St Thomas' CE (VC) Junior School
Frequently Asked Questions
A great big welcome back to school to all of our children. We appreciate that parents will have some questions, so we have answered the most frequently asked below. If you still have a question to ask, please call reception on 01977 706063 and we will be happy to help. Your call will be answered by a member of the Administration Team, Miss Ratajczak or Mrs Dawson.
Q. What time does my child start/finish school and which entrance should they use?
School starts at 9.00am and finishes at 3.30pm for all children. Doors are open from 8.50am (please note that children in year 3 and 4 cannot walk home alone).
Staff members will be at each entrance, at those times, to welcome your child into school. Please don't ask these staff members any questions or give them any messages, please ring reception to do this.
Q. I have to collect my child during the school day for an appointment, what should I do?
If you need to collect your child for an appointment, you will need to come into Reception. You will also need to provide evidence of your child's appointment - you can bring this with you or send it via email to admin@stthomasfeatherstone.co.uk
prior to the date of the appointment.
Q. I have a question/ need to speak to someone, what should I do?
If your query can be dealt with by a member of the Administration team, you can call them on 01977 706063, call into Reception or email admin@stthomasfeatherstone.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
If you have a safeguarding concern and need to speak to someone urgently, please contact school on 01977 706063 and ask to speak to a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Q. My child has arrived at school late, what should I do?
Please try to get your child to school at the times specified above but we also understand that things happen that are out of your control and children are sometimes late because of this. When you arrive at school, please take your child to Reception to sign them in. Please note that we are strictly monitoring the frequency of late arrivals and collections.
Q. My child has forgotten their water bottle/ packed lunch, what should I do?
You can call into school with any forgotten items and we will take them to your child. If you can't get back to school with the items, please be assured that we provide a continuous supply of water to children throughout the day and we will give your child a school meal - you can make payment for this via School Money.
Q. What day does my child do PE and do I send them to school with a PE kit?
Each year group has a different PE day and children will need to come to school wearing their PE kit. The PE kit is a white t-shirt with navy or black shorts and trainers or jogging bottoms and jogging top in cooler weather.
Please do not send your child to school in branded football or rugby shirts/shorts as you will be asked to collect them in order to change.
Q. My child is unwell, who do I contact?
If your child is unwell, please telephone 01977 706063 and press 1 to leave a message on the absence line. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of the admin team or email admin@stthomasfeatherstone.co.uk In some circumstances, our Learning Mentor may need to call you back for more information.
Q. What before and after school care can I access?
Oakhill Day Nursery are providing before and after school care for us and you can find their details here.
Q. Can children bring a bag/ pencil case from home?
Children can bring a book bag to school as well as a water bottle and packed lunch. Every child will be given access to all the stationery they need for school use, so they do not need to bring any stationery items with them. Children do not need to bring any other bag as they will be coming in their PE kit on their dedicated day.
Q. Can my child have a mobile phone as they walk home alone?
We are asking all parents not to send their children with mobile phones unless it is absolutely necessary. However, we appreciate that in some situations it is, especially for the upper years of school where children may walk home alone. Mobile phones must be taken to Reception for storage during the day and collected at the end of the school day. SCHOOL WILL ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR THE LOSS OR THEFT OF ANY MOBILE PHONE BROUGHT ONTO THE PREMISES; THIS IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Q. What uniform do I need and how can I purchase it?
You can see the school uniform requirements here: School Uniform - what does my child need? (this will open in a new window)
You can now order school uniform direct from school by going to your School Money account (year 2 children will receive their login details late August by email). However, school will not be selling uniform until mid September, so please go to our approved suppliers Better and Bright - Castleford/ Pontefract or Signature on Ropergate, Pontefract.
Second Hand Uniform
Any lost property uniform that is collected and does not contain children's names (in order to return the item to it's owner) will be sent to the Featherstone Uniform Bank. "Sharing is Caring Featherstone Uniform Bank" (on Facebook) is a charity organisation that collects and distributes second hand uniform for all schools in the local area. If you have items you would like to donate or if you would like to use the uniform bank, please go to:
St Thomas Church School Hall - every Monday between 6pm and 7pm. (Please check their Facebook page for any closures)
Q. Do you provide school dinners?
We are very pleased to offer school dinners that are made in our own school kitchen, provided by our catering company DOLCE. During your child's time at Infant school they would have received their dinners free of charge, regardless of your circumstances. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case as junior children are not entitled to Universal Free School Meals. However, if you feel that your child is entitled to FREE SCHOOL MEALS and have not previously applied to the Free School Meals team at Wakefield Council, it is really important that you apply now. You can do this by simply clicking on the link below and submitting their form to them. We kindly ask you to complete a form even if you know you're entitled but don't want the free meal as school receives additional funding for your child - this funding helps our school keep class sizes small, provide additional 1-1 learning and provide the essential resources that each child needs to learn effectively.
http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/schools-and-children/free-school-meals
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING OUR PAYMENT SERVICES FOR UNIFORM/TRIPS/MEALS etc PLEASE CLICK HERE
