Welcome Pack - Reception September 2024
Welcome Pack - Reception September 2024
Welcome Pack - Reception September 2024
Where learning is more than what you know, it is who you can become…
Welcome
On behalf of the Trustees and staff, I am delighted to welcome you and your child to
Hujjat Primary School, a place where people matter. All the staff aim to provide a
happy working environment and a Values-Based, exciting and inspiring curriculum.
My vision for Hujjat Primary School is determined through my values and those of
Islam and belief in every child’s entitlement to quality education in a caring
environment. All children are special and should be made to feel so; they should be
valued, respected and nurtured. As citizens of the future, they must be made aware of
the vital contribution they can make to society. We want our children to reach their
potential and become ‘well rounded’ and ‘well adjusted’ adults. Therefore, we will
endeavour to make our school a learning community, a place where children and
adults eagerly work and learn together in a secure, happy, exciting and challenging
environment. The quality of your child’s education and learning is paramount to us. I
can assure you that we are totally committed to the care and development of all our
pupils. I hope that your child will be very happy here.
I firmly believe that a trusting partnership between home and school lies at the heart
of a successful educational experience for your child. You are warmly invited to join
in our many and varied school activities and to share the experiences all pupils will
have throughout the important years spent in their primary school.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs S.Saad
Mrs S. Saad
Acting Headteacher
Vision and Ethos of Hujjat Primary
Our vision is to create a happy and inclusive school, grounded in Islamic values,
where children can indulge their curiosity, develop a lifelong love for learning and build
the foundation from which they can grow to become ethical, responsible and
inspirational members of society. Hujjat Primary School reflects the Islamic philosophy
of education, which states that acquiring knowledge is not just an intellectual activity,
but a religious obligation, to give meaning to life and enrich it, to instil self-discipline,
and to promote fundamental human values.
Our ethos, through a broad and balanced core curriculum, is designed to foster
intellectual curiosity and outstanding academic achievement, alongside a values-
based curriculum that develops the virtues of good character, enabling our pupils to
change and develop their knowledge into action, for the benefit of our school, our
families, our community and wider society. The school promotes universally accepted
human values and principles which are British Values but are also the cornerstones of
the Islamic faith. This ensures that everyone at our school, adults and children, of all
faiths and none, can identify with the same values.
Enrichment Programme
Enrichment activities will not be mandatory however many of them are integral to the
ethos of the school and we strongly encourage all pupils to take part in them. For
Reception/Key Stage1 children, enrichment activities primarily take place during the
school day and include visiting storytellers and cultural celebrations. Key Stage 2
children will benefit from booster sessions for individuals or small groups in need of
additional support in literacy or numeracy.
Over the coming years, we would like to introduce a number of after-school activities
which would normally run for one hour from 3.15 to 4.15pm. The activity clubs will be
dependent on individual needs and interests, and could include:
• Sports clubs- football, cricket, netball, tennis, multi sports and gymnastics
• Practical science- including various types of science experiments
• Language- given the anticipated cultural diversity of our pupils, we will
encourage them to work towards developing proficiency in their home
languages so that they are in a position to take a qualification at secondary
level to improve their career prospects
• Arts and craft- including calligraphy and model making, in association with
groups such as Young Rembrandts and Ahlan Art; and drama in association
with groups such as Al Khayaal Theatre company
• Life skills- including making a basic nutritious meal, sewing a button, and
nature club/forest school teaches navigation
• Book club- encouraging reading for pleasure and ensuring access to a range
of reading material
• Personal development- debating, public speaking, leadership, and
collaboration
• Tech club- use of personal devices to develop proficiency using suitable
learning-based app games and app development, ensuring that children who
do not have access to such devices at home are able to develop a basic
proficiency
• Islamic studies- Quran recitation and memorisation, focusing on pronunciation
and tajweed rules
A separate provision (Breakfast and After School Club) is available not only to support
working parents with wraparound care, but for children to attend on a social level.
Education Details
Parents are given the opportunity to view and be consulted about all materials relating
to Relationships and Health education before they are used in school.
Religious Education
All pupils have Religious Education lessons. They are delivered in line with the
requirements of the Harrow Agreed Syllabus. The school actively promotes an
Islamic philosophy towards life. Acts of worship take place each day and may be class
based, key-stage based, house-based or whole-school based. Parents have the right
to withdraw their children from Religious Education lessons and acts of worship.
Religious affiliations
Children from across the school will have access to a wide range of extra-curricular
activities in both sport, music and the creative and performing arts.
Parents will be asked to make voluntary contributions to these activities. (Please refer
to our Charging and Remissions Policy for School Activities on our website).
