Sixth Form Parents' Information Booklet 2023-24

Contents

Page 5: Our values

Page 6: Safeguarding statement

Pages 7-11: 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 Reports

o Calendar

o Pupil planner

Pages 12-13: Pastoral Organisation

o Buddy system (Years 7 and 12)

o Houses

o PSHE

o School Forum

Pages 14-16: Timing of the School Day, Registration and Absence

o The School Day

o Travel to and from School

o Registration and punctuality

o Absence

Page 17: Term Dates

Page 18: Lunches, co-curricular activities

Page 20: Instrumental and vocal tuition

Page 21: Speech and Drama Tuition

Contents (continued)

Page 22: Educational visits consent arrangements

Pages 23: Homework and Internal Examinations

Page 24: Special Educational Needs

o SEN

o Pupils with disabilities

Pages 25-26: Dress Code and Sportswear

o Sixth Form Dress Code

o Sportswear

o Sportswear Supplier

Pages 27-29: Property, BYOD, Mobile Phones, Lockers

o Pupils’ property

o Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

o Mobile Phones and other devices

o Lockers

o Lost Property

o School Property

o Money

o Borrowing money in emergencies

o Water bottles and drinking water

Contents (continued)

Pages 31-33: Medical Issues and the School Nurse

o School Nurse

o Medical Records and Health Checks

o Illness and Accidents

o Medication in School

o Prescription medicines

o Asthma

o Health Care Plans

o PSHE

o Counselling in School

o External Agencies

Page 35: Policy Information

o Pupil Code of Behaviour

o ICT Acceptable Use Agreement

Page 43: List of policies available

Pages 44-45: Pastoral Information in planners and where to turn to for help

Our values, Mission, and Values

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 our values:

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

Newcastle High School for Girls

Tankerville Terrace

Jesmond

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE2 3BA

Telephone

Telephone number: 0191 281 1768

Email: seniorschooloffice@ncl.gdst.net

The Senior School Reception is open from 8.00 to 18.00. Staff are available to answer the telephone 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 281 1768.

In person

There is someone on duty at Reception from 8.00 until 18.00. We ask all parents (and other relatives or family friends) to enter School via Reception. Please note it is not possible to guarantee a meeting with a specific member of staff if you turn up at Reception without a prior appointment.

Telephone messages for your daughter

The School Office is able to pass on messages to your child in exceptional circumstances, or if you are unable to contact her by another means. Please remember that pupils in Years 7-10 should not be using their mobile phones during school hours, and should not contact you directly if they feel unwell or need to speak to you for a specific reason. Under these circumstances, pupils should speak to the office staff, the School Nurse or their Head of Year who will contact home on their behalf

Email

You are able to email the office or individual members of staff. Please see below for more guidance about who is the best person to contact regarding specific issues.

Please bear in mind that teachers have a wide range of duties during the school day, including, of course, timetabled lessons, and are not generally ‘office-based’. We ask our teachers to check their emails at least once a day during term-time, but this may mean that there is a delay between receipt and reply.

In addition, outside the normal school day, we appreciate that our teachers will be managing their marking, lesson preparation and other school commitments alongside family and personal life. We therefore have a policy which requires our teachers not to send or respond to work-related emails between 19.00 in the evening and 07.00 on the next school day. We hope that you will be understanding of this policy and not expect teachers to have read or to respond to emails during these hours.

In school-holiday time, teachers check their emails on a more infrequent basis. Therefore, if your request requires urgent attention please telephone the school office.

Staff email addresses consist of their first initial, stop, surname plus @ncl.gdst.net, for example a.staffmember@ncl.gdst.net, etc.

Contacting specific members of staff

Pastoral Concerns

If you need to discuss pastoral concerns, your first port of call should usually be the Form Teacher. The Form 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 Mrs Harrison, Director of Sixth Form, h.harrison@ncl.gdst.net in the same way.

If the concern relates to medical issues, please contact our School Nurse, Vicki Wilson: v.wilson@ncl.gdst.net

Academic Concerns

If the concern relates to a specific subject, it is usually best to contact the Subject Teacher in the first instance. Depending on the nature of the concern, it may then be appropriate to involve the relevant Head of Department as well.

Greg Bignot MFL

Nina Cameron Classics

Anna Dobson Drama

Laura Dodd RS & Philosophy

Sarah Emmett English

Antonia Estevez-

Blanca Spanish

Cheryl Gibb Business Studies

Alison Goldie Art

Andrew Gouge Economics

David Hyde History & Politics

Debbie Hylton Dance

Shan Lane Mandarin

Sarah Mawhinney Geography

Andrew Morton Physics

Sarah Penny

Director of Partnerships and CoCurricular

Christopher Reed Chemistry

Ann Robinson Psychology

Judith Tasker Maths

Katie Waters Music

Emma Waton Science and Biology

Lee Willis ICT & Computing

If the concern relates to academic concerns across a number of subjects, please contact the Form Teacher or Mrs Harrison, Director of Sixth Form.

If you are concerned that your child may have a special educational need that you want to discuss, please contact our SENDCO, Mr Harrison: d.harrison@ncl.gdst.net

Safeguarding Concerns

If you have a safeguarding concern, you should contact Mrs Franks-Doyle as the Designated Safeguarding Lead. If it is an emergency and Mrs Franks-Doyle is not immediately available, you can contact one of the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads in Senior School: Nurse Wilson, Mrs Hardie, Miss Penny or Mrs Harrison.

General/Miscellaneous Concerns

For any general queries or concerns, or if you are not sure who to contact, please contact the School Office in the first instance and they will direct you to the appropriate member of staff:

seniorschooloffice@ncl.gdst.net

Contacting the Head

Mrs Hardie (Acting Head) is also happy to communicate with parents about particular issues if required. However, in most cases it would be more appropriate to follow the communication routes set out above, as these are the staff best placed to deal with specific issues, and it is likely that she would need to ask another member of staff to look into your concerns in the first instance.

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.

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 Mrs Hardie 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 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: Parents’ Conferences

Each Sixth Form Year Group has one Parents’ Conference each year. In addition, a Parents Conference by appointment is offered to Year 13 following their mock examinations where need is identified. However, if you have significant concerns in relation to your daughter’s learning in a particular subject, please don’t wait until the Parents’ Conference to raise these, as appointments only last five minutes and so they are not suitable to discuss more detailed issues.

Pupils in all years are invited to attend the conference with their parents. Parents’ meetings are a form of verbal “full report” and dialogue and we do encourage you to make every effort to attend your daughter’s conference.

The conference gives you and your daughter the opportunity to discuss progress with subject teachers and pastoral staff, such as Form Teacher and Director of Sixth Form. The Parents’ Conference for your daughter will usually be in a different term from the full report.

As well as the Annual Parents’ Conferences to discuss progress, some Year Groups have additional parents’ meetings throughout the year, covering topics such as GCSE and A Level Choices, Digital Safety, and Mental Health Awareness, among other things. These events may take place online or face to face.

