Junior School Parents’ Handbook 2020 - 21
Northwood College for Girls GDST Maxwell Road Northwood Middlesex HA6 2YE Main School Telephone: 01923 825446 Junior School Telephone: 01923 845067 Email: juniorschool@nwc.gdst.net Website: www.northwoodcollege.gdst.net
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS HANDBOOK IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
At Northwood College for Girls we believe that strength of character is as important as academic success we act with compassion and integrity we ignite intellectual curiosity we understand that success and purpose stem from feeling valued and creating impact we recognise our global responsibility we challenge ourselves and build resilience we embrace innovation we foster joy
Contents Welcome From The Head ..................................................................................................................................... 1 How Parents Should Communicate With The Junior School ........................................................ 2 The School Learning Platform And Parent Portal - Firefly ................................................................ 3 Term Dates 2020/21 .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Parent Pay ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 The School Day ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 Essential Student Equipment ............................................................................................................................ 12 Policies .............................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Privacy Statement ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 Privacy Statement For Pupils .............................................................................................................................. 15 Attendance Policy ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 The Welfare Of Our Pupils ..................................................................................................................................... 19 School Health Service .............................................................................................................................................. 21 Confidentiality Policy ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Anti Bullying Policy ................................................................................................................................................... 24 Pastoral Programme ................................................................................................................................................ 30 Relationship Education Policy ........................................................................................................................... 32 PSHE Policy .................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Internet Access Policy ............................................................................................................................................. 40 Computer Resources Policy ................................................................................................................................. 41 Discipline And Behaviour For Learning Policy .......................................................................................... 43 Junior School Rewards and Sanctions .......................................................................................................... 46 Behaviour Chart ........................................................................................................................................................... 49 Teaching And Learning Policy ............................................................................................................................ 53 Curriculum Policy ....................................................................................................................................................... 55 Guidance On Assessment ...................................................................................................................................... 60 Reporting To Parents ................................................................................................................................................ 64 Specific Learning Difficulties ................................................................................................................................ 64 Junior School Homework Guidance ................................................................................................................ 65 Extra Curricular Activities ....................................................................................................................................... 70 Northwood College Parent-Teachers' Association .................................................................................. 71 NWC Connect .................................................................................................................................................................. 71 Junior School Uniform ............................................................................................................................................... 72 PE Clothing and Equipment .................................................................................................................................. 75 School Blazer .................................................................................................................................................................... 77 School Shoes ..................................................................................................................................................................... 79 Dance ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 80 Music Department ......................................................................................................................................................... 81 Physical Education ........................................................................................................................................................ 82 Drama Department ....................................................................................................................................................... 84 Northwood College For Girls GDST School Coach ..................................................................................... 84 Staff List ................................................................................................................................................................................ 85 Catering ................................................................................................................................................................................ 86 Northwood College For Girls GDST Map ........................................................................................................... 90
Welcome From The Head It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and your daughter to Northwood College for Girls GDST (NWC). The choice of school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent, and the years that your daughter will spend at NWC will be among her most formative. That is a responsibility that I and all the staff here at Northwood College for Girls take extremely seriously. Your daughter’s academic development and wellbeing are my absolute priorities.
Education requires hard work and dedication, and at NWC our girls persevere and remain focused on their goals. This mind-set applies to academic endeavours, sport and in the creative and performing arts. In tandem to this, our outstanding pastoral guidance ensures that girls feel resilient and supported as they take on the challenges faced by young people today. We understand that success and purpose stem from feeling valued and creating impact. NWC is an extraordinary school. In addition to providing a stimulating and rounded educational experience that ignites intellectual curiosity, we foster joy in all that we do! My objective is that when your daughter leaves our community as a young adult she will be a true global citizen, equipped not just with strong academic credentials but also with the confidence, the communication and analytical skills and the values to succeed and contribute in a world full of opportunity and change. I very much look forward to getting to know your daughter and to working with you to help her become the best she can be and make the most of all that we have to offer.
Mrs Zara Hubble Head
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How Parents Should Communicate With The Junior School To ensure that our parents are able to communicate effectively with the Junior School we have compiled the following communication guidelines. We are grateful for your co-operation in using this system which will enable us to deal with your needs as efficiently and effectively as possible. Attendance If your child is absent, or late, for any reason please contact us by email at absence@nwc.gdst.net on every day of absence/lateness by 9am. If we do not hear from you we will contact you to ascertain your daughter’s whereabouts. All absences reported by phone must be confirmed by email on the day of absence. If your daughter attends a music lesson during registration time, she should sign in on arrival in the Junior School and notify her form teacher. General Enquiries The Junior School Secretary, Mrs Kelly, will usually be equipped with the correct information to answer your query, or will be able to put you in contact with someone who can. Mrs Kelly can be reached on 01923845067 or by email juniorschool@nwc.gdst.net. We provide general up to date information via our parent portal, Firefly (please see page 5 for full information) and our website www.northwoodcollege.gdst.net In the event of a possible school closure eg severe weather conditions, details would be texted to parents by
7.00am and would be posted on the website. Emails and Texts The majority of correspondence between parents and the school/Girls’ Day School Trust is undertaken by email, text and Firefly such as termly invoices, electronic newsletters and event reminders. We therefore ask all parents to keep the school informed of any changes to their email addresses and mobile numbers; and to ensure that emails from school are not classified as ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ emails. On occasion, emails will have PDF files attachments and we ask our parents to kindly ensure that they have adobe acrobat reader software installed on their PC so that these can be accessed. This can be downloaded free of charge from www.adobe.com/downloads. Concerns If you have a concern regarding your daughter the first point of contact should be either your daughter’s Form Tutor or one of the Junior School Deputy Heads (Mrs Crouch for Pastoral Development/Wellbeing; Mrs Morjaria for Academics). All members of staff should be contacted via Mrs Kelly. Mrs Kelly can be reached on 01923845067 or by email juniorschool@nwc.gdst.net. Complaints about members of staff If you wish to make a complaint about a member of staff, this should be made in writing to the Head. 2
The School Learning Platform And Parent Portal - Firefly At Northwood College for Girls GDST, we use a platform called Firefly to communicate with both students and parents. Students use Firefly to find information about the subjects they are studying and to keep track of any homework that has been set using Firefly. The parent portal side of Firefly allows you to view your daughter’s profile where you will find her timetable, any homework she has been set using the online system and any grade cards or reports that are published. You will also find information about extra-curricular clubs and copies of letters that are sent home in the parents section. Your account will become available to you during the first week your daughter is in school. To access Firefly for the first time please follow these steps: 1. Please open a Google Chrome or Internet Explorer 11 window on any device (PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android etc.) and go to your desired parent portal address: Junior Site: https://northwoodcollegejunior.fireflycloud.net/ Senior Site: https://northwoodcollege.fireflycloud.net/ These links can also be found on the Northwood College for Girls GDST website, www.northwoodcollege.gdst.net 2.Click the 'Activate your account' link (the green box at the bottom of the page)
Enter the email address the school holds for you when prompted. 3.You should then receive an automated email from Northwood College for Girls GDST asking you to set a password for Firefly. If you do not receive this email or have any difficulties accessing the system please check your junk or spam mail folder. If you still have difficulties, please email office@nwc.gdst.net.
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Te rm Dates 2020/21 P lease note that a termly calendar of events will be emailed in advance at the end of each term. Up to date information on events is also available on Firefly. AUTUMN TERM 2020 New Staff Only Induction: Wednesday 2 September 2020 Staff Study Day:
Thursday 3 September 2020
Staff Study Day:
Friday 4 September 2020
Y7 and Y12 Induction:
Monday 7 September 2020
Term Begins: Tuesday 8 September 2020 Half Term Break: Monday 26 October – Friday 6 November 2020 Term Ends: Friday 18 December 2020 (12 noon)
SPRING TERM 2021 Staff Study Day:
Monday 4 January 2021
Term Begins:
Tuesday 5 January 2021
Half Term Break:
Monday 15 February – Friday 19 February 2021
Term Ends:
Friday 26 March 2021 (12 noon)
SUMMER TERM 2021 Staff Study Day: Monday 12 April 2021 Staff Study Day:
Tuesday 13 April 2021
Term Begins:
Wednesday 14 April 2021
Bank Holiday:
Monday 3 May 2021
Half Term Break:
Monday 31 May – Friday 4 June 2021
Term Ends:
Friday 9 July 2021 (12 noon)
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Parent Pay Parentpay is the online cashless system used by Nothwood College for Girls for any extras such as
trips, tickets to concerts, coach fees etc. ParentPay offers you the freedom to make payments whenever and wherever you like, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - safe in the knowledge that the technology used is of the highest internet security available. You will be sent a letter with your unique username and password in the first week after your daughter starts at the school. You will be prompted to change these, and to keep them safe and secure. If you have more than one child at our school, or children at another ParentPay school, you can create one single account login for all your children regardless of which school they attend. Making a payment is straightforward and ParentPay holds a payment history for you to view at a later date; no card details are stored in any part of the system. Once you have activated your account you can make online payments straight away. Once you are up and running you can:
View your balance, top up online with debit or credit card Get alerted by text or email if your balance gets low or when you have something to pay for such as a school trip or out of school clubs, lessons or other activities. Payments are received safely by the school, meaning you do not have to send your child to school with cash again, money doesn't get lost and is spent on its intended purpose.
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The School Day - BLUEBELLE NURSERY 08.15 - 08.25 08.30 – 09. 00 09.05 – 10.05 10.05 - 10.25 10.25 - 11.25 11.25 – 12.25 12.25 – 15.00
Dropoff (should not take place before 8.15) Form Time including Registration Lessons Break Lessons Lunch and Play Lessons including break time
Nursery finishes at 15:00 daily Girls arrive at school from 08.15 ready for an 08.30 start and parents should walk their daughter to the doors of Bluebelle Nursery. Please write any messages in the Home School Message book. (Appointments may easily be made for other queries). Girls should bring still water in a named bottle with a sports style lid and a piece of fruit or vegetable for morning break. We provide a mid-afternoon snack (fruit flapjack or similar). The morning lessons are followed by lunch where hot food is always available, with a vegetarian alternative. The girls are encouraged to choose a balanced meal and to eat the food presented. In the fine weather, the girls then play in the Nursery garden. If wet, they have quiet activities inside. During outdoor play the girls have an opportunity to collaborate with the Reception girls in the larger play area. After lunch, the girls return for afternoon activities. School finishes at 15:00 and parents are welcomed to the Nursery to collect them. Please give written notification if someone else is collecting your daughter and ensure that your daughter is aware of the arrangement.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? We hope that you will see your daughter’s years at Northwood College for Girls GDST as a partnership between parents and staff. There are several ways in which you can help: Please ensure that your daughter can dress / undress herself, fasten her shoes, visit the toilet unaided and wash her hands. Her hair should be neatly tied back using navy blue ribbons / bands if longer than shoulder length, if shorter, should be restrained using blue clips or hair band so as not to obscure vision. PARENTS AS PARTNERS This important relationship between school and home begins in the Nursery. We send home activity sheets and offer workshops and coffee mornings to help you get to know us and each other. We often ask for parental support with visits and special occasions during the year. BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE This is offered between 07.30 – 8.25 and 15.00 – 18.00. Please see SuperClubs Booklet.
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The School Day - RECEPTION 08.15 - 08.25 08.25 – 08. 35 08.40 – 09.00 09.05 - 10.05 10.05 - 10.25 10.25 – 11.55 11.55 – 13.20 13.20 - 15.25
Dropoff (should not take place before 8.15) Registration Assembly/Form Time Lessons Break Lessons Lunch Break Lessons
School ends at 15:30 Girls should not arrive at school until 8.15am for an 8.30am start to the day. (If you need to talk to your daughter’s form teacher, please limit this to brief messages. Appointments may easily be made for other queries). Morning lessons start at 9.00am with a 20 minute break and finish at 11.55am. Girls may bring still water in a named bottle with a sports style lid and a piece of fruit or vegetable; they should not bring any more as they will not be able to eat their lunch. The morning lessons are followed by lunch where hot food is always available, with a vegetarian alternative. Lunch is served for Reception in Vincent Hall. The girls are encouraged to choose a balanced meal, to eat the food presented and to use a knife and fork properly. In the fine weather, the girls then play in the Vincent House garden. If wet, they have quiet activities inside. After lunch, the girls return to their classes for afternoon lessons. School finishes at 3.30pm. Reception Classes may be collected from Bluebelle House, Nursery Playground. Please give written notification if someone else is collecting your daughter and ensure that your daughter is aware of the arrangement. It is important that your daughter is on time for the start of the day. If she is late her name and time of arrival must be written in the Late Book which is in the Junior School Reception. HOW CAN YOU HELP? We hope that you will see your daughter’s years at Northwood College for Girls GDST as a partnership between parents and staff. There are several ways in which you can help: Reception: Please ensure that your daughter can dress / undress herself, fasten her shoes, visit the toilet unaided and wash her hands. Her hair should be neatly tied back using navy blue ribbons / bands if longer than shoulder length, if shorter, should be restrained using blue clips or hair band so as not to obscure vision. We place particular emphasis on the use of good manners and it will help your daughter if she can use a knife and fork competently at lunch time. Jewellery and watches are not allowed; girls may NOT wear earrings as they are very dangerous during P.E. lessons. Please ensure that nail polish is removed before school.
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BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE This is offered between 07.30 – 8.25am and 15.30 – 18.00pm. Please see separate SuperClubs Booklet.
HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION BOOKS Your daughter will be given a Home/School Communication Book where brief notes may be written. More personal or private correspondence, letters of absence or letters for the P.E Department should be sent in separately. Home/School Communication Books, reading records and any correspondence from the school will be placed in your daughter’s reading book bag. This should be checked and signed daily. Any correspondence to the school should also be put in the reading record bag as this is checked daily in school also.
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The School Day - JUNIORS YEARS 1-2 08.15 - 08.25 08.25 – 08. 35 08.40 – 09.00 09.05 - 10.35 10.35 - 10.55 10.55 – 11.55 11.55 – 13.05 13.05 - 16.00
Dropoff Registration Assembly/Form Time Lessons Break Lessons Lunch Break Lessons
Girls may be dropped at Wray Lodge from 08.00-08.25. If arriving from 08.00, they will be supervised until 08.15 when the doors to Vincent House open. Girls may then go to their classrooms where they will be supervised by their teacher and/ or teaching assistant. Morning lessons start at 9.00am with a 20 minute break and finish at 11.55am. Girls may bring still water in a named bottle with a sports style lid and a piece of fruit or vegetable; they should not bring any more as they will not be able to eat their lunch. The morning lessons are followed by lunch where hot food is always available, with a vegetarian alternative. Lunch is served for Year 1 in Vincent Hall and Year 2 in the main school dining room. The girls are encouraged to choose a balanced meal, to eat the food presented and to use a knife and fork properly. In the fine weather, the girls then play in the Vincent House garden. If wet, they have quiet activities inside. After lunch, the girls return to their classes for afternoon lessons. School finishes at 3.30pm. Year 1 and 2 are brought down by their teacher or teaching assistant for collection in the old Junior School playground. Please give written notification if someone else is collecting your daughter and ensure that your daughter is aware of the arrangement. It is important that your daughter is on time for the start of the day. If she is late her name and time of arrival must be written in the Late Book which is in the Junior School Reception. HOW CAN YOU HELP? We hope that you will see your daughter’s years at Northwood College for Girls GDST as a partnership between parents and staff. There are several ways in which you can help: We place particular emphasis on the use of good manners and it will help your daughter if she can use a knife and fork competently at lunch time. Jewellery and watches are not allowed; girls may NOT wear earrings as they are very dangerous during P.E. lessons. Please ensure that nail polish is removed before school.
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BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE This is offered between 07.30 – 8.25am and 15.30 – 18.00pm. Please see separate SuperClubs Booklet.
HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION BOOKS Your daughter will be given a Home/School Communication Book where brief notes may be written. More personal or private correspondence, letters of absence or letters for the P.E Department should be sent in separately. Home/School Communication Books, reading records and any correspondence from the school will be placed in your daughter’s reading book bag. This should be checked and signed daily. Any correspondence to the school should also be put in the reading record bag as this is checked daily in school also.
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The School Day - JUNIORS YEARS 3-6 08.15 - 08.25 08.25 – 08. 35 08.40 – 09.00 09.05 - 10.35 10.35 - 10.55 10.55 – 11.55 11.55 – 13.05 13.05 - 16.00
Dropoff Registration Assembly/Form Time Lessons Break Lessons Lunch Break Lessons
Girls may be dropped at Wray Lodge from 08.00-08.25. they will be supervised during this perios, then sent to their respective classes for registration. At the end of the school day, the girls will be dismissed from the old Junior School playground. Parents must collect their daughters from within the school grounds. If parents are not outside in the playground when the girls are dismissed, then the girls will be taken to SuperClubs in Redington Lodge from where parents should collect them. Girls are not allowed to wait outside the school gates or unaccompanied in the playground. If a pupil is sent to SuperClubs because a parent/guardian has not collected them, a charge will be made. It is important that your daughter is on time for the start of the day. If she is late her name and time of arrival must be written in the Late Book which is in the Junior School Reception. Any girl who is late more than three times a week will receive a reminder in the diary. More than three reminders will result in a letter from the Head of Junior School. AFTER SCHOOL CARE? This is offered between 7.30 – 08.25am and 16.00 – 18.00. Please see separate SuperClubs Booklet. HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION BOOKS Your daughter will be given a homework book which will be used for writing down homework and can be used by both parents and teacher to convey short messages. Please read this and check for any school notices/messages in the book and initial each day. The homework book must be brought to school every day. Absence notes and P.E. notes should be written separately, please. If you do need to see your daughter’s form teacher please make an appointment with the Junior School office. You are welcome to make an appointment with Head of Junior School for other enquiries. Please make an appointment with the Junior School office. General: Please read all letters that go home or are put on Firefly and return the reply slips promptly Girls must remember to bring their school work, P.E kit, swimming bags, ballet bag, boos/instruments or music lessons. Only in an emergency will they be allowed to telephone home to ask for these items.
