Communication
We aim to work in partnership with all parents/carers at our school to provide the children of Abbots Green with the best possible outcomes. Effective home-school communication is key. We communicate with, and provide information to, parents/carers in a number of ways as detailed below.
By telephone: We will attempt to contact parents/carers by telephone if the matter is urgent, if their child is unwell, if we need to speak directly with the parent/carer or to obtain a quick response. We also send text messages to mobile phones with short non-urgent messages such as minor head bumps or nose bleeds. Please ensure that you provide all contact telephone numbers (e.g. home, mobile, work for both parents/carers) and remember to keep us up to date of any changes.
By Arbor: We request that all parents/carers register on our Arbor system. As part of our Eco-school status, we no longer send paper copies of letters/newsletters to parents/carers and try not to issue paperwork via book bags wherever possible. We also use Arbor to send out forms that need completion e.g. to obtain consent for school visits. When a child joins Abbots Green the parent/carer will be sent an invitation to join Arbor and we recommend this is done as soon as possible to avoid missing out on any important information. Registration is quick and simple and School Office staff are happy to support parents/carers in this process. If your email address changes please let the school office know to enable us to update Arbor and our school database.
Classroom Whiteboards: For children in Nursery through to Year 2 there are external whiteboards directly outside the classroom door, where parent/carers wait to collect their child(ren) at the end of the school day. For children in KS2 there is an external whiteboard near the Year 3 end of the building (nearest the gate). These boards are used by classroom staff to provide brief messages/reminders to parents/carers and may be specific to that particular class. If you do not personally collect your child at the end of the school day please ask whoever is collecting your child to check the board and feedback any information to you.
In Person: School staff may pass on brief messages to parents/carers at the end of the school day. If further discussion is required a meeting will be arranged at a mutually convenient time.
Where can parents/carers find out about what is happening in school?
School Newsletter: The school newsletter is produced on a monthly basis and provides news of what has happened during the previous month in school as well as reminders and information for the month ahead. The newsletter is sent via email and is also uploaded to the school website.
School Website: The website address is www.abbotsgreenacademy.co.uk.
Curriculum Updates: At the start of each term parents/carers will receive a Curriculum Update for their child’s Year Group. This update is designed to introduce the curriculum and to provide information on how their child’s learning will be linked to this during the term. It is also a useful document to retain detailing which staff will be teaching and supporting the children; which days your child will have P.E, Parent Partnership sessions and much more.
Fridge Flyer: This is sent out via email at the start of each term detailing upcoming important dates. These dates are also added to the school website and provide parents/carers with advance notice of important dates during that term. The school newsletter also features a reminder of upcoming dates. Please note, although we aim to adhere to the published dates, these dates are subject to change based on the requirements of the school. Where information changes we will inform parents/carers via the newsletter, email or SMS messages.
Reporting to Parents/Carers
We provide reports to parents/carers at the end of each academic year. The reports detail progress made by their child as well as their child’s attendance record to date. We also hold Parent Consultations during the year to give parents/carers the opportunity to discuss how their child is progressing.
How do parents/carers communicate with the school?
By telephone: Our main switchboard number is 01284 718818.
By Email: To support the school in reducing the amount of paper used, and to ensure the content reaches the correct destination we recommend that emails are sent to school. School office staff will ensure that the email is acknowledged and passed onto the relevant staff within the school. Our email address is office@abbotsgreenacademy.co.uk.
By Letter: Our postal address is Abbots Green Academy, Airfield Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7PJ.