KS1
Handbook for Parents
2014 - 15
Dear Parents,
We would like to welcome you to Rosemead Preparatory School. We look forward to seeing
your child develop and flourish under the care and stimulation of our staff.
New Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery, Reception) and Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)
children will be beginning their time at Rosemead in our Pre-Prep Department, which is in
Elmcourt Road (EC).
We hope you will find the information in this booklet useful. Please do not hesitate to ask if you
require any further clarification.
ESSENTIAL CONTACT DETAILS
Pre-Preparatory Department
School Office, Elmcourt Road
Tel: 020 8761 1307 (08.30 – 17.00)
[email protected]
Preparatory Department
School Office, Thurlow Park Road
Tel: 020 8670 5865 (08.15 – 17.00)
Fax: 020 8761 9159
Head of Pre-Prep
Headmaster
Headmaster’s PA
Website
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk
Chair of Governors
c/o the School Office, Thurlow Park Road
(contact via the above)
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CONTENTS
Page No.:
1-2
Term dates
2014 - 17
3 - 10
3
Section 1: Day to Day Information
- Arrival
3
- Absence
3
- After School Care
3
- Birthdays
4
- Care of Property
4
- Class Assembly
4-5
- Collection
5
- Collective Worship
5
- Early Morning Care
5
- Educational Visits
5
- Hair and Nails
6
- Health
7
- Homework
7
- Internet Use Agreement
7
- Jewellery and Decoration
7
- Lunches
8-9
- Maths-Whizz
9
- Music
9
- Parent Consultation
9
- Policies
10
- School Hours
10
- Sports Day
10
- Terms and Conditions
10
- Uniform
11 - 12
Section 2: Rosemead School Association (RSA)
13 - 15
Section 3: Uniform List
3
2014-15 Term Dates
Autumn Term 2014
Spring Term 2015
Summer Term 2015
Staff Inset:
Friday 29th August – Tuesday 2nd September
Term commences:
Wednesday 3rd September
Half term:
Monday 20th October to Friday 31st October
Term ends:
Wednesday 17th December
Staff Inset:
Monday 5th & Tuesday 6th January
Term commences:
Wednesday 7th January
Half term:
Monday 16th to Friday 20th February
Term ends:
Friday 27th March
Staff Inset:
Monday 20th April
Term commences:
Tuesday 21st April
Bank Holiday:
Monday 4th May
Half term:
Monday 25th to Friday 29th May
Term ends:
Saturday 4th July
Staff Inset:
Monday 6th July
2015-16 Term Dates
Autumn Term 2015
Spring Term 2016
Summer Term 2016
Staff Inset:
Friday 28th August
Bank Holiday:
Monday 31st August
Staff Inset:
Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd September
Term commences:
Thursday 3rd September
Half term:
Monday 19th October to Friday 30th October
Term ends:
Wednesday 16th December
Staff Inset:
Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th January
Term commences:
Thursday 7th January
Half term:
Monday 15th to Friday 19th February
Term ends:
Friday 18th March
Staff Inset:
Monday 11th April
Term commences:
Tuesday 12th April
Bank Holiday:
Monday 2nd May
Half term:
Monday 30th May to Friday 3rd June
Term ends:
Saturday 9th July
Staff Inset:
Monday 11th July
1
2016-17 Term Dates
Autumn Term 2016
Spring Term 2017
Summer Term 2017
Staff Inset:
Friday 26th August
Bank Holiday:
Monday 29st August
Staff Inset:
Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st August
Term commences:
Thursday 1st September
Half term:
Monday 17th October to Friday 28th October
Term ends:
Friday 16th December
Staff Inset:
Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th January
Term commences:
Wednesday 11th January
Half term:
Monday 13th to Friday 17th February
Term ends:
Friday 24th March
Staff Inset:
Tuesday18th April
Term commences:
Wednesday 19th April
Bank Holiday:
Monday 1st May
Half term:
Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June
Term ends:
Saturday 8th July
Staff Inset:
Monday 10th July
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SECTION 1
DAY TO DAY INFORMATION
ARRIVAL
Years 1 and 2 (at Elmcourt Road)
Parents of Year 1 and Year 2 children are asked to bring them into the playground. When the
bell rings at 08.45 the children line up with their teachers and will then be taken into their
classrooms. Parents are asked to relay any necessary, brief messages to the Teaching
Assistants at this time.
