Transition - Parent Pack

PACK PARENT CHS SOUTH

Welcome

Welcome to CHS South, our 11-16 eight-form entry, mixed, comprehensive school opened in conjunction with Chorlton High School in September 2018. Our school provides 240 places in each Year Group, growing to a full capacity of 1200. In February 2023 we were graded 'Good' by Ofsted in our first full inspection

I am immensely proud to be entrusted with the role of Headteacher at CHS South. To be able to extend the fantastic provision on offer at Chorlton High School to more young people in our community is one I embrace whole-heartedly. From the very beginning of the process to build and open this school, the community have played a significant part in helping to shape and steer our journey As a member of the local community myself, I am very proud to say that CHS South is a rich & diverse environment, within which our young people and their families can see themselves reflected and establish a sense of belonging.

Having worked as a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Chorlton High School for 14 years, I passionately believe in our shared ethos of providing an education that allows young people to become creative, happy and successful. CHS South allows more young people in our community to access an education that not only allows them to achieve academic excellence but also acquire the creative skills necessary to successfully apply their abilities and navigate their way in an everchanging landscape.

We also ensure the young people at CHS South have access to a broad and forward-thinking enrichment curriculum. We are well positioned to offer a diverse and engaging sports curriculum through our fantastic relationships with the vast array of sports providers in our community. Furthermore, our expertise and understanding of the creative arts, an industry growing faster in our local community than anywhere in the UK outside London, will ensure our young people are provided with the opportunities to develop and hone their skills in order to become the next generation of creative trailblazers

I look forward to welcoming you to CHS South soon!

Mr Prophet Headteacher

Safeguarding

CHS South recognise that all adults have a full and active part to play in protecting our students from harm and that the child’s welfare is our paramount concern. We work hard to promote a culture of vigilance All staff believe that the schools within our Trust should provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical and moral development of the individual child.

Safeguarding Team

If you have any worries or need to talk to someone, the safeguarding team are here to help You can also talk to any adult in school. We are all trained to look after our students safety!

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Ian Jameson who is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. We also have Sarah Penrose (Safeguarding Lead) and Ela Paton (Safeguarding Officer). All have undertaken the relevant training followed by bi-annual updates. If you wish to speak with a member of the Safeguarding team then please ask at reception

Jameson Designated Safeguarding Lead

Lead

Should you wish to contact a member of our Safeguarding team, you can call us on 0161 241 9930 or email us at admin@chssouth.org.uk

Paton Safeguarding Officer

SAFEGUARDING atCHSSouth

Mr

Ms Penrose Safeguarding

Mrs

Term Dates

Autumn Term 2023

Monday 4th September 2023: INSET (School closed to students)

Thursday 5th September 2023: INSET (School closed to students)

Wednesday 6th September 2023: All students return to school

Monday 23rd October – Friday 27th October: Half Term Holiday

Monday 30th October 2023: INSET (School closed to students)

Friday 24th November 2023: INSET (School closed to students)

Friday 15th December 2023: Term Ends

Monday 18th December – Monday 1st January 2024: Christmas Holiday

Spring Term 2024

Tuesday 2nd January 2024: INSET (School closed to students)

Wednesday 3rd January 2024: INSET (School closed to students)

Thursday 4th January 2024: Students return to school

Monday 19th February – Friday 23rd February 2024: Half Term Holiday

Thursday 28th March 2024: Term Ends

Friday 29th March – Friday 12th April 2024: Easter Holiday

Summer Term 2024

Monday 15th April 2024: Students return to school

Monday 6th May 2024: May Day Bank Holiday

Monday 27th May – Friday 31st May 2024: Half Term Holiday

Friday 28th June 2024: INSET (School closed to students)

Wednesday 24th July 2024 – Term Ends (INSET = Staff In-Service Training)

Day Structure

All students are asked to be at school for 08:20am to allow time to get to their form class.

