New Parents' Information Booklet

Swavesey Village College New Parents’ Information Booklet

2019

House SSA telephone email Brunel Tracey 01954 [email protected] Tait 234481 Cavendish Elaine 01954 [email protected] Renouf 234482 Newton Katherine 01954 [email protected] Mills 234483 Orwell Kelly 01954 [email protected] Papworth 234484 Pendleton Ali 01954 [email protected] Williamson 234486 Wilberforce Jayne 01954 [email protected] Lintorn 234485

A message from the Headteacher

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I would like to begin by formally welcoming your child into Swavesey Village College. This is an extremely exciting time for the students and we want to ensure that the transfer into the College is both a smooth and stimulating experience for every student.

Together, the College and parents share a common aspiration to ensure each individual is successful and makes the most of their time at Swavesey Village College. Key to this is the commitment at home and school to support each child’s individual progress through the College, providing opportunities and support for their personal development and academic achievement. The most important part of this transition process is developing the relationship between the tutor, student and parent, as well as integrating Year 6 students into their new tutor group and teaching group. This is the focus of both the new intake evening and the three induction days in July.

This booklet should provide you with important summary information on what your child can look forward to experiencing at the college. However, it cannot cover everything so if you have any burning questions, please do not hesitate to ask at the new parents’ evening or at any time by contacting your Student Support Assistant (SSA) in your House office.

I would encourage you to have a look at the College website www.swaveseyvc.co.uk .The site is regularly updated and includes a regular newsletter that highlights recent or forthcoming events.

Yours faithfully

Jim Stavrou

Headteacher

The House System

Every single person in the college belongs to a House. There are 6 Houses – Brunel, Cavendish, Newton, Orwell, Pendleton and Wilberforce. Each house has a Senior Tutor and a Student Support Assistant who oversee the running of the House. There are 11 forms within each house.

The School The Form Group 11 Tutor Groups per The House

House Senior Tutor Tutor Student Support Assistant Approx.45 Students Approx. 20 students House Lead TA per year group in 11 Tutors (4 from each year group) House

Your child’s form tutor will be your main contact in the school. They will meet regularly with your child after each report to discuss progress and help the student set targets that will help them focus their efforts. They will also contact you after these discussions by email or phone. Once a year, parents are invited to attend after-school discussions with their child and his/her form tutor. Of course, we hope you will keep in contact with your child’s tutor throughout the year.

The student support assistant is based in the House Office and is always available for contact regarding attendance and any day to day issues you may be concerned with.

The Senior Tutor (i.e. Head of House) has responsibility for managing the tutors in their House and also tracks the students’ academic progress. They will also work with student leaders to develop activities and teams for competitions. Teaching Assistants are attached to each House and support individual students with additional needs.

The ‘Swavesey Super League’ provides a focus for all the Inter house competitions that run throughout the year. Students who earn many Curriculum Credits for their efforts in lessons, also earn points towards the Super League for their House. The competition runs through the year and culminates in a final Sports Day in the summer. The winner of the Super League wins the highly coveted ‘Inter-House Trophy’.

5R (Attitude to Learning and Independent Learning)

At Swavesey we believe in developing our students so that they become resourceful, respectful, resilient, reflective and responsible learners who are confident to take risks and who develop strong positive relationships to support their own learning. Through these skills, children will have the capacity for greater success in reaching their potential as learners.

You will notice on your child’s report the 5Rs score is split into two. The first is called the Attitude to Learning score, this rates how responsible and respectful your child is in each lesson. The second we call the Independent Learning score, this rates how resilient, resourceful and reflective your child is in each lesson. R grades range from 1-4 and refer to specific criteria which are shown later in this booklet. Scores close to 1 indicate a student who is well motivated, attentive, contributes in class, and completes homework to the best of his /her ability and to deadlines. Scores of 4 are of concern and trigger communication between home and school to address any underlying problems.

Current Indicator

This indicates a student's potential based on assessment data and teacher judgement.

Current Indicator of Year 11 Attainment Potential GCSE Grade Old GCSE Grades Exceeding National Expectations (E) 8/9 A*/A Above National Expectations (A) 6/7 B/A- In Line with National Expectations (I) 4/5 C/B- Working Towards National Expectations (W 3/2/1 D/E

Progress (P-Stamp)

This is a method of informing students regularly about their work and how they can improve it further. An overall P stamp grade then will appear on their report. P+ means that they are making excellent progress in relation to their Current Indicator. P grade means that they are making good progress and a P- means that they are making less than expected progress.

