The Crypt Student Handbook by The Crypt School

STUDENT HANDBOOK 2024-25

NAME

TUTORGROUP

This handbook must be with you at all times whilst in school as it contains your standards cards

In accordance with expectations around standards cards if you are not able to produce this handbook when a member of staff requests it you will receive a detention

Should you complete a termly standards card, additional ones must be collected from reception and placed into this handbook

WELCOME

Founded in 1539 in the City of Gloucester by benefactor and pioneer educationalist Dame Joan Cooke, and her husband John, The Crypt School continues to uphold the legacy

of its Founders who were committed to enabling students to flourish in their lives through providing them with an outstanding academically focussed education regardless of their backgrounds. Today, now on its fourth site at Podsmead, the School continues to flourish and grow, now educating over 1100 students.

Our School vision, derived from our Latin Motto ‘Floreat Schola Cryptiensis’ informs and guides our work in school: we aim to ensure that all our students will flourish in our inclusive school community We are also a values-based school, and I hope that all our students will embrace and contribute to a school culture and ethos that is built around a shared set of whole-school values.

INTEGRITY - KINDNESS - PRIDE

Although an academic grammar school, where learning is valued for its own sake, our mission is broader than that: it is to provide an exceptional educational experience which enables all students to flourish in their school and adult lives, whilst supporting and guiding them to lead happy and fulfilling lives, to develop a strong sense of belonging, of identity and purpose through which they can become active, and engaged citizens, able to demonstrate leadership attributes and through which they demonstrate a strong sense of personal integrity and social responsibility

Our Founders would be proud of their school today, which provides an education that is always future focussed, but which is also firmly based on their enduring vision, as well as of the School’s values and mission for its young people and staff. I hope that you all will feel, as I do, pride in belonging to and of being part of the enduring history of The Crypt School

My best wishes for the year ahead,

Nicholas Dyer Headmaster

JACK MITTEN HEAD BOY

Since starting at The Crypt in 2018, I have found school to be a nurturing environment where I have been able to grow. The opportunities to learn at Crypt have never been limited to the classroom. I have found myself participating in a diverse range of sports, competing against my peers in tense house competitions and discovering my own personal interests in academic clubs. I am proud to be part of a vibrant community where students thrive, supported by dedicated staff who are committed to ensuring success for all I look forward to meeting the new Year 7 and Year 12 Cryptians in September when they join this outstanding school I hope as a Student Executive team you know that we are here to help and make you feel welcome at school and I wish you all the best in your journey at Crypt

STUDENT EXECUTIVE TEAM

SENIOR PREFECTS

Manu Thomas Lachlan

Mackenzie

William Thompson

Bea Norwood

Evie Warwick

Derrick Osei

Poppy

Brenton

Naomi Peet

Thea Gooch

Olivia Perkins

Albie Hastings

Kai Potter

Maddison Lee

ELIZABETH TWENEBOA HEAD GIRL

When I joined The Crypt School, it was a bit daunting knowing that I was part of the first cohort of girls to join in Year 7 This worry quickly disappeared as it became evident to me that the School community is a safe and inclusive environment I was very confident socially and I loved to meet new people. However, I initially struggled with academic confidence I think if I told people this now, they wouldn’t believe me! Throughout my whole school journey, I have been given the most outstanding facilities to grow and excel academically and develop my extracurricular skills. I hope when new students join us in Year 7 and Year 12 they are also able to experience the outstanding opportunities on offer at the school. As the new Head Girl, I hope that I can be a role model

HOUSE HISTORY

Our five School Houses, to which students belong, are named after pioneer educationalist Dame Joan Cooke, who founded the School in 1539, and other significant alumni: William Ernest Henley; John Moore; Robert Raikes and David Waboso, CBE. Students develop a strong sense of identity with their house as well as to the wider school community.

DAME JOAN COOKE HOUSE

She founded the School in the city of Gloucester in 1539 After her husband John's death in 1529, Joan set out to found a new 'free school' for the education of bright children from the city That new school was located in a specially designed schoolroom next to St Mary de Crypt Church, and was named The Crypt School. Joan's foresight in establishing a new school in Gloucester, also extended to the purchase of land in Podsmead, where the School is now located Joan's educational vision for the city of Gloucester has benefited thousands of young people over nearly five centuries.

