Junior Department Parent Handbook 2018 2019 - St Helen & St ...
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Junior Department Parent Handbook 2018 - 2019
Contents
General Information Page
The Junior Department 3
The House System 4
Communication 4
Who to Contact 6
The Parents’ Association 7
Term Dates 2018 - 2019 8
The School Day 9
Arrival and Collection of Girls 9
Travel Arrangements 10
Absence 12
Equal Opportunity – Disability/SEN 13
School Uniform and Equipment for students in Years 5 and 6 14
Second Hand Uniform 15
Appearance 20
Books 20
Sale of Stationery 20
Lost and Confiscated Property 20
Pastoral Care
The Health Centre 21
Further Support for Girls 22
Sleep Patterns and Screen Usage 22
Curriculum
The Structure of the Curriculum 23
Modern Foreign Languages in the Junior Department 24
Examinations 24
Homework 24
Going Beyond 25
Assessment, Recording and Reporting 25
Extracurricular Activities
Activities Available in the Junior Department 27
Breaks and Lunchtimes 27
Rewards and Sanctions 28
School Charities 28
School Policies
All school policies, including the Code of Conduct, are available on the Pupil and Parent area of
the school website or from the School Office on request. These consist of all policies related to
teaching and learning as well as those concerned with pastoral care, Child Protection and Health
and Safety. The School Complaints Procedure is also available.
2
The Junior Department
Most parents are closely involved in their child’s primary education and are used to taking a full
and supportive role. The transition to St Helen’s may mean that you have less daily contact with
the school, particularly if your daughter travels independently. We welcome you to the Junior
Department at St Helen’s and hope that you will feel well informed about the School and its
activities so that together we can give your daughter the best possible start at her new school.
This handbook aims to provide you with practical information about the organisation of the School
as well as details of your daughter’s curriculum and the opportunities open to her in Year 5 and
Year 6.
Mrs Nina Bass is the Head of the Junior Department and Year 6 Class Teacher, while
Miss Deborah O’Brien is the Class Teacher for Year 5. Both year groups have form rooms which
are located in the main building by Old School Hall.
The Class Teachers are the first point of contact for parents who have any concerns about their
daughter. You are also welcome to contact the Head of the Junior Department at any time. Staff
will liaise with the Deputy Head and Headmistress, when necessary, to resolve any major issues.
Staff teaching the Junior girls this year are as follows:
Subject Year 5 Year 6
English Miss D O’Brien Mrs N Bass
Mathematics Mrs R Green Mrs N Bass/ Miss D O’Brien
Science Miss D O’Brien Miss D O’Brien
Computing Mrs R Green Mrs R Green
PE Mrs M Uezzell Mrs S Keogh, Miss S Appleby
Miss E Gay Miss E Gay
History Miss D O’Brien Mrs N Bass
Geography Miss D O’Brien Mrs N Bass
Modern Foreign Languages Spanish: Mrs M Diaz-Smith German: Mr H Thomson
French: Mr H Thomson Mandarin: Mrs Y Anderson
Art Miss H McCague Mrs N Bass
Design and Technology Miss H McCague Mr C Webb
Food and Nutrition - Mrs N Bass
Music Mrs R Green Mrs R Green
Singing Miss H Coad/ Mrs R Green Miss H Coad/ Mrs R Green
Drama Mrs R Green Mrs R Green
Religious Studies Miss D O’Brien Mrs N Bass
Personal Development (P.D.) Miss D O’Brien Mrs N Bass
General Contact Details:
School Telephone: 01235 520173
E-mail: info@shsk.org.uk
Extranet: www.shsk.org.uk
Bursary Telephone: 01235 520657
Head of the Junior Department/ Year 6 Class Teacher: nbass@shsk.org.uk
Year 5 Class Teacher: dobrien@shsk.org.uk
3
The House System
Every girl is allocated to one of the four school Houses: Benedict, Duffield, Hayward and
Paterson. These were reintroduced to the School in April 2014 and provide opportunities for
girls to work together across year groups. They also offer new leadership roles and a fun focus
for competitions in sport, music and a range of academic disciplines. For more information
please contact the Director of Students.
Communications
School Tel: 01235 520173
Fax: 01235 532934
Email: info@shsk.org.uk or individual teacher emails.
Website www.shsk.org.uk
Bursary Tel: 01235 520657
Absences: attendance@shsk.org.uk
By Telephone
Parents may telephone the School Office between 7.30am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday.
Messages for individual members of staff can be passed on, and will be returned as soon as
possible. Messages for students are placed in the Form folders, which are collected at 8.30am
and 4.00pm. However, if there is an emergency change to travel arrangements home, a member
of the administrative staff will locate the student and pass on the message. We ask that parents
request this only in emergencies.
Students are allowed to have mobile phones in school, but in the Junior Department and Lower
School girls may not use their mobile phones during the day. Mobile phones will be confiscated if
misused. A telephone is available in the School Office for students to use if there is a need to
contact home during the day, but we strongly encourage students to only phone home if they
have any questions or concerns about their pick-up arrangements.
Absences can be communicated to school via email to attendance@shsk.org.uk in advance or
by 9.00am on the morning of your daughter’s absence from school. If you contact your daughter’s
form tutor or the Head of the Junior Department regarding an absence, please cc
attendance@shsk.org.uk on your message.
Calls concerning finance and transport should be directed to the Bursar. The Bursar's office
is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm.
Letters
We are happy to receive letters from parents via students. These should be handed to the School
Office or to the Form Tutor who will forward them to the relevant person.
School Information
Effective and efficient communication between school and home is central to ensuring that you
are aware of all that is happening at school, that you are fully briefed on any matters related to
your daughter’s year group, clubs or activities and to enable appropriate permissions for the many
and varied school events and activities to be sought.
4
The major sources of school information that will be available to you are:
1. Weekly Newsletter
Every Friday, during term time, the weekly newsletter is sent to parents using the email address
we hold on record. This is the main channel for sending letters and information home and
should be checked each week. The current term’s newsletters are archived on the Parents’
Area of the school website and so letters sent out earlier in the term can be easily accessed.
2. School Website www.shsk.org.uk
The school website contains information about the school including term dates, the calendar and
the latest news.