Attendance and behaviour information

Reports also summarise key information such as a student’s attendance (% for year so far), on time record (punctuality as %) and the number of Curriculum Credits that they have been awarded.

Attendance

At Swavesey Village College, we value good attendance as this supports the achievement of your son or daughter. For this reason we are not able to authorise any requests for holidays taken during term time. There are exceptional circumstances when an absence from school is required and an absence request form should be completed and sent through to the House Office. We do encourage you to avoid the school day when booking medical appointments where possible.

Monitoring Student Progress

Throughout the year, your child’s work will be marked and assessed by teachers. We urge parents to monitor their children’s learning, by looking at exercise books and assessment books for each subject. The teachers’ comments should give a clear indication of how your child is doing and what he/she needs to do to improve.

The termly reports provide a structure for review points through each year. After each report, tutors hold a 15-minute review meeting with each student in their form, to discuss the progress they are making and to agree targets for improvement. This enables students to reflect on their learning overall, and to consider things like personal organisation and independent learning skills. The student may be directed to speak with a particular subject teacher for guidance and support.

Your child’s tutor will then contact you, usually by email but sometimes by telephone, to give his/her views of the report and a summary of what was agreed at the meeting with the student. Once a year you will be invited to attend your child’s tutor interview, which usually last about 15 minutes. The Monitoring Cycle

Contact with parents

Tutor interview Teaching & Learning with student

Teacher assessment of Reports sent home student's work

If you would like to discuss your child’s learning and progress with the tutor or any subject teacher, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time – by email is the most convenient way to get hold of teachers. Staff can be emailed directly using the format [email protected] or you can simply write a note in the Student Planner. Please do not wait until Parents’ Evening if you have any concerns or questions! Contact details for all Student Support Assistants appear on the inside front cover of this booklet.

5Rs GRADES

How Can I improve?

All feedback should clearly identify errors or misconceptions in a student’s work and it should provide students with the guidance and direction to improve and this is known as the H2I (How to improve). It outlines a new task or question that addresses a misconception or pushes the student through increased challenge. E.g. can you explain why? If you changed X what would be the impact of that?

High quality feedback is one step in the learning process and in order for it be effective, the students must have the opportunity to act on the feedback during their lesson time in a CTG (Close the Gap) lesson. Following feedback students are expected to respond by completing the changes, tasks or questions you have directed them to do. This must be done in green pen to make the response immediately clear to the teacher and the student.

The P-stamp is used to indicate whether or not the student is making adequate progress with regards their current indicator.

Assessment – Formative and Summative

Formative assessment in an ongoing process that informs teaching and learning. Formative assessment should be done regularly, but the precise frequency of this (written or verbal) will vary between subjects and at different points in the year. Individual curriculum areas will determine their own approaches, but a good example or guide might be as below:

 Students receive one piece of written feedback in the form of a ‘Close the Gap’ activity prompt approximately every 6 lessons.  Students receive verbal feedback in most lessons.  Students’ SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) errors are picked up selectively using the agreed literacy codes (see above) when undertaking extended writing.

Summative assessment is used to inform reporting to parents, academic mentoring conversations and within department monitoring of progress. Summative assessment is generally expected to take place at least once per term although can be more frequent. The summative assessments are consistent across the subject, moderated within teams or across the trust, and ideally take place prior to the planned reporting periods. Each curriculum area will have an assessment plan for all year groups available from the start of the academic year and published within the SoW.

Parents’ Evenings

The traditional Parents’ Consultation Evenings take place once a year. Year 7 parents’ evening is in June. We also invite parents of Year 7 students to attend their child’s first tutor interview in November, to talk about how they have settled in and the progress they are making.

The Summer term report is sent home with a letter asking which teachers you would like to see on Parents’ Evening. If a teacher would particularly like to see you (and this doesn’t necessarily mean there are problems!), then he/she will put Y for Yes on the report.

You should aim to see teachers of any subjects in which you have concerns about your child’s progress, but are free to request a meeting with any teacher. Meetings are only about five minutes long (so do contact the teacher on another occasion if you have more to discuss). Children are encouraged to attend– if only so they can hear the teacher’s praise and advice first hand!

We have an online booking system which allows parents to choose which teachers they would like to see on parents’ evening, at a time which best suits them. If you do not have the internet access or prefer not to book online, you can phone or email and we will book appointments for you. Details of how to book parents’ evening appointments are sent by Parentmail and in a letter which goes home with reports.

As we said earlier, feel free to contact us at any time if you would like to talk with your child’s tutor or a particular teacher. Please don’t wait until parents’ evening if you’d like to discuss anything.

