Parents' Handbook 2024-2025

The Beacon Parents’ Handbook 2023-2024

This handbook sets out to provide you with an overview of The Beacon and practical information that will help you and your son with day-to-day life as he moves up through the school. There are links in the handbook to take you to the Website and Parent Portal, where more detailed information can be found.

Our Mission and Values

The Beacon’s stated mission is to inspire boys to achieve their best within a happy, safe and stimulating environment, providing education of the highest quality delivered by caring and dedicated teachers.

To achieve this aim the school will, with the support of parents:

- Promote high standards of academic achievement through consistent expectation and encouragement.

- Nurture talent and provide opportunity for all in the areas of Art, Drama, Music, Sport and Technology.

- Enable pupils to develop the social and emotional skills needed to believe in themselves, show consideration for others and value diversity.

- Foster lifelong thinking, learning and communications skills to enable pupils to work independently and as part of a team.

To work to this aim, The Beacon advocates Five Core Values. All those involved in the school – pupils, staff, Governors and parents – are expected to act in accordance with the following fundamental values and principles:

• Integrity

This focuses on behaving with honesty and with strong moral principles.

• Respect

This focuses on valuing all individuals, having due regard for their wishes, feelings and rights.

• Achievement

This focuses on valuing and striving for intellectual, sporting, creative and spiritual success.

• Wellbeing

This focuses on developing as a person so that children are confident, happy and healthy.

• Courage

This focuses on aspiring to do one’s best and thus making an effort despite difficulties or fears.

The School, Staff and Governors

The majority of our boys join us in Nursery or Reception and stay through to Year 8 when they leave us to join leading independent day and boarding schools. We also welcome boys aged 7+ for entry into Year 3, where a fourth class is added. A selection of our boys leave us at the end of Year 6 to join local grammar schools and we then welcome a small number of boys into Year 7, aged 11+.

The Pre-Prep School (Nursery to Year 2)

Little Beacons Nursery

Little Beacons is an educational Nursery for boys aged 3 to 4 years. The Head of Early Years is Claire Sharp: headofey@beaconschool.co.uk

Reception to Year 2

For boys aged 4 to 7 years, with three classes in Reception and Year 1, increasing to a maximum of three classes in Year 2. The Head of Pre-Prep is Lucy Gordon: headofpreprep@beaconschool.co.uk

The Prep School

For boys aged 7 to 13, covering six year groups with up to four classes in each year group from Year 3 to Year 8. Our Prep School is further sub-divided into three sections:

Lower School (Years 3 & 4)

Head of Lower School is Jemima Elcomb headofls@beaconschool.co.uk

Middle School (Years 5 & 6)

Head of Middle School is Hannah Macdonald headofms@beaconschool.co.uk

Upper School (Years 7 & 8)

Head of Upper School is Edward Tenison headofus@beaconschool.co.uk

The School Leadership is split into the Executive Team and the Senior Management Team. The Executive Team is responsible for future strategy of the school and comprises:

The Headmaster, Nick Baker headmaster@beaconschool.co.uk

Senior Deputy Head, Simon Detre dhacademic@beaconschool.co.uk

Deputy Head (Academic), Nikki Olhausen dhacademic@beaconschool.co.uk

Deputy Head (Pastoral), Steve Miles dhpastoral@beaconschool.co.uk (Designated Safeguarding Lead)

Director of Finance & Operations, Frank Muzika dfo@beaconschool.co.uk

Head of HR, Gail Gamble hr@beaconschool.co.uk

A full list of staff and their contact details is available on the Parent Portal

Our Governors oversee the school’s financial management, strategy and longer-term plans. We are grateful to our Governors who generously give their time freely to support the school. The Board of Governors and brief biographies are available on the school website.

Our contact for admissions is: Registrar, Marie Papa admissions@beaconschool.co.uk

The School Day: A Practical Guide

We would encourage all families with boys in Year 3 and above to consider using the school bus service which collects boys from a number of locations in the mornings, driving the boys safely on site. We also run evening school bus return services, which depart daily.

In addition, there is an Under 6 Car Service driven by our staff with ISOFIX car seats for younger boys running from Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, Seer Green and Chalfonts both in the mornings and afternoons.

Boys in Year 2 may be permitted to travel on our bus service if they have older siblings travelling with them and Lucy Gordon, Head of Pre-Prep, authorises the transportation by bus.

For more information and routes, please visit our website or contact the School Office for further details on 01494 433654 or email office@beaconschool.co.uk

Arrival and Parking

If you are parking in nearby roads, please be considerate of our neighbours and wherever possible walk to school.

