At 8.30 a.m. the outside gate opens so that you can come into the playground with your children. Safety is always at the forefront of our minds, so parents accompany their children until they go inside. This is also a good way to help new starters feel at ease within the grounds.

At 8.40 a.m. Mrs McLeod will come out onto the playground and the side gate will be opened for the children. A bell is then rung to signal it is time for the children to make their way inside. Parents of new starters are encouraged during their first week to come in for the first ten minutes of each day to settle them in. If you require any assistance at all, please ask Mrs McLeod or any other member of staff and we’ll be happy to help.

Children then take part in planned activities. The morning session starts with whole school Collective worship. For children in EYFS this is mainly followed with literacy and numeracy tasks that are enriched with various practical child-initiated activities that support the curriculum. For children in KS1 and KS2 they have maths and English lessons.

During the morning there is a playtime for 15 minutes.

We belong to the ‘Free Fruits and Vegetables’ scheme.  All children in EFYS and KS1 will be offered a free piece of either fruit or vegetable to eat each day. All children may also order half a bagel, toast or a milkshake at breaktime.  These snacks are paid using Weduc payments (find out all about Weduc here). All children also bring a clear water bottle into school every day to ensure they stay hydrated.

The morning session ends at 12.15pm.

Lunch time: All children in Reception and KS1 get access to Universal Infant Free Meals.  These provide a balanced and nutritional meal that enable children to have the energy to focus on their learning throughout the day. Children in KS2 may also order a hot meal, the current cost is £2.65. Homemade packed lunches are also an option, if your child has particular dietary requirements or even if you want to mix and match with the school lunches on particular days. There is a three weekly rotation of meals calendar which can be found here.

After lunch there is an extended playtime when the children can play.

For new starters in EYFS, their first week’s timetable will end here, to ensure that they are given the opportunity to take everything in and not get overtired or overwhelmed with the new routine. From week two, they will continue through to 3.15pm with the rest of the school.

Afternoons start at 1.15pm and activities focus on areas such as Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design in EYFS. Children will often have free choice play activities during some of this time too.  We often take a short playtime during this timeframe too. Children in KS1 and KS2 will have lessons on Science, History, Geography, PE, RE, French, computing, Art and DT.

Physical Education (PE) takes place throughout the week, ranging from dedicated lesson time to a quick run outside or forest school activities. So children have their PE kits in school with them all week.

At 3.15pm children get ready to go home. They will then be brought to the gate at the front of the school where parents are waiting in the playground. A child will not be released until the adult who is going to collect them is physically in the playground, thus making sure they get to the appropriate person safely.  We take great care to dismiss children only to their parents or other regular carers, so if someone different will be collecting your child it is important to let us know. You can tell us in person at the beginning of the day, send in a note or telephone if your arrangements change at short notice.

And that’s a typical day at Newbold CofE. On a Friday we also have an achievement assembly which parents, carers and other family members are very welcome to attend when possible – these start at 2.50pm. See our latest assembly pictures here.

Throughout the year we have special events, trips and enrichment programs too. See what’s coming up over the next few weeks via our online calendar (which parents can sync to their phones).