The School Day
The school day commences at 9.00 a.m. and ends at 3.15 p.m. for all children. (31.25 hours per week)
In September 2024 these times will change to 8.50am to 3.20pm.
Play times and lunch times are staggered to provide more space for play and interaction.
At the start of the day:
With the exception of those attending Breakfast Club, children should not arrive on the school premises until just before 8.50am when the external gates are opened. At 8.50am, a bell will sound and three doors will be opened around the school and children will be able to enter the building and go straight to their classes. There, they will be able to quietly get on with set tasks.
- Years 3 and 4 will enter School through the Upper School cloakrooms, Years 1 and 2 will use the Lower School cloakrooms and Year R will enter their respective classrooms via the reception group room. Parents who have children in more than one part of the school can send their children through one door if they prefer. A member of staff will be on duty at each door from 8.50am until 9.00am.
- Another bell will sound at 9.00am and staff will be locking the doors promptly at this time as they will be needed in their respective classrooms. Please do not expect staff to wait for you if your child is not in school before the bell goes, even if you are making your way across the playground. If your child is not in school before 9.00am, they will have to be brought round to the main office entrance and signed in as late. Parents will be responsible for ensuring that they see their children enter the School through one of the external doors before 9.00am.
- In order to maintain good levels of communication between teachers and parents, all children are issued with a “Communication book.” If parents have written a message in the book, they need to place the book in a Class tray, which will be found next to their respective entrances. Otherwise, Communication books should remain in your child’s book bag.
- Any child arriving after the doors have been locked at 9.00am will have to enter school via the main front door next to the Secretary’s office. This way, we can be sure that all children are registered.
- Immediately after the bell has rung at 9.00am, the external gates to the School (the Parklands gate, the gate next to the turning circle and the wooden gate leading into Year R) will also be locked.
- At the beginning of the day, adults other than School Staff will only be able to enter the school, for specific and valid reasons, once they have been signed in by the school secretary, through the main reception area. On no account, should any adult enter the school unaccompanied.
Lunch-time
All children remain in school at lunchtime where supervision is provided. No pupil is allowed to leave the school premises unless this has been agreed by both the Head Teacher and the child’s parents.
Hot school Meals
Hot School Meals, including an alternative vegetarian option, are served in the school hall at lunchtimes. These are ordered in advance and are made from high quality, nutritious ingredients with a focus on fresh, local produce. Children are also encouraged to carry with them a water bottle, which they also drink from at lunchtimes. Otherwise, parents are asked to provide a drink and a healthy packed lunch in a lunch box. Children are not allowed to bring glass containers or fizzy drinks. Children are supervised during the whole lunch time by Children’s Lunchtime Superintendents.
Free School Meals
All chidren in Years R, 1 and 2 recieved free school meals. This is either a hot meal or a sandwich option, both of which are ordered through Class Catering.
The entitlement to free meals for children in Years 3 and 4 is determined by reference to a net income scale which operates nationally. An application form (SM12), obtainable from the School Office, must be completed by the parent and sent to the Education Office, Worcester (Full address is on the form). If you think your child is eligible for free meals, please collect a form from the school secretary.
School Milk
During morning break, milk is provided for those who request it. A charge of around 17p per day is made for milk although it is free for children under the age of 5. This is collected in advance. A letter will be sent out at the beginning of each term giving relevant details and the cost for that term. Parents may also send a piece of fruit or an alternative healthy snack to be eaten at morning break.
At the end of the day:
- Parents who arrive on the back playground should initially wait on the outskirts of the playground, near to the play equipment, so as not to distract the children in their classes.
- At 3.15pm, the classes will come out and the children will be sent over to their parents, once they have been spotted by the class teacher. We ask that parents collecting children from Year R position themselves as far away from the classes as possible so that the children can make their way to their parents more easily. Younger children can feel intimidated by crowds.
- Please could parents, who have to collect children from a Reception class and another class in the school, collect from the Reception class first.
- Once all the children have been handed over to their parents, class teachers will be available for parents to speak to (unless that teacher is running an after school club, in which case they will be able to make an appointment at a later time).
- On re-entering the school, the class teachers will again lock the doors to ensure the safety of those children who remain in school.
- Children who have not been collected by 3.25pm will be taken to the main reception area and parents will need to collect these children via the secretary’s office.
- Children who take part in after school clubs will be handed over to parents at 4.15pm at a specified area.
IF YOU ARE UNAVOIDABLY DELAYED AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY, PLEASE TELEPHONE THE SCHOOL.
When children are being collected from School, if it is not a child’s parent who is collecting, it is vitally important that your child’s class teacher is aware of who they will be handing your child over to. This is particularly important in the early days of a new year when staff have not become familiar with relatives, etc.
We also need to know if you would like us to hand your child over to Castle Kids or a child-minder.
We are aware that, in the large majority of cases, parents will have already informed class teachers of this information. However, if you have not already done so or if your circumstances change in the future, please use the reply slip in the link below to inform your child’s class teacher about regular arrangements.