Our values reflect the values of the GDST . These are:
Vision
Our vision is to be champions of excellence in all -girl education, empowering girls to be leaders, trailblazers and world shapers.
Mission
Newcastle High School for Girls is committed to offering an outstanding all -girl education from age 3 to 18, that promotes happiness and well -being, allowing every girl to flourish academically. Creating an environment where girls learn without limits supp orted by the opportunities arising from being part of the GDST family.
This is strongly underpinned by the values of the Girls' Day School Trust and our pupils' learning characteristics:
Girls first Fearless Forward -thinking Family
Fulfilling
NHSG Pupil Learning Characteristics (the 8 Cs)
Creative – innovative and able to ‘think outside the box’
Caring – considerate of their own needs and the needs of others
Composed – poised and self -controlled
Communicative – expressive and able to covey their ideas in an articulate manner
Courageous - willing to embrace new opportunities, with the strength of character to do the right thing. Able to learn from setbacks that are encountered. Possesses a strong sense of justice and is willing to stand up for others in the face of adversity.
Confident – self-assured and believes in her abilities
Curious – inquisitive, with a strong desire to further their learning
Collaborative – works effectively with others and enjoys being part of a team
Safeguarding
Newcastle High School for Girls is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and believes that all pupils, regardless of age, special needs or disability, racial/cultural heritage, religious belief or sexual orientation have the right to be protected from all types of harm and abuse. This Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy forms a fundamental part of our approach to providing excellent pastoral care to all pupils, including young people who may be over the age of 18 years.
The full policy is available for parents to consult on the School website.
Communication between home and School
Contacting us
School Contact Details
Junior School Contact Details
Newcastle High School for Girls
Chapman House
Sandyford Park
Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1TA
Telephone
Telephone number: 0191 285 1956
Email: juniorschooloffice@ncl.gdst.net
The Junior School rece ption is open from 8.00 to 1 8.00 . Staff are available to answer the telephone and answer any queries in person during these hours. If you telephone outside these hours , you will be able to leave a message on the answer -phone.
Email
You are able to email the office juniorschooloffice@ncl.gdst.net or individual members of staff. Staff addresses consist of their initial, stop, surname plus @ncl.gdst.net, for example e.barnett@ncl.gdst.net etc. Staff check their emails at least once a day.
Written correspondence from you
All correspond ence should be addressed Head of Junior School. Please include a note of your daughter’s name and Class.
Contacting specific members of staff
In Nursery, i f you need to discuss academic or pastoral concerns , your first port of call should usually be the Mrs Calcutt, Class Teacher . The Class Teacher may be contacted in writing, by telephone, by email, or in person if they are free when you come into School. In Reception, your first port of call should usually be the Mrs Wilde or Mrs Gibson (depending on which class your daughter is in ). You can also contact the EYFS Leader, Mrs Gibson, in the same way.
Head of Junior School , Mrs Barnett , Deputy Head, Miss Cuthbert and Assistant Head Pastoral, Mrs Stairmand will be happy to speak to you or see you if you feel that is more appropriate to your concern.
Communication between home and School (continued)
Keeping us informed of changes of address or contact details
Please inform us immediately of any changes of address or telephone contact numbers at home, work/daytime numbers and emergency numbers and email contact. You should do this by sending an email to datasupport@ncl.gdst.net Please note that we are legally required to retain details and at least two emergency contacts for every pupil on roll. If you are going away or leaving your daughter in the care of family or friends, please advise us of temporary contact arrangements. Please make sure your daughter is also aware of the arrangements and the contact names and telephone numbers.
Parental Responsibility
In the interest of your daughter’s welfare and for legal reasons, the School must have accurate and up to date records of the following:
- who lives with your daughter and which of these people have parental responsibility
- whether there are any other people with parental responsibility for your daughter who live apart from her
- whether there are any court orders which may have made changes to those who have parental responsibility or which impose restrictions on the exercise of parental responsibility
If there are any changes to the above following your daughter’s admission to the School, please notify the Head of Junior School immediately.
