Student Guide 2021/22

WELCOME TO DOROTHY STRINGER SCHOOL A quick guide to help you settle into your new school

WELCOME

it is a real pleasure to welcome you to dorothy stringer school.

The move to secondary school is an exciting time and we will do our best to make sure that your time at Dorothy Stringer will be a positive and enjoyable experience. We understand these last few months have been a challenge for everyone and everyone at Dorothy Stringer is excited to work with you, our new Year 7s and we will support you as you settle into Year 7.

Dorothy Stringer’s reputation for taking good care of students, in a safe and happy environment, is very important to me. We value the way the community responds to the needs of others and that our students are thoughtful and go out of their way to help others. We have created an atmosphere where students can be themselves and everyone is known and supported as an individual. We are a community with a clear sense of belonging and identity. I hope you will take pride in your school and celebrate your own achievements as well as the achievements of others.

At Dorothy Stringer we will work to ensure that you achieve your full academic potential - we will challenge you to be the best you can be. However, we believe that school is not just about academic success; we want you to develop a broad set of skills. We are proud of the range of opportunities we offer outside of the classroom. I would encourage you to grab all the fanastic opportunities the school will offer you over the next five years. The more you put into school life the more you will get out. Take responsibility, work hard and challenge yourselves to achieve your best.

I look forward to getting to know you all and hope that your experience at Dorothy Stringer will be a happy and fulfilling one.

Mr Hillier | Headteacher

NAMES TO KNOW We have lots of staff at school who are all here to help and support you throughout your time at Dorothy Stringer. You will meet your Form Tutor and Form Peers on your first day and will get to know different teachers and support staff as you settle in.

Below are some key names to know before you join us September.

Mr Hillier

Mr Ward

Mr Stone

Ms White

Headteacher

Head of Year 7

Head of Lower School

Year 7 Pastoral Manager

SCHOOL DAY TIME

LOWER SCHOOL

UPPER SCHOOL

8.45am - 8.50am

REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION

8.50am - 9.50am

LESSON 1

LESSON 1

9.50am - 10.50am

LESSON 2

LESSON 2

10.50am - 11.10am

BREAK

BREAK

11.10am - 12.10pm

LESSON 3

LESSON 3

12.10pm - 12.30pm

LUNCH

TUTOR TIME UPPER

12.30pm -12.50pm

LUNCH

LUNCH

12.50pm - 1.10pm

TUTOR TIME LOWER

LUNCH

1.10pm - 2.10pm

LESSON 4

LESSON 4

2.10pm - 3.10pm

LESSON 5

LESSON 5

3.10pm - 3.15pm

STUDENTS DISMISSED

CANTEEN INFO At Dorothy Stringer we take healthy eating seriously and this is reflected in the quality of the food provided. We serve a wide range of hot and cold meals and a good selection of quick bites. You can choose from pasta pots, our own ‘Stringer Sub’ or a meal of the day. Look out for healthy options, for example, we offer assorted salad boxes, a variety of vegetarian choices and fresh fruit. We work hard to provide a wide variety to suit all tastes – there is something for everyone. You can find the menu on the school website under ‘Canteen’. You are also welcome to bring in a packed lunch to school.

Opening times are Monday to Friday: Break time from Lunch from

10.50am to 11.10am 12.10pm to 12.50pm (Years 7, 8 and 9) 12.30pm to 1.10pm (Years 10 and 11)

Canteen access times are staggered across year groups, students will be told their year group allocation slot at the start of term.

We operate a ‘cashless’ system in the canteen to save carrying or losing money and to speed up the queuing process. You will be given a canteen card on your first day, parents/carers can top this up online through the ‘Schoolgateway’ system.

USEFUL BITS & BOBS HOME LEARNING Your home learning will be set and uploaded by your teacher onto the Stringer Learning Gateway (SLG). It is then your responsibility to write this down and check the SLG and make sure you always complete your home learning on time. Your first two weeks at Stringer will be home learning free, your teachers will show you how to use the SLG, but after that you can expect to receive home learning on a regular basis.

EQUIPMENT Are you ready to learn? Every day you will need to bring to school: • • • •

School bag Pencil case Planner Pens (blue or black, highlighters and a green pen) • Pencil • Eraser • Pencil Sharpener

UNIFORM It is important to take pride in your appearance. To enable this you should always wear the correct school uniform; if this is not possible in exceptional circumstances, please bring in a note from home to explain why. The amount of jewellery worn should be minimal and make-up, if worn, should be subtle. You can find the uniform guidelines in the student planner and the parent handbook.

YOUR THINGS All items of clothing, no matter how small, must be clearly marked with your name.

Personal items of equipment are brought to school at your own risk. Never leave any valuables or money in the changing rooms or classrooms - keep them with you in your bag or locked away in your personal locker.

LOST PROPERTY If you lose something and having looked for it and retraced your steps, you can’t find it anywhere, then try the lost property office.

You will find this inside the D-Block toilets.

Lost valuable items such as phones or jewellery will be kept at the Hub if found.

• Ruler (at least 15cm long) • Protractor • Pair of compasses • Scientific calculator • Drama shorts/ leggings • Glue stick

BOOKS It is important to take care of your books. If you’re feeling creative, why not cover your books and take pride in what’s inside.

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”

Maya Angelou

SCHOOL LIBRARY You may borrow two books at any time from the school library for two weeks. It is your responsibility to return books promptly and in good condition.

If damaged you may be asked to contribute financially towards replacements, so treat them with respect and don’t spoil them for other readers. You will have a library induction when you start at Stringer.

BICYCLES We operate a cycle permit scheme for anyone who wants to cycle to school. Students must get a permission slip from the Hub, and sign the agreement to wear a helmet, to follow safety rules and leave their bikes under the covered cycle stand during the day.

School Map