Parents’ Information Booklet Year 8 2013 - 2014 CONTENTS Page Vision and Aims 2 School Details 3 Contacting the Correct Member of Staff 4 Senior Staff Information 5 School Terms and Holiday Dates 6 Timings of the School Day 6 Curriculum 7 Choices 8 Attendance 8 ICT Code of Conduct 8 Assessment and Reporting 9 Homework 10 Marking Policy 12 Rewards System 13 Extra Curricular Activities 14 Library and Learning Resource Centre 15 Parents’ and Teachers’ Association 16 Medical Information 16 Uniform 17 Policy for Use of Mobile Phones 18 Cashless Catering 19 Important Dates 20 Home School Agreement 21 1 THE SCHOOL’S VISION AND AIMS St Peter's School Huntingdon is a totally student focused and inclusive community where students develop their learning skills, ENJOY their education and succeed, whatever their ability. It is our strong belief that as educators we can and must make a difference to the lives of the young people in our care. We work to ensure that the school enables its students to maximise their potential whatever their ability, background, culture, belief or disability. We have high expectations and aspirations for all our students and we work to prepare them fully for the future beyond school, recognising, nurturing, and celebrating individual skills and talents. We provide a happy, caring, stable and orderly environment in which the highest quality of teaching, learning and development can take place. We have a responsibility to develop confident, competent citizens of the 21st century in a totally inclusive environment. We develop skills to enable young people to make choices about their future and maximise their potential. We maintain a working partnership of co-operation between students, parents, staff, Governors and the wider community. At St Peter's both teaching and non-teaching staff work as a team to ensure that students are the priority and we aim to make every experience one of quality and wherever possible, exciting and challenging. Mrs V Ford Head Teacher 2 SCHOOL DETAILS . Head Teacher: Mrs V Ford BA St Peter's School, Huntingdon – Academy Status St Peter's Road Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE29 7DD Telephone: Fax: Email: Website: (01480) 459581 (01480) 457968 [email protected] www.stpeters.cambs.sch.uk KEY CONTACTS Absence If your child does have to be away from school for any reason, early notification would be appreciated. A telephone call (01480 846770) would be sufficient. If your child is likely to be absent for any length of time, it would be useful to be kept up to date of their progress. It is essential, however, that you send a letter to explain the details of the absence on the day your child returns to school. If this is not done, the absence is recorded as unauthorised and counted as truancy. Issues or concerns Your child’s Group Tutor or subject teachers are the first people to speak to but if necessary you can contact the Student Co-ordinator of your child’s year. Mrs A Thomas Key Senior Staff Mrs R Soper Mr L Cartwright (01480 846794) Assistant Head Teacher (Key Stage 3) Director of Learning (Years 7 and 8) 3 CONTACTING THE CORRECT MEMBER OF STAFF AT ST PETER’S SCHOOL Knowing who to contact when you have a query or when a situation arises can be difficult. The chart below outlines which member of staff to contact if you have any issues you would like to discuss. Absence from school Issue with a particular subject/teacher Issue concerning uniform Any general issues Attendance Officer – Mrs C Barrett Tel: 01480 459581 (Ext 807) Individual subject teacher or Head of Department Student Co-ordinator or Director or Learning The first person to contact is the Form Tutor or, if unavailable, contact the Student Co-ordinator Student Co-ordinator Director of Learning Assistant Head Teacher Deputy Head Teacher Head Teacher Chair of Governors 4 SENIOR STAFF AT ST PETER’S SCHOOL Head Teacher Deputy Head Teacher – Student Performance Assistant Head Teacher – Student Progress (Years 7 and 8) Assistant Head Teacher – Student Progress (Year 9) Assistant Head Teacher – Student Progress (Years 10 and 11) Assistant Head Teacher – Student Progress (Key Stage 5) Assistant Head Teacher – Curriculum Assistant Head Teacher – Head of Faculty (Maths/Science) Associate Assistant Head Teacher – Student Progress School Business Manager Mrs V Ford Mr G K Horn Mrs R Soper Mr J Stewart Miss E Butler Mrs A Matthew Mr N Park Dr R Mead Mr M Gregory Mrs C Ducket Student Team Director of Learning – Years 7/8 Director of Learning – Year 9 Director of Learning – Year 10 Director of Learning – Year 11 Director of Post 16 Learning Mr L Cartwright Mr M Cuthbert Mr M Gregory * Miss A Searle Mrs L Winwick Heads of Department Art Business Studies Co-ordinator – High Achievers Co-ordinator - Work Related Learning Co-ordinator of Personal Development KS3 Co-ordinator of Personal Development KS4/5 Design and Technology Drama English Geography History ICT Mathematics Modern Foreign Languages Music Physical Education Public Services Religious Studies Science Mrs D Glover Mr N J Clifford Mrs L Hodgson Mrs D Gutteridge Mrs R Hammond Mr S Robson Ms C A Peters Mr S Smyth Miss L Mallett Miss T Day Mrs E Bowater Mrs J Newcombe Dr R Mead * Mrs J E Burniston Mr H R Goodman Mr P Robson Mr S Robson Mr J Davis Dr R Mead * * Indicates the person holds extra responsibility and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team 5 SCHOOL TERM AND HOLIDAY DATES (2013 - 