If you are going away and leaving your daughter in the care of family or friends, please advise us of the details, including emergency contact arrangements. Please also make sure that your daughter knows the contact names and numbers of the person(s) she i s staying with.
If an arrangement of this type is going to be in place for 28 days or more it may be classed by law as Private Fostering if the person your daughter is staying with is not the parent, does not have parental responsibility and is not a close relative (step -parent, grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt). Pa rents and private foster carers are legally required to inform the local authority about a proposed placement (i.e. your daughter staying with someone other than relatives as listed above) at least 6 we eks in advance. Professionals who come into contact with the child also have a duty to ensure the Local Authority is aware of the arrangement by making a referral.
Communication between home and School (continued)
Communication with parents: Parent Information and Systems
Firefly Parent Portal
Firefly is the online parent portal and app which has useful information about School and quick links to other apps and systems. All general correspondence sent to you by the School can be found here.
This is a personalised system and therefore relies on linking to our school database system (SIMs). If your daughter is new to the school, she will need to have been formally admitted on our School Information Management System (SIMS). This usually takes p lace on her first school day and you should be able to access Firefly within two to three days of your daughter starting school. You must use the same email address you have provided us to be able to access the Firefly Parent Portal.
The URL for Firefly is: https://nhsg.fireflycloud.net/
Friday Bulletin and General Correspondence
Most correspondence is sent to parents by email via SchoolPost , which is why it is important that we have an accurate email address for you. We rely on parents being in the habit of checking for emails from school on a regular basis. It is therefore best that the email address you provide to School is one that you are likely to check regularly. We aim to streamline the process for you by sending out nearly all our correspondence giving information, in particular ab out trips and events, on a Friday, in our ‘Friday Bulletin’. You may also hear about PE fixtures and trip s at other points during the week, and staff may still contact you directly at different times concerning academic or pastoral issues. You should start to receive a Friday Bulletin from the very first Friday after your daughter joins the School.
SOCS - School Calendar, Co -curricular, Music and Sport Communication Systems
We use a system called SOCS which supports the management of our school calendar, sporting and cocurricular activities. SOCS will also enable you to have easy access to a live personalised online school calendar including sport, music, speech and drama and co -curricular for your daughter. It is also the system through which you will be able to book your daughter’s co -curricular activities (see page 16 ). Once your daughter has been formally admitted to the School on SIMs, we will send you full instructions on how to register for SOCs. These are normally sent to you within two to three days of your daughter joining the School. You can also view our ‘non -personalised’ school calendar without the requirement to register via our school website www.newcastlehigh.gdst.net
Help for parents
If you experience difficulty accessing the Firefly Parent Portal or SOCS after receiving the instructions on how to register, or you do not receive a Friday Bulletin as described above, please email datasupport@ncl.gdst.net for assistance.
Communication between home and School (continued)
Communication with Parents: Parents’ Conferences
Every Year Group has two Parents’ Conferences each year. They will be held in the Autumn and Spring Terms. The conferences give you the opportunity to discuss progress with your daughter’s Class Teacher. We operate an appointment system. There will also be a chance to look at your daughter’s work in her classroom.
Communication with Parents: Reports
You will receive two written reports a year In the Autumn term you will receive a short report including targets and in the Summer term you will receive a full report covering all area s of the curriculum. You will be able to access your daughter’s report s on Tapestry (Nursery) or Firefly (Reception – Year 6).
In Reception, the girls are regularly assessed on their phonic skills and against the Early Learning Goals Your daughter’s phonics results will be shared with you via Tapestry at regular intervals and her EYFS profile results will be shared with you on her Summer term report . Parents are invited to book an appointment with their daughter’s class teacher if they wish to discuss her assessment data.
Calendar and term dates
The dates of Parents’ Conferences, meetings and reports are listed in the SOCS calendar. There is always an up-to-date version of this on the school website and Firefly.
Term dates are available from our website: https://newcastlehigh.gdst.net/wp -content/uploads/2025/03/Term -Dates-2025 -2026.pdf
Home – School Communication
You will be issued with your daughter’s C lass Teacher’s school email address and this is the best form of communication to inf orm the C lass Teacher of changes to arrangements , update the teacher with any important news or also to raise a concern in the first instance.
