Parent Handbook 16/17 by Elliott Hudson College

PARENT/CARER GUIDE TO EHC

A culture of excellence

Parent/Carer Handbook

CONTENTS

Welcome from the Principal

Our mission and core aims

Dates for your diary

Engagement/Parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Evenings

Pastoral support

EHC10

Absence and attendance

Discipline policy

Discipline and praise

Curriculum

Bursary

Dress code

Communication

Procedure for the unplanned closure of the college

Parent/Carer Handbook

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to ensure that young people in the Leeds city region enjoy access to truly inspirational academic post-16 education. We do this by creating a culture that demands and supports excellence. By focusing on pride and quality in all aspects of the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work and achievements, we are committed to providing the platform for students to achieve their best, and to progress with confidence to the next stage of their lives.

CORE AIMS PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST

CELEBRATING DIFFERENCE

PRINCIPALâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WELCOME I am delighted that your son/daughter has made the decision to continue their education at EHC. As a parent myself I do understand the importance of such a decision and appreciate the expectations that you will have of us. For students to be successful it is important that parents/carers and the College work as a team. This booklet aims to provide you with enough information to allow you to have a good understanding of the values that we hold and how they inform the decisions we make.

We embrace, value and celebrate all members of our community. We create a safe and welcoming environment for all.

We have very high expectations of our students and are clear that we see academic success as one key to future opportunity. At EHC we pride ourselves on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment that students experience; we expect that all of our students develop the habits of serious academic study and the skills required for the world of work. Our EHC10 sets our expectations of ourselves and our students and is the foundation upon which we aim to build a caring, inclusive learning community in which difference and diversity are celebrated.

Mr David Holtham

INSPIRING AMBITION We believe in all of our students and their ability to achieve the very best in life. We will push our students to aim for the best and make a lasting contribution to our community, daring to achieve beyond what they are today.

Student success sits at the heart of every decision we take. All colleagues are commited to raising standards for all in our community.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS We recognise that success comes from dedicated academic study rather than talent. We want our students, regardless of their starting point or context, to succeed beyond what they believe they can.

BUILDING SELF-BELIEF We adopt a no excuses culture that encourages students to adopt a can do attitude. Mistakes are encouraged as learning from these mistakes shows us what we can achieve if we demonstrate belief and determination.

Principal

Parent/Carer Handbook

IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

PARENTAL INFORMATION AND ENGAGEMENT EVENINGS

Autumn Term 2016–17

It is extremely important to us at EHC that we keep you as parents/carers fully informed about the progress of your son/daughter and that we work closely with you to ensure that your son/ daughter receives the best possible support. Therefore we will be holding a range of Parental Information and Feedback events throughout the year.

Year 12 Enrolment Days

Thursday 25th August Friday 26th August

Staff Training Day

Monday 5th September

Year 13 Induction Day

Tuesday 6th September

Year 13 teaching commences

Thursday 8th September

Year 12 Induction Day

Friday 9th September

Year 12 Teaching Commences

Monday 12th September

Year 12 Parental Information Evening 1

Monday 12th September

Half Term Holiday

Monday 24th October Friday 28th October

Parental Information Evening 2

Wednesday 9th November

Year 13 Student Finance Evening

Easter Holiday

Monday 3rd April Monday 17th April

Thursday 24th November

Bank Holiday

Monday 1st May

Half Term Holiday

Monday 29th May Friday 2nd June

Last teaching day

Friday 7th July

Year 12 Parents’ Evening Wednesday 7th December Christmas Holidays

Monday 19th December Monday 2nd January

• Parental Information evening 1 is designed to provide you with important information regarding the way that students are assessed and to outline the expectations of the College.

Spring/Summer 2016–17 Half Term Holiday

Monday 13th February Friday 17th February

Year 13 Parents’ Evening Wednesday 1st March

• Parental Information Evening 2 will provide you with practical strategies to help you support your son/ daughter through A Level study. • The Year 13 Student Finance Evening will provide you with a clear guide to understanding the financial implications of higher education.

