Sidcot School Senior Welcome Handbook 2015/16

Sidcot School
Senior Welcome Handbook
2015/16
Dear Parent
We are delighted to be welcoming you and your child to Sidcot Senior School in September.
Please share the following information with your child to ensure that the transition to life at
Sidcot is as smooth as possible. This booklet contains lots of practical facts so it’s well worth a
careful read to prepare your family for the start of a new adventure at Sidcot.
The Admissions Office will be open during the summer holidays so if you have any further
questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01934 845212 or admissions@sidcot.org.uk.
When September comes, we will do everything we can to ensure that your child settles in
quickly so they can make the most of all the exciting opportunities on offer. In the meantime,
have a good summer and I look forward to seeing you in September.
With kind regards
Yours sincerely
Iain Kilpatrick
Headmaster
Welcome Handbook 2015/16
Contacts04
Drop off and pick up times
05
Every day drop off and pick up times
05
After School Activities
05
Prep/Homework05
Library05
Uniform06
Year Groups
06
School Transport
07
Senior School Tmetable
07
Lunch and Break
08
Lockers08
ID Cards
08
Specialist Tuition
08
Mobile Phones
09
Health Centre
09
The House System
09
How We Communicate With Parents
09
Reports and Parents’ Evening
10
Sickness/Absences10
Term Dates
10
School Events
10
SCPTA10
Additional Information For Specific Year Groups
11
Campus Map
12
Welcome Handbook 2015/16
Contacts
Reception Office
01934 843102
Emailseniors@sidcot.org.uk
Postal Address
Sidcot School
Oakridge Lane
Winscombe
North Somerset
BS25 1PD
Websitewww.sidcot.org.uk
Contacting members of staff directly
It is possible to contact members of staff via email by using the following formula:
firstname.lastname@sidcot.org.uk
Headmaster
Iain Kilpatrick
iain.kilpatrick@sidcot.org.uk
Deputy Head
Matt Williams
matt.williams@sidcot.org.uk
Deputy Head (Academic)
Russell Spooner
russell.spooner@sidcot.org.uk
Year Heads
Head of Sixth Form
Head of Fifth Form
Head of Fourth Form
Head of Third Form
Simon Allen
Phil Lovett
Rosie Bellinger
Veronika Germain
simon.allen@sidcot.org.uk
phil.lovett@sidcot.org.uk
rosie.bellinger@sidcot.org.uk
veronika.germain@sidcot.org.uk
Heads of Faculty
Science
Jim Scott jim.scott@sidcot.org.uk
MathematicsGraham Hartleygraham.hartley@sidcot.org.uk
English & Learning
Deirdre Cattermole
deirdre.cattermole@sidcot.org.uk
TechnologyNiel Doigniel.doig@sidcot.org.uk
Physical Education
Rosie Bellinger
rosie.bellinger@sidcot.org.uk
Humanities
Karen Lovett
karen.lovett@sidcot.org.uk
ArtsRoss Wallisross.wallis@sidcot.org.uk
LanguagesJames Milnejames.milne@sidcot.org.uk
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Welcome Handbook 2015/16
First day of term drop off and pick up times
The first day of term is Tuesday 8 September.
Please arrive at the Meeting House (next to
the School Health Centre by the main school
car park) at 08:20 where Iain Kilpatrick, the
Headmaster, senior staff and Heads of Years
will be waiting to meet you.
You will be able to choose your activities the
week commencing Monday 14 September.
Many are free but some are subject to an
additional fee.
On your first day you will be given your
timetable and assigned to your tutor group.
Your tutor should be your first point of contact
and your Head of Year will always be available
should you have any concerns.
You will have the opportunity to complete your
homework at school during ‘Prep’ sessions or
at home. You will be issued with a ‘Homework
Diary/Student Planner’ in which homework
details will be written. Please look at these
planners, ask your parents to initial them at
the weekend as being seen and do use them
as a means of communicating with your tutor.
Arrangements for prep sessions from 17:00
to 18:00 will be in place from the start of term
and you are welcome to stay at school to take
part in the supervised session. You will receive
a copy of the homework timetable at the start
of term.
