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Parents’ Handbook2015-2016
Preparatory School
WH 2xA5P new parents handbook cover-forBaines_new design folder cover-A4 10/07/2015 10:40 Page 2
Parents’ Handbook
Preparatory School 2015-2016
Fostering scholarship and integrity, the High School provides inspirational opportunities and strong support to develop a lifelong
love of learning and respect for others.
CONTENTS
WELCOME
Letter from the Head 1 Letter from the Head of Prep School 3 School Mission 5 Aims 5 School Motto 6 WHO’S WHO
Governors 7 Senior Team 8 Form Teachers 8 COMMUNICATION
Absences 10 Academic Concerns 12 Change of Personal Details 14 Parents’ Evenings 14 ParentMail 15 Parent Portal 15 Pastoral Concerns 16 Pre-Prep Message Books 17 Reports and Academic Tracking 17 Twitter 17 Welcome Evenings 18
GENERAL INFORMATION
Behaviour 19 Birthday Treats 19 Break Time Snacks 20
CONTENTS
Blogs 20 Coaches 20 ESafety 22 Extra-Curricular Activities 23 Fees 23 Fees Assistance 24 FROG (Virtual Learning Environment) 24 Homework 24 House System 25 Lunches 26 Medical Provision 27 Medicals 28 Milk 29 Mobile Phones 30 Music Tuition 30 Parking 31 Pastoral Care 32 Personal Possessions 33 Pets/Animals on Site 33 Planners 33 Policies 34 Pre-Prep After School Care 35 Prep Sessions 35 Rewards and Sanctions 36 School Educational Visits 37 School Rules 37 Second Hand Uniform Shop 39 Sisters’ Club 40 Term Dates 41 Timings of the School Day 42 Uniform 43 Volunteer Helpers 43
WELCOME
1
June 2015
Dear Parents
Congratulations on becoming High School parents. I am delighted to welcome you to the Preparatory School of St Albans High for Girls and wish you and your daughter a very happy fourteen years with us.
I visit Wheathampstead House on a weekly basis and am always enchanted by the fun the girls have here. Whether they are plying me with good ideas in assembly, or their latest newly-found baby worm from the woods, they are always great company. They will be working hard, learning fast and absorbing an exciting range of different experiences. The school’s aims: scholarship; adventure and integrity, inform all we do; we see life across the High School as an intellectual adventure, presenting the love of learning in all sorts of ways throughout the school day, week and year. I very much look forward to getting to know you and your daughter as she embarks on this adventure with us.
The relationship between school and home is of huge importance to your daughter’s success and happiness and we value open, warm and clear communication between parents and the school. I hope that you quickly feel part of a warm and inclusive community and we warmly encourage parental
WELCOME
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engagement with the school. There are so many ways in which you can get involved in the school: as a parent rep on the Parents’ Association; within the High School Association; by attending the Head’s Breakfasts, and Parents’ Forums as well as through year wide events such as Welcome Evenings.
I look forward to working with you and your daughter over the coming months and years.
Warm regards
Mrs J Brown Head
WELCOME
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June 2015
Dear Parents
I am delighted to welcome you and your daughter to Wheathampstead House. I hope that this will be the start of a happy and exciting journey for her.
I, too, am embarking on a new challenge and, whilst the excitement of anticipation is the greatest emotion, there is inevitably a feeling of stepping into the unknown for me, as well as for your daughter. The information contained within this booklet should alleviate some of the uncertainties around procedures and systems, hopefully making her induction a smooth and relaxed process.
I am sure that you have been impressed, as was I, with the warmth of the welcome at Wheathampstead House from both staff and girls and the enviable beauty of the surroundings. There can be few settings where children are able to learn and play in the woods and fields whilst also achieving such high standards in the classroom.
Wheathampstead House is a warm and happy community, where girls can thrive in a stimulating and supportive environment. Your daughter will be challenged and learn to overcome difficulties; she will make wonderful friendships
WELCOME
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and she will mature into a confident girl, secure in her own ability, who is caring of others.
I am excited by the opportunity to be part of this journey and I look forward to getting to know every family over the coming terms.
With best wishes
Judy Rowe Head of the Preparatory School
WELCOME
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SCHOOL MISSION
Fostering scholarship and integrity, the High School provides inspirational opportunities and strong support to develop a lifelong love of learning and respect for others.
AIMS
Scholarship: to offer an education for girls, which promotes intellectual confidence, curiosity and the joy of learning.
Adventure: to build an outward looking community through local, national and international curricular and co-curricular programmes.
Integrity: to sustain a community in which every girl feels known, supported, confident and ready to shape society in a school which builds a strong ethic of service and responsible citizenship.
