PARENT INFORMATION GUIDE
Welcome to The Birkenhead Park School. We are delighted that your child is joining us in September 2024.
We have enclosed information that we hope you find useful to help support the transition from primary school and answer any questions that you may have at this stage.
Key dates:
Transition Day 8:45am - 2:45pm July 3
September 4
Wednesday 3rd July 2024
Wednesday 4th September 2024
Year 7 Induction 8:35am - 12:45pm
Thursday 5th September 2024
First full day of term 8:35am - 3:05pm
WELCOME
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to The Birkenhead Park School. As a school, we are part of the BePART Educational Trust which is driven by the core belief that all children can succeed through purposeful hard work, a challenging academic environment and the highest standards of teaching.
We are very proud of the school, the students and staff and we believe in establishing a culture of excellent behaviour, the highest academic standards and a high quality curriculum. Staff are committed to doing what we know is right for our school community. We can guarantee that nothing will be left to chance and we believe that all students will achieve the greatest possible academic success.
There is a relentless approach to behaviour and attendance and we make no apology for this. This is supported by clear and robust systems to ensure the school is a safe and happy place where all students can succeed.
We are renowned for our pastoral care: we have a dedicated team of staff who work closely with our families to ensure that we meet the needs of each and every student. In return for meeting our high standards, students will receive an outstanding education that is delivered by a team of staff who are passionate, committed and genuinely care for the students.
Everything we do rests on the strong foundations of our values of Positivity, Ambition, Resilience and Thoughtfulness.
Positivity - we are positive about what we do and what others can do
Ambition - we will work to raise aspirations and develop a strong desire for success
Resilience - we will be determined and not give up when faced with difficulties
Thoughtfulness - we treat everyone with respect and consideration
We look forward to welcoming your son or daughter in September 2024.
Peter Mee Head of School
LEARNING HABITS
The Birkenhead Park School Learning Habits provide a framework to ensure our core values (Positivity, Ambition, Resilience, Thoughtful) are embedded within our daily practice. Every student is expected to uphold these values.
Arrive to school at 8:35am
Arrive to lessons on time
Homework
Pencil
Calm Corridors
Corridors should be calm, quiet & orderly
Be polite & respectful
Quickest route to next lesson
TERM DATES
2024 - 2025
For Year 7 Students
Autumn Term 2024
Year 7 Induction Day - Wednesday 4th September
First day of term - Thursday 5th September
Half Term: Monday 28th October - Friday 1st November
Open: Monday 4th November - Friday 20th December
Christmas Holidays: Monday 23rd December - Friday 3rd January 2025
Spring Term 2025
Open: Monday 6th January - Friday 14th February
Half Term: Monday 17th February - Friday 231st February
Open: Monday 24th February - Friday 4th April
Summer Term 2025
Open: Tuesday 22nd April - Friday 23rd May
May Bank Holiday: Monday 5th May
Half Term: Monday 26th May - Friday 30th May
Open: Monday 2nd June - Friday 18th July
Summer Holidays start: Monday 21st July
Spring Break: Monday 7th April - Monday 21st April www.birkenheadparkschool.com/about/term-dates
SCHOOL DAY
For Year 7, the school day timings are as follows:
School Day
Breakfast Club 8:008:35am
Tutor Time 8:359:15am
Lesson 1 9:1510:15am
Break 10:1510:30am
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
10:3011:30am
11:3012:30pm
Lunch 12:301:05pm
Lesson 4 1:052:05pm
Lesson 5
2:053:05pm
Students Finish 3:05pm
WEEKS A/B
The above school timetable will operate on a two week cycle between Week A and Week B.
The timings of each day and the number of lessons remains the same between the two weeks. However, the content of your child’s timetable will be different as they do different lessons in Week A compared to Week B.
SCHOOL MEALS
We serve a wide choice of food and drinks in the school canteen which opens at 8am each morning for free Breakfast Club. This environment allows students to benefit from a positive nutritional balance supporting a healthy lifestyle, and meals are served that reflect the cultural, medical and dietary needs of our students.
You may be able to claim Free School Meals if, as a parent, you receive financial support from the government.
You can apply for Free School Meals online using this link: https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims-wirral
We would encourage you to take up your entitlement to Free School Meals if you are eligible.
Find the latest school dinner menus and prices on our website here: www.birkenheadparkschool.com/parents/schoolmeals
School Uniform
The school uniform is considered a very important aspect of the school’s ethos and full uniform is expected to be worn by all of our students every day.
Year 7 - 10 uniform consists of:
• A black blazer with a red trim and the school badge.
• A white shirt/blouse.
• School clip-on tie: no other type is permitted.
• Formal black school trousers or black school skirt - tube/body-con style skirts are not permitted.