Core Subjects – secondary pathways

At Key Stage 3 (Years 7-8) all students follow a broad and balanced secondary curriculum. As they move into Key Stage 4 (Years 9, 10 & 11) students narrow their focus, still following core subjects of English, Maths, Science but also studying GCSE and/or BTEC Diploma courses which best support their talents and post-16 plans.

Parents often ask ‘do we set students by ability?’ Within every class, the teacher adapts and differentiates the work according to individual students’ needs. Some require additional support, others stretching. Classes are organised within departments to best suit the needs of the students and to help them achieve their very best – which according to our outstanding results they certainly do! Below, subject leaders explain how students are organised in their areas. Maths

Throughout Year 7 in Maths students are taught in their teaching groups. Across all five year groups, students are largely taught in mixed ability classes. This creates a variety of exciting teaching and learning opportunities, and the school enjoys a close relationship with the Cambridge Maths Hub (http://cambridgemathshub.org/) in order to create innovative lessons with a 'mastery' focus.

All students have a bespoke maths exercise book which contains details of the order of the topics covered and the objectives for each of these. All home learning tasks and classwork can be found in the students' exercise books. Therefore, if a student is absent they can access the work that they've missed.

Success@Arithmetic, as well as numerous other schemes, are available to support students, and we run a very successful Maths mentoring scheme which partners some of our year 9 students with year 7s to help them improve their mathematical confidence. We also offer a weekly after school KS3 maths support club, where students can come along whenever they would like help with homework or to work on improving their understanding.

Our KS3 scheme of work is designed to provide plenty of opportunities for enrichment, collaboration and investigation, as well as including functional tasks which highlight the depth of the students’ understanding and application of their knowledge. These tasks also promote the strategies students require for GCSE. Students are given 'pre' and 'post' assessments throughout the year to monitor their progress. Students are expected to revise for their post assessments and revision materials are emailed to students and parents.

Home learning tasks complement the scheme of work and are set at the end of each topic. Teachers’ assessments of these tasks, as well as the student's response, can be seen clearly within the student's exercise book.

To support your child’s learning at home, we subscribe to the MyMaths website www.mymaths.co.uk and Times Table Rockstars www.ttrockstars.com Each student will be given the login and password details (written in their exercise book) and this is an invaluable resource for extra self-study, consolidation and revision.

Science

KS3

AQA KS3 syllabus

Our programme of study organises the content into 10 big ideas each with mastery goals. It prepares the student to progress directly onto the AQA Science GCSE in year 9. It includes enriched extension activities for students who have mastered the key concepts.

Our KS3 course provides a spiral for understanding. Each big idea topic contains four smaller topics that build in complexity. This allows multiple interactions with the concepts, which will better prepare students when presented with information in an unfamiliar context. The course breaks down each topic in to two areas of mastery goals: Know and Apply. More challenging Extend objectives are provided throughout for students who can move beyond the mastery.

The syllabus also provides comprehensive coverage of working scientifically to get students working in similar ways to scientists. It is broken down in to 16 enquiry activities such as testing hypotheses and drawing conclusions.

In KS3 all students are taught in mixed ability classes.

KS4

We believe that science has something to offer every student. That’s why we offer different qualifications for Key Stage 4 – to suit students of all abilities and all aspirations. There’s no better way to learn about science than through purposeful practical activities as part of day-to-day teaching and learning. Our schemes embed the required practicals throughout.

The biology, chemistry and physics content is presented clearly, in a logical teaching order. The course is packed with opportunities for skills development throughout.

At the end of year 8, students are roughly placed in to sets. All Year 9 students study the GCSE combined 'Trilogy' AQA Science GCSE. The end of year 9 exam, in addition to the end of topic test scores will be used as a basis to place the students in to the most appropriate GCSE Science assessment pathway. The two available courses are: Combined 'Trilogy' GCSE (2 GCSEs) and the Separate Science (3 GCSEs). The students will commence their personalised course in year 10.

Year 9 – Students are roughly set by ability and start the AQA Combined 'Trilogy' Science course.

Year 10 and year 11 – All students complete their personalised GCSE course. At SVC we follow the AQA GCSE Science exam board. The student’s GCSE pathways are checked at the end of Year 10 and are altered if necessary before starting their final GCSE year.

Students will follow either Combined 'Trilogy' Science (2 GCSEs) or Separate Sciences (3 GCSEs). Both courses allow progression to post-16 for all abilities.

