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PARENT HANDBOOK 2023-2024

Admissions Guide

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 4 SOURCES OF INFORMATION ......................................................................................................... 4 The School Office................................................................................................................................. 4 Form teachers...................................................................................................................................... 4 How we share information with you.................................................................................................. 4 Updating your contact information.................................................................................................... 4 Authorised pick ups ............................................................................................................................ 5 Useful contacts .................................................................................................................................... 5 Beginning and End of Term ................................................................................................................. 5 THE SCHOOL DAY ......................................................................................................................... 5 Early drop-off 07:45 – 08.00................................................................................................................ 6 Drop off from 08:00............................................................................................................................. 6 End of day collection ........................................................................................................................... 6 WRAP-AROUND CARE .................................................................................................................. 7 Breakfast Club 07:30-08:00 (Kindergarten – Year 8).......................................................................... 8 CLUBS .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Club timings ......................................................................................................................................... 8 DL/YC SPORT ................................................................................................................................. 9 Off Games ............................................................................................................................................ 9 VISITING DURING THE SCHOOL DAY .............................................................................................. 9 Classroom & Cloakrooms .................................................................................................................... 9 Safeguarding children ......................................................................................................................... 9 Health & safety.................................................................................................................................... 9 Fire & emergency .............................................................................................................................. 10 Property & vehicles ........................................................................................................................... 10 ABSENCES AND LATE ARRIVAL ..................................................................................................... 10 SOMERHILL UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................... 10 Somerhill Nursery & Kindergarten uniform ..................................................................................... 10 Somerhill Saplings ............................................................................................................................. 11 Somerhill Pre-Prep (Reception to Year 2) uniform .......................................................................... 11 Derwent Lodge uniform .................................................................................................................... 12 Yardley Court uniform ...................................................................................................................... 13

Hair styles .......................................................................................................................................... 14 SPORTS KIT – DL/YC .................................................................................................................... 14 LIFE AT SOMERHILL..................................................................................................................... 14 Educational visits and visitors .......................................................................................................... 14 Medical care ...................................................................................................................................... 15 Reports and consultations ................................................................................................................ 15 Curriculum ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Senior School information sessions.................................................................................................. 16 Homework and home learning ......................................................................................................... 16 Books and materials.......................................................................................................................... 16 Food ................................................................................................................................................... 17 Music ................................................................................................................................................. 17 OTHER INFORMATION ................................................................................................................ 17 Libraries ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Somerhill Parents’ Association (SPA) ............................................................................................... 17 Fees .................................................................................................................................................... 18 Policies ............................................................................................................................................... 18 Safety of children on Somerhill’s premises ...................................................................................... 18

INTRODUCTION This handbook contains important information about Somerhill Pre-Prep, Derwent Lodge and Yardley Court. The notes in this handbook are not designed to cover all eventualities; however, we hope that they prove to be of help. When in doubt about any aspect of your child’s education, please ask. We want to make your child’s time with us a positive and happy experience.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION The School Office The School Office team are happy to answer any general queries you have. The office is open from 08:00 – 17:45. They can be contacted by phone or by email (see contact details below).

Form teachers Your child’s teacher is the first point of contact regarding pastoral or academic matters. You will be notified of your child’s next teacher and their contact details by the end of the previous academic year.

How we share information with you We use the following methods to share information with you: Email – when you registered your child with us, you gave us your contact details including mobile numbers and email addresses. Most of our communication to you regarding events relating to your child’s form or year group, section of the school or school wide information will be via email or text message. This includes late returns from matches, trips or school closures. Housekeeping Bulletin – our weekly Housekeeping Bulletin is issued via email on a Friday with news and announcements for the following week. Parent Portal – this is a password protected parent only area where we post your child’s reports and assessments, school fee invoices, provide curriculum summaries and other documents. When you first join our school, an ‘activation code’ will be sent to the emails you provided on registration. A mobile app version, the iSAMS Parent app, is also available which includes teacher contact information and your child’s timetable (prep section only). Parent Booking System – this is a booking system for parent consultations evenings, trips, holiday courses, clubs and wrap-around care. Sports Website (SOCS) – details of sporting fixtures, including team sheets, can be found on Somerhill | Sports Home. This can be added as a link to your home page on your mobile phone. The code to access the team sheets is sas. If you need help accessing it, ‘How to Guides’ can be found on the Parent Portal. For any access issues or help, please email portaladmin@somerhill.org Social Media – you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram via the handle @SomerhillKent

Updating your contact information It is essential that you advise us of any change to your contact information or those of your emergency 4

contacts. Please do this via the Parent Portal where you can update your telephone number(s)/email address(es) directly. All other contact information can be amended via the Update Contact Information Request Form.

