Information for New Parents
Welcome to Greenway
As a new family at Greenway, we hope you find the information below useful. Following feedback from our Parent Forum members we wanted to help you to locate information in one place on the school website.
There are links below that will take you to the relevant webpage.
The Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
Mrs Ellwood – Headteacher
Ms Roe – Inclusion co-ordinator (INCO)
Mr Loczy – Key Stage 2 Lead
Miss Dell – Key Stage 1 Lead
School hours
08:50 – 15:20 Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)
08:50 – 15:20 Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)
08.55 – 15.15 Reception
09:00 – 12:00 Nursery
Children who arrive late at school in the morning must be brought to the front entrance and signed in by the office staff.
Before school we have a Breakfast Club which runs from 07.45 to 08:45, then after school we have WACCY which operates from 15:15 to 18.00. Click here for more info and to find out how to apply for a place.
‘Welcome to Your New Class’
In September the school holds a ‘Welcome to Your New Class’ evening, where the Headteacher presents key messages for the year. Class teachers also give presentations to parents and you have the opportunity to ask questions. Typical areas covered in these meetings include class timetable, curriculum overview, class routine and key information including PE and general clothing requirements, as well as class-specific information on home learning and how you can support your child. Each class teacher holds two sessions so that parents with more than one child at the school have the opportunity to go to each class.
For those parents who can’t make the evening, the Powerpoint presentations are placed on the school website. You will find the presentation on your child’s class page. You’ll also find more information relating to your year group as events take place throughout the year.
Home school links
Greenway values its strong partnership with parents. These positive links start before you join the school and continue throughout your child’s time at Greenway. All the information you need can be found here on events like open days, parent consultations, ‘child shows parent’ (a regular opportunity for you to go into the classroom after school and look at your child’s work with them), curriculum evenings and volunteering as a parent helper.
Class representatives
Each class has a representative to help the teacher organise parent help during the year and to sort out social events for your class. The Class Representative will email class parents after being appointed in September.
Parent Forum (PF)
Our Parent Forum was established as a way for Mrs Ellwood and the Governing Body to consult with parents on issues pertinent to the school. Each September parents are asked if they would like to join as there are, ideally, one or two representatives per class. Meetings are held once a term with the Headteacher, and a Governor. More info including the Terms of Reference can be found here.
Greenway School Association (GSA)
This is a charitable organisation to which all parents of children at the school automatically belong. It is run by a committee of parents and staff in their free time and the ultimate aim of the GSA is to enrich the educational experiences of the children through fundraising. More info can be found here but perhaps the best way of finding out about the GSA is to go along to one of the regular (relaxed and informal!) meetings where all are welcome. Remember that the GSA is only as strong as the parents who get involved!
Communication – keeping you informed
Updates, newsletters and letters are sent via email with briefer messages sent by text. Paper copies of the letters can be found in a folder that is kept in the entrance foyer and you can also find them on the school’s website here.
Please make sure the school office has your up-to-date contact details.
Emergency school closures are communicated to parents via the school text system as soon as is possible. Information on school closures due to snow and severe weather can be found on the Hertfordshire County Council website via the following link: http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/edlearn/schlife/schoolclose/
If you would like to talk to someone at school:
Call the school office on 01442 866249 or email at admin@greenway.herts.sch.uk
Please inform the office if your child is ill, has an appointment or is going to be picked up from school by someone other than you.
All absences must also be confirmed in writing even if you leave a message on the absence telephone line. Please email letters@greenway.herts.sch.uk or send your child in with a letter when they return to school.
To speak about an issue in the classroom, arrange to speak to the class teacher after school.
Calendars
At the start of the autumn term a calendar of planned events for the coming year is emailed to parents and is available on the letters section of the school website. Additional events or changes to those scheduled are advertised in the monthly newsletters. However, please check the calendar section on the school website which is regularly updated.
Throughout the year events will include:
- Sharing assemblies – once a year for each class in Key Stages 1 & 2 you will be invited to attend a sharing assembly where pupils present their work to their parents
- Curriculum evenings – subject specific information sessions for parents
- Parent consultations during the autumn and spring terms
- Open evening in the summer term
- Productions – Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Year 6 shows
School lunches
School lunches are provided by Hertfordshire Catering Limited and are served on site in our dining hall by their friendly team. More information and the current menu can be found at Hertfordshire Catering. School lunches are provided free of charge to all children in Reception and Key Stage 1 as part of the government’s ‘universal free school meals’ scheme. The current cost of a meal for children in Key Stage 2 is £2.90 (September 2022).
If your child has an allergy this should be reported to the school office and must be registered with Herts Catering Ltd. They offer specifically adapted menus in line with their mainstream offer for selected food allergies, intolerances or cultural choices. In order to register your child’s allergy, please click here.
Free School Meals – even if your child is in Reception or KS1, they may be eligible for the ‘Pupil Premium Grant’. This is a sum of money, paid every year to school, which can be used to support your child’s education in a variety of ways. Eligibility is linked to the criteria for Free Schools Meals. To check your eligibility click here
Children who do not want a school meal can bring in their own packed lunch (no nuts please).
Snacks
Foundation Stage/Key Stage 1 – a free fruit/vegetable snack is provided
Key Stage 2 – children can bring in their own snack (fresh or dried fruit, vegetables or a healthy carbohydrate e.g. plain rice cakes or bread sticks).
All pupils need to bring in a named water bottle.
School uniform
The recommended uniform consists of a dark green pullover or cardigan with school logo on; grey shorts or trousers, grey skirt or pinafore dress; white or green polo shirts or blouses. Items of uniform including sweatshirts and cardigans with logos, polo shirts, fleeces and jogging trousers are available through our secure online supplier. To place an order please go to Mapac and select Greenway from the list of schools.
The GSA also sells water bottles and has a stock of second-hand uniform.
All uniform and PE kit must be labelled with your child’s name.
PE kit
Pupils wear a green t-shirt with the Greenway logo, available online, together with plain black shorts. In the winter months, they may need joggers and sweatshirts (which do not need to be green). Trainers and socks (especially girls who come to school in tights) are needed for outdoor PE in KS1 and KS2.