There are two car parks: School House Car Park at the front of the school (see map location A) for ‘Drop and Go’ and ‘Pick-up and Go’, and North Car Park (location B), accessed via the second entrance if you are coming from Amersham. In the North Car Park there are car park attendants who will help you find a space in the morning and there are a number of five-minute bays. If you use the five-minute bays, please vacate the site as soon as possible after dropping off your son to allow other parents to access the car park and prevent a build-up of traffic on the Amersham Road.

If you need to drop your son before 08:00, there is a Breakfast Club available from 07:30, which is supervised until 08:00 and includes a choice of continental or cooked breakfast. Breakfast Club can be booked online via the

SOCS Co-Curricular Portal and incurs a cost of £4.40 per breakfast.

If you are dropping off or collecting your son at any time during the school day other than normal drop-off and collection, please park at the front of school and ring the front door bell to speak to the School Office (See location A). Boys are not allowed to leave the school premises during the school day without permission.

In the interests of safety, and at the request of the Planning Authority and the Police, ‘one-way traffic’ is operated in The Beacon Car Parks. This applies to all who visit the school: cars, bicycles and pedestrians. There are clear ‘IN’ and ‘OUT’ signs.

Parents arriving by car with boys in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 are asked to park in the North Car Park or locally (please avoid Oakway) and enter the school site via the pedestrian gate by the swimming pool (See map, location C). Please go directly to Oakway (Nursery and Reception) or the Year 1 corridor door (Year 1), where staff will welcome your son into their classroom.

Parents arriving by car with boys in Year 2 are asked to park in the North Car Park or locally (please avoid Oakway) and drop the boys at the North Car Park double gates by the swimming pool.

Parents with boys in Year 3 and above are asked to use School House Car Park and the ‘Drop and Go’ zone (location A). Please ensure the boys exit your car from the left-hand side and take the pedestrian entrance gate into the Quad.

We ask that parents arrive in good time for your son to be in his seat and settled for the start of registration.

On-site Security and Visitors to the School

All visitors to the school, including parents, must:

- Report to the School Office on arrival.

- Sign in and out using our intranet device.

- Wear a visitor’s lanyard during your visit.

The welfare and safety of the children is always our focus, consequently:

- Staff will challenge all visitors not wearing appropriate visitors’ lanyards.

- No child may be taken off the school site by any adult without permission from the parent of the child concerned.

- While parents are on site, we must insist that they do not enter the changing rooms at any time.

YEAR BREAKFAST CLUB (£4.40/ breakfast)

Nursery

DROP-OFF REGISTRATION PICK UP

07:30 to 8:00 - drop at the Dining Hall (location D) 08:00 to 09:00 - drop at Oakway Nursery (location G) 9:00

Morning Session: 12:00 - collect from double gates near the pool (no lunch served)

PREP CLUB (Booking required)

AFTERSCHOOL CLUB (Booking required)

LATE STAY (Booking required)

Afternoon Session: 15:00 - collect from Oakway Nursery (location G) N/A N/A 15:00 to 18:00 - collect from Oakway Nursery (location D) 15:00-17:30 - collect from the Dining Hall (location F) 17:30-18:00 - charge of £3.30 per 30 minutes 16:3018:00

Reception 07:30 to 08:00 - drop at Dining Hall (location D) 08:00 to 09:00 – drop at Oakway Reception (location F) 9:00 15:00 - collect from Oakway Reception (location F) N/A From the summer term 15:45 – collect from Oakway (location F) 15:00 to 18:00 - collect from Oakway Nursery (location D) 15:00-17:30 - collect from the Dining Hall (location F) 17:30-18:00 - charge of £3.30 per 30 minutes 16:3018:00

1 & 2 07:30 to 08:00 - drop at Dining Hal (location D)

3 & 4

Lower School

5 & 6

Middle School

08:00 to 08:30 - drop Year 1 at the Year 1 door (location E) - drop Year 2 at the double gates in the North Car Park (location B) 8:30 15:15 - collect Year 1 from the double gates in the North Car Park (location B)

15:15 - collect Year 2 from the pickup zone in the front School House Car Park. (location A)

N/A 16:00 – collect from the double gates in the North Car Park (location B)

15:15 to 18:00 - collect from Year 1 door in Winterbourn (location E) 15:15-16:45 - collect from Oakway Nursery (location F) 16:45-17:30 - collect from the Dining Hall door 17:30-18:00 - charge of £3.30 per 30 minutes 16:3018:00

7 & 8

Upper School

07:30 to 08:00at Dining Room door in North Car Park (location D)

08:00 to 08:20 at drop-off zone in the front School House Car Park (location A)

8:20 Year 3 - 15:45 from the double gates in the North Car Park. (location B) Year 4 – 15:45 from the pickup zone in the front School House Car Park. (location A)

07:30 to 08:00at Dining Room door in North Car Park (location D) 08:00 to 08:20 at drop-off zone in the front School House Car Park (location A) 8:20 16:15 - from the pick-up zone in the front School House Car Park (location A)