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Junior School - Years 3-6 only ESSENTIAL STUDENT EQUIPMENT Stationery: The following equipment is needed at school every day and your daughter’s form teacher will check that these items are in school. Soft pencil case 2 HB pencils 1 Ruler 30cm (non-folding) Scissors Glue Stick (and a spare) Sharpener (with own container) Colouring Pencils (12) Cartridge Pen (Year 5) and spare cartridges (washable blue)
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Northwood College for Girls GDST School Bag: this is to be purchased from School Blazer (Compulsory)
All Year 5-6 girls are provided with a Google Chromebook which they use across a range of lessons and for homework. If you are a parent of a girl in, or approaching Year 3-4, and looking to buy them a device, we recommend you purchase a Chromebook. We are a Google Accredited School and the earlier the girls become familiar with the Chromebook and Google platforms, the better. Purchase for Year 3-4 is not compulsory. All items must be clearly named. Girls are expected to be responsible for their own belongings and equipment. We encourage them to be independent when signing and committing to lunch time activities and clubs. Any music lessons should be written on the class board and attended independently.
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Policies Our school policies are updated each academic year and can be found on the school website. Enclosed in this booklet are the versions in use this academic year. We request that parents support the school by ensuring that your daughter does not travel during term time. Medical appointments should be arranged out of lesson time. School Policies: Pandemic- Full and Partial School Closure Procedures Please note: in some cases school policy and procedures are affected by COVID19 protocol, as directed in government guidelines. These policies contain a COVID19 Annex detailing the changes to procedures as necessitated by the COVID19 guidelines. The school will work in accordance with the guidelines, including the implementation of full or partial closure to pupils in response to control the spread of the COVID19 virus. During full or partial closure to pupils, the school will follow Guided Home Learning procedures and will implement both Guided Home Learning and Remote Pastoral and Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies. These policies are published in the handbook, but are subject to change. The school will inform parents of changes, by email communication and all current updated policies are published on our website www.northwoodcollege.gdst.net
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Privacy Statement This statement should be read in conjunction with the school’s Data Protection Policy which can be found on
the Northwood College for Girls website at www.northwoodcollege.gdst.net. The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) is the UK’s leading network of independent girls’ schools. This notice is provided to help you understand how and why we collect personal information (or “data”) about students and other individuals, and what we do with that information. We use (or “process”) personal information in accordance with the law relating to data protection. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) outlines your rights in respect of this. The Girls’ Day School Trust of 10 Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DH is the Data Controller for the purpose of GDPR. Personal information means any information relating to you, or information that when combined with other information identifies you. Personal information includes your name, address, email address, CCTV images and photographs and also includes online identifiers such as internet protocol (IP) addresses, or cookie identifiers. How and why we collect and use personal information We collect and process information in a number of areas to promote the welfare of our students, help every girl fulfil her potential and manage our schools effectively. We use personal data: To safeguard and promote the welfare of our students To support our students’ learning and help every student fulfil her potential To support students with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) To manage our schools effectively To understand our customer base and to develop and grow our business For the employment and management of our staff To communicate with our network of alumnae To generate philanthropic income Parents provide information about themselves and students when completing GDST’s parent contract on entry to our schools, as well as related documents such as registration and health record forms. Personal information is also collected directly from students and parents by direct means such as meetings, discussions, school work and in general correspondence. Whilst we collect most of our personal information from students and parents directly, in some cases personal data may be supplied to us by third parties, for example another school, a local authority, or other professionals. Data Protection Officer Our Data Protection Officer is Jon Vogel. You can contact him at dpo@wes.gdst.net or via the GDST postal address. Please mark the envelope ‘Data Protection Officer’. For further information on our Privacy Statement or Data Protection Policy generally contact the Data Protection Officer at the school. Reviewed: May 2020 Due for review: May 2021 14
Privacy Statement for Pupils Your school is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust and we collect and use information for all kinds of reasons. A
new law was made that keeps your information safe – things like your address, date of birth and phone number. This new law tells organisations like your school exactly what they can do with your information. When we collect some information about our pupils like you. It is our job to tell you how we collect the information, how we will record it and how we will use it. In this notice, you see different names or terms used that you may not be familiar with, such as: Data Controller: This person (or group of people, like a school) oversees the information we collect. Data Processor: This person processes information for the Data Controller. Data Protection Officer (DPO): This person makes sure we do everything the law says. Here at the Girl’s Day School Trust the DPO is Jon Vogel. Personal Data: This means any information that can be used to identify someone, such as your address and date of birth. The GDST oversees what happens with your information and this means they are the ‘Data Controller’. They must look after your personal information which is called data. The person who makes sure your school does what the law says is called the Data Protection Officer or ‘DPO’. The DPO at GDST is Jon Vogel. You are welcome to ask Jon questions or tell him if you are not happy about how your information is being used by sending him an email at dpo@wes.gdst.net How we collect information We collect information about you from your parents when you join the school, and we may ask you for some information. Sometimes your old school, the local council or other organisations may share information with us. The reasons we use your personal data includes: Making sure you are safe and seeing if you need any help Teaching and learning Giving you extra learning support if you need it Running our schools properly
Making sure you are safe and seeing if you need any help Your safety is very important to us. We keep class registers and keep a record of your attendance and to record absences from school. We keep records of your behavior in school and may keep some notes on how you get on with other students. This is so we can see if there are areas where we can help if we think there is a problem. If you change schools, we may send this information to your new school. Also, if we cannot solve a problem ourselves and it is a serious matter, we may need to speak to the local authority children’s services, the health service or the police. Teaching and learning We keep a record of your progress in classes and use this for grade predictions. We share this information with your parents in your school reports. Giving you extra learning support if you need it It is the school’s responsibility to support students with any special educational needs like a learning difficulty or disability. For us to do this we may need to consult with external help to meet the students needs. 15
Attendance Policy Principles Pupils are expected to attend school every day. Absence, whatever its cause, is detrimental to any student’s academic, social and emotional development. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both junior and senior school, with a cumulative effect. Regular or persistent absence can also indicate a pupil welfare issue. Parents have a legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory school age who are registered at school attend regularly. Parents can only allow their child to miss school if they are too ill to go in or they have advance permission from the school. The Education (Student Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 make it clear that Heads may only grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. A pupil should only be absent if the reason is “unavoidable”. Allowing a child to be absent without good reason is unlawful, and ultimately parents could be fined by the courts.
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Every half day absence from school has to be classified by the school, not the parents, as either authorised or unauthorised. Hence information about the cause of each absence is always required. Authorised absences are morning or afternoon sessions away from school for a good reason; for illness or other unavoidable cause. Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no “leave” has been given. This includes keeping a pupil off for trivial reasons; truancy, absences or late arrivals which have never been properly explained. Providing a note may not be sufficient if the reason given is “avoidable”. Pupils should never be kept off school for reasons such as shopping, car is broken down, looking after the house, or looking after siblings or relatives. Where the letter does not specify a reason for absence, further investigation may be necessary after consultation with the Head. On very rare occasions when a girl needs encouragement to attend school regularly, any problems are best sorted out between the school, (Head, Deputy Head, Head of Junior School, Head of Year, Form Tutor), parents and the pupil. If problems cannot be sorted out in this way, the school may refer the pupil to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO) from the local Education Authority (LEA). He or she will also try to resolve the difficulties by agreement but, if other ways of trying to improve the pupil’s attendance have failed, these officers can use court proceedings to prosecute parents or to seek an Education Supervision Order on the girl. Parents (or pupils) may wish to contact the EWO themselves for advice. They are independent of the school. Their telephone number is available from the school or by contacting the LEA. Procedures Northwood College for Girls applies the following procedures in deciding how to deal with individual absences: Illness or Other Legitimate Absence On the first day of absence, parents should contact the school, preferably by email to absence @nwc.gdst.net, to make us aware of their daughter’s absence. If no contact is made the school will telephone the parents and at that time we will request written confirmation of the absence. Written confirmation will be required for each day of absence, preferably by email. Absence cannot be authorised without this procedure. 16
If a pupil is absent from school for reasons other than ill health, this must be discussed with the school on each separate occasion. Leave may be granted in an emergency (e.g. bereavement) or for medical appointments which are necessary in school time, provided a written explanation is received. Medical and other appointments These should be made in the holidays and out of school hours where possible to minimise the impact on lessons and school events and activities. Any notifications for absence or requests for planned absence should be sent initially to absence@nwc.gdst.net. Any extraordinary requests for absence will be considered by Ms Ferguson, Deputy Head, Pupil Wellbeing or the Head of Junior School. Sixth Form planned absence In the Sixth Form your daughter is permitted to attend two open or taster days during term time in each of Year 12 and 13. Your daughter is advised to seek out additional opportunities at weekends and during holidays. Any additional days taken will be treated as unauthorised absence. Your daughter is permitted time off during term time to sit her practical and theory driving tests, but you will need to email for permission. Although this is usually granted, it may be rejected if for example, it clashes with key events and activities in school. Holidays Holiday leave in term time will not be granted unless circumstances are exceptional. Absences that are not authorised by the school will be marked as 'unauthorised'. Our terms are short and intensive and a relatively long period of holidays is available. The school keeps a record of such absence requests and parents will be invited to attend a meeting if requests for absence are repeatedly made at the end of term. Requests for leave in exceptional circumstances should be addressed to the Head of Junior School or the Deputy Head Pastoral Development and Well Being of the Senior School. The school requires at least 48 hours’ notice with a request for permission to be granted by the school. The onus is on the pupils to catch up with work missed during the absence. Lateness Pupils must attend registration on time in order to be marked as present for that session. Parents are expected to ensure that their daughters are present at registration. Arriving more than 30 minutes after the start of the session without good reason is counted as unauthorised absence. Junior School monitors lateness in the following way: three times late triggers a letter from the Head of Junior School, reminding parents of expectations and also eliciting whether there are any family circumstances we should know about, triggering the lateness. After six lates, parents are invited to meet the Head to discuss the problem and find a solution. Frequent lateness in the Senior school will warrant the issue of a Punctuality Report card to be signed off daily by the form tutor, culminating in a review meeting with the Head of Year. Parents will be informed by email. Persistent lateness will trigger remedial proceedings beginning with a parent meeting conducted by the Head of Year. Publication of Attendance Information Parents have a legal duty to ensure that their daughters attend school. Northwood College for Girls has a legal duty to promote attendance and to publish its absence figures. Parents will receive information concerning their daughter’s attendance in written reports sent twice each year. 17
At the end of each academic year, the school has to make a return to the DCSF giving details of both authorised and unauthorised absence. The school is committed to working with parents to achieve as high a level of attendance as possible. We are obliged to provide attendance data to prospective employers and external organisations where requested, e.g. for university application purposes. Poor attendance usually has a detrimental impact on attainment. Students with attendance below 90% are at a significant risk of underachieving in their school examinations, GCSE examinations and ultimately in their A Levels and this will usually be reflected in In Lesson Assessments (ILAs), tests and assessment results. Parents will receive attendance data in each school report and will be contacted by a member of the pastoral team to support the pupil in improving attendance. Attendance data is regularly communicated to Sixth Form students, and where there is a concern, to parents as appropriate. Attendance data will also contribute to a range of evidence used to determine UCAS Predicted Grades which are required for application to university. In the Sixth Form your daughter is expected to take responsibility for her attendance to all her timetabled lessons unless permission has otherwise been granted. Parents can support their daughter’s attendance by avoiding the arrangements of appointments which coincide with PE lessons, Form Time, Extend and Enrich lessons wherever possible. The Senior school will act promptly to work with parents to try to prevent absence from reaching such levels. We have a clear policy to deal with absence: Approaching 95%- discussion with tutor and support and advice provided to help pupil improve attendance. Below 95%- parents contacted by Head of Year and discussions held with pupil. Below 90%- parents will be asked to attend an absence meeting. Below 85%- the school may contact the Local Authority Education Welfare Officer. The school recognises that some pupils may experience mitigating circumstances which can affect their ability to attend school and will prioritise the pupil’s welfare in the decision-making process.
Children Missing in Education Children absent from school for more than 10 consecutive days will trigger communication with the LEA Children’s services Children Missing in Education team. REVIEW DATE: SEPTEMBER 2020
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The Welfare Of Our Pupils Northwood College for Girls GDST recognises the importance of nurturing the whole child and encourages all members of the community to support and care for pupil welfare. The school works to provide an environment in which pupils can fulfil their educational potential by supporting their health care and welfare. Medical Data Collection It is essential that the school is informed of any medical condition(s), which may impair academic progress if left untreated or which may need treatment during school hours. All parents of new entrants are required to complete a medical questionnaire. This information is confidential except when it is necessary for staff to know of a chronic condition, which may require treatment during the school day or on a school visit. Lists of such girls are prepared by the School Nurse at the start of the academic year, including a photo list of any girls with severe allergies. Parents are asked to inform the School Nurse if their daughter’s medical status changes at all, or if they should require short-term medication. The School Nurse is available to discuss a pupil’s needs with her parents, either at school by appointment or by telephone. Health Promotion Health promotion is an important part of the PSHE programme for all stages throughout the school. Topics include healthy eating, anti-smoking, drugs education and the importance of exercise. Safeguarding Children Northwood College for Girls GDST is committed to ensuring that all children are well cared for, safe and protected. The school staff follow national safeguarding procedures and work with other agencies that support children and families. The Deputy Head, Ms Jill Ferguson, is the Designated Safeguarding Lead with responsibility for the implementation of Child Protection procedures. First Aid The school complies with Health & Safety (First Aid) regulations and provides adequately qualified staff to deliver First Aid as well as the equipment and facilities necessary, to enable First Aid to be administered. The Medical Centre The school has a small Medical Centre which allows pupils to rest if unwell. The School Nurse checks stocks and replenishes medication as relevant. Parents/guardians are asked to be vigilant about expiry dates of medication left in the Medical Centre, eg asthma inhalers and adrenaline auto injectors . Girls with asthma should carry a salbutamol inhaler, and girls with anaphylaxis should carry an adrenaline auto injector, and any other required medication, with them at all times. 19
Girls should not carry any other medication in school. All medicines requiring to be taken during the school day should be brought to the School Nurse in its original container with written consent from parents concerning administration. We are unable to administer medication without consent. Please use the consent form which can be found on Firefly. School Counsellor Girls who need advice on any matter are welcome to make an appointment with our school counsellor. They should contact the School Nurse or one of the pastoral team, to make an appointment. Relationships and Sex Education The school believes that sex education is an essential part of a pupil’s overall education; we aim to provide appropriate sex education for all pupils at the various stages of their school life. Drugs and Substance Abuse The school does not condone the misuse of drugs, solvents, alcohol or tobacco by its students or the illegal supply of these substances. All staff work towards creating a climate in school in which illegal drugs and substances will not be countenanced and will take appropriate action to safeguard the well-being of all pupils at all times. A copy of the full policy on Drugs and Substance Abuse is available from office@nwc.gdst.net.
Snacks and Allergen advice Pupils may bring healthy snacks to school for consumption at break time. Pupils may also purchase snacks and drinks in the dining hall at morning break. We are a strictly ‘no nut school’ and pupils may not bring snacks of foods containing nuts into school. Please check the allergen list on packaging for ‘contains nuts’.
Should your daughter wish to bring a birthday cake into school, it should be boxed and the label intact and handed to reception. Cakes may be eaten only in the dining hall at break times. Cakes containing nuts pose a risk to our pupils with allergies and are strictly not allowed in school. Pupils with food allergies are advised NOT to accept foods from other pupils in school.
