Parent Handbook - Dorothy Stringer
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Parent Handbook
2021/2022
CONTENTS
1 Crammed full of helpful stuff
Within these pages you will find everything
you need to know to get you child
started at Dorothy Stringer
2 A Message from the Headteacher
3 First Day Information
4 Learning Gateway & Parent News
5 Health & Happiness
6 How Parents Can Help
7 How to Succeed at Stringer
8 Learning Behaviours
9 Attitude to Learning
10 Your Child’s Progress
11 Attendance
12 Attend & Achieve
13 School Closure
14 Transport to School
15 School Trips
16 Canteen
17 Uniform Guidelines
18 School Uniform
19 Uniform Shops
20 Fundraising
21 My Information
22 Online Payment Systems & Useful Contacts
21
A Message from the Headteacher 2
Welcome
so nice to have you here
Welcome to Dorothy Stringer
It is a real pleasure to welcome you as parents to the Dorothy Stringer
community. We hope that this Parent Handbook will help us develop an effective
partnership between home and school by involving you in your child’s learning.
We understand the importance of involving parents in a student’s education and
the positive impact this can have on learning. We absolutely believe that student
learning and progress is our core purpose. However, we are equally determined
that students will have the skills and attributes to live and work in the global
society of tomorrow, and will be confident in their morals and values in order to
lead good lives. With the Stringer Learning Gateway (SLG), it is now possible to
better engage parents in the learning process and to harness your enthusiasm
and time to support your child’s learning.
Every parents’ evening we hold a survey inviting your views and feedback.
Parents’ voices have stimulated many of the improvements we have made in
recent years. There are also social events run by the parent fundraising group
and a host of concerts, productions and celebrations embedded in the school
calendar, which we hope that you will get involved in.
We will do our utmost to motivate and support your child; our philosophy is
rooted in the knowledge that children need to be safe and happy in order to
achieve their very best. We ask that you encourage your child to take part in all
of the fantastic extra-curricular opportunities that the school has to offer. The
more they put into school life, the more they will get out.
I look forward to getting to know your children and offer you our commitment to
ensure we do our best to challenge, motivate and inspire them. We look forward
to working with you over the coming years and hope your child has a positive
and memorable experience during their time at Dorothy Stringer whilst also
achieving their full academic potential.
Matt Hillier Headteacher
3 First Day Information
On their first day at Dorothy Stringer school Year 7s will be the only Year group in
school, they will be supported by a group of Year 10 Peer Mentors.
The first day is an opportunity for students to settle in to life at Dorothy Stringer doing
a range of transition and getting to know each other activities in their form groups.
They will be given a tour of the school and will have two subject lessons period 4 and
5.
Below is a checklist of items the students will be given on their first day by their form
tutors:
• Parent Calendar *
• Student Planner
• Locker Key
• Canteen/Gate Card
We would also like to take this opportunity to ask parents and students to download
the SaferSchools App.
Parent Access Code: 7675
Year 7 Student Access Code: 3447
Below is a checklist of all the equipment that students must bring to school for their
lessons:
• School bag • Pencil Sharpener
• Pencil case • Ruler (at least 15cm long)
• Student Planner • Protractor
• Pens (blue or black, highlighters • Pair of compasses
and a green pen) • Scientific calculator
• Pencil • Drama shorts/leggings
• Eraser • Glue stick
We also strongly advise that students bring a water bottle with them to school every
day, we have water filling stations for them to fill bottles up at break and lunch time.
*One free copy per child, you can buy additional calendars via the school shop on the website.Learning Gateway & Parent News 4
My Work and Files
Learning Gateway and Parent News
Year 6 Page
At Dorothy Stringer we have something called the ‘Stringer
My Children
Learning Gateway’ (SLG). Students and parents can at a glance
access information about student timetables, behaviour and School Calendar
achievement points, daily notices, attendance and most
importantly lots of learning resources. There is also an online Extra Curricular
home learning diary so that you and your child can check what Timetable
home learning has been set and when it is due in. You will also My School Contacts
be able to see your child’s class teachers’ names and contact
details, report their absence and much more. Report Absence
Once the Acceptable Use Policy has been signed, parents Exams Information
will be issued with a username and password to access the
school’s computer network. When you have both username GCSE Targets
and password you will be able to go to the school website
( www.dorothy-stringer.co.uk ) and click on the Learning
Gateway. You will then be prompted to log on and will be able
to see your child’s information; if you are having difficulties logging in please click
on the Help icon on the website. When emailing the school about your child please
always include their full name and tutor group.
