The Cottesloe School The Cottesloe School 2020 Virtual Open Event Frequently Asked Questions Prepare,Prepare, Aspire, Aspire, Succeed Succeed FAQs The • Choosing a Secondary school for your child is Cottesloe School an important and difficult decision which has been made more difficult this year due to the restrictions in place due to Covid-19. • Here at The Cottesloe School we know you will have some questions that may not have been answered in the videos. • This FAQ document is designed to help address the main questions parents have raised at previous Open Evenings. We hope you find it useful. • If we have not answered your questions please use the form at the end to ask us a question and we will publish our answers on the website over the next week. Prepare, Aspire, Succeed What is the School Admissions Policy? The Cottesloe School • The Cottesloe School is a non selective secondary school based in Wing in the north of Buckinghamshire. • The schools admission policy is available here: Admissions Policy September 2021 • The school is popular and has been over-subscribed in the past. Prepare, Aspire, Succeed What is the School Catchment Area? The school sits within a large mainly rural catchment area comprising the civil The Cottesloe parishes of: School Aston Abbotts Great Brickhill Mentmore Soulbury Cheddington Hoggeston Mursley Stewkley Cublington Hollingdon Newton Longville Stoke Hammond Dagnall Horton North Marston Swanbourne Drayton Parslow Ivinghoe Northall Wing Dunton Ivinghoe Aston Pitstone Wingrave Edlesborough Little Brickhill Rowsham Winslow Granborough Marsworth Slapton The easiest way to check if you are in the catchment area is to use the link below to Buckinghamshire Council’s nearest school checker: Find a school near you Prepare, Aspire, Succeed How will my child get to School? The • The majority of our students come to school on one of the dedicated Cottesloe School school buses. • School transport is managed by Buckinghamshire Council and not the school. • The buses cover the villages and areas inside our catchment area and are free for students in Years 7-11 if they are attending their nearest secondary school. Free school transport is not guaranteed. You can check if your child would be eligible using the following link: Check for free school transport • If you live outside of this area the council will charge for transport. Prepare, Aspire, Succeed My child has Special Educational Needs. How will you support them? The Cottesloe School • The Cottesloe school has excellent provision for all students whatever their needs • The SEND page on the school website has lots of further information about how we can support your child to achieve their potential SEND at The Cottesloe School • If your child is in receipt of an EHC plan further information on transferring to secondary school is available from Buckinghamshire Council: Applying for or choosing schools if your child has SEND Prepare, Aspire, Succeed My child has a medical condition. How will you support them? The Cottesloe School • The school has Senior First Aiders who are available should a child have an accident or need to take medication. • For students with long term medical needs for example diabetes we will, with consultation with parents and your child’s current school, complete a long-term medical plan so they can be supported to get the maximum benefit out of their time at The Cottesloe School. Prepare, Aspire, Succeed What extra-curricular activities do you offer? The At The Cottesloe School we offer a range of activities for students to take part in Cottesloe School • We hold a Character Camp at the beginning of Year 7 where students enjoy a day (and in non Covid times an overnight camp) learning outside of the classroom about our 6 Cs skills; Cooperation, Collaboration, Challenge, Coaching, Creative and Critical thinking. • Peripatetic music lessons. • A range of sports both competitively and recreational. • Drama, dance and musical opportunities that are inclusive to all. We hold an annual school production and numerous Performing Arts events throughout the year. • Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. • An annual ski trip to either Europe or USA, and biannual international expeditions to support community projects in countries such as Nepal. Prepare, Aspire, Succeed What happens about lunches? The • Students are able to bring their own lunch or use the school canteen. Cottesloe School • The school canteen is run by Alliance in Partnership and offers a variety of hot and cold food and snacks daily. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. If your child has any serious food allergies please ensure you let us know on your application form. • All catering in the school is cashless and the school uses Parent Pay for all transactions. • You will be given a Parent Pay activation letter as part of your admission pack. If you already use Parent Pay at your child’s current school it is easy to transfer them to The Cottesloe system. Prepare, Aspire, Succeed My child is at a small school and may need support during their transition. The Cottesloe School • Moving to secondary school is a big step in any family’s life. Here at The Cottesloe School we try to support every child to make the transition to secondary school as easy and successful as possible. • We offer a full transition programme depending upon the needs of the child. This includes: Senior teaching staff to meet every student from every primary school The opportunity to visit school on a Saturday to meet the students coming from other schools Two-day transition in the Summer term with the opportunity to meet your teachers and get used to the school Enhanced transition for SEN and those students identified by their primary school as needing additional support Prepare, Aspire, Succeed.