Authorised pick ups If you are not collecting your child from school, please specify the name of the person collecting your child in a written note or email to your child’s class/form teacher. We will only allow a child to go home with another person if we have received your permission. If emailing a change of collection arrangements during the school day, please email your child’s class/form teacher copying in reception@somerhill.org. If you collect your child before the end of the school day, please report to Reception and ensure your child is signed out correctly. Some other useful numbers and email addresses are listed below. We recommend that you enter them into your mobile phone before the start of the school year:

Useful contacts School Switchboard:

01732 352124

Absence Line:

01732 375953

School Office Reception:

reception@somerhill.org

Parent Portal support:

portaladmin@somerhill.org

Fees:

accounts@somerhill.org

Nurse:

schoolnurse@somerhill.org

Main website:

www.somerhill.org

Sports website:

Somerhill | Sports Home

Designated Safeguarding Lead:

dsl@somerhill.org

Beginning and End of Term Before the start of each term, the Head of Pre-Prep (Pre-Prep) and the Deputy Headteacher, Pastoral (Prep) will write to parents outlining the logistics for the first few days. This will include reminders regarding uniform, equipment required and any changes to timings in the first few days. At the end of term, school ends before lunch with a staggered end of day for the different school sections. Details of any changes to the collection arrangements will be communicated well in advance.

THE SCHOOL DAY DL & YC: Pupils are expected to be in their form rooms by 08.20 for registration. Pre-Prep: Registration is at 08.30, so all children must be on site by 08.20 latest to ensure they are in their classrooms. Registration closes at 08.30 after which time any late arrivals will need to enter via Reception and sign in.

Early drop-off 07:45 – 08.00 DL & YC: We run an ‘early drop-off’ service from 07.45 in the lower car park with entry via Tudeley Road; these pupils should proceed to the tennis courts on arrival (Bickmore Hall if raining) where they will be supervised. If you are not using this early morning service, drop-off will run from 08.00. Pre-Prep: Please use the Tudeley Road entrance, park in front of the Mansion building and walk to the Pre-Prep courtyard. Children in Nursery and Kindergarten must be walked to the Nursery classroom and handed to a member of the Pre-School team. If you have a child in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, they will need to be walked into the Pre-Prep hall this year and handed to a member of staff. Children are not allowed to wander in without an adult. We have many children to keep safe and so we appreciate your support in this handover process. Please do not drop-off your child before 07:45 as there is no staff supervision before this time.

Drop off from 08:00 Who

Where

Entrance

Times

Any car with PrePrep children

Upper car park – drop and drive or park in visitor car park

Parkland

From 08:00 (gate opens at 07:30)

All other children – DL/YC

Lower car park – drop and drive

Tudeley Road

The Parkland Gate reverts to exit only from 08:30 daily

From 08:00

The co-ordination in the car parks is undertaken by the Estates team and we respectfully ask all parents to abide by their instruction for your and others safety. Teaching staff will be at the side of the Upper car park to supervise the Pre-Prep children as they exit their cars and into the Courtyard.

End of day collection End of normal school day •

• • •

Pre-Prep – There is a staggered end to the day with Nursery and Kindergarten finishing at 15.15, Reception at 15.20, Year 1 at 15.25 and Year 2 at 15.30. All Pre-Prep parents/carers are required to park in the top visitors’ car park and collect their child from the Pre-Prep courtyard at the end of the school day where your child’s class teacher will dismiss the children. DL/YC Years 3 & 4 – collect from the Rose Garden at 16:00 every day. DL Years 5 & 6 – collect from the Rose Garden at 16:30 every day except Wednesday when it is 16:00. YC Years 5 – 8 – collect from the top of the steps next to the lower visitors’ car park at 16:30 every day except Wednesday when it is 16:00.