Communication with Parents: Reports

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

Termly Pupil Progress Reports

Every term, pupil progress in each subject is reported in terms of grade and effort. These are discussed with Form Tutors in individual PDP sessions during registration.

Annual full reports

In addition to the half-termly work and effort grades, every pupil receives one full report each year. This report contains work grades and a written comment for each of your daughter’s subjects including a section on achievements and a section containing targets. There are also contributions from her Head of Year.

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 18).

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.

Pupil Planner, merits and demerits

At the beginning of the Autumn term your daughter is provided with both a Sixth Form planner and a Study Guide where appropriate. In the planner, she records her homework for each lesson and any other deadlines or useful information. This is especially useful in the Sixth Form as it details key dates for university applications, external examination deadlines as well as hints and tips for successful study.

The planner is also used as part of our Behaviour for Learning system. This system includes merits which are awarded for displaying our school values in some way (excellence, integrity, individuality, opportunity and community). Teachers can reward merits by using a merit stamp in the Pupil Planner. Form teachers check planners on a fortnightly basis and record the merits electronically in our Sims system. Parents can then see how many merits have been awarded through the Firefly Parent Portal.

If pupils are awarded a certain number of merits, they move up our Rewards Pyramid throughout the year through a series of commendations. At each point, parents will be alerted that their daughter has achieved a commendation, and these achievements will also be celebrated in Year Group or Whole School Assemblies.

These individual rewards feed into a collective rewards system, linked to the form class, year group, and House system, with prizes awarded at the end of each term for collective achievements.

Alongside our rewards system, we have sanctions. Demerits are a low-level sanction which staff allocate by issuing a demerit stamp in the calendar pages of the planner. Demerits may be given for a range of low-level misdemeanours, such as failing to submit homework on time, dress code infringements, eating outside of the Dining Hall, or being on mobile phones for personal use between 8.35-3.50 when not in the Common Room. Staff will also record demerits on Sims, so you as parents can see this information via the Firefly Parent Portal.

If pupils are given five demerits for five separate misdemeanours in one term, e.g. one for homework, one for chewing gum, one for mobile phone use etc., this will trigger a lunchtime detention. If pupils are given a demerit for the same misdemeanour on two separate occasions in one term, e.g. homework is handed in late twice, this will also automatically trigger a lunchtime detention.

Under certain circumstances such as continued lateness, not adhering to the dress code or not completing set work, Sixth Form pupils may be asked to attend a Friday night detention session which is from 4pm-5pm.

Sixth Form pupils are also issued with a Study Guide which allows them to plan their workload and also record the outside reading and study that they complete which is necessary for successful study at A Level. Information regarding this extra reading is available on Firefly and is updated as necessary, following the scheme of work being studied in each subject. It is really important for pupils to record the extra reading and study that they carry out as this is discussed with Form Tutors during registration.

Pastoral organisation

Houses

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

- Acadia

- Carpathia

- Mauretania

- Turbinia

House events are held regularly throughout the year and many opportunities are offered for the pupils to get to know and work together with members of the House in different Forms from them and different Year Groups.

The Houses are led by members of the Sixth Form Leadership Team and pupils in each year have every opportunity to put themselves forward as a House Rep.

PSHE

A programme of Personal, Social and Health Education is delivered to all pupils in Years 12 and13. These are weekly sessions usually led by your daughter’s Form Teacher.

Occasionally the sessions will consist of whole Year Group assemblies or other activities with outside speakers.

The aim of PSHE is to help pupils to develop in such a way as to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life; they are encouraged to develop skills in listening to others and confidence in putting forward their own view.

Relationship and Sex Education (RSE)

Within PSHE, pupils also cover Relationship and Sex Education, as per the DfE’s statutory requirements.

RSE is lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development. It is about teaching sex, sexuality and sexual health in a way that is fully understood and effectively retained by the pupils in our care. This includes a focus on good health, the value of selfesteem in making choices and judgements, the nature of healthy and consensual relationships, and knowledge about how the body works, all within a context of moral issues and values.

The purpose of RSE is to give pupils information to help them to lead healthy and safe lifestyles and to care and respect their bodies. We provide them with the right tools to enable them to seek information or support should they need to, both during their school years and beyond.

This teaching is not intended to replace advice or guidance which is received at home, but to supplement and broaden knowledge and understanding.

If parents would like to find out more about what is covered in RSE, or to offer feedback, please find the policy in full, alongside schemes of work for each year group, on the school website.

Forum (School Council)

In NHSG, the School Council and the structures that support it are known as “The Forum”.

All pupils are involved in the Forum through regular Form Councils, Year Councils and the Forum meetings themselves, as well as feedback assemblies to each Year Group. In addition to this cyclical system there are regular Sub-groups, open to everyone, on a range of issues.

The Forum provides structured opportunities for all pupils to have their say on almost every aspect of school-life, including teaching and learning, diversity and inclusion, sustainability issues, the School’s approach to mental health, or the updating of school policies such as those relating to behaviour.

Timing of the School Day, Registration and Absence

Timing of the School Day

Then as Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

The School opens at 8.00.

The school day starts formally with registration at 8.35 and ends at 15.50. Sixth Form pupils are able to leave school at 14:45 if they have a study period last lesson – they MUST sign out at reception.

The only exceptions to this are if your child is out of School ‘officially’, such as on a schooltrip or fixture, or examination study leave for older Year Groups, or in response to formal requests from parents received by staff in School and approved in advance.

At the end of the day, pupils may work quietly in the Sixth Form Library until 18.00.

Travel to and from School

Newcastle High School for Girls is proud to be a ‘green’ school, so we try wherever possible to promote more sustainable modes of transport. Our Senior School is located at the south end of Tankerville Terrace in Jesmond and is easily accessible by Metro from either Jesmond (4-minute walk) or West Jesmond (5-minute walk) metro stations. We run a number of daily bus services to both Senior School and Junior School and run 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 can be found by following this online link. https://newcastlehigh.vectare.co.uk/

Registration and Punctuality

All pupils in Sixth Form are expected to be present in time for registration at 8.35. They will receive late marks if they are not punctual.

Attendance and absence

Regular attendance is vital because any absence has the potential to affect the quality of your daughter’s learning and, at times, her social integration and interaction with her peers.

Your daughter will benefit most from the opportunities offered by NHSG by always attending school and so 100% attendance is expected.

We monitor attendance closely, with Form Teachers and the Director of Sixth Form scrutinising the figures actively to look for patterns. The pupils are informed of their attendance percentage at the end of each half-term, and a comment may be made relating to this in her annual Full Report.

An average attendance figure of below 95% causes us concern as it is the equivalent to one session – either morning or afternoon – off school each fortnight; 90% represents one morning or afternoon off each week; and then every 5% drop in the figures represents the equivalent of another half-day off school each fortnight. In cases when attendance does drop, we follow a protocol in School which will usually include making contact with you to discuss the situation and next steps. We may also inform the Local Authority if there is no improvement in your child’s attendance following these initial discussions, in keeping with the national Safeguarding requirements that all schools must adhere to.

