September 2016
Dear Parent(s)
It has been a very busy start to the new academic year at Ounsdale. I am so pleased at how well all of our students have settled in.
Every year, we ask parents to contribute towards our School Fund which we use to provide additional opportunities and resources for our students. I should be grateful if parents could donate £8 (per family) for this academic year. This can be paid via ParentPay, a BACS payment or in cash. This year we are planning on using School Fund monies to improve and update our Library and support our Accelerated Reader scheme. We are also improving our Computing rooms and updatingstudent facilities.
As you can appreciate, it is imperative that we hold current and correct contact details for each student in our care. I must therefore ask that you please check your details recorded on WISE are correct. If any data has changed please email , send a letter or telephone us as soon as possible to update or amend. Year 7 parents will be asked to confirm all contact details as correct during Form Tutors’ Evening on Monday 3 October.
The Department of Education (DoE) require us to keep a record of children with one or more parents serving in the Armed Forces. If this applies to you please inform us as soon as possible.
Parents of students in Years 7, 10 and 12 will find enclosed with this letter the Medical Consent and the enduring Consent Form for School Trips & Other Off-Site Activities.These are an essential part of planning for school visits; the medical form ensures that party leaders have adequate information about each student’s medical status and the consent form helps reduce paperwork for both you and the school. Please note that we will always inform you about vists covered by this consent form in writing and these letters will include a reminder foryou to give us any updates relating to medical or contact information. Please complete and return the forms enclosed to us in the envelope provided marked with the student’s name and tutor group.
We do take photographs of students and occasionally make video or webcam recordings for school to school conferences, monitoring or other educational use. Such images may be used in our prospectus or other printed publications that we produce. They may also be used on our website, on the website linked to our Erasmus+ project or on project display boards. The school may also be visited by the media who may take photographs or film footage at a high profile event. Students may appear in these images in the press or on television. If you do not wish your son/daughter to appear in any of the aforementioned images or film footage, you must put your instruction in writing to us as soon as possible.
Please do not hesitate to contact school if you have any questions or concerns about the information we have asked for. Please telephone our reception desk and they will direct your call to the most appropriate member of staff.
Yours faithfully
Christine Brown
Principal
Further Information about the School
Non-Resident Parent Responsibility Update
The school has a responsibility to provide an opportunity to involve ‘adults with parental responsibility’ in the education of a child even if the adult no longer lives with the child. We therefore need to update our information on adults who have parental responsibility but do not live with the child and to what extent, if any, they wish to be involved with their child’s education. The information we receive from this update will take the place of all previous information. If this applies then please contact reception for a form.
School Website
There is a significant amount of information (including key dates, calendar updates and news items) provided on the school website and this is worth checking on a regular basis.Many of the school policies are on the website and copies of all letters sent out to parents are also posted there.
E-newsletters
We post termly e-newsletters to parents and stakeholder on the school website.
WISE
All parents should now have access to WISE. This bespoke online recording system is a vital means of communication between home and school. Please check your contact details are correct and inform us straightaway if they are not. Parents can check their child’s attendance and behaviour, timetable, progress and homework via WISE. Please ensure to check this regularly.
Student Planners
Each child is issued with a planner that provides essential information about life at school and is used to help them plan and manage their work. We urge parents to check their child’s planner regularly, discuss with them the information recorded there and sign it each week.
Attendance
The number to ring to inform us of your child’s absence from school is 01902 504939 (available 24 hours). The e-mail address for absence is . Further details about attendance can be found on the school’s website.
Holidays during Term Time and Penalty Notices
To maximise our students’ chances of success and in response to DoE instructions, we urge parents not to take their children out of school during term time for holidays or visits. Any parent who is considering taking their child away from school should write to the Principal explaining the reasons why they are planning to do this. The school can only authorise absences for holidays in exceptional circumstances and parents need to be aware that holidays always count as an absence on a child’s record whether they are authorised or not. Parents who do take their children out of school during term time (unauthorised) will be issued with a penalty notice and penalty notices can also be used to fine parents if their child is persistently late. Please see the school website for further information about penalty notices and fines.
Rewards and Sanctions
The school has an established rewards and sanctions system that has been developed with support from students and staff and is designed to promote positive attitudes to learning. Full details are shared with students and are included in planners.
Free School Meals Information and Scholarship Fund
We believe that there are a number of students who might be eligible for free school meals whose parents are not yet claiming. Please check the school website for further details or visit
The school receives additional funding for students in receipt of free school meals and through this we have set up a scholarship fund which provides financial support for students who might benefit from additional resources to help them maximise their progress. Please see the Pupil Premium section of the school website for further details.
Health, Sex, Relationships and Drugs Education
In accordance with government legislation the school has a separate Sex and Relationships Education Policy. A summary of this isavailable from the school and issues relating to this can be discussed with Mrs Thompson (Vice Principal). Parents have the right to withdraw their child from some or all of the Sex and Relationships Programme. Please indicate in a separate letter to Mrs Thompson if you wish to exercise this right.
Child Protection and Student Safety.
We take our responsibilities for Child Protection and student safety very seriously and full details of our policy and procedures can be found on the school website or by calling the school’s reception.
Equipment
Please make sure that your child is fully prepared for learning and has at least two pens, pencil, ruler, rubber, scientific calculator and school planner with him/her every day. A pocket dictionary and reading book are also useful.
Reading List
Please see our website for the recommended reading list for your child. This has been provided by the English Faculty to help you support and direct your child’s independent reading which plays a vital role in their literacy development. This in turn will impact positively on their likely academic achievement across all subjects. We would suggest that all students are reading on average for a minimum of about 20 minutes a day.
Food Technology
Students should know approximately one week in advance of any ingredients they require to bring in for a lesson. If parents have any problems providing ingredients could they please send a note to their child’s Food Technology teacher, at least two days prior to the date of the practical, explaining the reason. Arrangements can then be made within the Faculty. Parents can help by checking their child’s planner and WISE or asking their children about any ingredients needed for Food Technology practical lessons.
Physical Education Kit Requirements
Please see the school website for current recommendations regarding safety and kit.
Extra Curricular Activities
We offer a full programme of activities for students to take part in and details will be shared with your child during the course of the year.
Student Lockers
Please see the website for our Locker Policy. Lockers cost £10 per year or £5 if shared. If any student wants a locker and has not yet been allocated one please see reception.