First session 8.55 a.m. – 12.20 p.m.
Lunch 12.20 p.m.– 1.15 p.m.
Afternoon session 1.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
The playground is supervised from 8.30 a.m.
Absence
If your son/daughter is poorly, just give us a quick ring on the first day of absence to let us know – reception is manned from 8.30 a.m., or send an email to office@dinglewell-jun.gloucs.sch.uk/leave a message on our answerphone. If no explanation is received, we ‘phone parents for the safety of the children. On return to school, just send a short note to the
teacher confirming the reason for absence.
If children need to arrive or leave school other than at normal time (e.g. for a medical or dental appointment), please let us know beforehand (and book lunch with meal choice if required), and sign them out/in at reception. We hope we never have to use it, but this log could be vital in an emergency.
Holidays
The 2013 amendment to the education regulations removes all references to family holidays. The amendment makes it quite clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during the term time unless there are exceptional circumstances (absence request forms are available from reception). Dates of school holidays and inservice days are made known to parents in good time (see Parents – Term Dates).
Free School Meal Applications
We encourage parents in receipt of income support or other means tested benefits to register their child for free school meals, even if they don’t want the child to receive a meal. We receive additional funds for each and every child who has made a successful application for a free school meal, which provides more opportunities and valuable support for their learning.
We appreciate that some parents do not claim free school meals as they feel that they can cope without, or have concerns that their child may be singled out by others. Please let us assure you that our system does not differentiate in any way between children receiving free or paid school meals.
Please follow the link http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/educationgrants to make an application, or if you have any questions please contact the Transport & Benefits Team on 01452-425434/425390 or email edsupport@gloucestershire.gov.uk. Alternatively, you are welcome to talk in complete confidence to our Pastoral Manager, Mrs. Sarah Baker.
Applications can be completed online, posted to the Transport & Benefits Team, Shire Hall, Westgate Street, Gloucester GL1 2TP, or handed in to the school office if you prefer – we will deal with everything else, it’s as simple as that! Please make a claim and use your entitlement – it is a pity to waste it.
Meals and snacks
School meals are prepared on the premises by the County caterers, and there is a choice of menu available each day – children make their choice at morning registration. We offer a flexible daily service, where only meals taken are charged – just make sure that your son/daughter clearly knows whether she/he is having a school meal that day. ParentPay online is the only day-to-day method of payment for school meals (exceptions are made for special events e.g. Christmas dinner) – school office staff will supply you with a username, password and quick start-up guide on request (see Parents-Useful Links).
Please note that school meal credit is extended for one day only, and we encourage parents in receipt of income support or other means tested benefits to register for free school meals, even if they do not wish their children to receive a meal (see Free School Meal applications above).
Facilities are provided for children to eat a packed lunch brought from home. We ask that all children are provided with a drinks bottle, so they can refill it from our filtered water machines during the day. Parents can register children for school milk through the subsidised Cool Milk scheme (no payment is required for children in receipt of free school meals – see Parents –Useful Links).
At morning break, the children can bring a snack to keep them going until lunchtime. We ask that ‘healthy’ snacks are provided – perhaps fruit, breadsticks or ‘healthy bars’. We ask everyone not to send crisps, chocolate or sweets, we know it is difficult for parents when others have them.
Medicines, Medical Conditions and Accidents
Everyone in school has basic first aid training, and we have fully qualified first-aiders too. Most importantly, we ask for an up-to-date contact number for you on our admissions form, so poorly children can go home if they need to. It may sound a bit obvious, but we also ask parents to remind children to make sure they tell us if they are injured or feel unwell at school, so that we can look after them.
From time to time your son/daughter may need to take a prescribed medicine during the day. We ask that medicines are not kept in children’s bags or pockets for obvious reasons. Office staff will look after medicines for you and administer according to your written instructions on a signed form (available from reception), or you can pop into school at break or lunchtime if you prefer to do it yourself. If your son/daughter needs access to an inhaler for asthma, this is kept in the classroom by the teacher ready for use. If the asthma is severe, we have an emergency school inhaler which can be used as a backup with your consent - come and see us about this, or if your child has a specific medical condition, e.g. nut allergy, so that we can make arrangements for medication or emergencies in school.
Help us to prevent accidents by not allowing youngsters to ride their
Messages
Reception is manned between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m., but schools are busy places and you may reach our answerphone from time to time. If so, please leave your message and ask us to confirm safe receipt if you are anxious – the answerphone is checked regularly through the day.
If children can’t find the person who is meeting them after school, we ask them to come back into school and tell the office staff or a teacher so that we can look after them until you arrive. We have notices around the school to jog the memory, but please remind them at home, too.
Music Tuition
We currently offer guitar, flute, clarinet, recorder and violin lessons in school, and if your son/daughter would like to learn to play one of these instruments, or join a music technology group, office staff can arrange this for you and provide you with the necessary information (charges are reduced for parents of children in receipt of free school meals – see Key Information – Policies – Charging for Music).
Uniform
Our school sweatshirts (with logo) are stocked at the National Schoolwear Centre, 99 Northgate Street, Gloucester GL1 2AA, tel. 01452-413339. The shop is open weekdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They also stock P.E. t-shirts with logos in house colours: yellow for Jenner, red for Potter and green for Whittington. Each class is assigned to a house on entry to the school, and we will let you know which colour to buy. If you would prefer to buy sweatshirts/jumpers/P.E. t-shirts without logos from somewhere else, please feel free to do so.
Boys White or grey shirt
Grey shorts or long trousers
Maroon sweatshirt/jumper
Sensible shoes
Girls White blouse
Grey skirt
Grey or black trousers
Maroon sweatshirt/cardigan/jumper
Sensible shoes
Red & white check summer dress (optional)
P.E. Kit House t-shirt/polo shirt in yellow, red or green
Girls & Boys Black/navy shorts
Tracksuit
Plimsolls
We ask that jewellery is not worn for physical activities. We also ask that hair colour is kept natural, tied back for P.E./swimming, with haircuts appropriate in length/style. Any type of bag/rucksack can be brought to school for daily use, but please can size be kept to a minimum because cloakroom storage space is limited. The National Schoolwear Centre also stocks rucksacks or bookbags with logo if you prefer to buy these. Mobile ‘phones and cameras should not be brought to school, but we understand that families need to keep in touch, so if there are special reasons they should be brought to reception before school, clearly named, and collected at the end of the school day. We encourage children to bring sunhats and suncream in hot weather. All children can bring spare jogging bottoms and trainers to school to play on the field at lunchtime, with written permission from parents. Please name all items of clothing - unnamed items become lost property , which is in reception. Please check here for missing items.
Other Information
We have a Pastoral Support Manager in school, Mrs. Sarah Baker, and parents are welcome to see her before or after school for any family problems you feel she may be able to help with. She is trained to provide this, and works with children in school and partner agencies to provide support for families. We can also put you in touch with the school nurse for help and advice on health issues.
Community & school events, activities, facilities and services are on display in reception – please help yourself to leaflets. Our weekly newsletters contain general information and dates for your diary or calendar (see News & Events – Newsletters), and will keep you updated about events and activities in school.