Year 7 Parent Handbook 2023

YEAR 7

Parent Handbook 2023

History of the School

North London Collegiate school was founded in April 1850 by Frances Mary Buss in the family home at 46 Camden Street, Camden Town. All the family assisted in the school including her artist/illustrator father, R.W. Buss, some of whose paintings hang in the Buss room in the Old House at Canons. Miss Buss was the Headmistress for 43 years and she was a notable figure in the struggle for the education of girls in the second half of the nineteenth century. She took a leading part in the campaign for endowment for girls’ schools, for girls to sit public examinations and for girls to be admitted to university. Her school was “destined” in the words of the Fleming Report of 1944, “to become the model of girls’ Day schools throughout the country.”

The school, as it grew bigger, moved to Camden Road and then to Sandall Road. The site at Canons was bought in 1929 but the whole school did not move there until 1939. The new building was designed by Sir Albert Richardson whose original drawings can be seen in the Drummond Room.

North London Collegiate School began as a private school but obtained public status as early as 1870 and later became a Direct Grant school, taking scholarships from the Local Authorities. When the Direct Grant was withdrawn in 1976, the school reverted to being an independent school with charitable status. The governors are committed to maintaining the social and academic mix of the school, offer generous bursaries and scholarships, and have raised funds through a Bursary Appeal to compensate for the loss of the government’s Assisted Places Scheme.

The achievements of Miss Buss and her successors are celebrated each year at the end of the Spring term on Founder’s Day.

Aims of the School

To provide an ambitious academic education to enable every student to make the most of her intellect and abilities.

To nurture a team of professional teachers who inspire their students with a love of their subjects and a spirit of scholarship.

To enable all students to recognise excellence and realise that it is attainable. To ensure that every member of the school community feels valued, supported and encouraged.

To foster a community based on positive relationships between staff and students and between students themselves.

To encourage students to embrace new challenges confidently, and respond to setbacks in a resilient and determined manner.

To develop an outward-looking, internationally-minded community that promotes respect and compassion, service to others and active positive participation in society and the wider world.

Key People

Mrs V Bingham is the Headmistress. She is a classics teacher. Her office is in the Old House.

Ms G Mellor is the Director of Safeguarding.

Mrs J Bedi is the Acting Deputy Head (Academic).

Mrs J Demetriou is the Head of Middle School. She has responsibility for Years 7, 8 & 9. She will work with the Assistant Heads of Middle School and your child’s form tutors to support you and your child. You can contact her at jdemetriou@nlcs.org.uk.

Mr E Cobb is Head of Year 7 and Ms A Santos is the Head of Middle School Transitions. They will be supporting your child as they begin their Senior School career here at NLCS. You can contact them at: ecobb@nlcs.org.uk and asantos@nlcs.org.uk.

Harriet Woods and Lorna Soares-Smith are our medical team and they are situated in the Medical Centre. They are available to help and support your child with any health concerns. You can contact them on 020 8951 6446.

Molly Brennan and April Wellesley are our school counsellors and are based in the new Cedar Space which students will get a chance to visit. The Cedar Space offers a calm and quiet environment in which to seek support or just have some quiet time when the spaces are supervised by a member of staff or a Peer Mentor.

Ms V Simon is in charge of the stationery store. Your daughter may buy pencils, paper and other materials from her.

Mrs D Baum is PA to the Headmistress and is in the School Office.

Miss S Prentice is the Attendance Officer and must be contacted at the start of the day if your child is absent from School. Please email: absence@nlcs.org.uk, as well as your child’s form tutors. You can also call the Absence Line directly on 020 8951 6404, or follow prompts from the main school number.

Ms J Howse is the school librarian. She will help your daughter to use the library both for reading for pleasure and for homework and research. The library is open from 8.15am5.30pm Monday - Thursday, and from 8.15am - 4.15pm on a Friday.

Mr T Brown is the Chief Operating Officer.

Forms and Layers

The Senior School is divided into seven year groups or ‘layers’. In Year 7 there are five form groups.

The Senior School comprises:

Year 7 age 11-12

Year 8 age 12-13

Year 9 age 13-14

Year 10 age 14-15

Year 11 age 15-16

Year 12 age 16-17

Year 13 age 17-18

Form Tutors

Middle School

(Head of Section: Mrs J Demetriou)

Upper School

(Head of Section: Mrs N Taberner)

Sixth Form

(Head of Section: Mr B Tosh)

Each form has at least two tutors who, along with a Head of Year and Head of Section, are responsible for the pastoral and academic care of your daughter. If you or your daughter have any worries or concerns, the first person to contact will be your daughter’s tutors. The tutors also take the register each day, write tutor reports and arrange report reading, the filling in of self-appraisal forms and the setting of targets.

