School Day
Before School Care
Thurton Before School Care (BSC) runs every day from 7.45-8.40am. Children can be dropped off at any time during this period, by coming to the main door and ringing the bell. If a space is booked, payment will be required and is non transferable. Each session, whatever time children arrive, is £5. If parents would like to send a breakfast packup the staff will help with this.
After School Care
We also offer After School Care (ASC), which runs 3.15-5.00pm. Sessions cost £5 for 3.15-4.30pm, and £2 for 4.30-5pm. Sessions should be booked in advance using our booking form. Cancellation details can be found on the Booking Form.
Forms for booking Before and After School Care are sent home each week electronically.
The school day begins at 8.40 for all children, and finishes at 3.15 p.m. The school gates open at 8.40am for a smooth transition into school.
Collective Worship is daily in the mornings at 10.20am with a Celebration Assembly on Friday.
Children have a 20 minute break during the morning. A fruit snack is provided for our younger children. As children in Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) do not have a healthy snack provided, they may bring one in to school each day. Please note that we are a nut free school and unhealthy (high sugar) snacks or sweets are prohibited.
Eligibility for entitled Free School Meals
The school receives extra funding for each child entitled to Free School Meals through the application system. This extra money helps the school in offering additional learning support time for pupils, support towards residentials and purchasing equipment for classes such as Numicom and Project X books. If you are interested in how this money is spent and the impact that it is having, please visit the Pupil Premium page on this website.
Free School Meals
In April 2018, the Department for Education introduced a new criterion for free school meal eligibility during the period of the Universal Credit roll out to ensure that no child would lose their eligibility to free school meals. These protections were enacted in our Commencement Order with the end date of March 2022, the date the rollout was then due to end. This is to inform you that the end date has since moved to March 2023, which will be reviewed by the DfE nearer the time.
Â
Any child gaining eligibility for free school meals after 1 April 2018 will be protected against losing free school meals during the Universal Credit rollout period until March 2023. After this date any existing claimants that no longer meet the eligibility criteria at that point (because they are earning above the threshold or are no longer a recipient of Universal Credit) will continue to receive free school meals until the end of their current phase of education (i.e. primary or secondary).
Â
As a reminder, the current benefits which attract Free School Meals are:
- Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400.
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
- Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190
How to apply
Parents are encouraged to apply on line. Information and a link to the on line application service is provided at www.norfolk.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools/school-meals-and-milk
Alternatively, an application form can be issued to those who prefer not to use the on line service.
Thank you for completing the form – it ensures our school is as well funded as possible.
Â
Universal Infant Free School Meals:
Since September 2014, schools have been required to provide free lunches to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 and there are no changes to this arrangement. The Free School Meals team will continue to assess Pupil Premium for these pupils.
Even though your child may be in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, please still tell our local authority if you receive any of the above benefits. Our school will receive extra funding if you do.
The front gates will open at 3.15pm to enable parents and carers to walk around the building and be ready to collect children in the rear playground. When the children have been collected after school, we ask that parents leave the site as soon as possible and not allow their children to play on any equipment. The school gates will be locked at 3.30pm. This enables the staff to know that any children staying behind to participate in a club are safe.
Parents are asked to collect their children from the playground after school.
If you are collecting children within the school day for any reason, such as a medical appointment, please come to the school office so your child/ren can be signed out.
If you are delayed, please telephone if at all possible. We will supervise your child in the school entrance until we hear from you. We are unable to let your child go home with anyone else (or on their own) unless your permission has been given in advance.