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What do children wear to school?

There is no school uniform. Guidance on what children should wear is given in our School Dress and Personal Property Code. We ask that children are clean and appropriately dressed for all school activities. The headteacher has the final decision in taking action against children who have clothing or hairstyles which are inappropriate, provocative, offensive or dangerous. Please ensure all clothes are clearly labelled with your child’s name.  

What do children wear for physical education and sport?

Children should have a full indoor PE kit in school, in a PE Bag, everyday.
This should contain white T-shirt, black or blue shorts and some indoor PE shoes.
This kit should stay in school for the whole half term.

Children should wear active clothes on their outdoor PE day.
Apple, Pear and Cherry Class – Outdoor PE on Tuesday
Pine, Maple and Elm Class – Outdoor PE on a Wednesday
One class will go on a Friday - this will be communicated at the start of each term
Ash, Oak and Chestnut – Outdoor PE on a Thursday
One class will go on a Friday - this will be communicated at the start of each term
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Children should wear outdoor trainers on this day, they cannot wear their indoor PE shoes outside – we keep clean shoes on for indoor PE.

​PE  is a compulsory subject in the National Curriculum.

Do the children have homework?
Home learning is sent out in termly booklets - we believe the focus should be on children reading every day for pleasure, practising spellings and practising key maths facts. There are pages for each of these elements in the booklets, as well as some additional optional homework activities linked to the children's topics.
The booklets should be brought in each week (on the day indicated on the front cover), so the children can complete their spelling test and to allow the teachers the check them.
Each week we have a competition to see which class reads the most minutes at home and a trophy is awarded during celebration assembly. Please can you make sure you sign your children’s reading minutes, so they are counted. Evidence would suggest the best indicator of success in school is reading every day for enjoyment – we appreciate your (continued) support with this.
We also use an online mathematics system called Mathletics, which has lots of games and activities that link to the topic the children are covering that week and additional practice games that enable children to collect points and build a character over time. Children should log in once a week to complete activities and games set - then, if they choose to, they can move onto the point building practice games.

​What do children do for lunch?

All children have lunch between 12 noon and 1.15pm which is eaten in the Dining Hall. Children either have a hot dinner prepared by County Caterers on the school site or bring a packed lunch to school. Children vary what they have through the week, but we ask that they follow a set pattern each week. Dinner money should be paid using ParentPay.
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School Dinners
Children are given a choice of 4 meals per day, which they select from during the morning register. There are four colours Red (mostly meat options), Green (mostly veggie options), Yellow (baked potato) and Blue (a cold sandwich option). Reviewing the menus and having a discussion with your child about which choice they make is advised. Meals cost £2.30 and are paid for on your ParentPay account - if you are having difficulty setting up an account, please contact the office on [email protected]


What should I do if my child is absent from school?

If your child is absent from school for any reason please phone the school before 9am to let us know – messages can be left on the answer phone before 8.30am.

How do I contact my child’s teacher?

In the morning, for quick messages to be passed on, there is always a member of staff available on the door as we welcome children into school. We then ask for parents to email the school office to set up a meeting or a phone call with a teacher. Email on [email protected].

Are the children tested?

Children undertake statutory assessments at the end of Year 2 and 6. Other assessments are ongoing throughout the year and continuously inform teachers’ future planning.

Does the school have out of school childcare?

From September 2018 the school is running its own before and after school care provision. Explanation of this provision can be found by clicking here.

Are dogs allowed on the school site?

Yes, but in a restricted area. Parents bringing dogs onto the site must ensure that they are kept on a lead. When bringing dogs onto the school site access must be by the gate entrance off Greatheed Road along the side of the main hall. Dogs are only allowed up to the blue line marked across the lane. Dogs should not be tied up and left by their owners.

Are children allowed to bring snacks into school?

Children in the infant classes are given a fruit snack daily as part of the government fruit scheme. Junior children can bring a healthy snack into school to eat during playtime or are able to purchase a snack from the school snack bar open during morning break time.

Are children allowed to bring toys into school?

Children are allowed to bring a favourite toy into school to play with at break times, providing it is not valuable and is appropriate for use on the playground. Electronic games and devices are not allowed. The school cannot accept any responsibility for damage that might be caused. Toys must be stored in bags/lockers/trays during lesson times.

What do I do if my child needs to take medication?

The school has agreed guidelines on administering medication. Only prescribed medication will be administered by school staff once a ‘medication in school’ form has been completed.

Phones in School
We strongly suggest that children do not own a personal phone at primary age - for many, many reasons. However, we also understand that when children are a little older, having available and immediate communication to their parents is essential, particularly if they walk home alone. If children need to bring a phone into school, we ask that it is switched off during the day and handed into the school office. Phones can then be collected at the end of the school day or when the children have finished their WAM club.
If your child needs to bring a phone to school, please complete a phone consent form (found on the APP in the forms section). We will also be sending this out to all parents in Year 5 and 6 to complete.
We also ask that children do not wear smart watches that are able to take pictures, make phone calls or connect to the internet.

Communication
We are looking at our communication structure this year and will be seeking parental opinion on certain aspects of this.

1. Dates are sent out weekly in the headlines and will appear on the app calendar.
2. Currently, you receive messages via the app - these are always sent as an email as well and are used to share targeted information for specific year groups or classes, including letters and information messages.
3. Friday News Headlines will be sent out as a message and an email on a Friday and will include news items, important information and reminders. We try to use this as a ‘catch all’ to try to reduce the number of single information messages you receive.
4. Good news is updated by staff daily on the newsfeed section of the app. You may want to get into the habit of having a look through once or twice a week, to celebrate things going on in our school community.
5. Staff are on the door in the mornings and at the end of the day should you wish to convey a face-to-face message - obviously it is very difficult to hold a full conversation at this time, as the teachers start to teach the children as soon as they enter. A better way to communicate is to hand over a written note, set up an appointment for a phone call or meeting or send an email to the school office.
6. You can phone the school office to leave messages for staff or ask questions; Debbie Hone is our lovely receptionist and is very helpful.
7. All Email communication should be sent through to the office email and will then be passed to teachers. Teachers will often respond with a phone call rather than an email, to avoid messages being misunderstood or misinterpreted. This will not be an immediate response and will probably be within a few days via a phone call at a lunchtime or afterschool. 
8. I try to be out on the playground in the mornings to answer questions and help as best I can, but for a longer discussion I would suggest setting up a meeting time. I will, in most cases, suggest a conversation with the class teacher as a first port of call, as they are often better placed to deal with most situations.   

 
Celebration Assemblies
Often children like to bring in special achievements completed outside of school. On Fridays, we celebrate these trophies, medals, and certificates in our whole school assembly. Please try to bring these in on a Thursday, otherwise they sit in my office for the entire week!