School Information

The School Day

All pupils should arrive at school before 8.30 am each day, where registration takes place in Houses. Pupils should not generally enter the school site before 8.00 am. There is no official supervision prior to then and therefore we require that pupils are not on site.

There are usually Assemblies on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, between 8.40 am and 9.00 am.

Travelling to and from school

Bicycles can be brought to school with the House Tutor’s permission. They can be kept at the rear of the Choir House building during the day and must always be locked when left on school premises.

Please impress upon your son or daughter the need to walk safely but quickly to school either from home or after a journey on public transport. We advise that pupils should use public routes when they walk to and from school and that they should always walk with friends.

Absence and Attendance

The law requires all school-age pupils to attend school for the whole school day throughout the school year. The school must submit its records for authorised and unauthorised absence to the Department of Education and parents are respectfully asked to help us in maintaining honest and accurate data.

If your son or daughter is ill, please leave a message on the school’s absence line - 01905 721704 / absence@ksw.org.uk - on each day of his or her absence- copying in the relevant Year Group Tutor. When he or she returns to school, parents should send a dated signed letter or email to the Year Group Tutor, giving the reason for absence. Please note, however, that we may have to check on the authenticity of e-mail correspondence regarding absence.

If your child has a medical appointment, which cannot be arranged outside school hours, please give the Year Group Tutor advance warning, preferably by signed letter.

It is a legal requirement for parents to seek the school’s approval before they arrange for their children to miss school for any reason other than a medical problem. This includes missing school for the following reasons: family holiday in term-time; family event such as a wedding or funeral; public performance or participation in sport. If a pupil needs to miss school for any reason, such as those given above, parents are requested to contact the Head of Middle Years or Sixth Form, who will discuss the request with the Headmaster, in

plenty of time and well before they finalise any arrangements. The Headmaster will consider the pupil’s prior attendance record and the reason for the request. Please be aware that he is not legally or contractually bound to grant the request.

In the case of a family holiday, leave of absence under exceptional circumstances may be granted for up to ten school days for one family holiday which for non-financial reasons cannot be taken during the school holidays. Requests for absence for other reasons will not generally be authorised, unless they are for obviously educational reasons. For example, if your child is taking part in a sporting activity, outside of school supervision, the school must be sure that there is some educational experience involved before giving approval for your child to participate. There may be some requirement for your child to receive tuition whilst away. Any absence of more than ten days may only be granted in exceptional circumstances under the terms of the legislation about compulsory school attendance.

Please be aware that if your child misses school without prior permission, or if he or she stays away for longer than the agreed term, this absence will be recorded as unauthorised. In some instances, the school will seek advice from the local Education Welfare Officer if pupils are missing school for unauthorised reasons.

Lateness

It is important for us to instil in all pupils the value of punctuality, as well as a legal obligation for us to record lateness in pupils of compulsory school age. For these reasons, we ask all pupils to arrive for registration by 8.30 am and 2.20 pm. Anybody who arrives after the Register has been called but whilst the member of the pastoral staff is still logged in at the computer will be marked L (Late but before Register has closed.) If pupils arrive after 8.40 am or after 2.25 pm, they will be marked Late after close of Register. If a pupil is frequently late, his or her parents will be informed, and sanctions may be applied.

Leaving school during the school day

Members of the Lower Sixth, Fifth Form and Removes may only go into Worcester city centre during school time (the hours of set teaching periods and morning break) if they have written permission from their Tutor. During lunchtimes in the Summer Term, pupils in the Lower Remove may go into town if their parents give their written approval and if they have satisfied the school that they will be good ambassadors in the city. This privilege remains thereafter though may be withdrawn at any time in the case of any individual pupil if it is thought appropriate. Before going out at lunchtime, pupils must sign out with the School Monitors at 5 Castle Place. Pupils must return by 2.15 pm.

Catering

The Dining Hall

Breakfast and hot and cold snacks may be purchased from the Dining Hall before and after school. There are vending machines outside the new Sports Hall.

The school offers a lunch with choices of soup, hot main courses, salads, sandwiches/wraps, jacket potatoes, pasta dishes, desserts and fruit. There are, of course, vegetarian options. It is assumed that pupils will be having a school lunch unless you write in before the start of term to say that your child will bring a packed lunch (which will be eaten in the Dining Hall) and return any lunch pass issued. If

pupils forget their lunch pass, they will need to go to the Bursary (upstairs above the school office) to get a temporary pass.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1.20-1.25 1.25-1.32

1.32-1.39

1.39-1.46

1.46-1.53

1.53-2.00

Early Lunch for those with an Early Lunch Card Lower Fifth Upper Upper Lower Remove Form Sixth Remove Sixth

Fifth Upper Lower Fifth Lower Form Remove Sixth Form Remove Upper Remove

Lower Remove Fifth Form Lower Sixth Upper Sixth Upper Lower Lower Lower Upper Sixth Sixth Remove Remove Remove Lower Sixth Upper Sixth Upper Remove Upper Sixth Fifth Form

If your son or daughter has allergies or special dietary requirements, please contact your child’s Year Group Tutor or the Catering Manager (01905 721793). Items containing nuts are clearly marked and the school is used to catering for special diets.

A sample menu can be found on the Joining King’s Hub

(www.ksw.org.uk/joiningkings).

Valuables and Lost Property

If your son or daughter loses something, he or she should check bag racks, locker areas and the changing rooms (particularly at the fields) before then going to Lost Property. Valuable items (such as wallets or mobile phones) will be kept in the School Office if handed in.

Please ensure that your son or daughter marks all items of uniform, games kit and other possessions (such as watches, books, shoes, bags, calculator and mobile phones). Unnamed items are taken to the Lost Property store in the Annett building. Pupils can access this every Thursday at morning break or ask in the School Office for the key.

If a pupil suspects that an item of theirs has been stolen, they should inform their Form Tutor, who will contact the Senior Deputy, Mr Jon Ricketts. The school keeps a register of such incidents. In order to avoid any possibility of such an occurrence, children need reminding that they must store their possessions carefully.

Money and items such as mobile phones must be stored in locked lockers. During Games lessons, all valuables must be handed in to the supervising staff. Parents need to be aware that pupils are responsible for the security and safe use of all their personal property and for property lent to them by the school.

Open Mornings and Service Days

Open Mornings are held on three Saturdays each year at 9.30 am (until around 1pm); there are two Open Mornings in the autumn term, the second one being for potential Sixth Form entrants (including our own Fifth Form) and one at the start of the spring term. Pupils are expected to be available to help out at the general events and parents are specifically requested not to arrange other appointments on these days. We believe that pupils derive a significant benefit from showing their school to others: the process enhances their communication skills and fosters pride in their achievements. Please check our website for dates of these events.