2014) Autumn Term 2013 Professional Day Professional Day First day of Autumn term Half Term Last day of Autumn term Tuesday 3 September Wednesday 4 September Thursday 5 September 28 October – 1 November Friday 20 December Spring Term 2014 Professional Day First day of Spring Term Professional Day Half Term Last day of Spring term Monday 6 January Tuesday 7 January Friday 14 February 17 – 21 February Friday 4 April Summer Term 2014 Professional Day First day of Summer term May Day Half Term Last day of Summer term Tuesday 22 April Wednesday 23 April Monday 5 May 26 – 30 May Wednesday 23 July TIMINGS OF THE SCHOOL DAY 08:25 am 08:30 am – 08:50 am 08:50 am – 08:55 am 08:55 am – 09:55 am 09:55 am – 10:00 am 10:00 am – 11:00 am 11:00 am – 11:20 am 11:20 am 11:25 am – 12:25 pm 12:25 pm – 12:30 pm 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm 2:00 pm 2:05 pm – 3:05 pm Warning bell Registration / Tutor Walking time Lesson 1 Walking time Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 6 Break Warning bell Walking time Lunch Warning bell CURRICULUM KEY STAGE 3 (YEARS 7 & 8) Key Stage 3 now only comprises Years 7 and 8. This is to enable more time for students in Key Stage 4 to focus on their examined subjects. Students in Year 8 will be choosing their optional subjects for the commencement of GCSE courses in Year 9. During this key stage, the students follow a similar curriculum plan which includes the following subjects: English Mathematics Science ICT History Geography Religious Education Music Design and Technology Art and Design Physical Education Drama Personal Development & Life Skills A Modern Foreign Language [except for students in the E band, who will receive literacy support) In Key Stage 3 the students are placed in appropriate ability bands. These are Bands, P, T and E (these will form the prefix for class names). Within each band the ability of each student is similar and hence the grouping within each band should not be confused with setting (the suffix for each class ie 1, 2 and/or3 is NOT set 1, 2, 3 etc). The population of these bands has been allocated based on teacher assessments and language allocation at the end of Year 7, but we will also ensure that students will take a further baseline test (CAT tests) to re-assess students’ skills and ability at the start of Year 8. Physical Education is taught in single sex groups. In Design and Technology, the students follow a rotation throughout each year so as to incorporate aspects of the designing and making processes with both soft and resistant materials, and exploring aspects of food technology. The Personal Development & Life Skills programme covers themes which currently do not appear elsewhere in the curriculum. For example, Careers education Health education Citizenship 7 CHOICES The process by which students choose their Key Stage 4 options will start in January. Parents/carers are invited to a choices evening to gather more information on the options available for students. We offer a wide range of GCSE and equivalent courses and we recommend that you attend to ensure that your son/daughter makes a fully informed decision. Subject teachers will be available on the evening to answer any questions, it is an excellent opportunity to find out about ‘new’ subjects that students may not have experienced. Following this evening, parents are again invited into school for a personalised meeting to join their son/daughter with a senior member of staff. In this meeting the suitability and details of courses will be discussed, with a view to future aspirations. ATTENDANCE Good attendance is crucial to the success of your child and the outcomes they will achieve. By law, all schools must register the attendance of each student at the beginning of each morning and afternoon session. At St Peter’s, attendance at each lesson is also recorded. It is most important that students arrive on time for school and for each lesson. You will be informed of levels of attendance and of lateness as part of the normal reporting process. We expect an average level of attendance in excess of 95%. It is a cause for concern if the attendance of an individual student falls below 90%. Medical and dental appointments should be arranged after school whenever possible. If appointments during the school day are unavoidable, students are expected to return to lessons after the appointment. If a child does have to be away from school for any reason, early notification is asked for. A telephone call (01480 846770) or a note to the student’s tutor would be sufficient. It is essential, however, that a letter to explain the details of the absence is received on the day of return to school. If this is not done, the absence is recorded as unauthorised and counted as truancy. If an absence exceeds three days and no contact has been made, then the school will write or telephone asking for information or families may be contacted by our Education Welfare Officer. The school will be pleased to set work for students who are to be away from school for a week or more. Requests for such work should be made to the tutor or Student Co-ordinator and normally require 48 hours notice to collect the details and work from the staff. ICT CODE OF CONDUCT Students have access to more than 400 computers that are on the school network. These are linked to the Internet and students can log in to any of these computers to access their own work. All students and