FAQs & Useful Documents

FAQ EYFS – Year 6

What is the length of the school day?  

Foundation Stage, Y1 & Y2 start at 8.40am and finish at 3.10pm Y3 & Y4 start at 8.50am and finish at 3.20pm Y5 & Y6 start at 9am and finish at 3.30pm

Foundation Stage enter by the main school gate and are dropped off at the FS play area. The adult then follows the red arrows out of the FS play area and around the school building following the one way system. Y1-Y6 enter via the middle gates (at the allocated time) and follow the yellow arrows and get dropped off at their classroom door, however Mrs Wilford’s class use the external stairs and Miss Dowson’s class enter via the ICT suite doors. The adult then follows the red arrows around the school building following the one way system.

What are the rules for transfer of care at the end of the day? 

You will be given a form to fill in (Transfer of Care Form) to let us know to whom we have permission to release your child eg parents, childminder, nursery, friends etc.  It is important to keep this list up to date, please advise us if anything changes.   We shall dismiss the children from the external class door into the care of an authorised adult.

Is there provision for before / after school care?

We have introduced very competitively priced childcare for before school (8-9.00am) and after school (3.305.30pm). This is called Wrap Around Care -we refer to it as WAC- and you need to register an interest for your child and identify which sessions you need.  Places are limited as we have to adhere to a strict staff: student ratio.  If you would like further information please contact the school office on 01748 822794.

Where do I park my car when I pick up or drop my child?

We do hope you are able to walk to school if you live nearby. If you need to use your car you will need to park on Darlington Road or the surrounding area, but do be careful as restrictions apply.  Please do not use the bus bays or obstruct the pedestrian crossing.   The school car park is only available to those with an agreed need and for safety reasons the gates are locked from 8.30am until the last children have left at the end of the day.

Which access do we use?

Please use the two sets of pedestrian gates at the front of school.

What happens if we are late to school?

Our school gates are closed promptly at 9.00am and you will not be able to access the rear of school.   Please enter via the front office and ensure office staff note the arrival of your child.  This is to ensure that your child is marked present in the register in case of emergency and also to ensure a school meal is booked if required.

What happens if you want a quick word with the Teacher?

If it is an urgent matter affecting the welfare of your child please talk to the member of staff on the gate/door when you come into school or at the end of the day. However, if the teacher and teaching assistant are busy, you may ask to see them at a later, more convenient time.  You can request an appointment via tapestry, Dojo or the office.

If my child is ill what should I do?

Please remember to ring school from 8.00am and leave a message. We need to know the reason for the absence of any child(ren) and rely on you to provide this information promptly. If you know how long your child will be absent you can inform us of this, if not please ring each day of the absence.

What happens if my child becomes ill at school?

If your child becomes ill whilst at school we will use the emergency contact number you have provided on the admission form to contact you. In emergencies we may need to call an ambulance. In such cases, which are rare, we will contact the necessary service, then contact parents. If your child receives a bump to the head or an injury at school requiring first aid we will contact you by text (if minor accident) or by phone (if the accident is more serious). If your child(ren) has a case of sickness or diarrhoea then we require them to be free from incident for at least 24hrs before they return to school.

What if my child needs medicine at school?

If your child has a medical condition which requires medication we will ask you to complete a consent form.  We will record details of when and by whom medicine is administered.  This includes antibiotics, inhalers etc.  Medicine needs to have been prescribed by a doctor, be stored in the original container, be in date, and have the child’s details on it. Please do not put any medicines in your child’s bag.  All medicines are stored safely in the classroom or fridge if required.

How is information provided to parents?

We endeavour to be paper-free and mainly communicate via email.  You will receive regular information from class teachers letting you know what topics the children are working on.  General letters including newsletters are published on the school’s website. www.richmondmethodist.n-yorks.sch.uk. Here you will also find details of holiday and diary dates. We send individual messages by text / email (ParentMail pmx).  Teachers will also update you via Tapestry and Dojo.

How do I receive information about my child’s progress and welfare?

There are Parent Teacher consultations (PTCs) in October and March. There are also occasional open afternoons where you can come into school to look at your child’s work and their classroom.  Written reports are given in July with the option to consult the teacher on issues arising from the report.  If you need to talk to someone about other issues do not hesitate to contact the class teacher.