Unplanned absence

We understand that unplanned absence does occur, related in particular to illness. Please see below for the procedure to follow should such an absence be necessary. We would ask you, though, to exercise judgement about whether your daughter needs to be off for minor ailments: although there are particular protocols to follow around illnesses connected to vomiting and diarrhoea – keep the student off school until 48 hours have elapsed since they have become symptom-free.

Planned absence

We would ask that planned absence be kept to a minimum, with medical and other appointments arranged around the school day if possible, to reduce the amount of time off school which might be needed.

Term-time leave of absence or holidays

Similarly, it is our expectation that parents will not take their children out of School for holidays which fall within our published term-dates. We are required to follow the Department for Education’s ‘School attendance Guidance for maintained schools, academies, independent schools and local authorities’ (August 2020), which states that ‘Head teachers should only authorise leave of absence in exceptional circumstances’. Term-time holiday would not normally be regarded as ‘exceptional circumstances’. Therefore it will be unlikely that the School would be able to authorise requests for term-time holiday, other than in truly exceptional circumstances.

Term dates for the following academic year are normally set and published by the end of November of the preceding academic year. Parents are asked to note these dates and share them with partners and relatives who may be booking holidays on their behalf so that bookings during term-time may be avoided.

All requests for leave of absence in exceptional circumstances should be made in writing to the Head for pupils in Years 7-13. All requests should be made in advance and in good time for the Head to make a considered response.

Should a pupil have leave of absence from School, whether authorised or unauthorised, teachers will not normally set personalised work but the pupil will need to take the initiative to obtain work and to catch up.

Absence procedures

Unplanned absence

If child 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 emailing Seniorabsence@ncl.gdst.net or telephoning Reception. If a pupil 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, and subsequent days if notice of absence has not been provided by parents.

Planned Absence

If the absence is planned because of a medical, dental or other appointment, you should inform School in writing, by email (seniorabsence@ncl.gdst.net) or telephone (0191 281 1768) in advance.

Term Dates 2023-2024

Lunches and Co-curricular Activities

Lunches

All pupils in Years 7 to 13 take school lunch. The termly cost of this is added to the school fees.

Co-curricular activities

The School runs a wide range of co-curricular activities which are run by staff and members of the 6th Form. These activities take place before school, at lunchtime or afterschool. Every term we produce a co-curricular timetable which is communicated to pupils

and parents. Details are also given via Year Group Teams and announcements during Form Times and assemblies.

Information about our co-curricular programme or a comprehensive list of all activities will be available through SOCs (an electronic calendar system) and details will be sent to you in due course.

We expect everyone in school to take part in the co-curricular schedule. Co-curricular activities promote passion and excitement and offer pupils the opportunity to broaden their horizons and develop their skills, as well as to interact across different year groups In addition, they require effective time management, helping pupils develop the ability to prioritise opposing responsibilities.

Instrumental and vocal tuition, 2023-2024

In Newcastle High School for Girls we have enormous opportunities to study a plethora of musical instruments. These are taught by our peripatetic tutors, all of which are carefully selected. We are proud to have some of the region’s finest musicians teach in our department. Pupils who learn instruments then have the chance to participate in NHSG’s wonderful, high class ensembles, including Orchestra, Jazz Band, Choir, Chamber Choir and Rock and Pop Ensemble. It is impressed upon pupils that when they learn an instrument they also attend an ensemble to maximise their involvement.

In Years 7-9 pupils are taught on a rota to avoid missing the same lesson too frequently, a system which is highly successful. In Years 10-13, pupils will be taught during lunchtimes and before and after school, to avoid missing lessons. Pupils will be required to inform teachers of their lesson times and to take responsibility for having their planner signed by their instrumental teacher to ensure that all parties are aware of when a pupil needs to leave class.

This is a fabulous opportunity for the pupils here to gain a skill that could last the rest of their lifetime and provide them with endless enjoyment, as well as many opportunities. These include playing in the wide range of instrumental and vocal ensembles that NHSG has to offer and taking advantage of numerous performance activities both internally and externally.

Further to that, as each pupil begins to achieve grades in her instrument, this is something which will prove a valuable addition to a CV or UCAS Personal Statement, with the higher grades even providing additional UCAS points. Instrumental ability is highly regarded by all universities, as it shows a commitment to regular practice, use of the intellect, and a high level of co-ordination.

The following instruments can be studied at NHSG:

Piano Flute Trumpet Classical Guitar

Violin Oboe Trombone Electric Guitar

Viola Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar

Cello Saxophone Bassoon Singing Acoustic Guitar

Lessons last for 30 minutes, and are generally taught individually. Some teachers may take on pairs or even groups at their discretion (generally only if similar ability students are available). Lessons during 2023-24 will be charged at £210 for a series of ten, payable at the start of each term direct to the teacher. Ten lessons’ notice (or ten lessons’ fees in lieu) is required to terminate lessons. If a teacher misses a lesson it will be made up at a later date. Unfortunately, teachers cannot undertake to make up lessons missed by pupils who are absent from School, or who fail to attend for any other reason.

To register to begin lessons in any of the instruments listed, please confirm your requirement by completing the section in the electronic information forms we have asked you to complete by Friday 30th June.

We cannot guarantee a September start for pupils whose forms are returned after this date.

If your child already has lessons at NHSG Junior/Senior School, you do not need to reapply using the enclosed form; lessons will continue automatically unless you have given your child’s teacher the appropriate written notice of cancellation or unless the peripatetic teacher will no longer be working at NHSG Senior School.

If your child’s teacher is not listed and you would like them to continue lessons on their instrument please complete the electronic form referred to above.

The following staff will be giving Instrumental and Vocal tuition in NHSG from September:

Ms Alessandra Amorino (flute)

Ms Annie Ball (piano)

Mr Gary Cowey (saxophone, clarinet, piano)

Ms Amy Robson (singing)

Ms Emma Hughes (guitar)

Mr Alistair Lord (brass)

Mr David Lourie (Drum Kit)

Mrs Alison Northey (piano)

Mr Jonathon Trevor (violin, viola, piano)

Mr Andy Watt (guitar)

Ms Penny Kempson (violin/viola)

Any questions regarding instrumental and vocal tuition should be directed to Mrs Waters, Head of Music, k.waters@ncl.gdst.net

Speech and Drama tuition, 2023-24

Speech and Drama lessons are open to every pupil in the School, both those who have previous experience of (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) examinations, and those who have not chosen to have lessons in previous years. The lessons are open to all, regardless of their ability or experience.

Speech and Drama lessons place emphasis on the individual needs of students in Public Speaking and Acting. These individual lessons ensure that every pupil is given the very best in vocal training and acting. Pupils are given one private lesson per week which lasts for 30 minutes. It is also possible for pupils to have a shared lesson with another student if they would like to perform duologues.

In order to disrupt curriculum lessons as little as possible, Speech and Drama lessons operate in a similar way to Music tuition; they work on a rotation system and we aim to offer lunchtime slots to pupils who also have Music lessons.