07:30 to 08:00at Dining Room door in North Car Park (location D) 08:00 to 08:20 at drop-off zone in the front School House Car Park (location A)

8:20 16:45 – from the pick-up zone in the front School House Car Park (location A)

Prep 1 – 15:45 to 16:15

Prep 2 – 16:15 to 16:45 collect from the double gates in North Car Park. (location B) 16:45 – collect from the double gates in North Car Park (location B) 16:45 to 18:00 – collect from the Dining Room door in the North Car Park (location D)

16:15 to 16:45 – collect from the pick-up zone in the front School House Car Park (location A) 17:15 - Collect from the pickup zone in the front School House Car Park (location A)

16:45 to 17:15 – collect from the pick-up zone in the front School House Car Park (location A) 18:00 – collect from the pickup zone in the front School House Car Park (location A)

16:45 to 18:00 – collect from the Dining Room door in the North Car Park (location D)

16:45 to 18:00 – collect from the Dining Room door in the North Car Park (location D)

Breakfast Club (Nursery to Year 8)

07:30 – 08:00

Boys may be dropped at 07:30 and join Breakfast Club where they have a choice of cooked or continental breakfast. Sign up to Breakfast Club must be pre-booked session by session. The charge for this is £4.65 per session, with a 10% discount offered when booking for the whole term. Further details are available on the SOCS Co-Curricular Portal, from the School Office by calling 01494 433654 or emailing office@beaconschool.co.uk

Morning Drop Off

From 08:00

Staff are on duty to look after boys from 08:00, with no pre booking necessary or extra charges.

- Nursery and Reception boys will be looked after in Oakway.

- Years 1 and 2 are looked after in our Year 2 classroom.

- Staff are on duty to supervise Year 3-8 boys in the Quad.

Registration

See Table for Year specific timings

Registration starts promptly so please ensure boys are dropped off in time for the start of the school day.

Collection at the End of Normal School Day

At the end of your son’s school day collection is as follows:

- Nursery: collection from the double gates near the pool at 12:00 or at the classroom door at 15:00.

- Reception: collection from the classroom door at 15:00

- Year 1: North Car Park double gates at 15:15.

- Year 2: ‘Pick Up and Go’ zone, School House Car Park at 15:15.

- Year 3: North Car Park double gates at 15:45.

- Year 4: ‘Pick Up and Go’ zone, School House Car Park at 15:45.

- Years 5 & 6: ‘Pick Up and Go’ zone, School House Car Park at 16:15.

- Years 7 & 8: ‘Pick Up and Go’ zone, School House Car Park at 16:45.

Prep Club

From Years 3 to 6, boys can stay after school for supervised Prep Club.

- Lower School (Years 3 & 4): Prep is split into two sessions and boys are expected to stay for the whole session. Session one runs between 15:45 – 16:15, and session two between 16:15 – 16:45.

- Middle School (Years 5 & 6): Boys can enjoy supervised prep from 16:15 to 16:45.

Boys who are not collected on time will join Prep and our Late Stay provision until they are collected.

Extra-Curricular Clubs

A full programme of extra-curricular activities is offered to boys from Reception (Summer Term) to Year 8. There are two types of extra-curricular clubs: Non fee-paying clubs, offered by our staff, some of which take place before school and at lunchtimes. Feepaying clubs offered by external providers:

- Reception from 15:00 – 15:45

- Years 1 and 2 from 15:15 – 16:00

- Years 3 and 4 from 15:45 – 16:45

- Years 5 and 6 from 16:15 – 17:15

- Years 7 and 8 from 16:45 – 17:45

Before the start of the Autumn Term in August, parents are sent details of all the clubs and are asked to register their interest for non fee-paying clubs via the SOCS Co-Curricular Portal, and register and pay for fee paying clubs via the club provider’s own booking systems.

Late Stay

Late Stay is a flexible pick-up and finishes at 18:00. Please see the table on page 12 for details of times and pick up details.

In Pre-Prep (Nursery to Year 2) there is no charge for boys staying until 16:30, provided they are booked in. From 16:30 there is a charge of £3.50 per half an hour for ALL boys staying until 18:00.

Boys in Years 3 to 8, there is no extra charge for boys staying for Late Stay until 18:00.

Booking

Clubs, Prep and Late Stay should be booked through the SOCS Co-Curricular Portal, which can be accessed via the Parent Portal.

School’s Out

School’s Out is a programme of courses and activities, run by our Teachers, which take place during the holidays. Visit our website, to find further details. Supercamps also run holiday camps at The Beacon.

Absence From School

In the event of a boy’s absence from school, parents are requested to email our School Office on

office@beaconschool.co.uk copying your child’s Class Teacher. Should this not be possible, absence must be reported via telephone to the Absence Line (01494 433 654) before 09:00. If the absence is a result of illness, there is no need to call on subsequent days; it will be assumed that your son is still ill up to and including the third day. If the illness continues after the third day, a further email or call should be made. On your son’s return, a note confirming the reason for the absence must be sent or emailed to their Class Teacher or Form Tutor.