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School Health Service The aim of the Girls’ Day School Trust’s Health Service is to enable girls to fulfil their educational potential by
means of supporting their health care needs in the school environment. The key activities of the school health service are: Screening and disease detection Support for children with chronic illness, including disability and emotional/behavioural disorders Health promotion Advocacy for vulnerable children and those in need of protection
Provision of first aid and assessment or treatment of children with injuries or acute illness MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE It is necessary to know about medical illness that may impair academic progress if untreated or which may require treatment during school hours, therefore parents are requested to provide information about: Previous infectious diseases Current immunisation status Current chronic illness Medication required during school hours Problems with vision/hearing This information is obtained by means of the enclosed questionnaire prior to school admission. This allows parents an opportunity to raise issues relating to their daughter’s health, which they wish either to be addressed, or which they feel may be relevant to their daughter’s academic performance or general well-being while they are at school. It is important for parents to inform the school whenever their daughter develops a chronic medical illness, or treatment/medication has been changed for an existing illness. MEDICAL ASSESSMENT We aim to offer Reception, Year 7 and all new girls a health assessment to include records of their height and weight, colour vision, hearing test, and distance vision test. This gives a base line figure for future reference. The School Nurse can be informed in writing if a parent does not wish their daughter to attend this. SCHOOL NURSE AND TREATMENTS The School Nurse is available to provide attention for a girl who sustains an injury or becomes unwell during the school day. If the Nurse is unavailable a First Aider will attend an injured girl and a parent/guardian will be contacted to collect their sick daughter. Please ensure the school is informed if telephone contact numbers change. In all cases, if an injury or illness appears to be serious or debilitating, a parent/guardian will be contacted immediately in order that their daughter can be taken home or to hospital.
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The following is a list of treatments that would normally be offered to alleviate the symptoms that a girl may be suffering:
Heat Pad Oral Paracetamol Throat lozenge Olbas Oil to inhail Anthisan cream Cold Pads
Period pain/stomach ache Headache, period pain (Senior only) Sore throat Nasal congestion and colds Insect bites and stings Headache/Joint or limb discomfort
NO ASPIRIN OR ASPIRIN BASED PRODUCTS WILL BE GIVEN
It should be stressed that treatment will not be given on demand, but only after careful consideration of all the relevant facts. Girls with specific conditions e.g. migraine, menstrual problems, hay fever etc., or whose parents do not wish them to be given paracetamol are requested to leave a few tablets of their own choice and complete the relevant form, available from the Nurse. This is essential so medication can be administered quickly should the need arise. It should be noted that no PRESCRIPTION medication would be given to a girl without written direction from a parent. No girl under the age of 11 will be given medication unless supplied by a parent and the relevant form signed. Medication must be in the original container and clearly labelled with the girls name and form. If girls are asthmatic please ensure that a reliever inhaler (usually a blue case) is carried at all times and a spare reliever inhaler and completed Asthma Card is left with the Nurse for use in an emergency. In Bluebelles inhalers will be kept in the classroom and a spare inhaler stored in the Medical Room. In the Junior department, if appropriate, girls will carry these with them (in a plain, navy ‘bum bag’) around school. Girls who have severe allergic reactions must carry their treatment (usually an adrenaline auto-injector) with them at all times. Another adrenaline auto-injector or relevant treatment should be left in the Medical Room for use in an emergency. Junior girls will keep their ADRENALINE AUTO INJECTOR in a plain navy ‘bum bag’, which they will wear during the school day, and a spare treatment stored in the Medical Centre. EYFS adrenaline autoinjectors will be taken to the Dining Room at lunchtime. From time to time girls ask for advice regarding health related issues so it may also be necessary to weigh and measure girls in addition to the admission health checks or check hair for head lice. Please inform the Nurse, in writing, if you do not give permission for these checks to take place.
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Confidentiality Policy The School Nurse and School Counsellor The nursing staff and the School Counsellor at Northwood College for Girls GDST are fully aware of their responsibilities regarding confidentiality in nurse/patient and counsellor/pupil relationships. The school nurse and counsellor have a duty of confidentiality when concerns are disclosed by pupils. The only exceptions are: The child consents to disclosure A court of law requests information Disclosure is justified because of concerns about a child’s safety and protection needs. This includes selfharm. If, in exceptional circumstances, disclosure is made about details without the child’s knowledge or consent, the child should be informed that disclosure has taken place when it is safe to do so.
A REFERENCE GUIDE TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES Guidance from the Health Protection Agency (2010) updated 2017 An infectious disease must always be reported to the school (Please contact the School Nurse for further information/see under nurse page on Firefly)
ROUTINE CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME This is the UK Universal Immunisation Schedule. Children who present with certain risk factors may require additional immunisations. When to immunise:
Diseases protect against:
Two months old
Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) & hepatitis B. Pneumococcal (PCV), Rotavirus, Meningitis B
Three months old
Four months old
Around 12 months
2 to 8 years (including children in reception class and school years 1-4
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) & Hepatitis B. Rotavirus Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Hepatitis B. Pneumococcal (PCV), Meningitis B Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) and Meningitis C MMR, Pneumococcal (PCV), Meningitis B Annually Children’s flu vaccine
Three years four months to five years old
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio. Measles, mumps and rubella
Thirteen to eighteen years old
Tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster. MenACWY vaccine HPV Vaccination (2 doses) for girls in Year 8 given in School 23
Northwood College For Girls GDST Anti Bullying Policy Statement of Philosophy Our school community is based on an ethos of mutual respect and consideration. The school and the GDST are committed to providing a safe and happy learning environment for all We do not tolerate bullying, harassment, victimisation or discrimination of any kind and work hard to prevent these or to tackle them if they occur Bullying is a whole school issue and we take a whole school approach in response. Any member of the community may bully or be a victim of bullying: we regard all incidences of bullying equally seriously and in turn expect all staff, pupils and parents to play their part in preventing and tackling bullying. Aims of Policy This policy aims to: Try and prevent bullying, as far as possible, and Help staff, pupils and parents deal with bullying when it occurs. What do we mean by bullying? The Department for Education defines bullying as ‘behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally’. This can include: Physically hurting or attempting to hurt, harm or humiliate another person or damaging their property Verbal abuse such as name-calling, taunting, mocking or writing unkind notes Emotional manipulation such as excluding someone or spreading malicious rumours about them, building negative alliances based on gossip, or deliberately betraying former confidences to humiliate or isolate another pupil Cyberbullying i.e. via social networking websites, phone calls, text messages, photographs or emails
Unpleasant remarks or actions related to any of the following: o Race, religion or culture o Sex (i.e. talking to or touching someone in a sexually inappropriate way) o Gender, gender identity or perceived gender identity o Sexual orientation (e.g. homophobic bullying) o Disability or Special Educational Needs o Intellectual or other abilities o Appearance or health conditions o Being adopted or a carer Any behaviour that a reasonable bystander would say was intended to hurt or upset the victim is wrong and could constitute bullying, including complicity that may fall short of participating directly in the bullying. It is no justification that the perpetrator says or believes that the victim is not upset or hurt by his or her actions or words. 24
Much bullying is performed in subtle ways, which are not easy to detect; a bully can use a simple look, word or gesture to a victim to signal an intended threat or insult. Some pupils are adept at changing a bullying situation into an apparently harmless one when an adult approaches. This makes it all the more important for the victim or another pupil to be able to come forward to report bullying, and for staff and parents to be alert to symptoms of bullying. Bullying is always hurtful to the victim and damaging to the whole school community. Anyone and everyone who is involved in or witnesses bullying is affected by it. It can cause great distress, unhappiness and psychological damage and at its worst lead to suicide. It can also be a criminal offence, for example if the behaviour amounts to harassment or threatening behaviour. How does bullying differ from teasing or friendship difficulties? Sometimes pupils can feel hurt or upset because they have been teased or have fallen out with a friend. This is not the same as bullying. Bullying: Is deliberately intended to hurt or humiliate Involves a power imbalance that makes it hard for the victim to defend themselves Is usually persistent Often involves no remorse or acknowledgement of the victim’s feelings School staff are ready to help and support pupils who have fallen out with friends, but such situations will not be treated in the same way as a case of bullying. However, the strategies we use may be similar because we acknowledge that over a period of time the impact on the pupil may be the same, and the situation could become bullying if it escalates. Preventing Bullying We aim to prevent bullying by: Fostering a whole school ethos of good behaviour, mutual respect, and consideration. We aim to create a safe, happy, and inclusive environment for learning Developing a culture in which diversity is championed and celebrated and in which the school takes a proactive role in educating pupils and other members of the school community in issues around equality Developing a culture in which the vulnerable are protected and incidents which might demonstrate prejudice or intolerance are tackled and addressed, for example by challenging inappropriate or prejudicial language Encouraging all members of the school community to have high expectations and model how to behave towards each other Raising awareness about bullying through opportunities in the curriculum, the PSHE programme, assemblies, and national events such as Anti Bullying Week, amongst others Developing pupils’ social skills, confidence, resilience and self-esteem; and defining the value of assertiveness in relationships as opposed to aggression, whether direct or indirect Educating pupils and other members of the school community about how to keep themselves safe when online or using social media or other electronic means of communication, so they take maximum precautions to help prevent themselves being victims of cyberbullying Ensuring that all pupils sign up to the school’s Acceptable Use Agreements, which make it clear that cyberbullying is unacceptable. This message is regularly reinforced in lessons and pastoral sessions. The school runs an Online-Safety Day with the delivery of age-specific sessions and an evening briefing for parents. 25
Making it clear to all that there are effective procedures for reporting, investigating and tackling bullying, and encouraging pupils to report instances of anything they perceive to be bullying Making it clear to all that incidents of cyberbullying or bullying of any kind that occur off the school premises but have an impact on the classroom environment or relationships between pupils will be pursued with the same seriousness as bullying occurring within school Making it as easy as possible for pupils who are being bullied to talk to someone they trust and get help confidentially Having a strong pastoral team dedicated to pupil welfare and experienced in dealing with bullying issues. All our staff are trained in recognising and responding to bullying and staff awareness is raised through regular discussion of pupil issues in pastoral meetings. Action is taken to reduce the risk of bullying where and when it is known to be most likely to occur. The member of staff with overall responsibility for anti-bullying work is Jill Ferguson in the senior school and Helen Crouch in the Junior school and Alison Allen EYFS Taking pupils’ views into account through the school council, and developing the roles that pupils can play in anti-bullying work, for example, through the buddy system of peer mentoring Ensuring that the IT filtering and monitoring systems are effective in protecting members of the school community Working in line with national guidance, and the requirements of our regulatory bodies. Being aware – possible signs of bullying Changes in behaviour that may indicate a pupil is being bullied include: Unwillingness to go to school or return after a break Failure to produce work, or producing unusually bad work, work that appears to have been copied, or interfered with or spoilt by others Belongings suddenly going missing or being damaged Change to established habits (e.g. giving up music lessons, sitting in the library nstead of going out at playtime) Diminished levels of self confidence Inability to concentrate Anxiety, depression, becoming withdrawn or unusually quiet Repressed body language and poor eye contact Frequent absence, erratic attendance, late arrival to class Reluctance to leave the classroom at the end of lessons or school day Choosing the company of adults Frequent visits to the medical centre with symptoms such as stomach pains or headaches, especially at particular times or during particular lessons Unexplained cuts and bruises Difficulty in sleeping, nightmares Talking of suicide or running away Although there may be other causes for these symptoms, teachers, parents and fellow pupils should be alert for these possible signs of bullying and contact a member of the pastoral team if they are concerned. Sadly, some individuals are more vulnerable to bullying, and less likely to speak out – including LGBTQ+ pupils and those with SEND. Again, staff, parents and peers should bear this in mind in cases of possible or suspected bullying. Further guidance for staff on preventing, identifying and dealing with such types of bullying can be found in the Anti-Bullying Guidance on the staff intranet.
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Dealing with Bullying: If you are being bullied: Stay calm and try to appear confident. Tell the bully to stop and get away from the situation as quickly as you can Do not suffer in silence: talk to a member of staff. This could be your class teacher, tutor or year group head, the school nurse or counsellor, or any other member of staff you trust. If you are unhappy about taking to a member of staff directly, you could talk to someone in your family, a friend, a buddy or peer mentor or one of the pastoral prefects. Telling does not make you a ‘grass’ or ‘snitch’: not telling means that the bullying is likely to continue. Remember you may not be the only victim Be assured that we take every report of bullying seriously and will act upon it, even if it occurred outside the school. We will keep records of what has happened, and consult you and support you in whatever action we take Remember being bullied is not your fault – nobody ever deserves to be bullied If you feel you are being bullied by a member of staff you should take the same action as if it were another pupil, that is, report the matter to someone you trust. All forms of bullying are unacceptable and all reports of bullying are investigated and dealt with irrespective of who the person responsible for the bullying incident might be If you know that someone else is being bullied Talk to a member of staff, so that the school can take steps to help the victim Stand up for them – studies show that one of the most effective ways of stopping bullying is for fellow pupils to show their support for the victim Be sceptical about rumours concerning other pupils. Don’t add to them. Put yourself in the position of the person targeted Don’t be drawn into simply standing by. Many perpetrators will not persist in bullying unless they have an audience to play to, and by not taking action it could be argued you are condoning what is happening What the school will do: The exact course of action will vary with each situation. The immediate objective should be that bullying incidents are brought into the open and strategies agreed to help resolve the problem, encouraging all involved to return to responsible, caring behaviour. All reports of bullying will be taken seriously and investigated immediately It is not possible for any person who receives a report of a bullying incident to promise that it will be kept confidential. However, the action to be taken will be discussed with the victim at every stage Everything that happens will be carefully recorded The most important thing is to stop the bullying and ensure the victim is safe ·We aim for a peaceful resolution: revenge is not helpful for the victim or appropriate 27
The victim will be supported throughout the process Sanctions may be imposed (see below) but guidance and help will be also be available for the perpetrator(s) to help change her/their behaviour Staff will monitor the situation to ensure that the bullying does not continue. If bullying recurs, further action will be taken The school will keep a log of all bullying incidents which is monitored in order to identify trends and inform preventative work in the school and future development of policies and procedures. Further guidance for staff on responding to bullying can be found in the Anti-Bullying Guidance on the staff intranet. Sanctions It is important that those found responsible for bullying are held to account and accept responsibility for the harm caused. Action taken in response to bullying will be intended to communicate unambiguous disapproval of the bully’s activities, and this will usually include sanctions. Sanctions help reassure the victim that the bullying will stop; they help those responsible recognise the harm caused by their behaviour and deter them from repeating it; they demonstrate to the school community that bullying is unacceptable and that the school has effective ways of dealing with it, so deterring others from behaving in a similar way. If sanctions are warranted, the person(s) responsible will receive a sanction in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy. Any sanctions imposed will be air, proportionate and reasonable, take account of any special educational needs or disabilities that pupils may have, and consider the needs of vulnerable pupils. In any serious case of bullying the Head will be informed and the school will work with the parents of both the victim and the perpetrator. The school will remain in regular contact with parents until the situation is resolved. In the most serious cases, the sanction may be fixed term or permanent exclusion. A bullying incident will be regarded as a child protection concern when there is ‘reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm’ (Children Act 1989). Where this is the case, after the Head has been involved, it may be necessary to make a report to the Social Services and in certain cases the police. Partnership with Parents We believe that working with parents/guardians is essential to establishing the school’s anti-bullying ethos and resolving any issues that arise Parents are encouraged to reinforce the principles of the Anti-Bullying Policy at home Parents are asked to let Jill Ferguson (Deputy Head Pastoral Development and Wellbeing), Senior School or Helen Crouch, Deputy Head Junior School or Alison Allen (Safeguarding Lead for EYFS) know directly if they have cause for concern, either on behalf of their own children or because of rumours about others In any serious case of bullying parents will be informed by the school and may be invited in to discuss the matter. We will keep in regular contact with parents until the issue is resolved
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Links to other policies This policy operates in conjunction with: Northwood College for Girls GDST Behaviour Policy Northwood College for Girls GDST Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy Northwood College for Girls GDST Acceptable Use Agreement Northwood College for Girls GDST Inclusion Policy Northwood College for Girls GDST Exclusions Policy Northwood College for Girls GDST Equal Opportunities Policy Online Safety Policy Northwood College for Girls GDST PSHE programme Monitoring and evaluation The effectiveness of this policy and the school’s anti bullying strategies will be evaluated annually through a review of the bullying log and consultation with the school council. This policy will be reviewed by the Director of Innovation and Learning, in consultation with schools, in September 2020. Further information and guidance A list of useful websites, contacts and resources can be found in the Anti-Bullying Guidance on the staff intranet. Key Contacts Designated Safeguarding Lead & Deputy Head (Pastoral Development and Wellbeing): Jill Ferguson Deputy Head Junior School: Helen Crouch Head of Key Stage (Junior School) Head of EYFS: Alison Allen Head of Key stage: Jane Giffin Head of Key stage 2: Andy Taylor Head of Year (Senior School) Year 7: Nicola Tikare, Katie Allchorne (Maternity) Year 8: Narasim Iyengar Year 9: Leanne Brown Year 10: Emma Rees Year 11: Gareth Elliott Sixth Form: Angela Spicer and Joel Rogoff, Lindsay Bailey School Nurse: Lyndsay Hickson and Kate Brown Outside organisations Childline: 0800 1111 Updated September 2019 review date September 2020 by Deputy Head (Pastoral Development and Wellbeing) 29
