Term Dates and Opening Times

Welcome to our diary dates section, where you can find all the essential information regarding the school holiday pattern, the parent calendar of events, and our school opening hours. We aim to keep our parents informed and engaged with our school community, ensuring you have all the details needed to plan ahead for a smooth and enriching experience for your children. Explore our documents to stay updated with key dates and activities throughout the academic year.

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Term Dates

Parents Calendar

PE days

On PE days pupils come to school in their sports kit. The days are as follows:

School Timings

Longton Primary School's opening times for all children are 8:50 am  - 3:15 pm

EYFS and KS1 come in to school at 8.50am

KS2 can come in to school at 8.40 am. This is to help ease traffic.

EYFS and Key Stage One children have a lunch break of 50 minutes starting at 11.50

Key Stage Two children have a lunch break of 45 minutes starting at 12.15

Total number of hours of learning per week 

EYFS and Key Stage One =  32 hours 5 minutes

Key Stage Two = 33 hours 20 minutes 

 Event Overviews

As we strive to foster a supportive and enriching community for our pupils, we would like to share an overview of the various events and initiatives taking place at our school. These events allow parents to engage with their children's learning experiences, support their development, and actively participate in the school community. From character meetings and afternoon teas to class assemblies and celebration assemblies, each event presents unique opportunities for interaction and collaboration. We hope you find this outline informative and inspiring, as we invite you to get involved in our school activities and contribute to the memorable experiences we create together for our children.

Character meeting

Children sometimes stay after school for a character meeting this is for them to plan an activity. This is typically for the Y6 pupils who are school parliament, head team and eco team. They are picked up at 4pm.

Afternoon tea

Afternoon tea are sessions in which parents are invited in to school at around 2pm until the end of the school day. A teacher in school will lead an informative session to support your understanding of what happens in school. In the past we have had sessions on Science, phonics reading, maths, Internet safety.  Sometimes, but not always your child will join you.

Parents in class.

Each year a few parents in class sessions take place. This is when parents join in a lesson with their child. This enables you to spend time with your child but also see first how learning takes place e.g. reading, maths fractions. These often start at 2pm.

Class Assembly

Each class will hold one class assembly each year. These are in the morning from 9 - 9.30 am approx. Parents and a few tribes make up the audience.

Your child's tribe will go through the learning they have been undertaking by singing, drama and public speaking.

Celebration Assembly

Each term we go to church. Each class have a bank of certificates they award for various subjects and areas of learning. These are awarded for the pupil who is making the most effort/progress in the area of learning.

Each class also share what they have been learning - providing another opportunity for public speaking.

These usually start at 2pm and parents make up the audience.

Harvest, Carol Service, Easter

We go to church to celebrate these three Christian festivals.

Each tribe will take part in a short section of a story or recite a poem.

These usually start at 2.15pm and parents make up the audience.

Mothers Day/Fathers Day

Mothers day have an afternoon tea/breakfast. You sit with your child/ren and enjoy a nice hour together. Approx. 35 - 60 mins

Fathers day breakfast. Just before the start of school Dads and their child/ren come to school for breakfast.  Approx. 35 mins.

Class Enterprise

Each class make items to sell at the end of the school day. They use the money made in a way that they decide e.g.  donate to a charity, use for the class compliment. This helps them learn about money in a real situation.

Parents Evening

We hold two formal parents each year. During this time we talk about your child's personal and academic development. It is also a time to get answers to any questions you may have and also to look at the work in your child's books.

In addition we send out data via scopay each term. Following this, if you can make an appointment with the class teacher to discuss the data sheet.

At the end of the year you get a more detailed written report. Following this you can make an appointment to meet with the teacher.

At any other point in the year you are more than welcome to make as many appointments to meet with the teacher as you would want.

The teacher make ask for an additional meeting with you if they have concerns about your child's learning or behaviour.

Projects

Twice a year we ask families to make a project together linked to learning that is taking place or an interest the child has. These are shared in class in a show and tell session. They are also displayed in the hall for everybody to come and look at. We hope parents and children experience good quality family time doing these projects.

PTFA meetings

These happen periodically and are for parents to come together and help school come up with ideas to raise much needed funds.  Any parent can come along to these meetings.

PTFA Events

Every class has a parent class rep. They organise nights out for parents, set up whatsapp sharing messages etc. They organise the running of a stall at the Christmas and summer fairs etc. and time slots for parents in the tribe to manage the stall.

Breakfast with Santa

Parents drop children off in the morning at about 7.40 and have breakfast. If they are lucky Father Christmas has been known to attend.

