpose is to enable children to learn and achieve within a broad and balanced physical curriculum. At the heart of this is a curriculum which sets out to develop children's physical abilities through six areas of learning : Communication, Language and Literacy; Problem-solving, Reasoning and Numeracy; Creative Development, Physical Development; Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Knowledge and Understanding of the World.
Our physical approach to children's learning and development is best seen by taking a look at our Teaching, Learning and Development Framework, which guides the work of the school.
Filming, photography, photo and video-messaging
Parents are allowed to film, photograph and capture images of their own children on mobile phones during school events if these images are intended for family use. Photographs or videos of other children may not be taken or shared without the permission of other parents.
Financial assistance
When your child starts at Meadow Wood, we will provide you with information about how you can get financial assistance with :
Free school meals
Uniforms
Our Social Care colleagues in Hertfordshire County Council may also be able to help with advice about benefits and financial matters.
Governing body
The Governing Body exists to safeguard the public interest in the school and to ensure that those who are directly responsible for its day-to-day management are accountable for decisions and actions taken. The main aim of the Governing Body is to maintain and improve the standards of achievement in the school.
The Governing Body has five roles :
steering : agreeing policies, setting budgets, agreeing development plans, responding to inspection
monitoring : plans, budgets, standards of education, children's achievements
executive : recruitment, discipline, admissions and appeals
accountability : School Profile, publication of minutes, surveying parents’ views
supporting : supporting and advising the headteacher, providing practical help and skills
The Governing Body is made up of a number of different people:
Parents
Staff
Local Authority representatives
Community representatives
At Meadow Wood School the full Governing Body meets each half-term, as do the two sub-committees – General Purposes and Children.
Your parent-governors are Loraine Morris and Satnam Juttla.
Holidays and special circumstances
We would encourage you to take family holidays and other visits during school holiday times but realise that this is not always possible. We can grant permission for absences for up to ten school days within school time. If you are planning a holiday or know that your child will be absent from school for a reason other than illness or a medically-related appointment during school time, please talk with us first.
Home-School Agreement
When your child is admitted to the school, we will provide you with our Home-School Agreement, which sets out the responsibilities we all share regarding children's education.
Homework
Homework is an integral part of learning. We will inform you of topics and themes that your child will be studying each week, together with examples of how learning can be further developed at home.
Illness
General
If your child is ill, please do not send her / him to school. Contact us as soon as you know.
If your child is taken ill at school we will contact you to discuss the situation with you. We may ask you to come and take your child home.
Antibiotics
If your child is prescribed antibiotics three times a day, please give one course at breakfast, one when your child returns from school and one at bedtime.
Infectious diseases
If your child has an infectious disease you should not send him / her to school. Contact us here for advice – we will, however, be guided by national guidelines on infection control. Your GP can also provide advice about when your child should return to school.
Diarrhoea and sickness
Some children attending Meadow Wood School have medical conditions which make them vulnerable to infections. Consequently, your child should remain at home for at least 48 hours after a period of diarrhoea or sickness. It may be necessary to keep her / him away from school for longer. The School Nurse or your GP can advise you.
Surgery or health-related absence from school
We will make arrangements with you for your child’s return to school after surgery or a prolonged health-related absence from school. We may suggest a re-admission meeting so that we can prepare for your child's return. We will be guided by the advice of our health colleagues, including any discharge advice, and may suggest a period of part-time schooling to support your child’s transition back to full-time schooling.
Links with mainstream schools
During their time at Meadow Wood, children will many opportunities to learn and play with children from local mainstream primary and secondary settings.
National Curriculum results 20010/2011
No children sat National Curriculum tests in 2010/2011. Those children who were at an age to sit tests at the end of Key Stage Two were assessed as working at below the level of the test.
Open Mornings and Afternoons
We will hold an Open Morning or Afternoon each half-term to enable you to come along and share your child's experiences at school. Open Mornings run from 11.00am to 1.00pm, while Open Afternoons run from 1.45pm to 3.15pm.
Personal belongings
Please can you ensure that all your child’s personal belongings are clearly labelled.
Policies and plans
The work of the school is guided by a number of policies and plans agreed by the Governing Body :
OFSTED Inspection Action Plan
Accessibility plan
Accommodation policy
Assessment policy
Asset Management plan
Attendance policy
Charging policy
Child Protection policy
Creative Development policy
Collective Worship policy
Communication, Language and Literacy policy
Complaints policy
Critical Incident Recovery Plan
Data Protection policy
Equalities and Community Cohesion policy
Freedom of Information Publication Scheme
Governor Visits policy
Health, Safety and Welfare policy
Home-School Partnership Agreement
Homework policy
Interpersonal Relationships policy
Knowledge and Understanding of the World policy
Mathematical Development policy
Off-sites Visits and Activities policy
Personal, Social and Emotional Development Policy
Physical Development policy
Pay policy
People policy
Recruitment, Selection and Induction policy
Safe School policy
Schedule of Financial Delegation
School Improvement Plan
Special Educational Needs policy
Teaching, Learning and Development Framework
Whistleblowing policy
Work Experience and Volunteers policy
These policies and plans are reviewed every two years, and are available on request. Please contact our School Secretary.
