FAQ's
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What time does school start and finish?
The doors to each year group are opened at 8.35am. These are manned by a member of staff to admit children until 8.45am when the doors are then closed.
The school day ends for children in Reception classes at 3.00pm. The school day ends for children in Years 1 to 6 at 3.15pm.
(Please note, from September 2026, the start and finish times for Reception children will be from 8:45am until 3:15pm.)
What time is registration?
Children need to be in class and ready for registration at 8.45am.
What are the school office opening times?
The School Office is open each school day during term time from 8.15am to 3.45pm.
What do I do if my child is late?
If you arrive at school after 8.45am you will need to report to the School Office. You will need to sign your child in to school as they will have missed registration in class. An adult must sign in a child arriving late.
How can I pass a message to my child’s class teacher?
When you bring your child to school you can leave a message with the member of staff admitting children at the door. This message will then be passed on to your child’s class teacher.
How do I contact the school?
You can contact us by telephone on 01384 816740. You will be given options to choose from:
Choose 1 for pupil attendance or to report your child’s absence
Choose 2 for finance
Choose 3 for pupil admissions
Choose 0 for the receptionist
or you can email us at enquiries@petershillprimary.org
What do I do if my child is ill?
On your child’s first day of absence, you need to contact us to report the reason for absence. You should do this by telephoning the school’s absence line on 01384 816740 and choose option 1 or email our absence email address (absence@petershillprimary.org) and leave your name, your child’s name, class and the reason for absence. This will then be marked appropriately onto your child’s class register. If the absence continues over a weekend, please contact school again on the Monday morning.
What do I do if my child needs to take medicine?
If your child needs to take medication up to 3 times a day, we ask that you administer this at home before school, after school and at bedtime.
If your child needs to take medication up to 4 times a day, we may administer a dose in school. In order for us to do this the medication needs to have been prescribed by a doctor. The medication needs to have a pharmacy label on it stating who it has been prescribed to, how often it is to be taken and what the dosage is.
You will need to bring the medication to the School Office and complete the relevant paperwork confirming these instructions.
What do I do if my child has an appointment?
We would encourage parents to make appointments for children outside of the school day. However, if your child does need to attend an appointment and will be arriving at school afterwards you must report to the School Office and sign your child into school. Please email a copy of the appointment confirmation letter, e.g from the hospital, to the absence line (absence@petershillprimary.org) so that we can mark your child’s register appropriately.
What if my child needs to be collected during the school day?
If you are contacted during the school day and need to collect your child, e.g. due to illness, you must report to the School Office. Your child will then be called for and you will be asked to sign them out.
How do I change my contact details?
If there is a change to your contact details, please notify the School Office immediately in case we have cause to contact you. A change of details form is available from the display unit in the main reception. Please complete, providing new information and current details which need to be replaced. When completed hand in to the School Office. Alternatively, please email the details to enquiries@petershillprimary.org from the email address we hold on your child’s records.
What if my child forgets to bring something to school?
As children move up through the year groups, we do try to encourage them to take responsibility for their belongings and remember to bring items into school. However, if your child does forget to bring something into school you can bring this in to the School Office and we will endeavour to deliver this to class for your child.
How can I receive a school newsletter?
Our school newsletter is produced every 2 weeks and will be emailed to the email address you provide us with on the new pupil form.
How do I pay for educational visits?
If your child is due to take part in an educational visit, information will be sent out to you at the time. Please pay by using our online payments system which can be accessed from the home page of our website. This is a secure and convenient way to pay. Details of how to register will be provided shortly after your child starts school or when there is an upcoming trip.
How do I pay for school lunches?
We operate a cashless catering system. You will receive details of this system when your child starts school. You then need to ‘top up’ your child’s account by using our online payments system. If your child is in Reception – Year 2, they are entitled to universal free school meals.
What do I do if I am entitled to Free School Meals for my child?
If you are eligible for your child to receive free school meals, you will need to complete an application form. Once your eligibility has been confirmed, details will be passed on to the school Catering Manager. Your child will then purchase their school meal following exactly the same process as other children in school.
How do I apply for Free School Meals for my child?
If you think you may be eligible to obtain free school meals for your child or wish to apply, please go to the following link:
https://www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/benefits/free-school-meals/
If you are eligible but choose not to apply, we would ask that you do even if your child does not take up their entitlement. During the allocation of budgets to schools, one of the elements taken into consideration is the number of children claiming free school meals. If you are entitled, please claim them and you could help our budget and yours!
What do I need to do for my child to take holiday during term time?
If you choose to take your child on a holiday during term time you need to complete a request for leave of absence form and return it to the School Office. These are located on the display unit in the main reception area. Any holiday taken by children during term time is registered as an unauthorised absence and may be subject to a fixed penalty notice.