Pupils are offered the opportunity to sit LAMDA examinations in which they are able to gain graded qualifications leading to Bronze, Silver and Gold awards which can be used to gain UCAS tariff points.

Should your child wish to enter the LAMDA examinations there will be a fee of approximately £40 per examination.

It is possible for pupils to take lessons without ever entering into the LAMDA examination system, for example if they wish to develop their skills in public speaking and voice control in order to help them in their future careers.

Lessons are taught by a specialist Speech and Drama teacher, Mrs Maggie Childs.

Lessons during 2023-24 will be charged at £210 for a series of ten, payable at the start of each term direct to the teacher.

Payment for lessons is made at the start of each term directly to the Speech and Drama teacher. There is an additional fee for LAMDA or RADA examinations.

To register to begin lessons, please confirm your requirement by completing the section in the electronic information forms we have asked you to complete by Friday 30th June.

If you have any questions about Speech and Drama tuition please contact Mrs Dobson, Director of Drama, by telephone or email to a.dobson@ncl.gdst.net

Educational Visits: consent arrangements

All pupils when joining Year 12 will need to complete and return the Educational Visits Consent Form (EV Form).

Pupils are not permitted to go on any trips in a given academic year if the completed, signed Educational Visits 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 includes an overnight stay. This is because our procedures require both the EV Form and the Update Form to be in place for all residential visits.

Homework and Internal Examinations

In addition to set homework, pupis in the Sixth Form are expected and encouraged to carry out independent further reading and study in each of their ‘A’ level subjects. It is recommended that the pupils spend approximately 20 hours per week studying outside of lesson time to achieve top grades at this level.

When homework is not submitted...

Teachers will give pupils who have failed to hand in homework on the due date the opportunity to hand it in the following day. They will also issue a demerit. If the homework does not come in on the following day, the teacher may issue a further four demerits and pupils will be asked to attend detention on a Friday evening between 4pm and 5pm.

Office 365

At Newcastle High School for Girls our ICT infrastructure is supported by the Microsoft Office 365 suite of applications. This means that your child will have her own OneDrive, which is securely backed up in the cloud to store all of her work. This also means that we can approach their daily education in innovate new ways using technology in the classroom to enhance the delivery of subjects. Although every department will use these technologies in their own way to supplement the nuances of their courses, one whole school approach is that work is hosted and distributed via Microsoft OneNote, whilst homework is distributed and collected via its Classroom Notebook feature. This has many benefits such as automatically adding information to calendars, allowing feedback and for results to be centralised. This will be introduced to new Y7 pupils in their first week with us, supported further in their first term of ICT lessons, and parents will be invited in during the Autumn Term for a demonstration of how this works, and discussion of how you can support your child with this technology at home.

Internal Examinations

Internal school examinations are held in both Years 12 and 13. If your daughter is absent from a school examination, the staff will decide if/when she should take the examination. As it is difficult to supervise examinations outside the set period, papers may be given to your daughter to be done at home, in any free time at School, or, by agreement with the Director of Sixth Form.

Year 12 internal examinations take place in the summer term, the results of which are used as a basis for UCAS (university) applications.

Year 13 internal examinations take place in November with mock examinations taking place in February.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

At NHSG we aim to provide high quality teaching and learning experiences which enable and inspire all pupils to achieve across an incredibly wide range of activities. In order to ensure academic success, pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties or learning support needs are offered appropriate advice and assistance to ensure that their experience of school is successful and happy. We identify and provide appropriate, specific support through close liaison between the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), parents, the pupil concerned and the teaching staff.

The Senior School has a designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator, in line with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice. The SENCO works closely with a Learning Support teacher. In order to inform teachers of how best to support pupils with specific learning needs in the classroom, the Learning Support Team works with each pupil to produce a Personal Learning Plan. This plan details and describes the difficulties the pupil concerned faces and outlines individual support strategies that she and her teachers can implement to help address these difficulties. In order to assist with early identification of support needs, parents of new entrants to the School should forward any existing assessment documentation (e.g. dyslexia screening reports, psychological assessments, letters from medical consultants) and any other relevant information directly to the SENCO.

Parents will be informed by the SENCO or Head of Year of any concerns or difficulties their daughter may be experiencing and this will be monitored by subject teachers and supported through differentiation of classroom activities. As part of our continuous assessment, staff may assess whether a pupil has an underlying learning difficulty that could 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 are 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 pupils in our care are given the best possible advice and support to enable each individual to reach her full potential across all activities in school.

Pupils with Disabilities

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

Sixth Form Dress Code and Sportswear 20232024

The NHSG Sixth Form seeks to combine responsibility with freedom in the pursuit of high standards in every aspect of life. We take great pride in our pupils, and look to them to embody the values and character of the School and to justify the trust we place in them. We also rely on parents’ help in ensuring the smart appearance of the pupils, particularly with regards to skirt length and maintaining a smart/casual appearance.

Whilst there must be an appropriate balance between smartness and the need to express individual style we expect Sixth Form pupils to dress appropriately as ambassadors of the School to the outside world. They should be suitably dressed for the School day with a responsible eye for the tone they set to younger pupils, and for how they may be perceived by all members of the School community. In creating a casual yet smart look, pupils should note the following specific requirements:

Pupils may wear

 Trousers/Culottes

 Denim jeans of any colour including ‘jeggings’ providing there are no rips or deliberate distressed patches on them

 Thick Black leggings with T-shirt, jumper or hoodie

 Skirts, shorts, or dresses of a length no more than four inches above the knee

 If skirt is denim – no fraying or distressed style is allowed

 Shoes, Ballerinas, Sandals, Boots, Trainers with the caveat that shoes and boots must not have high heels or open toes if being worn in any Science Laboratory (trainers may be stored in lockers to change into for Science classes)

 Indoor jackets/blazers

Pupils may not wear

 Skirts/Dresses/Shorts shorter than four inches above your knee

 Ripped or frayed denim (or other) jeans/trousers

 Tops with shoulder straps less than THREE inches wide

 Crop tops

 Flip-flops or Sliders (these are a trip hazard)

 Outdoor coats and hats of any kind – these should be left in lockers at the start of the day

In addition

 Makeup should be discreet and hair a natural looking colour

 Earrings and one small nose stud are permitted

 No visible tattoos

Sportswear

Tracksuit bottoms (for those who represent school teams) Black and teal with emblem

Hoodie (optional) Black, teal and white with emblem

T-shirt NHSG or plain Black

Leggings NHSG or plain black

Appropriate Sports Trainers (no fashion shoes)

If pupils have existing NHSG PE kit they can, of course, continue to wear it.

All the above PE kit is supplied by Schoolblazer

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.

NHSG preloved school uniform shop

You can purchase good quality preloved uniform items from our online shop: newcastlehighschool.square.site

Property, BYOD, Mobile Phones, Lockers, Drinking Water

Pupils’ 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 (including designer clothes, shoes and bags) must not be brought into School except in exceptional circumstances (see Money).

