Junior School Parents' Information Booklet 2023-24

Contents

Page 4: Our values

Page 5: Safeguarding statement

Pages 6-9: Communication between home and School

o Contacting us

o Keeping us informed of a change of address

o Parental Responsibility

o Communication with Parents: written correspondence from us

o Communication with Parents: Parents’ Conferences

o Communication with Parents: Reports

o Calendar

o Home - School Diary

Pages 10: Pastoral System

o Houses

o House points

o School Forum

o Leadership opportunities

Pages 11--14: Timing of the School Day, Registration and Absence

o Nursery o Reception

o Key Stage 1

o Lower Key Stage 2

o Upper Key Stage 2

o After School Club

o Morning Break

o Travel to and from School

o Registration and Punctuality

o Absence

o Equipment in School

o Early Closure

Page 15: Term Dates

Page 16: Lunches, co-curricular activities

Page 16: Educational Visits: consent arrangements Contents (continued)

Page 16-17: Homework Assessment

Special Educational Needs

Girls with Disabilities

Page 18-21: School Uniform and Appearance

Page 22: Property, Mobile Phones, Drinking Water

o Girls’ Property

o Mobile Telephones and other electronic devices

o Lost Property

o School Property

o Money

o Water Bottles and drinking water

Pages 23-24: Medical Issues

o Medical Information

o Health Records and Health Checks

o Health Care Plan

o Prescription Medicine

o Asthma

o Anaphylaxis

o Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)

o First Aid and Illness during the School Day

Page 25-26: Policy Information

o Pupil Code of Behaviour

o ICT Acceptable Use Agreement

o Photographs and Publicity

Page 27: List of policies available

Our values

Our values reflect the values of the GDST. These are:

Vision

Our vision is to be champions of excellence in all-girl education, empowering girls to be leaders, trailblazers and world shapers.

Mission

Newcastle High School for Girls is committed to offering an outstanding all-girl education from age 3 to 18, that promotes happiness and well-being, allowing every girl to flourish academically. Creating an environment where girls learn without limits supported by the opportunities arising from being part of the GDST family.

This is strongly underpinned by the values of the Girls' Day School Trust and our pupils' learning characteristics: We always put girls first. We are forward-thinking. We are fearless.

We are a family of schools.

NHSG Pupil Learning Characteristics (the 8 Cs)

Creative – innovative and able to ‘think outside the box’ Caring – considerate of their own needs and the needs of others

Composed – poised and self-controlled

Communicative – expressive and able to covey their ideas in an articulate manner

Courageous - willing to embrace new opportunities, with the strength of character to do the right thing. Able to learn from setbacks that are encountered. Possesses a strong sense of justice and is willing to stand up for others in the face of adversity. Confident – self-assured and believes in her abilities

Curious – inquisitive, with a strong desire to further their learning

Collaborative – works effectively with others and enjoys being part of a team

Safeguarding

Newcastle High School for Girls is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and believes that all pupils, regardless of age, special needs or disability, racial/cultural heritage, religious belief or sexual orientation have the right to be protected from all types of harm and abuse. This Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy forms a fundamental part of our approach to providing excellent pastoral care to all pupils, including young people who may be over the age of 18 years.

The full policy is available for parents to consult on the School website.

Communication between home and School

Contacting us

School Contact Details

Junior School Contact Details

Newcastle High School for Girls

Chapman House

Sandyford Park

Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1TA

Telephone

Telephone number: 0191 285 1956

Email: juniorschooloffice@ncl.gdst.net

The Junior School reception is open from 8.00 to 17.15. Staff are available to answer the telephone and answer any queries in person during these hours. If you telephone outside these hours you will be able to leave a message on the answer-phone. The telephone number is 0191 285 1956.

Email

You are able to email the office juniorschooloffice@ncl.gdst.net or individual members of staff. Staff addresses consist of their initial, stop, surname plus @ncl.gdst.net, for example a.hardie@ncl.gdst.net etc. Staff check their emails at least once a day.

Communication between home and School (continued)

Written correspondence from you

All correspondence should be addressed Head of Junior School. Please include a note of your daughter’s name and Class.

Contacting specific members of staff

If you need to discuss academic or pastoral concerns your first port of call should usually be the Class Teacher. The Class Teacher may be contacted in writing, by telephone, by email, or in person if he/she is free when you come into School. You can also contact the Phase Leader in the same way.