11:20 - 12:20pm Period 3

12:20 - 13:50pm Period 4 (Including 30 minute lunch)

13:50 - 14:50pm Period 5 14:50 - 16:00pm Extra-Curricular Activities

The Arbor App brings all the functionality of our desktop Parent Portal to your phone. With it, you can find attendance statistics, behaviour points, view notifications regarding conversations and update personal information on your child’s profile.

Downloading the Arbor App and enabling push notifications

The App is available for download for both Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store) phones.

Android: Please ensure you have turned on push notifications by going to Settings > Apps > Arbor >

Notifications

iOS: You will be prompted to receive push notifications when you download the app, please ensure you select ‘allow’.

Please enable push notifications to receive a notification when you have a new in-app message You will not be alerted to a new message and may miss important information, if you do not enable this.

Logging in to the app the first time

Please enter your email address to log in Your email address must be identical to the email address we hold on Arbor for you at school (for any issues logging in, please email us at admin@chssouth.org.uk)

Select CHS South

For your first log in, you will be asked to read and confirm Arbor’s terms and conditions

As a security measure you will be prompted to confirm your child’s date of birth. Please note, If you have more than one child at school, please confirm the date of birth of your eldest child.

Once logged in, you can switch between children.

Troubleshooting

If you are having difficulty accessing the app, please first check your log in email address matches the address you have provided us. For assistance please contact: admin@chssouth.org.uk

If your log in details are correct and you are still not able to access the Arbor App, please use steps below:

If you have more than one child, make sure you are entering the date of birth of your eldest child, when accessing the Arbor app for the first time

Only relatives who are primary guardians of a child can access the app

The app will not function on a tablet device, but you can use the website version or Arbor using the tablet's browser

Please do not contact Arbor directly. If you are unable to successfully log in, please contact school: admin@chssouth.org.uk

Home Learning

CHS South recognises that Home Learning is a key factor in supporting the 5-year learning journey for our students. Excellent learning habits such as organisation, prioritisation and practice enable students to be independent learners equipped for success in all they do.

Home learning is work that is set to be done outside the timetabled curriculum. It is important in raising student achievement; it enhances student learning, improves achievement and develops students' study skills and as such is an integral part of the curriculum.

Home learning enables students:

To take ownership and responsibility for learning

To consolidate and extend work covered in class or prepare for new learning activities

To show progress and understanding

To develop research skills

To have an opportunity for independent work to extend their learning further

To enhance their study skills e.g. planning, time management and self-discipline

To access resources not available in the classroom

To share their learning with their parents and carers

At CHS South there are three key parts to ‘homework’:

Home Learning

Home Study

Home Reading

Home learning: Homework that is set by a class teacher and requires submission. CHS South will set all Home Learning tasks through an online platform which is available to all students and parents

Home Study: Preparation for tests and reflection and gap filling after tests. In the build up to our Progress Tests, Home Learning becomes Home Study which is independent enquiry This takes place during the Spring and Summer terms.

HomeReading:Weencourageourstudentstodevotetimeto

HomeReadingasthiswillgivestudentsawiderknowledgebase andunderstandingoftheworld.Weexpectallofourstudents toreadatleastthreetimesaweekathome,howeverwewould liketoencouragethemtoreaddaily.

ALLLOGONGUIDESFORYOURCHILD'SREVISIONSITESCANBE

FOUNDONOURWEBSITEHERE: https://www.chssouth.org.uk/student-life/home-learning

Uniform

School uniform plays a valuable role in contributing to the ethos of CHS South. Our uniform identifies students as part of our CHS South community and instils pride in it. Being appropriately dressed helps students to develop a positive mind set for learning and supports them in being successful, creative, and happy; we are proud to support a gender-neutral uniform policy.

CHS South Uniform

School blazer. To be worn throughout the school day, including on arrival and departure.

School tie. To be worn up to the top button and tied correctly. Five stripes should be shown.

White button neck shirt/blouse Should be tucked into trousers/skirt at all times

Black, traditional school trousers. Full length.

Black skirts that are branded with small version of the school logo, or a plain black, loose-fitting ankle-length skirt worn for moderation We will consider introducing a branded version of this skirt with our uniform suppliers next academic year.

