We are delighted that you and your child will be starting their educational journey here at Bickley Primary School.  Here you can find some information on our amazing school, but please look at the rest of the website to find out more.

 

 

 

 

Dates for your Diary:

Could we please ask you to pencil in the following dates:

• Tuesday 12th July - 6pm (parents only) approximately 1 hour.  This will be an opportunity to go over the organisation of the day, how you can support your child during the summer holidays, details regarding uniform and school meals etc. 
• Monday 18th July - 1.30pm (parent and child) approximately 1 hour.  This is an opportunity for your child to begin to get used to their new school surroundings, and also for new parents to meet each other.

 

Useful Links

How we learn at Bickley Primary School

Term Dates 2022 - 2023

 

 

 

Please take a moment to view our gallery and what our children are learning here at Bickley Primary School.

 

'Power in Me', staring children and pupils from Bickley Primary School

 

Frequently asked questions

1. Is there a before and after club and will there be spaces?

Yes. This is run by EnergyKidz, which is an external company. Sessions start from 7:30 am and after school sessions run until 6:00 pm. There are currently spaces and parents go on line to book sessions at info@energy-kidz.co.uk

2. Do you teach a modern foreign language?

Yes. At the moment, KS2 learn French. The chosen language may change in the future, if staff expertise changes. Pre-Covid, there was a lunchtime French club for younger children. If there is a language that we can teach additionally through a paid club, we try to organise it.

3. Can children have school dinners one day and a packed lunch the next?

Yes. We encourage parents to look at the 4 week rolling menu with their children each morning so that children know what to choose. They are then asked each morning what they would like, and the numbers are sent to the kitchen each morning so they know how much to cook of each option. Children can have school dinner one day and packed lunch the next.

4. Do the children go swimming?

Children walk to The Glades swimming pool in Years 4, and 6.

5. Do the children go on residential trips?

Children go for a two-night trip in Year 4 (currently this is at Grosvenor Hall in Ashford) and a 5 day trip in Year 6 (currently at Osmington Bay in Dorset)

6. Do you teach sex education?

We teach RHE (Relationships and Health Education). Biological aspects of RHE are taught as part of the science curriculum – i.e. body changes, puberty and reproduction.

7. Do we do any work with La Fontaine?

No. La Fontaine is part of Step Academy, and Bickley is part of NEST.

8. Can you park in the car park?

You can park in the car park by La Fontaine, which is shared between the 2 schools.

9. What happens if I need someone else to pick my child up?

You need to inform the school office, and they will let the class teacher know. We do not dismiss children to other parents or adults unless we have been informed by the child’s parent.

10.Do the children learn any musical instruments at school?

Yes. We have class sets of recorders, ukuleles and djembe drums, which all children learn to play. We also have music teachers who come in and teach piano, guitar and violin at a cost to parents. We also give children the opportunity to take part in a BYMT brass and woodwind programme in Year 4, which has led several children to progress to high standards in their instrument.

11.Is there a TA in every class?

Both Reception classes have at least one TA with them all day every day. Yr 1 and 2 classes have TAs for at least every morning and usually for part of the afternoon, and KS2 classes have TAs for part of each day.

12.What do I do if my child has SEN?

Contact the school’s SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator) to discuss whether or not the school can meet your child’s needs and if so, what additional support they would receive.

13.Do you administer medication at school?

Yes. If medication is prescribed and we have parents’ signed permission, we administer medication.

14.Is your school a nut-free school?

Yes. Children are not allowed to bring any food containing nuts in their packed lunches, and there are no nuts in any of the school meals.

15.My child has allergies.

What does the school do about this? We make sure that the class teacher and the school cooks know the detail of the allergies. Children with food allergies wear a badge to remind the cooks of their allergy when they go into the dinner hall, and all staff are trained in how to administer an epi pen.

16.What are the arrangements for Reception children starting school? Do they do the same as all the other year groups?

We like the children to be in school full time as soon as possible. We regularly review our starting school arrangements, we usually do the following: Week 1 – children spend one session in school with their parent(s) in small groups of six. This allows the Reception staff to get to know each child and their parents and also gives the children more confidence on their first session. Week 2 – The children spend a morning and lunch time in school in the same group of six, but without their parent(s). Week 3 – the children are in full time.

17.How do you plan for transition to Year 1?

We changed our transition arrangements from Reception to Year 1 a year ago and we now have continuous provision in Year 1. This means that children continue with a similar style of learning in Year 1 so that there is not such a sudden jump into more formal learning when they start Year 1. This extension of more explorative and investigative learning enables the children to continue to develop key learning skills, such as independence, collaboration, resilience and enquiry.

18.What are the hours of the school day?

Reception and Years 1 and 2: 8:45 am – 3:15 pm Years 3 – 6: 8:45 am – 3:20 pm.