WILLIAM HENLEY HOUSE

He attended the School between 1861-67 From the age of 12, Henley suffered from tuberculosis of the bone that resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee when he was 20 According to Robert Louis Stevenson's letters, his friend Henley, inspired the character of Long John Silver. In 1875, Henley wrote his poem Invictus, a poem which has inspired many, most notably Nelson Mandela whilst in prison and more recently Prince Harry’s Invictus Games.

JOHN MOORE HOUSE

He attended the School between 1739-44. Moore, the son of a local butcher in Gloucester, gained a prestigious Townsend scholarship to study at Oxford, where he graduated in 1748. He became the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1783 and held the seat until his death in 1805. As the most senior clergyman in the Church of England he contributed much to the Sunday School movement.

ROBERT RAIKES HOUSE

He attended Crypt until the age of 14. He was a founder of Sunday Schools, originally started to educate just boys from the slums with girls joining later By 1831 the Sunday School movement was educating over 1 2 million children These schools were the forerunners of the current English school system

DAVID WABOSO HOUSE

He attended the school in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His mother was from Gloucester, and his father was Nigerian. After spending his early years in Gloucester and London, his family moved to Nigeria but the brutal civil war saw them return to Gloucester David, who attended with his brother, excelled in science, maths, and sports He later studied Engineering at Coventry University and Imperial College London After teaching maths, David had a distinguished career in engineering and project management, earning a CBE for leading the upgrade of the London Underground He is now a non-executive director and adviser in the infrastructure sector David remains proud of his time at The Crypt School, which instilled in him values of hard work, fairness, family, friendship, a love of sport, and a commitment to education.

THECRYPTSCHOOLTERMDATES2024/25

AUTUMN TERM 1

Thursday 15th Aug

Thursday 22nd Aug

Monday 2nd Sept

Tuesday 3rd Sept

Wednesday 4th Sept

Thursday 5th Sept

Friday 25th Oct

A Level Results day

GCSE results - New Y12 Enrolment 10am

INSET Day for all Staff Staff planning

Y7 Induction

Y12 Induction

Term starts for all pupils

Term 1 ends 315pm

Monday 28th October – Friday 1st November - Half Term

TERM 2

Monday 4th Nov

Tuesday 5th Nov

Friday 20th Dec

TERM 3

Monday 6th Jan

Friday 14th Feb

Whole staff INSET

Whole school term resumes 8.35 am

Term 2 ends 12.30pm

Whole school term resumes 8.35am

Term 3 ends 315pm

Monday 17th February - Friday 21st February Half Term

TERM 4

Monday 24th Feb

Friday 11th April

TERM 5

Monday 28th April

Monday 5th May

Friday 23rd May

Whole school term resumes 835 am

Term 4 ends at 315pm

Whole school term resumes 835am

May day Bank Holiday

Term 5 ends

Monday 26th May (Spring bank holiday) – Friday 30th May Half Term

TERM 6

Monday 2nd June

Thursday 5th June

Friday 11th July

BANK HOLIDAYS

Whole school term resumes 8.35am

Staff planning day school closed to students

Final assembly; Term Ends at 3.15pm

New Year Bank Holiday 1st January 2025. Good Friday 18th April 2025, Easter

Monday 21st April 2025. Early May Day Bank Holiday 5th May 2025. Spring Bank Holiday 26th May 2025. Summer Bank Holiday 25th August 2025.

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

Mon Tues

Wed

Thurs Fri

THE SCHOOL DAY

0800-0830 Breakfast Main Canteen

0835-0850 Registration Form Room

0850-0950 Period 1

0950-1050 Period 2

1050-1110 Break time

1110-1210 Period 3

1210-1310 Period 4

1310-1410 Lunchtime

KS 3,4 Main Canteen Deli Bar and Pod KS 5 6th form area (1030-1110)

KS Food Venues 1310-1400 KS 3

Main Canteen and Pod KS 4

Deli Station and Pod KS 5 6th form area (1220-1330) and Pod

1410-1415 Registration Form Room

1415-1515 Period 5

1515 End of school day

1515-1615 Homework Club Room 41

EXTRACURRICULAR AND CLUBS

Extracurricular music lesson schedules are posted on the noticeboard outside the music room LAMDA lesson times are emailed to students The details of all clubs and societies are on the school website, school noticeboards and in from rooms Clubs are updated each term

CRYPT FOOD

Food Menus are available on the school website and in the main canteen. The Pod offers Grab and Go items with main meal items served from the counters inside the main building For dietary requirements or allergies, speak to the canteen manager.

