“We are here to help”
We appreciate that parents/carers who are new to Purbrook Junior School will have many questions and concerns. Our staff are often asked questions in relation to your child’s education, school timings, procedures and a range of other topics. We will not have answered them all here but we have provided answers below to our most frequently asked questions in the hope that you are able to find the information that you are looking for quickly and without having to take time out to contact the school office. If your particular question has not been answered here, please do contact us.
Attendance and timekeeping
What are the school opening and closing times?
Registration is at 8:55 and the first session commences at 9:00. The school day finishes at 3:20pm. You can view a breakdown of the typical ‘Purbrook day’ by clicking below.
What do i do if my child is late to school?
The school day begins at 8:50am and all pupils are expected to be in school at this time. Morning registration is at 8:55 am. Children arriving between 8:50 am and 9:20 am must report to the school office where a member of staff will then escort your child to their classroom. Your child will be marked as a code ‘L’ in the register.
Arrival after the close of registration at 9:20 am will be marked as unauthorised absence code ‘U’ in line with county and Department for Education (DfE) guidance. This mark shows them to be on site, but is legally recorded as an absence.
how do i report my child’s absence from school?
When reporting your child’s absence, you must do the following:
-Contact us as soon as possible or by 9:20 am at the latest on the first day of absence. The school has a 24hr answer phone available to leave a message (option 1); or the Absence tab on the ParentMail app.
-Send a note in on the first day they return with an explanation of the absence – you must do this even if you have already telephoned us.
-Or, you can call into the school office and report the absence in person.
If we do not hear from you we will contact you via text or by telephone to ask for the reason for absence.
when are the school holidays?
Full details for the current and next academic year’s term dates can be found on the ‘Attendance and term dates’ page.
Can I take my child on holiday during term time?
Shown below is an extract from our Attendance Policy regarding Request for Leave of Absence.
Amendments to school attendance regulations were updated and enforced from September 2013: (Pupil registration) (England) regulations state that:
Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. It is important to note that Headteachers can determine the length of the authorised absence as well as whether absence is authorised at all. The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are rare, significant, or unavoidable which means the event could not reasonably be scheduled at another time. There are no rules on this as circumstances vary from school to school and family to family. There is however, no legal entitlement for time off in school term time to go on holiday and in the majority of cases holiday will not be authorised.
Parents/Carers wishing to apply for leave of absence need to fill in an application form from the school office or on the school website, in advance and before making any travel arrangements.
If term time leave is taken without prior permission from the school, the absence will be unauthorised and if the number of sessions absent hits the thresholds set down in Hampshire’s Code of Conduct parent/carers will be issued with a fixed-penalty fine or other legal action in accordance the code (see section 6 for detail). Taking holidays in term time will affect your child’s schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents to help us by not taking children out during school time.
How will I be informed if there is an enforced school closure?
Parents will be informed of any emergency school closure via ParentMail.
All emergency school closures in Hampshire schools are recorded at the website below.
A message will also be posted on the home page of the school website.
What do I do if I am late in collecting my child from school?
You must call the school office to let us know you will be late collecting your child. Your child will be placed in our after school care club (you will be charged for this).
Can I send someone else to pick up my child?
Yes you can. If your child is unaware that someone is collecting them (i.e. the arrangements have changed during the school day), then please telephone the school so that we can let your child know. Please do this as early as possible.
Meals and Drinks
How much is a school dinner?
Currently, school meals are £3.00 per day (as of September 2024).
What is the process for claiming Free School Meals?
Registering is really quick and easy. If you think you qualify, you can register online using the link below.
How long do the children get to eat lunch?
The children get one hour to eat their lunch.
Is drinking water available?
Children have access to drinking water in school. We have a water fountain in addition to one sink in each shared area of the school. These can be used to fill up drinking cups and bottles.
Are water bottles provided?
Reusable water bottles cost 50p and can be bought from the school office. Whilst plastic cups are given as an alternative, we kindly ask that all children have a reusable water bottle in school so as to reduce plastic waste. We are working towards becoming a plastic-cup free school.
Can my child have a snack at break-time?
