Gosforth Central Middle School
Great North Road
Gosforth
NE3 1UN
Telephone:0191 285 1793
Fax:0191 255 2123
E-mail:
Twitter: @gcmscentral
Website:
Headteacher: Mrs S Webb
Deputy Headteacher: Mr J Dinsley Head of Modern Foreign Languages
Assistant Headteachers: Mr R Leonard responsible for Inclusion
Miss D Smith responsible for Teaching & Learning
Table of Contents
About the school and its organisation...... 4
School Values and Aims...... 4
The Change to Foundation Trust Status...... 4
School Staff 2015-16……………………………………………………………………………………….5
School Day...... 7
Afterschool club
School entrances
Office Hours
Pupils Travelling to and from School
Assemblies
Annual events
Registration Time
School Meals
Administering Medicine
Complaints
Uniform
Physical education
Use of Photographs
Induction and settling in for new year 5 pupils
Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Curriculum and meeting individual pupil needs
SATs
Academic Progress: Assessment and Life After Levels.………………………………13
Academic Reports and “Insight” online reports
Pupil Planners
Home-School Agreement
Homework and Homework club
Library
Parents’ Evenings
Communications
Parent Support Advisor
Behaviour, rewards and attendance
Classroom Behaviour Plan
Rewards
Consequences
Bullying
Cyber Bullying
Attendance
Mobile Phones
Jewellery and Hair styles
Extra curricular opportunities
Clubs and Activities
Educational Trips
Day Trips
Residential Trips
Music instrumental tuition and opportunities for ensemble activities
Theme Week
Reading Week
Supporting the school
Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Governing Body
Parent council
School council and other student roles
School Website
Key Dates 2015 - 2016
About the school and its organisation
School Values and Aims
CLEAR Values: Caring Learning Enjoying Achieving Respecting
Aims
At Gosforth Central Middle School we are committed to providing a high quality education which will help equip our children for successful and fulfilling futures. We believe that our school should provide a purposeful and stimulating environment for learning and one in which everyone is respected and valued. We expect and encourage high standards of achievement and behaviour whilst recognising the need to make education an enjoyable experience.
The Change to Foundation Trust Status
The Governing Bodies of the following schools have formed a Foundation Trust called “The Gosforth Schools’ Trust”:
Archibald First, Broadway East First, Brunton First, Dinnington First,Gosforth Park First,
Grange First, Regent Farm First, South Gosforth First, Gosforth Central Middle, Gosforth East Middle.
A Trust School is a local authority maintained school which is supported by a charitable Trust. To become a Trust school, schools must adopt their own foundation e.g. community schools need to change their category to become a foundation school. This Trust then appoints some of the governors to serve on the school governing body.
All Trust schools operate within the same frameworks as other maintained schools: they teach the National Curriculum, follow the School Admissions Code and are inspected by Ofsted. Teaching staff will still be employed under the terms of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document. The local authority will fund the school on the same basis as all other local authority schools and will retain its intervention powers if there are problems at the school.
Trust schools differ because their charitable Trust status establishes a long-term relationship with external partners and involves them in the school's governance and leadership.
The governing body of a Trust school (which retains parents, staff, community and local authority governors) remains responsible for all major decisions about the school and its future. The governing body of a Trust school also remains responsible for all aspects of the conduct of the school (including the school's budget and staff) and so responsibilities and accountabilities remain clear. The Trust holds the land and capital assets on trust for the Governing Body of the school.
A community school would change category (a Trust school is defined for the purpose of this document as a foundation school with a foundation acquired under the provisions of the Education and Inspections Act 2006). This means community schools will take on two new areas of responsibility:
- The governing body will be the employer of staff rather than the local authority; and
- The governing body will be responsible for setting admissions arrangements (in accordance with the law and the Admissions Code).
Having a Trust which appoints additional external governors means that the school can strengthen its relationship with partners and their energy and expertise can support the school's leadership and direction.
School Staff 2015-16
Teaching Staff
Mr P Curran Head of Art & Technology
Mrs C Daly Part time teacher
Mr D Davidson Head of History and RE Year 8 form teacher
Mr M Ferguson Year 6 teacher
Mr D Finn Head of Year 7 and ICT
Mrs M Good Head of Science Head of Year 8
Mr N Hearn Head of Enterprise, Enrichment and Gifted & Talented.