Black knitted V Neck Jumper or cardigan with school logo (Optional).

Plain black school shoes or all black trainers (e g , Nike Airforce or Adidas Stan Smith) below the ankle.

Plain black or grey socks or plain black or grey tights.

A headscarf worn for religious reasons must be plain black, grey, or white, with no decorations or tassels.

CHS South PE Kit

Black sports shirt with embroidered logo

Black sports shorts with embroidered logo

Black football/hockey socks

Sports trainers with non marking soles

Students are asked to come to school on PE days wearing their PE kit with their blazer on top

Buying School Uniform

Our school suppliers for the forthcoming academic year is: Monkhouse – School Wear Specialists

Stretford Arndale Shopping Centre

Tel: 0161 865 3142

Web: https://www.monkhouse.com/school/chs-south-urn-145873

Please contact us directly if you need support to provide your child with a school uniform. Uniform items that do not carry the CHS South logo can be bought from large supermarkets Please be aware that some items that are sold on supermarket school uniform aisles do not meet our expectations for uniform. For example “skinny cut” or “jean like” trousers. Please check the additional guidance below to make sure that what you buy will be suitable for school.

Additional Guidance

A headscarf worn for religious reasons must be plain black with no decorations or tassels. Hair bands should be plain black

Chinos, jeans or ‘jean like’ trousers, leggings and jeggings are not allowed

Trainers or sports/casual shoes with logos or coloured sections are not allowed Footwear that rises above the ankle is not allowed

Hats are not allowed, anywhere inside the building. We ask that caps are not worn, including on the journey to or from school

In cold and wet weather a coat should be worn above the blazer. Coats are not to be worn inside our building

Hooded tops, zipped tops, sports tops and non-uniform jumpers are not allowed We ask that hooded tops are not worn in place of a coat

We like badges but students should wear no more than three personal badges on their blazer

Jewellery

Small stud earrings only. Large, hooped or dangling earrings must not be worn for health and safety reasons

Face, tongue or body piercings should not be worn

Make Up and Nails

Make up should be natural in appearance

False/acrylic nails and false eyelashes are prohibited

More information can be found on our website: www.chssouth.org.uk

Free School Meals

Is your child eligible for a free school meal?

Please see information below that will help determine if your child is eligible for a free school meal at CHS South. If your child qualifies and their school is in Manchester, you can apply using the free meals portal:

https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims

You'll need to contact the school yourself if it isn't listed

The school will be notified when an application for a free school meal has been approved or declined. If the claim is approved the child will receive free school meals on an ongoing basis whilst the parent(s)/carer(s) remain eligible.

Which children qualify for Free School Meals?

• Your child must live with you and be your responsibility

• You can also claim free school meals if you are an asylum seeker

Your child may qualify if you have any of these incomes:

• Income Support

• Income- based Jobseekers Allowance

• Income related Employment and Support Allowance

• The guaranteed part of Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit (as long as your annual gross income is £16,190 or less and you don’t get Working Tax Credit)

• Working Tax Credit run – off after you come off Working Tax Credit

• Universal Credit that you applied for on, or after, 1 April 2018. As long as your household income is less than £7,400 a year after tax, not including any benefits

To find out more information, please contact:

The Benefits Service

PO Box 3

Manchester M15 5BA

Telephone: 0161 234 5003

Email: benefit.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk

Web: www.manchester.gov.uk/benefits

Catering

SAMPLE MENU MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Main Meal £1 90

(Halal)Allmainmealsserved withvegetablesorsidesalad

Vegetarian Meal £1.90

Allmainmealsservedwith vegetablesorsidesalad

Jacket & Filling £1 90

Allmainmealsservedwith vegetablesorsidesalad

Panini £1 90

Servedwithvegetablesor sidesalad

Hot Wrap £1 90 (HalalandNonHalal)