You can also like us on Facebook (facebook.com/StHelenStKatharine) and follow us on Twitter
(@SHSKSchool and @SHSKJuniors).
3. Parents’ Area of the School Website
The Parents’ Area of the website, linked from the bottom of the homepage, provides detailed
school information for parents including the archive of weekly newsletters.
4. SHSK Sports website
Sports information, including fixtures, results, directions to away grounds and team profiles, can
be found by following the Sports Fixtures link from the website homepage.
5. Clarion Call Text Messages
If the School needs to contact parents at short notice regarding changes to arrangements
involving a trip, activity or an urgent announcement affecting the whole school, then a Clarion Call
text message will be sent to the appropriate parent groups. A follow up email may also be sent if
more information needs to be communicated but the primary communication, for urgent
messages, will be via text message.
Clarion Call is a robust and effective message delivery system which many schools use to
communicate with their parent body. However, in some cases, mail can be intercepted and
interpreted as a spam address. Below is guidance from our IT Department if you do experience
problems receiving email communications.
Please note:
• If you ‘unsubscribe’ from receiving ClarionCall messaging this affects all communications
from school through this system. It will not distinguish between the weekly newsletter notice
and an emergency communication.
• Please do not hit ‘reply’ to any email from ClarionCall as it will not direct to the originator of
the message and will delay or even prevent a response to your email.
We recognise the importance of, and are absolutely committed to, providing informative and
timely communications to our parents about the many and varied aspects of school life. If you
have any comments or feedback, please email communications@shsk.org.uk.
Non-delivery of emails sent from School
Due to the large amount of unsolicited email sent on the internet, emails from an unrecognised
address are often automatically filtered by webmail providers (such as Hotmail, Yahoo etc) and
email applications (such as Outlook etc) into a 'spam' or ‘junkmail' folder.
The easiest way to prevent this is to add the @myclarioncall.co.uk to your own address book or
‘whitelist'. Instructions on how to do this for webmail can be found at
www.clarioncall.co.uk/whitelist.
If you register a work email address to receive school messages, you should be aware that the
company may use filters to reject spam email and should therefore contact your IT team to add
the domain @myclarioncall.co.uk to their list of approved senders.
5
Who to contact
Daily notification of your daughter’s Class Teacher and school attendance secretary
absence from School Telephone: 01235 520173
cc attendance@shsk.org.uk
Requests for short-term absence Letter to form tutor
during the School day for such To be agreed by Head of Junior Department
things as dentist appointments. cc attendance@shsk.org.uk
Requests for absence from School Letter or email to Head of the Junior
for one day or more. Department, Mrs N Bass
To be agreed by the Headmistress.
cc attendance@shsk.org.uk
Concerns about your daughter’s Form Tutor by letter, email or telephone
academic progress or general 01235 520173
wellbeing
Serious concerns about your Head of the Junior Department by letter,
daughter’s academic progress or telephone 01235 520173 or email
general well being nbass@shsk.org.uk
Concerns about the medical School nurse by letter or by telephone
wellbeing of your daughter 01235 520173 ext 257
Mrs Jo Tollemache
nurse@shsk.org.uk
Questions of a spiritual nature The School Chaplain, Rev’d Elizabeth Birch
Telephone 01235 520173 ext 232
ebirch@shsk.org.uk
Questions concerning the Deputy Head
curriculum Mrs Bernadette Stubley
bstubley@shsk.org.uk
Questions concerning School Director of Students
policies, rules, uniform and dates. Mrs Liz Bedford
Requests to bring packed lunches ebedford@shsk.org.uk
and notification of cycling to school
Questions concerning School bills Accounts Assistant, Mrs Michelle Maddison
and billed items Telephone 01235 520657
billing@shsk.org.uk
Questions concerning careers Head of Professional Guidance and Careers
advice, work experience and Mrs Emily Trump
university entrance Telephone 01235 520173 ext. 312
etrump@shsk.org.uk
Questions concerning music Music Department Secretary, Miss Bethan Kelly
lessons and concerts Telephone 01235 546554
bkelly@shsk.org.uk
Appointments with the Executive Assistant to the Headmistress,
Headmistress Miss Emilie Prior
Telephone 01235 520173 ext 202
eprior@shsk.org.uk
Questions concerning travel on Joint Bus Service Co-ordinator, Mr Tom Peeke
school buses Telephone 01235 546565
admin@jointbus.co.uk
6
The Parents’ Association
A very warm welcome to you and your daughter to St Helen and St Katharine. The Parents’
Association’s mission is to create an enthusiastic and active community to benefit students,
parents and staff.
Events
You’ll meet some of the Committee in September at the welcome evenings where we will
provide information about forthcoming events, and hopefully encourage you to become
involved!
Throughout the year we run social and fundraising events, such as quiz nights, wine tasting and
stargazing evenings, as well as a formal Ball and Burns Night supper.
Make sure you keep a note of our star event, the Christmas Fair on Saturday November 24th,
with a wide range of craft and gift stalls, refreshments and entertainment, we’d love you to come
along.
With the profits from these events we sponsor Volunteering Awards to assist Sixth Formers
embarking on projects in holidays or gap years, support the girls with requests for equipment for
clubs and societies, and the School with grants towards additional equipment.
In recent years we have spent over £50,000 on floodlights for the new netball and tennis courts,
provided the spinning suite in the gym and paid for the installation costs for the ‘Book Birds’ art
installation in the Science Atrium. Smaller requests have included new puppets for the drama
studio or equipment to allow the L6 physics students to participate in experiments run by CERN.
In addition the Parents’ Association makes a generous annual donation to the Schools’ chosen
charity.
Get Involved
Please do get involved in any way you can. Join the Committee, be a volunteer to help at
events or come along and enjoy yourselves!
Just as your journey with the school is about to begin, others are saying an emotional farewell
and for the Parents’ Association this means empty seats around the committee table! The time
commitment is small and we’re always looking for people who are willing to lend a hand and
some enthusiasm. Please consider joining the committee. Additionally, please become a ‘Willing
Helper’. Events such as our Christmas Fair require a lot of work on the day and your
commitment of an hour honestly makes the world of difference!