Teams/Office 365: All students have access to Office 365 which includes Teams, our
online learning provision.
News: Mr Hillier sends a weekly news update to our parents and carers and we have
an online newsletter for each year group on the SLG. It’s an opportunity to share
news, celebrate achievements and let you know what is happening in our school
community.
Each term we produce an e-zine Stringer Press:
https://public.dorothy-stringer.co.uk/ds/Pages/stringer_press.aspx
School Comms
We do also send some emails out where the information is relevant to smaller
specific groups. You will need to add the schoolcomms email address to your
contacts otherwise important emails may be sent to your junk folder.
Twitter: You can follow @DorothyStringer on twitter for updates and whole school
announcements.
Instagram: dorothystringerschool, stringerhistory, ds_art_department,
dramadorothystringer, dorothystringerpe5 Health & Happiness
HEALTH AND
HAPPINESS
Health and Happiness
We co-operate closely with the School Health Service for the benefit of the students’
physical, moral and social welfare. We have a designated First Aid room, staffed by
a First Aider, and a School Nurse who comes in once a week. The Nurse is available
during break on the day they visit, for students to ‘drop-in’ and discuss any concerns. If
your child feels ill during the school day, once discussed with the First Aider, a decision
will be made whether they should go back to lessons or they will contact the parent/
carer to decide if they should go home. We usually encourage students to try the first
lesson before we phone the parent/carer as often students recover given a little time.
Should an accident happen at school and an ambulance is requested we will do our
best to contact the parent/carer and agree if you are going direct to the hospital or
coming to school. A member of staff will accompany the child if meeting the parent/carer
at the hospital.
Having the family contact telephone numbers on the school system is very important
especially in an emergency; so if you change any of your home/work or parent/carer
details you must let us know. This can be done through your child’s Form Tutor, Head of
Year or the school’s SIMS Manager, Bubbles Robinson.
Should your child have a serious medical condition that requires special treatment or
restrictions on what they can do please ensure you discuss the issues with the school’s
First Aider, Ms Zarrabi (medical@dorothy-stringer.co.uk). Should a medical condition
develop during the school year, contact the school’s First Aider, your child’s Form Tutor,
Pastoral Manager, Head of Year or the school’s SENCo (Special Educational Needs
Coordinator).
Trying their best in lessons and getting involved in the life of the school and the
various extra-curricular activities can help a child to enjoy school and also provide an
opportunity to make new friends. However, if a child has a problem it is important to sort
it out as quickly as possible. Sometimes they can do this themselves but at other times
they will need to talk to someone. This could be at home or through a friend or member
of staff. Most school problems can be sorted out by talking to their Form Tutor, Pastoral
Manager or Head of Year. However, sometimes they may want to talk to someone else.
For example if they needed some advice they could visit the Student Wellbeing Services
including Drop-In Sessions during lunchtimes. One of the mentors would help them or
advise on what to do next. The sorts of problems that might arise are often to do with
settling in and trying to make new friends. In general these are private conversations
but we can’t promise not to speak to someone else if we are worried about a child’s
wellbeing, although we will always let them know in advance.How Parents Can Help 6 HOW PARENTS CAN HELP At Dorothy Stringer, we believe that coming to school with a positive Attitude to Learning is the most important factor in the success of your child. To this end, we have a reward structure based around Attitude to Learning. This is completely separate from the academic progress made by your child or their targets. At each report, students are given a grade for Attitude to Learning. An overall Attitude to Learning score is then calculated, based on an average of all of their subjects. A score of 1 suggests excellent Attitude to Learning. Data shows that students with an Attitude to Learning of 1.8 or better are those who leave Stringer having performed to their best. We become concerned with any ATL scores of 2.0 or worse. Students with a good ATL award receive Stringer Learning Awards (Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze). A full description of the criteria (‘How to Succeed at Stringer’) and the calculation of Attitude to Learning can be found on our website under Information and on pages 12 and 13 of this handbook. Our Curriculum In order to help you support your child, and in order to allow our students to become independent learners, students and parents have access to a wealth of on-line resources. Curriculum Information and Course Details can be found on our website under Information/Curriculum https://public.dorothy-stringer.co.uk/ds/Pages/Curriculum_Intent. aspx. Once you log on to the Parent pages of the SLG you will find detailed information on what is covered in the different subjects. In addition, the subject areas found on the drop down menu on the Home Page, provides learning resources provided by the departments to support students’ learning. Students also have access to additional resources through their school login in ‘Students Shared Work’.
