VISION STATEMENT
At Meon Junior School our vision is to provide an engaging, inspiring and
relevant curriculum in which all children make excellent progress and develop
confidence and pride in their own ability, being part of a caring community in
which every individual feels safe, valued and happy.
Dear Parents and Carers,
On behalf of the governors and staff, I would like to welcome you and your child
to Meon Junior School. I am excited to be taking up the post as Headteacher at
Meon Junior School and look forward to working closely with you during your
child’s journey through the school. Meon is a very friendly school where children are encouraged to become confident, caring and articulate and to use their
abilities to the full. We provide an atmosphere which enables the children to
acquire a wide range of knowledge, skills and practical abilities. Whatever your
child's ability, you can be sure we aim to meet the needs of all children as we
strive for excellence in all we do. We want to develop an awareness and sensitivity toward others, whatever their religion or culture, thus preparing the children for life in a multi-cultural society.
As parents, you are vital partners in the work we do. It is important that we
build a firm relationship between home and school. During their years at Meon
Junior School we are confident that the children will enjoy the stimulating and
caring environment we create and that their true potential, both socially and academically, is reached. We look forward to working with you to make this possible and look forward to a successful partnership between you, your child and
Meon Junior School in the years to come.
Luke Hanna
Headteacher
‘Good with Outstanding Features’
OFSTED January 2014
Our Creative
Curriculum
Our aim is to immerse the children in a curriculum that is exciting, creative and relevant. High standards in English, Mathematics, Science and ICT are vital in our school along with a strong emphasis on History, Geography, RE, Physical Education
and the arts.
Therefore, the teachers at Meon have implemented strong, well-planned cross-curricular themes. Children will be able to
apply the knowledge and skills learned in one subject in a range of contexts which will reinforce their learning and increase
their understanding, independence, confidence and love of learning.
Year group themes for 2015 - 2016
Year 3
☺ The Secret Garden (Plants, Book Study)
☺ The Abominable Snowman (The Arctic)
☺ Paddington (Book Study)
☺ Meet the Flintstones (Stone Age to Iron Age)
☺ Beasts, Bodies and Bones (Animals: skeletons and
muscles)
☺ Hollywood (North America)
☺ Dazzling Discoveries (The Ancient Egyptians)
Year 5
☺ Invasion (Vikings and Saxons)
☺ Water World (Coasts and Rivers)
☺ Temple of Doom (The Mayans)
☺ Survival (The Rainforest)
☺ Changes (The Human Body)
Year 4
☺ The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl (Author Study)
☺ Light and Colour (Divali)
☺ Our Wonderful Land (Great Britain)
☺ Footprints (The Legacy of Ancient Rome)
☺ The Door (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe))
☺ Clash of the Titans (Ancient Greece)
☺ Wildlife: The Living Planet (Animal Habitats)
Year 6
☺ The World at War (The Battle of Britain)
☺ Wild Things (Natural Hazards, Evolution)
☺ Bollywood (The Indus Valley)
☺ SATs
☺ Fairgrounds (Design and Technology)
Year 3 trip to Highclere Castle - February 2015
Year 4 visit by Sir Teachalot - March 2015
Year 3 visited Highclere Castle to learn about Ancient
Egypt. It took an hour to get there on the coach! Firstly, our
group went to the Secret Garden and walked around – it
was amazing. It had lots of flowers which were resting because it was winter and Cedar trees which are 200 years
old. Next, we went to the hands on room where we could
stamp our name in hieroglyphics to make a bookmark or
stencil Egyptian symbols. We could also look at artefacts
and books or get dressed up as pharaohs and Egyptian
queens. Finally, we went to the Ancient Egyptian exhibition
where we learned how Lord Carnarvon, who lived at Highclere Castle, and Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s
tomb. The first room had a real coffin which belonged to a
rich lady. It had pictures painted all over it including one of
her heart being weighed against the feather of truth. The
second room was dark and looked exactly like the inside of Tutankhamun’s
tomb filled with his belongings. Next to
that we saw a copy of Tutankhamun’s
mummy, coffin and canopic jars which
would have had his organs inside. It
was a great day.