Collection after clubs or Late Stay • •

The collection location for Pre-Prep clubs (16:15) or Little Somers/Somers (until 17:45) is the Pre-Prep Courtyard. The collection location for DL/YC clubs (17:45 or 17:15 on Wednesday) is the Rose Garden. 6

•

The collection location of DL/YC Prep Late Stay (17:45) is the Rose Garden.

WRAP-AROUND CARE We understand that some parents may need their children to come to school earlier or stay later than the normal school day, and we offer care before and after school from 07:30 to 17:45, Monday to Friday, from the start of term. We would encourage you to book in advance where possible as some of these provisions have limited numbers due to staff to pupil ratios; however, booking will remain open throughout the term. If you need to make a last-minute booking, we kindly ask that you do so before 14.00 on the day you require care.

BEFORE SCHOOL 07:30-08:00

Breakfast Club (£5)

Book via the Parent Booking System (Kindergarten-Year 8 only)

AFTER SCHOOL 15:30-16:30

Pre-Prep Sibling Holding After School Care to 16:30 Monday to Friday (16:00 on a Wednesday) (available to Pre-Prep children with a sibling in DL/YC at no charge) Reception to Year 2 selected internal/external clubs

Book via the Parent Booking System

16:00-16:30 (no holding on Wednesday)

Years 3 & 4 Sibling Holding (no charge)

15:15-17:45

Little Somers Club for Pre-School 15:15-16:30 (£5) 16:30-17:45 (£10 including tea)

No booking required * we assume Year 3 & 4 DL/YC pupils are staying until the end of their eldest siblings’ school day unless advised otherwise Book via the Parent Booking System

15:30-17:45

Somers Club for Reception to Year 2 15:30-16:30 (£5) 16:30-17:45 (£10 including tea) DL/YC Late Stay (no charge)

15:30-16:15

16:30-17:45 (16:00-17:45 Wednesday)

Book via the Parent Booking System or directly with the external provider

Book via the Parent Booking System

Charged Breakfast Club 07:30-08:00 (Kindergarten – Year 8) Drop off is available for this between 07:30-07:35 only. This is chargeable at £5.00 for the session per day (30 mins) and must be booked in advance via the Parent Booking System where possible. Charges will be added to your subsequent term’s invoice. Breakfast club will be held in the Dining Hall. All parents dropping off for Breakfast Club must use the Tudeley Road entrance and drop off at the lower carpark. DL/YC pupils will walk to the Dining Hall independently. Pre-Prep children will be met by a member of staff who will escort them to the Dining Hall, please do not release your child without a member of the breakfast club staff available to accept him/her. Drop off between 07:30-07:35 only. Breakfast will be: Toast with jam, cereals with milk, milk, juice and fresh fruit. Booking is via the Parent Booking System.

CLUBS Somerhill offers over 100 clubs for pupils from Reception to Year 8. Most of the clubs are run by Somerhill teaching staff and are free of charge. The clubs cover sporting activities, arts, and creativity as well as some extension academic subjects. Clubs run by external providers are booked and paid for directly with the providers. Clubs run from Monday to Friday after the end of the school day. The exceptions are swim squad, cricket and cross-country running club which take place in the morning and some music ensembles, swimming squads and sport training sessions which may happen during breaktimes. Please note that clubs run from the start of term (Michaelmas term only: start on the first Monday) and end on the penultimate day of each term. Sign up for clubs is termly in advance. Our clubs are always very popular, and some are oversubscribed. When this happens, our system generates a fair allocation across the school. Reception manages waiting lists and places are allocated when they become available.

Club timings Pre-Prep clubs run from 15:30-16:15 Pre-Prep teachers would like to recommend to parents that children in Reception should only sign up for two internal clubs, and children in Years 1 and 2, should sign up for a maximum of three internal clubs. External paid for clubs can be signed up for in addition to the limits mentioned above. DL/YC Clubs run from 16:30-17:45 (16:00-17:15 on Wednesdays) Clubs are organised per year group, and we offer both sports/outdoor activities as well as creative options. Pupils sign up for clubs once a term through the Parent Booking System. Some clubs may finish at half term due to loss of light outside in the Michaelmas term. A light snack is provided at 16:30 for all club members when they are registered. 8

We provide the contact details of the external club providers, and all booking and payments should be organised directly with the provider. Termly pre-booking is required for clubs via the Parent Booking System. Once the term has started, changes to clubs can only be made via reception@somerhill.org.

