Remove Handbook 2023

Principal’s welcome

Dear Future Queen’s Gate Class of 2030, Goodness.

Doesn’t 2030 sound forever away, some kind of futuristic date by which we will have flying cars, television shows will appear as holograms in our living rooms and space travel will be standard. Of course, I firmly expect none of that to occur, because in truth, seven years is a desperately short period of time Right now, you are excitedly preparing yourself to join us as the new Remove Form for 2023; but before you know it, you will be delivering your Leavers’ Assembly, picking out a colour scheme for your Leavers’ Supper, and farewelling us to embark upon your adult life.

So my message, as I welcome you to our wonderful school, is to make the most of every single day you have here. From the moment you walk through our grand doors, gloss black and shining in the summer sunshine, please be ready to throw yourself into anything and everything Your years here will be a treasure trove of opportunities: for learning, for travel, for risk-taking, for friendship, for discovery and for growth.

As your Principal, I will work tirelessly to make this the very best school I can for you I undertake that I will constantly seek ways to develop what we offer, listening to your suggestions, harnessing innovation and technology, maintaining all that is already brilliant about Queen’s Gate, while also embracing positive change. In return, I ask of you to bring not just your best to the school, but to use the next seven years to find out what your best really is. Work hard, be kind, and do things that scare you. Do not reach that mystical 2030 date without having squeezed every drop of possibility out of your short time with us

Of course, the first scary part is right now – the joining. Having arrived only a year ago myself, I can empathise with how daunting this might seem. So many corridors, so many stairs, so many new faces; how will you ever feel like you truly belong? But please trust me, before you can say ‘Christmas’ you will know your way round better than I do, be able to climb from the bottom floor to the top without needing to pause for breath, and will have met some of your future friends for life In the meantime, please be reassured of how well everyone will care for you Your Form Tutors, your Heads of Year, and your Remove Prefects are all here to make sure you know where you need to be, when, and what with. This booklet should also be a real help as you get ready to join us. Ultimately though, there is no such thing as a silly question, so please don’t hesitate to ask if there is something else you would like to know.

I can’t wait to see you all arriving in September. For now, I hope you enjoy your first few hours as Queen’s Gate girls.

All warmest wishes,

Miss Wallace Principal

Welcome Message (form captains)

Dear new Removians,

I am here today to say a couple of words about my experience throughout Remove in Queen’s Gate. You should always, always follow the dress code In addition to this you need to do your homework on time and not leave it to the last minute. It will take a while to learn where the homework shelves are. This is probably because you would probably get lost around this huge school! On the other hand, you may or may not know at the beginning of the year you will be getting an early lunch until December but after that you will have to be quick for lunch if you want to avoid a queue. And a quick reminder you always need to be on time for registration!

Best wishes,

Nehal

RDP Form Captain

Prefects

Hello remove students!

Welcome to Queen's Gate. I am excited to have you all here and I hope you are too. My name is Carlotta Shahata and I will be your Remove prefect, alongside Victoria and Yasemin, for the coming year. I am here to help you with anything you might need throughout your first year at Queen's Gate.

When first joining Remove, I remember being quite scared on the first day of school but by the end of the day I was feeling much more comfortable. All the teachers and students made me feel very welcome as they are all very friendly. I hope you find it as comforting as I did to know that your heads of years office is always open for any concerns or even just for a quick chat.

I am sure you will all find your path in no time and your experience at Queen's gate will definitely be an unforgettable one If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

Let’s make this coming year a great one!

Heads of Year & Form Tutors

Heads

Form Tutors of Q

Form Tutors of G

Form Tutors of S

Miss Lamkin Teacherof Latin

Mr Karamoutas Teacherof Design &Technology

Mr James Teacherof History Deputy Head of Remove

Ms Hirst Teacherof English

Mrs Lane Head of Learning& Enhancement

Mr Harvey Teacherof Drama

Mr Manning Head of Design &Technology

Mrs Pajovic Head of Drama

of Remove

Code of Conduct

1. Value your education

• Listen to your teachers and followtheir guidance

• Help your teachers make the most of the learning timeavailableby ensuring classrooms areleftready for lessons

• Show your respect for the education process by following the dress code

• Give of your very best in every lesson:ask thoughtful questions,involveyourself in class discussions, do not let fears about ‘getting itright’ hold you back from taking chances

• Take responsibility for your learning:cometo your lessons fully prepared with the equipment and mindset you need to get the most out of the lesson, complete your homework carefully, make the most of stretch and challengeopportunities