Boys must sign in and out (in the School Office) if they arrive late (after the morning registration has been taken) or leave/return during the normal school day. Parents are requested to make every effort to arrange dental, medical and other similar appointments out of school hours.

Absence for Reasons Other Than Sickness

The Headmaster cannot grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Holidays taken during term time are discouraged, and will be marked on the attendance register as unauthorised. However, there are circumstances in which absence from school is necessary (such as school visits), and an official notification form can be located on the Parent Portal This must be completed and submitted online.

Uniform

Our school uniform supplier is Stevensons, who offer an online ordering service for all items of uniform. You will find a full list of uniform and related information on the Parent Portal.

The Beacon Parents' Society (BPS) runs a shop for the sale of second-hand uniform items. Their shop is located in the North Car Park.

The BPS Second-Hand Uniform Shop times are: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 08:00 – 09:00.

Please help us to maintain a high standard of tidiness and neat appearance by making sure that your son has all the correct uniform and that it is in good condition.

Blazers need to be worn for arrival and departure from school and shoes should be polished on a weekly basis. No trainers or pumps allowed. Please note that a blue braid, sewn on to the school blazer, denotes boys in Years 7 and 8. Official Beacon-branded blue coats

must be worn in school.

Please ensure that your son’s hair is kept clean, neat and tidy. Hair should be kept out of the face using a hair band in a ponytail (if long enough) or clips. Natural hair colours only. Extreme hair styles are not permitted, such as patterned shaving/lines, mullets and buzz cuts.

A Beacon school bag should be used for bringing books and Games kit to and from school. Please ensure everything is clearly marked with a name tape sewn in all round or a good quality iron-on label. Nursery and Reception boys will require a separate long hanging loop added to some garments: jumper, sweatshirt, blazer and cagoule/coat.

Information on uniform and labelling can be found on the Parent Portal under School Documents/ Uniform. All footwear must be marked with the full name inside. It is important that the boys have the correct PE kit for both indoor and outdoor sessions (please see the uniform list). We strongly advise against taking trainers home for out-of-school activities, as they get forgotten and are not returned. Trainers are needed every day for playtimes. Please ensure that trainers are Velcro fastening for Pre-Prep boys.

For safety reasons, silver aluminium studs should be used on rugby boots for boys in Year 3 and above. They are sold in sports shops and they are not expensive. They screw in to replace the plastic studs and Velcro fastening boots may also be of help to boys who struggle with laces. Boots with blades are not allowed for playing rugby.

Please ensure that all PE equipment that is brought to school (tennis rackets and swimming kit, etc.) is clearly named. Regular checks are made to ensure labelling is clear.

Mouthguards: All boys in Year 3 and above who have adult teeth must have a mouthguard to play sport in the first two terms. A dental mouthguard is recommended. Mouthguards can be obtained through your dentist or you can purchase an online kit from Opro at opro.com.

Class Equipment

From Year 3, your son will require a fully-equipped pencil case. This should contain: three HB pencils, a 30cm ruler (not hinged or flexible), a rubber, sharpener and a set of colours. In addition, from Year 5, boys require a blue handwriting pen (such as a FrXion pen). In Year 6 and above, ink pens and multiple blue ink cartridges can also be used. A Casio Scientific Calculator (FX-85GTCW or FX-83GTCW) and a protractor are required.

Optional additions are: a white glue stick, coloured felt tips / pencils and fineliners. Please note that all writing should be in blue ink only.

All boys also need a named water bottle.

The Curriculum

We provide information about your son’s curriculum and the subjects studied on the Parent Portal. Revision guides can also be found here. We additionally run ‘At Home’ events at the start of the Autumn Term for parents of boys in Nursery to Year 7 where an outline of the curriculum is explained. Nursery and Reception parents also receive a weekly Early Years Newsletter detailing topics to be covered the next week. If you are unsure where to find the information about your son’s curriculum and the topics he is covering, please ask his Class Teacher or Form Tutor.

One to One Devices

Boys in Years 7 and 8 are issued with a laptop for use at school and at home. Parents are charged a termly rental fee and the device is owned and maintained by the school

Learning Support Centre

The Learning Support Centre at The Beacon is an additional resource for those boys who need extra support. We work with boys to help them develop the skills they need to succeed, equipping them to become independent learners. These skills can include literacy, numeracy, organisation, study and revision skills.

We aim to help boys with any barriers to learning and achievement, and support all teaching staff to put in place effective measures to help boys achieve their personal best. We work in partnership with the boys, their parents, teachers and other professionals such as Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology and Occupational Therapy. Support may include individual or group teaching programmes, in-class support and advice to teachers, liaison with and support for parents.

