General Information

 The school was founded in 1854 on Top Road, on land donated by Earl Manvers. The Church of England paid for the building and maintenance.

During the 1960’s and 70’s there were separate Infant and Junior Schools on Church Lane and North Road respectively. In September 1987 the Infant and Junior Schools amalgamated and became a Primary School.

A Nursery was opened in 1988.The school has retained its Church of England, Voluntary Controlled status and provides education for children aged 3+ to 11 years. At present there are approximately 200 children in 7 classes (one-form entry), with a 26-place Nursery.

Data Protection

We are fully committed to our responsibilities under the General Data Protection Regulations (2018) - GDPR. Individuals have a right to be informed about how the School uses any personal data that we hold about them. 

Our data protection officer is 

Privacy Notice

Arrangements for Extreme Weather 

It is the responsibility of each individual Headteacher to decide whether a school remains open or needs to close, for reasons of safety, during extreme weather conditions. Every school site is different, and there are various elements which influence the decision, which is why you might find some schools are quicker than others to close when it snows. The safety of our pupils, staff and families is our top priority, and will guide all decisions we take in such circumstances.

We will keep the school open for as many pupils as possible, if we consider it reasonable to do so, taking into account many different factors. These include:

• Ground conditions, and whether a safe path from the school gate into school can be created
• Whether sufficient staff are able to get to work safely
• Heating
• Water supply
• Power supply
• Catering

We will use our text messaging and e mails service (first), www.derbyshire.gov.uk/schoolclosures (second – this is where the local radio stations get their information), and our Facebook page (third) to communicate any decision to close. Occasionally, based on current conditions and forecasts, it will be obvious the day before that closure is inevitable, but we are usually more likely to leave it until early in the morning, as this gives us a chance of opening if possible. I appreciate that for work and childcare reasons some parents would prefer an earlier call, but this has to be balanced with our obligation to open if it is safe to do so. In some cases, this may mean opening a bit later than normal, to allow time for us to make the site safe. We will aim to communicate any decision to you by 7:30am (earlier, if we can), after consulting with the site manager and other staff.

We will take into account any credible forecast of weather deteriorating during the day, but changes are not always predictable. Sometimes, if conditions worsen dramatically, we may have to close the school during the course of the day. We know that this can be inconvenient, but we would ask for your understanding and cooperation please, as we would never take the decision lightly and need to put safety above everything else.

When the school is open, we expect children and staff to attend if they can get here safely, considering alternative routes and transport or walking where applicable. Please take care in icy conditions.

When school is open, we always assess the ground conditions. If the ground is too slippery, areas will be designated ‘out of bounds’ or children will be kept inside for break time. Children may be allowed to play in the snow, if we judge the conditions to be right, but only if they have warm clothing, wellies or other boots appropriate for snow to wear outside, and a change of shoes to wear around school. If the snow is suitable, we might allow snowmen at break time, but not snowballs or sledging on the school grounds. This includes before and after school.

Please ensure that your child has sufficient warm clothing when the weather is cold, and that these items are clearly named. Woolly hats, scarves and gloves are encouraged.

Absences

If your child is ill or will miss school for any reason, please inform school as soon as you can but before 8.40 am. You can do this in a number of ways:-

• Telephone school and leave a message on the answer phone
• Call at the office and speak to a member of staff
• Send a note with a friend
• Inform us beforehand if the absence is due to a medical appointment

The school monitors pupil absence constantly.

We follow NHS guidance that states that anyone suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea should remain off school for a clear 48 hours after symptoms have ceased. 

Please see this NHS guidance regarding when children should be sent to school with mild illnesses.

Holidays in term-time

In September 2013 the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 came into force. These regulations make it clear that term-time absence can only be granted in exceptional circumstances. The school’s attendance policy, which was approved by Governors in 2023, makes it clear that holidays will not be authorised, and it remains our position that term times are for education. Children and families have 175 days off school to spend time together, including weekends and school holidays, and dates are published well in advance. Exceptional circumstances are generally considered to be rare, significant, unavoidable and short, e.g. the funeral or wedding of a close family member. You are welcome to fill in a request form if you think your circumstances might meet the criteria, and we promise that all requests will be seriously considered on their own merit, but please understand that holidays of any sort are very unlikely to qualify. School will refer all unauthorised holidays to Derbyshire County Council may make the decision to issue penalty notices or take other action if absence is unauthorised. 

Online safety

It is important that your child accesses the internet in a safe way and knows who they can talk to if they are worried. Please look at the Safeguarding page for links to online sites such as 'Think U Know', an interactive website for parents and children.

Complaints Procedure

The school Complaints Procedure can be downloaded here

Download Complaints Procedure

PTFA

We have a fantastic Parents, Teachers and Friends Association which organises events and raises money for the benefit of our school and the children in our care.

Please ask at the school office for more information.

School Uniform

Information about the school uniform can be found here.

School Meals

Meals are supplied by the Derbyshire County Council school meals service.

The menu is subject to change and we will notify parents / carers when we know of a change in advance.

Full details and menus are available below:

School Meals Information

School Dinner Menu Autumn and Winter 2024-25

Information about applying for Free School Meals can be found here.

Snacks in School

We have a healthy eating break time snack policy.  Children only bring in snacks such as fresh fruit and vegetables.