School Life and Daily Routines
School Day
Our school day runs from 9.00 a.m to 3.30 p.m, Monday to Friday.
This equals 32.5 hours per week.
For more information, please click here.
Attendance and Absence
Greenmount Primary has a very good attendance record mainly due to the fact that we have a significant number of children who have 100% attendance. Other children are only absent from school if they are very poorly.
Absence from school is only expected to be for illness of the child or other exceptional circumstances. Under new regulations from September 2013, absence for holidays cannot be authorised and penalty notices may be issued by the Local Authority, if parents take their children out of school for family holidays.
If you feel that you have other exceptional circumstances please put your request in writing to the head teacher, at least 10 days before the proposed absence.
Please click here for more information about attendance and absence.
Lateness
Good time keeping is a life skill!
Our school day begins at 9.00 a.m.
Access to classrooms is available from 8.50am (or 8.45am in inclement weather) to allow children to settle themselves for the day.
If you should find that you are late into school, children must be brought to the front school entrance to gain their attendance mark as registers are taken at 9.00 a.m. promptly and returned to the school office immediately afterwards.
Children can also become unsettled if they are arriving into the classroom after everyone else has settled to work etc and are being rushed into school by parents. Additionally, many mornings actually begin with lessons not an assembly and children will be missing teaching time if they are regularly late.
Please support your child in developing good habits for life.
Further information can be found in our Attendance and Punctuality Policy which can be found on our Policies page.
Holidays
School Holiday dates are sent out well in advance of the next school year (and available online) to enable bookings to be made.
We are unable to authorise absence from school for the purpose of family holidays unless there are exceptional circumstances which justify the absence. An application should be made, in writing, to the head teacher, at least 10 school days before the proposed absence.
Our school’s Attendance and Punctuality Policy is available via the Policies page.
Term dates can be found here.
Assemblies
Assemblies take place every day, but in a different way.
- We tell stories to demonstrate values and morals.
- We celebrate children’s successes both at school and home, individually and collectively.
- We say prayers and children choose to join in if they wish to yet at the same time respecting each others wishes.
- We meet as a whole school, key stages and class bases to enhance children’s understanding age appropriately.
- We sing songs to celebrate, show our thankfulness and help the children explore the assembly’s theme.
Children learn both formal and informal ways of interacting in assemblies. This equips them for many life experiences outside of school life. Though our assemblies are mainly Christian in nature, no child is expected to respond in a specifically religious way.
Parents do have a right to withdraw their child from collective worship, but please discuss this with the head-teacher before you make this decision. I feel sure that we will be able to alleviate your concerns.
Break Time Snacks
Children are encouraged to bring a healthy snack for break-times. This should ideally be provided in a small named container.
Children must not bring snacks, which contain nuts, to school. We have several children for whom eating and even coming into contact with nuts would produce an anaphylactic shock
Children in the infants are able to take part in the National fruit scheme, which means that a range of fruits and vegetables are provided every day - free! In addition to this you can also purchase milk for your child in the infants (Ask for details at the school office).
Children are welcome to bring healthy snacks into school for breaktimes.
These could include:
- Any variety of raw fruit and vegetables
- Cheese portions
- Fromage frais
- Yoghurt
- Bread sticks
Please do not provide the following as snacks in school:
- Fizzy or sugary drinks
- Chocolate
- Sweets
- Nuts of any description
- Crisps
- Cereal bars (Many are high in sugar / fat)
- Pastries
We also ask that if your child is having a packed lunch that you consider the contents of the lunchbox to ensure it is healthy and balanced.
Drinks in Schools
We encourage children to bring a water bottle to school each day – please ensure it is named.
Please:
- no glass bottles / glass flasks
- no fizzy drinks
- no sugary drinks
Water is available in school to enable children to fill up their water bottles during the day.
Drinks are provided by the kitchen staff for children on school dinners.
Milk is available to order on a termly basis. This is provided part way through the morning for infants and at lunchtime for juniors.
Milk (is available to be purchased for children by visiting Cool Milk and registering your child. If you need further information please contact Mrs Rothwell in the school office.
Lunchtime Break
The lunchtime break begins:
| Reception children | 12.00 p.m |
| Year 1 and Year 2 | 12.15 p.m |
| Year 3, 4 and 5 | 12.30 pm |
| Year 6 |
12.00 p.m |
Children sit in their year groups in the hall and are supported by a large team of midday supervisors. When children go into the dining room they are able to sit next to friends regardless of whether they are eating a packed lunch or a school meal.
School meals are cooked on the premises. All infant children are eligible for a free school meal.
Children choose their meal each morning when they arrive in school.
Children in Reception age group are given lots of support in managing their meals. Children are expected to learn to cut food and use cutlery properly during their first year at school. Any assistance from home with this skill is welcomed.
