SSV Basics

Your student guide to Senior School Voorschoten

Useful dates for your calendar

School year 2023 | 2024

Autumn term

Term begins | Mon 4 Sep 2023

Half term | Mon 16 Oct to Fri 27 Oct 2023 (incl.)

End of term | Tue 19 Dec 2023

Winter holidays

Spring term

Term begins | Mon 8 Jan 2024

Half term | Mon 19 Feb to Mon 26 Feb 2024 (incl.)

End of term | Thur 28 2024

Spring holidays

Summer term

Term begins | Tue 16 Apr 2024

School Closed | Thur 9 & Fri 10 May 2024 (Ascension Day), Mon 20 May 2024 (Whit Monday)

Half term | Mon 27 May - Fri 31 May 2024 (incl.)

End of term | Thur 18 July 2024

Summer holidays

Please note: The school day ends at normal time on the last day before half term break. On the last day of term, school ends at 12:00 midday.

Contents

ABC BSN Mission - 4

Headteacher’s Welcome - 5

SSV Community Charter - 6

BSN Character Profile - 7

People who are here to help - 8

What will my experience be like at SSV? - 9

Your Form Tutor - 10

The School Day - 11

PSHE - 11

CCAs – The Co-Curricular Activities Programme - 12

Student Voice and Student Leadership - 14

SSV Eco Group - 15

Instrumental Lessons - 16

The Library - 17

The Healthcare Team - 18

School Counsellor Team - 19

What do I need to know about…? - 20

Routines - 21

Technology and apps for Learning - 23

Digital Responsibility and Keeping Safe Online - 24

Taking Examinations - 25

What is expected of me? - 26

Your appearance and Uniform - 27

Personal Devices and Belongings - 28

Attendance and Punctuality - 29

Bullying - 29

Academic Honesty - 30

What should you do if you hear an alarm? - 31

Our Mission & Values

The BSN’s mission is to prepare young people with the knowledge, skills and characteristics that they need to become successful global citizens who can make an impact and help to build a better world.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

We meet each student’s individual needs and maximise their love of learning, progress and achievement across a range of subjects.

BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE

We provide every student with opportunities to participate in activities and experiences, both within and outside the classroom, so that they can discover and develop their unique talents, creativity and interests

CHARACTER & COMMUNITY

We celebrate our diverse international community, helping students to develop a sense of pride, confidence and compassion, and encouraging them to challenge themselves, build their resilience and play their part in improving society.

Dear Students

Welcome to the new academic year 2023-24. If you are new, I am delighted to welcome you to The British School in the Netherlands and to Senior School Voorschoten (SSV). My family and I only joined the BSN last September, I understand the mix of trepidation and excitement that you might be experiencing, which is perfectly normal at times of change. Very quickly I am sure you will feel confident and happy and you will have an incredibly positive and enriching experience with the BSN.

What makes the BSN so special are the amazing teachers and support staff, and diverse and welcoming students. You will find the quality of teaching is excellent, with a friendly and highly knowledgeable teaching body. What strikes me is how engaged and enthusiastic the teachers are for their subjects, with the experience to ensure all of you are supported and inspired to fulfil your true potential. We also have great support structures in place to help you settle in, from tutors, Heads of Year, counsellors and Health Care Officers to make sure you are happy and settled.

The BSN experience is so much more than just academic excellence, as important as that is. There is a huge variety of opportunities and activities outside of the classroom which will help you discover and develop your unique talents, creativity and interests.

Please do take these up, whether joining a sports club, getting involved in drama and creative opportunities, becoming a student leader, debating in the Model United Nations or pushing yourself through the Duke of Edinburgh International Award. I am passionate about the importance of fully embracing these opportunities; you will find something that you enjoy as well as challenges you and will rapidly help you feel part of the BSN community, cementing new friendships.

We celebrate our diverse international community, and the friendships and connections that you forge at BSN will remain with you for the rest of life. Enjoy the experience, lean-in to the opportunities that are here and you will get the most out of your time with the BSN. If you never feel uncomfortable you know you aren’t truly challenging yourself, but at the same time make sure you are having fun.

I look forward to getting to know you over the coming months and years and wish you a happy and successful year ahead.

Patrick Heuff Headteacher Senior School Voorschoten

The BSN Character Profile

We give our students the opportunity to develop:

● Courage

● Perseverance

● Creativity

● Curiosity

● Digital responsibility

● Compassion

● Environmental integrity

● Collaboration

CHARACTER PROFILE

We are proud that our students demonstrate wellrounded characteristics that enable them to succeed in all aspects of their lives. The BSN Character Profile (below) defines eight attributes that we believe are truly important for a BSN student to develop at the school. Courage, Perseverance, Creativity, Curiosity, Digital Responsibility, Compassion, Collaboration and Environmental Integrity are characteristics embedded throughout our curriculum irrespective of age, year group or campus. Our Character Profile is a powerful tool that not only binds us together as a community, but equips us with invaluable life skills.

People who are here to help

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

The School Office

If you have any questions, you should speak to your Form Tutor in the first instance. However, you are always welcome to come along and speak to a member of the School Office team who will always be happy to help you. Also, your parents may need to contact the School Office in order to find the best person to help if they have questions. The contact details are:

Senior School Voorschoten

Jan van Hooflaan 3 2252 BG Voorscholten

Telephone: +31 (0) 71 560 222

Email: senior.ssv@britishschool.nl

Web: www.britishschool.nl

Your Heads of Year

Ms Boersma Head of Year 8

Mrs Hallatt Deputy Headteacher

Mrs AndrewsWouters Head of Sixth Form

Mr Bennett Head of Year 7

Ms Huckfield Assistant Headteacher

Ms Gulliver Head of Year 11

Mr Lloyd Deputy Headteacher

Mr Kelsall Deputy Head of Sixth Form

Mrs Hallett Head of Year 9

Miss Rothenburg Assistant Headteacher

Mrs Bright Assistant Headteacher

Mrs Welch Assistant Headteacher

Ms O’Neil Head of Year 10

What will my experience be like at SSV?

