Parent Handbook

School times: Henbury School starts at 8.20am and finishes at 2.40pm.

Special School Transport: DoT (Transport Department) provides transport to assist your child to travel to a regular home/respite base and school. If your child is travelling on the Buslink special school buses and you do not wish to have your child picked up on a morning due to illness or appointments please phone Buslink – 8944 2444 - and let them know. Then also phone the school and let us know. All other changes please advise the school and we will pass the requests on to Buslink.

Home/School Diaries:

Each student has a home communication book. These are to assist information flow between home and school on a daily basis. Parents/Carers need to check this book daily to see if there are any messages from school. Please acknowledge that you have read the message by a signature or tick. Teachers are always happy to receive news about what is happening at home in the diary – this assists good communication flow between teachers and parents and helps build a strong partnership between school and home.

Reporting to parents: An annual review is held for each student. You will receive a letter inviting you to attend a review meeting in Term 1 and Term 4 to discuss your child’s Education Adjustment Plan (EAP). The EAP meeting provides an opportunity for staff and families to meet and discuss aspirations for the student’s future. 

Portfolios are also sent home twice a year, at the end of each Semester.

Voluntary Student Contribution: Voluntary school contribution is $80.00 per year.

Student Nutrition/ recreation programs: The school offers a nutrition program which costs $36.00 per week. This covers all morning teas and lunches. If you choose, you can send in morning tea and lunch each day with your child. The school also offers a recreation program which costs $8.50 per week for programs such as swimming, bowling and community access.

School Uniform: This is compulsory for students. Henbury School polo shirts are available for purchase. Outreach students may wear the uniform of the host school. Contact the Front Office for details.

Medication: If your child is on regular medication to be taken in school hours – please see Front Office staff for the correct authority form to complete. A written authority must be given for short term – medication, eg antibiotics, to be administered by staff. Please write a note to the teacher in the communication book and the office will send home the required form.

Sick Students: No student should be sent to school if they are unwell, sneezing, running a temperature, suffering from diarrhoea, or recently had a laxative. If a student is   too ill to participate in school programs, the normal procedure is to administer paracetamol for pain or temperature with parent/caregiver permission; or the parent/caregiver will be rung and asked to pick up their son/daughter.

Open sores: Parents are requested to cover the open sores with the appropriate dressing.

Visitors to school: Henbury has a policy where parents/carers are encouraged to visit the school. If you wish to spend time in your child’s classroom, then please arrange a time with the teacher via the home/school communication book or ring the Front Office. Whenever you visit the school please sign in at the Front Office first so we are aware who is in the school grounds at all times.

Programs: In the Middle Years of school students at both Outreach classrooms and at Henbury campus are taught to develop as much independence as possible. We offer in-school work training such as office skills, food preparation, gardening and retail work as well as daily living skills

Behaviour Management: At Henbury School we believe that students have the right to learn and teachers have the right to teach in an environment that is safe, caring and supportive. Our behaviour management policy is based on a non- aversive philosophy and using pro-active (preventative) rather than reactive (responsive) approaches. We aim to change unacceptable behaviour, wherever possible using strategies that are meaningful and rewarding.

A full copy of our behaviour management policy is available upon request from the school.

Parents are encouraged to ring the school and arrange a meeting with the Principal and/or teacher if you have any concerns regarding your child’s education at Henbury School. We aim to provide a quality learning environment and positive educational outcomes for your child with school and home working closely together.