A Guide for Parents and Students

A Guide for Parents and Students

Contents Introduction and Welcome from our Headteacher At Prenton High School we are making a difference General Information Start of Term Arrangements Term Dates Curriculum Careers education information and guidance (CEIAG) E-Safety Home Learning Progress and Examinations PSHE Religious Education Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development Assessment Written Feedback School Routines Student Progress Attendance and Punctuality Behaviour for Learning and IRIS Bullying Detentions Key Staff Lunchtime Arrangements and the Dining Hall Mobile Phones ParentMail PTA Student Planners Extra Curricular Activities Uniform

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Introduction and Welcome from our Headteacher It is with great pride that I welcome you to Prenton High School. In starting at Prenton you and your daughter are becoming part of a very special community. We believe strongly in providing every young person in our care with the very best opportunities, both within and beyond lessons. It is our aim to ensure that our students leave us as happy, strong and independent individuals with the skills and qualifications to take the next steps in their education or training.

We have high expectations of all of our girls and seek to nurture, develop and celebrate their individual talents and successes. Every young person should dream big and believe in their own ability to succeed. In order to achieve, students will need to adhere to our high standards and take personal responsibility for themselves in being correctly equipped and having a positive attitude to learning.

We recognise that sometimes things don‖t always go according to plan, so we ensure that students are supported through any challenges that they may face whilst with us. The information in this guide will help you to prepare your daughter to take a positive and active role within our school so that together we can truly make a difference and provide the best possible future for every student at Prenton.

Head Teacher

At Prenton High School we are making a difference through: 

Inspiring ambition in all

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Providing a broad and balanced curriculum tailored to the needs of individuals

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Delivery of consistently high quality teaching and standards

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Building resilience as leaders and learners

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Equipping students with the necessary skills for life

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General Information Start of term arrangements Students and their families are notified of their allocated secondary school in March each year. Upon allocation, each student receives a welcome letter from the Headteacher confirming their place at Prenton inviting them and their family to a Welcome Evening in July and an Induction Day for all new students later the same week.

On the first day of the Autumn term, Year 7 students report to school at the usual time of 8.45am. Students in Years 8—11 will arrive at 11am. This means that Year 7 students have time

to get to know the school, other Year 7 students and some key members of staff, before the arrival of students in other year groups.

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Students say they feel safe and describe the school as ‘one big happy family` Ofsted 2014

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Term dates AUTUMN TERM 2016 INSET DAY (Staff only)

Thursday 1 September

INSET DAY (Staff only)

Friday 2 September

Open

Monday 5 September

Close

Friday 21 October

Half term holiday

Monday 24 - Friday 28 October

Open

Monday 31 October

Close

Wednesday 21 December

Christmas holiday

Thursday 22 December - Friday 6 January

SPRING TERM 2017 Open

Monday 9 January

Closed (to students)

Thursday 16 February

INSET DAY (Staff only)

Friday 17 February

Half term holiday

Monday 20 - Friday 24 February

Open

Monday 27 February

Close

Friday 31 March

Spring holiday

Monday 3 April - Monday 17 April

SUMMER TERM 2017 Open

Tuesday 18 April

Bank holiday

Monday 1 May

Close

Friday 26 May

Half term holiday

Monday 29 May - Friday 2 June

Open

Monday 5 June

Close

Friday 21 July 3

Curriculum Careers education information and guidance (CEIAG) Prenton High School is an important building block for your daughter‖s future. From here she will take the next steps onto further education, higher education , an apprenticeship or work and she will begin to consider her future career choices.

Careers advice begins in Year 7 and beyond as we work with the students to encourage them to consider their options for the future. Through themed days and visits we provide students with some food for thought and begin to provide them with the range of opportunities available in the future. They are encouraged to develop their skills and build on their strengths.

Careers Guidance is offered to all students and they all receive an individual careers interview from a specialist member of staff. Support is also provided by our local Sixth Form partners with whom we have developed very strong links. These providers are able to offer practical and impartial advice to enable you and your daughter to make the most informed choice.

In year 9, students begin to consider their options for Years 10 and 11 and they are guided through this process to enable them to choose the best possible Pathway to suit their abilities, talents and ideas for the future. This Pathway is tailored to the individual and enables each child to become successful in her chosen subjects.

E-Safety As part of our duty to keep children safe and to look after their well-being, we place huge importance on staying safe on-line. We do this in a number of different ways:

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Assemblies about staying safe online Activities in lessons and form time as part of Personal and Social Education and Citizenship

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Through ICT lessons to remind students about the importance of security settings

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Through special events at school for students and parents We require all students and staff to complete an Acceptable User Policy document to agree to safe and appropriate use of the internet

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Students are always encouraged to report something that does not feel right. Through our system of trained Form Tutors, Mentors and with all staff trained in Child Protection, your daughter can talk to anyone if she has a concern about herself or another student.