On the first day children should bring:


Rosemead book bag
Piece of fruit in named bag for afternoon snack
ABSENCE
Children are required to attend school regularly. They are not allowed, without permission from
the Headmaster, to leave early or to be absent for any cause other than illness or emergency.
Please telephone or email the school office if your child is not coming to school. Parents are
asked to notify the cause of absence by letter to the class teacher when the child returns to
school.
When leave of absence is required for some special reason, a form (available from the school
office) must be completed and sent to the Headmaster at least two weeks in advance of
the day for which absence is requested.
Parents are asked not to take children out of school for annual holidays as this can be disruptive
for everyone.
AFTER-SCHOOL CARE
We have after-school care provided by Kids’ City in the Elmcourt Road building. This is for
children aged 3 to 11 and runs until 18.00 each day. Further information is available from the
manager, Katie Savory, on tel: 07850-003600 and the Kids’ City website, www.kidscity.org.uk.
BIRTHDAYS
Some children like to bring birthday cake to school for their classmates. Small individual cakes
are very acceptable, but please do not send large cakes which need cutting, or other party food
and drink. Cake ingredients should be carefully checked to ensure that no nuts are included as
several children have serious allergies.
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CARE OF PROPERTY
Everything brought into the school must be marked with its owner's name. Articles of value
should not be brought to school. Money should only be brought when requested for a specific
purpose and then must be handed in as soon as possible.
Children may bring a small toy or a book to school for playtime.
responsibility.
This will be the child's
Parents are advised to insure valuable musical instruments against loss or damage.
CLASS ASSEMBLY
Once a year, each class will present an assembly. Dates of these are published on the termly
calendar. Parents of those involved are invited to attend assembly in the hall on that day. We
ask you not to bring toddlers and babies as they can be very distracting for those
participating. You are reminded that assembly is our act of worship and not a special show for
parents.
COLLECTION
Parents are asked to collect their children promptly at the end of the school day and telephone
the main school office if they are unavoidably delayed. The school is then able to explain the
situation to the child; young children are easily distressed if there is no one to collect them when
all their classmates have gone.
The school strongly encourages parents to make contingency arrangements with other parents
or through registering with Kids’ City to cover occasions when there is an unexpected delay in
collecting their child. In addition we recognise that occasionally parents arrangements do not
work out as anticipated e.g. travel to the school takes longer than usual or work commitments
delay departure. Therefore we allow a twenty minute period of grace after the school or club
finishing time. The adult collector of children, who arrives more than twenty minutes late, will be
asked to sign a register held by the member of staff on late duty. There will be no charge for the
first three entries in the register per year but all subsequent entries will normally be charged as
per the sliding scale below on each occasion:
21 – 25 minutes
26 – 30 minutes
31 – 45 minutes
46 – 60 minutes
£30
£40
£50
£60
Any child left for an hour or more will incur a £60 charge for the hour with an additional charge
of £1 a minute thereafter, on each occasion.
The above charges apply to late collection from on and off-site activities.
The school will exercise judgement as to whether to waive charges for late collection entries if
there are extenuating circumstances but adult collectors who persistently arrive late in the 20
minute period of grace may lose this flexibility. However, we emphasise that there are other
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options available to parents who are delayed and our concern is the well being of the child who
is collected late. We recognise that the vast majority of parents make significant efforts to
ensure their child is collected on time every day and wish to treat all parents equally. Staff will
also make similar efforts to ensure children are available for collection at the scheduled times
and to ensure that parents are informed of delays e.g. when a school visit is caught in traffic
delays.
The school has a register of emergency contact telephone numbers and e mail addresses.
Parents must keep the school fully informed of any changes, especially if it is work numbers.
There must always be someone the school can contact in case of emergency, hence the
request for alternative contacts.
