Main School Parents' Handbook - September 2023

Headmistress Miss Kate Bailey Deputy Heads School Development: Mrs Donna Sweeney Pupil Development: Mrs Fiona Reynolds Assistant Deputy Heads Academic: Mr Paul Adams Organisation: Mrs Rebecca Rycroft Boarding: Mrs Michele Western-Kaye Boarding House Parents Walker: Ms Hayley McIlvean Turner: Mrs Michele Western-Kaye, Mr Phillip Scriven Highlands: Mrs Emily Whitley Head of Upper School Mrs Nicola Lee-Metcalfe Head of Lower School Mrs Hayley Humphries Other School Contacts Reception

reception@godstowe.org

01494 529273

School Office

schooloffice@godstowe.org

01494 529273

Headmistress

headmistress@godstowe.org

01494 529273

Director of Admissions

registrar@godstowe.org

01494 429006

Director of Finance and Operations

bursar@godstowe.org

01494 429000

Health Centre

healthcentre@godstowe.org

01494 429002

Godstowe Preparatory School, Shrubbery Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP13 6PR The Godstowe Preparatory School Limited, Registered in England 68471, Charity number 310637

Contents Structure of the School A Day in Main School Godstowe's Term Food and Nutrition Enrichment Curriculum My School Portal Health Centre For School Support at School

Reporting to Parents Rewards and Sanctions Homework Sport Music Uniform Friends of Godstowe Map

Structure of the School Our year group names are listed below, alongside their National Curriculum equivalents.

Year Group

Age Range

National Curriculum

Key Stage

Nursery

3 to 4

Pre School

EYFS

Lodge Beginners Kindergarten Transition

4 to 7 (boys and girls) 4 to 5 Reception 5 to 6 Year 1 6 to 7 Year 2

EYFS KS1 KS1

Main School 7 to 13 (girls) Form I 7 to 8 Form II 8 to 9 Lower Third (LIII) 9 to 10 Middle Third (MIII) 10 to 11 Upper Third (UIII) 11 to 12 Fourth Form (IV) 12 to 13

Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8

KS2 KS2 KS2 KS2 KS3

Main School also have Lower and Upper School Divisions. Form I, Form II and Lower Thirds are part of Lower School and Middle Thirds, Upper Thirds and Fourth Form are part of Upper School.

Within each year group, the children are put into forms. The children are in mixed ability groups in Form I, Form II and Lower Thirds, with the exception of Maths. Middle Thirds, Upper Thirds and Fourths are then in teaching groups depending on ability.

Structure of the School On entering Main School, all girls are allocated a School House.

Godstowe has four school houses, each named after inspirational women. Friendly but competitive rivalry exists between Houses, including quizzes, weekly awards and Sports Day Adlington (red) - Rebecca Adlington won two Golds in Beijing 2008 and followed this up by winning two Bronzes in London 2012. In addition to Olympic success, Rebecca has also won Gold medals at every other major swimming meet, including the Commonwealth Games, FINA World Championships and European Championships.

Seacole (blue) - Mary Seacole (1805–1881) was a Jamaican-born British businesswoman who showed great kindness and bravery tending to sick and wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. As a dual heritage woman living in the Victorian Age, Mary was also a pioneer of her time.

Pankhurst (green) - Emmeline Pankhurst was born on 14 July 1858. As she grew older, Emmeline noticed that women were treated differently to men and became motivated to help change that. In 1903 she, along with her daughters Sylvia and Christabel, founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). Emmeline Pankhurst is remembered for her hard work with the WSPU in the fight to help get British women the right to vote.

Franklin (yellow) - Rosalind Franklin was born in 1920 and died in 1958. She was an English scientist who made x-ray images of DNA. Her work was very important as it led to the discovery of the structure of DNA, which is a helix shape. The Nobel Prize can only be given to living people, so she was never fully rewarded for her work.

Structure of the Day The School Day starts at 8.15am. Any child arriving before 8.15am must go to the Library. All girls should be in school by 8.25am. Main School Breakfast Club starts at 7.30am and includes care plus a choice of breakfast. This can be booked via Reception and does incur a charge. For drop-off, we operate a "kiss and drop" system.