CRYPT SPORT

You will find the details of all fixtures, teams and results at www cryptsport co uk

You can email the department itsupport@crypt.gloucs.sch.uk or visit them. They are located in the main building on the ground floor. Extra printing credit can be bought from reception.

BROMCOM

Bromcom is the school's MIS (management information system) and is the central piece of software in the day to day running of the school The ‘Student Portal’ is the name of the student view of our published data on both desktop and the app.

Using the Student Portal, you will have easy access to your data anytime and anywhere. A dedicated smartphone app provides the added convenience of allowing access on iPhones and Android. Some of the things you will be able to access:

Your timetable

Your homework Your behaviour record Your reports

We have not enabled all the features in Bromcom yet, so there may be features mentioned in help guides that you find online that are not visible in your Bromcom We will tell you about new features and visible data when we enable them

In order to download the app you will need the school id which is 14232 You can also access the Student Portal via your browser. Scan the QR code for Bromcom sign in instructions.

ATTENDANCE

There is a clear correlation between attendance and attainment and therefore your attendance is expected at school every day school is open to you.

If you are unwell, your parent/ carer must inform school by 830am using the google absence forms

If you have a medical appointment, your attendance is expected before and afterwards whenever possible. Your parent/ carer must inform the school in advance, using the medical absence request.

We expect all students to be at school by 830am ready for registration at 8.35am. Breakfast is available from 8830am

Late arrival (arrival at form room before 8.45am) - please apologise and explain lateness to Form Tutor

Later arrival (would arrive at form room after 8.45am)Y7-Y11 please go to reception and sign in there, explaining the reason for your lateness. Sixth form please see Mrs Price or Mrs Jordan. Patterns of lateness will be investigated by Tutors, Heads of Year and the Attendance Officer.

Any students missing lessons for music, LAMDA, counselling etc must sign in with reception before their session

All students must be in form rooms at 2.10pm for afternoon registration.

If a student has an appointment and needs to leave during the school day they must sign out at reception and receive a permission to leave slip

In addition to registration Sixth Form students must always fob in and out of school

If a lesson is missed, for any reason, it is the responsibility of each student to liaise with their teacher and plan for catch up work.

WELLBEING AND PASTORAL CARE

The Pastoral Team is here to help you feel safe, happy and confident and to enable you to make good progress in your learning.

The Pastoral Team is led by Mrs Gemma Hargraves, Deputy Head (Safeguarding, Inclusion and Wellbeing), with each year group led by a Head of Year and each Key Stage supported by a dedicated Pastoral Support Worker.

Your Form Tutor and Head of Year work together to oversee any pastoral needs of your year group Heads of Year also work closely with the Pastoral Support Workers to identify students who may need a little extra support It’s ok not to be ok sometimes. You can visit the Pastoral Room at any point during the day if you need some time out.

The School Counsellor visits school twice a week; appointments are arranged by the Pastoral Support Workers

The School Nurse visits school every Monday An appointment can be booked through Pastoral Support Workers, or you can attend the lunchtime drop-in (near the Library on the top corridor) without an appointment.

The Special Educational Needs Department supports students with additional learning needs. The SENDCo is Mrs Natasha Prout, and Miss Annie Hall is Deputy SENDCo They are supported by kind and experienced Teaching Assistants.

WELLBEING AND PASTORAL CARE

Bullying and unkindness in all forms are rejected by the school There are ten Anti-Bullying Ambassadors who lead initiatives to promote kindness and tackle prejudice or discrimination all year round All students are encouraged to report bullying of any kind to their Head of Year, any member of staff or by emailing reportbullying@crypt.gloucs.sch.uk

Every young person has the right to feel safe and be protected from abuse, harm or neglect. You can speak out and you will be listened to. Mrs Hargraves is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and Mr Stanlake, Mrs Glock and Mrs Williams are Deputy DSLs.

Please remember there is always someone you can speak to in school who will help you. You do not need to feel alone with any worries or concerns. Any member of staff will listen to you and take your worries and concerns seriously. You are important.

You can also find lots of useful links and resources to help you with whatever you encounter or are going through at:

There are also resources for you in the Pastoral Room https://www.cryptschool.org/personaldevelopment/wellbeing-pastoral-care

REWARDS AT CRYPT

We believe in celebrating all forms of success and recognising the diverse talents and efforts of our students. Whether you are excelling or making great progress in your academic studies, music, drama, sport, or contributing positively to the school community, there are numerous ways to be acknowledged.