Head of Junior School or Miss Williams, Deputy Head, will be happy to speak to you or see you if you feel that is more appropriate to your concern.

Keeping us informed of changes of address or contact details

Please inform us immediately of any changes of address or telephone contact numbers at home, work/daytime numbers and emergency numbers and email contact. If you are going

away or leaving your daughter in the care of family or friends, please advise us of temporary contact arrangements. Please make sure your daughter is also aware of the arrangements and the contact names and telephone numbers.

Parental Responsibility

In the interest of your daughter’s welfare and for legal reasons, the School must have accurate and up to date records of the following:

- who lives with your daughter and which of these people have parental responsibility

- whether there are any other people with parental responsibility for your daughter who live apart from her

- whether there are any court orders which may have made changes to those who have parental responsibility or which impose restrictions on the exercise of parental responsibility

If there are any changes to the above following your daughter’s admission to the School, please notify the Head of Junior School immediately.

If you are going away and leaving your daughter in the care of family or friends, please advise us of the details, including emergency contact arrangements. Please also make sure that your daughter knows the contact names and numbers of the person(s) she is staying with.

If an arrangement of this type is going to be for 28 days or more it may be classed by law as Private Fostering if the person your daughter is staying with is not the parent, does not have parental responsibility and is not a close relative (step-parent, grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt). Parents and private foster carers are legally required to inform the local authority about a proposed placement (i.e. your daughter staying with someone other than relatives as listed above) at least 6 weeks in advance. Professionals who

Communication between home and School

come into contact with the child also have a duty to ensure the Local Authority is aware of the arrangement by making a referral.

Communication with Parents: Parent Information and Systems

Firefly Parent Portal

At NHSG, we have a ‘one stop’ online parent portal and app where you will be able to view some basic information related to your daughter including her timetable, attendance, and behaviour (merits and demerits), other important/useful information about school and quick links to other apps and systems used in school. You will also find here an archive of all general correspondence sent to you by School.

This is a personalised system and therefore relies on linking to our school database system (SIMs). Once your daughter has been formally admitted to NHSG on SIMs, we will send you the full instructions on how to register for the Parent Portal. These are normally sent to you within two to three days of your daughter joining the School.

Friday Bulletin and General Correspondence

Most correspondence is sent to parents by email via SchoolPost, which is why it is important that we have an accurate email address for you. We rely on parents being in the habit of checking for emails from us on a regular basis. It is therefore best that the email address you provide to School is one that you are likely to check regularly. We aim to streamline the process for you by sending out nearly all our correspondence giving information, in particular about trips and events, on a Friday, in our ‘Friday Bulletin’. You may also hear about PE fixtures and trips at other points during the week, and staff may still contact you directly at different times concerning academic or pastoral issues. You should start to receive a Friday Bulletin from the very first Friday after your daughter joins the school.

SOCS - School Calendar, Co-curricular, Music and Sport Communication Systems

We use a system called SOCS which supports the management of our school calendar, sporting and co-curricular activities.

SOCS will also enable you to have easy access to a live personalised online school calendar including sport, music, speech and drama and co-curricular for your daughter. It is also the system through which you will be able to book your daughter’s co-curricular activities (see page 16).

Once your daughter has been formally admitted to the school on SIMs, we will send you full instructions on how to register for SOCs. These are normally sent to you within two to three days of your daughter joining the School.

You can also view our ‘non-personalised’ school calendar without the requirement to register via our school website www.newcastlehigh.gdst.net

If you experience difficulty accessing the Parent Portal or SOCS after receiving the instructions on how to register, or you do not receive a Friday Bulletin as described above, please email calendarsupport@ncl.gdst.net for assistance.

Communication with Parents: Parents’ Conferences

Every Year Group has two Parents’ Conferences each year. They will be held in the Autumn and Spring Terms. The conferences give you the opportunity to discuss progress with your daughter’s Class Teacher.

We operate an appointment system. There will also be a chance to look at your daughter’s work in her classroom.

Communication with Parents: Reports

Parents receive regular information about their daughter’s progress through termly reports.

Autumn term

Targets will be set and shared. End of term assessment results will be provided.

Spring term

A progress report will be written for Mathematics and English and new targets will be set. End of term assessment results will be provided.