parents will be asked to sign an ICT Code of Conduct before a student will be allowed on the Internet. The full Code of Conduct covers many aspects of ICT which all students are expected to read and understand. The school website also has information to help parents monitor the use of their child’s social networking and how to protect them. 8 ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING Students’ progress is assessed and reported on in various ways throughout their courses of study. This may be done through homework, classwork or formal summative assessments. At St Peter’s School, students and parents receive regular progress reports or internal assessments. These take the form of Monitor Points, Parents’ and Information Evenings and other forms of communication. Teachers will report on students’ progress three times over the course of a term. Two of these assessments will be to assess whether your child is ‘on’, ‘off’ or ‘at’ target. The remaining assessment will be a formal summative assessment and will be reported as a National Curriculum Level. These reports can be accessed via the My Child At School website. Information and Parents’ Evenings Parents are invited to several evening appointments throughout the year. Information evenings give an opportunity to meet staff and gain understanding of the main objectives and support available for the year. Parents’ Evenings provide an opportunity to meet subject teachers and discuss individual progress. MyChildAtSchool.com This is a very important tool for parents to access information about their child’s progress, behaviour, attendance and homework. It will also keep parents up to date with the school calendar and key events. You will have a secure, personalised log-in and password to this area. This area is updated every 10 minutes and, therefore, you can have a live picture of school life! Other Forms of Communication To ensure that students are successful, there has to be collective involvement between, students, parents and the school. Therefore, we encourage you to contact the school if you have any questions or points for discussion. For pastoral concerns the Student Co-ordinator can be contacted throughout the day. For specific subject enquiries please contact the relevant member of staff or Head of Department and arrange an appointment. Effective Revision Tool for Key Stage 3 Maths This website has been brought to our attention – www.stuckonhomework.com – and is a video based Maths tutor resource covering the entire Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 curriculum in bitesize video lessons which can be accessed on all internet enabled mobile phones, tablets and computers. The lessons are taught by experienced and practising Heads of Maths and are supported with Test Yourself quiz questions. There is a 10% discount code to help parents with an annual subscription. Enter code: 796P4LJNV into the Discount Code box when you sign-up at www.stuckonhomework.com (This code is valid from one year from 13/09/13) 9 A GUIDE TO HOMEWORK Why do we set homework? Homework teaches children how to take responsibility for tasks and how to work independently. Homework helps children develop habits of mind that will serve them well as they proceed through school and, indeed, through life. What skills are developed? Homework helps children learn how to plan and organise tasks, manage time, make choices, and problem solve, all skills that will contribute to effective functioning in the adult world of work and families. Your questions answered What if there is difficulty in completing work? Write a short note to the class teacher or to your child’s Form Tutor – you could do this via your child’s diary. Will I get a report on homework? The My Child At School website enables you to view different aspects of your child’s life at school. An up-to-date report on homework can be accessed. This will provide details of the work set, the teacher who set it and when it is due. What can I do to help? Your help, support and encouragement are all very important. • Make sure you are familiar with our school guidelines on homework PLEASE check and sign the Homework Diary once you are satisfied with the work • Check you son/daughter’s exercise books / sheets for homework and comments from the class teacher • Ask about homework regularly • Express an interest in what is being done. You may find things have changed a bit from your / ‘our’ own school days, don’t be put off! • Provide a quiet place at home free from distractions for homework 10 HOMEWORK All homework must be recorded in homework diaries/planners. We ask that parents read, check and sign them at least once a week. Approximate times for homework are: Years 7 and 8 30 minutes per subject per week SUMMARY OF HOMEWORK POLICY The school believes that homework is a valuable and essential part of a student’s learning. Homework will be set regularly and students are encouraged to establish good homework habits. A separate homework grade is included in monitor points from each subject. Homework will form a meaningful part of the work for the particular subject. Homework encourages students to develop the skills, confidence and motivation needed to study effectively on their own. Homework consolidates and reinforces skills and understanding developed in lessons and provides an opportunity to practise new skills and further develop knowledge. Homework is an important way of