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FAQ's

How is the school year divided?
There are three terms: Michaelmas, Lent and Trinity. Each term is broken up with a half term of one week.

How do I know what is going on in school life?
Links with parents are important. A calendar is published at the start of each academic year, and a weekly update is sent to parents via ParentMail. Half Term Highlights provides a summary of each half term in School. We also communicate the events of the day via our Social Media channels, Facebook and Instagram. There are also letters and emails detailing events specifically.

When can I see my child’s teacher?
A formal consultation meeting is held during the first part of Michaelmas enabling you to receive a verbal settling in report from your child’s new class teacher. A consultation is also offered during Trinity Term. Should you need to arrange an appointment to meet with your class teacher at any other time of the year please contact the School Office where this can be arranged.

Can I see my child’s school work?
Parents, grandparents and guardians are invited into the school each term to join us in a ‘share your work’ session. Pupils are proud to present and discuss their work at these informal sessions.

How does the School assess my child’s progress?
Assessment takes place frequently and in many forms. It is designed for us to find out what our pupils can do in order to help them progress, and therefore the object of assessment is not to find out what children cannot do! Formal assessments take place in October and May. Informal assessment take place regularly and examples of these include end of topic tasks and spelling or mental maths tests. The progress of children in Preschool and Reception Class is tracked using the Foundation Stage Profile and Tapestry.

When do I receive a written report?
School reports are issued twice during each academic year.

When my child moves from class to class how does the School ensure that information is conveyed between staff?
Parents will be informed of their child’s next teacher after Trinity half term. There will be formal meeting times between teachers to enable important social and academic information to be passed on.

Are there school clubs available?
A wide variety of lunch-time and after school clubs are offered throughout the school year.

Are there any other curriculum activities in which my child can take part?
Pupils can be coached in Speech and Drama, Ballet, Piano and various instruments. There is an additional charge for these lessons which are provided by external specialist teachers and further details may be obtained from the School Office.

Is before or after school care available?
Our wrap around care provision (Early/Late Club) is made available for children outside normal school hours from 08.00 to 08.30 and 15.20 to 17.45. Sessions are flexible, charged in half-hourly sessions, and can be booked on a regular or ‘as you need’ basis.

What do I do if my child is unwell?
If a child has had a temperature the previous evening or overnight we advise that they should stay at home the next day, because the school day is busy and long. If your child becomes unwell during the course of the School day we will contact you if we feel this is appropriate for the situation, and advise you to collect him/her from School. Prescription medication can be administered in School by our First Aid trained staff. All medication must be taken to the School Office in the morning, be named, and daily dosage should be signed for in the School Office by a parent or guardian. Please report absences from School via your ParentMail app.

What if they have to attend a medical appointment?
A simple medical absence form should be completed at the School Office when known in advance, or it can be reported via the ParentMail App. 

How do I know when the best time is to book family holidays?
Please refer to the term dates calendar here https://www.st-peters.org.uk/page/?title=Term+Dates&pid=82 to check the beginning and end dates of each half term. We hope that it is not necessary for parents to request absences in school time for holiday arrangements.

Is homework set?
Homework is set for pupils to complete at different levels throughout the School. The aim is to provide an opportunity for pupils to further practise skills covered in lessons, or to prepare for work to be covered in a subsequent lesson. We ask parents to support this policy.