King’s Furlong Infant School and Nursery 

Frequently Asked Questions for starting school September 2025 

 

When do the children start? 

The Autumn term starts on Thursday 4th September 2025. 

Thursday 4th September – Stay and Play morning or afternoon 

Friday 5th September – Stay and play 10-1pm 

Monday 8th September – Stay ‘All’ Day 9:15 – 2pm 

Tuesday 9th September – All children will be in full time from today 8:45 – 3:15pm 

 

Will my child and I be able to visit the school before September? 

You are invited to our Summer Fair on Friday 20th June 3:15-5pm. 

We also have an open morning on Friday 27th June 10-11am (parents must attend with their child please). 

A further Story time session is on Thursday 17th July 10 – 10:30am. In this session your child will meet their new class and class teacher without parents.  

 

When will I know who my child’s class teacher will be? 

You will meet your child's class teacher at the open morning on Friday 27th June. All staff will also be available at the parent welcome meeting on Tuesday 10th June at 6pm.  

 

Who are the key staff? 

Mrs Herring is the Headteacher and Mrs Webb is the Deputy Headteacher and the SENCo. The staff in the office are Mrs Shepherd, Mrs Thorne and Mr Winter. To contact the headteacher please use the following email address headteacher.kfis@sfet.org.uk or the Admin Office on admin.kfis@sfet.org.uk  

 

What are school opening and closing times? 

School starts at 8:45 am each day and all children need to be picked up in the afternoon at 3:15pm each day. The classroom doors are open from 8:45 am to 8:55 am and again at 3:15pm.  

 

Where do the children go into school? 

Children go in to school, and leave at the end of the day, from their classroom door. The YR classrooms are at the King’s Furlong Drive end of school and are accessed through a mesh gate which will be opened at the start and end of the day.  

 

What do I do if my child is late to school? 

Take your child to the main office and sign them in on the electronic sign in system giving a reason for lateness. The office staff will then take your child to their classroom.   

 

What do I do if I am going to be late in collecting my child? 

We hope that this does not happen. In the event that you will be late please contact the school office on 01256 327024 giving the reason for the delay and expected time of collection.  If a child is not collected, or we cannot contact you to arrange collection of your child, Children’s Social Care will be contacted. 

 

Can I send someone else to pick up my child? 

If you need someone else to come to school to collect your child please speak to the class teacher in the morning or leave a message with the staff in the office; if this is a regular arrangement update your collection list on MCAS App. 

 

What is the MCAS App? 

The My Child At School (MCAS) App is a central App for parents to use to access information about their child such as attendance etc. You also use this to make payments for trips, clubs etc. 

  

How do I report my child's absence from school? 

Telephone school on the day of the absence before 9am and inform the office staff.  

 

Can I take my child on holiday during term time? 

No. Attending school is a compulsory obligation that parents/carers must adhere to and therefore you should avoid taking your child out of school. If you wish to have a special case considered then you are required to complete a request for leave of absence form which can be requested from the school office. The school has a policy around attendance where full details of the requirements and penalties can be found. 

 

Do the children have break times? 

The children have a 15 minute break mid-morning when they will play outside with the rest of school. Each child is currently provided with a mid-morning snack of fruit or vegetable. The time of their morning break is usually after assembly between 10.45am – 11.00am. 

 

How long do the children get to eat lunch? 

Children in Reception have one hour for their lunch. After their lunch they play on the playground, Astro Turf or grass area with other children. Lunchtime is supervised by staff who work in classrooms together with some staff who only work at lunchtimes. We have a large number of toys and equipment for the children to play with at lunchtime. We are also fortunate to have a climbing wall, a climbing frame, 2 trampolines and a large area of artificial grass so the children have plenty of space and things to keep them occupied.  

 

How much is a school dinner? 

School dinners are free for all children in Infant Schools and provided by Pabulum. Children will be able to choose from 3 options: red (meat), green (vegetarian), blue (jacket potato or pasta and tomato sauce). Menus are on the school website. Children are encouraged to try everything on their plate, they are also expected to use a knife and fork independently although staff will cut food up for them if they are really struggling. Jugs of water and cups are also provided. 

  

What if my child has a food allergy? 

Pabulum will cater for all allergies. Parents/carers need to register their child’s allergy with Pabulum and send medical evidence of an allergy. Please visit the Admin Office who can pass across to you a special dietary requirement form for you to complete. 

 

Can I send my child in with a packed lunch? 

If you do not want to take advantage of the free school meals then your child can bring in a lunch from home, in a named lunch box. We encourage children to bring a healthy lunch to school which could include items such as fruit, vegetables, pasta or rice salads, yoghurts. Foods containing nuts are not permitted as some children in school have allergies. Hot drinks and soup are not permitted. 