7 How to Succeed at Stringer
HOW TO SUCCEED
AT STRINGER
The Stringer Learning Culture
The Stringer Learning Culture encapsulates our expectations and clarifies the positive
routines and behaviour that will allow students to be successful and make progress in a
calm and pleasant learning environment.
We have high expectations of our students: we expect them to be punctual to school
and to lessons and to be properly equipped for learning. If students are struggling with
organisation in the first few weeks of Year 7 their Form Tutors will be there to support
them. Mobile phones are banned both in the classroom and around school during
lesson times and will be confiscated if seen; they must be switched off and placed in
bags so as not to disturb the focussed learning that takes place in our classrooms. One
of the real strengths of our school is the positive, warm relationships between staff
and students, underpinned by civility, mutual respect and courtesy.
How can you help your child?
• Encourage your child to have a positive attitude towards school, to attend regularly
and on time. The Stringer Learning Culture is designed to ensure that everyone is
able to learn. Your support will help us with this.
• Ensure that your child wears the correct school uniform and is well equipped
for their lessons. Also supporting your child with their home learning will enable
them to make progress and help with their organisation.
• Encourage and enforce safe use of the internet and other cyber communications.
• Attend Parents’ Evenings and other school activities to help you to be involved
in the life of the school. Reading the SLG will also mean that you are informed
of what is happening at school and can act on information that we send you.
• If your child is going to be absent from school please contact us as early as
possible. Please see Page 11 on how to report an absence.
• Please let us know about anything that will affect your child’s learning or behaviour.
We can then keep staff informed of any changes they may need to make.8
HOW TO SUCCEED AT STRINGER: LEARNING BEHAVIOURS
Respect Responsibility Engagement Determination
Learning Behaviours
• You show respect for other • You are punctual to lessons and • You engage with your learning, • You are enthusiastic and show
ATTITUDE TO LEARNING
learners, staff and our shared quick to focus on your learning showing concentration and curiosity about your learning in
environment • You have the correct equipment active listening skills class and at home
• You show self-control and make necessary for school life • You follow instructions promptly • You act on feedback to improve
good choices, including ignoring • You take responsibility for your and do not interrupt the teacher your work or attitude to learning.
distractions own learning, using all available • You make thoughtful • You show resilience and are not
• Your attitude and behaviour resources to make progress contributions to lessons afraid to make mistakes
allow others to learn • You take pride in completing • You work independently in class • You work towards challenging
• You are kind, helpful and work home learning on time and to and at home targets and show perseverance
well with others the best of your ability when you find things difficult
• You show respect for everyone • You are punctual to morning • You engage with activities in • You are enthusiastic and
in the form group and our registration and form time form time and make thoughtful show curiosity about form time
ATTITUDE TO SCHOOL
shared environment • You have all the equipment contributions activities and discussions
• You show self-control and make necessary for school life • You follow instructions promptly • You act on any feedback given
good choices, including ignoring and do not interrupt your form to improve your attitude to
• You wear correct school uniform
distractions tutor school
• You take responsibility for • You show resilience and are not
• Your attitude and behaviour maintaining the good reputation • You make the most of the
afraid to make mistakes
allow others to contribute of our school opportunities on offer at Dorothy
• You show perseverance when
• You are kind, helpful and work Stringer
you find things difficult
well with others • You show independence in form
time when required to do so
We will have a scale of 4 levels of judgement against these Learning Behaviours:
Always (=1) Mostly (=2) Sometimes (=3) Rarely (=4)9 Attitude to Learning
Are you Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze?
