The School Day
The classes at Godinton Primary School are organised into three ‘mini schools’:
Lower School – Years R (Reception) and 1
Middle School – Years 2 and 3
Upper School – Years 4, 5 and 6
In Lower School, classes are currently named after Kentish fruits, in Middle School after Kentish apples and Upper School after hops.
The school has two classes in each year group, with the exception of the Reception classes which have 4 registration groups of 15 children.
All the children in the school and divided into 4 houses. Each house is named after an Olympic athlete:
Reds - Adlington
Greens - Hoy
Blues - Daly
Yellows - Holmes
School Times
Please note that the school site is open to staff from 7.15 am to 6.00 pm
UpperSchool (Years 4, 5 and 6)
Morning Session 1:9.00 a.m. - 10.10 a.m.
Morning Session 2:10.25 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
Afternoon Session: 1.30 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Middle School (Years 2 and 3)
Morning Session 1:9.00 a.m. - 10.10 a.m.
Morning Session 2:10.25 a.m. – 12.00 p.m.
Afternoon Session: 1.00 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
YEAR 2 HAVE AN AFTERNOON BREAK FROM 2.00 – 2.15 p.m
LowerSchool (Years R and 1)
Morning Session 1:9.00 a.m. - 10.10 a.m.
Morning Session 2:10.25 a.m. – 11.30 p.m.
Afternoon Session: 12.40 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
YEAR 1 HAVE AN AFTERNOON BREAK FROM 2.00 – 2.15 p.m
Children Coming to School in the Morning
Children should not arrive in School before 8.40 a.m. A member of the senior management team will be on the playground from 8.40 onwards. At 8.50 staff in Years R, 1, 4, 5 and 6 open their rear doors for children to come into school. Children in years 2 and 3 come into school via the external door next to the staff room which is opened by a member of the SMT at 8.50. This facilitates a sharp start to the school day and relieves pressure on cloakroom areas. Staff must be in their classrooms from 8.50 a.m.
For the first few days of the academic year parents of Reception pupils may accompany their children to the cloakrooms, but we discourage this practice as the term progresses. Parents should not be bringing buggies into the school. In bad weather a message over the tannoy at 8.40 a.m will announce whether children are to be allowed into school. If this is the case, staff are required to be in their classrooms from 8.40am to supervise the pupils.
Registration is taken in all classrooms. In each Register there is a copy of details of how to mark the Register. Any child who is not present in the classroom by 9.05 a.m. will be marked absent/late. The completed register is sent to the School Office with a child. Please deliver the registers by 9.15 a.m. at the latest. The dinner register should also be completed. Staff should only mark in when a child who is due to have dinners (which will already be indicated in the register) is absent.
Assemblies
Assemblies are very much part of the School Day and provide an opportunity to enhance the Community life and atmosphere of the School. Assemblies are organised so that at least part of our Religious Education goes into them. It is also a time when general school matters can be discussed, where everyone hears exactly the same message.
Assemblies are organised in the following way. They all include an act of collective worship.
Monday-2.15 pm – 2.35 pm Lower school led by SMT
2.40 pm – 3.00 pmUpper and Middle School led by SMT
These assemblies focus on introducing the whole school target of the week, which is displayed on the board in the hall and in classrooms.
Tuesday-2.15 pm – 2.35 pm Whole School led by Head
Wednesday-2.15 pm – 2.35 pmLower School collective worship /
singing practise
2.40 pm – 3.00 pmUpper and Middle School act of
Collective worship and singing
practise
Thursday-2.15 pm – 2.35 pm Lower school celebration assembly
2.40 pm – 3.00 pm Upper and Middle School celebration
assembly
Friday-2.40 pm – 3.00 pm Whole School
Classes take it in turns to lead the Friday assembly. House point totals for the week are also celebrated.
At all times ensure that the children arrive for assemblies promptly and in silence. They should be taken down to the hall by the class teacher. They should sit in their class groups and listen to the music whilst waiting for the assembly to begin. At the end of the assembly they should leave the hall quietly when asked to do so by the assembly leader. Staff are asked to stay in during the celebration assemblies and the whole school assembly on a Friday.
Seating arrangements for assemblies
Children sit in rows in assembly facing the front with year R at the front and Year 6 at the back on benches. Year 6 monitors set up chairs for staff and benches in the hall.
Playtimes/Duties
Teaching staff complete playtime duties based on a weekly rota; one playground duty per week is completed by teaching assistants. Staff in Year 1 and 2 complete three duties per week and staff in Years 3-6 two duties. Staff do not complete lunchtime duties. The playtime duty rota is displayed on the Staff Room Notice Board. There is also a duty rota for indoor wet play.
