What time does school start and finish?
The doors to each year group are opened at 8.55am (Foundation Stage - 8.50am).
The school day ends for children in Reception class at 3.20pm. The school day ends for children in Years 1 to 6 at 3.25pm.
What time is registration?
Children need to be in class and ready for registration at 8.55am. Registration closes at 9.00am.
What are the school office opening times?
The school office is open each school day during term time from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Thursday and from 8.30am to 4.00pm on a Friday.
What do I do if my child is late?
If you arrive at school after 8.55am you will need to report to the school office. You will need to sign your child in school as they will have missed registration in class. An adult must sign in a child arriving late.
How can I pass a message to my child’s class teacher?
This can be done in a variety of ways:
What do I do if my child is being collected by someone different than normal?
This can be done in a variety of ways:
Send a note into school with your child to the class teacher or;
Telephone the school office (01384 818790 option 2)
What do I do if my child is ill?
On your child’s first day of absence you need to contact us to report the reason for absence. You should do this by logging this in the absence section of your ParentMail account, or alternatively, please send an email to contact@oldswinford.dudley.sch.uk and leave your child’s name, class and the reason for the absence. This will then be marked appropriately onto your child’s class register.
Please note that the Health Authority states that children should not return to school until 48 hours after their last episode of sickness or diarrhoea.
What do I do if my child needs to take medicine?
If your child needs to take medicine up to 3 times a day, we ask that you administer this at home before school, after school and at bedtime.
If your child needs to take medication up to 4 times a day, we may administer a dose in school. In order for us to do this the medication needs to have been prescribed by a doctor. The medication needs to have a pharmacy label on it stating who it has been prescribed to, how often it is to be taken and what the dosage is.
You will need to bring the medication to the school office and complete the relevant paperwork confirming these instructions. Please do not give the medication to your child to bring into school.
Please remember to come to the school office at the end of the school day to collect the medicine to take home.
I would like my child to walk to and from school and to carry a mobile phone.
We allow Year 5 and 6 children to walk to and from school and carry a mobile phone with them if we have had signed confirmation from parents that they are permitted to do this. Please note: we do not allow any children to walk home unaccompanied when they have attended an after school activity that finishes from 4.30pm onwards due to failing light.
For a copy of the form to be completed, please contact the school office (tel: 01384 818790 option 2).
All mobile phones will be locked in a drawer during the school day and should be collected by your child before they leave.
What do I do if my child has an appointment?
We would encourage parents to make appointments for children outside of the school day. However, if your child does need to attend an appointment and will be arriving at school afterwards you must report to the school office and sign your child into school. If you have a letter confirming an appointment, we would appreciate it if you could bring this into the school office so that we can mark your child’s register appropriately.
If the appointment is later in the school day and you need to collect your child partway through the day, please let your child’s class teacher know via a note with your child; speaking to a Parent Link Worker on the school playground at the start of the day or calling the school office (tel: 01384 818790 option 2). Arrive at school to collect your child and sign them out on the electronic system in the reception area.
What if my child needs to be collected during the school day?
If you are contacted during the school day and need to collect your child, e.g. due to illness, you must report to the school office. Your child will then be called for and you will be asked to sign them out.
How do I change my contact details?
If there is a change to your contact details, please notify the office immediately in case we have cause to contact you. This can be done in a variety of ways:
Phone the school office (tel: 01384 818790 option 2)
What if my child forgets to bring something to school?
As children move up through the year groups we do try to encourage them to take responsibility for their belongings and remember to bring items into school. However, if your child does forget to bring something into school you can bring this in to the school office and we will endeavour to deliver this to class for your child.
How do I pay for educational visits?
If your child is due to take part in an educational visit, information will be sent out to you at the time. We would encourage you to pay by using our online payments system (Parentmail).
How do I pay for school lunches?
Via the parentmail app when lunches are ordered.
What do I do if I am entitled to Free School Meals for my child?
If you are eligible for your child to receive free school meals you will need to complete an application form (see below). Once eligibility has been confirmed, details will be passed on to the school Catering Manager. Your child will then purchase their school meal following exactly the same process as other children in school.
How do I apply for Free School Meals for my child?
If you think you may be eligible to obtain free school meals for your child or wish to apply you can contact benefit services by:
Apply online at http://www.dudley.gov.uk/resident/your-council/benefits/free-school-meals/
Email: freeschoolmeals.benefits@dudley.gov.uk
Telephone – 01384 814988
If you are eligible but choose not to apply we would ask that you do, even if your child does not take up their entitlement. During the allocation of budgets to schools, one of the elements taken into consideration is the number of children claiming free school meals. If you are entitled, please claim them and you could help our budget and yours!
What do I need to do for my child to take holiday during term time?
If you choose to take your child on a holiday during term time you need to complete a request for leave of absence form and return it to the school office. These can be collected from the main school office. Any holiday taken by children during term time is registered as an unauthorised absence and you may get fined.
What do I do if my child injures themselves outside of school e.g.: broken wrist?
If your child has injured themselves outside of school and has a plaster cast or heavy bandaging on. Please report this to the class teacher and school office in order that an appointment can be made with the Business Manager to complete a risk assessment.
How do I find out how my child’s doing at school?
We also hold Parents Evenings during the Autumn Term and Spring Term. Please see the school calendar on the website to find out when these are. You will also receive regular update via DOJO
At the end of the school year you will receive an End of Year School Report.
If you are concerned at any other time about your child, please do not hesitate to contact the school office (tel: 01384 818790 option 2) to request a phone call with your child’s class teacher. Please bear in mind that teachers will be in class for the majority of the school day and then often have meetings and extra-curricular clubs during lunchtime and after school, therefore, teachers will endeavour to return your call within two school days.
How do I find out about what’s going on in my child’s class?
Please see the Year Group page under the ‘Children’ tab on the school website, this will be updated regularly so please keep checking back. There will also be regular updates on DOJO
What are Learning Journeys and how are they used?
Learning journeys are used predominately in Foundation Stage and are a record of learning that takes place in the setting which the children undertake independently. Each child has their own folder into which work, photographs etc. can be added. We use the learning journey as a tool to assess the children, to see if they have mastered a taught concept and show that they understand it in their play. It will have photo's of your child working individually and alongside others, such as when dressed up as superheroes acting out a story. Photos displayed in the learning journeys are of the children and their work. These photographs are only visible to the class teacher, children in the class and on Parents Evening; the parents of other children in your child's class. At the end of the school year, school journey's will often be sent home for parents/carers to keep as a memento of their child's first year at school.
What is Class Dojo and how is it used?
This communication tool is used in different ways in various year groups, some class teacher use it to send reminder messages home and some us it to showcase children's work. Sometimes children's photos will appear showing them working hard in class. Any photo's used in Class Dojo are only visible to the class teacher, teaching assistant, Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, teachers in school, other children in the class and their parents (if they have created a Class Dojo account).