involving parents and carers in the management of students’ learning and keeping them informed about the work students are doing. Homework can take a variety of forms, including long term assignments extending over a number of weeks. It could involve learning work completed in class in preparation for a test or examination. Students may be asked to carry out research, if so the library has a vast amount of reference books and access to the internet which the students can use at lunchtime and after school. Teachers will take particular care when setting homework for students with special educational needs. Homework will be planned and organised so that the demand on students’ time is consistent and manageable on a daily basis. A homework timetable is given to each student at the start of the school year. Teachers will always allow a reasonable amount of time for homework to be completed. The amount of homework expected from students will gradually increase as they move through the school. In Year 7 and 8, students should expect to spend a minimum time on homework of 30 minutes per subject per week. Each student will be supplied with a homework diary in which to record homework. Tutors will check and sign homework on a regular basis, normally each week. We hope that parents will support the school by making it clear to their children that they value homework and explaining how it can help them progress at school. 11 ST PETER’S SCHOOL MARKING POLICY Comment-only marking At St Peter’s we aim to support all students’ learning through the way in which their work is assessed. In particular, we try to make students aware of what they need to do to improve their work to move themselves forward in each subject. A key way of doing this is through formative assessment – feedback which: acknowledges what the student has achieved; identifies what they need to aim for next; helps the student to understand the next steps they should take to make this further improvement. Such feedback can be given in writing or verbally, and both approaches are used at St Peter’s. We use this type of assessment because research has shown that, when used correctly, formative assessment strategies can raise standards of attainment by between one and two GCSE grades, particularly among lower-attaining students. The key to its success lies in actively involving each student in his/her own learning and helping him/her to understand exactly what he/she needs to do to improve and progress in his/her learning. A key feature of such assessment strategies is that they focus on what has been learned and what needs to be learned next, rather than attaching a grade or number to what students have produced. Research shows that giving only marks or grades on students’ work leads to no improvement in attainment, and that giving a mark and a comment on work also has no positive effect on students’ progress or attainment, and sometimes leads to loss of learning. Students usually ignore the comment, look only at the mark and compare their mark with others’ in the class. In the light of this evidence we have moved as a school to comment-only marking wherever this is feasible, as we believe that this will best benefit our students’ learning. Staff keep records of students’ attainment in their markbooks and planners, but do not usually share this information with students, other than after the regular half-termly assessments (see below). Comment-only marking does not mean that students are not told of the standard at which they are working, or how they are progressing, or of what they need to do next to progress further. Rather, it is a process which does not put the mark or grade at the centre of the assessment process in a way which diverts attention from students’ learning. 12 REWARDS SYSTEM We believe it is very important to recognise and reward achievement of all kinds. We believe that young people in general respond positively to praise and are motivated by it. The achievements of individuals and groups are recognised in many different ways. Successes are celebrated in weekly assemblies and by individual praise from teachers, the Director of Learning, Assistant Head Teachers, the Deputy Head and the Head Teacher. Achievement of individuals is recognised at the end of each year in our Awards Ceremony. In addition to the letters of commendation from Heads of Department or the Head Teacher, a system of Rewards operates in all year groups. The aim of the system is to offer all students in Years 7 - 11 the opportunity to be positively rewarded for either effort or attainment in subjects or an act of citizenship within the school community. Whenever a student does something requiring recognition, his/her teacher will issue a Credit through e-behave database. In the course of each term, as more Credits are gained, the student takes these to his/her tutor. Once 20 have been handed in this qualifies for an entry to the termly Prize Draw. How the system works Stickers are given to students by any member of staff who consistently work hard, produce work of a higher than usual standard or carry out an act of citizenship. Departments often run schemes in lessons which contribute to gaining credits, for example 5 points for oral work results in a credit. In addition to this, teachers send “postcards” home and often run sticker competitions which can enable students to gain points on a website to win prizes. Tutors are required to enter