THE SCHOOL DAY

The school day at North London is divided into nine lessons of thirty five minutes each, though some subjects in the Middle School such as Art, Games and Science have double lessons. As your daughter will move around the building from lesson to lesson it is important that she does not try to carry all her possessions with her. All students are issued with a student ID card, which they MUST carry with them at all times. This allows them to gain entry into school buildings as they move around the site. In her form room she will have a locker for books and materials. In the basement of the Old House (‘the Dungeon’) she will have a large locker for her PE kit and equipment, her coat and other belongings. It is important that all her possessions are kept secure and we require that both lockers should be secured with large, strong padlocks.

Structure of the day

8.15am – 8.35am Students begin arriving

8.40am – 9.15am Period 1

9.15am – 9.50am Period 2

9.50am – 10.25am Form time / assembly

10.25am - 10.45am MORNING BREAK

Students may go to the Dining Hall to buy drinks or snacks or they may bring something from home.

10.45am – 11.20am Period 3

11.20am – 11.55am Period 4

11.55am – 12.30pm Period 5

12.30pm – 1.40pm LUNCH

Year 7 generally go to lunch at 1.10pm. Before lunch, they may walk in the grounds, join one of the many clubs or activities on offer or go to the library.

1.40pm – 2.15pm Period 6

2.15pm – 2.50pm Period 7

2.50pm – 3.25pm Period 8

3.25pm – 4.00pm Period 9

Parents should be aware that there is no formal supervision of students who arrive in school before 8.30am although there is a breakfast club in the Performing Arts Centre from 7.30am until 8.30am serving a superb breakfast including fruit salad, yoghurts and cereals. Students staying after school for official school activities, for example matches, play rehearsals or working in the Library are supervised by the member of staff in charge. Students not involved in such organised activities may wait in the Dining Hall or Library to be collected by parents but there is no staff supervision.

Assemblies and Form Time

North London Collegiate School is committed to developing the whole personality of our pupils, fostering good relationships and maintaining a community that is tolerant towards those from all backgrounds and cultures. The combination of whole school assemblies taken by religious groups and separate religious assemblies where students can meet with others of their own faith, gives opportunities for pupils to share and celebrate the richness of our multi-cultural community.

Mondays - Compulsory whole school assembly generally taken by the Headmistress, one of the Deputies or a member of staff.

Wednesdays - Often a Middle School assembly (Years 7-9), a layer assembly (just Year 7), house meet-up or separate religious assemblies. Wednesday assemblies provide an opportunity for one or more year groups to meet together. These assemblies may be taken by a member of form staff or a group of students. Separate religious assemblies are arranged by the Sixth Form students who run the religious societies. They may lead them themselves or invite a visiting speaker. There is also the option of attending a secular assembly. The students may choose which assembly to attend.

Fridays - Compulsory whole school assembly usually taken by one of the societies organised by Sixth Form students. This may be a religious society, which frequently take whole school assemblies to coincide with festivals or holy days, or for example, the Current Affairs or Science Society who will focus on a current issue of interest. Canonaid, the charity fundraising organisation run by the Sixth Form, also has a weekly message for the school at these assemblies.

For two or three weeks each term this pattern may be disrupted when the hall has to be used for major school plays, concerts and examinations. This opportunity is often used to have smaller form, layer or section assemblies which often feature drama or musical performances by the students. During the year there are occasional longer school assemblies, which are compulsory, for events such as Harvest, Remembrance and Founder’s Day.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - On Tuesday and Thursday mornings students spend time in their forms with their form tutors dealing with form business, discussing matters of the day and having fun.

The Middle School Curriculum

In Years 7, 8 and 9 (“Key Stage 3”), the curriculum encompasses the National Curriculum. All pupils in Year 7 study a wide range of subjects including English, Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology, French, Latin, Geography, History, Religious Studies, Drama, Art & Design, Computing, PE and PSHE.

In Year 8 and Year 9, pupils continue with all these subjects, with Biology, Chemistry and Physics being taught as separate sciences (building upon the general Science course followed in Year 7). Pupils also choose to study any two of the following modern languages in Year 8 and Year 9: French, Spanish, German, Mandarin. Guidance about how to make this selection will occur later in the year.

