The School Day: September 2025
At the start of the autumn term school will open to all pupils in all year groups (except our new Sunflowers class) on Tuesday 2nd September 2025.
We hope that you have all had a restful and enjoyable six weeks away from school and are feeling refreshed and ready for the new academic year ahead. To our returning families, it is a pleasure to have you back. Your continued support and involvement are greatly appreciated. To those joining our school community for the first time, I extend a warm welcome – we are thrilled to have you with us and look forward to getting to know you.
As always, strong partnerships between home and school are key to a successful year. We encourage open communication and invite you to stay connected through our Class Dojo, our website, and events throughout the year.
Here are a few reminders/changes and updates to aid a smooth transition into the new year. As you will be aware Ms Allan has moved on to pastures new. Therefore, during the Autumn Term the school will be led by the following team:
Staffing Structure:
Interim Headteacher: Mrs Louise Spencer
Assistant Headteacher: Miss Lisa Abbott
Interim Assistant Headteacher: Mrs Nicola Gabbitas
Attendance and Punctuality
All pupils are expected to attend school EVERY DAY. This is crucial to support their well-being and wider life chances. National statistics show that the pupils with the highest attainment at the end of key stage 2 and key stage 4 have higher rates of attendance when compared to those with the lowest attainment. In short: good attendance results in better progress both academically and personally.
If you are struggling with getting your child to school, please let us know. We can work TOGETHER to improve the situation for you and your young person. If your child is ill, please call the school office and inform them of your child's absence and reason no later than 9am. The expectation is that pupils will have no more than 5 days absence per year.
If your child arrives at school late
Arriving on time every day makes for the best start to school routines. Persistent lateness can begin to impact upon a pupil's attainment, as they will miss vital lessons at the start of the teaching day.
If you arrive after the school gates are locked at 08:50, please bring your child into the school building and sign them in. A member of staff can then escort them to their class. A pupil cannot sign themselves in late - a parent MUST do this in order to acquire the reason for the lateness.
If your child has attended an appointment, please provide proof of that to the admin staff in the main office.
What should pupils wear to school?
Pupils should wear school uniform at school. It promotes a sense of belonging and also demonstrates pride in being part of the Glenmead family.
Please see our school website for more details: GLENMEAD UNIFORM . Jewellery; necklaces, bracelets and large earrings are not permitted in school. Nail varnish and makeup should not be worn by pupils to school. We prefer proper school shoes to trainers and black shoes are always our preference.
Pupils may come dressed in their PE Kits on their PE day. The t shirt should be in their house colour- Red, Blue,Yellow or Green, accompanied by black shorts, leggings or joggers. Branded PE items should not be worn. If families are struggling to buy the approved PE kit, please approach the school for support. A named water bottle is essential school equipment.
Pupils can bring book bags and backpacks to carry their belongings to and from school. Toys and games should not be brought in to school. Please make sure that ALL belongings are named. This helps to return any items that are mislaid to the correct child.
Y5 and 6 – mobile phones
Year 5 and 6 pupils begin to walk to and from school on their own. If this is the case, they are permitted to bring a mobile phone for security while walking unaccompanied. The mobile phone consent form for parents of Year 5 and 6 pupils can be found here:
Form to gain consent to bring a mobile phone to school. NEEDS TO BE UPDATED-LISA CAN YOU DO THIS PLEASE?
Pupils’ phones must be switched off once they come on to the school campus and are stored in a secure location all day. Pupils collect their phones at the end of the day and must not switch phones back on until they are off the school campus.
Pupils in breach of this agreement will no longer be allowed to bring their phone to school.
What should we do at dropping off and picking up times?
Times and locations will be as follows:
A member of staff will always be on duty at your child’s gate. They will enter the school grounds and make their way into the building where they will be greeted by their Class Teachers and support staff.
Pupils who are late will find their gate locked. Parents should bring them in through the main gate on Glenmead Road. Parents should come in with their child and sign them in to ensure safe handover.
I have more than one child – how does that work?
Children in the same family can be dropped off in the morning together. This should be at an older sibling’s earlier timeslot and gate. Staff will support younger siblings to find their correct route in joining their year group.
Similarly, children in the same family can be picked up together. This should be at the younger sibling’s gate where the older child/ren will come and meet their brother or sister. Please make sure that you have communicated this information with your children so that they know where you are expecting to meet them.
School finishes early on Fridays.