Our school website has further support and guidance material to enable you to keep your child safe when using technology at home.

Inappropriate activity online can be reported directly to the Police or CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Agency) via the school website. Police and CEOP will take matters seriously and will take any appropriate action.

You can report concerns directly to us and we will always take the most appropriate course of action to ensure the safety of the students at Prenton High School.

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Assessment What has happened to National Curriculum levels and GCSE grades?

National Curriculum Levels, for example Level 4a, 5c, will no longer being used to assess children at primary and secondary school.

GCSE letter grades A*-G will be replaced with a number for English and Maths this academic year and for all subjects from September 2016. Numbers range from 9-1 with 9 being the highest grade.

A Grade 5 roughly equates to a high Grade C under the current system. A Grade 9 would be an A*.

(Further guidance is given on your daughter‖s report / progress update).

From 2016, primary school children will be given a Key Stage 2 National Reference test and this information will be shared with secondary schools.

We will use the Key Stage 2 National Reference test data to create targets for students. These targets will be what they are predicted to achieve in their GCSE examinations at the end of Year 11. We will set a target range for your daughter, for example Grade 7-8.

Targets will be based on the individual and their starting point. They will be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are challenging and aspirational but also that they are achievable.

How will I know if my daughter is on track?

Teachers will look at your daughter‖s starting point and at her target grades for her GCSEs. They will look at where she should be working for her age and her targets.

The following will be used to describe where your daughter is up to in terms of her current progress.

EXCELLING

Your daughter is achieving all of the expectations in her target range plus some in the next grade up. She is performing at this level with some frequency and consistency.

SECURE

Your daughter is achieving the vast majority of the expectations in her target range. She is performing at this level with some frequency and consistency.

DEVELOPING

Your daughter is not yet achieving expectations in her target range. She is achieving at one grade below. She is performing at this level with some frequency and consistency.

EMERGING

Your daughter is not yet achieving the expectations in her target range. She is achieving at least two grades below. She is performing at this level with some frequency and consistency.

Regardless of her starting point or her target grades, any student can be recognised as ―Excelling‖.

She will receive grades based on her Attitude to Learning and Home Learning. To achieve her very best GCSE results she should be working at ―Secure‖ or ―Excelling‖ in her subjects .

Written Feedback If your daughter is to make the progress of which she is capable, then the quality of feedback in her books is so important. Comments written in response to students‖ work will help them to make progress and will show them how to improve their work. We use stamps in all exercise books so that the students are used to the same system in every lesson. The stamps are: WWW : What Went Well - to identify the positive aspects of the work EBI : Even Better If - to show HOW to improve the work or skill TARGET - to set something very specific for your daughter to try We have a real focus on marking and developing literacy and, again, this will this will be evident in your daughter‖s books for all subjects.

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Home Learning Home Learning is an essential part of school. It enables students to check their understanding and to develop their independent learning skills.

Our Learning Resource Base is open Monday —Thursday until 4.30pm with staff employed to support students with home learning, revision and research. Students have access to computers and library resources and they can use the printer and photocopier to enable them to produce their very best work.

A compulsory Home Learning session is also provided for students who are finding Home Learning difficult for a range of different reasons.

The Planner is our way of keeping you informed of Home Learning (see planner section), your daughter will keep a record of her Home Learning in her Planner.

Progess and Examinations

We set targets for every subject at Prenton and we tailor these targets to suit the needs and abilities of your daughter.

You will receive a Progress Update or Written Report three times per year and you will be invited into school to discuss progress and next steps. Your daughter will have an examination in her subjects each year. This enables us to track and monitor her progress. It also helps to develop examination skills which will be essential for your daughter‖s final GCSEs.

Personal Social Education (PSE) Through PSE students will develop a deeper understanding of personal and social issues, as well as how to keep healthy and safe. Theme days will cover a wide range of topics including health and well being, relationships and citizenship.

Religious Education (RE) Through RE lessons students study the six major world religions, including Chris6

Hinduism and Buddhism. Students cover a wide range of topics that enrich their understanding of religions, beliefs and traditions, as well as build on philosophical and ethical concepts. More detail can be found on our website in the Teaching section.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development As citizens of our school, the local community and the wider world we take our duty to develop students‖ understanding of spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of life very seriously.

These aspects run right across our curriculum and help to develop students‖ understanding of the wider world in which they live. Developing tolerance, respect, understanding and empathy are all important characteristics and are essential life skills.

Through our assembly programme we enrich our students‖ knowledge and appreciation of the world and of their direct communities.

This focus enables our students to feel wellprepared for the world beyond school and equipped with the skills to take the next steps.

