INFORMATION TO PARENTS OF STUDENTS NEW TO THE SCHOOL

At Lytchett Minster School we expect the highest standards of work, dress and behaviour, and the following notes are prepared to ensure that you are fully informed and can, hopefully, work with us to make your child’s secondary school education as successful as possible.

1. The School Day There are two sessions as follows: Morning session: 8.45 am to 12.30 pm Afternoon session: 1.25 pm to 3.25 pm Students should arrive before 8.45 am in time to be registered at 8.50 am. Students who arrive after 8.50 am or 1.25 pm will be recorded as late.

2. Leaving the premises If your child needs to leave school for any reason, such as a medical appointment, please send a note to the Head of House or Deputy Head of House, who can then inform his/her colleagues and issue your child with a pass to leave the school site early. A departure without notice would only be given rarely and at the discretion of the Head of House.

3. Absence Any absence must be covered on return by a note of explanation to your child’s tutor. A telephone call on the first day of absence (to the Pastoral Support Assistant after 8.30 am) is expected, particularly if the illness is likely to extend for several days.

Absence for holidays during term time will be unauthorised except for very exceptional circumstances. Any such requests should be put in writing to the Headmaster.

4. Uniform You will have received a copy of the official school uniform list and guidelines. We expect students to conform to this in every respect and at all times and ask for your co-operation and support.

5. Personal Equipment Textbooks and exercise books are supplied but your child will need pens (black ink), pencils, ruler, rubber, glue stick, a dictionary and a calculator. We would recommend that the calculator be quiet in action, clear in display, carry out the four basic mathematical functions and have well-spaced keys. We also ask parents to supply ingredients required for Food Technology lessons and to purchase materials used in workshops. In each case, of course, the product then becomes yours!

6. School Meals A large variety of cooked and cold items will be available at break and lunchtimes. Between 8.15 am and 8.45 am and after school until 4.00 pm a small selection of snacks will be available. Students choose what they wish to eat and pay for it in a normal self-service cafeteria, unless they are in receipt of free school meals. Payment for meals should be made via your child’s Wisepay account as this speeds up the queues in the café (please see cashless payment system below for more details). We can also accommodate students who bring a packed lunch. Students will only be allowed off the premises at lunchtime if you inform us in writing that you wish them to go home for a meal. Menus and pricing for the café can be found on the school website.

7. Lockers Students have a school locker with individual key for storage of books and personal belongings. You have received a copy of the School Locker Policy. The key provided is the responsibility of the student. A deposit of £5 (refundable) is required and a charge will be made if it is lost.

8. Homework We expect all students to do regular homework according to a prepared timetable. This will usually be one hour per evening, for Year 7 students. The amount of homework obviously increases as students move through the school. The school planner will be used to record the work, notes and reminders, detentions, merits, a record of letters/communications etc. We would ask you that you check it regularly, sign it weekly and generally use it as a method of communicating with us.

9. Encouragement We strongly believe in the value of praise (if deserved) and operate a system of awarding “merits”, a number of which may result in a “Headmaster’s Commendation” (for outstanding work) and a “Headmaster’s Award” for all-round excellence. Students may also be nominated by Subject Leaders as “Student of the Month”. All students may also receive “Praise ePostcards”.

10. Detentions Conversely, if work needs to be completed or improved or in cases of ill-discipline, detentions are held after school up to 4.45 pm, subject to 24 hours’ notice as well as at other times during the school day (when advance notice does not have to be given). The school has a legal right to extend a student’s day and is under no obligation to make specific alternative arrangements. Your support concerning sanctions is vital if students are to achieve their full potential.

11. Transport A large number of students arrive by bicycle and moped. Please would you ensure that a form is collected from the main school office to register permission to bring the bike/moped to school. A suitable D-lock is advised to offer higher security whilst being stored in the cycle racks. Home insurance is advisable as the school is not responsible for any damage or losses. We do offer a security tag service which should help identify the bike (details on the form).

From (L3), (L2) and Wareham (L1) there are County contract buses that are run by Go Southcoast. For further details of the routes, please visit: www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/education-and-training/school-transport/school-bus-routes/school- transport-routes-and-timetables.aspx

Students not issued with a bus pass may also use these services by purchasing single or return tickets.

