Frequently Asked Questions - Carnforth High School

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

We are aware that family circumstances change and financial pressures can make it difficult to provide everything you may wish for your child.

If you are struggling financially, then you may be entitled to claim free school meals for your child. The following website has the criteria for receiving free school meals as well as an online application form.

Lancashire County Council Free School Meals

Alternatively you can apply by telephoning the Lancashire County Council Area Education Office on 01524 581207. You will need to provide your (and your partner’s) national insurance number(s).

If you would like support in completing the application form, please contact the appropriate year leader.

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

If you have a pre-planned absence (medical appointment, dentist, college interview etc.) then you should let the school know as soon as possible.

You can contact the attendance officer via telephone (01524 732424) or email dmilner@carnforthhigh.co.uk with the date and time of the absence. Where possible a copy of the appointment card or letter would be appreciated.

You may also send your child in with a letter explaining the absence. This should be shown at reception and to the appropriate year leader.

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

If you are concerned about your child’s progress in a particular subject then contacting that teacher is the best option in finding next steps to support your child. You can find contact details for subject leaders in the school team section of the website and they will be able to direct your query to the correct member of staff.

If you have general concerns about your child’s progress across subjects, then please contact the appropriate year leader. They will be able to gather information across subjects in ways in which you can support your child and also pass on information to the relevant staff in school.

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

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My child has been given an after school detention, is it possible to re-arrange this?

In order to support the school’s behaviour policy, we would ask that students serve their detentions on the day they have been assigned. This reduces the time period between the behaviour and the sanction as well as reducing school administration.

However we are aware that for some parents collecting their child later than expected can put an additional strain on plans. We also know that some plans can’t be rearranged easily such as medical appointments.

If you need to re-arrange a detention, please contact the school reception via email or phone call as soon as possible.

My child is going to be absent from school today, what do I need to do?

If you child is unable to attend school then you must let the school know as soon as possible.

You can phone the school on 01524 732424, at any time, and either speak to the attendance officer or leave a voice message on the student absence line.

You can email the attendance officer, Mr Milner, at dmilner@carnforthhigh.co.uk

You can text the school gateway service on 01524 220136

It is important that you contact the school on each day your child is going to be absent. We are unable to authorize multiple days of absence due to the safeguarding risk this could present.

I would like my child to bring medication to school to manage their symptoms, how can I do this?

Our supporting medical conditions policy is available in the policies section of the website. If you wish to send medication into school, then it must be handed over to the pastoral team who will keep it secure and monitor the administering of the medication.

Students are not allowed to carry their own medication in school, including paracetamol/ibuprofen, due to risk this could place on them or other students.

If you wish to send medication into school, then the below form must be completed and sent in with the medication. This will be checked and stored by the appropriate year leader to ensure the correct dosage and frequency of medication is given.

Parental Agreement to Medicine in School

I have been asked to send in evidence to support my child’s absence being authorised, how can I do this?

Sometimes we are asked by external agencies for evidence to support authorised absence requests. This could be a letter for a medical appointment, a doctor’s card from GP, a pharmacy prescription tab etc.

If you are asked to send the school this information for your child’s absence, then there are a number of ways to do this:

Send in a physical copy when your child returns to school.
Take a photo and send it to either dmilner@carnforthhigh.co.uk

I would like to access School Gateway to see my child’s progress and dinner money balance, how do I do this?

To access School Gateway, you need to be on our school system as a priority 1 contact with parental responsibility. We will also need an email address and mobile phone number stored for you on our system.

If we have these on our system, then you can use the guide below to sign up to School Gateway, either on a computer or via the smartphone app.

Guide for School Gateway

If you are able to log in to School Gateway but do not have full access (timetable, reports etc) then this is due to you not having parental responsibility on our system. We will need permission from the person with parental responsibility to add this to your details.

I am worried about my child’s spending on their lunch account, how can I check this?

All purchases are made via our electronic till point so information is logged about expenditure and what items were purchased.

You can view this information via the School Gateway service or app. Alternatively, if you contact the school office, office@carnforthhigh.co.uk, they can organise for a print out of purchases to be sent home to you between a set time period.

If you have concerns about over spending, then it is possible for limits to be placed on your child’s account. Please contact the appropriate year leader if you would like these put in place.

My child wants to use the Fusion pre-order app, how do I sign up?

To use the Fusion pre-order app, a student needs an onboarding code. This is produced by the school and links their account to their school dinner money.

If your child doesn’t have or has lost their onboarding code then please contact itsupport@carnforthhigh.co.uk

Sometimes students have signed up to the app and forgot their password. If this is the case, they will need to use the forgot password option. The onboarding code won’t let them sign up again, if they already have an account.

If your child can’t get the forgot password option to work, then please contact itsupport@carnforthhigh.co.uk who will deactivate the account which will allow them to sign up again.

The Fusion pre-order app is aimed at the child as the user. We would recommend setting the app up with their email address and on their device to ensure they can access it easily.