Homework

At the beginning of the Autumn term, students are issued with a homework diary in which to record any work set. We will be doing checks to ensure that students are using the homework diary effectively but it is helpful for you to reinforce this with your own checks and reminders. The students are given a homework timetable so that they know which subjects to expect each day. There are usually two homework assignments each evening and they last approximately 30 minutes each. The amount and length of homework gradually increases as students go up through the school. The first two weeks of the Autumn term for Year 7 are homework free in order to allow them time to settle in to the school routine and to have more time to explore different clubs and activities.

It is important that your daughter is not spending more than the allocated time on each homework task. Teachers think carefully about which tasks to set their classes, and need to know that the submitted work has been completed to time in order to effectively understand how your daughter is progressing in her studies. Her tutors will reinforce this message, but it is so important that our students consistently receive the message that working to time is the right approach, rather than pouring too much time into every task as this is not sustainable, or conducive to their progress academically. Thank you for your help in ensuring this message is reinforced at home. Of course, if you are concerned that your daughter is finding it too difficult to work within the limits of the homework timetable, you should contact her tutor so that we can work with her to address this.

Much of your daughter’s homework and classwork will be corrected with a comment but without a specific grade. This is because we want the students to concentrate on producing good thoughtful work but not on being competitive about the marks they get. When there is an important piece of work it will be graded and your daughter’s teachers will explain the significance of these grades. Examinations are taken in the Summer term. For Years 7, 8 and 9 these will be held the week before half term.

As a rule, homework is not set during half-term breaks, or during the holidays between terms. This is to encourage students to relax and engage in other interests during their time away from school, so that they can return refreshed at the start of each half-term.

Lunches

Lunchtime is a high point of the day. Often Years 7 and 8 extra-curricular clubs and activities take place in the first half of the lunch break and they eat lunch from 1.10pm. Lunch is very important to students who work and play hard, and is a wonderful opportunity to extend social boundaries. There are no set places for certain year groups to sit - everyone mixes up and the atmosphere is friendly. It is expected that all students will have time to sit down to enjoy their lunch and they should only arrange one extra-curricular activity for themselves per lunch break. If a Year 7, 8 or 9 student needs to have lunch at 12.30pm. as she has a music lesson or club, she just asks her tutor for an ‘early lunch’ slip which she keeps and shows to the member of staff on duty at the entrance to the Dining Hall.

Extra-Curricular Activities

For Years 7, 8 and 9, most lunchtime clubs and activities take place at 12.30pm. Some, like Art Club or Science Society, are organised by students in the Sixth Form, whilst others, like the Concert Orchestra or the Under-12 Netball squad are taken by specialist staff. Activities take place every day and students are encouraged to ‘dip in’ during the first few weeks and then make a commitment. A member of staff coordinates the programme and a notice board outside room 010 keeps everyone up to date.

TRAVELLING TO SCHOOL COACH SERVICES

As we are committed to reducing the school’s carbon footprint we encourage students to use our coach services or to use the local TfL buses, to walk or cycle, rather than being driven to school. This is also important as local roads get very congested and there are limited parking spaces and drop off facilities on site. We have also launched a fantastic, innovative HomeRun App. This enables parents to connect to other families in their area, so that their daughters can safely travel to and from school with other girls, whether by school bus, train, cycling or walking or by car sharing.

Over 600 girls use our coach and minibus services each day as well as station shuttle buses that connect to the Jubilee and Northern Underground lines. All coaches are fitted with seat belts and pupils are expected to remain in their seats, with belts on and to behave appropriately. Pupils are issued with coach cards which they must scan when boarding and leaving the coach.

For more information about any of these services please see the ‘Travelling to School’ section on our website. If you have any further questions please contact the Operations Team on 020 8951 6490 or via email at travellingtoschool@nlcs.org.uk.

ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL SITE BY CAR

We recognise that parents may need to drive to school but as the local roads can become congested we recommend parking and walking the last half mile. There are Park and Stride maps on our website which indicate the areas where you can park. These include Dalkeith Grove (in the designated waiting zones), or Canons Drive (please park on the school side of the road only to maintain a clear access route for delivery vehicles and the Fire Service). We ask that you avoid all driveways - giving consideration and respect to our neighbours. There is a pedestrian gate from Dalkeith Grove; the code will be given to you for the Autumn term.

Access to the school site is controlled by the School Marshalls from 7am to 7pm (Canons Drive) and 7am to 8pm (Dalkeith Grove), or later if there is a school event.