Tapestry
Tapestry is our online learning journal and can be used by school and at home to share learning and experiences that the girls are having through photographs, videos and notes. Tapestry is also used to set homework, and for some whole class messages so please check that you can log on to your personal account You should receive an email with an activation link within the first couple of days of your daughter starting, if not before.
Pastoral organisation
Houses
Each girl is a member of one of the four houses and her house will be determined when she is enrolled at NHSG. Our houses are all name d after famous ships.
- Acadia Blue - Carpathia Green - Mauretania Red - Turbinia Yellow
House events are held regularly throughout the year and many opportunities are offered for the girls to get to know and work together with members of the House from different classes and year groups.
Each House is led by 3 House Captains – one from Year 3 and two from Year 6 .
House Points
Particularly commendable achievements can be rewarded with House Points. House Point totals are announced half termly during the Celebration Assembly.
All Nursery pupils arriving before 9:00 should enter school via the Pupil Entrance. Pupils arriving for the morning Nursery session after 9:00 should enter via our Junior School Main Reception. Morning wraparound sessions, each of 30 minutes’ duration, run at 30 minute intervals from 08:00 to 08:30 and may be pre -booked at a rate of £3.00 per session.
Pupils may be accommodated for before school wraparound without pre -booking at a rate of £5.00 per session.
All Nursery pupils departing or arriving at 12:00 should do so via the Pupil Entrance.
Pupils who have not been collected from the morning nursery session by 12:10 will be taken into the afternoon Nursery session and charges will apply for that session.
Pupils arriving for the afternoon Nursery session after 12:00 should enter via our Junior School Main Reception.
15:10 Girls who have not been collected will be taken to the After School Club rooms and charges will apply.
All pupils departing after the end of the school day should be collected via the Pupil Entrance.
After School Club sessions, each of 30 minutes’ duration, run at 30 minute intervals from 15: 00 in Nursery to 1 8:00 and may be pre -booked at a rate of £3.00 per session.
Pupils may be accommodated in After School Club without pre -booking at a rate of £5.00 per session. For all sessions, except the 17:30 – 18:00 session, a grace period of 10 minutes will be allowed for pickup after the end of the session, after which , charges will be levied at the un -booked rate for all subsequent sessions until your daughter is picked up.
Late collection charges will apply in accordance with our published schedule for all collections after 18:00
Timing of School Day, Registration and Absence (Cont.)
Reception
Morning
8.0 0 Morning wraparound care opens. 8:45 Educational provision commences.
All Reception pupils arriving before 8:45 should enter school via the Pupil Entrance. Reception pupils arriving after 8:45 should enter via our Junior School Main Reception.
Morning wraparound sessions, each of 30 minutes’ duration, run at 30 minute intervals from 08:00 to 08:30 and may be pre -booked at a rate of £3.00 per session.
Pupils may be accommodated for before school wraparound without pre -booking at a rate of £5.00 per session.
Afternoon
15.15 Home time for Reception. Parents should collect girls from the Pupil Entrance
15:25 Girls who have not been collected will be taken to the After School Club rooms and charges will apply.
All pupils departing after the end of the school day should be collected via the Pupil Entrance.
After School Club sessions, each of 30 minutes’ duration, run at 30 minute intervals from 15:15 to 18:00 and may be pre -booked at a rate of £3.00 per session.
Pupils may be accommodated in After School Club without pre -booking at a rate of £5.00 per session. For all sessions, except the 17:30 – 18:00 session, a grace period of 10 minutes will be allowed for pickup after the end of the session, after which, charges will be levied at the un -booked rate for all subsequent sessions until she is picked up.
Late collection charges will apply in accordance with our published schedule for all collections after 18:00.
Timing of School Day, Registration and Absence (Cont.)
