Parents' Handbook 2022-2023

Parents’ Handbook

Contents

Head’s welcome 3

Absence 4 Accidents 4

Aims and values 5 Allergies 6

Arriving at school (drop off) 6

Assemblies 7 Birthdays 8 Bullying 8

Calendar / Dates 8 Child Protection / Safeguarding 8 Class lists 9 Clubs, choirs and sports squads 9

Communications with parents 10 Complaints 11 Curriculum 11 Departing from school (pick up)13 Discipline and reflection slips 13

Emergency Contact Details 13 Future schools 14 Governors 14

Hair and head lice 14

Homework 15 House system 15

Infectious diseases 15 Illness 16

iPads / Digital devices 16

Learning support 16 Libraries 17

Lost property 17 Lunches / Snacks 17

Make-up, jewellery, nail polish 18 Medicines 18

Mobile phones 18 Music 18

OHSET (Orchard House School Educational Trust) 20

The Orchard House Parents’ Association (OHSPA) 20 Outings, day and residential, and ‘Innings’ 21 Parent-teacher meetings 21 Pastoral 22 Photographs 22 Plays, concerts and events 23 Prize-giving 23 Reports 24 School Council 24 School office 24 Sport 24 Staff 25

Threadworms 26

Uniform and PE kit 26 Visitors Code of Conduct 27

Website and parent portal 27

Head’s welcome

Dear parent,

Whether you are a new parent, or one whose links with the school are more established, I hope you will find the information in this handbook helpful. A strong partnership between home and school will enable your child to become successful and confident in all aspects of school life. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher, or one of the senior staff, if you have any worries; if we are aware of concerns at an early stage we can usually remedy the problem very easily.

We aim to keep parents well informed through regular correspondence, details of which are outlined in this booklet; however, if there is anything else you need to know, please feel free to ask. If there is additional information you believe would be useful in this handbook, please let us know.

The staff and I look forward to working in partnership with you to provide your child with the best possible all-round education. We hope this will be the beginning of a very happy and successful academic journey.

Mr Kit Thompson Headmaster

Absence

If your child is ill and unable to attend school, please telephone the school office or email absence@orchardhs.org.uk by no later than 8.30am on the first day of absence and repeat the email each day thereafter until the day of the child’s return.

Any absence from school, even for brief periods such a medical appointment, must be notified. Children who have been absent due to illness, particularly sickness or an upset stomach, should not return to school until the child has been clear of any symptoms for 24 hours.

Holidays or other Family Events in Term Time

Any requests for absence in term time must be made to the headmaster in writing; however, it is the policy of the school not to grant permission for absence during term time, except in exceptional circumstances.

Parents are requested not to take holidays or time off school during term time or to take extra days at the beginning or end of terms. This is because such absences not only disrupt the education of the absent child, they also impact on other children in the class as the teacher may have to spend time repeating work that has already been covered. It is also likely that the absent child will miss important events happening at school, particularly if he/she is absent at the beginning or end of term.

Homework will not be set for children who are away from school for these reasons nor will homework be organised in advance. Parents should also be aware that the school has a legal duty to report repeated absences or any concerns about absence to the Educational Welfare Officer of Ealing Local Authority.

Accidents

When there is an accident in either the playground or the classroom, the school’s policy is to use water only to clean any wounds and to apply a plaster only when this is necessary. No medicines of any kind are ever given to the children, except with the express consent of a parent. All members of staff have attended a relevant professional first aid course. Both school buildings have a defibrillator which staff are trained to use.

An accident book is maintained in which details of all accidents are recorded. An Accident/ Incident/Illness Report slip, giving details of what occurred and treatment, if any, is sent home with the child.

Aims and values

We aim for all children to:

• achieve their full potential in terms of academic achievement, self-esteem, social integration and spiritual awareness

• feel happy, fulfilled and foster a responsible and cooperative attitude towards work and the wider school community

• be respectful and show an understanding of the rights, needs and views of others, take a pride in, and care for, their school and the environment

We consider it important that all members of the school community work together to achieve these aims.

Rather than ‘school rules’ all members of the school community continue to develop the morality of every child by encouraging him or her to demonstrate the following values:

• Honesty

• Respect

• Responsibility

• Equality

• Kindness

• Achievement

• Self belief

• Collaboration

Staff discuss these values with children in class and during assemblies and sometimes use ‘recognition’ to highlight particular children who have demonstrated these values.

Orchard House School Parents’

Allergies

If your child suffers from any allergies or asthma it is vital that this information is stated clearly on the medical form when your child joins. Any medication necessary should be labelled with the name of the child and the appropriate dosage; this should then be handed to the school office. If your child has been prescribed an epipen, two pens should be provided to be kept in the classroom or carried by the child. If your child suffers from asthma an inhaler should be provided. This will be kept in the classroom or with a teacher if your child goes off site for PE or school trips. If your child’s medical needs change, please notify the school office immediately.

Pictures of children with serious allergies or asthma, and the treatment required if necessary, are displayed in school to aid staff.

If your child has food allergies please provide your child’s class teacher with ‘treats’ that your child is allowed to eat when other children bring in birthday cake. Please ensure that the school office is notified of any major food allergies. Our kitchen staff are able to cater for a wide range of dietary and medical needs.