In the afternoons between 3.45pm and 4.20pm when the coaches depart no cars are allowed on the Loop Road. This is because there is insufficient space for parents to wait with around 600 students connecting to our coach and minibus services. Between these times we recommend you use the Park and Stride options or the Canons Drive entrance.

If you use the Canons Drive entrance, you may drive into the grounds but will not be able to access the area in front of the entrance to the Old House as this area is used by delivery vehicles and staff cars.

On entering the school via Canons Drive, you will be required to turn right before the second barrier and you may drop off your daughter by the steps opposite the tennis courts (known as South Courts). You may then follow the road to the exit and back onto Canons Drive. We ask that you do not attempt to pull over onto the grass verges as this causes considerable damage.

Access to the School Buildings

Your daughter will be given a student ID card which will allow her to move freely around school by giving her access to the school buildings. If she loses this card, she will be able to request a new one from the Operations Team. A third or subsequent new access card will be charged at £10.

If your daughter has limited mobility and needs access to the lifts, please inform the Operations Team (travellingtoschool@nlcs.org.uk) and they will set the appropriate permissions on her access card.

Any pupil who has a travel card for the coaches can also use that for access to school buildings, so that she does not need a separate card.

Visiting the School

Parents who are visiting the school to meet a teacher or go to an event should either report to the Senior School Reception, or go directly to the area where the event is taking place, as instructed on the relevant invitation. School Marshalls will always be available to help direct you. If you are coming to the School to watch your daughter play sport, this will usually take place in the Sports Centre or on the external pitches. Please refer to SOCS on the Parent Portal for details of individual matches.

Please note we do not allow any dogs to be brought to the site for hygiene and safety reasons. For events out of hours, the School Marshalls will be able to show you where to park, although we do encourage parents to use alternative means of transport as much as possible as parking is always limited.

PASTORAL CARE

The ‘Buddy’ System

Every Year 7 student is assigned a buddy. The buddy will be a Year 8 who is also in the same House, giving them more opportunities to meet-up over the course of their school careers. Your daughter will receive a personalised message from her buddy before the beginning of term. Within it, her buddy will introduce herself and tell your daughter which house she is in, and a bit about themselves and the school. She may also be a familiar face from the same junior school or a new face living in the same area or nearby. Buddies are there to help Year 7 girls to settle in, to offer advice and be a friend. Years 7 and 8 buddies have lunch together on the second day of term and aim to support each other.

The Medical Centre

When a student feels unwell in school she will visit the School Nurse, who will make a medical decision as to whether she should stay for a while in the medical centre or call her parents to collect her from school. In emergencies, or in the case of serious illness or injury, parents will be informed, an ambulance will be called and the student taken to hospital if necessary.

Harriet Woods and Lorna Soares-Smith are our medical team. Their office is in the Medical Centre and they are available to help your daughter with a wide range of topics. You can contact them on 020 8951 6446.

The Cedar Space

Molly Brennan and April Wellesley are our school counsellors and are based in the new Cedar Space which students will get a chance to visit. The Cedar Space offers a calm and quiet environment in which to seek support or just have some quite time when the spaces are supervised by a member of staff or a Peer Mentor. The Cedar Space will also be a place where some clubs and student voice / group sessions are run. The counsellors offer individual appointments to support students and help them deal more positively with thoughts, feelings and issues and experiences relating to a range of topics. These are by appointment and following a referral from a member of staff via The Head of Year, Head of Section or Ms Mellor. They also run drop in sessions and students will see information on these in tutor notices throughout the year.

Tooled Up Education

We are a Tooled Up school. Working closely with founder and Head of Research, Dr Kathy Weston, parents and staff have access to a huge wealth of resources via the NLCS Tooled Up Education Library. This online depository hosts a wide variety of resources, including articles, podcasts, webinars, worksheets and videos, all organised by topic and age group. The Tooled Up Library is constantly evolving, being refreshed and added to in response to new research and the everdeveloping needs of our young people.

Dr Weston also visits NLCS regularly and hosts online talks for the community on a wide range of topics to ensure we can all work together to guide and support your daughters as effectively as possible. You will receive details of such events via the school calendar within the Parent Portal. Recent talks have included The Role of Sleep in Adolescent Mental Health, Supporting Young People Through Bereavement, How to Raise a Resilient Child and Social Media Trends.

To access the NLCS Tooled Up Education Library, please visit www.tooledupeducation.com and log in using the details you will be provided at the start of Year 7.