Our approach to Learning
Children are expected to work hard and demonstrate positive learning behaviours to
both maximise their own individual learning potential, as well as contribute to the
school and wider community. Our school House System allow us to reward the
behaviours we strive to develop. We have high expectations of attendance, academic
achievement and pupil behaviour. We are committed to working in partnership with
parents as we believe that when home and school work closely together, we get the
best outcomes for our pupils.
Care of Pupils
All teaching and ancillary staff share this responsibility with the Headteacher. The
welfare of each child is important to us all and close contact between home and school
is the best way to make sure there is a clear understanding of the needs and progress
of your child. It helps if parents inform the Headteacher of any particular home
circumstance which may affect the child’s behaviour and attitude in school. It is also
important to inform the school of a change of address, telephone number or place of
contact.
Home-School Partnership
We value parental support that enables home and school to work together to ensure
the best possible progress for your child. Our Home School Agreement explains the
aims and values of Hujjat Primary School. It states the responsibilities of the school,
parents and pupils. The school also has an active fundraising group, Friends of Hujjat
Primary School, which in addition to fundraising for the school, organise a range of
exciting activities for our children throughout the year. Every parent automatically
becomes a Friend of Hujjat Primary School.
Tapestry
We use ‘Tapestry’ to record your child’s EYFS learning journey at Hujjat Primary
School. This is a fantastic online based app that allows staff to take photographs,
observe and assess children. When an observation of your child is uploaded to
tapestry you will receive a notification and can instantly access this information from
your own device. You are also able to upload your own special moments with your
child from home. We love to see the fantastic learning and experiences our children
have outside the classroom and often share these during our reflection time at the end
of the day. This allows us to build a solid communication between home and school.
You will receive a Tapestry Agreement prior to starting the school year, which must
be signed and returned. If your child attended a nursery that used Tapestry, their
current account will move to Hujjat Primary School. If you need any help accessing
your account, please let a member of staff know. We are always happy to talk you
through how to use the app.
Reports
Written reports are sent to parents in the summer term. The reports always refer to
attitude, effort and academic progress. If required, the reports are supported by
meetings between class teachers and parents. There are also opportunities for
discussion between parents and teachers at termly held parents’ evenings. Curriculum
Information Evenings also take place throughout the year. Parents are encouraged to
discuss any specific concerns they may have as they occur throughout the year with
the class teacher.
School House System
When children enter full-time school they will be allocated to one of the school’s four
houses and this will enable children to complete our Ladies’ of Paradise Projects
based on one of the following: Lady Fatimah, Lady Maryam, Lady Kadijah, Lady Asiya.
Each house is vertically grouped across the school and siblings will be allocated to the
same house. When the school is full, each house will be led by a senior leader in
school and each house will elect annually their House Captain and Vice House
Captain. These will be prestigious Year 6 positions. House assemblies will take place
weekly and house points are awarded based on quality of work and performance in
sport, music and drama. Inter-house sporting activities will take place throughout the
year, culminating in our Sports Day. The house with the most points at the end of the
year will win the House Trophy!
Equal Opportunities
In line with DFE policy the school has produced an Equality Policy which meets the
requirements of the 2010 Equality Act. A copy of this policy is available on the school
website.
Daily Routine
Busy Fingers
Busy Fingers forms the start of our day. Each morning, your child will take part in an
activity designed to strengthen their fine-motor skills. These activities support the
development of writing and so it is incredibly important that your child arrives at school
for 8.45am to benefit from these activities. If you are interested in developing fine-
motor skills at home, the website ‘Pinterest’ has lots of fantastic, simple ideas that you
could do. We would love to see them in action on Tapestry!
Reading
Your child will receive a reading folder with a pupil planner and two reading books in
September. There will be a letter explaining how to use this in more detail within this
folder. Please read it carefully and ask your child’s class teacher if you are unsure of
any information. We expect children to read 5 times a week for around 10 minutes
and this should be recorded in your child’s pupil planner.
We teach children to read and write using phonics. This is very different to how we
learnt to read ourselves in school and can often be confusing. We will run parent
workshops to help you stay one-step ahead of your child’s learning. We encourage
you to attend these meetings.
Physical Education
Reception classes will have one PE session a week. Children have planned
opportunities for Physical Development daily within the EYFS area and an additional
30 minutes of physical activity each day as part of a new government initiative to keep
children healthy. On PE days, Reception aged children will come to school in their PE
kit.
Weekend Challenges
Each half-term we will send a set of 6 weekend challenges home. These challenges
are optional but are linked to the class learning for the half-term. You can complete
the challenges in any order (1 a weekend) and bring them to school to share and
display or make a record of the challenge on Tapestry.
Weekly Events
Every other Friday, a school newsletter will be emailed to you to provide updates on
news and events. We request you read the newsletter in order to stay up to date with
events and activities your children will be engaging in for the week.