Between 8.35am-9.05am, we have a variety of assemblies or Form time. Assemblies are focussed on certain themes each week with Friday being our "Celebration Assembly".

Breaktime starts at 10.35am and girls go outside, collect a drink and a snack. L:unchtime is from 12.30pm until 2.30pm and is staggered for the different year groups with plenty on offer. When they have finished their lunch, they are able to go outside to play or to lunchtime clubs.

At the end of the day, all girls return to their Form rooms to be signed out. The official end of the day, when the girls are ready for collection, is 4.10pm.

Each year group has a different collection point: Form I and Form II - Link corridor Lower Thirds and Middle Thirds - "Bus Stop" by their cloakrooms Upper Thirds and Fourth Form - Main School Reception At 4.10pm, for those girls staying at school for an activity, will go for a snack before the activity starts at 4.30pm. Main School Enrichment Curriculum runs from 4.30pm-5.30pm and 5.30pm-6.30pm. Clubs and prep are offered free of charge and can be booked via My School Portal. Clubs that require an external instructor incur an additional charge.

Structure of the Day Registration We are legally required to maintain full attendance registers and we would appreciate your cooperation so that this can be as simple and efficient as possible. Every day the girls are registered twice, once in the morning between 8.30am and 8.40am and again at the end of the day between 4.00pm and 4.10pm.

If your daughter arrives at school later than 8.40am, then she must register herself at Reception.

Absences If you need to take your daughter out of school, for any reason, then you must request this via the "Leave of Absence" request form on My School Portal.The Headmistress will review each request. You must sign your daughter out at Reception and in again upon her return.

If your daughter is unexpectedly absent due to illness, you should call Reception between 8.00am and 8.20am. Your phone call should then be followed up with an email to her tutor or Reception. You can find all relevant email addresses on My School Portal.

Structure of the Term Exeats and Half Terms Generally there are two fixed Exeats each term, occurring either side of Half Term. On an Exeat, all children must go home or to a guardian.

There are no activities, only supervised prep until 5.30pm. This is the same for Half Terms. All Exeats and half terms start at 4.10pm, with Boarders able to leave from 3.40pm. All boarders must return on Sunday evenings.

School Calendar A live, up to date school calendar is available on My School Portal. You are able to export this to your laptop or device.

A typical year at Godstowe Autumn Term Harvest Festival Autumn Concert Activities Day Christmas Fair organised by "Friends of Godstowe" Christmas Lunches Carols by Candlelight Carol Service

Spring Term Spring Concert Activities Day Careers Day Residential Trips

Summer Term Residential Trips Activities Week Summer Fair or Ball, organised by "Friends of Godstowe" Summer Concert Sports Day Speech Day and Prize Giving

Food and Nutrition At Godstowe, we are proud to be working with CH&Co for our food from Nursery to Fourths.

"At CH&Co, we know that children directly benefit from good, wholesome and interesting food during the school day. We start with fresh ingredients, sourced from the right suppliers, which are seasonal and British wherever possible. We introduce modern food styles but retain traditional cooking methods.

The focus of our menu development is on quality and variety; they are designed to be attractive and appetising and to appeal to different age groups. It is critical to understand that eating habits change as we grow and that the needs of girls and boys are different. Using only the freshest ingredients dishes will be cooked from scratch. Pupils will be able to choose from a range of filled breads, freshly prepared salads, a selection of street food dishes, varied main meals from around the world, desserts, and homemade cakes and tray bakes."

There is a choice of a hot main course, vegetarian and vegan options, jacket potatoes, homemade soup, a fantastic salad bar, dessert, yoghurt, fresh fruit. We also mark special dates for our international boarders in the calendar with culinary events like a Chinese New Year meal.

Girls in Main School also receive a snack during morning break and at the end of the day if they are staying for prep or an activity.

Food and Nutrition As well as Meat free Mondays, we have launched "Help the World Wednesdays" in a bid to help the planet. Reduction of meat consumption has many benefits and it is a significant action we can take to help our environment by reducing household gas emissions, deforestation and soil degradation.

