Some Important Reminders

 

As we begin another school year at Windsor Hill Primary School, it has been wonderful to welcome our pupils back and see so many happy, smiling faces so smartly dressed in their uniforms. We look forward to working in partnership with you throughout the year to ensure every child feels happy, safe, supported, and successful in their learning.

To help the school run smoothly and to ensure the wellbeing of all pupils, we would appreciate your support with the following important information and reminders.

ParentPay Online Payment System

We are pleased to continue using ParentPay, our secure online payment system, for all school-related payments. We encourage all parents, particularly those new to the school, to register and use ParentPay wherever possible.

New pupils will be added to the system once their data capture forms have been returned. At that stage, usernames and passwords generated by ParentPay will be issued. If you require a reminder of your login details at any time, please contact the school office. A ParentPay help guide is available at: https://support.parentpaygroup.com/hc/en-gb/sections/6089568194577-Parents-and-guardians   

For families unable to access online payments, cash will continue to be accepted. We kindly ask that all money is sent in a sealed envelope, clearly labelled with your child's name, class, and the purpose of the payment. Where possible, please send the exact amount.

Pastoral Care, Health and Safety

The safety and wellbeing of our pupils remain our highest priority. We would be grateful for your support in ensuring that the following expectations are followed:

• Pupils should not wear jewellery to school, other than a watch. Earrings present a particular health and safety risk, especially during PE activities.
• Pupils with long hair should have it always tied back, in line with guidance from the School Nursing Service and Healthy Heads programme.
• Please inform the school office promptly if there is a change to the adult collecting your child from school.
• There is no supervision provided on the Shandon Park buses. It is therefore essential that a parent, guardian, or another familiar adult is present to meet your child at the designated stop.
• To maximise learning opportunities, we encourage pupils to attend for the full school day. Unless attending a medical appointment or in exceptional circumstances, children should not be collected early. Any adult collecting a pupil before the end of the school day will be required to sign an Early Leaving Record.

Our pastoral team is always available to provide support and advice should you have any concerns regarding your child's wellbeing or circumstances.

 

Medical Information and Emergency Contact Details

To ensure we can care for your child appropriately, it is essential that all Medical Information and Personal Details Forms are completed and returned to school as soon as possible.

These forms must be updated and submitted annually, even if there have been no changes. Up-to-date telephone numbers, email addresses, medical information, and emergency contacts are vital in helping us communicate effectively and respond appropriately should the need arise.

 

Road Safety

The safety of our pupils, families, and local community is extremely important. We ask all parents and visitors to help keep our school environment safe by following these guidelines:

• Please do not park on the zig-zag markings outside the school gates at drop-off and collection times.
• Always use the small red front gate for entry and exit.
• Encourage your child to follow the instructions of our crossing patrol attendant ("lollipop person"), who is there to ensure everyone's safety.
• Pupils should remain on the pathway at the front of the school at all times.
• Please show consideration for our neighbours by avoiding parking across driveways or obstructing access along Church Avenue.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe environment for everyone.

 

School Attendance and Absences

At Windsor Hill Primary School, we believe that excellent attendance is one of the key foundations of educational success. Regular attendance helps children develop positive routines, build confidence, maintain friendships, and fully engage with all learning opportunities. We greatly appreciate your support in ensuring that your child attends school every day and arrives on time.

If your child is absent, please provide a written note explaining the reason for the absence on the day they return to school. Schools are required to maintain accurate attendance records on the SIMS system, which are monitored by the Education Welfare Service. In the absence of a satisfactory written explanation, the absence must be recorded as unauthorised. While telephone calls and verbal messages are appreciated, they do not fulfil statutory attendance requirements. Absence note slips are available from the school office at any time, although a signed note is equally acceptable.

Parents are also reminded that holidays during term time are strongly discouraged, as they can have a significant impact on children's learning and progress. Such absences are classified as unauthorised, and staff are unable to provide work in advance for pupils who are absent due to family holidays.

 

School Meals

We offer nutritious, freshly prepared meals each day, cooked on site by our Cook, Gillian, and her dedicated catering team.

School Meal Costs (from September 2026)

• £3.10 per day
• £15.50 per week

All meals must be paid for in advance.

Paying for Meals

ParentPay remains the preferred payment method for school meals but for families who are unable to use ParentPay, we kindly ask that:

• Meal money is sent to school on Monday morning each week.
• Weekly menu choices are returned at the same time.

Flexible Menu Choices

Our menu operates on a four-week cycle, offering a wide range of healthy and appealing choices. Parents may choose to purchase school lunches on selected days depending on their child's preferences.

Menus will be sent hope and are available for parents to view on the school website at https://www.windsorhillps.co.uk/school-dinner-menus

Free School Meals

Applications for Free School Meals must be completed annually. Further information is available at: https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/pupil-applications-and-grants/free-school-meals-uniform-grants

Unfortunately, meals cannot be provided under the scheme until the application has been fully processed, and the school has received confirmation of eligibility from the relevant authorities.

Special Dietary Requirements

If your child has a medical condition, allergy, intolerance, or other dietary requirement, please contact Miss McKane or Mrs Whiteside in the school office. We will be happy to provide the necessary paperwork and guide you through the process.

