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Ellis Guilford School

& Sports College

New Student Information Booklet

2015

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Welcome to Ellis Guilford School and Sports College

The aim of this booklet is to give you important information that will help you to prepare for joining Ellis Guilford. Information in the booklet is correct at the time it was printed – we will endeavour to ensure that you are kept informed of any changes. Yours faithfully Ms S Coulton Headteacher

School Contact Details Ellis Guilford School & Sports College, Bar Lane, Basford, Nottingham NG6 OHT 0115 9131 338 www.ellisguilfordschool.co.uk

Key Staff

There are a large number of staff at the School, many of whom you will get to know over the coming years. Initially, the names that may be useful are: Senior Leadership Team Care, Guidance and Support Team Director of Transition: Headteacher Ms S Coulton Year 7 Mrs L Kirkham Deputy Headteacher Mrs A Mellors Year 7 HoY Mr Dilger Senior Assistant Headteacher Mr A Ellerby Knights House Ms Fewkes Senior Assistant Headteacher Ms A Turner-Wardell Corsairs House Mr Collington Panthers House Mr Cooke Assistant Headteacher Mrs C Eaton Centurions House Mr Brooke Assistant Headteacher Mr S Roper Assistant Headteacher Mr C Giudici Attendance Officer Ms S Law Assistant Headteacher Ms H Mumford Assistant Headteacher Mr J Williams

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Transition Events Year 6 Intake Day: Friday, 3 July 2015 at Ellis Guilford On this day, all the Year 6 children joining us in September will be invited to spend the day with us. During the day they will get to know their Tutor Group, have taster lessons and experience break and lunchtime. Your child will need to bring a pen or pencil and a bottle of water. Food will be available from the self-service cafeteria at break and lunchtime, or they may bring their own sandwiches. Children who wish to buy food should bring approximately £2. A meal will be provided at lunchtime for children who have free school meals.

Year 6 children should wear their primary school uniform on this day. Children need to go to the Large Hall by 8.50am. The day will finish at 3pm.

Year 6 Parents Meeting: Monday, 6 July 2015 at Ellis Guilford You will have the opportunity to attend from 4.00pm - 5.30pm or 5.00pm – 6.30pm; your son or daughter will be asked to arrange an appointment time for you during the Intake Day. The evening will involve a short presentation in the Large Hall at 5pm, as well as a 15 minute group appointment with your child’s tutor. This will be an opportunity to raise any questions or concerns, and to arrange to speak to your child’s tutor individually if necessary. Mrs Kirkham (Year 7 Director Transition Manager), Mr Dilger (Year 7 manager) and Mrs Davey (SENCO) will also be available. You will also have an opportunity to buy items of uniform.

Start of term: Wednesday 2, September 2015 Year 7 students should arrive at school by 8.50am, and go to the Large Hall. They need to be in full uniform and have with them a school bag and basic equipment (pen, pencil, ruler etc), although they will not need to bring their PE kit on this day. They need to bring a packed lunch or money to buy food (we would recommend £2) unless they are entitled to free school meals. Students will spend the day in their tutor group, and will have a variety of sessions on getting to know each other, team-building, expectations, and finding their way around the school.

How can I support my son or daughter?

Listen to any concerns or questions they have about joining Ellis Guilford, and talk about the things they are looking forward to.

Talk about positive experiences you or they have had of coping with change. Read through and discuss the contents of this booklet with them. Talk to them about who they can speak to if they have a problem. Ensure they have the correct uniform, and make sure they are appropriately dressed for

school each day. Make sure they have the correct equipment for school, and help them to establish a

routine of checking their timetable and packing their bag every evening. Encourage 100% attendance. Contact school if your son or daughter is going to be

absent, and write a note in their diary to explain their absence. Check their Student Diary regularly (at least weekly). Sign it, and read through and

discuss any notes with them. Support the School’s Behaviour Policy. Attend all meetings and events for parents/carers. Contact your son or daughter’s tutor to discuss any concerns.

