Frequently Asked Questions and Information

What can I do to prepare my child for starting school?

What kind of preparation will the school give my child before starting school?

What kinds of opportunties will there be to find out how my child is doing?

Why does my child go to a teaching assistant for extra support?

I am concerned my child may be being bullied. What should I do?

What can I do when my child gets headlice?

My child says they do not like school and gets upset. What can I do?

What should I do if I am worried about my child?

What should I do if I am concerned about my child's progress?

What happens if my child is diagnosed with special needs?

What can I do to prepare my child for starting school?

Spend time talking to your child about school and what will happen there. Perhaps you could find books about starting school at the library. Look at these together and respond to your child's questions.

Make sure your child is becoming increasingly independent and knows that you value these kinds of skills in them. Ensure your child can dress him/herself, eat with a knife and fork, go to the toilet independently and fasten his/her coat correctly.

Spend time increasing your child's concentration skills with books, puzzles, games and other activities your child enjoys. Improve their co-ordination by encouraging them to build with small bricks, complete jigsaw puzzles with small pieces, handle pencils and crayons. Back to top

What kind of preparation will the school give my child before starting school?

You and your child will be invited to a 'picnic' in school in the term before the official school starting date. This will be an opportunity to meet the staff, look around the school and get to know the other children starting school at the same time. The reception teachers will also try to visit your child at their current nursery setting.


Parents will be invited to a parents' meeting with the headteacher and reception class teachers. This will be a time to when lots of information will be given about our school and your child's new class. There will also be an opportunity to ask any questions. Back to top

What kinds of opportunties will there be to find out how my child is doing?

Throughout the year, there are three sets of parents' meetings - one in each term. At these meetings, your child's progress will be discussed and a target book will be given to you that shows your child's current attainment and the next steps they need to make in their learning.

Your child will have a home school reading record which we will encourage you to read and then complete. This allows us to share comments on your child's progress in reading.

There are formal parents meetings to discuss your individual child's progress in the Autumn and Spring terms. n the summer term, we have an open afternoon where parents can come and observe children in the classroom.

We also always encourage informal discussion at the end of the school day if you have any questions about your child's progress. Back to top

Why does my child go to a teaching assistant for extra support?

Throughout your child's school career, there may be times when they need a little extra help to achieve their full potential. This can be at all levels of learning.

We are dedicated to ensuring that we meet the needs of every child and sometimes, this may be with additional support. Many children benefit from extra support throughout the year and this is often to give them an extra boost and not indicative of any particular special need.

If you are concerned, please see your child's class teacher. Back to top

I am concerned my child may be being bullied. What should I do?

We want every child in our school to feel happy and safe and we have a zero tolerance approach to any kind of bullying or intimidation.

If your child discusses an incident of this nature with you, please listen carefully and then tell them you are going to talk to their teacher about this. At the next available opportunity, please come into school for an appointment with your child's teacher. The teacher will listen carefully and ask questions. They may know something of the incident in question and be able to allay your fears. Once the incident has been fully explored, a way forward will be agreed which will leave you and your child confident that the issue will be dealt with in a way that will resolve the matter. Back to top

What can I do when my child gets headlice?

Unfortunately, headlice are very common in school. We encourage all children with long hair to have it tied back at all times and encourage the children to not touch heads. Nevertheless, headlice are still able to spread. The best way to ensure your child stays free of headlice is to use a headlice comb and lots of conditioner once a week. Comb each section of their hair through with the headlice comb after conditioning. This should remove any eggs or small headlice before they can really get a grip! Back to top

My child says they do not like school and gets upset. What can I do?

Talk to your child about anything that has upset them at school. If you can find a specific incident or event that has happened, you will be able to talk to your child and your child's teacher to resolve any problems.
But sometimes, the problem is not quite as simple as this. Your child may not be able to tell you anything specific or they may be unwilling to talk to you about anything that has happened at school. If this is the case, please talk to your child's class teacher. She may know something that will help you to understand the problem.

Any problem will usually be short term and will resolve itself with all of our help. Back to top

What should I do if I am worried about my child?

At Lound Infants, we encourage a warm and open relationship between parents and the school. If you have any worries or concerns about your child, we really want to know about it. You may be able to pop into school and have a quick word with your child's teacher who will be able to allay your worries. If you think you may need a longer period of time to discuss the issue, your child's teacher will be happy to make an appointment for you at a time when they are available either before or after school.

You may not be able to come into school due to other commitments. If this is the case, please call the school and leave a message asking the class teacher to call you back at a convenient time.

The Head teacher will also be happy to discuss any worries or issues you may have. Back to top

What should I do if I am concerned about my child's progress?

Again, discuss your worries with your child's class teacher. She may be able to reassure you that your child is making good progress. It can be hard for parents who feel that their child may not be doing as well in some areas as other children but please try not to compare children. No two children are the same and they will all make progress at different rates. Back to top

What happens if my child is diagnosed with special needs?

If your child is diagnosed with a special need it usually means that the class teacher feels they have a particular need that requires a little extra attention in class lessons in order to help them achieve successfully. For most children, this will be in one particular area of the curriculum.

If this is the case with your child, the class teacher will make an appointment to see you and discuss the situation with you. The Special Needs Co-ordinator may attend the meeting to ensure the school meets any needs your child may have. At this meeting, the exact nature of your child's difficulty will be discussed and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be written. This is a plan that details some specific targets for your child's immediate education and states how we will meet these targets. It will also give ideas for support you can give at home. In school, we will aim to meet these targets through normal lessons and through additional support from teaching assistants. You will be given a copy of the IEP which will be reviewed and updated after a term.

Occasionally, progress may be limited and the school may feel it is necessary to request the assistance of outside support eg: speech therapy, behaviour support, educational psychologist etc. This decision will always be made with your agreement and you will be kept fully informed at all times. Back to top