A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A LONG LANER
At Long Lane we structure each day to ensure that there is a broad and balanced sequence of learning, through an active curriculum, plenty of breaks from the classroom and more formal learning support. Children are encouraged to be 'active learners' and take accountability for their learning, carefully guided by an excellent team of teachers and Higher Level Teaching Assistants.​
About each class
Each class has a full time HLTA/TA support and where there is greater need, there is more support. We are a one form entry school with only one class per year group (consisting of 30 in the infants and up to 32 in the junior classes). Classes are not mixed year groups.
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Curriculum
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Although we follow a structured and well sequenced curriculum for all subjects, it is important for us at Long Lane to provide meaningful experiences to help our children 'know more and remember more' and so wherever we can, we infuse the curriculum with rich texts that lend themselves to rich discussion, tasks and theme days. For instance, Evacuee Day in Year 5 whilst studying World War 2 and reading 'Carrie's War'.
We understand that the world is advancing quickly and that the knowledge and skills of today may not be all that is required of our children in the future. This is why one of our main priorities is teaching children the competencies of how to be a good learner (we call this metacognition or 'The Secrets of Success'). This means that they will leave us with all the attributes needed to succeed whatever the learning or challenges ahead they face. You can find more about the curriculum on the following pages — Teaching and Learning, Broad and Balanced Curriculum, Curriculum Maps, Secrets of Success.​
Movement Breaks & Learning through Play​​
Breaks and movement are an important part of children's development and at Long Lane short movement breaks and more active learning are planned into the day for everyone to ensure that children are able to focus and engage for more formal learning.
Our outside area is set up to encourage learning through play – risk taking, team building, resilience, creativity. Our play philosophy explains more and you can find more about this on our Active and Outdoor Learning page.​​​
Eating Together
We encourage children to bring a healthy snack to school which they can eat at break-time. There are fruit snacks available for Foundation Stage and Infant pupils that are provided by the school if you wish to take advantage of this. We ask that children bring water bottles (these can be refilled at school) which they can use throughout the day.
At lunchtime we all eat together (a staggered lunch through the year groups) so no matter whether you have a packed lunch or a school dinner you can sit with your friends and enjoy a chatter and a catch up. Please see the School Lunches and Menus page for more info.
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Additional information about Communication with school and other Statutory Key Information.
The School Day
DROP OFF
Gates – 8.40 to 8.55am
Class door – 8.45 to 8.55am
Unless your child starts their day with our Before School Club (open from 7.30–8.45) then children can be dropped into school between 8.40 and 8.55am through the school gates. After this time children will need to enter through the office to be registered. An official late is not recorded unless a child arrives after 9am, regardless of the entrance to the school. Your child can enter their classroom independently to start the school day. Staff will greet them at the entrance and a member of the pastoral team will be visible on the main school gate. We have a traffic crossing patrol officer (also our caretaker) to help families across the road. We ask you to park carefully on the allocated road spaces ensuring safety at all times. There is no access to the school car park as the school runs a permit parking system (discretion of HT). Permits are provided for parents with needing access arrangements. Please request permits from the school office.
MORNING WORK
CALMING, GREETING
Organising
Greeting
Calming
When the children first come in, they like to have a quick catch up whilst putting their things away and gathering the right tools for the classroom. These routines are embedded throughout the school. On entering the class, children are greeted by a member of staff, set morning tasks and provided with general information about the day (including a visual timetable) is available to support all children (additional reasonable adjustments are made where appropriate). Most tasks include a calming, greeting or problem solving element (a warm up to the learning).
FIRST LESSON
Core Subjects —
English & Maths
The first lesson in the morning is usually Maths or English but these can be alternated and teachers have autonomy over their own timetable to support the needs and context of the class. Children are seated in mixed ability for all subjects, although if a teacher is working with a group of children (focus attention) through a lesson they will be seated together. Children are not always seated in the same place throughout the day and there is an element of choice where appropriate. Again, this is dependent on the context of the class and reasonable adjustments are made where appropriate.