Participation and Responsibility

Our ambition for you at the BSN is about much more than your time in lessons and the results you achieve in examinations. Helping you achieve Academic Excellence and have a deep love of learning is really important to us, of course. We want you to make the most progress and to achieve at the highest level you possibly can.

We also want to give each of you opportunities to participate in activities and experiences which will allow you to discover your own unique talents, creativity and interests. We offer a broad Co-Curricular Activities Programme and we strongly encourage you to get involved, whether in sports and wellbeing activities, academic and creative clubs, music and performing arts, or global citizenship and service activities. You may, of course, be involved in activities

outside of school, but we would still encourage you to get involved in something at school. In this way you contribute to school life while developing as leaders and making yourself more attractive to future universities and employers.

We also want to help you to feel pride in our diverse international community, here at SSV and across the BSN. By living out the values of our SSV Community Charter, we can help you to develop as a resilient, compassionate and confident individual ready to play your part in society. We want to see you challenge yourself and give you the freedom to grow as an important part of this community. This is why our Service Learning opportunities and charity work are such an important part of school life – and we want you to play a full part in supporting and learning from these opportunities.

To be able to live this out to the full, you have to take responsibility for yourself, for your own actions and decisions. You may make mistakes and bad choices. We are here to help you but you have to take responsibility and play your part in helping us to help you.

Your Form Tutor

Your Form Tutor is the key person for you at school. Your Form Tutor is the first person to greet you at the start of each school day (in Registration at 08:45) and help you get your day off to a good start. It is really important to make sure you are on time for registration to ensure you make a positive start to each day.

What does my tutor do for me?

If you are having trouble at school or finding something difficult, your Form Tutor is the first person to go to for support. They can listen to you and help you access any help and support you may need during the school day. Their main role is to help you to be happy at school, to feel safe, to promote your learning, to help you build good relationships and to encourage your personal development.

Your Form Tutor is also the first point of contact for your parents if they have any issues or concerns they they wish to raise too.

Your Form Tutor will direct you to the Daily Bulletin (on Canvas) each day at Registration to give you information about things that are happening in school that day or week, check to see that you are following the school uniform and dress code, and then make sure you set off in good time for Period 1.

You will have time with your tutor group every day. These sessions, led by your Form Tutor, are an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes you need to keep you healthy and safe, and prepare for life and work. Once a week, your Form Tutor will accompany you to Assembly (usually in the Main Hall). This will be led by your Head of Year.

Your Form Tutor will speak with you individually about your learning, monitoring your progress and discussing this with you – and your parents. They will write comments about your progress and achievement on your report and keep up to date with your achievements in lessons, Co-Curricular Activities and outside school.

When you reach the Sixth Form, your tutor will make an important contribution to your university applications and references.

The School Day

You will have five curriculum lessons each day and meet your tutor at Registration (08:45) and during Period 3 for your 20-minute Tutor Time session.

The School Day

PSHE

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education is a vital part of the programmes we offer you at SSV. It is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education. In addition to the pastoral work you will do with your tutor, you will have one timetabled PSHE lesson per week in Years 7-11.

In PSHE sessions, you will consider topics related to the three key PSHE themes:

● Health and Wellbeing

● Relationships (including Relationships and Sex Education)

● Living in the Wider World

The half termly PSHE themes will flow alongside the broader pastoral programme.

CCAs –Co-Curricular Activities Programme

Here at Senior School Voorschoten we run a wide range of activities and clubs available for you to join. We truly believe that your participation in these activities is vital to help you to get the best out of your experience at SSV and to help you grow as a person. You will have the chance to meet new friends and develop – or discover – interests and hobbies that you can be involved in for the rest of your life.

Our CCA Programme offers opportunities in the following areas:

● Sport and Wellbeing

● Creative Arts

● Music and Performing Arts

● Global Citizens

CCAs are often run during lunchtimes and after school as well as in the evenings and sometimes at weekends too. There is lots more detailed information about all the activities available to students on Compass and your parents can help sign you up to activities.

Early in September, soon after the start of the school year, we hold a Co-Curricular Activities Fair in the Atrium where you can find out more about all that the SSV CCA Programme has to offer. Don’t worry if you start mid-way through a term, you can ask your Form Tutor about activities that interest you and they can help to put you in touch with the right person.

If you have an interest that you would like to share, please contact your Form tutor and we can investigate how to support you in organising your club which you can lead. Also, if there is an activity that you would like to participate in but which is not represented here, please let us know and we can try to help!

Some of the co-curricular activities we have run at Senior School in recent years include:

● Allotment Group

● Astronomy

● Badminton

● Baking Club

● Basketball

● BBC Young Reporter

● Beautiful Objects (DT club)

● Book Clubs – KS3 and KS4

● Bridge Club

● BSN Sessions

● Calligraphy

● Chemistry Club

● Chess

● Competitive Coding Club

● Creative Writing

● Choir – Junior

● Choir – Senior

● Concert Band

● Cookery Club

● Cricket

● Drama Club

● DT Workshops

● Environmental Group

● Fencing

● Fitness Suite

● Football

● Funk & Soul Band

● Golf Club

● Gymnastics

● Heart Pillows and Hand Craft

● History Skills

● Hockey

● International Award

● Judo

● Language Clubs

● Latin

● Make & Do Club

● Maths Clinic

● Minecraft Club

● Missing Maps

● Model United Nations (MUN)

● Music Theory Club

● Orchestra

● Progress Band

● Published – Journalism Club

● Python Café

Sports Tournaments – Local, National and International

Throughout the year, our sports teams are involved in a range of competitions and tournaments. Thanks to our partnership with Forescate Hockey Club, our students participate in Dutch competitive leagues in hockey. We also have a competitive gymnastics team which competes in European competitions including ISGA.