Pastoral Programme Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) Choices – Healthy eating, Hygiene, Likes and Dislikes Communities – Celebrations, All about myself, Belonging, Helping others - Talking about carers, Moving on Feelings and relationships – Understanding feelings of others, Positive feelings, Love, Developing self-confidence, Getting to know each other, My friends, Growing up, Noticing and caring for others, Kindness, New beginnings, Treating others fairly Rights and Responsibilities – The right to education, Behaviour on a school trip, Looking after pets, Sharing, Standing up for yourself – saying ‘no’, Staying safe Right and Wrong – Telling lies, Telling the Truth, Good manners, Sharing Rules – Class rules, Road safety
Year 1 Choices – Personal hygiene, How to play, Choosing a friend Communities – Family, People who help children in school, Then and now, Around the world Feelings and relationships – Happiness, Likes and dislikes, Getting older, Friendship, Understanding sickness and diseases Rights and Responsibilities – the right to be safe, The right to medical care, Looking after a pet Right and Wrong – Fairness, Kind and unkind behaviour, Selfishness, Telling Lies Rules – The meaning of rules, Class rules, Rules at home, Road safety
Year 2 Choices – Healthy eating and exercise, Playing safe, Managing money, Talents Communities – Making a contribution, Local schools, Environmental problems, Caring for the environment, An ideal community Feelings and relationships – Fear, Frustration, Happy endings, Developing self-confidence, A new baby, Teasing and bullying, Cultural diversity, Friendship Rights and Responsibilities – the right to education, Care of a baby Right and Wrong – Co-operating and sharing,Truthfulness, Stealing Rules – Dangerous household goods, Safety in the home, Rules for our protection, Useful rules, Good ‘roadcraft’
Year 3 Choices – Choosing a present, Making choices, Choosing a hobby or sport, Choosing a pet, Expressing an opinion Communities – Religious worship, Belonging to a family, Accessibility for everyone, Respecting others’ religious celebrations, Rules to live by, Role models, Men and women changing roles, Environmental issues, What is the UK? Feelings and Relationships – Fear, Loneliness, Relationship web, Different relationships, Playground behaviour, Teasing and bullying Health – Letting the sunshine in our lives, Feel good-look good, Fighting disease, ersonal Safety, Health and safety in school, Road safety 30
Year 4 Choices – Expressing an opinion, Choosing a career, Choosing vegetarianism, Comparing newspapers, Using money wisely Communities – Religion in the family, Wedding customs, Senior citizens, Stereotypes, Helpful groups in society Feelings and Relationships – Making a newspaper Democracy – Democracy and dictatorship, Elections and voting, Political parties, MPs and what they do, Government and parliament, Pressure groups, Local government Health – Easing stress, A healthy mind, Growing up, Drugs – their use and effects, Childline, Risky behaviour
Year 5 Right and Wrong – Moral dilemmas, Fairness and unfairness, Forgiveness, Kindness, Honesty, Injustice, Resolving personal problems, Responding to bullying Rules and laws – The need for rules and school rules, Rules for living, Breaking the law, Enforcing the law, Disobeying the law Core themes – Democracy/The Rule of Law/Individual Liberty/Nutual respect for other faiths, beliefs and cultures
Year 6 Drugs Education – Differences between medicines and drugs, Effects of drugs and alcohol Relationships – Peer pressure, Ways to say ‘no’ Local democracy for young citizens – How it works, What they can contribute, Local community, Magna Carta, Voting, Democracy and dictatorship, Roles of a council and its members, Being a good citizen E-safety – Security of personal information, Online identity, Online grooming, Internet chat rooms, Social networking, Instant messaging, Mobile phones and texting Health Education – Periods (practical aspects), Ways to relieve stress Rights and Responsibilities –Individual Rights and Duties, Showing responsibility, Understanding children’s rights, Human rights, Understanding the need to be aware of others and their needs and rights – consider situations where this is vital or where it fails and the consequences The Global Community – Our families, Our local areas, Our country, The EU and the World, Means of communicating from the localised to the global, Awareness of events worldwide, Consider the term ‘Citizen of the World’ Britain and the World Community – Think about Britain’s relationships with other countries, today and in the past, debate why changes have occurred
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Relationship Education Policy This policy applies to all Junior pupils, including EYFS. Introduction and Aims Girls at Northwood College for Girls are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. Our aim is to ensure that in this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. Relationships Education is compulsory from September 2020 for all primary schools in England and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory in all secondary schools. At NWC we are always seeking to ensure that our girls are well prepared and therefore we have implemented the guidance so that we are fully compliant and so that our girls are ready for a 21st century world. The topics covered within the Relationship Education (RE) curriculum are wide-ranging and at times there may be understandable and legitimate areas of contention. This policy is designed to outline the purpose and content of RE, whilst ensuring that all of the compulsory subject content is age and developmentally appropriate. We aim to teach RE sensitively and inclusively, with respect to the backgrounds and beliefs of pupils and parents while always with the aim of providing pupils with the knowledge they need of the law and the legal implications of their actions. In NWC Junior School we want to put in place the key building blocks of healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships, in all contexts, including online. In the Senior School, teaching will build on the knowledge acquired in the younger years and develop further pupils’ understanding with an increased focus on risk areas such as intimate relationships and sex. Our belief at NWC is that mental wellbeing is central to a girl’s success and will enable her to build positive relationships. We know that children and young people are increasingly experiencing challenges,, and that young people are at particular risk of feeling lonely. The RE curriculum will give them the knowledge and capability to take care of themselves and receive support if problems arise. RE is taught in a wider context of helping to foster girls’ wellbeing and develop resilience and character that we know are fundamental to girls being happy, successful and productive members of society. Central to this is girls’ ability to believe that they can achieve goals, both academic and personal; to stick to tasks that will help them achieve those goals, even when the reward may be distant or uncertain; and to recover from knocks and challenging periods in their lives. We promote positive personal attributes including kindness, integrity, generosity, and honesty. This is all part of our Junior School habits which are embedded throughout the Junior School. Under the provisions of the Equality Act, NWC will not unlawfully discriminate on the grounds of age, sex, race, disability, religion or belief, gender reassignment,pregnancy or maternity, marriage or civil partnership, or sexual orientation and the delivery of RE will reflect this. At NWC our Accessibility Policy sets out how we make reasonable adjustments to alleviate disadvantage and when planning and delivering the RE curriculum, we take account of the SEND Code of Practice. RE Policy and Curriculum Development and Review The Junior RE policy and curriculum has been produced in line with statutory guidance from the Department for Education, the Jigsaw PSHE scheme, the PSHE Association and in consultation with parents. We are clear that parents and carers are the prime educators for children on many of these matters. At NWC we aim to work in collaboration with parents and carers, building on what pupils learn at home. 32
his policy and the RE curriculum reflects our School’s context and diverse nature as well as recognising that the role of educating every girl is a partnership between home and school. We aim to always deliver content in a sensitive, objective and balanced manner to enable girls to comprehend the range of social attitudes and behaviour in modern-day society. This will empower them to consider their own attitudes and actions and make informed, reasoned and responsible decisions while they are at school, at home and in adult life. The RE policy and curriculum will be reviewed on an annual basis with consultation with parents where appropriate. RE Curriculum Overview The RE curriculum is part of the whole school PSHE curriculum, which is planned and designed to be age appropriate, under the following themes: Being in my world Celebrating difference Dreams and goals Healthy Me Relationships Changing Me See PSHE Schemes of Work for more detail. The RE topics fall under all of these themes and are taught within the PSHE curriculum, but may also be covered across the curriculum in subjects such as Science. The Jigsaw ‘Statutory Relationships and Health Education’ map (z drive: Junior/PASTORAL/PSHE Jigsaw) shows how the themes taught at NWC cover the statutory objectives.
Right to Withdraw There is no right to withdraw from Relationship Education. NWC Juniors will not teach Sex Education as a standalone subject. Puberty, correct terminology for body parts, animal and human life cycles and reproduction will continue to be taught through our Science Curriculum at an age appropriate level.
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Quality Assurance The quality of RE education at NWC is monitored through our Quality Assurance cycle. This consists of regular book looks, lesson observations and learning walks by JSLT. Pupil voice will also be discussed through School Council and our Votes for Schools programme. Training Junior Deputy Head Pastoral is responsible for the organisation and delivery of staff training. This is delivered through staff inset, sharing of good practice and distribution of literature and resources. This is supported through training materials supplied by Jigsaw PSHE and PSHE Association. Approval of the Policy This policy will be reviewed annually by the Junior Pastoral Deputy Head and Head of the Junior School, with in input of all form teachers. Ultimate approval of the policy rests with the Head. Linked Policies: Curriculum Policy PSHE Policy Equal Opportunities Policy Inclusion Policy Accessibility Policy SEND Policy Visiting Speakers Policy Review Date: September 2021
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PSHE Policy Introduction At Northwood College for Girls we recognise the importance of developing children's Personal, Social, Health and Economic education, as well as their emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development. We follow the Jigsaw scheme for PSHE education; a planned programme of learning through which pupils acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives both now and in their futures. The scheme develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society and the global community. The Jigsaw scheme contributes to the British Values agenda significantly, both through the direct teaching of information and through the experiential learning girls will enjoy. The 5 strands of the British Values agenda have been mapped across every Puzzle and every Piece (lesson). The PSHE provision at Northwood College from Nursery to Year 13 is based broadly on promoting the following outcomes: Make healthy lifestyle choices Develop a strong moral compass Foster joy in yourself and others Stay safe, both in the real world and online Develop self-awareness, self-esteem and self-confidence Make a positive contribution to your family, community and society Mental, economic and social well-being Make informed choices Promote British Values and celerate diversity The separate policies containing strands of the above provision are: Safeguarding Policy and Keeping Children Safe in Education Pastoral Policy Promotion of British Values and Prevention of Radicalisation Policy Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol Education SRE Policy Eating Disorder Policy Anti Bullying Policy Discipline and Behaviour Policy Online safety Policy Equal Opportunities policy Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE Jigsaw is underpinned by mindfulness philosophy and practise, aiming to give children the awareness to observe their thoughts feelings and context in order to be empowered to make choices. This supports mental health and enables the management of emotional states and builds resilience and self-esteem. The aim of the Jigsaw PSHE scheme is to provide pupils with the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, values and skills they need in order to reach their potential as individuals and within the community. Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of their school and communities. 35
In doing so they learn to recognise their own worth, to work well with others and to become increasingly responsible for their own learning. They reflect on their experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. They learn to understand and respect our common humanity; diversity and differences so that they can go on to form the effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning. Objectives / Pupil learning intentions Jigsaw PSHE will support the development of the skills, attitudes, values and behavior which enable pupils to: Have a sense of purpose Value self and others Form relationships Make and act on informed decisions Communicate effectively Work with others Respond to challenge Be an active partner in their own learning Be active citizens within the local community Explore issues related to living in a democratic society Become healthy and fulfilled individuals The Learning Environment Establishing a safe, open and positive learning environment based on trusting relationships between all members of the class, adults and children alike, is vital. To enable this, it is important that ‘ground rules’ are agreed and owned at the beginning of the year and are reinforced in every piece – by using The Jigsaw Charter. It needs to include the aspects below: We take turns to speak We use kind and positive words We listen to each other We have the right to pass We only use names when giving compliments or when being positive We respect each other’s privacy How is Jigsaw PSHE organised at Northwood College for Girls? Jigsaw brings together PSHE Education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning. Teaching strategies are varied and are mindful of preferred learning styles and the need for differentiation. Jigsaw is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (puzzle) at the same time. There are six puzzles in Jigsaw that are designed to progress in sequence from September to July. Each puzzle has six pieces (lessons) which work towards an ‘end product’, for example, ‘A School Learning Charter’ or ‘A Garden of Dreams and Goals’. Each piece has two learning intentions: one is based on specific PSHE learning covering the non-statutory national framework for PSHE Education but enhanced to address children’s needs today); and one is based on emotional literacy and social skills, covering the SEAL learning intentions (social and emotional aspects of learning) The enhancements mean that Jigsaw is relevant to children living in today’s world as it helps them understand and be equipped to cope with issues such as body image, cyber bullying and internet safety. 36
Every piece lesson) contributes to at least one of these aspects of children’s development. This is mapped on each piece and balanced across each year group. Jigsaw Content Jigsaw covers all areas of PSHE for the primary education, as the table below shows:
Promoting British Values at Northwood College for Girls The government set out their definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and they were since reinforced in September 2014. At Northwood College, these values are reflected in our school aims and we reinforce them through the life of our school. Democracy Pupil voice is extremely significant when it comes to life at Northwood College for Girls. We have a School Council made up of representatives from classes from Y2 to Y6. These councillors are voted for by their peers following a formal election process, and they have a strong voice in suggesting and driving forward initiatives in school. Topics are reported back to classes, and matters are voted on in classrooms and in council meetings. Each year, girls from Year 6 are nominated and voted to be House and Sports Captains. All girls (Y1-6) vote for two form captains termly who represent their class. Girls also learn about government and democracy in PSHE lessons. The pupil voice is heard furthermore as pupil questionnaires and interviews are conducted throughout the year on a variety of topics. 37
Rule of Law Children at Northwood College for Girls are taught about the importance of rules and laws through PSHE lessons, PE and assemblies. We have a clear Behaviour Policy which is consistently applied in school and pupils recognise that there are consequences when rules are not followed. They are helped to understand that these exist to keep us safe and help communities to live together in harmony. Throughout the year we welcome visits from members of the wider community including NSPCC, police, war veterans, the fire brigade and many more. We believe that clear explanations and real life stories emphasise the importance of the rule of law for our pupils. Individual Liberty Our children are actively encouraged to make choices within the safe and supportive environment of our school. In lessons, children are encouraged to choose the task that will challenge them, giving them more freedom to determine their own learning. We offer a range of clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests. Through lessons such as PSHE and E safety, they learn how to stay safe whilst exercising their freedoms as individuals. Mutual Respect Mutual respect is at the core of our school life. All members of our school community are encouraged to show respect for each other and members of staff model this in their interactions with the children and with each other. Our ‘NWC aims’ encourage positive behaviour and strength of character. These are displayed around the school and referred to regularly. The theme of ‘Respect’ is discussed in assembly and girls are encouraged to explore what this means to them and how they can show respect in their behaviour. Children are also encouraged to show respect in sports and games. Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs In RE lessons and assemblies, we develop our pupils’ awareness of living in a multicultural society. We invite members of different faith groups to visit the school, and similarly we encourage children from different faith backgrounds to share their own beliefs and traditions within the classroom. Visits to places of worship are arranged to support the children’s learning. Through our curriculum and the routines of our daily school life, we strive to demonstrate tolerance and help girls to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens who can build a better Britain for the future. Relationships Education Please refer to the separate SRE policy. Differentiation Jigsaw is written as a universal core curriculum provision for all children. Inclusivity is part of its philosophy. Teachers will need, as always, to tailor each piece to meet the needs of the children in their classes. To support this differentiation, many Jigsaw pieces suggest creative learning activities that allow children to choose the media with which they work and give them scope to work to their full potential. To further help teachers differentiate for children in their classes with special educational needs, each puzzle includes a grid with suggested activities for children working at each different level. Safeguarding Teachers need to be aware that sometimes disclosures may be made during these sessions; in which case, safeguarding procedures must be followed immediately. Sometimes it is clear that certain children may need time to talk one-to-one after the circle closes. 38
It is important to allow the time and appropriate staffing for this to happen. If disclosures occur, the school’s safeguarding policy will be closely followed. Assessment To ensure girls are making progress with their learning throughout their Jigsaw experience, each puzzle (except puzzle 1) has a built-in assessment task, usually in piece 5 or 6. This task is the formal opportunity for teacher assessment, but also offers pupils the chance to assess their own learning. Similar to all other subjects, ongoing teacher assessment takes place throughout each unit. At the end of each half term, the member of staff teaching PSHE will use the level descriptors for each child to decide if they are working towards, working at or working beyond age related expectations. This policy will be reviewed and updated as necessary.
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Internet Access Policy Responsible use of the Internet and e-mail As part of our ICT programme, we offer girls access to the Internet and provide them with a school based e-mail account.