DL/YC SPORT Kit needs to be taken to the changing rooms in the Bickmore Hall after drop-off every Monday morning. Swimming bags are kept on pegs/in form rooms and will be sent home if they are used in either PE or games sessions. For children playing hockey or rugby, it is essential they wear a gumshield.

Off Games For Prep pupils, please ensure that you email your child’s form teacher if they are medically unfit to participate in games or swimming. Please give a clear indication of the duration and reason for the non-participation as we cannot accept verbal communication of this via your child. Pupils who are off games are expected to remain in school and will be fully supervised in a classroom or the Prep Library during games periods.

VISITING DURING THE SCHOOL DAY All parents must sign-in at Reception if they are visiting school during the school day. The only exceptions to this are when parents attend to watch sports fixtures or other school events such as concerts or music soirées when signing in is not required. Please do not enter any school buildings unless you are invited to do so by a member of staff. Somerhill is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff, parents, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment. Whilst on school premises, the following must be observed:

Classroom & Cloakrooms Please do not enter classrooms, cloakrooms or any other area used by pupils unless you are accompanied by a member of staff.

Safeguarding children If you have any concern that a child has been harmed, is at risk of harm, or you receive a disclosure, please contact Reception as quickly as possible and ask to speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or email dsl@somerhill.org.

Health & safety Your safety and wellbeing during your visit are important to us. As a visitor, you have a legal duty to care for the health and safety of yourself and others. Any illness, injury or accident must be reported to Reception.

Fire & emergency If the Fire Alarm sounds, please leave the building by the nearest exit and proceed to the designated Assembly Point. Do not re-enter the building.

Property & vehicles The school cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to vehicles and/or personal possessions while visiting our schools. The safety guidelines on the back cover of this handbook always apply; before, during and after the school day.

ABSENCES AND LATE ARRIVAL Attendance registers are taken at the start of morning and afternoon sessions. If an absence is unexpected, please let us know as soon as you can via 01732 375953 or by selecting option 1 from the main school phone number 01732 352124. Alternatively, please email your child’s form teacher and copy in reception@somerhill.org. Daily attendance at school from Reception age up is a legal requirement in England. All medical appointments, unless urgent, as well as holidays and family events should therefore be scheduled for out of school hours. We will unfortunately not be able to authorise holidays within term time unless the circumstances are exceptional.

SOMERHILL UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS Please see our website for updates regarding purchasing of the uniform. We cannot stress enough the importance of sewn-on labels for all clothing. If items are labelled, we endeavour to return lost uniform as quickly as possible. We encourage the children to take personal responsibility for packing and remembering their items.

Somerhill Nursery & Kindergarten uniform All Pre-Prep children require: •

Pre-Prep coat and rucksack

• •

Pre-Prep tracksuit with white polo shirt Pre-Prep bobble hat, scarf and plain black gloves

•

Wellington boots (any colour)

• • • •

Navy/black school shoes with Velcro fastenings White ankle socks Pre-Prep legionnaires cap Green shorts

•

Waterproof Trousers & Jacket - we would encourage you to buy a bigger size waterproof jacket to allow it to fit on top of the school coat for very cold and wet days.

Pre-School require spare pants, socks and tracksuit trousers in the green Somerhill shoe/spare clothes bag. We ask that younger children wear shoes with velcro fastenings to encourage independence. Please ensure your child can tie laces confidently before sending them to school in lace-up shoes. No watches should be worn in school. Contact details for Stevensons are available in the ‘Parents’ area on somerhill.org.