The School will be running its own bus services for students that are not covered by the County Council services. These services are dependent on enough students taking up the service and thus cannot be guaranteed. Separate information will be sent to all parents that these services will be able to accommodate and once we have received back confirmed interest from all parents we will publish the proposed routes and costs for any final discussions, prior to the routes being agreed with transport companies. For those parents living in the catchment area that feel they may be entitled to support for any transport costs, please visit: www.poole.gov.uk/schools-and-education/schools-and-colleges/home-to-school- transport/apply-for-home-to-school-transport/

If collecting you child by car, please try to park some distance from the congestion or, better still, collect your child after 3.45pm when the buses have departed. Please ensure that you observe the one-way system, speed and parking restrictions and do not block the narrow drive when collecting your child. Please do not park directly in front of the manor house unless using a disabled space.

12. Reports and Parents Evenings Each child will receive at least one written report per year. We believe personal contact between parents and teachers to be extremely valuable and hope for a full turn out at parents evenings held once a year (an additional first evening is arranged for “new” parents in October).

13. Lost Property We provide a “lost and found” service but our job – and your pocket – will be helped considerably if all articles of clothing and personal belongings are clearly and indelibly marked. We would also ask that students do not bring expensive or valuable items to school. If it is absolutely necessary, the article should be given to the relevant Head of House for safe keeping when not required or locked in the student’s locker. Valuables must always be handed to PE staff for security during Physical Education lessons.

14. Mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices Students in the main school are advised not to bring mobile phones or other electronic devices to school. Routine calls to parents can be made from House Offices or Reception. If it is vital for a student to have a mobile phone for contact with parents outside school hours, it must be kept in the student’s locker during the school day. The school accepts no responsibility for the loss, damage or theft of any items brought into school. If students are found to be using their mobile phones during the school day, it may be confiscated and a parent will be required to collect it from the main school office at the end of the school day.

15. Drugs, psychoactive substances (formerly known as legal highs), alcohol and tobacco including e-cigarettes are banned from Lytchett Minster School. Possession or use of illegal drugs, psychoactive substances (formerly known as legal highs), alcohol or smoking materials is not tolerated; neither will any drug or alcohol related behaviour which may damage the learning environment or endanger others in our community.

16. Contact The school website (www.lytchett.org.uk) is our invaluable resource for information about the school. We issue a newsletter to inform you about the life of the school and forthcoming dates and activities. Routine contact should normally be with your child’s Head of House or Deputy Head of House. We strongly encourage you to make an appointment to visit school if you have any matter of concern. Please do not just appear in Main Reception and assume the Head of House/Deputy Head of House can see you. At all times when visiting the school during the school day please report to Reception to sign in for a security badge.

Please ensure that you keep the school updated with any changes to addresses and contact telephone numbers. You can notify us by phone, email or using the contact page on the school website.

We also ask that you keep us informed of your current working email address. From September 2018 all communication from the school will be by email. To ensure that you continue to receive email communications from the school please add us to your list of approved senders: [email protected] (a few parents have found that emails have ended up in their Junk Folder).

As a general guide, you should receive at least one email per month from the school – the school newsletter. If you are concerned that you have not received our communications, please contact your child’s House office.

Lytchett has a school Twitter account, Facebook account and Instagram account which are used as additional sources of information for parents and students.

The main school Twitter account is: @LytchettMinster

There are separate accounts for the Sixth Form and the 6 Houses: @LMS_Sixth_Form @LMSGault @LMSAgglestone @LMSPortland @LMSPurbeck @LMSKimmeridge @LMSWealden

The school Facebook account is: https://www.facebook.com/lytchettminsterschool

The school Instagram account is: #lytchettminsterschool

Please note that the school only uses its Facebook account for disseminating information and news updates, and will not enter into any kind of discussion over social media. For queries or complaints, parents are asked to contact the school directly.

If parents permit students to use social media sites, they should ensure that their child is doing so safely and courteously – further information regarding using the internet safely can be found at sites such as: www.saferinternet.org.uk

Whilst we will endeavour to investigate and take action against students misusing social media sites (e.g. posting inappropriate pictures or messages during the evening when they are at home) we would like to remind parents that the age limit for using such sites is 13. Where such offences take place outside of school hours, parents are reminded that the school is not obliged to follow these matters up. 17. School Policies Our policies can be found on the school website www.lytchett.org.uk/wp/information/policies or via the main school office.

18. Cashless Payment System We use an online payment system called Wisepay. This system enables you to pay for school- related items such as trips and tickets online, and to provide credit for your child’s catering and printing budgets. Further information will be sent home to parents in due course.