Staff should only use lidded thermal cups for hot drinks on the playground.
Play Areas
On sunny/dry days all children may access the playground and field area during playtime. Staff will arrange with their colleagues on duty which areas they will supervise to ensure good coverage. At least one member of staff should remain on the playground.
On days when the grass is wet or damp, children will be allowed on the playground only. Years R and 1 play on the small playground, all other year groups will use the larger playground area. Staff on duty will supervise the children on the large climbing apparatus. A rota is in place for classes to use the play equipment on the large playground.
Teaching Assistants on duty each breaktime will ensure that they are the first members of staff out on duty promptly just prior to the start of break time. They should also be the last members of staff to come in from break allowing teachers to return to their classes. Teaching staff on duty must be out promptly.
For safety reasons, the following areas are out of bounds at all times, unless supervised
- Car Park and front of school
- Perimeter bushes
- Conservation Areas including the pond
End of break routine
The teachers on duty will send children in by verbally informing the children that it is the end of break. There is no whistle or bell. Children should walk quietly and sensibly back to their class. Teachers must not leave the playground unsupervised, and one of the teachers on duty should be the last to leave the playground, once all of the children have entered the school, ensuring that any external doors are closed as they do so.
Accidents at Playtime
If a child is badly injured during playtime, a teacher on duty must send the child, accompanied by another teacher or an older child (depending on the seriousness of the injury) to a first aider for treatment. Minor injuries should be treated on the playground, medical supplies in a ‘bum-bag’ should be taken out by staff on duty. These are kept in the staff room. Staff should ensure that the accident book is filled in, if appropriate. This is kept in the school office. A slip should also be completed for the child to take home. The Class Teacher should also be made aware of the injury as this may affect the child during the rest of the day.
Please refer to accident and illness procedure on page 10
Behaviour at Playtime
In cases when a child has become upset at playtime because of an unpleasant incident, the Class Teacher should be made aware of what has happened.
Teachers on duty can handle the majority of discipline problems. However, when an incident is unresolved by the end of playtime, the pupils involved should be escorted to the Head Teacher (in his absence; the Deputy Headteacher or Assistant Headteachers) so that the matter may be resolved. Wherever possible we should try to avoid a situation where pupils are going back to their Class with an unresolved issue on their mind. Red or yellow cards should be given for inappropriate behaviour – see further info on page 12 and in appendix 7.
Snacks and Drinks
Pupils may bring healthy snacks to eat at break time. On a Monday to Thursday this should be fruit or vegetables, Friday may be a different type of healthy snack. Children are not permitted to eat crisps, sweets, chocolate bars etc at break. There are no water fountains outside or in the toilets therefore children are encouraged to take their water bottles outside with them.
Infant children are given a free piece of fruit in the afternoon. The bags of fruit are collected daily from the school office by class monitors.
Toilets at Playtime
Children should ask permission to come into school to use the toilets at break time.
Wet Playtimes
Wherever possible pupils should be given opportunity for an outdoor playtime, but in cases of heavy rain, snow or extreme weather conditions the Assistant Headteachers will decide whether playtime should be indoors and all classes will receive a message regarding this. If this is the case the pupils will stay in, or return to, their classrooms. Class Teachers should regularly brief pupils about what they can and cannot do at wet playtime. Generally, pupils should be encouraged to engage in a quiet, sitting down activity. Class Teachers must stay with their classes for the first 5 minutes of a wet playtime and allow pupils to go to the toilet. When all pupils have returned to their classroom the Class Teacher will hand them over to the Duty Teacher who will circulate the classrooms. Pupils should not then leave their classrooms without the permission of the Duty Teacher. A wet playtime rota is displayed on the wall in the staff room.
Use of scissors, woodworking tools, needles etc. is not allowed at playtime or lunchtime unless a Class Teacher is present.
Lunchtime organisation
Arrangements
The timetable for lunch sittings is shown in Appendix 1. Years 5 and 6 go out to play first and are then called into the dining hall at an appropriate time between 12.40 and 12.50. All other classes are led down to the hall by their teachers. The midday supervisors oversee the seating of the children in the hall.
Children then go out to play once they have eaten their lunch.
Supervision
Lunchtime Supervisors provide the overall supervision of pupils during lunchtime. Frequently the HT or DHT are also out on the playground or in the dining hall. The remaining school staff are not on duty at lunchtime but class teachers may be available for advice if necessary. Teachers are permitted to leave the school site during their lunch hour.
Children staying in at lunchtimes
Children are not permitted to stay in the classrooms at lunchtime unless a class teacher is present or unless they are doing a specific job in which case they should be given a lunch pass by the classteacher. No more than 3 children in any class should be given a lunch pass at any one time.
