Senior School Parents Handbook 2019/20

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1.

Aims of the School

27. Health Centre

2.

Social Media

28. Insurance of Personal Property

3.

Committee (Governing Body)

29. Lanyards

4.

Absence

30. Library

5.

Access to Pupil Information

31. Peripatetic Lessons

6.

Admissions Policy

32. Prep

7.

Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco

33. PSFA

8.

Behaviour

34. PSHE

9.

Boarding

35. Quaker Education

10. Careers and Work Experience

36. Safeguarding

11. Care of the Environment

37. Shape of the Day

12. Catering

38. Social Respect

13. Code of Conduct

39. Student Forum

14. Complaints

40. Supervision

15. Computer Acceptable Use

41. Transport

16. Curriculum

42. Tutors

17. Curriculum Enrichment Week

43. Uniform

18. Day House System

44. Use of Pupil Images

19. Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

45. Term Dates

20. Educational Visits 21. Enrichment 22. Equal Opportunities 23. Equipment and Electronic Devices 24. Fees 25. First Aid 26. Health and Safety

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1. AIMS OF THE SCHOOL

The full School Committee meets three times a year, while two sub-committees (‘Finance and Premises’ and ‘School Life’) meet on a further three occasions, usually on a Saturday.

‘Each talented.

Each different.

All valued.’

Most members of the governing body are ‘Friends’ (that is members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers), nominated through a committee set up by Sibford General Meeting, which meets annually. School Committee is also supported by two Old Scholar representatives and two parents.

Our Quaker Ethos underpins our policies and practices and is expressed through the following aims:

The chair of the governing body is known as the Clerk of School Committee; this post is currently held by Seren Wildwood. Seren can be contacted via the school office (telephone 01295 781200) or by emailing Julia Morel, the Head’s PA (jmorel@sibfordschool.co.uk)

• To create and maintain a culture in which all members of the community can be themselves, developing confidence, self-esteem and tolerance by ensuring a secure setting in which they feel valued and respected.

• To enable every pupil to recognise and acknowledge his or her individual talents and to help each one realise his or her full potential.

Any member of the School Committee can be contacted via the school office. Staff attenders at School Committee are: Toby Spence, Tracy Knowles, Ally Lynch, John Charlesworth and Edward Rossiter.

• To meet the needs of our pupils, be they educational or pastoral.

4. ABSENCE

• To provide our pupils with a thirst for lifelong learning and an active concern for their immediate environment and the wider community.

If a child is unable to attend school due to illness, parents must telephone the school or email absence@ sibfordschool.co.uk by 09.00am on each day of absence.

• To welcome parents into a partnership embracing trust, understanding and mutual support.

The telephone call must then be followed by a written letter or email to the child’s tutor as follows:

The following are central to our life as a community: • Immediately following an unplanned absence, explaining reasons for absence.

• Where the absence is expected to last more than three days (this should be accompanied by a doctor’s certificate for prolonged absence).

• Respect • Relationships • Resilience

2. SOCIAL MEDIA

Parents requesting pupil absence, other than for illness, must seek permission from the Head by completing the Application for Leave request form which can be found on the school website (www.sibfordschool.co.uk/portal/ forms/other-documents). This should be returned to the school at least one week prior to the absence.

Sibford is a busy school with lots going on each week. We will be sharing exciting stories across the following social media channels: • • • •

Facebook. Like ‘SibfordSchool’ Twitter. Follow ‘SibfordSchOxon’ Instagram. Follow ‘AtSibfordSchool’ Flickr. Visit www.flickr.com/sibford_school/ for downloadable photos

Parent/Guardian absence: Parents of boarders who are away from home for an extended period must inform the school, and supply the name of a guardian and emergency contacts if they are out of the country. If a guardian is away from home for an extended period or is unwell and unable to fulfil their duties (for example in hospital) the parents and/or guardian must inform the school.

3. COMMITTEE Sibford School’s Governing Body is known as ‘School Committee’. The School address is the registered office of School Committee.

All parents are asked to keep to the school’s holiday dates so that pupils are not hindered by unnecessary absence from playing their part in both the academic and

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the community life of the school. Click here to see the 2019/20 term dates.

drug including alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is a drug and abuse thereof will be dealt with in the same way as any other drug misuse. It will lead to suspension, either fixed term or permanent.

Pupils are not allowed to leave the school site during the school day without permission of a senior member of staff. Year 10 and 11 may go to the village shop in the lunch hour providing that they do eat lunch and that their behaviour in the village, is impeccable.

If any pupil becomes intoxicated, either at school or off campus, he/she is likely to bring the name of the school into disrepute and will be dealt with accordingly.

We expect all pupils to be present at school for our annual Open Day on Saturday June 13th.

The school does not permit smoking or vaping in any form anywhere on the campus. Pupils caught smoking or vaping will face severe sanctions, in most cases a period of suspension. Pupils may not have cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaporisers, matches, lighters or any other smoking equipment on their person or in their boarding rooms.

• Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Missing Child Policy.

INAPPROPRIATE ITEMS The general power to discipline (‘Discipline in Schools’ DfE – Teachers’ Powers) enables a member of staff to confiscate, retain or dispose of a pupils’ property as a sanction, so long as it is reasonable in the circumstances.