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Finding out about Ellis Guilford Our website has lots of information about the school which can be accessed from the homepage. www.ellisguilfordschool.co.uk

The School Day The current structure of our school day is as follows:

Structure of Day Years 8,9,10,11 Year 7

Lesson 1 8.50am - 9.50am 8.50am-9.50am

Lesson 2 9.50am-10.50am 9.50am-10.15am Tutorial

Tutorial 10.50am-11.15am 10.15am – 10.40am 1st Break

1st Break 11.15am - 11.45am 10.40am-11.45-Lesson 3

Lesson 4 11.45am-12.45pm 11.45am-12.45pm

Lesson 5 12.45pm-1.45pm 12.45pm-1.10pm 2nd Break

2nd Break 1.45pm - 2.10pm 1.15pm-2.10pm Lesson 5

Lesson 6 2.10pm - 3.10pm 2.10pm-3.10pm

The Cafeteria is available to Year 7’s at their 1st and 2nd breaks and Years 8,9,10,11 during 2nd break. All students may buy a range of hot and cold snack food from the Servery and Large Hall at both breaks. Food brought from home can be consumed during either break. The Year 7 Transition Curriculum is a bridge from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3. It is delivered by a key team who have expertise in working with Year 7 students. Students will be taught by their tutor for a core “Learning to Learn” curriculum focussed around a theme each half term. Students will be taught in broad ability groups for Maths, Science, English and Humanities, and in mixed ability groups based on their tutor groups for Performance (including PE), Design and Enterprise lessons.

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School Uniform

We moved to a new, formal uniform in September and it is important that these standards are maintained across the school. All students in Years 7 -11 are expected to wear the uniform of:

Black school blazer with teal collar trim and school badge

Black, teal and silver school tie

Plain white shirt (this can be long or short sleeved) with a collar

Plain black school trousers or fully pleated skirt of the agreed style (no leggings, canvas, jeans or corduroy material). No trousers should be skin tight, therefore styles which cling to the skin or are a skinny fit are not allowed. Tapered, tailored trousers are acceptable provided they are not skin tight.

Black leather or leather look school shoes (no boots, trainers or canvas shoes will be accepted)

All of the above items are compulsory. Optional: a plain black v neck jumper with a teal trim to be worn underneath the blazer. No hoodies allowed. Outdoor coats may be worn over the blazer. Any student arriving to school without the correct uniform will be asked to do one of the following:

Return home to get changed

Wear uniform provided by the school

Remain in isolation until the situation is resolved We will accept notes from home about non uniform items. If a note is provided from the GP about the need to wear particular footwear on medical grounds, the footwear must be plain and black. We want to maintain the highest standards of school dress and appreciate your support in this.

PE Uniform

GIRLS BOYS Indoor Activities Indoor Activities

Plain Black Shorts or Plain Black Tracksuit Bottoms

Plain Black Shorts or Plain Black Tracksuit Bottoms

Green Sports College Polo Shirt Green Sports College Polo Shirt

Plain White Sports Socks Plain White Sports Socks

Plimsolls or non marking Trainers Plimsolls or non-marking Trainers

Outdoor Activities Outdoor Activities

Grey Sports College Hooded Top Black Nike long sleeve PE top

Green Sports College Polo Shirt Green Sports College Polo Shirt

Plain Black Shorts or Plain Black Tracksuit Bottoms

Plain Black Shorts or Plain Black Tracksuit Bottoms

Plain Black Football Socks Plain Black Football Socks

Trainers for outdoor activities Trainers for outdoor activities

Football Boots Football Boots

*Shin Pads *Shin Pads

*Gum shield *Gum Shield

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*These items are recommended but not essential.

Please note that due to the very wet conditions of the sports field during the winter,

Football/Hockey Boots are recommended for Hockey, Rugby and Football.

The Local Authority strongly recommends the use of a gum shield for Rugby & Hockey and

the use of shin pads for Football, Rugby and Hockey.

