Working with families

The school tries very hard to work with parents as we understand that most families have to juggle school runs with work commitments and therefore we try to be as flexible as possible.

To enable this, the school offers:

  • Breakfast club for those requiring an early start.
  • After school club for younger children and those wanting to stay until 5.30 p.m. or beyond.
  • A daily minibus service.
  • Flexi-boarding
  • Keeping up to date.
  • Contact with staff/Head.


Breakfast Club

Children may book in for breakfast club and be dropped at school from 7.45 a.m. where they join our boarders for a special breakfast.  There is always a cooked option and a selection of cereals, yoghurt, fruit, toast and preserves, with hot/cold drinks.  The meal is overseen by the Housemother and assistant who then ensure that children are safely handed over to their teachers at the start of the school day.

After School Clubs/Care

Parents who have children of different ages may well find it impractical to pick up their children at the different end of day times.

  • Nursery:       12.15/1.00 p.m.
  • Pre-Prep:      3.15 p.m.
  • Year 3 - 4:     4.30 p.m.
  • Year 5 - 8:     5.35 p.m.

The school operates after school clubs enabling all children to stay through until 5.30 p.m. or later, if appropriate.  The service is run by properly qualified staff who know the children well and can ensure that the children are suitably occupied, safe and happy.

Minibus

The school operates a daily minibus service from Bognor, Littlehampton, Arundel, Chichester and Pulborough.  This service does not operate on a Wednesday afternoon (school matches), or the first morning/last afternoon of term.

Full details of the routes and charges are available from the school office.  These routes will vary from time to time according to demand.

Flexi-boarding

Flexi-boarding has become a very popular option and most Main School children will board in this manner at some stage, whether it is to accommodate parents being away or to join in with one of the many evening clubs or activities, or just to have fun.  Children can be booked in for occasional nights or book a bed for certain nights each week.

This option is increasingly popular with parents who perhaps work away from home for part of the week and who need to travel regularly with their work.

Regardless of the reasons for staying, children have fun and are very well fed and looked after and are keen to return!   (For full details, see the boarding section.)

Keeping up to date

Keeping everyone informed is not an easy task, especially as different families rely on different forms of communication.  Much of the basic information can be found in the prospectus, joining information for new parents and the year booklets.

In addition, the term card lists all functions/matches and this is supplemented by newsletters every three or four weeks (both of these are on the website). Before school trips etc., letters will be sent out to parents with permission slips to fill in; this is not the case with the normal range of matches.

Inevitably there will be changes to the planned programme.  Much of this will go in the newsletter/ website, but for last minute changes, the boards at the back door of the school, gym and Pre-Prep are invaluable.

The school operates the ClarionCall system, so texts/emails can easily be sent if for instance a match is cancelled or return from a school trip is delayed.

Please ensure that the office has your up to date contact information.

Contact

You are encouraged to keep in regular contact with the staff especially the relevant form teacher, however, the few minutes before/after school are not always convenient as the teacher will probably have other children to supervise.

You are very welcome to phone Maureen (Head’s Secretary) who can organise suitable times for you.

The Head operates an ‘open door’ policy and where possible, will see parents without appointment, especially when the happiness/success of a child is in question.  For less urgent matters, an appointment can be made with Maureen, or by speaking at one of the many functions, match teas etc.

Suggestions from parents are very welcome, for it is only by working together that we also can ‘do our best to be our best’!