• The Year 12 Parents’ Evening is a chance for you to meet subject teachers and discuss the progress of your son/daughter. You will also receive important information regarding the mock examinations and support with how to help your son/daughter to prepare for these assessments. • The Year 13 Parents’ Evening will be a further opportunity for you to meet subject teachers and will also include workshops on helping your son/ daughter to consider final destinations and the implications of UCAS clearing. • In addition to the calendared dates above, we will also be holding an Information Evening for the parents/carers of ‘High Achieving’ students as well as an additional evening to take you through the process of University applications. We will inform you of the dates for these events in due course.

Parent/Carer Handbook

PASTORAL SUPPORT Meet the team

Rosie Quashie Assistant Principal: Support and well being rosie.quashie@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk

Sally Dearing

Clare Lucas

Year 12 Alliance Leader sally.dearing@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk

Year 13 Alliance Leader claire.lucas@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk

David Ellis

Jeanne McHale

Year 12 Alliance Leader david.ellis@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk

Year 13 Alliance Leader jeanne.mchale@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk

Elaine Senior

Melani Dean

Year 12 Alliance Leader elaine.senior@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk

Year 13 Progress Tutor melani.dean@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk

Jennifer Reid

Jeanette Chadwick

Year 12 Progress Tutor jennifer.reid@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk

Student Services and Attendance

The Alliance Team will work closely with all students to ensure that they receive high quality support throughout their time at EHC. Our aim is to help students to achieve their full academic potential, as well as develop into confident young people fully prepared for the challenges of higher education, further training or employment. Your son/daughter will be part of a tutor group and an Alliance. They will have a weekly tutorial and assembly where they will be given the opportunity to learn and debate a range of issues that affect young people. Tutorials also provide an opportunity for personalised discussions about progress as well time to celebrate success.

Rhonda Durow Student Services and Attendance

Parent/Carer Handbook

The student commitment to EHC: 01 The Basics

The college commitment to students: 01 Quality of Teaching

We will ensure that your teaching is of the highest possible quality in all subject areas. Lessons are designed to challenge you and take you out of your comfort zone. You will be set challenging and aspirational minimum grade expectations.

02 Assessment and Feedback

You will receive a model of sixth form teaching that is focused upon the requirements of your examinations. Very regular assessments will ensure that you are clear about the progress that you are making. Feedback will be clear about the strengths that you have and the steps that you need to take to improve. Examples of top quality work will be used to reinforce the characteristics of high grade performance.

03 Positive Support

You will be given support and encouragement to overcome any barriers you experience. The staff at EHC will treat you as an individual and take the time to get to know you and ensure you are well cared for. You will receive the support of a Personal Progress Tutor who will work with you to ensure you achieve your minimum expected grades and provide care to ensure your personal wellbeing.

04 Progression Focused

We will ensure that we prepare you for your next stage of your education, training or employment. We will provide high quality careers education, information and guidance to help you make informed choices about your future.

02 Respect for the Community

05 Independence

You will be given challenging, independent work to do which will deepen your understanding of each subject you study. You will be provided with an essential reading list to expand the breadth of your understanding. We will provide the opportunity for you to demonstrate your independent and project management skills by completing an Extended Project Qualification in a topic area of your choice.

I understand the foundations of success: I will attend all lessons, on time, prepared, dressed appropriately and with the right equipment. I will ensure that I wear my ID badge at all times to ensure the safety of everybody at EHC. These things will be known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Basicsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and it is my responsibility to get these right. I will treat all members of the College community, within and outside of the College and on social media, with the respect that everyone deserves. I am committed to the traditional British values of liberty, democracy and the rule of law. I will demonstrate tolerance and respect to all people regardless of their faith, race, culture, sexuality or gender. I understand that I have a responsibility to report any concerns regarding the wellbeing of others. I will ensure that I treat the college environment with respect, as an effective learning environment needs everybody to take care of it.

