Transition - How To Guide

TRANSITION HOWTOGUIDE

Parental Feedback

"IT'S PLAIN TO SEE HOW MUCH THEY CARE ABOUT MY CHILD'S EDUCATIONAL AND HOLISTIC WELLBEING"

CONTENTS

PAGE 1-5 HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD IN GETTING THE FIRST DAY RIGHT

PAGE 6 UNDERSTANDING THE SCHOOL DAY

PAGE 7 HOW TO KNOW WHO TO CONTACT

PAGE 8 HOW TO USE ARBOR

PAGE 9 HOW TO CHECK WHAT YOUR CHILD IS LEARNING EACH HALF TERM

PAGE 10 HOME LEARNING / EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

PAGE 11 HOW STUDENTS ARE ASSESSED / CODE OF CONDUCT

PAGE 12 UNDERSTANDING REWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES AT CHS SOUTH

PAGE 13 DINING AT CHS SOUTH / PARENTS/CARERS

PAGE 14 HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT

PAGE 15 ACCEPTABLE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD IN GETTING THE FIRST DAY RIGHT

Transitioning to secondary school is an exciting time and there are lots of new experiences to look forward to. However we are also aware that for children and parents it is a time of change that can create questions or worries.

WHAT UNIFORM DO I NEED? TRAVELLING TO SCHOOL AND BACK HOME

School blazer

School skirt (with logo)/Black trousers

School tie

Black or grey socks

White shirt

Time the journey to school

Buy an alarm clock and make sure your child knows how it works

Will I be able to find my way around?

How will I get to school and back?

What homework will I get and will I be able to do it?

Will I be able to do the work set in class?

Will I get bullied by the older students?

What do I do if something happens?

Will I make friends?

Will I have the right equipment?

Who do I to to if I have a problem?

Will I like my teachers?

What will I get into trouble for?

What will I eat on my first day and how does the food work?

The questions and worries can include: None of these things need to be a bigger worry than they already are and this guide is to support you with helping your child to feel as prepared for secondary school as they can and gives you and them some useful knowledge to ensure they can be confident as possible.

As a school, we will cover this information during transition events and again in September but the summer break is a long one and children often feel more confident with a refresher of things they want to know.

All black shoes or all black trainers

PE kit

School jumper/cardigan (OPTIONAL)

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

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

School bag

Reusable water bottle

Pencil case

Pen

Pencil

Ruler

Optional:

Rubber Calculator

Highlighters

Coloured pencils

Glue stick

Geometry equipment

Work out with your child what time they will need to get up to get to school on time. You could work backwards from 8:20am

Agree a routine for the mornings and after school. Things to think about include: When will they pack their bag? Who will make a packed lunch if they are having one?

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD IN GETTING THE FIRST DAY RIGHT

On your child’s first day at CHS South they will be supported by members of the Transition Team and all staff throughout the day so that they feel supported, safe and happy on their introduction to our school. They will have an assembly, a tour of the building, time to get to know their form and some lessons based on our transition text ‘The Lion Above the Door’.

QUALITIES OF SUCCESS INTRODUCTION

In your child’s first week they will be introduced to the CHS South Qualities of Success.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS WORRIED ABOUT ANYTHING OR WANTS TO KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THERE IS A PROBLEM:

If your child has any concerns at all, there are a number of staff they can speak to. Any member of CHS South staff will help support your child at any time. Please just reassure them to ask. Key contacts will be their Form Tutors.

DISCUSSING WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOUR CHILD'S CONDUCT

At CHS South, we want our students to work hard during lesson times and play outside/sit down in the dining room during social times. Another key quality is that students are on time for lessons and are dressed in correct school uniform.

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD IN GETTING THE FIRST DAY RIGHT

HELPING YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND THE LAYOUT OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING:

GROUND FLOOR

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD IN GETTING THE FIRST DAY RIGHT

HELPING YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND THE LAYOUT OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING:

Classrooms FIRST FLOOR

Resources Dining Room Stairs Toilets

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD IN GETTING THE FIRST DAY RIGHT

HELPING YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND THE LAYOUT OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING:

Classrooms

Resources Dining Room Stairs Toilets

SECOND FLOOR

UNDERSTANDING THE SCHOOL DAY

All students are asked to be at school for 8:20am to allow time to travel to their form class.