English

In English all students follow the same curriculum and complete common outcomes throughout the year although differentiation and extension tasks are built into each unit of work. The titles of the units studied by students during Year 7 are shown below and all National Curriculum assessment foci are covered during the year. English is assessed through three attainment strands: Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening.

1/2 Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2 Term Bridging Class Novel Descriptive Analytical Argument Analytical Unit of Mini-Unit: Continued: Writing: Writing: Writing: Writing: Poetry Work ‘Message in The Boy in Gothic Shakespeare’s Shelley’s Mini-Unit a Bottle’ the Striped Writing The Tempest Frankenstei Reading Unit Writing Unit Pyjamas n Writing Unit Reading Unit Persuasive Reading Writing and Class Novel: Unit Writing Speaking Skills: The Boy in Unit Transactional the Striped Community Pyjamas Project Reading Unit Writing Unit and Speaking and Listening Unit

Languages

All pupils will study French throughout year 7. They will be grouped for their English and Language lessons which is different to their main teaching groups. At Easter, students will complete a survey to give their preference to study either French, Spanish or German in Year 8 onwards.

It is the expectation that nearly every pupil will continue with a language to exam level in Year 11. PREP - Home Learning

The PREP framework (Preparation‐Revision‐Extension‐Play) aims to provide a clearer and more consistent home‐learning policy evident across the school. The framework allows for flexibility within departments and addresses the need for consistency and frequency across all departments and year groups. Home Learning requirements differ from one subject area to the next. However, the collective view is that some element of Home Learning is important in most areas to reinforce what is learned in the classroom. Many subjects are now setting homework tasks online. The main vehicle for this is the Doddle website. (www.doddlelearn.co.uk). All students will be given a unique logon which will allow them to access the site and see which specific tasks have been assigned for them. Parents will also be provided with a parental key. These tasks will often provide immediate feedback for students to enable them to see how they are doing. The Doddle website also has a wealth of revision materials available to help students should they become stuck. The site can be accessed from tablets or smart phones as well as PCs however there is a 11 homework club that operates Monday – Thursday evenings to help students who may have problems accessing Doddle from home.

The Preparation strand is designed to develop research and independent skills as well as to enhance student learning and achievement. By preparing at home, these tasks will allow students to focus class time on student understanding before embarking on a new topic. By allowing students to partake in their own learning, they are able to own the knowledge they achieve, which in turn builds confidence and independence.

The Revision strand is designed to develop revision skills by embedding knowledge and understanding of topics covered previously. By tackling revision in such a way the framework will highlight the importance of the 5R approach when completing tasks. These tasks will give students and teachers a clear and accurate picture of their performance and the necessary progress needed to meet end of year targets. They will also allow teachers and students to identify curriculum gaps that need further work and engagement. These tasks will be marked on‐line or in class through assessed‐typed activities.

The Extension strand is designed to stretch and challenge. Extension activities allow students to apply new knowledge to the next level and to not do work that is repetitive. They also offer the opportunity for students to have their own educational experiences. These tasks will either be peer‐reviewed, self‐ reviewed, marked online or in class (dependent on nature of tasks set).

The Play strand is designed to allow students to enjoy their learning. These tasks will not be marked but celebrated in class.

Wherever PREP task is set it should be valued both by students and teachers. Please liaise with subject leaders for more information.

Values & Experience Days

Throughout the year, there are collapsed timetable days where the normal curriculum is suspended and students participate in an alternative learning experience linked to one of various themes:

 Careers and personal finance  Relationships and social skills  Learning and study skills  Culture and citizenship  Health and personal safety  Teamwork

Many of the activities involve sessions delivered external agencies or our business partners. Some external educational visits take place on these days and students will be issued with an application letter at least a month before the visit.

A Parentmail message will be sent out the week before the day informing parents of what each year group will be involved with.

Extra-curricular activities

There are about 70 different extra-curricular activities taking place either before or after school each term which your son/daughter can participate in. These range from sports clubs to music groups to journalism club. A full list is available on the school website and displayed in all tutor bases. There is a late bus which runs Monday – Thursday for students who participate in clubs with a nominal £1 charge. The activities will enable the students to achieve a number of their PLEDGES and these are indicated on the overview. Most clubs are free of charge but some use external leaders and any charge is indicated on the overview.

What clubs are there?