5. ACCESS TO PUPIL INFORMATION There are two distinct rights to information held by schools about pupils.

1. Under the Data Protection Act 1998*, a pupil has the right to a copy of their own information. In certain circumstances requests may be made by a parent on behalf of their child.

Staff are protected by law from liability for damage to, or loss of, any confiscated items provided they have acted lawfully. Items confiscated will normally by returned to the pupil or parent within a stated time period depending on the offence.

2. Under the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005, a parent (or those acting as, or for, parent, such as a legal guardian or foster parent) has the right to access their child’s educational record.

Staff have power to search without consent and to confiscate items considered inappropriate.

Such items include:

Sibford School is required to make a pupil’s record available to a parent or the pupil on receipt of a written request. A response to such a request must be made within 40 days.

• • • • • •

The school reserves the right to make an administrative charge for photocopying. This charge will be no more than £10.00 in accordance with section 7 of the Data Protection Act.

• • •

*The Act does not specify an age at which a child can make their own request for access to their information. As a general guide, a child of 12 or older is expected to be mature enough to understand the request they are making. A child may, of course, be mature enough at an earlier age or may lack sufficient maturity until a later age, and so requests should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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6. ADMISSIONS POLICY

Knives and weapons Alcohol Illegal drugs ‘Legal’ highs Stolen items Cigarettes, tobacco, e-cigarettes, vaporisers and cigarette papers Fireworks Pornographic images Any article likely to be used to commit an offence, cause personal injury or damage to property Any banned item under school rules including mobile phones

Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Admissions Policy.

Serious sanctions are employed to give a clear and strong message to the guilty party, and the rest of the school community, about what is acceptable behaviour.

7. ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND TOBACCO

• Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Sibford School Behaviour Policy and Social Respect Policy.

No pupil of Sibford School should buy, possess, consume on campus, or supply to others, any form of

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8. BEHAVIOUR

Occasional/flexible boarding is available for any day pupil in Year 7 to 13 who wishes to board or needs to board other than as a full boarder or weekly boarder, whether for a single night or for a longer period.

Our Quaker values underpin Sibford School in all areas of school life. Pupils and staff adhere to the Code of Conduct in line with our school ethos. Details of age appropriate procedures are included in the school ‘Behaviour – Rewards and Sanctions Policy’ which can be found on our website (www.sibfordschool.co.uk/ school-policies).

Authorisation forms are available from the Head of Boarding for parents to complete and return. The charge (2019/2020) is £65.00 per night.

During the week there are evening clubs, practices, fixtures, outings and other activities.

At weekends there is a range of activities available, for example, visits to places of interest sports, visits to the theatre or cinema, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award training, expeditions and other commitments, shopping outings and on-site activities.

At Sibford we hope to recognise the ‘good’ within each person and try to find peaceful and reasonable resolutions to conflict, as a clear reflection of our Quaker principles. Our positive ‘culture of praise’ informs our day-to-day work with pupils and expectations that good behaviour and kindness are the norm. We expect pupils to treat staff and each other with consideration and good manners.

Health and Pastoral Care All boarders are registered with the School Nurse who is based at the Health Centre on-site. Appointments are made through the School Nurse if pupils need to see a doctor.

Our key focus with pupils is on developing three core areas: Respect, Relationships and Resilience.

An important part of the Quaker contribution to the spiritual life of the children is that through the silence of Meeting for Worship, they have time for quiet reflection on their behaviour and actions. As our overall aim, discipline is based on respect and trust as well as collective and individual responsibility. We treat everyone as an individual and are strongly committed to promoting equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or disability. However, there will be occasions when sanctions must be imposed in the interest of the wider community.

The School Nurse must be informed of any medication prescribed by other practitioners, for example, during school holidays so that out of school treatments are fully integrated within the school care programme. In addition to the School Nurse, there is a team of qualified First-Aiders on site.

Laundry Each house has its own arrangements for laundry.

Personal laundry, bed linen and towels are dealt with by the school’s laundry. Boarding houses all have their own laundry facilities should pupils wish to do their own laundry.

In circumstances where things do go wrong, guidance and support are offered through our pastoral system where strong tutor/class teacher/house parent relationships exist.

Personal electronic equipment Boarders may use their own personal electronic equipment. All such equipment must comply with school safety checks and parents should arrange suitable insurance for these items. Access to the internet through the wireless network is monitored for the purposes of network security and pupil safety.

Pupils may, of course, use the school computers for their internet access needs, such use being at the hours prescribed by Housestaff. Although the Network Manager may be able to assist pupils with the use of their own laptops/tablets it is not the responsibility of the Network Manager.

• Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Behaviour Policy.

9. BOARDING There are three boarding houses, each house has two or more Houseparents: Margaret Fell House – girls, Years 7 to 11 Penn House – boys, Years 7 to 11 Fielding House – mixed, Years 12 and 13

Mobile Phones In Margaret Fell and Penn House, mobile phones are handed in at 9pm and returned to pupils at 8am.

Some full boarders have their family homes in the UK; others come from abroad. Weekly boarders’ parents live mostly in the UK, and they collect their children on Friday evenings and return them either on Sunday evenings or on Monday mornings before the start of school.

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Pocket Money Pupils pocket money should be left in the care of Houseparents; the school cannot accept responsibility for money left in dormitories or other areas in school.

Pupils should arrange withdrawals of pocket money with their Houseparents.