We believe that there are educational benefits of Internet and e-mail access, not least in the
opportunity provided to explore a wide range of information sources and to collaborate with other learners globally. Pupils’ study skills are developed to make ethical and critical use of this. Pupils develop the skills to appropriately select information and to check its origin, currency and accuracy. Pupils must be aware of the issues of plagiarism and copyright – not least in connection with preparation of material for public examination courses. Levels of supervision of the use of the internet and e-mail depend upon the age of a pupil. In Reception (or Year 1) to Year 6 (inclusive) pupils’ access is under the direct supervision of a member of staff. In Years 7-9, pupils’ use of the Internet or e-mail in lessons is supervised by a member of staff. Pupils in Years 7 – 13 inclusive also have access to machines outside lesson time and in circumstances (e.g. the library, study areas) where a member of staff may not be available to offer direct supervision. We take various measures to minimise these risks. Our ICT network operates a filtering system to try to prevent access to inappropriate materials. We have an Internet safety programme for all pupils which teaches the safe behaviour appropriate to adopt when using the Internet or e-mail. However, although internet use is filtered, families should be aware that some pupils may find ways to access material that is inaccurate, defamatory, illegal or potentially offensive to some people. We recognise that parents and guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. To that end, the College respects each family’s right to decide whether or not to apply for access. We are concerned to ensure that pupils’ use of the Internet is legal and that there is no risk of prosecution. We recognise too our moral responsibilities and our duty to provide protection for pupils in our care. We accept the need to promote high standards in relation to the use of computers and the Internet. In order to protect pupils and help the school to demonstrate that ICT systems are being used responsibly, monitoring of files or the sites visited is necessary. Software (Fortianalyzer) is used which does monitor system use and is reviewed by designated members of the Senior Leadership Team. Last Reviewed September 2019
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Computer Resource s Policy STUDENT GUIDELINES The school has provided ICT facilities to support your learning and for your fellow students. You are encouraged
to use and enjoy these resources, and help to ensure they remain available to all. You are responsible for good behaviour when using the resources and on the Internet, just as you are in a classroom or a school corridor. Equipment
You may not install or attempt to install programs of any type on the computers. Please treat all equipment with respect. Damaging, disabling, or otherwise harming the operation of computers, or intentionally wasting resources puts your work at risk. · Only use the computers for educational purposes. Activities such as buying or selling goods are inappropriate. You may only connect mobile equipment (e.g. laptops, tablet PCs, PDAs etc.) with permission. Your security and antivirus software must be up to date; your device must be free of viruses. Protect the computers from spillages by eating or drinking well away from ICT equipment. Security and Privacy
Protect your work by keeping your password to yourself; never use someone else’s log-on name or password Never reveal your home address, telephone number, school name, or picture to people you meet on the Internet. Other computer users should be respected and should not be harassed, harmed or insulted. To protect yourself and the systems, you should respect the security on the computers; attempting to bypass or alter the settings is not allowed. Computer storage areas will be treated like school lockers. Staff may review your files and communications to ensure that you are using the system responsibly. Internet
All Internet traffic is monitored and logged for your protection; do not attempt to bypass this. You should access the Internet only for study or for school authorised/supervised activities. Only access suitable material – using the Internet to obtain, download, send, print, display or otherwise transmit or gain access to materials which are unlawful, obscene or abusive is not permitted. Respect the work and ownership rights of people outside the school, as well as other students or staff. This includes abiding by copyright laws. People you contact on the Internet are not always who they seem. You should never agree to meet someone you only know from the Internet or via email. If such a person suggests a meeting, tell your parents or a teacher. Email
Your use of the school email system is logged and regularly reviewed. Be polite and appreciate that other users might have different views from your own. The use of strong language, swearing or aggressive behaviour is as anti-social on the Internet as it is on the street. Only open attachments to emails if they come from someone you already know and trust. Attachments can contain viruses or other programs that could destroy all the files and software on your computer. If you receive an email containing material of a violent, dangerous, racist, or inappropriate content, always report such messages to a member of staff. The sending of an email containing content likely to be unsuitable for children or schools is strictly forbidden. 41
Online behaviour When you are online you must behave with care and respect for others and the school, in the same way the school and your parents expect you to off line. Your online actions may be public and must not bring the school’s reputation in to disrepute. These rules apply at all times irrespective of whether you are using school or home based ICT equipment, or even devices such as smart phones. Please read this document carefully along with the ICT Policy. Only once you have signed the Internet and Email Use Permission Form and returned it will access to the Internet be permitted. If you violate these provisions, access to the Internet will be denied and you may be subject to disciplinary action. Additional action may be taken by the school in line with existing policy regarding school behaviour. For serious violations, suspension or expulsion may be imposed. Where appropriate, police may be involved or other legal action taken. Review Date September 2020
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Northwood College For Girls GDST: Discipline And Behaviour For Learning Policy Key Requirements/Legal Duties This policy responds to the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2014, which includes the requirement that all schools must have a behaviour policy which must be available to all parents and prospective parents. The school also acknowledges its legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 in respect of safeguarding and in respect of pupils with SEN and disabilities. Statement of behaviour principles At Northwood College for Girls we aim to provide a broad, challenging and inclusive education for life, in a secure and happy environment where all members of the community feel valued and respected and where effective teaching and learning is able to take place. To achieve the above, good behaviour in all aspects of school life is necessary. Introduction Northwood College for Girls endeavours to provide a safe learning environment in which pupils can feel and be safe, enjoy and achieve. The school recognises the inter-relationship between providing high quality teaching and learning opportunities and a stimulating learning environment, and promoting positive learning behaviour and good order. The school’s behaviour management strategy emphasises positive strategies and a range of interventions in order that the school environment is one of cooperation, respect and shared responsibility. Behaviour is never somebody else’s responsibility; it is all of ours. Policy Aims This policy aims to: Promote good behaviour, self-discipline and respect (for self, others, and the environment) Set out the school’s expectations in relation to behaviour and regulate the conduct of pupils Outline the rewards for appropriate behaviour and sanctions applied for misbehaviour Prevent bullying (in conjunction with the Anti-Bullying Policy) Set out the framework of pastoral support in which the policy operates, principles for communication with parents, and the legal background to specific procedures Roles and Responsibilities The Head has the overall responsibility to determine the school’s behaviour policy, set the standard of behaviour expected of pupils, determine the school rules and any disciplinary sanctions for breaking the rules. The Head, together with the Senior Leadership Team, will help to create a culture of respect by reinforcing and making explicit the desired standards of behaviour and by supporting their staff's authority to discipline disruptive behaviour, and the pupils who exhibit such behaviour, ensuring that this happens consistently across the school.
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The members of staff with day to day responsibility for behaviour management are Jill Ferguson, Deputy Head in the Senior School and Zara Hubble, Head of Junior School and Bluebelle House. All staff have a responsibility to: Provide a safe, welcoming environment Place the emphasis on learning and teaching Ensure pupils follow the school expectations during lessons, in corridors and in free time Recognise, praise and reward appropriate behaviour Ensure early intervention in cases where behaviour falls below the expected standard Take responsibility for any misbehaviour initially – seeking support/advice when required Ensure sanctions are applied consistently, are in proportion to the nature of the incident and any relevant background context, and to take into account where appropriate the circumstances/ needs of the pupil Work in partnership with parents and guardians Expectations The following principles should underpin all of our interactions with pupils and each other: Respect each other Listen to each other Treat everyone as an individual De-escalate incidents and seek to reconcile These principles are consistent with the Northwood College for Girls Code of Conduct which states: INFORMATION FOR PUPILS YEARS 7-11 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ALL PUPILS OF NORTHWOOD COLLEGE FOR GIRLS This Code of Conduct is designed to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of our school community. Central to the code is that we all treat each other with respect at all times. For pupils in general this means; Always try to understand the other person’s point of view. Make it as easy as possible for everyone to learn and for the teacher to teach. This means prompt arrival at lessons with all the correct equipment as well as sensible co-operative behaviour in lessons. Speak to everyone courteously. Be sensitive to the feelings of others – moderate your language and behaviour accordingly. Keep the school tidy so that it is a welcoming environment. This means putting all litter in bins and keeping walls and furniture clean and unmarked. As you go to and from school remember that the public will judge all members of the school on your behaviour. In more specific terms we expect the following: Arrival Each Morning Please do not enter buildings before 8.15am. Girls may go to the Dining Room from 7.45 am. We expect you in your form rooms for roll call at 8.35 am Remember to bring a note explaining absence on the day you return and inform your tutor in advance of any planned absence. 44
I may wear a small neat watch (Years 3 – 6 only). If I wish to wear a small religious token I will wear this under my uniform and will for safety reasons remove it for PE; I will not wear jewellery to school, including earrings, studs or any form of retainer. I will not bring valuables to school; I will not bring a mobile phone to school without permission of the Head of Junior School; I will wear the correct uniform each day and look smart and tidy. My hair will be tied or clipped back. I will wear my coat/blazer/school hat to and from school, unless I am given permission by a member of staff not to; I will behave in a way that brings pride to myself, my friends and the school, when in school and on visits and on residential trips. I understand the Code of Conduct and will do my best to follow it. Name ………………………………………………………... Form/Year …………… Signed: ………………………………………………………... Date…………………… I/We, …………………………. have read the Code of Conduct with my/our daughter and will help her to follow it. I/We understand that I/we may be contacted by the Head of Junior School if serious misdemeanours occur. Signed: …………………………………………. Parent/Guardian Date: ...………………..
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Junior School Rewards And Sanctions Including EYFS Rewards We have a clear system of rewards which we share with pupils and parents. The rewards are accessible to all children. They include: Praise and recognition Stamps, stickers, marble jar rewards systems Written comments on the child’s work Special responsibilities within class Special school-wide responsibilities for older children Special praise from the Junior Head Teacher, Deputy Heads or Head of Key Stage for exceptional work. Individual mentions in celebration assemblies. Lining up cards (Year 3-6) are awarded every day at morning break and lunch time by the teacher on duty to the class that lines up most quietly and sensibly. A certificate is awarded each half term to the winning class. A star badge (Year 3-6) is awarded each half term in assembly to one girl in each form for impressing staff with their kindness, manners, perseverance or resilience. Achievement marks are awarded for good work and effort, leading towards certificates and star badges in the school achievement system (Years 3 – 6). Two achievement marks can be awarded for exceptional work, effort or progress. Three marks awarded for an extended piece of work or a project. 25 achievement marks, she is awarded a bronze certificate and badge in assembly. A silver certificate and badge are awarded for 50 achievement marks and an owl certificate and badge for 200 achievement marks. ·Peripatetic music teachers give stickers, not achievement marks as rewards. Awarding of house points. House points are awarded for good manners, kindness, helpfulness etc. The house achieving the highest number of house points each term is awarded the Junior House Cup in the end of term assembly (Years 3 – 6). Awarding Superhero Capes by the Junior Head Teacher. It is our ultimate desire to see children display good behaviour because they understand the true value of this in any community. Unacceptable Behaviour Unacceptable behaviour prevents safe working in school. It includes: Physical violence Bullying Threatening behaviour Racist behaviour Sexist behaviour Verbal abuse and swearing Theft Truancy Damage to property and the environment (built and natural) Spitting Rudeness to others 46
All of these behaviours are regarded very seriously and will not be tolerated at Northwood College for Girls. Reducing Inappropriate Behaviour We will never use sanctions which humiliate pupils. We feel that children should learn from experience to expect fair and consistently applied sanctions for inappropriate behaviour and that the sanctions make the distinction between serious and minor offences apparent. We recognise that some flexibility must be allowed to take account of individual circumstances. Staff will: Deal sensitively with any child who is in distress, listen to them and deal with any incident appropriately Explain and demonstrate the behaviour we wish to see, providing the children with good role models Expect children to be responsible for their own behaviour Ensure that any criticism necessary will be constructive by naming the problem and the expected change in behaviour Keep parents/carers informed about their child’s behaviour Follow school procedures when supervising playtimes. We aim to develop responsible behaviour through using a system of consequences as follows: Step 1 Reminders of appropriate behaviour will be given. A verbal warning will be given for the breaking of a class or school rule or for preventing a teacher or teaching assistant from teaching. Step 2 If the child chooses to continue the inappropriate behaviour the child will be removed from the group to work on her own within her classroom and some/all of playtime will be taken from her. Class visual behaviour chart will be adjusted accordingly. Step 3 If the inappropriate behaviour is persistent or more serious the child will be sent to complete work in another classroom (parallel class) within that year group. Other sanctions may be necessary. These may include: Work being finished or redone at home A written apology Removing privileges Removing a number of playtimes Lunchtime detention Separating the child from the class (if this is necessary they will automatically have their playtime removed) Being sent to Junior Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher Paying for damage
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A Behaviour Log will be completed on the day of the incident of Step 3 behaviour and sent to the Head Teacher. Parents may be invited into school to discuss the child’s behaviour. For Step 3 behaviour: A Behaviour Diary or Home/School Behaviour Link Book may be kept for an agreed period of time. The child’s parents/carers will be invited to work with the teacher and child to devise an individual behaviour programme to help the child learn appropriate social behaviour at school. This will involve putting the child on a daily report where the teacher and parents keep a diary of the child’s behaviour. The diary will be reviewed at regular intervals by the teacher and parents/carers. If necessary, a referral to the LEA Behaviour Support Team will be made through Special Educational Needs procedures. Step 4 Persistent poor behaviour, which has not improved despite the adoption of several support strategies, may result in a fixed term exclusion. Cases of extreme violence will always result in an exclusion. Fixed term exclusions will be initially for one day, with additional days added for each subsequent exclusion. Step 5 This is extremely serious. Step 5 will result in a permanent exclusion. It is used for repeated cases of violence or other behaviour that causes extreme disruption to school life. The Head Teacher or appointed deputy reserves the right to exclude pupils if necessary. Parents Parents have a vital role in promoting good behaviour in school and so effective home/school liaison is vital. The school has a right to expect that parents will give their full support in dealing with their child’s behaviour and staff undertake to inform parents of concerns about poor behaviour at an early stage. We expect parents to: Keep us informed of behaviour difficulties they may be experiencing at home ·Inform us of any trauma which may affect their child’s performance or behaviour at school Inform us about their child’s ill health and any absences connected with it The Anti-Racist Code Racist incidents will be logged and parents informed in line with LEA guidelines. Racist incidents are reported to the Governing Body. The impact of this policy is measured regularly.
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Behaviour Chart Our Four Non-Negotiables 1. Be kind: treat others – girls and staff - as you would like to be treated: with respect (JSH #showing empathy) 2. Try your best: be organised and ready to learn, allowing others to learn without disturbance (JSH #aiming high) 3. Work hard: do things to the best of your ability even when the going gets tough (JSH #persisting #showing resilience) 4. Make good decisions: think before you act and reflect on the choices you have made before (JSH #making good decisions #reflecting and evaluating)
Step 1
2
3
Behaviour
Low Level
Repeated Step 1 or more serious misdemeanour
Repeated Step 2 or more serious misdemeanour than Step 2
Examples The sort of everyday things that go on in school: late homework, calling out, not following instructions Answering back or being disrespectful Repeated late homework Disrupting lesson
Deliberate disruption to lessons Rude name calling or using offensive language Harming someone physically Deliberately damaging school or pupil property· Inappropriate use of social media or breaking e-safety code of conduct Stealing or lying
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Responses Quiet word from teacher
Form Teacher will refer pupil to Head of Key Stage Parents may be told Behaviour or reward chart may be introduced Head of Key Stage will record on CPoms Pupil will speak to Junior School Deputy Head (Pastoral Development and Wellbeing) and behaviour will be recorded in Behaviour Log Pupils will have a lunch time detention with Deputy Head of Junior School, reflecting on their behaviour and future choices Older girls write a letter of apology Parents will be told Behaviour or reward chart may be introduced
Step 4
Behaviour Repeated Step 3 or more serious misdemeanour than Step 3
Examples Deliberately causing serious harm (this could include verbal abuse, such as using racist language) to other girls or adults Actions which put themselves or other girls in danger
Responses A letter will be sent home to parents Pupils meet with Head of Junior School Girls write an apology letter at home which needs to be signed by parents and returned to Head of Junior School More than two Step 4s: A meeting will take place between Junior School Deputy Head (Pastoral Development and Wellbeing) Form Teacher and Head of Key Stage Nursery and Reception Continuous inappropriate behaviour will result in a meeting with parents and Junior School Deputy Head (Pastoral Development and Wellbeing) / Head of Key Stage A behaviour or reward chart must be introduced
5
Misbehaviour which really goes against the ethos of the school
Repeated bullying that has not stopped despite intervention Serious and deliberate damage of school property Serious misuse or breaking IT code of conduct
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After discussion with Head of Junior School, possible exclusion from school
The use of reasonable force The School acknowledges its duties and responsibilities under the 2006 Education and Inspections Act in which all school staff members have a power to use reasonable force to prevent pupils committing a criminal offence, injuring themselves or others, or damaging property and to maintain good order and discipline amongst pupils.
In any case where a member of staff has recourse to use reasonable force, the incident will be recorded on the pupil file and parents will be informed as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter, save where there may be a safeguarding reason not to do so. Screening, searching and confiscation The School acknowledges its duties and responsibilities under the applicable education legislation and guidance in respect of screening and searching pupils, and confiscating items. School staff may search pupils’ clothing, bags or lockers without consent for any prohibited item, and for any item which we believe could cause injury to any person or damage to property.This process will be governed by internal procedures and will only be undertaken by designated staff. As above, the school may give due regard to police involvement or initiating safeguarding processes as appropriate. As a general rule, school staff can seize any prohibited item found as a result of a search, and any item however found which they consider harmful or detrimental to school discipline. Items may be confiscated, retained, handed to the police or disposed of as a disciplinary penalty, when it is reasonable to do so. Malicious accusations against school staff The School recognises that there may be occasions when a pupil justifiably needs to raise issues about the actions of a member of staff, and has procedures for dealing with such concerns. However, where the allegation is clearly one of malicious intent or fabrication, the school will give due regard to the most appropriate disciplinary sanction to be taken which may include temporary or permanent exclusion, as well as referral to the police if there are grounds for believing a criminal offence may have been committed.
