St John’s Church of England Primary School Term Dates

Our school terms can be found below.

Please note that on the last day of each term, school closes early for all year groups and there is no After School Club available on the last of each term before the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays.

The amended pick-up times for the last day of each term are as follows: these pick-up times are only for the last day of term before the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays.

• Reception: 2pm
• Years 1&2: 2:05pm
• Years 3&4: 2:10pm
• Years 5&6: 2:15pm

The School Office is open 8:30am - 3:30pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Our office is closed at weekends and during school holidays.

Drop off and Pick up Times

The Drop off and Pick up times are staggered for each year group. 

Our school staff will only allow children to leave the school premises with their designated parent/ carer. No child will be released to an unknown adult.  Please inform the school office in advance if an alternative adult is collecting your child/ children.

EYFS (Reception)

The Reception Curriculum has a child-centred-based philosophy. We firmly believe that children are innate learners with a curiosity and a natural approach to problem-solving and learning. As practitioners, we work alongside the children to support and encourage their next steps. Alongside this, we also promote and extend key skills in phonics, reading, writing and maths. Through the use of the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework, we help our children to flourish as independent learners who love learning.

Through the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) curriculum, Reception children have free flow access to outdoor play across the school day.

Lunch is served between 11.30 and 12.30. 

In addition to this, Reception children have free access to daily fruit, vegetables, water and milk. Milk is provided free for under 5’s and is available for parents to buy into after that.

At the end of the school day, we ask parents/carers to pick their children up promptly. Children attending the Eagle Play Club after school are taken directly by school staff to the club.

There is a flexible approach to the timetable and changes may occur on a daily or weekly basis. The day’s learning routines will develop and change as the children progress through the year, both personally and in their learning. At the beginning of the school year, there will be a greater focus on child-led activities. Once the children are settled into the daily routines, phonics and reading groups will be introduced. Ongoing assessment will support planning for children’s next steps in learning. As the year progresses, adult-led learning will be increased, and by the end of the year the timetable will reflect the preparation for entering into Year 1. The children’s involvement in Collective Worship is encouraged very early until when they start school, so that they can feel part of the St John’s family as quickly as possible.

Key Stage 1 (Year 1 & 2 )

Building on the child-centered approach in the EYFS, the curriculum in Year 1 and Year 2 is practical, challenging and exciting. The key skills of reading, writing and maths remain at the heart of the curriculum and continue to be developed alongside a love of learning for all areas of the curriculum.

The Key Stage 1 Curriculum is planned with an emphasis on the importance of developing the depth of children’s learning. This means providing children with increased cognitive challenge, allowing them to retrieve and apply the skills which they have learnt independently in a range of contexts. This then enables them to master skills and knowledge at a deeper level. At St John’s we will be challenging our children to be independent learners who will acquire their knowledge and skills from real-life contexts.

Children have a morning and lunchtime play.

All children take part in daily Collective Worship and have the opportunity to participate and lead.

Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6)

In Key Stage 2, we continue to promote a love of learning whilst extending retrieval and cognitive challenge. The school day is a balance of the key skills of reading, writing and maths alongside a broad and balanced curriculum. The school day is slightly extended, and our children still learn both in and out of the classroom with our ethos of learning from and supporting the local community.

Children have a morning and lunchtime play and enjoy dining in the lunchroom every day.

All children take part in daily Collective Worship and have the opportunity to participate and lead.