If you have any problem with obtaining any equipment please tell your PE teacher. All pupils

will be expected to have full games and PE kit.

School Uniform

COMPULSORY ITEMS– boys & girls

Blazer – black with a teal trim and teal and silver Ellis Guilford badge

28” – 34” - £23.95

34” or above - £28.75

Tie – Black with teal and silver stripes – clip on style - £5.95

Boys

Plain white shirt with a collar - top button fastened to attach tie

Plain black school trousers

Plain black leather shoes

Girls

Plain white shirt with a collar - top button fastened to attach tie

Plain black school trousers or plain black pleated skirt - must not be worn above the knee

Plain black leather shoes - no canvas shoes or trainers

Optional items – boys & girls

Plain black V neck jumper with teal stripe - 28” – 34” - £15.95

36” or above - £19.10

Uniform can be purchased from Just Schoolwear Ltd.

289 Main Street, Bulwell, Nottingham, NG6 8ED Tel: 0115 9754011

100 Sherbrook Road, Daybrook, Nottingham, NG5 6AB Tel: 0115 9260990

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Student Diary Your son or daughter will be given a Student Diary. This includes a copy of your son or daughter’s timetable, as well as reminders about school procedures. Your son or daughter should record any homework set in their diary. This will help them to organise themselves and meet deadlines. The Diary also provides opportunities for students to reflect on their progress in school and to set targets for improvement. Space is provided for tutors and other teachers to comment on particular achievements or difficulties encountered week by week and parents also have a weekly slot and can comment on their son or daughter’s progress. Space is set aside for messages from home about absence or other information. A special section of the Diary allows students to record achievements and awards. Parents are asked to sign Student Diaries each week. This is one way that you can keep in contact with us on a weekly basis. Please do not sign your son or daughter’s Diary in advance. It is essential that your son or daughter brings their Student Diary to School every day.

What equipment does my son or daughter need?

The things that your son or daughter will need to bring to school every day are:

A school bag large enough to carry the items listed below. Several pens (blue or black). Several pencils. A ruler. An eraser. A pencil case. Their Student Diary. This will be issued by their tutor at the start of the year. There will

be a charge to replace a lost Student Diary. Any exercise books/homework needed for the lesson. PE kit (on the days that they have PE). Other equipment (e.g. food ingredients etc.) when required. We would encourage your son or daughter to have:

A small selection of coloured pencils. A calculator. A protractor.

Where possible clothing and equipment should be labelled with your son or daughter’s name. Lost property is located at Student Reception.

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Mobile Phones and Electronic Equipment Students are encouraged not to bring mobile phones or other electronic equipment, e.g. MP3 players or Ipods, to school. If they are brought to school they must not be seen or heard during lesson time. If they are seen or heard, they are likely to be confiscated and stored securely at Reception until the end of the day where parents will need to collect. The school will not accept any responsibility for such items if brought to school in terms of loss, theft or damage. They will not be ‘looked after’ by staff under any circumstances including PE. These items brought to school will be entirely at the student’s own risk.

Items students must not bring to School For health and safety reasons, your son or daughter MUST NOT bring to school dangerous items including matches, lighters, cigarettes, pen knives. Any such items will be confiscated, and returned to a parent/carer by arrangement. Students who bring inappropriate and / or dangerous items to School will receive an appropriate sanction.

Lunchtime Arrangements

No students are allowed to leave the school site at lunchtime. Your son or daughter can purchase a variety of different foods from the school site including a full meal, hot baguettes, pasta pots, sandwiches, and jacket potatoes. Students may also bring a packed lunch. We operate a cashless catering system. Students are encouraged to use a fingerprint recognition (biometric) system to load money onto their account and pay for meals at school. A finger print image will be scanned. This will be turned into a unique digital signature and the fingerprint image deleted. In order to capture the finger print image we need your permission in writing. Students entitled to free school meals will have their entitlement added daily. In the near future, it will be possible for parents to load money onto their son or daughter’s account via the internet. Information will be sent to all parents to allow them to access this system. Please emphasise to your son or daughter the importance of considerate, helpful behaviour at lunchtime. We ask that all students make sure that their rubbish goes into the bin when they have finished eating. Students who fail to be co-operative at lunch time or who cause problems for the dinner staff may be excluded from school at lunchtime.

