We know how important it is that we develop and maintain an important and valuable relationship with our families, and we are always thinking of new ways to strengthen that connection.  Throughout the year, we invite parents and grandparents to school to help us celebrate events and special occasions in class.  We strongly value your help and support with home learning too. 

How do we support our families and strengthen the communication between home and school?  

We first meet our families and children during transition times whether your child is starting our school Nursery or Reception year group.  What do we do?  Well we ...

• Have a welcome meeting in the summer term so that you can meet your child's teacher and support staff and find out everything you need to know about starting Nursery or Reception.
• Reception teacher's carry-out pre-school visits and home visits if your child does not attend a pre-school nursery during June. This is so that staff can build up a picture of your child in readiness for starting school.
• Have 'Stay and Play' sessions in September.
• Have staggered start times so that we can meet your child and you.
• We have personalised transition visits for those children that need them.
• We ask all of our families to fill in a 'Transition Passport' so that we already have lots of information about your child for when they start with us. 

We also ...

• Keep our class web pages up to date with class information.
• Use 'X' to showcase our work @BirkdalePEEYFS  and  @birkdaleprimary
• Have an open-door policy where you can always speak to your child's class teacher in the morning and at the end of the day.
• We send home a curriculum overview every term, so you can see what your child will be learning in school every term.
• Children have a 'My Home Activity Book' full of exciting activities for you and your child to do at home together to support the learning taking place in school.
• Phonics home learning is updated weekly on our school learning platform 'Google Classroom'.
• We actively encourage you to listen to your child reading at home as frequently as you can. 
• We share your child's progress at two parents' evenings held in October and March.
• We celebrate all the 'wow' and magical moments with you, so please tell us about them.  Your child will have lots of firsts!
• Staff listen and give advice and offer school support.

 And ... we are always delighted to see our families coming to school.  These are just a few of the occasions we have welcomed our families into school this year.

• Our parents came to school during 'Book Week' to read with their child while enjoying juice and cookies.
• They joined in with playground games during 'Big Break' playtime.
• We loved seeing you all at Christmas when you came in and made some Christmas crafts.
• We sang songs to you at Christmas and give you an amazing Christmas concert to watch. 
• You watched our sports day and some mums and dads ran in the egg and spoon race.
• Our parents have been part of our 'People Who Help Us'. We have parents who are police and nurses.
• We even have a grandparent who rescues hedgehogs and comes in every year to help us learn all about animals that hibernate.
• We have coffee mornings for those parents who have a child with SEND.