 

How much is milk? 

Milk is free for children under 5. Once your child turns 5 milk is 28p each day, you will need to register directly with Cool Milk. https://www.coolmilk.com/parents/ If your child is eligible for free school meals then milk is free. 

 

Is drinking water available? 

Children have access to drinking water in school. Please send your child to school with a named water bottle which they can refill whenever necessary. Please do not send your child in with juice or squash. 

 

It’s my child birthday, can I send in sweets/treats? 

We ask that children do not bring cakes, sweets or treats into school.  

 

Where can I buy school uniform from? 

The uniform is white polo shirt, blue jumpers or cardigans and grey or black shorts/trousers/skirts/pinafores. Girls summer dresses are blue. You can buy school uniform from skoolkit. https://www.skoolkit.co.uk  Please name all items of clothing.  

 

Where do I go to locate lost Property? 

Lost property items are located in each classroom. Attempts will be made to identify property and parents/carers informed if the item in question is labelled with the pupil name. Lost property is kept for a reasonable period of time after which it will be disposed of appropriately. 

 

Does my child need a book bag? 

Book bags can be purchased from skoolkit. This bag will help to protect your child’s book from the weather and accidental damage. Your child will need to bring their reading book into school every day. When you read at home with your child please initial the reading record. 

 

What else is my child allowed to bring to school? 

Children should not bring toys, sweets, valuables or money into school.  We cannot be responsible for children’s property. They should only bring their book bag, water bottle and packed lunch if they are having a packed lunch. 

 

Can my child wear jewellery in school? 

We ask that pupils do not wear jewellery in school other than for religious reasons. Any earrings worn must be removed on PE days or, if your child can not remove their own earrings we ask that they do not wear them. Schools are busy places and we find that jewellery can cause unnecessary accidents. 

 

My child has long hair, does it need tying up? 

All children with hair longer than shoulder length must have this tied up. Staff may put your child’s hair up if necessary. 

 

What do the children wear for PE? 

Children will need a white t-shirt and plain shorts for PE. They do not need plimsolls as most PE is done barefoot. When the children will be working outside they may need trainers. Staff will advise if your child will need these and they should come in on the day, you don’t need to buy additional ones. Please name all items of clothing. 

 

What do I do if my child is prescribed medication? 

If your child needs to have medication at school you must complete a form at the school office. We can only accept medication that is in its original packaging and has a pharmacy label with your child’s name printed on it. We ask that medication at school is kept to a minimum and if antibiotics are prescribed for less than four times a day we suggest this can be organised out of school time. Medication must be brought to the office in the morning and collected at the end of the day by an adult. Children are not allowed to bring in, or be given their medication. All medication held on school premises is kept locked and secure. 

 

My child is an asthmatic, where do they keep their inhaler? 

Children with an inhaler will keep their inhaler in the classroom and it will be taken with them for PE lessons. A form must be completed at the school office before your child can have an inhaler in school. Inhalers are sent home at the end of each term.  

 

My child has an allergy where do they keep their auto-injector? 

Auto-injectors will be kept in the classroom. A form must be completed at the school office before your child can have an auto-injector in school. Auto-injectors are sent home at the end of each term.  

 

What happens if my child has a medical/dental appointment? 

Please try to arrange medical appointments outside of school time. If this is unavoidable we ask that you bring the appointment letter to the school office so it can be recorded on the register. 

 

How long before my child can return to school after an illness? 

If your child is unwell we ask you to be vigilant and keep them at home until they are feeling better. As their parent you will know and understand your child the best so you will know if they are genuinely unwell. We ask that children remain at home until they are well enough to return to school. For sickness and stomach bugs – we ask that children remain at home for at least 24 hours after their last bout of illness to ensure that infections do not spread. 

 

What happens if my child has an accident at school? 

The office staff have extensive first aid training, and most classroom staff have basic training. The office staff will offer reassurance and first aid as necessary. If a child has a head bump then the parent will be informed. If the injury is significant we would also inform parents/carers and appropriate first aid would be given and of course for any serious injury we would involve medical services. Class teachers should also share relevant information with you at the end of the day when you collect your child. When your child joins school, you will receive an email invitation to register a Tapestry account. We record all accidents on Tapestry and when your child has an accident, you will receive a Tapestry notification of their accident, via email, once the office staff have signed off the accident. 

 

What is Tapestry? 

Tapestry is an online journal to help record some of your child’s learning and fun whilst in school. You will be sent log on details in September which will allow you to see some of what your child is learning in school but also enables you to add photos of activities you complete at home. As noted in the above question, Tapestry is also used to register and record accidents and first aid which your child may receive during the day. Tapestry is used throughout your child’s time at King’s Furlong Infant School and Nursery.  

