General
Lakefield School is centrally located in a traditional built up area within easy walking distance of the town centre. The school buildings provide spacious accommodation and date from the end of the nineteenth century. The school is divided into Infant and Junior sections catering for children from 3 to 11 years. Children from Copperworks Infants School transfer to Lakefield at age 7. The present school population is 275.
Admission Arrangements
Children can be admitted full-time to the reception class at the beginning of the term in which they have their fourth birthday.
Home School Agreement
On admission to the school parents are offered a home school agreement to sign which sets out the expectations that each of the interested parties have of each other ie the parent, the pupil and the school. Parents are also asked to sign an agreement allowing supervised access to the Internet.
Times of Opening and Closing
|
|
Infants |
Juniors |
|
School starts |
8.55am |
8.55am |
|
School ends |
3.05pm |
3.15pm |
|
Lunch |
11.45am – 12.30pm |
12.30pm – 1.10pm |
|
|
(and lower juniors) |
(upper juniors only) |
The school gate is opened for pupils to enter school from 8.45am . The school will supervise children on the premises 10 minutes before and after the official school day. The school expects children to be punctual and parental co-operation is appreciated.
Aims of the school
The general aim of the school is to provide all pupils with a wide variety of meaningful experiences in the form of a broad and balanced curriculum which helps the children to acquire knowledge and skills and to develop their individual talents. Such experiences are to be provided in a caring and stimulating environment in which all members develop mutual respect and consideration. The school also considers it important that children have a keen sense and understanding of their cultural heritage.
The objectives of the school are:
Equal Opportunities
The school promotes the principles of fairness and justice for all through the education that we provide at our school. We do not discriminate against anyone on the grounds of ability,sex, race, colour, religion, nationality, ethnic or national origins.
Disabled Children
We seek to ensure that pupils with disabilities are not discriminated against and accepting the limitations of the school building we do our best to make the school environment safe and accessible for pupils with disabilities.
Curriculum and Organisation
The Education Reform Act introduced the National Curriculum for all state schools. The programmes of study specify the knowledge, understanding and skills to be taught. The National Curriculum is divided into:
Core subjects: English, Mathematics, Science.
Foundation Subjects: Cymraeg, History, Geography, Art, Music, Design Technology, Physical Education and Religious Education.
There are two Key Stages that pupils pass through:
Key Stage 1 - age 5 - 7
Key Stage 2 - age 7 – 11
Within each Key Stage children will work on the appropriate programmes of study.Work is suitably differentiated to suit the varying ability levels within each year group.
Teaching Methods
Classroom organisation and teaching methods include not just the techniques employed by teachers when working with children in the classroom but also with the preparation and planning undertaken to ensure effective teaching and learning.
Each teacher caters for differences in levels of achievement, speed of learning and developing interests. Pupils do not necessarily reach the various stages of development in the same order or at the same speed. Teachers need to draw upon various teaching and learning methods to meet these challenges. Therefore children may be taught individually, in groups or as a whole class at the discretion of the teacher.
Language Policy
Lakefield has been categorised as a Language Category B school which means that the main language of instruction is English and Welsh is taught as a second language. As well as lessons, pupils are encouraged to use incidental Welsh as part of their everyday life in school. This helps to create a Welsh ethos reflecting the culture of our country. Lakefield also benefits from having an ‘athrawes fro’ who works with pupils and staff on a weekly basis.
Physical Education
All children are expected to participate in Physical Education and Games lessons ( except those prevented from doing so for medical reasons.) It is important hat they are dressed appropriately for the activity concerned.
Swimming is restricted to Year 5 & 6 pupils who attend Llanelli Leisure Centre. These costs are, at present, borne by the Education Authority.
The school receives an annual invitation for Year 6 pupils to attend the Lady Stepney Education Centre at Pendine. Here they experience a wide range of educational and recreational activities.
Sport
The school has limited sporting facilities but despite these difficulties every effort is made to ensure that the children, whatever their ability, learn to enjoy physical activity. Arrangements are also made with other schools for competition opportunities.
Religious Education
Religious Education is experienced through the daily act of collective worship as well as part of the school’s curriculum.
It is mainly of a broadly Christian character but at the same time non-denominational.
The school has a close relationship with it’s local church St Peter’s and ministers visit the school to conduct school assembly on a regular basis.
Parents may, because of religious beliefs, have their children withdrawn from religious ceremonies and instruction.
Sex Education
Sex Education is not taught as a subject. However, questions arising from children are treated sensitively with due regard for the age and maturity of the child.
It is current policy that the School Nurse meets the Yr6 children who are shown an appropriate video and given an explanatory talk on body changes during puberty. Parental permission is sought before these visits and parents are invited to attend. Parents are also invited to exercise their right to withdraw their children from these meetings should they so wish.
Special Education
There are in all schools a number of children who experience learning difficulties. During the autumn term all schools conduct an audit to identify children with special needs. These children are place in stages from 1 – 5 according to their needs, ie from mild to severe difficulties. The school has a part time support teacher who teaches Stage 2 and 3 children . They are withdrawn from their classes usually twice a week and taught in small groups. There is also a Learning Support assistant who works in several classrooms in order to support pupils with learning difficulties in the classroom setting.