Miss S Hills Year 6 form teacher
Mrs K Howat Head of Geography Year 7 form teacher
Miss C Jackson Year 5 form teacher International link co-ordinator
Mrs J Kennard Year 5 form teacher
Mr C Kurji-Smith Head of Music Year 6 form teacher
Miss C Laing Head of English Year 7 form teacher
Mrs G Lloyd Head of Year 5
Miss A McQuoid Year 5 form teacher
Mrs L Proudlock Assistant SENCO Year 5 form teacher
Mr A Russell Head of Mathematics Year 7 form teacher
Mr D Slipper Head of PE & Games
Miss R Welsh Head of Year 6
Mrs C Weites Food and Textiles Year 8 form teacher
Mrs C Wilson Year 8 form teacher
Mrs V Wilson Head of Drama Year 7 form teacher
Head of PSHCE (to be appointed)
Support Staff
Mrs K Bhalla Lunchtime Assistant
Mrs F Butt Lunchtime Assistant
Mrs C Critchlow Learning Support Assistant
Mrs S Dawson Office Manager
Mrs L Elders Learning Support Assistant
Mrs I Ngnie Learning Support Assistant
Miss T Foster Learning Support Assistant
Mrs C Leech Higher Level Teaching Assistant
Mrs G Lowrey Admin Assistant Reprographics
Mrs V Murtagh Higher Level Teaching Assistant
Mrs M Rutherford Learning Support Assistant
Mrs N Sanderson Lead Learning Support Assistant
Mrs C Scott Parent Support Advisor
Miss L Smith Learning Support Assistant
Mrs R Stokes Library Assistant
Mrs K Scott Admin Assistant
Mrs M Harper Technician
PFI Staff
Mr C Horton Caretaker (Cofely)
Mrs J Jones Catering Manager (Chartwells)
ICT Support
Mr D Slack ICT technician
School Day
08.30 / School yard open to pupils08.45 / Pupils line up on respective yard
08.48 / School bell goes for pupils to enter building
08.50 / Registration
09.20 / Lesson 1
10.10 / Lesson 2
11.10 / Break
11.25 / Lesson 3
12.25 / Lunch break
13.20 / Registration
13.25 / Lesson 4
14.25 / Lesson 5
15.20 / End of school day
Afterschool club
A privately run afterschool club is available on the GCMS premises until 5.45pm and from St Charles church hall on Alwinton Terrace after this until 6pm. The club is managed by Venturing Out. Further details can be viewed on the school website or visit;
School entrances
There are separate entrances for each year group. Pupils use these to enter and exit during the school day. At the end of the day pupils use the exit door nearest to their point of exit from the school grounds. There is a key pad system for entry at each of the entrances. Each pupil is issued with the code when they join the school. The codes are changed at the beginning of each school year.
When pupils join year 5 in September, they line up outside the main entrance and are escorted into school and to their classrooms by their form teacher.
Office Hours
The school office is manned between 08.00 and 17.00 each week day except Friday when it is manned up until 16.00.
Pupils Travelling to and from School
School gates are open in the morning for parents to drop off pupils in the drop off zone only. Please note that this is not a waiting area. Parents should drop off children and leave. These gates are closed between 15.00 until 15.35. Parents are not able to collect their child by car on school grounds at the end of the school day due to the volume of traffic this would create. Parents can park in the Asda car park and collect their child from the top of the footpath. Pupils may also make their own way to this car park via the school crossing patrol. Parents may wait at the gate leading to the Key Stage 2 playground or at the exit path behind the caretaker’s house.
Parking on Christon Road is very limited due to the width of the road and the volume of traffic using it for access. In order to ensure the safety for all pedestrians, especially pupils at our school, yellow lines were introduced and parents are asked to observe these parking restrictions.
A school service bus runs between school and Nuns Moor Park for pupils living in the Fenham and Fawdon areas. The 117 service travels via Fenham Baths, Kenton Bar, Coxlodge, Fawdon Mormon Church, Fawdon Metro, Gosforth Junior Academy and Regent Centre Metro. Further information can be obtained from the school office.
Assemblies
Each week we have a range of assemblies which are taken by various members of staff or visitors. These assemblies take place immediately after morning registration.
Monday / Year Group every 4 weeks / Head of YearTuesday / Key Stage 3 / Senior Management Team or Visitor
Wednesday / Key Stage 2 / Senior Management Team or Visitor
Thursday / Singing Practice for either KS3 or KS2 / Senior Management Team or Visitor
Friday / Class assembly in individual form rooms / Form Teacher
One week every term each house has a house assembly which is taken by our House Captains.
Full school assemblies are held at the beginning of the academic year, on special occasions and at the end of every term. The assemblies held at the end of the term allow us to celebrate the successes and achievements of the children.
Parents are invited to join our Christmas assemblies during the last week of the Autumn term. Occasionally parents may be invited to attend other assemblies if it is relevant.
Annual events
There are a number of events which enrich the school calendar and to which parents are invited. These include the annual dramatic production, Christmas and summer concerts, and sports day, as well as events organised by the PTA.