AIMS WRITTEN BY PUPILS
The girls and staff at the Prep School have written their own aims, which are easy to remember:
To be happy, safe, grow and learn To do our best and enjoy challenges To achieve and be confident To prepare for the future
These aims are displayed in each classroom, either as a poster or as a class book.
WELCOME
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SCHOOL MOTTO
Initium sapientiae timor Domini
“Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.
WHO’S WHO?
7
GOVERNORS
We are fortunate to have a very active governing body who are referred to collectively as the Council. Our governors attend many school events throughout the academic year.
Miss D Henderson MA (Cantab) MA (Chair of Council) Mr R E B Allnutt LLB Mr D Alterman MA (Oxon) Mrs C R Callegari BA (Hons) Cert Ed Mr A G Follows BEng DChA FCA Ms E A de Galleani BA (Hons) Mrs H J Greatrex BA ACA Mrs W Hazley-Payne BA (Hons) ACMA CGMA The Very Revd Jeffrey John MA (Oxon) DPhil (Oxon) Mr B R Kettle FRICS MCIArb MAE Miss R Musgrave MA MA FRSA Mr D Roe BSc (Hons) MRICS Mrs J Ross BA (Hons) NPQH Mrs J Stroud MA (Cantab) PGCE Mr J S Thomson CA Mr R H Ward
If you wish to contact the Chair of Council, then please send correspondence care of the Senior School Office, and it will be forwarded to her.
WHO’S WHO
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SENIOR TEAM
Senior Team:
Head Mrs Jenny Brown
Head of the Prep School Mrs Judy Rowe
Acting Deputy Head Mrs Jacquelyn Jeavons
Head of Pre-Prep Mrs Elizabeth Courtney-Magee
Acting Senior Teacher Mrs Laura Perry
A full list of staff can be found on our website at www.stahs.org.uk under the Community tab.
FORM TEACHERS
Form Teachers:
Reception C Mrs Courtney-Magee
Reception M Mrs Miller
Year 1F Miss Fidgeon
Year 1H Mrs Harris
Year 2G Mrs Garton
Year 2P Mrs Petronella
Year 3H Miss Hill
Year 3M Miss McClean
Year 4B Mrs Brady
Year 4J Mrs Jeavons
WHO’S WHO?
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Year 5C Mrs Caruso
Year 5S Mrs Storey
Year 6R Mrs Rogers
Year 6S Miss Skuse
COMMUNICATION
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One of the keys to a good parent-school relationship is communication and there are a number of ways in which we effect this.
ABSENCES
Advance request to the Head for a significant absence Advanced absence requests should only be made for compulsory events, such as Christmas services, plays and Open Days, for exceptional personal circumstances and for absences that are for longer than one day. Permission is unlikely to be given unless the request is made well in advance of the event. Written requests addressed to the Head of the Prep School should be made to the Head’s PA, Mrs Pope.
All other advance absence requests All other absence requests should be made using the Absence Note on the Parent Portal, via the Contact Us tab on the menu bar, where there are clear instructions to follow. Please make sure that you select the WH Absence Note, rather than the SS Absence Note. Routine requests will receive a simple acknowledgement of permission. More complex requests will receive a personal response from the Head of the Prep School. Absence requests should be made as far in advance of the date as is possible to enable the school to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of attendance.
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Absence as a result of short term illness If your daughter will not be in school due to illness, then please call the Absence Line or email on each day of her absence for the duration of her illness. Please ring or email as early as you can but no later than 9.00 am on the morning of each day that your daughter is absent and be specific about the reason for the absence. The Absence Line voicemail will be checked shortly before 9.30 am and if your daughter is absent, and we have not received a message from you, then you will be contacted for us to ensure that your daughter is safe. This is why we ask that you contact us each day. Once your daughter returns to school, we require written confirmation that she is fit again for school, and explaining the reason for her absence. Absence as a result of longer term illness In general, longer term absences will be dealt with on an individual basis. For absences of more than a week’s duration, formal medical authorisations are likely to be required by the school. Absence Line telephone number: 01582 839279 Email: [email protected]
COMMUNICATION
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ACADEMIC CONCERNS
Should you have any concerns about your daughter’s academic progress, then please contact her Form Teacher in the first instance and then a member of the Senior Team.
A full list of staff can be found on our website at www.stahs.org.uk under the Community tab.