Please do not allow your daughter to bring hair straighteners or other electrical appliances into School. We are aware that pupils sometimes go directly from School to stay with friends or other family members, but please bear in mind that locker space is very limited in School and the rule about valuable property still applies. Such sources of heat must not be used in school except under the supervision of a member of staff.

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

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

In September 2019, we introduced our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programme throughout the Senior School. The requirement for all pupils will be for them to bring an internet-enabled laptop or tablet with keyboard to school each day. Their device will become an essential route to access the best possible learning experiences. It will also become essential for managing and organising their work, and their workload.

Parents will receive a separate letter and leaflet explaining more about the BYOD programme including full details of specifications for devices, software required and policy and procedures. Briefly, pupils should:

 Have their own device available for every lesson. Devices should be insured and should be carried in a protective case for transportation between home and school, and between lessons.

 Devices should be fully charged at the beginning of each day. If battery power will not last the whole day, then pupils can use their own chargers in the sockets around school to charge their devices between lessons.

 Pupils need to take the utmost care to ensure their device is kept safe through the day. They should keep their device safely in their bag, or leave it securely locked in their locker, when it is not needed.

 Pupils will be given training on how to get the best out of their devices to support their learning early in the academic year. They will receive support in school for configuring their device, installing necessary software and fixing technical issues that might arise.

 It is worth noting that all of the software that needs to be installed onto every device is provided free with the GDST’s and the school’s various software license agreements. All of the essential software for BYOD is therefore available for no additional cost. That said, anti-virus software is not provided. Free options do exist and pupils will be sign-posted to use these, but you may wish to consider purchasing the required virus protection for your daughter’s device

It is also worth noting that part of the Year 12 induction will include the setup of the pupils’ devices, so there is no requirement for parents to configure accounts or install software unless they wish to.

If you have any questions after reading the additional letter and leaflet regarding BYOD, please contact Mr Lee Willis, Head of ICT (l.willis@ncl.gdst.net).

Mobile Telephones and other electronic devices

Every pupil in Sixth Form should have an internet capable laptop or tablet with keyboard with them every school day. The prime purpose behind our BYOD approach is to ensure that every pupil has immediate access to important on-line learning opportunities when and wherever needed. BYOD is our approach to using technology to support learning, but pupils may wish to have other devices in school, most specifically their mobile phone.

Our expectation is that pupils will not need their mobile phones during lessons. Of course, they should keep their devices safe, but during lessons, phones should be put away in a pocket, a bag or locked safely in a locker, with ringers disabled or phones set to Airplane mode. There will be occasions when mobile phones will have a place in lessons, but this will only be when directed by a teacher that this is the best way to support what is going on in the lesson.

We are sure you will understand that the School cannot take responsibility for the safe use or care of any mobile phone or similar device. It is the responsibility of the individual pupil to look after their own equipment in school, and when travelling to and from school or when on any school trip. Pupils should ensure that their mobile phone is stored safely when not in use and locked in their locker during PE lessons, or at other times when they cannot keep their phones with them.

Lockers

Each pupil has a locker which should be secured with a padlock. Parents/pupils should provide their own padlock (we recommend 32mm-40mm in width), but the School offers for sale a suitable padlock if you would to prefer to purchase it from us at a cost of £5 from Reprographics.

Please note that at times, rarely and in exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary for staff to search lockers along with other possessions such as bags and clothing: this will only be during school time with the pupils who are affected present at the search. School staff can search for any item with the pupil’s permission or for prohibited items, which may not be brought into School, without the pupil’s consent. Prohibited items are: knives or weapons; alcohol; illegal drugs; vapes; stolen items; tobacco, cigarettes and papers; fireworks; pornographic images; other dangerous items. Prohibited items may be confiscated, disposed of, or handed to the police.

Lost Property

If a pupil loses something, she should search thoroughly for it, then ask about it at Reception. She should inform her Form Teacher if the item cannot be found.

School Property

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

If pupils do carry money and cards, it must be in a named purse.

We prefer pupils to bring only minimal amounts of money to School. No money should be left around the School in unattended bags or unlocked lockers. If sums over £5.00 must be brought to School, they should be given to Reception for safe--keeping. The School will accept responsibility for sums of money.greater than £5.00 which are handed to Reception for safe-keeping but will not accept responsibility for the loss of money under any other circumstances.

Borrowing money in emergencies

The Finance Office is able to lend money to pupils who have lost or forgotten money so they can pay for travel home, but we ask that this is repaid the following school day.

Water bottles and drinking water

Pupils may bring a re-usable water-bottle into School, which may be filled from the drinking fountains and mains–supply during the day. Pupils are permitted to take a drink of water at any time of the day, including during lessons, if they feel the need. The school actively discourages the use of single-use plastics. Re-fillable water bottles can be purchased from the reprographics office.

The exceptions to this rule are in the laboratories, the LRC, and the ICT suites, 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

The School Nurse may be contacted during the School Day via Reception (telephone 0191 2811768), or email v.wilson@ncl.gdst.net. The Nurse is situated near Reception on the ground floor of the Dame Catherine Cookson Building on the Tankerville Terrace site. The Nurse’s role is to provide a clinically effective, high-quality service of nursing care to all pupils to support their health and well-being.

Medical Records and Health Checks

For every pupil, a Pupil Health Assessment Form will be completed on Admissions Plus.

Illness and Accidents

It is assumed that all pupils attending School are healthy and fit enough to cope with the School day without leaving lessons for medical attention. The School Nurse and first aid qualified staff are there for accidents, emergencies and illnesses that occur during the course of the School day. For minor injuries and ailments, in the first instance the pupils will be cared for by the designated First Aider in the area in which they are working. This will enable them to receive prompt treatment without the need to locate the Nurse, and reduce the amount of time they are absent from lessons.

If your child has been absent from School because of vomiting or diarrhoea, please note that it is school policy that she stay away for 48 hours after she has become symptom free, to prevent cross infection.

If a pupil is too unwell to remain in School then the Nurse or first aid trained staff at reception will contact her parents so that she may be taken home, or inform parents if the pupil needs to be taken to hospital. Any pupil who has had an accident requiring urgent medical treatment will be taken to the RVI in Newcastle.

In addition to the normal First Aid cover available in school, the Nurse will generally be available in the Medical Room for general consultation. It is best for pupils to arrange a lunchtime or breaktime consultation via Teams Chat to ensure she is available.

Generally healthy pupils attending school should be able to manage their day around these times, without the need to leave lessons.

So, whilst the Nurse will deal with serious medical issues such as allergic reactions, accidents, breathing difficulties, breaks/sprains, etc., epilepsy and hypoglycaemia, pupils will not be allowed to ask to leave lessons to get paracetamol for cramps, headaches, etc. or because they feel vaguely and generally unwell. Headaches should normally wait until the recognised times or until the pupil returns home. Exceptions would be a headache coming on suddenly causing a pupil to become distressed, and then help should be sought. If a pupil does need to leave a lesson for medical reasons, they must ask the teacher to complete the permission slip in their planners and present this to the nurse or reception staff.