Trips

The Beacon runs a full range of day and residential trips to support the curriculum and enhance the boys’ personal development. These include academic trips such as visits to museums, cultural trips such as visits to the theatre and visits to develop understanding of different faiths. You will be sent information in advance of a school trip and they are listed in the website calendar. In Years 1 - 8, we do not require permission from you for a day trip, but your permission will be sought for residential trips which take place in Year 4 and above and for all Nursery and Reception trips. The cost of all curriculum trips, both day and residential, is included in your termly fee.

Example trips include: our Year 4 boys enjoy a twonight trip away in the Chilterns. Year 5 boys enjoy a two-night PGL trip in Swindon. Year 6 have have a week-long multi-activity trip to Newquay, Year 7 enjoy a residential team-building trip in September and a multi-activity, residential trip in the summer. Year 8 enjoy a challenging week of outdoor activities.

In October, our Year 8 boys visit the war graves of The Somme, which is linked to their History and English curriculum. Safety is the primary concern on all trips, and they are comprehensively planned and monitored with full risk assessments carried out for travel, activities and residential facilities. There are also opportunities for the boys as they progress through the school to join optional sports tours, choir, language and ski trips abroad.

Sport For All

Every boy in Years 3 to 8 plays a full part in the sports programme which involves inter-school fixtures in all the major sports, including rugby, football, cricket, hockey, swimming, athletics, tennis and cross country, as well as house matches and other noncompetitive sporting activities. Many of these take place using our excellent sporting facilities, including the indoor Swimming Pool, Sports Hall, AstroTurf and Willsfield. If you have any queries regarding sport, please contact our Director of Sport at games@beaconschool.co.uk .

We use SOCS to communicate details of sports fixtures and team lists. These can be accessed through our Sports Website and also through the

SOCS Sport App that can be downloaded to your mobile phone. You will be provided with a password to view team lists. Boys are expected to be available when selected for a fixture unless prior notice of at least a week has been sent to the Director of Sport and the Teacher in charge of the team. Parents are very welcome at all fixtures to support the boys. If your son is ‘off Games’ please email our Sports Department on games@beaconschool.co.uk stating the reason they are ‘off Games’ (for example illness or injury) and the date they are expected to return to sport. It is essential that you notify us if your son has sustained any sort of head injury. This email is received by the School Medical Team, the Director of Sport and the Head of PE. Please also email your son’s Class Teacher or Form Tutor.

Boys will generally watch their group if they are ‘off Games’ in order to observe and learn skills. However, when the weather is inclement, alternative arrangements will be made to look after him in a suitable area of the school. Alternative arrangements can be made for boys who are ‘off Games’ for long periods. Please notify the Director of Sport if you anticipate your son being ‘off Games’ for a period of more than two weeks.

Performing Arts

Music

Music is an integral part of school life and all boys from Nursery up to Year 4 have two curriculum lessons a week. In Years 5 and 6, a double lesson for Performing Arts rotates half-termly between Drama and Music. Years 7 and 8 have a triple rotation each term between Music, Drama and Music Technology. Many boys are involved in a variety of extracurricular activities on offer. The department has its own Music Technology suite where the boys are able to create music.

Individual music tuition is provided by 20 visiting Music Teachers, all specialist musicians, and there are numerous ensembles, choirs and music clubs taking place each week. Singing at the school is really strong and choirs from each year group rehearse every week and are open to all. Many music scholarships are achieved by leaving boys each year, reflecting the high quality of music provision. For further information, please contact our Director of Music, Karl Leutfeld at kleutfeld@beaconschool.co.uk.

Drama

Drama is central to all boys’ personal development at The Beacon. From Reception to Year 4, every pupil has at least one period of curriculum Drama per week, then in Years 5 to 8, we operate a ‘Performing Arts’ rotation, which is a double lesson of either Drama or Music. Years 4, 6 &

8 have a performance opportunity during the school year. The current format is that Nursery, Reception and Year 1 have a Christmas play, Year 2 have a musical performance in the Spring Term, Year 3 have an outside provider come in to perform/lead a workshop, Year 4 perform in a class production, Year 5 work with an outside provider on a ‘Macbeth’ workshop, Year 6 perform in a major musical production, Year 7 work with an outside provider on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ workshop and Year 8 perform in a major production.

School has, on a biennial basis, also taken a production to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, earning five-star reviews and playing to sold-out audiences, an achievement of which we are very proud. In addition to the above, boys in Years 4 can sign up for group LAMDA tuition at Grade 1 and Grade 2 level and LAMDA tuition is also offered to Years 5, 6, 7 & 8, working on Grade 3+ during the School week. LAMDA tuition is provided by professional visiting teachers who also work as directors and actors in the industry.