Somerhill Saplings Please see the links below for Saplings Uniform. You are welcome to choose any colour. Coat https://www.polarnopyret.co.uk/collections/all-jackets-coats/products/kids-black-waterproofjacket-60490834-198 Fleece https://www.polarnopyret.co.uk/collections/all-jackets-coats/products/kids-blackshowerproof-fleece-jacket-60490866-198 Trousers https://www.polarnopyret.co.uk/collections/all-overalls-outerwear-trouser/products/shellwaterproof-kids-trousers-black-60501832-198 Dungarees https://www.polarnopyret.co.uk/collections/all-overalls-outerweartrouser/products/waterproof-baby-kids-shell-dungarees-black-60501840-198

Somerhill Pre-Prep (Reception to Year 2) uniform All Pre-Prep children require: • • • • • • • • •

Pre-Prep coat and rucksack Pre-Prep tracksuit with white polo shirt Pre-Prep bobble hat, scarf and plain black gloves Wellington boots (any colour) Navy/black school shoes with Velcro fastenings White ankle socks Pre-Prep legionnaires cap Green shorts Waterproof Trousers & Jacket

We would encourage you to buy a bigger size waterproof jacket to allow it to fit on top of the school coat for very cold and wet days. Reception classes require spare pants, socks and tracksuit trousers in the green Somerhill shoe/spare clothes bag. All Reception, Year One and Year Two children also require: • White, non-marking trainers • Somerhill swim bag with Somerhill swimsuit/jammers, swim cap, goggles and a towel • Green fleece (optional) • Somerhill small rucksack Reception, Year One and Year Two girls also require: • Summer dress (worn with white socks) 11

• • • •

Pinafore (worn with grey tights or white socks) White school blouse Green cardigan Year 2 - Lent term - hockey: Shin pads, mouth guards, long Somerhill sports socks

Reception, Year One and Year Two boys also require: • Grey shorts (worn with grey knee socks) • Green jumper • Year 2 – Michaelmas & Lent term - football & rugby: Studded football boots, shin pads, long Somerhill sports socks Reception children wear their tracksuits for three days each week and Year One and Two children wear their tracksuits for two days each week. You will be notified of which days the children have PE. We ask that younger children wear shoes with velcro fastenings to encourage independence. Please ensure your child can tie laces confidently before sending them to school in lace-up shoes. Year 2 children only may wear an analogue watch to aid them in learning to tell the time. Smart watches are not allowed. Please do not allow your child to wear their watch on days they have PE, Woodlands or swimming. SPP girls wear summer dresses in September. They start wearing the tartan tunic after the Michaelmas half-term holiday, then summer dresses in the Trinity term. Contact details for Stevensons are available in the ‘Parents’ area on somerhill.org.

Derwent Lodge uniform Derwent Lodge pupils require: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Somerhill blazer (worn every day in and out of school) White long sleeve revere collar blouse (winter) Culottes worn with grey socks or grey tights (winter) DL jumper or cardigan Summer dress worn with white ankle socks (summer) DL games top DL skort DL PE shorts Netball dress Somerhill athletics vest Somerhill house polo (for PE) Somerhill waterproof top and tracksuit bottoms Somerhill mid-layer Black skins top/bottom (optional) White sport socks Somerhill Games socks Somerhill swimsuit, Somerhill swim hat, goggles and a towel Somerhill coat (winter) Somerhill hat and scarf, plain black gloves (winter) 12

• • • • • • •

Somerhill Cricket top, Cricket trousers, Cricket jumper (optional) (summer) School shoes; black and supportive with a strap or laces Outdoor and indoor trainers for Hockey, Netball and Cricket Trail shoes or football boots or spikes for Cross Country Running Mouthguard and shin pads for Hockey DL blue cap (summer) Somerhill rucksack, swim bag, kit bag

A personalised kit bag needs to be ordered by parents directly from Stevensons via their website. Derwent Lodge pupils wear summer dresses in September. They start wearing culottes and blouses after the Michaelmas half term holiday, then summer dresses in the Trinity term. Please ensure that hemlines are at or below the knee. Contact details for Stevensons are available in the ‘Parents’ area on somerhill.org.

