What is a full primary school ?

A full primary school has students from Year 1 to Year 8. Children can stay at our school until they are ready to go to High School. The Y7/8 children have technology provided for them at a nearby technology centre.

History of Bell Block School.

Do the children wear a uniform ?

Children are not required to wear a uniform. A suitable hat is required in summer months to be worn to protect faces/necks from the sun. Children who do not have a hat to wear are directed to a shady area to play during intervals.

The Parent Teacher Association - P.T.A - raise money for sports uniforms. These are provided by the school.

Is assistance provided for those children who need it ?

A special needs record is kept and teacher aides are employed to assist those children who have identified needs.

Reading Recovery is available to children in the junior area of the school who are having difficulty getting started with reading.

A Talented Opportunity Programme - T.O.P's - is run to give identified children the opportunity to develop their talents.

Do you have computers ?

Each classroom has an Apple eMac or iMac desk top computer which is used for accessing the internet, library catalogue, word processing or educational CD's.

In addition 3 COWs - computers on wheels - of laptops (17) for using in classrooms for specialist ICT activities. The school has a LAN - local area network - as well as airports to connect to a central server.

An ICT specialist is employed to assist children develop their ICT skills.

Can lunches be bought at school ?

There is a tuck shop on site where children can buy snacks at morning interval and their lunch at lunch time. Children are discouraged from going to the nearby shops to buy their lunch. Parents are required to deliver any food bought from shops other than the school tuck shop to their children. At morning interval and lunch time the children eat their food in their classrooms supervised by their teachers in an attempt to save litter around the school. Children are allowed to leave their classroom after they have finished eating. In the summer term children eat their lunches outside.

Do the children have homework ?

Children are encouraged to read at home and to learn their spelling and tables. Older children are encouraged to take unfinished work home to do and from time to time may be expected to complete a research activity.

Any homework that is completed should be for a short period of time only as children need to have time to do those other things that are important - be in a sports team, dancing, cubs, brownies, scouts, guides etc.

Visit our HOMELINK page for further information.

Are the children allowed to ride their bikes to school ?

Children can ride their bike to school providing they know the road rules and obey them. Children are required to wear helmets. Bikes are to be in a safe condition. They are not to ride their bikes in the school grounds between 8:30 am and 3:15 pm. Bikes are locked in the bike shed compound at 9:00 am. The compound is unlocked at 3:00 pm.

Are there sports teams for children to play in ?

A variety of sports are encouraged and children play in a number of after school and Saturday competitions

• swimming
• tryathlon - children are encouraged to "try" - swim, cycle, run.
• cricket
• miniball
• rugby
• basketball
• soccer
• touch
• netball

There are interschool sports competitions organised in Term 2 for the Y5/6 children and in Term 3 for the Y7/8 children.

During the lunch interval children are encouraged to participate in organised games.

The school has appointed a Sports Co- ordinator to organise the school sports teams and coaches and to ensure they enter the competitions they are eligible for.

To contact the sports co-ordinator EMAIL

 

Is there a discipline programme that everyone follows ?

Bell Block School has a discipline programme that celebrates positive behaviour in both the classroom and the playground. Behaviour that is inappropriate in situations that stop others from learning or is a danger to others is dealt with following a set series of steps.

Download the following pdf files that outline and explain how discipline problems are dealt with at the school.

Consistency Messages

Rewarding appropriate behaviour -

Dealing with inappropriate behaviour in the classroom and the playground.