Menus are rotated every three weeks and changed each term. They are available on My School Portal for you to view.

Enrichment Curriculum and Activities Pupils are able to take part in clubs or other activities during their lunch break or after school. Each activity will be specific to particular year groups and may have limited numbers.

Supervised prep is available for both sessions, 4.30pm-5.30pm and 5.30-6.30pm. This can be booked via My School Portal..

Individual Music Lessons can also be booked via My School Portal.

There is a wide variety of instruments available, including piano, violin, double bass, harp, bassoon, trumpet and many many more.

Each term there is an Activity Day. This is often a trip out of school.

Some previous trips have included The Natural History Museum, Warwick Castle, Harry Potter Studios, Cadbury's World, RAF Northolt, the Jewish Museum and Whipsnade Zoo. There are also lots of "in house" activities including Ancient Egypt Day, Wellbeing, Indian Day, Production Rehearsals and an inflatable Planetarium.

My School Portal My School Portal is available for all parents and guardians to access. On the portal you will find: School Communications Attendance Records School Timetables Fixtures Enrichment Curriculum Exam Reports Reports Invoices You are also able to keep all of your contact details up to date via the Portal.

If your daughter requires time out of the school day, then please complete a "Leave of Absence" request form. If she requires medication throughout the day, please complete a "Dispending Medication" form.

All School Communication will be emailed to you via our School Office as and when needed. If you are not receiving these, please contact our IT department, itsupport@godstowe.org.

Health Centre We have a qualified nurse available onsite at all times during the school term. The nurse on duty covers Lodge, Main School and the children that board with us. In addition, the majority of our school staff are qualified first aiders.

Before your child starts at the school you will be asked to complete a medical information form, one of the nurses may need to call you to discuss information you have provided. It is also important that you update us with any new conditions/allergies and injuries so we can keep your child safe in school.

When your child starts at the school we will ask you to register for an app called "Medical Tracker" which not only allows us to inform parents/carers of first aid incidents and medication administered by email, it also allows us to keep track of any long term medical conditions and care plans. When a child becomes unwell during the day, a member of staff will send them to the Health Centre, via Reception. The nurse will communicate with the child's parent or guardian if they are too unwell to remain in school.

If your child is well enough to be in school but not able to participate in sports they will need a written letter addressed to their Form teacher and Director of Sport.

Medication The Health Centre keeps a stock of age appropriate paracetamol, cough lozenges or syrup and hayfever remedies, so you do not need to send these in with your child. You will be asked to complete a consent to treatment and medication form on admission.

Health Centre If your child has been prescribed medication short term (eg antibiotics) or long term (eg ADHD medication) you will need to complete a "Dispensing Medication" form via My School Portal. All medication must be handed directly from the parent to the school receptionist or to the nurse on duty. For safety purposes no child is allowed to carry their medication with them during the school day (unless they require an inhaler, epipen or the child has diabetes).

Inhalers If your child has been prescribed an inhaler for asthma one of the nurses will contact you to discuss their individual needs.We will require the inhaler in school which will either be carried by the child or stored but easily accessible in Reception. Relevant staff will be made aware of their health needs. We also have emergency inhalers onsite and will ask you to complete a consent form. It is school policy that if we have been informed a child requires an inhaler they have it with them when they go off site for sports fixtures or trips. If your child does not have their inhaler they will have to remain at school.

Health Centre Adrenaline Auto injector pen It is imperative that we are aware of any allergies your child may have.

Our catering company has requested that we have a medical letter to confirm your child's allergy. We are an allergy aware school and practise a 'No Nut' policy, please do not allow your child to bring in nuts eg. in a cake or picnic. If your daughter has been prescribed an Adrenaline Auto Injector pen due to a risk of anaphylaxis, we require two in school that are clearly named. We also have emergency pens in school and staff have received training on the use of them. The nurse will contact you to discuss your child's individual needs and staff will be informed of your child's allergy. Again, It is school policy that if we have been informed a child requires an autoinjector they have it with them when they go off site for sports fixtures or trips. If your child does not have it they will remain at school.