Yardley Court uniform Yardley Court pupils require: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Somerhill blazer (worn every day in and out of school) White shirt (winter) and YC tie (winter) Green YC jumper Grey cord shorts (Y3-6) Grey trousers (Y7-8) Grey knee socks YC green polo shirt (winter until half-term/summer) Somerhill coat (winter) Somerhill hat and scarf, plain black gloves (winter) Black school shoes YC Games jersey (reversible) YC games shorts YC black PE shorts Somerhill Games socks Somerhill athletics vest Somerhill house polo (for PE) Somerhill waterproof top and tracksuit bottoms Somerhill mid-layer Black skins top/bottom (optional) Mouthguard, studded boots, shin pads (winter) White sport socks Somerhill black swim jammers, Somerhill swim cap, goggles and a towel Outdoor trainers and Indoor trainers (white with non-marking soles) Somerhill Cricket top, Cricket trousers, Cricket jumper (optional) (summer) YC pink cap (summer) Somerhill rucksack, swim bag, kit bag 13

A personalised kit bag needs to be ordered by parents directly from Stevensons via their website. Boys wear polo shirts in September. They start wearing white shirts and ties after the Michaelmas half term holiday and through the Lent term, then polo shirts in the Trinity term. Blazers are worn daily. Carol services, school trips, form photos and some competitions and events require a shirt and tie to be worn. Contact details for Stevensons are available in the ‘Parents’ area on somerhill.org.

Hair styles Pre-Prep: All hair must be kept clean, neat and tidy. Hair must be appropriately tied back for hygiene and safety reasons especially in the Dining Hall and during games lessons. All hair bands, slides and ties should be green, blue, brown or black and discreet. Hair should not be clippered below a grade 2 or be cut or dressed in an extreme fashion to draw particular attention. Exceptions will be made on an individual basis on religious and cultural grounds. DL/YC: All hair must be kept clean, neat and tidy. Hair must be appropriately tied back for hygiene and safety reasons especially in the Dining Hall, the Science classrooms and during games lessons. All hair bands, slides and ties should be green, blue, brown or black and discreet. Hair should not be clippered below a grade 2 or be cut or dressed in an extreme fashion to draw particular attention. This includes hair cut in the style of a mullet or with tramlines. Exceptions will be made on an individual basis on religious and cultural grounds.

Jewellery & watches Jewellery is not allowed. The one exception is a single pair of plain, round gold or silver studs in the lobe of the ear. If your child would like to get their ears pierced, we ask that this is arranged at the start of the summer holiday. This ensures that the ear has plenty of time to recover for the new school year during which earrings must be removed for all Games and PE lessons (taping them is not sufficient). If your child has pierced ears, they should be able to remove their earrings and put them on independently. Prep pupils may only wear an analogue or digital watch to school. Smart watches are not allowed.

SPORTS KIT – DL/YC A detailed guide regarding Sports Kit required for each term can be found here.

LIFE AT SOMERHILL Educational visits and visitors Educational outings as well as visitors to the school are organised to enhance the curriculum. Trips and special events are published in the school calendar. Educational day trips are included in school fees. Residential, overseas and recreational trips do incur a cost. Payment schedules will be sent when details of the trip are sent out. 14

Medical care You can contact the School Nurse via email at schoolnurse@somerhill.org or by telephone via reception on 01732 352124. The information that you provide in your child’s mandatory medical questionnaire will be recorded in their school held medical records. Please inform the School Nurse as soon as possible if there are any changes to your child’s medical or dietary needs. If you do not inform the School Nurse of any changes, we will assume that the information that we hold is accurate. The school holds stock medication. These are detailed on the mandatory medical questionnaire. You can consent for your child to be given stock medication for minor illnesses (such as fever or pain) on the questionnaire. You can also indicate that you do not want the school to administer any or some of the school stock medication via the questionnaire. The school will always check for consent before administering stock medication to your child and will inform you of the time, dose, and reason for giving the medication via email or telephone. Should your child require a short course of prescription medication, such as antibiotics, the School Nurse will ensure that this is administered in school. Medication can only be administered to your child if presented correctly and accompanied by a Medication Administration and Request Form (MARC), which can be printed off from the Parent Portal. Information about the correct presentation can be found on the Parent Portal. For the safety of your child, the school will not administer any medication if it is presented incorrectly or without a completed MARC Form. It is school policy not to administer homeopathic remedies. If your child has a fever (a temperature over 37.5), is feeling too unwell to continue their school day, has vomited, had a bout of diarrhea, or has hurt themselves badly, the School Nurse will telephone you and ask you to come and collect them from school. Please ensure that you can do this within 60 minutes of us contacting you. If your child is sent home with a fever, they must not return to school until they have been fever-free (without the need for medication) for 24 hours. If your child is sent home with vomiting or diarrhea, they must not return to school until 48 hours have passed since their last episode of vomiting or diarrhea.