The School will also take seriously inappropriate use of technologies including mobile and social networking sites which are targeted at members of staff. Staff Support and Development Staff are supported in their implementation of the Discipline and Behaviour for Learning Policy through the guidance and leadership of the Deputy Head (Pupil Wellbeing) and other pastoral staff, regular Head of Year meetings and periodic staff training. Partnership with Parents The School believes strongly in the power of working in close co-operation with parents and of the rights and desirability of parents being actively involved in the education of their child. The school will therefore seek to involve parents/guardians actively on behaviour for learning issues. 51
Approaches will include: Phone calls Meetings Early involvement Letters Supporting pupils on report Home school agreement Pupil homework diaries/ academic planners which allow for two way communication Invitations to agency meetings Follow up & routine communication Parents/guardians are welcome to approach the school for informal or formal discussions about their daughter’s education. Related Policies This policy operates in conjunction with: ·GDST and School Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy ·Anti Bullying Policy GDST Inclusion Policy GDST Exclusions Policy (this is available on request from Northwood College for girls) GDST Acceptable Use Agreements GDST Equal Opportunities Policy GDST and School Drugs Policy ·Academic Expectations in the Senior school guidance Monitoring, Evaluation and Review The Deputy Head will monitor the implementation and effectiveness of this policy, review it annually through the use of data on exclusions and other consequences such as detentions, and report to the Head.
Date: September 2019 (review date September 2020)
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Teaching and Learning Policy Mission Statement At NWC, we foster joy in learning. We know that intellectual discovery and critical thinking, ignited by the spark of curiosity, is exciting and empowering. We embrace innovation and always seek to enhance learning and student outcomes through application of educational research and an understanding of available technology. We also value the expertise, experience and insight of our teachers in contributing to the teaching and learning culture within the school. We know that to be successful in the future, our girls will need to be able to: Investigate and interrogate evidence Imagine and create without limits Collaborate with others Communicate with clarity and confidence Self-regulate their learning We believe that teaching and learning in our school develops these skills and dispositions. Professional Development Lesson observations focus on student outcomes, including in these five core learning areas. Lessons are also assessed for their encouragement of a joy in learning and the achievement of all students in the classroom, through stretch and support. Each teacher receives two formal observations each academic year to ensure both quality control and continuing professional development. Emphasis is placed upon the development of teaching practice and there is no lesson grading as part of this process. Teachers are encouraged to develop their own practice through: Weekly teaching and learning sessions, delivered by staff in our Friday Showcase. Sessions have included ‘Growth Mindset Language’, ‘Literacy in the classroom’,‘Public Speaking', ‘P4C’, ‘Using GCSE Pod’. Opportunities to discuss educational research at termly Teach Meets. Sessions have included discussion of education systems throughout the world and digital learning. Trust Office CPD.
Sessions offered include ‘The lost middle and hard to reach’, ‘A level teaching’ and
collaboration days for each subject. SLT and departmental learning walks and work scrutiny and feedback. Termly Teaching and Learning Carousels in Thursday staff training sessions. Spring 2019 saw the first of these, focused on tools for digital learning. Cognitive Learning: Embedding ‘Thinking Skills’ into Teaching and Learning New staff are offered CPD which covers the latest research on metacognition from the EEF. This ensures that staff have the tools in order to create learning opportunities for students that encourages self-regulation of their learning. The training offered allow teachers in both Senior and Junior school to embed thinking skills into their teaching and learning. Our expectation is that teachers always consider metacognition in their lesson planning and we therefore do not expect them to highlight this as a separate entity on schemes of work or lesson plans.
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At all Key Stages, we embrace De Bono’s
thinking
hats
and
De
Costa’s thinking habits have been developed into the NWC Habits for application in the Junior School in particular. Philosophy for Children’ opportunities
are
embedded
across the curriculum, with many staff from a range of subjects trained
in
the
programme.
Thinking Skills is offered as a stand-alone
lesson
within
the
Junior School timetable. In the Senior
School,
enrichment
days
there for
are
students
which focus of developing skills such as empathy, resilience and creativity. These have included a ‘Learn to Learn’ workshop in Year 7 and 'Christmas on the Brain’ in Year 8. Review Date February 2021
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Summary
Curriculum Policy
Northwood College provides full-time education for pupils of compulsory school age and beyond. Pupils may join Northwood College from age three in the Early Years and continue their education beyond the compulsory
school age in the Sixth Form. At all stages, the school’s curriculum is designed in such a way that it offers a programme of activities appropriate to the needs of the pupils with the subject matter being appropriate for the ages and aptitudes of pupils, including any pupils with a statement (Education, Heath & Care Plan) or with SEN. All pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress and high expectations are set for all of our students. In particular, the curriculum is designed to give pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human, and social, physical, and aesthetic and creative education and enable them to acquire skills in speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy. Careful attention is paid to ensure that where a pupil has a statement the education provided fulfils its requirements. All pupils receive personal, social, health and economic education, including British values, which reflects the aims and ethos of the school and encourages respect for other people. In all sections of the school, teachers pay particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. In addition, pupils in the Senior School in particular, are given appropriate careers guidance and are prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life in British society. The curriculum is designed to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn and make progress. A more comprehensive analysis of the curriculum at Northwood College is set out in the Curriculum Policy below. This policy is supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work. Introduction Northwood College is an independent day school for girls aged 3 – 18. Our curriculum is designed to engender a love of learning and provides a firm foundation for future studies in a happy and secure environment. We believe that each girl’s time at Northwood College is of fundamental importance in her development as an individual and we seek to enable each girl to realise her full academic potential and to acquire a sense of personal and social responsibility. Every opportunity is taken to widen the girls’ awareness of the world around them and curriculum related visits are frequently arranged. The school aims to provide the context within which the curriculum policy sits. Our definition of the curriculum is that of the total learning experience offered to each girl by the school. It helps to develop attitudes and values in addition to concepts, knowledge and skills. It is our aim at Northwood College to offer a curriculum that encompasses the requirements of the National Curriculum, and that goes above and beyond that which it prescribes. In line with our school aims, we seek to provide a curriculum that is broad and balanced, coherent, relevant and differentiated. Our curriculum should offer equal opportunities for all pupils. It is designed to promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and uphold fundamental British values. Our curriculum aims to prepare students for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life and for participation in modern British society. It also aims to encourage students to think beyond their local community to the wider world. Through our curriculum, we aim to develop a girl’s meta-cognition and ability to think critically and analytically, through a range of teaching styles and strategies offering a variety of learning opportunities. We also aim to ensure development of essential speaking, listening, numeracy and literacy skills; provide opportunities for creative expression; promote a healthy lifestyle and provide PSHE and Citizenship education reflecting our aims and ethos and fundamental British values. 55
The curriculum encourages respect for all and pays regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010. Through our curriculum, we hope to enable all pupils to achieve their individual potential. Our curriculum is delivered by teachers who promote high standards in learning and teaching. The curriculum is kept under constant review by the Leadership Team, and in particular the Deputy Head (Academic), supported by the Director of Studies and Head of Cognitive Learning. In the Junior School, curriculum responsibility lies with the JSLT, Deputy Head Junior School, and, with an overview, the Head of Juniors. All key stage workers may also have involvement with this area. In Senior School, Heads of Department also hold curriculum responsibility and in Junior School, Coordinators also hold curriculum responsibility in some areas. Specific working groups, for example on learning transition between the Junior and Senior Schools, student selection of GCSE/A Level options, thinking skills and assessment, are convened as necessary to address specific developments and initiatives. All members of staff have curriculum responsibility as defined in their terms of appointment. Early Years Foundation Stage: Nursery and Reception The Early Years’ Centre (Bluebelle House) provides education for girls in the Foundation Stage in a secure and caring environment. The curriculum concentrates on 7 areas split between prime and specific areas of learning. The prime areas are communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. The specific areas are literacy, mathematics, understanding of the world and expressive arts and design. Thinking Skills is taught as a discrete lesson and girls also have separate lessons in Spanish, Ballet, Music and Yoga. Outdoor learning is closely woven into all areas of learning including our Outdoor Explorers programme. Staff work closely with each child and provide a structured individual programme based on regular and ongoing assessment. Key Stage 1 The curriculum is designed both to cover and also to extend beyond the Key Stage 1 requirements for the National Curriculum. The foundations of number work are laid in daily lessons using a number of schemes including the National Numeracy Strategy. Girls acquire fluency in reading through the use of a range of schemes and methods. In creative work. themes are chosen, which may be topical, seasonal or stimulated by current events. These are developed in Science, History, Geography, Art, Technology, Physical Education, Music, Spanish and Religious Studies. Thinking Skills is taught as a discrete lesson, as is PSHE. Appropriate external visits are arranged as well as developing a thirst for outdoor learning. Computing (including coding) is offered to all girls, as are Ballet and Drama. Extra-curricular instrumental lessons are also available. Key Stage 2 The curriculum is designed to cover and go beyond Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum. Subjects studied include Mathematics, English, Drama, Science, Spanish, Latin, Art, Information Technology, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Music and all branches of Physical Education. Dedicated Computing (including coding) lessons are offered to girls in the Junior ICT Suite. All girls have specialist teachers in Music, PE, MFL and STEM. Thinking Skills is taught as a discrete lesson, as are PSHE and General Knowledge. Girls participate in a programme of external visits to theatres, museums and sites of scientific and historical interest to support classroom based work. Years 4, 5 and 6 take part in residential trips and all girls follow a carefully planned programme of pastoral care. 56
Key Stage 3 Key Stage 3 is a vital stage in the academic journey, bridging the gap between Junior School and the demands of the GCSE curriculum. Skills and subject knowledge build throughout the key stage, so that by the time they reach Key Stage 4, students are equipped with the requisite thinking skills, attitude to learning, organisation and deep subject knowledge. It is the exciting stage in a student’s academic development where joy in learning is unbounded by the expectations of examination and this is to be celebrated. In Years 7 and 8, all girls study English, Mathematics, Spanish, another modern foreign language (chosen from French and Mandarin), Science (with a focus on the skills and knowledge required for success in STEM), Geography, History, RS, Latin, Art, Drama, Music, Textiles, ICT and PE. A regular PSHE lesson covers careers, citizenship, health education, use of the library and current affairs. Physical Education includes athletics, hockey, netball, rounders, swimming, tennis and gymnastics. In Year 9, girls start following IGCSE Science and Mathematics. Careers advice is offered to all girls and all are supported in selecting their GCSE options by teachers, the Head of Year and SLT. Key Stage 3 Key Stage 3 is a vital stage in the academic journey, bridging the gap between Junior School and the demands of the GCSE curriculum. Skills and subject knowledge build throughout the key stage, so that by the time they reach Key Stage 4, students are equipped with the requisite thinking skills, attitude to learning, organisation and deep subject knowledge. It is the exciting stage in a student’s academic development where joy in learning is unbounded by the expectations of examination and this is to be celebrated. In Years 7 and 8, all girls study English, Mathematics, Spanish, another modern foreign language (chosen from French and Mandarin), Science (with a focus on the skills and knowledge required for success in STEM), Geography, History, RS, Latin, Art, Drama, Music, Textiles, ICT and PE. A regular PSHE lesson covers careers, citizenship, health education, use of the library and current affairs. Physical Education includes athletics, hockey, netball, rounders, swimming, tennis and gymnastics. In Year 9, girls start following IGCSE Science and Mathematics. Careers advice is offered to all girls and all are supported in selecting their GCSE options by teachers, the Head of Year and SLT. Key Stage 4 Northwood College prepares girls for the GCSE in the majority of subjects and IGCSE in the Sciences, Maths and History. In Years 10 and 11 all pupils study the core subjects, which include English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, at least one Language (Mandarin, Spanish, French or Latin) and either Biology, Chemistry and Physics as separate IGCSE subjects or Double Award IGCSE. In addition, pupils choose three or four optional subjects from Art & Design, Classical Civilisation, Latin, Drama, French, Geography, History, Computing, Music, PE, Religious Studies and Textiles. The PSHE programme gives girls a chance to improve their general knowledge of the world around them, foster a love of learning and the ability to learn transferable skills, such as research without the pressure of examinations. In Year 11 all girls undertake work experience. Careers advice is offered to all girls and all are supported in selecting their A level options by teachers, the Head of Year and SLT. Sixth Form In the Sixth Form students will follow a programme of activities which is appropriate to their needs. They will take 3 A-levels, (4 if one of those subjects is Further Maths) and an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification).
57
The following subjects are currently offered at A level: Art & Design, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Drama and Theatre Studies, Economics, English Literature, French, Geography, Graphic Design, History, Computing, Latin, Mandarin, Maths, Further Maths, Music, PE, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Religion Philosophy and Ethics, Spanish and Textiles. All Sixth Form students also take part in an enrichment programme (EEEExcite), which includes the EPQ, Enrich (PSHE and careers guidance), Engage (beyond-curriculum lessons in the academic subject a student is going on to study at university) and Engage (social and political awareness and community service). To promote fitness and well-being, all girls participate in a range of sporting activities such as golf and yoga, as well as the more traditional PE options. Sixth Form conferences, work experience, interview practice, careers and higher education advice are available to all girls. As a member of the Northwood College Sixth Form, all girls will be given the opportunity to become a Northwood College Laureate, awarded by the GDST. The Laureate Award will recognise the activities which girls participate in outside of the classroom. Girls can opt for one or more of the following awards Minerva (for academic achievement) Juno (for service) Demeter (for environmental awareness) Artemis (for sporting achievement) Athena (for creativity). Pastoral Programme Guidance is offered throughout the College on study skills, personal communication and social, emotional and physical development, career choice, decision making, health & safety and enterprise education. Language skills are developed throughout the entire curriculum. Cognitive Learning Cognitive Learning means that girls will leave Northwood having achieved their cognitive potential by developing their ability to question, think critically and creatively; decision making and problem-solving in both lessons and the wider world. Cognitive Learning allows each girl to find out about their own individual learning styles and the methods of study and revision that are most likely to suit them. It gives them tools to direct and clarify their thinking, encourages philosophical reasoning, supports their development as independent learners and encourages critical evaluation of information from media sources. In the Senior School, teaching and learning strategies that support the development of meta-cognition and associated skills are embedded into lessons under the direction of a dedicated Head of Cognitive Learning. Cognitive learning is, therefore, integrated throughout the curriculum. This approach is supported through student activity days and staff training opportunities. In the Junior School, a more directed programme of study entitled Thinking Skills is provided.
58
Careers Appropriate access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance is provided for girls in Senior School through a dedicated Careers and UCAS advisor. It is impartial, enabling students to make informed choices about a broad range of career options and thereby enabling them to reach their potential. A full careers programme, delivered through PSHE lessons and supported by a Careers Library, is delivered from Year 7 through to Year 13. Extra-Curricular Activities The school has a wide and varied programme of academic, cultural and sporting activities that take place outside the formal curriculum in lunchtime and after-school clubs and societies. All pupils are expected to take part in the programme and Sixth Form students are expected to co-ordinate and run activities as part of their personal development. SEN A dedicated SEN department supports students with special educational needs. Students are assessed by and work with staff on skills related to their specific needs. Information is disseminated to all staff via Pupil Profiles and regular staff training.
Reviewed: September 2019 Review Date: September 2020
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Guidance On Assess ment Assessment Statement This document acts as guidance to assessment within the Junior School at Northwood College. It outlines the various forms of assessment that will be undertaken throughout the key stages with the aim of monitoring and enhancing girls’ academic progress. The effectiveness of an assessment system is central to evaluating the quality of education provided and it is a reflection of the school’s curriculum aims. Northwood College for Girls GDST complies with the new National Curriculum Framework and has been specifically designed to assess pupil progress within the various programmes of study. The focus is on raising the achievement of every pupil, with the intention of supporting parents in their understanding of their daughter’s progress. The new recommendations allow the curriculum to be more rigorous as well as supporting deeper learning. Northwood College for Girls GDST has welcomed the changes in the National Curriculum and sees it as an exciting opportunity to review our assessment and reporting systems to create a more holistic approach that makes sense to parents. We were very clear that whatever assessment tool we used, it needed to be robust and track girls’ progress across the School and not just at the end of a Key Stage. The principles that underpin the new assessment system are:
To support every girl to achieve and maximise their potential. To allow meaningful tracking of girls towards the end of key stage expectations including regular feedback to parents. To provide information which is transferable, easily understood and covers both qualitative and quantitative assessment. To ensure that assessment is used effectively to build the correct scaffolding in lessons. To enable differentiated attainment between girls of different abilities, supporting early identification of girls with emerging ability and those exceeding expectations. Our assessment and reporting system includes: On-going assessment by the class teacher throughout each lesson through questioning, observation and dialogue. Girls knowing what they are being asked to learn and more importantly, why. In Years 1 – 6 criteria for success are discussed and agreed with or formulated by the girls after each termly assessment in Reading Comprehension, Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar and Mathematics. Science will be assessed termly and again at the end of the year. Teachers and subject leads will be involved in regular scrutiny of girls’ work. All of the above will feed into a comprehensive database which will enable us to track girls’ progress effectively.
