Parent Information
Local Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Information
At Queen Berengaria School, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that celebrates the unique abilities of every child who joins us.
Our belief is in quality first teaching, ensuring that our staff are equipped with the skills and strategies to meet diverse learners’ needs. We endeavour to create a supportive atmosphere where each pupil can flourish, drawing upon a range of inclusive practices tailored to individual requirements, recognising that some children will require additional or adapted provision to minimise barriers to learning and maximise progress.
Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), Miss Lisa Milner, guides teachers and families through a graduated approach that identifies, evaluates, and addresses each learner’s needs effectively. She can be contact through the school office.
By working collaboratively with parents, staff, and external agencies, we aim to remove barriers to learning and promote success for all students, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential within our school community.
Further information can be found in our SEND policy and our local SEND Information Report.
For more detailed information regarding SEND within Defence Children Services, please visit the SEND page.
How will we communicate with you?
At our school, we believe that effective communication with parents and carers is essential to foster a supportive learning environment for our children. The majority of our communication is facilitated through the MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) App, a user-friendly platform designed to keep you informed and engaged. Through MCAS, we can send messages, publish important documents, announce school events, gain parental consents, set homework, and share our weekly newsletters.
Parents and carers can also use the MCAS app to contact the school office and class teachers directly. Should urgent communication be necessary, please reach out using the telephone as class teachers may be unable to access your message during the school day.
Our weekly newsletter is a delightful way to celebrate our students’ learning and achievements and to also inform families about upcoming diary dates and special events, ensuring everyone is well-informed about school life.
In the Foundation Stage 1 (FS1), we utilise the Famly App, where children’s observations are uploaded, providing parents and carers with valuable insights into their child’s progress.
Additionally, we invite parents and carers to Parent Teacher Consultation meetings in the Autumn and Spring terms, allowing for meaningful discussions regarding their child’s development. An annual report will be shared in the Summer term, with an option for follow-up meetings if desired.
We also have termly ‘Celebrate and Evaluate’ sessions, where parents and carers are warmly invited into their child(ren)’s classrooms. These sessions provide an opportunity to see what students have been learning and to engage with them in their current educational activities, fostering a sense of community and involvement in the learning process.
We encourage an open-door policy, welcoming parents and carers to connect with class teachers or members of the Senior Leadership Team. A member of our leadership team is also available at the school gate during drop-off and pick-up, reinforcing our commitment to fostering strong relationships within our school community.
School uniform
Wearing a uniform increases a sense of belonging and pride.
Expectations
Every pupil from FS2 to Year 6 is expected to wear the appropriate uniform. It is so important that all pupils look smart and wear the correct uniform.
Colour: Purple
Jumpers and cardigans must be the correct colour and hoodies should not be worn. We ask that all parents support us in ensuring pupils wear the correct school attire.
Logos
We understand that uniform can be expensive so the uniform items with our logo are optional.
Available to buy at Queen Berengaria School:
Embroidered Jumpers cardigans, and polo tops (white and purple).
We recommend that when you arrive on island you come into school and you try on for size.
- PE tops are purple and have the logo embroidered
- PE Shorts
- Book bags, P. E bags and school bags are available to purchase from the school – but equally you can purchase your own
- School baseball cap
Not available to buy at Queen Berengaria School
- Grey shorts/skirts/ school trousers are difficult to source in Cyprus – we do not sell them at the school and we would recommend purchasing in the UK
- Purple Gingham summer dresses/ playsuits can be difficult to source in Cyprus – we do not sell them at the school and we would recommend purchasing in the UK. These are much cooler in summer months
- In winter (January and February), black leggings or black joggers are recommended for PE. We do not sell these at school but are available to purchase with ease in Cyprus
School shoes are hard to buy in Cyprus but plain black trainers are acceptable. They are available in most sports shops. We recommend Velcro trainers for children in Early Years
Hats
A ‘no hat, no play’ policy is applied during the hotter periods of the year. Children without a hat will be asked to remain in the shaded areas. We also recommend that parents apply sun cream before school to protect their child’s skin – especially if their child has outdoor PE or swimming that day.