In year admissions booklet

In Year Admissions Handbook, 2015/16

Contents Page Message from the Headteacher Key people 2016/17 Times of the academy day Term Dates 2016/17

2 3 4 5

Enjoy and Achieve: Subjects Homework

Additional Support

Clubs and Activities

Parent Evenings and Progress Reports

6 7 8 9 10

Make a Positive Contribution:

Behaviour Code

Uniform & equipment

Behaviour, sanctions & rewards

Promoting equality

Challenging bullying

Attendance and being on time

1

11 12-14 15 16 17 18-19

Medical appointments and illness

20

Home/School Agreement

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Message from the Interim Headteacher

Welcome to Clapton Girls’ Academy Dear Families, Welcome to our outstanding academy.

This handbook gives you some basic information about Clapton Girls’ Academy - how things are organised, what your daughter will study and the arrangements to ensure her progress and welfare. Please get in touch if you have any questions at all. On page 4, there is a list of people you can contact.

Your daughter will be able to make the most of the opportunities on offer if both the academy and home work together as partners. On page 21, there is a copy of our Home/School Agreement, which reminds us of the key aspects of this partnership.

I therefore look forward to meeting you many times during your daughter’s time at Clapton Girls’ Academy. I am confident that, with encouragement and support from both the academy and yourselves, she will enjoy a very happy and successful time here.

Yours sincerely, Ms A Feltham

Interim Headteacher

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Key People 2016/17

Interim Headteacher Head of Progress Tutor Head of Additional Learning Student Support Chair of Governors

Ms Anna Feltham

Mr Daniel Wood Ms Jaki Walcott-Nelson Ms Camilla Allwood

Ways to Contact School 1. Phone reception between 8.00am and 5.00pm. A receptionist will put you through to the right person or take a message.

2. Phone your Head of Progress. They will be happy to talk to you or arrange an appointment to see you.

3. Write to your Head of Progress. They will respond by phone or letter.

4. Write a note in your daughter’s Student Planner and ask her to show her Tutor or the Head of Progress.

5. Visit the school and ask for the Leadership Team on duty between 9.00am and 4.30pm.

6. Email any of the people above using the academy email address.

Academy Address: Clapton Girls’ Academy, Laura Place, Hackney, E5 0RB Telephone: 020 8985 6641 Fax: 020 8986 4686 Email: cga@clapton.hackney.sch.uk Website: www.clapton.hackney.sch.uk Twitter: @ClaptonGA Facebook: ClaptonGirlsAcademy

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Times of the academy day Student gates open in Laura Place at 8.00am.

8.00am Breakfast Club in the Dining Pavilion Before School Club in the Learning Resource Centre (optional session for students, entrance via Laura Place) 8.40am All students must arrive between 8.00am and 8.40am 8.45am Student gates close - students are late after this time 8.45am Collective Time or assembly with form tutor 9.00am Lesson 1 10.00am Lesson 2 11.00am Break 11.20am Lesson 3 12.20am Lesson 4a 12.50am Lesson 4b (Lunch during 4a, 4b, or 4c) 1.20pm Lesson 4c 1.50pm Lesson 5 2.50pm End of school day - students exit via the Almack Road gates by 3.10pm 2.50-5.00pm After-school clubs and activities. Students are expected to attend two or more extra-curricular clubs each week. At the end of after-school clubs students exit via the Almack Road gates.

On Tuesdays the timings for the end of the day are different.

2.50pm 3.50pm

Lesson 6 End of school day - students exit via the Almack Road gates by 4.10pm 3.50-5.00pm After-school clubs and activities, after which students exit via the Almack Road gates On Wednesdays, the timings for the end of the day are different for Year 11 only.

2.50pm 3.00pm 4.00pm

Students collect belongings from lockers Lesson 6 End of formal school day - students exit via Almack Road

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Term Dates 2016/17 Autumn Term: Monday 5th September - Wednesday 21st December 2016 Spring Term: Tuesday 3rd January - Friday 31st March 2017 Summer Term: Tuesday 18th April - Friday 21st July 2017 Academy Holidays, 2016/17 All family holidays must be taken during these allocated dates. The academy cannot authorise holidays or trips taken during term time.

