The start of the School Day
At Colindale Primary School we have a Breakfast Club led by two experienced members of staff which runs from 7.30 – 8.40 a.m. All children from Reception upwards can attend. There are a range of activities on offer including Lego, table tennis, drawing and board games. The children also get a substantial breakfast – cereal, toast, jam, yoghurt and fruit juice.
Little Rainbows & Nursery
- Little Rainbows and the Nursery start at 8.30 am.
- Little Rainbows children must be dropped off at the main school door and handed over to a member of the Little Rainbows staff team.
- Nursery children must be dropped off at the external door which leads from the car park and handed over to a member of the Nursery staff team.
- Little Rainbows and the Nursery children must be in by 8.45 am.
Reception to Year 6
- We operate a soft start to the school day. The school gates, at both Poolsford Road and Woodfield Avenue, open at 8.40am and close promptly at 8.55am.
- Reception, Year 1 and 2 children must be dropped off at the classroom door and handed over to their teacher.
- We encourage children in Years 3 to 6 to be dropped off at the school gates, where they can independently make their way into school.
- Reception to Year 6 children must be in by 8.55am.
Every Friday morning, we hold ‘Everyone Reads’ from 8.40 – 8.55 am for Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3. This is a time when parents/carers can come and read with their children in class and seek advice about reading from their class teacher.
Session Times
Start and End of the Day
| Class | Start Time | Playtime | Lunchtime | School Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rainbows | 8:30am & 12:15pm | 3:15pm | ||
| Nursery | 8:30am & 12:15pm | 3:15pm | ||
| Reception | 8:40am | 10:00 – 10:15am 2:00 – 2:15pm | 11:45 – 12:45pm | 3:15pm |
| Year 1 | 8:40am | 10:00 – 10:15am 2:00 – 2:15pm | 12:00 – 1:00pm | 3:15pm |
| Year 2 | 8:40am | 10:00 – 10:15am 2:00 – 2:15pm | 12:00 – 1:00pm | 3:15pm |
| Year 3 | 8:40am | 10:30am – 10:45am | 12:15 – 1:15pm | 3:15pm |
| Year 4 | 8:40am | 10:30am – 10:45am | 12:15 – 1:15pm | 3:15pm |
| Year 5 | 8:40am | 11:00 – 11:15am | 12:30 – 1:30pm | 3:15pm |
| Year 6 | 8:40am | 11:00 – 11:15am | 12:30 – 1:30pm | 3:15pm |
Lunchtime
The school lunch break is an important part of the day. The children are brought in to eat at staggered intervals and are supervised by mealtime supervisors, teaching assistants and members of the senior leadership team. We work with the children to ensure that lunchtime play is a positive experience, developing physical and social skills. There are different areas designated for various play activities and we encourage the children to play creatively and cooperatively. We expect high standards of behaviour.
All children at Colindale are entitled to a free school meal each day through the Mayor of London’s Universal Free School Meals scheme.
Families who may be eligible for government-funded Free School Meals should still apply, as this can provide additional funding to support your child and the school. Please speak to a member of the office team if you would like help with your application.
We are fortunate to have excellent school meals planned in accordance with the nutritional standards for school meals. They are cooked on the premises. There is a wide variety of foods offered, and choices each day will include a vegetarian option and halal food. There is always a salad bar, fresh fruit and bread. We need to know if children are not allowed to eat certain foods for religious reasons or due to allergies.
Packed Lunches
Some children may prefer to bring a packed lunch to school. It is most important that all children have a nutritious lunch to keep up their energy level throughout the school day. We ask parents to make sure lunches are packed in a plastic or metal container clearly marked with the child’s name and class and that our Packed lunch Policy is followed
Please note that nuts or nut products are not allowed in school, as we have several children and staff who have severe nut allergies. Dinner arrangements can only be changed at the beginning of the term or half term. Please give notice in writing to the school office.
End of the School Day
Children in Little Rainbows, Nursery, Reception, Years 1 and 2, are collected from their classrooms.
Children from Years 3 to 6 are taken to their designated area in the playground by their teacher, where they are handed over to parents/carers.
Children who are transported to school by the Borough transport, will be met off the bus by a special needs teaching assistant in the morning and then taken to the bus at the end of the day.
Assemblies
Our daily assemblies are an important part of the life of our school community. We value the opportunity to come together to share, reflect and celebrate our experiences. We are mindful that Colindale is a multi-faith school and plan the content of our assemblies carefully to meet the legal requirements and reflect the multi faith society that we live in. Parents are invited to Class and Year Group Assemblies, which are an opportunity to share and celebrate the diversity of our community and, while parents have the right to withdraw children from assemblies, we are pleased that this does not happen and that assemblies are well attended by all our parents.
