As some of you may already be aware, the Government has introduced a new scheme which entitles all children in Reception, Year 1 and year 2 to free school meals. The philosophy behind the scheme is to encourage healthy eating from a young age. For those of you who were entitled to Free school meals prior to this scheme, you will need to apply in the usual way to ensure that you receive the additional benefits such as clothing allowance, free milk etc. For everyone else there is nothing to do, all children automatically receive the meals free of charge!

For children in the Nursery Class and in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 the cost of school meals is £2.70 per day.

The school uses the Lunchshop website to enable easier management of school meals for both parents and the school.  Please contact ther school office to obtain a login for this system.

Apply for Free School Meals 

As many of you are already aware the Government has introduced a New National Curriculum which became statutory in September. This new curriculum is very different to the previous one, not just in terms of content, but in terms of expectations. In the key areas of Maths and English the children are expected to achieve much more at a younger age. We have devised a new 3 year Curriculum Plan, individual to our school, to comply with these statutory changes. We feel confident that the programmes of study that we have planned for the children will continue to be exciting, motivating and facilitate learning which will allow for the children to make the new expected progress.
Another significant change is the way in which children are to be assessed; the old National Curriculum levels no longer apply (with the exception of Yr 6 and Yr2 for 2015). Instead, children are going to be assessed on whether or not they have met the Age Related Expectations (ARE) at the end of each year. Put simply there are a range of expectations for reading, writing, speaking, number, geometry/measure and statistics for each year group and in the summer term you will be informed if your child has not achieved them (below), has achieved them (met) or is working above them (exceeding).

Information for familes New to Irthington Village School, procedure for change of address, telephone numbers and emergency details. Procedure for absences etc. Information about the school day and Health & Safety.

The Nursery Information Pack has all the information you need for your child starting our Nursery. It is open during term time each weekday from 9am – 3.30pm. Sessions can be booked from: 9am – 12 noon; 9am – 1.15pm (Lunch Club fee applies); or all day.
Playtime is at 10.30am. Nursery children can join the rest of the children in buying a healthy snack, with biscuits and crackers available. If your child needs to take medication, staff will be happy to administer as required. Children suffering from an infectious illness should be kept at home.
Regular inspections of the Nursery and all equipment are made to ensure that they meet health and safety regulations. We actively encourage parents to become involved in the Nursery and new children are encouraged to visit the Nursery with their parents before starting. 

In the event of school closing due to bad weather school will:
1. Inform parents via BBC Cumbria radio station. School will aim to inform the radio station by 8am. School will not contact parents directly, however, whenever possible additional messages will be sent out via the PTA Facebook page, Our School App and be announced on the Cumbria County Council’s School Closures list. Parents can subscribe to the closures list and once done so will automatically receive an alert.
2. Parents should check on the BBC Cumbria web site and radio station for further updates and assume the school will reopen the following day unless informed via the web site/radio station that the school has had to remain closed. Parents should not expect to contact staff on the day of closure, as they will most likely be unable to travel safely into school.
3. Whenever possible school will contact our website provider to advertise closures. However BBC Cumbria is the most reliable source of information (particularly in the case of power cuts etc) so please use this as your first point of reference.
4. Staff should contact the Headteacher for further details/instructions, but should not attempt to travel in adverse conditions until the status of the school day has been clarified.
5. Staff will use such days as ‘work at home’ days. School staff are committed to keep the school open unless the situation demands otherwise. Staff have the responsibility to ensure adequate cover for children in school and if staff cannot get into school then the Headteacher has no choice but to close the school for the safety of the children.

In the event of the school closing due to no heating, no running water, a power cut or no provision to provide school lunch (or indeed any other unforeseen problem not affecting the area generally) school will:
1. Contact parents directly to inform them of the situation.
2. Parents will assume that the school will open the following day unless informed directly by school of further closure.

National Anthem

God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.