School Code of Conduct

We are a relaxed community and school rules exist to make life pleasant for everyone rather than being dictatorial for their own sake. So we care about punctuality to morning and afternoon registration and to lessons; we expect doors to be held open for those following behind. For their own safety students must not use the ground floor windows as doors. We appreciate all possessions being named so that the duty team can return them to their owners.

Mobile Phones

Middle and Upper School students are not permitted to use their phones at any time during the school day. They must be switched off and secured in lockers between 8.40am and 4.00pm. As lockers are in classrooms, it is important phones are switched off (not left on vibrate) as this can disrupt lessons if left to ring in a locked locker.

If students are found to be using their mobile phone during the school, a member of staff will confiscate it and take it to Reception for safe storage. Students can collect confiscated phones from Reception at 4.00pm before heading home.

If students need to contact home during the school day, they can use the phone at Reception. If parents need to contact their daughter during the school day, they can call Reception who will pass a message on.

Chewing Gum

We do not allow chewing gum in school because inconsiderate people might deposit it on their lunch trays, under desks or on chairs.

The school and grounds are non-smoking areas and students who smoke or vape on campus or on the way to or from school are in serious breach of school rules. Education about smoking, vaping, alcohol and illegal drug use is included in the Years 8 and 9 PSHE syllabuses and re-visited at regular intervals as the students progress through the school. The school’s policy is to educate and to make clear that misuse of such substances is unacceptable behaviour in school and may risk suspension or expulsion. This policy also extends to school visits.

Our Expectations

We expect that each student will contribute in a positive way to life in our community, making best use of her talents. Courtesy is the backbone of all relationships and care and consideration of others underpins all actions. Students take responsibility for their own actions and communicate with others when there are problems.

A unit of lessons on good relationships is included in the Personal, Social and Health Education programme (PSHE). The unacceptable nature of bullying is introduced into form discussion, assemblies and into lessons where suitable, e.g. through drama improvisation. One of the Founder’s Day prayers talks of ‘much being expected of those to whom much is given’ and our community thrives on this expectation. Bullying of any sort is unacceptable, and the school will investigate and address all incidents thoroughly and carefully. If you become concerned that your daughter is experiencing any difficulties you should contact her form tutor straight away and explain the situation.

Students are expected to stand and stop talking when a member of staff enters the room - lessons begin with a formal greeting and an invitation to sit. At the end of a lesson, students stand, put their chairs under desks and leave rooms quietly.

All subject departments will make it clear as to the behaviour expected in their area of school, whether it is a laboratory, art studio, history room or sports hall. The library is an area of silence and parents will be asked to sign agreement slips concerning their daughter’s use of computers in the library and computer room areas.

If the behaviour of a student falls below expectations a member of staff will inform the student that a ‘green slip’ will be issued for the offence. The slip is sent to the form tutor who will discuss with the student the reason for the slip and agree the action that the student will take to remedy the situation. If a student were to receive three green slips the Head of Middle School would become involved but this is a very rare occurrence. When students are taken on school trips the same standards of behaviour apply as in school, so that everyone can relax and enjoy themselves. It is always appreciated by the members of staff accompanying trips that students thank them on their safe return to school.

Students are issued with an ID card at the start of Year 7. They should use this card to access buildings around school, by tapping it on the sensors at each doorway. Every student must tap in with their ID card at least once a day to ensure it remains active. In addition, if your daughter needs to leave school early/arrive late for any reason, they should tap their ID card on the sensors at either the Canons Park or Dalkeith Grove gates upon arrival/departure to ensure they are registered correctly.

Service to Others

Every student in the Sixth Form has an area of responsibility within the school. One responsibility organised by senior students is the raising of funds for charity - Canonaid. Each term the school nominates and votes for a charity to support and collections are made every Tuesday. The school also supports national charity events such as ‘Jeans for Genes’ day when the students pay to wear their own clothes.

We host a number of Taster Mornings and Open Events and your daughter will be asked to help at these events when they are in Year 7. The girls really are our best advertisement and we appreciate the time and effort that they contribute.

Every week one of the forms in the Middle School is on ‘duty rota’. For Year 7 this will happen towards the end of the Autumn term. The Headmistress briefs the team about the courtesy part of welcoming visitors and the Senior Student (Head Student) briefs them about their lost property responsibilities. This all contributes towards the understanding of how a community works and how everyone is needed to play a part.