Every day drop off and pick up times
In the mornings you can be dropped off in the
top playground by 08:30 (which is signposted
as the ‘drop off point’). Registration occurs
between 08:35 and 08:40 in the classroom that
your tutor group is allocated to on the first day
of term. The earliest pick up is at 15:40 when
lessons end, except for Mondays when the
earliest pick up is at 16:50 and Wednesdays
when the earliest pick up is 16:00. Remember
as day students, at no extra charge, you are
welcome to stay at school to take part in
activities from 16:00 – 16:50, prep at 17:00
and the evening meal. The evening meal times
are staggered, Year 7, 12 and 13 eat at 17:45
and Years 8 to 11 at 18:00. The latest pick up
for students is 18:30, except for Years 12 and
13 who are able to stay until 21:30. For our
younger students we advise parents to collect
you at the end of lessons in the first couple of
weeks to ensure you don’t get over-tired as
you adjust to life in the Senior School.
After School Activities
Sidcot has a wide range of activities in which
to take part, including Sport, Music, Drama
and Art to name but a few. You will find lots of
things that will interest you and will help you
become fully immersed in the life of the school.
Day students are welcome to stay at school to
take part in activities from 16:00 – 16:50.
Prep/Homework
Library
The senior school library (Trevelyan Library) is
open throughout the school day and Saturday
mornings when the librarians are available to
advise students; and in the evenings and other
times during the weekend when boarding staff
are on duty.
There is a good stock of books for leisure
reading and to support the school curriculum
as well as newspapers, magazines and
information on careers and further education.
Students can recommend books which the
librarian will add to the library collection.
The library catalogue (Eclipse.net) is available
through every student’s user area and on
Firefly and can be accessed via student’s
mobile devices. The number of items a student
can borrow at a time varies according to
year group.
These should be issued through the library
desk by a librarian or staff on duty. Resources
can be kept for three weeks and renewed if
needed for a longer period.
Welcome Handbook 2015/16
05
All resources should be returned to the
librarian at the library desk. Students will be
sent reminders of overdue items and will be
charged for lost and non-returned stock.
The librarians are happy to advise students
on research, locating or acquiring resources,
concerns on plagiarism linked to academic
referencing, essay structure or reading
for relaxation.
The area above the library is the Sixth Form
study area. Students in Years 7 to 11 are not
allowed to go up or through this area.
Sixth Form students moving through the
Library to reach lockers and classrooms
upstairs should remember that the library and
6th form study area are quiet working areas.
Students disturbing the working environment
will be asked to leave. The library is a
communal space – valuables and study files
should not be left unattended.
The library team run a stationery shop for
students for those occasions when they
inevitably run out or lose pens, pencils,
files and refill pads, calculators and other
maths equipment. Stationery prices are very
competitive and items are sold at a fraction
above cost price. Students are able to add the
cost of stationery items to the school bill. If
you want to order any items at the beginning
of term or would prefer your son or daughter
not to add stationery to the school bill please
contact the Librarian, Wendy Worley:
wendy.worley@sidcot.org.uk
Literary events are a feature of the Library
with author visits, an annual book fair, national
writing competitions and awards as well as
after school activities such as reading groups
and Readers to Writers.
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Welcome Handbook 2015/16
Uniform
Details of items your child will require are
available on our website www.sidcot.org.uk/
uniform and are based on their gender and
year group. Downloadable booklets have been
produced to give parents and students all
the information about Sidcot’s uniform, dress
code and possessions in school. If you have
any queries, please email uniform@sidcot.org.
uk. All items of uniform and property must be
clearly marked with your child’s name.
All Sidcot School uniform can be bought online
via our website at www.sidcot.org.uk/uniform.
Alternatively, you can purchase uniform
through our uniform stockist Deane & Sons
of Cheddar.
Deane & Sons
Bath Street
Cheddar
Somerset
BS27 3AA
Telephone: 01934 742530
Email: info@deanesofcheddar.co.uk
Open: 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday
(closed 13:00 to 14:00) / 09:00 to 16:00
Saturday (closed 13:00 to 14:00).
Once term starts there is a uniform fitting
service available every Wednesday morning
from 09:00 to 12:30 (with extended opening
hours at the beginning of the school year).
