FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the latest developments with the permanent accommodation in the Old Bellenden building?
Our Year 2 and Year 3 children are now happily settled in the new building and enjoying being its first occupants in the brand new classrooms. Meanwhile the rest of the work is being completed in time for the rest of the school to join them in January 2018.
For the latest news on building work, please see our building blog.
Where will the September 2017 intake of pupils be schooled?
Reception pupils joining us in September 2017 will be based in Faith Chapel Halls, opposite the permanent school building on Bellenden Road. This is for 1 term only.
Where will the children play whilst building works are completed?
Children based in the permanent site will have use of an outdoor play area to the Maxted Road side of the building.
All children are taken regularly to Warwick Gardens and we have exclusive use of the church gardens on Copleston Road, which have been redesigned as an outdoor learning and play area.
What curriculum do you follow?
The curriculum at the Belham incorporates creativity, outdoor learning and the highest quality Literacy and Numeracy teaching. Topics centre around the local area as well as London as a whole.
Through whole class teaching and child-initiated learning, children in our two Reception classes are encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills in seven key areas. These include: Communication and Language, Personal Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Self-Care, Literacy, Numeracy, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.
From the Autumn Term onwards, children in Key Stage 1 cover a broad and enriched range of National Curriculum subjects through the context of themselves, the area they live in and London. Our curriculum is supplemented by highly experienced specialist staff as well as regular visits from experts in our topic areas. Each term parents are provided with an overview of the areas of learning to be covered.
Learning outside the classroom is an integral part of our ethos and as a result the children participate in regular trips. These include local visits as well as trips further afield.
What does your timetable look like?
The school day starts at 8.45am with staff available to accept your child into the classroom. This pre-registration period is used as a 'creative reflection' time where all the children are able to explore and appreciate high quality artwork, music, literature or artefacts. At 8.55am a register is taken.
Each morning the children engage in a variety of lessons including Literacy and Maths in addition to a dedicated phonics session. Year 1 also complete topic lessons such as computing and PSHCE.
Our youngest children are given the opportunity to access different areas of learning with their peers. Our timetable allows for sufficient coverage of all the key areas associated with best practice in the Foundation Stage. The Reception classroom in Faith Chapel is zoned into different learning areas, with each child scheduled to access these areas in the morning. In the afternoons we engage in a child-initiated approach, allowing Reception children greater opportunity to explore their interests. Afternoon sessions for Year 1 focus on topic areas through cross-curricular teaching and learning.
All children receive specialist teaching. Each week they benefit from:
-Two PE sessions - one indoor and one outdoor (weather permitting)
-A dance lesson
-At least one music/singing lesson
At the end of the day children are provided with fruit, a story and time to reflect on their day. Children are to be collected promptly at 3.15pm.
What happens at lunchtime?
Lunchtime takes place from 12pm-1pm each day. The children are provided with a free and nutritious meal cooked by our catering team at Dulwich Hamlet Junior School. The menus are changed regularly and made available to parents and carers.
During our residency of Faith Chapel, the children eat in the classrooms under the supervision of our staff. Pupils also spend part of their lunchtime in the outdoor area.
Do you provide Breakfast and After School Care?
We know that many parents would like wrap-around care for their children, and we therefore provide 32 Belham 'Earlybird' Breakfast places and up to 40 'Afternoon Owls' After School places each day. Earlybirds runs from 7.45am to 8.45am. Afternoon Owls runs from 3.15 to 5.55pm. Morning sessions include a choice of healthy breakfast foods such as porridge, fresh fruit, cereals and toast and toppings. For the afternoon session we provide a light tea.
In the afternoon we provide a full range of activities, including taking the children to the park. There will be a staff to pupil ratio of 1 to 8 if we are full - i.e. there will be four staff employed both before and after school. As we employ our own staff rather than using an outside contractor, staff will know your children, having worked with them during the core day.
Parents are able to book regular slots for a whole term by paying in advance by ParentPay. Slots may also be booked on an ad hoc basis, although once again payment needs to be made in advance and their availability cannot be guaranteed - once each session is at full capacity then no further slots can be offered.
Belham Early Birds costs £4 and Afternoon Owls £10.
Following completion of the building works at the permanent site, we will also offer a wide range of age-appropriate clubs before and after school, from sport to cookery to architecture.
How does the transition into school work?
We invite all new children and parents to a 'Stay and Play' session in the summer term before they join us. This gives parents and children an opportunity to see and familiarise themselves with their classrooms and playground, and to meet members of staff. Sessions are staggered, with approximately 15 children attending each session.
In September there will be a staggered start to the term for Reception pupils. Each child will have a personalised transition timetable.
How is the catchment area calculated?
Children will be admitted to the school on the basis of straight line measurement ('as the crow flies') from the main entrance of the permanent school building on Maxted Road to the main entrance of their home. For 2016 entry the furthest distance we offered to was 510 metres.
Where will the children play in the new building?
As with many inner London school sites, outdoor space is restricted. Our architects have worked hard to maximise the space available for children to play. The current car park will be converted to a play area and there will be a roof garden and dedicated play space for Reception children. We will be making good use of local parks, sports grounds and wildlife areas for outdoor activities.
