The School Day
The Nursery and Reception classrooms will be open from 8:40am to 8.50am for the morning drop off. If children arrive after this time they will be registered as late.
Home time is 3.20pm Nursery and Reception children. Pick up is from the classrooms. After 3:20pm any children not collected will need to be collected from the main office from 3.30pm. It is important that children are dropped off and collected promptly, as punctuality aids the smooth running of our school day and is in the best interest of the children.
Children must be collected from the school by a ‘named adult’ over the age of 16. It is important to let us know in advance if someone different will be collecting your child, this includes play dates with classmates.
Breakfast and After School Clubs and Care
Breakfast Club is available from 8am for all children from Reception - Year 6, as well as a variety of after school clubs. Wraparound is also run daily until 6pm and offers an evening meal.
More information on Breakfast Club and Wraparound can be obtained from the school website. An up to date list of clubs will be sent out before the beginning of a new term along with information on costings and how to sign up.
Uniform
Please ensure your child arrives at school in full school uniform everyday. It is important that all items of uniform are clearly labelled with your child’s full name. We advise using either a sewn in tag or iron on label rather than writing names on with a pen or marker. The school will not take responsibility for any lost clothing that is not clearly named. Jewellery should not be worn in school except for small, plain gold or silver stud earrings. Nail varnish and temporary tattoos are unacceptable for school.
Change of Clothes
All children in Nursery and Reception are required to have a set of spare uniform or PE kit left at school in their tray in case of any accidents. Please ensure you have this ready in a labelled plastic bag for your child’s first day.
Outdoor Learning
There is a large focus on outdoor learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage and children will have access to the outdoor area in all weathers. It is therefore important that they have the appropriate clothing for all weathers including school coats, sun hats, wellies, gloves, winter hats and scarves.
Water Bottles
All children are required to bring a reusable water bottle to school with them every day. This should be clearly labelled with their name and class. Bottles should only contain water; no juice, squash or fizzy drinks.
Medical and Special Educational Needs
If your child has any specific medical needs or special educational needs please note these on the Pupil Information Form. This will prompt a call back from us to discuss your child’s needs. This helps to allow time for us to put any individual measures in place before their start date.
Medication
The school can only administer medicine to your child if it has been prescribed by a doctor and the medication clearly shows the prescription label with the child’s name on.
If your child requires prescribed medicine during the school day please complete a ‘Medication Form’ from the school office and discuss the details with the office administrator.
Illness
At this age, if your child is feeling unwell, it is advisable to keep them at home. Please contact the office via email (office@holycrossfulham.co.uk) or Arbor before 9am to inform us of your child’s absence. If they have suffered from sickness or diarrhoea it is essential that they do not attend school for 48 hours following the last episode of sickness.
Requests for Absence
It is compulsory for all children to attend school once they turn 5 years of age, however, as you have chosen a full time education for your child prior to this age, please try to avoid taking them out during term time.
If you require time off for hospital appointments or special circumstances such as a bereavement please ask for a ‘Request for Absence’ form from the school office. This must be addressed to the Head of School, Mr Gauci.
Requests for holidays during term time will not be authorised.
Term dates for the forthcoming academic year are available from the school office, on our website or on the parent hub.
School Lunches
Children are provided with a mid-morning snack of fruit and milk.
For lunch, nutritious and delicious dishes are prepared in our school kitchen using quality produce. All dietary needs can be catered for. If your child has a special dietary need please speak to the office administrator before they start with us to ensure a plan can be put in place to cater for their needs.
You can find more information on the school lunches here: https://www.holycrossfulham.org.uk/School-Lunches/
School lunches for Nursery pupils are charged at £3 a day and payments should be made online in advance.
As part of the government's Universal Free School Meals scheme children in Reception are entitled to a free school meal everyday and therefore no lunch payments will be required for children in these classes.
School Money
We are a cashless school. This means that payments for all fees will need to be paid electronically through Arbor.
Policies
Key school policies are available here on the school website to read at your leisure. For any further information on our policies please contact the school office to arrange a meeting with a member of the leadership team.
Concerns
Parents are encouraged to make an appointment to see teachers, a member of the leadership team or the head of school if ever they have any concerns or complaints. Please call the school and leave a message with the office administrator or email office@holycrossfulham.co.uk to schedule a meeting.
Scooter Storage
We actively encourage the use of scooters to travel to school and have a storage area that you are welcome to use. All items left are at your own risk, as the school cannot take responsibility for any lost or stolen items.
Excursions
The school organises a range of outings for the children throughout the year. Parents will be notified of these in advance unless they are local trips. We may ask for a contribution from parents towards the cost of the trip; if you are unable to pay for a school trip please speak with your class teacher or Ms Andrews (EYFS Lead). We will often ask for parent helpers to support the teaching staff on trips offsite and would be extremely grateful for volunteers.
Changes of Personal Information
Please inform the office of any change of address or telephone numbers. It is vital that this information is kept up to date. If you have a mobile phone and email address, it is useful for us to have these details as well as we rely on these methods for much of our communication with parents.