We will continue to finish early on Friday afternoons as a way of balancing the needs of families, the workload of staff and the financial burdens that schools face. Children will be dismissed at staggered time slots from 1:15 pm onwards from their usual pick-up points. Lunch will be provided in school before pupils are dismissed and a celebration assembly conducted to finish the week on a positive note.
Working families can continue to expect FREE childcare on Friday afternoons and their children can remain in school until 3.20 when Inspired Children’s Club takeover.
What about wrap-around care and after school clubs?
Inspired Children’s Club will be open for our working families from 07:30 each morning. They are based in the main hall and parents using this childcare facility can access it through the main gate each morning.
To contact: visit their website https://inspiredchildrensclub.com/glemead/
There will be a range of extracurricular clubs on offer throughout the year, mainly run by our own school staff and ASPIRE sports. These clubs change every half term to maintain novelty and to interest a wider range of pupils. These are advertised on Class Dojo and can be booked through ARBOR. There is no charge for most of these.
What is the provision for meals at lunchtime?
Our catering is provided by AIP-Alliance in Partnership
All pupils in EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to Universal Free School Meals. We expect all pupils in these year groups to have the school meal. Although there is no payment required, you must order the meal via the Schools Meal Provider:
https://parents.schoolfoodunited.com/login
These meals can be ordered in advance. It is sensible to do this with your child so they can choose what they would like, under your guidance. Pupils in Years 3-6 have the option of paying and ordering food on the above link, or bringing their own packed lunch from home. We are strictly a NUT FREE school as we do have pupils with severe nut allergies. If your child is in Years 3 to 6 and they are entitled to Free School Meals, you order the food in the same way. Any pupil without a food order on, will be given a ‘safety meal’.
What happens at break times and lunchtimes?
During playtimes, pupils will have the opportunity to join in some physical activities.
EYFS and KS1: Bikes, Musical Instruments, Trim Trail, Skipping, Construction Equipment and Football
KS2: Climbing Frame, Tyres, Table Tennis, Running Track, Skipping and Football. The field is also open during fair weather.
During lunchtimes, the playgrounds are divided into zones where a range of equipment is available for the pupils to engage with.
Pupils in EYFS, Year 1 and 2 will be provided with fruit or vegetables for their snack. However, pupils in Years 3-6 should bring in a snack from home. These snacks should be a healthy choice: Fruit, Vegetable or a cereal bar. No crisps, nuts or sweets are permitted.
What about travelling to and from school?
Birmingham City Council are encouraging as many families as possible to avoid using cars when travelling to school, as parking causes more congestion outside school. Families are encouraged to walk, cycle and use scooters to travel to school wherever possible. Last year we were involved in the WOW initiative which is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. If they travel sustainably (Walk, cycle or scoot) over a period of time, they can earn badges for their achievements. The children enjoyed taking part in this. It was lovely to see an increase in the number of children cycling and scooting to school after our scooter club and bikeability initiatives. Bikes and Scooters can be left in the Bike Shelter during the school day, but must be taken home at hometime.
If driving is unavoidable, please try to park at a distance and walk the last part of the journey, to avoid parking very close to the school. The school operates a one-way system drop off zone on Glenmead Road. Vehicles will come on to Glenmead Road via Meadthorpe and go off via Dyas Road.
Safeguarding at Glenmead:
All of the staff at Glenmead are committed to the safeguarding of our young learners. We take pride in making sure that our young people feel safe in school and that their families trust us to have the children's safety and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.
All staff receive their annual safeguarding training during the Autumn Term. In addition, staff receive regular updates and specialist training throughout the school year. Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are:
Senior DSL: Mrs Spencer
Deputy DSLs: Mrs. Gabbitas, Miss Abbott, Mrs. Stokes, Miss Robinson and SENDCo: Mrs. Steatham
If you are concerned about the safety of a young person in our school, please contact one of our DSLs to talk through your worries. You can make contact by telephone: 0121 4643173 via email to: enquiry@glenmead.bham.sch.uk or via direct message using Class Dojo if you are part of our school community.
Do you know who to approach in school if you need help? We understand that sometimes you might need support or advice. Our pastoral team should be your first port of call. Contact Mrs. Stokes, Mrs. Pidgeon or Mrs. Harper to share your worries and explore any Early Help we can offer. You can reach them via telephone: 0121 464 3173: ask for the pastoral team. Alternatively, contact the team via direct message on Class Dojo.
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