The School Day, Absences & Late Arrivals
| Stage | Hours |
|---|---|
| EYFS | 8:55 – 3:25 (drop-off from 8:45, supervised) |
| Years 1 & 2 | 8:55 – 3:30 |
| Years 3 to Y7 | 8:55 – 3:40 |
| Secondary | 8:50 – 4:00 Monday to Thursday; 8:50 – 3:00 Friday (drop-off from 8:45) |
| Sixth Form | 8:50 – 4:00 Monday to Thursday; 8:50 – 3:00 Friday (drop-off from 8:45) |
Children can be dropped off to school from 8.45 when teachers will supervise them until the start of the day.
Primary — Punctuality & Morning Entry
The Primary school day begins at 8:55. Children may be dropped off between 8:45 and 8:55, when staff are on duty to supervise them. Please do not leave your children unsupervised outside the school gates before they open in the morning.
Where to drop off
- PreNursery & Nursery: drop your children at the classroom door, where staff will be there to welcome you (access via the Infantil gate, next to the front car park).
- Reception — new for September 2026: park in the rear lower car park, drive around the football pitch and go down the ramp towards the buildings. Staff will welcome you at the wooden door that gives access to the Reception outdoor area.
- Years 1–4: drop your children at the access point next to the rear lower car park. Children must wait on the football pitch until the whistle sounds.
- Years 5–7: drop your children at the access point next to the rear lower car park. Children should walk directly to their classes.
During the first week of school in September, all teachers will be on the football pitch to welcome the children. The whistle will sound at 8:55 to start the school day, and the gates will close at 9:00.
PLEASE BE ON TIME! Classes begin at 9:00, so we kindly ask that all children are punctual and arrive BEFORE 9:00 to avoid disrupting lessons. If you arrive late (after 9:00), please drop your children at the main reception.
End-of-Day Collection
Please collect your children promptly at the end of the day. All children must be supervised by their parents once they have been collected. If you have to wait for an older child to finish school, there is a public playground at the end of the car park with a play area for children and picnic tables.
- PreNursery & Nursery: collection at 15:25 from the classroom door. Please park in the front car park; you can access the classrooms from the Infantil outdoor play areas.
- Reception: collection at 15:25 from the area outside their classrooms. Please park in the rear lower car park, drive around the football pitch and go down the ramp; staff will welcome you at the wooden door of the Reception outdoor area.
- Years 1–2: collection at 15:30 from the football pitch. Please park in the rear lower car park.
- Years 3–7: collection at 15:40 from the football pitch. Please park in the rear lower car park.
Please notify the office in advance if your children are to be collected by another XIC parent, family member or friend. If it is the first time that this family member or friend collects the children, please send an authorisation by email together with a copy of their ID (DNI or passport).
Collection During the School Day
Frequent interruptions to lessons can affect not only the concentration and learning of the child being collected, but also that of their classmates. To help minimise disruption, we have specific collection times for children who need to leave school before the end of the day, whether for an appointment or another reason.
Available collection times
- 12:00
- 14:00
Please email the school office at primary@xabiainternationalcollege.com, copying your child's teacher, in advance if you wish to collect your child at either of these times. If you need to collect your child before the end of the school day, you will have to come to reception to collect them and sign the authorisation sheet.
Late Collection
If for any reason you are going to be late to collect your children, please contact the office as soon as possible (966 47 21 21). When you arrive, your children will be in the main reception.
Rainy Day Collection
To help make collection safer, calmer and more efficient for everyone, we have introduced the following heavy rain day collection arrangements.
These arrangements will only apply when there is HEAVY RAIN. Staff will notify families that this procedure will be going ahead via Class Dojo on the day. If you do not receive a notification, pick up arrangements are as usual.
- Pre-Nursery, Nursery & Reception (please use upper car park) — Collection time: 15:00. Pre-Nursery and Nursery children will be collected from their external classroom doors as usual. On heavy-rain days, Reception children will also be brought to the Early Years area in Pod 1 to be collected from the external doors between the Nursery and Pre-Nursery classrooms. Older siblings of Pre-Nursery, Nursery and Reception children will also be collected at 15:00 (they will be sent to the Early Years area by staff). Please enter via the large brown sliding gate from the front car park. Bringing these children forward to 15:00 will help reduce congestion and create additional parking spaces for families collecting children in Years 1–7 at 15:30.
- Years 1 & 2 (please use lower car park) — Collection time: 15:30. Children will be collected directly from their external classroom doors.
- Years 3–7 (please use lower car park) — Collection time: 15:30. Children will be collected from the doors at the bottom of their respective buildings.
Absences (Primary)
If your children are going to be absent from school, please inform the office by email at primary@xabiainternationalcollege.com. Absences must be reported DAILY, so if your children are ill and will not be returning to school the following day or later, please inform the office every morning of their absence. If your children miss school for more than 3 consecutive days, please send a doctor's note.
Secondary & Sixth Form — Punctuality & Morning Entry
The Secondary school day begins at 8:50. Please do not leave your children unsupervised outside the school gates before they open in the morning.