On Thursday 19th March, Sir Teachalot came in to teach us
all about Ancient Greece. His clothes were extraordinary,
especially his Greek armour and weapons. He explained to
us how the Greeks used to get ready for battle. Everyone
gasped in amazement when he lunged forward holding his
spear. After that, he explained to us all about Ancient Greek
democracy and how it worked. It was great fun when he
asked us to vote on whether we wanted to wear school uniform or not, using the Greek system of voting. Towards the
end of the day, he called up Noah, Angela, Ines and Jayden to be a Greek
family. They were asked to dress up in
Greek clothes and act out scenarios
from everyday life in Ancient Greece.
Everybody had a great time taking part
in different role plays, including Faith
having to barter with Mr Bayliss when
buying a fish. We all had a great day
and learnt a huge amount about Ancient
Greece.
Cianna Preston, Morgan Emery and Lois Van den Broek
Beau McGilp and Harvey Laidlaw
Reading at Meon Junior School
At Meon Junior School we have a continued commitment to high standards in reading. We promote reading in many
different ways and in particular place a great emphasis on reading for enjoyment.
Accelerated Reader
We have purchased an exciting computer programme
called ‘Accelerated Reader’. This product has been
hailed as ‘the most successful reading software of all
time.’
How does AR work?
Each child picks a book at an appropriate level and reads
it at his/her own pace. When finished, he/she takes a short
quiz on the computer; passing the quiz is an indicator that
your child has understood what has been read.
How does my child select books at the
appropriate level?
A STAR reading test is used to determine your child’s
reading level. It is a computer based reading assessment programme. The test uses multiple choice questions and takes approximately 10 minutes. Your child
will receive a ‘ZPD’ or reading range after taking the
reading test. The levels range from 0.5 to 13.5 and
each reading range has been colour coded. Children can
choose a book based on the reading range (ZPD).
How are parents involved?
As parents, you will be able to be fully involved by logging on at home to:
● See your child’s progress towards his/her reading goal
● Review results on the quizzes
● View the numbers of words and books your child has read
● Conduct book searches using Accelerated Reader bookfinder
Reading is a great activity to share with
a family member. Just make sure you
have your reading glasses handy if you
need them.
Home Reading Scheme
We greatly value reading at home.
The more chances your child has to
enjoy reading the better. We operate
a home reading scheme and clear
advice on how this operates is given
to our new parents at the beginning of
year 3.
Each child is given a reading log and
a school reading book which should
be taken home daily. Children are
expected to read at home each
evening and parents to complete the
reading log.
Always carry a good book with you wherever you go. You never know when the opportunity
to read a few pages might arise.
Early Bird Reading
Parents are invited to come into school every morning when the gates open
at 8.35am to read with their children for 15-20 minutes. The class teacher will be
on hand to support and advise where necessary.
Reading can help us to
relax and calm us down.
However, this does depend on the book you
choose to read.
‘By the time they leave the school, pupils are confident readers and have developed a real love for books. One pupil told
inspectors how much he enjoyed ‘relaxing with a good book’. The school’s system by which pupils can gain points by answering a quiz at the end of each book motivates them really well to achieve their reading targets. Pupils who are not fluent
readers are given good support with furthering their understanding of their letters and the sounds they make (phonics). The
school is very successful in providing equality of learning for all.’
OFSTED, January 2014
Important Information
School Uniform
All pupils are expected to wear school uniform and your help is essential if this is to be achieved. The clothing we ask your child to wear is
as follows:
Boys:
Grey Trousers.
White shirt or polo shirt
Maroon jumper, cardigan or fleece
In early autumn and summer the boys may wear grey shorts.
Girls:
Grey Skirt or grey pinafore dress. White blouse or polo shirt
Maroon cardigan, jumper or fleece.
In early autumn and summer a red
gingham check dress may be
worn. In winter grey trousers may
be worn.
Fleeces, cardigans, jumpers, polo
shirts and reversible fleeces all
marked with school logo are available at Hargreaves, Aspen House,
Airport Services Road, PO3 5RA.