What’s your Attitude To Learning
At each report, your teachers are asked to assess your Attitude To
Learning (ATL). For each grade you are given these points:
Always 1 An average is then taken
Mostly 2 across all of your subjects.
Students with an ATL score
Sometimes 3 of better than 1.8 are the
Rarely 4 successful ones at GCSE.
What are Stringer Learning Awards?
Stringer Learning Awards celebrate your positive Attitude To Learning.
They reflect how keen you are to participate in class, the enthusiasm
and effort you put into your lessons and your learning and that you
always take responsibility for your learning and improving every day.
Learning Awards are given based on your ATL score, as long as you
have no grades of ‘Rarely’.
25 achievement
PLATINUM points
GOLD 20 achievement
points
SILVER 10 achievement
points
BRONZE 5 achievement
points
“ When I wasn’t doing well, I told myself
I didn’t care, but my parents were
proud of me when I got a Bronze Award “ I always did what I was told but only
got Good for my ATL. Now I’m pushing
myself to ask questions and help others,
”
and it felt good to be improving. I have started to get Excellent in
”
many subjects.
“ I’m keeping my Gold
Award to help me when
applying to be a
prefect, as well as for
“ I worried about looking keen to learn and couldn’t
understand why some people didn’t seem to mind
getting answers wrong. But once I understood that you
have to make mistakes to learn, I started feeling
college interviews and happier in lessons. Now my ATL score is much
” ”
job applications. better and so are my grades.
?Your Child’s Progress 10 YOUR CHILD’S PROGRESS How We Report on Behaviour for learning Reporting During the year we will report to you in three different ways: In Years 7 to 9, you will receive Learning Behaviour Reports (LBRs) termly. These will give you • a grading for Attitude to Learning, as shown in the poster on page 8 • a figure and grading for Attendance • details of Stringer Learning Awards earned. An explanation of Stringer Learning Awards can be found on the website and on page 9. Our data clearly shows that Attitude to Learning and Attendance are the key drivers in students making greater than expected progress in their 5 years with us. In Year 10 and 11, you will receive two LBRs and a more detailed written report. In addition to Attitude to Learning and Attendance, these will also include a target grade for each subject as well as a forecast for the grade they are likely to achieve at GCSE if they continue to work as they are at the time of the report. Parents’ Evening Once a year, we hold a Parents’ Evening so you can meet your child’s teachers. The booking of appointments for Parents’ Evening is done through an online booking system. Shortly before the evening, you will be sent an email explaining how to access the system. Further details can be found on the website at https://public.dorothy-stringer.co.uk/ds/Pages/parents_evening.aspx The dates of Parents’ Evenings are published in the school calendar which can be found on our website under term dates and times. Full information on our reporting process can be found on our website at: https://gateway.dorothy-stringer.co.uk/public/ds/Pages/reporting.aspx
11 Attendance
ATTENDANCE
Aim
Our school aim is to have a minimum 97% attendance. We aim to meet our obligations with
regards to school attendance by:
· Promoting good attendance and reducing absence, including persistent absence
· Ensuring every student has access to full-time education to which they are entitled
· Acting early to address patterns of absence
Absence
To report your child absent from school due to illness, or another reason for that day please
enter this into studybugs, as early as possible every day, it is the parental/carer responsibility
to report their child’s absence or lateness daily. If you know your child is going to be absent
for more than one day please state this. To report your child’s absence you must use
studybugs. This will be the only method that we will accept for reporting a student’s absence
on the day. Please register online via the Studybugs website or download the app now so
that you have it ready should you need to report your child’s absence. The Studybugs app is
available for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone, alternatively you can use the Studybugs
website: https://studybugs.com/about/parents and is completely free. One of the main
benefits of Studybugs is that it will automatically update the electronic register so that we will
know immediately if you have contacted us to let us know that your child is absent for any
reason. If your child does not attend registration and we have not been notified of a reason
for their absence, a text message will be sent in the morning. If we do not receive a response
to our text messages with a reason for the absence it will be recorded as unauthorised.
If for some reason you know that your child is not able to attend school in advance, due to a
medical appointment or any other reason, please contact the Attendance Office only, using
the email address: attendance@dorothy-stringer.co.uk giving a specific reason for their
absence and the timeframe for the absence.
