Frensham Heights Information Booklet - Middle School

A PROGRESSIVE DAY & BOARDING SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS FROM THE AGE OF 3 TO 18

MIDDLE SCHOOL

YEARS 7 & 8

SCHOOL DAY

Our students in Years 7 and 8 have active, varied days. They move around our extensive site making full use of all the facilities. Day houses are available for break and lunch time, although we encourage everyone to be outdoors as much as possible during break times.

We don’t have a uniform, we just ask our students to dress for purpose. Students are free to express their individuality through their clothes as long as it doesn’t interfere with their school day. Most Middle School students wear hoodies and jeans just as they would to go for a walk in the park or meet up with friends. We don’t have a brand culture, just casual, comfortable clothes.

Our week runs from Monday to Friday with no lessons on Saturdays. Our extracurricular clubs run at lunchtime and after school. Here’s our basic day:

8.20am – 8.25am - Registration with tutor

8.30am - Classes start

10.25am – 10.50am - Break

12.35pm - Lunch

2.00 – 2.15pm - Tutor time

4.10pm - School finishes

4.20pm - Clubs/Fixtures begin

LUNCH

We have a long lunch break, almost an hour and a half, allowing plenty of time to take part in extracurricular clubs, get some extra support in Maths or Science, catch up with friends or take a walk in the woods. Whether they’re discovering something new in a club or just having time to chat outside unhurried, it’s a really beneficial time for young people.

AFTER SCHOOL

Our extracurricular clubs run from 4.20pm to 5.30pm. Students can stay in the library until 6.30pm and are also welcome to sign-up to stay for supper for a small extra charge. All day students must leave the campus by 7pm.

TEACHING & LEARNING

Years 7 to 8 are important and exciting years for teaching and learning at Frensham. With exams not quite on the horizon, we can still offer a purposefully broad curriculum allowing students to find the subjects which really interest them. Teaching practices allow for student initiative and teacher flexibility. With small class sizes, teachers can really offer bespoke teaching always considering the unique group of students in front of them. If something isn’t working, they can discuss and work with the students to find a better way to get everyone engaged and participating.

TUTOR GROUPS

Students are split into tutor groups with their tutor taking a pastoral role, gently supporting and getting to know each of the students in their care. Tutor groups will normally stay the same through Years 7 and 8 and the maximum size is 18, with three or four tutor groups per year.

LEARNING SPACE

Years 7 to 8 don’t have set classrooms. They go to their tutor room for registration in the morning and after lunch and the rest of the day is spent out and about on campus. Most academic classrooms are found in Flottage and the Science Building. Students will also be using the Sports and Dance Halls, Theatre and Drama Studios, IT Suites, Art & Design Centre, Language Classrooms, Music School, Ballroom, Front Lawn, Sports Fields and woodland areas.

CURRICULUM

At Frensham, we offer a wide array of academic and creative subjects and within the younger years particularly, our aim is to offer a very broad curriculum allowing each child to find their own strengths and passions. The Key Stage 3 curriculum is designed to give a firm grounding in all the areas of understanding: Language

and Communication, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Creative and Performing Arts and Physical Education.

CURRICULUM BREAKDOWN

Year 7: Most students study fourteen compulsory subjects and then have a choice of two Modern Foreign Languages from three options. Students remain in their tutor groups for everything except PE, Languages and Maths.

Year 8: Most students study sixteen subjects (all of which are compulsory) and they remain in their tutor groups for everything except PE, Languages, English and Maths. Students in Year 8 attend one PSHE lesson per week.

Students have 30 lessons a week with five 55 minute lessons and one 45 minute lesson daily.

English: 3 lessons per weekMaths: 3 lessons per weekScience: 4 lessons per weekGeography: 2 lessons per weekHistory: 2 lessons per weekPersonal, Social, Health Education: 1 lesson per week (Year 8)Philosophy, Religion, Ethics: 1 lesson per weekIT: 1 lesson per weekModern Languages (two languages): 4 lessons (Year 7) / 3 lessons (Year 8) per weekPE/Games: 3 lessons per weekCreative Arts: 3 lessons per weekMusic: 1 lesson per weekDance: 1 lesson per weekDrama: 1 lesson per weekTutor Time/Morning Talk: 1 lesson per week

MIXED ABILITY CLASSES

For the most part, our classes are mixed ability allowing students to learn from and support one another, however Maths is set from Year 7 and English from Year 8.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Our scholarships are non-monetary and are not applied for in a traditional manner. Our scholars are expected to contribute and participate fully in the life of the school and beyond, involving themselves in all activities related to their scholarship as well as supporting other students. As such, scholarships are awarded on the basis of aptitude, attitude, participation and leadership potential. It isn’t possible to fairly judge for a scholarship when a student first enters the Middle School. We wait until the end of Years 7 and 9, when students have had a chance to settle and find their real passions, before awarding scholarships. Scholarships are awarded by Heads of Departments for Academic, Performing Arts, Creative Arts and Sport and confirmed by the Head.