Arriving at school (drop off)

We encourage children and parents, where possible, to walk, scoot or cycle to school but recognise that this is not always practicable. There are secure bike and scooter racks located at both Rupert Road and Newton Grove but the school cannot take responsibility for bikes and scooters while they are on school property. We recommend that bikes and scooters are clearly named and identifiable.

Dogs are not allowed in either of the school playgrounds. Parents are reminded never to park across a neighbour’s driveway and always to exercise consideration.

2 Rupert Road

Children are expected to arrive at and depart from school on time. The school operates staggered arrival and departure times as follows:

All children based here should arrive at the side gate on Rupert Road between the times shown above. Parents who come to school by car should park in Rupert Road or in a nearby residential road – not on Bath Road. A member of staff will be in attendance at the gate at arrival and departure times and there are CCTV cameras at both entrances to aid security.

Newton Grove

Children are expected to arrive at and depart from school on time. The school operates staggered arrival and departure times as follows:

Form Arrival Registration Departure

Form 2 & 3 8.40am 8.50am 3.40pm

Forms 4, 5 & 6 8.30am 8.50am 3.50pm

Parents coming to Orchard House by car should enter Newton Grove only from South Parade and, when dropping their child at the back entrance in The Orchard, drive down The Orchard only in a southerly direction, i.e. from Bedford Road towards South Parade.

A controlled parking zone is in operation in this area. Please do not risk the safety of everyone by parking or stopping on the zigzags. Parents are asked to park only within marked bays and also to avoid parking close to junctions, as this obstructs the view for pedestrians crossing and other motorists.

In the mornings we always have a member of staff at the back gate and also inside the lower ground floor cloakroom. Children arriving at school earlier than 8.30am should come to the front door.

Assemblies

Assembly for Form 1 to Form 6 is held every Friday. Assembly for the Den and Lower 1 is held every Friday at Rupert Road. On these occasions we recognise each week one or two children in each form who have achieved excellence in some aspect of school life. The children who have been selected by their teachers are invited to stand in front of the school whilst a short description of their achievement is read out. Children in Lower 1 are given a “leaf” to take home . Children in Form 1 and above are given a certificate to take home.

Assemblies are also held at 9.00am on Monday mornings for the Upper School and on Wednesday mornings for the Lower School. Children must be in school by 8.50am at the latest on these days in order that assembly can start on time. The children participate in the assembly in various ways and members of staff take an assembly on a rota system. The emphasis is always on moral values, aspects of religions of all kinds and assisting the children to feel that they are contributing to and participating in an enjoyable event. In the Lower school assembly we also congratulate those children who are celebrating birthdays that week or who have won a reading award. Parents are occasionally invited to attend assemblies.

Birthdays

When a birthday falls on a school day, children are encouraged to bring a cake (free of any nuts without any exception, please) to school to be eaten with the rest of the class during break. It is very helpful to the teacher if the cake could be pre-cut into the requisite number of pieces or could be in ‘cupcake’ form!

Parents are requested not to give parties after school on school days. As it is distressing to a minority to be excluded, when asking more than a very few friends to a birthday party, parents should ask, please, the whole class. If either girls’ or boys’ only parties are being arranged, then all the girls or boys in the form should be invited.

Bullying

Although thankfully a rare occurrence, bullying behaviour can occasionally occur. The school has a clear policy for dealing with bullying and staff will always notify a senior member of staff or the Headmaster if they suspect that bullying may be taking place. Parents should notify the school immediately if they suspect that their child may be being bullied or is unhappy. In most instances, bullying can be prevented by clear and direct action at an early stage. A copy of the school antibullying policy is available on request from the school office.

Calendar / Dates

A calendar of the term’s main events is circulated by email at the beginning of each term so that you have notification of important dates well in advance. Regular circulars are issued with the dates of term time and holidays, usually up to one year in advance.

The calendar is also available on the iSAMS parent portal. It is highly recommended that early in each term parents run through the calendar and highlight events relevant to their child/children and transpose key dates to their own diaries.

The term dates set by the school are chosen carefully to ensure that they are similar to other schools in the area. Term dates are published on the school website.

Child Protection / Safeguarding

In common with all schools, Orchard House has a duty of care to all its pupils. If there are concerns about the welfare of a child the school has a legal duty to report these concerns to the Children’s Services department of the borough in which the child resides. The school has a Safeguarding Policy, reviewed annually by the headmaster and governors, which is available on the school website. All staff receive training, which is regularly updated, on child protection and wider safeguarding issues.

The members of staff who have received additional training and who are the designated personnel for Safeguarding are: Mr Kit Thompson (headmaster), Mr Ed Ball (deputy head), Ms Lisa Zackey (head of KS2), Mrs Rosamund Brown (head of EYFS), Mrs Mercedes Remuiñan (EYFS teacher) and Miss Charlotte Webb (Form 6 teacher and member of the SLT). The school follows the statutory and recommended advice for the safer recruitment of all teaching and non-teaching staff.

Orchard

Class lists

At the start of each academic year, class lists are produced. They show for each child in a particular class the child’s name, home address, home telephone number, parents’ mobile numbers and email addresses. They are circulated to the parents of the children in that year group. Amended lists are published during the year as necessary, for instance, when a new child joins a class.

These are very useful if you want to arrange a play date or if you need to car share. However, it is important that these lists are not used for any other purpose. They must be kept within the school community and not shared with any third parties.