Tel: 023 9282 2436
School Hours
Lower School
Morning Session: 8.50am - 12.00pm
(breaktime: 10.45am - 11.05am)
Afternoon Session: 1.00pm - 3.10pm
Upper School
Morning Session: 8.50am - 12.30pm
(breaktime: 11.10am - 11.30am)
Afternoon Session: 1.30pm - 3.10pm
Children must not arrive on the school premises before 8.35am. Those who go home for lunch must not
return until 1.20pm. This rule is for the safety of children
because they cannot be supervised before these times.
Holidays in term time
For those of you planning holidays for the next academic
year, our views follow the Government and PCC guidelines that children should be in school for all sessions so
that they can make the most progress. Therefore no holidays in term times will be authorised by the Headteacher
unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Shoes
Suitable school uniform shoes are
black shoes or black trainers and
must be practical for school use
(no open toes,high heels or sling
backs).
All clothing should be marked with
your child’s name.
We encourage children to wear uniform to school, thereby reflecting
the pride they have in their school.
Please note: Children should come to school with a sensible hairstyle.
Extreme hairstyles are not acceptable in school (e.g. Mohawks,
shaved styles with patterns cut into the hair). Also, nail varnish is not
to be worn.
PE
To comply with Health and Safety regulations children are expected to
change into the correct kit for PE. All children require either, shorts
and t-shirt, as well as PE shoes. All PE kits should be clearly marked
and stored in a drawstring PE bag. (Please note plimsolls or bare feet
are acceptable for PE in the Hall, for outdoor PE, trainers should be
worn). A parent’s note is required for exemption from PE.
Children’s bags
Due to the shortage of coat room space, it would be very helpful if
your child could bring their belongings to school in a Meon bookbag
(available form Hargreaves) as opposed to a large rucksack. These
can then be stored in a box in the classroom.
School Clubs
Communication with parents
At Meon Junior School we attach great value to providing
the children with as wide a range of extra-curricular
activities as possible. At present these include the after
school clubs of Guitar, Violin, Create Club, Drum Club, Art
Club, Gardening, Food Technology, Languages, Karate,
Football (for both boys and girls), Cricket, Basketball and
Netball Club.
1. Parents are invited to the school on many occasions for plays, concerts, open afternoons, year
group assemblies, workshops, coffee mornings,
etc.
2. Parents are always warmly welcome to pop in
and discuss with the teachers any aspect of their
child’s education. Any evening after school is fine
and teachers are always available on the playground before school.
3. Parent’s Evenings are held termly and provide
an opportunity for all parents to discuss their
child’s progress with their class teacher. In addition, if any parents have any concerns or issues
themselves about their child’s progress, they are
welcome to make an appointment.
The range of opportunities above, offered to parents to discuss their children, are there to support
the parent/teacher partnership.
Most clubs
will finish by
4.15pm and
the children
should be
collected
from the
playground.
Your child
will be kept
informed of
details as to when these clubs are running.
To help the children enjoy their lunchtimes at school a
range of activities are offered.
These include:• Access to the school library, where children can choose
and read books
• Games Room
• ICT Club
Friends of Meon (FOMs)
We have a very hardworking and dedicated Friends of Meon (FOMs) that does a great deal to raise money for the
school as well as further enriching the lives of all the children.
Activities by the Friends of Meon have included organising
both Christmas and Summer Fairs, holding and organising
school discos, afternoon tea parties, film nights, ’Meon’s
Got Talent’, barbecues, music evenings and, of course,
helping out during school trips and the Christmas concert.
FOMs also fund the prizes for attendance and other
projects such as our Creative Arts Week.
The Governors play an active part in the running of Meon
Junior School and that includes spending time in the classrooms with the children.
Parents are also welcome to come and work alongside the
teachers and governors and assist with the objective of
providing a quality education for all the children. Please
contact the Headteacher for further information.
Houses
At Meon Junior School a house system is operated, with each child being allocated one of the following houses:
Warrior, Alliance, Mary Rose, Victory.
Siblings will be in the same house.
Children can earn housepoints for a number of
reasons, including polite, well-mannered behaviour, demonstrating a caring attitude towards others, putting special effort into a piece of work and
showing a positive attitude.
Homework
The Governors and staff believe that there is
value in homework, relevant to the work the
children are doing in school, being undertaken by the children outside school hours.