Uniform
Purpose
At Hujjat Primary we believe that a uniform serves several important purposes:
♦ It gives the pupils a sense of belonging
♦ It helps to develop pride in their school
♦ It is practical for parents (no more great debates about what to wear in the
morning!)
We depend on your co-operation and support in our policy which has been very well
received by parents.
Hujjat Primary School pupils are very proud of their school and as such they wear
their uniforms with pride. All branded items can be purchased from
Advice
It is important that you dress your child in school uniform at all times. Ensure each
item of clothing has your child’s name clearly written on it. The uniform is comfortable
and easy for them to manage. They will need to move freely and be able to dress and
undress themselves when necessary. Some learning opportunities have the potential
to be quite messy, and although we always ensure the children wear an apron,
accidents do happen. We will inform you when special clothes may be worn for parties
or celebrations.
If possible, shoes should be flat with ‘Velcro’ fastenings. This makes it easier for the
children to run around to play, and also enables them to remove/replace them
themselves when we have PE activities in the school hall or when dressing up in the
role play area. If your child is able to tie their own laces, then laces would also be
appropriate. If your child has long hair, we would prefer it to be tied back at all times.
We will always ensure that your child wears his or her coat for outdoor activities
(particularly in the winter). We would be most appreciative if you could show your child
how to put on their coat for themselves, or at least try. We will fasten zips and buttons
for those unable to manage the fastenings for themselves.
Our Uniform
Boys Girls
Gold tie (only available from Teenywear or Gold tie (only available from Teenywear or
Angels) Angels)
Hujjat School jumper (only available from Hujjat School jumper or cardigan (only
Teenywear or Angels) available from Teenywear or Angels)
In summer, white polo shirts with the In summer, a navy blue/white ¼” check
school logo (only available from dress may be worn.
Teenywear or Angels).
Book Bags
All pupils in Reception to Year 2 should have a school bookbag. These can be
purchased from Teenywear or Angels. These bookbags are optional from Year 3 and
parents can choose to supply a small satchel or rucksack suitable to hold up to A4
size papers and a water bottle.
There is no specific retailer for standard items from the school uniform list. Any of the
major outlets will stock suitable items but please note that girls’ summer dresses
should be checked and not striped.
School Year 2024/25
Snack Time
Each child will be taught to wash and dry their hands before sitting down together for
their snack. Fresh fruit will be provided daily for all children in Reception and KS1.
During snack time the children will be read a story to develop their love of books and
language development, they may join in with nursery rhymes or even share in show
and tell. Children can bring in their favourite books from home to share during this
time. Milk will be provided free of charge to all children under the age of 5. There will
be an option to purchase milk for those children over 5.
Water Bottle
As a healthy school we encourage your child to drink water throughout the day and all
children need to bring a named, reusable water bottle to school. Please do not send
canned drinks or juice cartons/bottle in with your child. They are sticky when spilled,
can attract insects, and are often not healthy for your child.
Lunch
All children from Reception to Year 2 are entitled to a free school lunch and we
encourage all children to eat the school prepared lunch. A menu will be sent home for
you and your child to make a selection for each day on a 3-week cycle. Please let the
school know if your child has any dietary requirements. All meat served is Halal
certified.
Term Dates:
Half Term Holiday: Mon 28th Oct 2024 - Fri 1st Nov 2024
INSET Days (Staff ONLY. Children do not attend school on these days)
Monday 2nd September and Tuesday 3rd September
Monday 4th November 2024
Half Term Holiday: Monday 17th February 2025 - Frida 21st February 2025
INSET Days (Staff ONLY. Children do not attend school on these days)
Monday 6th January 2025
Half Term Holiday: Monday 26th May 2025 - Friday 30th May 2025
Other Dates
Monday 31st March Eid ul Fitr *subject to moon sighting
If parents are positive and enthusiastic about school, their children generally will be
too.
Please ensure that you provide a full reason for the absence; “sick”, “unwell” or “poorly”
do not help us monitor trends within the school. In the case of vomiting or diarrhoea,
a child would need to be absent from school for 48 hours following the last episode of
sickness.
Attendance Guidelines will be sent to you when your child starts with us.
Leave of absence
Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw their child during term time.
Parents wishing to apply to take a child out of school should apply in writing, using a
form provided by the office. A leave of absence will only be authorised in exceptional
circumstances which does not include family holidays.
Health and Safety
Asthma
If your child is asthmatic, it is very important that you discuss their health care with a
member of the office staff. You will be asked to complete an Asthma Health Care Plan
and to supply an inhaler (with a spacer) that can be kept in school. Please ensure you
have indicated this on your Pupil Information Form. A member of the welfare team will
contact you regarding this.
Allergies
We need to be aware of any allergy from which your child suffers. The children often
taste various foods, handle different materials and take part in cooking activities. If
your child has a severe allergy that requires them to carry an adrenaline auto-injector
(Epipen/Jext etc) you must provide an adrenaline auto-injectors to be held in school
at all times (these must be in-date). You will be required to complete an Allergy Health
Care Plan. A member of the office staff will contact you regarding this.