• Look to extend your learning beyond the classroom:read books, attend exhibitions and concerts, visitgalleries,watch documentaries, listen to podcasts...the listis endless

• Remember that your education is not justwhat happens in lessons:join in themany enrichment opportunities the School has to offer, such as clubs, trips, concerts,charity events, leadership roles, competitions

2. Value others

• Move around the building with carefor your surroundings, particularly other members of the School community

• Welcome guests to the School with warmth and courtesy

• Abide by any signs requesting silenceor ‘no entry’ - these will bethere for the benefit of others

• Respect others’ possessions:do not open desks, lockers or bags that do not belong

• to you

• Be inclusive;creategroups where all arewelcome

• Every day, think about what you can do to make those around you happy

• Follow rules aboutmobilephone use and make the most of interacting with others

• ‘in real life’

• Speak about others with kindness and respect, saying only whatyou would say to them directly

• Make safety a priority:do not bring in any items, make any decisions, or take any actions, that might causeharmto others

• Listen to others and respect that not everyone will havethe same opinion:diversity of mindsets is an assetnot a challenge

• Leave all rooms as you would want to find them

• Adopt the Queen’s Gate generosity of spiritthatmakes our School so very special

Code of Conduct

3. Value yourself

• Set yourself the highest standards of conduct, and aimto meet them

• You are precious:do not do anything that might put yourself atrisk of harm

• If you must bring something valuableonto the school site, make sure you useyour locker or pass itto the School Officefor safe-keeping

• Resistthe temptation to allowyourself to be distracted by digital devices;enjoy being in the present for your time with us: itwill pass morequickly than you think

• Act with honesty and integrity, and remember that your views areimportant to us

• Know that there is no such thing as being a bystander: if you arethere, you are taking part, and you will beconsidered accountablefor your choices

• Believe in your capacity to create your own success:do not rely on others to do the hard work for you

• Dream big dreams, and know you can achieve them

LIV Buddies

During your first week you will be reminded who your LIV buddies are. Your buddies will arrange to see you once a week until half-term. Every week, they will fill out a form like the one below. Your buddies are there to help you get settled in and answer any questions you might have about life at Queen’s Gate.

When you meet your buddies for the first time, fill in the answers to the questions below.

What are the names of my buddies?

Where can I findthem?

Whenis my first meetingwithmy buddies?

Remembering My First Day

Dear Removians,

My first day at Queen’s Gate was truly special, and I will remember it for years to come. I was very excited, but nervous too

When I walked through the entrance of my new school, I was welcomed by staff and talked to the other removes (who soon became my new friends) I scrambled up the stairs to my new form room and mingled with my new classmates. I learnt lots about all the different people in my class during form time that day We received the keys to our lockers and got seated at our assigned desks

After a fun first period, it was break time. We all went round the school and explored. I’m sure getting lost will be part of your first day at Queen’s Gate too! (Don’t worry It’s quite fun!) We also went to the roof top garden and met people from the other remove classes.

When lessons started, we went to the correct room (after a few directions) and settled down for some amazing lessons! We met our fantastic teachers, got our new books, and got a chance to pull out all our stationery

After a few lessons it was time to have some lunch We all went downstairs to the white dining room and ate lots of yummy food I had a chance to talk to some new people and catch up with my friends from my old school. I then headed off to my lunchtime club, where I met some new friends.

After my club, it was registration time. We got ready for our afternoon lessons and headed off. My first day at Queen’s Gate was very fun and memorable, I’m sure yours will be too! I look forward to meeting the new Removians and continuing my journey through Queen’s Gate.

Yours faithfully, Remove 2022-2023

A Day in the Life of a Queen’s Gate Girl

We get to school just in time for registration at 8.35am. We put all our bags in our lockers and hang up all our coats on the pegs Our Form Tutor registers us and reads us all the notices and we then walk down to the hall for assembly where we sing a hymn After this, Miss Wallace mentions upcoming events followed by the sports notices and sometimes a Form Assembly produced by a certain Form. Once Assembly is finished, we are all off to our lessons, which in my case is English with Mr Spicer, which is very fun! We have just started doing poetry and creative writing work

Before we know it the bell rings and it’s break time Many of us rush to the tuck shop to buy a snack, others go to the library to either read or catch up on some work and most of us stay upstairs chatting amongst ourselves.