We also organise and participate in fixtures and tournaments against International Schools in the Haagland area and from across the Netherlands and beyond in a great many of the sports we offer as CCAs here at school. Some of these take place at SSV and sometimes we travel to visit other schools. During the last year, we have visited schools in Eindhoven,

● Quill and Scroll

● Reading and Book Club

● Recorder Club

● Rowing

● Rugby

● Science Club

● Senior Performance Choir

● Showstoppers

● Simply Sustainable

● Sixth Form Literary Society

● String Orchestra

● Speech and Debate

● STEM Club

● Swimming

● Swing Band

● Table Tennis

● Tennis Club

● Ukulele Ensemble

● Ultimate Frisbee

● Volleyball

● Young Enterprise Group

Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Belgium. This year, we hope to send teams to Switzerland, Portugal and the UK.

Thanks to our membership of ISAA (International Schools Athletic Association), our students in Key Stages 4 and 5 have the opportunity to be involved in tournaments held across Europe and beyond in a wide range of sports each year.

We are also working on a project to run an international hockey tour in November – so look out for details of this!

The BSN has an excellent reputation for its sporting success – keep an eye on the PE notice boards for details of opportunities to try out for these teams throughout the year.

Student Voice and Student Leadership

Your voice, as a member of our School Community, needs to be heard. Our students should take the lead in making changes and developing new initiatives. We strongly believe that the more you feel you have choices, control, challenge, and opportunities for collaboration, the greater your motivation and engagement will be – and the more positive your experience of school life will be too.

In Years 7 – 11, there are many student leadership opportunities available to you, allowing you to participate and work alongside the Sixth Form School Leadership Team.

● Student Ambassadors – We understand that the best advocates for our school are those who make up our community. Students in all year groups are invited to join the Student Ambassador team. This team supports the events in school, speaking with parents and visitors, giving tours and being active leaders in whole school projects.

● School Council – Our School Council has representatives from each year group who attend regular meetings with members of the Senior Leadership Team. The School Council has been involved in projects such as developing better drinking water facilities, resourcing more activities at lunch time and integrating new equipment in the school.

● Year Councils – To give your voice more opportunities to be heard, Heads of Year will chair a Year Council in Years 7 – 11. We will have representatives from each tutor Group. Your Year Council will be able to raise questions that affect your year group directly and feed into the discussions of the School Council as appropriate.

● Leadership and Contribution to School Life – We see our students leading by example every day across the school. We seek to reward these actions through special prizes which we award on Prize Days. Often, the students who are recognised may not be in specific leadership positions but they enrich the life of our community and act as excellent role models.

SSV Eco Team

Senior School Voorschoten (SSV) has an active and enthusiastic Eco team who involve all the Key Stages to make our school more environmentally friendly. Additionally, in KS5 we have Green Project members who spearhead student-driven activities to encourage the school community to be more sustainable. These students all recognise the importance of the environmental challenges we face worldwide and are supported by members of staff from across the school. The activities of the Eco co-curricular activities (CCAs) also feed into making the school a greener place.

SSV Allotment & Simply Sustainable

Members of the Allotment CCA take care of the school garden and chickens, taking great pride in growing school produce. The Simply Sustainable CCA members craft environmentally friendly hand-made products. They are a social enterprise that sells their products to the school community.

SSV Green Flag Status

The school has previously been awarded Eco School Green Flag status. This is a prestigious award shared by a vast community of schools in over 50 countries. SSV students are currently working towards the reinstatement of this award which will build on all the Eco-Seek work previously carried out.

Eco activities that feed into this process are:

● Maintaining and developing the SSV Eco Garden

● Maintaining and constructing new nesting boxes for small birds

● Introducing a colony of bees to our BSN hive

● Ongoing wildlife cataloguing of flora and fauna sightings

● Managing and developing the SSV Allotment

● Planning sowing, planting and harvesting fruit and vegetables

● Taking care of the chickens

● Providing opportunities for individual mini allotment plots

● Developing social enterprise opportunities for school Eco products

● Removing single-use plastic from the school waste stream

● Planning the implementation of a Green Roof

● Organising Green Days to raise awareness of environmental issues

● Developing opportunities for lessons to take place in our SSV campus green spaces

● Working with other BSN campuses to share good ‘Green’ practice

Would you like to learn to sing or play an instrument?

We have a vibrant, specialist, dedicated teaching team at SSV. We are on hand to help and advise you, equipping you with the essential skills you need to enjoy performing, both on your own and in larger groups or ensembles. Some of our teachers are specialists on more than one instrument and it really doesn’t matter if you are a complete beginner, or more advanced – we have students of all levels learning a wide range of instruments, including:

● Brass: Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone, Baritone, Euphonium, French Horn, Tenor Horn, Tuba

● Guitar: Classical, Folk, Electric, Bass

● Piano

● Singing: Classical, Pop, Jazz

● Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass

● Woodwind: Oboe, Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet

● Drums

Our school employs our school-based instrumental teachers directly so your parents will be able to pay the school for the lessons you sign up for. Instrumental tuition is available for all students, from Year 7 to 13. Daytime lessons for some instruments are open to students in Year 7, 8 and 9, with the full range of instruments available after school.

Lessons take place in the Music Department and are administered by the Music Office. You can pick up a sign-up sheet in Music or download one from Compass.

Daytime lessons are available in drum kit, classical and acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano and voice. For more information visit the Music site on Compass, or contact: ssvmusic@britishschool.nl

Remember, you do not have to be studying music to participate in the performance groups!

How long are lessons?

There are three options for lessons:

● 30 minutes

● 45 minutes

● 60 minutes

Please contact the school to confirm the cost of each lesson. These are billed termly, on a pro rata basis. Should you wish to discontinue the lessons, there is a 5-lesson notice period.