Form Teachers
Department Name Email Address Reception C Mrs Courtney-Magee [email protected]
Reception M Mrs Miller [email protected]
Year 1F Miss Fidgeon [email protected]
Year 1H Mrs Harris [email protected]
Year 2G Mrs Garton [email protected]
Year 2P Mrs Petronella [email protected] Year 3H Miss Hill [email protected]
Year 3M Miss McClean [email protected]
Year 4B Mrs Brady [email protected]
Year 4J Mrs Jeavons [email protected]
Year 5C Mrs Caruso [email protected]
Year 5S Mrs Storey [email protected]
Year 6R Mrs Rogers [email protected]
Year 6S Miss Skuse [email protected]
Please note that emails will be responded to by staff as soon as possible but please don’t expect an immediate response as
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Form Teachers are in the classroom with your daughters for most of the working day. Emails will be picked up and responded to within normal school hours. For urgent communications, please phone the school to ensure that a message is received immediately.
For simple day to day matters for Pre-Prep children, the Message books are the best way to communicate with a teacher as they can be seen immediately.
Head of Prep School Mrs J Rowe [email protected] Acting Deputy Head Mrs J Jeavons [email protected]
Head of Pre-Prep Mrs Courtney-Magee
Acting Senior Teacher Mrs Perry [email protected]
COMMUNICATION
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CHANGE OF PERSONAL DETAILS
If any of your personal details should change such as email address, address, phone numbers, then please let us know as soon as possible so we can update our records. The simplest way to do this is via the Details Update electronic form on the Parent Portal and please make sure that we have both addresses and contact numbers in cases where parents do not live at the same address.
If you are temporarily away from home during term time, please inform us of the alternative arrangements for your daughter. This should include the name, address and telephone number of the person responsible for her in your absence.
PARENTS’ EVENINGS
There are formal Parents’ Evenings twice a year for each year group to which parents are invited. The purpose of Parents' Evenings is to give you the opportunity to discuss your daughter's academic progress with her Form Teacher.
We very much hope you will make a special effort to attend these evenings which provide a vital link between parents and the school. There are two dates in each of the Michaelmas and Lent term for you to choose from.
If you have any concerns regarding your daughter, please don’t wait until the Parents’ Evening to raise these with the school, but contact her Form Teacher as soon as possible.
COMMUNICATION
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Dates for Parents Evenings for 2015/16 are:
Reception - Year 6 Thursday 5 November Wednesday 11 November
Reception - Year 6 Thursday 25 February Tuesday 1 March
PARENTMAIL
The school uses ParentMail. This is a system which uses email to send you any notices, information and forms pertinent to your daughter. If urgent notifications need to be sent, email and SMS (texts) are used, to ensure that you receive them on time.
It is therefore imperative that you inform us of any changes of email or phone numbers as soon as possible.
PARENT PORTAL
The St Albans High School Parent Portal provides an online link between parents and the school to ensure that you are kept informed. It is a useful way for parents to find out important information and keep updated. For example, you will find:
Clubs Bulletins Latest publications School calendar
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All new parents will automatically receive their own login details when their daughter joins the school.
PASTORAL CONCERNS
Your daughter’s Form Teacher, the person who sees her every day, will be the first contact for most queries. You can contact your daughter’s Form Teacher by email. Alternatively, you can arrange to see the Form Teacher at the end of the school day, by writing a message in the ‘Home-school’ diary, telephoning the School Office or via email.
Form Teachers walk the girls to the pupil ‘pick-up’ point at the end of the school day which provides a further opportunity to talk to a member of staff.
Reception girls are collected from their classroom door in the first half of the Michaelmas term which provides a greater opportunity for discussions at the end of the day and helps us to get to know our Reception families as the girls settle in during these very important and special few weeks.
If you have any concerns at all regarding your daughter, then please contact us immediately so that the problem is addressed as early as possible
The Head of Prep School is available by appointment at different times each day. If you would like to speak to her, then please contact the Head’s PA, Mrs Denise Pope on the normal school telephone number.
COMMUNICATION
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PRE-PREP MESSAGE BOOKS
For simple day to day messages for Pre-Prep children, please write in your daughter’s Message book. These are checked at the start of every day so this is a quick and efficient way of communicating with your daughter’s Form Teacher.
REPORTS AND ACADEMIC TRACKING
It is the school’s policy to inform you of your daughter’s progress every term, either at a Parents’ Evening in the Michaelmas and Lent terms or by a full written report in the Trinity term.
Throughout her time at the High School, your daughter’s academic progress is tracked by her Form Teacher.
The school has its own Twitter @STAHSPrep [and Facebook] account which parents can follow. It is used to communicate the High School’s vision and successes to parents, students and the community and to promote and celebrate pupil voice.
The school does include photographs or images (including moving images) of pupils in the school's promotional material such as the prospectus, website and the media, including social media. We would never disclose a pupil’s home address, but may include a pupil’s first name in any accompanying text. Parents who do not want their child's photograph or image to appear in any of the school's
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promotional material must make sure their child knows this and must write immediately to the Head requesting an acknowledgement of their letter.