 

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. By working together, we can ensure that every child enjoys a happy, safe, and successful year at Windsor Hill Primary School. Should you have any questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

 

Restarting Arrangements – August 2026

 

As a school staff we are very much looking forward to welcoming children back to school after what I hope was an enjoyable summer break.  We also look forward to getting to know our new parents in the coming weeks and months.  P1 and our specialist provision units induction is slightly different, but our P2 – P7 children will meet their new teachers on Thursday 27^th & Friday 28^th August for two induction mornings from 9:00am to 12:15pm. 

 

BREAKFAST CLUB

Breakfast club is available each morning from 8:00am from Tuesday 1^st September at a cost of £2.00 per day.  Juice/milk and toast will be available each morning and the children will be escorted to their class @ 8:45am. 

2 – 3 CLUB

It is planned that 2 – 3 club will operate from Tuesday 1^st September and booking forms will be available in school and on the website next week.  Cost is £2.00 per day.

ACCESS TO SCHOOL

Parents, other than P1 Parents, are asked, as far as is reasonably possible, to encourage their children it come into the school building in the mornings independently.   

 

ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL

The school door will be open from 8:45 am – 9:00am each morning and at the beginning of a new year we encourage everyone to arrive promptly so that classes can start on time @ 9:00am.  On entry the children should all go straight to their own class.  Please do not, if at all possible, allow your children to gather at the school door before 8:45am.

  

SCHOOL MEALS

School dinners will begin again on Tuesday 1^st September.  Cost of school meals is currently unchanged - £3:10 per day or £15.50 per week.  We will distribute menus this week. It is important that school meals are paid for in advance please, preferably at the beginning of the week.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS AND UNIFORM GRANT

Please ensure that those who may be eligible for free school meals and uniform grant have made a new application for this school year as soon as possible if you have not already done so.  Free meals cannot be provided until clearance is given by the EA.  Further details are available at EA: https://www.eani.org.uk/financial-help/free-school-meals-uniform-grants .  Anyone who has trouble with online applications should contact the office immediately where paper forms are available.

 

ParentPay

We are continuing to use Parentpay for parents who find this more convenient, where this is not possible, payment for dinners can be sent to school on Monday morning in a sealed envelope with the pupil’s name and dates dinner is required written on the front.  (Cheques can be made payable to 'Education Authority'.  Exact money please.) New parents need all their details on SIMS before an account on ‘ParentPay’ can be activated, therefore please send cash next week and send in your data capture forms as soon as possible.

 

Healthy Breaks - as we endeavour to encourage and establish healthy eating habits with our children, in line with Department of Education Guidelines, we continue to operate a “milk and/or fruit only” break time snack. 

 

We ask parents for their support for this policy.  Fruit may be bought from the canteen for 30p per item or portion, up to a maximum of two items.  P1 have their own snack arrangements which Mrs. Jennett will inform parents about directly.

 

Uniforms

Please ensure that your child wears the correct school uniform everyday as this fosters a sense of identity and belonging.  I trust that the excellent adherence to this request will be maintained throughout the year by all our pupils.  Navy tracksuits and polo shirts may only be worn on designated PE and swimming days, and for after school sports activities.  Alternative tracksuit tops, t-shirts and bottoms should not be worn. 

 

Please ensure that all items of clothing and equipment are clearly named.  ‘Sew-on’ name tags or indelible ink laundry markers are recommended; names written on labels with felt tips or biro pen quickly wash off. 

 

Communications with parents

 

Parent information meetings

It is hoped that as many as possible will be able to attend our parent information meetings on Thursday and Friday afternoons this week.  For those who are unable to attend, the information booklet created for these meetings is available from your child’s teacher – everyone is welcome to a copy.

 

Please find below a copy of the arranged times for the parent information meeting.

Times are being staggered over two days to allow parents with more than one pupil in school to be able to attend:

 

Day	Time	Class
Thursday 27th August	1:30pm	P3 parents in Mrs. Chapman’s classroom
	1:30pm	P6 parents in Mr S Hanna's classroom
	2:15pm	P4 parents in Mrs. Magill’s classroom
Friday 28th August	1:30pm	P2 parents in Miss Mc Keown’s classroom
	1:30pm	P7 parents in Mrs. Kerrigan’s classroom
	2:15pm	P5 Parents in Miss Nesbitt’s classroom (Miss Somerville)

 

School Website & Facebook

Please get into the habit of having a look at our school website where you can find copies of letters sent to parents, class pages provide a snapshot of what is happening in our classes and there are links to other useful information.  In addition a Windsor Hill ‘Facebook Page’ has been created on social media which we hope to add to in the coming weeks with more immediate updates and information.  We have updated our parental consent forms to include social media, but will not put pupil / class pictures up initially until the updated parental permission forms have been returned.    

The support of parents is invaluable as we strive to meet the needs of our pupils and encourage ‘Care, Courtesy and Consideration’ in all aspects of school life.  In Windsor Hill we aim to put the best interests of your children as our first priority.  Should you at any time during the year ahead have any queries or concerns, please contact myself or your child’s class teacher. We are all excited to be returning to school and I trust everyone will have a happy, productive, enjoyable year.  

 

Best wishes,

I. McKane

Principal