FAQ
As part of the transition to the new school, we would like to give the parents and wider community a chance to ask questions that we can answer to try and make the move as smooth and successful as possible.
Below, we have already tried to answer some of the questions we know people are interested in. If you have further questions, please use the link below to complete an online form. This link will be open from Wednesday 13th March until Wednesday 20th March. After this date, we will collate the questions and update the FAQ below with the answers.
FAQ - updated 21.03.24
Will there be a sensory room / nurture room?
Yes, we will be opening a room similar to The Haven where the pastoral team will be based when working with children. We will also be opening two sensory rooms but these will not be open immediately as we need to plan and fundraise to buy the resources needed. We hope to have them open in the near future.
Once they are open, they will be available for staff to use to support pupils as and when needed.
Will parents get a chance to visit the new site?
We are really keen to welcome parents into the new school but we need to focus on settling the children and staff in for the first few days. On Friday 19th April, we will have an open session from 2.30-3pm for parents to come and see their children’s classrooms. This will be instead of celebration assembly.
Will there be additional transition visits?
As detailed in the transition newsletter sent out each week, all children have had the chance to visit the new site. We will be offering a follow-up visit for a few children before Easter to ensure they are ready for the move after Easter.
What will the class sizes be?
Our PAN (pupil admission number) will be 45 from September. This means there will be mixed classes as the school grows. In September 2024, we will offer 45 reception class spaces spread across two rooms. More details about this will be shared in the summer term once we know how many children we expect to start in September 2024.
Who do I contact about parking on the estate?
The highways and travel movement plan for the site was submitted by the developer as part of the planning application. This is not something that the Trust, School, Oxfordshire County Council project team or building contractor was involved with as it’s outside of the school site.
If you have queries about parking on the estate, please use the following links to access the Highways Team and Oxfordshire County Council:
Contact the Highways Team | Oxfordshire County Council
Contact the Development Management Team | Oxfordshire County Council
The school site is built to Oxfordshire County Council and Department for Education specifications. Within these guidelines, parking covers disabled, visitors, staff, community use and bicycle parking. There is no provision for parent parking on the school site.
The school will regularly remind parents about parking and will encourage, where possible, that children walk to school.
What is the school doing to support safe travel to and from school?
The school already promotes sustainable transport options including cycling proficiency available for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. The Travel Plan which has been submitted as part of the planning process is available to view on our school website and has many other initiatives that the school have been and will continue to support over the coming year.
We have worked with some of our families to put together a video of the safe routes to school from various starting points in the village. We will be holding an assembly to talk to the children about road safety and we hope that parents will use the videos to support this.
What is happening with the old site?
The sale of the site is being dealt with by external companies so the school and Trust have no involvement in this.
Where is all the information about the relocation available?
We have started a new webpage on the school website all about the transition to the new site. Please visit this page for further details – it will be updated regularly with additional resources and information. https://www.shrivenhamschool.co.uk/school-relocation-april-2024/
Will the hours of the school day change?
No, at this stage the hours of the school day will stay the same. The gate will open at 8.30am for children to start arriving and will usually close at 8.40am but we know the first week or so will need to be flexible as we will all be getting used to the new site. The gate for pick-up at the end of the day will be open at 3pm.
How will we know where to go on the first day?
We are going to be putting together a booklet that will hold lots of information including maps and this will be sent out before the first day the children are due back. There will be lots of staff on duty that first day to ensure everyone finds their way to the right place so please try not to worry about it. There will also be some videos and a transition book uploaded onto the website that families can look at before the first day.
Is there somewhere to store our bikes and scooters?
There are some lovely bike and scooter racks inside the school grounds that the children will be able to access.
How do I access the office?
This will be marked on one of the maps and an information page will be created to share with parents. The main office will be accessible from the front of the school but you won’t be able to access it from the same access point as the children will enter the site.
When does the pre-school open?
We will open the first phase of the pre-school (3-4yr olds) in September 2024. Initial interest form is available now but this is not the formal registration. Formal registration will open after Easter and anyone on the initial interest list will be contacted about this. The second phase of the pre-school will hopefully open in January 2025 (2-3yr olds) but this is to be confirmed. Initial interest for 2-3yr olds is open using the form on our website. https://www.shrivenhamschool.co.uk/shrivenham-pre-school-opening-sept-2024/
Extended Provision (Breakfast and After-School Club)
This continues to be available to Shrivenham children with a maximum of 20 places each day. It will be located in the studio and hall of the new site and children will also have access to the playground from here. Parents will be sent information and a map about how to drop off and pick-up before returning on Wednesday 17th April. If you wish to find out if we have vacancies to enrol your child into the before/after-school provision, please visit our webpage at https://www.shrivenhamschool.co.uk/breakfast-club/
How will the children enter their classrooms?
Children in Pre-School, Reception and KS1 will enter through their classroom doors from the playgrounds. KS2 will enter through two different doors that lead to the stairwells for the first floor. A member of staff will be on duty on the doors each day to welcome the children into school. Parents will not be able to enter the building for safeguarding purposes. At the end of the day, the class teachers will bring their classes down and will wait with the children outside the doors they entered.
How do I speak to the class teachers?
Due to the layout of the site, it is going to be difficult for teachers to always be available to speak to parents at the beginning of the day. We would encourage parents to send an email to the class email addresses if they have a query that is non-urgent. If there is an urgent message, please speak to the office and they will relay to the teacher where appropriate and ask them to call at a convenient time.
When will the community be able to visit the new site?
We hope to open the site to the community in the summer term but first we need to settle the staff and children into their new building. We will ensure the community are aware of open days when these have been planned.