Other activities
The Parents’ Association also helps organise and fund a ‘class social’ evening. These evenings
offer you the chance to meet parents from your daughter’s form.
We look for a volunteer parent in each form to offer to run the event to which all parents in the
form are invited and the Parents’ Association will give the form £50 towards incidental costs.
The event can be at a parent’s home, or a local pub or restaurant. These events are an ideal
way of getting to know one another during the Michaelmas term.
Finally, you can become a member of the ‘200 Club’. For only £4 a term you will be allocated a
number and be included in a monthly draw for prizes of £45, £30 and £15.
However you choose to get involved in the school community we look forward to welcoming you
on as many occasions as possible. If you would like to be involved in or receive further
information about the Parents’ Association, please fill in the appropriate section of the online
form or email me at shskpa@gmail.com.
With very best wishes for a happy and successful time at St Helen and St Katharine.
Sharon Cooper
Chair
7
Term Dates 2018 - 2020
TERM DATES 2018/2020
Michaelmas Term 2018 Student Induction Wednesday 5 September Yrs 5, 6, 7 and L6
Term begins Thursday 6 September, 8.40am
Open Day Saturday 29 September
Half term Monday 15 – Friday 26 October
Term ends Friday 14 December, 12 Noon
Lent Term 2019 Term begins Tuesday 8 January, 8.40am
Half term Monday 18 – Friday 22 February
Term ends Friday 29 March, 12 Noon
Trinity Term 2019 Term begins Tuesday 23 April, 8.40am
May Day Monday 6 May
Half term Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May
Term ends Friday 5 July, 12 Noon
Michaelmas Term 2019 Student Induction Wednesday 4 September Yrs 5, 6, 7 and L6
Term begins Thursday 5 September, 8.40am
Open Day Saturday 28 September
Half term Monday 14 October – Friday 25 October
Term ends Friday 13 December, 12 Noon
Lent Term 2020 Term begins Tuesday 7 January, 8.40am
Half term Monday 17 – 21 Friday February
Term ends Friday 27 March, 4:10pm
Trinity Term 2020 Term begins Monday 20 April, 8.40am
May Day Monday 4 May
Half term Monday 25 May – Friday 29 May
Term ends Friday 3 July, 12 Noon
Please note:
Some dates are different from those of Abingdon School. We hope they will not cause undue
inconvenience to anyone. Please note that there will be some days when girls who usually
travel on late buses from Abingdon School will need to make alternative travel arrangements.
Since the holiday allowance is already greater than that in the state sector, we do ask
parents not to request extensions to the St Helen's published holidays.
8
The School Day
Registration 8.40am
Followed by assembly/Chapel/form time
Period 1 9.10am – 9.50am
Period 2 9.50am – 10.25am
Break 10.25am – 10.45am
Period 3 10.45am – 11.25am
Period 4 11.25am – 11.55am (early lunch for Year 5 and 6)
Lunch 11.55pm – 1.15pm
Period 5 1.15pm – 1.55pm
Period 6 1.55pm – 2.35pm
Break 2.35pm – 2.45pm
Period 7 2.45pm – 3.25pm
Period 8 3.25pm – 4.05pm
Form time/registration 4.05pm – 4.10pm
Arrival and Collection of Students
Arrival
Girls should arrive punctually so that they can be in their Form rooms before 8.30am. Girls should
not arrive prior to 8.00am as no supervision is guaranteed before this time. Any girl arriving after
the end of registration time at 8.50am must register at the School Office on arrival.
Collection of Students
The School day ends at 4.10pm and the School buses depart shortly after that time. A member of
the Bursary staff supervises bus departures and ensures that the destination is clearly marked on
the side of each bus.
Late Prep
The cafe and the library will be open after school until 5.30pm and all girls staying in school must
sign in and work there, so that we have a record of who is still in school. There will be no charge
for the use of this facility. A member of staff is also on late duty until 5.30pm. After that time,
supervision is not guaranteed and girls should not stay on site unless taking part in a supervised
activity. If you are unexpectedly delayed and unable to collect your daughter as per your normal
arrangement, please alert the School Office.
If you wish to collect your daughter from prep after 4.20pm, we ask that you come to Reception or
phone the School Office from the car park (rather than contacting your daughter directly). A
message will then be passed on to your daughter via the library staff. In order to ensure their
safety, girls must sign out of prep and in the winter months they will be escorted to Reception by
a member of staff or older student. This is a specific rule for students in Years 5 and 6, so please
contact the Head of the Junior Department if you have any queries about these procedures.
To ensure student safety, it is not necessary for you to know the door codes. However, if you do
come onto the school site, it is important that all visitors sign in at the School Office.
9
Travel Arrangements
Parents' Cars
Parents who drive their daughters to school should use the designated pick-up and drop-off areas
as shown below:
Years 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 Sports Field car park – parking in the bays provided by the sports
field, NOT by the crossing in the main car park.
Years 10, 11 and Sixth Form Chapel car park
After 5.00pm all pick-ups should take place from the Chapel car park as this is less isolated than
the Sports Field car park. Outside of pick-up and drop-off times, there is limited parking available
in the Chapel car park on a short stay basis only. All parents should use the allocated parking
areas and must not park in the service road at the front of the school as this is reserved for buses
and other delivery vehicles. The service road is one-way as indicated on the road signs. When
dropping off at the Sports Field car park, parents should use the ‘drop off’ bays marked rather
than stop across bays in the car park.
Bicycles
Roads in Abingdon are busy and potentially dangerous so girls should wear cycling helmets.
Bicycle racks are provided at School but girls should ensure that they padlock their bicycles; the
School cannot take responsibility for unlocked cycles. The Director of Students should be notified
if a girl intends to cycle to School.
School Buses
The School is part of a joint bus service with Abingdon School and The Manor Prep School. You
can view more information online at: www.jointbus.co.uk or email admin@jointbus.co.uk. The Joint
Bus Service Co-ordinator is Mr Tom Peeke (01235 546565), who is based in the Bursary at St
Helen’s. Should a girl wish to take an occasional bus journey the request is to be made in advance
to the Joint Bus Service Co-ordinator who will check availability of places and make any necessary
arrangements.