How do I register for lessons?

Registration for instrumental lessons is handled via Compass under the ‘My Child’ drop down menu (select ‘Sign up for Music Lessons’)

Can I take exams?

Yes, absolutely! Our teachers regularly enter students for ABRSM and Trinity Guildhall exams (we are a regional centre for these exams).

Would you like to join a group or ensemble?

All students at the Senior School can receive professional ensemble tuition throughout the school year, at no additional cost, as part of the Co-Curricular Programme. Part of the Co-CurriularProgramme:

● Senior and Lower School Choirs

● Performance Choir

● Jazz, Funk & Soul Band

● Acoustic Guitar Ensemble

● Rock Bands

● Orchestra

● Showstopper Performing Arts Group

● Ukulele Group

● Step Up Theory

● BSN Sessions Record Label Club.

Just get in touch with Dr Jarrett in the music department via Alexander.Jarrett@britishschool.nl

The Library

The Library is open from 08.30 - 16.00 every day.

You are automatically a member of the library and welcome to use the facilities and borrow resources whenever you have free time during the day and during lessons with your teacher’s permission.

You receive your personal library card, a printer card and an introduction to the library when you start at SSV.

FAQs

How many resources can I borrow?

In years 7–9 – four books at a time. Years 10 & 11 - Five books.

For how long?

You can borrow books for two weeks each. All resources are clearly stamped with the last date for return.

How do I borrow resources?

Take the items you have chosen with your library card to the desk where a member of the library staff will issue them to you.

What if I haven’t finished in time?

If no one else has reserved the resource you can renew it. Just bring it to the library desk and ask.

Can I reserve resources that are unavailable?

Yes. If you would like to borrow a resource that is on loan we can reserve it for you and let you know when it’s back.

KS3 Reading Club and Author Visits

Library Staff

Ms Harding and Mrs Johnman manage our Library. We also have a team of parent and student volunteers so there is always someone to help!

Library Resources

There are thousands of fiction and non-fiction books and magazines for you to borrow plus access to online databases like The Encyclopaedia Britannica. The library is a wonderful study space which also has a printer and photocopier to help you complete your homework.

On Friday lunchtime, the Reading Club meets to talk about books, play games and generally have bookrelated fun. You are very welcome!

We usually have a visit from at least one author each year. We’ll keep you posted about this year’s visit.

For more information and links to the catalogue and other sites check out the Canvas Library course. If you ever want help with choosing a book or finding information in the library, just ask!

The Healthcare Team

The SSV Health Team are on site during the school day, 08.30 – 16.30 in A08, to help you if you have any health-related concerns. We are here for:

● Support for your holistic health – physical and emotional.

● First aid for any injuries during the school day.

● If you are feeling unwell or upset – please come to see us rather than ringing your parents. We will always call home if needed. We will discuss with your parents if you need to go home, so please do not sign out without seeing us.

● To help you manage any chronic health issues –such as diabetes or allergies.

● To offer health advice.

● To liaise with other staff, including the School Counsellors, to help advocate for your wellbeing.

● To support you if you are on crutches or are using another mobility aid, to advise you how to safely mobilise around school.

Try not to come out of class, unless the situation is urgent, but we will always see you if you are concerned. Our consultations with you are confidential, unless we assess that you or someone else, is at risk of harm. We will always talk to you about this.

PE is an important part of our curriculum so if you cannot participate, for whatever reason, your parents should contact us to discuss this.

Do come and say hello!

School Counsellor Team

Your Senior School years are a wonderful time of growth, excitement, adventure, and hope. During these years you get to discover who you are, question what the future holds, make life-long friendships and fantastic memories. However, we also recognise that the Senior school years can have times of disappointment, frustration, loneliness, stress, and anxiety. We understand that you may need additional support with your emotional wellbeing so that you can progress, achieve your potential and most importantly enjoy life at SSV.

With that in mind, a school counselling service is available five days a week, during school hours, for any student who wishes to access the support.

What is School Counselling about?

School counselling aims to provide students with a safe and supportive place to talk through problems or worries in confidence and without judgment. It offers students the opportunity to understand their problems in a different way, to make choices for themselves, to cope with crises, to work through feelings and improve relationships with others.

Students may decide to come to the school counsellor for a number of reasons, such as:

● Stress Management (exams, homework)

● Anxiety reduction

● Feelings of anger or sadness that are difficult to manage

● Bereavement

● Self-esteem

● Identity Development

● Friendship Issues

● Troubles with parents, family or teachers

● Dealing with International life/transitions/cultural issues

● And much more

Michelle Choudhry School Counsellor

Lorena Halpin-Doyle School Counsellor

How do I get to see the counsellor?

School Counsellor

If you would like to meet with the School Counsellor you can call in to the School Counsellor office (A12) during “drop-in” time (10:30 - 11:10), or by emailing school.counsellor@britishschool.nl.

You are always welcome to come in if the office door is open.

You can also discuss your concerns with your parents, your Form Tutor or any teacher that you trust, or the Health Care officers who are more than happy to help you to arrange an appointment with the school counsellor.

A Note on Confidentiality

School Counselling is a safe place where you can come and discuss your concerns privately. What is discussed during the sessions is not discussed with anyone outside of the sessions unless this is agreed between you and the counsellor.

There are however a few exceptions to this rule for the safety of the students, these are:

● If a young person is being hurt by someone

● If a young person expresses that they want to hurt someone else

● If a young person is hurting themselves in some way.

Ms

Ms Liz Stammers

Ms

What do I need to know about…?

Routines – preparing for the school day

It is always a good idea to pack your bag the night before school, making sure that you have all the correct equipment, homework and kit for the following day. It’s also helpful to have your smart school uniform ready for the morning. Remember, it is your responsibility to arrive at your lessons with all the correct books, kit, equipment, and a fully charged Surface Pro.

