Witham Hall School Welcome Booklet 2023

Preparatory School

W elcome B ooklet

I am delighted to be able to welcome you to the Witham Hall community. This booklet has been put together to help make the transition to a new school as smooth as possible. It contains a plethora of useful information, but do not hesitate to ask me, or any other member of staff, if anything is unclear or if you have any concerns. We aim to make all new children and their families feel settled and confident on arrival, and I sincerely hope you will feel part of the Witham family from the outset.

Having been entrusted with this crucial phase of your child’s education, we will do everything we can to make sure they flourish both inside and outside the classroom. Your child is joining a wonderful school and I have no doubt they will have a great deal of fun and make friendships that last for their entire lives.

William Austen Headmaster

Where to Start

Communication

There are several ways of communicating with the School, depending on what it is you want to say, or ask.

Telephone: (01778) 590222

E-mail: secretary@withamhall.com.

Staff email addresses follow the format: first name initial, surname followed by @withamhall.com.

Post: Witham Hall School, Witham-on-the-Hill, Lincolnshire, PE10 0JJ

The Heads PA answers the telephone during school hours from Monday to Friday. At other times it will be answered by the duty staff. If you need to speak privately or perhaps at some length with a member of staff, either make an appointment or email the member of staff directly.

In an emergency: Please be sure to advise us of any changes to your contact details as it is vital that we are able to contact you in case of an emergency. Please also let us have an alternative contact telephone number and address if you are going to be away from home.

Pupils are encouraged, if they board, to email parents and maintain regular contact.

Your child’s Form Tutor is the first port of call for any pastoral or logistical queries. Questions about academic matters should initially be directed to the Subject Teacher, copying in the Form Tutor/Deputy Head Academic.

Social Media

The School provides regular updates through a number of social media accounts:

Twitter @WithamPrep

Instagram @WithamHallSchool

Facebook @WithamHallSchool

The School Calendar

The School calendar provides details of trips, sports fixtures and events that involve pupils, such as celebrations, Sports Day and concerts. The School calendar is kept up to date on website, this is best used during the term.

Website

Withamhall.com aims to provide you with all the information you need, as well as featuring curriculum information and links to our social media feeds. Relevant school policies are also available on the website.

Regular Communications

Parent letters from the Headmaster are regularly sent home, with updates, news, views, information and requests. Form Tutors and Class Teachers send out weekly emails which contain a summary of the week and any important information about upcoming events.

The Friends of Witham (FOW)

The Friends of Witham (FOW) is a parental group who organise social events to raise money and enhance pupils’ and parents’ time at Witham. For more information, see the website. Social events run by FOW include Bonfire Night, the School Ball, the Winter Fair and numerous coffee mornings. They also support the School and the Headmaster with new parents’ receptions.

FOW Year Representatives

Year representatives organise year group social events such as coffee mornings and evenings out. We use the Classlist App to manage FOW communications and you will receive an email about how to join. Please kindly note that Classlist is not to be used for non-school purposes.

The Parent Portal

Parents can access their child(ren)’s school report, termly bill, school timetable and activities via their log-in on the Parent Portal. This link is available on the ‘Useful Links and Logins’ page of withamhall.com. New parents will be sent their personal log-in details at the start of their child(ren)’s first term at Witham Hall.

Staff

Your child will very soon get to know the staff and a full staff list with photographs is available on the school website. Witham staff are involved in all aspects of school life and will not only teach academic lessons, but run lunch and evening activities, coach sport and are present in the Boarding House.

Useful Contacts

Mr William Austen - Headmaster headmaster@withamhall.com

Mr Rupert Candy - Deputy Head (Academic) rcandy@withamhall.com

Miss Katy Rule - Deputy Head Pastoral and Designated Safeguarding Lead krule@withamhall.com

Miss Alice Jenkins - Head of Pre-Prep preprephead@withamhall.com

Lucy Meadows - Head of Boarding lmeadows@withamhall.com

Mrs Donna Dimeloe - PA to the Headmaster secretary@withamhall.com

Pastoral

Pastoral care has a vital role to play at Witham and is one of our great strengths. We place a priority on the safety and security of our pupils. We have a rigorous and effective Safeguarding Policy that all staff and visitors in school adhere to and which is available on the website. The School’s Designated Safeguarding Leads is Miss Katy Rule.

The happiness and welfare of your child are of paramount importance. If your child is unhappy for any reason please come and talk to either the Form Tutor or Class Teacher in the first instance. Most problems are easily solved and a triangulated approach between the pupil, home and school prevents small problems growing into something bigger.