Day pupils must attend lunch and may attend tea if staying for prep (48 hours’ notice via Reception is required). Boarders must attend all weekday meals (breakfast, lunch and tea). There is some flexibility at weekends but brunch for boarders on Saturday and Sunday and the Sunday evening meal are compulsory.

All boarders have lockers for the safe keeping of small amounts of money and valuables.

Meals are served at the following times 8am: Breakfast From Senior School Lunch 12.50pm: (Year group rotas published

at start of term) 5.45pm: Tea

10. CAREERS AND WORK EXPERIENCE Careers advice begins in Year 7 (when we encourage pupils to start thinking about milestones and invite a parent in to talk about their job and answer questions) and runs right through to Sixth Form.

Snacks are available for pupils to purchase during morning break in the school dining room. Fresh fruit is also available. There is also a Fairtrade Shop that is open once a week. In addition, we have regular charity cake sales.

One-to-one careers advice and guidance is provided, free of charge, to every student in Year 11 from an external provider. In addition, our Careers Co-ordinator, Lois Self, is a former Careers Adviser (Level 6 qualified) and will provide Careers Advice and Guidance for any students as requested on an ad hoc basis.

At 4.15pm (Monday – Thursday) a snack/fruit and a drink are served in the dining room for boarders and day pupils staying for prep only.

Please note: Sibford School is a Nut Free Zone With a number of children suffering food allergies, and in particular nut allergies, Sibford School has taken the decision to reduce the risk of allergic reactions by ensuring that there should be no nuts, or products containing nuts, present in the school environment. This means that our Catering Department, Food Technology Department and, indeed, all other departments, do not use nuts or nut products.

We also ask that any cakes or food brought into school for whatever reason (fund raising, celebrations, gifts etc) do not contain nuts.

Sixth Form students are encouraged to undertake work experience and attend Higher Education information days, National Career and Apprenticeship Fairs and visit organisations and university departments. We also provide assistance with writing personal statements and completing UCAS applications.

In addition, we run a Careers’ Fair inviting a range of different companies, large and small, in to talk to students about the work they do, and also universities, Gap Year providers and local colleges.

11. CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

13. CODE OF CONDUCT

The school recognises its responsibility concerning environmental issues, and actively endorses and implements sustainable environmental programmes promoting and encouraging energy conservation, recycling and waste management. Pupils, staff, suppliers and others involved in school operations are all expected to play their part in helping the school fulfil these responsibilities.

Guidelines for Pupils at Sibford School Produced by Student Forum 2017 • • • • • • • •

12. CATERING At Sibford we encourage all pupils to eat a nutritionally balanced diet. Our caterers, Thomas Franks, offer a creative and varied range of menus that provide for a wide range of tastes. All food is prepared at the school with ingredients that come from local, family owned suppliers.

Mutual respect is key.

Look after the school environment.

Look after each other.

Social media - think before you post.

Do something wrong - own up.

Stressed or sad – ask for support.

Be loyal to the school, teachers and pupils.

Always report bad behaviour.

14. COMPLAINTS • Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Complaints Policy.

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15. COMPUTER ACCEPTABLE USE

19. DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD SCHEME

• Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Computer Acceptable Use Policy.

Sibford offers three levels of Duke of Edinburgh: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

16. CURRICULUM

Students can sign up for their Bronze award from the age of 14 and, on completion of all three sections, are invited to sign up for the Silver Award.

The school believes in providing an education for the ‘whole person’. We aim to give pupils a broad and balanced curriculum which includes experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, horticultural, human and social, physical, aesthetic and creative education. We believe that our curriculum extends beyond the classroom and includes a wide range of extra- curricular activities and experiences, appropriate for the ages and aptitudes of all pupils, including those with a statement of Special Educational Needs.

The Gold Award is available to Sixth Form students.

Usually they will have completed their Bronze and Silver first although it is possible to have direct entry into the Award at Gold Level.

The school organises expeditions at all three levels where students will be expected to camp and undertake outdoor skills. Recent expeditions have been in Oxfordshire (Bronze), the New Forest (Silver) and the Lake District (Gold).

Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Curriculum Policy.

20. EDUCATIONAL VISITS

17. CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT WEEK

School visits provide a great opportunity for pupils to gain experience and face a range of challenges that can contribute significantly to their personal development.

Curriculum Enrichment Week takes place during the last week of the summer term. All pupils in the Senior School (apart from Year 11 and Year 13) are taken off the normal timetable and given the opportunity to try an activity that is new, exciting and perhaps something that they would not normally undertake. Experience and feedback tells us that the pupils benefit greatly from these activities and it also gives them the opportunity to enjoy time together as a year group. There is a cost implication in taking pupils out of school, whether it be for residential visits or on day excursions, however, we try to keep this to a minimum and we hope you will agree it represents excellent value for money.

All educational visits are reviewed and approved by the school’s governing body. The school’s educational visits coordinator ensures that all risk assessments are completed.

Outings to the theatre, exhibitions, conferences etc are regularly arranged for all pupils. The cost of these trips is extra and can be added to the termly fee account.

In the Senior School, day pupils may be able to stay overnight in one of our boarding houses for a small charge if a trip/outing is scheduled to return to school at a late hour. Permission needs to be obtained from the house staff in advance.

18. DAY HOUSE SYSTEM Sibford School operates four Day Houses, Clark, Fry, Gillett and Nansen. These are led by a staff Head of House, and a Year 13 and Year 9 House captain.