WELCOME EVENINGS
Each year, the Prep School holds two Welcome Evenings towards the start of the Michaelmas term to which all parents are invited. These evenings provide the opportunity to speak with the Head of the Prep School and Senior Staff, as well as being informed about what topics will be covered throughout that academic year and the differences (for Years 1 and above) from the previous year.
Additionally, Reception parents are given more information about routines and procedures.
The dates for these evenings are as follows:
Reception, Years 1 and 2 Tuesday 15 September
Years 3 – 6 Wednesday 16 September
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The following information is in alphabetical order and will hopefully provide you with all you need to know (or where to find out the information) for your daughter’s time in the school.
BEHAVIOUR
The school has high standards of behaviour and endeavours to encourage good habits of work and behaviour from the moment a girl enters the school.
For more information, please see the Behaviour and Exclusion Policy on the Parent Portal.
BIRTHDAY TREATS
Some girls wish to share edible treats to celebrate their birthdays or Christmas. In view of allergies and different parental views of how often their daughters can eat sweets and cakes, we ask that all girls take treats home and do not eat them in school.
It is therefore much easier if such treats are wrapped to enable them to be transported home. Please avoid any products which contain nuts being brought into the school. Nut-free size chocolate bars are usually the best option as these are generally acceptable for most dietary requirements.
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BREAK TIME SNACKS
Girls may bring in fruit or vegetables as a break time snack, but no cereal bars, fruit rolls, fruit flakes, sweets, crisps or similar. We recommend parents providing pre-cut items for the younger girls. Plastic containers should be clearly named to that your daughter can identify her box in the class tray.
BLOGS
Each year group maintains a specific blog site to share photos and news of their learning. In the older year groups, pupils act as contributors to the sites with weekly posts. Each year group has its own blog address which starts with the year name followed by ‘.edublogs.org’. For example:
www.yearrecstahs.edublogs.org www.year1stahs.edublogs.org
COACHES
We have a wide range of coach routes available to Years 1 – 6 and the up-to-date list of these is on the Parent Portal. Regrettably, we cannot offer a coach service to Reception children except in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Head of the Prep School.
Whilst every effort will be made by the operators to comply with route schedules, it may be that bad weather, operational difficulties, or other circumstances beyond our control will cause delays. Ice and snow may result in total cancellation
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on all routes. In these circumstances, the Preparatory School may close.
Drivers are instructed to stop only at official stopping points and not to leave earlier than scheduled. Girls are requested to be at the coach/taxi stop at least five minutes before the scheduled arrival time. Passengers are expected to find a seat as quickly as possible, to remain seated throughout the journey and to wear their seat belts. Parents should be at the collection point ten minutes before the service is due to arrive and must have a back-up arrangement with a friend/relative if they are unable to meet the service at the designated time.
Parents are responsible for the safety of their daughters while they are travelling on coaches/taxis.
All correspondence relating to permanent changes of travel on the coaches/taxis should be sent to the Administration Officer in the Bursary at the Senior School in writing or by email ([email protected]). Correspondence relating to daily changes of travel should be sent to the Form Teacher at least a week in advance. Please avoid late changes as it is difficult to maintain our levels of safety if there is insufficient time to alter our lists.
Casual travel
Anyone wishing to travel on a service occasionally or other than her normal one must have permission from Miss Dale at the Preparatory School at least two days in advance. This will only be granted, space permitting, upon receipt of a written request by parents. Some coaches are fully booked
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and therefore no casual travel is possible. Anyone discovered to be travelling without permission will be turned away.
Casual travel undertaken by pupils not paying for termly coach use will be charged at £7.00 per journey, added to the next termly bill.
Late Coaches
Girls attending Monday Choir and Thursday Music can travel to the Senior School in St Albans on the 3.30 pm feeder coach. Girls attending Clubs and Late Prep at the Preparatory School will be able to catch the 4.45 pm feeder coach for St Albans to join the Senior School late coach service. This is available from Monday to Thursday.
Conditions of Use for the coaches and the school Coach Regulations are on the Parent Portal under General Information, Whole School.
If you should need to phone PPH Coaches, their number is 01727 864988
ESAFETY
Safe and appropriate use of technology is paramount in today’s increasingly digital world: both ICT and PSHEE lessons include eSafety issues and discussions within their curricula and the school has a dedicated eSafety Officer. It is, however, vital that these messages are also reinforced within the home environment and the school provides an eSafety site which provides useful, current information for parents.
