The School Day: Attendance & Term Dates

Attendance

Application for Leave of Absence from School during term time

All schools by law must follow the Department for Education’s statutory guidance relating to school attendance. The statutory guidance states that a leave of absence must not be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances and must be request in advance. Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to their educational progress. If the absence is not authorised and the leave is taken, schools may refer to the Local Authority for legal action. Please see information below regarding helping parents understand Penalty Notice fines for School Attendance.

The Poppy Academy Trust Attendance Policy 2024

Hertfordshire County Council’s Helping Parents understand Penalty Notice Fines for School Attendance

Hertfordshire County Council Statutory Attendance Leave of Absence Request Form 

Leave of Absence forms are also available via the school office.

St John’s Church of England Primary School Term Dates

Our school terms can be found by clicking on the green links below.

Watford St Johns Church of England Primary School Term Dates 2024/25

Watford St Johns Church of England Primary School Term Dates 2025/26

Please note that on the last day of each term school closes early for all year groups and there is no After School Club available on the last of each term before the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays. The amended pick up times for last day of each term are as follows, these pick up times are only for the last day of term before the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays.

Reception: 2pm

Years 1&2: 2:05pm

Years 3&4: 2:10pm

Years 5&6: 2:15pm

 

Watford St John’s C of E Primary School Term Dates 2024/25

Autumn Term 2024

Monday 2nd September 2024:Inset Day (School Closed)

Tuesday 3rd September 2024 Inset Day (School Closed)

Wednesday 4th September 2024: Autumn Term begins . Back to school for all year groups. 

Wednesday 4th September – Friday 6th September 2024: Transition Days for new Reception 2024 intake

Monday 28th October – Friday 1st November 2024: October Half Term – (School Closed)

Monday 2nd December 2024: Occasional Day (School Closed)

Friday 20th December 2024: School finishes early 

Monday 23rd December 2024 – Friday 3rd January 2025:  Christmas holidays- (School Closed)

 

Spring Term 2025

Monday 6th January 2025: Inset Day (School closed)

Tuesday 7th January 2025: Spring Term begins. Back to school 

Monday 17th February – Friday 21st February 2025: February Half Term -(School Closed)

Friday 4th April 2025 End of Spring term. School finishes early

Monday 7th April -17th April 2025: Easter Holidays- (School Closed)

 

Summer Term 2025

Friday 18th April 2025: Public Holiday (School closed)

Monday 21st April 2025: Public Holiday (School closed)

Tuesday 22nd April 2025: Inset Day (School closed)

Wednesday 23rd April 2025: Summer Term begins. Back to school

Monday 5th May 2025: Public Holiday (School closed)

Monday 26th May – Friday 30th May 2025 May Half Term -(School Closed)

Monday 2nd June 2025: Inset Day (School closed)

Thursday 10th July 2025: Hertfordshire Transition Day.

Year 6 children will spend the day at their new Secondary Schools. Reception- Year 5 will spend time in their new classes in preparation for September 2025.

Wednesday 23rd July 2025.: End of Summer Term . School finishes early

 

 

Watford St John’s C of E Primary School Term Dates 2024/25

Dates are for information only and may be subject to change.

 

Autumn Term 2025

Wednesday 3rd September – Inset day (school closed)

Thursday 4th September – Autumn term starts

Monday 27th October – Friday 31st October – Half Term

Monday 24th November – Occasional day (school closed)

Friday 19th December End of Term – school finishes early

 

Spring Term 2026

Monday 5th January – Inset day (school closed)

Tuesday 6th January – Inset day (school closed)

Wednesday 7th January – Spring term begins

Monday 16th February to Friday – 20th February – Half Term

Friday 27th March End of Term – school finishes early

 

Summer Term 2026

Monday 13th April Inset day (school closed)

Tuesday 14th April – Summer term begins

Monday 4th May Bank Holiday (School closed) 

Monday 25th May- Friday 29th May – Half Term

Monday 1st June – Inset day (school closed)

Thursday 23rd July End of Term – school finishes early

 

Drop off and Pick up Times

The Drop off and Pick up times are staggered for each year group.  Please inform that school office if an alternative adult is collecting your child/ children. Our school staff will only allow children to leave the school premises with their designated parent/ carer. No child will be released to an unknown adult.

 

EYFS (Reception):   

Drop off: 8:50

Pick up: 3:10

 

Key Stage 1 (Years 1& 2):   

Drop off: 8:40

Pick up: 3:15

 

Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4): 

Drop off: 8:40

Pick up: 3:25

 

Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 & 6): 

Drop off: 8:40

Pick up: 3:25

EYFS (Reception)

The Reception Curriculum has a child centred based philosophy. We firmly believe that children are innate learners with a curiosity and natural approach to problem solving and learning. As practitioners we work alongside the children to support and encourage their next steps. Alongside this we also promote and extend key skills in phonics, reading, writing and maths. Through the use of the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework we help our children to flourish as independent learners who love learning.

Through the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage)  curriculum Reception children have free flow access to outdoor play across the school day.

Lunch is served between 12:00 and 13:00 in a family style dining experience where children are encouraged to serve each other and take responsibility for the setting up and clearing away of the dining provision.
In addition to this, Reception children have free access to daily fruit, vegetables, water and milk. Milk is provided free to under 5’s and is available for parents to buy into after that.

At the end of the school day we ask parents/carers to pick their children up promptly at 15:10. Children attending the Eagle Play Club after school are taken directly by school staff to the club.

There is a flexible approach to the timetable and changes may occur on a daily or weekly basis. The day’s learning routines will develop and change as the children progress through the year, both personally and in their learning. At the beginning of the school year, there will be a greater focus on child-led activities. Once the children are settled into the daily routines, phonics and reading groups will be introduced. On going assessment will support planning for children’s next steps in learning. As the year progresses, adult-led learning will be increased, and by the end of the year the timetable will reflect the preparation for entering into Year 1. The children’s involvement in Collective Worship is encouraged very early to when they start school so that they can feel part of the St John’s family as quickly as possible.

 

 

Key Stage 1 (Year 1 & 2 )

Building on from the child centered approach in the EYFS, the curriculum in Year 1 and Year 2 is practical, challenging and exciting. The key skills of reading, writing and maths remain at the heart of the curriculum and continue to be developed alongside a love of learning for all areas of the curriculum.

The Key Stage 1 Curriculum is planned with an emphasis on the importance of developing the depth of children’s learning. This means providing children with increased cognitive challenge, allowing them to retrieve and apply the skills which they have learnt independently in a range of contexts. This then enables them to master skills and knowledge at a deeper level. At St John’s we will be challenging our children to be independent learners who will acquire their knowledge and skills from real life contexts.

Children have a morning and lunchtime play and enjoy family style dining every day.

All children take part in daily Collective Worship and have the opportunity to participate and lead.

 

 

Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6)

In Key Stage 2, we continue to promote a love of learning whilst extending retrieval and cognitive challenge. The school day is a balance of the key skills of reading, writing and maths alongside a broad and balanced curriculum. The school day is slightly extended and our children still learn both in and out of the classroom with our ethos of learning from and supporting the local community.

Children have a morning and lunchtime play and enjoy family style dining every day.

All children take part in daily Collective Worship and have the opportunity to participate and lead.