The school also runs a number of residential trips, some directly associated with curriculum subjects e.g.

Geography Field Trips and other more recreational visits such as the Ski Trip.

Upon joining the school, each pupil is allocated to a House, and will follow family connections. Houses are distinguished by colour. House scarves may be purchased from our uniform supplier, Schoolblazer.

In 2011 the law changed to make it possible for schools to obtain generic permission from parents/guardians to take pupils on educational visits, rather than having to seek consent for each individual activity.

The Houses run socials once a year, have a special meal, and throughout the year there are many interHouse competitions. At the end of each term a special House Meeting is held, and cups are presented along with the termly points shield.

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By completing the ‘Generic Permission to leave campus’ section on the General Admissions Form you give permission for your child to leave campus on supervised outings throughout their time at Sibford School. We will continue to keep you fully informed of trips planned and supply you with relevant details as to dates, times, costs etc so that you can make an informed decision about each and every trip/activity and, should you not wish your child to partake, you can then let us know.

• PE kit (on appropriate days) • Water Bottle • No tippex or erasable pens COMPUTERS The use of the latest technology is actively encouraged at Sibford School but with this comes a responsibility to protect both students and the school from abuse of the system. Guidelines for the responsible use of technology will be found in your Planner and are also available on the Parent Pupil Portal of the School website.

Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Educational Visits Policy.

Students are expected to behave responsibly on the school computer network, as they would in classrooms and in other areas of the school. We therefore ask that you adhere to the Sibford School Student Computer Acceptable Use Policy which can be found on the school website: www. sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies. This policy covers all computers, laptops and electronic devices within the school, irrespective of who owns the device.

21. ENRICHMENT There is a wide variety of lunchtime clubs and activities on offer covering a range of subjects including crafts, board games, music, drama and sport.

All pupils in Years 7 and 8 must attend three lunchtime clubs/activities per week. Year 9 pupils are required to attend two per week, these will be chosen in the first week of each term and attendance at these is compulsory. We also run a number of before and after school clubs.

LAPTOPS Pupils are permitted to use laptops during certain parts of the school day either at the discretion of the SfL Department or as directed by another member of staff.

Laptops must be registered with the Head of ICT (see Laptop Registration Letter under Documents in Parent Pupil Portal of the school website.) Personal laptops can only connect via the student network service. You must use wireless connectivity – do not cable your laptop to the network. Your laptop must have up to date anti-virus software installed.

A new booklet has recently been published outlining the many extra curricular activities on offer at Sibford School.

This can be found on the school website here: https:// issuu.com/sibfordschool/docs/sibford_school_extra_ curricular_19_.

22. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Laptops are expensive tools for work and pupils should not abuse this privilege by using them for unsuitable purposes.

Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Community Equality Policy.

If you bring a laptop to school you must comply with the Laptop Code of Conduct which can be found under Documents in the Parent Pupil Portal section of the school website. Please also ensure that your laptop is locked away when not in use.

23. EQUIPMENT AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT Pupils require the following equipment in school: • • • • • • • • • • •

MOBILE PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES Mobile phones are not permitted to be used in school.

If pupils need to have a phone on during your journey to and from school please ensure that it is turned off and stored safely during the day. Should a pupil need to contact home, they may use the phone in Reception.

Reading Book Pen (ink or equivalent) Pencils Coloured pens/pencils Eraser (not Tipp-Ex) Highlighters Scissors Glue Ruler Memory Stick Mathematical Equipment: Protractor, Compass and Casio Scientific Calculator (NOT mobile phone calculators)

If a pupil is found to be using their mobile phone in school the following sanctions will be applied: • First offence - the phone will be removed for up to one week and returned on Friday at 4.15pm.

• Second offence – as first offence BUT parents/ guardians will be informed that any further offence will result in a Senior Leadership Team Detention.

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• Third Offence – Senior Leadership Detention (24hrs notice after school 4.30-5.30pm). The phone will be returned to parents upon school collection time and will meet with a member of the senior leadership team. Pupils will be asked to keep the phone at home for five working days or they will have to hand in their phone into school for five working days.

4. For parents who wish to pay fees in advance, the School can fix the termly fee for an agreed future period, based on the appropriate published fee prevailing at the time such an arrangement is made (please note that where a fee increase has already been notified, then the advance payment would be based on the new fee). The amount payable will be in multiples of the agreed termly fee and will remain constant for the number of terms covered by the advance payment received.

Pupils must not use any kind of camera or video facility to photograph or record pupils or staff at school.

Misuse of mobile phones and other electronic devices can be a criminal offence. Failure to adhere to this rule is likely to result in a serious sanction.

Additional Payments Parents, Staff and Friends Association A £5 per term payment to Sibford PSFA (Parents, Staff and Friends Association) will automatically be added to your bill. Should you wish to opt out of this payment please contact Nikki Tunnicliffe in writing/by email (ntunnicliffe@sibfordschool.co.uk).

24. FEES Details of current fees can be found on the school website: www.sibfordschool.co.uk/admissions/fees.

Fees Refund Scheme Sibford operates a Fees Refund Scheme which entitles you to a refund if your child is forced to miss school for an extended period of time because they are ill or injured (conditions apply). The cost of joining the scheme is calculated as a percentage of your termly fee (excluding extras) and for 2019/20 will be 1.05%. This is an OPT IN scheme. If you would like to be included, the application form can be found under ‘Documents’ on the Parent Pupil portal of the school website.