Extra Curricular Activities:
The following activities are held weekly after school:
Rugby / Ball skills / Netball / Rounders
Recorder Club
School Rules
These are few but sensible and parental co-operation would be greatly appreciated.
Discipline
It is the duty of the headteacher to promote, among pupils of the school, self –discipline and proper regard for authority. The school expects children to conduct themselves in a courteous and orderly manner and to show respect and consideration for others at all times.
The school has a very successful positive behaviour policy which was formed in conjunction with Coedcae Comprehensive School. It is the school’s intention at all times to deal fairly with misdemeanours through the withdrawal of privileges. Persistent contraventions will be reported to parents.
Absence
Parents are asked to inform the school of the reason for absence on the first morning of the absence . A brief note confirming the reason for absence should be sent to the school when the child returns.
Medication
Teachers cannot accept responsibility for administering medicines. However, there may well be exceptional circumstances and all such cases will be sympathetically considered.
Illness and Accidents
In the event of a child being taken ill at school every attempt is made to contact parents as soon as possible. Children who are unwell are cared for until the parents arrive. Minor cuts and grazes are also dealt with by the school staff.
Jewellery
Parents are urged to ensure that children do not bring valuable items of jewellery to school, e.g. rings, watches. Earrings must not be worn to school as these can so easily cause injury to the wearer.
Sweets
Children are not allowed to bring sweets or chewing gum to eat at school.
School Uniform
All pupils are expected to wear school uniform. The polo shirts and sweatshirts are available from the school and are priced at £8.50 Fleeces are also available at £15.
TROUSERS plain grey or black
SKIRT plain grey or black
SHOES black
P.E. - Indoor lessons plain black or grey shorts, trainers or daps.
Outdoors plain black or grey jogging bottoms.
General Information
Ysgol Maesllyn / Lakefield is keen to maintain and develop a good relationship with parents. If parents have any particular concern they should not hesitate to contact the Headteacher. Parents wishing to consult class teachers are asked first to contact the Headteacher so that arrangements can be made at the end of the school day so as not to cause classroom disruption.
School / Home Links
Parents’ Evenings are held once a term. Parents have the opportunity at these evenings to discuss their child’s progress with the class teacher. Towards the end of the Summer Term parents receive a written report on their child’s progress prior to the Parents’ Evening for the Summer Term
School Meals
Children may have cooked meals which are prepared on the premises. These are excellent value and are highly recommended. Parents are asked to send dinner money on the first day of the week. Parents who think they may be entitled to free school meals for their children may obtain an application form from the school which needs to be returned to Ty Elwyn or Pibwrlwyd.
Access / Security
The main visitors’ entrance is accessible from Ralph Terrace ( Pemberton St ). This door is kept locked during lesson times. Children enter and leave the school via the gate in the lane which runs between Lakefield Rd. and Pemberton St . This gate is locked between 9.30am and 3.00pm . Parents are welcome to come into the lower yard after 3.00pm to collect their children on dismissal at the end of the afternoon. In the interests of Road Safety there is a School Crossing Patrol Officer controlling the road near the school entrance on Lakefield Rd and also at the junction of High St. and Victoria Rd. Pupils crossing these roads before and after school must use the service provided.
Inclement Weather
Every effort is made to keep the school open during inclement weather. In the event of severe conditions necessitating the closure of the school, Radio Cymru and Swansea Sound will be informed. In the event of a decision being made during the school day children will not be sent home before establishing that there is someone home to receive them.
Parents / Teachers / Friends Association
The school has an energetic association whose fund raising efforts enable the school to provide ‘extras’ which would otherwise not be affordable. Your help would be welcomed.
Complaints
When a complaint is received in writing by the Headteacher and it has not been possible to resolve the matter informally within the school , then the Chairman and the Clerk to the Governing Body will be informed. The complainant shall be informed that the letter has been passed to an Advisor of the Authority for consideration. The matter may then become the subject of a formal meeting of the Governing Body. Should the situation still remain unresolved then a furtherappeal may be made to the Director of Education and, if need be to the Assembly for Wales.
Governing Body
The School Governors have a general responsibility for the effective management of the school, acting within a frameworkset by national legislation and by the policies of the Local Education Authority. A list of the governors’ names is available from the school on request.
Delegated Financial Status
Ysgol Maesllyn / Lakefield School has responsibility for its own budget. The Governing Body, working with the Headteacher, decides what pattern of spending best meets the needs of the school and its pupils.
Secondary Schools
At the age of 11 years pupils are normally transferred to Coedcae Comprehensive School with whom the school maintains close links. However parental choice may determine whether parents may wish to send their children to other secondary schools.
SAT’s Standard Attainment Tests
There has been a very encouraging trend over the last few years which shows that an increasing number of our pupils are achieving the core indicator ( minimum of Level 4 in language, Maths and Science.) In the KS2 Tests in 2003 70% of our pupils gained the core indicator.
Benchmarking
The school’s performance according to this figure is slightly better than average when compared with schools of a similar kind. | 
