Home-School Partnership

The home-school partnership is vital and valued greatly here at Bluecoat. A significant part of this partnership is communication and we endeavour to keep parents and carers fully informed throughout their child's journey with us, but also to engage and consult with them to gather valuable information to inform and develop our practice. 

Our methods of communication are outline below, and above there are a number of links to pages containing lots of useful information. Please let us know if there is other information that you would like to see.

Face to Face

Most often, the best  method of communication is face to face. We have an open door policy and class teachers are generally available at end of the school day to discuss any concern or answer any questions. We politely remind parents and carers to be mindful that teachers often have meetings after school so unless it is urgent, it may be more appropriate to make an arrangement beforehand if possible. Formal parent consultations to discuss and review progress are held twice a year but we are always happy to arrange additional progress meetings with parents should the need arise.

Class Dojo

ClassDojo is our school’s primary communication platform that connects teachers, parents and students. It allows us to share classroom updates, celebrate student achievements and school-wide announcements in real time. We currently do not use it to send direct messages between staff and parents. If you wish to contact your teacher, please communicate face-to-face or through the admin team.

To get started as a new family, you will first need to ask your child’s class teacher for your unique parent login information. Once you have your login details, simply download the free ClassDojo app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store—or access it online at classdojo.com—and sign in to link your account to your child's profile.

If you already signed up last year, you do not need to create a new account or request a new code, as your profile will automatically follow your child into their new class. Should you have any trouble logging in, downloading the app, or navigating the platform, please reach out to us; our school staff are always happy to support you with getting connected.

My Child at School (MCAS)

At Bluecoat Primary school we use MCAS as our formal method of communication to parents and carers. It is used to send out the majority of letters and is also used to order school meals, make payments and complete forms, such as consent forms or parent and carer questionnaires.  

New parents and carers are automatically signed up to MCAS using the email address provided on the S11/2 admission form. When an account is created, the user will receive an email in order to verify the account and create a password. These verification emails often divert to the spam or junk folder so it important to check. After the account has been set up, users can download the app on a smartphone or tablet should they wish to.

If you have queries regarding the MCAS system, please speak to a member of the office team who will be happy to assist you. 

News

We like to share news stories about the experiences that our pupils have had both in school and on educational visits. News will be shared on our website and also on our school Facebook accounts, subject to parental permissions. Where appropriate, we like to celebrate good news stories in the local press and Torrington Crier magazine.  We also like to celebrate good news stories from home so if a child has achieved something wonderful or enjoyed a special experience, please share the news with us.

Going Home Book

Each class up to Year 2 have a going home book. This is where any changes to the usual collection routine must be noted to ensure that the member of staff dismissing the class is aware of who is collecting each child. We ask that parents and carers make a note in the book but if the change is short notice, please phone the office and a member of the admin team will update the book.