How can I support my child’s learning?

You are already experts at this. Use all the time you can to talk and engage them in learning as they do things at home and as they search for answers to the questions they have. You will get a weekly message from the teacher about things they want you to help with. There are some activities sent home, which include words to learn and reading. Take all opportunities you can to enjoy fun activities with them that help them in these tasks. Later we will provide information about how you can support their learning in literacy and numeracy.  Before your child starts school, do all you can to help them develop skills that will support them whilst at school, for example, to ask for what they need, fastening buttons, toilet training, etc.

What does my child need every day?

A waterproof coat, suitable outdoor shoes, a bottle of water and a book bag with any books or home work.  In wet weather it is useful to have waterproof boots and a change of shoes for indoors (eg plimsoles).  In hot weather please remember to apply suncream before school and remember to bring a sunhat. Sometimes spare underwear is a good idea. Please remember to label everything clearly with your child’s name, including shoes!

Can my child bring a snack to school?

Children in Nursery and Infant classes have access to a healthy snack, supplied by school, each day.  This consists of a piece of fruit eg apple, banana, pear etc.   All children can bring a healthy snack from home if they wish to.  We recommend fruit or other healthy items with a healthy low sugar and fat content (so avoid items with red or amber sugar and fat indicator level).  Please do not send chocolate or sweets. We encourage plain water rather than juice.  Please also note that we are a nut free school so please don’t send any items containing nuts. 

What does my child need for PE?

A plain white t-shirt, black shorts and plimsoles/trainers, all labelled with child’s name/ class, all available from high street stores.  If you wish to you can order a kit (comprising T-shirt with embroidered school logo, black shorts and nylon bag) direct from our school uniform provider. Juniors also require an outdoor PE kit containing dark coloured tracksuit bottoms and a dark jacket/hoodie, along with a white t-shirt and trainers.

How do I purchase uniform?

This will be available to order on the induction evening or from our uniform supplier’s website. http://school-shop.co.uk

How do I order school meals?

The food for our school lunches is locally sourced and prepared on the premises. It is a healthy balanced meal which we hope is also tempting to children. Please consult the menu on our website. It runs on a three weekly cycle and changes at the start of each new term. Infants (Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2) are entitled to a school provided meal free of charge under the Government initiative “Universal Infant Free School Meals”.  Junior meals must be paid for in advance.  You can pay online via ParentPay (login details will be provided) or by debit card at the school office.  Pre-paid meals not taken due to absence will not be charged for.

Can you explain the ‘Key Stage’ system?

Foundation Stage In this school these are the children who are 4 to 5 years old.  It is sometimes referred to as Reception class.   Key Stage 1 (Infants) These are children in Years 1 and 2.    Key Stage 2 (Juniors) These are children in Years 3 to 6.

FAQ Nursery

What is the length of the school day?

School starts at 9.00am (arrive from 8.40am) and ends at 3pm (you would collect from the school office) or 3.30pm (collecting from classroom door) depending on what time you have chosen. If you have chosen a morning session they go home at 12.00pm.   Please bring your Nursery child to the FS play area and the doors will be open at 8.40am, there is a one way system around the school. So please follow the red arrows and exit by walking around the school site.

 

What are the rules for transfer of care at the end of the day? 

You will be given a form to fill in (Transfer of Care Form) to let us know to whom we have permission to release your child eg parents, childminder, nursery, friends etc.  It is important to keep this list up to date, please advise us if anything changes.   We shall dismiss the children from the external class door or the office (depending on the time), into the care of an authorised adult.  

 

Is there provision for before / after school care? 

We have introduced very competitively priced childcare for before school (8-9.00am) and after school (3.305.30pm). This is called Wrap Around Care -we refer to it as WAC- this is just for Nursery children and they will be cared for by the nursery staff. You can use your 15/30hrs towards this.

 

Where do I park my car when I pick up or drop my child? 

We do hope you are able to walk to school if you live nearby. If you need to use your car you will need to park on Darlington Road or the surrounding area, but do be careful as restrictions apply.  Please do not use the bus bays or obstruct the pedestrian crossing.   The school car park is only available to those with an agreed need and for safety reasons the gates are locked from 8.30am until the last children have left at the end of the day.