After break we are off to periods 3 and 4, which for me is Latin with Miss Lamkin. We looked at a myth. In period 5-6 we had Design and Technology We worked on a 3D design project; we constructed our own pencil toppers.

Once the morning half of the day is up, we race to lunch and sit with our friends talking and chatting, letting all of our energy loose. At 1.30 we all head off to our clubs. For example, I have debating club, where we are discussing whether social networking sites should be banned We finish our clubs in time for lunchtime registration at 2 00pm

Our final lessons of the day soon take place, which for the whole of Remove is Music, where we were practising our songs for the Remove Showcase and French, where we read some French Books and did some work on grammar Once these lessons are over, we can get ready and go home

Important Dates

September

➢ First Day of Term – Wednesday 6 September

➢ Remove mindfulness sessions - Thursday 28 September Periods 1-6

October

➢ Remove JJ PSHE Session'GrowingUpPart 1’ – Friday 6 October

➢ Remove mindfulness sessions - Wednesday11 October Periods 1-6

➢ Half Term - Monday 16 October – Friday27 October

November

➢ Anti-Bullying Week Monday 13 November – Friday 17 November

➢ End of Term – Thursday 14 December

December

➢ Christmas Carol Service – Monday 11 December

➢ Christmas Jumper Day (Charity) - Wednesday 13 December

➢ End of Autumn Term – Thursday 14 December

Homework

It takes a little time getting used to homework in the Senior School, but you will be fine as long as you follow the top ten tips below:

1. Use your homework diary and MyQG effectively. Write down very specific instructions so that you know exactly what to do and how to hand it in.

2. Make a homework timetable. Your Homework Diaries and MyQG will record your homework timetable, and these tell you when work is set and when to hand it in.

3. Complete your homework on the same day it is assigned. Even if the teacher allows a few days to finish the task, working on it promptly will ensure a better end result as the instructions will be fresh in your mind. Plus, you won't be overwhelmed by pending tasks.

4. Homework environment. Do homework somewhere tidy, quiet, and free from distractions. Never have a computer on unless your teacher has asked you to use one. Do not be tempted to use a phone while completing your work.

5. Make sure that you have packed your bag carefully the night before coming to school, and that all your homework is complete

6. Equipment. Make sure that you have brought home all the equipment that you need so that you can complete the work fully.

7. Time yourself. Each homework assignment should take around 2030 minutes If it takes less than this, you might not have completed it to the best of your ability. If it takes longer than this, let your teacher know. If you have spent a long time on your work and it is still unfinished, it is acceptable to bring in a note from home explaining why it isn’t complete.

8. Know where to hand in homework. Most homework is handed in on the homework shelves, but sometimes a teacher will request that it is handed in elsewhere, such as on MyQG

9. Work on your own. It is important that your teacher can see what you can do, not what your friends can do. It is acceptable to ask for help, but always make sure that your work is your own

10. Do your best! Teachers will give you merits and commendations if your work is excellent.

Dress Code

At Queen's Gate, we have a dress code in place, although we do not require a uniform. It is important to familiarise yourself with the following guidelines:

✓ Skirts, dresses, or smart trousers should be always worn, except on designated "jeans days."

✓ Ensure that your skirt or dress does not exceed 8cm above the knee or fall lower than halfway down your calf (we have many stairs in our school).

✓ Clothes should not have large slogans or sequins on the front; shirts should not be cropped.

✓ Limit earrings to one small stud per pierced ear, and only wear a simple religious necklace.

✓ Makeup, including nail varnish, should not be worn.

✓ During PE classes, you should wear tracksuits around the school in the Autumn and Spring Terms. In the Summer Term, you may wear your skirt with shorts underneath.

✓ Avoid wearing high heels or flip-flops due to the number of stairs within the school.

✓ Denim clothing and hoodies should not be worn, as it is considered too casual.

✓ PE Kit is allowed on non-PE days

Always remember that dressing smartly and comfortably is important. These guidelines ensure a consistent and appropriate appearance for all students at Queen's Gate.

Makesure your stationery is labelled so it doesn’t get lost!

The Library draw library

Hi, I'mMrs Scott, the HeadLibrarian.

Welcome to our Library, where thousands of books (both print and electronic) and other e-resources are available for personal reading and study! Print books can be borrowed via a simple self-circulation processenter your username and then scan the barcode that is found inside the back cover of the book; it is as easy as that! You will learn all about this and more during Library Induction in September. I look forward to meeting you!