Good behaviour and courtesy are required on all bus journeys. Each bus has a number of senior
girls who are the Bus Leaders and are required to report any misbehaviour to the Director of
Students. In extreme cases a girl may not be allowed to use the School bus for a period of
time. Seat belts are to be worn at all times.
10Parking at Church Farm sports events
Church Farm playing fields are located just down the road from the School. When attending
events at Church Farm, please use the main School’s parking facilities which are only a short
walk away, see directions above. For safety reasons please do not park anywhere near the
entrance to Church Farm or at Church Farm itself.
11Absences and catching up work
As we hit the coughs and colds season we thought it would be helpful to re-iterate the
procedures around absence.
For Junior Department, Lower and Middle School
Written requests for absence for medical appointments, which cannot be made out of school
hours, should be sent to the Form Tutor and cc to attendance@shsk.org.uk. As our terms are
short we prefer routine appointments to be made, wherever possible, after school or during
school holidays. Where authorisation has been given, girls leaving school early for an
appointment must sign out at Reception and be collected from there by a parent or guardian.
Other Requests
Any requests for absence, up to one day may be approved by the Head of Section and cc to
attendance@shsk.org.uk. Absence other than the above should be addressed to the
Headmistress. We ask for your cooperation in not requesting such absence unless the
circumstances are exceptional. Requests to extend half-term or to begin holidays early are
detrimental to the school as a whole, as well as to the individual girl. Family holidays which
cannot be arranged for school holiday times may be considered exceptionally. However we
would urge parents to try to avoid such situations.
Notification of Absence through Illness
In the event of illness or absence for other reasons, parents should telephone the School Office
or email attendance@shsk.org.uk before 9.00am. In all cases of extended absence (more than
three days) an absence note should be handed to the Form Tutor on the girl’s return to school.
A doctor’s certificate is required for absence exceeding five days. The school is required by the
Department of Education to keep and submit full records of authorised and unauthorised
absence.
Supporting students who are absent.
The measures taken to support students do vary depending on the length of the absence.
Up to 2 days
absence
short term
3-5 days
mid term
5 days+
long term
Please note that none of the below involve direct emails between subject staff and students or
parents. The focus for Year 5-11 is in them catching up supported by their Form Tutor whereas
in the Sixth Form they are more likely to talk to peers and subject staff.
Short-term absence
No requests for work to be sent home; student focuses on getting well and resting. Upon return
to school student asks peers for books to catch up. There is a photocopier in the library. If stuck
finding a student to copy up from, the student should ask their Form Tutor for support. Staff may
ask for homework to be caught up but should be understanding about deadlines. No email
involved and there should not be an expectation that material is re-taught.
Mid-term absence
No requests for work to be sent home; student focuses on getting well and resting. It is helpful if
the parent or student emails their Form Tutor who can then task members of the form with
collecting work. No work will be sent home. Upon Y5-11 return to school the Form Tutor should
12see the student and help them to organise their catch up; there is a photocopier in the library.
Staff may ask for homework to be caught up but should be understanding about deadlines and
really only expect work that is critical. Sixth Form will be supported by Form Tutors and
individual subject staff. No email to subject teachers involved and there should not be an
expectation that material is re-taught, although once the work has been caught up and gone
through they can, of course, ask specific questions. Following catching up, students should take
the opportunity to attend subject clinics to do this.
Long term
Planned (e.g. one week) student to see all of her teachers prior to departure to request work (if
available) and catch up the remainder of work upon their return. No emails involved.
Unplanned/ longer term planned. In many of these cases the reason for absence may be medical.
The school would anticipate working with the student and her family and the medical professionals
in charge of her care to establish the right balance between recuperation and study; health is a
top priority. Assuming that a student is fit enough to receive some work then the parent/student
will liaise with Form Tutor and Head or Deputy Head of Section who will collect work to send home.
Regular email communication between Form Tutor and or Deputy Head of Section or Head of
Section and home. Parent may come in to collect work and return work for marking.
Exchange Partners
We are generally happy to welcome exchange partners on reciprocal arrangements, for a
maximum of one school week. Priority will be given to girls who were introduced through our
school exchanges. Please address requests to the Headmistress as early as possible, to allow
the school to plan ahead. A small daily fee is payable for visitors who attend for more than two
days. Lunch and travel on a school bus are provided at no extra charge, although availability of
space on the bus must be checked in advance with the Joint Bus Service Co-ordinator, based in
the Bursary at St Helen’s.
Planning for the Future
Girls are expected to remain at the School for the full seven years (nine years for those joining in
Year 5), and to take A Level courses here. Parents planning to withdraw their daughter for any
reason before that time are asked to notify the Headmistress as early as possible and to discuss
the position fully with her. A full term’s notice is required for the withdrawal of a girl.
Equal Opportunity - Disability/SEN
Disabled students and applicants are not treated less favourably. While we select students by
ability and aptitude, this is not done as a way of excluding students with a disability. We seek to
make reasonable adjustments so that disabled students are not put at a disadvantage to students
who are not disabled. This includes improving ways in which written information is provided to
students who are disabled and making reasonable adjustments to the physical environment of
the school, so that disabled students are able to take full advantage of the education and
associated services offered.
13School Uniform
School Uniform and Sports Kit can be purchased online from our suppliers School Colours and
Player Layer.
St Helen and St Katharine provides a try-on service for you and your daughter to come in to see
the full range of uniform and check sizes. This service is available by appointment only, allowing
you the time to get it right.
You can of course simply order items online to try on at home, both our suppliers accept returns.
Visit our website for further information.
Telephone: 0113 323 6019
Email: enquiries@schoolcoloursdirect.co.uk
Website: http://www.sthelen-stkatharine.schoolcoloursdirect.co.uk/SCD-St-Helen-St-
Katharine/
Contact By email is preferred. Please quote name of school, surname of who placed
order and order number.
Delivery Standard deliveries will be made free of charge to school on the 2nd and 4th
Fridays of the month or alternatively, direct to your preferred location for which a
delivery charge will apply.
Phone: 0115 9817363
Email: info@playerlayer.com
Website: http://playerlayer.com/account/st-helen-st-katharine.html
Delivery There is an extensive size guide and a FAQ section on the website to
make sure you get the right size. Your garments will be delivered to your
home address or an address of your choice. Most orders are delivered
within 5-10 working days.