Termly school fees are invoiced during the holidays and are payable three working days prior to the beginning of term. Payment can be made by cheque, bank transfer or debit card. Interest may be charged at 5% on any amounts outstanding after that date.

Cheques should be made payable to ‘Sibford School’ and sent to the school together with the remittance advice printed at the foot of your invoice. Please write the name of your child/children on the reverse of the cheque.

Scholarships, Bursaries & Sibling Discounts Sibford School awards a limited number of Scholarships and Bursaries. The school also operates a Sibling Discount Scheme.

The school’s bank account details are as follows: Allied Irish Bank Account Number: 26774108 Sort Code: 23-85-85 For international parents the IBAN reference is: GB53AIBK23858526774108.

In the Senior School and Sixth Form, General Academic scholarships are awarded together with subject specific scholarships for Art, Music and Sport. Scholarships consist of a maximum 10% discount on fees.

Scholarships are offered for the following Year Groups:

To pay by debit card please telephone Nikki Tunnicliffe in the Accounts Department on 01295 781212.

In addition, Sibford School also offers a number of other payment options which parents may find helpful: -

• Senior School - for entry to Year 7 (offered until the end of Year 11) • Senior School - for entry to Year 9 (offered until the end of Year 11) • Sixth Form - for entry to Year 12 (offered until the end of Year 13)

1. The school is able to offer the facility for parents to pay termly fee bills by Credit Card. If you choose this facility, please contact Nikki Tunnicliffe in the Accounts Department on 01295 781212.

2. The termly fee can be split into instalments and paid by Direct Debit. This operates on the basis of each term’s bill (plus a 1% administration charge) being split into three with payment being collected

by Direct Debit over a period of three consecutive months on the last working day of each month.

3. Childcare vouchers can be used to offset some of the fees payable for pupils aged 16 and under. Please contact Nikki Tunnicliffe (ntunnicliffe@sibfordschool. co.uk) for further details.

Sibford School also offers a limited number of Means Tested Bursaries to pupils throughout the school.

These can be awarded to both Quaker and non-Quaker families.

For more information on Scholarships and Bursaries visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/scholarships-bursaries.

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28. INSURANCE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY

Notice of early withdrawal You are required to give the school one clear term’s notice, in writing, if you intend to withdraw your child from the School. Failure to give notice could result in a full term’s fees being charged.

Visit https://portal.sibfordschool.co.uk/other-documents for details of Pupils Personal Effects Insurance .

29. LANYARDS

Sibford School is a company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England under number 3487651, Registered Charity No. 1068256.

• Sibford School operates a lanyard system.

• All staff wear ID badges attached to a GREEN lanyard.

• Visitors to Sibford School must sign in and will be given a Visitor’s Badge attached to RED lanyard.

• Visitors who have been DBS checked and work regularly on behalf of Sibford School will be given a Visitor’s Badge attached to an ORANGE Lanyard.

• Visitors wearing a red lanyard should not be alone with a pupil

25. FIRST AID Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the First Aid Policy.

26. HEALTH AND SAFETY Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Health and Safety Policy.

30. LIBRARY The School Library is open every school day, from 8.30am until 4.30pm, and during Prep from Monday to Thursday.

Students use the Library during Break and Lunchtime for study and reading and sixth formers are encouraged to use the Library during their study periods.

27. HEALTH CENTRE Sibford School has its own Health Centre and employs a registered nurse, Miriam Bibb. The school also has a separate Wellbeing Room and has regular visits from trained wellbeing coaches who are available to talk to students on a confidential basis.

The Library provides books and magazines for all to encourage leisure reading, independent learning, support academic studies etc. Our Chartered Librarian promotes good use of online resources providing links to many useful websites using the mantra “Don’t just Google, think!” as well as encouraging reading. If students need advice, recommendations or support, our School Librarian, is ready to help them.

The Health Centre is open between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday and can be contacted via School Reception on 01295 781200.

Pupils wishing to access the Health Centre or see the School Nurse MUST go via Reception.

31. PERIPATETIC LESSONS The Music Department provides peripatetic teachers who offer tuition in most orchestral instruments, piano, singing, drums and guitar.

The School Nurse is responsible for collecting in and dispensing medication. Pupils should not have any medication in school other than that kept by the School Nurse. All medication should be clearly labelled, in English, with the pupil’s name and the dosage required. Out of hours first aid is covered by a team of first aid trained staff.

Lessons take place during the school day and are organised to cause the minimum disruption to curriculum lessons.

Any pupil experiencing diarrhoea and vomiting should not come to school for 48 hours after the last set of symptoms.

Piano, violin, recorder, guitar/ukulele and drums are the most appropriate for Junior pupils. Woodwind may be considered as the children grow and develop the necessary span, stretch or breath control.

The Wellbeing coaches are available for appointments Monday and Wednesday and can be contacted directly via email: Lorraine Bagshaw: lbagshaw@sibfordschool.co.uk Mahwish Qamar: mqamar@sibfordschool.co.uk.

Alternatively, students can arrange an appointment through their tutor.