Punctuality
Students should arrive in their form rooms for morning registration by 8.45am, there is a
warning bell at 8.40am. They should then be in period one by 8.50am. If they are later than
this they will receive a late mark. Anyone who arrives in school after 8.50am must go straight
to period one and their name will be passed to the Pastoral Co-ordinator. Students will
receive appropriate sanctions for continual lateness and parents may be invited to attend a
meeting at the school to discuss how we can support your child’s punctualityAttend & Achieve 12
ATT E N D &
ACHIEVE Aim for 97%
Attendance
Learning New
Time to Create
Memories and
Chances to
Explore
Good Exam
Results for Your
Access to Help
and Support from
Best Chance to
Skills Succeed
Friends for Life Creativity Future Staff
The target attendance figure for all students is a minimum of 97%
attendance.
Every student has a dedicated form tutor, who works with their Head of Year and
Pastoral Manager to help students be in school every day. We also have a fully
qualified first aider in school that will care for your child if they become ill during the
day. We monitor students closely whose attendance is falling and will contact you
if your son/daughter’s attendance does not improve. Parents/carers have a legal
obligation to ensure that your child attends school regularly and punctually, even if
they are missing school without your knowledge. It is important that parents/carers
monitor single days of absence, as these days soon add up to weeks.
If you need any help with school attendance please talk to one of our attendacne
team.
e-mail: attendance@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
tel: 01273 85228813 School Closure
SCHOOL CLOSURE DUE
TO BAD WEATHER
School Closure
Before your child starts at Dorothy Stringer please ensure you have discussed
arrangements for getting home if the school has to close early. If you feel it would cause
difficulties for your child, it is important to discuss the issues with your child’s Form
Tutor, Pastoral Manager or Head of Year. Please review these arrangements as your
child progresses up the school.
If we are experiencing, or have warning of, extreme weather that may seriously disrupt
traffic or cause journeys to be dangerous, or we have an unexpected problem with
the school’s heating or water supply it may be necessary to close the school. Where
possible we will always aim to keep the school open; however, the decision to close or
remain open is often complicated as we have to take in to account so many unknowns,
for example; conditions of the local streets and pavements, if the buses have stopped
running, the number of staff who are able to get into school or if the normal running of the
school is not possible.
If a decision is made to close the school please be aware of the following points:
• A text message will be sent out if we have to close the school.
• We will update messages on the school’s website and answer phone.
• Where possible, we will have a member of staff available to answer your
questions on the phone; however, please consider this as a last resort as staff
may not be available to take your call.
• Parent/Carers should listen to Heart FM (102.4 - 103.5 FM) who make regular
announcements regarding school closures during bad weather.
• In bad weather ( e.g. snow) a list of closed schools is posted on the Heart FM
website.
Developing Bad Weather
Normally when bad weather occurs during the day it is our policy to keep students in
school until the usual dismissal time 3.15pm. However, if the weather deteriorates
during the morning it may be advisable to let as many students as possible leave at
lunch time, 12.10pm. Please discuss this arrangement with your child so they are quite
clear what to do in these circumstances.Transport to School 14 TRANSPORT TO SCHOOL Furthermore, if the weather appears to be worsening during the afternoon we may have to make a decision to release students who normally make their own way home before 3.15pm. Arrangements can be made for the school to supervise any children who know they are to be collected at the end of the school day and, if necessary, for a reasonable time afterwards. If, in spite of the above, you are still concerned about safety then, providing you phone the school in advance and actually come and collect your own child, we will release them from school for you to take home. It is essential that you first report to reception. Bad Weather Clothing You can help us and your child by ensuring that they are dressed appropriately during spells of bad weather. Children should be wearing warm and waterproof coats and sturdy shoes. Stringer Learning Gateway Should it be necessary to close the school for several days we will put work on the school’s SLG (Stringer Learning Gateway). All students are able to access the SLG which can be found via the school website: https://public.dorothy-stringer.co.uk/ds/Pages/Home.aspx Transport According to the most recent travel survey most students walk to school, while others use public transport and those driven to school are in the minority. However, to reduce traffic around and on the campus we would ask parents/carers not to drive on to the school site but drop students off away from school. Obviously there will be times due to serious injury or carrying an unusually heavy load where driving into school will be necessary. During the school day if you have an arranged meeting with a member of staff the only spare parking spaces, if any, are near the Loder Road entrance. All other parking spaces on site, nearer the buildings, are allocated to staff. Please do not park in a numbered space. We operate a cycle permit scheme for anyone who wants to cycle to school. Students must get a permission slip from the Hub, and sign the agreement to wear a helmet, to follow safety rules and leave their bikes under the covered cycle stand during the day.
