Positive partnerships between home and school are vital and we know that children learn best when warm and purposeful relationships are developed between home and school and parents engage in their child's learning.  We very much appreciate the opportunity to work as a team with parents and carers so that children are able to achieve their potential and to flourish as individuals.

Communication

We always endeavour to communicate effectively with our families and are here to listen!  We want children to feel happy and safe in school so we ask that parents and carers talk to us about any concerns or queries they have as soon as possible.  A face-to-face conversation is always our preferred method of communication as talking things over is by far the most effective way to address and find a solution for any worries.  However, we are also aware that this is not always possible, so we have established a range of ways to communicate with parents and carers:

School Office - messages, telephone calls and email

Mrs Stewart, our school administrator, is always available in the school office at the drop off and pick up time and will answer any questions or pass on important messages.  We ask that verbal messages are not given to staff members on the gate as these can easily be forgotten and therefore not passed on.  Mrs Stewart is also contactable by telephone during the school day and an answering service allows messages to be left if she is unavailable. 

Parents and carers are also able to email the school via office@himbleton.worcs.sch.uk and we ask that, whenever possible, non-emergency emails are sent during normal working hours.  We are keen to receive emergency emails out of hours, for example to notify of a bereavement, safeguarding concern or significant event as, in an emergency, we want to be able to support our families at any time.  Our committed staff check emails out of hours in case of emergencies, but it is important that they are able to switch off and be with their families at weekends and evenings so ask that any non-urgent emails and messages are drafted at parents and carers' convenience and then scheduled or sent during working hours.

We ask that parents and carers notify the school first thing in the morning of any absence via telephone if possible, or alternatively by email.  Class Dojo should not be used to report absences of any kind.

Weekly newsletter

Our newsletter is produced weekly on a Friday and shared with parents and carers via Class Dojo and contains information and news about children's learning, upcoming dates and events, celebrations of achievement, Friends of Himbleton news and much more!  Paper copies of the newsletter are available from the school office on request.  

Letters

As a school working towards sustainability goals and reducing our carbon footprint, we will share letters with parents and carers digitally via Class Dojo unless a response is necessary.  We are, however, working towards paperless communication and will share details of this with parents and carers in due course.

Home/school diary

Every child has a home/school diary or reading record which comes home daily in book bags.  We ask that parents use these to indicate that their child has read at home with any comments regarding how well they have read or any words or aspects of reading they found tricky.

Class Dojo

When children join Himbleton, parents/carers will be invited to join Class Dojo by invitation sent to the email provided on entrance to the school.  Class Dojo is used to share information, such as key messages, newsletters and to celebrate children's learning.  In addition, it can be used by class teachers to message parents and carers directly or the class as a whole.

Parent Consultation Meetings

These meetings are held every term and offer a chance to discuss children's progress and achievements, as well as to share any next steps.  We strongly encourage parents and carers to attend every parent consultation meeting so that they feel fully engaged and involved in their child's learning and can continue to support them at home.

Link and Learn sessions

Informal Link and Learn sessions are held termly and provide an opportunity for parents and carers to come into the classroom, usually just before the end of the school day, and engage in a learning activity with their child.  Often, this is linked to a particular curricular area and enables parents and carers to have a deeper understanding of the curriculum here at Himbleton.