Summer term

A full report covering all areas of the curriculum will be written. End of term assessment results will be provided.

Calendar

The dates of Parents’ Conferences, meetings and reports are listed in the calendar. There is always an up to date version of this on the school website and Firefly.

Home – School Diary

At the beginning of the Autumn Term your daughter will be given a Home – School Diary. We would like this diary to be used as a means of communication between teachers and parents and girls.

Pastoral organisation

Houses

Each girl is a member of one of the four Houses:

- Acadia Blue

- Carpathia Green

- Mauretania Red

- Turbinia Yellow

House events are held regularly throughout the year and many opportunities are offered for the girls to get to know and work together with members of the House from different forms and year groups.

The Houses are led by 3 House Captains – one from Year 3 and two from Year 6.

House Points

Particularly commendable achievements can be rewarded with House Points. House Point totals are announced weekly during the Celebration Assembly every week.

School Forum

The School Forum meets on a regular basis throughout the term. Classes have School Forum time, where their representatives provide feedback from their Forum meetings and also gather items for the next meeting’s agenda.

Leadership development

The following leadership roles are available in school:

Head Girl - Year 6

3 Deputy Head Girls – Year 6

Charity ambassador – Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6

Diversity and Inclusion ambassador – Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6

Sustainability ambassador - Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6

Sport Leaders – Year 3 and Year 5

Music Ambassadors – Year 3 and Year 5

Forum Representative – one girl from each form from Year 1 through to Year 6

House Captains – Year 3 and Year 6

Digital Leaders – Year 3, 4, 5 and 6

Science Ambassadors – Year 2 and Year 5

Timing of the School Day, Registration and Absence

8.00 Girls may arrive at school from 8am. They should enter school via the pupil entrance.

8.45 Registration. Latecomers must enter school via Main Reception.

12.30 Morning Nursery session ends and girls leaving school can be collected from the Nursery playground gate.

Afternoon

15.00 Home time for Nursery girls. Parents should collect girls from the pupil entrance.

15.15 Home time for Reception girls. Parents should collect girls from the pupil entrance

16.00 Girls will be taken to the After School Club rooms. Any girl not collected by 16.00 will stay in the After School Club and a charge will be made.

Key Stage 1

Years 1 and 2

Morning

8.00 Girls may arrive at school from 8am. Girls should be brought to the pupil entrance.

8.45 Registration. Latecomers must enter school via Main Reception.

Afternoon

15.30 Home time for girls in Key Stage 1. Girls will be escorted to the Pupil entrance door. Any girls not collected by 15.40 will be taken to the Library and parents may enter school through Main Reception to collect their daughter.

16.00 Any girl not collected by 16.00 will be taken to After School Club and a charge will be made.

Lower Key Stage 2 Years

3 and 4

Morning

8.00 Girls may arrive at school from 8am. Girls are dropped off at the pupil entrance.

8.45 Registration. Latecomers must enter school via Main Reception.

Afternoon

15.40 Home time for girls in Lower Key Stage 2. Girls will be escorted to the Pupil entrance door. Any girls not collected by 15.50 will be taken to the Conference room and parents may enter school through Main Reception to collect their daughter.

16.00 Any girl not collected by 16.00 will be taken to After School Club and a charge will be made.

Timing of the School Day, Registration and Absence (continued)

Upper Key Stage

2 Years 5 and 6

Morning

8.00 Girls may arrive at school from 8am. Girls are dropped off at the pupil entrance.

8.45 Registration. Latecomers must enter school via Main Reception.

Afternoon

15.50 Home time for girls in Upper Key Stage 2. Girls will be escorted to the Pupil entrance door.

16.00 Any girl not collected by 16.00 will be taken to After School Club and a charge will be made.

After School Club (ASC)

After school care is provided between 16.00 and 18.00 at an additional charge per half hour with an optional additional charge for a snack tea. Girls may bring their own packed tea if required. Spaces are to be booked and paid for in advance via ParentPay. Spaces are limited so we recommend you book as far in advance as you are able. We can also take bookings up until 12 noon of the day required via ParentPay. If you have a last minute requirement after this point, please contact the Junior School Office.

For parents new to the school, you will receive your ParentPay activation code after your daughter has been admitted to the school. Therefore if you require After School Care for you daughter before receipt of this please contact the Junior School Office to make your bookings.

