RED MARSH SCHOOL
PARENT INFORMATION
The School Day
The following actions have been put into place to help the smooth and safe transfer of pupils entering and leaving school:
Parents who bring their children to school should park outside the school gate or park in the left hand parking area of the school driveway before escorting their child/children down the pedestrian footpath.
If it is necessary to bring your vehicle to the front of the school premises you must join the queuing system until you are allocated a space at the front of school by a member of staff.
To address the requirements of reopening safely there are some changes to processes in school.
The school day starts at 09:05 and finishes at 15:30. However, the school day is staggered to meet the needs and to ensure the safety of all our pupils. See times below for pupils being brought to school by parents/carers or by LCC transport.
09:05 – for pupils arriving with their parents/carers or via a taxi
09:20 – for pupils arriving by LCC transport
Pupils are expected to be in school by 09:30.
The school day now ends:
14:55 - for pupils being collected by parents/carers or via a taxi
15:20 - for pupils being collected by LCC transport
If you visit school between 9.30am and 3.00pm you can park in any available space at the front of school or parking area of the driveway.
Transport
The local authority may provide your child with transport to and from school. If you would like to apply, please contact the education office for information on Tel: 01524 581195. Once transport has been arranged all transport enquiries will be dealt with by the transport office, Tel: 01772 685504.
Collection of pupils from school
Red Marsh School is committed to the welfare and safeguarding of students at all times. Most of the pupils attending school are transported to and from school by the local authority and therefore we may be unfamiliar with members of the family. On some occasions your child may need to be collected from school during the school day to attend an appointment or if he/she is unwell and needs to go home. If this situation occurs we need to be informed of the name of the person collecting your child and they will be required to show photographic identification at the school office. A mutually agreed password must also be used.
Please give advance notice and evidence (e.g. copy of appointment letter) of any appointments.
Absence Reporting
If you child is unwell and unable to attend school, please contact the school office by 9.30am on the first day of absence. If your child is absent for more than one day please keep the office updated on a daily basis.
Holiday / Attendance
School holiday dates for the academic year are available on the school website, www.redmarsh.lancs.sch.uk or available from the school office. A copy of the holiday dates is included within this pack.
Please note if for any reason your child is unable to attend school you must notify the school office. Holidays must NOT be taken during school time. Current legislation states that leave requests can only be accepted for exceptional circumstances.
School Meals
Pupils are encouraged to have a healthy school meal. All meals are cooked on the premises. Pupils may bring a healthy packed lunch if they do not wish to have a hot school meal. The current cost for school lunches is £2.20 per day/£11.00 per week. Please complete the enclosed form stating your child’s lunch time meal preference.
School Milk
Milk is available for your child to drink during each school day. Milk is free for all children under 5 and becomes chargeable on the term following their 5th birthday. Payments for milk can be made either termly or yearly, please see the attached order form for current prices. If you would like your child to have milk please complete the enclosed form.
School lunch and Milk Money
Dinner money and milk money should be sent into school in an envelope with the name of your child and the amount clearly written on the front. Dinner money can be paid each term or weekly. Milk money can be paid yearly or termly.
Many pupils are entitled to free school meals and milk, if you feel your child may be eligible for free school meals please contact the education office, tel: 01524 581207, or complete the enclosed form.
Universal Infant Free School Meals – All children between the ages of 4-7 are now entitled to free school meals as part of this government initiative. Please note, this does not entitle children to free school milk.
Charging for Activities
The school budget is not always sufficient to pay for the wide range of extra curricular activities we offer. Where costs cannot be found from the school budget we ask parents/carers for a voluntary contribution towards those costs.
Money
To ensure that money is safely transferred from home to school it is essential that all monies are placed in an envelope with your child’s name, class, amount and the purpose of the money, clearly written on the front of the envelope. In order to ensure the money reaches the office safely, all parent/carers must put a note in the home school diary stating that money is enclosed in the school bag.
Insurance
Whilst we do not advise that children bring personal belongings into school, the local authority have recommended that if pupils do bring valuable personal items into school, such as I-pads or mobile phones, parents need to ensure the item is covered under their household insurance or make arrangements for the items to be insured separately as schools are not insured for personal property.
Working with parents and carers
We have strong parental links, believing that parents/carers have a vital role to play in the life of the school and the education of their child.
Parents/carers are welcome to make an appointment to come into school at any time to speak with staff.
In order to facilitate communication between home and school, there is a home school diary that travels with each pupil every day.
There are also planned opportunities for parents/carers to discuss their child's progress; these include an annual review meeting, a parents evening and a ‘Meet and Greet the Staff’ evening.
There are opportunities for parents/carers to meet together and offer mutual support at regular Parent Point Meetings. In addition, we have a longstanding Parents Teachers and Friends Association.
We hold ‘Coffee and a Chat’ afternoons on a regular basis, all parents, carers and friends are always welcome to attend these afternoons which are a chance to meet and talk to other parents. On occasions there will also be various guest speakers at these afternoons.
Healthcare Team
We have a nurse on site on a daily basis. We also have members from the Speech & Language Therapy Team, Physiotherapy Team and Occupational Therapy Team who visit school on a weekly basis.
Policies
At school we have many policies, available on request or on the website. These include; Safeguarding, Attendance, Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy, and a Single Equality Scheme.
Care and Control
If a young person is in need of support and at risk of hurting themselves or others or if their behaviour disrupts good order in school or causes damage to property, staff who are trained in positive handling techniques will intervene. All staff will follow the schools behaviour and the care and control policy these may be viewed on request.
Homework
At Red Marsh School we value home school learning. Please see our website to view our homework policy by clicking on the policy tab.
Welcome Back Party
Each year we hold a welcome back party for all of the children and their parents/carers. Parents of children joining the school for the first time will receive complementary tickets for this event, on subsequent years there will be a small charge for tickets for both children and parents/carers. More details regarding this will be sent nearer the time of the event.
Parental Complaints Procedure
Parent/carers are always welcome to come into school to discuss any worries or concerns. If concerns are not addressed you should contact the headteacher. A leaflet explaining further complaints procedure is available from the school office.