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EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
For girls in Year 1 and upwards, the school runs a wide range of activities and clubs at lunch time and after-school (from as early as 3.15 pm for Pre-Prep till as late as 5.00 pm for some clubs) and all girls are encouraged to attend at least one of these. Most after-school activities are timetabled on Monday to Thursday evenings to enable your daughter to catch the 4.45 pm feeder coach for St Albans and join the Senior School late coach service. If there are too many girls for a club, a rota system is set up whenever possible.
A list of all clubs on offer and what they involve is on the Parent Portal, under Clubs.
FEES
Tuition fee charges are normally reviewed once a year and, at present, are announced in April for the following academic year. Fees are payable in advance and are due by the first day of term. A late payment charge of 2% per month will be added for payments received after the due date.
Details of methods of payment will be sent to you with the details of the tuition fee charges. Further details are available from the Fees Administrator who can be contacted on 01727 792540 or by emailing [email protected].
Most books are provided by the school, but where girls should be annotating texts, they will be charged for such books on their termly bill. Please help us to keep down costs by encouraging your daughter to look after her books. If school or reading books are not returned on time or
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returned in such a condition that the member of staff concerned feels that it is due to careless treatment or wilful damage, then you will be charged the full replacement cost.
FEES ASSISTANCE
In the present economic climate the Governors feel it is right to remind parents that a proportion of the school’s income is budgeted to be available to provide fees assistance to parents who encounter financial difficulties. If parents find themselves in this situation and wish to explore the possibility of assistance, they should contact the Head or the Bursar who will be happy to provide further details of the scheme.
FROG VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
The school is committed to providing remote access to school resources and does so using a Virtual Learning Platform (VLE), Frog. The VLE provides teaching and learning materials, but is also the administrative hub of the school.
HOMEWORK
Form Teachers set homework each week according to the age of the pupils. This can range from simple practice activities and reading for the younger girls, to more formal written tasks for the older girls.
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HOUSE SYSTEM
The school’s aim is to protect its close and kind community, offering spiritual, emotional and moral support. To facilitate this, there are four House groups in which every girl is placed. We like to put girls whose mothers or sisters have been at the High School into the same House.
House Badge
House Name and Colour
Named after:
Julian (Red)
Lady Juliana Berners, a fifteenth century prioress of Sopwell, famous for her learning.
Mandeville (Green)
Sir John Mandeville, associated with a book of travels in the fourteenth century
Paris (Blue)
Matthew Paris, a monk of St Albans Abbey in the thirteenth century and well-known for his Chronicle of local events.
Verulam (Yellow)
Francis Bacon, first Earl of Verulam, philosopher and writer.
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The House system also provides a valuable opportunity for girls of all ages to work together and to take on responsibilities as they move through the school.
LUNCHES
All girls are provided with a hot meal every day, which includes a meat, fish and vegetarian option as well as a salad bar. A variety of homemade desserts, fresh fruit and yoghurt are also provided. Meals are nutritious and freshly cooked and care is taken to select menus that are appropriate for 4 -11 year olds.
The kitchen team are aware of the foods any individual girl is unable to have for medical or religious reasons so that their specific dietary requirements are met.
The food selected by girls is monitored by staff, to encourage them to choose a balanced meal as well as trying foods which they are unfamiliar with. Girls are never forced to eat anything that they don’t like.
Daily menus are displayed in the dining room and parents can also view them on the Parent Portal, under Menus.
Lunches are provided at no extra charge for Reception/EYFS, and Years 1 – 2.
A termly charge of £260 is added to the bill of girls in Years 3 – 6.
The school does not make a profit on lunches and every endeavour is made to keep charges down as low as possible.
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Days missed through illness, unfortunately cannot be refunded.
MEDICAL PROVISION
The Prep School has a Nurse and other members of staff who hold First Aid qualifications to deal with accidents and illness as they arise during the school day. The Nurse keeps paracetamol and antihistamine and may administer these following receipt of a signed school consent form. These can then be given if deemed necessary.
Should your daughter need to take any medicines during the day (such as ibuprofen, regular paracetamol or throat lozenges) a letter of consent stating your daughter's name, the medicine, quantity and time to be administered should be sent to school. Please ensure that the medicine is fully labelled, in the original container and then please ask your daughter to give the medicine to the Nurse, so that it may be given at the appropriate time. The Nurse, or in her absence a First Aider, will supervise the taking of the medicine.
A register of asthma sufferers, girls with severe allergies and other medical conditions is kept by the Nurse. Girls with asthma should have their named inhalers at all times. An inhaler must be kept in the medical room at all times. The school can administer salbutamol (reliever inhaler) if your daughter’s inhaler is not accessible. This can only be given with parental consent. Girls with severe allergies should have an in-date, working Adrenaline Injector which is kept in school at all times. A second injector should be kept in their
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school bag and brought to school daily in order that two injectors are available at all times.