Hygiene
Please impress upon your child the importance of flushing the toilet and washing their
hands. This basic training in personal hygiene prevents the spread of tummy bugs as
well as increasing the child’s independence. Children suffering from sickness or
diarrhoea should be kept at home for at least 48 hours to ensure a complete recovery
and prevent cross infection.
Head Lice
We do occasionally have cases of head lice in the school: please check your child’s
head weekly. We will inform you if a case of head lice has been discovered in your
child’s class. If you require further information the office staff will be happy to assist.
Illness or Injury
If your child should fall ill or suffer an injury while in school, we need to be able to
contact you. Please be sure to inform us of any change to either your home or work
telephone numbers. We also need the telephone number of a friend or relative should
we be unable to reach you.
Parking
There is no parking on site for parents and you are requested not to park anywhere
on Brookshill. The car park is for staff use only. We have the safety of the children in
mind, as they are often out and about in the school grounds during the course of the
day. Please be courteous to our neighbours when parking on the residential roads
nearby. Please ensure you always park safely and legally when arriving and departing
the area around the school. You will receive a school Travel Plan with alternatives.
Outside Play
There are always members of staff on duty during outside playtime and lunchtime in
order to ensure play is supervised safely.
Work Experience
Students from local schools, colleges and universities, health visitors and others gain
a valuable, practical experience necessary for their education/training courses and are
welcomed into Hujjat Primary School. These adults will have had the statutory
safeguarding checks.
Safeguarding Children
Every school in Harrow is required to follow set procedures to safeguard children in
cases of suspected child abuse. All staff participate in regular safeguarding training.
Safeguarding Policies are available on the school website.
The Headteacher is the designated person for safeguarding for the school.
Headteachers are required to refer their concerns to the Social Care Department for
further investigation, so that children at risk can be identified quickly.
This procedure is intended to protect children from abuse. When a school refers a
concern about a pupil to the Social Care Department, it is not accusing the parents of
abuse but requesting that further investigation takes place to establish whether a child
is at risk.
We may organise trips or visits to shops, parks, vets, farms and further afield to extend
the children’s experience. Every trip will have a risk assessment completed by the
staff. We will always seek parental permission for such experiences. To keep costs
down for parents, we may try to use public transport and when this is the case, adult
to child ratio for under 5’s is 1:2, so parental support is essential and would greatly
appreciated.
Notices will be posted at the classroom doors and in the weekly school newsletter and
on the school website.
Learning Journey
“The Learning Journey is a continuous journey through which children build on all the
things they have already experienced and come across new and interesting
challenges. Every child’s learning journey takes a personal path based on their own
individual interests, experiences and the curriculum on offer.” Taken from Principles
into Practice Card 3.2 Enabling Environments: Supporting Every Child
The Learning Journeys are designed to help parent/carers understand what their
children are learning at school, how they can help them with their education, and how
all this relates to the Development Matters in the Foundation Stage Curriculum. You
will be able to see your child’s Learning Journey at Parent Consultations.
EYFS assessment is dependent on Teacher, Pupil and Parent voice so we will be
asking you to share your observations of your children’s progress to ensure we have
a full picture of each child.
Materials
Reception consumes great supplies of stock and is forever in need of a variety of
materials, unwanted items and general ‘junk’. If you are able to donate any of the
following to the Reception classes we would be most appreciative:
♦ Carpet ♦ Wood
♦ Newspaper ♦ Boxes
♦ Empty clean plastic bottles ♦ Clean margarine/yoghurt pots
♦ Empty cereal boxes ♦ Wool
♦ Toys ♦ Buttons
♦ Cloth/fabrics ♦ Cushions
♦ Paper bags ♦ Dressing up clothes
If you have something to donate but are unsure of its suitability please ask a member
of staff for advice.
School Funding
In addition to money provided by the DfE, there is a school fund which is managed by
the Headteacher. It consists of donations and other income raised in a variety of ways.
The purpose of this is to benefit the pupils of the school by the provision of facilities,
equipment, activities and financial assistance which cannot be made available, for
whatever reason, from monies provided by the DfE.
Parent Donations
Donations can be made through Just Giving. You could choose for example to donate:
♦ £40 for the whole school year.
♦ £14 each term (Autumn, Spring and Summer)
♦ £7 each half term
All donations help fund curriculum enhancement activities such as:
♦ cooking
♦ gardening
The school website is always an excellent way of finding out about what is going on.
To contact the school please email: [email protected]
Mr H Greenway Trustee
Mr W Khalif Trustee
Ms F Rahemani Trustee
Mr N Kapadia Trustee
Where learning is more than what you know, it is who you can become…