8:00AM - 8:20AM BREAKFAST

8:30AM - 9:00AM FORM TIME

9:00AM - 10:00AM PERIOD 1

10:00AM - 11:20AM PERIOD 2 (INCLUDING 20 MINUTE BREAK)

11:20AM - 12:20PM PERIOD 3

12:20PM - 1:50PM PERIOD 4 (INCLUDING 30 MINUTE LUNCH)

1:50PM - 2:50PM PERIOD 5

2:50PM - 4:00PM EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

HOW TO KNOW WHO TO CONTACT

CLASS TEACHERS

You can obtain the names of your child's teachers from their timetable on the Arbor App and Parent Portal. You can call the main reception to ask to speak to your child’s teacher, but please bear in mind that they may be teaching and therefore unable to take the call. The best option would be to email giving a brief outline or your query and requesting a call back. Please provide an indication of suitable times to contact you by telephone or if you prefer to receive a reply by email.

To email a member of staff, the standard format is 'firstinitialsurname@chssouth.org.uk'

If you are unsure, please email your query to admin@chssouth.org.uk clearly marking who the email is for the attention of.

PASTORAL SUPPORT

Your child will have Pastoral Leader. You should contact them for any pastoral or general whole school concerns.

If you would like to contact your child's form tutor, please use the Arbor app to find out their tutor's name and you can email using the following address 'firstinitialsurname@chssouth.org.uk

URGENT QUERIES

If you have any urgent queries or concerns, we would always advise that you call the main school reception on 0161 241 9930. Our reception team will do their best to either respond to the issue or ensure the appropriate person contacts you. Alternatively you can email us at admin@chssouth.org.uk

ESCALATING ISSUES

If you feel that you have not had a response to your query in an appropriate amount of time, please contact the main school reception either via email or phone, outlining the issue raised, when you raised it, and who it was directed to. Our central admin team will then escalate this to the appropriate Curriculum Leader or Senior member of staff.

HOW TO USE ARBOR

Arbor allows us to communicate with parents quickly and cost effectively via email, text and smartphone app.

Sending information out to parents by post currently costs the school a significant amount in terms of paper, postage and staff time. Our hope is that by reducing the costs in this area we can protect funding to those areas that directly affect our students.

You can also use the system to pay for school meals and trips, check attendance, check your child's behaviour and more. You can help us to save money by downloading the Arbor App or using the website.

We are able to send you app messages (avoiding the costs of texts) and you can send messages back for free too.

It’s quick and easy to download the app, all you need is your email address and mobile number that school holds on record for you. If you have a smartphone you can download the Arbor app from your app store (Android and iOS).

If you have trouble logging in, please contact the school on 0161 241 9930 and we can check the details that we have for you.

Please note: emails from the system will have the sender no-reply@mail.arbor-education.com. We would advise that you set up the email address as a safe sender.

If you do not have a smartphone, you may receive text messages from the school, and can access messages and the other features via the Arbor website.

HOW TO CHECK WHAT YOUR CHILD IS LEARNING EACH HALF TERM

At CHS South we pride ourselves on providing a varied, personalised and challenging curriculum for all of our students.

CURRICULUM CONTENT

Students at CHS South study a broad and balanced curriculum which encompasses a wide variety of subjects. Students study a core curriculum throughout their time at CHS South which incorporates English, Maths and Science. Other subjects studied include Modern Foreign Languages, Computing, Humanities, Technology, Art, Drama, Dance, Music and PE.

Students at KS3 (Year 7, 8 and 9), continue their studies in all subject areas however in Year 8 will be given the opportunity to select their Arts Elective, meaning they will be able to choose a specific Arts subject to study in more depth. Furthermore in Year 9, students will begin the process of Options and will have a range of subjects to choose from, which they will study in more depth at GCSE as well as continuing with their core subject curriculum. Our broad and balanced curriculum will be the perfect stepping stone for students to become life long learners in our ever changing world.

Our curriculum for the year is published annually on our website. If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to contact us; check our website at www.chssouth.org.uk for more details.

At CHS South we endeavour to ensure that our students make the most progress possible. To do this successfully we have to have an assessment system that is easy to understand, clearly demonstrate progress and is suitably robust and relevant.

Students in Year 7 will have two assessment points throughout the year where students will sit Progress Tests in each subject they study. Following this they will receive a raw score from their class teacher and feedback on their performance in the exam. This enables students to identify their strengths and focus on the areas of learning that will move them forward.