NHSG is committed to teaching and building resilience in the pupils and an important part of that is encouraging pupils to take care of their own health as they grow and to develop essential coping skills. We do not encourage pupils to take unnecessary medication in School; however, the pupils are permitted to carry small quantities of paracetamol or other simple pain relief medication, for their own personal use. In addition, they are also encouraged to seek out simple strategies and alternatives to medication, such as fresh air, gentle exercise and drinking sufficient quantities of water.

Pupils should not telephone parents to ask to be picked up because they are feeling unwell. Instead contact will be made by a member of staff such as the School Nurse, or other designated First Aiders including Reception. We will try not to send your daughter home during the School day unless she is genuinely unwell and unable to cope with lessons.

The Nurse supports pupils to deal with various health conditions and wellbeing issues, such as asthma, diabetes, mental health and sexual health issues. The Nurse works with the School Pastoral Team, families and external agencies in order to support each pupil’s health needs and enable her to attend School.

Medication in School

If at all possible, medicine should be given at home and not in School. However, in certain circumstances there may be occasions when a pupil requires prescription medicine during the school day. Parents are asked to complete the Administration of Prescribed Medication in School consent form which can be issued on request by the School Nurse. Pupils can carry their own medications such as inhalers, insulin pens, antihistamine or Epipens for anaphylactic shock. They are also permitted to carry paracetamol or simple pain relief medication, for their own personal use, and self-administer only when necessary.

Parents are responsible for monitoring whether their child has taken medication during the School day. When you sign the health assessment form/medical consent form, you are giving your consent to the School Nurse or another designated First-Aider to administer over the counter medicines when appropriate. Medication given in School will be documented in your child’s planner, and on the School’s electronic system. Spare emergency medications must be left at Reception. Parents are responsible for providing the emergency medication and need to note the expiry date and replace the medication when necessary.

Prescription Medicines

These should be in a dispensed container with the pupil’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.

Asthma

Pupils with asthma are encouraged to participate in all school activities and for their asthma to be well managed. Please ensure that pupils have their inhalers with them at all times, clearly marked with their name. Please provide a spare, named inhaler, to be kept at main Reception. 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.

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

Nut allergies

Nuts should not be brought in to School, as there is a risk to pupils who suffer severe allergic reactions.

From 1st October 2017 the Human medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 allows schools to buy Adrenaline Auto Injectors, without prescription, for use in emergencies. The emergency Adrenaline Auto Injector (AAI) should only be used by children, for whom written parental consent for use of the emergency AAI has been given, who have been diagnosed with anaphylaxis and prescribed an AAI. Information and consent forms will be sent to parents who have informed us their child has an AAI.

Health Care Plans

Health Care Plans detail the level of support that School may provide for a pupil who has significant needs resulting from a medical condition or illness, particularly in an emergency e.g. Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Diabetes and Epilepsy. These are arranged with the parent, School Nurse, health professional and School as necessary.

Immunisations

The School works closely with the NHS Community Team on immunisation programmes such as the HPV vaccination programme for pupils in Year 8, and Diptheria/Tetanus and Polio, and Meningococcal ACWY in Year 9.

Mental health in School

NHSG and the GDST are aware of the challenges faced by young people, and the impact on their mental health. There are several events over the school year to increase awareness of mental health, as well as regular training for staff on mental health. The school nurse, the school counsellor and staff support pupils with mental health concerns, as well as supporting parents to access appropriate external support and advice. Please see p.50 for links to useful information. Safety plans are completed to ensure detailed support for a pupil with mental health needs is in place.

Newcastle NHS C-Card Scheme

NHSG recognises the need to support pupils in all aspects of their health. Pupils over the age of 13 are able to access confidential sexual health advice and contraception (condoms) in school provided they have demonstrated sufficient maturity and are Gillick competent. Pupils will always be encouraged to talk to their parents/guardians. Any safeguarding concerns disclosed in a confidential setting will be reported according with the safeguarding policy. There is more information on this service on the following link: https://www.newcastle-hospitals.nhs.uk/services/sexual-health/c-card/

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)

The Nurse supports the teaching staff by being involved in PSHE. She covers a range of subjects including sex and relationships, hygiene and healthy eating. We also work with external agencies to provide relevant PSHE sessions.

We have our own School Counsellor who works with the pupils. The counsellor sees pupils for a number of reasons, and this gives pupils the opportunity to explore their thoughts and feelings in a safe and structured environment. More information is available from the School Counsellor or the School Nurse, and also on Firefly.

Confidentiality in School

The school nurse and school counsellor follow their professional codes of practice (BACP and NMC) and are able to provide confidential support and advice to pupils over the age of 13, provided they have sufficient maturity. Pupils will always be encouraged to talk to their parents/guardians. Any safeguarding concerns disclosed in a confidential setting will be reported and follow the safeguarding policy.

External agencies

The Nurse often works with external agencies and parents to provide additional support to those pupils who require it.

Policy information

Pupil Code of Behaviour

The pupil Code of Behaviour is part of the Discipline and Behaviour for Learning Policy.

All pupils have a summary of the Code of Behaviour in their planner. At the beginning of the academic year, and at other times, staff go through the Code of Behaviour with the pupils 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 the School website.

Newcastle High School for Girls Code of Behaviour for Senior School Pupils

Expectations

At Newcastle High School for Girls (NHSG), we have high standards and clear expectations of how you should behave in and around school. We expect you to:

 be courteous, co-operative, helpful and considerate towards other pupils, staff and visitors or other persons within and outside the school premises

 show, through your behaviour and language, respect and consideration for all members of the School community and appreciate everyone regardless of race, background, religion, lifestyle, ability, sexuality, gender orientation and physical characteristics

 behave helpfully and responsibly

 respect the right of others to hold their beliefs and opinions

 be punctual for registration, lessons and other activities

 work to the best of your ability and behave in a manner which contributes to a positive learning environment

 help to prevent all forms of bullying

 behave with health and safety of others in mind

 wear proper school uniform or adhere to the right dress code

 respect the school environment and the property of others

 Adhere to other relevant codes, such as the ICT Acceptable Use Agreement, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Agreement, and Anti Bullying Policy

These expectations are underpinned by our core values:

 Excellence

In all endeavours, both academic and wider aspects of life and experience. Being the best we can be.

 Integrity

Doing what is right, caring for others and ourselves. Collaborating and being good citizens, friends, mentors and leaders.

 Individuality and family

Respecting every pupil for herself, and supporting her to grow in confidence as her own person, within a strong and friendly community.

 Opportunity

Embracing the future with excitement. Nurturing the courage to question, challenge and explore.

 Community

Reaching out to play an active role in our local community and beyond. Recognising that bringing out the best in each other brings out the best in ourselves.

Positive Behaviour and Rewards

At NHSG, we would like you to be motivated by your own goals. The reward system should be seen as a recognition of this internal motivation, rather than the driving force behind it.

