The School Day
...happiness and progress is at the heart here...it is a happy, secure and healthy environment... (Parent comment)8.30am Registration
8.45am Collective Worship
9.00am Lessons
11.30am Lunch- Yellow, Purple and Blue Classes
11.55am/12.25pm Lessons
3.15pm End of the school day
Our school day exceeds the time offer that schools have been guided to offer by the DfE from September 2023. Our offer is 34 hours and 35 minutes.
Arrival at school
Children may come into school from 8.20am and staff will be in their classrooms ready to welcome them. The school day officially begins at 8.30am. All children are expected to be in class by this time for registration. Latecomers must sign into the school office.
Collective Worship
Collective Worship takes place every morning, where we celebrate the new school day. We follow 'Universal Values' themes and all children take time to consider the important social and moral questions in life. The themes are shared with families through newsletters in order that families are aware of the discussions taking place in school. Each week certificates are awarded to individuals for demonstrating the school values and/or competencies.
Wake and Shake
Wake and Shake sessions are twice daily aerobic routines that the children take part in, in order to develop health and fitness and readiness for learning. A new routine is learned each half term and a school competition is held and the winning class is presented with a cup as 'Wake and Shake Champions'.
Break Times
Morning play times are taken when most appropriate for individual classes. A drink (milk or water) and healthy snack (from home or purchased from the school healthy tuck shop) are consumed during the morning. Play leaders are trained during the year to support playtime activities and games.
Lunch Times
At lunchtime, children in Years R, 1 and 2 are provided with universal free school meals and Years 3 and 4 may purchase hot meals (pre ordered for the half term) or bring healthy lunches from home. High priority is given to healthy eating and the development of good social skills. School meals are cooked by our school cook in 'The Blackwell Kitchen' on the school site each day and our suppliers are local. We pride ourselves on cooking healthy, fresh meals each day.
Afternoon Enrichment Clubs
The school teaching day ends at 1.40pm and the children can attend different extra curricular clubs each afternoon. During these clubs the children from Years 1 to 4 are grouped in mixed age classes across the school, giving the children the opportunity to mix with different children and also children of different ages. Reception age children are in a single age group for most of the time. These clubs enable all children to participate in a variety of non statutory activities and develop wider skills. The clubs are run by specialist teachers and teaching assistants.
End of the day
As the end of the teaching day ends at 1.40pm, children can be collected at 1.40pm should parents wish on certain days. Please let the office know if this will be the case. The whole school day finishes at 3.15pm. Children are dismissed by staff to their parents or a nominated collector. A child will only be allowed to go with someone other than their parent if the teacher has been notified beforehand, stating the name of the collector. As the teaching day ends at 1.40pm, we would appreciate medical appointments etc being taken after 1.40pm rather than during the teaching part of the school day.
Clubs
The Blackwell School Club is a school run club that opens from 7.15am to the start of the school day and from the end of the school day until 6pm. It is run and managed by school staff and continues the ethos of the school. A wide variety of after school enrichment clubs is offered on the school site and they vary on a termly basis.
Absence
All absences must be reported to the school office in order for them to be authorised. Holiday absence is no longer authorised in line with Department for Education guidance 2013. Absence other than for illness must be discussed with the head teacher.
Click here to complete an absence form.
Medication
If your child has medical needs please inform the office staff, head teacher and class teachers. A supply of appropriate medication such as inhalers should be kept in school. Routine medication is not administered by school staff. (Please see Medical Needs on the Policies page of this website).