Travelling to school … by school bus

You must keep your school bus pass safe and always show it to the driver when you first get on the bus. If you miss the school bus on the way to school, it is important that you let your parents and the school know as soon as possible. You may only travel on the school bus on which you have a reserved seat. You cannot travel on another bus, for example to visit a friend’s house. Your behaviour on the school bus must be excellent and safe – do not distract the driver in any way and always remain in your seat and wear the safety belt until the bus has stopped at the school or your bus-stop. You are not allowed to eat or drink on the school bus. Any student who causes damage to the school bus or whose behaviour is poor, will have their bus pass withdrawn and any damage will be paid for. This will be a matter between the bus company, the student and their parents. If you lose your bus pass, please report to the School Office by break time to obtain a temporary pass – don’t leave it until the end of the day. The Transport Co-ordinator will be notified and a charge of €3 will be made for a new pass. If you need help after school because you have missed the bus then ask at the School Office.

…by bicycle

If you cycle to school make sure that your bicycle is safe and complies with Dutch law – good lights are essential and reflective bands are encouraged. Although most people in the Netherlands do not wear cycle helmets, the school recommends that you wear them to keep yourself safe. Always cycle with care and use the cycle paths – if possible, we recommend that you cycle to and from school with other students. You should not cycle with earphones – they significantly reduce your awareness of the traffic around you. Bicycles brought to school, or left overnight, are entirely at the owner’s risk – the school takes no responsibility for damaged or stolen bicycles. Bicycles should be parked in the cycle sheds and locked securely – they must never be left in front of any doors or fire exits – particularly at the front of school.

… by train

Voorschoten train station is approximately ten minutes’ walk from the school and trains run regularly from Den Haag and Leiden directions. Please exercise great caution when you are at the station as the platform is narrow, can be quite busy, and non-stop trains can pass through the station at very high speed. Under no circumstances should you climb onto the rail tracks. Do not skateboard or rollerblade at the station. Any inappropriate behaviour at the railway station will be seen as a school incident and will be dealt with appropriately.

Arriving at School

You should aim to arrive at school between 08:30 and 08:40 and be in your form room by 08:45 for registration. If you arrive in your form room after 08:45, you are late!

If you arrive before 08:30 you can wait in the atrium or the Student Cafe which is open for breakfast in the morning before school. There is no access to classrooms before 08:30.

You should collect all the books and equipment that you will need for the first two periods of school before registration. You may only return to your locker at break, lunchtime and after school.

If you arrive late, after 08:50, you must sign the late sheet in Atrium or at the School Office.

If you have to leave during the school day

If you need to leave school before 15:30 (to attend a medical appointment, for example), you must sign out at the School Office. Please make sure that your parents have informed the School Office that you will need to leave.

It is really important that all students register in and out of the school – for your safety, we need to know where everyone is in the unlikely event of an evacuation of the school.

Lockers

You will receive your own locker at SSV – some have keys but most have combination locks. You should memorise the combination number of your locker and keep it to yourself – never give it to another student. You should never open or take anything out of another students’ locker. Keep your locker tidy and don’t use it to store food – this can lead to very unpleasant situations!

If you have a locker key, please keep this safe. If you lose it, you will have to pay €5 euros for a replacement key – if you lose a key for a second time, you will be charged €25 euros to replace the lock. At the end of each half term (or if you are leaving SSV) you

must empty your locker. The remaining contents of any lockers will be disposed of during the summer holiday. You are responsible for your locker and will be expected to pay for any damage to your locker.

Break

Key stage 3 (Years 7-9) 10:30 - 10:50

Key stages 4&5 (Years 10-13)

10:50 - 11:10

Please make the most of your breaktime to move around and spend time with your friends. Use this time to collect anything that you will need for the rest of morning school and go to the toilet. It is also a good idea to have a drink and a snack. You can eat and drink in the student Café, the Atrium and the benches outside. Year 11 can also use the Exhibition Area (A41). No food and drink can be taken onto the artificial pitch or into the Library.

Lunchtimes

For everyone’s comfort, we have the following timetable for accessing the servery in the Student Café:

Monday – Thursday

12:50 - 13:00

13:00 - 13:15

13:15 - 13:50

Key stage 3 (Years 7-9)

Key stages 4&5 (Years 10-13)

Everyone is welcome

Friday (to allow students to attend International Award training sessions)

12:50 - 13:00

13:00 - 13:10

13:10 - 13:50

Key stages 4&5 (Years 10-13)

Key stage 3 (Years 7-9)

Everyone is welcome

If you have a packed lunch, you can eat at anytime in the Atrium or on the benches outside the Student Café. Year 11 students can also make use of the Exhibition Area (A41). Only Sixth Form students are allowed to use the Sixth Form Common Room and Study Room.

Simple rules for break and lunchtime

● Only Year 12 and 13 students are allowed off the school site during these times, and must sign in and out at the School Reception as you leave and return. Check with The Sixth Form team.

● You are not permitted to be around the upstairs classrooms during break or lunchtime, unless you are attending an organised event or club.

● If it rains, you must stay inside in the Atrium, Student Café, the Library, and Event Foyer or at clubs.

● Bags should be left in lockers during break and lunch. The school is a busy place and it is a significant health and safety risk to leave them lying around.

● The area behind the large tennis court hedge is out of bounds.

● No ball games are to be played near the school building and take care to avoid hitting people with rugby balls or footballs – skate boards, bikes or devices, are not permitted on the back field.

● You should never leave the school grounds to retrieve footballs or go near to the canals. If you need help retrieving a ball, ask at the School Office.

School buses depart 15 minutes after the end of the school day and the Student Café and the Library close at 16:00. After that time, you must either go home or be in a Co-Curricular Activity that is supervised by a member of staff or the Music area waiting for a lesson.

