The School Day

The school hours are from 8.55am to 3.25pm, that is 6.5 hours per day or 32.5 hours per week.

Drop off

At 8:45am the main gate and EYFS gate open.

EYFS children are taken into the building by parents/carers and dropped off at their classrooms. Children in Year 1-6 are greeted by a member of staff who stand at the doors and go up to class independently. 

At 8:55am class starts and the gate closes. All parents/carers must be out by this time so that we can secure the site.

Pick up

At the 3:15pm, the EYFS gate opens to parents and children are collected from their classrooms.  

At 3:25pm the main gate opens to parents. 

Year 1 are dismissed from the EYFS playground. Year 2-6 are dismissed from their designated collection area in the playground. 

Part-time Nursery children are collected from the office at the agreed pick up time. 

You must collect your children or arrange for a responsible adult (over 16 years-old) to do so. If you are asking someone else to collect your children, the school needs to know. If we do not know who is picking up your child, we will not be able to dismiss them without checking with you first. This is in the interest of your children's safety.

Only Year 5 and 6 children are allowed to go home by themselves, once written authorisation has been received. 

The school gate closes at 3:40pm and any children not collected will be taken to the Office.

Break and Lunch Times

Access to the school 

During the day (when the pupil gates are closed) any access to the site will be through the Office. The Office is open from 8:00am to 11.30am and from 1.15pm to 4:00pm.  Access to the school from 11.30am to 1.15pm is by appointment only.

Assemblies

We have assemblies most mornings on a variety of topics. Every Friday we have 'Celebration Assembly' whereby we give out 'Star of the Week' certificates and other awards such as, 'Music Star', TT Rockstar winners and attendance certificates. 

Absence

If your child is absent, we need to know the reason. A telephone call/email to the school office or message on SchoolComms every day that your child is absent is important. Please expect a call back from the school in the morning to discuss your child's illness and ability to attend. We may also call back in the afternoon to enquire if they feel well enough to attend for the afternoon sessions. 

If a child is absent for 3 days or more, we will require evidence that they have seen a GP.

Unauthorised absences are those where we have not been informed or where the reason for absences is not considered satisfactory. These absences will be followed up by the Welfare Officer or the school office. 

All requests for term time leave must be made to the Headteacher in writing. The school will not authorise family holidays unless there are exceptional circumstances.  Unauthorised absences may result in a penalty notice or legal action.

Age & Year Groups

Behaviour

We think of the School as a community. Any rules we have are ‘common sense’ ones to ensure the smooth running of the community and the safety of the people in it.

We have high expectations with regard to behaviour. Care and respect for other people are the most important things for all of us to observe.

These are our school rules, known as the '4Bs'. Everyone needs to work together to ensure they are followed.

• Be safe 
• Be respectful 
• Be responsible 
• Be resilient 

We incorporate the '4Bs' into our curriculum and every day practice to ensure the children are familiar with them and understand the expectations in order to follow them. 

There are rare occasions when it is necessary to use sanctions to make sure that rules are kept. You, as parents, will always be informed if your child is giving cause for concern. It may, for example, be appropriate to give you a weekly report on your child’s behaviour. In more serious circumstances, exclusion from school may be thought necessary.

We would stress that the majority of children never give cause for concern.

The school has a behaviour policy which is based on the rights and responsibilities of parents, staff and children within the school community. When you complete the admission paperwork, you will be asked to sign a home school agreement indicating that you agree to comply with this policy.

Complaints & Concerns

We hope you do not have reason to complain, but if you have any worries or concerns, please come and talk to us about them. It is probably best to talk to your child's class teacher first and arrange a time that suits you both. Members of SLT are also always on the gate at the beginning and end of the school day if the class teacher is unable to assist you. For more information, please request our full policy from the school office. 

Clubs

At Essendine, children have opportunities to attend a range of clubs and courses before, during and after school.  We offer breakfast club (from 8am) and free of charge clubs from 3.30pm to 4.30pm most days. A link to sign your children up is sent out termly. 

Junior Adventure Group (JAG) offers wrap around care after school from 03.30-06.00pm and you can register for this via their website. 

Homework

Homework is given out each week by the class teacher. In EYFS, children are given books that can be read to them and once able, they will be given a phonics book which matches the sounds covered in class. They are also given additional activities linked to their fine motor development. Over school holidays, EYFS children are given a project to do with the parents/carers. 

In Year 1-2, children are given reading books, along with reading records to be signed by parents. They are also given writing and Maths homework to compliment the learning in school. 

In Year 3-6, the children take home reading books, usually picked independently based on their interests. They are encouraged to read every night. The children are also given a log in to 'Century' which is our online homework platform. The children are taught how to navigate this at school and engagement is tracked by class teachers. 

How Can Parents Help in the School?

There are so many things that parents can do to support the school and we really do need your help.

We need you to help your own children as much as possible by talking to them about what they do at school and taking an interest in what they are learning. Being enthusiastic and praising children when they do good work goes a long way towards making children feel positive about school and helps them to have the confidence to do well. Extending the children’s learning by asking them lots of questions is another way in which you can help.

If you can find time to read and share stories with your children, the school will be very grateful because when a teacher has 30 children in a class it is hard to hear them all read as much as we would like to. Getting your child to school on time and making sure that they have everything they need for the day is another very important contribution you can make.

We really would like you to come to the various school events e.g. Parents' Evenings, Concerts, Exhibitions, Special Events and School Fairs. The children and staff are pleased when you come along as it makes them feel that all their hard work is worthwhile.