A huge variety from flute, Christian union, computer programming, shining stars, basketball, athletics, tennis, squash, lower school chorus, chamber pot, Mindsports, running club, table tennis, fitness, PLEDGES club, string swing, Maths support, code club, Art club, creative writing, History club, Maths challenge, boot camp, cricket, rugby, football, boys’ barbershop, folk group, hair and beauty club, Science club, climbing club, dance, concert jazz, Koh Lanta and much more. Look out for the termly programme on your tutor board

The Swavesey Experience

Swavesey Village College offers a wide range of experiences and opportunities that students can actively become involved in.

The Swavesey Experience has been designed for students to combine these experiences and opportunities into one single portfolio to identify exactly what they have achieved. The Swavesey Experience is broken down into seven PLEDGES that link to the Olympic and Paralympics Values:

1) Participation - Determination 2) Leadership - Courage 3) Environment - Respect 4) Diversity - Friendship 5) Giving - Equality 6) Excellence –Excellence 7) Service - Inspiration

The Swavesey Experience Wiki on the VLE will identify how students can achieve in each key area. There are Bronze, Silver and Gold level pledges to achieve.

Important Dates

Throughout the year, there are important dates for your diary – information evenings, trips, parents’ evening and so on. To ensure you have the latest information and accurate calendar dates, go to our website www.swaveseyvc.co.uk to look at the school calendar.

Whole School Code of Conduct and Classroom Expectations

At Swavesey Village College we wish to have a pleasant working atmosphere in which we all treat each other with care and respect, working towards shared goals. At all times we aim to be responsible, respectful and safe. These are reflected in our school values.

VALUING PEOPLE

Be aware of other people’s feelings. You should speak politely to others, show respect for the ideas and beliefs of others. Greet others politely by saying hello and by making them feel a part of our college community. Move around the school sensibly. You should be safe & responsible by walking quietly and considerately, keep to the left of corridors and stairs so others can pass, help other people by opening doors.

ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL

Help everyone to learn and teachers to teach.

You should be responsible and attend regularly, arrive on time, have all equipment needed for each lesson, concentrate and hand in homework on time, always do your best, help each other when appropriate.

HIGH QUALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Take pride in your school buildings and grounds.

Show respect by leaving the toilets as you would wish to find them. Never deface anything with graffiti. Don’t chew gum; don’t eat or drink in school buildings other than the canteen or designated areas outside. Keep the school a clean pleasant place by putting litter in the bins provided and picking up litter if asked (even if you did not cause it). Look after school displays.

THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

Create a good impression; look your best.

The uniform at Swavesey Village College is very important as it sends a clear message to everyone, students, parents, teachers and our wider community demonstrating how seriously we take our education. Additionally, our school uniform assists in the development of a unified culture and conveys a strong message about our standards in school and the community.

Classroom Expectations

The majority of the school day is spent in the classroom. You have the responsibility to yourself, to your peers and to your teacher to make each lesson as successful as possible. Always enter the classroom with the attitude to want to learn and succeed. The 5Rs are our golden rules for learning. Being responsible and respectful contribute towards your attitude to learning and resilience, resourcefulness and reflectiveness contribute towards developing your independent learning skills.

RESPONSIBLE Arrive promptly, remove and store outdoor clothing, settle quickly with the right equipment.

RESOURCEFUL Complete the work set to the best of your ability and use your brain and buddy before asking the teacher.

RESILIENT Ensure you are focused on the task at hand and do not give up easily

REFLECTIVE Always review your work, look for how you can improve, and ‘close the gap’.

RESPECTFUL Phones, other mobile devices and their accessories are not to be seen or heard in school. Follow staff instructions without argument. Listen in silence when you should. Be cooperative and supportive. Use polite language at all times.

Community Values and Consequences

We expect our students to be responsible, respectful and safe at all times.

Students will receive a lunch time detention if they do not meet our basic expectations:

 Being late to tutor time or lessons  Forgetting basic equipment (pen, pencil, planner, exercise book, ruler and calculator)  Chewing gum  Using inappropriate language

Teachers’ responses to significant unfocused behaviour that detracts from their own or others’ learning both in and out of lessons are:

 Verbal reminder  Restorative time out with use of micro script  Removal from lesson (with restorative follow up)  Removal from class for a period of time (with restorative follow up)

Students should always be given a clear reminder of expectations before any sanctions are applied. Teachers should also use restorative approaches to ensure that the behaviour has been challenged and the student has accepted responsibility for the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. This is an important part of the reparation process for both staff and students.