If any girl feels unwell, she must go to the Nurse. In cases where the Nurse deems it necessary for your daughter to be sent home during the school day, she will notify you and ask you to collect her. Girls should only be collected on the recommendation of the Nurse, not at the request of the girl herself.
In the rare event of a serious accident which requires emergency hospital treatment, the school will make the necessary arrangements and you will be contacted immediately with all the details.
In order for the foregoing to work smoothly it is essential that parents advise the school immediately if there is any change to telephone numbers, to enable us to contact you straightaway should an emergency arise.
MEDICALS
School medicals are arranged for all girls in Reception or at any other age on entry to the school. Parents are strongly recommended to take advantage of this and will be invited to attend if they so wish. We also follow up any concerns as appropriate. The School Doctor would be pleased to consult with parents on any matters which concern their daughter(s) if required.
To facilitate the best care possible, parents are asked to keep the Nurse informed of any medical condition or problem pertaining to their daughter during her time at the school.
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As part of an overall approach to healthcare, girls will be regularly weighed and their height measured.
Communicable Diseases
There is a list of communicable diseases on the Parent Portal. If your daughter contracts any of them, you need to inform the school by telephone immediately.
We recommend that girls are absent from school for the following periods for the illnesses listed below:
Vomiting and diarrhoea Return when there has been no recurrence for 24 hours
Measles and chickenpox Return 5 days from onset of rash
Mumps Return 5 days from onset of swollen glands
MILK
Milk is provided daily, free of charge to girls in Reception, and Years 1 – 2.
In Years 3 – 6, milk is an optional extra and charged at £16.00 per term. Please contact the Fees Administrator if you would like your daughter to continue having milk at school from Year 3 onwards ([email protected]).
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MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phones are not permitted in school other than for girls who travel on the coaches and subject to the parents’ wishes. Mobile phones are not permitted to be used within school hours.
MUSIC TUITION
A full list of extra music lessons in the Prep School is on the Parent Portal, under General Information, Pre-Prep/Prep School.
The majority of lessons are given during school time on a rota basis with fixed lesson times only for girls in Years 2 and 3 in the first term of tuition. Whilst every effort is made to avoid disruption of these individual music lessons because of expeditions and school functions, this is sometimes inevitable.
Requests for music tuition and all correspondence connected with the taking of music lessons should be addressed to the Director of Music, Dr Nigel Springthorpe, email address: [email protected]. Normally lessons can be arranged to start within half a term.
Musical instruments
Before starting piano lessons it is assumed that there will be a suitable instrument available at home for regular practice. The only acceptable substitutes for beginners or girls taking early grades, is a Yamaha Clavinova or a bona fide electric piano with 88 weighted keys and a sustaining pedal (eg Technics or Roland). In the case of orchestral instruments, we can usually arrange for beginners to hire a school
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instrument for a year, although guitars and recorders are not available for hire and parents are asked to make their own arrangements for these.
Choirs
Choirs participate in services in the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban, in concerts in school as well as in local, national and international competitions.
There are un-auditioned choirs open to all for Years 3 - 6, as well as the more selective Junior Chamber Choir to which Years 5 – 8 are invited to join after an audition. Parents are also invited to take part in the annual Choral Society Concert, rehearsals for which take place in the Lent term leading up to a major concert with orchestra and professional soloists in the Abbey in March. For information about each of these choirs, please see our website at www.stahs.org.uk.
PARKING
There are several dropping-off and collection points within the school grounds.
As there are a significant amount of cars dropping and picking off girls in a relatively short space of time, please make sure that your daughter is ready to step out of the car when you drop her off. We encourage parents to share lifts whenever possible, or to walk to school if you live locally.
The electronic gates on the driveway close at 9.00 am and re-open at 2.45 pm. If you are entering the school between
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these hours, you will need to approach the gates slowly and they will then open for you.
The school has planning permission to change the road layout of the school, but has not yet been advised when work can start by the local council. The changes should make dropping-off and collecting your daughter much more efficient, and will also stop the need for only being able to turn left when you exit the school.
Full details of these changes will be given to you well in advance, but in the meantime we need to continue to follow the current process which is drop-off in the bay on the left and follow the one way direction back out of the gate, where you can only turn left during drop-off hours.
PASTORAL CARE
Your daughter’s welfare is of paramount importance to us. In order to support her as effectively as possible, open and efficient communication between home and school is essential. If there is something that is troubling your daughter, please contact us sooner rather than later. Rest assured, we will be doing the same if we notice any changes in your daughter at school.
The Form Teacher should be the first port of call should you have any concerns or worries.