Homework details will be sent out at the start
of the Autumn Term.
Healthy Eating
Playtime snacks
Packed lunches
During the morning we do allow the children to bring
in a snack to maintain their energy levels until
lunchtime. However, we do insist that this is a
healthy snack, e.g. fruit, dried fruit (crisps, chocolate, sweets and chewing gum, etc, are not allowed). We do have a tuck shop, open during
morning playtimes, which sells a range of healthy
snacks starting at 30p.
Please note the following recommended guidelines
set out by the British Nutrition Foundation.
A child’s lunch should include the following:
Please note: The government scheme providing
free fruit is for Infant schools only.
Water for all
Water is freely available throughout the school day
to all members of the school community. The water
fountain is located in the playground. In addition, all
the taps in the classrooms are drinking water. All
the children are encouraged to have a plastic water
bottle on their desk throughout the day and are advised to drink regularly. The bottle must not contain
any other drink aside from water.
• A portion of starchy food, e.g. wholegrain bap/bread,
sesame seed pitta bread, plain crackers, pasta or rice
salad
• Fresh fruit and vegetables, e.g.
apple/orange/banana, cherry tomato, carrot sticks,
mini fruit chunks, etc
• A portion of milk or dairy food, e.g. cheese, plain/fruit
yoghurt, etc.
• Small portion of lean meat, fish or alternative, e.g.
two slices of ham beef, Quorn, cheese, tuna, egg or
hummus, etc.
• A drink - fruit juice, water, squash or milk.
Please note that the lunchboxes are stored on trolleys. Therefore, to make sure they fit, we would be
grateful if the the children do not bring in oversized
lunchboxes.
School Meals
School meals are served in the school hall.
The cost is £2.00 per day.
From September 2015, a new online payment system, called cypad, which allows you to order hot dinners in advance from your own computer and to pay
online will be launched across the whole city. You
will need to register at
www.feedinghungryminds.co.uk. A step by step
guide to ordering dinners and paying online will be
sent to you before September.
Nut allergies
We have several children with nut allergies in the
school. Please do not send in any food items containing nuts (eg peanut butter sandwiches, snickers bars)
for your child’s lunch.
Arrangements are also made in the school hall and
classrooms for those wishing to eat a packed
lunch. Non-glass containers should be used for
drinks. Fizzy drinks are not allowed on the school
premises.
School Council
At Meon Junior we have an excellent school council that plays an extremely important role in the life of the school. Two children are elected
by their classmates each year to represent each class on the Council.
The council then elect the chair, vice-cchair and two treasurers. The
school council meets each fortnight and make important decisions regarding all aspects of school life.
‘There are many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility in the school, whether serving on the school
council, running the school tuck shop, helping serve lunches or organising fund raising events for various charities. However, it is in the small things that pupils show true responsibility. Inspectors observed children comforting other children who were upset, ensuring that everyone took turns in a group activity and helping each other
when they had difficulties in lessons.’
OFSTED, January 2014
School Rules
At Meon Junior School we place great emphasis on promoting
self-esteem and positive behaviour. The whole school environment is one in which children and adults are encouraged to show
courtesy, respect and consideration for each other, ensuring the
happiness and well being of all.
Golden Rules
The Golden Rules are displayed in each classroom and are regularly discussed with the children. Children are expected to follow
these rules at all times.
1
Be kind to each other
2
Treat each other with respect
3
Be polite to all adults in the school
4
Try your best
5
Share and take care of school resources
6
Take pride in yourself and your work
7
Move around the school calmly, quietly and sensibly
‘The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils love coming to
school and are highly enthusiastic learners. They are extremely
well mannered and very proud of their school, and talked in
glowing terms about how much they enjoyed being there.
Around the school and in lessons their behaviour is impeccable.
The high level of care and respect they are shown by adults is
mirrored in the way they treat each other and the respect they
show towards all adults.’
OFSTED, January 2014
Meon Junior School
Shelford Road
Southsea
Hampshire
PO4 8NT
Tel: 02392 732844
Fax: 02392 772030
email: [email protected]
www.meon-jun.portsmouth.sch.uk
Headteacher: Mr Luke Hanna BA (Hons) NPQH