Finally, Drama clubs are offered in every section of the school and are very popular. As a subject it enjoys a high profile and excellent reputation and is well supported by the whole community. For more information, please contact Zenelle Oosthuizen our Head of Drama, at zoosthuizen@beaconschool.co.uk.

Pastoral Care and the Wellbeing of Your Son

Teachers and Tutors

From Nursery to Year 5, the boys spend the majority of their time with their Class Teacher and we ask, if you have any concerns regarding your son, that you speak to them in the first instance (whether they be academic concerns or those regarding his social and emotional wellbeing).

In Year 6, your son will move into the Tutor System and he will be assigned a Form Tutor. The Tutor System is central to all that we do at The Beacon. Through strong pastoral care, pupils become happier and achieve more in their studies. Therefore much emphasis is placed on the role of the Form Tutor and a planned programme of topics is implemented in the Tutor Periods.

There are regular year group and whole school Assemblies, as well as fortnightly House meetings. In many ways, these contact times are the most important times of the week – the link between pastoral care and academic achievement is well documented.

One of the main responsibilities of the Form Tutor is to set targets with his/her tutees; these can be academic, pastoral, sporting, social etc., and must be realistic but still raise expectations. At the beginning of the school year, we encourage all parents to contact their son’s Form Tutor to make an appointment, both to establish contact and to raise any concerns on either side, as well as to discuss and agree targets for the year.

Communications should be sent to your son’s Form Tutor, who will then contact the appropriate member of staff. This is the best way of ensuring that tutors

have a full and rounded picture of their tutees. Tutors and Heads of Section meet regularly to discuss the boys, and through these meetings information is disseminated to the appropriate people.

At the end of the school year, a meeting between staff is held to discuss the transition of pupils so that the next year’s Class Teacher or Form Tutor is informed about his or her class or tutees.

Education Guidance, Counselling and Support

Our pastoral team is further enhanced by a School Counsellor who looks after the wellbeing of the whole Beacon Community. It is not unusual for children and young people to experience moments of challenge or worry during their schooling. At The Beacon we are fortunate enough to have a number of pastoral outlets that are designed to support and guide our students. These outlets can include access to Mental Health Champions and our fully trained School Counsellor. Referral to these specific support systems are made by our Pastoral Care Team in collaboration with form tutors and parents. If you have specific concerns regarding your son’s mental health or wellbeing then parents should, in the first instance, contact your son’s Class Teacher (Nursery - Year 5) or Pastoral Tutor (Year 6-8).

The House System

We have four Houses from Reception - boys are placed into one of the following: Cromer (blue), Eddystone (yellow), Portland (green) or Trinity (red). The House system provides a focus for boys’ energies on both the sports field and in the classroom, and a House Assembly takes place every fortnight, which enables success to be rewarded and team spirit fostered.

House points are recorded weekly, as are debits and commendations. Points may be awarded for good work, sporting success or general good manners and behaviour. At the end of term, the winning House is given a reward. You can view House points and commendations awarded to your son on the Parent Portal.

Assemblies

Assemblies are an important part of community life at The Beacon. All boys have weekly Assembly meetings, either a Sectional Assembly, House Assembly or whole school Assembly.

Assemblies allow boys the opportunity to celebrate and share their successes - whether academic, sporting or otherwise. Community sharing is an important part of Beacon life and we regularly have external speakers deliver Assemblies on a wide range of subjects.

Eating at The Beacon

Wilson Vale, our catering provider, delivers all our catering needs throughout the day: Breakfast Club, breaktime snacks, lunches, teas/match teas and evening events.

All the meals provided by Wilson Vale are cooked freshly on site and the quality of our food is very high. The week’s menus are found on the Parent Portal. In Pre-Prep your son’s Teachers supervise the boys and sit with them during mealtimes.

In Year 3 and above the boys are given greater independence to choose what to eat and where

to sit, although the servers will ensure that your son has a balanced plate of food. Dining at The Beacon is an enjoyable social event and we expect our boys to display good table manners. Please let us know if your son is a vegetarian, or if he has a medical problem with any particular food or if foods are excluded on religious grounds. The boys are encouraged to eat a reasonable sized portion and try different flavours.

Sleep

Please make sure your son goes to bed at a reasonable hour. The school day is full and demanding and if he is exhausted, there is a limit to how much progress he can make. If this becomes a problem, please discuss the matter with his Class Teacher or Form Tutor.

If your son has access to a smartphone, smart watch, tablet or similar device, we strongly recommend these are switched off and not kept in his bedroom overnight. Establishing and sustaining your expectations in this regard and is far easier when he is younger.

Medical Matters

If your son is ill, please do not send him to school. If your son needs to take Paracetamol or Ibuprofen at the start of the day, he should not be sent to school, unless this is being taken for an injury or other prescribed reason. Please also ensure that your son is eating and drinking normally and following a normal daily routine.