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PERSONAL POSSESSIONS
The school does not accept any liability for personal possessions. All uniform, musical instruments, watches, calculators, mobile phones, electronic equipment and purses should be clearly and permanently marked with the owner's name.
Money and watches or other valuables must either be carried on the person or handed to a member of staff for safe keeping. Large amounts of money or valuable items should not be brought to school. Borrowing is allowed only with the consent of the owner and the express permission of a member of staff.
PETS/ANIMALS ON SITE
We ask that you do not bring your pet onto the school site, as both fear of dogs and allergies can cause problems. This applies to horses as well as any other animals. We do not have space for horse-boxes, so please do not drive one of these on site.
PLANNERS
Prep girls have planners to record details of homework and for parents to send in important messages. Pre-Prep girls have Message books for two way communication between parents and Form Teachers.
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POLICIES
The school has a large number of policies, which are to be found on the Parent Portal under Information, Policies. They include:
Admissions Policy Anti-bullying arrangements Assessment Policy Attendance and Absence AUP for Pupils Behaviour and Exclusions Policy Child Protection Policy (Safeguarding) Code of Conduct Complaints Policy Curriculum Policy Cyber Bullying Data Protection Policy Discipline EAL Educational Visits Equal Opportunities First Aid Policy Health & Safety Policy Safeguarding Safer Recruitment Parent Portal AUP SEND (Special Educational Needs)
The most recent ISI Inspection Report (2011) is available on our website at www.stahs.org.uk, under Prep, About Us.
GENERAL INFORMATON
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PRE-PREP AFTER SCHOOL CARE
After School Care for Pre-Prep is available every evening until 5.00 pm. If you would like your daughter to stay after school for a snack, drink and an age-appropriate activity, please send a written request to your daughter’s Form Teacher. Alternatively, please telephone if there is a last minute requirement. We will seek to accommodate requests; however there are limited numbers, so spaces cannot be guaranteed.
Girls collected before 4.15 pm will be charged £6.80, and for those who stay until 5.00pm, the cost will be £11.50. Please note that if your daughter has been booked until 4.15 pm and is not collected within 10 minutes of that time, you will be charged for the full session to 5.00 pm. Similarly, if your daughter is not collected by 5.10 pm, unfortunately it will be necessary to charge you a premium of £10.00. This will be levied regardless of the reasons for late collection.
PREP SESSIONS
A supervised Prep session for Years 3 - 6, including a snack and a drink is offered to girls for an extra charge. This takes place every evening between 3.30 pm and 5.00 pm.
The cost is £11.50 for a full session and £6.80 for up to 45 minutes (a half session). If you wish to use this facility either on a regular basis or occasional basis, then please put your request in writing and give to your daughter’s Form Teacher.
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Girls can stay for part of the time each day if it helps with travel arrangements and this will be charged on a pro-rata basis.
REWARDS AND SANCTIONS
We have a system of merits throughout the school which recognise good work, positive behaviour and effort based on personal progress. Conduct in the school is generally excellent and therefore sanctions are light and behaviour issues are very rare.
Merit Stickers
Pre-Prep classes use stickers and other in-class systems such as gems in the jar to encourage good effort and positive behaviour.
Years 1 and 2: ‘Golden Time’ is given as a reward for good work and positive behaviour. This is a reward of an additional activity which pupils choose, once they have earned it.
Years 3 - 6: There is class-based reward system where the girls receive a treat after achieving a weekly target for good work and behaviour.
All girls in Years 3 - 6 collect merit stickers on a card and certificates are presented to the girls when 25, 50 or 100 stickers have been awarded.
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House Points
House points are awarded for positive behaviour and at the end of each term, the House Cup is awarded to the House with the most points.
Sanctions
Conduct in the school is generally excellent and therefore sanctions are light and behaviour issues are very rare.
SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL VISITS
A number of educational visits are arranged throughout the academic year in school hours. For visits beyond the local area or where there is a charge, you will need to complete a permission slip. All visits will be charged to your school bill.
For local outings, within a 5 mile radius of the school, when there are no associated costs, approval is obtained from you when your daughter starts at the school.
SCHOOL RULES
Girls conduct is generally excellent and self-regulated but there are a few key rules it is important your daughter recognises and follows.
The rules are essential for the efficient running of the school and for the safety of the girls and their property. We expect girls to behave with consideration for others.
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1. Attendance Pupils must attend regularly and be in school for Registration. Permission to be absent, apart from illness, must be requested. Please see section on Absences, in the Communication section of this booklet. No girl may leave the school premises during the day without permission.
2. Uniform Every girl below Year 12 is required to wear the correct school uniform.
No jewellery may be worn except one pair of plain stud earrings. They are allowed in the earlobe only and must be removed for PE. Hair must be tied back with a plain, dark coloured hair tie. Tunics and summer dresses must be knee length. All items of uniform and other personal possessions should be clearly and permanently marked with the owner’s name.