Removal: if a student has to be removed from a teacher’s class then the class teacher in the first instance will contact home to discuss the incident and inform then parent/student that this behaviour will result in a College Detention being issued (College Detentions are issued for more serious issues). The SSA will then contact home to confirm the day/date/time of the College Detention on behalf of the curriculum area. The teacher will then have a restorative conversation with the student during their detention. A subject report will be considered at this stage. If a student is removed more than once then a subject report will be put in place and the Curriculum Leader will become involved.

A teacher can issue a Teacher Catch-up for failing to complete PREP or incomplete classwork. This can be issued by the teacher to take place at either break, lunchtime or after school depending on the nature of the work that needs completing. Similarly, a teacher can use this time to go through a restorative process with the student.

Teachers also use other behaviour management strategies such as seating plans, specific groupings, modelling positive and respectful behaviour and language; building resilience and self-esteem through positive reinforcement. Restorative Approaches

We attempt to resolve issues restoratively to promote and protect healthy relationships amongst members of our community and to ensure that those responsible of any harm accept responsibility for the impact of their actions. These approaches provide an underpinning ethos and philosophy for making, maintaining and repairing relationships and for fostering a sense of social responsibility and shared accountability.

This could be through:  Affective questioning  The use of micro scripts in lessons and community spaces  Restorative conversations  Restorative conferences  Formal community conferences

Restorative approaches allow:  a chance to tell their side of the story and feel heard  to understand better how the situation happened  to understand how it can be avoided another time  to feel understood by the others involved  to find a way to move on and feel better about themselves

The restorative process is structured around key restorative questions:  What's happened?   What were you thinking/feeling at the time?   What have your thoughts been since?   Who has been affected and how?  5. What needs to be done to make things right?

Staff are encouraged to use these questions as part of their daily dialogue as well as for use in the preparation and running of formal restorative meetings and conferences.

Beat Bullying

The Academy is completely opposed to bullying and it will always be challenged. Bullying is entirely contrary to the values and principles we work and live by. All members of the school community have a right to work in a secure and caring environment. They also have a responsibility to contribute, in whatever way they can, to the protection and maintenance of such an environment.

What is bullying?

 deliberately hurtful behaviour  repeated  unwanted  carried out by a group or individual  involves an imbalance of power

What students should do if they are being bullied or see someone else being bullied?

 Speak to somebody immediately as they can make sure that the information is passed on and investigated (form tutor, SSA, Senior Tutor or another adult that you trust in the school)

What can you expect to happen when bullying is reported?

 You will be listened to and your statement recorded.  The circumstances will be investigated and all students involved will be spoken to.  Parents/carers of all students involved will be contacted so that they can support at home.  Sanctions and support will be applied as appropriate following the investigation, to respond to the needs of both bullied and bullying students.  A restorative conversation/conference will be offered to all students involved so that the thoughts and feelings of all parties can be heard and understood and an agreed way of moving forward can be put in place.  A member of staff will check in with you following the incident to see how things are going and if there have been any further issues.

SVC Uniform Policy 2019 – 2020

1. White shirt with school tie, or SVC blouse 2. Blue School Jumper 3. Trousers – plain dark grey, suit style from David Luke http://www.swaveseyvc.co.uk/uniform/ 4. Skirts – by David Luke from The Green School Shop in St Ives, or Amazon, must be worn with black or grey opaque tights and be no shorter than 1” above the knee. See link on website. 5. Ankle Socks under trousers - plain black socks without logos. 6. Shoes - black, low heeled, i.e. less than 2" in height - or plain black plimsolls. No sports or fashion logos or decoration should be visible on footwear. Note that trousers should be suit style and from the David Luke range. Trousers should not be tight around the ankle and the material should sit on the top of the shoe. No denim, denim like materials or studs. Standard of dress: The tutor will attempt to resolve all uniform issues in the morning before any sanctions are applied including providing alternative uniform if necessary. If at any time a student refuses to respond positively to the offer of resolving these uniform issues then they will be placed in isolation.

In all matters of uniform, we appreciate the support of parents in understanding it is the school’s decision on what is and isn’t smart and appropriate. It is expected that students will be neat and tidy in appearance and will not wear items that contravene health and safety policies, e.g. jewellery in PE lessons. It is important that the smartness of the school uniform is not offset by the wearing of inappropriate garments. • hoodies are not allowed at the College and will be confiscated; • hats, hoods, gloves and scarves should not be worn inside the school buildings; • alternative cardigans or jumpers are not to be worn; • no over the ankle boots or open toed sandals; • coloured t-shirts are not to be visible under the school shirts; • Students are not to ‘wear’ ear/headphones or have them hanging from clothing. Jewellery and make-up Allowed: • two small pairs of studs in each ear lobe; • a wristwatch; • a thin chain worn under the shirt (removed for PE); • one discreet ring on each hand; • discreet and natural-looking make-up; • natural-looking nail varnish or hair colour. Not allowed: • piercings other than ear lobes; no ear spacers/stretchers; • bracelets and wristbands, including charity bands; • coloured acrylic/coloured gel polished/artificial nails.