Autumn half-term holiday: Monday 24th - Friday 28th October 2016

Winter holiday: Thursday 22nd December 2016 - Monday 2nd January 2017 Spring half-term holiday: Monday 13th - Friday 17th February 2017 Spring holiday: Monday 3rd April - Monday 17th April 2017 National Bank Holiday: Monday 1st May 2017 Summer half-term holiday: Monday 29th May - Friday 2nd June 2017 Summer holiday begins on Monday 24th July 2017.

Inset Days (school closed to students): Thursday 1st September 2016, Friday 2nd September 2016, Friday 21st October 2016, Friday 10th February 2017 & Tuesday 18th April 2017

5 6

Enjoy and Achieve:

Learning in our academy Your daughter will follow the National Curriculum for Key Stages 3 and 4.

KS3: • English • Expressive Arts: Art, Drama, Music • Design & Technology • Humanities: History, Geography, RE • ICT & Computer Science

• • • • •

Mathematics PE (including swimming) PSHCE Science Spanish/French

KS4: All students study English, Mathematics, Science, PE, RE, and PSHCE. They all take GCSE exams in Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, Science, and RE. Students also study three other subjects and take GCSE exams or BTEC qualifications in these subjects. The subjects they can select from are: • • • • • • •

Art, Drama, Music Geography, History, Sociology French, Spanish, Food Technology, Product Design, Textiles ICT, Business, Health and Social Care, PE Computer Science Some students from Maths group 1 may take Statistics GCSE

During the year, there will also be six days when the normal timetable will be replaced by a day of learning focused on one topic, subject, or theme. These are called ECM (Every Child Matters) or PSHCE Days and enable us to deliver aspects of careers education, work-related learning, and social, personal, emotional development and British Values (PSHCE), as well as sex and relationships education.

KS5: We have a very successful Sixth Form for your daughter’s final stage of her studies. Whatever her interest or skill set, we offer a range of courses to suit her and the teachers and facilities to ensure that she achieves highly. At KS5 students will only take three A level subjects forward to final examination. The Sixth Form provides a wide range of opportunities for students to develop their personal, social and leadership skills in preparation for further education, apprenticeships and employment.

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Enjoy and Achieve: Learning at home

Homework Homework reinforces the learning done at the academy and helps students to develop independent learning skills and to manage their own time. Your daughter will get between one and two hours of homework every day. Please monitor that this is being done and encourage your daughter to complete her work.

Students can choose to stay after school to complete their homework in our supervised Learning Resource Centre every day of the school year. Parents and students can check homework set using Show My Homework. Logins will be provided.

Show My Homework We use Show My Homework, an online tool that shows all of your daughter’s homework and deadlines.

We hope that this service will provide parents with an insight into how much, and what type of homework, your daughter receives. More importantly, we hope that it will improve your daughter’s organisation, time management, and help them to keep on top of their workload.

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Additional Learning Support Support If your daughter needs it, she will receive support from an extra teacher or Learning Assistant in some lessons. This could be extra help with learning English, with reading, or with mathematical skills. Occasionally, she may be withdrawn from some lessons for a fixed period, e.g. for literacy inteventions or other concentrated sessions with a specialist teacher.

We also have a personalised programme to provide for individual student learning needs, both emotional and academic. We have a team of learning mentors who are also available for individual encouragement and support.

Most Able Programme We provide a range of opportunities for Most Able students to extend their learning. Students in lessons are provided with opportunities to challenge and extend their learning. Extra-curricular events and trips are available to enrich learning. After-school clubs provide students with the chance to further develop their skills, knowledge, and understanding.

Music and Instrumental Tuition We provide tuition for students in a range of instruments, including: piano, guitar, recorder, violin, steel pans, percussion, brass and voice. There is a cost for these one-to-one lessons. There is also a wide range of musical extracurricular clubs, including choirs, brass band, and steel pans group.

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After-School Clubs and Activities Your daughter will have the opportunity to attend a wide range of after-school clubs and extra-curricular activities. We believe that these activities will support and extend her learning. Students are rewarded for regular attendance (2 or more clubs a week).

The activities on offer vary from term to term, but these are some of the afterschool clubs that have been running recently:

• • • • • • • • • •

Basketball Football Judo Drama Choir Maths Support Baking Anime Debating Swimming

• • • • • • • •

Gymnastics Netball Badminton History Art Orchestra Keyboard STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths)

The Learning Resource Centre is open for students in the morning from 8.00-8.30am and after school each day for quiet, supervised work.