Clubs, choirs and sports squads

There is a huge range of after school clubs for children to join should they wish. Parents are notified by circular of the clubs to be offered for the following term and should complete the Clarion e-reply form to register their child for a club. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis in order of response. There is a charge made for children attending clubs.

Clubs take place from 4.00pm to 5.00pm after school. There are usually ten sessions of a club per term and they are intended for Form 1 pupils and above. The children are collected from the playground by parents via the main gates and are dismissed by their teacher or club leader. There is always a member of staff at the exit to Newton Grove and all children and parents must leave this way for security reasons.

We run a Lower 1 club in the summer term for the children in that year group. Our aim is to vary the activities each term, although some clubs may take place throughout the year.

Choirs and orchestra also take place before school in the Raphael Room, the Michael Room at St Michael and All Angels or at 16 Newton Grove.

Development squads are run by the PE department before school for various sporting activities during the year. These take place at the Rocks Lane courts on Chiswick Back Common or The Janet Adegoke Pool, Bloemfontein Rd, W12. Children are chosen by merit for these squads and there is no charge for them.

Communications with parents

It is the school’s intention that parents should enjoy at all times completely satisfactory communication with the school. If you wish to contact the school or send a message to any of the staff by email please use the school email address: info@orchardhs.org.uk This will ensure your message is seen and dealt with quickly. Please do not use the individual address of any staff, as if they are away from school for any reason your message will not be seen.

In addition to the methods outlined below, the teachers are always available, at a mutually convenient time, to meet with parents if they have concerns about their child. Parents may also arrange an appointment to see the headmaster. Please inform the school at an early stage if there are any factors outside school that may be affecting your child’s progress.

The school uses a variety of ways to communicate with parents; they are outlined below:

Message books/homework diaries: The school provides children in each class with message books in the Lower School, and homework diaries from Form 2, which are a useful way of communicating with your child’s form teacher on any minor matter concerning work or to provide a vehicle for any brief comments. It can also be used to notify your child’s teacher if he or she is going home with someone other than the person who usually collects them. It can in addition be used by parents of children in the Den to inform the teacher if the child should be staying for lunch on a particular day.

However, the message book or homework diary should not be used for other, more important, communications with the school, even where the subject may appear trivial, such as your child leaving early for a medical appointment, or a more substantive issue concerning your child’s work or his or her well-being. This is because communications sent via the message book (or homework diary) are not routinely brought to the attention of the school office or that of the headmaster.

Parents should, please, write or e-mail the school’s office (at info@orchardhs.org.uk) for all types of communication other than the very trivial.

Orchard Weekly: A newsletter, the Orchard Weekly, is published every Friday. It is essential that parents read this very carefully as much of the information about day-to-day events is given in the Weekly.

Circulars: Circulars are emailed and usually contain more detailed information about a particular event or occasion. Parents may be required to respond to a circular by completing a clarion reply form, a link to which is provided in the body of the email (and not in the circular attachment).

Parent portal: Messages and circulars can also be seen on the school’s iSAMS parent portal. This is a secure portal: when your child joins the school you will be emailed with details on how to set up your account. During term time parents are advised to check their emails daily.

Annual Magazine: A glossy magazine with photographs and short pieces of text about events held during the year.

Parents’ Evenings & Reports (see Parents’ Evenings & Reports)

Meetings: Parents may request an appointment with a teacher if they have concerns. Details of the discussion will always be noted and the parents are sent a copy of the minutes for their records. If parents do not agree that the meeting has been recorded accurately, they must inform the school in writing. By recording such meetings it ensures that both staff and parents are clear about the issues under discussion and the plan of action.

SMS text messaging: The school occasionally sends messages to parents using SMS texts. This facility is particularly useful if a fixture is cancelled or if children are delayed when returning from an outing. If you change your mobile telephone number please inform the school immediately so your details can be updated.

Twitter: Follow the school @orchardhs. We do not use Twitter to convey essential messages or information, but it is often used during sporting events or school trips.

Complaints

We hope that parents do not have any cause to complain and that any problems that do arise can be resolved satisfactorily. However, the school does have a formal complaints policy and this is available to parents on request from the school office.

Curriculum

We offer a broad and balanced curriculum, which aims to stimulate, challenge and enthuse children of all abilities. We aim to develop good work habits and we have high expectations. Children from Year 3 to Year 6 are placed in separate ability sets for mathematics and English; these smaller groups enable the teacher to offer very focused teaching matched to each child’s ability. The ability sets are decided by the teaching staff and are based on the child’s performance in class and in formal assessments. The curriculum has been developed by the staff of Orchard House to offer interest, variety, pace and progression. It is based on the National Curriculum with adaptations to suit the specific needs of our pupils.

As well as a morning break and lunchtime break the children have some sort of physical activity in their timetable almost every day. All the children have a break at mid-morning, but the break times vary from class to class. At break, each form is taken into the playground and is supervised by a playground supervisor. Either before or after lunch each class has a further break with at least half an hour of playtime. Nursery and Reception children also have an afternoon break.

The timetable is constructed very carefully to allow an appropriate balance of subjects. Mathematics and English are taught every day. There is some additional support available for children who do not have English as their first language.