03 Commitment

I will show commitment to my studies. I will complete independent work on time, to the right standard, and will devote the required time to my wider reading. Each A Level studied will require 4 hours of independent study per week to be successful. I will ensure that part-time work will not affect my grades. A part-time job can be a great experience but I understand that if I work more than 8 hours per week my grades will suffer.

04 Attitude

I will respect the right of all students to learn and all teachers to teach. I understand that my behaviour and actions will have an effect on the learning of others and it is my attitude which determines my behaviour. It is my commitment to independent study and the quality of my student file that is the clearest demonstration of my attitude to my studies and, ultimately, the grade I will achieve.

05 Attendance

I will ensure that I attend all timetabled lessons including assemblies, tutorials and any other scheduled meetings. I will ensure that I do not book holidays in term time and I am clear that missed attendance for any reason will cost me grades. If I am absent I understand that it is my responsibility to notify the college before 8.30am. I understand that successful students have attendance above 95% and that if my attendance drops below 85% I will risk not progressing into Year 13 and not being entered for any external examinations.

Parent/Carer Handbook

ATTENDANCE Excellent attendance is one of the key factors to a student’s success at A Level. As outlined in the EHC10 we expect students to attend all timetabled lessons, tutorials and assemblies, and to arrive promptly and well prepared. In the event of an absence, students will be expected to telephone the absence line before 8.30am. If a student fails to do this the College will notify you either through a phone call or an eSchools notification on that day.

ILLNESS Those students that fall below 90% attendance will be closely monitored by their Progress Tutor and Alliance Leader. If a student fails to show an improvement in their attendance they risk being placed on attendance report, at which point they will be required to sign in at 8.30am. The aim of this measure is to support students to improve their attendance. If this does not occur after a period of time, students will then be placed on a structured timetable and be required to sign in with their Progress Tutor.

If your son/daughter is at College and feel they need to leave due to illness, they will need to gain permission from their Progress Tutor or Alliance Leader. They must notify Student Services before they leave the building. Parents/carers will then be informed.

It is imperative that students fully understand that they must achieve a minimum of 85% attendance in order to guarantee entry into Year 13 and entry into external examinations.

ARRIVING LATE

PERMITTED ABSENCE Any absence from College will be recorded on a student’s attendance record. The College recognises that some absences are unavoidable and will authorise these. Your son/daughter will need to complete an Absence Form for any planned absence. These can be obtained from Student Services. The following are examples of permitted absence: • Medical/dental appointments that can not be arranged outside of lessons. Evidence from the health provider will be required • University Open Days • Driving test and theory test (not a lesson) - evidence required • Religious Festivals – 1 day maximum per festival

If your son/daughter is late to College they must go immediately to their lesson and the member of staff will issue them with a late mark. All late arrivals to the College are monitored carefully and students who are frequently late for lessons will be subject to disciplinary action.

The following reasons for absence would not be authorised: • Holidays during term time • Part time work • Leisure activities • Birthday celebrations • Missing the bus or getting up late

Parent/Carer Handbook

DISCIPLINE POLICY We are very clear with students about the high expectations we set for them at EHC and that the reason for this is to ensure that they also set high expectations for themselves.

STAGE 2 THREE FURTHER CAUSE FOR CONCERN FORMS HAVE BEEN ISSUED WITHIN A SUBJECT We recognise that during their time at EHC, some students will need intervention if they begin to underachieve or make poor choices. We are committed to working with your son/daughter to help them to understand what excellence looks like, and to respond positively when things don’t go well. The following disciplinary process is designed to provide students with an opportunity to recognise when they have made mistakes and set clear targets about how to get back on track.

STAGE 1 STAFF TO SPEAK TO STUDENT TO RESOLVE CONCERN AND CFC 1 • Teacher raises concern with student e.g. no homework.