MORNING TALK

Morning Talk has been happening at Frensham since the school was founded. It is a time for Years 7 to 13 to come together in the Aldridge Theatre to explore and discuss a new topic. This can stem from a visiting speaker or from a member of our community who has something to share. Topics can range from climate change to elections to homelessness. Previous speakers have included Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard and a Holocaust survivor.

MOBILE PHONES

Mobile phones are part of modern life. Helping students treat them as a useful tool rather than a distraction is part of a modern education. Frensham students are allowed a mobile phone on campus from Year 8. This gives them a chance to settle in before the inevitable flurry of excitement over having a device which quickly fades in comparison to everything else they could be doing.

We have a clear tech code of conduct which was written by students, parents and staff and it is clearly explained and discussed in tutor groups and PSHE. Unless instructed by the teacher, phones should be on silent and inside a bag during class time and social media is out of bounds during the school day. Behaviour on social media is taken very seriously. Staff are trained in online child protection and it is discussed frequently with the students in notices and PSHE lessons.

Taking on a difficult subject rather than shutting it down or banning things is part of the Frensham way, It is far better to discuss and work things out together.

“How do we define pastoral care at Frensham? It’s human beings looking after other human beings and we try to do that as kindly as we can. We’re a school that encourages the children to be the best they can be while really looking out for them and helping them along the way.”

Becks Scullion, Deputy Head

EXTRA- CURRICULAR

We believe just as much learning happens outside the classroom as within so offer an extensive array of extracurricular activities to complement our day to day timetable. The extracurricular clubs run at lunchtime and after school. They vary every term, but always include a good variety of creative, physical, social and inventive activities. Students in Years 7 and 8 are expected to take three clubs per term.

PREVIOUS EXTRACURRICULAR CLUBS FOR YRS 7 & 8

Contemporary Dance, Ballet, Yoga, Street Dance Drawing, Ceramics, Sculpture, Printing House Band, Instrument Ensembles Football, Cricket, Hockey, Rugby, Basketball Trampolining, Badminton, Parkour, Boxing, Skateboarding, Swimming Climbing, Survival Skills, DofE Eco Heights, Charity Committee, Diversity Committee Bike Maintenance, Greenpower Study Skills, Prep Club, Creative Writing, Poetry Drama, Monologues & Dialogues Warhammer, Minecraft, iDEA

TRIPS & ADVENTURES

We offer a wide variety of trips throughout the school year. Some are for single year groups and others are mixed. Trips range from activity-focused – skiing, surfing, mountain biking – to cultural and academic.

We aim to instill a spirit of adventure in all our students and this grows with increasingly challenging and enriching experiences as they move up through the school. In Year 7, all students take part in a cross-curricular trip to Hadrian’s Wall. They walk large stretches of the wall and through integration of History, Geography, Physics, PRE and Outdoor Education gain a holistic view of the Roman experience in this area.

This spirit of adventure takes a different tack in Year 8 when students collaborate to build shelters and social spaces on site where they live self-sufficiently for a week.

COMMUNITY

DISCIPLINE

Ours is an ethos founded on mutual respect, tolerance and kindness. With our small class sizes and close relationships between students and teachers, bullying and other behavioural issues are rare and tend to be handled before they can become a problem. If problems do arise, they are handled through calm discussion with each student being given the chance to listen, talk and learn. These discussions will begin with the student’s tutor and escalate upwards if necessary. All discussions are clearly communicated to and discussed with parents. We have boundaries, but not rules for rules sake allowing students to question, develop self-awareness, awareness of others and take responsibility for their actions.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

For Years 7 and 8, we have parents’ evenings in the Autumn and Summer terms and grade cards are sent out twice a term. Year 7 also have a Meet the Tutor and Parent Info evening at the beginning of the Autumn term.We know our school thrives on having a strong relationship with each of our families, working together and communicating within the school environment and at home. Parents are also always welcome to catch–up with teachers at any time via email or by scheduling a meeting.There are also many events during the year when the school community comes together – stage productions, rock and pop gigs, dance concerts, art exhibitions, music recitals, Founders’ Day and bonfire night to name a few.

NUTRITION

Students can pick up a snack in the lunch hall at break and after school. A buffet style lunch is provided in the lunch hall where we all eat together as a community. Everyone has different preferences and our catering team provides a wide range of options to cater to all tastes and allergies and to help develop healthy eating habits. Students serve themselves and can sit where they choose.

HEALTH CENTRE

We have an onsite Health Centre, staffed by qualified nurses. If a teacher is concerned about a student’s health, they will send them to the Health Centre to be assessed by the nurse who will contact parents if they are concerned or if the student needs to be taken home.

PE KIT

Although we don’t have a school uniform, we do have a PE kit which can be purchased through Schoolblazer.

THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE THE TRUE YOU; WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON THAT.

KEY MIDDLE SCHOOL CONTACTS:

Admissions Registrar: Sarah Windsor Head of Middle School: Sian Owens hello@frensham.org

Visit our website or call 01252 792561 to arrange a tour. Frensham Heights Rd, Rowledge, Farnham GU10 4EA.

WWW.FRENSHAM.ORG