Frequently Asked Questions

We appreciate that parents/carers who are new to our school will have many questions and concerns. Staff at the school are often asked questions in relation to your child’s education, school timings, procedures and a myriad of other topics. We wont have answered them all here of course but we have provided answers below to our most commonly asked questions in the hope that parents are able to find information they are looking for quickly without having to take time out to contact the school. If your particular question is not answered here then please do contact the school via our Contact Us page.
Attendance
Timekeeping
What are school opening and closing times?
School starts at 9:00 am each day and all pupils will be ready to pick up in the afternoon at 3:15pm each day.

During the day in order to ease congestion in the canteen for example there are slightly different timings for Reception/EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. You can view detailed timings for each group on The School Day information page.

There are a few occasions such as end of term days where the pick up time maybe be earlier. All of these occasions are listed on our comprehensive events listings to be found on the Home page & also on the News & Events page.

What do I do if my child is late to school?
Take child to the main office and sign them in on the computer and inform our administrator Miss Whalley. The child can then go to class.
What do I do if I am going to late in collecting my child?
There are times when parents are late collecting their child from school, if this is going to happen we ask that school is informed and the expected delay is given.

If a child is not collected and no reason is given they will go to Out of School Club and be charged in accordance with their charging policy.

If a child is still not collected, Children’s Social Care will be contacted.

Can I send someone else to pick up my child?
If you need someone else to come to school to collect your children please speak to the class teacher in the morning or leave a message with Mrs Whalley in the office. Each child has a data overview sheet with people who are allowed to collect them.
How do I report my child's absence from school?
Telephone school on the day of the absence before 9.30am and inform our administrator Miss Whalley . A message can be left on the answer machine if she is not available.
When are the school holidays?
Full details for the current and next years term dates can be found on our Term Dates information page.
Can I take my child on holiday during term time?
The short answer is No. Attending school is a compulsory obligation that parents must adhere to and therefore you should avoid taking your child out of school. If you wish to have a special case considered then you are required to complete a request for leave of absence form which can be requested from the school office.

The school has a policy around attendance where full details of the requirements and penalties can be found.

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Attendance Policy
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How will I be informed if there is an enforced school closure?

On the very rare occasion that the school needs to close we will inform all parents via text. Information will also be shared via text message and the Lancashire Unavoidable School Closure Site.

Meals
Drinks
How long do the children get to eat lunch?
Children in Reception/EYFS have one hour for their lunch, the rest of the school has 50 minutes. Full details of the timings can be found on our School Day information page.
How much is a school dinner?

School dinners cost £2.30 per meal and can be paid weekly, monthly or by term. To see if you are eligible for Free School Meals please visit our School Meals information page for full details.

What is the number for claiming Free School Meals?
The number for claiming Free School Meals is 01254 220709 – full details to check your eligibility to claim Free School Meals can be found on the School Meals information page.
How much is milk?

£30 per year, this is only provided for KS1 and EYFS children.

Is drinking water available?
Children have access to drinking water in school. We have a water fountain that children can use for a drink and drinking cups in each classroom.
What should I put in my child's packed lunch?
We encourage children to bring a healthy lunch to school which could include items such as fruit, vegetables, pasta or rice salads, yoghurts.

We ask that children do not bring nuts to school as some children in school have allergies.

hot drinks and soup is not permitted.

Its my child birthday, can I send in sweets/treats?
We are a healthy school and we ask that children do not bring cakes, sweets or treats into school.
School
Uniform
Where can I buy branded school uniform from?

School uniform is available to buy from Jean Junction at Nelson https://www.jeanjunction.com/pages/colne-park-primary 

Phone: 01282 616442

Email:sales@jeanjunction.com

35 Scotland Road Nelson BB9 7UT

 

Can my child wear jewellery in school?
We ask that pupils do not wear jewellery in school.

Small stud earrings can be worn but these must be removed by pupils on PE days. If your child can not remove their own earrings we ask that they do not wear them.

Schools are busy places and we find that jewellery can cause unnecessary accidents.

Health
Issues
What do I do if my child is prescribed medication?
If your child needs to have medication at school you must complete a form at the school office. We ask that medication at school is kept to a minimum and if antibiotics are prescribed for less than four times a day we suggest this can be organised out of school time.

All medication held on school premises is kept locked and secure.

What happens if my child has a medical/dental appointment?
Please try to arrange medical appointments out side of school time. If this is unavoidable we ask that you bring the appointment letter to the school office so it can be recorded on the register.
How long before my child can return to school after an illness?
We ask that children remain at home until they are well enough to return to school.
Sickness and stomach bugs – we ask that children remain at home for 24 hours after their last bout of illness to ensure that infections do not spread.
What happens if my child has an accident at school?
All Teaching Assistants are first aid trained and can offer reassurance and first aid to pupils who are injured at school.

If the injury is significant we would inform parents and appropriate first aid would be given and of course any serious injury we would involve the medical services as soon as possible.