Morning Break

Girls are encouraged to bring a healthy snack to eat at morning break in a named small snack box. Fruit, raw vegetables and plain biscuits or cereal bars are suitable, but sweet snacks, chocolate or crisps are not allowed.

Milk is available at a small cost.

Travel to and from School

Newcastle High School for Girls is a ‘green’ school, proud of its Green Flag status, so we try wherever possible to promote more sustainable modes of transport. We run a number of daily coach services to the Senior School and regular shuttle services between our Senior School and Junior School sites.

Full details of the transport options available for travel to and from our school are available from Junior School Reception. Parking is limited on the Junior School site, we encourage you to use the bus service.

When attending any events at school including assemblies, parent conferences, Sports days, we request that you park off site.

Timing of the School Day, Registration and Absence (continued)

Registration and Punctuality

A pupil arriving between 8.45 and 9.00 is marked ‘Late before registers close’ and a pupil arriving after 9.00 is marked ‘Late after registration has closed’. If your daughter arrives late, she must enter school via the main Reception. Please inform the School by telephone or email if your daughter is going to arrive after 9.00.

Absence

Unplanned absence

If your daughter is not well enough to come to School in the morning (including days when she is due to go out on a school trip or visit), it is helpful if you can notify the School before 9.00 by telephone or email to Reception. If a girl is absent on a given morning without explanation and no information has been received, parents will be contacted by Reception, on the morning of the first day of absence.

Planned Absence

If the absence is planned because of a medical, dental or other appointment, you should inform the Class Teacher in home/school diary/by email/telephone in advance.

Leave of Absence (granted in exceptional circumstances)

Please note that school term-dates are published well in advance and parents are strongly requested not to take additional holidays during term time. If circumstances necessitate such a request, permission must be sought from the Head, Michael Tippett, well in advance of the requested leave of absence.

Please note that we do not set work for girls to do during any such absences.

Equipment in School

Girls may bring items related to the work they are doing in class, into school, with parental permission. Toys and precious belongings should not be brought into school as they could get lost or damaged.

We provide all the equipment your daughter needs in order to do her work, but girls from Reception may enjoy having their own items of stationery in school. Useful equipment would include…

 Pencil case with writing pencils, coloured pencils, pencil sharpener and a good quality eraser.

 From Year 3, girls will begin to write in fountain pen and are encouraged to write in blue ink with a cartridge or handwriting pen. Ball point pens are not allowed.

 Felt-tip pens.

 30cm strong ruler, marked in centimetres for girls in Years 1 and 2 and centimetres and millimetres for older girls.

 Pritt Stick

Equipment should be clearly marked with your daughter’s name.

Early closure (e.g. arising from severe weather)

In circumstances such as severe weather or school closure, mentioned above, we also communicate with parents as soon as possible with relevant information. We do this in other circumstances too, for example, if we have to cancel an event at the last minute or when other situations arise during which we need to get a message to a large number of parents quickly.

We do this in the following ways:

(1) We send a text to one nominated person per family. If you have not already nominated the person you wish to receive texts from NHSG or if the nominated mobile number has changed or is incorrect, please let us know.

(2) Our second stage of communication in these circumstances is to email parents and therefore it is also important that we have your correct email details.

(3) Events that impact upon the whole school such as School closure are posted on the front page of the School Website, www.newcastlehigh.gdst.net

(4) We also have a dedicated information line which is separate from the normal switchboard number. If you are concerned that the School may be closed you can dial 0191 201 6799 for the latest information via a recorded message. Please do not use this line for any other purpose.

Lunches and Co-curricular Activities

Lunches

All girls from Nursery to Year 6 take school lunch. The cost of this is added to the school fees.

Please let us know if your daughter has any dietary requirements.

Co-curricular activities

The School runs a wide range of co-curricular activities, most of which take place before or after-school. Information about the co-curricular activities on offer and how to enrol your daughter will be issued at the end of each term for the following term.

If you require any information about our co-curricular programme or a comprehensive list of all activities, please check the bulletin or contact Reception.

Educational Visits: consent arrangements

Parents are asked to complete and return the Educational Visits Consent Form.

Girls are not permitted to go on any trips in a given academic year if the completed, signed Annual Consent Form is not held on file at School.