If you are being collected from school by your parents and they are delayed, then you must wait on the benches by the doors of the atrium.

If you have mislaid your bus pass, ask the concierges for a temporary bus pass but if, after a thorough search, your bus pass is lost, then go to the School Office. If you have a problem after school, go to the main School Office and ask for help.

Homework

Homework is an important part of the learning process, consolidating work done in class, and developing good habits and self-discipline. Homework can take many forms and will sometimes be a written task, other times it could be learning homework or reading to prepare for upcoming lessons, for example.

You will have a homework timetable and your assignments will be set on Canvas. You should ensure that you complete tasks on time. We always encourage you to plan your time and spread out your homework tasks through the week. This will ensure you have time to participate in the Co-Curricular Programme and other activities out of school. It is really important that you do not leave homework until the last minute. If you are finding it difficult to complete tasks or keep up with homework, please speak to your parents, your subject teacher or your Form Tutor.

Going home by the School Bus

Technology and Apps for Learning

At the BSN we want you to develop strong digital skills. These will play a key role in allowing you to embrace new ways of working, learning, being creative and connecting with other people.

You will be provided with a Microsoft Surface Pro device for your own use. This device functions as a two-in-one tablet and laptop, thanks to a touch screen, stylus and detachable keyboard with trackpad. Your Surface Pro must be brought to school, fully charged, every day. It is purely for educational use: no games or VPNs are allowed.

The Surface Pro is provided on a loan basis and must be returned in good condition when you leave the

What is this?

BSN. You are responsible for taking care of it. You must keep the protective case on at all times, be careful not to drop the device and be mindful of it inside your bag. To keep the device running smoothly you need to restart it every day, install regular updates when notified and seek support from IT Services promptly if any problems arise.

The BSN is a Microsoft Showcase School. Showcase Schools create student-centered, immersive, and inclusive experiences, stimulating development of essential futureready skills.

In lessons, your teachers will therefore use various different technologies on the Surface Pro to support teaching and learning but the most common apps are below.

What will I use it for?

• Seeing your homework tasks

Canvas

Canvas is the BSN’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). In Canvas, you will see all of the academic courses you’re enrolled in.

• Viewing information about your academic courses

• Submitting work to some of your teachers

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a communication and collaboration app. You will be in a ‘team’ with your tutor group. Many teachers create teams for their classes or co-curricular activities.

• Quick communication with teachers and classmates

Microsoft OneNote OneNote is a digital note-taking app.

• Writing lesson notes

• Completing tasks in lessons

• Submitting work to some of your teachers

Microsoft Outlook Outlook is a calendar and email application

• More formal communication with teachers

• Calendar and diary management

Microsoft OneDrive OneDrive is a cloud storage application, integrated into Windows

• Sharing files for viewing and editing with teachers and classmates

• Storing personal files in your ‘documents’ folder

Digital Responsibility and Keeping Safe Online

You need to think carefully about how you use your Surface Pro. It is provided for educational purposes, so must not be used for games. Even more importantly, it must be used safely and responsibly. You must follow the BSN’s Responsible Use Agreement and e-Safety Policy whenever you are at school, representing the school, or using the school’s technology infrastructure. This is to protect you and to safeguard all other users.

You also have an important responsibility to keep yourself safe.

● Protecting your identity – you must never share your password or logon details with anyone. Never share personal information on social media. Be particularly aware of things like online social media quizzes – participating in these can lead to your sharing lots of personal information which can enable people to access your information or steal your identity.

● Location Services – think about turning these off to ensure you are not sharing your location with other people.

● Managing your time online – it is very easy to develop unhealthy habits, in particular around social media. It is important to set yourself time limits and a cut off point each day after which you no longer access your social media accounts. This will ensure you are able to get enough sleep and enjoy your life in the real world. Please speak to your family, your Form Tutor or the School Counsellors if you have any concerns about your social media use – or one of your friends.

● Your online reputation - you should also think about your online reputation or ‘digital brand’ –how you use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and whatever new social media emerge in the coming years. Remember, what you post online can be accessed by others, including future employers or universities, and could cause distress or offence.

● Sharing material or images – you must take great care when sharing images of yourself and/or others, as well as content that you receive. Always think about how you would feel if your parents or guardians or teachers saw what you had posted before doing so.

How to get help

If you experience or receive something you are uncomfortable with or feel that you are being treated unkindly, please seek out help. You can talk to your parents, your Form Tutor, Head of Year, the Healthcare Team, School Counsellors or any member of staff you feel able to approach. Mr Lloyd, who is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at SSV, will always be available to help you find the support you need. You can talk to us in person or send an email.

If you need to, you can also contact us via the anonymous reporting form. This is available via the Daily Bulletin and at the address below:

https://forms.office.com/r/jch3TWQQDa

Even if you think you have made a mistake or done something wrong, we will still help and support you.

If you would like more information about e-Safety, visit the Think U Know website.

Years 7–9: www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/

Years 10–13: www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/

Taking examinations

At SSV, to help you with any issues you may have around sitting examinations, the Exams Office (C43) is available.

If you are taking exams, this is a really useful checklist to help you:

Before the exams begin…

● As soon as you receive your Exam Timetable, check for examination clashes and let the Exams Office know immediately.

● Have your exam Statement of Entry with you throughout the exam period.

● Note the date times and venues of your examinations – get organised!

On the day of an exam

● Check the boards in the atrium to confirm your venue and seat number.

● Make sure you have the correct equipment eg; a clear plastic bag with two black pens, pencils, rubber and ruler. Remember your calculator, protractor and compass for Mathematics; and coloured pencils for Geography, FT or DT exams.

● Calculators: check the batteries! Clear any stored programs/data, remove covers/lids prior to the examination.

● Use your locker to store any belongings that are not allowed in the examination. This includes mobile phones, and all watches!