Most activities run at the end of the school day from 2.50pm on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and from 3.50pm on Tuesday. Most clubs will finish before 5.00pm. An updated programme giving details of all clubs and their timings will be available on the website at the beginning of each half term. Students will also be given their own paper copies.

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Parents’ Evenings and Progress Reports PROGRESS REPORT

Each term you will receive a Progress Report for your daughter.

This informs you of your daughter’s level of achievement in every subject. The profile also gives you an overview of your daughter’s progress in terms of learning, behaviour, participation and attendance.

Key Information Meeting

In the Autumn term, you will be invited to attend a Key Information Meeting.

This is an opportunity to meet your daughter’s Form Tutor and find out more about the academic year ahead.

Parents’ Evening

In the Spring term you will be invited to a Parents’ Evening.

This is an opportunity to meet subject teachers and your daughter’s Form Tutor. You will receive an academic profile showing levels of attainment in each subject and general progress.

We keep you informed about any particular successes or difficulties by letter or by invitation to come and talk to us. If you have concerns you can ask for an appointment to talk to your daughter’s Head of Progress at any time.

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The Academy’s behaviour expectations are explained in this code.

Please read through these expectations with your daughter.

Behaviour Code

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Uniform & Equipment, September 2016

Students must wear the correct uniform at all times, including on their way to and from the academy. Students are expected to wear their uniform with pride.

It is a symbol by which they are recognised in the community and it promotes a sense of pride in and belonging to the academy.

The academy retains the right to act as the final authority on the interpretation of the dress code. If unsure, parents or persons with parental responsibility are advised to contact the appropriate Head of Progress.

Students will not be allowed around the academy unless they are wearing full and correct school uniform.

Students must wear the following, which can only be bought from the academy: • Academy lavender shirt • Academy blazer.

Students can wear the following optional items, which can only be purchased from the academy: • Academy V-neck jumper, with or without sleeves • Academy headscarf (only the academy headscarf can be worn).

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Uniform & Equipment, September 2016 Students must wear the following, which can be bought from any schoolwear outlet: • Smart, plain black, tailored school trousers • Smart, plain black, knee-length school skirt • Smart, plain black shalwar kameez or abaya (with visible academy shirt/ blazer) • Plain black socks or tights • Flat, plain black, leather-look shoes. Students must wear smart shoes with heels below 2cm. Shoes must not have any coloured stitching, tassels, or decorations and must sit below the ankle bone.

Essential equipment: Students must have a smart, practical school bag large enough to accommodate A4 size exercise books and will also need the following essential equipment: • 2 x black/blue pens • 1 x red pen • 1 x green pen • 2 x pencils • Rubber • Pencil sharpener • Ruler • Coloured pencils • Angle measurer • Calculator • Student Planner • Reading book (this can be a book they have borrowed from the academy or local library).

PE Kit: • Academy white PE polo shirt • Academy black PE sweatshirt (optional) • Plain black tracksuit bottoms, sports leggings, PE skirt, or shorts • White socks and sports trainers • Swimming costume, towel, and swimming hat (Years 7 & 8 only) • Roll-on deodorant.

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Uniform & Equipment, September 2016 Outdoor wear: • Outdoor wear cannot be worn in lessons or around the academy. Students must leave their coats and any other non-uniform clothing in their lockers.

• Coats and outdoor wear (sunglasses, scarves, gloves, hats, etc.) cannot be worn in or carried around the academy.

• Outdoor wear (rain and snow boots) can be worn to and from the academy in poor weather conditions but must not be worn around the academy site.

Hair and jewellery: • Only plain black hair bands/headbands/clips are permitted.

• Jewellery should be minimal and is limited to: one pair of earrings (smaller than a 5p piece), one small flat stud in the nose, one flat ring on each hand, one neck chain, and one watch.

• Extreme hairstyles/hair colours that undermine the ethos of the academy are not permitted.

• No visible make-up is permitted and nails must be short.

Mobile phones: • Students can bring mobile phones into the academy but must understand that this is at their own risk and that the academy cannot be held responsible for the loss or theft of such equipment.

• Mobile phones must be switched off and out of sight on entry to and exit from the academy.

• Mobile phones must be switched off and stored securely in bags or lockers at all times whilst students are on site.