14School Uniform
We have a uniform, and all students in Junior, Lower and Middle School are expected to wear
the correct uniform as stipulated on the published list; we want girls to wear their uniform with
pride.
The following regulation items must be purchased from our supplier School Colours:
Shirt Regulation white blouse with burgundy buttons and cuff trim. Long sleeved
for winter with option of short sleeves for summer. The shirt may be worn
outside the skirt but, if a jumper is being worn, the shirt must not be visible
below the jumper.
Jumper V-neck burgundy jumper
Skirt Regulation pleated grey skirt (Years 5 and 6); regulation straight
grey skirt (Years 7-11). Year 7 girls may wear either straight or
pleated skirt. Length should be no shorter than a palm’s width
above the knee.
Summer Dress Optional for the Junior Department during Trinity Term and the first
half of Michaelmas Term.
For purchase from any appropriate retailer:
Tights Opaque plain black or natural tights
Socks Short white or black socks. These must show above the shoe.
Shoes Plain black leather shoes, with a solid sole, low heel (no more than
3cm) and good foot support. Ballet pump style shoes are not
appropriate.
Apron: A wipe clean or machine washable cookery apron of any colour/design
Coat Plain smart coat
Other Hats, scarves and gloves, any colour item may be worn to and from school, but
may not be worn during the school day
Second Hand Uniform
The Second-hand Uniform Shop (SHUS) provides a means for parents to buy good quality,
second-hand uniform which has either been outgrown or is unclaimed from lost property. We are
open each Monday during term time from 8.00-9.00am and on at least one Wednesday lunchtime
each half term from 12.15-1.15pm. SHUS is located in the YPH foyer in the main school
building.
See website for further information.
15The following items are available from School Colours
SHSK Shirt – Short Sleeve SHSK Shirt – Long Sleeve SHSK Jumper
SHSK Skirt - Junior SHSK Skirt – Senior SHSK Summer Dress -
Juniors
Other Points to Note:
Hair ties All girls must wear their hair neat and tidy, and in the Junior Department and
Lower School tied back. Hair may be dyed a natural colour.
Jewellery The only jewellery allowed is a watch, discreet stud earrings and one religious
symbol e.g. cross or Star of David.
Make-up Below the Sixth Form no make-up is permitted, including nail varnish.
The Headmistress has the final say in all matters related to uniform, dress and appearance.
Equipment for School:
Scientific calculator as recommended by and obtainable from the mathematics department.
Pencil case and contents
to include one 15cm and one 30cm ruler, pair of compasses and protractor, set of
coloured pencils and a fountain pen with washable blue cartridges. These items
may also be obtained from the school library. No correction fluid is permitted.
School bag every girl should possess a school bag, which should be strong, weatherproof and
have proper fastenings. Rucksack style bags are recommended.
USB stick it would be useful for each girl to have a USB stick.
Bicycles We strongly urge cyclists to wear a cycling helmet. Bicycles should be marked and
locked when left in cycle racks during the day.
16PE & Sports Kit
Complete PE & sports kit list: April 2017 (Pictures for illustration purposes only)
Item Picture Age groups Optional / Available from
compulsor webshop:
y
SHSK Years 5-11 Compulsory Playerlayer
Court Shirt 6th form team
players
SHSK Years 5-11 Compulsory Playerlayer
Skort 6th form team
players
SHSK Years 5-11 Compulsory Playerlayer
Quarter
Zip Mid 6th form team Optional
Layer Top players
SHSK Years 5-11 Compulsory Playerlayer
Tracksuit 6th form team
bottoms players
SHSK Years 5-11 Optional but Playerlayer
Base 6th form team recommend
Layer players ed
leggings
SHSK Years 5-11 Optional but Playerlayer
Base 6th form team recommend
Layer Top players ed
17SHSK Year 11-U6 Optional Playerlayer
Team team players
Jacket
SHSK Years 5-11 Optional but School Colours
Storm 6th form team recommend
Jacket players ed
Black Years 5-9 Compulsory School Colours
leotard
Black Years 5-8 Optional School Colours
dance
leggings
Blue Years 5-11 Compulsory School Colours
cycling
shorts
White Years 5-11 Compulsory Playerlayer
sports 6th form team
socks (all players
games
activities
except
lacrosse,
football
and
basketball)
SHSK Years 5-9 Compulsory School Colours /
Maroon Year 10-6th individual
socks form team purchase
(lacrosse, players
basketball,
football)
Swimming Years 5-9 Compulsory School Colours
costume
Years 10-U6 Optional
Kit bag Years 5-11 Compulsory Playerlayer
6th form team
players
18House T All Compulsory School
Shirt Colours
Benedict Duffield
Hayward Paterson
Trainers All Compulsory Individual
purchase
Football / Years 5-9 Compulsory Individual
lacrosse Years 10-U6 purchase
boots team players
Lacrosse Years 5-9 Compulsory Available from
stick Years 10-U6 the PE
team players Department or
individual
purchase
Lacrosse Years 5-9 Compulsory Available from
goggles Years 10-U6 the PE
team players Department or
individual
purchase
Tennis Years 5-9 Compulsory Individual
racket Years 10-U6 Optional purchase
Gum Years 5-9 Compulsory Available from
guard Years 10-U6 the PE
team players Department
during September
fitting or
individual
purchase
Shin pads Years 7-9 Compulsory Individual
purchase
All clothing, PE equipment, watches, musical instruments, calculators and
their cases must be clearly named.
Lost Items:
Named items will be returned through the lost property system. Non-named items
will go to the second hand uniform shop or a charity shop, as appropriate.
19Appearance
There is an expectation that girls will conform to the school uniform rules, arrive at school dressed
smartly, with pride in their appearance and prepared for the day. Long hair should be tied back
off the face and hair ties should be in school colours. Tee-shirts, worn under shirts, should not be
visible.
The right clothes should be worn for the right occasion; PE kit for PE only and not ‘mix and match’.
PE hoodies are not to be worn with school uniform. During cold weather, girls should travel to
school in a plain coat.