Once this consent form is in place, however, you will not be asked to consent to your daughter’s participation in other local trips and visits or day trips within the UK, although you will be informed by letter/email of when they are taking place and given the opportunity to withdraw your consent if you wish.

You will be asked to complete an ‘Update Consent Form’ – which allows you to pass on any changes to your contact details or information about your daughter, such as medical or dietary issues - shortly in advance of every trip which involves an overnight stay. This is because our procedures require both the Annual Form and the Update Form to be in place for all residential visits.

Homework

Homework timetables will be issued at the beginning of the academic year. Homework is given as practice, in order to reinforce work done in class and keep parents steadily informed of their daughter’s progress.

Parental help and co-operation with homework is appreciated. Please inform your daughter’s teacher through the Home – School Diary, if she is having particular difficulty with her homework.

Assessment

Teachers will constantly monitor the progress of pupils across the curriculum and the results of assessments will be used to inform target setting. If, at any time, we have concerns about the progress your daughter is making, you will be contacted.

Special Educational Needs

At NHSG we aim to provide high quality teaching and learning experiences which enable and inspire all girls to achieve success. We aim to integrate pupils with Special Educational Needs and identify any specific support that might be required as soon as possible through close liaison between the SENCO and the teaching staff.

The School has a designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. In order to inform teachers of how best to support pupils within the classroom, an Individual Profile will be produced which will highlight individual support strategies. It is important that parents of new entrants to the

School forward any existing assessment documentation (eg dyslexia screening reports, letters from medical consultants) directly to the SENCO.

Parents will be informed initially by their daughter’s Form Teacher of any concerns or difficulties their daughter may be experiencing and this will be monitored by the SENCO and class teachers and supported through differentiation in classroom activities. As part of our continuous assessment, staff may assess whether a pupil may have an underlying problem that may be hindering the learning process. In some cases, it is necessary to involve the expertise of outside agencies and the SENCO will advise parents if further professional assessment or support is required. The GDST advises that any additional costs incurred by the use of external agencies must be met by parents and is not part of the fees paid to the School.

All the staff at NHSG work together in liaison with parents to ensure that all the girls in our care are given the best possible advice and support to enable each individual to reach her full potential.

Girls with Disabilities

It is our policy to make reasonable adjustments for girls with disabilities. If your daughter does have any special requirements, or the nature of her existing requirements changes, please contact the SENCO or School Nurse depending on the nature of the disability.

School Uniform and Appearance

Junior School Uniform

We rely on parents’ help in promoting the smart appearance of their daughters, particularly as regards skirt length (which is on or just above the knee) and heel height on shoes. Girls should wear flat shoes (not slip-ons).

Parents and girls are also asked to observe the following requirements:

 Make up and nail varnish should not be worn.

 Coloured hair wraps and coloured hair extensions are not permitted.

 No jewellery should be brought to School or worn with School uniform.

 No earrings may be worn, except one pair of gold or silver studs which must be removed for any physical activities. Girls must be able to remove them and put them back in themselves.

 Watches may be worn in School provided they are named.

 Hair should be tied back and all hair accessories should be black or the teal and white options available exclusively from our uniform supplier.

 Open toed shoes, slip-on shoes and sandals should not be worn.

School cannot be responsible for loss or damage to watches and earrings and, for this reason, we recommend that girls should not wear high value items to school.

We ask that you ensure that your daughter wears her uniform correctly both in and out of School as each girl is an ambassador for Newcastle High School for Girls.

All girls should arrive in School every morning in full uniform unless they have PE that day, in which case they are allowed to arrive in their PE kit.

School uniform and PE kit are supplied through Schoolblazer.

Please note that following a full review of the school uniform and PE kit during 2021-22, our new uniform items will come into effect from September 2022. However there will be a 24 month transition period before any new uniform items become compulsory i.e. by September 2024. Please bear this in mind before making any purchases. In addition to buying uniform from our suppliers, you can also purchase good quality preloved uniform directly from the School (please see details below).

NHSG New Uniform Web: www.schoolblazer.com

Email: customerservices@schoolblazer.com

Helpline: 0333 7000 703

Monday - Friday 9.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m., Saturday 9.00 a.m. -5.00 p.m.