● Arrive at the exam venue no later than five minutes before the examination begins.

● Enter in total silence and follow the instructions of the invigilators.

● Do a final check to see if you have any unauthorised material or equipment.

● Check that you have the correct examination paper and equipment.

● Read carefully and follow the instructions printed on the paper/answer booklet.

● If, during the examination, an invigilator discovers any unauthorised material or equipment or writing on your hands or arms, then this will be recorded in the logbook and the relevant exam board will be notified – this can have very serious consequences.

● If you have a problem during the examination, (eg; need more paper) then raise your hand and an invigilator will come to you but remember examination questions cannot be explained to you.

● There should be no communication between candidates: talking, eye contact, looking around or making unnecessary noise is not allowed.

● Do not take away any materials provided in the examination eg; any unused booklets or your examination ID card.

● Remain in silence when instructed to leave the exam venue, think of other candidates who may be continuing after you leave.

If you have any problems…

● If you are ill on the day of an exam, your parents need to inform the school as early as possible.

● If you feel your performance was affected during the exam due to the illness, you must inform the Exams Office immediately after the exam.

● If an unforeseen situation will make you late: please inform the school by phoning as soon as you are able.

If you have any questions – speak to your Form Tutor or come to the Exams Office (C43) at any time.

What is expected of me?

How we promote positive behaviour

We have very high expectations of the way each member of our community treats everyone else and the school environment. Our high expectations are intended to promote self discipline and develop a considerate regard for everyone in our community. We expect excellent standards of behaviour and respect for others from every member of our school.

The BSN has developed a Behavioural Code by combining ideas from staff and students – this can be found on Compass and is the responsibility of us all to ensure that it is carried out.

Around School we expect you to

● treat all members of our school community with respect and courtesy at all times.

● contribute to the high quality of the learning experience by ensuring that you are punctual, correctly dressed, well-equipped and behave safely and appropriately.

● be responsible for your own safety and that of others by behaving calmly and sensibly when moving around the school building and grounds.

● respect the environment of the school and the property of others.

In the Corridors, please remember the following

● be courteous to others: make room and hold doors.

● only go to your lockers after the bell rings at 08:30, at break time, lunchtime or after school.

● respect the school building and keep it clean and tidy; do not drop litter.

● walk quietly without running and remember good manners and hold open doors for staff and visitors coming the other way.

● remember that stairways are one-way (up or down) at busy times.

In the Classroom

● arrive on time with the correct equipment and ready to learn.

● be attentive and follow instructions as they are given.

● engage with your learning at all times.

● hand in all homework on time.

● ask about anything you are uncertain of or need making clearer.

● keeping hydrated is important, so you are allowed to keep your water bottle with you but remember that eating or drinking things other than water is not permitted in class.

● Enter and leave each lesson on a positive note.

Keeping yourself and others safe

● Stay onsite – students in Years 7-11 are not allowed to leave the school site during the day. The only exception would be for things like medical appointments. For these, your parents must have confirmed this with the school and you must sign out at reception.

● Always remember that tobacco, drugs, alcohol and weapons are strictly forbidden. If you are found in school, with any of these things in your possession, regardless of your age, you will be suspended or excluded from school. This also applies to students on school visits, events or external fixtures.

Your Appearance and Uniform

Uniform is worn by all students from Year 7 until the end of Year 11. The uniform changes as the students progress through the school and is designed to reflect the seniority of older students. Students in Years 12 and 13 are not required to wear uniform but are expected to follow the Sixth Form dress code. A full list of requirements can be found on Compass.

Year Round

BSN white polo with logo or BSN white blouse with logo

BSN sweatshirt with logo (Years 7–9 navy, Years 10–11 black) or BSN cardigan with logo (Years 7–9 navy, Years 10–11 black)

● BSN black skirt with logo

● BSN black trousers with logo, strictly no jeans, sportswear or leggings.)

and

● Black tights or black/white ankle socks –no white tights

● BSN Tailored Shorts with Logo

Footwear

All senior school students should wear either leather closed shoes, sneakers or leather ankle boots that are entirely black, including soles.

Make-up, jewellery and hair

In general, jewellery should not be worn in school, for safety reasons. Students with pierced ears should wear small stud earrings, but they should be removed or covered during PE lessons. Inappropriate jewellery such as large rings, necklaces, including choker necklaces, bracelets or large earrings should never be worn. Inappropriate nail varnish and make up should not be worn in school.

Hair colour (natural) and style, beards and moustaches should be suitable for a professional environment. All questions of suitability are at the discretion of the Head of Year.

Personal Devices and belongings

At SSV, we understand that you and your parents are likely to rely on you having access to your mobile phone so that you can keep in touch about things like travel arrangements and delays.

To ensure the best school environment for everyone, we have some simple rules about mobile phone use in school:

● Mobile phones must be switched off throughout the school day and will be confiscated if used inappropriately.

● Like your other personal belongings, mobile phones must be kept in lockers. The school will not take responsibility for the loss of any items and we recommend that you only bring things you need onto the premises.

● Mobiles phones or photographic equipment of any description must never be used to take photographs or record lessons without the teacher’s permission.

● The BSN does not allow photographs taken on the premises, or on BSN activities (like school trips), to be put on public sites without the permission of the school. It is against school regulations for any student to use images of any school-related activity in school or on trips and upload onto social networking sites or file sharing sites.

● You may only use your phone in the black carpeted area by the front door of the Atrium for important phone calls: for example, if an after-school activity has been cancelled and you may need to telephone your parents – though you can always ask to make a call from the School Office.

● Any incidents of bullying using mobile phones will be treated in the same way as other incidents of bullying.

● Headphones and ear-plugs must not be worn around the school – particularly when walking in the corridors between lessons.