Please contact us with any other questions you may have.
Our Year 2 and Year 3 children are now happily settled in the new building and enjoying being its first occupants in the brand new classrooms. Meanwhile the rest of the work is being completed in time for the rest of the school to join them in January 2018.
For the latest news on building work, please see our building blog.
Where will the September 2017 intake of pupils be schooled?
Reception pupils joining us in September 2017 will be based in Faith Chapel Halls, opposite the permanent school building on Bellenden Road. This is for 1 term only.
Where will the children play whilst building works are completed?
Children based in the permanent site will have use of an outdoor play area to the Maxted Road side of the building.
All children are taken regularly to Warwick Gardens and we have exclusive use of the church gardens on Copleston Road, which have been redesigned as an outdoor learning and play area.
What curriculum do you follow?
The curriculum at the Belham incorporates creativity, outdoor learning and the highest quality Literacy and Numeracy teaching. Topics centre around the local area as well as London as a whole.
Through whole class teaching and child-initiated learning, children in our two Reception classes are encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills in seven key areas. These include: Communication and Language, Personal Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Self-Care, Literacy, Numeracy, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.
From the Autumn Term onwards, children in Key Stage 1 cover a broad and enriched range of National Curriculum subjects through the context of themselves, the area they live in and London. Our curriculum is supplemented by highly experienced specialist staff as well as regular visits from experts in our topic areas. Each term parents are provided with an overview of the areas of learning to be covered.
Learning outside the classroom is an integral part of our ethos and as a result the children participate in regular trips. These include local visits as well as trips further afield.
What does your timetable look like?
The school day starts at 8.45am with staff available to accept your child into the classroom. This pre-registration period is used as a 'creative reflection' time where all the children are able to explore and appreciate high quality artwork, music, literature or artefacts. At 8.55am a register is taken.
Each morning the children engage in a variety of lessons including Literacy and Maths in addition to a dedicated phonics session. Year 1 also complete topic lessons such as computing and PSHCE.
Our youngest children are given the opportunity to access different areas of learning with their peers. Our timetable allows for sufficient coverage of all the key areas associated with best practice in the Foundation Stage. The Reception classroom in Faith Chapel is zoned into different learning areas, with each child scheduled to access these areas in the morning. In the afternoons we engage in a child-initiated approach, allowing Reception children greater opportunity to explore their interests. Afternoon sessions for Year 1 focus on topic areas through cross-curricular teaching and learning.
All children receive specialist teaching. Each week they benefit from:
-Two PE sessions - one indoor and one outdoor (weather permitting)
-A dance lesson
-At least one music/singing lesson
At the end of the day children are provided with fruit, a story and time to reflect on their day. Children are to be collected promptly at 3.15pm.
What happens at lunchtime?
Lunchtime takes place from 12pm-1pm each day. The children are provided with a free and nutritious meal cooked by our catering team at Dulwich Hamlet Junior School. The menus are changed regularly and made available to parents and carers.
During our residency of Faith Chapel, the children eat in the classrooms under the supervision of our staff. Pupils also spend part of their lunchtime in the outdoor area.
Do you provide Breakfast and After School Care?
We know that many parents would like wrap-around care for their children, and we therefore provide 32 Belham 'Earlybird' Breakfast places and up to 40 'Afternoon Owls' After School places each day. Earlybirds runs from 7.45am to 8.45am. Afternoon Owls runs from 3.15 to 5.55pm. Morning sessions include a choice of healthy breakfast foods such as porridge, fresh fruit, cereals and toast and toppings. For the afternoon session we provide a light tea.
In the afternoon we provide a full range of activities, including taking the children to the park. There will be a staff to pupil ratio of 1 to 8 if we are full - i.e. there will be four staff employed both before and after school. As we employ our own staff rather than using an outside contractor, staff will know your children, having worked with them during the core day.
Parents are able to book regular slots for a whole term by paying in advance by ParentPay. Slots may also be booked on an ad hoc basis, although once again payment needs to be made in advance and their availability cannot be guaranteed - once each session is at full capacity then no further slots can be offered.
Belham Early Birds costs £4 and Afternoon Owls £10.
Following completion of the building works at the permanent site, we will also offer a wide range of age-appropriate clubs before and after school, from sport to cookery to architecture.
How does the transition into school work?
We invite all new children and parents to a 'Stay and Play' session in the summer term before they join us. This gives parents and children an opportunity to see and familiarise themselves with their classrooms and playground, and to meet members of staff. Sessions are staggered, with approximately 15 children attending each session.
In September there will be a staggered start to the term for Reception pupils. Each child will have a personalised transition timetable.
How is the catchment area calculated?
Children will be admitted to the school on the basis of straight line measurement ('as the crow flies') from the main entrance of the permanent school building on Maxted Road to the main entrance of their home. For 2016 entry the furthest distance we offered to was 510 metres.
Where will the children play in the new building?
As with many inner London school sites, outdoor space is restricted. Our architects have worked hard to maximise the space available for children to play. The current car park will be converted to a play area and there will be a roof garden and dedicated play space for Reception children. We will be making good use of local parks, sports grounds and wildlife areas for outdoor activities.
Please contact us with any other questions you may have.