School day – Den and Lower 1 (EYFS)

At the start of each day children in the Den and Lower 1 work on their Montessori apparatus and basic skills. This may take place in the outdoor classroom. Children always spend time in the morning acquiring and developing language, literacy and mathematics skills. During the week they will also have topic based lessons, PE, music, computing, eurhythmics and French. On several occasions each week the children are arranged in ability sets for phonics lessons.

Each day of the week differs as we have many specialist teachers who come in to take lessons at different times. At break, each form is taken into the playground and is supervised by a teacher. In the afternoons the teaching is less structured and the children enjoy outdoor learning and creative activities.

School day – Forms 1 and 2 (KS1)

Generally, the first two hours for all children are devoted to acquiring and developing language, literacy and numeracy skills as outlined in the National Curriculum. The children may be organised within their form according to their ability in different subjects. On several occasions each week the children are arranged in ability sets for the phonics lessons. They may be taught with children from a different year group Each day of the week differs, as we have many specialist teachers who come in to take lessons at different times.

In the afternoons the teaching focuses on other curriculum subjects, often directed at the whole class rather than in small groups or individually.

School day – Forms 3, 4, 5 and 6 (KS2)

Registration is at 8:50am so that lessons can begin promptly at 9:00am. The children will engage in a variety of lessons during the day, some of which are taught by specialist teachers. For music, art and PE, this may mean walking or taking the minibus to another site. For English and maths, the children are generally split into three smaller groups, so the children may have these lessons with an additional teacher other than their class teacher.

Throughout the year, there are various other activities that take place to support and enhance the curriculum; so on these occasions the children will not follow their usual timetable.

Curriculum talks

These are held at the start of the autumn term to provide an opportunity for form teachers to explain to parents the routine and timetable of the form children for the forthcoming academic year, and for parents to ask questions. Parents are encouraged to write to the headmaster if they have any concerns and, if required, an individual appointment will be arranged. A handout will be sent to parents after the curriculum talk highlighting important facts for each year group.

Departing from school (pick up)

The safety of children is our prime consideration and I would ask that you follow the rules to ensure the safety of every child.

Children may leave the school premises only with their parent or the adult usually responsible for collecting them. In the absence of an email from the parents to the school office, telephone message, or message to the form teacher via the message book or homework diary authorising another person to collect their child, he or she will not be permitted to leave with that other person.

At the end of the day the children line up form by form in the playground before going home. Both as a courtesy to their form teacher, but also for essential reasons of security, children must stand with the adult collecting them as they say good-bye to their teacher.

As an additional part of the school’s security procedures the only permitted exits at the end of the day are via the gate on Rupert Road or from the passage by the Coach House, both of which are covered by a CCTV camera.

Children in the Upper School may on a regular basis leave school at the end of the day with others or on their own provided such arrangements have both been agreed with the headmaster and also notified to the school office in writing.

Discipline and reflection slips

The children at Orchard House are expected to be well behaved, polite and considerate to others. The behaviour policy of the school is based on positive reinforcement at all times. Occasionally, children will not behave in an appropriate manner and if minor transgressions occur they are dealt with by the teacher who will talk to the child. If inappropriate behaviour continues a reflection slip may be issued for the child to bring home to discuss with parents. If problems persist and the poor behaviour continues, or if it is felt to be more serious, the child may be sent to the deputy head or the headmaster. Parents will be notified if there are concerns about their child’s behaviour. Problems with behaviour can almost always be rectified if parents work in close cooperation with the school and some sort of behaviour modification system is implemented. The headmaster reserves the right to exclude a child either temporarily or permanently if his/her behaviour disrupts the education or safety of other pupils.

Emergency Contact Details

It may be necessary for the school to contact you urgently if your child is ill or has had an accident. For this purpose, it is essential that parents advise the school at the beginning of the academic year with the emergency contact details. However, we rely on parents to notify us if their details change e.g moving house or changing employer. Please remember to let us know if your details change during the course of the year.

Parents will also be asked to nominate at least one e-mail address, which should be checked on a daily basis, to which e-circulars may be sent. Communications are also sent in this way from the Parents’ Association’s class representatives to their classes.

Future schools

Orchard House prepares its pupils at 11+ for the leading London day schools and a wide range of boarding schools. The school has an outstanding record of success at 11+ and most children gain a place at their first choice school. The headmaster is available to discuss future schools and welcomes meeting parents by arrangement to help them decide which would be the most suitable next school for their child. Lists of destination schools may be seen on the school website and an annual schools’ fair is held.

The children are well prepared for their 11+ examinations; however, this begins as soon as the children enter the school in the Nursery. It is only by providing high quality teaching and learning throughout the school that we can be confident that your child will achieve their true potential. They have many opportunities to complete past papers and they complete work under time constraints. They also have guidance on interviews and have a mock interview with a teacher from another school.

Each year the headmaster invites parents of children in particular forms to a talk about choices of schools for the future. Parents are also given advice at one-to-one meetings with the headmaster about their final choices.

Governors

Orchard House is a proprietorial school and is part of Dukes Education.

The Chairman of Governors is Mr Aatif Hassan, 14-16 Waterloo Place, London, SW1Y 4AR. The managing governor is Mrs Libby Nicholas.

Hair and head lice

Any child with long hair should come to school with it neatly tied back with a hair band, hair tie or ribbon.

