It is important that parents/carers feel able to communicate with the school and receive the information needed to support their child's education.

The school website is a valuable tool in making school information readily accessible for families. Whole school and year group letters will be sent out to families by GroupCall and can also be viewed on the school website.

Year group information, about the curriculum, home learning and different activities being organised within the year group, is shared through the Year Group Padlets (an online portal). Links for each year group's Padlet are shared in the weekly school newsletter and on the Year Group Pages of the school website.

For pupil specific issues that arise from time to time, teachers are very happy to discuss these at the end of the school day, or to arrange a meeting, if the matter is more complex. Some issues can be managed by email communication and class teachers can be emailed directly. Teachers' school email addresses are listed under Meet the Team.  Please be mindful that while teachers will endeavour to respond promptly to email communications from parents/carers, they are not expected to respond during weekends, holidays or when at home in the evening. Similarly, teachers are not able to read or respond to emails while they are teaching. Therefore, if the matter is of a more urgent nature, it is best to contact the school office, so that it can be addressed more immediately. 

Please be mindful not to discuss issues with teachers in the classroom while they have their class with them. It is difficult for the teacher to focus on the matter being discussed and it means their attention is being distracted from the children in their care.

Emergencies

It is important for the school to have a contact address and telephone number for emergency use during school hours. Safeguarding guidance requires schools to have 3 contact numbers, if possible. If contact information changes, please let the school office know immediately, so that our records can be amended. Since the school uses GroupCall to assist communications, we also need to be informed of any changes to email addresses and mobile telephone numbers.

Learning Reviews

We hold pupil learning reviews with parents/carers in the Autumn and Spring Terms. These are opportunities for parents/carers to discuss their child's progress. It should be emphasised that these meetings are only one element of our continuing dialogue  between home and school. Parents/carers are always able to see members of staff, at any reasonable time, throughout the school year.

Parents/carers receive an annual report on their child's achievement during the school year in July. We endeavour to provide this report two weeks before the end of term, should parents/carers wish to discuss any points raised before the Summer holiday.

Absence Reporting

All absence should be reported to the school office on the morning that the child is not in school, by the child’s parent/carer (for legal reasons, it is needs to be the parent/carer and not family friends or siblings). Parents/carers are asked to telephone the school between 8.30 and 9.30 am. 

Parents/carers are asked to call on each day of absence. A message can be left on the school telephone/answer service, providing the child’s name, class, reason for absence and an expected date of return. If the absence is likely to be prolonged, the school needs to be informed as early as possible so that, if necessary, the school can offer appropriate support.

When notifying the school of planned absence (e.g. medical appointments, visits to secondary schools, etc.), a written note or email needs to be sent into school, which informs both teachers and office staff. A telephone call or message left with the school office is sufficient. (Please appreciate that a verbal message in the playground can be forgotten when a teacher is dealing with a class of children).

Similarly, parents/carers who are in school on the day their child is absent due to illness (i.e. they are dropping off a sibling), need to inform the school office of the absence, rather than the verbal message in the playground. This ensures the absence is properly recorded.

Forms regarding leave of absence can be obtained from the school office. Guidance on taking term time Leave of Absence can be found below.

Leave of Absence

Please note that the Department for Education is keen to discourage holidays being taken during term time, because of the impact this has on children’s education. Guidance on taking holidays during term time can be found in the Attendance and Punctuality Policy (see Policies section of the school website).

Any child who needs to leave early from school (e.g. for a medical appointment) must report to the school office and be collected by a parent/carer, so that their attendance can be recorded correctly and to adhere to safeguarding and health and safety procedures.

Punctuality

Punctuality is an important life skill. By ensuring children arrive at school on time, parents/carers will ensure that they are registered properly, receive essential information/instructions and reduce disruption both for the child and the class. 

All children arriving after 8.55 must be signed in at the school office by their parent/carer and the reason for lateness provided for school records. Children receive an ‘L’ (late) in the register, if they arrive after the register has been taken. Registers close at 9.25 am and children who arrive in school after this time will receive an unauthorised late, ‘U’ code in the register (‘late after close of registration’).

If there has been no communication from the parent/carer of an absent child by 9.30 am; the school will attempt to make contact. The class teacher or a school leader will contact parents/carers to discuss attendance if absences persist.