NHSG recognises the efforts and achievements of its pupils in a variety of ways. The culture is a supportive one in which participation is valued as highly as excellence, such that one leads to the other in all manner of fields. You are encouraged to stretch yourselves and are congratulated when doing so. Personal and team achievements are regularly mentioned in whole school assemblies and other smaller forums.

Formal rewards are issued on an individual basis as follows:

1. The Merit system identifies the particular skill/quality/value you have demonstrated on a particular occasion.

2. Commendations build upon the Merit system, and are awarded for consistently praiseworthy behaviour/effort.

These individual rewards then feed into a collective rewards system, linked to the form class, year group, and House system.

Merits

Our merit system seeks to promote and celebrate the development of our school values. There are five different types of merits you could be awarded:

1. Excellence

2. Integrity

3. Individual (and Family)

4. Opportunity

5. Community

Merit

What they might be awarded for?

Excellence This relates to both the academic and wider aspects of school life. For example, an excellence merit could be awarded for a high or consistent level of attainment in classwork, homework or assessment, or in recognition of outstanding effort for a particular activity or over a period of time.

Integrity This relates to doing the right thing. Caring for others and yourselves. For example, an integrity merit could be awarded for supporting a friend who is struggling, or being a buddy to a new pupil.

Individuality (and family)

This relates to how you as an individual have developed in some way, or how you have collaborated with others within the NHSG family. For example, an individuality (and family) merit could recognise independent learning – the ability to seek out new knowledge independently of your lessons or teachers and pursue your own academic interests at a high level. Or it could recognise excellent teamwork on a group endeavour.

Opportunity This relates to embracing the opportunities on offer. For example, an opportunity merit could be awarded

when you put yourselves forward for positions of leadership, co-curricular opportunities, and so on. Community This relates to how you have contributed to the wider school or local community. For example, a community merit could be awarded for delivering an assembly, participating in a stall in the hall activity, getting involved in a House event, volunteering, organising a charity initiative, or participating in a sustainability initiative.

Teachers can reward merits by using a merit stamp in the pupil planner, along with the reason. Form teachers/form supports will then check planners on a fortnightly basis and input the totals into Sims.

Commendation Pyramid – Individual Rewards:

If you are awarded a certain number of merits, you will move up the rewards pyramid throughout the year through a series of commendations. At each point, parents will be alerted that you have achieved a commendation, and these achievements will also be celebrated in Year Group or Whole School Assemblies:

Number of Merits Commendatio n Reward

50 Bronze Postcard sent home by Head of Year

100 Silver Breaktime hot chocolate with Head of Year and presentation in Year Group Assembly

150 Gold Privilege Pass awarded by Deputy Head Pastoral/Deputy Head Academic/Director of Partnerships and Co-Curricular and presentation in Whole School Assembly

200 Platinum Lunch with Head, plus Head’s Commendation, and presentation of certificate and book voucher at Prize-Giving

When pupils achieve a Gold Commendation, they can choose which Privilege Pass they would like to use in discussion with the Mrs Franks-Doyle/Miss Penny from a range of options, including: going to the front of the lunch queue for a day; choosing a free breaktime snack/drink; choosing a music playlist in the dining hall for a day; having a “winner’s lunch” served for you and three friends; other options to be confirmed.

Collective Rewards

As well as individual rewards, there will also be termly rewards for collective achievements:

Group Reward

Form Class The form which attains the highest number of merits overall each term will be given the option of choosing one of the following rewards. The form class must decide upon which reward they want through a democratic process:

 having a form time hot chocolate one morning

 going to the front of the lunch queue for a week

 sitting where you want to in lessons for a day

 having a form class picnic in the park one lunch

 choosing a form time activity for a day – Just Dance, Karaoke, etc.

 other options to be confirmed

Year Group The year group which attains the highest number of merits

each term will be rewarded with a non-uniform day if they are in Years 7-11.

House The House with attains the highest number of merits each term will be rewarded with a House breakfast (and the honour of the House Merit Cup!).

The winning form/year group/House will also be recognised on screens around school each term.

Academic Achievement

In addition to the merit reward system, each department may decide upon subject specific rewards, such as termly subject postcards to pupils who they deem have made exceptional progress or achievements in their subjects. Departments can also recommend individuals who are deserving of the Head’s Academic Commendations on a termly basis.

Negative Behaviour and Sanctions

Alongside our rewards system, we have sanctions. Whilst we would always hope to promote positive behaviour primarily through praise and encouragement, there are also certain behaviours that will not be tolerated in school.

Unacceptable behaviour disrupts or impacts on the learning or welfare of other pupils, or on the maintenance of health, safety and discipline within the school community. It may take place inside or outside of School. Bullying is an example of unacceptable behaviour. When incidents of bullying do occur they are investigated thoroughly and strong action is taken to deal with those responsible and to support the person or persons targeted. All incidents of unacceptable behaviour are reported to the Form Teacher and the Year Head so that behaviour can be monitored and action taken. Serious or persistent misconduct is reported to the Deputy Head Pastoral or Head.

When our expectations are not met, we can use a range of sanctions and strategies to encourage you to understand the effect of your misconduct and to behave responsibly in the future. Whilst it is impossible to describe or predict every possible scenario and sanction, a rough overview of the hierarchy of sanctions is set out below:

Level Possible Sanctions

1 Demerit, being spoken to by a subject teacher in class or your form teacher, being moved in a lesson, etc.

2 Lunchtime detention, being spoken to by your Head of Year

3 After school detention, being placed on behaviour report

4 Weekend detention, removal of a privilege, e.g. participation in trips/visits, being placed on a Home-School Agreement

5 Internal suspension, fixed-term exclusion

6 Permanent exclusion

Demerits

For common misdemeanours the sanction you are most likely to receive is a demerit. These may be given for the following reasons:

Demerit Type Example

Homework Failure to submit homework on time, or submitting incomplete homework

Equipment Failure to have correct equipment in a lesson, including

Behaviour Talking when the teacher is talking, rudeness, low-level disruption etc.

Uniform/ dress code

Uniform/dress code infringements

Lateness Being late to lessons or registration

Mobile Phones

For Years 11-13, being on phones for personal use in a lesson. For Years 7-10, being on phones for personal use at any time between 8.35 – 3.50

Eating Eating or drinking (except water) outside of the Dining Hall/6 th Form Common Room Chewing Gum Chewing gum anywhere in school

Staff will immediately record a demerit on Sims, and they should also be recorded in your planner via a demerit stamp. Parents can also see this information via the Firefly Parents Portal

De-merits do not cancel out merits (or vice versa).

If you are given five demerits for five separate misdemeanours, e.g. one for homework, one for chewing gum, one for mobile phone etc., this will trigger a lunchtime detention.

If you are given a demerit for the same misdemeanour on two separate occasions, e.g. homework is handed in late twice, this will automatically trigger five de-merits and a lunchtime detention.

Demerits will be reset at the start of a new term.