Year groups
At Sidcot, year groups are often referred to
in the following way:
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12
Year 13
Third Form (3)
Lower Fourth (L4)
Upper Fourth (U4)
Lower Fifth (L5)
Upper Fifth (U5)
Lower Sixth (L6)
Upper Sixth (U6)
School transport
We currently operate a number of minibus
services covering Bristol, Clevedon,
Portishead, Burnham, Uphill, Wedmore, Worle
and the Chew Valley.
Every weekday two school buses run a return
service from Bristol to Sidcot and one return
service for Weston, Clevedon and Portishead.
The return services depart Sidcot School
at 17:00 on a Monday, 16:00 on a Tuesday and
Friday and at 16:30 on a Wednesday
and Thursday.
Five bus services run weekday mornings
from Burnham, Uphill, Wedmore, Worle and
the Chew Valley. Our bus routes can be
downloaded from our website:
sidcot.org.uk/admissions/school-buses
If you plan to use the bus service but haven’t
already booked a space, please email
schoolbus@sidcot.org.uk to check availability
and book a space. If there is no availability on
your required route, we are able to take names
to put on waiting lists if this is acceptable.
Senior School Timetable
Staff briefing:
Registration bell:
08.25
08.30
Registration:
08.35 – 08.40
PSHE:
Meeting for Worship:
Assembly:
Long tutor period:
08.40 – 09.10
08.40 – 09.10
08.40 – 09.10
08.40 – 09.10
Lesson 1:
Lesson 2:
Break:
Lesson 3:
Lesson 4:
09.10 – 10.00
10.00 – 10.50
10.50 – 11.15
11.15 – 12.05
12.05 – 12.55
Lunch:
12.55 – 13.50
Afternoon registration:
Lesson 5:
Lesson 6:
13.50 – 13.55
14.00 – 14.50
14.50 – 15.40
Tea:
Lesson 7:
Earliest collection:
15.40
16.00 – 16.50
16.50
15.40
16.00 – 16.50
17.00
Activities:
Private study/prep:
Tue
Wed
Mon/Fri
Thu
Evening meal:
Third Form (Y7)
Boarders
Fourth Form (Y8 & Y9)
Fifth Form (Y10 & Y11)
Sixth Form
Senior day students
must leave by:
House roll call:
Prep for boarders:
Sixth Form day students
leave by:
17.45
17.50
18.00
18.00
17.45
18.30
18.30
19.00 – 20.00
21.30
Whole school
activities on
Wednesday.
Mon only
Mon
Tue – Fri
Tue – Thu
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07
Lunch and break
Specialist Tuition
Break time is 10:50 to 11:15 every day with
drinks and a snack provided in the Refectory.
Lunch times are staggered by year group, the
Refectory opens at 12:30 and closes at 13:45.
The cost of lunch and break are included in
the school fees. Food is cooked on site and
there is a variety of choices from hot meals
to salads, soup and sandwiches with dietary
options being available. Sidcot is committed
to using produce that is organic, fairtrade and
locally sourced wherever possible.
We offer specialist tuition in a wide range
of subjects and activities including Music,
Drama, Sports and Fencing. Learning Support
is available for those with a desire for booster
lessons or with specific learning needs.
If you would like or need specialist tuition
please contact the relevant Department Head
to organise and book the lessons for the
following term.
Assemblies and Meeting for Worship
Students meet every Wednesday during term
time for a Quaker Meeting. This is a time when
all staff and students of whatever faith share
a period of quiet reflection, a rare opportunity
in today’s world. There are two further
assemblies during the week, on a Monday
and Friday morning.
Lockers
You will be allocated a locker to store books
and kit and will need a padlock for it – a ‘key’
type or combination. Please send a spare,
labelled key to be kept in school or inform your
tutor of the combination numbers.
ID Cards
All students have a photo ID card which must
be carried at all times. During the first week
of term your tutor will arrange for you to have
your photo taken, following which your card
will be issued. On the first day of term your
tutor will give you a pin code to enable you to
access the different faculty buildings until you
receive your ID card.