Reports and consultations It is the school’s intention that parents should be kept informed as is practicable of their child’s progress in all subjects. We provide regular feedback both informally and through formal parent consultations and written reports. The Curriculum summaries, found on the Parent Portal, give more detail on our reporting structure. Parent consultation evenings are shown on the school calendar, with emails sent to parents in advance to enable appointments to be booked with teachers. Parents of pupils in Pre-School to Reception have access to a learning journal called Tapestry, each term for a set period before Parent Consultation Evenings.

Curriculum At the start of each academic year, Pre-Prep as well as Year 3 and Year 7 parents are invited to Curriculum/Transition Information Evenings, to hear more about the curriculum, teaching methods, 15

routines and ways to support your child’s learning at home. Detailed Curriculum summaries can be viewed on the Parent Portal for all year groups.

Senior School information sessions Parents of pupils in Year 5 are invited to attend a Senior Schools Information Session to learn more about the senior school options for our pupils. This happens in the first few weeks of the new academic year.

Homework and home learning We do not believe that homework should be overly onerous or long. Children have a demanding school day, and they need free time to relax in the evenings. In Pre-Prep, when your child has developed the necessary early reading skills, they will be sent home with a reading book and “tricky” words. From Year One children will be sent home with weekly spelling activities or lists. In Reception, Year One and Year Two children can log into Abacus at home and access activities that link to their learning in class. Year One and Year Two children can use Purple Mash at home. In Years 3, 4 and 5 children will have weekly spellings list and regular times tables practice. Regular reading is also encouraged. In Year 6 pupils are asked to learn French vocabulary alongside regular reading, spellings and times tables. In Years 7 and 8, pupils will receive homework to complete each evening. Each prep should last no longer than 30 minutes. There are several home learning tools made available to pupils to support their learning including MyMaths, Memrise, Kerboodle, Abacus, Times Tables Rock Stars and many others. Subject specific online tools are referenced in the curriculum summaries. We ask all our pupils to read at home daily, for enjoyment and educational benefit.

Books and materials Textbooks and exercise books are provided. In Pre-Prep, all equipment required in lessons is provided. In Year 4, children require 2 HB pencils, 1 eraser, 1 pencil sharpener with container to collect the shavings, 1 small pair of scissors with rounded points, a 30cm ruler, a glue stick, one set of colouring pencils. Children should bring these items to school in one, modest pencil case. Biros are not permitted. In Years 5 – 8, pupils will require the following: •

Compulsory stationery items: blue writing pens (x2 min), HB pencils (x2 min), a rubber, a clear protractor (180 or 360 degrees), a sharpener, a 30cm clear ruler and a Casio FX-85GT CW scientific calculator (or similar).

•

Very useful but not compulsory items: scissors, a glue stick, and a purple pen for responding to teacher feedback.

Regarding pens, our pupils start using pens more readily from Year Five and different pens suit different children. A sheet of suggested pens for different writing styles and grips can be found via this link. 16

Electronic devices must not come into school. Children must not swap possessions. Whilst in school, pupils have access to chrome books and other handheld tablets where appropriate in their lessons. As pupils move through the school, they become familiar with the Microsoft suite of products such as TEAMs and One Note.

Food Children are provided with a morning snack and a hot lunch with fruit or a pudding. Early Years children also receive an afternoon snack. Water is available throughout the school day. It is essential that prep aged children have a named re-usable water bottle. The lunch menus are published on the Parent Portal. We cater for a range of dietary needs. Dietary restrictions, including those for religious observance, should be recorded in full on the medical consent form during your child’s admission and updated via the School Nurse (schoolnurse@somerhill.org) if anything changes. If your child is asked to bring food into school for any event it must not contain nuts, and cakes brought in as birthday treats must be shop bought, pre-packed with all ingredients clearly detailed. Please note that Krispy Kreme doughnuts cannot be brought in due to the risk of contamination with nuts from the selection cabinets in store. You may wish to check with your class rep to see whether anyone in your child’s class/form has any other specific dietary requirements before bringing in birthday treats for them to enjoy.