School Facilities and Extra-Curricular Opportunities Students will have opportunities to use the school Learning Resource Centre (LRC) in a range of lessons. They will also have a library card and will be able to borrow both fiction and non-fiction books from the library.

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Students will have the opportunity to receive instrumental tuition. Further information will be available from the Music Department. The School has a wide range of clubs, school teams and events. You will receive a full programme of these. Please encourage your son or daughter to get involved in extra-curricular opportunities.

Clip Tasks

Independent Learning (Homework)

Independent Learning is very important to the success of every student; it reinforces and

extends learning done in the classroom and develops essential independent learning skills

that students will need to be successful on their GCSE and BTEC, college and university

courses and in their careers. We are committed to ensuring that Independent Learning tasks

are relevant and engaging and are set regularly.

Homework should give your son or daughter the opportunity to practice skills, build their knowledge and reinforce their understanding. It is also an important way of developing independent learning skills for the future. As a rough guideline your son or daughter should complete around 45 – 60 minutes of homework most evenings. If it appears that she/he is doing much more or much less than this, please do not hesitate to contact your Group Tutor, or the subject teacher(s) involved. We also ask that you check the student planner regularly and sign it. In this way, we can both monitor the amount of homework that is being set, and we can check that it is being completed punctually. Weekly Homework English Maths Tasks should take around 30 – 45 minutes per subject per week. It is important that students should not rush their work, but equally, they should not spend many hours worrying over tasks. If in doubt, ask the subject teacher.

What are CLIP Tasks? The CLIP task will be set by your son or daughter’s class teacher in that subject area. They will go through the CLIP outline and ask your son or daughter to record the deadline in their Student Planner. The tasks are designed to be open-ended and encourage your son or daughter to be creative. Your son or daughter should spend at least one hour completing each CLIP but there is no time limit and they are encouraged to spend as much time as they want to (and have available) in addition to this! After each project has been marked your son or daughter will achieve a bronze, silver or gold award and achievement points. How can parents and carers support? We know that parents are keen to encourage their sons and daughters to develop good home study habits and we hope that this approach will enable you to continue to do so. The CLIP section on the school website has copies of the CLIP tasks so you can easily check what your son or daughter needs to do. We actively encourage other family members to get involved in CLIP projects – it will really help your son or daughter if they see you take an interest and learn with them. We will write to inform you if you son or daughter does not complete a CLIP task.

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Expectations of Students We expect all students to REACH by being responsible, engaged, ambitious, confident and helpful. It is important that students, parents and teachers work together to enable each young person to achieve their potential. Our Home School Agreement outlines what we endeavour to provide as well as our expectations of students and how you as parents can help support your son or daughter’s success. You and your son or daughter will be asked to read and sign a copy of our Home School Agreement before they join the school. If there is anything in the Home School Agreement that you are not prepared to support, we would advise you to give careful consideration to whether Ellis Guilford is the right school for your son or daughter.

Home School Agreement We are committed to working in partnership with parents and students in order to ensure that each young person achieves their full potential. We ask that parents and students sign a copy of our Home School Agreement as part of this commitment to working together.

The School will endeavour to:

Provide a safe and secure environment where there is enjoyment, excitement and mutual respect.

Create a work ethic which is challenging and in which each individual is rewarded, valued and can improve his/her performance and achieve success.

Provide equal access to learning activities for all students.

Challenge any form of discrimination and prejudice.

Offer a broad and balanced curriculum which develops the skills required for career progression and lifelong learning.

Keep you informed about school matters, and in particular, your son or daughter’s progress.

Provide quality teaching and resourcing.