students for the Prize Draw each term once they have reached 20 credits. The system runs on a termly basis with a competition between the different Guilds. The Benefits This system provides an immediate reward in the lesson and enhances motivation. During a lesson this reward can be as simple as a sticker or point towards a credit. “Good News to go home” postcards can be very effective at communicating with the parents of a student and certainly increase motivation in the short-term. If combined with postcards, Letters of Commendation and other systems, then long-term motivation is also increased. Entries to the prize draw are extremely motivating for many students of differing abilities. eBehave database St Peter's School operates an electronic system which enables staff to record their praise of students. The system allows teachers to produce “Good news” emails or letters to go home to congratulate the efforts of individual students and inform other members of staff of their achievements. This database is also be used to record any incidents of inappropriate behaviour. The simple aim of the database is to identify and reward students whose actions and progress deserve recognition. The use of a system allows staff to reward s number of students 13 simultaneously (eg a whole class), speeds up the “administrative” part of praising individual and groups of students, and gives the information to parents and students. “Bad news” events can also be logged, sent home and analysed for patterns, which will allow for an earlier intervention with students. The system focuses primarily on rewarding and praising students and that “Good news” events will outnumber “Bad news” events by at least four to one. Finally, the database will facilitate the mechanics of the Prize draw process by providing the data required for this. The school also rewards good attendance across the school in a variety of ways. EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES A wide range of opportunities is available for students outside the normal curriculum. There is a strong tradition of sport and representative teams compete with other schools over a wide area in all the major sports. There is a full programme of Inter-Guild sporting activities. Teams have also made foreign tours. St Peter's has an excellent reputation in the provision made for music and this is reflected in the general cultural life of the school. There are different musical groups, an orchestra, various bands, ensembles and choirs. Musical Evenings usually take place during the course of the year. Opportunities also exist for students to become involved in Drama and major productions take place on a regular basis. Our Performing Arts Centre has provided our students with excellent facilities. A wide range of clubs and other activities are available and educational visits take place regularly. The timetable for clubs is published on the website for parents to see. Great importance is attached to developing links with the local community. There are many school/ community groups working. There are also links with local businesses through the Work Experience Scheme and through initiatives with the Rotary Club. ICT AT LUNCHTIMES Every lunchtime at least one computer room is available for students to do homework. On Fridays, Year 7 students have sole use. There are always two members of staff available to help students. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TUITION Instrumental lessons, provided by visiting teachers, can be arranged by the Head of Music. Lessons are usually given in school time, but are arranged as far as possible so that the student does not miss the same class regularly. Further details can be obtained from the Head of Music. More detailed information will be given to parents of children joining the school early in the Autumn term. 14 LIBRARY AND LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE Opening Hours: 8.30 am until 4.30 pm Monday and Thursday 8.15 am until 4.30 pm Tuesday and Wednesday 8.15 am until 4.00 pm Friday The school has a modern purpose-built library with networked computers and a range of books, magazines, newspapers, electronic resources, and audio-visual materials to cater for the diverse interests, ages and abilities of our students. The library holds a collection of over 13,000 resources ranging from a local history collection to a modern selection of e-resources. The school library staff work with teaching and support staff to ensure the library holds relevant materials to support the curriculum and help students develop a love of reading. The library organises numerous activities throughout the school year aimed at encouraging reading for pleasure and improving research skills. One of such is World Book Day (an annual national book event) around which the school library organises a book week: an entire week devoted to celebrating books and reading. The school library also runs a stationery shop - open every day and providing basic school stationery at reasonable prices. Students and staff also have access to the school library from home and during non-opening hours via the school library website and catalogue available on the Internet. The school library website and catalogue may be found at the following web addresses: School library website: http://stpeterslibrary.co.uk School library catalogue: http://stpeters.tlcdelivers.co.uk:8080 The school library staff are always on hand to assist with finding reading material, information and with homework enquiries. 