Because of our smaller class sizes and the family feel, it is often easier to give all children more individual attention and care. Children are also encouraged to feel confident and comfortable with everyone, and able to speak to the staff freely about concerns.

Equality of opportunity

Witham Hall School is committed to equal treatment for all, regardless of an individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, learning difficulty, body image or social background.

The School is an academically non-selective school, although it does assess pupils on application to the School to ensure that it can provide the best education for each child and to enable the School to plan accordingly.

The School believes that the educational experience can only be enriched if children are exposed to as wide a range of cultural experiences as possible while they are developing.

The School also welcomes applications from pupils with special needs and/or disabilities, and refer parents to our SEND Policy and Accessibility Plan.

The House System

When a child starts at Witham, they are allocated a place in one of four Houses, which are named after past Headmasters or people important in the history of the School:

● Maitland

● Banks

● Tate

● Lyons

Siblings are put into the same House unless specifically requested otherwise by a parent. When pupils reach Year 2 they attend regular House Meetings, but from the outset, pupils earn ‘Golds’, which are collected weekly and count towards a House total. Termly, the winning House receives a treat for accruing the most golds and points from a variety of competitions. In addition, all Houses contribute to the money collected for the chosen charity each year by their participation in selected events.

Mentors

A mentor system is also in place for children from Years 2 to 8, where members of staff from the House support a group of pupils throughout their time at Witham. These smaller groups allow for the younger pupils to ‘buddy up’ with older pupils and provides an additional adult in school who will be available for guidance and help.

Behaviour, Expectations and Rewards

We follow ‘The Witham Way’, a set of principles that apply to school life and beyond:

● Share

● Respect

● Treat others as you would like to be treated

● Forgive

● Listen

● Be your best self

High standards are expected across all year groups, but on the rare occasion that a child’s behaviour falls below the acceptable level, and verbal warnings have not had the desired impact, the relevant member of staff will record details on our behaviour monitoring system. The details of the incident are recorded, and the pupil will be given a ‘Minus’ resulting in a negative House point. The system is looked at regularly by the Class Teacher or Form Tutor who will discuss entries made with the pupils concerned and the Pastoral Senior Management Team take an overview on a weekly basis of behavioural incidents in school. If a pupil gains multiple minuses in a half-term period, this can lead to additional intervention or sanctions being imposed and parents being informed.

Golds form an integral part of the Rewards System. Golds are given to children for a variety of reasons: for effort or good work, working well with others or trying hard at something new, as some examples. These are logged electronically and count towards their House’s total which is displayed on the House boards in the Main House; the winning House is announced each term and is based on an accumulation of Golds and points awarded during House competitions that term.

Individual totals run annually and pupils are rewarded with a special Witham Hall highlighter once they reach 20 Golds. House badges are awarded in assembly when children reach 50, 100 or 150 Golds in the year, and the top accumulators are awarded certificates at the end of each term. In the Pre-Prep, children earn bronze, silver or gold leaves which are displayed in the main entrance to the PrePrep building. In addition, for outstanding effort or attainment on a piece of work, teachers can nominate children for a Headmaster’s ‘Show’; they take their work to the Headmaster to be congratulated and given a small prize, plus three Golds are awarded.

Boarding

As a school with a strong family ethos, boarding plays an integral part of Witham life, with many pupils opting to board in some form from Year 4. Pupils can opt to weekly board or flexi board and many parents use this freedom of choice to build up the children’s experience of boarding before moving on to their choice of senior school. New boarders are assigned a ‘buddy’ and a Boarding Family to to help support the transition into the Boarding House. The Houseparents provide a comprehensive, stand-alone ‘Guide to Boarding’ for both pupils and parents which can also be found in the boarding section on the school website.

Prefects and Leadership Positions

Some Year 8 pupils may be chosen as Prefects or Heads of House. The most senior positions of responsibility are the two Heads of School, their deputies and the Chair of School Council. These are appointed by the Headmaster and announced on Speech Day. All Year 8 children act as ‘senior pupils’ and carry out school duties in support of staff members. All provide a very useful role in the School and can be most helpful with the younger and newer children.

During the Trinity Term, Year 7 pupils are given the opportunity to carry out school duties and demonstrate their desire to be considered for a prefect or leadership position the following year.

