Visiting School
When coming into school, whether with your child or for an appointment, all visitors and parents must report to reception. For safeguarding and safety reasons, please do not enter the school without first speaking to a member of staff at the office.
Daily Timetable
All children must arrive in school each day before 9.00am. This is extremely important as the classes commence at 9.00am and it can be unsettling for children to arrive once the structured school day has begun. Late absences are recorded. Children may enter school from 8.35am at the earliest; please do not drop children off on their own/unsupervised at the front of the school before 8.35am.
8.35am - earliest drop-off time
9.00am - classes commence
10.45-11.00am - break time
12.15-1.00pm - lunch time
2.00pm - P1 and P2 children daily finish time.
2.00-3.00pm - Moorfields Minis (Paid provision for children in P1, P2 and P3 who finish at 2pm - bookings must be made by 9am daily on ParentPay).
3.00pm - P3-P7 finish time. (Please note P3s finish at 3.00pm Mon-Wed and at 2.00pm on Thurs and Fri.)
3.00-4.00pm - Extra-Curricular Activities (offered in blocks throughout the year).
Afternoon Pick-ups
Children can be collected from their classroom doors at their pick-up time. Staff will accompany bus children out to their respective buses. Mr Roberts, our crossing patrol man, is on duty daily at 2pm and 3pm and will aid children who cross to the Kilgad road. At pick-up times, please keep your children close as the car park becomes very busy. Please note, when collecting children - please keep moving so that we can lock the gates to use the playground for afternoon classes and extra-curricular activities.
Parking at School
We are really lucky to have a car park here at school situated well off the main road. However, it's not big enough for all cars and it gets really busy at pick-up times. Please be patient and understand the needs of others as you use the car park. Disabled parking spaces should be kept free for those who need this provision. Please do not park in the bus bay or obstruct the pedestrian crossings. Please ensure that you don't obstruct the flow of traffic around the perimeter of the car park.
Absence
Please contact us by telephone on the day if your child is unwell and cannot attend school. On the child's return to school, please provide a written note for the class teacher. In relation to sickness, there is clear guidance on exclusion periods for sicknesses - click here for this information. Please note there is an exclusion period of 48 hours for vomiting and diarrhoea.
Absences are recorded and shared with EA. The Education Welfare Officer liaises with us regularly; low attendance levels (85%) are noted.
Appointments and early collections - if you need to collect your child from school early for any reason, please send a note or contact the school by telephone to let us know in advance, then complete the sign out form at reception when you collect.
Uniform
Homework
The nature and volume of homework varies as the children progress through the school. It is important that children complete their homework as requested in order to reinforce their learning in the classroom. If you experience difficulties as you support your child with their homework, please contact the school and we'll be happy to discuss and help you. We don't want homework to be stressful and we don't want it to take all night!
Card System
We have high expectations for all children in relation to behaviour. We reward children for positive behaviours and encourage this at all times. In the event of unacceptable behaviour, we use the Card System - click here to read more about how this is implemented in school.
Meals
School meals can be ordered each day using ParentPay - www.parentpay.com. Meals can be ordered before 9am each day. It's a good idea to book ahead for all the meals your child will have that week or month. When booking a meal, select it (it will turn green) and continue to complete the process, including the confirmation of payment. If meals are booked but not paid for, the booking will be cancelled and we will not receive a notification of the requested meal. If you change your mind about a meal booking, or if your child is absent from school, please cancel the booking. If you are entitled to free school meals, please ensure you avail of this provision; click here to apply for free school meals.
Healthy Breaks
Healthy lifestyles are always promoted at Moorfields Primary School; we encourage the children to bring a healthy break to school. This could be fruit, vegetables, or a bread snack (without sugary spreads or jams!) Yogurts, breadsticks, crackers - there are loads of options, but we try to encourage foods which are not high in fats and sugars. This is not mandatory, but each class teacher operates their own system of encouragement/reward for healthy breaks. Fridays are not included in these reward systems - it's a day off!
NUTS - please avoid sending foods containing peanuts as we regularly have children with nut allergies.
