Our school
Key info for parents.
The practical bits — when the school day starts and ends, how to report a safeguarding concern, lunches, charging, medical, premiums and extended services. Headline answer in each row; click for the full detail.
Day-to-day
How the school runs.
The school day 8.40am to 3.10pm · 32.5 hours a week
The school day runs from 8.40am to 3.10pm: 32.5 hours a week, including breaks. The school gates open at 8.30. Children go into classrooms from 8.40 and lessons start at 8.50. Registers close at 8.50. If a child arrives after 8.50 and before 9.00 they will be marked late; after 09:00 the absence is recorded as unauthorised unless the office has been informed.
| Year group | School day | Morning break | Lunchtime | Afternoon break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reception | 8.40am – 3.10pm | Flexible | 11.45am – 12.40pm | Flexible |
| Year 1 | 8.40am – 3.10pm | 10:20 – 10:40 | 12:00 – 12:50 | 2:00 – 2:15 |
| Year 2 | 8.40am – 3.10pm | 10:20 – 10:40 | 12:00 – 12:50 | 2:00 – 2:15 |
| Year 3 | 8.40am – 3.10pm | 10:45 – 11:05 | 12:25 – 1:10 | — |
| Year 4 | 8.40am – 3.10pm | 10:45 – 11:05 | 12:25 – 1:10 | — |
| Year 5 | 8.40am – 3.10pm | 10:45 – 11:05 | 12:45 – 1:30 | — |
| Year 6 | 8.40am – 3.10pm | 10:45 – 11:05 | 12:45 – 1:30 | — |
Safeguarding DSLs: Mrs Doble and Mrs Older · concerns to the school office
If you have a safeguarding concern about any child at Swiss Gardens, contact the school office and ask to speak with one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads, Mrs Doble or Mrs Older. If neither is available, ask for a deputy DSL, Ms Bourne or Miss Backshall.
Urgent concern: West Sussex Integrated Front Door — 01403 229900 (office hours); out of hours, the Emergency Duty Team — 0330 222 6664.
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000 · help@nspcc.org.uk
Full procedures live in the Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy. The wider safeguarding team is listed on Our people.
Resources for parents
- NSPCC PANTS — parents' guide (PDF) — age-appropriate "your body belongs to you" conversations
- NSPCC Underwear Rule — guide for children (PDF)
- NSPCC Underwear Rule — guidance for foster carers (PDF)
- Prevent Strategy — parents' pamphlet (PDF) — radicalisation safeguarding
Lunches £2.95 per meal · order on the FEED app by 8am on the day
School meals are provided by FEED (ISS), who took over from Chartwells in September 2026. Meals cost £2.95 and are ordered on the FEED app up to 8am on the day. Menus and ordering details are on the School lunches page.
Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) apply for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 — those meals are free, but you still need to order them on the FEED app so the kitchen knows numbers.
Daily milk for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 is available through Cool Milk — free for under-fives (Nursery Milk Scheme), a small paid subscription once your child turns five.
Pupil Premium 13% of children eligible · strategy 2025–2028 published
Pupil Premium funding is spent on targeted support — small-group tuition, enrichment, pastoral support and access to wider opportunities.
PE & Sport Premium 83% of Year 6 swim 25 metres · 2025 reports published
Sport Premium funding supports curriculum PE, swimming lessons, after-school sport clubs and external coaching. The annual impact report set (five linked PDFs) is published below.
Swimming and water safety in our 2024–25 Year 6: 83% could swim 25 metres competently and confidently, 83% could use a range of strokes well, and 86% could perform safe self-rescue in different water situations.
Year 6 results & school performance KS2 outcomes 2025/26 — full table below
Year 6 (Key Stage 2) results for 2025/26, alongside national and West Sussex averages. EXS = met the Expected Standard at end of Year 6; GDS = met the Greater Depth Standard.
| Subject | Swiss Gardens | National | West Sussex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading (EXS) | 69% | 75% | 75% |
| Reading (GDS) | 23% | — | — |
| Writing (EXS) | 62% | 73% | 71% |
| Writing (GDS) | 4% | — | — |
| Maths (EXS) | 62% | 75% | 74% |
| Maths (GDS) | 8% | — | — |
| Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar (EXS) | 64% | 75% | — |
| SPAG (GDS) | 11% | — | — |
| Reading, Writing & Maths combined (EXS) | 49% | 63% | 61% |
Year 1 Phonics screening 2026 — Swiss Gardens 80% met the standard (national and West Sussex figures to follow when the DfE publishes them).