Parents’ evenings are held in the evening from 4.45pm - 7.15pm. The Year 7 parents’ evening takes place in the Spring term.

Parent Portal

The Parent Portal is an efficient way for you to manage all correspondence from the school and other information relating to your child’s time at NLCS (such as timetables and sports information). There is also a ‘Notice Board’ feature for immediate or urgent messages. In addition, you can use the Portal to update the details we hold about you, such as home address or contact phone numbers.

In addition to viewing the Portal on a computer, you can also access it via the ‘Schoolbase’ app that you can find on the app store of your smartphone. You will receive notifications via the app when we send new letters or information.

Information and News for Parents:

Information including letters about trips and activities is uploaded to the Parent Portal and you will receive a notification when new items are available to read.

Urgent information, such as school closure in the event of snow will also be sent via text message. It is vital that we have up to date contact information for all our students. If your details change, please make sure you update the details on the Parent Portal. Also on the Parent Portal you will find letters, a termly calendar and coach travel information.

School news features are on the website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - nlcs1850).

Information regarding sports fixtures (including team lists) are advertised via SOCS. Whilst it is your child’s responsibility to look in advance to see whether they have been selected to play, we understand that parents like to have the information as well.

Absence from School

If your child is unable to attend school you should email absence@nlcs.org.uk, also cc-ing form tutors, ideally before the start of the school day. Please note that first lesson and statutory morning registration is at 8.40am. Advance notice of planned absences, e.g. medical appointments or music exams taken out of school, is very much appreciated and encouraged.

Alternatively, please telephone the Absence Line by 9am on 020 8951 6404 and leave a brief message on the answerphone or speak to the main school number, giving your daughter’s full name, form and reason for absence. If any student is not accounted for, the Attendance Officer will endeavour to contact parents at home or at work to resolve.

Unless the initial phone call or email gives information about the length of absence, it will be assumed that the student is expected in school the following day. Parents should repeat the procedure for each day of absence if their daughter is unable to attend.

Term dates are published well in advance and we ask parents to support us by not arranging to go on a holiday during term time. We know that the best deals are always before school holidays begin but we stress the importance of honouring commitments and would prefer to work with you on getting this message across. It devalues the experience for the rest of the group and often means that important school events are missed. We would always expect you to communicate with us well in advance of requests for leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. These absence requests need to be made to the Head of Section.

Reports

Each term, every year group receives either a full report, a progress report or you will be invited to attend a parents’ evening. This ensures there is a constant flow of feedback between home and school across each academic year. A full report will contain detailed comments from every subject teacher and a comment from your daughter’s tutor.

A progress report will contain brief update from every subject. During parents’ evenings, you will have the opportunity to meet with your daughter’s teachers to discuss their progress. The dates and details of when you can expect your daughter’s full and short reports and when your parents’ evening will take place will be available in the school calendar. Of course, teachers and tutors are always happy to speak with parents about their daughter’s progress outside of the normal reporting schedule. If you would like to contact any member of the teaching staff, please speak with your daughter’s tutor in the first instance, who will be able to arrange this for you.

Music at North London Collegiate School

There is a broad range of musical opportunities for all students and we strive for ambitious music making. We encourage students to develop skills as a performer irrespective of level, and offer a wide variety of musical experiences both within and beyond the curriculum. Approximately 450 instrumental lessons are taught each week by over 25 distinguished visiting instrumental and vocal specialists.

All styles of music thrive at North London Collegiate across classical, popular and world music genres. Making music together offers such a powerful and enjoyable experience, and so students are encouraged to participate in a range of auditioned and non-auditioned musical activities, comprising choirs, orchestras and various ensembles. Pupils have numerous performing opportunities, ranging from our all-inclusive end of term concerts to our prestigious Old House Concert Series dedicated to solos and smaller ensembles. Students also have the chance to perform in external venues in London and abroad on tours, that in recent years have included Venice, New York and Tuscany. More details will follow separately about the ensembles open to Year 7 students, and when they run.

We have an outstanding team of Visiting Music Teachers (VMTs) who provide regular individual music lessons at NLCS. All are vastly experienced performers and teachers who dedicate their time each week to providing high quality lessons across all major disciplines. Pupils have approximately 10 lessons of 35 minutes each term. If you are interested in applying for individual music lessons during the academic year, please contact Mrs Degnan, the Performing Arts Administrator at ldegnan@nlcs.org.uk.

