Years 7 to 11 Information

Information on Years 7 to 11 can be found here.

Your Child’s Induction: Year 7

We are very keen to get to know your child as well as we can prior to their first day in September. To this end, we have produced a ‘This is Me’ booklet for students to complete and return as soon as they can to the School Office. This, in line with our school and sometimes home visits, will allow us to arrange their provision for September.

The best way for your child to begin their induction into Year 7 is to attend the Taster Day which is scheduled in the Summer Term. On this day, children are issued with summer work to give them a flavour of what is on offer at Gildredge House. This should be completed in time for the start of the new school year. Once your child has started in the school, we aim to get him/her learning with independence, resilience and enthusiasm.

First Day

The first morning drop-off is an anxious time for everyone, but don’t worry, there are plenty of staff around to help. We ask that you drop your child off at the car park and allow them to walk up the drive with friends. They will be met by their Form Tutor and will be escorted to their Tutor Room along with the rest of their group. Children need to be in school by 8.25am.

If your child is coming by bicycle or walking, they may proceed up the drive where they will be directed by a member of staff. Bicycles must be locked and the children are responsible for their own bike, so must make sure the key is kept safe. A duplicate key can be handed into the School Office with a named fob if necessary.

On the first day, students will be given their timetable and told about the arrangements for each day. They will be given a Gildredge House Student Planner where they can record their homework and details for things like Sport Fixtures and Twilight Activities.

After a few hours with their Form Tutor, students begin their academic studies at Gildredge House. They may be issued with books and equipment, all of which must be kept with care and diligence. It is important that students attend with the correct equipment to enable them to undertake their studies. Details can be found in the Equipment List.

The Pastoral System

All children are placed into one of five Houses: Bader, Carter, Hopkins, Johnston and Ravilious. The House system underpins everything we do at school and everyone, including the Governors, is linked to a House, providing a real sense of belonging and community. Initially, in most subjects, students are taught in their House groupings. From Year 8, they mix with peers and other students from different Houses.

Daily Routines: Years 7-11

• Registration at 8.25am
• Extra-Curricular Sport for Years 9-11 – opt in from 3.15-4.00pm, three days per week.
• Exam Support for Years 10, and 11 – by invitation from 3.15-4.00pm, three days per week
• Twilight Activities for Years 7 and 8 – opt in from 3.05-4.20pm, three days per week.

Mid-Morning Snack

All children will receive a mid-morning break in their timetable. At this time they may have a healthy snack, if they wish, brought from home. Please remember that nuts and nut products (e.g. peanut butter) should never be sent to school because of allergy concerns. Children are not allowed to share food items for this same reason.

Lunchtime

Students eat on a rota basis, alongside their peers and teachers, in the school’s Dining Hall. Students may purchase a hot school meal or, if they prefer, they can bring in a healthy packed lunch. Please refer to the Healthy Lunchbox and Snack Policy. When not eating, the students have the opportunity to play with their peer group and, as long as the weather is good, the field and outside areas will be supervised for their use. During wet weather, it is expected that students follow direction and stay indoors.

Afternoon Snack

Students undertaking a longer school day will receive a 15-minute break at 3.00pm. If they wish, they may have a healthy snack brought from home or purchase one from the Dining Hall at lunchtime. Students eat their food outside on the hard-standing areas or in the Dining Hall if it is raining.

Health

The health and well-being of your child are very important to us.

If your child has been prescribed medication that needs to be administered during the school day, please hand it to a member of staff in the School Office, together with a completed Request for School to Witness the Administration of Medication, confirming dosage instructions.

If your child has a minor injury, this will be dealt with by one of the trained First Aiders. A record of treatment will be retained at school. If we have any concern for a child’s health or well-being, we will contact the parents.

Unless really ill, we encourage you to send your child to school. Children should not come to school with a sore throat, a heavy cold, an infectious skin condition or having been sick or had diarrhoea overnight, as they will not be able to learn effectively. In accordance with the Department of Health guidelines, children who have suffered from vomiting and/or diarrhoea must be kept at home for 48 hours after the last incidence.

Mobile Phone Use

Whilst we are aware that students travelling to and from school may, for reasons of safety and independence, need their mobile phone, within school we require that it is switched off and kept securely in the student’s locker. Students needing to contact home can do so through the School Office and, should parents need to reach their child, the School Office, again, provides the means to do this.

Within lessons and the school day, we would like children to concentrate on their studies and enjoy their time at school without texting or accessing social networking sites. To this end, if mobile phones are seen, regardless of whether they are being used, staff will confiscate them and take them to the School Office to be collected by the parents at the end of the school day. The school can accept no responsibility for the loss or damage to a mobile phone, or indeed any other mobile device that is not locked securely in the student’s locker. We thank you for your support with this.

Parental Support

Parents often ask how they can support their child so that he/she settles in quickly to his/her new routine. The quicker your child can become independent, the more confident he/she will become. It’s also important to remember that all students need some level of support while moving into their new school and establishing new routines.

Top Tips for Happy Confident Learners
Ready to Learn

• Ensure your child has sufficient sleep (9.5 hours);
• Ensure your child has breakfast and a drink before school; and
• Ensure your child has everything he / she needs to engage and take part in lessons.

Home Support

• Provide somewhere quiet for your child to work at home – sometimes he / she will need to; and
• Please ask your child about their day and take some time to look at their books to see what they’ve been doing.

Communication

The school’s key instrument in communicating with parents is through the Student Planner. Any notes for the Form Tutor are to be recorded within the Student Planner. Please do keep the Form Tutor informed of any changes which may affect your child. This can be done by emailing the Form Tutor directly, or writing a note in the Student Planner.

Make sure your contact numbers are up to date in the School Office. This is very important in case of emergency. Make sure your email address is up to date in the School Office. This is very important as the school issues important reminders and information to parents via email.

The school has a duty of care and the happiness of your child is paramount. If your child is unhappy for any reason, please keep us informed and communicate with the Form Tutor as soon as possible. Most problems can be easily solved, if we know about them. If you feel your issues are not being addressed, please consult the Complaints Policy.

Reporting to Parents

For Year 7, there will be an evening in the Autumn Term to meet your child’s Form Tutor and receive information on how your child has settled in.

In addition to a formal Parents’ Evening for each Year Group and an end-of-year report, we will also communicate your child’s progress on a regular basis. These progress reports will be a brief overview of how your child is progressing towards his/her target grades.

Please refer to the Document Library for further useful documentation.