Discos

We hold a few discos throughout the year. EYFS/KS1 and KS2.  Parents of EYFS/KS1 sometimes stop but we do not expect them to. In fact we think it is a good excuse to catch up with other parents/friends at one of the many local establishments. We are grateful to parents who help at the tuckshop.

Cars One way system

We think one of the worst things anybody can do is knocking a child down. This is why we operate a one way system. A few minutes longer in your journey could save a life, injury or a grumpy start to the day. We ask that you drive in from the church end of school lane and leave via Bankcroft or Bentley park. Parking can be on the road or on the bowling club car park.

Walking Bus

We operate a walking bus from Booths at 8.30.  Anybody can join the free walking bus to school. Two members of the Longton team walk the children down to school.

 Meet the Teacher

This happens after school at the start of the year.  A chance for parents to pop in and see what the class teacher is like, expectations, what the room is like, where your child sits etc.

Valentine Shop/Easter Shop/Christmas Shop

These are run by our amazing PTFA. Children bring money in to school and buy things from the shop during the school day.

Tuckshop

On Friday the Enterprise Y6 leaders run a tuck shop. They purchase items and sell them from under the canopy at the end of the school day.

Productions

All classes at some point in the year take part in a production. EYFS/Y1 together - with y1 taking the bigger speaking parts, Y2/Y3 with Y3 taking the bigger speaking parts, Y4/5 with Y5 typically taking the bigger parts, Y6 on their own. There are usually two shows per production. There is one for Y6.

Y6 Awards Evening

This is a very special evening. It is an adult only event plus the Y6 pupil. No siblings or children other than the current Y6 pupils. The event lasts about 2 hours.

Class compliments

Compliments are awarded to a tribe from anybody other than the teachers of the class. They are awarded for good whole class learning and behaviour. Once the tribe achieve 20 compliments, they pick a treat afternoon.

Silver Stars

These are given out sparingly. They are the end point of praise for a child's hard work or good character and behaviour. They keep them for a week and then return them. This is because it makes them more special and also because they are almost £1 each which makes them expensive. When they earn 12 stars the 12th is Gold and they get to keep this one. 

Individual photos/ class photos

These are taken in the Autumn term. If you want sibling not at the school to be in the photo this can happen if you come at the start of the school day. Class photos are in the summer term.

LPS+ character curriculum bands

The LPS+ character curriculum is a very important part of our school. This is a time when our pupils learn what makes a good well rounded citizen and they learn about careers etc. There are brownie/scout type badges that are earned. These can be purchased from the office and sewn on to an arm band. The bands are worn at each church event or special occasion.

Sports day

We go early summer for our first attempt in the hope we don't get rained off. This lasts all afternoon and all family members are invited as cheering spectators. Our sports day does have competitive elements because we feel competition is a healthy part of life and character building.

Curriculum info

Curriculum overviews are shared via scopay at the start of each term. We also try to keep our website up to date and add curriculum information of what will be taught in the term on the class webpage. Helpful guides are also placed here.

Blogs

On the website each class has a blog. The expectation is that the blog will be added to once a week. Sometimes this will be more frequent. This helps you see what is happening in class and a have meal time conversations about learning at home.

Every night a reader

As a school we see reading as the fundamental part of our curriculum. We are committed to encouraging every child to read every night. Reading record books are collected each day and if children have not read they are given the opportunity to read for some time over the morning break period.

Communication

We email parents on Tuesday and Thursday with school news. We also add to the class blogs and we post some information on Longton primary  X (formally twitter). We also publish a calendar each year with key events on. We try hard not to change the dates on the calendar.

Homework

Homework goes out on Thursday and comes back on Tuesday. We set it in a way that children should be able to do on their own. Regardless of the famous saying ' I don't know what to do', the children will have done the work in class - more than once. Maths is always various arithmetic questions because this is key to being successful in maths. By repeatedly undertaking arithmetic really helps a child automaticity. A few word problems will also be added. In English comprehension or Grammar is set again to strength in class independent learning and develop confidences in the subject. Spellings are in the reading record books. Pupils practice these each day in class and are tested weekly.

Volunteers

We greatly benefit from having volunteers at our school. They assist in the classroom as well as with small group and one-to-one activities, such as times tables and reading. Establishing that special connection within the school significantly enhances learning and helps pupils build confidence in communicating with different adults. If you or someone you know would be interested in volunteering, please do get in touch. All volunteers are subject to DBS checks.