Head lice/nits

Head lice are an irritating problem that occurs in all schools from time to time. Parents are asked to inform the school if they find lice/nits on their child’s head. This information is kept confidential. If there is a case of head lice in the class all parents of children in that class receive an e-circular from the school asking them to treat their child’s head that day and the rest of the family too. If after treatment it is noticed that a child remains infested, the parents will be asked to take him or her home and not to return their child until the problem has been eradicated.

Homework

Reading books and simple reading or mathematical exercises are taken home from a very early age. A reading record book should be completed by the parent. From Form 1 onwards, spellings and the occasional worksheet or mathematics and English are introduced as the year progresses. Formal written homework starts in Form 2 and each child is expected to complete 20 minutes’ homework each night, as well as some reading.

In Form 3 and above the children are expected to do at least 30 minutes’ homework each night (a homework timetable is included in each child’s diary). In addition to this a minimum of ten minutes should be dedicated to reading every evening. Homework is intended to support and reinforce work that the children have already covered in class. (In the upper school, it sometimes takes the form of research for a new topic.)

Teachers use Google Classroom, an online educational learning platform, to set homework tasks. Each child in Form 1 and above is set up with a Wonde account with which they can access Google Classroom and other apps such as Mathletics, Rising Stars and Accelerated Reader. Please talk to your child’s teacher regarding any problems accessing Wonde.

House system

From the beginning of Form 1, the children are put into one of four Houses, and they remain in this House until Form 6 when there is a possibility that they will be reshuffled. The Houses are named after famous artists and architects associated with the Chiswick area, and have a colour associated with them. They are De Morgan (blue), Godwin (green), Hogarth (yellow) and Shaw (red). Siblings who are at Orchard House at the same time are usually put into the same House. Two House Captains are chosen from Form 6 and remain in that post for the whole year.

Children receive a badge in a whole school assembly relevant to their post and of the colour matching that of their House. House socks and caps are worn at certain PE/Sports events. House Points are recorded in booklets in the child’s classroom. Staff fill in the House Points but may choose to let the children do so themselves. Every fortnight at a house meeting, the House Captain totals up the number of House Points of individuals in the House as well as the House as a whole and certificates are given out to the child who has received the most House Points. House music, sport and various other competitions are held during the year and a cup is awarded at the end of the summer term to the House with the most points for the year, as well as to the individual who has received the most House Points.

Infectious diseases

The school must be informed if your child is suffering from an infectious disease such as COVID-19, chicken pox, conjunctivitis, measles, mumps, scarlet fever. Children should not be sent to school if they are infectious and advice should be sought from your GP about when it is safe for your child to return. If the headmaster has any concerns about a child being fit to return he may ask for a letter from the child’s doctor.

Illness

When a child becomes ill at school, the school secretary will contact his or her parents and ask one or other to collect the child from school as soon as possible.

Children who have been absent due to illness, particularly sickness or an upset stomach, should not return to school until the child has been clear of any symptoms for 24 hours. If your child is well enough to come to school it is expected that he or she will go to PE, Games and swimming lessons. If this is not the case, the office should be informed.

If your child has an injury such as a broken bone please contact the school office who will prepare a risk assessment to be agreed before your child returns to school.

iPads / Digital devices

Children in Forms 5 and 6 are required to have their own iPad, Chromebook or digital device, which is brought in to school and taken home each day. As these devices are personal to the child, and can also be used in secondary school, they are provided by the parent. iPads are used in school for educational purposes only. Teachers decide how and when devices are to be used in class as a means of complementing and enriching the educational experience of each child. Each child follows a strict set of guidelines for how his/her device is to be used and looked after whilst in and around the school grounds; this ensures that the device is used in the safest and most efficient way possible.

Prior to the children moving into Year 5, a circular with details of which device will be required will be circulated to parents.

Learning support

The aim of Orchard House is that each child, regardless of ability, should fulfil his/her potential. Our programme of screening tests and regular assessments along with the observations of the teaching staff allow us to highlight pupils with any areas of concern. If your child appears to have any learning difficulties the class teacher will contact you.

The school has three SENCO teachers who have specialist training in teaching children with learning difficulties. They are responsible for the assessment of those children for whom there are concerns and for the organisation of learning support throughout the school.

If your child needs additional support this may be offered in a group setting or may be 1:1 tuition. In conjunction with the SENCO, an individual learning plan will be developed and it will be regularly reviewed. There is an additional charge for any individual tuition that may be required.

Orchard House School Parents’

Libraries

Orchard House has two libraries. At 16 Newton Grove there is a library in the west wing lobby and there is a separate library at 2 Rupert Road. Children are encouraged to use the libraries whenever they can and there are also assigned times during the school week.

The school has an up-to-date computerised library cataloguing system and all the school’s books are bar-coded with the appropriate ISBN number and on our common database.

Each child is allowed to borrow two books from the library each week. The books may be kept for two weeks before they have to be returned. Parents will be emailed a series of reminders if a book is overdue. Parents should contact the school office if reminder emails are still being received after a book has been returned. If a library book is not returned or is lost, the charge for a replacement book will be added to your next invoice.

Lost property

Please ensure that every item of your child’s uniform is labelled.

Any lost property that is found but not marked with a child's name is kept in school in boxes in the cloakrooms. Just before half term or school holidays, all lost property is sorted out and any named items are returned. In fair weather, unnamed items may be displayed in the playground so that items may be claimed. Any unclaimed or unnamed items will subsequently be sent to the second hand uniform department or a charity shop. We ask parents not to send items of value into school with their children, as the school cannot be responsible for taking care of valuable property.

