FAQ for Families

Being a parent/carer of a secondary school age child can be challenging. There are huge pressures on students as they mature and develop. Below are a list of frequently asked questions which are designed to support families. However, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your child's form tutor, specific subject teacher or Head of House.

What are the times of the school day? There are five, 1 hour periods during the day. This is designed to maximise the learning experience of all students across a broad curriculum. The day begins at 8.35am and finishes for all students at 2.50pm. Throughout the school year, there will be a range of after-school clubs and lessons available for students, especially those sitting public examinations. 

Is there a Parent/Teacher/Friends Association (PTFA)? Yes, we do have a PTFA and are always looking for new members. The PTFA was relaunched in recent years to help strengthen the link between home and school, while raising money to help invest in the education of the children of the school. For further information about the PTFA please visit the relevant section of the website.

How can I get involved with the school? There are a variety of ways to get involved including: attending various sporting, musical and cultural performances; regularly visiting the school website and following us on Twitter. We welcome feedback via email, letter or in person too.

Can I see the Headteacher? Of course. However, to ensure your concern is dealt with as swiftly as possible we would ask that you first try the member of staff directly responsible for the issue/enquiry you have. Should you require an appointment with Mr Ebenezer, please contact Miss Farrell, Headteacher's PA, by email.

Who is the best person to contact with general questions about my child? Your child's form tutor and Head of House are the primary points of contact. If your concern is about school or more than one subject, we would recommend you speak to the form tutor first of all. If you are still concerned, then we would recommend you speak to the relevant Head of House. If your concern relates to a subject, then we would recommend the first point of contact being the class teacher, then subject leader. A list of all staff, their roles and e-mail addresses are available to view here.

Why does the school have a chaplain? Mrs Richards is our school chaplain. She is on hand to discuss any concerns students may have. Mrs Richards supports the Wellbeing team to help ensure they are happy during their time at school.

I have emailed a member of staff but they haven't replied. What should I do? All of our staff have a significant teaching commitment. Therefore, it is likely that there is a genuine reason you have not yet received a reply. We aim to reply to any concern within 24-48 hours wherever possible.

Is it ok to arrive to school and hope to meet a member of staff? Regrettably, this is not possible. Our teaching staff have busy commitments delivering lessons to 1300 students. Therefore, please avoid arriving to school without an appointment. Please use the staff page here to contact the relevant staff member to arrange an appointment if required.

What if I have a query about uniform? Please visit the Uniform page for full information on the school uniform. Should you still have an outstanding query, please use the Contact Us page to submit an enquiry, or contact the school uniform supplier, Global Uniform, directly.

What if my child’s shoes break? Please send your son/daughter into school to report to the Uniform Store (in the Sixth Form Atrium). A spare pair will be provided for his/her use until you are able to purchase a new pair. 

What if my child has lost or forgotten his/her tie? Your son/daughter can go to the Uniform Store (in the Sixth Form Atrium) to borrow a tie for the day if they have forgotten or lost their existing one. New ties can be purchased on ParentPay for £6.00.

Will the school contact me if my child doesn’t arrive at school? Yes. We have dedicated support staff that closely monitor attendance, and will contact you by phone or text if your child is absent and you have not called in. Please make sure that your contact details are up-to-date. You can contact the school office with any change of contact details via the Contact Us page. Please ensure that you log all absences via the Class Charts app to avoid being contacted unneccessarily.

My child has injured themselves – what should I do? Once your child is ready to come back to school after an injury, we will make necessary arrangements to ensure that he/she can continue to learn at school in a safe environment. We will undertake a risk-assessment with you to ensure you are content with the arrangements in place. Please feel free to call the main office to discuss further.

What if I want to take my child on holiday during term time? Students are expected to attend school for 190 days of the year. We expect students to have strong attendance and not below 95%. Attendance below this seriously jeopardises a child's educational attainment. The school does not authorise family holidays during term time. Queries can be directed to [email protected]

When should my child arrive to school? Your child must be in school by no later than 8.30am. A bell is rung at this time to indicate students should make their way to first lesson.

Will I receive a home visit from the school if my child is persistently absent from school? Yes, even if you have phoned in. This is intended to be a supportive measure and to ensure the wellbeing of the student.

How can I find out what level/class my child is streamed into? Please attend Parents’ Evenings regularly, and contact individual teachers for up-to-date information. Dates for Parents’ Evenings can be found on the school calendar.

Is it okay to email teachers directly? Yes. On the Staff List page you will find a list of all staff, with job titles and email addresses. We aim to respond to emails within 24-48 hours. If you have not heard from a member of staff in this time then please do contact the main office via the Contact Us page.

What if I am concerned about my child’s academic progress? Please contact your child’s teacher, subject leader or form tutor to arrange a meeting to discuss any concerns. All contact information can be found on the Staff List.

How will I know if my child receives a detention? The School operates a list of non-negotiables in terms of undesirable behaviours. For each of these behaviours, a negative behaviour point is issued. This can be seen on Class Charts, and as signatures in their school planner. Detentions are issued as follows:

• 2 negative points/signatures = 10 minutes detention
• 4 negative points/signatures = 20 minutes detention
• 6 negative points/signatures = 30 minutes detention
• 7+ negative points/signatures = 45 minutes detention (please note this applies for every signature accrued over, and including, 7 points/signatures)

Detentions are held after school the day following issue. Class Charts will notify you of this. You are also able to view a full breakdown of your child's activity in school, including all negative and positive points and reasons for issue.

A late after-school bus is run every day at 4:30pm, so we do not expect students not to attend detentions. Failure to attend will lead to a further sanction.

I’d like to discuss my child’s behaviour outside of school – who is the best person to speak to? Your child's form tutor or Head of House are best suited to discuss these concerns with you. Please contact them with the information listed on the Staff List. Please be aware that we sanction students for misbehaviour outside of school and outside school hours.

After School Clubs – does my child have to attend every week or can they drop in? Your child is welcome at after-school clubs whenever they want to attend. However, some extra-curricular activities such as school performances may require committed attendance to avoid letting others down. A copy of the numerous lunchtime and after-school clubs are available on our website.

How much ownwork (homework) should my child receive? Students will be set "ownwork" regularly. We call it ownwork because it is work that the students own, and that they have to complete outside of their usual lesson time. Ownwork could be completed by students at home, although we also provide an "Ownwork Club" on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3.00pm to 4.25pm where students have access to computers. For core subjects such as English and Mathematics, ownwork will be set for students once every two weeks. For non-core subjects ownwork will typically be set once every three weeks. All ownwork must be recorded by students in their planners. In addition to this, all students have a reading book and we encourage them to spend around 15-20 minutes reading each day. Sixth Form students are expected to use their independent study sessions as well as wider reading to support their learning, as well as completing set ownwork. 

Who do I contact about ownwork (homework)? Please contact your child’s teacher to discuss any ownwork queries. If you have broader questions about ownwork then please raise these with Mrs O'Callaghan, Assistant Head. All contact information can be found here.

Who should I contact about my child’s additional learning needs? Please contact your child’s form tutor to discuss queries around your son/daughter’s additional learning needs. Alternatively, please contact the ALN team on [email protected].