• CFC 2 issued – Phone call home from Progress Tutor. Targets set and intervention strategies agreed with timescales and review dates set. NB This could include a period of supervised study. • CFC 3 issued – Intervention meeting with Progress Tutor and parents/carers. Targets set and intervention strategies agreed with timescales and review dates set. • CFC 4 issued – Alliance Leader to contact parents/carers. Intervention meeting with Alliance Leader, Progress Tutor and parents/carers. Targets set and intervention strategies agreed with timescales and review dates set. A formal letter to be sent home at this stage.

• If the student fails to act upon the verbal warning, a cause for concern 1 is issued. • Tutorial Tutor to discuss issue with student.

STAGE 3 SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM INTERVENTION

STAGE 4 FINAL WARNING • If the student still fails to meet targets, he or she will be issued with a final warning. A meeting will then be held with student, parents/carers, Head of Alliance and a member of SLT. • A final warning contract will be agreed. Targets set and intervention strategies agreed with timescales and review dates set. • Should a student fail to meet these targets it may be necessary to remove them from the course. • A student may risk losing their place at EHC if they fail to meet their targets. • Some incidents will warrant that students will be moved to stages 3 or 4 without having first been through stages 1 and 2. The following incidents will warrant that a student be issued with a final warning: - Substance misuse - Acts of vandalism - Threatening behaviour (verbal or physical) towards staff or students - Possession of a weapon - Inappropriate use of mobile phone/social media In the event of extremely dangerous or threatening behaviour a student may risk losing their place at College without a final warning.

• CFC 5 issued – Intervention meeting with member of Senior Leadership Team. Targets set and intervention strategies agreed with timescales and review dates set. • Possible that student may need to have their timetable personalised to support them to achieve. • Referral to external agencies. 14

Parent/Carer Handbook

BEHAVIOUR POLICY – EXCLUSIONS ‘No-one has the right to interrupt anyone else’s learning’ ‘A decision to exclude a pupil permanently should only be taken: • in response to serious or persistent breaches of the school’s behaviour policy; and • where allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupils or others in the school’. (DfE ‘Exclusion from maintained schools, Academies and pupil referral units in England 2012’)

The Principal will make the judgement, in exceptional circumstances, where it is appropriate to permanently exclude a student for a first or ‘one-off’ offence. These offences might include: a) serious actual or threatened physical assault against another student or a member of staff; b) sexual abuse or assault; c) supplying an illegal drug; d) possession of an illegal drug with intent to supply; e) carrying an offensive weapon; f) making a malicious serious false allegation against a member of staff; g) potentially placing members of the public in significant danger or at risk of significant harm.

These instances are not exhaustive, but indicate the severity of such offences and the fact that such behaviour can affect the discipline and well-being of the College community. The Principal may permanently exclud a student for: a) one of the above offences; or b) persistent disruption and defiance including bullying (which would include racist or homophobic bullying) or repeated possession and/or use of an illegal drug or drug paraphernalia on College premises. In addition, the College also considers the following to be serious incidents resulting in the permanent exclusion of a student: a) deliberate activation of the fire alarm without good intent; b) repeated or serious misuse of the College computers by hacking or other activities that compromise the integrity of the computer network;

HOW DO WE PRAISE AND REWARD OUR STUDENTS? At Elliott Hudson College we are committed to helping students achieve their full potential. Integral to this process is celebrating student achievement. Teachers will ensure that they provide ongoing personalised support and positive feedback during lessons. In addition the College follows a more formal praise system which is outlined on the right:

• Teachers will document student achievement in the EHC Golden Book. Letters will be sent home every half term to inform parents/carers of student achievement. Students will also be spoken to by a member of the Senior Leadership Team. • Members of staff will issue ‘Praise Stars’ to those students that go above and beyond what is expected of them. Each Alliance Leader will keep a running total for their Alliance and this will be displayed on Alliance Notice Boards for students to see. • We will inform parents/carers of these achievements through eSchools notifications and by sending you a postcard. • At the end of each term students will attend their Alliance Praise Assembly. Students can win awards for the following: • Attendance • Achievement • Attitude • Alliance Leader Award • Staff nominations

c) repeated verbal abuse of staff; d) persistent disruption and defiance that may or may not be directly linked to the Sanctions System.