Transport
There are two yellow EA buses which provide transport to and from school for the surrounding area. Both buses operate in the morning, and again at 2pm and 3pm. Applications for bus transport must be made to the Education Authority. To find out if your child is eligible for a seat and to apply for a seat on the bus, please click here. Please note that children are granted seats for a particular bus route; children cannot use both school buses/routes unless they have been granted a seat on both routes.
Term Dates and Holidays
You can view our term dates and holidays information on the school website. Most of the important dates and events will be added to the calendar on the homepage and the holiday lists are also posted in downloadable/printable format - click here.
Communication
Our new school communication platform, Seesaw, is an important aspect of daily and weekly school life. Announcements and newsletters will be posted on the app and teachers may communicate individually with you at times. Please ensure that notifications are enabled on your Seesaw app so that you receive all information in a timely manner. We use the app to provide you with the information you need. All other information from classes eg photos and updates will be posted on the school website's latest news page.
If you have an issue or problem with any aspect of school life, please contact Mr Beattie by email or by telephone - contact details.
Mobile Phones
Children are not permitted to have a mobile phone on school grounds. This policy is in place to ensure a safe and focused learning environment for all students.
We also want to emphasize that the decision to provide your child with access to online communication platforms is ultimately yours. However, it's important to be aware that many of these platforms are not designed for young children and may contain inappropriate content.
It's important to note that children can sometimes be hurtful to one another online, even without intending to be. While we strive to create a positive and respectful learning environment at school, we cannot be responsible for disciplining actions that have occurred outside of school as a result of a parental decision to allow access to online communication or social media platforms.
We encourage you to discuss the potential risks and benefits of mobile phone use with your child and to set appropriate guidelines for their online activities. Have a look at https://saferinternet.org.uk/ to find out more about online safety.
When coming into school, whether with your child or for an appointment, all visitors and parents must report to reception. For safeguarding and safety reasons, please do not enter the school without first speaking to a member of staff at the office.
Daily Timetable
All children must arrive in school each day before 9.00am. This is extremely important as the classes commence at 9.00am and it can be unsettling for children to arrive once the structured school day has begun. Late absences are recorded. Children may enter school from 8.35am at the earliest; please do not drop children off on their own/unsupervised at the front of the school before 8.35am.
8.35am - earliest drop-off time
9.00am - classes commence
10.45-11.00am - break time
12.15-1.00pm - lunch time
2.00pm - P1 and P2 children daily finish time.
2.00-3.00pm - Moorfields Minis (Paid provision for children in P1, P2 and P3 who finish at 2pm - bookings must be made by 9am daily on ParentPay).
3.00pm - P3-P7 finish time. (Please note P3s finish at 3.00pm Mon-Wed and at 2.00pm on Thurs and Fri.)
3.00-4.00pm - Extra-Curricular Activities (offered in blocks throughout the year).
Afternoon Pick-ups
Children can be collected from their classroom doors at their pick-up time. Staff will accompany bus children out to their respective buses. Mr Roberts, our crossing patrol man, is on duty daily at 2pm and 3pm and will aid children who cross to the Kilgad road. At pick-up times, please keep your children close as the car park becomes very busy. Please note, when collecting children - please keep moving so that we can lock the gates to use the playground for afternoon classes and extra-curricular activities.
Parking at School
We are really lucky to have a car park here at school situated well off the main road. However, it's not big enough for all cars and it gets really busy at pick-up times. Please be patient and understand the needs of others as you use the car park. Disabled parking spaces should be kept free for those who need this provision. Please do not park in the bus bay or obstruct the pedestrian crossings. Please ensure that you don't obstruct the flow of traffic around the perimeter of the car park.
Absence
Please contact us by telephone on the day if your child is unwell and cannot attend school. On the child's return to school, please provide a written note for the class teacher. In relation to sickness, there is clear guidance on exclusion periods for sicknesses - click here for this information. Please note there is an exclusion period of 48 hours for vomiting and diarrhoea.
Absences are recorded and shared with EA. The Education Welfare Officer liaises with us regularly; low attendance levels (85%) are noted.
Appointments and early collections - if you need to collect your child from school early for any reason, please send a note or contact the school by telephone to let us know in advance, then complete the sign out form at reception when you collect.
