Reception to Year 6

The school day runs from 9.00am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday. This equates to 31 hours and 15 minutes per week. 

The school gates open at 8.30am and children will enter their classrooms from 8.45am. This 'soft start' to the school day allows children to begin their day in a calm and relaxed way and the staggered entry avoids overcrowding. 

Children have a break time at 10.20-10.35am and a lunch break from 12.20-1.15pm. During their lunch break, children from Year 2 to Year 6 are called in to eat their lunch in the Dining Hall and The Hut.

The school day finishes at 3.15pm. All of the children can be collected on the main playground. The younger children will be dismissed before the older children in an orderly way. 

Travelling to and from school independently

We prefer all children to be brought to school and collected by an adult. However, children in Year 6 are permitted to travel to and from school independently if written permission is given by their parents to the headteacher, who agrees. If children do travel to and from school independently, they are permitted to have a mobile phone, which must be handed in and collected at the end of the day and never used on the school premises. They must not have the responsibility of bringing a younger sibling to or from school. 

Punctuality 

Registration will be carried out at 9.00 am and at 1.20 pm.  Registers must be completed promptly at these times and will be closed at 9.15 a.m. and 1.35 pm respectively.  If a pupil arrives after the start of registration but before the registers have closed he/she will be marked as late for that session. If a pupil arrives after the registers have closed, he/she will be marked 'Late after Registration' (U Code), which counts as an unauthorised absence. Registers should be marked in accordance with the guidelines attached to the front of each register – new teachers are trained by the Attendance Co-ordinator, who is responsible for the registers.

Absence

Pupils are expected to attend school for the full 190 days of the academic year, unless there is a good reason for absence.  There are two types of absence:

• Authorised – where the school approves of the absence
• Unauthorised – where the school will not approve the absence

All absences will be recorded as either authorised or unauthorised. If an explanation for an absence is not received or if the explanation is deemed unsatisfactory then that absence will be recorded as unauthorised (absence will not be authorised for such reasons as shopping, daytrips and birthdays).

Any prolonged planned absence must to shared with the headteacher via email in advance of the absence and in good time so a response can be discussed.

Parents are advised to contact the school by 9.00am on the first day of any absence. A written note, e-mail, phone call or other communication will be recorded by reception and placed in the relevant class register. On returning to school the pupil should bring a written note and hand this to his/her teacher.  Any letters referring to absences should be kept in the back of the register.  If a pupil is absent for three days with no explanation, the teacher notifies the SENDCo/Attendance Co-ordinator who will ring the parent/guardian.

To report an absence, you should email absent@st-michaels.surrey.sch.uk