Academic

The academic curriculum at Witham Hall is designed and delivered by knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers. Working alongside and far beyond the National Curriculum, the curriculum from four to 13 takes into account the needs of individual children and cohorts, with the firm emphasis on preparing every child for the next step in their education, while promoting intellectual curiosity, creativity, selfdiscipline and autonomy. More information on specific subject areas and age groups can be found in the Curriculum Information booklet available on the website.

Curriculum

The School follows a broad curriculum aimed at preparing children for Common Entrance and, for some pupils, Scholarship examinations, with generous provision for Games and the creative and performing arts. Children are taught in mixed-ability classes throughout the School; however, classes are set for Maths in Years 5-8, Latin in Years 6 - 8 and the Year 8 scholarship form which operates for all academic subjects.

In Year 4 and below, the children are taught most subjects by their own Form Tutor, in their form room, as well as being taught by subject specialists for French, Music, Computing, Art and Sport. In Year 5 and above, pupils are taught by degree-holding, subject specialists. See the Prep School Curriculum Information booklet for more details.

Examinations

Pupils in Years 5-8 have formative internal exams in the Trinity and Michaelmas Term. Annual standardised tests in reasoning, English and Maths are administered in a lowprofile way; they provide useful indicators of achievement and identify problems on which attention can subsequently be focused.

Reports

All pupils receive a school report at the end of the Michaelmas and Trinity terms. Interim effort grades are awarded at the end of each half term for Prep pupils. Year 8 pupils also receive a full report in the Lent Term.

Learning Support

The Learning Support Department offers a range of interventions for those who require additional support. This ranges from chargeable one-to-one Learning Support lessons with qualified teachers, targeted intervention groups, to having Learning Support Assistants supporting teachers within the classroom. For further information, please contact the Head of Learning Support (learningsupport@withamhall.com).

Sport

From Year 3, pupils are provided opportunities to play in inter-school matches where parents are warmly invited to watch if they wish and sample the famous Witham match tea afterwards.

Details of all these events can be found in the School Calendar or on the School’s sports portal, SOCS (sport.withamhall.com)

SOCS includes all timings and team sheets, along with match reports and images. Parental support is most welcome. Please visit SOCS regularly to keep up to date with your child’s sporting commitments and to find out if there have been any changes to fixtures. Good sportsmanship is fostered both on and off the field of play. The hosting of visiting sides is an important part of the matchday routine. All team members must stay until after match tea at both home and away fixtures.

If your child is unable to attend Games sessions, please send an email to the Matrons and Form Tutor to excuse them. The Matrons will excuse boarders if necessary.

Performing Arts

There is a strong dramatic tradition within the School. Individual lessons are available to pupils, with a high success rate in LAMDA examinations. Pupils also have the opportunity to perform in a production each year.

The School Choir and Band perform in a number of concerts during the year as well as at the Exeat Services each term. All pupils in Years 4 and 5 sing in the Junior Choir, all pupils in Year 2 and 3 in Pre-Prep choirs.

Individual Music and Drama Tuition

Children can start music lessons in Reception, with many taking up the option by Year 2. The Head of Drama offers individual lessons and full details of all additional tuition available can be found on the website.

After School and Extra-Curricular Clubs

There are a wide range of clubs and activities on offer for all year groups, boarding and day, which change on a termly basis. Choices are made during the second Exeat of the preceding term.

Logistics

Catering

All food is freshly prepared on site and each week a different menu is prepared and displayed giving all the children a balanced and nutritious diet. Dietary requirements that are religious or on grounds of formal medical diagnosis are, wherever possible, catered for and our Catering Manager is happy to talk to parents if a need arises.

In Pre-Prep, fruit and biscuits are provided for all children in the morning and after school for those staying for activities. They are encouraged to drink water regularly.

Staff serve the food for Pre-Prep in the Dining Room and then sit with their table. The older children act as ‘servers’ for the younger. Everyone is encouraged to try different food and can ask for different portion size and have a second helping if they wish. Reception start with a familyservice style lunch with their Early Years staff and transition into the main dining room in the second half of the year.

Prep boarders start their day with a varied breakfast including hot and cold options. Fruit and biscuits are provided at morning and afternoon breaks respectively. Lunch is an enjoyable meal with a wide and varied menu. All pupils staying after 1715, whether for activities or to board, have tea in the Dining Room, and hot chocolate and cake are available to boarders before bedtime.

The weekly menu is displayed outside the Dining Room, in the Pre-Prep entrance, in the Boarding House and on the website.

Accidents or Illness

If your child is unable to come to school through illness, we ask that you please ring the School Office (01778 590222). An additional e-mail to the Form Tutor or Class Teacher is helpful.