School Routines Student Progress Keeping you up to date with your daughter‖s progress is essential. We will report to you three times per year. You will either receive a Progress Update showing her Attitude to Learning and Home Learning and an update on current progress or a full written report. There will also be an opportunity for you to come into school to meet with your daughter‖s teachers or her form tutor. We offer a Progress Evening for all year groups and a further Progress Day for Year 7 and Year 10. Please refer to Curriculum under the Teaching section of our website.

Attendance and Punctuality Excellent attendance and punctuality are vital in order for your daughter to make the very best progress, to take advantage of a range of opportunities and to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Students should only be absent from school if they are genuinely ill and too unwell to attend school.

If your daughter is unwell then you must let the school know by calling the school office.

Medical appointments during the school day should not be arranged unless absolutely unavoidable e.g. specialist hospital or orthodontic appointments.

Holidays during term time are not allowed and may result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being served.

If an absence during the school day is absolutely unavoidable then a letter must be written to school who will arrange for your daughter to have a pass-out. Students are not permitted to leave school unless accompanied by a parent or authorised adult.

Where absences are frequent we will arrange for you to attend a meeting at school with our Attendance Manager. It may be necessary to involve the Education Social Worker and in the most serious cases a Fixed Penalty Notice will be issued.

If your daughter is absent from school and we do not receive a call from you then an automated call will be sent to your chosen telephone numbers via our Parent Call system. This helps us to keep students safe and to alert you if your daughter has not arrived at school.

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Behaviour for Learning (BfL) If your daughter is to make the very best progress then she needs to be in a calm, purposeful, environment where there is a positive climate for learning. At Prenton High School we expect the very best behaviour from students in lessons, around the school building and when travelling to and from school.

Our Behaviour for Learning (BfL) system ensures that we have a clear and consistent approach to behaviour management which is understood and followed by all members of the school community.

BfL focuses on behaviour choices and students taking responsibility for themselves. The underlying principle is as simple as ABC—Actions Bring Consequences. If students make positive choices then there will be a positive consequence or reward; where they make negative choices about their behaviour then there will be a negative consequence or sanction.

More details of our BfL system can be found on the school website.

IRIS (It Really Is Simple) is a web based system for recording and monitoring behaviour. This provides a full overview of a student‖s behaviour and enables us to offer support if required. It also enables us to take swift action to ensure that lessons are of a consistently high standard. Students have a personal log-in so that they can track their behaviour choices. Students can also check their rewards, and can spend their points in our on-line shop. See Website for further details.

Bullying

Detentions

We do not tolerate bullying at Prenton High School.

If a detention is issued you will always receive notice via a letter, a phone call or a sticker in your daughter‖s planner. Detentions will run for 30 minutes at the end of the school day. If your daughter is persistently late for school or she behaves in a manner that requires a more lengthy detention, then she will receive a Senior Leadership Detention; this will run for one hour after school on a Friday.

Students are encouraged to report incidents of bullying to any member of staff.

All staff are trained to deal with reported cases. We also have two highly skilled Mentors who can offer support and guidance.

Students are encouraged to report bullying through assemblies and through form time activities. We also concentrate on e -safety to ensure that students know how to stay safe online.

All students issued with a detention are expected to attend.

Where bullying is serious or repeated then we will exclude students from school for a short, fixed term period.

Key Staff The Student Services Team: Assistant Headteacher responsible for Student Services, SENCO, Progress Leaders, Mentors, School Counsellor, Form Tutors, Attendance Manager, Behaviour and Rewards Manager.

Contact details of key staff working closely with your daughter will be sent out soon after she has started at Prenton.

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Lunchtime arrangements and the dining hall In order to keep students safe throughout the school day we do not allow the girls off-site at lunchtime.

We have an excellent provision at lunchtime where students can purchase a range of hot or cold meals to eat in our purpose built canteen. Staff cater for a range of dietary requirements including gluten free and halal. Theme days run in the canteen to celebrate foods from around the world.

Packed lunches may be brought into school and the girls are allowed to sit in the main hall to eat their lunch. We operate a cashless system and students are issued with a plastic ―credit card style‖ card. The cards can be topped up and you can review what your daughter has purchased from the dinning hall online via ParentMail. Cards can also be topped up using the re-val machine near the Dining Hall. Students who are eligible to receive a free school meal have their card automatically credited each day. It is impossible to distinguish who has a free meal and who does not.

Each day there is a Meal-Deal where students can purchase a meal, a desert or cake/biscuit and a drink for a set price.

During the spring and summer terms we run Active Playgrounds where the girls can access a range of different sports equipment such as swing ball, large skipping ropes, footballs, tennis racquets and balls and hula hoops. This encourages an active and healthy lifestyle and provides another opportunity for the girls to gain in confidence and to develop friendships.