We encourage children to have a healthy snack during their 15-minute break time. This could include:
Whole or sliced fruit
Vegetable sticks e.g. celery, carrot, pepper, cucumber etc.
Bread sticks
Rice or corn cakes
Snack cheeses (cheese string, babybel, etc.)
School Uniform
what is the school uniform dress code?
For full details of our school uniform dress code, please visit our ‘School Uniform’ page below.
where can i buy branded school uniform from?
All school uniform can be purchased from Skool Kit, located at the Meridian Centre, Havant, or via their online shop which you can find by clicking the link below.
Please note that uniform can no longer be purchased directly from Purbrook Junior School.
Can my child wear jewellery in school?
We ask that pupils do not wear jewellery in school. Any jewellery worn to school should be able to be removed by the child when necessary. For your child’s safety, any earrings should be small studs only. The school cannot be held responsible for any items that are lost.
Transport
Can I park at the school?
Unfortunately we do not have any visitor parking at school. Parents are asked to park responsibly in the surrounding streets. We ask that the road leading directly to the school dates is not used for turning, parking or to set down/collect children. This road can become incredibly congested and our children’s safety is of utmost importance.
Please look at our ‘Travelling to School’ page to look at alternative ways of travelling to Purbrook Junior including Park and Stride.
can my child cycle to school?
Yes. There are bike racks provided by the main reception. We ask that upon entry to the school grounds, children dismount from their bicycles and walk.
Medical
what do I do if my child is prescribed medication?
If your child is prescribed medication which has to be taken during school time you will need to complete an Administration of Medication and Treatment Consent Form which is available in the school office. Any medication must be brought to the school office by an adult. The medication needs to be in its original container together with the named dosage instructions. If the medicine needs to be taken home at the end of the school day, it will need to be collected from the school office by an adult.
How long before my child can return to school after an illness?
This will all depend on the illness. For sickness and diarrhoea, your child can return to school 48 hours following the last episode. If you are unsure of the length of time your child needs to be absent, please telephone the school office for clarification.
What happens if my child has an accident at school?
At Purbrook Junior School we have several trained members of staff to deal with First Aid incidents. If it is a minor incident, it is recorded in the first aid register and your child may (depending on the injury) bring home a paper slip informing you (especially in the case of a bump to the head).
For more serious incidents, parents will be contacted (this is why it is vital we have your correct emergency contact numbers). You may be asked to come and collect your child. For suspected injuries to bones you may be advised to get your child check at the hospital or walk in clinic.
For very serious incidents we may have to telephone for an ambulance. Please be assured that we will always contact you too and a child will never be taken to hospital without either yourself or a member of school staff.
What happens if my child has a medical/dental appointment?
Where possible, medical/dental appointments should be made for outside of school hours. Where this is not possible, you must notify the school office in advance of the appointment. Children should only be absent for the duration of the appointment. Children arriving at school late or leaving early should do so via the school office.
What do I do if my child has head lice?
Please treat your child’s hair (see details below). Your child can then come to school as normal. Please be aware that any absences due to head lice will be marked as unauthorised.
Checking children’s hair – although lice can be seen in dry hair, the best way to check is by the combing of wet hair with a fine-toothed ‘detector’ comb.
Treating if necessary by either:
Wet-combing method: (This method is generally very effective and cheaper than using lotions)
Wash the hair in the normal way with an ordinary shampoo
Use lots of hair conditioner and, while the hair is very wet, comb through the hair from the roots with a fine toothed-comb. Make sure the teeth of the comb slot into the hair at the roots with every stroke and do this over a pale surface such as a paper towel or the bath
Wet lice find it difficult to escape and hair, which is slippery from conditioner, makes it hard for them to keep a grip so removal with the comb is easier
Clear the comb of lice between each stroke
If you find any lice then repeat this routine every three to four days for two weeks so that any lice emerging from the eggs are removed before they can spread
Using Lotions
These are available from the chemist over the counter. The chemist will advise on which lotion to use. It is important to follow the instructions on the packet.
If lice are found, it is most important to check and, if necessary, to treat the rest of the household. Regular wet-combing as part of routine hair washing is the best way to prevent the problem recurring.