Parent/Carer Handbook

CURRICULUM Levels and Qualifications

The courses on offer at EHC will allow you to gain either Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications. Depending on prior attainment at Key Stage 4, students will either select all Level 3 qualifications or a blend of Level 2 and Level 3. • Level 3 courses: AS Levels and A Levels • Level 2 courses: GCSE English and GCSE Maths. If you have not gained a C grade in GCSE English or Maths you must continue to study to ensure you have gained both of these qualifications throughout your time at EHC.

Curriculum Changes from September 2015

From 2015 all AS and A Level qualifications are in the process of being reformed. The main aspect of this reform is that AS (Year 12) and A Level (Year 13) qualifications have been ‘decoupled’. This means that they are standalone qualifications where attainment at AS does not have any impact on the final A Level grade at the end of Year 13. Content that is assessed at the end of Year 12 in the AS will be assessed again at the end of Year 13 as part of the A Level.

Due to these changes, EHC has made the decision that, where qualifications have been reformed, students will not sit the AS qualification and will only be assessed in external examinations for the A Level at the end of Year 13. As qualifications are being reformed in a staggered manner, this impacts students differently in Year 12 and Year 13 and from one subject to the next.

Year 12

Year 13

• Art

The following subjects have been reformed and are a two-year A Level programme:

The following subjects have been reformed and are a two-year A Level programme: • Biology • Business

• Ethics and Philosophy

Studies

• French

• Chemistry

• Geography

• Computer Science

• German • History

• Drama

• Music

• Economics

• Physics

• English Language

• Psychology

• English Literature

• Spanish

• Sociology • Sports

If you are sitting any subject not listed above then you will have an external AS examination at the end of Year 12. This counts towards the final A Level grade you receive at the end of Year 13.

• Art • Biology • Business • Chemistry • Computer Science • Economics • English Language • English Literature • History • Physics • Psychology • Sociology

For these subjects the grades you achieved at the end of Year 12 do not count towards your final A Level grade. For any subject not listed to the left, the marks you achieved at the end of Year 12 counts towards the final A Level grade you receive at the end of Year 13. For both Year 12 and Year 13, there will be formal mock exams for all subjects in January. For Year 12, there will also be mocks in any subject that has been reformed in June.

Typical programme of study for an EHC student each week:

• 3 A Level courses selected – 5 hours of contact time per subject = 15 hours • Extended Project Qualification – 2 hours of contact time, 3 hours non-contact time per week (primarily Year 12 students) • Weekly tutorial – 1 hour • Weekly/fortnightly assembly – up to 1 hour • Enrichment – Wednesday from 1.30pm

Parent/Carer Handbook

WHAT IS THE BURSARY FUND? The Bursary Fund is a payment made to eligible students. The purpose of the fund is to support students who may be at risk of leaving College due to financial hardship. Students can receive support with transport, food, equipment and other course-related costs. To receive regular support from the fund, students must have excellent attendance and punctuality. Unsatisfactory effort and behaviour can result in the support being withdrawn for a period of time. Student bursary applications will be provided at the beginning of the year and subsequently from Student Services. All forms must be returned to Student Services.

