Parent Handbook

Session Times

Nursery (part-time):

8:45am – 11.45am

12.30pm – 3.30pm

Upper Foundation, Key Stage 1 and 2: 

8.45am – 12.15pm and 1.15pm – 3.15pm

Children should not arrive at the Academy before 8.35 am unless attending arranged activities.

Open Door Policy

Here at Gawthorpe Community Academy, we operate an open door policy. Besides parent evenings, if you have any worries or concerns, please do come and see us because we can help and we are always pleased to see you.

Our Learning Mentor Miss Croisdale is available during the day. Please contact her via her mobile 07789286870. All other enquiries to be emailed to our email address gca-enquiries@ipmat.co.uk.

Each class has a ‘Meet the Teacher’ meeting at the beginning of each academic year to outline:

• Homework expectations
• Class rules
• Curriculum content
• Planned educational visits
• Information about upcoming formal assessments

Academy Meals

Academy meals are sourced and delivered from Towngate Primary Academy. The meals are served in the Dining Room. Special dietary requirements e.g. due to cultural, religious or medical needs can be catered for by special arrangement.

• Children can bring sandwiches, although no facilities exist for warming food brought in, or for chilling food, except in exceptional circumstances.
• Water is provided to drink in the dining room or water from the children’s own water bottles can be drunk straight after lunch.

Dinner Money

We are a cashless school.

Our school meal provider is Aspens and Swift Kitchen is the online system where meals can be booked and payments made.

Free Academy Meals

• Children in Reception, Year 1 and 2 are all entitled to universal free school meals. However, all parents/carers are still encouraged to apply for income related free school meals based on eligibility, even if their child is in Reception, Year 1 and 2, as the Academy can then benefit from additional funding for these pupils.
• To apply for income related free school meals please visit the Wakefield Council Free School Meals website.

Healthy Eating

• The Academy promotes healthy eating. Children are not allowed to bring sweets, chocolate or drinks other than water, which can be flavoured still water.
• The Academy is also part of the government’s School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, which provides a piece of fruit or vegetable for every child in Nursery and Key Stage one each day. Children in Key Stage 2 are encouraged to bring fruit to eat during morning break.
• Children are also strongly encouraged to drink water and will need a water bottle each day. Please encourage children to bring their bottle home each evening in order for it to be thoroughly washed.

Academy Uniform

In our Academy, we aim to provide, for all partners:

We believe that children should feel a sense of ‘belonging’ to our Academy and that they should wear their uniform with pride. We also think that children should feel equal, and an Academy uniform contributes to this. Having a uniform also clearly states what the governors, staff and parents feel to be appropriate clothing for the Academy.

It also helps to clearly identify pupils when travelling to or from the Academy on Academy visits – a positive safety factor. It is an expectation that all children wear the official Academy logo jumper/cardigan and a requirement when representing the Academy on official visits. Our Academy uniform is detailed in our parent handbook below.

Please read all the information carefully and feel free to contact us on 01924 679680 or email gca-enquiries@ipmat.co.uk if you have any further questions.

For more information about Gawthorpe Community Academy – please feel free to have a browse of our website.