What do I do if my child has headlice?
If your child has headlice we ask that you treat them quickly to ensure that they do not spread. If we notice that your child has headlice during the school day we may contact you to inform you. If you would like to collect them, treat the headlice and return them to school you are welcome.
Transport
Parking
Can I park at the school?
Unfortunately we do not have any visitor parking at school. Parents are asked to use the streets around school while avoiding the zig zags. Parents are able to park at the community center at the bottom of Rutland Street.
Can my child cycle to school?
Sorry but we do not have bike racks for children to lock up their bike.
Parent – Child
Communication
How much is after school club and how do I book it?
Park Primary School offer a service whereby pupils can be dropped off at school early and picked up later than normal school start and end times. This service is priced at £3 for a morning session per day and £6 for an after school session per day.

The number to book it is 07875 799595

More information about this service can be  found on our Park Out Of School information page.

What do I do if I need to see a teacher?
Staff can be contacted via the DOJO point system. This allows parents/carers to correspond with their child’s teacher.

An appointment can be made via the school office.

How can parents get involved?
We ask that parent support pupils by reading at home and practicing times tables and number facts.

We also ask that you familiarise yourself with your son or daughters class page where you can find all the information out about the class teacher and teaching assistant. Detailed information about what they are working on and you can also download the current terms curriculum & homework guides.

We welcome parent helpers in school (please speak to Mrs Greenwood if you are interesting in becoming a parent volunteer)

How do you communicate with parents?

At Park we use DoJO –  Parents can message the teacher and share information about how well pupils are doing in class and at home. We hold regular parent assemblies and have a drop in where parents can find out what pupils have been learning in class.

We also use Twitter and Facebook to send out snippets of current/upcoming school information and we realise this may take time for us to get a strong following. We aim to share and celebrate as many of the varied activities that the children and staff engage in as we can.

We have also added a very informative calendar event system to our website that will be populated with all major events from term times to day trips, parent evenings and any shows or events that pupils and or parents are going to be involved in.

Do you have a school council?
We have a very active school council who meet each week at 8.45am with Mrs Greenwood and Mrs Berry. The school council are elected members of each class.

We also have members of the Pendle Pupil Parliament who meet at Nelson Council Chambers each half term and discuss issues that effect the Pendle area.

You can read more about the the activities of this group by visiting the School Council information page.

How will my child be able to contribute their views?
We have a number of ways that children’s views can be heard and listened to.

  • School Council
  • Pupil Voice interviews
  • Pendle Pupil Parliament
  • Class Council Meetings

To read more about this you can visit our School Council information page.

Concerning
Education
What should I do if I am worried about my child's progress?
If you have any  concerns about your child’s progress we ask that you arrange an appointment to talk to your child’s class teacher.

 

What if my child can't speak English?
At Park we welcome all children regardless of their nationality. We have several children who have joined our school unable to speak English. We have several members of staff who are trained in supporting children who are new to the UK.
How is my child prepared for moving on to High School?
We have very close links with Park High School, where the vast majority of our children attend. The year 6 teachers meet with the Head of Year 7 and also have an opportunity to visit the school.

Please read our Transition information page for further details.

How can I protect my child when using new technology?

All children are educated in eSafety in school. We have produced an Internet Safety information page for parents/carers so that up to date facts can be found by visiting the links to extremely useful eSafety websites that will keep you informed and help you keep your child safe online.

We ask that parents are aware of online sites that their child is visiting and that they do not have access to social media accounts such as Facebook and Snap chat.

Other
Questions
Is there a guide for the jargon used in Primary Schools?
We do appreciate that a lot of terminology is used within primary schools and many parents or carers may not be familiar with these terms. A guide has been produced that will hopefully help you understand many of the terms or phrases you may come across during your childs’ educational journey with Park Primary.

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A guide to educational jargon in primary schools
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Where do I go to locate lost Property?
You should request access to view our lost property items via our reception staff. Lost property is kept in two locations within school, property found could be located in either the upper or lower main school building. Attempts will be made to identify property and parents/carers informed if the item in question is labelled with the pupil name.

Lost property is kept for a reasonable period of time after which it will be disposed of appropriately.

What clubs are there?
Park Primary offer a lot of enrichment activities for children to get involved in from additional learning opportunities to sports and creative clubs. To see photos of previous activities and read more about what is on offer visit our Enrichment information page. You can download a copy of our current club offering below:

What does SEN / SENCo / IPP stand for?

If your child has Special Educational Needs they will be on the SEN register.
Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator is Miss Warbrick (SENCo)
Children with special educational needs will have an IPP (Individual Pupil Plan)

To view more information about how Park Primary caters for SEND please view our Nurture information page and our SEND Report page.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by Park Primary School?
We offer a number of specialist services mostly within school but are able to call on external agencies where necessary.

Within school:

  • Speech Therapist
  • Family Support Worker
  • ICT Technician
  • Sports Coach
What do you charge for?
  • School trips
  • Visits and visitors
  • School Uniform
  • School meals
  • Milk
  • Snack (KS2)
Still need help?
If you have not found the answer to your question, please follow the link to our Contact Us page where you can request answers via our contact form. If your issue is urgent then telephone details are also available.
Contact Us

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