Parents/carers of current year 6 students

Welcome to Highfields School!

If you are reading this, then you must already be interested in our school and what we are doing.

We have thought about issues and concerns you might have – what is the school like, how will I find my way around, how do I buy the uniform, what will happen with the buses?. We aim to answer these during this next half term for you.

Activity work and information forms must be returned by the deadline date to allow us to process the information to support your child. Thank you for completion of the four forms so far, we appreciate you doing this. There are three more to be sent out during the next half term so we would be grateful if you can continue to complete them promptly.

After half term, we will send Year 6 students a virtual tour of the school, which the current Year 7s found really helpful and it enabled them to learn more about our school site. We will also send you pastoral profiles of people who will be important to you.

After 21 June we hope to be able to contact you to confirm our Year 6 Visit Day can proceed on 2 July and we are able to invite people on to our school site . Please note that there will still be DFE guidance that states we are not allowed large numbers on school site. This means there will be several sessions throughout the day and we will advise you of your timeslot and we would be grateful if only one parent attends in order to keep numbers as low as possible. On this day, you will meet the Head of Year, Year Manager and key people from Learning Support, as well as having a look around the school and being provided with an information booklet and map.

We will keep updating everyone through the school website, but really specific messages will come from Mrs Green, Year Manager for Y7 in September. Mrs Green will be your first point of contact and she will send emails through our Weduc communication system.

If your family haven't received an email from Mrs Green, please email with your name and primary school so she can add you to our communication list (tgreen@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk).

September 2021 – Transport to school

The link below is to the Derbyshire County Council website that aims to answer any questions you may have on school transport in September 2021: https://derbyshire.gov.uk/education/schools/your-child-at-school/travel/school-transport.aspx

The site provides information on the options available for travelling between school and home, including details on free bus travel, timetables and DCC plans and policies for school transport.

Updated programme of events for year 6 students starting in September 2021

Year 6 parents/carers should all now be receiving information and activities for your child to complete, that will best help them make a smooth transition to Highfields School. Please make sure that you have download the Weduc app so that you receive all communications.

We will keep updating you on key information, but below are a few pieces of information and activities that you will expect to see before the start of term in September. Activity work and information forms must be returned by the deadline date to allow us to process the information to support your child.

Date Received Document For Student or Parent Deadline date

March ✓ Download Weducapp to receive all communication Parent Deadline 12/3 April ✓ Cashless catering form Parent Deadline 30/4 April ✓ Student magazine Student May ✓ Admission form/Allergy letter/Home school agreement Parent Deadline 15/5 June Uniform information Parent and student June Starkholmes virtual tour Student June Bus information Parent and student June Pastoral Profiles Parent and student June Geography on a plate Student Deadline 30/6 June Pyramid ‘worries’ activity Student June Social medial/blanket consent/GDPR forms Parent Deadline 6/7 June Hand Activity Student Deadline 2/7 June Form Room and Timetable Information Student 2 July - to Current COVID regulations permitted Student with one be confirmed Visit to school for tour and to meet Year Manager parent and Head of Year - time slots allocated to ensure COVID regulations are adhered to School will email with details nearer the time as weneed to ensure we are allowed additional students on site at this time

2 July Information Booklet

July Library/Accelerated Reader activity August ParentPay information to pay for locker, and load school dinner money account Parent

Parent and student Student Deadline 19/7

From September, the transition programme will continue with some very focused ‘year 7’ time and activities. The first day of school is a dedicated to year 7 students only - this is Wednesday 1 September. Students will have the full day to learn about school routines, have an additional tour with their timetable, meet their form tutor and do activities together as a form in order to get to know each other. This day is key for all students to ensure that every student begins their Highfields journey as smoothly as possible.

We will keep in touch to make sure students have the best possible transition experience in this climate. Our priority remains that students feel part of our community and to allay as many worries as possible whilst beginning to outline our expectations. In this way, together we will be able to ensure that every student begins their Highfields journey as smoothly as possible.

Reminder: return of electronic forms for year 7 admissions in September

Thank you to the parents/carers of year 6 students who have returned the recent electronic forms issued by Mrs Green.

A reminder of the forms/information previously issued:

• Admissions forms – this is one of the most important documents for us as we need to ensure we have all the relevant contact details of each student. Please can you ensure you have

completed this form.

• Parent agreement - peanut free site – we have a student in school with a severe peanut allergy and strict avoidance of peanut products is the only way to prevent a life-threatening allergic reaction. We are asking your assistance in providing the student with a safe learning environment and require you to complete this form. We have a small number of parents who have not

completed this form. We will be emailing you separately about this shortly and would appreciate if you could respond to ensure the safety of this student. Thank you.

• Home school agreement – we ask students, parents/carers and the school to work in partnership and would like you to sign to confirm your agreement to working together in the best interests of your children. This form has now closed on Weduc so if you did not sign and still wish

to do so, please contact Mrs Green.

• Cashless catering – please complete the consent for your child’s finger to be scanned. Please note the finger scan is only to enable your child to be recognised at the till point to purchase food and is not used for any other purpose. If students do not have consent for the scan they will need to input a six digit code to the pin machine at the till point. This form has now closed on Weduc

so if you have not signed and still wish to, please contact Mrs Green otherwise a code will be issued to your child in September.

• Highfields School uniform – this week we have emailed our school uniform details to you. This included uniform code, size guide and supplier information – see link to the information on the school website: https://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/our-school/uniform/

• Virtual tour - our transition programme is now running and our starting point is a virtual tour of the Starkhomes site for year 6 students and there will be more ‘site’ information sent out during this term.

• School buses - we have sent out information about buses and a timetable for you all to look at so you can prepare.

• Y6 welcome magazine - our current year 7 students collated information in PHSE lessons on how to welcome year 6 students to Highfields. Our students produced a magazine in their form classes and we have taken relevant sections from them all to pass to your child. Please access via this link: https://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/parents/year-six-information/year-6-magazine/

We hope this will give your child a little insight into what it is like at Highfields, from a current year 7 perspective, in advance with them starting with us in September.