Parent/Carer Handbook

DRESS CODE

COMMUNICATION

EHC students are expected to dress in a manner appropriate to a purposeful, safe, secure and diverse sixth form college. Whilst we recognise that self-expression is part of being an emerging adult we also feel it important that students dress appropriately as a preparation for expectations in the world of work.

eSchools

Therefore the following items are not permitted: • Hoodies • Jogging bottoms • Ripped jeans • Hats/caps • Revealing items including crop tops • Inappropriately short skirts • Shorts • Flip flops

We are committed to ensuring that we work with you as parents and carers in order to ensure that you are kept up to date about your son’d/daughter’s progress. Please be aware that we will use eSchools to provide you with an electronic notification about many aspects of College life including reminders about Parental Information Evenings. Therefore, we would advise you to download the eSchools app by visiting the Elliott Hudson College website and following the instructions on the eSchools link.

ParentPay

We ask that all cash payments are made to College using the ParentPay online system. This is quick and easy to use. For full details please visit our website or follow the link: www.parentpay.com/parents/using-parentpay/faqs

Hairstyles must not reflect the extremes of youth culture. Please be aware that a student may be asked to go home and change if they fail to follow these guidelines.

Parent/Carer Handbook

PROCEDURE FOR THE UNPLANNED CLOSURE OF THE COLLEGE Introduction

The College will never take the decision to close or partially close lightly. We take our responsibility of remaining open seriously. However, it is sometimes necessary to close the College for a variety of reasons including: • Severe weather including snow, flooding or storms • Accommodation problems, for example loss of power supply, loss of water supply, heating failures or fire damage • Disruption to transport • When the health and safety of students and staff is jeopardised. The decision to close the College is taken by the Principal in consultation with the Executive Principal. The College will, however, endeavour to remain open where possible.

Full or partial closure of the College

It is essential to ensure the continuity of education for all students where possible and several issues will be considered before deciding to close the College: • Is it absolutely necessary to close the College? • Could the College be closed to a proportion of students? • Is it possible to relocate students to other areas within the College? • Is the problem one that may be resolved relatively quickly?

Closure due to severe weather

The decision to close the College will normally rest with the Principal, or in their absence, a Vice Principal, and the Executive Principal. Where possible the decision will be made prior to 6.30am. Factors involved in reaching the decision to close the College are likely to be: • Access to the College, i.e. road conditions (snow, ice, flooding, obstructions etc.) • Breakdown of the College’s essential services (heating, electrical services, water, storm or fire damage etc)

Closure during the College day

On occasion it may be necessary for the College to close during the College day e.g. if the weather is deteriorating and there is doubt as to whether students can safely travel home later in the day.

Closing procedure - College responsibilities to students

The decision to close the College will only be taken as a last resort when no other suitable options are available. Once the decision to close has been made, the following procedure will be followed/observed: • Students will only be sent home where it is known that parents/carers will be at home to receive them or where the student’s capacity to be at home alone has been considered regarding age, ability, etc. • Where students are accompanied to the College, parents/ carers will be contacted to collect them. When parents/ carers are unable to collect students they will only be sent home where the student’s capacity to return home unaccompanied has been considered regarding age, ability, route, etc. • College staff will care for students who are unable to return home until the end of the normal College day. • Where students arrive at the College accompanied by other childcare, alone or via taxi and a decision has been taken to close the College, the College will be responsible in contacting parents/carers and provide care.

Communications

The College has pre-planned how parents/carers will be informed of College closures. The below methods will be used: • Notification will be sent to Leeds City Council who will then notify all local radio stations and place a notice on the Leeds City Council website • The College website www.elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk • Parents/carers and students will also be contacted via eSchools • A message will be placed on the College telephone answer service.

Reopening procedure

The decision to reopen the College following closure will be taken as early as possible in order to ensure that students are not away from education for longer than necessary. Where possible the decision to reopen will be taken the day prior to reopening, in order to ensure that the reopening message can be communicated to parents/carers and students. Parents/carers will be informed of the College’s reopening via the following methods: • The College website - www.elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk • A message will be placed on the College telephone answer service • A message will be sent on eSchools to parents/carers.

Elliott Hudson College Elliott Hudson College Phoenix House Global Avenue Leeds LS11 8PG 0113 323 9777 info@elliotthudsoncollege.ac.uk