Immunisations We work closely with the Bucks Immunisation Team and offer annual onsite flu vaccines (for relevant year groups) and the Year 8 HPV vaccines Vision and Hearing screening checks We have started using an outside company for vision and hearing screening. They will visit the school annually and you can book with them directly for a small fee if you would like your child tested.

For School Stationery, Books and Equipment The school provides all exercise books and paper. Parents are asked to provide pupils in Main School with the following: A large, clearly named pencil case 15cm ruler Pencils Around 10 colouring pencils Fountain Pen (LIII upwards) A good roller ball tip pen (ball point pen and biros should not be used) Rubber Glue Stick Scissors Pencil Sharpener Two highlighter pens Protractor (LIII upwards) Pupils are discouraged from using ink-erasers and must never use any that are solvent based. Correction fluids and tape are not allowed in any form.

Support at School It would be unrealistic to imaging that all girls will go through school without meeting any setbacks. Temporary difficulties with a subject, examination worries or friendships can cause anxiety. If there are concerns or problems, whether academic, social or emotional they need to be identified and dealt with before they become serious. Girls are encouraged to talk to their Form Tutor, a member of staff or the ELSA. If you feel that there is a problem, please speak, email or write to any of the following: Form Teacher, Boarding Housemistress, Head. of Lower School or Upper School, Deputy Heads or Headmistress.

Special Educational Needs and Learning Support Those children identified as having learning difficulties in acquiring specific skills will initially be given support within the context of the classroom or within a small group. Assessment results will be monitored to ensure the child's progress. If difficulties persist, the =school, in consultation with the parents, may suggest further assessment, either in school by the Learning Support department, or by an external specialist. A child with such difficulties may receive individual learning support from specialist staff within the school.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) We provide support to those girls whose English is a second language.

We help them with their general reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar and listening, in order that they can study more effectively within the main stream curriculum. EAL lessons generally take place instead of French and some other subjects.

Reporting to Parents Examinations School examinations take place for all pupils in LIII, MIII and UIII during the Summer Term with Common Entrance for IVs in June. Form I and Form II pupils are also assessed during the Summer Term.

Reports and Grade Cards Full reports are written for all girls, except for IVs, at the end of Autumn Term. The IVs receive their first full report at half term of the Spring Term following their mock Common Entrance examinations. All girls receive a further report at the end of the Summer Term.

Grade cards are sent to the parents of all girls in Main School. They give detailed information about the girls' progress across the full range of subjects throughout the year. As the year progresses, the card is gradually completed and a copy of the updated card is sent to parents every half term, via My School Portal. At the end of the Summer Term the final card provides a complete record of each girls' progress throughout the academic year.

Parents' Meetings Formal Parents meetings are held at the following times: Form I and Form II - October and March Lower Thirds - Spring Term Middle Thirds - Autumn Term Upper Thirds - Spring Term Fourths - Autumn Term These are held in person. In Form I and Form II you will meet with your daughter's Form Tutor. From Lower Thirds upwards, you are able to meet with your daughter's subject teachers.

Rewards and Sanctions Rewards Rewards are given for both good work and behaviour. Each reward contributes towards the House points for the School Houses.

The points are added up and a colour shield is award to the winning House each week. At the end of the term, the points are all added together and the winning House is awarded a "mufti day" the following term.

Sanctions When children's behaviour falls below an acceptable standard, a range of sanctions may be used to encourage better behaviour.

Staff will give a verbal warning first, however if the behaviour continues they will give a 'minus' which results in the girl losing a point for their house.

If the behaviour continues or escalates, the sanction will also escalate.

For further details, please read our Behaviour and Expectation policy found on our website.

Homework (or Prep) Pupils in Form I and Form II are expected to spend a minimum of 10 minutes reading every day. They are also expected to spend a further 20 minutes consolidating their work they have learnt in class and practising their skills.

On occasions, Upper Thirds and Fourths will be sent music projects, and the 'extra prep' sessions in the activity programme can be used for the completion of those. Girls in Fourths are expected to spend time finishing work, working on scholarships or reading.

Prep is an occasion when children are expected to work by themselves and independently, as far as possible. Girls should write the instructions for prep carefully in their planners.

For detailed information about prep and the curriculum, please visit My School Portal.