If a child has an accident in school, an accident form is filled in by the teacher supervising them; you will usually be notified of any minor accident at the end of the day or by a telephone call or e-mail if appropriate.

If an injury involves a head or is more serious then the child will be taken up to Matron and parents often called immediately or another course of action followed if needed (e.g. taking a child to the nearest available accident and emergency department).

At the beginning of each year, parents are required to fill in a medical form for each child. We ask to be informed as soon as possible if any information needs to be altered or added so we have a clear picture of all needs. On the form, you may also choose to give consent for administering Calpol or other non-prescription medicines. To avoid the spread of illness or infection, we ask for your help by ensuring that children remain at home for 48 hours after any bout of sickness or diarrhoea.

Medicines

All medicines, including vitamins, creams, ointments etc. brought to school must be handed in at the Surgery or PrePrep class teacher in their original container with an accompanying form (available on the website) giving details of dosage and frequency of use. Children are not allowed to keep medicines of any kind, with the exception, in some cases, of inhalers/Epipens.

Uniform and Other Equipment

We try to maintain a very smart standard of dress at Witham Hall and your help and co-operation with this is much appreciated. All children should arrive and leave wearing the full and correct school uniform, including their blazer. Pupils need a bag to carry their belongings about school. Please make sure that it is clearly named inside and out.

The majority of the uniform should be purchased at the Uniform Shop. For your initial uniform fitting, it is advisable to make an appointment with the Uniform Shop Manager (uniform@withamhall.com). Opening times are currently Monday morning and Wednesday afternoons and the current uniform and stationery lists are available on the website.

Hair

Girls with long hair should wear it tied back with navy, grey or black hair bands, bobbles or ribbons. Boys’ hair should be neatly cut and off the collar: hair gel and wax are not allowed, and neither are extremes of style.

Personal Belongings

Pupils should not bring expensive or delicate items into school – they may get lost or damaged and we cannot take responsibility for such items. While it is often relatively easy to return named property to its rightful owner, it is extremely time consuming to locate and return unmarked property. Please make sure that all your child’s clothing and belongings are clearly named, including stationery. Witham Hall is a mobile free school. Pupils are not to bring in personal devices such as smartphones, smart watches, Kindles or computers.

Jewellery

The wearing of jewellery is not permitted, with the exception of small, discreet stud earrings for girls who have pierced ears. Watches (other than ‘smart’ watches) are allowed, and should be clearly marked with the owner’s name or initials.

Pre-Prep Specific Information

The School Day

Timetabled lessons with specialist teachers for the Pre-Prep include PE and Games, French, Music and Computing.

The Pre-Prep car park, located at the end of the Rose Walk, is designated for Pre-Prep parents. Further car parking is available by the Main Entrance if needed, but please be aware of the one-way system in operation.

The doors to the Pre-Prep open at 0815. Children can arrive between 0815 and 0830, when the register is taken. The 15-minute rolling start to the day allows the children to come into school in a calm and relaxed way and for you to have a brief chat with the Class Teacher if necessary.

The children are always brought into and picked up at the end of the day, or from Crèche, from the Pre-Prep building. After clubs and activities, staff will also bring children to the outside of the Pre-Prep building to be signed out. In order to ensure that all children are collected safely, please notify us if you wish anyone to collect your child who may not do so regularly and therefore be recognisable to staff.

Pre-Prep Performances

There is an annual Harvest service and Nativity play in which all children in Pre-Prep participate. Year 3 also present a ‘Farewell to Pre-Prep’ concert at the end of the Trinity Term. Parents are warmly welcomed to support these events, with refreshments usually served afterwards in the Main Hall.

Prep Specific Information

Timings

Though the school day in Prep is longer, this allows for a varied and exciting curriculum.

Pupils arrive in school between 0815 and 0825 to be in their form rooms and should be ready by 0825 for morning registration and assembly. After being dropped off at the side entrance to The Cedars it is a very short walk to their form room in the Prep building.

On Monday mornings, there is no assembly and classes have pastoral time with their Form Tutor until the start of first lesson at 0900. This is an opportunity for pupils to talk to their Form Tutors and undertake administrative tasks such as making a note of music lesson times etc., have their diaries signed and check for any communications from parents.

From 0835–0900 on a Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, all pupils go to the Stimson Hall for School Assembly. Wednesday mornings operate on a rotation with pupils having House Meetings, Year Meetings, meet with their House Mentors or have additional form time while School Council and Boarding Council meet.

