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).