The School Day

Children's time
From 8:50am to 9:00am staff set aside time to ensure that they can talk to children before lessons begin.

Teaching Arrangements
Children at Tadworth are mostly taught by their own Class Teacher, with the support of trained Teaching Assistants - whom we have in all classes for at the very least the morning. Class sizes are up to a maximum of 30 throughout the school (on some occasions they may go to 31). Small groups of children are regularly selected for additional support if they are not reaching the levels expected for their age and ability. All our children have personal targets to help them move on in their learning.

Year group teaching teams plan their work together to ensure that all children receive a broad and balanced curriculum. Within this framework, teachers differentiate their planning to meet the needs of children in their care. Our children benefit from open–ended, challenging activities which enable them to think creatively, solve problems for themselves and show their high levels of ability. Support is planned and provided to ensure access to learning for those experiencing difficulties in any aspect of the curriculum.

Attendance and Punctuality 

If a child is absent, parents must contact the school as soon as possible and confirm the reason for absence. We are required to document all absences from school. Late arrivals (after 9.10am) without an explanation will be recorded as unauthorised. Attendance and punctuality is monitored by our Education Welfare Officer (EWO). If a child’s attendance falls below 90% or is regularly late for school, parents will receive a letter highlighting the concern and the EWO will be made aware and follow up as necessary.

The Alleyway Entrance from Tadorne Road

We have an entrance to the school that leads from Tadorne Road (opposite Cross Road) that offers quick and easy access to the school and is used by many parents and children. However, we would like to point out that using this alleyway is at your own risk. There is a woodland running along one side of the alleyway and we have this regularly inspected by tree surgeons to check the condition of the trees. However, branches could fall, especially in strong winds and on occasion the alleyway can become icy or slippery. We will always try to keep the alleyway open but in the event of sever weather it may be closed. In this instance we will always endeavour to put a notice on the home page of this website by 8.30am and 2.45pm. If in any doubt please allow extra time for your journey to or from school.

Requests for leave of absence

We believe that holidays taken during term time are disruptive and can seriously affect a child’s education. All family holidays taken during term time will be recorded as an unauthorised absence except in exceptional circumstances and by prior agreement with the Headteacher. If parents need to take their child out of school during term time for any reason (including events such as a music/drama/sports exams or competitions) a permission form, available from the school, should be completed.

Illness and Emergencies
The school employs a Welfare Secretary who is responsible for the welfare of the children. If children are not well they will be taken to the Welfare Office. If necessary, parents will be contacted. All parents are asked to ensure that the school has an up to date contact number for use in such emergencies. We do not administer short term medicines such as antibiotics in school. Where children need regular medication for a long term condition we will consider making appropriate arrangements. For safety reasons, all medicines are kept and administered in the welfare office. Children who suffer sickness or diarrhoea should be kept off school for 48 hours from the last incidence in order to avoid spreading any infection. We ask parents to inform the school of any infectious illnesses, so that we can inform and protect any child or member of staff who could be particularly at risk from them.

School Dinners
‘Tadworth Treats’ is the name of our own catering service. All meals are prepared on the premises by our own staff and provide a nutritionally balanced lunch which is popular with the children. We encourage families to take advantage of the opportunity for children to eat a balanced meal at school each day in preference to bringing a packed lunch. All dietary requirements can be met by our caterers. In addition to hot meals, a buffet style Salad Bar is also available. ‘School Packed Lunches’ can also be supplied, which are a popular option in the summer term, enabling children to eat out of doors in the fresh air. More details regarding Tadworth Treats including a selection of menus are available on our website or from school.

Partnership with Parents
At Tadworth Primary we pride ourselves on having a strong partnership with parents. Many of our parents and grandparents help in classes; others help on school outings or residential trips. We have an active Parent Teacher Association who raise substantial funds each year to support improvement projects. The school values this help enormously.

It is our policy to be available to parents as far as is practicable. If parents have a concern, we would encourage them to come in to school to discuss it with us. Class teachers are available to parents at the beginning (before 8.50) and end (after 3.30) of the school day to deal with simple issues. Should a lengthier discussion be necessary, parents are encouraged to make an appointment either directly with the class teacher or via the front office. If at any time a parent is not satisfied with how a matter has been managed we follow the Surrey Guildelines for dealing with parental concerns, a copy of which is available on our website or from school.