In our reports to parents, we will report if students are making:

Emerging Developing Secure Extending Exceptional

These statements will be based on their performance in the progress test compared with other learners in their Year Group with similar KS2 starting points.

QUALITIES OF SUCCESS

Our curriculum is also underpinned by our Qualities of Success. These are the essential qualities and skills that we intend every CHS South student to develop their understanding of as they process with us. Students will develop their understanding of the skills across all aspects of their learning of CHS South; students will also be recognised for their contribution in these areas.

HOME LEARNING/EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

All students receive a log in for Microsoft Office 365. This means they can use Microsoft apps on devices outside of school. One of these apps is TEAMS which we use for Home Learning. Teachers use TEAMS to share learning resources, issue tasks and assignments and give feedback on students’ work. Students will be given their log in details during their first week in school.

The school office can provide these details to parents on request. For more information on Office 365 and Teams please visit our Home Learning page on our website www.chssouth.org.uk/home-learning

BEDROCK: Students should be completing 2 lessons of Bedrock per week, this will be monitored by their English teacher. Bedrock is an online vocabulary learning site which improves students awareness of words in different contexts. Each lesson should take around 15 minutes. It is recommended that students stick to a clear routine to ensure this is complete. E.g. Monday-Wednesday lesson 1, Thursday-Sunday lesson 2. Teachers and parents can keep track of students' progress and which words have been learnt.

SPARX MATHS: This online Maths platform provides comprehensive online video tutorials, which explain mathematical concepts through modelling of examples. Students test their knowledge through differentiated assignments, suitable for their ability and have the opportunity to revisit content if they need to secure knowledge for a specific topic.

At the start of each year, students will be provided with a username and password. Assignments will be set weekly and the expectation is that students copy modelled examples into their homework books, which is also to be used for their working and solutions for their assignments. This platform will also be used to aid revision in preparation for student Progress Tests.

At the start of the school year, each student will be issued with a personal username and password. Assignments will be set weekly to consolidate the learning that has taken place within the classroom and to aid revision in preparation for termly Progress Tests.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

There is a wealth of extracurricular provision available at CHS South. All activities are free of charge and start between 2:50-3:00pm. There is a booklet that each child receives every term and they are also on the website.

There is no need to sign up for most clubs. Students can arrive at 3pm and join in. There are a small number of clubs that have limited numbers. Students should sign up to these in advance. Please make sure you know which clubs intends to attend and make appropriate arrangements for their journey home.

CODE OF CONDUCT

At CHS South we have set school rules which every student is expected to follow:

READY - I'm present, on time, equipped and in uniform. My attitude is positive. I'm ready to learn!

RESPECTFUL - I talk kindly, listen carefully and I'm silent when asked. I treat others and our environment with the highest regard.

SAFE - I follow instructions and consider my actions. I show awareness for everyone; that's how I am SAFE!

These clear and simple rules reflect our expectations of how our student conduct themselves throughout the school day and in the local community.

Examples of how CHS South students can be Ready, Respectful and Safe include:

Helping and respecting everyone in the school and treating others as we would wish to be treated

Reporting any incidents of bullying

Taking personal responsibility for actions and conduct

Arriving on time to all lessons

Having all the required books and equipment

Listening silently when others are speaking

Sitting while eating in the dining room

Having a strong work ethic and working hard

Listening silently when others are speaking

Respecting and looking after all all school and personal property

Keeping mobile phones switched off at all times during the school day

Putting litter in the bins provided

Leaving valuable items at home

Behaving in a way that will make people glad that CHS South is part of their community both in term times and school holidays

UNDERSTANDING REWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES AT CHS SOUTH

To help all students to have excellent conduct and effort we follow a simple system of rewards and consequence. We expect that each day, students will receive a number of reward points for working hard and being Ready, Respectful and Safe. Rewards point are communicated to families using Arbor.

We hope that warnings and final warnings are issued rarely. A Conversation is a serious consequence which will be communicated to families using Arbor. In addition, a teacher or member of staff will call you to discuss the reason a Conversation was issued to your child.

DINING AT CHS SOUTH

WE PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THROUGH OUR SCHOOL CATERING SERVICE. THE AIM IS TO GIVE STUDENTS WIDE VARIETY OF CHOICE AND TO CATER FOR DIFFERENT DIETARY NEEDS.