Uniform
- Boys wear grey trousers/shorts, white Moorfields crested t-shirt and the navy school sweatshirt. Dark grey/black socks and black school shoes should be worn.
- Girls wear a navy pinafore or skirt, white Moorfields crested t-shirt and the navy school sweatshirt. White knee socks and black shoes should be worn. Blue gingham dress can be worn with the sweatshirt from September to half term (Oct) and then again in summer term.
- The winter uniform (Term 2, January to Easter) for boys and girls is a white shirt with Moorfields navy and red striped tie.
- PE Kit - P4-P7 children should wear the Moorfields navy & red PE t-shirt.
- All uniform is available to purchase from Wallace's, Ballymena. To find out if you are eligible to receive financial assistance for school uniform, click here.
Homework
The nature and volume of homework varies as the children progress through the school. It is important that children complete their homework as requested in order to reinforce their learning in the classroom. If you experience difficulties as you support your child with their homework, please contact the school and we'll be happy to discuss and help you. We don't want homework to be stressful and we don't want it to take all night!
Card System
We have high expectations for all children in relation to behaviour. We reward children for positive behaviours and encourage this at all times. In the event of unacceptable behaviour, we use the Card System - click here to read more about how this is implemented in school.
Meals
School meals can be ordered each day using ParentPay - www.parentpay.com. Meals can be ordered before 9am each day. It's a good idea to book ahead for all the meals your child will have that week or month. When booking a meal, select it (it will turn green) and continue to complete the process, including the confirmation of payment. If meals are booked but not paid for, the booking will be cancelled and we will not receive a notification of the requested meal. If you change your mind about a meal booking, or if your child is absent from school, please cancel the booking. If you are entitled to free school meals, please ensure you avail of this provision; click here to apply for free school meals.
Healthy Breaks
Healthy lifestyles are always promoted at Moorfields Primary School; we encourage the children to bring a healthy break to school. This could be fruit, vegetables, or a bread snack (without sugary spreads or jams!) Yogurts, breadsticks, crackers - there are loads of options, but we try to encourage foods which are not high in fats and sugars. This is not mandatory, but each class teacher operates their own system of encouragement/reward for healthy breaks. Fridays are not included in these reward systems - it's a day off!
NUTS - please avoid sending foods containing peanuts as we regularly have children with nut allergies.
Transport
There are two yellow EA buses which provide transport to and from school for the surrounding area. Both buses operate in the morning, and again at 2pm and 3pm. Applications for bus transport must be made to the Education Authority. To find out if your child is eligible for a seat and to apply for a seat on the bus, please click here. Please note that children are granted seats for a particular bus route; children cannot use both school buses/routes unless they have been granted a seat on both routes.
Term Dates and Holidays
You can view our term dates and holidays information on the school website. Most of the important dates and events will be added to the calendar on the homepage and the holiday lists are also posted in downloadable/printable format - click here.
Communication
Our new school communication platform, Seesaw, is an important aspect of daily and weekly school life. Announcements and newsletters will be posted on the app and teachers may communicate individually with you at times. Please ensure that notifications are enabled on your Seesaw app so that you receive all information in a timely manner. We use the app to provide you with the information you need. All other information from classes eg photos and updates will be posted on the school website's latest news page.
If you have an issue or problem with any aspect of school life, please contact Mr Beattie by email or by telephone - contact details.
Mobile Phones
Children are not permitted to have a mobile phone on school grounds. This policy is in place to ensure a safe and focused learning environment for all students.
We also want to emphasize that the decision to provide your child with access to online communication platforms is ultimately yours. However, it's important to be aware that many of these platforms are not designed for young children and may contain inappropriate content.
It's important to note that children can sometimes be hurtful to one another online, even without intending to be. While we strive to create a positive and respectful learning environment at school, we cannot be responsible for disciplining actions that have occurred outside of school as a result of a parental decision to allow access to online communication or social media platforms.
We encourage you to discuss the potential risks and benefits of mobile phone use with your child and to set appropriate guidelines for their online activities. Have a look at https://saferinternet.org.uk/ to find out more about online safety.
