What should I do if my child is ill and cannot come to school?
Please phone the school office and leave a message to let us know.
What are the arrangements for arriving at school in the morning and leaving at the end of the school day?
The school gates open at 8.30am in the morning when parents and carers can take their children onto the playground. The doors into the school open at 8.40am and children can come into school and go to their class. Children must be in class by 8.50am or they will get a late mark.
At the end of the day, the class teachers bring the children out onto the playground.
Reception finish at 3.00pm
Years 1 and 2 finish at 3.05pm
Years 3,4,5 and 6 finish at 3.10pm
What school clubs are available?
The school offers affordable child care through a breakfast club and afterschool club. Further details can be found here. The school also offers a wide range of school clubs. Further details can be found here.
Who do I contact if I have a problem?
Usually your child’s class teacher is the best person to talk to about a problem or an issue about your child’s schooling. If you feel this hasn’t resolved the matter do contact your child’s team leader or one of the Assistant Headteachers.
The class teachers come onto the playground at the end of the school day while senior staff are on each door and each gate before and after school.
On the other hand you could ring the school office and ask for an appointment time.
How can I find out about what is going on in school?
Do look at our events calendar on this website.
Where can I find school holiday dates?
These can be found on our school website here. Paper copies are available at the school office.
Are we allowed to take holidays during term time?
The school does not authorise holidays in term time and parents and carers who take their child on a holiday during school time are liable for a fine of £60 per parent from the Local Authority if the holiday absence causes the child’s attendance to become irregular.
What happens to lost property?
Items of uniform must be clearly labelled. If a lost item has a name on it, the item is quickly returned to the child. Anything found which is not labelled is kept until the end of each term in the blue bins outside the headteacher’s office. We put our lost property out for display on parents evenings for parents to look through. After the end of term any unclaimed items are disposed of.
What additional music tuition is available to children?
All our children learn a musical instrument in Year 5 and can choose to continue this in Year 6. Children in Year 4 receive class music lessons from the Borough Music Service to prepare them for learning an instrument the following year. Currently we also offer affordable drumming lessons with a company called ‘Groove Attack’. Gifted musicians also receive additional musicianship support from the Borough music service.
How should money be taken in to school?
We do not advise that children bring money to school as it is easy for them to lose it. If we ask for contribution towards a school trip we would be grateful, where possible, if parents could pay the cost directly to the school office. It really helps us if money can be the correct amount and put in an envelope with the child’s name on it.
Office staff can accept either cash or cheque payments. There is no facility at the school to take payments by card.
How do I apply for a place at Richard Alibon Primary School?
Do read our school admissions page here.
Can children bring water bottles to school?
Yes – we encourage children to have a named water bottle in school each day which they can drink in class. Water is provided to all children at lunchtime.
Can children bring food snacks to eat in school?
The school provides a snack to all children at break time.
Children in Nursery, Reception, Years 1 and 2 receive a piece of fruit each day as part of the Government ‘School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme’. The school also gives fruit to all children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. Children can also bring in fruit from home to eat at break time. Children are not allowed to eat during lesson time.
We would encourage all children to have a breakfast at home before arriving at school in the morning.