After School Club (ASC)
After school care is provided between 1 5: 00 and 18.00 at an additional charge per half hour with an optional additional charge for a snack tea. Girls may bring their own packed tea if required. Spaces are to be booked and paid for in advance via EYManage . Spaces are limited so we recommend you book as far in advance as you are able. We can also take bookings up until 12 noon of the day required via EYManage If you have a last minute requirement after this point, please contact the Junior School Office.
For parents new to the school, you will receive your EYManage activation code after your daughter has been admitted to the school. Therefore, if you require After School Care for you daughter before receipt of this please contact the Junior School Office to make your bookings.
Break
Girls are encouraged to bring a healthy snack to eat at morning break in a named small snack box. Fruit, raw vegetables and plain biscuits are suitable, but sweet snacks, chocolate or crisps are not allowed.
We encourage parents to make suitable choices for their daughter and parents should use their parental judgement on how much snack is sufficient for their daughter.
Alternatively , school can provide a small healthy snack for your daughter to have at snack time. This costs £1.60 per day when prebooked or £2 .00 per day if un-booked.
We operate a strict nut free policy. Any item brought to school containing nuts will be stored and either be sent home or disposed of if unwrapped.
Milk is free to all of our Nursery girls and Reception girls aged four years. Once your daughter turns five years old, fees apply. The cost is £0.40 per day when prebooked or £0.50 per day if un -booked. Please contact the school office to arrange milk for your daughter. If your daughter has a milk allergy or intolerance, you are welcome to provide a milk alternative that staff can serve to her.
Registration and Punctuality
If your daughter arrives late, she must enter school via the main Reception. Please inform the School by telephone or email if your daughter is going to arrive after 9 :00.
Timing of School Day, Registration and Absence (Cont.)
Unplanned absence
If your daughter is not well enough to come to School in the morning (including days when she is due to go out on a school trip or visit), it is helpful if you can notify the School before 9.00 by telephone or email to Reception. If a girl is absent on a g iven morning without explanation and no information has been received, parents will be contacted by Reception, on the morning of the first day of absence.
Planned Absence
If the absence is planned because of a medical, dental or other appointment, you should inform the Class Teacher in by email/telephone in advance.
Leave of Absence (granted in exceptional circumstances)
Please note that school term -dates are published well in advance and parents are strongly requested not to take additional holidays during term time. If circumstances necessitate such a request, permission must be sought from the Head of Junior School , Emma Barnett, well in advance of the requested leave of absence.
Please note that we do not set work for girls to do during any such absences.
Early closure (e.g. arising from severe weather)
In circumstances such as severe weather or school closure, mentioned above, we also communicate with parents as soon as possible with relevant information. We do this in other circumstances too, for example, if we have to cancel an event at the last minute or when other situations arise during which we need to get a message to a large number of parents quickly.
We do this in the following ways:
(1) We will send a text to inform you of the situation via School Post
(2) We will email parents with more information via School Post
(3) Events that impact upon the whole school such as School closure are posted on our social media channels and the School Website, www.newcastlehigh.gdst.net
Equipment in School
Girls may bring items related to the learning they are doing in class, into school, with parental permission.
Toys and precious belongings should not be brought into school as they could get lost or damaged – and the school accepts no liability for any loss or damage of items brought into school in contravention of this policy
Please ensure all items from home that are brought into school are clearly named.
Timing of School Day, Registration and Absence (Cont.)
Travel to and from
School
Newcastle High School for Girls is proud to be a ‘green’ school, so we try wherever possible to promote more sustainable modes of transport. Our Junior School is located on Sandyford Road in Sandyford and the nearest Metro station is Jesmond (12 minute walk).
The School is also well served by public bus services with a number of stops close -by on Sandyford Road and Jesmond Road. We also have plenty of secure cycle storage on site and promote a number of park and stride pick -up and drop -off locations to help alleviate congestion and air pollution in the vicinity of the school which can be found by clicking this link.
We run an extensive network of chaperoned daily home to school bus services to both Junior School and Senior School and run regular shuttle services between our Junior School and Senior School sites.
Full details of the transport options available for travel to and from our School can be found by following this online link. https://newcastlehigh.vectare.co.uk/ - our Junior School Reception team can also provide guidance.