Non permitted jewellery may be confiscated and can be collected at the end of the day from the
Head of Section. Make up and nail varnish, if observed, will be requested to be removed.
Books
Stationery and the majority of text books are provided by the school, the cost being included in
the tuition fee. Books remain the property of the school and a charge will be made for any which
are lost or damaged. Girls are strongly advised to name their text books.
Sale of Stationery
Girls can buy stationery from the shop in the Library during normal opening hours. All items sold
are appropriate for use in lessons and examinations. Girls must pay cash for all items purchased.
Colour, black and white photocopying and scanning is also available.
Lost Property
All named lost property will be placed, by form, into the lost property lockers on the first floor of
the Jean Duffield building. Unnamed lost property is stored in the same location, outside the
Director of Students’ office. Large amounts of unnamed lost property is disposed of by the school
each year and so we would encourage all uniform and equipment to be clearly named. Unnamed
uniform items will be sent directly to the 2nd hand uniform shop. Unnamed non-uniform items will
be sent to charity. We therefore ask that all items brought into school are named.
Confiscated Property
Confiscated items can be collected from the Head of Section at the end of the day. Confiscated
mobile phones should be collected from the Head of Section / School office. If items are
confiscated three times during the school year a Friday detention, after school between 4.30 –
5.30pm, will be held. Parents will be notified if this is required.
20The Health Centre
The School’s Health Centre is staffed by two qualified nurses and a health care assistant whose
responsibilities are the care and treatment of: girls who are involved in any kind of accident whilst
on the school premises between 8.30am and 5.30pm, or who are taken ill during the school day.
Girls should not:
• attend school whilst in quarantine for an infectious disease. Nor should they be sent to school
if they are not well enough to attend lessons;
• be sent to school for diagnosis and treatment. They will be treated at school initially if the cause
arises during the school day, but thereafter they must see their own doctor and remain at home
for treatment.
• return to school less than 48 hours following the final episode of sickness or diarrhoea.
If a girl is unfit for PE a letter from her parent is required by the PE staff.
Girls requiring over the counter remedies for coughs, colds and sore throats must supply their
own. The Health Centre does not stock them.
Please make sure that your daughter knows where you can be contacted by telephone at
home or work. Girls who are unwell and need to go home must see the nurse, who will then
contact parents. Girls must not contact parents directly and arrange to be collected. Girls will
not be allowed to leave school unless they have seen the nurse. We must ask you to collect girls
as early as possible if they are unwell, and no later than 4.00pm. If you are away for a short
period please let the School Office know the name, address and telephone number of the adult
whom you have asked to take responsibility for your daughter during that period.
If your daughter suffers with asthma, parents are responsible for ensuring that she has an in date,
useable reliever inhaler on her person at all times. Parents will be expected to complete an annual
asthma update form and a consent form for Emergency Salbutamol use; both forms are available
on the Extranet.
Medicines and tablets
No medication other than Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Piriton (Chlorphenamine) Arnica Cream and
Anthisan cream, if parental consent has been given, will be dispensed unless it is:
▪ prescribed by a doctor (even over the counter medications).
▪ in its original container with pharmacy dispensing instructions, name of girl and expiry date.
▪ accompanied by a parental letter stating what time/dose/duration to be given.
In the case of students with allergies, an antihistamine may be administered by the School Nurse,
by prior arrangement.
Girls in Year 11 and below must give any medicines or tablets that they need to take to the School
nurse who will dispense them as necessary. A parental consent form must be completed. This is
available on the parent portal. The School recommends that sixth form girls should also follow
this procedure, and would enforce it if there were any reasons for doing so. Controlled drugs
must always be handed to a nurse in person by a parent. Additional documentation may be
required before the nurse is able to dispense such medication.
21Further Support for Girls
There are many sources of support for girls who have concerns or problems they want to
discuss. Any teacher in school that a girl likes, trusts or respects will be happy to listen if their
help is sought. Other sources of support include:
• Form tutors and support tutors
• Heads of Section and the Director of Students
• The School Nurses
• The Chaplain
• The School Counsellors
The Chaplain is in school regularly and girls can drop in or make arrangements to see her.
The School Counsellors are available for appointments.
Electronic Devices and ‘Junk’ Sleep
The vast majority of St Helen’s students now own a mobile phone, and many also own other
electronic devices. The opportunities offered by the ability to access the internet and
communicate with others through social media are very exciting, but it is also true that electronic
devices can be used thoughtlessly or with malicious intent to cause upset to others. The school
takes a strong stance against bullying of any kind, including cyberbullying, and we devote
considerable time in Personal Development lessons and in our pastoral care programme to
helping girls understand how to protect themselves online and report the misuse of electronic
communication.
As parents, you may wish to understand more about the ways in which your daughters use the
internet and social media. Resources such as those published by the Child Exploitation and
Online Protection Centre (CEOP) at the website www.thinkuknow.co.uk are an invaluable tool in
this, and we recommend them highly. You may also find it useful to consider what your ‘house
rules’ will be in relation to electronic devices. Parents of younger students may wish to install
parental controls or filters on the internet, or keep the computer in a central location where you
can keep an eye on what they are doing. For older girls, negotiating rules about ‘screen time’ can
be a good way of limiting time spent alone in bedrooms on computers. Suggesting that your
daughter leaves her mobile phone downstairs when she goes to bed is another good way to
ensure that she leaves the outside world behind at the end of the day and gets a refreshing night’s
sleep.
We talk to the girls regularly during the year about the importance of sleep. There is very clear
evidence that using screens before going to bed substantially impairs sleep
patterns. Furthermore, we recognise that unsupervised access to the internet exposes the girls
to a multitude of temptations and dangers, whether it be through social networking, gaming or
anything else. You may find the articles below of interest.
Log off before you nod off: why a good sleep is vital for a long life - The Guardian
Blue light has a dark side - Harvard Health Publications
How artificial light is wrecking your sleep, and what to do about it - Chris Kresser
You are always welcome to discuss your questions or concerns about the use and misuse of
technology with your daughter’s Form Tutor, the Head of the Junior Department, or with Mrs
Bedford, the Director of Students.