Sport There is a large range of clubs, team practices and activities organised by the PE Department each term. They are detailed on the enrichment curriculum, which is sent home each term.

In Autumn and Spring terms, some of the sports your daughter will try are: Netball Hockey Swimming Lacrosse (for Upper School only) Football In Summer term, we swap our lacrosse pitch for an athletics track, along with: Tennis Cricket Swimming Track and Field disciplines If a child is unwell or injured and unable to participate in PE lessons, day girls must arrive at the lesson with a note signed and dated by a parent or guardian; boarders are expected to have seen the School Nurse who would then provide a note.

All children must have correctly named PE ket. All jewellery, including earrings, must be removed for all sporting activities (we do not allow tape over earrings). Parents are requested not to have their daughter's ears pierced during term time, but only at the start of the Summer holidays.

Music Music is strong at Godstowe. All girls in Main School have a music lesson a week where they learn some music history as well as the opportunity to play the ukelele, or percussion or piano.

For Main School girls, they can be a part of choirs, ensembles and the Godstowe Symphony Orchestra. More information can be found in our Enrichment Curriculum booklet.

Instrumental and Voice Lessons Girls are able to learn a wide range of instruments, including: Strings - violin, viola, cello Harp Brass - trumpet, french horn, euphonium Woodwind - flute, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon Percussion - timpani, drums, xylophone Singing Piano If you are interested in your daughter learning an instrument, or two, you will need to complete the 'Individual Instrumental Lessons' form on My School Portal.

The girls are entered for the Associated Board Examinations (ABRSM) at the discretion of their teacher. Girls who learn an instrument outside of school are able to take their exams at Godstowe.

Uniform Pupils should arrive and leave looking neat and tidy wearing the correct school uniform.

Hair must be neat and worn away from the face. Shoulder length hair must always be tied back. Girls may have red, brown or black ribbons, hair bands or scrunchies.

A green overall (for Science, DT and Art) should be kept in school at all times. For Autumn and Spring term, the Winter uniform must be worn. Red tights for Form I, Form II, LIII, MIII and UIII. IVs are able to wear black tights. Summer Uniform may be worn after the Easter holidays. Boaters should be worn with Summer Uniform for Form I, Form II, LIII and MIII. Makeup and Nail Varnish are not appropriate to wear with school uniform. Jewellery is not allowed with the exception of a plain religious symbol which may be work under school uniform.

Girls who have their ears pierced are allowed to wear plain gold studs only, but these must be removed for PE lessons. Parents are politely asked not to have their daughter's ears pierced during term time, but only at the start of the summer holidays.

Uniform All items of clothing and other possessions should be clearly marked.

Watches, preferably analogue, must be named, and all shoes and trainers must be labelled. Everything should be clean and in good repair. Hanging loops are required on games clothes, cloaks, blazers, coats and overalls. Any new clothes sent during term time should also be clearly labelled.

Girls should have black school shoes, which should be well-fitting and supportive. No ballet pumps, suede or patent leather shoes are permitted.

Uniform can be purchased from the onsite Uniform Shop (until October 2023). It can also be purchased online at www.thedirectclothing.co.uk. Scan the QR code below to be taken to the Godstowe page.

Uniform ordered online can be delivered to school free of charge. The deliveries will take place on Wednesdays during term time only.

Alternatively, the uniform can be delivered to your home address for a cost.

You are able to return your item using the delivery note included with your order. You can find out more information via My School Portal.

Good quality, nearly new uniform is sold in our Second Hand Uniform shop on site. The shop is open on Mondays and Fridays during term time.

Uniform The below list applies to all Main School, differences are listed.

Quantities are those required for boarders.

