School Day and Dinner Menu
We want every child to have a safe, happy and positive experience at school. This page contains all the key information that parents and carers need to know, including school and lunchtime times, what children should and should not bring to school, health and safety guidance, expectations around behaviour, punctuality, and other important routines and procedures. Please take a few moments to read through the information carefully and familiarise yourself and your child with our expectations, so that we can work together to keep our school community safe, respectful and supportive for everyone.
The School Day
The school week is 32.5 hours which is the total time for statutory age children
Why is it important to be on time for school?
Being on time for the start of the school day is important. Core subjects such as phonics, reading and maths are taught at the start of the day as this is when children are most alert. If a child arrives late they may miss the start of a lesson.
Punctuality is also key to a child’s sense of routine. Arriving on time allows children to settle calmly, hang up their coat, greet their teacher & friends and transition smoothly into learning. Arriving late can feel rushed or stressful, which can affect confidence and focus.
Being on time also helps develop important life skills. Primary school is where children begin forming habits around responsibility, time management and reliability. These are skills that matter later in secondary school and adulthood.
School Dinners
At Brinsley we encourage the children to stay for a cooked dinner or bring their own sandwiches, which are eaten in the dining hall during lunchtime. Our school dinners are prepared, cooked and served on site by Vertas.
School Dinners are £3.40 per day – this is for a two-course meal. Please ensure that if your child/ren have a school dinner they are paid for in advance and not in arrears. Your cooperation with this issue would be greatly appreciated.
Free School Meals
Children in F2, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to Universal Free School Meals.
But, did you know that your child may also be eligible to receive the ‘Free School Meals’ benefit? This differs to Universal Free School Meals in that it can be used all in all year groups. It may also mean that your child is eligible for free holiday clubs.
Playtime Snacks
In line with our healthy eating policy, we ask you only to send healthy snacks such as fruit, veg and cheese.
Free fruit and vegetables are offered at morning break to Foundation Stage and Key Stage One through the Government SFVS scheme.
Milk
Free Milk is offered at morning break to all children aged under 5 years old. Free school milk is also available to children who receive free school meals. Please click here to register your child for free school milk.
Water
Sufficient water intake has been identified as having a positive effect on concentration, performance and health. Water bottles can be replenished in school and water is served to children during lunch. Please remember to label your child’s water bottle.
Nut & Sesame Free School
Our school is a nut & sesame seed free school. We have children in school with severe nut allergies. We kindly ask all parents and carers to ensure that all snacks and packed lunches are nut and sesame seed free. Your support and vigilance help us to provide a safe and inclusive environment for every child. Thank you for working with us to keep all of our pupils safe.
Communication
Eduspot App (formerly Teachers2parents app)
Parents can download and use the Edupost App to pay for school dinners, trips and wraparound care.
Parents can also use the app to see school emails, letters and messages. If new to the school, the office will send you a welcome message to get you set up and connected.
Help in using and navigating the app can be found here.
Class Dojo
We use Class Dojo to keep parents and carers informed about classes have been doing at school. It is also used by teachers to share information about school events. Parents are able to message teachers directly through the app. We encourage all parents to download and use the app to keep up to date.
Help using the Class Dojo App can be found here.
Health & Safety
Medical Conditions and Medication
Please inform the school office and your child’s class teacher of any medical conditions your child has, such as asthma, eczema, hay fever, or any more complex conditions.
If your child uses an inhaler, please inform the school office and provide a clearly labelled inhaler to the class teacher. The inhaler will be stored safely in the classroom and made available to your child when required.
School staff are only able to administer prescribed medication during the school day if it is required four or more times a day (for example, some antibiotics). Please bring any medication to the school office in its original packaging, clearly labelled with your child’s name. You will also be required to complete a Medication Administration Form.
Any injuries or accidents that occur in school are treated, assessed and recorded by a qualified first aider.
For more serious injuries or accidents, parents/carers will be contacted immediately.
Supporting Children with Allergies
At Brinsley Primary and Nursery School, we take all allergies and food intolerances very seriously.
Parents and carers are asked to provide full details of any allergies or intolerances when their child joins the school and to inform us of any changes to their child’s dietary needs. We work closely with our catering providers Vertas to ensure that special diets and food allergy safety procedures are adhered to at all times.
Staff are regulary made aware of children’s allergies, including emergency procedures, and key medical information is available when children are off site.
