General School Procedures
This leaflet is intended to summarise our school practices and operational procedures. It is a quick guide for parents/carers to refer to.
Start of the Day
School opens at 8.45am, when children are invited to bring themselves into class to get settled and ready to start their learning. Parents should not enter the school without signing in at the school office for safeguarding and in case of a fire. The gates to the playground are closed at 8.55am promptly with class registration for all children being taken at 9.00am.
End of the Day
School finishes at 3.15pm. If you are going to be late in collecting your child, please either call Mrs Hitchcock in the School Office on 01273 492447 or email absence@stpetershenfield.org.uk before 2.45pm, to ensure there is sufficient time for the message to get to the Class Teacher. We cannot guarantee that messages received after 2.45pm will be passed to the class in time for going home.
Absence from School
Illness: Should your child be unwell and unable to attend school, please either email the office on absence@stpetershenfield.org.uk or telephone the main office – 01273 492447 on each morning of their absence before 9.20am. Messages can be left on the school voicemail before 8.30am and on Mrs Hitchcock’s voicemail (option 1) from 8.30am. Failure to report an absent child may result in an unauthorised absence being recorded. The office is open from 8.30am. Parents/Carers will be telephoned if a child is absent with no reason recorded.
Holiday: There is no entitlement to absence from school for holidays during term time. Absence will not be granted unless it is in very exceptional circumstances. In the event of any unacceptable or unexplained absence or persistent lateness, the Education Welfare Officer will be informed and will make contact with parents. An attendance printout with any absences authorised and unauthorised will be included with your child’s school report.
Lateness: Children who arrive after registration should report to the main school office and be signed in by the Parent/Carer. A late mark will then be recorded.
Medical Matters
At St Peters we have 14 fully qualified first aid staff on duty at different periods during the day. Should your child require attention only these staff are permitted to offer first aid support. Parents will be contacted immediately by telephone in any emergencies.
Should your child need to take any prescribed medicine, a form will need to be completed. These are available from the school office or our website. For information and guidance on what medication can be administered, during the school day, please refer to our policy available on our website.
Emergency Contact Numbers
It is essential that we have appropriate emergency contact numbers. Please make sure that the School Office is made aware of any changes, especially relating to mobile numbers.
School Uniform
It is our policy that children should come to school appropriately dressed in school uniform. This consists of a plain or logo school white polo shirt, school jade green sweatshirt or cardigan, dark grey/black trousers, skirt or dress and comfortable black flat shoes. Heeled shoes or boots are not permitted. Uniform can be purchased from First4Uniform, Lancing, 01903 751181 or via www.first4uniform.com. All other uniform can be purchased from any high street store.
All children must have a PE kit kept in school throughout the term. This consists of a ‘house’ named T shirt, a ‘house’ named hoodie, black shorts and trainers. Trainers should, as much as possible, be of one colour. All of these items are available from First4uniform. For the winter months, children are also permitted to wear tracksuit bottoms.
Hair
Any hair longer than shoulder length should be tied up in a ponytail or other similar style. This is to prevent the spread of headlice. Hair adornments i.e. ribbons must be kept to a minimal size and not brightly coloured.
Jewellery
Children should not wear jewellery to school. For children with pierced ears, studs may be worn but these will need to be removed or taped for any PE lessons. For ears that need to be taped, please provide micropore tape which can be kept in your child’s PE bag. If your child does not have any, then earrings will need to be removed.
Breaktime Snack
For children in the Foundation Stage, Years 1 & 2 a piece of fruit or vegetable will be given to them as a breaktime snack at 10.30am each day. Junior aged children may bring in a snack but in line with our healthy eating policy, this may only be a piece of fruit or vegetable. Please could we ask that products do not contain nuts or have any nut warnings on them, as we do have children and staff with severe nut allergies.
Our school policy is to encourage children to drink sufficient amounts of water to ensure a healthy body and mind. Please ensure that your child comes to school each day with a named bottle of water which they will have access to throughout the school day. Drinking fountains are also available for children in the playground and at strategic points around the school. Squash and fizzy drinks are not permitted.
We are also unable to allow sweets, treats or cakes of any type to be brought into school for any celebration (e.g. birthday) or end of term treat.
Lunchtime
All children in the Foundation Stage, Years 1 and 2 are entitled to a hot school meal, provided by Chartwells, our hot meal provider. For all other children in the school, lunch can either be a packed lunch brought from home or a hot meal which can be booked via https://westsussex.mealselector.co.uk/. Children entitled to ‘free school meals’ will be given a hot meal each day. Menus are available from the School Office or can be viewed online using the address above. Registration and payment will be requested when booking a hot school meal. If any child forgets their packed lunch then one will need to be brought into school, in time for lunchtime. A hot meal cannot be provided as an alternative. Please could we ask that products do not contain nuts or have any nut warnings on them, as we do have children and staff with severe nut allergies. Lunchboxes should also not contain sweets of any kind.
Parent Appointments
Teachers are available whenever possible to meet with parents. Please contact the School Office for an appointment to be made.
Communications
Newsletters are emailed home fortnightly. Letters home are distributed via email on a Tuesday and Friday. Where a parent and a child are not living at the same address, we are happy to email additional copies of school letters. Please ensure the School Office has an appropriate email address for correspondence to be sent to.
Educational Visits
Unless parents notify us in writing withholding their agreement, we will from time to time take children out within the locality. This would include walking to church, to the common or around specified footpaths. For any visit that involves transport, parents will always be contacted and permission sought.
Open Events for Parents
Welcome Evening: A welcome evening for each year group takes place in September to which Parents are invited to get an overview of the teaching and learning that will take place throughout the coming year.
Open Afternoons: An open afternoon will be held each term in order that Parents/carers can visit their child in the classroom to share in their learning.
Curriculum Events: Various other events linked to the curriculum changes and improvements being made will be scheduled throughout the academic year.
All the dates for the above events will be included in the school newsletters.
Toys
Key Stage One Children are allowed to bring a small toy in for break times, however it should be small and able to fit in a pocket. Key Stage Two children should not bring in toys from home.
Parking
The leisure centre is very happy for parents to use their car park at the beginning and end of the school day. The school car park is for staff and visitors to the school only and must not be used by parents to drop off or collect children. Please be considerate to the local neighbourhood when parking your car.