R E

A C

H Responsible

Engaged

Ambitious

Confident

Helpful

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The Person with Parental Responsibility will endeavour to:

See that my son or daughter attends school regularly, in full uniform, on time and properly equipped.

Make the school aware of any concerns or problems that might affect my son or daughter’s work or behaviour.

Support the school’s policies and its Code of Conduct.

Ensure that my son or daughter completes quality homework, and provide opportunities for home learning.

Attend Parents’ Evenings and discussions about my son or daughter’s progress.

Get to know about my son or daughter’s life at school.

The Student will Endeavour to:

Attend school regularly and on time.

Bring all the equipment I need every day.

Wear the school uniform and be tidy in appearance.

Do all my classwork and homework as well as I can.

Be polite and helpful to others and follow the school rules.

Keep the school free from litter and graffiti.

Rewards

We are committed to the regular, consistent use of rewards to encourage success and

progress, reward students who follow our school expectations, and encourage students to

participate in the life of the school. We recognise the importance of descriptive praise and

use it regularly to recognise student success and progress.

Students at Ellis Guilford are rewarded for attendance and punctuality, meeting REACH

expectations, and their progress and attitude to learning.

Rewards include:

Points awarded daily through tutor time and in lessons.

Half termly praise postcards and / or letters sent home by teachers.

Certificates and prizes awarded in termly celebration assemblies.

Termly attendance raffle with attendance on a trip or activity as prizes.

Letters home and rewards events (eg. Celebration lunches) for students who achieve

high Attitude to Learning scores.

Rewards and achievements are publically recognised and celebrated through assemblies,

and Year Group and Department displays.

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Climate for Learning Steps

Classroom Behaviour The steps below are used to promote positive behaviour, encourage students to REACH, allow learning to continue and to teach students that there are consequences to their choices and behaviour.

Learner GoalsResponsible

Arrive to the lesson on time and in full

uniform. No mobile phone/headphones.

Engaged

Have the correct equipment.

Take part in lesson activities.

Ambitious

Work to the best of your ability.

Aim to meet your target grade.

Confident

Speak politely and appropriately to others.

Take on leadership roles where you can.

Helpful

Follow staff instructions first time.

Let others learn.

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WARNING You are stopping others from learning; you need to change what you are doing.

MOVE SEATS You must move to the seat indicated by your teacher to avoid further

disruption.

RED CARD You must collect your red card slip and go to the buddy classroom, as instructed by your teacher. You will have a 10 minute detention

after school, the same night.

Refusal to go to the buddy teacher will result in House Isolation during that lesson and break. Two red cards in a day will result in House Isolation for the rest of the day.

Dangerous or aggressive behaviour will result in an instant removal from the lesson. Patrol MUST be

called to remove students immediately.

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Detentions These may be held at break, lunchtime or after school. Teachers may keep students until 3.30pm at the end of the school day without contacting parents. Detentions may be given where students have arrived late to school or to a lesson, not completed class or homework, or been off task during the lesson. In the instances of a longer detention being issued, parents will be notified in advance in line with statutory requirements. (Please note that it is no longer a requirement for schools to give 24 hours notice). If your child is late to school in the morning an automatic 20 minutes detention will be issued for the same day and a text will be sent home. Target Diary Where there are repeated or ongoing concerns about a student’s behaviour in lessons, the student may be required to carry a Target Diary which is signed by the teacher each lesson, monitored by their tutor, Year Manager or Learning Mentor and shown to parents. Target Diaries will contain up to three targets for the student to aim for in order to improve behaviour. Internal Exclusion In cases of serious misbehaviour, students will receive an Internal Exclusion in the Internal Exclusion Room. Parents will be notified in advance if their son or daughter receives an Internal Exclusion. Internal Exclusions run from 8.30am-1.30pm. Students are set the work from their lessons and work in silence supervised by Senior Staff. They do not have break times and will need to eat before coming to school and when they return home. They will have to hand over their mobile phone at the start of the Internal Exclusion and it will be locked away and given back at the end. Fixed-Term Exclusion Where a student’s behaviour warrants fixed term exclusion, parents will be contacted. In such a circumstance the student is not permitted onto the school site for the duration of the exclusion. Following fixed-period exclusion parents will be required to come into school to discuss their son or daughter’s behaviour with a senior member of staff.