15 School Trips
SCHOOL
TRIPS
Trips
School trips are used to enhance the curriculum in many subject areas.
Term-time trips always have a direct curriculum link. Each subject department organises
a variety of curriculum trips throughout the year.
During the holidays there is a mixture of curriculum and leisure trips that are run by staff.
Other trips may include visits to: ‘Dolawen’, our own outdoor activity centre in North
Wales, a ski trip (usually alternate years), Italy,Ghana, Ypres and Paris. Some Form
Tutors organise outings with their Tutor Group to celebrate various events or the end
of term; these might be to go bowling or ice skating, out for a meal or to LazerZone.
Additionally, in the last full week of the academic year, we have an Enrichment Week,
offering a wide range of activities.
Staff believe that visits and school trips benefit the students, not only by widening their
horizons, but also by allowing them to establish a different set of relationships with each
other and with the staff.
Some parents and carers like to plan ahead to budget for trips: you can find more
information on our website under extra-curricular/school trips/overview.
Trips vary in cost and we encourage you to pay via your School Gateway as this
reduces school administration costs, payment can be made by credit card, debit card
or by Instant Bank Transfer, using the Schoolgateway. For further information about all
trips please email trips@dorothy-stringer.co.uk.
To register interest for any trip you need to login to your parent homepage on the school
gateway. You can login into this via our public website and clicking on the login button
on the top right hand side of the page. Once logged in you will see the trips icon: and
this will show you what trips are available to book for your child.
The School Gateway can be accessed using the following link:
https://login.schoolgateway.com/0/auth/login . If you have any queries about the
schoolgateway, please do not hesitate to contact Bubbles Robinson on bubbles.
robinson@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
Clubs and Groups
There are a wide variety of extra-curricular clubs for students to join. These may alter
each term; some are before school, some at lunchtime and others after school. To view
the current list, go to the school website and look under ‘extra-curricular’ in the main
menu bar. There is also a link on your Student/Parent Home Page, once you log in to
the Learning Gateway.If you have any queries about a club please contact the Head of
Department.Canteen 16 LUNCH, BREAK & CANTEEN At Dorothy Stringer we take healthy eating seriously and this is reflected in the quality of the food provided. We serve a wide range of hot and cold meals and a good selection of quick bites. Students can choose from pasta pots with a choice of sauces, our own ‘Stringer Sub’ or a meal of the day. Look out for healthy options, for example, we offer assorted salad boxes, a variety of vegetarian choices and fresh fruit. We work hard to provide a wide variety to suit all tastes – there is something for everyone. There is limited internal seating, however students can sit under either of our external canopies. Visit the website to see our menus. Students are also welcome to bring in a packed lunch. Opening times are Monday to Friday: Break time from 10.50am to 11.10am Lunch from 12.10pm to 12.50pm (Years 7, 8 and 9) 12.30pm to 1.10pm (Years 10 and 11) Canteen access times are staggered across year groups, students will be told their year group allocation slot at the start of term. We operate a ‘cashless’ system in the canteen to save carrying or losing money and to speed up the queuing process. Each student has an account and you can top this up online through the ‘Schoolgateway’ system. Full instructions can be found online and on page 22 of this booklet. If you are entitled to Free School Meals your child’s account will automatically be topped up on a daily basis. If you think you may be eligible for Free School Meals but have not yet registered for them we can help with the process – see our website for more details: https://public.dorothy-stringer.co.uk/ds/Pages/free_school_meals.aspx Students are not allowed to leave the school grounds at break or lunchtimes.
17 Uniform Guidelines
UNIFORM GUIDELINES
We expect all students to be in full school uniform. You should clearly name every item
of uniform so that it can be returned if lost. The uniform requirements are as follows.
