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Our School Day

Start of the Day

The school gates open at 8.20am and close at 8.30am. Children enter school via the side gate. Pupils in Beech and Oak classes are encouraged to come into school independently to reduce the number of adults in the playground during the morning. 

If parents/carers need to pass on a message to the class teacher for the day ahead, please contact the school office at 8am or email the class email, which are checked briefly at 8am.

The Daily 'Dash and Chat'

During the first part of the morning, the whole school will take part in a 'Dash and Chat' session. Depending on the weather, we ALL take part in some form of exercise and conversation. This may be a 'dash and chat' around the school field or a 'hike and chat' up Levin Down, or a 'wake, shake and chat' session in the hall or playground. We believe this physical break early in the morning, is vital for everybody's physical and mental wellbeing, and ensures that we are 'ready to teach & learn'.

Lessons

The longer morning is divided into focused learning sessions of Maths, English, Phonics and Spellings. English and Maths lessons are taught by 4 teachers. Phonics and Spellings,  are taught in smaller groupings, according to a child's need and stage of development. The shorter afternoon focusses on the broader curriculum and is taught by the three main class teachers. The children have two P.E. lessons a week as a class.  The children in Key Stage 2 will have a weekly swimming lesson in the Spring Term. All children across the school take part in Forest School on rotation across the year. Chichester Forest School and our own Forest School Lead Miss Cain, work alongside the class teachers. 

Worship

As a Church School, daily Worship is an important aspect of our day. We come together to worship, sing, pray, celebrate and learn, in a variety of groupings. We have a weekly focus, reading and hymn, which is shared on our newsletter. Daily worship is from 12.45pm to 1pm

Lunch

Lunchtime is 45 minutes long, giving children time to calmly eat their lunch in our school hall and then go outside to play.  Children either have a hot lunch provided by an external provider or may bring a packed lunch to school. The children eat together between 12 and 12.30pm and then have outdoor play together until 12.45pm

Play Time 

There is a daily morning play for 15 minutes, starting at 11am. Children play on the school playground or field during their morning and lunch playtimes.  We try and get outside whatever the weather, but if it is raining heavily, the children are supervised while they play indoors. During indoor play, children are supervised in either their classroom or hall, and for a proportion of the time will take part in a physical activity, led by the adult on duty and our Playground Pals.

All children finish at 3 pm (unless they are attending a club).  Families in Willow and Oak Class wait on the playground. Families in Beech wait on the patio outside the classroom. If Beech Class families have siblings in Willow or Oak class, they must collect from Beech Class first.  

Clubs 

Clubs are provided by school staff and outside providers. All clubs run from 3-4pm on a Monday, although we may also offer some shorter lunchtime clubs.