Autumn and Spring Terms 1 cloak 2 grey skirts (knee length, to four inches below) 3 grey and white figured blouses 2 red v-neck jumpers 4 pairs grey knee-high socks 4 pairs of plain red tights; IVs only black 40 denier tights Summer Term 1 straw boater 3 summer dresses; MIII upwards - separate skirt and blouse 2 red cardigans 6 pairs of plain white ankle socks All Terms *1 pair of black leather shoes (patent leather or pumps not acceptable) 1 red blazer with badge Red or black hair accessories 1 green overall for Science and Art 1 Godstowe prep bag (Form I-UIII, Medium; IVs, Large) 1 Godstowe games bag 1 black jacket

Uniform Games (all terms): 1 coloured team polo shirt (red, blue, yellow or green) 2 games tops (one with velcro, one without) 1 pair of black tracksuit bottoms 1 mid-layer *1 pair of outdoor trainers *1 pair of indoor non-marking trainers 1 pair black cycle shorts 1 red baseball cap 1 pair gloves with palm grips 1 black and red leotard 1 pair of black footless leggings 2 pairs of red short socks *1 tennis racquet 1 black and red Godstowe swimsuit 1 red Godstowe swim cap 1 Godstowe swimming towel 1 red swimming bag 1 pair of swimming goggles Player Layer top Player Layer bottoms (optional) 1 skort (Form II upwards) *1 lacrosse stick (MIII upwards) *1 pair of lacrosse boots (regular football boots) (MIII upwards)

Uniform Boarders items: 1 hairbrush/comb Lots of hairbands 6 pairs of underwear 1 pair of slippers 1 warm waterproof jacket 1 dressing gown 2 pairs of pyjamas Toiletries bag 2 face cloths 2 toothbrushes 2 tubes of toothpaste 2 bath towels 1 shower cap 1 carry-on holdall for exeats and half terms 2 suitcases, one of which must fit inside the other 1 pillow and 2 pillow cases (not white) 1 duvet 2 duvet covers 1 small purse 1 smart outfit Suitable casual clothes 1 rucksack for day trips 1 white laundry net 1 black laundry net 1 laundry bag 1 boarders fleece

Uniform Dress code for Boarders The following is a guide to the type of clothing that may be worn when girls are not in school uniform. All clothes must be machine washable and suitable for the tumble dryer: Smart Formal To be worn on formal occasions. Skirts/tops or dresses of an appropriate length and style for a form occasion. Home shoes or school shoes may be worn.

Smart Casual To be worn on occasions such as theatre trips and socials. Skirts/tops, dresses, smart trousers (not jeans), school shoes or sensible home shoes.

Casual To be worn on informal occasions such as after school and weekends.

Dresses, skirts/tops, jeans, shorts, t-shirts, jumpers, etc.

Guidelines Casual clothes: dresses and tops should not be short or revealing.

Shoes: home shoes are optional on all occasions, but should be appropriate to the occasion and should not have a heel of more than one inch. to help with storage, boarders should not have more than two pairs of shoes and one pair of casual boots.

Friends of Godstowe Friends of Godstowe, or FoG, is a group of volunteers who organise social activities and events for the school. Through these events, we aim to ensure that all Godstowe children, parents and guardians feel, and enjoy being, a part of our school community.

We are parents who volunteer to help the school provide exciting opportunities for our children. Along with the main FoG committee, there are individual representatives, known as Class Reps, for each form within the school.

We have helped the school achieve incredible new heights, including: Donation to the refurbishment of the Swimming Pool New sandpits and play equipment for Lodge New school mini bus Chrome tablet computers Sound equipment for the JK Theatre Games for the Boarding Houses Laser cutter for DT department The list is never ending and we can't wait to see what else we can achieve. If you would like to get involved, please email friends@igodstowe.org.

Friends of Godstowe Friends of Godstowe, or FoG, is a group of volunteers who organise social activities and events for the school. Through these events, we aim to ensure that all Godstowe children, parents and guardians feel, and enjoy being, a part of our school community.

We are parents who volunteer to help the school provide exciting opportunities for our children. Along with the main FoG committee, there are individual representatives, known as Class Reps, for each form within the school.

We have helped the school achieve incredible new heights, including: Donation to the refurbishment of the Swimming Pool New sandpits and play equipment for Lodge New school mini bus Chrome tablet computers Sound equipment for the JK Theatre Games for the Boarding Houses Laser cutter for DT department The list is never ending and we can't wait to see what else we can achieve. If you would like to get involved, please email friends@igodstowe.org.

Notes

www.godstowe.org