Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Please click on the question below to find the answer!
What time is school open from?
How am I kept informed about what is happening in the school?
How often are parent consultation evenings held?
What do I do if my child is late?
What if I am late picking my child up?
Who is able to pick my child up?
What do I do if my child is ill?
How long does my child need to be off school if they have had a sickness bug?
What do I do if my child has a medical appointment?
What do I do if I want to take my child out of school for a holiday?
Are the children allowed sweets in school on any occasion?
Can younger siblings come to assemblies?
Can I help in my child's class?
Can my pre-school child have a go on the climbing apparatus while I wait for my child?
Are there any after school clubs available for my child?
What can my child have in their lunchbox?
Are children allowed to bring in snacks for playtime?
What do I fo if my child loses any item of clothing?
Is my child allowed to wear jewellery?
What time is school open from?
Our Premises Manager and teachers start arriving from 7.15am. The school office is open from 8am. Telephone calls made to the school before 8am will go to the school answerphone. Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am.
How am I kept informed about what is happening in the school?
We strive to keep you informed about what is happening at school. A Topic Web information letter is sent home every half term. This provides you with all the curriculum coverage in each subject, as well as ideas for supporting your child with their learning. We produce fortnightly newsletters informing you about dates and events, as well as updates within the school. As part of our Eco pledge, we email these to you however you can request a paper copy instead which is sent home in the book bags. They are also published on the website. We also use text message alerts and emails to communicate with you and to remind you what events are coming up in the school. Please make sure the school has your correct contact numbers and email address. All information can also be found on the website.
Every term we have a parents evening where you meet with the teacher or nursery staff. We also have open afternoons from 3.00pm to 4.30pm where you can look at your child’s work and have a look around the classroom and school.
Each class has 2 parent representatives. Meetings are held once every half term between the Headteacher and the parent representatives. Any concerns, issues or ideas can be given to parent representatives to be discussed at the meeting. Parent representatives can then feedback to the rest of the parents.
We have a variety of curriculum meetings and workshops throughout the year. You will be informed if they are relevant to your child. If you have any worries, questions or concerns then you should contact the school office who will be happy to help.
How often are parent consultation evenings held?
We have 2 parent consultation evenings a year. The first one is generally mid October/early November and the second is late February/early March. We send out an end of year report towards the end of the Summer term. You can make an appointment with the class teacher or nursery staff to discuss the reports if necessary.
We also offer a Wednesday surgery each week between 3pm and 3.30pm. If you wish to speak to your child's class teacher or nursery staff then please make an appointment directly, telling them what it is about.
School officially starts at 8.40am. The school doors open at 8.30am and remain open until 8.40am. Children are welcome to arrive anytime between these two times.
What do I do if my child is late?
If you think you are going to be late, please try and phone us to let us know. If you arrive at school after 8.40am, please go the school office where there is a late book which you must sign. Your child will be marked late in the register.
What if I am late picking my child up?
If you are going to be late picking up your child, please ring the school to let them know as soon as possible. We can then tell your child to make sure they are not worried and make sure they have something to do whilst waiting. Please make sure you pick your child up from the office.
Who is able to pick my child up?
You inform us of who is picking your child up on a regular basis. You will need to let us know if somebody different is picking your child up. Every class has a parent message book near their door which you can write in to let the teacher know. If we have not had a message from you directly, then we will phone you to ensure that the person is allowed to take them and hold onto your child until this is confirmed.
What do I do if my child is ill?
If your child is too ill to attend school then please ring the school office as soon as possible to let us know. You can inform the office by:
- telephoning the School Office (01293 886521) and leaving a message on the school answerphone - select option 1 to report your child's absence or;
- telephoning the School Office (01293 886521) and choosing option 3 to speak to a member of staff from 8am or;
If we haven't heard from you by 9am we will contact you to find out why your child is absent.
How long does my child need to be off school if they have had a sickness bug?
If your child has a sickness bug it is West Sussex County policy that your child does not return to school until 48 hours after their last bout of vomiting or diarrhoea. Your child will be sent home if they come into school before the 48 hours has past.
What do I do if my child has a medical appointment?
Please inform the school in writing at least one day before the appointment. This will be marked as an authorised absence in the register.
What do I do if I want to take my child out of school for a holiday?
There are Absence from Learning forms in the entrance foyer and electronic copies in the Main Office tab on the school website. These need to be filled in and returned to the office. You may request up to 10 days holiday per year. We will only authorise one holiday per year irrespective of how many days. We will not be authorising any holiday requests in the first 2 weeks of school in September and from Spring term 2 (second half term ) till the end of summer term 1 (up to half term). If you do decide to take you a holiday during this time, it will be marked as unauthorised.
Are the children allowed sweets in school on any occasion?
No. We want to promote our school as a healthy school and discourage sweets of any form in lunch boxes or other occasions.
Can younger siblings come to assemblies?
Younger siblings are welcome to attend the Friday Celebration Assembly. We do ask you to ensure they are well behaved and as quiet as possible. If they get fidgety or begin to cry, we ask that you take them out of the hall.
We do not allow younger siblings to class assemblies or any productions that may occur. This is because the children have worked hard to produce a production or assembly for their parents and may not be heard above the noise of younger siblings. On most occasions we endeavour to provide a crèche for pre-school children, that is manned by other parents. If at all possible we ask that parents make alternative arrangements for their child to keep the numbers manageable in the creche.
Can I help in my child's class?
We warmly welcome volunteer helpers in the classes once the children have settled into school. On most occasions you will help in your child's class. Some children would find it difficult if mum or dad is in their class and therefore you would help in another class - at least for a while. We insist that all volunteer helpers are CRB (police) checked. An appointment can be made via the School Office to complete a CRB as they are now completed online.
At the start of each school year a Parent Helpers meeting is held. Please try to attend if you are interested in helping in class.
Can my pre-school child have a go on the climbing apparatus while I wait for my child?
Due to insurance issues and safety we do not allow any children on the equipment unless supervised by a member of staff. Neither pre-school nor school children can use the equipment before or after school.
Are there any after school clubs available for my child?
We run after school clubs on most days of the week. Some are only for Year 2 children but many are open to all children within the school.
What can my child have in their lunchbox?
We encourage healthy eating at all times. Sweets, fizzy drinks and chocolate bars are not allowed. Crisps and chocolate biscuits (eg Penguins, Kit Kat, Wagon Wheels etc) are acceptable.
Your child can bring a drink of water for the classroom and one for their lunch. Milk is available to be purchased if you would like your child to have it during the morning. Milk is free for all children under the age of five. Milk forms can be obtained from the school office.
Are children allowed to bring in snacks for playtime?
We are part of the government’s ‘free fruit and veg’ for schools scheme and so all children have access to fruit or vegetables during the day. However, you can send your child in with fruit or vegetables as well if you prefer. Nursery do ask that children bring in different types of fruit and vegetables for snack time to encourage a variety of tasting. Sweets, chocolate bars etc are not allowed.
What do I do if my child loses any item of clothing?
All clothing should be clearly named so they can be returned directly to the child. However we do have a lost property box in the entrance foyer. Quite often children accidentally take home each other’s clothes and they are usually brought back within a couple of days!
Is my child allowed to wear jewellery?
If your child has pierced ears, they can wear small plain studs only. However, they must be able to take them out themselves or not wear them on PE days. This is a West Sussex policy as well as a school one. No other jewellery is allowed in school. We know that as children get older they want to wear watches. Small plain watches are allowed in Year 2 only – no flashing ones with noises.
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