Attendance and Punctuality

We operate an electronic registration system. This means that we have a central computerised record of each student’s attendance and punctuality. We expect all students to aim for 100% attendance. There is a strong link between attendance and progress. Attendance of less than 94% is considered unacceptable by OFSTED, and may trigger contact with parents/carers and an Education Welfare Service referral. If your son or daughter has a problem which is affecting their attendance, please contact their tutor as soon as possible to discuss it. This will enable us to support you and your son or daughter.

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If your son or daughter is absent from school due to illness, or another genuine reason, please: Phone the school to inform us of the reason for your son or daughter’s absence. You

will be telephoned if we have no explanation for absence. Give your son or daughter a letter to bring to school on the day they return. This should

include your son or daughter’s name, tutor group, and the dates they have been absent, as well as a reason for their absence. This will enable your son or daughter’s tutor to authorise their absence.

If you know in advance that your son or daughter will be absent from school, please notify your son or daughter’s tutor in writing, giving a clear reason for the absence. In line with statutory requirements and DfE guidance, we do not authorise holidays during term time. If you wish to request leave of absence from school for your son or daughter due to exceptional circumstances, please contact the Attendance Officer to make an appointment. Please note that absence can only be authorised at the discretion of the school in exceptional circumstances. Where students are taken out of school on holiday without a leave of absence having been authorised, the matter will be referred to the Education Welfare Service who are likely to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice. Lateness to school and to lessons prevents your son or daughter from learning and disrupts the education of others. Please ensure that your son or daughter arrives at school on time and emphasise the importance of good punctuality and attendance. Where possible, arrange medical appointments for your son or daughter outside school hours. If appointments during the school day are unavoidable, please inform your son or daughter’s tutor in advance via a note in their diary. If your son or daughter arrives late to school, please put a note in their diary explaining the reason. If your son or daughter needs to leave school during the day for an appointment, please write a note to your son or daughter’s tutor. Your son or daughter will need to show the note to their tutor; then take the note to reception to sign out.

Inclusion We are highly committed to being an Inclusive school. We have a wide range of support strategies for students who need additional help. Students who need additional help with literacy or numeracy may be taught in a small group for a period of time. We have a wide range of small group sessions that address a wide range of learning, social and emotional needs. Students may have a keyworker from the Inclusion or Year Team. Where appropriate, students in Year 7 or 8 may be supported in our Transition Learning Centre (TLC). They will attend some lessons with their tutor group and work in the TLC for others, with a focus on developing their literacy, numeracy and social skills. Students in Year 7, 8 or 9 may be referred for a 6 or 12 week intervention programme in The Bridge. This will focus on developing the social skills required to succeed. Students from Year 9, 10 and 11 may be referred to our Alternative Learning Provision (ALP) to allow them to access small group support, short accredited courses and off-site provision. If we feel that your son or daughter would benefit from accessing one of these programmes we will discuss this with you. We have a range of targeted support for students with physical and sensory difficulties including a dedicated Care Assistant and physiotherapy room and provide individualised support for a number of students with complex needs.

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We have strong links with a range of outside agencies and work within a multi-agency approach. In some cases, we may wish to request the involvement of an outside agency. If this is the case, we will discuss this with you. Where we are concerned that a young person’s needs may not be met within the school, we may carry out an assessment using the CAF (Common Assessment Framework) process. If appropriate, we may hold Team around the Child (TAC) meetings to co-ordinate multi-agency support and review progress. Parents and carers will be consulted and involved in this process.