Parking is limited on the Junior School site; we encourage you to use the bus service.
When attending any events at school including Assemblies, Parent Conferences, Sports Days, we request that you park off site as there is very limited parking available.
If you require a disabled parking space, please contact school to ensure this is reserved for you.
Lunches and Co -curricular Activities
Lunches
All girls in Nursery and Reception are encouraged to take school lunch. The cost of this is added to the school fees.
However, girls in Nursery and up until the term that they turn5 years old, girls may bring a healthy packed lunch Any packed lunches must provide a healthy and balanced diet
Crisps, chocolate bars and sweets are not allowed in packed lunches and all items must be nut free School lunch is compulsory from the term after a pupil’s 5 th birthday Please let us know if your daughter has any dietary requirements
Co -curricular activities
Our co -curricular programme begins from Reception and clubs usually take place after school from 15 :30 – 16:00
If you require any information about our co -curricular programme or a comprehensive list of all activities, please check the bulletin or contact Reception.
Educational Visits: consent arrangements
Parents are asked to complete and return the Educational Visits Consent Form annually. You will be required to complete this via an online form.
Girls are not permitted to go on any trips in a given academic year if the online completed, signed Annual Consent Form has not been submitted to School .
Once this consent form is in place, however, you will not be asked to consent to your daughter’s participation in other local trips and visits or day trips within the UK, although you will be informed by letter/email of when they are taking place and given the opportunity to withdraw your consent if you wish.
You will be asked to complete an ‘Update Consent Form’ – which allows you to pass on any changes to your contact details or information about your daughter, such as medical or dietary issues - shortly in advance of every trip which involves an overnight st ay. This is because our procedures require both the Annual Form and the Update Form to be in place for all residential visits.
Homework
Homework timetables will be issued at the beginning of the academic year. Homework is given as practice, in order to reinforce work done in class and keep parents steadily informed of their daughter’s progress.
Parental help and co -operation with homework is appreciated.
Assessment
At NHSG, teachers constantly monitor the progress of pupils through formative and summative assessments, and the results of assessments are used to inform targets, curriculum development, and intervention.
In Nursery pupils are assessed on their phonological awareness, writing and mathematical development each term in addition to daily formative assessment.
In Reception pupils are assessed against the Early Learning Goals at the end of the year, and this information is shared with parents in their child's end -of-year full report. There are also termly assessments for Phonics, Writing and Mathematics in additi on to daily formative assessments.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
At NHSG we aim to provide high quality teaching and learning experiences which enable and inspire all girls to achieve success. We aim to integrate pupils with Special Educational Needs and identify any specific support that might be required as soon as po ssible through close liaison between the SEN DCO and the teaching staff.
The School has a designated Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SEN DCO) , Miss Holly Cuthbert, in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. In order to inform teachers of how best to support pupils within the classroom, an Individual Profile will be produced which will highlight individual support strategies. It is important that pa rents of new entrants to the School forward any existing assessment documentation (eg dyslexia screening reports, letters from medical consultants) directly to the SEN DCO.
Parents will be informed initially by their daughter’s Class Teacher of any concerns or difficulties their daughter may be experiencing, and this will be monitored by the SEN DCO and C lass Teachers and supported through differentiation in classroom activities. As part of our continuous assessment, staff may assess whether a pupil may have an underlying problem that may be hindering the learning process. In some cases, it is necessary to involve the expertise of outside agencies and the SEN DCO will advise parents if further professional assessment or support is required. The GDST advises that any additional costs incurred by the use of external agencies must be met by parents and is not part of the fees paid to the School.
All the staff at NHSG work together in liaison with parents to ensure that all the girls in our care are given the best possible advice and support to enable each individual to reach her full potential.
Girls with Disabilities
It is our policy to make reasonable adjustments for girls with disabilities. If your daughter does have any special requirements, or the nature of her existing requirements changes, please contact the SEN DCO or School Nurse depending on the nature of the disability.