Lunchtime Detentions

Five Demerits in a term will result in a Lunchtime Detention, which runs from 12.3013.00 on a Wednesday and Friday, and takes precedence over any other activity except scheduled peripatetic Music or Speech and Drama lessons. A record is made in your planner and your parents are asked to sign that they have noted this. Your parents will also be emailed to alert them to the fact that you have attended a lunchtime detention, and can also see this information on the Firefly Parents Portal

Miss Penny will oversee lunchtime detentions in room 9.

After-School Detentions

If you attend 3 lunchtime detentions in a year, this will trigger an after-school detention. In order for you to attend, 24 hours’ notice will be given to your parents.

After-school detention may also be used as an immediate sanction for behaviour which warrants a more severe sanction.

Mrs Franks-Doyle will oversee after-school detentions.

A record of your attendance at after-school detention is kept on your school file.

More severe sanctions

More severe sanctions are also available. These are applied when there has been persistent and flagrant breach of the School’s expectations. They may also be applied where you have not responded to the other steps taken to correct and modify your

behaviour, or where the misconduct is of such a serious nature that the immediate resort to severe sanctions is appropriate.

These more severe sanctions include:

 Being on-report

 Weekend detention (overseen by Mr Tippett)

 Internal suspension

 Removal of a privilege, e.g. participation in trips/visits

 Being placed on a Home-School Agreement

 Fixed- term exclusion (in line with GDST Exclusions Policy)

 Permanent exclusion (in line with GDST Exclusions Policy)

Serious misconduct which may lead to more serious sanctions, including fixed term or permanent exclusion, includes:

- Any possession, use or supply of drugs in School or school-related contexts

- Possession of alcohol in School or school-related contexts

- Vaping/smoking or possession of vapes/cigarettes in School or school-related contexts

- Breaches of the Anti-bullying policy

- Breaches of the ICT Acceptable Use Agreement

- Breaches of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Agreement

- Violence or physical abuse

- Threatening language or behaviour or intimidation towards any member of the school community

- Theft - Academic dishonesty (cheating, copying, colluding)

- A build-up of incidents over time which constitute, in the judgement of the Head, a repeated flagrant breach of the School’s working ethos, rules or behaviour code

It is impossible to say exactly what serious sanction would be given for each misdemeanour, as this will involve a number of factors including context, previous sanctions, frequency, etc.

Screening, searching and confiscation

School staff may search your clothing, bags or lockers without consent for any prohibited or banned items, and for any item which we believe could cause injury to any person or damage to property. Prohibited items, which may not be brought into School, include: knives or weapons; alcohol; illegal drugs; stolen items; tobacco and cigarettes; fireworks; pornographic images; other dangerous items. Banned items include vapes and ecigarettes. This process will be governed by internal procedures and will only be undertaken by authorised staff. The School may give due regard to police involvement or initiating safeguarding processes as appropriate.

As a general rule, school staff can seize any prohibited or banned item found as a result of a search, and any item however found which they consider harmful or detrimental to school discipline. Items may be confiscated, retained, handed to the police or disposed of as a disciplinary penalty, when it is reasonable to do so.

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.

Policies

The following policies are available on Firefly and the external website:

 Admissions

 Anti-bullying

 Complaints Procedure (GDST)

 Equal Opportunities Statement

 Exclusions (GDST)

 English as an Additional Language

 First Aid

 Health and Safety

 Safeguarding and Child Protection

 Safeguarding Procedures

 Discipline and Behaviour for Learning

 SEND Policy and Procedures

Pastoral Information from the Pupil Planner: where to turn for help…

We all need extra help at times and this page is designed to give you some ideas about how you might find that help.

If you have an accident or feel unwell during the school day

Go to the known first-aider in the area of the School you are in, this will usually be the Faculty Technician. If they feel you need further treatment, they will advise you to see the Nurse. When the Nurse is off-site, teaching or in other meetings, Reception will contact a first-aider. If, during lessons, you feel seriously ill, speak to your teacher, who will seek help from a first-aider or send you to the Medical Room to see the Nurse. You should not ask to leave lessons to get paracetamol for cramps, headaches, etc. or because you feel vaguely or generally unwell. As long as your parents are aware and happy for you to take paracetamol, you may bring a small quantity in for your own personal use, without the need to see the Nurse.

If you have an accident or feel unwell during break and lunchtimes you can go to see the Nurse in the Medical Room. Alternatively you can go to Reception who will contact a first aider.

If you are not well enough to stay in School your parents will be contacted and asked to collect you. You should not telephone your parents directly.

NHSG encourages you to take care of you own health as you grow. We encourage you to seek out simple strategies and alternatives to medication, such as fresh air, gentle exercise and water.

The Nurse is available to talk to, offer advice and discuss problems or worries regarding health concerns or other issues, such as friendship issues, relationships and healthy eating.

If you need help or have worries about friendships or bullying

We want you to be happy and enjoy your life at NHSG. However, there may be times when you feel worried or unhappy about something. It doesn’t matter if it is something to do with the School or another part of your life. You might want to talk to your friends but if not you can talk to any member of staff you trust or feel comfortable with. This may be your Form Teacher, Subject Teacher, Year Head, or any other teacher; it may also be the School Nurse, Mrs Franks-Doyle, or Mr Tippett. The staff have experience in dealing with these sorts of problems and all of them will be able to offer you help if you approach them. The Head Girl, Sixth Form Leadership Team, and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors will also be happy to help you or to find the best person to talk to.

You could also arrange to see the School Nurse at a time agreeable to you both. All problems brought to the School Nurse are confidential between you and the Nurse but sometimes may need to be shared with others. The Nurse will always discuss this with you before making any disclosure to a third party.

School counselling

NHSG has a qualified counsellor who works in School. Counselling offers a safe place to help you understand your thoughts and feelings, and find ways of coping. The counsellor can help with various issues such as stress over exams, friendship difficulties, family issues and difficult feelings. Please see the School Counsellor or the School Nurse for more information.

The School has a Safeguarding Policy, which is set out to help and guide staff to safeguard your welfare in any area of your life.

Useful websites and numbers, which could be of help, if you do not feel able to share your worries at home or at School:-

Useful websites and numbers

Childline 0800 11 11

www.childline.org.uk

Eating Disorders Youth Line 08456 34 76 50 www.b-eat.co.uk

Papyrus (Youth suicide prevention) 0800 068 4141 www.papyrus-uk.org

Samaritans 08457 90 90 90 www.samaritans/org.uk

Text: 07725 909090

Self-injury support

Streetwise

Young minds

www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk

Text: 07800472908

www.streetwisenorth.org.uk

www.youngminds.org.uk

Parent Helpline: 0808 802 5544

0808 020 021 (for bereaved children)

Winston’s Wish

www.winstonswish.org.uk

If you want to make a complaint

Sometimes you may wish to complain if you feel you have been unfairly treated or if you have suffered bullying, verbal or physical abuse. Perhaps you may feel your privacy has not been respected or maybe you have had something stolen or damaged.

If so, you may complain to any member of staff and take a friend with you if you wish. You may also make a written complaint to your Head of Year, Mrs Franks-Doyle or Mrs Hardie.