COLLECTIVE WORSHIP
The Head of Pre-prep takes assemblies on a regular basis. The Friday assembly is our
Celebration Assembly where children receive recognition for a wide range of successes –
academic, social, sports etc.
EARLY MORNING CARE
Early morning care is provided from 08.00 in the EC hall. This service is not a Breakfast Club,
although the children will be offered light refreshments. Parents using this service will be
invoiced separately. Further details are available from the school office.
EDUCATIONAL VISITS
We organise regular educational visits to places of interest to extend our curriculum. Parent
helpers are often needed. Parents attending these visits are not obliged to be DBS checked as
they are not left on their own with individual children. Unless it is known at the time of booking
that a child will not be attending a visit, the cost will be incurred and added to the next fees
invoice. We endeavour to keep costs to a minimum.
The school has a minibus which can seat 15 passengers (with seatbelts).
The school policy is that only coaches with seatbelts are used.
HAIR AND NAILS
Boys’ hair should be neat, cut above the shirt collar and eyebrows. Girls’ long hair should be
tied back. Hair adornments should be purple and plain in design.
Nails should be trimmed neatly. No polish on fingers or toes.
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HEALTH
You will be asked to complete a confidential medical form for our records before your child joins
the school.
We ask that parents have their children’s eyesight and hearing checked before they join the
school.
We ask that parents inform the class teacher should they discover that their child has headlice
or worms.
Children with contagious ailments, including conjunctivitis, should be kept at home.
If your child has diarrhoea and/or vomiting, please keep them home for 24 hours following the
last episode of either.
Medicines
Our trained first-aiders are only permitted to administer prescribed antibiotics during the day if
we have received written permission to do so from parents. However, children should remain at
home during the first 48 hours of any antibiotic treatment. Children who are receiving antibiotics
for an infection that can be transferred from person to person by ordinary social contact should
remain at home until they are clear of the infection.
Please ensure all medication is properly labelled with the child’s name and clear instructions.
You will be asked to sign a form giving permission to administer the medication. Tablets in
envelopes or wrapped in tin foil are not acceptable.
Parents of children who suffer with asthma and require an inhaler should provide an inhaler for
school use. This will be kept in the school office and taken on all out-of-school excursions.
Food Allergies
Our catering company, Sodexo, has issued guidelines in respect of food allergies. Please
contact the School Office should you require a copy of these and please ensure that you inform
us if your child has any dietary requirements and/or food allergies.
Hot Weather
Sun hats (compulsory uniform items) are on sale from the School Office during the summer
term.
Sun cream should be brought into school when required. Application of sun cream, prior to
children coming into school, is very helpful on sunny days. The school has an emergency
supply for children who forget to supply their own sun cream. Please inform the school office if
your child has an allergy to sun cream. Otherwise, we will assume that it can be applied.
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HOMEWORK
Homework forms an important part of each child’s education, be it in reading at the early stages
or research for topic work when the children are older. It is used to reinforce or support work
done within the classroom. As such, it is vital that homework is completed in a timely fashion,
and that written work is well-presented.
Homework should not take all evening. The set time should be put aside for the given activities,
and they should be completed in a suitable area, free from distractions. If a homework task is
taking much longer than the set time this should be noted on the homework (or on a post-it
note) as this suggests that the topic may need to be revisited in class.
Another important aspect of homework at this stage is developing good practice: when the
children move on to secondary school, homework demands increase significantly, and it is in
each child’s interest to have formed good habits in this area already.
INTERNET USE AGREEMENT
Parents are asked to read through the school’s Internet Use Agreement with their child and
return the signed form.
JEWELLERY AND DECORATION
Children should not wear jewellery to school other than small gold stud earrings for those with
pierced ears. Other earrings are dangerous particularly in P.E. lessons and the school will not
be held responsible should accidents occur.
Small, neat watches may be worn (once a child is able to tell the time)
Children should not come to school with necklaces, bracelets, transfers or tattoos.
LUNCHES
School lunches are compulsory for all full-time children. All children eat in the school hall/diningroom. There is a three-weekly rotating menu with a choice of hot meals each day. There is
always a vegetarian option. The choice is wide and the meals are of high quality, and they
comply with the government’s initiatives for healthy eating.