Reception aged children have their own outdoor space next to classrooms. Children in Year 1 and 2 have the side playground (outside Y2 classroom). Year 3 – 6 have the top playground and barked area. The grassed areas are used in fine weather.
We have a strong team of midday supervisors, headed up by a Senior supervisor, Mrs Haslam. Each class has an allocated supervisor. There is always a trained first-aider on duty at lunchtimes.
School Meals
Our school meals are provided by Bury Council. They are responsible for ensuring that meals provided meet National Nutritional Standards. The meals are produced on site using fresh ingredients.
Infant children will be entitled to a free school meal.
If your child has particular eating difficulties please let school know and we can liaise with our kitchen team to ensure that you child is well fed each day.
Uniform
The most up to date information is available below:
Hair / Make Up / Jewellery
Hair
For Health and Safety reasons all long hair must be tied back whilst in school.
- Hair bobbles or bands should be small and discrete.,
- Hair bobbles will be given to children who forget their own.
Parents should be aware that we do not permit extremes of fashion in children’s hairstyles. Added hair colours must be natural and subtle (bright colours including shades of red, and dip dying, are not permitted).
Hair braiding is only acceptable without beads or accessories. Close shaved heads and patterns cut into hair or eyebrows are not acceptable.
Very short hairstyles or extreme hairstyles (eg where some hair is very short and the rest isn’t) are not acceptable.
When a child’s hairstyle is considered extreme, parents will be contacted.
More information is available in our Uniform policy (via the Policies page).
Make Up
Make-up of any description is not acceptable in school. This includes nail varnish / false nails.
We will ask children wearing make-up or nail varnish to remove it. The school will provide wipes for this purpose. Parents will be asked to inform the school of any allergies to such products.
If any make-up cannot be removed by the child, parents will be contacted by the relevant Key Stage Manager.
If a child has false nails, they will not be allowed to take part in any physical or play activities until the nails have been removed.
Jewellery
Generally speaking, jewellery is best kept at home. School will not accept responsibility for any lost / damaged / stolen jewellery unless it has been stored with a teacher.
Jewellery which is acceptable in school is as follows:
A watch (this should not have any facility to make calls, browse the internet etc).
One pair of stud earrings not hoops.
However, please note:
- All jewellery must be removed, by the child, for PE lessons.
- Children must take part in PE lessons wherever possible – this should not be because they cannot remove jewellery. Best keep jewellery at home on PE days.
- If jewellery is not handed in to the teacher for safekeeping school will not accept responsibility for any lost / damaged / stolen items.
If parents wish for their child to have ears pierced – please keep this activity to the beginning of the summer holiday. This timing allows the piercing to heal and your child to be able to remove jewellery for a day. PE and swimming lessons are part of the National Curriculum and all children should take part whenever possible.
Personal Possessions and Lost Property
Personal Possessions
Children should not bring personal possessions into school unless for a specific request or purpose. If teachers request that you do they will then take responsibility for the safety of such items. Children are provided with all of the tools that they need to be able to take part in lessons.
Toys can often cause difficulties especially with young children and undesirable swaps can take place and then cause upset when items have to be returned when parents find out.
School is not responsible for the loss or damage to personal possessions if they are brought in without the teacher’s knowledge / request.
Lost Property
It helps if all property is clearly named ! Anything that is named is returned directly to the children.
Lost property is stored near to the school kitchen. Children and parents are welcome to search for lost items at the beginning and the end of the day.
Children should be encouraged to look after their belongings and we will positively encourage this attitude in school.
At the end of each half term any items remaining are recycled or thrown away.
Door Locks / Car Park / Grounds
Door Locks
All of our doors are controlled by a magnetic locking system, which helps to keep our pupils and staff safe, as well as property inside the school. This means that access to school is denied from the outside but children and staff can exit the building immediately from the inside by a simple switch method if necessary.
The doors remain locked throughout the school day, and are only allowed to be opened to people outside by a member of staff. We ask that parents do not call at these doors during the school day. If you do need to call into school, please report to the school office. When you are leaving the school building please make sure that you have securely closed doors on your exit route.
Pupils arriving at school after 9:00 a.m. should also report to the school office.
Car Park
The car park is purely for members of staff and visitors use.
Special permission will sometimes be granted to parents/carers in exceptional circumstances. Please contact the Head Teacher.
Please do not park on Holhouse Lane. This causes an obstruction to emergency vehicles. When parking on nearby roads, please observe the highway code and park considerately.
We encourage walking or cycling to school whenever possible.
Grounds
Funded by the PTA, we have worked hard to develop our school grounds over the last few years to offer a wider choice of learning and play opportunities.
Please encourage your children to take care of our school grounds.
Please note that play equipment is not supervised by school staff before/after school.
