Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my child is struggling emotionally?

Every student has a form tutor who knows the individual best of all. They are the best person to contact first. All students also have a Head of Year who will find time to talk through any individual’s difficulties and suggests ways, inside and outside of school, that help can be sought. The Student Support Centre team are also available to offer guidance, assistance, help and support for students experiencing difficulties in any aspect of their school life. Finally, the Chaplaincy also offers a quiet space and an experienced Chaplain who can provide help, spiritual and emotional support.

What should I do if I hear sexist, racist, disablist, homophobic or transphobic language being used?

Derogatory and discriminatory language and actions have no place in school or society. At Saint Aidan’s, we celebrate diversity and inclusion and have clear policies and processes in place to protect all from any form of bullying. We should challenge anything we believe to be offensive and/or hurtful to any group or individual in school.

Should you witness any behaviour of this sort, please bring it to the attention of the school. It is everyone’s duty to protect one another. You can report your concerns through any member of staff or via the dedicated email address: safeguarding@st-aidans.lancs.sch.uk

What should I do if I am worried about the safety of a student?

Every member of the Saint Aidan’s family has a safeguarding role to play – and this includes students, staff, parents and governors. If you have a safeguarding concern, please report your concerns. Should you wish to speak directly to any of our DSL-trained staff (Mr Lord, Mrs Bray or Mrs Nowotarski), their contact details can be found in the Safeguarding section here.

Concerns can also be raised via our dedicated email address: safeguarding@st-aidans.lancs.sch.uk.

Students should also feel confident and comfortable sharing any concerns with their form tutor or Head of Year.

We are struggling financially, how do we apply for free school meals?

You can register your child for Free School Meals if you get any of these benefits:

Universal Credit with a household income of less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Income-Based Jobseekers’ Allowance
Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance
Child Tax Credit, not entitled to Working Tax Credit and household income less than £16,190
Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Income Support
Working Tax Credit ‘run on’ – the payment you receive for a further four weeks after you finish work

Registering is really quick and easy – if you think you qualify, contact school on 01253 810504 and we will help you to register.

How do I find out which school bus my child can catch to Saint Aidan’s?

Saint Aidan’s is served by a number of special buses that transport students to and from their home areas. In addition to the buses from the Over Wyre villages, there are buses from Poulton, Carleton, Thornton-Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Blackpool and Garstang. Please see our transport section for more information.

How can my child get home if they stop for extracurricular activities?

Children can either be collected by parents from school or can catch the 5C public bus service from the top of Cartgate. This bus travels over Shard Bridge to Poulton and is a popular way for many children to get home after attending extracurricular activities.

I want to take my child out of school for a holiday during term time, what is the process?

Absence for holidays in term time will not be authorised by the school, in line with current guidance from the Department for Education. This is because of the damaging effect on children’s education caused by unnecessary absence from school. Please take care to check the school’s term dates which are available one year in advance on our website.

If holidays are booked in term time this is likely to result in Penalty Notices being issued.

If you believe that you have exceptional grounds for requesting leave of absence for your child please contact their form tutor as far in advance as possible. This will then be passed to the Headteacher for consideration.

How do I apply for a place at Saint Aidan’s?

Please see our admissions section for details on joining Saint Aidan’s.

I am concerned about my child’s progress, who do I contact?

In the first instance please contact your child’s form tutor either through Synergy or by email. The form tutor will have an overview of your child’s progress in all subject areas.

If you have concerns about a specific subject area you should contact the subject teacher through Synergy.

My child has an appointment, how do I let school know?

If your child has an appointment, please contact the form tutor through Synergy or email, or write a note and send it in with them. We ask for confirmation of any medical appointments with a card from the receptionist at the surgery/ practice.