Servedwithvegetablesor sidesalad

Pizza £1 50

Servedwithbeans,vegetables orsidesalad

Beefchilliservedinatortilla bowlwithsweetcornandrice

Macaronicheesewithgarlic focacciabreadandpeas

Battered/Breaded/BubbleFish withdicedsautépotatoes, peas/mixedsalad

Tandoorichickenservedon flatbreadwithcucumberraita andrice

BeefBurgerservedwithbaked beansandonionrings

Mixedbeanchilliservedina tortillabowelwithsweetcorn andrice (Vegan)

BakedBeans(V)(GF) Cheese(V) TunaandMayo

Cheese(V) or CheeseandBeans(V)

BBQChicken(GF) MediterraneanVegTomato andrice(Vegan)

Margarita(V) GlutenFreeMargarita

Macaronicheesewithgarlic breadandpeas (Vegan)

BakedBeans(V)(GF) Cheese(V) TunaandMayo

Cheese(V) or CheeseandBeans(V)

HotandSpicyChicken(GF) MediterraneanVegTomato andrice(Vegan)

Margarita(V) GlutenFreeMargarita

Battered/Breaded/BubbleFish withdicedsautépotatoes, peas/mixedsalad

BakedBeans(V)(GF) Cheese(V) TunaandMayo

Cheese(V) or CheeseandBeans(V)

PiriPiriChicken(GF)

MediterraneanVegTomato andrice(Vegan)

Margarita(V) GlutenFreeMargarita

QuornKoftaservedon flatbreadwithcucumberraita andrice (V)

BakedBeans(V)(GF)

Cheese(V) TunaandMayo

Cheese(V) or CheeseandBeans(V)

BlackenedCajunChicken(GF)

MediterraneanVegTomato andrice(Vegan)

Margarita(V) GlutenFreeMargarita

SpicyBeanBurgerservedwith bakedbeansandonionrings (V)

BakedBeans(V)(GF)

Cheese(V) TunaandMayo

Cheese(V) or CheeseandBeans(V)

JerkChicken(GF)

MediterraneanVegTomato andrice(Vegan)

Margarita(V) GlutenFreeMargarita

Attendance

If your child is not in school, learning is not taking place. If your child is absent, we ask you to telephonetheattendancelinebefore8:30amoneverydayofabsenceorusetheschool'sappto sendamessage

ATTENDANCEANSWERPHONE:01612419930(Option1)

ATTENDANCEEMAIL:attendance@chssouth.org.uk

AtCHSSouth,wehaveadedicatedAttendanceTeamtoensurethatpoorattendanceisnotallowed to develop. We want all pupils to strive for 100% attendance. We are proud of our consistently improving attendance and attendance which is above local averages. We are pleased with our achievementinthisareabutarecommittedtoimprovingattendancelevelsevenfurther CHSSouth followsManchester’sLocalAuthorityAttendanceStrategyinordertoreduceabsence.CHSSouth attendancepolicyisavailableontheschoolwebsite.

Ifthereissomething,weneedtoknowregardingyourchild’shealthwhichmayimpactontheir attendance,pleasespeaktotheattendanceteam. Weaskyoutomakeeveryattempttobooknonurgentmedicalappointmentsafterschoolorduringtheschoolholidays.Studentswithunavoidable medicalanddentalappointmentsduringtheschooldayareaskedtobringintheappointmentcard in order to sign out of school at the appropriate time. If you have concerns about your child’s attendance,youcancontacttheAttendanceTeamoryourchild’sHeadofYear.

Ifweareconcernedaboutachild’sattendancethefollowingstepsmaybetaken:

Pre-WarnLetter:Thiswillbesentoutifweseefrequentand/orirregularpatternsofabsence.Thisis ourwayofalertingyoutothefactthatyourchild’sattendanceisstartingtobecomeaconcern.We maystopauthorisingyourchild’sabsencewithoutmedicalevidence.

HomeVisit:Attendance staff&Safeguarding staffwillvisitthestudent athomewhenthereisa concernforachild’sattendance,orifnocontacthasbeenmadetostatewhythechildisabsentfrom school.Thesecanbeunannounced.

PenaltyWarningLetter:Thiswillbesentoutwhenachildhasunauthorised absences.Oncethis letterhasbeensent,absencescannotbeauthorisedwithoutadoctor’snotetostatethatyourchild is unfit for school. If your child is absent for a medical appointment we require the letter or appointmentcardinordertoauthorisethisabsence.