PLEASE BE ON TIME! Tutor time begins at 8:50, so we kindly ask that all students are punctual to avoid disrupting lessons. If you arrive late (after 8:50), please go to the main reception, where you must sign in. Sixth Form students (Years 12 and 13) MUST sign in and out of the building when arriving and leaving.
Collection During the School Day (Secondary)
Frequent interruptions to lessons can affect not only the concentration and learning of the student being collected, but also that of their classmates. To help minimise disruption, we have specific collection times for students who need to leave school before the end of the day, whether for an appointment or another reason.
Available collection times
- 11:00
- 13:00
- 15:00
Please email the school office at secondary@xabiainternationalcollege.com, copying your child's teacher, in advance if you wish to collect your child at any of these times. We understand that emergencies or unforeseen circumstances may arise, and of course we will continue to support families in these cases. We are not authorised to allow students to leave the school premises unless an authorised adult collects them in person and signs the sign-out register — this is a requirement of the legal protection of minors law. If you need to collect your child before the end of the school day, you will have to come to reception to collect them and sign the authorisation sheet.
Late Collection (Secondary)
The school day ends at 16:00 from Monday to Thursday and at 15:00 on Fridays. If for any reason you are going to be late to collect your child, please contact the office as soon as possible (96 647 1785). When you arrive, your child will be in reception.
Absences (Secondary)
If your children are going to be absent from school, please inform the office by email at secondary@xabiainternationalcollege.com. Absences must be reported DAILY, so if your children are ill and will not be returning to school the following day or later, please inform the office every morning of their absence. If your children miss school for more than 3 consecutive days, please send a doctor's note.
Attendance, Absenteeism & Family Responsibilities
Regular and punctual attendance supports learning, wellbeing and positive relationships. The school records and reviews attendance daily and weekly. Repeated or persistent unjustified absence is treated as absenteeism; patterns of justified absence are also monitored when they may affect a pupil's education or wellbeing.
What families need to do
- Notify the relevant school office by phone or email on the first day of absence, explain the reason and continue to follow the daily reporting arrangements shown above.
- For an absence lasting more than 3 days, or whenever the school requests it, provide appropriate supporting documentation or a written explanation (justificante).
- Arrange medical and dental appointments outside school hours where possible. For planned absence, a family emergency or an unavoidable appointment, contact the school in advance and follow the applicable absence or leave procedure.
- Pupils leaving during the school day need appropriate permission and must be signed out. Pupils should catch up on learning missed through absence.
How the School Responds to Absence
If an absence has not been notified or explained, the school will contact the family on the same day to establish the reason and confirm the pupil's whereabouts. If contact cannot be made, all available emergency contacts will be tried and the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will assess the risk. The school will not wait three days where a pupil's whereabouts are unknown or there is an immediate welfare or safety concern.
Four-stage support and intervention process
- 1. Initial contact: the school establishes the reason for absence. A concerning pattern or three consecutive days without adequate justification may trigger further follow-up.
- 2. Safeguarding follow-up: the DSL or deputy speaks with the family, identifies barriers to attendance and considers appropriate support or safeguarding action.
- 3. Formal meeting: if attendance does not improve, the family is invited to agree a support or improvement plan with the school.
- 4. External referral: persistent absenteeism may be referred to Social Services and/or the Agente Tutor, with relevant records. Child-protection procedures apply whenever there is a risk of harm or neglect.
After persistent or prolonged absence, the school may arrange a reintegration meeting to consider wellbeing, pastoral needs, missed learning and practical support. Attendance will continue to be reviewed, and the school may work with relevant external services.
Justified Absence, Punctuality & Term-Time Leave
- Acceptable reasons may include illness, medical or dental appointments, bereavement, family emergencies and recognised religious observances, supported by an appropriate explanation or documentation.
- An absence is unjustified when no explanation is received, the reason is not accepted or it occurs despite prior warnings. Repeated unjustified absence may also become a safeguarding concern.
- Late pupils must report to the main office, sign in and provide a note or explanation from a parent or guardian. After 3 late arrivals in one week, the pupil will report to the Head of Year and may be placed on a punctuality report.
- Requests for leave during term time must be made in writing to the Head of School using the official Leave of Absence Form. Holidays during term time are strongly discouraged; requests are considered individually and leave is not normally granted during examination periods.
Secondary & Sixth Form Timetable
Students must be in college by 08:50. On Fridays, the school day finishes at 15:00.
| Session | Time |
|---|---|
| Registration | 08:50 – 09:00 |
| Period 1 | 09:00 – 10:00 |
| Period 2 | 10:00 – 11:00 |
| Break | 11:00 – 11:15 |
| Period 3 | 11:15 – 12:15 |
| Period 4 | 12:15 – 13:15 (13:00 Y8) (13:10 Y9) |
| Lunch Y8 | 13:00 – 13:55 |
| Lunch KS4 & KS5 | 13:15 – 13:55 |
| Registration | 13:55 – 14:00 |
| Period 5 | 14:00 – 15:00 |
| Period 6 | 15:00 – 16:00 (15:50 for Y8 & Y9) |
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