Music Music is an essential part of life at Somerhill, and we warmly encourage pupils to participate in a wide range of musical activities. We are delighted so many pupils enjoy extracurricular instrumental and vocal lessons. If you would like your child to learn a musical instrument (available from Year 2 onwards), please fill in the online Music Tuition Form in the Parent Portal.

OTHER INFORMATION Libraries Somerhill has two well-stocked libraries; one for Pre-Prep and one for Years 3 to 8. Children use the libraries regularly and are encouraged to take responsibility for signing out and returning their books, with lots of support available to help them extend their reading and learn about referencing. The library catalogue for Years 3 and above can be accessed from home.

Somerhill Parents’ Association (SPA) The main aim of the SPA is to help parents develop friendships across the school community. Social events held at school are always popular and we warmly encourage parents to become involved in this important aspect of school life. All parents at Somerhill are members of the Parents’ Association but for those who wish to play a particularly active role there is the opportunity to join an event committee.

SPA class reps will be introduced to you during your child’s admission. They help to keep classes updated on social events and provide useful reminders for all aspects of school life.

Fees The Somerhill scale of fees is available in the Admissions area of somerhill.org. It is sent to all parents during their child’s admission and at the start of each Trinity term. Invoices are available on the Parent Portal and the accounts team can be contacted via accounts@somerhill.org if you have any queries about methods of payment. The Bursar can be contacted via jhunt@somerhill.org.

Policies Like all schools, Somerhill has many policies concerning how we operate, which we regularly review. You can find copies of many on our website somerhill.org. You may request hard copies by emailing reception@somerhill.org

Parent-school relationship At Somerhill, all our pupils are encouraged and expected to show respect to staff and their peers by being polite and courteous, listening to others and displaying a positive and friendly attitude. By extension, we would kindly request that all parents behave similarly to members of our school staff throughout their interactions. Our overriding aim at Somerhill is to create a warm, welcoming, and happy school community for your children and you to belong to. Parental support is integral to this so please continue to work with us to achieve this.

Safety of children on Somerhill’s premises The safety and security of all children whilst at Somerhill is of paramount importance. To help ensure that your child’s safety is not compromised, the school has in place several measures. Please adhere to the guidelines as detailed below: Please always drive with diligence and care, keeping to the set speed limits. Members of the premises staff are deployed in the car parks at the busiest times. You are requested to follow their instructions and directions. The use of mobile phones whilst driving is illegal. You are respectfully reminded to always adhere to traffic law. Please do not park on yellow lines unless directed to do so by a member of staff. Parking on yellow lines compromises the ability to see children crossing during busy times and restricts the flow of traffic. Pre-Prep children must be escorted into the courtyard by an adult. Drop-off lanes for YC and DL should be used wherever possible. These areas have been provided for the safety of your children as they have direct access to a path when getting out of the car. Please refrain from sitting in your car with the engine idling as this adds to pollution.

There are two areas that are for staff parking only. The areas are clearly signposted as ‘Staff Car Park’ and ‘Permit Holders Only’. They are adjacent to the science labs and to the music building and swimming pool. Do not drive into these areas or park in these areas at any time. Dogs are only permitted on site if they are secured in your vehicle or on a lead in the Parkland. Dogs are not permitted outside of vehicles, except in the Parkland. They must not be in proximity of children/other dogs. If you wish to walk your dog in the Parkland, please park in the overflow car park on the right at the top of the main drive. Your dog must always be on a lead. All dog waste must be collected and disposed of in the bins provided. Play areas are for the use of Somerhill pupils only whilst under adult supervision. Please ensure that you supervise your child so that they do not come to any harm. Please only allow your child to use the designated play equipment under your supervision. It has been designed for children to play on, which walls etc have not. Children should only use the play areas after the end of the school day. After School Care may take priority in the adventure play area between 15:45 and 16:30. For reasons of child safety and protection please do not use mobile phones and mobile devices (or any equipment capable of recording images) in areas where children may be present. Please do not enter any school buildings (other than reception), classrooms or cloakrooms, unless you are invited to do so by a member of staff. Please do not turn right at the main exit on to Tudeley Road.

Thank you for your co-operation.

www.somerhill.org 01732 352 124

@SomerhillKent