Attendance and Punctuality

Good attendance and punctuality are important for achieving success at school and are also important life skills. Absence from school disrupts learning and hinders progress. Your attendance is closely linked to attainment. Students who are not in school are not learning and could potentially be allowing their grades to suffer.

We expect you to be punctual. Picking up a reputation for being poor at arriving in school on time does not say good things about you and we may be asked to comment on your attendance and punctuality in any reference we write about you for university or job applications. If you were an adult in employment, punctuality would be a fundamental requirement of you, so get into good habits straightaway.

Bullying

Our response to bullying

We work with our SSV community in every area of school life to foster an inclusive, caring environment. However, we are a large school community and it is important to recognise that bullying and unkind behaviour do exist and to ensure we support all of our community in tackling this.

The Student Council, representing all age groups at SSV, defines bullying as:

‘A series of acts intended to hurt other individuals which can be verbal, emotional, cyber bullying (by phone, internet or social network sites), racist, homophobic (prejudice against lesbian, gay or bisexual people), physical bullying or distress caused to another person about their religion or culture.’ This also includes sexual harassment – making inappropriate comments of a sexual nature in person or via forms of social media, or requests for sexual favours or unwelcome touching.

If you are late to school, the following sanctions will apply:

● Late 2 times – Warning letter sent home

● Late 4 times – 15-minute detention with form tutor

● Late 7 times – 30-minute detention with Head of Year

● Late 10 times – 1 hour detention with Senior Leadership Team

You should note that transport difficulties – other than those affecting large numbers of students at the same time such as strikes, adverse weather or accidents causing traffic jams – are not acceptable reasons for being late. You should be setting off in the morning with ample time to spare for unexpected delays.

If you experience or see something you are uncomfortable with or feel that you are being treated unkindly, please seek out help as soon as possible. You can talk to your parents, your Form tutor, Head of Year, the Healthcare Team, School Counsellors or any member of staff you feel able to approach. Mr Lloyd, who is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at SSV, will always be available to help you find the support you need. You can talk to us in person or send an email.

If you need to, you can also contact us via the anonymous reporting form. This is available via the Daily Bulletin and at the address below:

https://forms.office.com/r/jch3TWQQDa

The BSN has an Anti-Bullying Policy – this can be found on Compass with all the school policies.

Senior School also has a clear Code of Conduct, which can be found on Compass. Both of these are intended to be clear about how we will not tolerate bullying and emphasises our expectation of a positive atmosphere for all individuals. Any act of bullying will be recorded by teachers and passed to the Head of Year.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is an important part of our culture at the BSN. We aim to submit authentic work and make it clear when we have included words and ideas from other sources.

Please make sure that you understand and apply the following principles which are relevant to us all:

The work you complete must be in your own words and any quotes you include should be in quotation marks.

Include a bibliography to show when you have used the words or ideas of others.

At the BSN Senior School Voorschoten we recommend using the MLA documentation style (8th edition) with particular rules for a bibliography (and in-text citations for KS4 and KS5 students).

These are some examples of academic dishonesty:

● Plagiarism (for example copying and pasting from a source; summarising someone else’s words without including the source; using another student’s work; buying or downloading an essay or paper)

● Collusion (when a student allows their work to be used by someone else)

● Duplication of work (if you hand in the same piece of work for another subject)

● Misconduct during exams

● The fabrication of results.

Make sure that you understand these as most cases of academic dishonesty are unintentional.

In the unlikely event of a student deliberately committing acts of academic dishonesty the following sanctions, depending on the situation, may be enforced by the school:

● Parent(s)/ guardian(s) will be informed

● A mark of zero may be awarded or a request that the work be redone in an academically honest way

● In the case of external examinations we will follow the published guidelines from the examination board.

It is your responsibility to:

Produce work that is completely your own, clearly showing when any words and ideas are not your own

Meet deadlines to ensure that there is time to check that your work conforms to the academic honesty expectations.

To help you, the school will:

● Teach and discuss academic honesty with you

● Teach research and referencing skills

● Be clear about the academic honesty expected for all assignments

● Recognise examples of good practice

● Set deadlines which allow you to correct unintentional academic dishonesty

● Address breaches of academic honesty

● Demonstrate good practice in all documents, display materials and communications.

For the complete Academic Honesty Guidelines for Students check out the year group Canvas page.

If you ever need help or advice with academic honesty issues or referencing, please ask your teacher or the librarian.

● The incident will be discussed with the student

● The incident will be recorded on SIMS (“Submitting work which breaches academic honesty”)

What should you do if you hear an alarm?

When the fire alarm sounds you should remain calm and leave the building via the nearest exit. As soon as you are outside, you must assemble at the back of the school field in your Form group where a register will be taken to ensure all staff and students are accounted for.

If you are in lessons when the alarm sounds, then the teacher will escort your class out to the back field unless you are instructed otherwise.

If you are not in a lesson, or it is after school has ended, then you should make your own way to the assembly point.

Do not take bags with you. Leave the building in silence and walk, don’t run. You should remain silent so that you can hear instructions being given: for example, you may be asked to use another door if an exit is blocked.

Never use the lift when a fire alarm sounds. Students with medical needs will be supported by the Healthcare Officer and BHV teams.

Never go back into the building once you are outside.

As soon as the building is declared safe by the Headteacher and Emergency Services then you will be instructed to go back into the school. If it is not safe to return to the building, then the whole school will walk a short distance to another local building and remain there until a decision is made about what will happen next.

If you are in school and see a fire then you should press the fire alarm. If you are concerned about any matter of health and safety then report it to the nearest teacher or go to the School Office.

It is worth reminding you that even on a school visit, you should be sure to read the fire safety instructions and locate the nearest exit. When travelling by air or sea you should also pay attention when important safety information is being explained.

Lockdown

If a continual bell sounds students and staff must lock themselves in a room and close all internal and external blinds. Hide and keep quiet.