School Uniform and Appearance
Junior School Uniform
We rely on parents’ help in promoting the smart appearance of their daughters, particularly as regards skirt length (which is on or just above the knee) and heel height on shoes. Girls should wear flat shoes (not slip-ons).
Parents and girls are also asked to observe the following requirements:
• Make up and nail varnish should not be worn.
• Coloured hair wraps and coloured hair extensions are not permitted.
• No jewellery should be brought to School or worn with School uniform.
• No earrings may be worn, except one pair of gold or silver studs which must be removed for any physical activities. Girls must be able to remove them and put them back in themselves. In EYFS we are very active and so wearing studs is discouraged.
• Hair should be tied back and all hair accessories should be black or the teal and white options available exclusively from our uniform supplier.
• Open toed shoes, slip -on shoes and sandals and Dr Martin style boots should not be worn.
School cannot be responsible for loss or damage to watches and earrings and, for this reason, we recommend that girls should not wear high value items to school.
We ask that you ensure that your daughter wears her uniform correctly both in and out of School as each girl is an ambassador for Newcastle High School for Girls.
All girls should arrive in School every morning in full uniform unless they have PE lessons/and or are attending a PE club, in which case they are allowed to arrive in their PE kit.
School uniform and PE kit are supplied through Schoolblazer.
You can purchase good quality preloved uniform items from our online shop: newcastlehighschool.square.site
School Uniform and Appearance (continued)
Please note that the uniform or PE items can all be purchased through Schooblazer. Unless the item is marked with an *, which indicates that the item is available exclusively from Schoolblazer, items may also be purchased from other outlets.
EYFS
Blazer*
Stormproof coat*
Pinafore Dress (winter)*
Teal with school crest
Black with school crest
Teal/black plaid OR
Full length polywool trousers
Plain grey: can be worn as an alternative to pinafore/summer dress
Cardigan* or V necked jumper* Teal
Long/short sleeved blouse
Dress (summer)*
Socks or tights (winter)
Socks (summer)
Shoes
Bookbag*
Plain white revere, no school crest
Teal striped
Black knee length socks or black tights
White (knee or ankle length), with summer dress
Black, buckle or Velcro, flat soled (no lace up, ballet pumps or slipons or Dr Martin’s style boots )
Black with school crest
Rainproof cagoule* Forest School lessons
Waterproof trousers * Forest School lessons
Optional
Hair accessories
Sun hat*
Scarf*
Fleece hat*
Teal and white*, if purchased from Schoolblazer, or plain black
White legionnaires cap with school crest
Black with school crest from Schoolblazer or plain black
Black with school crest from Schoolblazer or plain black
Gloves Black
Small rucksack*
Nursery
Black with school crest
Girls s hould bring their bookbag bag to school every day. They will also need to bring a named water bottle which can be put straight into the box when they arrive.
In addition , girls in N ursery will need:
• A spare change of clothes (including underwear and socks) which should be kept in a small draw string style named swimming bag on their peg. We will use this to transport any wet or soiled clothes to you as necessary.
• A sun hat or winter hat, scarf and gloves which will be kept in their tray at school so they can use it whenever needed. This is particularly important on Tuesdays when they are outside all afternoon and can also bring warm socks or welly liners to use with their wellies. Sun cream can be kept in tray if necessary, however we encourage parents to use a long lasting sun cream which they can apply in the morning before school.
Reception
Girls s hould bring their bookbag bag in which they can transport books into school each day
A small school rucksack is available on Schoolblazer for girls to transport their snack , water bottle, spare clothes, hats and gloves etc into school
In addition, girls in Reception should bring:
• A sun hat or winter hat, scarf and gloves which will be kept in their tray at school so they can use it whenever needed. This is particularly important on Tuesdays when they are outside all morning and can also bring warm socks or welly liners to use with their wellies.
• Sun cream can be kept in tray if necessary, however we encourage parents to use a long lasting sun cream which they can apply in the morning before school.
Junior School Uniform and Appearance (continued)
Please note that the uniform or PE items can all be purchased through Schooblazer. Unless the item is marked with an *, which indicates that the item is available exclusively from Schoolblazer, items may also be purchased from other outlets.