3. Use of mobile devices Girls must adhere to the ‘Acceptable Use Policy for Pupils’ with regard to the use of IT.
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4. Conduct around the school and on coaches For safety reasons every individual must be familiar with the arrangements for evacuation of the building in an emergency and be aware of safety instructions applicable to particular rooms. These are displayed clearly in every room. Bottled water may be consumed in class at the teacher’s discretion. Poor behaviour on the coach will not be tolerated and may result in being banned from using the coaches. Not wearing a seatbelt is strictly prohibited.
SECOND-HAND UNIFORM SHOP
The Second-Hand Uniform Shop is run by parent volunteers. It provides a really useful and cost-saving service to parents as well as making a substantial fund raising contribution to the school. The shop is based in the Senior School, on Townsend Avenue.
Whether buying or selling, 20% of the proceeds goes to the school; last year the donation was in the region of £3,000. It sells practically everything that is on the official school uniform list for both the Senior School and Wheathampstead House.
For full details of this service, please see the information on the Parent Portal.
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Further information
If you need any further information, the Second-Hand Uniform Shop Co-ordinator, Jan Caines, can be contacted via Senior school Reception.
SISTERS’ CLUB
For girls in Reception and Years 1 – 2, we run ‘Sisters’ Club’ from the normal end of the school day until 3.20 pm. This facility is only available for girls who have a sister in an older year group, or a sibling in another school where collection timings make it difficult to be at Wheathampstead House. We cannot accept girls for any other reason.
Parents should notify Form Teachers in writing when they need to make use of this service. Girls are brought to the Reception classes at the end of the day and staff then bring the girls out to the end of the path for collection.
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TERM DATES
Michaelmas Term 2015
Reception Wednesday 9 September Whole school Thursday 10 September Half term Monday 19 - Friday 30
October Term ends Friday 18 December
Lent Term 2016
Years 3 - 6 Tuesday 12 January
Reception, Years 1 - 2 Thursday 14 January Half term Monday 15 - Friday 19
February Term Ends Thursday 24 March
Trinity Term 2016
Whole school Tuesday 19 April Half term Monday 30 May – Friday
3 June End of term Friday 15 July
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TIMINGS OF THE SCHOOL DAY
Girls can be dropped off at Wheathampstead House from 8.05 am but in all cases, they should arrive promptly for morning Registration.
Registration 8.30 am – 8.40 am Assembly 8.45 am – 9.05 am Session 1 9.10 am – 10.10 am Break 10.10 am – 10.30 am Session 2 (Pre-Prep – Year 2) 10.30 am – 12.00 am Session 2 (Years 3 – 6) 10.30 am – 12.35 pm Lunch 12.00 pm – 1.10 pm Session 3 (Reception) 1.10 pm – 3.00 pm Session 3 (Year 1) 1.10 pm – 3.05 pm Session 3 (Year 2) 1.10 pm – 3.10 pm Session 3 (Years 3 – 6) 1.35 pm – 3.20 pm Coaches depart at 3.30 pm Late coach departs at 4.45 pm Girls may choose to stay in school between 3.30 pm – 4.45 pm for an organised school activity or club and catch the late coach is that is her mode of transport home.
If your daughter is not participating in an activity and not collected by you or an authorised person by approximately 3.30 pm, then she will be placed in the After-School club which is a chargeable service.
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UNIFORM
Certain items of uniform MUST be purchased through the official school outfitter (indicated on the uniform list). Other items, although in most cases stocked by Stevensons, may be purchased elsewhere (eg Stanmore Pullen), provided that they conform to the specified regulations.
The school outfitters are:
Stevensons Ltd 133 Victoria Street St Albans Tel: 01727 853262 A full list of the uniform and other items which must be purchased are on the Uniform List on the Parent Portal, under General Information, Prep School. Please ensure that you purchase items from the correct list as there are two separate lists.
VOLUNTEER HELPERS
We have a significant number of volunteers who help with reading, IT, Science, the library, Design Technology, cookery lessons, and costumes for productions. Helpers may be parents, relatives, former staff or ‘friends of the school’ and at the beginning of the Michaelmas term, you will be invited to volunteer to be a helper, if you have any time to give.
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St Albans High School for Girls Preparatory School
Wheathampstead House Codicote Road
Wheathampstead AL4 8DJ
Tel: 01582 839270
www.stahs.org.uk
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Artwork byLucy Helvadjian
Reception
WH 2xA5P new parents handbook cover-forBaines_new design folder cover-A4 10/07/2015 10:40 Page 1