Jewellery
The wearing of Jewellery is not permitted in school with the expectation of stud earrings and watches. This is to prevent injury and loss of property in school.
Children must remove stud earrings or cover them with a plaster when undergoing P.E. lessons or swimming. We ask that this is done before school where possible to minimise lesson disruption.
Mobile phones
Children in Year 5 and 6 are permitted to bring mobile phones to school, as we recognise that they may walk to and from school independently. On arrival at school, they must turn off their device and give their phone to the class teacher, who will keep it safe until the end of the day.
Car Parking
Brinsley Primary School is located on a residential road. As such we kindly ask all parents/carers who travel to school by car to park in a manner that is safe and considerate. Local residents driveways must not be blocked for any length of time and pavements must be left clear so children can safety walk to school. The staff car parks are not to be used for drop off or collection at anytime unless a prior agreement has been made with the school to accommodate access needs.
No Smoking Policy
In common with all Nottinghamshire LA schools, Brinsley Primary is a NO SMOKING and NO VAPING ENVIRONMENT. All adults are therefore requested not to smoke in any of the school buildings, the field or playground.
Behaviour
We try to encourage all children to behave well at school. We aim to do this in a positive, caring way by praising children for their efforts and rewarding them with a system of certificates and stars.
We see parental support as essential in the implementation of our Behaviour Policy and are committed to working in partnership with you if any problems occur.
All children are encouraged to follow the school’s golden rules; Safety, Kindness and Respect.
As the children progress through school, we expect their levels of independence to increase. They will be asked to set good examples for the younger children in school. In Year 6, children are given responsibilities as ‘monitors’ to carry out tasks within the school to help them to assume a more responsible role.
National Curriculum Assessments
From Reception to Year 6, pupils take a range of tests designed to allow teachers to track their progress and understanding at different stages of learning. Results from the national curriculum assessments are used to calculate primary school progress measures.
Progress measures provide parents with information to help them understand how their school is performing and to inform school choices. Listed below are the Statutory National Curriculum Assessments that children will undergo during their Primary School Journey.
FS2
Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA): This is taken within the first six weeks of starting school. It is a short, interactive task checking early literacy, communication, and maths skills to measure future progress.
FS2
Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP): Completed by teachers at the end of the reception year. It assesses development across seven key learning areas based on daily observation.
Year 1
Phonics Screening Check: Administered in June. Pupils read 40 real and made-up words aloud to a teacher to check decoding skill
Year 4
Multiplication Tables Check (MTC): Taken online in June. Pupils answer 25 timed questions to test recall of times tables up to 12.
Year 6
Key Stage 2 (KS2) SATs: These are mandatory national tests taken in May. Pupils sit formal papers in English reading, English grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS), and mathematics (arithmetic and reasoning)
How can I support my child’s learning?
At home:
- Please ensure that your child reads at home at least 3 times a week (this really does make a big difference in progression!)
- Please ensure your child practices their weekly spellings.
- Talk to your child about what they are doing in school (please see your child’s class page for more information)
At School:
Attend Parent Evenings:
Autumn term: Parent Evening (usually held in October).
Spring term: Parent Evening (usually held in February or March).
If you wish to discuss anything with your child’s class teacher, please contact them using the School Dojo App or via the school office.
Regular Parent Events
Throughout the year we host a range of exciting events that parents are invited to attend:
Autumn Term
Settling in Parent Meetings
EYFS Nativity
Year 2 & Year 4 Christmas performance
Christmas Fair
Piano Students Christmas performance
Celebration Assembly (every Friday morning)
Spring Term
EYFS Easter Bonnet Parade
Y1 & Y3 Easter Performance
Whole School Egg decorating competition
Mothers Day Breakfast
EYFS Stay & Play
Celebration Assembly (every Friday morning)
Parents Evening
Summer Term
Sports Day
Year 5 & 6 Summer Performance
School Summer Fair
Father’s Day BBQ
School Report drop in for parents
Guitar Students Performance
Piano Students Performance
Year 6 Leavers Assembly
Celebration Assembly (every Friday morning)
Finally
We want your child’s experience at Brinsley Primary and Nursery School to be a happy, positive time where home and school work together.
Complaints are few and are dealt with promptly.
We shall do everything possible so that your child’s time with us is productive. Our aim is to provide an excellent foundation for your child’s future learning in secondary school.