• Flat, plain black shoes (boots and training shoes are not permitted.)
• A school jumper, tank top or black cardigan may be worn underneath the blazer provided they are fine knit.
• Plain black or white below the knee socks or black tights.
P.E. Kit:
• Black and red polo shirt with logo (girls). Black and red Football top with logo (boys).
• Black and red shorts with logo.
• Black socks.
• Trainers.
• Football boots/shin pads (optional).
• Towel.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY FLAT, PLAIN BLACK SHOES are allowed. No footwear with a coloured trim or logo will be allowed. Please see below for examples of allowed footwear. Each student will be given a complimentary school bag on the first day of term, as well as receiving a lanyard and a ‘YONDR’ mobile phone pouch.
YEAR 7 TEAM MEET THE
Mrs Kirwan
KS3 Pastoral Leader
(Years 7 & 8)
“As the Pastoral Leader for Year 7, my team and I are here to support your child with the transition from primary to secondary school.
The Year 7 pastoral team go to great lengths to help your child feel welcome. Our hugely experienced team includes dedicated Form Tutors who will know your child well. Mr Huyton and I are always available before, during and after the school day.
I feel very excited to be part of your child’s next steps in education and look forward to a secure, happy and successful Year 7 for all at The Birkenhead Park School.”
Mr Huyton
Year 7
Year Leader
“With our help, your child will quickly settle into school life, making new friendships and learning lots of new things.
Our school offers a safe, caring and supportive environment so that your child can achieve their very best. We will always be around to discuss any problems or worries they may have along the way. If we all work together, we can ensure your child reaches their full potential.”
Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Information about your child’s individual needs is gathered during the transition period by key staff. The school’s assessment and screening procedures are used to give us an up-to-date profile of learning needs against our thresholds for SEN support.
We have a strong team of Teaching Assistants and Teachers who specialise in providing a range of support strategies to ensure that every member of the school community thrives. Our focus is on providing high quality teaching which addresses any difficulties in the acquisition of literacy and/ or numeracy skills, and the social and emotional aspects of learning. We have close relationships with other agencies and incorporate specialist advice into Person Centred Plans where appropriate.
WEEKS ACTIVITY
Our new Year 7 students are invited to attend a free Activity Week in the summer holidays.
We will be running two Activity Weeks during the summer:
Activity Week 1: Mon 12th August - Thurs 15th July 2024
Activity Week 2: Mon 19th August - Thurs 22nd August 2024
The Activity Weeks will run from 10am-2pm.
Students will enjoy four days of fun activities. This will provide our new starters with a great opportunity to build confidence, make new friends, have fun and get familiar with their new school.
There is no charge for Activity Weeks and breakfast and lunch will be provided each day.
You should have received an email to book your place on one of the above weeks. If you haven’t received this email, please get in touch with Mrs Kirwan via email at: pki@birkenheadparkschool.com
You will receive an email around the 8th July 2024 confirming your place.
We love to read at BPS, and The Big Read is our daily reading programme that inspires students to delvelop a love of reading from pleasure.
NEW! Family Book Club
We are delighted to announce the launch of our Family Book Club. Starting in September, families will be invited to sign up and receive a family pack of books. We will meet once a term to chat about the book over a cup of tea and cake! Full details will be sent to you via email.
Summer Reading Challenge
As part of Summer School this year, we will focus on the wonders of Greek Mythology; Odysseus amazing journey home from war fighting mythical beasts, Jason’s quest to find the golden fleece and the clash between Persius and Medusa. Students will begin their learning adventure during the summer and use their Mythology book which they will collect on Transition day on 3rd July, to continue their reading during the summer and complete a leaning task.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
We always work hard to keep you up-to-date with what is going on across the school and with your child’s learning and development. It is vital that we work together to ensure your child achieves their full potential and communication is crucial to that success. There are a number of ways we will communicate with you to ensure you get the relevant information and updates.
Email will be our main way of communicating with you and any letters informing you of important information about the school will be emailed to you.
If you need to contact us, please email: offices@birkenheadparkschool.com
Text messages Website (www.birkenheadparkschool.com)
We will contact you at times via text message. We will also keep in contact with you via our app Class Charts.
Our website is regularly updated with good news stories and events. It is a great source of information about the school and may help you answer important questions about the school.
Social Media
We update our Facebook, X and Instgram accounts almost daily with important news and events, including reminders of key dates and any decisions to close the school in the event of extreme weather.
CLASS CHARTS
In school, we will be using Class Charts app as a way of keeping in touch.
Not only will we be able to communicate with you via the app, but you can see the following information for your son or daughter:
We will be providing more information at the start of term and will be asking all parents to download the Class Charts App so they can be fully engaged and informed about their son/daughter’s progress.