 

What happens if my child has a toilet accident in school? 

We have clear procedures if a child soils themselves at school.  Staff will clean and change your child, in a private location and send home the clothing that needs washing. If we believe the incident was due to your child being unwell we would contact you to ask you to collect your child. If your child often has accidents please provide the school with spare clothing as we do not have a limitless supply we can use. 

 

What do I do if my child has headlice? 

If your child has headlice we ask that you treat them quickly to ensure that they do not spread.  

 

Can I park at the school? 

We do not have any visitor parking at school. Parents/carers are asked to to park legally and with due consideration for our neighbours. Please adhere to the school’s parking agreement. We suggest either walking in if you live close enough to the school or parking a few streets away and walking the remainder to avoid congestion in the local streets to the school.  

 

Does the school have a Breakfast Club and After School Clubs? 

We run both a Breakfast Club and an After School Club, which are called Explorers. Our breakfast club is open from 7:45am and is run in the school hall. Breakfast is included in the price and children can choose from a range of healthy cereals, toast and fruit. We can accommodate 20 pupils from Year R to Year 2 and sessions must be booked in advance. The cost of breakfast club sessions is £5 and booked sessions must be paid for in advance using MCAS app. Children are be taken to the school hall by staff in school for their Explorers session. Children can also be delivered from other after school clubs, such as football, choir etc. During Explorers, children are offered a healthy snack on arrival before settling down to a range of play-based activities. Children attending a full session will also be offered a light tea at around 5pm. We can accommodate up to 20 children each day from Year R – Year 2 and sessions must be booked in advance. The cost of an after-school session is £7 for a half session until 4:30pm or £10 for a full session until 5:30pm. Booked sessions must be paid for in advance using the MCAS app 

 

What do I do if I need to see a teacher? 

If you want to speak to the class teacher, more than to pass on a quick message, please do not catch them in the morning as they are busy with children. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress we ask that you arrange an appointment to talk to your child’s class teacher. Staff will be happy, by arrangement, to meet with you after school. Staff can be contacted by email initialsurname@sfet.org.uk but will not answer beyond the working day. 

 

Are children given homework? 

We expect children to read at home every day.   Children should bring their book bag in to school every day.  Depending upon your child’s age, other activities will be set, such as a maths activity, a topic to research or spellings to learn. 

 

What happens in Assemblies? 

Assemblies currently take place throughout the week. We sing songs, discuss school rules, celebrate achievements and promote our school values. Normally whole school assemblies are four times per week; on a Thursday our assembly is led by a local organisation called Open the Book. 

 

Do you have support for parents/carers? 

The school have a Parent Support Advisor who can offer advice, provide support or be a listening ear. She can be contacted through the school office.  

 

What does SEN / SENCo stand for? 

If your child has Special Educational Needs they will be on the SEN register. 
Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator is Mrs Caroline Webb cwebb@sfet.org.uk  

 

My child doesn’t have SEN but I am worried about their learning 

Teachers will ensure they adapt learning to meet a child’s needs. Any queries should initially be raised with your child’s class teacher before raising with the SENCo. We have staff trained to support children with speech and language needs, physical needs, ASD, ADHD and dyslexia. We work closely with outside agencies, should they be involved, to support your child 

 

How can I contact the school? 

The school office is open from 8:00am until 4:00pm (3:30pm on a Friday) and can be contacted on 01256 327024. Emails can also be sent to admin.kfis@sfet.org.uk. Emails will not be answered of an evening or over a weekend.  

 

How can I protect my child when using technology? 

We teach children about staying safe online in school. We have information on our website that will keep you informed and help you keep your child safe online. We ask that parents/carers are aware of online sites that their child is visiting and that they do not have access to social media accounts. 

 

How does the school communicate with parents/carers? 

Parents/carers receive a fortnightly newsletter via email, please make sure that the school office have your email address. Other notifications may be sent by email as necessary but the newsletter contains all important information and should be your point of reference. The school will also send out text messages with other shorter notices or to advise of an important email being sent. Please also ensure that the school has your correct mobile number. The school website also contains helpful guidance and information. There is a very informative calendar event system on our website that is populated with all major events from term times to day trips, parent evenings and any shows or events that parents/carers are invited to. 

 

How can parents/carers get involved? 

We welcome parent helpers in school, please speak to the school office if you are interested in becoming a parent volunteer. Children go on regular outings, both locally and beyond and we encourage parents/carers to help on these trips, without parent helper these visits would not be possible.  

 

What if my child can't speak English? 

We have several children who have joined our school with limited English. Staff are trained in supporting children who are new to the UK. Please speak to your child in the language that you feel most comfortable with - it is the quality of the interaction that is important, it does not matter which language you use.