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Tracking progress over time We will track Girls’ progress over time against age-related expectations in each subject area: Emerging – girls are working towards the expectations of that year group. Expected – girls are meeting expected levels of achievement. Secure – girls exceeding age-related objectives Allowing them to work within a deeper level of understanding and application. This data can then be used alongside other evidence to enable effective planning of future teaching and learning, for reporting to parents and as evidence for ISI inspections. This data, combined with standardised test data and teacher knowledge, enables us to track girls’ progress effectively over time, and stretch and support wherever appropriate. More able children These children will work on ‘mastering’ their knowledge through the application of skills in different contexts – they will be deepening their learning. The depth and application of a child’s learning is an important marker of their achievement and progress. Early Years – Nursery and Reception Children in Nursery and Reception will continue to be assessed against the Prime and Specific areas of Learning in the EYFS profile. Assessments will be based on observation of daily activities and events. At the end of Reception for each Early Learning Goal, teachers will judge whether an individual is matching expectations following the system of: Emerging Expected Secure Progress will be tracked using an online progress tracker 2Simple. This multi award winning system gathers observations continually and improves the quality and consistency of formative assessment. The added benefit is that it enables practitioners to send reports directly to parents, enhancing their engagement in the learning process.
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The following is a table showing a summary of assessments utilised within Northwood College for Girls’ Junior School.
Year
R
1
Key Stage
EYFS
1
2
3
4
1
2
2
Assessment
Baseline 2Simple On-going phonics assessment Unaided Writing
Reading Comprehension Termly and end of Summer Term Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) Termly and end of Summer Term Independent Writing Termly Mathematics Termly Science Termly Progress Tests in Maths and English
Reading Comprehension Termly Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) Termly Independent Writing Termly Mathematics Termly Science Termly Progress Test in English and Maths Cognitive Ability Tests Reading Comprehension Termly Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) Termly Independent Writing Termly Mathematics Termly Science Termly Progress Test in English and Maths Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning tests
Reading Comprehension Half termly and end of Summer Term Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) Termly Independent Writing Termly Mathematics Termly Science Termly Progress Tests in English and Maths Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning tests 62
Year
5
6
Key Stage
Assessment
2
Cognitive Ability Tests Reading Comprehension Termly Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) Termly Independent Writing Termly Mathematics Termly Science Termly Progress Tests in English and Maths Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning tests
2
CATS Cognitive Ability Tests Reading Comprehension Termly Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) Termly Independent Writing Termly Mathematics Termly Science Termly Progress Test in English and Maths
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Reporting To Parents Our assessment system informs the way we report to parents. Parents will receive one full written report a year in Spring Term, with a parents’ evening in the other two terms. In Year 1-6 parents also receive an assessment report every term with data and targets in English, Maths and Science. Furthermore, in the Summer Term parents in Nursery and Reception receive a form teacher report which comments on the girls’ learning characteristics, and in Year 1-6 a valedictory report which summarises the assessment data for the whole year, describes the girls’ extra-curricular involvement and includes a detailed form teacher comment. We believe firmly that our assessment of girls’ work should be both formative and diagnostic i.e. we want to be able to recognise a girl’s positive achievements and look ahead to her next steps and to be able to identify areas where a girl may be experiencing difficulties so that we can offer appropriate help. Of course, we also need to provide records of the overall achievement of a girl too. We will be trying to look at all aspects of a girl’s participation in school life – including extra-curricular activities. We are convinced that close communication between teachers, students and parents is likely to generate the most positive outcome for the girls.
Special Learning Difficulties the Junior School we ensure that, if at all possible, all pupils have the same access to all areas of the curriculum. Form teachers closely monitor the girls’ progress and if it is felt necessary an assessment may be In undertaken in school. On entering Year 4 all girls are given reading and spelling tests early in the autumn term to identify anyone who may require support in literacy due to dyslexia or other specific learning difficulty. Individual concerns will be followed up at any time. If it is felt that further investigation would be beneficial we may ask parents to arrange for a full assessment with a professional outside the school, for example an Educational Psychologist. Girls who have been identified as having a specific learning difficulty will then be supported as necessary by their form teacher and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) for Junior School who specialises in supporting such pupils. Parents are of course kept fully informed of any concerns that staff may have. If a parent is concerned about their daughter with regards to a learning difficulty they may contact the SENCO by email at r.savva@nwc.gdst.net to discuss this further.
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Junior School Homework Guidance 1 Introduction 1.1 Homework is anything that children do outside the normal school day that contributes to their learning in response to guidance from the school. Homework encompasses a whole variety of activities instigated by teachers and parents to support children’s learning. For example, a parent who spends time reading a story to their child before bedtime is helping with homework. 2 Rationale for homework 2.1 Homework is a very important part of a child’s education and can add much to a child’s development. We recognise that the time and resources available limit the educational experience that any school by itself can provide; children benefit greatly therefore from the mutual support of parents and teachers in encouraging them to learn both at home and at school. Indeed we see homework as an important way of establishing a successful dialogue between teachers and parents. One of the aims of our school is for children to develop as independent learners. We believe that homework is one of the main ways in which children can acquire the skill of independent learning. 2.2 Homework plays a positive role in raising a child’s level of attainment. We also acknowledge the important role of play and free time in a child’s growth and development. While homework is important, it should not prevent children from taking part in the wide range of extra-curricular clubs and organisations that play an important part in the lives of many children. We are well aware that children spend more time at home than at school, and we believe they develop their skills, interests and talents to the full only when parents encourage them to make maximum use of the experiences and opportunities that are available outside of school. 3
Aims and objectives
3.1 The aims and objectives of homework are: to enable pupils to make maximum progress in their academic and social development; to help pupils develop the skills of an independent learner; to promote a partnership between home and school in supporting each child’s learning; ·to enable all aspects of the curriculum to be covered in greater depth; ·to provide educational experiences not possible in school; to consolidate and reinforce learning done in school and to allow children to practise skills taught in lessons; to help children develop good work habits for the future. 4 Types of homework 4.1 We set a variety of homework activities. In the EYFS and at Key Stage we encourage the children to read by giving them books to take home to read with their parents. We give guidance information to parents to help them achieve the maximum benefit from this time spent reading with their child. We ask Key Stage 1 children to learn spellings or conduct mathematical activities as part of their homework. Sometimes we ask children to talk about a topic at home prior to studying it in school. 65
For example, in the history topic on Toys, we might ask children to find out what toys were popular when their grandparents were young and, if possible, to bring examples into school to show the other children. 4.2 At Key Stage 2 we set literacy and numeracy homework routinely each week as well as General Knowledge and Spanish and Science in Years 5 and 6. Latin may also be set. We expect the children to consolidate and reinforce learning done in school through practice at home. 5 Amount of homework 5.1 We increase the amount of homework that we give the children as they move through the school. The 2019-20 homework timetable is shown below for guidance. Early Years: Year Group
Time Allocations
M
T
TH
W
Guidance/ Notes
F
Reading books sent January – July, once a week
N
R
Reading – 10 minutes per day Phonics10/15 minutes 4 x week
Reading books changed Phonics
Reading books changed Phonics
Reading Phonics
Reading books changed
Reading Phonics
Phonic and Maths flashcards sent home every half term
Key Stage 1: Year Group
1
2
Time Allocations Reading – 10 minutes per day Spellings-look/ say/cover/write/ check, and write two sentences5 min per day Mental Maths- 5 min per day
M
T
W
TH
F
Guidance/ Notes
Reading Spellings Spellings Spellings Spellings Written Reading Reading Reading Reading homework: Mental Mental Mental Mental Maths sheet/ Maths Maths Maths Maths visit the library/ General Knowledge/ English (to be handed in on Monday)
Reading – 10 Spellings Spellings Spellings Spellings minutes per day Reading Reading Reading Reading Spellings-look/ Mental say/cover/write/che Mental Mental Mental Maths ck, and write two Maths Maths Maths Written sentences- 5 min homework per day due on Mental Maths- 5 Wednesday min per day 66
Spellings Mental Maths card is Reading learning Mental number Maths bonds to 10, Written homework to 20, times tables tested due on every half Monday term
Key Stage 2:
Year Group
3
4
Time Allocations
M
20 minutes
Mental Maths
Reading 20 minutes
Grammar activity
Maths and English 20-30 minutes
T
MyMaths
W
TH
Spelling
English
Reading Spelling GK/Purple and Words Mash learning activity spelling in Spelling preparatio activity Compreh n for the sheet ension test on task Wednesday
GK- 3045mins
F
GK
Maths Task
Guidance/ Notes PLUS 20 MINS READING PER DAY Reading for at least 5 times a week for 20mins The comprehensi on task is a verbal reading task with questions that is completed with their parents and then discussed in class. On occasions, homework may be research related for TED or a project on one of our units.
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Year Group
5
6
Time Allocations
M
40 minutes plus 20 minutes reading
English
30-40 minutes In next morning
GK (for Wednes day)
W
T
Maths
Maths
TH
F
Spellings
Science
General Knowledge
Topic Spelling
English Science
English Science
Guidance/ Notes Girls are given 1 night to complete homework (trying to instil good habits for Senior School - do the homework as soon as it is set) Plus 30 minutes reading and some daily mental Maths Spanish homework may occasionally be set
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5.2
We give all the children a school planner where they or the teacher or teaching assistant records the
homework, and where parents and teachers make any relevant comments. 6 Pupils with special educational needs 6.1
We set homework for all children as a normal part of school life. We ensure that all tasks set are appropriate
to the ability of the child. If a child has special needs, we endeavour to adapt any task set so that all children can contribute in a positive way. When setting homework to pupils who are named on the register of special needs, we refer to the Individual Education Plans (IEPs). 7 The role of parents 7.1 Parents have a vital role to play in their child’s education, and homework is an important part of this process. We ask parents to encourage their child to complete the homework tasks that are set. We invite them to help their children as they feel necessary and provide them with the sort of environment that allows children to do their best. Parents can support their child by providing a good working space at home, by enabling their child to visit the library regularly, and by discussing the work that their child is doing. 7.2
We ask parents to check the home/school planner at least once a week and to sign it every day or per week
as requested by the Year Group teachers. 7.3 If parents have any problems or questions about homework, they should, in the first instance, contact the child’s class teacher.
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Extra Curricular Activities Extra lessons for which charges are made may include:-
Chess Film Making Speech & Drama K Kwon Do Yoga Tennis (summer term only) Kathak Dancing Ballet Rainbows Please check with the club coordinator for notice periods should your daughter with to discontinue any extracurricular activity. Failure to give appropriate notice will result in one term’s fee being charged. The following are examples of activities for which no charges are made: Charities
Junior School Orchestra
Junior School Choir (Songbirds)
Swimming Club
Science Club
Leadership Club
Maths Games/Puzzle Club
Netball Club (Autumn/Winter only)
Gardening
Rounders (Summer term)
Cricket (Summer term)
French (beginners)
Eco Club
Craft and Knitting
Story Club
Fun with Food
Junior School Strings (Music)
Junior School Novello (Music)
Engineering Club
Leadership Club
Art Club
Details will be available at the start of term. Please refer to Firefly for a complete list – Club Section
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Northwood College Parent-Teachers' Association NCPTA Once your daughter joins Northwood College for Girls GDST, you automatically become a member of the school’s active and welcoming Parent-Teachers’ Association. We hold a range of events throughout the academic year, and by close liaison and meetings with senior member of staff, we promote closer links between parents and the school. As the NCPTA is open to all parents, anyone is welcome to attend our meetings. Getting involved as volunteers is a great way to support the school. Not only do our events help to strengthen the bonds between school and parents, but also raise substantial extra funds, all of which go toward enhancing the experience of our girls. For example, previous fund-raising efforts have contributed to the purchase of a climbing wall in our Sports Hall, a school minibus, refurbishment of the Junior School playground and the purchase of a grand piano. With the help and support of volunteers and staff, our many events run throughout the year and details can be found on Firefly
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on northwoodcollegePTA@outlook.com
NWC Connect At Northwood College for Girls, we aim to maintain long standing relationships with our parents, alumnae and staff - all of whom play an integral part in our special community. With this is mind, we have developed NWC Connect, our exclusive online platform that provides a valuable network for our community to connect and engage with one another. A cross between LinkedIn and Facebook, NWC Connect, belongs to its members and provides an accessible area to seek out professional networking, mentoring, internships, jobs and career opportunities. Welcoming all NWC parents, alumnae, supporters, current sixth formers, staff and former staff, NWC Connect enables you to tell us what support you are prepared to give and what you are seeking in return. You might be prepared to offer work experience, review CV’s, or talk to our girls about your career; in return you will be met with opportunities to network with members within the industries that you are interested in. NWC Connect also provides an additional platform to catch up with latest school news and hear about upcoming events, such as, Breakfast with the Head. May I encourage you to visit www.nwcconnect.co.uk and join our exciting new initiative. Registration takes less than two minutes by importing your LinkedIn or Facebook profile, alternatively you can register using your email address. Please note that this is the not an appropriate channel for parents to contact staff regarding general school matters and that our sixth former’s access is limited to the members who have offered to help as mentors. We believe that the connections made while at Northwood College for Girls really are for life and we look forward to seeing you on NWC Connect.
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Junior School Uniform COVID-19 guidelines for Junior School dress code (subject to change in line with government guidelines) Clothes – should be simple and durable, nothing elaborate. If your daughter is in Early Years or Year 1, please provide her with a change of clothes each day. If your daughter is unable to tie her aces, please send her to school with non-lace-up shoes. Girls do not have to wear uniform. Clean clothing must be worn every day, and clothes washed on the day of wear in a hot wash (60 C). We operate an online uniform and sportswear service with www.schoolblazer.com. This service provides all items of uniform and also provides nametag application free of charge.
Regulation = branded item to be purchased from Schoolblazer only. All items are compulsory unless stated
otherwise. Nursery Autumn & Spring Terms Regulation white crested polo shirt Regulation navy jogging bottoms Regulation navy crested sweatshirt Regulation navy crested storm-proof jacket Regulation navy beanie hat (for outdoor play at break and lunchtime) Regulation navy crested fleece scarf (optional, but non-regulation scarves should not be worn) Navy blue gloves (optional) Summer Term Summer dress blue and white stripe (from M & S reference number: T766480. Navy blue stripe) Regulation navy cardigan with berry trim Sunhat (optional for outdoor play at break and lunchtime) - two options available: Plain white sunhat (baseball or floppy variety) no sports logo or design permitted - available at any school outfitter Navy blue sunhat (with school logo) available from Schoolblazer
Juniors (Reception - Year 4) Autumn & Spring Terms Regulation tartan pinafore Regulation crested navy cardigan with berry trim Revere collar white short or long sleeved blouse - these can be bought from Schoolblazer or Marks and Spencer (reference code T765931) White long socks or navy plain cotton rich tights (not nylons) Regulation navy crested storm-proof jacket Regulation navy crested fleece scarf (optional, but non-regulation scarves should not be worn) Regulation navy beanie hat (for outdoor play at break and lunchtime) Navy blue gloves (optional)
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Summer Term Summer dress blue and white stripe (from M & S reference number: T766480. Navy blue stripe) Regulation crested navy cardigan with berry trim Revere collar white short sleeved blouse - these can be bought from Schoolblazer or Marks and Spencer (reference code T765931) White plain knee length or ankle socks (not trainer liners) Regulation navy cagoule waterproof jacket Sunhat (optional for outdoor play at break and lunchtime) - two options available: Plain white sunhat (baseball or floppy variety) no sports logo or design permitted - available at any school outfitter Navy blue sunhat (with school logo) available from Schoolblazer
Juniors (Year 5 - Year 6) Autumn & Spring Terms Regulation navy crested jacket Regulation tartan kilt (OR regulation trousers - Year 6 only) Regulation crested navy jumper or cardigan with berry trim Revere collar white short or long sleeved blouse - these can be bought from Schoolblazer or Marks and Spencer (reference code T765931) White long socks or navy plain cotton rich tights (not nylons) Regulation navy crested storm-proof jacket Regulation navy crested fleece scarf (optional, but non-regulation scarves should not be worn) Regulation navy beanie hat (for outdoor play at break and lunchtime) Navy blue gloves (optional)
Summer Term Regulation navy crested jacket Year 5 – Summer dress blue and white stripe (M & S reference number: T766480. Navy blue stripe) Year 6 - Regulation tartan kilt (OR regulation trousers - Year 6 only) or Summer dress (M&S dress as above) Year 6 - Revere collar white short sleeved blouse - these can be bought from Schoolblazer or Marks & Spencer (product reference code T765931) White plain knee length or ankle socks (not trainer liners) Regulation navy cagoule waterproof jacket Sunhat (optional for outdoor play at break and lunchtime) - two options available: Plain white sunhat (baseball or floppy variety) no sports logo or design permitted - available at any school outfitter Navy blue sunhat (with school logo) available from Schoolblazer 73
All girls: Shoes Shoes should be black leather (not patent, suede or canvas) of a plain style. Ridge sole with good grip for playground use only. Painting Apron Regulation plain navy painting smock Hair Hair ribbons and slides should be navy blue, black or brown. Long hair must be tied back. Jewellery Jewellery is not allowed (including studs for pierced ears). Small, low-value watches can be worn from Year 3 (not expensive varieties).