On Saturdays there is no Assembly and the lessons start at 0835. At the end of lessons on a Saturday, pupils either go home at 1230 or prepare for afternoon fixtures.

TIME ACTIVITY

0815 - 0825 Registration

0835 - 0900 Assembly

0900 - 1100 Lessons

1100 - 1120 Break

1120 - 1250 Lessons

1250 - 1255 Afternoon registration

1255 - 1350 Lunch

1400 - 1600 Lessons

1600 - 1615 Snack

1615 - 1715

Prep time: The children undertake prep in their form room, usually with their Form Tutor. On some days the Year 4 and Year 5 children may have Junior Choir/ Junior Band practice or another activity.

1715

E nd of School day: Children who are not boarding or staying for an activity then go home. Children who are boarding or staying for an activity have tea between 1715 and 1800. After tea they then go to their activity or are free to play.

1740 - 1900

Activities: There is always a variety of activities on offer in the evenings and the children are encouraged to join in. It is prudent to watch that your child does not sign up for more activities than they can cope with. Some activities finish early – 1830 – and some late – 1930 – so please note when your child’s activity finishes in order to avoid a long wait!

N.B. when day children stay for an activity, or beyond 1715 if they know they are being picked up later, it is very important that they ‘sign out’ with the member of staff on evening duty that day –please make sure that whoever collects your child checks that they have signed out, that they are in uniform and that they have their blazer.

From 1905

Day end: Before going upstairs all children are given a drink of hot chocolate or milk, and a biscuit or cake. The Year 8 children also have the privilege of being able to make toast.

WITHAM HALL | WELCOME BOOKLET

Further Information

Exeats

There is an Exeat weekend approximately half-way through each half term, beginning at 1530 on a Friday. School Services take place in St Andrews Church in the village once a term, usually on the Friday of Half Term at 1430 and all pupils and staff attend. The Junior Choir always performs a piece and there is often a guest speaker from a senior school. Parents are welcome to join the congregation.

Prep

Prep is designed to consolidate work undertaken in class and to develop pupils’ autonomy as learners. The prep set is designed to be completed comfortably in the supervised prep session between 1615 and 1715. You may find it very useful and informative to talk to your children about the work they are doing at school, particularly those children who board, and you are always welcome to look at their books on a regular basis.

While prep is undertaken in school, this does not mean that parents should feel excluded from the process. In particular, for younger pupils, parental support with vital ‘little and often’ tasks such as reading, spelling and times tables is valued. Should a child be absent from prep, for a music lesson, for example, they should make up the work as soon as possible.

Prep Diary

Every child in the Prep is given a Prep Diary which they should take to every lesson. It helps to develop personal organisation and independence, and can be used to communicate between home and school. The Form Tutor checks the diary every Monday morning to make sure that children are writing down the prep that has been set and when it is due in.

Parents’ Evenings

There is an opportunity for parents to talk formally to staff about their child’s progress at least once a year, but should you wish to talk with your child’s Form Tutor, Class Teacher or a subject teacher, an appointment can be made by emailing the subject teacher directly.

Extras

While extras that are added to the account are kept to a minimum, a charge is made for certain extra-curricular activities, such as theatre visits, private tuition and external examinations.

Trips

There are lots of opportunities for your child to participate in both day trips and residential trips, and details will be sent out for individual visits when appropriate.

Photographs

Each year, whole school, individual, family, class, team and group photographs are taken and may be purchased.

Birthdays

If your child’s birthday falls on a school day, you are welcome to bring in a birthday treat for them to share with their Form/Class at breaktime. Please note the following:

• The provision of a birthday treat is entirely optional.

• To accommodate for food allergies, dietary or medical requirements, ingredients and allergen information must be provided. We cannot serve food without this information.

• We are a nut free school, so please do not send in nutbased recipes (this includes hazelnut spread)

• If parents choose to send something in, we ask parents to provide either cupcakes, doughnuts or individual baked goods to help with distribution, rather than a cake that needs to be cut and served. This makes it much more manageable to serve at breaktime.

• We ask that additional sweets, chocolate or crisps are not brought into school.

Boarders’ birthdays

If a boarder’s birthday falls on a night they are in school and parents would like to provide a cake for their birthday tea, we ask that all cakes or cupcakes are labelled with ingredients and allergen information. As with a daytime celebration, we ask that additional sweets, chocolate, crisps or fizzy drinks are not brought into school; the catering team will provide further treats for the children to enjoy together. Boarders’ birthday tea arrangements can be made with the Head of Boarding.