PE Kit
EYFS
Compulsory
Fitness T shirt*
Midlayer top*
Cycling Shorts *
Training pants*
Teal with school crest
Teal with school crest
Black with school crest
Black with school crest or plain black.
Ankle Socks White
Gym shoes
Black with Velcro fasteners
Swim/Stuff bag * Black with crest
Active Backpack * Black with school crest
Optional
Active Jacket *
Black with pro viz school crest and name
Hockey Socks * Teal and white hoops
Sports Bag * Black with school crest
House T -shirts
Girls can wear their existing house t shirt (if owned) or a coloured t -shirt from an alternative retailer in their House colour.
Property in School
Girls’ Property
All property, including articles of clothing, PE kit and other equipment, musical instruments, purses, watches, etc., must be clearly marked with the owner's name.
Items of a high monetary or sentimental value must not be brought into School except in exceptional circumstances. (see Money ).
Please note that School cannot take responsibility for loss of or damage to personal items.
Lost Property
If a girl loses something, she should search thoroughly for it, then inform her Class Teacher if the item cannot be found. Please ensure all your daughter’s property is named
School Property
Damage to school property must be paid for by the pupil who causes it.
Money
You are asked not to give your daughter money to bring to School unless there is a specific reason. When money is needed, parents will be told in advance and a suggested amount named. Any money brought into School must be in a named purse.
Water bottles and drinking water
Girls may bring a plastic water bottle into School, which may be re -filled throughout the day. Girls are permitted to take a drink of water at any time of the day, including during lessons, if they feel the need.
The exception to this rule is in the library, and when using IT equipment, where food and drink are not permitted for Health and Safety reasons or to protect the books and equipment.
No hot drinks may be brought into School.
Medical Issues
Medical Information
The School Nurse, Mrs Victoria Wilson RN/child branch is based at Senior School. Parents may ring her to discuss any issues. Nurse Wilson visits Junior School on a regular basis.
Medical Records and Health Checks
For every new entrant who starts NHSG, a Health Record should be completed and signed by a parent or guardian and returned to School no later than the end of the preceding summer term.
Girls who start at other times of year should return this completed form as soon as possible after enrolling. . The School Nurse will review the Health Record and make contact with parents to discuss is necessary.
All children in Reception have a vision test.
Health Care Plans
These are arranged with the parent, health professional and School as necessary for girls with medical conditions requiring special attention, particularly in an emergency e.g. Anaphylaxis, Diabetes, Asthma and Epilepsy.
Prescription Medicine
If possible, medicine should be given at home and not in School. However, in certain circumstances there may be occasions when a pupil requires prescription medicine during the school day. Parents are asked to complete the Administration of Prescribed Medication in School consent form which can be issued on request by the School Nurse or junior school reception. Girls can carry their own emergency medications in medical bum bags, such as inhalers, insulin pens, antihistamine or EpiPens for anaphylactic shoc k.
Medication should be in a dispensed container with the girl’s name, name of medicine, directions for use and the date of dispensing.
Non -prescription medicine should also be in the original container with instructions for usage.
Medical issues (continued)
Asthma
Girls with asthma are encouraged to participate in all School activities unless parents request otherwise. Please ensure that girls have their inhalers with them at all times, clearly marked with their name. We ask that parents send a spare inhaler to Sch ool with written instructions. Parents are responsible for providing the inhalers to be kept in School and need to note the expiry date of the inhaler and replace it when necessary. First Aiders will supervise the use of inhalers by asthmatics
From 1 st October 2014 the Human medicines (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2014 allows schools to buy salbutamol inhalers, without prescription, for use in emergencies. The emergency salbutamol inhaler should only be used by children for whom written parental conse nt for use of the emergency inhaler has been given, who have either been diagnosed with asthma and prescribed an inhaler, or who have been prescribed an inhaler as reliever medication. Information and consent forms will be sent to parents who have informed us their daughter has an inhaler. Further information will be available on Firefly.