15 PARENTS’ AND TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION (PTA) The PTA is a group of parents and teachers that are committed to raising funds for the students. We raise money so that we can provide the ‘extras’ for the students. We hope to grow bigger and to have more parents and more staff involved. You do not need any qualifications to join the PTA; you can just come along to one of our meetings and see what happens. The PTA has had another successful year, raising money from a variety of events. All the money raised is put back into the school, helping to buy equipment and fund a variety of projects, enriching the experiences of as many students as possible. This year, the PTA paid for a sailing dinghy, which has been restored by several groups of students and is now being used by those students and others to learn to sail at Grafham Water and achieve an RYA sailing qualification. The PTA has also paid for equipment and resources for use in several departments and by the Duke of Edinburgh Award students. Donations were made to help pay for the activities in Fair Trade week and for the termly Rewards Assemblies and annual Awards Evening. We hope to improve on this year’s success!! MEDICAL INFORMATION If a student has a known medical complaint, information will be available in their file or from the Student Co-ordinator. Parent and Student Services hold a register of students with known medical and life threatening complaints and allergies. Staff will be made aware of any problems that a student they teach may have. Administering medicine It is policy that staff are not expected to administer medication to students. However, if a parent has a child who needs to take prescribed medication at school, it can be left with Reception for safe keeping and the appropriate paper work must be completed by the parent. Any medication taken at Reception is recorded in a book. Such medicines would include antibiotics (4 doses per day, 3 doses should be taken at home), Epipen, allergy prescribed medication, etc, but not Paracetamol or Piriton bought over the counter, etc. Parents are asked to write to the school if it is necessary for their children to take prescribed medicines and the appropriate medical form will be issued for completion by the parent. It is the policy of the Health Authority and the school to hold only prescribed medicines and not to give Aspirin or Paracetamol or other preparatory medicines to children at school. Parents are requested to send only the medication needed during that day with the student if non prescribed medication is needed. Students with medical conditions which may necessitate leaving a classroom or seeking medical help from time to time carry a medical card. 16 UNIFORM FOR STUDENTS IN YEARS 7 TO 11 It is an important element of the philosophy of the school that students identify themselves with St Peter's and its community. School uniform is, therefore, compulsory. The correct uniform should be worn at all times to avoid time being wasted in enforcing regulations. If parents find they have any temporary problems meeting the requirements they should contact, in the first instance, the Student Co-ordinator for advice. For administration for assistance with Uniform and Maintenance Grants, please contact the Local Authority at Scott House in Huntingdon, telephone number 01480 372307 or 01480 372308. Details of the uniform are summarised below: ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE BOTH A SWEATSHIRT AND POLO SHIRT AT ALL TIMES *Navy blue school round-necked sweatshirt with embroidered school logo *Blue polo shirt embroidered with school logo *Optional – navy blue fleece embroidered with the school logo This cannot be worn in the classroom as a substitute for a sweatshirt BOYS GIRLS Black trousers (not jeans) Black (knee length) skirt or black tailored Plain, dark socks trousers (not jeans or tight fitting) Black shoes – not black trainers Navy socks, black or natural coloured tights. No brightly coloured fashion socks Black shoes – not black trainers or plimsolls PE EQUIPMENT: BOYS AND GIRLS Royal blue/Guild colour reversible rugby shirt embroidered with the school logo* Royal blue polo shirt embroidered with the school logo* Royal blue shorts* Royal blue socks with guild colour turn down* Optional – Royal blue sweatshirt embroidered with the school logo* Optional – Navy tracksuit bottoms* Preferred: Swimming trunks or shorts – Preferred: One piece swimming costume, royal blue/black royal blue/black Towel for shower and swimming in plastic bag Gym shoes or trainers Shin pads *These items can only be purchased from school The ONLY style of school trousers that are acceptable are found on the school web site. The ONLY style of school skirts that are acceptable are found on the school web site. ALL ITEMS ARE COMPULSORY UNLESS MARKED OPTIONAL General: Footwear - should be sensible, suitable for school and must be black and not a health and safety risk. No trainers, no shoes with logos or coloured laces or fashion shoes, ie ballet pumps are NOT allowed. Trainers must not be worn at all except for PE. This includes travelling to and from school. Jewellery - Students may not wear jewellery of any kind, except a watch and a single pair of stud earrings – small and plain (gold or silver). No other style of earrings is acceptable. Under no circumstances are students allowed any type of facial piercing in school Make-up and nail varnish – only clear nail varnish is allowed to be worn. Make-up is not allowed in Years 7 and 8. In Years 9, 10 and 11 subtle make-up is permitted. Denim is not an acceptable material for any item of uniform. Hairstyles should be neat and not of an exaggerated or extreme style or colour. ALL students must have an appropriate school bag – fashion bags are not appropriate. OUTDOOR COATS – must be a single plain colour BLACK OR BLUE – no denim, patterned fabric, studs etc. The fleece may be worn as an outdoor coat. HOODIES, ZIP TOP, STRIPED TOPS, FOOTBALL TOPS, FASHION TOPS ETC ARE NOT ALLOWED AND WILL BE CONFISCATED. 