There is a qualified First Aider on site throughout the day. If your son feels ill, or suffers an injury, they will deal with the situation and contact you, if necessary. All teaching staff in the school are trained in basic first aid and will deal with minor injuries and administer the necessary treatment. If there is any doubt, a second opinion would always be sought.

If your son needs to take medication during the day, please first consider if he is well enough to be at school. If he is, medication should be handed to the Medical Centre staff (or the School Office in their absence) with a medical consent form and clear instructions of what the medicine is for, the dosage, when it should be taken, in its original packaging and clearly labelled with the child’s name. There are Consent Forms in the Medical Centre and on the Parent Portal for this purpose. The Medical Centre is open Monday to Friday 08:00 - 18:00.

Medication should be collected from the Medical Centre at the end of the day or when a course of treatment is complete. Medical Centre staff are unable to administer medicines or creams without written consent. Teachers do not administer medication in school, unless in an emergency or in the absence of Medical Centre staff. Teachers can administer medication on school trips and away matches, having completed the ‘Administration of Medication in Schools’ course.

Allergies

An up-to-date list is kept of boys with allergies and other medical conditions. Please inform the Medical Team accordingly.

Asthma

Inhalers are kept by the Medical Team in the Medical Centre. Please ensure inhalers are clearly named and kept up-to-date. A record will be kept of each occasion an inhaler is used.

Conjunctivitis

There is no exclusion for conjunctivitis and boys do not need to have started treatment before coming to school.

Vomiting and Diarrhoea

If your son has vomiting and/or diarrhoea, he should not return to school until he has been clear of all symptoms for 48 hours.

Head lice

This is an ongoing condition and if you check your son’s hair weekly and brush or comb the hair from the scalp down with conditioner it will slow down the process of spreading to others. There are many products available to treat head lice; please seek advice from your local pharmacy.

Impetigo

This is contagious and spreads very quickly. If your son catches it, he must be kept off school until lesions are crusted and healed or 48 hours after commencing antibiotic treatment.

Sun Protection

Parents have a major role to play in dealing with the danger of the sun. The Medical Team recommends:

- Parents apply a strong, high-quality and longlasting product to exposed areas of skin before school.

- If boys are due to go swimming or to take showers after exercise, they will need to bring in a personal supply of sun protection lotion (roll-on, rather than cream) for re-application, clearly named and be able to apply it themselves.

- Boys should wear their sun hats when at play.

- School will not supply sun cream to pupils, due to a risk of allergic reaction.

- Staff on duty may tell boys to play in the shadier areas, where possible.

Our medical team are available to discuss any medical concerns on 01494 736156 or email medical@beaconschool.co.uk

Safeguarding

All staff at The Beacon who have unsupervised access to our pupils have been trained in Safeguarding procedures and have undergone enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Mr Steve Miles, Deputy Head (Pastoral), is our Designated Safeguarding Lead. Miss Georgina Thomas is Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. Mr Trevor Powell, Mr Josh Porter and Mrs Sandy Drury are additional Safeguarding Leads. The Safeguarding Governor is Mrs Stephanie Horrocks. The school’s

Safeguarding Policy is available on the school website

As a school, we are very aware of the need to consider issues of child protection. This means that any areas where boys may be changing are out of bounds to parents and all other adults, apart from authorised staff. We appreciate your support.

School Rewards and Sanctions

Throughout the school, praise is considered to be the best contributor towards good behaviour. A system of House Points and Commendations operates. Where boys do transgress the school rules, warnings and, in more serious cases, detentions and debits can be given. Parents are always contacted where serious breaches of school rules occur. The Behaviour Policy and the School’s Anti-Bullying Policy are on the school website

The Golden Rules

Boys are introduced to The Beacon’s Six Golden Rules in Pre-Prep and these continue to be emphasised throughout your son’s time at The Beacon:

1. Do be gentle – don’t hurt anybody.

2. Do be kind – help others.

3. Do work hard – don’t waste time.

4. Do be honest – don’t cover up the truth.

5. Do look after property – don’t damage it.

6. Do listen - don’t interrupt.

Communication with You

Emails and Texts

The school uses email as its main means of communication with parents, including notification of pupil reports being uploaded to the Parent Portal. We also use text messaging to communicate lastminute changes to arrangements or, in the case of an emergency, such as school closures.

The ‘Contact & Medical Details’ form (issued for new pupils) asks you to specify at least one email address and one mobile phone number per family that we can use to contact you. If both parents would like to receive emails and texts from us, then please indicate this on the form or notify the school. Parents are requested to ensure that the School Office has up-to-date contact details at all times. Emails and texts are sent out using a system called SchoolPost. Teamsheets for sports fixtures are available on our sports website and through the SOCS Sport App that can be downloaded to your mobile phone.