Anaphylaxis
Girls with severe allergies are provided with medical bum bags so they have their emergency medication with them at all times. Please ensure that girls have their Adrenaline Auto Injector (AAI) with them at all times, clearly marked with their name. We ask that parents send a spare AAI to School with written instructions. Parents are responsible for providing the AAI to be kept in School and need to note the expiry date of the inhaler and replace it when necessary.
From 1 st October 2017 the Human medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 allows schools to buy Adrenaline Auto Injectors, without prescription, for use in emergencies. The emergency Adrenaline Auto Injector (AAI) should only be used by children, for whom written par ental consent for use of the emergency AAI has been given, who have been diagnosed with anaphylaxis and prescribed an AAI. Information and consent forms will be sent to parents who have informed us their daughter has an AAI.
Immunisations
The School works closely with the Primary Care Trust NHS community team on immunisation programmes such as the influenza programme for Years 1 and 2.
Medical issues (continued)
First Aid and Illness during the School Day
Any accident should be reported to the Class Teacher or member of staff immediately. Trained First Aiders are available to assess injuries and give first aid. Parents will be notified if necessary and always in the case of a bump to the head and /or face a nd teeth.
If your daughter receives any medical treatment, parents will be verbally notified or receive and email from the Class Teacher or the first aider.
Any girl who feels ill should report this to her Class Teacher or the member of staff on duty. Parents are contacted if girls feel unwell for any length of time and will be asked to collect their daughters. In the case or infectious illness parents are ask ed to keep their daughter at home until completely well.
If a girl contracts headlice please inform School as soon as possible.
If your daughter has been absent from School because of vomiting or diarrhoea, please note that she needs to be absent for an additional 48 hours after she has become symptom free, to prevent the spread of infection.
Policy information
Whole School Pupil Code of Behaviour
The pupil Code of Behaviour is part of the Discipline and Behaviour for Learning Policy. At the beginning of the academic year, and at intervals throughout the year, staff go through the Code of Behaviour with the girls so they are fully aware of its contents. This includes our system of sanctions and rewards.
Pupils who breach the Behaviour for Learning Policy and Pupil Code of Behaviour whilst on school business, will be dealt with in the same manner as if the incident had taken place in School.
For incidents that take place outside of School and not on school business, these policies will still apply if there is a clear link between that behaviour and maintaining good behaviour and discipline among the pupil body as a whole. This includes bullyin g behaviour within the school community, behaviour in the immediate vicinity of the School or on a journey to or from School, or online or using other electronic devices such as mobile phones.
A copy of the Discipline and Behaviour for Learning Policy and the Pupils’ Code of Behaviour is available on the school website and linked to via the Firefly Parent Portal.
Parent Expectations
We wis h to maintain an open , honest and professional environment in Junior School. We ask that p arents:
• treat all staff with respect when communicating verbally or via email
• do no t engage in any negative social media discussions about school, staff or other pupils or share emails and confidential correspondence between school and parents
• access the grounds to Chapman House with consideration to our neighbours and fellow parents
• bring any concerns or issues to school via the shared communication channels
Photographs and Publicity
Photographs of pupils are used for a variety of publications including the School prospectus, website and social media, press statements and in our regular newsletters. Full contact details of pupils are not published.
To give consent for photographs or videos to be used, parents are asked to sign and return an online consent form, which is issued when your daughter joins the School or when it is updated by the School or GDST.
If after giving your consent your wishes change, please put this in writing to the Head of Junior School.
Policies information (continued)
The following policies are available on the NHSG website and also linked to via the Firefly Parent Portal:
• Accessibility
• Admissions
• Anti-bullying
• Attendance
• English as an additional language
• First Aid
• Equal Opportunities
• GDST Exclusions Policy
• GDST Gender Identity
• GDST Health and Safety
• GDST Online Safety
• GDST Parental Complaints Procedure
• Mental Health
• Risk Assessment
• Safeguarding and Child Protection
• Junior School Curriculum
• Junior School Discipline and Behaviour
• EYFS Behaviour Policy
• Junior School Missing Child and Uncollected Child