17 POLICY FOR USE OF MOBILE PHONES AT ST PETER'S SCHOOL HUNTINGDON St Peter’s School Huntingdon recognises that parents may wish their children to have mobile phones for use in cases of emergency. However, mobiles can be used inappropriately and are potentially targets for theft and bullying. The Governing Body has, therefore, adopted the following policy which will be rigorously enforced. Mobile phones SHOULD NOT be used on school premises and students should keep them switched off and out of sight, in their school bag, during the whole school day and on the school premises. The taking of photographs and/or video footage is strictly forbidden. During examinations, mobile phones must not be on the body of the student and they must be switched off. If the phone rings during the exam, the student may be disqualified from the exam. In very unusual circumstances such as a family emergency, the school will make contact with parents. Students who ignore this policy and use a mobile on school premises without permission will be required to hand over their phone to a member of staff and parents will be asked to collect it subsequently from the school. In accordance with recent legislation, the school has the right to confiscate mobile phones. If a member of staff has any suspicion that a mobile phone has unsuitable material stored on it, students will be required to hand over the phone to a member of staff and parents will be asked to collect it from a senior member of staff. In circumstances where there is a suspicion that the material on the mobile phone may provide evidence relating to a criminal offence, the phone will be handed over to the police for further investigation. Parents will need to recover the phone from the police in such circumstances. Students are strongly discouraged from bringing phones into school at all. Students remain responsible for their own property and will bear responsibility of any losses. The school accepts no liability for the loss of or damage to mobile phones owned by students. Any failure to comply with the above guidelines may result in normal disciplinary action to be taken up to and including the consideration of permanent exclusion of the students concerned. Parents should be aware that whilst there are obvious benefits to students having a mobile phone in terms of personal safety there are also some associated risks such as potential for theft, bullying and inappropriate contact, including grooming by unsuitable persons. 18 CASHLESS CATERING 2013 - 2014 The school operates a cashless catering payment system primarily to make sure that the money you allow your child to have for purchasing lunch or a snack is used for that purpose. There are many other benefits including: The money you allow your child to have is used for meals. A daily spend limit can be put on your child’s account to ensure that they only spend an appropriate amount each day (£3.00 will be set on all accounts, please make sure you notify any change to that on the attached form). It provides a considerably quicker service and reduces queues. If you are entitled to free school meals, anonymity is assured. After careful consideration of the systems available, the school operates a system which is based upon a scan of a student’s finger, rather than a card system. The scan of your child’s finger will take a series of measurements, which will be converted into computer code and stored on the system. I would emphasise that this is not a fingerprint and the method of storing the information makes sure that the data means nothing to anyone except the cashless catering system. The data is protected within the school using the same stringent security that is employed to make sure that all your child’s details are stored in accordance with best practice and under the guidance of the Data Protection Act. Every child will have a separate computer number and when they scan their finger at the till, this will be used to access their account and charge their food and drink purchases. Those who are entitled to free school meals will have their entitlement added to their account automatically and this account will be activated by the computer number. All students will have the option of adding cash to their account using the account loaders, which are installed in school or by paying in cheques to the Finance Office. Your son/daughter will have their finger scanned on their first day and be shown how to use the Account Loaders. Funds can be added to your child’s account by sending a cheque (see attached form) or by cash paid in at the Account Loaders installed in school. Our preferred method of payment is by cheque, which reduces the amount of cash your child has to carry. If you