The school can provide a double bass, half and threequarter size violins, clarinets, flutes, cornets and saxophones. Pupils studying other disciplines will need to provide their own instruments. Music staff are always happy to advise on the suitability of an instrument for a pupil, rental schemes and the purchase of instruments.

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KS3 pupils are issued with a planner. KS4 pupils have the option of a school planner, or they may provide their own.

The cost of individual music tuition is in line with the recommendation of the Incorporated Society of Musicians. For 2019/20 the fee for one weekly half hour individual lesson will be £245 per term, which will be added to your school account. Pupils will receive 30 lessons over the course of a year.

33. PSFA The PSFA (Parent, Staff and Friends Association) is run by volunteers drawn from the ranks of parents, teachers, school management and members of the local community.

LAMDA Classes Sibford also offers LAMDA classes, which give young people the opportunity to receive tuition in Solo Acting, Verse & Prose and Public Speaking. LAMDA lessons are charged at a rate of £189 per term for weekly individual lessons and £112 per student for paired lessons.

ROLE OF PSFA THE PSFA exists to: • Give parents a voice • Organise fund raising events and to provide skills and resources to enable the school, its teachers and pupils to realise goals and to undertake special projects that would not be possible through school resources alone.

• Help the school to communicate effectively with current and prospective parents • Organise activities and events that build a sense of community amongst parents, guardians, staff, pupils and friends of the School.

32. PREP Prep is assessed and marked on a regular basis and should be a reflection of the pupil’s own work.

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 should be spending approximately 20-30 minutes on each prep set and also complete at least 10 minutes of private reading.

Pupils in Year 9 should be spending approximately 30 minutes on each prep set and also complete at least 10 minutes of private reading.

Events that members of the PSFA regularly get involved with include:

Pupils in Years 10 and 11 will have a minimum requirement of approximately 40 minutes per subject, but this may vary with the demands of the GCSE courses.

• • • • •

MISSED PREP Failure to complete prep or to produce work of a satisfactory standard will be followed up, in the first instance, by the subject teacher. If pupils have a valid reason for late or poor quality prep, an extension may be given to allow for satisfactory completion. Alternatively, a lunchtime ‘catch up’ session with teacher support may be offered.

Open Day Open Mornings Christmas Fayre Social events Charity Ball

VOLUNTEERS All parents are automatically members of the PSFA and are entitled to attend meetings. There is also a chance to get more involved by actively helping out at events etc.

If pupils are absent from school or miss a lesson they are expected to check Firefly and catch up on work missed.

CLASSLIST Regular parent to parent communication is important in helping us build a supportive and welcoming school community. Recent data protection changes mean parents now rely on a variety of informal channels to contact each other, ranging from ad-hoc email lists to social media groups on Facebook and WhatsApp. These can work well but raise important concerns over inclusiveness, security and safeguarding - particularly when used to distribute personal data, and exchange information and images about children.

FIREFLY All Senior School prep is posted on Firefly (our Virtual Learning Environment) for pupils to access. In addition to this electronic record, pupils in Years 7 – 9 are also asked to keep a record of their prep in their planners for ease of access.

PSFA, working closely with the school, has looked carefully at what might serve parent needs best in this area and as such we are committed to the ‘built for purpose’ app called Classlist. This enables parents to find and contact each other securely, whilst giving each parent complete control over what data is shared.

If pupils do not complete their prep, their teacher may keep them in over break or lunchtime or issue a new deadline so that the prep can be completed. Department detention may provide structured time for pupils to work on incomplete or unsatisfactory work. For a breach of the guidelines, a whole school prep detention will be given and parents will be informed.

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Classlist, which is UK based, holds appropriate security and GDPR certifications and recently won top prize at BETT, the world’s largest education technology event.

Meeting for Worship is held at the beginning or end of the week for the whole School, with various split meeting by house and year group inbetween.

Our parent community is of course much more than an online address book. Using Classlist you can set up events; form special interest groups; discuss arrangements for parties or lift shares; find a home for old bicycles or school blazers, and volunteer.

Quaker Grace We don’t have a spoken grace at lunchtime but twice during the lunch-time sittings we will have a Quaker Grace, a short period of silent thankfulness for the meal and for each other.

It takes only a couple of minutes to get started - first download the Classlist app on iOS or Android select ‘Sibford School’ and choose what data to share with your fellow parents. There is also a link to Classlist on the Parent Pupil Portal of our website.

Up to date information on PSFA can be found on the Parent Pupil Portal of the website: https://portal. sibfordschool.co.uk/psfa-2

Quaker form of address The Quaker form of address, especially in correspondence, has no titles, simply the full name. Hence Mr and Mrs T Spence becomes Toby and Jill Spence. Letters are addressed not with a ‘Dear Sir’ but with ‘Dear John Smith’ and, respectful of our Quaker tradition and heritage, we encourage pupils throughout the school to address their teachers in the same way … the Head, therefore, should be addressed as Toby Spence.

34. PSHE

36. SAFEGUARDING

Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies where you will find: • PSHE Policy Key Stage 3 • PHSE Policy Key Stage 4 • PHSE Policy Sixth Form

• Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Child Protection - Safeguarding Policy.