If you want to get the best value for money in the Dining Hall, we offer the follow initiatives to help:

Free porridge served at break

Meal Deal costing £2.40 served on out hot meal counter, which includes the hot meal of the day, and two sides/extras

Free fruit

Water fountains (students will need to provide a reusable water bottle)

Don't forget that by accessing Arbor you can see what your child has bought to eat and drink each day and monitor their spending habits.

PARENTS/CARERS

As a school, we encourage parents to contact us if they have any concerns they would like to discuss. Members of staff will often write to parents, contact them by telephone or invite them in to discuss issues of importance about their child's welfare and progress.

We aim to keep you informed of what is happening at the school both with regard to your child's progress and the development of the school. We do this by providing:

A termly magazine 'Spotlight on South', which celebrate the successes and achievements of our students

The school website - www.chssouth.org.uk

Twitter and Instagram - @chssouthmcr

Written Progress Reports throughout the year

A Tutor report

Parents' Evening and Parents' Forum

An active Governing Body

PARENT/CARER EVENINGS

Dates and Time for a Parent's Evening are communicated via email and posted to our website. Each child has one Parents' Evening per year, which allows parents to see the subject teachers of their child. Parent's Evening are always busy, and we encourage parents to bring their children with them to listen to their teachers' comments.

All Parent/Carer Evening appointments will be available via the Arbor app and website approximately two-three weeks before the evening.

HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT

PLEASE FIND BELOW A COPY OF OUR HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT

This is a key document and outlines the key commitments that we expect from yourselves as parents, from your child as a student of the school, and our community as a school to you both.

The document forms the basis of our expectations for all students and it is likely that you will be contacted by the school should your child regularly show behaviours that are not aligned with our Home School Agreement.

Please therefore discuss the Home School Agreement with your child in the period leading up to them joining our school. We encourage you to explore the statements further with your child and discuss how they can ensure that they adhere to the principles in the Agreement. If you have any questions regarding the agreement, please contact your child's Head of Year in the first instance.

PARENTS/CARERS: I/We will endeavour to:

Ensure that my child attends school every day, on time, in full school uniform and with the correct equipment.

Inform the school on the first day, before 8:30am, of any absence through illness or other reason. Make the school aware of any concerns or problems that might affect my child's work or behaviour. Support the school's policies on attendance behaviour, homework, and uniform. Praise success at school, and support the school if sanctions are necessary.

Encourage and support my child with learning opportunities both in and out of school. Ask questions that allow my child to share their learning and offer opportunities to build upon this learning at home.

Attend Parents' Evenings and any meetings about my child's progress and respond where I can to communication from the school, entering in to a productive dialogue with the school about strategies to support my child's progress.

Get to know about my child's life at school and what the school expects of my child.

Embrace and promote the school's 'Qualities of Success' of optimism, empathy, motivation, creativity, curiosity, responsibility, resiliency, reflection and practice.

CHS SOUTH: The School will endeavour to:

Care for your child's safety, happiness and welfare.

Ensure that your child achieves their full potential as a valued member of the school community. Provide a broad and balanced curriculum and learning experience that challenges, motivates and meets the individual needs of your child.

Achieve high standards of work and behaviour, building up good relationships and fostering a good sense of personal responsibility,

Ensure that your child attains the highest possible results in all assessments and examinations.

Keep you and your child informed of their progress and other school matters. Be open and welcoming at all times.

Offer opportunities for you to voice your concerns and support the daily life of the school.

Embrace and promote the school's 'Qualities of Success' of optimism, empathy, motivation, creativity, curiosity, responsibility, resiliency, reflection and practice.

THE STUDENT: I will endeavour to:

Attend school regularly and on time.

Bring all the equipment I need every day.

Wear my school uniform with pride at all times.

Be punctual to my lessons.

Do all my classwork and home learning activities as well as I can, ensuring to hand them in on time. Be courteous, polite, helpful and respectful to all members of our school community. Demonstrate the qualities of an outstanding student both in lessons, around the school building and on educational trips and visits.

Represent the school, my family and myself with pride on the journey to and from school. Respect and care for the school environment, keeping our school free of litter, graffiti and chewing gum.

Embrace and promote the school's 'Qualities of Success' of optimism, empathy, motivation, creativity, curiosity, responsibility, resiliency, reflection and practice.

TOGETHER: We will endeavour to:

To resolve problems in a friendly, supportive manner.

To work together in harmony.

To ensure our children reach their full potential.