Selecting Food
As part of our Food Policy, pupils are taught about a balanced diet and the Kitchen Staff will help pupils to choose a balanced meal. Lunchtime Supervisors on duty in the dining area encourage children to eat the food they have chosen with good manners.
Staff may purchase school dinners. More information about this is available from the school office.
Packed Lunches
If a class teacher is aware that a child has forgotten their packed lunch, parents may be contacted or arrangements made via the School Office for a school meal to be provided.
Hygiene and Clothing
All children should have washed their hands before entering the dining areas at lunchtime.
Behaviour at Lunchtime
Pupils are encouraged to move carefully and talk quietly in dining areas. Pupils are encouraged to display good manners to each other. Wherever possible, Lunchtime Supervisors will praise good manners. Lunchtime Supervisors will report both excellent behaviour and poor behaviour to the relevant class teacher who will then decide whether or not to implement the class discipline procedure. It is important that children are not allowed to go inside at lunchtime as they are not supervised. The only exceptions being
- to go to the dining room for their lunch
- to use the toilet
- to hang up or collect clothing
- to go to clubs/music lessons
No child should leave the school grounds for any reason unless with their parent or a nominated person. Prior agreement should be made with the class teacher and any child due to leave school at lunchtime will need to go to the school office. No unauthorised person is allowed into the playground. It is the responsibility of all teachers and lunchtime supervisors to approach any strangers in the playground and to ask them to report to the school office to obtain a visitor’s badge.
End of Lunchtime
Lower school
LowerSchool children will start coming out on to the playground at 11.45. They should go straight to the small playground. They will then be told by lunchtime staff whether they will be allowed on the field. At 12.40 the supervisors will sound a single whistle to alert the children to the end of their lunchtime. The children will head back into school.
Middle and Upper school
After finishing their lunch in the hall, middle and upper school children should make their way outside for playtime. At 1.00 a double whistle will sound to alert the middle school children to the end of their lunch time. The children will lead back into school. At 1.30 Upper School children will be told by the supervisors that it is the end of their lunchtime and will lead back into school.
Wet Lunchtimes
Wherever possible, pupils should be given opportunity for an outdoor lunchtime, but in cases of heavy rain or snow the Lunchtime Supervisors will decide whether children should remain indoors. Class Teachers should regularly brief pupils about what they can and cannot do at wet lunchtime. Generally pupils should be encouraged to engage in a quiet sitting down activity.
Use of scissors, woodworking tools, needles etc. is not allowed at playtime or lunchtime unless a Class Teacher is present.
If bad weather starts during lunchtime, it will be the responsibility of the Lunchtime Supervisors to follow procedures as if it were the end of a playtime/lunchtime.
The End of the Day
All pupils are dismissed at 3.15 p.m. Staff will ensure that the children are dressed correctly and leave School in an orderly manner. Staff should be available at this time of the day to talk with parents if required but parents are to be encouraged to make appointments where possible, especially if a concern may take some time to discuss and resolve.
Staff of children in Years R and 1 dismiss children from the classroom door, ensuring that no child is released until the class teacher has seen the child’s parents or the nominated person who is collecting them that evening. Year 2 and 3 are escorted onto the playground by their class teacher. Years 4, 5 and 6 are released from their classroom via external doors.
On occasions it may be necessary to keep pupils behind to tidy up or discuss behaviour. This should be kept to a minimum time as parents may be waiting.
Staff should do their best to organise the day so that pupils are READY TO LEAVE the classroom at 3.15 i.e. all clearing away, coat collecting etc should be competed by this time. This dramatically reduces risk of any problems in cloakroom areas after school and also reduces parent frustration.
Because of the risk of any kind of false allegations against a teacher, it is not advisable to keep a pupil in the classroom on their own. It is recommended that you also ask another child to stay behind to help tidy up etc
Extended Schools – Clubs, After school club and Breakfast club
Some children will attend the Godinton After School Club which is on our site child care facility, held in the after school mobile classroom to the rear of the school hall. This runs from 3.15 – 5.45. This is managed and run by the charity Kent Play Clubs. Most children will be able to make their own way to the club after school but some younger children may need support doing this from their teacher or teaching assistant in the first instance.
Children attending any after school will be given details of where to go etc by the teacher running the particular activity.
A breakfast club runs from Monday to Friday from 7.50 – 8.40 on the school premises. Children will be sent by the breakfast club staff to their classrooms at the end of the session.
Teaching staff are expected to run an after school, lunchtime or before school club. A list of clubs is sent out to parents every other term. Staff are responsible for sending permission slips and information out to parents regarding their clubs. Some clubs are also run on a voluntary basis by support staff. We also host some clubs led by external providers.