37. SHAPE OF THE DAY 8.40am 8.45am 9.10am 10.15am 10.35am 11.45am 12.50pm 1.50pm 2.00pm 3.10pm 4.15pm

4.30pm

5.45pm

35. QUAKER EDUCATION Sibford School was established in 1842 as a boarding school for the children of Quaker families. Over the years, the school has undergone many changes and developments, as it has adapted to meet the needs and aspirations of its pupils. However, there is one factor that has remained constant in the life of the school, our Quaker values that recognise that of God in everyone.

Translated into everyday life, this means: • valuing and nurturing individual talents; • respecting each other; and • helping each individual to become the very best they possibly can.

Although the majority of pupils and staff at Sibford School are not Quakers, there are three main factors that set us apart from other schools.

Meeting for Worship Instead of having an assembly, the school community gathers together for a Meeting for Worship. This is a time when all staff and pupils, of whatever faith, share in a period of quiet reflection - a rare opportunity in today’s world. Meeting for Worship is also an opportunity to pass on congratulations, messages and notices. All pupils are expected to attend.

Pupils to register in form rooms Meeting for Worship/Tutor Time Periods 1 & 2 Break Periods 3 & 4 Periods 5 & 6 Lunch Pupils to register in form rooms Periods 7 & 8 Periods 9 & 10 End of school Snack for boarders and day pupils staying for prep available in dining room.

Prep/Activities Pupils who have booked to stay for prep are registered in prep room.

Pupils staying for activities register in Reception.

Tea for boarders Day pupils may stay for tea provided they have booked 48 hours in advance.

Any pupil who is late or for any reason has changed their plans must notify Reception. If your parents are late collecting you or if you miss the school bus you need to report to Reception and sign-in on the prep register.

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38. SOCIAL RESPECT

• Pupils are not allowed on site without supervision.

At least one member of the teaching staff is always present in order to supervise pupils whenever they are in the school outside normal school hours.

Arrangements are made to ensure pupils are supervised during Play and Concert rehearsals, or other events that bring small groups into school out of hours.

• Members of the PE Department supervise pupils on both home and away matches.

• Suitable staff/pupil ratios are in force during outings and visits abroad. (See the separate Educational Visits Policy for further details.) Whilst appropriate staffing ratios are adhered to, school may vary this as necessary according to the nature of the activity and the age of the pupils.

Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Social Respect Policy.

39. STUDENT FORUM At Sibford, we recognise the value and importance of our students contributing their opinions about all aspects of school life. The group consists of a member of each tutor group in the senior school, with Year 7 represented from the Spring Term onward. The group is run by Tracy Knowles, Assistant Head, half termly. Minutes are taken, and the members required to feed back to their tutor groups on projects and ideas. The group has a small budget to work from to improve some aspect of school life.

Before School Care and Supervision: Early morning swimming club is on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (spring term) from 7.15am to 8am. It is run by Claire Ferley, Girls P.E., and Angie Wiffen, Pool Manager and Lifeguard. Pupils who wish to take part return the sign-up form at the start of term. Pupils are expected to go to the dining hall for breakfast after swimming, before going to their tutor bases for the start of the school day. There is a small charge for breakfast.

40. SUPERVISION • Day pupils arrive at school from 8.30am. If booked in advance they may attend breakfast from 8am for a small charge. Duty staff are present in the dining hall until the end of breakfast and then patrol the corridor in the main building.

• At break times, 10.15 – 10.35 at least two members of staff are on duty.

• Duty staff are present during lunch in the dining hall.

• At the end of the day pupils are either collected by parents, go home on a school bus (duty staff are present at both car parks) or remain in school for prep, going to the dining hall for a snack at 4.15pm where duty staff are present. Prep commences at 4.30pm and pupils remain in their prep rooms with prep staff present.

• Pupils staying for prep are collected from the dining hall / Junior School car park at 5.45.

After School: Parents of day pupils complete and return the sign-up form at the start of each term indicating if they wish their child to stay for prep/an activity on a regular basis. Parents are requested to let Reception know if their child cannot attend for any reason. Additionally, pupils are aware that they must notify Reception staff of changes to their routines.

Duty staff go to the dining room at 4.15pm to supervise the After-School Snack session until 4.35pm when all pupils go home or to prep/after school activities.

Lunchtime – pupils go to the dining hall at set times.

Duty staff are present. After lunch pupils may go to their tutor bases, or spend time outdoors in the grounds if the weather permits; duty staff patrol the campus.

KS3 pupils are expected to go to structured lunchtime enrichment clubs 3 times a week, KS4/5 often attend extra study/revision sessions. Duty staff are present in the main areas of the school and patrol campus.

Supervision of Prep: PREP (during the period from 4.35 pm. until tea at 5.45 pm) Years 10/11: 2 staff based in the ICT rooms.

Years 7 – 9: 2 members of staff in the English rooms or library Years 12/13: 1 member of staff in the Sixth Form Centre.

SfL – 1 member of staff in the SfL Department.

A senior colleague will be on duty from 4.30pm – 5.45pm.

Around campus – During the school day pupils have reason to move around the school. Pupils from Year 7 are expected to move around independently between lessons and during time out of lesson (break/lunch etc).

This includes going to the changing rooms, science laboratories and to and from peripatetic music lessons.

ALL pupils staying for prep report to their respective prep bases at 4.35pm for registration. Prep staff (SLT member) collect prep registers from Reception and register the pupils at 4.35 pm.

Duty staff supervise the dining room at tea from 5.45pm until 6.30pm at which time day pupils are collected by parents and boarders return to their boarding houses.