ACCEPTABLE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS

PLEASE FIND BELOW A COPY OF OUR HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT

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Yourchildwillbeaskedtoconfirmthattheyhavereadandagreetothispolicythefirsttimethattheylogonto ourcomputersystemsinschoolatthestartofeachacademicyear(pleaseseedeclarationattheendofthis policy).Pleasethereforediscussthispolicywithyourchildintheperiodleadinguptothemjoiningourschool. Weencourageyoutoexplorethestatementsfurtherwithyourchildanddiscusshowtheycanensurethatthey adheretotheprinciplesinpolicy.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 We want every student to benefit from the use of the resources provided by our school's ICT network and digital systems. In allowing students such freedom to access digital resources comes the responsibility of using them safely and securely. Students are responsible for their own behaviour and conduct when using our resources in the same way as they are responsible for their own behaviour around school. We expect all students to adhere to the basic rules in this document and honour the agreement that they have signed.

1.2 An Acceptable Use Policy is about ensuring that you, as a student at CHS South can use the internet, email and other technologies available at the school in a safe and secure way. The policy also extends to out of school facilities, e.g. our virtual environments, Internet, email, websites and mobile phones.

2. AS A STUDENT AT CHS SOUTH, I AGREE THAT I WILL:

2.1 Use all digital equipment and resources responsibly and safely.

2.2 Report damage to equipment or the network immediately to a member of staff.

2.3 Use only my own username and login to access the school network. I will be responsible for this username and password and not give it to anybody else.

2.4 Only visit resources or websites which are appropriate to my work at the time.

2.5 Only use school resources to help me with my schoolwork.

2.6 Report any misuse of resources, including the internet, immediately to a member of staff.

2.7 Only copy pictures or text into my area on the network. I will not download any other type of file. For example, software, games, screen savers etc.

2.8 Ask a teacher before I print out any information from my area or the internet.

2.9 Follow the 10 Golden Rules in ICT when learning in all ICT lessons - which focus on respect for each other and the equipment.

2.10 Follow the health and safety guidelines for working with computers displayed in ICT rooms.

2.11 Communicate safely through any virtual learning environments for school related issues only.

2.12 Respect other people's views and beliefs.

2.15 Be polite - never send or encourage others to send abusive messages.

2.16 Report any breach (deliberate or accidental) of this policy to a teacher immediately.

2.17 Report if I am sent inappropriate material, e.g. images, videos etc. immediately to a member of staff within the school.

2.13 Only post comments or messages which are appropriate to that discussion in online forum or discussion groups.

2.14 Use school E-mail for school use only. No inappropriate content should be included in an email.

3. AS A STUDENT AT CHS SOUTH, I AGREE THAT I WILL NOT:

3.1 Attempt to log on using another person's username and password or access another person's files.

3.2 Attempt to gain access to any part of the school network that is not available through my personal logon.

3.3 Attempt to use or load programmes, files, tools or shortcuts to gain access to the internet or any other part of the network.

3.4 Visit websites or resources that contain unsuitable material. If I am unsure if a site is suitable, I will ask a member of staff.

3.5 Take information from the internet and pass it off as my own work. Plagiarised work is unacceptable.

3.6 Retrieve, send, copy, display or post anything abusive, obscene, offensive or otherwise illegal.

3.7 Post any personal or private information on myself or any other individual.

3.8 Copy or forward messages without permission.

3.9 Use of include any material which I confidential or copyrighted unless you have first obtained permission.

3.10 Post any advertising or promotional material.

3.11 Behave in an impolite or offensive manner.

3.12 Take photographs, videos or other images/recordings of staff or students at school.

3.13 Post or download material which contains viruses or other programs which may disrupt the school's systems.

3.14 Use the school systems in such a way that disrupts the use of systems by other uses.

3.15 Use digital technology (including my mobile phone) in a manner that is likely to bring the school into disrepute or risk the welfare of another young person.

3.16 Use my mobile phone (or other mobile technologies) within school.

3.17 Download software or other files without permission.

3.18 Communicate to others any information which may result in the loss or damage to anyone else's work.

4. STUDENT DECLARATION:

I understand and agree to condition of this agreement. I understand that any breach of these conditions may result in disciplinary action and the removal of my privileges to access school resources. I also agree to report any misuse of the system to a staff member and I understand that misuse may come in many forms including viewing and sending any message that are likely to cause offence.

Parental Feedback

"HAPPY, FRIENDLY, FAMILY FEEL TO THE SCHOOL"