Our new uniform items will be available from Schoolblazer at the above link (alongside some of our legacy uniform items that are only subtly different from the new ones which will be continue to be sold at a discount to the new items until all stocks are exhausted).

School Uniform and Appearance (continued)

NHSG preloved school uniform shop

You can purchase good quality preloved uniform items from our online shop:

newcastlehighschool.square.site

Please note that the uniform or PE items can all be purchased through Schooblazer. Unless the item is marked with an *, which indicates that the item is available exclusively from Schoolblazer, items may also be purchased from other outlets.

EYFS AND Key Stage 1 (Nursery to Year 2)

Compulsory

Blazer*

Teal with school crest

Stormproof coat* Black with school crest

Pinafore Dress (winter)* Teal/black plaid OR

Full length polywool trousers Plain grey: can be worn as an alternative to pinafore/summer dress

Cardigan* or V necked jumper* Teal

Long/short sleeved blouse Plain white revere, no school crest

Dress (summer) * Teal striped

Socks or tights (winter) Black knee length socks or black tights

Socks (summer) White (knee or ankle length), with summer dress

Shoes Black, laced, buckle or Velcro, flat soled (no ballet pumps or slip-ons)

Backpack* Black with school crest

Optional

Hair accessories Teal and white*, if purchased from Schoolblazer, or plain black

Rainproof cagoule Black

Sun hat* White legionnaires cap with school crest

Art overalls Green option available from Schoolblazer* or an old shirt

Scarf* Black with school crest from Schoolblazer or plain black

Fleece hat* Black with school crest from Schoolblazer or plain black

Gloves Black

Nursery girls should not bring a bag to school every day. They only need to bring a named water bottle which can be put straight into the box when they arrive. In addition nursery girls will need:

 A spare change of clothes (including underwear and socks) which should be kept in a draw string swimming bag on their peg. We will use this to transport any wet or soiled clothes to you as necessary.

 A sun hat or winter hat, scarf and gloves which will be kept in their tray at school so they can use it whenever needed. This is particularly important on Tuesdays when they are outside all morning and can also bring warm socks to put on with their wellies. Sun cream can be kept in tray if necessary, however we encourage parents to use a long lasting sun cream which they can apply in the morning before school.

Reception girls should bring a school bag in which they can transport their snack* and water bottle to school every day. If preferred this can be the draw string swimming bag which is smaller to carry than the ruck sacks and also fits on a peg. They can keep spare clothes in their bag if needed and can keep hats etc in their trays as for Nursery girls.

In addition to the above Nursery girls will bring a class library book home every week and Reception will bring their reading folder and a library book twice per week.

Junior School Uniform and Appearance (continued)

Please note that the uniform or PE items can all be purchased through Schooblazer. Unless the item is marked with an *, which indicates that the item is available exclusively from Schoolblazer, items may also be purchased from other outlets.

Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

Compulsory

Blazer* Teal with school crest

Stormproof coat* Black with school crest

Skirt* Teal/black plaid

OR

Full length polywool trousers Plain grey: can be worn as an alternative to skirt/summer dress

Cardigan* or v necked jumper* Teal

Long/short sleeved blouse Plain white revere blouse, no school crest

Dress (summer) * Teal striped

Socks or tights Plain black knee length socks or black tights

Socks (summer) Plain white (knee or ankle length), with summer dress

Shoes Black, laced, buckle or Velcro, flat soled (no ballet pumps or slip-ons)

Active Backpack* Black with school crest

Optional

Hair accessories

Teal and white*, if purchased from Schoolblazer, or plain black

Rainproof cagoule Black

Sun hat* White legionnaires cap with school crest

Art overalls Green option available from Schoolblazer* or an old shirt

Scarf* Black with school crest from Schoolblazer or plain black

Fleece hat* Black with school crest from Schoolblazer or plain black

Gloves Plain Black

Compulsory miscellaneous item to be purchased from own choice of local retailer

Headphones All Year Groups (standard 3.5mm headphone jack)

Junior School Uniform and Appearance (continued)

Please note that the uniform or PE items can all be purchased through Schooblazer. Unless the item is marked with an *, which indicates that the item is available exclusively from Schoolblazer, items may also be purchased from other outlets.