Parent Portal

The Beacon has a secure online portal for use by current pupils and parents. This is available on any computer or device with internet access.

The Parent Portal currently provides information on:

- Joiner information and forms

- Your son’s timetable

- Homework (for boys in Years 4-8)

- A full list of all teacher contacts and their email addresses

- School reports

- School documents, including curriculum overviews, revision guides and trip guides

- Online forms, including Absence Notification and Medication Administration Consent

- Term dates

- Lunch menus

- Links to the Breakfast Club booking system

- Links to the Club and Parents’ Evening booking systems

- Copies of emails which have been sent to you via SchoolPost

- Details of rewards earned by your son

- Copies of invoices

Boys in Years 4-8 are able to log into the Parent Portal with their school login details (email address and password). Training is provided during their Computing lessons. They will be expected to use the Portal to access details of their homework. Parents have separate access to the Portal and, in advance of joining, will receive details via email on how to set up an account.

Website and Online Calendar

The School Website is a great source of information and is frequently updated with news about what is happening at The Beacon. There is a menu bar in the top left corner of the website for our current families, which includes links to our Parent Portal, SOCS Sport App (Sports Fixture Portal), the school term dates and online calendar.

The calendar contains details of events, trips, sporting fixtures and other important dates for the current term and is updated as changes occur. There is an export function to Google Calendar, Apple iCal and other compatible apps. School news, including details of many of our charity-focused and community outreach activities, are featured on our News and Events pages. The website home-page also has links to our social media pages.

The Beacon Lighthouse

Our weekly newsletter is the main method of communicating news, notices and reminders. The Beacon Lighthouse is sent out via email each Friday. An Early Years Newsletter is also sent out weekly to Nursery and Reception parents.

The Beacon Bulletin

Our termly digital magazine called ‘The Beacon Bulletin’ highlights the wonderful events and activities that took place throughout the term.

Beaconverse Podcast

The Beacon monthly podcast, Beaconverse, endeavours to inspire you with educational topics, as well as giving you an insight into The Beacon Life.

Social Media

Instagram @beaconschooluk

Facebook

facebook.com/beaconschoolamersham

Twitter @Beacon_School

LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/the-beacon-school

Tiktok

https://www.tiktok.com/@beaconschooluk

The Beacon Community

The Beacon Parents’ Society and Class Representatives

The Beacon Parents’ Society (BPS) is actively involved in the life of the school and has two fundamental aims. Firstly, to organise social events for boys and their families to raise funds for local charities and to provide equipment and facilities additional to those which are provided from the resources of the Governing body, and secondly, to bring families together and encourage a sense of community. Please see our website for a list of social events for 2023/2024.

A Class Representative system exists to help the BPS with its aims and organise class events. You will be kept informed of BPS events in The Beacon Newsletter.

Classlist

Our parents use Classlist to communicate within their year group and to manage a range of events.

Due to GDPR guidelines, parents are no longer able to mass email their year group, so they use Classlist, a secure app used by schools around the country to make life run more smoothly for school communities.

The Beacon Association and Old Beaconians

The Beacon Association includes Old Beaconians (former pupils), and both current and former parents and members of staff. We run events for former pupils, staff and parents throughout the year as an opportunity to reconnect.

To stay connected with The Beacon Association on social media follow our Old Beaconians Association Facebook page and Beacon Alumni Instagram account. There is also The Old Beacon Society, a separate Facebook group just for Old Beacon Boys, and also our Beacon Alumni LinkedIn Group

Supporting The Beacon

The Beacon Bursary Fund is a registered charity (number 310643), independent of The Beacon but affiliated to it.

It can help provide financial assistance to current Beacon families who find themselves in temporary financial difficulty, for example through redundancy, illness or the death of a breadwinner, and who would otherwise have to withdraw their son from the school at a time that would be detrimental to their educational progress.

The Fund derives its income from parental donations, Gift Aid and investment income. A voluntary contribution (currently £29 per term) will appear on

your first fee bill. If you’re happy to support the Fund, the total fee bill amount is payable. If you’re a UK taxpayer, please also Gift Aid your donations.

The Governors of The Beacon school (registered charity number 309911) are also committed to broadening access to The Beacon, ensuring that bright and talented boys from less-advantaged backgrounds can benefit from the exceptional education we provide. The Headmaster’s Bursary Fund provides means-tested support to boys who we know will thrive at the school, but whose families have limited financial means. We are enormously grateful to our parents, alumni and other supporters whose donations allow The Beacon to remain a true centre of excellence open to all.

The Beacon Educational Trust Ltd.

Registered in England No: 01067862

Registered Office:

The Beacon School, Chesham Bois, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP6 5PF

Registered Charity No: 309911

Updated Summer 2024 beaconschool.co.uk