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE General: • Staff are deployed to ensure the proper supervision of pupils.

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BICYCLES Any pupil in Year 7 upwards may bring a bicycle to school.

It must be registered with the main school office and be kept padlocked in the designated area. Description and serial number must be given to the tutor. Junior School pupils can only bring bicycles to school if they are undertaking the Cycling Proficiency Course.

Duty staff supervise at the ‘kiss and drop’ area where the coach collects at the end of the day and where parents can collect at 4.15pm. Another member of duty staff supervises in the car park by the staff room where our minibuses collect pupils at the end of the day.

41. TRANSPORT OWN TRANSPORT Parents who bring their child to school by their own transport should use the school’s Hook Norton Road entrance. To keep our pupils safe, please do not, under any circumstance use any other entrance.

Cycles must be roadworthy and should be clearly named. Insurance for the bicycle is the responsibility of the parents and/or pupils. A cycle helmet must be worn at all times when the cycle is in use.

42. TUTORS

Senior School pupils should be dropped off and picked up at the ‘kiss and drop’ point. Parents of Junior School pupils should park in the Junior School Car Park.

The Tutor is responsible for the wellbeing of pupils in their tutor group. Pupils meet with their tutors in the morning and afternoon for Registration, and twice a week for a longer session when tutor group activities take place and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) is delivered.

Tutor groups are not intended to be friendship groups. In Year 7 the majority of lessons are held with tutor groups, but increasingly as pupils progress through the year groups, pupils will be with others of similar academic ability, particularly in Maths, Science and English.

Junior School only: In order to protect your child, it is important that we know who is going to collect him/her from school on a regular basis, be it parent, grandparent, child minder etc. Please therefore include this information on the General Admissions Form. Should you need to make alternative arrangements for your child’s collection please inform the class teacher and the Junior School office in advance.

43. UNIFORM

Sixth Form only: Sixth Form students who have passed their Driving Test may bring their own car to school provided that they first obtain a Parking Permit from Caroline Cartwright. Sixth Form students are NOT allowed to give lifts to other pupils and may only give lifts to siblings with the agreement of the Head.

SENIOR SCHOOL UNIFORM LIST Senior School uniform is to be worn by pupils in Years 7-11.

Items in bold should be purchased from Schoolblazer (www.schoolblazer.com) Items not in bold type can be purchased from another supplier if parents wish.

All items are compulsory unless stated otherwise.

Schoolblazer can supply all uniform items with the exception of shoes/trainers etc.

BUSES We use a mixture of coach hire and our own minibuses.

Pupils in Year 3 and above may travel on our minibuses.

Pupils in Year 5 and above may travel on coaches (SSB1 and SSB2).

Younger pupils may be able to travel on minibuses/ coaches if accompanied by an older sibling in certain circumstances. We ask that you seek approval for this from the Head.

School Uniform Blazer (see note for Year 11 below) Shirts - white long sleeves, either button up to collar (to wear with a school tie) or revere collar School tie Black Watch Kilt or Trousers – charcoal grey tailored Pullover – Navy V neck long sleeves with crest Scarf – in house colours with crest (optional) Socks – black or charcoal or Tights – navy (flesh coloured/short white socks in summer) Shoes – black smart (not trainer type/heels not over 4cm/no embellishments)

The routes we currently operate can be found on the website: www.sibfordschool.co.uk/getting-to-sibford.

For further information (including details of charges) please contact Caroline Cartwright on 01295 781206 or email ccartwright@sibfordschool.co.uk.

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SPORTS KIT (Years 3 to 13) ¼ Zip Tracksuit Top Navy Tracksuit Bottoms or Navy Base Layer Leggings worn with Rugby Shorts or Navy Skort Navy Rugby Shirt or Navy Polo Shirt Navy Rugby Shorts or Navy Skort Navy Mid Layer Navy Games Socks with Bottle Turnover White P.E. Socks Navy Base Layer Top (optional) Navy Swim Jammers or Navy Swimming Costume Bottle Green Swimming Hat Towel Trainers – non-marking soles Football Boots / Rugby Boots / Hockey Boots Shin Pads Mouthguard - compulsory Hockey Stick (as required)

45. TERM DATES

Please note: Year 11 – may wear a tailored navy blazer, colour matched to the Sibford School navy pullover in place of the Sibford School Blazer.

SPRING TERM 2020

AUTUMN TERM 2019 Term starts

Wednesday 4th September

Exeat

Friday 27th to Sunday 29th September

Half term

Friday 18th October to Monday 4th November (2-week break)

Exeat

Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th November

Term ends

Friday 13th December

Term starts

Monday 6th January

Exeat

Pupils taking riding lessons should provide their own hat, jodhpurs and riding boots. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 may require additional items of sports clothing depending on options and activities.

Friday 24th to Sunday 26th January

Half term

Friday 14th to Monday 24th February

Exeat

44. USE OF PUPIL IMAGES

Friday 13th to Sunday 15th March

Visit www.sibfordschool.co.uk/school-policies to read the Use of Pupil Images Policy.

Term ends

Friday 27th March

SUMMER TERM 2020 Term starts

Monday 20th April

Exeat

Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th May (includes Bank holiday on 8th May)

Half term

Friday 22nd May to Monday 1st June

Open Day

Saturday 13th June (all pupils to attend)

Term ends

Friday 3rd July

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