PE Kit

EYFS and Key Stage 1 (Nursery to Year 2)

Compulsory

Fitness T shirt* Teal with school crest

Midlayer top* Teal with school crest

Cycling Shorts * Black with school crest

Training pants* Black with school crest

Ankle Socks White

Gym shoes Black with Velcro fasteners

Swim/Stuff bag* Black with crest

Active Backpack* Black with school crest

Optional

Active Jacket* Black with pro viz school crest and name

Hockey Socks* Teal and white hoops

Sports Bag* Black with school crest

Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

Compulsory

Fitness T shirt* Teal with school crest

Midlayer top* Teal with school crest

Training pants* Black with school crest

Skort* Black and teal with school crest

Cycling shorts* or PE shorts* Black with school crest

Swimming hat* Teal with school crest

Swimming costume Plain black

Hockey socks* Teal and white hoops

Gym shoes Black with Velcro fasteners

Swim/Stuff bag* Black with crest

Optional

Sports Bag* Black with school crest

Fitness leggings* Black with school crest

Netball socks Plain white

Active Jacket* Black with pro viz school crest and name

Base layer top Plain black

Limitless adjustable sports bra A variety of colours are available

Dance Hoodie* Black with school crest

Dance leotard Plain black

Dance leggings Plain black

Dance T-shirt Plain black

All of the above PE items should be kept by each girl in her named stuff bag or sports bag.

Property, Mobile Phones, Drinking Water

Girls’ Property

All property, including articles of clothing, PE kit and other equipment, musical instruments, purses, watches, etc., must be clearly marked with the owner's name.

Items of a high monetary or sentimental value must not be brought into School except in exceptional circumstances. (see Money).

Please note that School cannot take responsibility for loss of or damage to personal items.

Mobile Telephones and other Electronic Devices (tablets, iPods, etc.)

No mobile phones should be brought into School unless written permission has been received from parents. Permission will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. All phones must be handed into Reception on arrival and collected at the end of the day.

Girls may bring Kindles or e-readers into School for reading purposes. We ask that any access to the internet be switched off.

Lost Property

If a girl loses something, she should search thoroughly for it, then inform her Class Teacher if the item cannot be found. Please ensure all your daughter’s property is named.

School Property

Damage to school property must be paid for by the pupil who causes it.

Money

You are asked not to give your daughter money to bring to School unless there is a specific reason. When money is needed, parents will be told in advance and a suggested amount named. Any money brought into School must be in a named purse.

Water bottles and drinking water

Girls may bring a plastic water bottle into School, which may be re-filled throughout the day. Girls are permitted to take a drink of water at any time of the day, including during lessons, if they feel the need.

The exception to this rule is in the library, and when using IT equipment, where food and drink are not permitted for Health and Safety reasons or to protect the books and equipment. No hot drinks may be brought into School.

Medical Issues and the School Nurse

Medical Information

The School Nurse, Mrs Victoria Wilson RN/child branch is based at Senior School. Parents may ring her to discuss any issues. Nurse Wilson visits Junior School on a regular basis.

Medical Records and Health Checks

For every new entrant who starts in September a Health Record should be completed and signed by a parent or guardian and returned to School no later than the end of the preceding summer term. Girls who start at other times of year should return this completed form as soon as possible after enrolling. All pupils have a health-check in Reception. During these checks height and weight are monitored. If there is anything you wish to discuss with the Nurse before your daughter is seen, the Nurse is very happy to speak to/meet parents. The School Nurse will also conduct health assessments of new girls who join in Years other than Reception. Parents are notified of the date of the health assessment but it is usually not necessary for parents to be present. If the assessment reveals anything requiring attention, this will be notified by letter, with the recommendation to consult the family doctor. All children in Reception have a hearing test in the first term.

Health Care Plans

These are arranged with the parent, health professional and School as necessary for girls with medical conditions requiring special attention, particularly in an emergency e.g. Anaphylaxis, Diabetes, Asthma and Epilepsy.

Prescription Medicine

If it is necessary to send medication into School this must be clearly labelled and sent, with written instructions on the administration of the medicine, to Mrs Bowman.

This should be in a dispensed container with the girl’s name, name of medicine, directions for use and the date of dispensing. Non-prescription medicine should also be in the original container with instructions for usage.