Restricted items: Students are not allowed to bring the following items into the academy: • Sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks, or crisps • Make-up and other cosmetics • Money (other than for school lunches and/or trip payments) • Items covered by other policies.

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Behaviour: Sanctions and Rewards We have a structured system of rewards to encourage and motivate all of our students to achieve their best. Students are rewarded with reward points such as ‘Star of the Hour’, ‘Good News’ cards, certificates, and end-of-term and endof-year prizes and awards. Students are also given special prizes and awards as recognition of their excellent work, attitude, behaviour, attendance or contribution to academy life.

Our behaviour systems are designed to ensure that students can all work to the best of their ability and that equal learning opportunities are provided for all. We expect high standards of behaviour both in and out of school.

The Behaviour Code exists to enable us to maintain these high standards: disciplinary procedures are evoked when the code is broken.

Sanctions for students whose behaviour is causing concern include: • • • •

Full School Report to monitor their behaviour Morning or after-school detention Internal or external exclusion for a fixed number of days Permanent exclusion.

Support for students whose behaviour is causing concern includes: • • • • • • •

Serious Concerns Meetings Learning mentors Student Support Centre (SSC) Individual Behaviour Plans Therapeutic intervention, including drama and art therapy Vocational options, e.g. The Tuesday Programme Workshops run by select external groups e.g. Art Pro

Parents will be informed of any concerns early on in the sanctions process and will be encouraged to support the academy in maintaining high standards regarding behaviour.

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Promoting Equality Clapton Girls’ Academy is an inclusive academy where we focus on the progress and well-being of every student and where all members of our community are valued equally. We work together to ensure that students: are healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make positive contributions and achieve economic well being.

Clapton Girls’ Academy is committed to working together to celebrate and promote inclusion because we recognise that inclusive education contributes to greater equality of opportunity for all members of society.

We believe that our curriculum and teaching opportunities promote and celebrate the diversity of our academy’s community, and we regularly review our policies and practice in order to ensure this is the case.

Our academy is situated in a community where many people experience disadvantage, discrimination and prejudice. We provide a positive learning environment, where all members are valued, irrespective of: age, sex (gender), race, disability, religion or belief, gender reassignment, sexual orientation or pregnancy or maternity. Our academy will continue to be a vibrant centre of learning at the heart of our local community, where we embrace and celebrate differences as resources to promote learning and success.

We believe that the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) provides a framework to support our commitment to valuing diversity as well as addressing the statutory areas of: • eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation • advancing equality of opportunity between different groups • fostering good relations between different groups The Public Sector Equality Duty also ensures that we continue to tackle issues of disadvantage and underachievement of different groups, since breaking down barriers to learning, and increasing life choices for all students, is a key part of our vision.

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Anti-Bullying Statement 2016 Clapton Girls’ Academy defines bullying as a lack of respect for others.

Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group that intentionally hurts another individual or group, either physically or emotionally.

It is behaviour that attempts to hurt, frighten, humiliate, or threaten someone, particularly if the behaviour is repeated or persistent.

We recognise that bullying can take many forms: Physical: hitting, pinching, biting, pushing, shoving, taking or damaging belongings, stealing money.

Verbal: name-calling, insulting, racist, or sexist or homophobic remarks, mocking, teasing, intimidating, threatening or demanding money, making things up to get someone into trouble or to exclude them.

Indirect: spreading rumours to promote hatred and isolation, writing or drawing offensive graffiti, taking friends away from someone, or excluding somebody from a group.

Cyber-bullying: sending abusive text messages, emails to someone or a group, posting abusive messages on social network sites, spreading rumours or making threats on social network sites, posting pictures or information about someone on the internet to promote hatred and isolation or to humiliate and hurt.

At Clapton Girls’ Academy, we recognise that bullying often happens in front of other people. If these people act as by-standers who collude in bullying, they will get the same sanctions as the main perpetrator.

We will not tolerate any kind of bullying and recognise that bullying can involve and affect all members of the academy community, including students, parents, teachers, and support staff.

All incidents of bullying will be taken seriously by the academy.

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Attendance and Punctuality Students’ learning and progress depends on them attending school every day and being on time for school and lessons.

Please make sure your daughter attends school every day by: • Arranging doctor’s and dentist’s appointments outside school hours.