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PE Clothing and Equipment
Nursery - Year 2 P EÂ Kit Regulation White Crested T-shirt Regulation Navy PE Shorts Regulation Polo Shirt in House Colour (except Heathfield House's plain white polo can be bought elsewhere) Regulation Navy Crested Sweatshirt Regulation Navy Jogging Bottoms Plain White Sport Socks (no logos) Navy PE Bag Back Slip-on Plimsolls Swimming Kit Navy Speedo Endurance Swimming Costume Regulation Swimming Hat in Yellow Plain Swimming Towel Blue Swimming Bag
Year 3 - 6 Compulsory PE Kit Regulation White Fitness T-Shirt Regulation Navy Polo Shirt Regulation Navy Shorts Regulation Navy Skort (Year 5 & 6 ONLY) Regulation Tracksuit Trouser Regulation Navy Midlayer Regulation Crested Tracksuit Top Plain White Ankle or Trainer Socks Regulation Polo Shirt in House Colour (except Heathfield House's plain white polo can be bought elsewhere) Regulation Games Socks Plain Sports Trainers - one colour, not fashion trainers Mouthguard Shin Pads Swimming Kit Navy Speedo Endurance Swimming Costume Regulation Swimming Hat in House Colour Swimming Towel in House Colour Blue Swimming Bag Optional PE Kit Regulation Base-Layer Top Regulation Base-Layer Leggings 75
General Equipment School Bags Regulation Book Bag and napsack (Nursery - Year 2) – to be purchased from Schoolblazer
Regulation Rucksack (Year 3 - Year 6) – to be purchased from Schoolblazer Optional - Branded sports bag (larger) for girls in Years 5-6. Note: All uniform must be clearly marked with the owner’s name, using name tapes only. Schoolblazer provide a name-tagging service for all garments. GENERAL 1. Year 5 – 6 girls must have their regulation navy crested jacket in school every day. 2. All articles of clothing, equipment, watches, fountain pens and pencil cases must be marked with the owner’s full name. 3. Uniform must be worn in school and on the way to and from school unless otherwise advised 4. Money – Large amounts of cash should not be brought into school. No money may be left in desks or cloakrooms. 5. Badges - no badges other than school ones may be worn. 6. The Head reserves the right to forbid any garment which she considers unsuitable. House Colours
Buchan
Blue
Briary
Red
Endsleigh Green Heathfield White
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We are committed to Fullymaking your preparations customised for the new term as easy and website, displaying only items specific to your pain-free as possible. If you have school and/or house once any questions or require help, please a registered user is do not hesitate to contact our logged in. Helpline on 0333 7000 703, Mon-Fri Mobile and 9am-8pm, Sat 9am-5:30pm or email tablet-friendly website, enabling Schoolblazer at easy and quick customerservices@schoolblazer.com shopping
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Schoolblazer.com was founded by parents for parents to take the chore out of shopping for school uniform. Our secure online ordering service allows you to shop for uniform and sportswear at your convenience, and we even offer to sew all of the nametags into the garments for free – so throw out the sewing box and enjoy the summer! Frequently Asked Questions How do I know what sizes to order? We ask you to input your child’s measurements and our Intelligent Sizing System will indicate the recommended size on the shopping page. However, this is a suggestion only, based on the measurements you have entered. Should you wish to choose an alternative size, you can use the drop-down menu to select this. What if I need to return an item? We offer a free returns service so please return any item unsuitable using our online returns tool, and we will either refund or exchange as required. Do I have to pay for name tags? We only charge for the cost of the name tags and sew them in free of charge. How long will my order take to be despatched? We promise to despatch orders within 3 working days, and more swiftly than this wherever possible. I need an item that is showing as out of stock on the website, what should I do? As an online retailer we typically hold much higher levels of stock than a high street store, but if an item you require is showing as out of stock, please place your order and we will work to supply this as quickly as possible. What if I need further information or help with my order? Our Schoolblazer website features lots of useful information including a How to Shop video and more Frequently Asked Questions. Alternatively you can call our Customer Services Team on 0333 7000 703 and they will be happy to help.
www.schoolblazer.com
Email: customerservices@schoolblazer.com 78
Call: 0333 7000 703
School Shoes Shoes should be black leather (not patent, suede or canvas) of a plain style. Ridge sole with good grip for playground use only. Please see suggested styles below.
START-RITE LEAPFROG 7-9 1/2 EFG
START-RITE MARY-JANE 10-1 1/2 EFGH
CLARKS SCALA LACE Y 3-9 EFGH
START-RITE ZIG ZAG 6-9 1/2 FG
CLARKS ETCH CRAFT K 10-2 1/2 FG
START-RITE POPPY 10- 1 1/2 FG
START-RITE SAMBA 13-5 1/2 EFGH
START-RITE BROGUE 1-7 FG
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ANGRY ANGELS IMPULSIVE 34-42
Dance Dance lessons are taught as part of the curriculum from Nursery to Year 2 during the day. DANCE UNIFORM Pink leather ballet shoes with elastics Pink ballet socks Pale Blue RAD, (Royal Academy of Dance) sleeveless cotton lycra leotard. Waist belt only needed from Grade
I upwards) Pink wrap-over cardigan (winter) Pale pink crossover skirt with elastic waist band
The above may be obtained from: Suzanne School of Dance, Drama and Stage 69 Swakeleys Road Ickenham Uxbridge UB10 8DQ 01895631858 Open Mon-Sun Dance in curriculum: Nursery The children are introduced to basic movement principles and are encouraged to listen and respond to music imaginatively and with confidence. Reception The children are introduced to a wider range of movements and are encouraged to continue to develop their response to music. Year 1/2 The children progress to more complex movements, which require greater physical strength and co-ordination, and are encouraged to develop a stronger sense of performance with a less inhibited response to music.
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Music Department Northwood College for Girls GDST offers instrumental and vocal tuition in the Violin, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass, Flute , Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone, Piano, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Trumpet, Trombone,
Horn, Drum Kit and Singing. If there were sufficient demand for another instrument we would try to add it, so please contact the Music Department if you would like lessons in anything we do not currently offer. Saxophone and Singing are not normally taught to girls below Year 5, Flute and brass are not taught below Year 4 and Violin below Year 1. Girls wishing to start the piano should have access to a piano or full-sized keyboard at home. Pupils receive thirty half-hour lessons per year, which are normally provided as ten lessons per term. Instrumental staff will sometimes need to provide more lessons in the Autumn or Spring Terms, and fewer in the Summer for various reasons, such as examinations or trips. The cost of lessons is £200 per term which works out at £20 each. The teacher organises the payment directly between him or herself and the parent. Parents will receive a bill from the teacher at the beginning of term and then pay for the rest of that term’s lessons in advance. Extra lessons may be given at the teacher’s discretion, with the parent’s permission, if a pupil needs them to prepare for an examination or a performance in a concert. These extra lessons are invoiced separately. Violin or ‘Cello lesson in groups of 2 cost £112 per term. Vincent House, Junior School pupils and Senior School pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 receive their tuition during school lesson time. The timing of the lessons changes each week to avoid missing the same subject too often. Pupils in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 do not miss academic lessons, and receive their tuition before school, during the lunch break, after school or during free periods. If you wish your child to attend a grade 5 theory class, please email the Director of Music, Mr McElwaine at r.mcelwaine@nwc.gdst.net . When pupils miss Music lessons the teacher will generally try to make it up if the pupil gives a good reason for her absence. For this reason, when you tell the school about your daughter’s absence, please ask the Receptionists to tell the Music Department if your daughter is ill on a day when she has a Music lesson.
Please tick the relevant box(es) on the form at the back of the Handbook for the lessons you would like your daughter to receive (maximum of two) and return to Mrs Davidson. Once we have received this form we will assign your daughter a teacher who will telephone you with details of the first lesson. If you have had no reply after the first week of term please email the Director of Music who will investigate for you. We will always assume the girls are continuing with lessons unless we hear otherwise, this includes moving up from Year 6 to Year 7 and from Year 11 to Year 12. If you decide to stop lessons, we will expect a term’s notice in writing (e.g. tell us in September to stop at Christmas.)
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Physical Education Physical Education Curriculum In Vincent House and Junior School, all girls have Physical Education lessons each week as part of their broad and balanced curriculum. In Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 girls will cover the following physical activities throughout the year: ball skills, swimming, gymnastics, dance and athletics. In Year 3 and above girls will cover the following sporting activities throughout the year: netball, hockey, football, gymnastics, dance, swimming, cricket, tennis and athletics. Swimming Please find below information regarding swimming, so that you can be assured of your daughter’s safety in the lessons. (Safety in the water is of the utmost importance.) All teachers hold a current life saving qualification There are always at least two teachers present, three in Year 2 and below Each teaching group swims in an area of the pool suitable for their ability The class is divided into groups according to ability The girls start by wearing/using appropriate floatation devices, which are reduced as the girls gain confidence and their swimming technique improves In the first few weeks of swimming all Bluebelle House lessons cover the critical process of introducing the girls gradually to the water, developing confidence and being at ease. This is achieved through informal play. We strongly advise that your daughter is comfortable and confident entering the water. Parents may be recommended to take their daughter for extra swimming lessons on the advice of the school. Swimming and illness: Our general rule is that if a girl is fit enough to be in school, then she should take part in a swimming lesson. Sport is a staple part of our girls’ education. However, there are certain conditions which vitiate this rule. For example, a girl may be right-handed, have injured her left arm, be perfectly well for school, but clearly unable to swim. The trickier call is when a girl has a cough or cold symptoms which parents feel isn’t serious enough to merit staying off school, but which make it undesirable to swim. In this case, we ask parents to send in their daughter with her swimming kit, and email the school nurse who will assess her fitness for swimming as soon as possible in the school day. Physical Education Kit & Equipment In order for your daughter to participate in the full Physical Education curriculum, they must have the compulsory correct kit and equipment. In Year 3 and above all girls will require a mouthguard, which can be bought from a store. These are ‘boil and bite’ mouthguards, which are moulded at home prior to starting school. Shin pads are also required, which can be easily obtained from sports stores or online. Please see the uniform list for information regarding the compulsory Physical Education kit. 82
Jewellery and Personal Adornments All jewellery and personal adornments such as earrings and other jewellery, religious artefacts and watches should be removed prior to any person participating in any physical activity, including all lessons and extracurricular activities; this is for their own safety and the safety of other people. The taping of jewellery and personal adornments is not permitted as ‘taping’ can produce greater risks, especially during swimming – tape can come off and cause a choking hazard if it were to be swallowed by someone in the pool.
Sporting Opportunities Extra-Curricular Sport We provide a range of extra-curricular physical activities, which gives all girls the opportunity to participate in both competitive and recreational sport. Year 3 & 4 are given the opportunity to trial for the Swimming Squad in the Autumn and Spring Terms and the Cricket Squad in the Summer Term. They can also take part in multi-sport clubs at lunchtime throughout the year. Year 5 & 6 girls have the opportunity to trial to be a member of the following squads: netball, hockey, swimming, badminton, dance, gymnastics, athletics, tennis and cricket. The school participates in friendly fixtures against other local independent schools and competes at GDST Rallies. Fixtures take place after school during the week. They will also be able to access a range of recreational clubs, which allow girls to participate in physical activities in order to support positive wellbeing. Squad practices and recreational clubs take place during lunchtimes and after school. Trips Girls in Year 5 & 6 will have the opportunity to attend GDST Sports Rallies throughout the year if they are selected to represent the school.
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Drama Department Drama at Northwood College for Girls GDST has a very high profile and there are numerous opportunities for girls to participate in both the classroom and extra-curricular activities. Drama is taught at all levels and where possible in the purpose built Drama and Music block, with sprung dance floor, computerised lighting system and full black out facilities. Speech and Drama is offered as an extra-curricular activity to girls in Years 1 - 6. Theatre companies are also invited in so that the girls can enjoy watching live performances and participating in workshops.
Northwood College For Girls GDST School Coach The school operates, in association with Bessway Coaches and full details on routes and timings are in the Coach Booklet. We currently offer our school coach service to Reception and above. If your daughter will be entering between Reception and Year 2, please email northwoodcollege@vectare.co.uk with your enquiry.
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Staff List Staff List SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Mrs Zara Hubble
- Head Mistress
Mr Tim Brown
- Director of Finance & Operations
Mr Mark Maddocks - Head of Junior School Mrs Rebecca Brown - Deputy Head Mistress (Academic) MrsJill JillFerguson Ferguson Mrs
DeputyHead HeadMistress Mistress(Pastoral (PastoralDevelopment Developmentand andWell WellBeing) Being) --Deputy
Mrs Claudine Pearce - Director of Marketing and Development MrsLindsay LindsayBailey Bailry Mrs
- Director of Sixth Form
EXTENDED SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM Mr James Ahsan
- Director of Studies
Mr Gareth Elliot
- Assistant Head (Co-Curricular and Community Partnerships)
Mrs Helen Crouch
- Deputy Head of Junior School (Pastoral Development and Well Being)
Mrs Ashmi Morjaria - Deputy Head of Junior School (Academic) For our full staff list please see the website www.northwoodcollege.gdst.net GOVERNORS Mr Geoff Hudson
- Chair of Governors
Mrs Sarah Barton Professor Ashley Braganza Mrs Kate Butchart Mr Tim Calvey Professor Soraya Dhillon Mr John Orchard Mr Dipesh Patel Mr Shail Patel Mr Tony Patteson Mr Ken Wild
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Lunch time at Northwood College for Girls is something that the girls look forward to and thoroughly enjoy; and our parents are all confident in the knowledge that their daughter benefits from a wholesome, nutritious, filling and delicious meal every day. We believe that a healthy mind and body are vital to a successful school day. A thorough understanding and commitment to a healthy lifestyle will be a lifelong benefit to our girls. In partnership with Thomas Franks we have developed a programme that will encourage a positive attitude throughout our school to the value of a consistently balanced and healthy diet.
Excellent Catering for all Pupils & Parents
The Thomas Franks development team create varied, exciting, tasty and nutritious menus that use the very highest quality locally sourced ingredients and reflect the most up to date research into a balanced diet for children; whilst demonstrating a clear understanding of the dietary requirements of our girls.
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Dietary Requirements and Allergens Gluten Free Accreditation
Every child should be able to eat a nutritious, balanced hot meal at lunchtime no matter what their dietary requirements are. Here at Northwood College for Girls we have our own chef dedicated to adapting the dishes on the menu to meet specific dietary requirements. We recognise that there are increasing number of pupils and adults who suffer from food allergies and intolerances. Thomas Franks recognise that allergen control is an essential part of ensuring that the food we serve is safe and we are committed to support the school nurse/team and liaise directly with parents/guardians of pupils who suffer with the most severe allergies.
A New Portfolio of Delicious Dishes
Thomas Franks have crafted a creative and diverse portfolio of dishes that centre around a healthy eating attitude, without forgetting that food for children should always be tempting, scrumptious and fun. Traditional wholesome dishes will be developed and enhanced and totally new refreshing alternatives will be unveiled. Both the choice and variety of meals will be designed to encourage a more varied palate as well as a greater appreciation of a balanced diet.
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MONDAY
TUESDAY
Soup of the day Tomato & basil
Soup of the day Roasted carrot & fennel
Vegetarian option Gnocchi in creamy cheese & spinach sauce
Vegetarian option Oven roasted vegetable & cheese tarts
Dish of the day Caramelised onion & cheese quiche
Dish of the day Chicken & leek pastry topped pie
Chef’s special Pulled BBQ jackfruit tacos
Chef’s special Oven baked fish with sauce vierge
Sides Potato wedges Sweetcorn
Sides Chive buttered new potatoes Florets of broccoli & cauliflower
Jacket potato & pasta bar Baked beans Vegetarian sauce
Jacket potato & pasta bar Baked beans Vegetarian sauce
Dessert Apricot & ginger cake with custard
Dessert Strawberry Eton mess
Healthy Eating
By purchasing the freshest ingredients possible from locally sourced suppliers our chefs are able to produce healthy, nutritionally balanced meals that taste incredible. To ensure our girls have a deep and long-lasting insight into the benefits of healthy eating, we offer nutritionally focussed initiatives in and around the dining room, with a view to helping them take responsibility for what they eat as they get older. 88
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Soup of the day Summer vegetable broth
Soup of the day Leek, potato and fennel
Soup of the day Tomato & courgette
Vegetarian option Greek style baked stuffed pepper
Vegetarian option Roasted vegetable and bean lasagne
Vegetarian option Falafel stuffed pitta pockets
Dish of the day Roast shoulder of lamb with mint sauce & gravy
Dish of the day Mediterranean chicken lasagne
Dish of the day Battered haddock with tartar sauce and lemon wedge
Chef’s special Honey & mustard baked chicken quarter
Chef’s special Tofu & vegetable laska noodles
Chef’s special BBQ pulled beef & mixed pepper baps
Sides Rosemary roast potatoes Carrots
Sides Garlic bread Medley of greens
Sides Chunky chips Peas
Jacket potato & pasta bar Baked beans Vegetarian sauce Dessert Gorgeous chocolate cake (Egg free) with chocolate sauce
Jacket potato & pasta bar Baked beans Vegetarian sauce Dessert Lemon drizzle cake infused with rosemary
Jacket potato & pasta bar Baked beans Vegetarian sauce Dessert Banoffee pots
Breakfast
Breakfast is available in the dining room from 7.45am – 8.30am where parents can accompany their children before school starts. We offer a selection of savoury items including Full English breakfast and daily specials. Freshly baked croissants and pain au chocolat are very popular but we also offer a variety of cereals, toast & preserves, fresh fruit and yogurt. A selection of hot and cold drinks are available to sit in or takeaway – whichever you prefer. 89
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