Registration Time
When pupils are not involved in an assembly in the school hall the time is used for pastoral time, discussing community issues, preparing for tests, checking planners, thinking about learning or working on social and emotional aspects of learning.
School Meals
Our school meals service is covered by a company called Chartwells through our PFI provider Lendlease and can be paid for through Parentpay. Pupils pay for school meals using a biometric user recognition system so the system is cashless and cardless. Cash can be credited onto the machines each day, or via cheques sent into school. On Parentpay it is useful if parents set up an ‘Alert’ system to inform them that their child’s credit for lunches has fallen below £5 (approx.). This information can be accessed on the school’s website on the Home page. Parents may also choose to pay using our online system which also accepts payments for uniform and trips. The Parentpay website allows parents to track their spending.
Pupils can choose from a range of food which fully complies with government regulations.
The main meal runs on a three week cycle covering a choice of meat dish or vegetarian. There is always a roast on a Wednesday and fish and chips on Friday. This is accompanied by a choice of sweet and water.
Pupils can purchase other meals such as sandwiches, pre-made and freshly made Panini, pasta, pizza, baked potatoes and salad pots. Fruit, cookies, cakes, ice cream and yoghurts are also available alongside fruit drinks and flavoured water. Menus and prices can be found on the school website.
Packed lunches can also be brought but carbonated drinks such as Coke are banned. Pupils can alternate between buying a meal and having a packed lunch whenever they choose.
All pupils eat their lunch in the dining room during the lunch hour allocated in rotation to one of four sittings. Each week a different year group and a different class go in for first sitting. Pupils who attend clubs or music classes are given passes if they need to switch to a different sitting to the one their class has been allocated. Pupils can get first sitting lunch passes as part of the reward system.
Administering Medicine
If a child needs to take medicine during the school day the parent/carer needs to bring the drug into school and fill in a form available on the website or from the school office. The medicine will be kept in the medical room during the school day and administered by Mrs Lowrey at the designated time.
Complaints
Any parent has the right to enter a formal complaint if they think that certain things are not being carried out properly. Copies of our Complaints Policy and Procedures can be found on the school website or are available on request from the school office.
It is expected that if there are any complaints they will be resolved informally between school and parent, but if this breaks down parents can complain to the Governing Body. This can be done in writing via the school or through the local authority governor services.
Their email address is:
Their address is Governor Services, Room 400, Civic Centre, Barras Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8PU
If parents are not satisfied with the treatment of their complaint by the Governing Body, they then have the right to appeal to the Secretary of State for Education.
Uniform
We take pride in our uniform which every pupil is expected to wear. We would ask that all items are named. The sports tops, sweatshirt, polo shirt and tie may be purchased from school or from our uniform stockist: Emblematic, Unit 26, North Tyneside Industrial Estate, Longbenton, Tyne and Wear NE12 9SZ.
Boys Girls
School v neck sweatshirt School v neck sweatshirt
Pale blue shirt, long or short sleeved Pale blue shirt, long or short
sleeved.
School tie School tie
Black school trousers Black skirt of appropriate length
and slightly flared
Black shoes, no canvas or trainers Black trousers with waist band, no
jegging styleor tight fitting from
the knee downwards.
Dark socks Black sturdy shoes, no canvas or
ballet style.
Dark socks or tights
In the summer term only pupils may wear a blue polo shirt with school logo instead of the shirt and tie.
Physical education
White t-shirt or white t-shirt with house colours
Black/navy shorts
Reversible school games shirt
White socks
Trainers or plimsolls
Football boots optional
In the winter a tracksuit may be worn at the discretion of the member of staff teaching the lesson. Year 5 pupils go swimming for part of the year and will need a swimming costume and towel.
Use of Photographs
We regularly take photographs of children when they are involved in extra-curricular activities or special events which are then posted on our website. We are aware that some parents do not wish their child to be photographed in this way and parents are asked to give their permission. We also ask that those pupils who do not have parental permission avoid having their photographs taken by pointing this out to the member of staff.
For this reason, during school performances, parents are asked not to take photographs or videos without prior consent.
Induction and settling in for new year5 pupils
Just before the Easter break Year 4 pupils are invited to watch our annual musical production. Pupils offered a place in year 5, visit the school in the summer term of Year4 and spend a day at the school. Prior to this a member of Year 5 writes to each new pupil and acts as a buddy during their visit and first week. They also experience using the school meal system.
Parents of year 5 Children are invited to a special evening event in July to learn about the school.
Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Curriculum and meeting individual pupil needs.
This can be found on the website along with suggest educational learning resources to help parents support their child’s learning.
Pupils are taught in sets of 3-5 levels for English and mathematics, smaller groups for science and technology, gender groups for games and in their form classes for the rest of their subjects. Sets are based on assessments carried out at the start of each year combined with feeder school data.