Lunches / Snacks

Lunches are ‘home cooked’ by our kitchen staff on the premises and are both nutritious and appetising. Menus are planned according to the school’s nutrition policy. The teachers supervise lunch and the children are encouraged to be sociable, well-mannered and considerate of each other. Grace is said before the meal in the Lower School. Menus for the week ahead are published on the school website. The allergens for each day’s menu are clearly displayed on screens around the school.

Each child should bring a piece of fruit or vegetable to eat at break time, wrapped in cling film or in a small named plastic box. The fruit or vegetable should be prepared in the way your child wishes to eat it. Milk or water is provided at break time. Drinking water taps are available to children in the school playgrounds.

Please ensure you notify the school on the medical form if your child has any specific food allergies or any other dietary requirements.

Due to the number of children with severe nut allergies there is a strict ‘no nuts’ policy in operation in the school. Please do not give your child any food products containing nuts.

Make-up, jewellery, nail polish

Children should not wear jewellery to school but they may wear watches of low value and preferably waterproof. Children may not wear nail polish or make-up at any times. Girls may wear earring studs, but may be asked to remove them for PE/swimming.

Medicines

If a child has been on a course of medication whilst absent from school and is ready to return to school, we are prepared to give the dose in the middle of the day provided the Administering Medicine form, which can be downloaded from the parent portal, is signed and sent in with the medicine (in its original packaging) and that the form and the medication is brought straight to the office. Please do not hand medicine to your child’s form teacher. Also please indicate if the medicine should be kept in the refrigerator. Due to strict regulations on administering medicines, the staff cannot give your child any medication unless this form is completed.

Mobile phones

Mobile phones are permitted only in the case of an older child with a complex journey being undertaken alone. In such cases, the mobile should be brought to the school office where it will be kept until the end of the day, or given to the form teacher for safe-keeping.

Children who are walking home unaccompanied may bring a mobile phone which should be cleaned every morning and will remain switched off in his or her desk during the day. Please note that the school cannot accept responsibility for mobile phones.

Music

We are very proud of the standard of music at Orchard House. All children have one hour of class lessons each week and are given the option of a wide range of individual lessons from Form 1 (unless a parent is particularly keen for his/her child to start earlier).

We have junior, senior and chamber choirs. Children can join the Pippin choir, which is offered for children in Form 1, and can join the junior choir in the autumn term of Form 2 or 3.

Older children can join the senior choir in Form 4, and can audition for the chamber choir in the autumn term of Form 4. We have a main orchestra and children are welcome to join when our Director of Music thinks that they are ready. We also have ‘training’ orchestras in Forms 4 and 5 which rehearse at break times.

Piano, violin, drums, cello, flute, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, oboe and various brass instruments are offered as well as singing lessons. (Various instruments are available for hire from the music department on a termly basis.) Individual music lessons are available at an additional cost. Children receive 30 lessons over the academic year and these lessons are charged directly to parents by the music teacher. Please note that if individual music lessons are discontinued a term’s notice, in writing, must be provided to the music teacher.

When children are of a sufficiently high standard at their chosen instrument, they can be entered into the ABRSM music exams which take place every ter,m either in school or in an examining centre nearby.

Every child learning to play a musical instrument or taking singing lessons will be given a music practice book, which is an important way of communicating with the child’s music teacher. Parents should look at this regularly and sign the book each week to show that they have seen any messages.

OHSET

(Orchard House School Educational Trust)

OHSET is an educational trust associated with, but separate from, the school. There are trustees from Orchard House. The trust aims to raise funds to provide occasional bursaries to those children from the maintained (state) sector who would otherwise not have the opportunity to receive an independent education. OHSET occasionally organises social events in the school to raise funds.

The Orchard House Parents’ Association (OHSPA)

The OHSPA is a great way to meet other parents and become better informed about issues and events affecting school life. The Association also aims to welcome and help new children and families to integrate into the school community. All parents are automatically members. The Association does not deal with academic or curriculum aspects of the school or other matters within the prerogative of the headmaster.

The key objectives of the Association are:

• to act as a social forum for the parents and pupils of the school

• to organise social events for parents and pupils

The OHSPA is overseen by a committee consisting of a chairman, vice chairman, treasurer, charities’ coordinator and two additional parent representatives. There is one form representative for each class who attend OHSPA meetings.

The committee and form representatives normally meet twice each term. For the agendas of forthcoming meetings, parents with an item of interest or an activity to propose may contact either their form representative or the chairman.

The OHSPA may appoint sub-committees for special purposes (eg social activities such as the autumn’s social, the quiz night and the summer fair) and the OHSPA is keen to draw on the talents and energy of as many parents as possible in its activities.

Funds raised as a result of activities of the OHSPA are allocated as follows:

• 37.5% is donated to the school’s chosen charity for that year

• 37.5% is donated to the Orchard House School Educational Trust

• 25% is retained by the Association to fund its social events and activities (including the Summer Fair), to cover its minimal running costs and to buy or fund small items or activities for the school which would not otherwise be possible.

100% of funds raised by certain activities, including the Harvest Festival and class fundraisers are donated to the school’s chosen charity (or charities) for that year.