Religious Education
At Meadow Wood, children explore their social world. consider social and moral dilemmas, and learn about the religious beliefs of others and how these shape their lives. Children also learn to respect the differences between people and to appreciate different points of view. Children learn about all the major religions of the world as part of the school's curriculum, and explore the common values which unite the world's religions during themed assembly weeks.
Reports and Parental Consultations
During the year there will be a number of formal occasions when you will be able to discuss your child’s educational progress at Meadow Wood. In July each year, we will send to you a report on your child’s achievements during the course of the year. This is in addition to your child’s Annual Review report.
Autumn : Progress meeting with your child's Class Teacher
Spring : Progress meeting with Therapists
Summer : End of year report
School closure
In the very rare event of the school being closed – perhaps, for example, due to severe weather conditions – we will endeavour to inform you of this by telephone before 8 o’clock. We will also inform our local radio station - BBC Three Counties Radio (103.8 FM). Unless you hear otherwise, school will resume the next working day.
School meals
If your child has school dinners, we will contact you at the beginning of each half-term about costs.
School meals are organised on a three week rota. Menus are changed twice each year - in the Autumn and Spring. We will send home menu details when we have agreed menus with Hertfordshire Catering
School organisation
Meadow Wood can accommodate up to 32 children. The school is organised into 4 mixed-age classes, with a maximum of 8 children in each class :
Class One : Nursery / Reception
Class Two : Years 1 and 2
Class 3 : Years 3 and 4
Class 4 : Years 5 and 6
Meadow Wood is set in beautiful landscaped gardens. Each classroom is equipped with an array of appropriate equipment and technologies to meet children's many and diverse needs. There are two changing / care areas which ensure privacy and dignity in care routines: one located between Classes One and Two, and the other between Classes Three and Four. Children also have access to a Soft Play Room, Sensory Room and Hydrotherapy Pool.
The school day starts at 8.45am with children's arrival and welcome, and ends at 3.15 with a whole-school assembly. The School Timetable gives a flavour of how the rest of the day is organised.
School Profile
The School Profile provides information about the school's successes during the year, what we are trying to improve, how much progress children make during their time at the school, how children's results have changed over time, how we make sure that every child gets teaching to meet their individual needs, what children have told us about the school and what we have done as a result, how we make sure children are safe and well-supported, how absence rates compare with other schools, the activities and options available to children, how we work with parents and the community, and what children do after they leave the school.
Special Educational Needs and Disability
Meadow Wood is a primary special school for physically-impaired children. Many children also have associated learning, communication, and medical needs as well. Children have access to the full range of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum, personalised to their particular individual needs. The school provides appropriate special equipment, directly or indirectly, such as special seating, standing frames, communication devices and touchscreen computers to enable children to access the curriculum. Meadow Wood is a multiprofessional environment, where children have access to a range of therapies - physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy - to help them overcome barriers to learning and to support their growing independence and interdependence.
Therapy and healthcare
Meadow Wood is an educational setting. We are supported in our educational work by a number of NHS colleagues : physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, school nurses and consultant community paediatrician. Education and health colleagues work closely together to align, where possible, education and health goals for children. The result is a physical curriculum which enables children to learn and achieve and to develop their physical skills. Meadow Wood does not manage the NHS provision within the school, which may vary from time to time according to local and national NHS priorities. The responsibility for therapy programmes lies with our NHS colleagues.
Totally Different Playscheme
The Totally Different Playscheme operates for one week at Easter and for three weeks during the Summer break. The next Playscheme will take place between 6 and 9 April 2009. The Totally Different Playscheme is run by Fran Davies, who can be contacted at the school.
Transport to and from school
Transport to and from school is usually provided by your Local Authority as part of a child’s Statement of Special Educational Need.
If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, please be sure to telephone your transport provider so that they do not turn up unnecessarily at your home.
Uniform
Meadow Wood has an attractive school uniform which consists of :
green sweatshirt or cardigan
white or green polo shirt
The wearing of school uniform is not compulsory but is strongly encouraged as it helps to foster a sense of belonging to the school community. When your child starts school we will provide you with an order form and details about costs. We will also issue further order forms twice each year.
Website
The Meadow Wood website aims to be as informative as possible for parents. If you have any thoughts about how we can develop the website further, please get in touch - we will be pleased to hear from you.
Woodlanders
Woodlanders is our parent-staff association, and is registered as a charity (Charity number 292209). It is active in fund-raising, and provides opportunities for parents to meet and support the work of the school.
Your turn !
This guide for parents will be updated annually. Please get in touch if you notice any errors or know of something we have omitted or should be included.