Year 1 Phonics screening 2025 — Swiss Gardens 78% met standard (national 80%, West Sussex 79%).
Full reports and historic data:
- School outcomes 2025/26 (PDF) →
- School outcomes 2024/25 (PDF) →
- School outcomes 2023 (PDF) →
- Standards across the school 2022 (PDF) →
Compare Swiss Gardens with other schools on the DfE service: Compare school performance →
Inclusion & SEND 14.4% of children with SEN support · annual report published
Swiss Gardens is an inclusive school. Our SENCO, Mrs Older, works with class teachers and families to plan support for children with additional needs.
SEND Information Report 2026–27 (PDF) → · SEND Policy 2026–27 (PDF) →
Financial transparency Senior pay statement & DfE benchmarking
The Department for Education requires maintained schools to publish how many employees have a gross annual salary of £100,000 or more, in £10,000 bands.
Year ended 31 March 2025: no employees of Swiss Gardens had a gross annual salary of £100,000 or more. The statement for the year ended 31 March 2026 will follow shortly; it will again show none.
High-earners' pay statement 2024–25 (PDF) →
Compare Swiss Gardens' income, expenditure and balances with similar schools across England via the DfE service: Schools Financial Benchmarking & Insights Tool →
Equality information & objectives Public Sector Equality Duty statement & school's equality objectives
Schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 (the Public Sector Equality Duty) to publish information showing how they comply, and to set specific equality objectives reviewed at least every four years.
Swiss Gardens publishes both in a single document, refreshed annually:
Charging & remissions Education during the school day is free
Education during the school day, including educational visits in school hours, is free. Voluntary contributions are sometimes invited for trips and enrichment activities.
Remissions are available for families in receipt of qualifying benefits — contact the office in confidence. Full policy on the policies page.
Medical procedures 48-hour rule · medication forms · head-injury wristband system
Medication during the school day. We don't generally give medicines in school — you're always welcome to come in to administer them. For prescribed medication that has to be given during school hours, make an appointment with the office to collect the medical care plan (form 3A) and discuss dosage and timings. All medication kept at school must be in date.
Asthma, allergies, epilepsy, diabetes. Children with these conditions have a healthcare plan agreed with the school. Inhalers are kept in classrooms for on-demand use, clearly labelled with instructions — please supply a spare inhaler to the office. EpiPens: two are required (one in classroom, one in office) and both accompany first aiders on off-site visits. Asthma cards are available from the office.
The 48-hour rule. Any child or staff member with sickness or diarrhoea must stay away from school until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours. If your child is sick at lunchtime on a Tuesday, they should not return until after lunch on Thursday. We apply this in all cases — it reduces the risk of infection across the school.
Head injuries — wristband system. All head injuries are logged. A first aider checks your child and gives them a coloured wristband to wear home:
- Lime green — minor bump or playground knock; child is unaffected. For information.
- Orange — more significant; closer monitoring needed during the day. We may call you if they seem unwell.
- Red — a head injury that needs closer attention. The office will always contact you.
The NHS Head Injury Advice Sheet (PDF) explains what to look out for at home in the 24 hours after a knock.
Full medical and medicine procedures live in the relevant policies on the policies page.
Extended services Breakfast Club from 7:45 · wraparound to 6:00
Our Breakfast Club opens at 7:45 each morning (school-run, £5 per session). Play provides after-school wraparound care from 3.15pm until 6.00pm, with a shorter session to 4.30pm. Full details and the after-school clubs timetable are on the Clubs page.
All school policies 27 policies, grouped by category, with PDF downloads
The full library — safeguarding, behaviour, SEND, curriculum, statutory and operational. Each policy has a plain-English summary and a PDF download.
Can't find what you need?
The school office is happy to help with anything not covered here. We can also give you a free paper copy of any information on this website. Just email office@sgprimary.co.uk or call 01273 453176.