At morning break, milk and fruit are provided daily. Non-milk drinkers have access to water. We
encourage all children to bring a piece of fruit for the afternoon.
All meals are freshly prepared and cooked on the premises by our catering team.
Please see our website, www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk, for details of our daily menus.
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MATHS-WHIZZ
Maths-Whizz Tutoring Plus is an online personalised tutoring service which caters for each
child’s needs. This is an online service and can be used at any time, at home as well as in
school.
When used the recommended amount, it has shown to help children improve and gain
confidence in mathematics. You, as a parent, can contribute to getting the best results by
scheduling with your child to spend 20 to 30 minutes two to three times a week, logging into
Maths-Whizz. This can be accessed at www.whizz.com .
The recommended usage depends on your child’s individual ability, measured in terms of
“maths age”. You are able to see your child’s maths age in the parents’ report section.

Children, who need more time to absorb maths concepts: use Maths-Whizz Tutoring
Plus for 90 minutes a week. 96% of children advance their maths ages by more than 1
year in 12 months of usage, with an average maths age improvement of more than 2
years.

For most children: spend 45 to 60 minutes per week with Maths-Whizz, where the
average expected improvement in maths age is between 1.3 and 1.6 years, over 12
months.

Faster children, or those who are potentially more able and have maths ages well
beyond their actual age: good progress with just 30 minutes of usage per week
To get your child started simply:

Visit www.whizz.com, and input your child’s username and password in the top right
hand corner and ‘login’. Please note that unique password is case sensitive.

Click on ‘Bedroom’, then ‘start tutor’ in the centre of the Bedroom. This will take them
into the initial assessment, which should last between 30-60 minutes. It is important that
you provide no help in the initial assessment as this is to find their starting level.

Once the assessment is complete a ‘well done’ screen will appear and the tutor will set
on-going lessons tailored to your child’s ability level.

To support your child, you are able to view detailed live reports of your child’s progress,
usage and overall performance. To create this, simply follow the following instructions:
-
Log into your child’s Maths-Whizz account
-
Click on ‘to Console’
-
Click on the orange ‘Parents’ button in the bottom right hand corner
-
Complete the forms required
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
You will then be emailed an activation link which you should click on and you can
then view these detailed reports
To learn more about Maths-Whizz and how to help your child reach their potential in
mathematics, you can visit www.whizz.com
If have any queries you can contact Whizz Education, the providers of Maths-Whizz at
[email protected] or call (+44) 203 328 6564 and ask for Natalie
McNamara.
Children will complete 30 minutes of Maths-Whizz in school and are required to complete
at least 30 minutes per week at home.
MUSIC
All classes have two class music lessons per week. In Year 1 all children are loaned a violin and
have class violin lessons, after which, individual instrument lessons are available in violin, viola,
‘cello and piano for Year 2. Please note that for a child to receive piano tuition, you must have a
piano and not a keyboard for the start of your child’s lessons. Other instruments will need to be
purchased on our advice.
Tuition is given on the school’s premises during normal school hours.
If of interest, please request an ‘Instrumental Tuition’ form from the School Office. Once
completed, this form should be returned to Mrs Sara Holmes, our Director of Music, and she will
notify you as to whether there is place availability or a waiting-list; she will also give you cost
details. There are waiting-lists for some instruments and a half term’s notice is required if you do
not wish your child to carry on with their instrument. A sufficient amount of daily practice is
expected when your child starts learning their chosen instrument.
PARENT CONSULTATION
An information evening is arranged for each year group at the start of the autumn term.
During the autumn and spring terms Parent - Teacher Consultation Evenings are held.
Meetings with the peripatetic music teachers are held in the spring term.
POLICIES
A comprehensive selection of school policies can be found on the Rosemead website. If you are
not able to find what you are looking for there, please do contact the school office.
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SCHOOL HOURS
The school day begins at 08.45. On rainy days, children will be able to come in to school at
08.40. It is very important for your child to be on time for school. Arriving late upsets the
child and disrupts the class.