Outings, day and residential, and ‘Innings’

From time to time throughout the year the children are taken to various exhibitions, events or places of interest. These visits will usually be connected with a topic that is being studied as part of the class’s work for the term. Parents will be informed in advance by e-circular when these outings are going to take place.

Children are likely to visit a diverse range of places from farms to galleries, to the Science Museum and Houses of Parliament.

Residential trips take place from Form 3 when the children visit Flatford Mill in Suffolk. In Form 4 they travel to York, in Form 5 to the Isle of Wight, and in Form 6 the highlight of the year is the residential trip to the Chateau de la Baudonnière in France.

Apart from the annual residential trips in the upper school there are normally no extra charges levied for outings.

On other occasions experts are brought into the school to talk to the children. These are called ‘innings’. Examples of ‘innings’ are a workshop about Florence Nightingale, a drama activity about Katie Morag and an island home, a maths magician and storytelling workshops. Parents who are celebrating events such as Thanksgiving or Diwali are sometimes invited into their child’s form to share traditions with the whole group. An International Day is held when all the cultures represented in the school are celebrated.

Parent-teacher meetings

In the autumn and spring terms parents are invited to make individual ten minute appointments with their child’s teacher. Appointments are booked on-line with instructions sent to parents when the booking period opens, usually about two weeks before the parent/teacher meetings week. Parents are also able to make appointments with individual specialist subject teachers.

After any formal meeting, parents will receive a comprehensive contact form outlining the discussion.

Pastoral

In Form 6 a Head Boy and a Head Girl are appointed along with other positions of responsibility such as Head of Sport, Head of Music, Heads of House and Head of the School Council. These positions are held for the duration of the academic year.

We encourage all children to develop self-esteem, respect and consideration for others. We expect the children to be well mannered and we have few problems with discipline. The children are all well- supervised within their classrooms, at break time and at lunchtime, and are always taken out to meet the adult who is collecting them from school.

At Orchard House, the emotional welfare of children is considered as important as their physical health. Good mental health and emotional wellbeing allows our children to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them, growing into well-rounded healthy adults; moreover, a happy child learns best. All children from Form 1 to Form 6 complete our Pastoral Plan booklet. The Plan ensures that we really know how each child is feeling about school and, where necessary, allows the school to implement early intervention if needed. The plan also enables each teacher to provide detailed handover notes as the children move up to their next year group and additionally extends the development of positive children/teacher relationships.

Photographs

In either the autumn or spring term, parents are offered an opportunity for their child to have his/her photograph taken. Class photographs or photographs of the entire school are taken in alternate years in the summer term and are a happy memento of each group’s progress through the school. Professional photographs are also taken at Sports Day. Parents may purchase any of these photographs at a reasonable cost if they wish to do so.

Plays, concerts and events

At the end of each autumn term parents are invited to the school Christmas plays or concerts. In the spring or summer term the children in Form 2 and the Upper School invite their parents to see their play. The children in the Den and Lower 1 invite their parents to an assembly.

Throughout the year there are opportunities for parents to watch various sporting events. All fixtures and team lists can be viewed on the sports section of the school website: support for the Orchard House teams is especially welcome!

Parents of children in Forms 3 and above are invited to the Orchard House swimming galas and gymnastics displays. All parents are invited to the Sports Day held in the summer term. From time to time other events, such as concerts and art exhibitions, take place at school and, in the hope they will be able to attend them, parents always receive information about these in plenty of time to make arrangements.

In the autumn and summer terms there are parents’ open evenings at which parents are able to visit all the classrooms in the school to observe the work on display throughout the school and to see their own child’s work. Although there is an opportunity for a brief word with the form teacher and this is encouraged, the open evening is not an opportunity for a detailed private discussion. We also hold ‘Family and Friends’ afternoons when lower school children are encouraged to bring their parents, grandparents or other members of their family to see round the school.

Prize-giving

At the end of the summer term, two final assemblies are held, one in the Upper School (Prizegiving) and one in the Lower School. Prizes are awarded to children in Year 6. Parents of children lower down the school are contacted the week before if their child has won an award. We ask parents to keep the information confidential so there is the element of surprise for the child on the day.

Reports

Parents receive a short assessment card in advance of parents’ evenings in the autumn and spring terms which include the results of recent English and maths assessments. Teachers are happy to discuss the assessment results at parents’ evenings.

At the end of the summer term all children receive a traditional, lengthy, written report on their child’s progress at the end of every school year.

School Council

Each year two children in Form 6 are chosen to be heads of School Council along with a child from each year who will ‘lead’ their year. In addition each term two children from each class in Form 2 and above are chosen by their peers to represent the views of that form. In the summer term representatives from the Form 1 children join the School Council. The School Council meets once a fortnight under the chairmanship of a child in Form 6. A member of staff attends the meetings. The members discuss issues such as school uniform, making the school more eco-friendly or the types of after-school clubs they enjoy.

School office

The school office is open from 7.45am until 5.15pm every school day during term time. The main school telephone number is 020 8742 8544.

E-mails, including those to your child’s form teachers and the head, should be sent to info@orchardhs.org.uk

Sport

Sport plays an important part in the life of the school and the children will have some form of physical activity almost every day. Depending on the season, the children take part in swimming, gymnastics, football, athletics, netball, tennis, hockey, cricket and rounders. In Year 3 and above the children also have a weekly swimming lesson. The policy of the school is that sport is inclusive and every child from Year 2 to Year 6 will have the opportunity to represent the school and play in fixtures against other schools. However, there are also occasions, such as tournaments, when the most able children in sport will be selected.