22The Structure of the Curriculum in Years 5 and 6
At St Helen’s we aim to provide a curriculum that enables every student to discover and develop
her own strengths in order to achieve academically and beyond the classroom. In addition to the
subject content, we aim to foster the skills and qualities required to create confident, successful
learners. Girls take part in a variety of practical, relevant activities, as well as focused,
independent tasks. All girls are given the opportunity to develop valuable group work skills, and
to use School facilities such as the library, ICT equipment and outside space to enrich their
learning.
The curriculum is designed to be accessible by all girls who meet the criteria for admission. It is
the School’s intention to ensure the accessibility of its education to students with Special Needs
and we will make any reasonable adjustments to facilities and curriculum to achieve that.
The week is divided into 40 lessons, each of 35 or 40 minutes duration. The table below indicates
the distribution of lessons among the subjects.
Most lessons in Years 5 and 6 are taught in whole class groups, with two exceptions. Year 6
mathematics is taught in two sets, which enables girls to make progress at the right pace for them.
Art/DT is also taught in two mixed-ability groups in Year 6 to enable appropriate access to facilities
and resources and to maintain safety levels.
Year 5 and 6 also have a joint singing lesson once a week during Form Time and will attend a
Chapel session with Rev. Elizabeth Birch as a whole department.
During the year, girls will have one lesson per week of Personal Development (PD) led by their
Form Tutor. If you would like further information on any aspect of Personal Development and the
topics to be covered, please feel free to contact your daughter’s Form Tutor.
Number of
Subject
lessons
Year 5 Year 6
English 7 8
Mathematics 7 7
Science 4 4
Computing 2 2
Geography/ History (topics vary throughout the year) 4 4
PE 6 5
Modern Foreign Languages 2 2
Year 5: Spanish and French (half a year of each language)
Year 6: German and Mandarin (half a year of each language)
Music 1 1
Singing Lesson 1 form 1 form
time time
Drama 1 1
Art/Design &Technology (plus Food and Nutrition in Year 6 only) 3 3
Religious Studies (RS) 1 1
Personal Development (PD) 1 1
Chapel 1 1
More information about curriculum content is available on the School extranet by following the
links:
• Extranet
• Information
• Your St Helen’s
• Curriculum
23Modern Foreign Languages in the Junior Department
We believe strongly in exposing voracious young minds to the wide-ranging benefits of language
learning, so we have built two MFL lessons a week into the Junior curriculum. Where girls may
have prior experience of a language taught, we endeavour to build upon this knowledge.
Year 5 students will study a term and a half each of Spanish and French, swapping over after the
Lent half-term holiday and Year 6 will study German and Mandarin. As our approach is largely
communicative in the younger years, classroom practice will focus on developing spoken and
auditory skills through the medium of simple dialogue, interactive games and song. We aim to
help develop girls into enthusiastic linguists and for them to enjoy a variety of linguistic
experiences.
Looking ahead, Spanish is taught throughout Year 7 for three lessons per week. At the end of
the year, girls are asked to decide which of Mandarin, French or German they would like to study
alongside Spanish in Years 8 and 9.
Examinations
Any girl who wishes to take a public examination at another centre must seek the permission of
the Headmistress. Similarly, girls learning musical instruments out of School are asked to take
Associated Board examinations at School in order to avoid unnecessary absence. Requests
should be addressed to the Director of Music.
Homework in Years 5 and 6
Homework provides an opportunity to prepare, consolidate, extend and enrich work covered in
lesson time. Girls are encouraged to manage their time well and the amount of homework set is
monitored carefully so that it is appropriate to the age group.
In Year 5 girls are expected to do 30 minutes of homework per night (usually divided between two
subjects) and in Year 6 this is extended to 40 minutes per night (divided across two subjects).
Girls will be issued with a homework timetable at the start of the year, although this will be flexible
depending on the work being covered.
Homework Planners/ Diaries
Girls are issued with a homework planner in which they should list the homework assignments for
each day, as well as the date that it is due in. We ask you to help us by signing the homework
planner each week, before the Class Teacher countersigns. Planners provide a useful and quick
method of communication between you and the Class Teachers. Please do use it if you wish to
contact the Class Teacher for any minor concern.
Reading
In addition to subject homework, girls are expected to read aloud to parents for 15 minutes every
evening. Girls will need to keep a record of the books they read in the appropriate section of their
homework planner, which should be brought into school every day. They should record their
evening reading alongside their subject homework and parents are also encouraged to note down
any difficulties or interesting discussions that arise from reading.
The Class Teacher and Librarians will monitor what the Junior girls are reading. All girls undertake
regular library lessons in which they will learn to use the library to choose appropriate texts. The
Librarians are always available to give guidance on reading choices and girls can borrow books
at breaks and lunchtimes.
24Junior students are encouraged to make use of our wonderful library facility both for personal
reading at home and for school lessons. We are very fortunate at St Helen’s to offer all year
groups a wonderful selection of novels to choose from and we are keen to extend our young
readers as appropriate to their age and reading ability. As our library does provide reading for the
whole school community librarians will endeavour to ensure that all books checked out by
students are appropriate. However, we would ask that as you read with your daughter each night,
if you feel she is struggling with her reading and understanding of the content please encourage
her to visit the library and change her book with the guidance of the librarians. We hope that the
girls will enjoy using the library facility and that reading at home will be an enjoyable and
enhancing experience for children and adults alike.
Going Beyond
For those students wishing to extend their understanding of the curriculum beyond the classroom,
we have compiled a set of pages offering advice on ways to develop your daughter’s interest and
knowledge of the core subjects. Each page offers suggestions about: places to go; websites to
explore; books and articles to read and films or clips to watch. These can be used to develop
interests in topics that your daughter is particularly engaged by or they can ‘get ahead’ by looking
at next year’s booklet.
The ‘Going Beyond’ pages can be found on the School Extranet, under ‘Information.’
Assessment, Recording and Reporting
We encourage students in the Junior Department to take responsibility for their learning and so
girls are involved in their own assessment as much as possible. This includes taking part in
discussions and progress interviews, peer marking and self-assessment as well as teacher
marking. This ensures that girls are aware of their successes and areas for development. They
learn to incorporate these into targets for progression and to plan independent learning
opportunities to support and develop the targets set.
