Information for
Families
We value our partnership with parents and carers in helping our children to learn, flourish and achieve.
Latest News
Our newsletters contain the latest school updates and messages as well as an updated list of school events.
Term Dates
As a maintained school, we adopt the term dates of BCP Local Authority which are detailed on their website.
Please also see the latest school newsletter for INSET (staff training) dates and details of other school events.
Attendance
Regular school attendance is an important part of giving children the best possible start in life. Our commitment to improving rates of attendance remains a key priority.
It's important children attend school because:
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Attendance has a direct link to attainment. If a child is not in school regularly they are not fully accessing the curriculum and learning opportunities available to them.
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Achieving at school builds a child’s self-esteem, as well as enhancing their future prospects.
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Attending school and being part of the school’s community gives a child a sense of belonging and promotes their social development.
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Spending time with school staff teaches a child about society’s expectations with regards to behaviour and how to communicate with people in authority preparing them for adult life.
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Attending school gives a child the opportunity to experience positive separation from their parent(s) / carer(s), which builds their confidence and resistance.
If you are having difficulties with attendance and/or punctuality, please let us know as we may be able to facilitate support to help you and your child.
All absences must be reported to the school office on each day of your child’s absence.
The NHS has produced guidance on whether time off is required for particular illnesses.
Headteachers are only allowed to grant leave of absence from school in exceptional circumstances. The decision as to whether any request is considered as ‘exceptional circumstances’ rests solely with the Headteacher. The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are rare, significant, unavoidable and short. ‘Unavoidable’ should be taken to mean an event that could not reasonably be scheduled at another time.
Any request should be made prior to the leave of absence and should be submitted to the school using the Request for Leave of Absence Form. Parents / carers may be asked to provide additional information/evidence or meet with the school to discuss the circumstances.
Parents/carers will be notified of the Headteacher’s decision at the earliest opportunity. If the circumstances are not considered to be exceptional, parents / carers will be informed of this and made aware that the Local Authority may be asked to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice. A Fixed Penalty Notice can be issued to each parent/carer liable for the offence regarding each of their children. Further information is available on the BCP Council attendance webpage.
Home Learning
Additional practice on core skills has been shown to develop children's fluency and confidence with a range of skills, including reading fluency, spelling competence and mathematical fluency.
Home learning is set by the teacher each week on Google Classroom. Information on how to use Google Classroom is available here, or please speak to your child's class teacher.
Children also have access to a number of online practice resources to help them build fluency and confidence:
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Times Table Rockstars (TTRS): Multiplication tables fluency.
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Numbots: Addition and subtraction fluency.
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IXL: Practice in core Maths and English skills.
School Meals
The school meals at The Priory School are cooked on the school site in the school kitchen and there is a choice of hot meals provided every day.
The contract for school meals is currently with HC3S. Further details of the meals provided can be found on their website. They can also cater for special diets where the child is registered for this. Information on this is available here.
Meals must be ordered and paid for in advance via Scopay.
All children in the Infants (YR, Y1 and Y2) receive a hot school dinner free of charge. These still need to be ordered in advance.
Alternatively, children can bring a healthy packed lunch. All children eat their lunch in the school hall, and a drink of water is always available. Children must not bring products containing nuts into school.
The School Day
08:35 School Gate Opens
08:45 Registration / School Gate Closes
08:45 Lesson Time
10:30 Break Time
10:45 Lesson Time
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Lesson Time
14:50 Worship
15:10 School Gate Opens
15:15 End of School Day
This daily routine totals 6.5 hours per day or 32.5 hours per week.
Pupils arriving after registration will be classed as late, with pupils arriving after 09:10 being classed as having an unauthorised absence.
Uniform
Our uniform list details the items your child will need to wear to school.
The school's uniform supplier is Stevensons, and Priory uniform is available from them. Their uniform price list is available here.
Children eligible for the Pupil Premium grant are entitled to a £40 clothing grant which may be redeemed at Stevensons in Southbourne. Please contact the school office for further information on this.
Our FPS team have started running a pre-loved uniform shop and all proceeds are donated to the school. If you require second hand uniform, then please either speak directly to Mrs Rayner or Mrs Ponsford on the school gate or via the Facebook page ’The Priory School FPS School Uniform Shop’. A new drop-off and collection area for pre-loved uniform has been set up in the reception area.
All clothing and personal belongings should be clearly marked with your child's name.
Extra-Curricular Activities
At the Priory School we encourage participation in extra curricular activities to enrich the curriculum and children’s learning as part of their 'bucketful of experiences'.
Information on the school's extra-curricular activities, as well as costings and guidance on how to book, is emailed out to parents each term.
Friends of Priory School (FPS)
We are extremely thankful to have Friends of Priory School (FPS) as a group of parents, staff and others who contribute to the life of the school.
The group run a series of events and activities throughout the year, working to support the school in enabling all children to flourish.