 

Which access do we use? 

Please use the pedestrian gate at the front of school, there is a one way system in place and you follow the arrows around the school.

 

What happens if we are late to school? 

Our school gates are closed promptly at 9.00am and you will not be able to access the rear of school.   Please enter via the front office and ensure office staff note the arrival of your child.  This is to ensure that your child is marked present in the register in case of emergency and also to ensure a school meal is booked if required.

 

What happens if you want a quick word with the Teacher? 

If it is an urgent matter affecting the welfare of your child please talk to the member of staff on the gate/door when you come into school or at the end of the day. However, if the teacher and teaching assistant are busy, you may ask to see them at a later, more convenient time.  You can request an appointment via tapestry or the office.

 

If my child is ill what should I do? 

Please remember to ring school from 8.00am and leave a message. We need to know the reason for the absence of any child(ren) and rely on you to provide this information promptly. If you know how long your child will be absent you can inform us of this, if not please ring each day of the absence.

 

What happens if my child becomes ill at school? 

If your child becomes ill whilst at school we will use the emergency contact number you have provided on the admission form to contact you. In emergencies we may need to call an ambulance. In such cases, which are rare, we will contact the necessary service, then contact parents. If your child receives a bump to the head or an injury at school requiring first aid we will contact you by text (if minor accident) or by phone (if the accident is more serious). If your child(ren) has a case of sickness or diarrhoea then we require them to be free from incident for at least 48hrs before they return to school.

 

What if my child needs medicine at school? 

If your child has a medical condition which requires medication we will ask you to complete a consent form.  We will record details of when and by whom medicine is administered.  This includes antibiotics, inhalers etc.  Medicine needs to have been prescribed by a doctor, be stored in the original container, be in date, and have the child’s details on it. Please do not put any medicines in your child’s bag.  All medicines are stored safely in the classroom or fridge if required.  

 

How is information provided to parents? 

We endeavour to be paper-free and mainly communicate via email.  You will receive regular information from Foundation Stage teachers letting you know what topics the children are working on.  General letters including newsletters are published on the school’s website. www.richmondmethodist.n-yorks.sch.uk. Here you will also find details of holiday and diary dates. We send individual messages by text / email (ParentMail pmx).  Teachers will also update you via Tapestry.  

 

How do I receive information about my child’s progress and welfare? 

There are Parent Teacher consultations (PTCs) in October and March. There are also occasional open afternoons where you can come into school to look at your child’s work and their classroom.  Written reports are given in July with the option to consult the teacher on issues arising from the report.  If you need to talk to someone about other issues do not hesitate to contact the class teacher via Tapestry.

 

How can I support my child’s learning? 

You are already experts at this. Use all the time you can to talk and engage them in learning as they do things at home and as they search for answers to the questions they have. You will get a weekly message from the teacher about things they want you to help with. There are some activities sent home, which include words to learn and reading. Take all opportunities you can to enjoy fun activities with them that help them in these tasks. Later we will provide information about how you can support their learning in literacy and numeracy.  Before your child starts school, do all you can to help them develop skills that will support them whilst at school, for example, to ask for what they need, fastening buttons, toilet training, etc.

 

What does my child need every day?  

A waterproof coat, suitable outdoor shoes, a bottle of water and a book bag with any books or home work.  In wet weather it is useful to have waterproof boots and a change of shoes for indoors (eg plimsoles).  In hot weather please remember to apply suncream before school and remember to bring a sunhat. Sometimes spare underwear is a good idea. Please remember to label everything clearly with your child’s name, including shoes!

 

What does my child need for PE? 

A plain white t-shirt, black shorts and plimsoles, all labelled with child’s name/class, all available from high street stores.  If you wish to you can order a kit (comprising T-shirt with embroidered school logo, black shorts and nylon bag) direct from our school uniform provider.  

 

How do I purchase uniform? 

This will be available to order from our uniform supplier’s website. http://school-shop.co.uk

Below you will find some Useful Documents and Forms that can be viewed at the click of a button.