There is a mid-morning playtime:
Lunch:
School ends at:
10.15 – 10.30
11.45 – 13.35
15.25
SPORTS DAY
The children take part in the whole school Sports Day, usually held towards the end of the
summer term. The children enjoy a series of races during the first part of the morning. Parents
then take their children home or stay to enjoy a picnic and watch the KS2 children enjoy their
sports.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
A copy of the school’s terms and conditions can be found on the school website.
UNIFORM
All children must wear the correct school uniform and be equipped with the necessary
accessories. The approved list is given in Section 3 of this handbook. All items of uniform must
be clearly marked with name tapes.
The Rosemead School Association organises a second-hand uniform sale on the first Friday of
each term. There is usually a second-hand uniform stall at the Summer Fair.
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SECTION 2
ROSEMEAD SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (RSA)
The Rosemead School Association (RSA) is the parent body of the school.
Our aims are to:


To build a positive, happy and supportive school community by providing fun and social
opportunities for parents, children and staff to come together.
To provide support and assistance to the school and nominated charities through
fundraising.
We often do both at the same time and the strong sense of community and spirit across the
whole school is testimony to our success. We run summer and Christmas fairs, cake sales and
coffee mornings, and there is also a camping weekend and quiz nights. We've previously had
wine tastings too. For the children we support visits by Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny,
run discos and quizzes and also provide the popular and much needed nearly-new uniform
sales.
Through these activities we raise funds for the school which have enabled us in recent years to:
 Fund the development of a the triangle of land behind the Elmcourt building to host the
Eco club, the school ‘house’ gardens and provide a lovely outdoor space for the children;
 Repaint the lines in the playgrounds;
 Purchase computerised library system, interactive whiteboards, and computers;
 Purchase the outdoor wooden play area at Elmcourt;
 Purchase sports kit and a trophy cabinet for sports awards;
 Fund art training and author visits.
 This year we are supporting the re-development of the playgrounds and each year
donate a percentage of our income to charitable causes.
All parents are members of the RSA and all of the above things happen because parents are
willing to drive and support various initiatives throughout the year. Without their input, these
activities simply would not happen. Our philosophy centres on a 'just one thing' approach - if all
parents did just one thing for the RSA, more gets done and the activities described above can
be sustained. Of course, you are welcome to do more than 'just one' if you want...You not only
get the benefit of developing relationships with parents across all levels of the school, but the
outputs directly benefit your children. There are an amazing number of capable and committed
parents already involved, who are great company. By participating, you are guaranteed to meet
some lovely people and have good fun. We had a great year this year. Help us to make next
year even better!
There are many ways to keep informed and get involved - please come to our regular coffee
mornings, keep an eye on information posted in the playgrounds and check the school website:
www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk under ‘General Information’ then ‘RSA’. In addition, look out
for RSA regular newsletters.
11
Whether you work or not, whether you have a couple of hours a month or 30 minutes a year,
whether you want to organise or help out, there is something you can do for the RSA. If you are
not sure how you would like to get involved or would like more information, please contact the
RSA Committee via [email protected].
However you decide to get involved, you can also support the school by using our shopping
links. These generate commission for the school each time you use the links to purchase
something. These links are on the school website under "RSA".
Labelling Your Child’s School Uniform
Items of school uniform are very easily misplaced by children during the activities of the
day so it is incredibly important to make sure every item is clearly labelled. Any unnamed
items may never find their way back to their rightful owner.
The RSA has set up a fundraising agreement with one labelling company EASY2NAME
which will give the school 20% commission on all orders placed. This has proved a really
useful way of raising extra funds for the school.
Easy2Name provides a large range of labels from traditional woven sew ons, bag tags,
shoe labels, sock transfers, dishwasher proof stick on labels for fruit
containers/tupperware, as well as No Iron No Sew Stickeasy labels which provide the ideal
solution for anyone who is not so keen on sewing.