Clubs

At Queen’s Gate there are so many clubs. It’simpossible to choose! As a new girl, you will probably want to participate in lots of clubs; however, these may be on the same day. We therefore recommend you try new clubs each term. Below you can see a selection of clubs.

Sports clubs

Educational clubs

Athletics Homework club

Karate Maths clinic

Additional clubs

ANIMEE club

STEAM club

Swimming LAMDA Picnic club

Track training Choirs

Mindfulness Colouring

Kickboxing Chess Song writing

Fitness Science

French Scrabble club

Sport and Physical Education

There are lots of sports to play atQueen’s Gate. We have a termly rotation of Netball, Hockey, Swimming, Gymnastics, Dance, Cricket and Athletics but itdoesn’t stop there! There are over 20 sports clubs to choose from.

We have a Queen's Gate PE Kit Below is a useful checklistto help you:

➢ Tracksuittrousers

➢ Navy polo shirt(white in Summer Term)

➢ Netball skirt

➢ Navy QG shorts

➢ Cycling shorts

➢ Mid-layer or Training jacket

➢ Waterproof Jacket

Make sure you have labelled everything, as items of clothing can get lost.

Apart from timetabled music lessons, there are several choirs and ensembles to join as well as peripatetic lessons for which you can sign up. There are also concerts year-round which promote young musicians and encourage them to perform and build up their confidence.

The Music Department will answer all your questions. You should make sure that you check the noticeboard outside the Music Office regularly so that you know when your extra lessons will take place.

Trips

Here at Queen’s Gate we have a huge variety of trips. Whether you’re a dancer, a skier or like adventure; there is a trip for everyone!

Our selection of trips includes; team building trips, Rochester Castle Trip, the IceSkating Trip, Liquid Leisure as well as day trips for geography, theatre visits and music.

At Queen’s Gate, we have a lovely team of chefs who serve us really good food. Each lunchtime you can choose:

• Sandwiches

• Salad bar

• Soup Fruit

• Dessert (my favourite is apple crumble)

• A selection of salads

• A hot meal of the day (there is always a vegetarian option too)

• Jacket Potatoes (with cheese and/or beans)

QG Challenge

This is an exciting project that you will do outside of lessons throughout Remove. You will have a Sixth Former to assist you along the way.

Task 1: The Quiz

With a partner, you will be given a specialist subject, such as Mammals of the World. You will find out information on your subject and then you will go head-to-head with another teamin a TV-style quiz with buzzers.

Task 2: The Independent Project

You will choose a topic of your choice that you would like to research. With your Sixth Form Coach, you will research your topic and then present it in a form of your choice Last year, topics included things like tornadoes, where a Removian createda 3D model of the effects of a tornado, along with a fact pack

Task 3: The Group Presentation

You will work in a group of nine and with the help of your mentors you will come up with a topic to research and present. Some of the topics this year were, ‘Only adults can be inspirational’ and ‘Shakespeare is outdated’. You will need to work as group and present both sides of your topic.

Once you have completed all of the elements of the Queen’s Gate Challenge, the ten girls who have shown the most independence and creativity all year will be invited on an adventure trip

The Queen’s Gate Challenge is a great way to work independently and with others You will discover interesting new things and you will learn valuable new skills

Friendship Advice

With a good friend Ishould beable to:

•Be myself

•Tell them ifI have a problem.

•Depend on their support.

•Be silly.

•Relax

Trust andSupport

Trust is important in friendships because to trust someone is a big thing and your friendship can grow stronger if you trust them.

If someone isn’t very nice to you or your friend you should speak to your Form Tutor, to your Heads of Year: Miss Lamkin & Mr Karamoutas, to Miss HolgateSmith or Ms De la Pena.

QG House System

When you arrive at Queen’s Gate you will be allocated to one of four Houses: Douglas, Johnston, Spalding or . During the year, points are collected and fun House Competitions such as House Music, House Drama, House Debating, House Poetry, Maths Challenges, House hockey, netball, cricket, dance, gymnastics, tennis, Sports Day and the Swimming Gala take place to earn more points.

Remove

Year 7 (Age 11-12)

LIV

Form IV

Year 8 (Age 12-13)

Year 9 (Age 13-14)

Form V

Year 10 (Age 14-15)

UV

Year 11 (Age 15-16)

LVI

Year 12 (Age 16-17)

UVI

Year 13 (Age 17-18)

Have a happy academic year!