Asthma

Girls with asthma are encouraged to participate in all School activities unless parents request otherwise. Please ensure that girls have their inhalers with them at all times, clearly marked with their name. We ask that parents send a spare inhaler to School with written instructions. Parents are responsible for providing the inhalers to be kept in School and need to note the expiry date of the inhaler and replace it when necessary. First Aiders will supervise the use of inhalers by asthmatics

From 1st October 2014 the Human medicines (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2014 allows schools to buy salbutamol inhalers, without prescription, for use in emergencies. The emergency salbutamol inhaler should only be used by children for whom written parental consent for use of the emergency inhaler has been given, who have either been diagnosed with asthma and prescribed an inhaler, or who have been.

Medical issues and the School Nurse (continued)

prescribed an inhaler as reliever medication. Information and consent forms will be sent to parents who have informed us their daughter has an inhaler. Further information will be available on firefly.

Anaphylaxis

Epipens and anti-histamines should also be sent with instructions in writing for girls likely to suffer anaphylactic shock. Parents are responsible for providing an epi-pen and antihistamines to be kept in School and need to note the expiry date of the medication and replace it when necessary.

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)

The Nurse supports teaching staffing the delivery of PSHE. She covers a range of subjects including sex and relationships, hygiene and healthy eating. She is also available to talk to girls about other issues that may be affecting them.

Immunisations

The School works closely with the Primary Care Trust NHS community team on immunisation programmes such as the influenza programme for Years 1 and 2.

First Aid and Illness during the School Day

Any accident should be reported to the class teacher or member of staff immediately. Trained First Aiders are available to assess injuries and give first aid. Parents will be notified if necessary and always in the case of a bump to the head and /or face and teeth.

Any girl who feels ill should report this to her class teacher or the member of staff on duty. Parents are contacted if girls feel unwell for any length of time and will be asked to collect their daughters. In the case or infectious illness parents are asked to keep their daughter at home until completely well. If a girl contracts headlice please inform School as soon as possible. There is further information on Firefly on common conditions such as head lice, verrucae and threadworms.

If your daughter has been absent from School because of vomiting or diarrhoea, please note that she needs to be absent for an additional 48 hours after she has become symptom free, to prevent the spread of infection.

Policy information

Pupil Code of Behaviour

The pupil Code of Behaviour is part of the Discipline and Behaviour for Learning Policy. At the beginning of the academic year, and at other times, staff go through the Code of Behaviour with the girls so they are fully aware of its contents. This includes our system of sanctions and rewards.

Pupils who breach the Behaviour for Learning Policy and Pupil Code of Behaviour whilst on school business, will be dealt with in the same manner as if the incident had taken place in School.

For incidents that take place outside of School and not on school business, these policies will still apply if there is a clear link between that behaviour and maintaining good behaviour and discipline among the pupil body as a whole. This includes bullying behaviour within the school community, behaviour in the immediate vicinity of the School or on a journey to or from School, or online or using other electronic devices such as mobile phones.

A copy of the Discipline and Behaviour for Learning Policy and the Pupils’ Code of Behaviour is available on Firefly.

ICT Acceptable Use Agreement and Related Policies

The ICT Acceptable Use Agreement is issued to all new pupils on entry to the School and to current pupils whenever it is revised and updated by the School or GDST. It contains guidelines concerning the use of ICT in and out of School. Any infringement of the ICT Acceptable Use Agreement is taken seriously and may result in sanctions being imposed.

Although not connected to school business, behaviour out of school hours which breaches the ICT Acceptable Use Agreement – such as nasty messages sent by text, email or through social media - will be dealt with in the same way as if the behaviour had taken place in school hours.

We ask you to monitor your daughter’s use of electronic communication and all messaging and social networking sites.

Photographs and Publicity

Photographs of pupils are used for a variety of publications including the School prospectus, website and social media, press statements and in our regular newsletters. Full contact details of pupils are not published.

To give consent for photographs or videos to be used, parents are asked to sign and return the letter relating to Photographs and Videos Consent Form, which is issued when your daughter joins the School or when it is updated by the School or GDST.

If after giving your consent your wishes change, please put this in writing to the Head of Junior School.

Policies

The following policies will be available on the NHSG website and Firefly.

Admissions

 Anti-bullying

 Child Protection

 Discipline and Behaviour for Learning Policy

 Eating disorders

 Equal Opportunities

 First Aid & Illness

 GDST Complaints Procedure

 GDST Exclusions Policy