ASSEMBLY
Monday – Class Assembly
Tuesday – Happy & Safe/Values/No Outsiders
Wednesday – Singing
Thursday – Secrets of Success
Friday – Learning Celebration
There are a number of whole school and Key Stage assemblies during the week reflecting our core values and vision for Long Lane. Each assembly covers an aspect of successful learning, safety, and values such as aspects of diversity and difference, self-reflection, kindness, resilience, and many more. Children enter and exit the assembly singing, a reading practise technique that we have used to get children reading lyrics for fluency in a fun way. Our children are reminded of the assemblies values during the week in their learning. Our Friday assembly is solely run by our Year 6 House Captains who compare and support as teachers share their classes good learning for the week, learning ambassadors (those who have spoken to adults about their learning) are recognised and sporting events are celebrated. Our sports and play leaders even prepare and issue certificates to other children who have shown great sportsmanship on the playground and in Year 6 lunch clubs.
BREAK
Rainbows/Y1 – continuous
Year 2 – 10.25 to 10.45am
Juniors – 10.25 to 10.45am
In Rainbows (FS2) and Year 1 the class practices continuous provision. This means that they do not have a set playtime but that there are play opportunities throughout the day and there is a focus on play based learning. In Y2-Y6 playtime is after assembly. Children can bring in a healthy snack and eat this on the playground. There are plenty of activities to do (as all the activities are open at break and lunch) and different areas to suit different hobbies and personalities - quiet reading, sports, Go-karting, building, writing, communication spaces, nature spaces.
SECOND LESSON
Core Subjects —
English & Maths
See above – First Lesson
LUNCHTIME
Rainbows – 11.45am to 1pm
Y1 & Y2 – 12pm to 1pm
Y3–Y6 – 12.15 to 1.15pm
Lunchtimes are staggered so that we can comfortably fit all children in the hall and support them with their eating, manners and socialisation. In Rainbows the teachers and teaching assistants stay and help the children whilst eating in the hall. For the older classes they independently get their food and clear away at the end also. We are lucky enough to have 6-8 lunchtime controllers on duty (2 in the hall and the rest outside) so that all areas of learning can be open. Staff have strategic zones at which to monitor for safety.  Children can bring packed lunches or get hot meals from the kitchen (more information in above text). They choose where they sit and are encouraged to socialise together with manners. There are many clubs on offer at lunchtime from football coached sessions to Y5 and 6 run clubs across the school inside and out. You do not need to sign up for these as they are 'turn up clubs'. If your child is running or joining a club then there is flexibility in when they eat.
AFTERNOON LESSONS
Science/IT/RE
Foundation & creative subjects
In the afternoons teachers tend to plan for Foundation subjects such as; P.E, Art, D&T, History, Geography and sometimes themed days to support a number of linked objectives and to bring meaning to the curriculum. Where possible teachers will bring the learning outside and into other spaces in the school. There are natural movement breaks positioned into this learning as there is not an official afternoon breaktime. However, staff will be flexible to the needs of their class at any particular point and have the discretion to plan in breaks where they are needed. Additional reasonable adjustments are made where appropriate.
PICK UP – END OF SCHOOL
Gates – 3.10pm
Pupils depart – 3.15pm
The school day officially ends at 3.15pm. Gates will open 5 minutes before this to allow for a swift handover. Children will pack up and organise themselves for home independently. For safeguarding purposes, we are unable to let any children leave the school grounds on their own (Year 5 and 6 need written authorisation from a parent to do this) or with adult/older sibling that is not listed as a regular pick up. This can be organised through the office. Any urgent pick up changes must be communicated through the office and will be communicated to teacher as soon as is possible.
CLUBS & EXTRAS
After School Club – 3.15 to 6pm
Extra-curricular Clubs –
3.15 to 4.15pm (some vary)​
There are a number of clubs on after school (some paid and some provided by school). You can get an up to date list of clubs from the office. The office will send each parent the clubs list and an application form at the beginning of each term. All clubs collect from school. Any children attending clubs after school will be sent to the club (a designated meeting place), registered and then collected as arranged by the provider. With outside clubs, collections will need to be arranged through them externally as staff may not be still in the building. There is no parking on the school grounds for pick up or drop off of these clubs. Please see 'School Clubs and Events' page for more information.