Anti-bullying and Equality The school has a zero tolerance policy towards bullying, or any form of discrimination or harassment including racism, sexism and homophobia. This includes: A proactive approach to raising awareness and challenging bullying, racism, sexism and

discrimination through assemblies and PSHE lessons A commitment to investigate all reports of bullying, discrimination or harassment

thoroughly, to support the victim, and encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour

An inequality register to record incidents Strong action against offenders. This may include meetings with parents, after-school

detentions, a ban from areas where incidents takes place, internal or external exclusion, meetings with support services.

If your son or daughter experiences or witnesses an incident of bullying, harassment or discrimination, they must report it to a member of staff. Any action taken will first be discussed with the person who has been affected.

Safeguarding The school is required to follow national and Nottingham City policies to protect and safeguard children and young people. Where we are concerned that a son or daughter or young person may be at risk of significant harm we are required to report this to Nottingham City Children and Young Person’s Services, who will decide whether or not to carry out an assessment. We will make parents or carers aware of any referrals, unless we are concerned that doing so may increase the risk to the child or young person.

Contact with School Please ensure that the school has up to date contact details for use in an emergency,

and to ensure that we can keep in touch to support your son or daughter. The Student Diary is the basis of day to day communication between home and school.

Please look through and sign your son or daughter’s Student Diary weekly. Please encourage your son or daughter to take care of their diary and use the diary to communicate with your son or daughter’s tutor or teachers about routine matters.

You will receive regular information about your son or daughter’s progress. During the year you will have opportunities to meet with staff in order to review your son or daughter’s progress and set appropriate targets.

If your son or daughter is involved in an incident, or we have a concern, we will endeavour to contact you as soon as possible. Where necessary, we will arrange an appointment for you to come into school to agree the best way forward.

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You will receive regular newsletters and other mailings to keep you informed about general developments and events taking place in the school. Our website, www.ellisguilfordschool.co.uk, is regularly updated to keep all members of our School Community informed.

Contacting School The first point of contact, for both you and your son or daughter, is your son or daughter’s tutor. This is the person that knows your son or daughter best at school, and will be in the best position to help. If they need to, they will refer the matter to their Year Manager. If your son or daughter has a problem or concern, encourage them to speak to their

tutor in confidence. Their tutor will discuss any action needed with your son or daughter, and keep you informed as necessary.

You can contact your son or daughter’s tutor by telephone or letter. Please be aware that your son or daughter’s tutor may have a full teaching day, and may not be able to speak to you immediately. We endeavour to return telephone calls within 24 hours.

Where you have a more complicated matter to discuss we would encourage you to make an appointment with your son or daughter’s tutor or Year Manager. Please telephone to arrange an appointment.

If it is essential that you speak to someone immediately, please telephone and ask to speak to your son or daughter’s Year Manager.

If you have a concern, please contact school as soon as possible. It is important that we work closely together to support your son or daughter, and if we don’t know that there is a problem, we can’t do anything to help.

Contacting your son or daughter In the event of an emergency where you need to contact your son or daughter during the day, please phone and leave a message with reception. If your son or daughter needs to contact you, they should go to Student Reception or their Year Office. Please do not text or phone your son or daughter directly during the School day, or ask them to phone or text you, as this can lead to your son or daughter disrupting a lesson and breaking the school rules.

Getting to School

Staff are on duty at the start and end of the school day. We expect all students to behave in a sensible and courteous manner on their way to and from school. On foot Please remind your son or daughter to take care when crossing roads on the way to and from School. By cycle Students may cycle to and from School, and we have a secure area for bike storage which is locked during the school day. Bicycles must be in good working order, including brakes, and lights during winter months. Students will need to bring a lock so that they can secure their bike, and may only go into the bike storage area to leave or collect their own bike.

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Students are not allowed to ride bikes on the school site. Whilst every effort is made to keep bikes secure, and any students who are caught tampering with bikes will be dealt with, bikes are brought onto the school site at the owner’s risk. By Car Please do not drive onto the school site or stop or reverse at the entrance to the school driveway at the start or end of the school day. This creates additional congestion and endangers students. By Bus Students who use the public bus service to travel to or from school are expected to behave with consideration to others.