Outdoor clothing Students may wear their outdoor clothing when moving around the school site, as they may have to be outside in poor weather. However, they should remove any hats, hoods, gloves and scarves when indoors. Coats should not be worn in classrooms or in the Resource Centre. Summer Uniform From after May half term until October half term: Girls can wear plain dark ankle socks instead of tights. Students can wear tailored shorts made by David Luke only. Ties can be removed when announced by the Headteacher.

Physical Education Uniform:

Compulsory Items:

 Fully reversible red and black rugby shirt or red sports top. Both with the Swavesey Village College logo. Rugby shirt is deemed most appropriate for rugby players.  Red polo shirts with Swavesey Village College logo.

Minimum of one item from: o Black shorts with the Swavesey Village College logo. o Black tracksuit trousers with the Swavesey Village College logo (or plain black tracksuit bottoms from any supplier). o Skort with the Swavesey Village College logo (skirt with fitted shorts).  Red and black football socks  Trainers (not pumps) and football boots specification (not purchased from school)  Students will require a gum shield for rugby/hockey and shin pads for football

Optional Extras:

 Black base-layer with Swavesey VC down the arm.  Black leggings (From any supplier but please ensure these are of good quality sports material and not see-through).  Black waterproof training jacket with the Swavesey Village College logo.

Mobile phones and other electronic devices

Mobile phones and other electronic devices (including their accessories e.g. headphones) are not allowed to be seen or heard on the college site at any time. If evident, they will be confiscated and stored in the school safe until parents can collect them at the end of the school day.

Surveys of parents, staff and students confirm that mobile phones are more of a distraction in and outside lessons, outweighing the potential benefits of using mobile technology in school.

Recent research has clearly shown a link between reduced screen time and academic progress. Equally there is a good evidence base for the link between reduced screen time and positive mental health.

We take our duty to safeguard our children’s welfare very seriously. Whilst our WiFi system can block certain sites the wider availability of mobile networks (3G and 4G) means we can no longer guarantee the safety and security of internet access whilst students are in our care at school. Ready access to social media and other internet sites is not in students’ best interests; online communication between students themselves, and with others outside college, is open to misuse and abuse. For this reason the recommended minimum age for the majority of social media accounts range from 13+ to 16+.

Students with special educational needs who require laptops or other electronic aids are allowed to use them on site. Outside school hours, e.g. after a trip or sporting fixture, students are permitted to use mobile phones to contact parents. Students who need to contact home during the school day may do so in House Offices, supported by pastoral staff.

School Meals

Choice

Students are able to purchase food at our on-site catering facility at break and lunch times. A weekly menu for the “Meal of the Day” is displayed on the notice board outside the kitchen, but students are also able to buy sandwiches, jacket potatoes, pasta, salads and fresh fruit among other things. Flavoured waters and juices may also be purchased, but fizzy drinks are not allowed on site. Water fountains are based at two locations around school, but students must bring their own bottles to fill up. Menus are also on the school website.

Payment

To purchase food from the college kitchen we operate a biometric cashless catering system. A scan will be taken of each student’s finger and that is how their account is recognised.

The preferred method of crediting money to your child’s account is via Parentpay (full details will be given out during the Y7 parents’ evenings). This is a simple, quick and secure, online process which can be done anywhere you have access to the internet. You are also able to check the balance on your child’s account using this facility. Students can use the cashloader that is located in school but we do not advocate this method as money can be lost or spent on other items, cheques are accepted by the Finance Office at present.

In order to ensure that all students have access to a hot meal and are not refused food because it may take their account a few pence overspent we will apply an automatic overspend facility of £2.50 to each student’s account. (£2.50 will allow students to purchase most items including the meal deal). Therefore, if for whatever reason there is no money on your child’s account he/she can still get a hot main meal. The overspend is cleared as soon as more funds are added to your child’s account and once the overspend is used up, it cannot be extended beyond the £2.50. Regrettably at this point we would have to refuse service. You should ensure that your child has sufficient funds on his/her catering account - students can check their own balances in school using the cash loader.

Transport

Home to School Transport Students who are currently at a catchment school and satisfy the criteria for free school transport MUST register for a bus pass with Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) before the start of the school term in order to access transport. NOTE: This is a change from previous years. Bus passes will be distributed by our school bus provider.

