Important Information
Start of Day
School gates open at 8:45am, with the school day starting and registration at 8:50am.
End of Day
The school day ends at 3:20pm for Early Years and KS1 and 3:25pm for KS2pm. Children will be dismissed from their classroom doors. If you wish to speak to your child’s teacher at this point, please wait until all children have been dismissed.
In a typical week, the total time Lyminster Primary School is open amounts to 32.5 hours for EY & KS1 and 33 hours for KS2.
Absence Request
Regular attendance at school is essential for your child to achieve success at school. There is a clear link between poor attendance and low achievement. Every lesson really does count.
School starts at 8.50am with registration at 9.00am. Parents should advise the school office of an absence by 9.20am. If there has not been notification by that time, the school office will ring parents for the reason at close of registers. Failure to provide a valid reason for absence will result in your child having an unauthorised absence mark on their attendance record.
Fixed Penalty notices (fines) may be issued to parents/carers when there is unauthorised absence from school. Unauthorised absence is absence without permission from the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences. It also includes repeated late arrivals at school with no explanation. For further information about the issuing of Fixed Penalty Notices please read the attached leaflet.
Good regular attendance not only improves achievement, it helps cement friendship groups, and promotes better overall behaviour in school. Catching up even a small amount of school time can be difficult, often leading to anxiety and behaviour issues. Persistent lateness can have a similar effect, your child may miss the input to the start of a lesson, or be embarrassed coming into class alone. Lateness also disturbs the concentration/attention of the whole class.
We appreciate that in some circumstances absence is unavoidable, but are keen to discourage unnecessary absence i.e. Non-urgent appointments that could possibly be made out of school hours.
F.A.Q.
What is authorised absence?
Once your child is registered at school he/she can only legally miss school in very limited circumstances. For example:
When he/she is too ill to attend
Family bereavement
Emergency dental or medical appointments which cannot be arranged out of school hours
Religious festival observance
Attending off-site music or dance exams
What is an unauthorised absence?
Unauthorised absence is regarded as truancy.
For example:
- ~ Taking your child shopping or missing school for any other activity for which there is no serious reason for the absence.
- ~ Allowing your child to miss school for his/her or any other family member’s birthday.
- ~ Family holiday in term time.
- ~ Keeping your child away from school because a sibling’s school is closed for staff training or other purpose.
Will the school authorise a holiday if this can only be taken in term time, due to work commitments?
Government legislation with effect from 1st September 2013, states that head teachers can no longer authorise absence in term time. The recent Supreme Court Judgement clarifies that there is no automatic right to absence from school for the purposes of a holiday during term time and it remains the decision of the Headteacher as to whether absence is authorised or not.
School Uniform
It is our policy that all children should wear school uniform when attending school, or when participating in a school-organised event outside normal school hours.
It is based on the notion that a school uniform:
- ~ promotes a sense of pride in the school;
- ~ engenders a feeling of community and belonging;
- ~ is practical and smart;
- ~ identifies the children with the school;
- ~ makes children feel equal to their peers in terms of appearance;
- ~ is regarded as suitable, and good value for money, by most parents;
- ~ has been designed with health and safety in mind.
School Uniform
- ~ Red sweatshirt/cardigan
- ~ Grey trousers/shorts/skirts/pinafore dress
- ~ White shirt/blouse/polo shirt
- ~ White/Grey socks/tights
- ~ Red/White check dress
- ~ Black shoes, suitable for school (no trainers or open toe sandals)
- ~ Trainers are not suitable for everyday footwear.
PE Kit
- ~ Community colour logo t-shirt
- ~ Black shorts
- ~ Black plimsolls/TrainersCom
Uniform can be purchased direct from Felix Dance & Leisure Wear or Ricara Workwear & School Wear in Littlehampton.
Click on the following button to submit a uniform request form.
School Clubs
We endeavour to offer a wide variety of clubs for our pupils, the majority of these are run by school staff but we also offer activities lead by external providers. Most of our clubs will not operate during the first and last week of each Autumn, Spring and Summer term, but there are sometimes exceptions so check the club letters carefully. Whilst we endeavour to be reliable and consistent in our club provision, please bear in mind that school-clubs can sometimes be cancelled at short notice as we do not have the staffing capacity to substitute staff in the event of sickness or courses.
Clubs Timetable
Early Dragons Club
Lyminster runs an early morning club to support our parents who work or those with other early-morning commitments. The Early Dragons Club runs from 8:00am – 8:45 every school day (please be aware this means it will not be open on Inset days or school holidays).
The children play games and take part in other activities, before being escorted to their class. We do not provide breakfast, but it is a great way for your child to start school in a fun, calm and relaxed way.
The cost per session is £4.50 and places need to be booked a minimum of 24 hours in advance (please call the office if you suddenly find you need to book your child after this cut-off time and we will try to accommodate you if there is space).
Drinks
Please ensure that your child brings a full water bottle to school with them every day. These can be re-filled in the classroom as required.
Snacks
Please provided your child with a healthy snack for mid-morning. This will form part of their five-a-day, and should be some fruit, vegetable ‘sticks’ or other healthy alternative.
Lunches
The company most West Sussex schools use for school meals is Chartwells.
Using ParentPay, Chartwell’s online payment service, parents are able to select, book and pay securely (if required) for the exact meal options for their child.
To ensure a meal is available for your child, all lunches including universal infant free school meals and free school meals are to be ordered by midnight on Thursday, at least 10 days in advance of the week they are required.
Click here to view the latest menus.
All the meals (whether UIFSM or paid meals) will need to be ordered using the online ordering system. The current cost of each meal is £2.97.
Does you child qualify for free school meals?
All children in Year Reception Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to a free meal under the Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme (UIFSM). Meals are also free for those children in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 if they are entitled to Free School Meals. UIFSM is not the same as Free School Meals; if you think your child may be eligible for Free School Meals, it is vital that you make a claim for this as it will benefit your child directly.
Free School Meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of state Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
Do one of the following:
- ~ Click here to check their eligibility;
- ~ Complete the Free School Meal Application form;
- ~ Click on this link to apply: Free School Meals – West Sussex County Council;
- ~ Contact the school office.
English