Every year the school holds a Sports Day when the children represent their house. All parents are welcome to attend Sports Day.

Staff

The teachers at Orchard House are all graduate teachers with qualified teacher status and they are all qualified for the specific age group they teach. A full staff list showing qualifications is available on the school website. There is an excellent pupil teacher ratio, which provides many benefits:

• Children can be taught in small groups where they have the benefit of greater input from the teacher.

If a teacher is absent, his or her class can be taught by another teacher who will already know the children in that class. Orchard House does not use supply teachers.

• Teachers have sufficient non-contact time so that they can plan and evaluate lessons carefully and they have the time to give your child personal attention.

• The staff at Orchard House receive regular training and opportunities for professional development. This training usually occurs in the holidays so teaching time is not interrupted.

The Senior Leadership Team consists of:

Mr Kit ThompsonHeadmaster

Mr Ed BallDeputy Head

Miss Charlotte WebbAssistant Head

Miss Lisa ZackeyHead of KS2

Miss Marina YacoubHead of KS1

Miss Rosamund BrownHead of EYFS

The school secretaries, registrar and bursary staff consist of:

Miss Emma DownSchool secretary

Mrs Pippa WoodroffeSchool secretary

Mrs Zunade PowellAdmissions and marketing

Mrs Ursula HappawanaBursary

Mrs Sarah DanbyBursary

Mrs Mamta PatelBursary

The headmaster and his staff are always available to speak to parents at any point during the academic year on any matter of concern over their child’s progress or happiness. Any parent who would like to make an appointment need only mail the school of fi ce on info@orchardhs.org.uk.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail the school (info@orchardhs.org.uk) or telephone (020 8742 8544) the school office. An answering machine operates outside office hours (and also during the day at very busy periods). It is also set during the holidays when it is nonetheless listened to frequently.

Threadworms

Parents are asked to inform the school if their child is infested and an e-circular will be sent out to the parents in the relevant form. Information will be kept confidential.

Uniform and PE kit

Children are expected to wear the correct school uniform at all times and to take pride in their appearance.

All items of uniform must be clearly named. Parents should ensure that there are strong loops inside the collar on rain jackets and blazers so that they can be hung securely from the child’s peg.

Depending on the weather, children should wear either the 3-in-1 jacket (with or without the inner lining) or blazer for going to or coming home from school. They should return home in the same outerwear that they went to school in. A lightweight navy rain jacket (available from Sogans) should be kept in school. Navy blue gloves, scarves and the optional woollen ‘beanie’ may be worn in very cold weather.

Caps and berets are only worn by children in the Lower School (Form 2 and below) and are not worn with summer uniform. They should be clearly named and are kept in book bags or in the classroom.

Summer uniform should be worn from the early May Bank Holiday and may continue to be worn at the start of the autumn term until the half term break.

Blazers should be worn for all smart occasions, such as trips, end of term assemblies, examinations and interviews. For every PE and Games lesson, or after school sports club, every child must wear the correct PE kit and should bring shin pads, mouthguard and water bottle. Warm clothing should be worn in cold weather.

Second-hand uniform sales are held, usually in the autumn, spring and summer terms. Parents are notified well in advance of these sales, which are organised by the Parents’ Association.

Please ensure that all items of clothing, including shoes, are labelled clearly.

The school uniform supplier is Sogans, 6 Greyhound Road, London W6 8NX (020 7385 1055) www.theschoolwearspecialists.co.uk A full uniform list can be found on the school website.

Visitors Code of Conduct

The current government guidance does not allow the school to welcome visitors or parents into the school buildings or playground.

At Orchard House we are very fortunate to have a supportive and friendly parent body. Our parents recognise that educating children is a process that involves partnership between parents, class teachers and the school community. As a partnership our parents will understand the importance of a good working relationship to equip children with the necessary skills for adulthood. For these reasons we continue to welcome and encourage parents to participate fully in the school community.

The purpose of this code of conduct, is to provide a reminder to all parents and visitors to our school about the expected conduct. This is so we can continue to flourish, progress and achieve in an atmosphere of mutual understanding.

We expect parents and visitors to:

• Understand that both teachers and parents need to work together for the benefit of their children.

• Demonstrate that all members of the school community should be treated with respect and therefore set a good example in their own speech and behaviour.

We trust that parents and carers will assist our school with the implementation of this policy and we thank you for your continuing support.

Website and parent portal

The school website www.orchardhs.org.uk has information about the school.

Parents also have an account on the iSAMS parent portal which is a secure portal for parents. To access the portal, parents with have a secure login, and all parents will be emailed when their child starts at the school with details on how to set up an account. Parents who forget their password should contact the school office.

All circulars and copies of the Orchard Weekly are posted on the portal. At the beginning of every term an outline of the curriculum for each year group is also available on the portal. Reports and assessment cards will be uploaded to the parent portal.

The children are provided with a log in name and password to access the various sites and online learning resources. The school uses Google apps; this is a web based interactive tool.

The school also subscribes to Accelerated Reader, which is an online reading website offering reading quizzes, and Mathletics, which is an online interactive numeracy website.