• Taking all holidays during the academy holiday times (see page 5).

• Only taking time off for serious illness/sickness/medical reasons.

The academy cannot authorise absence for the following reasons: • Family holidays during term time.

• Religious holidays and celebrations.

• Family errands or duties such as child care, meeting relatives, translation, shopping trips, etc.

If absences are not explained or the reason for them is not one we can accept, then they will be called unauthorised absences and regarded by the academy, Hackney Learning Trust, and the Government as truancy. Absence from school for family holidays during term time could lead to your daughter losing her place at the academy and a fine being given to your family.

Please make sure your daughter is on time to school by: • Organising things at home so that she leaves early enough to get to school by 8.40am.

• Checking that her uniform, school bag, and equipment are ready the night before a school day to avoid rushing in the morning.

• Planning her journey to school with her and timing it to make sure she leaves home early enough to be on time.

• Monitoring her attendance and punctuality by looking at the attendance record in her Student Planner.

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Attendance and Punctuality If your daughter is absent or late, you must: Contact the academy every morning your daughter is not attending or is going to be late. Leave a message for the Attendance Team giving your daughter’s name, tutor group, and a detailed reason for your daughter’s absence or lateness. You can contact us on 020 8985 6641, then option 1 or Student Absence, or by emailing absence@clapton.hackney.sch.uk If your daughter is late or absent, the academy will: • Text, telephone, or write to you reminding you to give us a reason for her absence.

• Arrange academy late detention if relevant.

If we have serious concerns about attendance or punctuality, we will: • • • •

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Invite you to attend an Attendance Concerns Meeting at the school.

Invite you to an Attendance Surgery at the Hackney Learning Trust.

Ask our Outreach Intervention Officer to visit you at home.

Issue a Fixed Penalty Notice and begin court proceedings.

Medical Appointments and Illness Hospital and Clinical Appointments: If these have to be made in school time, students are asked to bring appointment cards to show to their Head of Progress in advance. We expect all non-urgent medical and dental appointments to be made outside of school hours.

We have a school nurse drop-in session available.

Students can keep medication at school in line with our policy. Medication needs to be clearly labelled.

Illness During the Academy Day: We will call you to ask you to collect your daughter if she becomes seriously ill during the day.

Emergencies: It is most important that you provide us with at least one telephone number for use in emergencies or accidents.

If you need to update your address or contact details, please call us on:

020 8985 6641 extension 261

You must make sure that we have an up-to-date emergency contact number for your daughter.

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Home/Academy Agreement To enable your daughter to make progress and succeed we believe that home and the academy need to work together as closely as possible. This agreement is an important part of our partnership with you. At your admission meeting, you, your daughter, and a member of the academy staff will sign a copy of this agreement to show our joint commitment to this partnership.

The academy will: • provide the best possible learning environment for your daughter.

• offer your daughter a full and appropriate curriculum as far as we are able.

• help your daughter to gain the qualifications she deserves, or better.

• set and mark regular homework tasks.

• update you regularly about your daughter’s progress and offer you opportunities to discuss this with her teachers.

• inform you regularly of your daughter’s particular achievements or any difficulties she is having.

• give you information you need about the academy, its policies, and curriculum.

• support your daughter in keeping her part of this agreement.

The parent(s)/carer(s) will: • send my/our daughter on time to school every day unless there is a valid reason for absence.

• see that she is properly dressed and equipped for school.

• ensure she brings to the academy only sufficient money for her daily needs and keeps this securely in a suitable purse.

• support her learning and ensure that homework is done.

• read the Handbook for New Families and support the academy’s Promoting Equality Policy and Behaviour Code.

• attend parent meetings and generally keep in touch with the academy.

• let the appropriate person know of any concerns.

• support my/our daughter in keeping her part of this agreement.

The student will: • attend school and lessons every day and be on time.

• be properly equipped for lessons.

• work hard to achieve her own personal best.

• do homework and hand it in on time.

• take care of the academy environment.

• take care of their property and keep their money and keys securely in a suitable purse.

• follow the Behaviour Code and the school policies on uniform, Promoting Equality, and all other matters which concern them.

• be an active member of their Tutor Group and the academy.

Signed:

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(student)

(parent)

(school)

Notes from Admission Meeting

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Arrive with a dream, leave with a future.