We run a breakfast club every morning form 8am in the Dining Hall and free breakfast items are provided; tea, coffee, hot chocolate, toast, juice and fruit. Students can also purchase additional items of hot and cold food.

At break time there is a hot and cold service provided and students can purchase items from the Dining Hall.

Mobile Phones Mobile phones or other electronic devices are not allowed to be used at any time during the school day. These items will be confiscated if used and a detention may be set.

Whilst we understand that you may want your daughter to carry a phone for the journey to and from school, it must be switched off fully and put away in her bag before she enters school.

School does not accept responsibility for any items lost or damaged.

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ParentMail—Online Payments & Communications At Prenton we use a facility called ParentMail, which allows parents to pay for any trips or events online and to enable us to communicate with parents via email and text message Online Payments Benefits to parents:  You can make payments for school trips, revision guides etc. 24 hours a day  You can choose to pay by credit card for no extra fee allowing you to budget costs  You can top up your daughter‖s catering account online, and review what she has bought from the Dining Hall Electronic Communications Benefits to parents:  Messages will get to you reliably and on time  We can send messages directly to parents and other carers at the same time  Emergency or important information can be sent by text message

PTA

Student Planners

Getting involved with your daughters‖ education and the wider school community is highly rewarding. Our PTA help to organise events, raise funds and contribute to the development of our school. Being a part of the PTA provides a great opportunity for you to make a difference.

Students will require their Planner for every lesson. The Planner is a great way for you to keep in touch with any home learning or any communication from your daughter‖s class teacher or form tutor. If your daughter has a detention then it will be logged in her Planner. You can also put notes in the Planner if you have a query or a concern. Your daughter will ask you to sign the Planner each week.

Please see the website for more details.

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Extra Curricular Activities At Prenton High School we pride ourselves on the breadth of extra activities available to our students every single day. We believe firmly in the importance of providing opportunities for students to explore new things and to develop a range of skills.

Here are some of the clubs we have available:

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Sports Clubs and Teams including: Basketball, Rounders, Cricket, Netball, Football

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Mathletics

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The Prenton Theatre Company

ICT Club Performing Arts including: Junior Choir, Orchestra, Dance Club Trampolining Prenton Daisies Gardening Club Prenton TV Art club

As well as the day to day activities offered to students as part of our extra-curricular provision, we also offer a variety of residential and overseas visits to all year groups. Examples of recent international visits are:

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Sorrento, Italy

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Poland

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Spain

Students in Year 7 are also encouraged to take part in a

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Teachers know students well and….teachers ask wellchosen questions so the most able students apply what

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they are learning to different situations and those less confident are made to think carefully, so they are clear about what they are learning.

Ofsted 2014 11

Uniform We are proud of our school and we want our students to be proud too. Wearing uniform correctly demonstrates this sense of pride and helps to foster an ethos of high standards and a sense of belonging.

Students are expected to wear the correct uniform at all times. The uniform is as follows: • Prenton High School blazer with school House colour on the pocket • Blue and white checked, short sleeved, open necked blouse (Students in Year 11 wear a pink and white, short sleeved, open necked blouse) • Navy blue school jumper with the school logo • Navy blue school skirt – pinafores and trousers are not allowed

PE Kit The following are compulsory: • Plain navy blue t-shirt or polo shirt with school badge • Plain navy blue shorts (not cycling shorts) • White trainers – Please ensure that your daughter has correct white trainers for PE. She will not be allowed to wear pumps for PE lessons.

The following are optional:• Navy blue hooded sweatshirt with school badge and logo • Plain navy blue PE fleece bottoms • Plain navy blue PE skirt • Plain navy skorts Students are permitted to wear one set of studs in the ear lobes only – no other piercings are allowed. Hair colour and style should be appropriate for school. Bows and decorations are not allowed and headbands must be plain, preferably navy blue or black. The only item of jewellery allowed is a watch. Nail varnish or any nail enhancements are not allowed and students will be asked to remove them.

Students may not be allowed to attend lessons if they have incorrect uniform.

School Uniform may be obtained from: The Uniform Centre, 2a Princes Pavement, Birkenhead CH41 2XY Telephone: 0151 647 9588 Urban Design, 260 Old Chester Road, Birkenhead CH42 3TF Telephone: 0151 644 5599

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Prenton High School for Girls │ Hesketh Avenue │ Birkenhead Wirral │ CH42 6RR Tel 0151 644 8113 │ Email schooloffice@prentonhighschool.co.uk Web www.prentonhighschool.co.uk │ twitter @prentonhigh Headteacher: Mrs Lisa Ayling BA (Hons) NPQH Deputy Headteacher: Mrs Geraldine Fraser BEd (Hons) MSc

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