You will receive information about your daughter’s progress through a carefully structured system
of monitoring, parent meetings and reports.
Michaelmas Term
1st half
Parents’ Meetings will be held to give you an opportunity to meet all of your daughter’s subject
teachers. You will be able to book a ten minute appointment with the Form Tutor and 5 minutes
with each of the other subject teachers.
Year 5 – Thursday 27th September 2018 (5 – 7.30pm)
Year 6 – Tuesday 2nd October or Monday 8th October 2018 (you will have the opportunity to
choose between these two dates).
2nd half
You will receive a report of your daughter’s effort and attainment in each of the core subjects only
(English, maths and science), as well as a pastoral report. This will be published on the Parent
Portal for you to access on Wednesday 12th December 2018 at 4.10pm. The report will also be
shared with your daughter in an individual progress meeting with the Form Tutor and she will have
the opportunity to discuss and comment on her progress this term.
Lent Term
1st half
There will be no formal reporting in this half term, but the girls will have the opportunity to meet
with their Form Tutor to discuss their progress and targets for the next term.
Year 6 will be concentrating on preparation for their Year 7 entrance examinations (Saturday 12th
January 2019). Prior to this, their mathematics and English subject teachers will share individual
revision targets with the girls and they will have access to appropriate revision materials.
252nd half
Parents Meetings will be held for both year groups, with the opportunity to meet with the Form
Tutor and your daughter’s subject teachers.
Year 5 – Thursday 28th February 2019
Year 6 – Tuesday 13th March 2018 Wednesday 6th March or Thursday 14th March 2019 (you will
have the opportunity to choose between these two dates)
Trinity Term
2nd half
You will receive an end of year report about your daughter’s effort and attainment in each subject,
as well as a pastoral report. Each teacher will identify your daughter’s strengths and targets in
their subject and these reports will be available on the Parent Portal Thursday 20th June 2019 at
4.10pm.
We hope that you are able to attend each of these parents’ meetings, but you should not hesitate
to make appointments with your daughter’s Form Tutor at other times if there is a particular
concern.
Examinations
Whilst formal examinations in all subjects begin in Year 7, in the Junior Department, students are
assessed in English and mathematics at the beginning and end of the academic year to help track
their progress.
Informal tests will take place over the year in various subjects. These are intended as learning
checkpoints to inform future planning and do not form part of a girl’s assessment record.
It should be noted that it is not appropriate to measure a girl’s progress in relation to her
classmates at St Helen’s. As each student’s needs are different, their learning journey will be
specific to them and assessments conducted over the year will only provide a measure of how
your daughter is progressing in terms of her own attainment. This is the most informative and
reliable measure.
Year 7 Entrance Examination
Students in Year 6 sit the Year 7 Entrance Examination in January with external candidates and
are equally eligible for a scholarship, where applicable. Although your daughter’s Year 7 place is
assured, the examination provides a baseline measure for all entrants to Year 7 and gives
information to assist with future groupings. One of the benefits of being in the Junior Department
is that the girls do not need to spend large amounts of curriculum time preparing for this
examination. They benefit from a wide and varied curriculum throughout the year, although they
will undertake some revision sessions in Year 6 (just before Christmas) to prepare them for the
format of the examination.
26Extracurricular Activities
Clubs and Activities
At St Helen’s we place great emphasis on our broad extra-curricular programme. Life beyond the
classroom is so important in offering the opportunity to explore and extend wider interests, make
friends across age groups and to build confidence. It is this combination which embodies the
ethos of the school. Life beyond the classroom here is full. A wide range of sports, clubs and
societies, music, drama, educational visits and expeditions are available. Full details of the
extracurricular programme are outlined in the ‘Beyond’ 2018 – 2019 booklet, which students will
receive at the beginning of the academic year, and is also available on the school website at
www.shsk.org.uk
We look forward to welcoming you to School to support the many matches, events and
productions that take place each term but would remind you that any photographs taken at such
events are for private record only and should not be posted in any public forums, such as
Facebook, without the express consent of those involved.
Residential Trips
The Junior Department organises a yearly residential trip during the Trinity Term. These trips
provide a wonderful opportunity for students to develop independence and social skills as well as
enriching the curriculum. In May 2019, students will visit the Little Canada PGL site on the Isle
of Wight, to experience a range of adventurous and challenging activities. More details about
this trip will be sent to parents at the beginning of the academic year.
Other Trips
Various trips are organised throughout the school year to supplement and extend curriculum work
or to develop learning skills. Details and prices are sent out once the information is finalised. In
the Michaelmas term, Year 5 will be visiting the Pitt Rivers museum to extend their work on the
Aztecs and Year 6 will be visiting Oxford Castle as part of their work on ‘Crime and Punishment
through the ages.’ As part of their drama work on characterisation, Year 6 will also visit the Warner
Bros. Studios for a tour and workshop.
In the Lent term, both year groups will undertake a visit to the Botanic Gardens to focus on their
observational drawing skills. Year 5 then have the opportunity to visit Bletchley Park to enhance
their understanding of cryptography in computing. Year 6 will also visit ‘Hazard Alley’ at the Milton
Keynes Safety Centre for a fun, yet informative day of activities linked to online and personal
safety.
Breaks and Lunchtimes
Junior girls have their own play area at the rear of the school, which was remodelled for the
2015-2016 academic year. We encourage active play outside in the fresh air at breaks and
lunchtimes unless girls are attending a club or using the library facilities. The Junior Department
also has an indoor ‘break-out’ room for use during this time, which is set up with games and
activities to be used during bad weather. They have a dedicated playtime supervisor, Mrs
Lorna Shepherd, to ensure the Health and Safety and well-being of girls during these times.
We ask that your daughter comes prepared with appropriate outdoor clothes for playing outside;
she should bring her coat or fleece every day during the Michaelmas and Lent terms, and a cap,
water bottle and sun cream during the Trinity term. During especially muddy times, spare shoes
or wellington boots may be brought into school and left in your daughter’s locker.
Juniors go to lunch 10 minutes before the rest of the school, which gives them plenty of time to
choose from the healthy range of food on offer. It also enables them to have an opportunity to
play outside as well as attend a wealth of different lunchtime clubs.
27You can also read