Prize Day is held every year in September.

Students and their parents are invited to attend the event. Prizes are awarded for all subjects for effort and achievement. Prizes range from a book token, cup, trophy or monetary reward The long history of the school and support by Old Cryptians means there are many other awards including The Arnold Cup for Creative Writing, The Talwar Cup for Community Service and The Ben Brown Mental Health Advocacy Award.

Merits are awarded throughout all year groups for a variety of reasons including excellent work and actively demonstrating the school values Your merits will help your house win the House merit competition and allow you to redeem your merits for items from the Bromcom Shop in the Pastoral Room.

Heads’ of Year Awards include celebration lunches rewarding those students who consistently receive commendations for their studies. Postcards home and Tray Bake vouchers (KS3) for students to redeem in the canteen are awarded to students who have excelled in areas beyond their studies for example showing kindness or resilience.

Termly certificates are awarded throughout the school for academic progress and success as well as for your support to your form and peers. At certain points in the year these certificates come with sweet treats too!

REWARDS AT CRYPT

Sports Awards Evening is held annually to celebrate the year of school sport There are individual sport and PE awards as well as team player of the year and team of the year. Students who represent the school on 100 sporting occasions are awarded the 100 Tie.

Honours Boards are in the main hall and your name will be added to the boards if you represent your country nationally or internationally or you gain a place at Oxford or Cambridge university

Leadership Skills are acknowledged and developed by applying for a variety or roles in the school Student leadership positions include form captains, student parliament representatives, G15, school prefects and student executive positions including Head Boy and Head girl

Scholarship Award

A student may be awarded this award if they show sustained commitment to an academic society and support departments at community events

Proms for Year 11 and Year 13 provide unique opportunities to celebrate your milestones and make lasting memories of your time at Crypt.

The Old Cryptians Bursary Award is a monetary award for outstanding students in these areas: Academic Sixth Form, Art, Music, Drama, Technology, Engineering and Sport

BEHAVIOUR & CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS

The Crypt School is a positive learning environment based on mutual respect, trust and integrity. Below are the key expectations, which link to our school values Your teachers will further explain their expectations of you in their teaching space.

BEHAVIOUR FOR

LEARNING

Arrive for lessons on time, line up quietly outside the classroomtake responsibility

If you are late, apologise and give a valid and honest reasonthis shows integrity

Come prepared and equipped for every lesson and try your best - take pride in your work

Do not use your phone/iPad unless asked by the teacher Do not speak whilst the teacher is speaking - show respect to your teacher and peers

The consequences system is in place during lessons to promote positive behaviour and to give you opportunities to correct your behaviour before gaining a detention.

CONDUCT

Support other students and be kind at all times - be kind

Be polite and courteous to all staff and students at all times - be respectful

Do not take photographs or videos on the school site, unless granted permission by a teacher for educational purposes - be responsible

Follow the one way system and respond politely when reminded to do so - be responsible and respectful

Behave kindly and respectfully outside the classroom, including in the field and on the bus

Do not eat in corridors - be responsible

Mobile phones should not be used by students in years 7-11 from 830am - 315pm This is to enable students to focus on learning and time with friends at school, and avoid the negative impact of excessive screen time and access to potentially harmful content.

STANDARDS CARD RATIONALE

We expect all students to wear their uniform with pride to show respect for the history and traditions of the school

Students must take responsibility for following the one way system. Use of the system shows kindness to others

Students (KS3 and 4) must not use their mobile phones at school, and Sixth Form only in the Cooke Centre and Common Room. These restrictions minimise screen time, promote positive mental health and enable students to be kind to themselves.

When challenged on any of the above, students are expected to show integrity and be respectful to all staff. Staff challenge students on these standards to promote good behaviour in an inclusive community of proud Cryptians

Standards Cards may be signed outside lessons (eg in corridors or Dining Hall). In lessons, merits will be awarded on Bromcom and the C system used

On completion of a standards card you are responsible for informing your form tutor.

Form tutors will regularly check this handbook and issue rewards and sanctions as appropriate.

The Crypt School Values: Integrity1. Kindness2. Pride3. Respect4. Responsibility5.

Thank you for making positive choices to keep The Crypt School community safe, happy and inclusive. 6 merits will be awarded for a full positive card.