School Day
The school day starts at 8:40am and finishes at 3:10pm for all year groups.
Pupils will be collected from their playgrounds at 8:40am each morning so that they are in their classrooms and ready to learn by 8:45am.
Late arrivals and late collections are monitored on a daily basis.
Early Years and Key Stage 1
Pupils in Early Years, Year 1 and Year 2 receive a total of 21 hours and 50 minutes of teaching during a normal school week (excluding lunchtime and morning and afternoon break). The day is organised, as follows:
Early Years
08:40 – 11.50 : Morning Session
11:50 – 12:40 : Lunch Break
12:40 – 15:10 : Afternoon Session
Key Stage 1
08:40 – 11:50 : Morning Session
11:50 – 12:40 : Lunch Break
12:40 – 15:10 : Afternoon Session
Key Stage 2
Pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 receive a total of 24 hours and 20 minutes of teaching during a normal school week (excluding lunchtime and morning break). The day is organised as follows:
Lower Key Stage 2
08:40 – 11:40 : Morning Session
11:40 – 12:30 : Lunch Break
12:30 – 15:10 : Afternoon Session
Upper Key Stage 2
08:40 – 12:15 : Morning Session
12:15 – 13:05 : Lunch Break
13:05 – 15:10 : Afternoon Session
Attendance
Good attendance is expected and rewarded at The Abbey Primary School. If your child is unable to attend due to illness please notify the school office on 01604 660100 as soon as possible. There is a 24 hour telephone answering service to enable you to report an absence at any time.
An attendance award is given to the class with the best attendance each week and there is a reward for the class with the best attendance for the school year.
Pupils with 100% attendance for a term are given a reward and their names are entered into a prize draw. Pupils with 100% attendance for the school year are all given a reward.
The school does not authorise term time holidays. From 1st September 2013, a new law gives NO entitlement to parents to take their child on holiday during term time. Any application for leave must only be in exceptional circumstances and Headteachers would not be expected to class any term time holiday as exceptional. Parents can be fined by the Local Authority and the initial Fixed Penalty Notice of £60.00 will be issued to each parent for each child (i.e. two parent family, two children = £240.00).
Further information about attendance is published in the school's attendance leaflet (this can be found in policies/statutory information).
Snacks
Reception pupils will be provided with fruit and milk daily.
Parents of KS1 and KS2 pupils are welcome to send a healthy snack into school each day for their child to eat during the mid-morning break. Suggestions include:
- Fruit - try slicing the fruit to make it more appealing
- Fresh fruit salad
- Dried fruit (raisins, dates, apricots, prunes etc)
- Fruit bar
- Vegetable sticks (carrot, cucumber, peppers)
- A yoghurt or fromage frais
- A piece of bread, crumpet, malt loaf etc
- A home made muffin, scone, cookie or piece of flapjack
- Home made popcorn
- Crackers
- Breadsticks
- Rice cakes
- A slice of cheese
School Meals
The school is able to offer families the choice of bringing a packed lunch from home or a hot meal service provided by Dolce. Lunches are eaten in the school hall under the supervision of our lunchtime staff.
Packed Lunches
We ask for packed lunches to be provided in a named lunchbox or bag. As a 'Healthy School', we encourage parents to provide healthy, nutritious packed lunches and ask that they do not send nut products into school.
Hot Meals
The Abbey Primary School uses a catering provider called Dolce. All school meal bookings will need to be placed on your Dolce School Grid account.https://app.schoolgrid.co.uk/
Meals can be booked in advance or up until 8.55a.m on the day.
Each meal consists of a main course (meat, vegetarian, jacket potato options or baguette options), vegetable side dishes, dessert or fresh fruit and fresh drinking water.
Free School Meals
If you are in receipt of certain state benefits, you may qualify for free school meals. Please contact the school office for more information.