Criteria for free school transport can be found on the CCC website:https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/schools-&- learning/school-transport/

If you are starting at Swavesey and have not previously been at a catchment school you must contact the council to apply for a bus pass (The same criteria for free school transport apply). Please note that transport will not be provided until a student is authorised by CCC so it is important to contact the council early as it can take up to 30 days to get approval over the summer and at the beginning of term. Contact details are as follows:

Social and Education Transport Team Box No. SH1013 Shire Hall Cambridge CB3 0AP

Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0345 045 5208

Buses for Students Attending After School Activities (Late Bus)

The school provide a late bus for students attending after school activities Monday through to Thursday each week. A token is required to access the late bus and these can be purchased via the ParentPay website. The cost is £1 per token (journey) and tokens are sold in packets of 10.

The late bus serves all the catchment villages and in addition travels via Willingham crossroads. It leaves the school bus park at 16:30.

Who to contact

The Tutor

Your first point of contact at the school is your child’s tutor. You will meet them at the New Parents’ Evening in July. Your child’s tutor will contact you at least after each termly report. However, do not hesitate to drop them a line at any time if you have a comment or question about your child’s wellbeing and progress, even if it’s a seemingly small thing – the sort of thing you might have mentioned to the Primary class teacher when dropping your child off at school. If it may affect your child’s schooling, we would rather know and may be able to put your mind at rest. Your tutor is a teacher, too, so the best way to contact a tutor is by email.

Student Support Assistant (SSA)

This is someone you may get to know well, as the SSA is present in the House Office all day to answer your phone calls and emails. If you know your child will be absent, to attend a dental appointment for example, we ask that you inform the SSA by phone – you can leave a message any time day or night. We also request that Doctors/orthodontist appointment cards are brought in to the SSA, where possible.

The House Office is also the place children go to if they need help or support during the day. For example, forgotten PE kit might be brought in by a parent following a call home. Students should always come to the House Office, where the SSA can contact parents – they should not text or call home themselves.

Senior Tutor

The Senior Tutor manages the team of tutors and would be involved in serious matters of discipline, but he/she also keeps a close eye on students’ individual progress and achievements. If your child has an outstanding report, you might expect to hear from the Senior Tutor.

Subject Teachers

Although the tutor has an overview of your child’s learning, he or she is not a specialist in each subject. If you have a particular subject-specific question, about how your child can improve in Maths for example, then do please contact his/her subject teachers directly. Often an email is the easiest way, and we will aim to get back to you as soon as possible. Of course, we would telephone or arrange to meet in person if that was felt necessary.

Assistant Headteacher

Each House has an Assistant Headteacher ‘linked’ to it, to help manage and advise.

Reception

All visitors to the college pass through Reception, must sign in and be issued with a security pass. If you have a question or need information when you are passing, our Receptionist is sure to help you, but please don’t expect to see a member of staff without an appointment – for practical and security reasons, we ask visitors to call first.

Calls to the main college telephone line 01954 230366 are answered at Reception. You can then speak with someone, who will forward your call to the appropriate extension.

www.parentmail.co.uk

Parentmail is an invaluable way for parents to receive messages about college news and events via your email. Over 90% of our parents sign up to this. We use it weekly to send you a Bulletin and other important general messages. However, we never send messages relating to specific children home this way. We also do not send many paper letters home via the student bag.

We also use Facebook for quick announcements, results and general messages.

How do you sign up? The email details that you provided on your school contacts form will be entered into the Parentmail system for you, where you have indicated we may do so. This will generate an email from Parentmail which you will need to verify. Once you verify your account, you will be able to access ParentMail with your own login. This will enable you to update your own contact information (which the school can see) and can also download the ParentMail App. If you forget to verify, don’t worry, you will still receive messages from us.

TERM DATES 2019 - 2020

Autumn term 2019

Start of term: Wednesday 4 September 2019

Half Term 21 October- 25 October 2019

Last day of term: Thursday 19 December 2019 (we close at 1pm)

Be aware we close at 1pm on Thursday 26th September for our Year 6 Open Evening

Spring term 2020

Start of term: Tuesday 7 January 2020

Half Term 17 February 20 February 2020

Last day of term: Friday 3 April 2020

Summer term 2020

First day of term: Monday 20 April 2020

May Day Friday 8th May 2020

Half Term 25 May- 29 May 2020

School closed to students on 10 July 2020

Last day of term: Friday 17 July 2020