Just go to the Easy2Name website www.easy2name.com choose the items you wish to
order and in the invoice section click on “select the fundraising group” select “R” and then
scroll down to find “ROSEMEAD PREP SCHOOL SE21”.
Thank you for your support and happy labelling.
RSA Team
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SECTION 3
YEAR 1 & YEAR 2 UNIFORM LIST
BOYS
Winter Uniform
Blazer
Trousers
Pullover
Shirts
Tie
Scarf & Hat
Gloves
Socks
Coat
Rain Jacket
Book Bag
Purple, embroidered with Rosemead crest
Grey short / Grey long (optional Oct – Easter)
Mid-grey V neck long-sleeved with purple stripe
White button to neck long-sleeved (pointed collar)
Purple with grey stripes
Purple fleece, embroidered with Rosemead crest
Grey
Mid-grey cotton with purple stripes - long
Grey duffel
Purple (compulsory for visits to the games field)
Purple
Shoes
Traditional black leather (NOT SUEDE OR PATENT
- NO BOOTS)
Please note – no other footwear is permitted
Summer Uniform
Trousers
Shirt
Socks
Sun Hat
Grey shorts
White short-sleeved
Grey cotton - short
White
P.E. Kit
P.E. Shirt
Shorts
Socks
P.E. Kit Bag
Plimsolls
White short-sleeved polo shirt with purple stripe
Black cotton
White cotton - short
Black
Black
For Games
Tracksuit
Games Shirt
Games Socks
Swimwear
Swim Hat
Swim Bag
Trainers
Black, embroidered with Rosemead crest
Purple/Black, embroidered with Rosemead crest
Purple/Black
Black and purple trunks
Purple with Rosemead crest
Purple with Rosemead crest
Must be mainly white
Name Tapes
All uniform should be clearly marked with Cash type
name badges
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GIRLS
Winter Uniform
Blazer
Tunic
Cardigan or Pullover
Blouse
Tie
Scarf & Hat
Gloves
Socks/Tights
Coat
Rain Jacket
Book Bag
Purple, embroidered with Rosemead crest
Light grey
Grey cardigan or V- neck long-sleeved pullover with purple stripe
White long-sleeved (pointed collar)
Purple with grey stripes
Purple fleece, embroidered with Rosemead crest
Grey
Mid-grey - long
Grey duffel
Purple (compulsory for visits to the games field)
Purple
Hair Accessories
Purple ribbons/bands/slides
Shoes
Traditional black leather (NOT SUEDE OR PATENT
- NO BOOTS)
Please note – no other footwear is permitted
Summer Uniform
Dress
Cardigan
Socks
Sun Hat
Gloves
Rosemead dress
Grey with stripe
White cotton - long
White
White (to be worn at Celebration of Success ceremonies)
P.E. Kit
P.E. Shirt
Shorts
Socks
P.E. Kit Bag
Plimsolls
White short-sleeved polo shirt with purple stripe
Black cotton
White cotton - short
Black
Black
For Games
Tracksuit
Games Shirt
Games Socks
Swimwear
Swim Hat
Swim Bag
Sports Trainers
Black, embroidered with Rosemead crest
Purple/Black, embroidered with Rosemead crest
Purple/Black
Black and purple swimming costume
Purple with Rosemead crest
Purple with Rosemead crest
Must be mainly white
Name Tapes
All uniform should be clearly marked with Cash type
name badges
14
All items must be purchased from the School Outfitters.
The school’s outfitters are:
Wolfe & Scott
47 Grove Vale
East Dulwich
London SE22 8EQ
Telephone: 020 8693-1940
Opening hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 10.00 – 17.00
Saturday: 10.00 – 14.00
Thursday & Sunday: Closed
Please note that once your child’s size has been established, uniform from Wolfe & Scott may
be ordered and paid for via telephone. The items are then delivered to the school office on a
Wednesday and sent home via the children.
No uniform is stocked at school with the exception of:
Swimming hats – these are available from the TPR and EC school offices
Sun hats – these are available from the EC school office
Additional kit, e.g. football boots and cricket ‘whites’ may be required for extra-curricular
clubs but these will be confirmed at the start of each term by the club organisers.
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