All state-funded, mainstream schools are expected to provide a compulsory school week of at least 32.5 hours.  The 32.5 hours includes breaks and lunch times as well as teaching time and any extra-curricular activities that all pupils are expected to attend. It does not include optional before or after school provision (i.e. Playfit).

With this in mind, our school day is as follows:

Our school day starts for pupils at 8.45am – this means that following registration, the teaching day starts at 8.50am and all pupils are expected to be in class and ready for lessons to begin. 

To enable pupils to be in class for 8.45am, the school gates will open at 8.40am. This is the same for all pupils from EYFS to Year 6.

At the end of the school day ALL Year Groups (EYFS-Y6) finish at 3.15pm with gates opening for parents/carers at 3.10pm

8.45am – 3.15pm means 6.5 hours per day in school

 Travelling to School

The school car park is for use of staff only.

There is some very limited on-road parking on the roads surrounding the school and we always ask our parents to be courteous to our school neighbours. The best way to arrive safely, and promptly, at school is to set off from home in good time.

Entry is via either the gate on Maxwell Drive for EYFS and Years 3 to 6 and the Stonebow Close Pedestrian Gate for Years 1 & 2.

Most children live close enough to walk or cycle to school. Please consider this option. It's often faster than driving in the rush-hour and looking for a safe and legal place to park. Walking is good exercise for children... and for you! Additional benefits include significantly better air quality outside cars (especially if you use Blackbrook Way) and children arrive better prepared to settle in class and learn after an active, stimulating and energetic journey to school.

If you really must drive, allow time to park safely and considerately, and do not block entrances, driveways, or junctions - you may have to park some distance away from the school and walk the rest. Morning arrival and afternoon departure of pupils inevitably results in traffic jams near school so allow plenty of time for your journey. Try walking, cycling or scootering in one day, it may be faster!  There is a shelter for bicycles and scooters.

If you can walk, use this as an opportunity to teach your child the correct road safety skills for life. You can play your part in reinforcing the road safety education which your child receives at school.

 Arriving at School

The School Gates open at 8.40am. 

The Key Stage 2, Key Stage 1 and EYFS doors will be open, to enable the children to enter school.  Staff will be on duty at this time, to 'meet and greet'. It is the responsibility of parents to supervise their children before 8.45am.

We encourage parents/carers, from Year 2 onwards, to allow their child/ren to enter through the school gates by themselves (some Year 1 children are happy to do so too), carrying their own bookbag, water bottle etc; this encourages independence.

We ask parents/carers to avoid having conversations with staff before the start of the day, unless sharing essential information regarding their child's welfare or safety, so that the teaching day can start promptly and directly.

If it is necessary to speak to the teacher about your child's learning and classroom experience, please email, or phone, in to the school office and the identified staff member will contact you as soon as they are able to do so.

The school gates will be locked from 8.55am, any child arriving after this time should enter school through the Main Reception and sign in at the School Office.

 Please note that during the school day, access to school is limited to the main pedestrian entrance (on Stonebow Close) ONLY, please follow the signage provided.

School Attendance

Our Attendance Policy explains the attendance expectations we have of all pupils. Click here to see policy.

Our school attendance target is for every pupil to have an attendance figure of 96% and above. With this in mind we monitor attendance carefully and offer a range of support when required.

All absences must be reported to the school office on each day of your child’s absence. This can be done by phoning the school office on 01509 646 217 or messaging via the Weduc App. We ask that absences are reported by 9am whenever possible.

Term-time absences, other than those for illness, are not authorised by school and of the procedures to be followed to request Leave of Absence. It is only the Headteacher who can authorise such absences. Request forms are available from the school office or via the Weduc App.

Will I be contacted if my child is absent?

The school operates a first day response to absences and will message or phone you if we have not heard from you; this is because we believe it is our responsibility to ensure your child's safety as well as to encourage their regular school attendance. It is parental responsibility to contact school on each day of absence to provide a specific reason for a child’s absence.

How to help your child arrive at school on time.

Establish a good morning routine.
Go to bed at a reasonable time.
Organise dental and medical appointments out of school time.
Always inform school if your child is absent.
Take family holidays outside of term time.
Talk to your child about their school day

Lunches

All pupils in Foundation Stage (EYFS) and KS1 are provided with a hot school meal on a daily basis, paid for by the government. Meals for pupils in KS2 cost £2.45. Meals are freshly cooked on the premises by our Catering Team, and provide excellent value.  Our only method of payment is through Weduc.

You may also send your child with a packed lunch.

We actively encourage “healthy eating”. For this reason we ask that snacks and packed lunches are as healthy as possible and contain nut free products (we have a number of pupils with nut allergies).

Children are encouraged to bring a bottle of water into school each day (in a named bottle please). This can be kept in the class so that children have access to water throughout the day. 

Leaving School at the End of Each Day

At the end of the day children collect their belongings from the cloakrooms and meet their carers at an outside area close to the classroom. Foundation Stage and KS1 pupils are only allowed to leave their classrooms if their parent/carer is present; they are personally ‘handed over’ to them. If staff do not know the adult collecting the pupil they will not hand them over.

Please tell us if there are any changes as to who will meet your child.

In KS2, pupils are led onto the main playground by their teacher, where they will be ‘handed over’ to a carer.  To prepare children for secondary school, with written parental consent, pupils in upper KS2 may walk home independently.

Any pupils who have not been collected will be taken to the school office and the parents/carers contacted.

Bad Weather

Very occasionally, if we have a period of very severe weather and feel that it would be unsafe for the children to be in school, we will close the school. Notice of closure will be sent to all parents via Weduc. A 'tickertape' message will also be uploaded on to the Home Page of the School Website.

The most frequent cause of closure is heavy snowfall, and this may happen overnight; this sometimes leaves a very short period of notice of closure for parents for which we apologise in advance.