At the beginning of term your parents/guardian
will be emailed Wise Pay login details. This will
enable them to transfer money onto your ID
card so that you can use it in The Hub to buy
drinks and food rather than have to carry cash
with you. The Hub is open at various times
throughout the day and is the equivalent to a
school tuck shop.
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Welcome Handbook 2015/16
The Music Department can arrange individual
and group music lessons for students.
Lessons are organised on a rota to ensure that
students do not miss the same lesson each
week. The school retains specialist music
teachers to deliver these lessons and therefore
a full term’s notice, in writing, to the Director of
Music, (beverley.king@sidcot.org.uk), must be
given when lessons are no longer required.
Lessons are payable in advance to Sidcot
School. Please be aware that lessons will not
start until the first payment has been received
by the Finance Department. The annual
cost of 30 lessons will be split into 3 equal
instalments payable on the first day of each
term. Parents are advised that best efforts will
be made to ensure that their child receives
30 lessons during the course of the academic
year. Lessons missed through school trips will,
whenever possible be rescheduled. Lessons
missed with no notification to the peripatetic
teacher or due to pupil sickness will not
be rescheduled.
30 minute individual lessons (average 10 per
term) cost £175 per term.
Payments can be made by BACS to account
name, Sidcot School, Lloyds Bank account
number 00639248 and sort code 30/91/84.
Please give your child’s name, followed by the
word MUSIC as the payment reference.
Please also email beverley.king@sidcot.org.uk
with your child’s name, choice of instrument/s
and year group. Your email is confirmation of
your commitment to 30 lessons for your child.
All other additional lessons, including Learning
Support, will be charged in arrears at the end
of each term. The hourly rate for all individual
lessons is £35. The hourly rate for group
lessons is £19.
Mobile Phones
You are permitted to bring your mobile phone
to school but it should be switched off during
lessons unless permission is given.
Health Centre
The Health Centre is open Monday-Friday from
08:00 until 18:00. If you feel unwell during the
school day, you will be able to see a nurse at
the Health Centre.
The House System
All students and staff at Sidcot Junior School
and Senior School are assigned to a House
when they join our school community.
The House system helps students to build
friendships across the year groups and
provides a focus for school events and
activities throughout the year.
There are four Houses:
•
•
•
•
North House (yellow).
East House (blue).
South House (green).
West House (red).
Each House has two House Captains from
Year 12 and two Junior Captains from Year 6.
There are also two Vice Captains from Year 11
and House reps from Years 7 to 10, so plenty
of opportunity to get involved!
You will be assigned to a House – siblings
are in the same Houses. You will be sent a
welcome note from your Head of House.
House Points
The system operates in all years and is
designed to encourage pupils’ effort, to give
some immediate reward and to give form
tutors an opportunity to monitor progress.
House points can be awarded for:
•
•
•
•
Excellent effort.
Academic achievement.
Club/activity (commitment, effort etc.).
Other.
How we communicate with parents
We make every effort to keep parents up to
date with useful dates and information as
well as news of what is happening at school.
Below is a summary of the different elements
and how to access them. It is very important
that you provide us with your email address.
The email address we have for you is the one
given during the enrolment process. If you are
unsure what email address we hold for you
please call Reception on 01934 843102 or
email parentportal@sidcot.org.uk.
Weekly news
There is a Senior School newsletter which is
a weekly summary of all that has happened
across the school. The newsletter includes a
message from the Head, as well as news about
trips and visiting speakers, performances and
achievements from different departments.
It is usually emailed to you on a Friday. You
can request for the newsletter to be sent to a
number of different email addresses per family
by contacting parentportal@sidcot.org.uk.
SIMS InTouch – Email
From time to time your parents will receive
emails from us which have an @capita
address. This is a system which allows us to
target certain groups of parents with electronic
communications. This includes permission
letters, reports and alerts.
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09
School Calendar
Term Dates
Your child will be given a printed School
Calendar in booklet form. Parents will receive
an electronic version of this by email. As some
dates can change, we also provide a live feed
to our School Calendar which you can receive
via your computer or mobile device by visiting
www.sidcot.org.uk/livecalfeed
Autumn Term 2015
Reports and Parents’ Evening
Term begins
Half term begins
Half term ends
Term ends 12 noon
The effort and achievement of each student is
closely monitored through the year and we
have developed a system whereby parents
receive regular reports via email as well as the
opportunity to come to a parents’ evening.