Early Help Assessment (EHA): We may offer to support your child’s attendance by putting an EHA into place, this allows us to draw in other agency support should we need it

Penalty Notice/Prosecution: If your child’s attendance does not improve following any or all of the above interventions, the Local Authority may choose to issue parents with a Penalty Notice or prosecute for their children’s non-attendance at school.

Lateness

What happens when students are late?

Students sign in at Student Services or with Attendance staff, they are given a behaviour point and may be given a detention by their Head of Year

Persistent lateness will be followed up by the Pastoral staff and the Attendance Team

Students may also be invited to attend a Punctuality Panel

For repeated late arrivals parents could receive a Penalty Warning Letter or a Penalty Notice from the Local Authority. Please contact the attendance team if you have concerns.

Leave of absense

The Department for Education regulations state that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. If exceptional circumstances arise you must take the following steps:

Apply in writing as soon as possible to the Headteacher/Miss Ingram stating the reason for absence and the duration of leave requested

The Headteacher/Miss Ingram will respond in writing to your request

Must be done in advance of the leave of absence

If leave of absence is denied and you take your child/children out of school, the absence will be unauthorised. This may result in the following legal action being taken against you - under the AntiSocial Behaviour Act 2003 an authorised officer of the City Council has the power to issue each parent/carer with a Penalty Notice for each of their children who fail to attend school regularly.

Penalty Notices issued for unauthorised absences on or after 1st September 2013 incur a fine of £120 to be paid within 28 days, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 21 day of the notice being served. Failure to pay a Penalty Notice may result in a prosecution.

It is widely recognised that the educational outcomes and future life chances of children and young people can be significantly impacted upon by periods of absence. We thank you for supporting us in ensuring that your son/daughter attends school, on time, every day.

Absence for Religious Observance

Please note, we will only ever authorise 1 days absence for religious observance during term time.

M TTERS attendance at CHS South

FAQs

How do I put money on my child's lunch account?

Lunch money can be added to your child's account via the Arbor App or Website, under the 'payments' section.

How do I find out what after school clubs are on offer?

Our Extra-Curricular clubs offer can be found on our website https://www chssouth org uk/studentlife/enrichment-curriculum OR via the Arbor App or Website.

How will I find out if my child has a conversation?

When a student receives a conversation, parents/carers will be notified via an SMS message You can also see this information via the Arbor App or Website.

Who do I speak to if I have any concerns about my child's progress in school?

At first point of contact, you can contact your child's Form Tutor, Subject Teacher or Pastoral Leader by emailing them at admin@chssouth.org.uk

If my child is ill, how do I inform the school?

To inform the school of an absence please call us on 0161 241 9930 and select 'Option 1' to leave a voice message on the attendance answerphone. You may also either send an Arbor Message or email attendance@chssouth.org.uk

When does my child chose their GCSE Options?

Students select their GCSE Options early in the Spring term, when they are in Year 9.

How do I find out if my child is eligible for a free travel pass?

You can check eligibility and apply for a free travel pass through your Local Authority's website. Please click here for Manchester City Council.

If I have requested contact from a member of staff, how long do they have to get in contact?

Staff at CHS South will attempt to respond to parents/carers by the end of the day requested, however as this is not always possible, staff have 48 hours to reply to a message/phone call request.

Can my child store their medication in school?

Students may store their medication in our secure medications cupboard if a parent/carer has completed a Student Medical Plan

Prescribed medication must be in its original packaging with the prescription label that includes the name and instructions for use.

SHOULD YOU HAVE A QUESTION THAT ISN'T LISTED ABOVE, PLEASE EMAIL OUR TRANSITION TEAM AT transition@chssouth.org.uk

"PUPILS BENEFIT FROM THE WIDE RANGE OF CLUBS THAT STAFF PROVIDE. THEY TOLD INSPECTORS THAT THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO TRY AND TO ENJOY."

OFSTED

February 2023