wish to pay by cheque it would be helpful if you could send it to the Finance Office with the attached form before the end of term. Cheques will not be cashed or entered onto the system until your child has registered in school in September. St Peter’s runs a weekly lunchtime rota which enables all students in each Year group to be served their lunch first. If you have any queries about this system, please contact Mrs May on 01480 846774 19 IMPORTANT DATES Tuesday 24 September 2013 Wednesday 25 September 2013 Wednesday 25 September 2013 Thursday 26 September 2013 Thursday 26 September 2013 Friday 27 September 2013 Wednesday 2 October 2013 Wednesday 2 October 2013 Tuesday 8 October 2013 Thursday 17 October 2013 Friday 25 October 2013 Monday 28 October 2013 – Friday 1 November 2013 Friday 8 November 2013 Thursday 14 November 2013 Friday 15 November Tuesday 19 November 2013 Tuesday 10 December 2013 Wednesday 11 December 2013 Friday 20 December 2013 Monday 6 January 2014 Tuesday 7 January 2014 Tuesday 7 January 2014 Tuesday 14 January 2014 Tuesday 21 January 2014 Tuesday 28 January 2014 Tuesday 4 February 2014 Tuesday 11 February 2014 Thursday 13 February 2014 Friday 14 February 2014 Monday 17 February 2014 – Friday 21 February 2014 Monday 3 – Friday 7 March 2014 Thursday 6 March 2014 Thursday 13 March 2014 Friday 21 March 2014 Friday 21 March 2014 Friday 4 April 2014 Monday 21 April 2014 Tuesday 22 April 2014 Wednesday 23 April Wednesday 23 April Monday 28 April 2014 Monday 5 May 2014 Thursday 8 May 2014 Tuesday 13 May 21014 Tuesday 13 May 2014 Friday 23 May 2014 Monday 26 – Friday 30 May 2014 Tuesday 10 June 2014 Thursday 26 June 2014 Thursday 3 July 2014 Wednesday 23 July 2014 Year 12 Parents’ Information Evening Open Morning for Parents/Carers of Year 5 and 6 Students Open Morning for Parents/Carers of Year 7 and 8 Students Year 8 Parents’ Information Evening Year 7, 9, 11, 12, 13 Individual Photographs HPV 1st Injection for Year 8 Girls Open Morning for Parents/Carers of Year 9, 10 and 11 Students Year 7 Parents’ Information Evening Key Stage 4 Parents’ Information Evening (Years 9, 10 and 11) Open Evening for Parents/Carers of Year 5 and 6 Students School closes for Half-Term Half-Term Holiday HPV 2nd Injection for Year 8 Girls Musical Evening Children in Need – Non-Uniform Day Year 11 Prospective Sixth Form Evening: Raising Participation Age School Carol Concert Civic Carol Concert School closes – End of term Professional Day First day of Spring Term Summative Assessment 1 Open to Parents Year 8 Choices Evening Year 11 Parents’ Consultation Evening Year 12 / 13 Parents’ Consultation Evening Year 8 Parents’ Consultation Evening Year 10 Parents’ Consultation Evening School closes for Half-Term Professional Day Half-Term Holiday Book Week World Book Day / Book Fair Year 11 and Sixth Form Group Photographs Sport Relief – Non-Uniform Day Final HPV Injection for Year 8 Girls School closes – End of term School closed Professional Day First day of Summer Term Summative Assessment 2 Open to Parents Uniform Try-On Session Bank Holiday – School closed Uniform Try-On Session Uniform Try-On Session Year 9 Parents’ Consultation Evening School closes for Half-Term Half-Term Holiday Year 7 Parents’ Consultation Evening Victor / Victrix Ludorum Sports Day School closes – End of term 20 ST PETER’S SCHOOL, HUNTINGDON HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT 2013 - 2014 PARENTS/CARERS I/We shall make every effort to: See that my daughter/son attends school, is on time, properly equipped and in correct uniform. Make the school aware of any concerns or problems that might affect my daughter’s/son’s work or behaviour. Support the school’s policies and guidelines for behaviour. Support my daughter/son in homework and other opportunities for home learning. Attend Parents’ Evenings and discussions about my son’s/daughter’s progress. Take an interest in school activities and events. Signature: ______________________________________________ Print Name: ______________________________________________ THE SCHOOL The school will make every effort to: Ensure that your daughter/son achieves her/his full potential as a valued member of the school community. Provide a balanced curriculum and meet the individual needs of your daughter/son. Achieve high standards of work and behaviour through building good relationships and developing a sense of responsibility. Keep you informed about general school matters and about your daughter’s/son’s progress in particular. Let parents know about any concerns or problems that affect your daughter/son’s work or behaviour. Keep parents informed about school activities, work or behaviour through regular letters home, Newsletters and notices about special events. Signature: ______________________________________________ Group Tutor Print Name: ______________________________________________ THE STUDENT I will make every effort to: Attend school and be on time. Bring all the equipment I need every day. Work to the best of my ability at all times in class and at home. Wear the school uniform at all times and have a high standard of appearance. Be polite, helpful and respectful to fellow students, teachers, visitors and neighbours of the school. Keep the school clean, tidy and undamaged. Signature: ______________________________________________ Print Name: ______________________________________________ 21
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