For non–examined Years 7 to 10 parents
receive five grade reports, one full report, and
are invited to one parents’ evening per year.
For Year 11, parents receive four grade reports,
one full report, and are invited to one parents’
evening and one options consultation evening
per year. For Years 12 and 13, parents receive
four grade reports, one full report, and are
invited to one parents’ evening per year.
Parent Evening Booking System
The school has an easy to use online parent
appointment booking system. This allows
parents to choose their own appointment
times with teachers. As the date of the parent
evening approaches parents will be emailed
with details about how to log on to this system.
Sickness/absences
Your parent/guardian should contact
Reception on 01934 843102 if you are unable
to come into school and they will let the
relevant teaching staff know.
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Welcome Handbook 2015/16
Term begins
Half term begins
Half term ends
Term ends 12 noon
Tuesday 8 September
Friday 16 October
Sunday 1 November
Friday 18 December
Spring Term 2016
Tuesday 12 January
Friday 12 February
Sunday 21 February
Friday 18 March
Summer Term 2016
Term begins
Half term begins
Half term ends
Term ends 12 noon
Tuesday 5 April
Friday 27 May
Sunday 5 June
Friday 8 July
School Events
Throughout the school year you will be invited
to a variety of school events such as the
Boundary Walk, a hog roast in the Autumn
Term, a fireworks display, skittles evenings, a
rounders match, the Garden Party and others.
A couple of upcoming dates for your diary:
•
Wednesday 9 September, 14:00 – 15:40
Whole school Boundary Walk – meet at
Tom’s Field, at the top of Newcombe Lane.
•
Friday 11 September, 18:00 – 21:00
Staff and parents whole school
Hog Roast (adult only event) –
Junior School Amphitheatre.
SCPTA
The SCPTA (Sidcot Community Parent Teacher
Association) hold monthly meetings and help
to organise a variety of social events during
the school year. Pete Mercer is the Chair of
the Senior School PTA and would be delighted
to hear from parents who would like to get
involved. You can contact him on
pm@countycontractors.co.uk.
Additionalinformation for specific
year groups
For those joining in Third Form (Year 7)
Parents and guardians are invited to an
informal gathering on Thursday 17 September
from 16:00 to 17:00 in the Old Library. This is
an opportunity to meet other Year 7 parents
as well as tutors, teachers, the Head of Year
as well as the Headmaster. Please could
your parents let the Head of Year 7, Veronika
Germain, know whether or not they are able to
attend on veronika.germain@sidcot.org.uk.
For those joining in Lower Fourth (Year 8)
•
Foreign Language Options – You will
have the choice of two foreign languages
(from French, German or Spanish). It is
advantageous if the languages chosen
have been previously studied. Please email
admissions@sidcot.org.uk with your full
name, your two language choices (French,
German or Spanish) and the number of
years you have studied the languages for.
•
Year 8 Camp - In September there is a
Year 8 camp to help you get to know
everyone as soon as possible.
For those joining in the Sixth Form (Year 12)
The joy of this stage of your education is that
you will be studying subjects you have chosen,
allowing you to study in greater depth those
subjects that interest you most. Outside the
classroom you can get involved in all sorts
of sports – team games as well as individual.
There are musical and drama productions,
the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme,
charity projects, dance classes, trips abroad,
photography and Sixth Formers play leading
roles in all these activities and many more.
At regular intervals events are organised
which require formal dress. Formal dress for
Sixth Formers is also expected on Fridays.
All Sixth Form boys are therefore required to
have a suit. Sixth Form girls are required to
have either a skirt suit or trouser suit for these
occasions. A dress can be worn, with a jacket.
For those joining in Upper Fourth (Year 9)
•
Foreign Language Options – You will
have the choice of two foreign languages
(from French, German or Spanish). It is
advantageous if the languages chosen
have been previously studied. Please email
admissions@sidcot.org.uk with your full
name, your two language choices (French,
German or Spanish) and the number of
years you have studied the languages for.
•
In the Summer Term there is a Year 9 camp
that is popular with everyone.
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