If you have applied for lessons to start in September and a space is available, the relevant Visiting Music Teacher will email you. This message will be sent by the start of the Autumn term, and in most cases sooner than this. Please note that you will only be contacted by the Visiting Music Teacher if we are able to offer your daughter individual music lessons. If there is not a space available, your daughter’s name will go on to a waiting list, and you will be contacted when there is a vacancy.

Some instruments are available for hire (please see separate letter on music lessons), and there is ample storage in the Music School for your daughter’s instrument. It is a requirement that the instrument is named, together with your daughter’s form - thank you in advance for your cooperation with this.

PARENTS’ GUILD

All parents are automatically members of the Parents’ Guild, which organises a number of social and fundraising events during the year. The Guild has its own section on the School website and also a Facebook group: NLCS Parents’ Guild.

Events

The school year starts off with a welcome reception for Year 7 parents in mid-September. It is a wonderful opportunity for parents to meet each other and we use colour coded labels for each form so that you can easily introduce yourselves to others. We begin with refreshments in the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) and then separate into form groups with tutors to share good practice about helping your daughters manage the changes from primary school. Representatives of the Parents’ Guild attend the meeting and the Vice-Chair explains the work of the Guild and the many ways in which you can get involved. Everyone finds the evening most helpful.

We meet you again at the tutor dinners, in the latter part of the Autumn term for the Year 7 dance display in which every student in Year 7 takes part. Throughout the year there will also be many informal occasions when you will be in school - watching your daughter play a netball match, perform in a musical concert, model her design in the Fantasy Fashion Showyou are always most welcome.

We also run a programme of parental talks across each academic year. Recent talks for Middle School parents have focused upon topics such as how to encourage healthy emotional dialogues at home, safer internet use and how to support your daughter in developing healthy working strategies. Details of upcoming parental talks will be available in the school calendar within the Parent Portal each term.

UNIFORM & EQUIPMENT

Uniform

Our school uniform is designed to be comfortable, practical and smart. Students can choose to wear trousers or a skirt.

They may wear one pair of stud earrings and they must keep long hair tied back at all times. Students may use hair bands of any colour, but they may not have hair extensions or hair tinted in any colour that is not ‘natural’.

Shoes must be low heeled and not of a “trainertype”. Trainers may only be worn as part of the non-sports uniform if your daughter has an injury or medical condition and must be accompanied by a letter from her parents or guardians.

The school stockist is Pullens/Uniform4Kids - uniform can be purchased from: Pullens - 48 Church Road, Stanmore, HA7 4AH Uniform4Kids - 1103-1107 Finchley Road, Temple Fortune, NW11 0QB.

Pullens/Uniform4Kids also offer a mail order service for telephone orders (Pullens: 020 8954 3850 / Uniform4Kids: 020 8209 0999) and uniform can be ordered online at www.uniform4kids.com/collections/north-london-collegiate-school.

Uniform 2023-2024

Years 7 - 9

Skirt Brown pleated

Trousers Brown

Blouse Blue open neck, short or long sleeved

Pullover Brown V-neck with sky blue trim

Blazer Brown, embroidered with school logo

Shoes Dark brown or black. They must be below the ankle and not be trainer-style leather or suede shoes. No logo should be visible. They must have a low heel, not a flat crepe or rubber sole.

Tights or socks Plain brown (socks can be knee or ankle length in the summer)

Coat Any plain dark coat, anorak or raincoat

In the summer, students wear largely the same uniform. There is an optional short-sleeved blue blouse. In cold weather, students may wear a T-shirt under their blouses. This is acceptable provided it is plain white or a blue that matches the blouse. Please refer to the full uniform list on the Parent Portal.

No jewellery, except one pair of stud earrings and religious symbols, is allowed in school. Important: Everything brought to school must be clearly marked, using ‘Cash’s’ name tapes.

Equipment

Necessary items:

pens

pen eraser

pencil rubber

sharpener

spare ink cartridges

ruler

1 soft brush, sable or nylon with a good point - size 4 for Art

2B pencils for Art

1 soft rubber for Art

Also suggested:

gel pens for decorating posters

mini-stapler

felt tips

Additional items:

pair of scissors

glue stick

ball pen

no more than 12 colour pencils geometry set containing compass, protractor, set squares (those triangle things) and sometimes a rubber, sharpener and pencil.

Casio FX-991EX (‘Class Wiz’) calculator

highlighter, any colour marking pen (red ink)

fine-liner pens

Many students keep two or more pencil cases, and we would recommend this.

School bags should be a dark coloured, robust shoulder bags or rucksacks able to hold an A4 file and exercise books. Along with the usual mix of pens and pencils, some students find it very useful to have a mini stapler and a glue stick in their pencil case. Your daughter will be provided with a full list in her handbook.

Students will need to bring two padlocks, one for their dungeon locker and one for the locker in their form room. Large heavy-duty combinations locks are recommended (but please make sure that your daughter does not share her code with anyone!). Please note that smaller locks will not stop the doors to the lockers being opened. If you choose to provide a padlock with a key, a spare key must be given to your daughter’s form tutor in case your daughter forgets to bring her own key to school.

PE Uniform and Equipment

All items may be sourced from Uniform4Kids unless otherwise indicated.

COMPULSORY ITEMS

All PE uniform must be regulation unless specified – Please refer to the full list which is available on the Parent Portal.

Sky blue polo shirt

Navy skort or shorts

Navy midlayer

Navy tracksuit bottoms

House t-shirt

Navy shorts/cycling shorts

Navy football socks

White short sports socks

EVERYTHING MUST BE CLEARLY NAMED!! (see separate notes for guidance)

Leotard - the black school one or pupils are permitted to wear their own Swimming costume

Swimming hat

Swimming bag

Swimming towel – any colour

Trainers - these must have non-marking soles which support your feet

Lacrosse boots - these are most commonly football boots, either moulded or screw-in metal studs

Netball dress (Netball Squad only)

Lacrosse stick - details about buying lacrosse sticks have been sent to you.

Please visit Hattersleys at www.hattersleysonline.co.uk for further information.

Lacrosse mouthguard - see ‘Sports Mouthguards’ section below for details

School kit bag (navy with pale blue logo)

Tennis racket in the Summer term

DESIRABLE ITEMS

Navy leggings - available from the uniform supplier

Navy long-sleeved baselayer top - available from the uniform supplier

Sky blue splashproof top with fleece lining (particularly useful in the colder months) - available from the uniform supplier

Lacrosse gloves and goggles (available through Hattersleyswww.hattersleysonline.co.uk or other lacrosse suppliers)

Astroturf boots (available from most sports shops)

School boot bag

Summer athletics vest - available from the uniform supplier

Sideline jacket - necessary for those involved in squads through the Autumn and Spring terms.

SPORTS MOUTHGUARDS

It is compulsory for all students to wear a mouthguard whilst playing Lacrosse in lessons, practices and matches. They protect not only the teeth but the soft tissue around the mouth and good quality gum shields act as shock absorbers if there is a blow to the head. We recommend using moulded mouthguards and these are available from Opro (www.opro.com) or you can obtain one at your dentist. As a reserve, it is possible to obtain a temporary self-mould guard from any decent sports shop and mould at home, or we have a small supply of emergency use ones in the PE office for a small charge. It is imperative that your daughter starts school in September with a fitted mouthguard. Please either make an appointment with your dentist over the Summer or purchase one from a sports shop.

LACROSSE EYE PROTECTION

It is highly recommended for all students to wear eye protection whilst playing Lacrosse in lessons, practices and matches.

JEWELLERY

Students should not be wearing any jewellery in sports lessons (which includes earrings or other piercings). Students are not allowed to tape their ears (earrings must be removed) so please do not organise for your daughter to have her ears pierced during term time or six weeks prior to the start of term. Thank you for your cooperation with this.

OTHER INFORMATION

School Policies and Information

The following information is available for all parents on the school website:

The aims of the school

The school’s policy to safeguard and promote the welfare of our pupils

The school’s policy and arrangements for admissions

The school’s policy regarding relationships and sex education

The school’s policy to promote good behaviour (including sanctions and arrangements for discipline and exclusions)

Particulars of education and welfare provision for students with EHC plans and English as an additional language

The school’s curriculum policy

The school’s policy to prevent bullying

Details of the school’s academic performance in recent public examinations

The school’s concerns and complaints procedure

The school’s health and safety policy

The school’s first aid policy

All of these documents are posted on the school website in the ‘About Us’ section, along with the most recent ISI inspection report and Annual Review.

The school telephone number is 020 8952 0912 (Junior school 020 8952 1276), and the registered address of the school is North London Collegiate School, Canons, Canons Drive, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7RJ.

Parents who wish to contact the Headmistress (Mrs Bingham) or the Chairman of Governors (Mr Robert Hingley) may do so at this address or via office@nlcs.org.uk