These uniform items must be purchased from Sussex Uniforms or Smarter
Uniforms Shop only
• White polo shirt with school logo
• Black V-neck jumper with school logo, or
• School sweatshirt with school logo - hoodies are not permitted in school with the
exception of leavers hoodies worn by Year 11 students.
• Stringer Tartan skirt (skirts should not be shortened and yellow band must be visible)
Uniform items which can be purchased in any retail outlet
• Black formal school trousers - unisex (no chinos or jeans)
• Plain black/nude coloured tights or plain black/white socks
• Plain black knee-length tailored shorts
• Plain black belts may be worn on the condition that they are thin, subtle and essential to
the fit of the clothing - not used as a fashion accessory
• Plain black footwear (no logos/motifs or other colours should be visible. Knee length
boots, sandals, platforms, high heels or ballet shoes are not permitted)
PE KIT
The following PE Kit must be purchased from Sussex Uniforms only
• Black polo top with school logo
• Black shorts with school logo (for PE/Drama use only)
• Fleece lined Midlayer Top
• *Optional* Tapered Tracksuit Pant with Stringer printed
• *Optional* Running Legging with Stringer printed
• *Optional* Rain Jacket with school logo
PE Kit items which can be purchased in any retail outlet
• Black sports socks (for PE use only)
• Suitable footwear i.e. trainers (can be purchased from any shop)School Uniform 18
SCHOOL UNIFORM
DOROTHY STRINGER DOROTHY STRINGER DOROTHY STRINGER DOROTHY STRINGER DOROTHY STRINGER
SWEATSHIRT V-NECK KNITTED V-NECK POLO FITTED POLO SKIRT
PE KIT
DOROTHY STRINGER DOROTHY STRINGER DOROTHY STRINGER DOROTHY STRINGER DOROTHY STRINGER
1/4 ZIP MIDLAYER PE POLO PE SHORTS TRACK PANTS (OPTIONAL) LEGGINGS (OPTIONAL)
“I LOVE MY NEW UNIFORM,
IT MAKES ME FEEL VERY
GROWN-UP”
BLACK SPORTS SOCKS YEAR 7 STUDENT
PE lessons are part students normal timetable and they are expected to take part regularly.
Students must bring the correct kit, including a towel if they swim or intend to use the
showers. Clearly name every item of kit so that it can be returned. If your child is unable
to take part in PE, they must bring a note from their parents/carers and hand it to their PE
teacher. In the event of wishing to be excused for more than two weeks, students will have
to produce a note from their doctor or a medical certificate. Other items that parents/carers
will need to provide are: trainers and footwear for football/rugby and suitable swimwear.19
17 Uniform Shops
Sussex Uniforms
The list on page 17 details items that should be purchased from Sussex Uniforms. You
can order online through their website: https://www.sussexuniforms.co.uk/collections/
dorothy-stringer OR you can visit one of their three shops in Hove, Haywards Heath and
Horsham, open Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.*
If you are ordering online they have some helpful information on their website including
a video on how to measure your child, if you need any further assistance you can call
their Customer Services team on 01444 227066.
Smarter Uniforms
Dorothy Stringer School has partnered with Smarter Uniforms, Brighton & Hove’s
innovative school-uniform reuse project.
Smarter Uniforms collects uniform students have outgrown or no longer need when they
move on from Stringer. The uniform is then sorted, washed and resold back to parents.
Working with Smarter Uniform we will save parents money, protect our planet’s precious
resources for our children’s future, and raise important funds for the school.
Parents and carers can order through the Smarter Uniforms website. Collections are
available from Planet Brighton located within the Open Market, Marshalls Row, Brighton
BN1 4JU.* You are also able to shop in store at this location.
Deliveries are available to all local families within Brighton & Hove. Please visit their
website for more information: https://smarteruniforms.org/collections/dorothy-stringer-
school
*Please make sure you check websites before visiting stores incase of any changes to openingFundraising 20
18
Fundraising & Parent Fundraising at Stringer
As a school we fundraise throughout the year to support wider educational opportunities
and provide the best possible school experience for your child beyond the curriculum.
We are looking for more parents to contribute not only time, but fun ideas and expertise
to bring our school events and our wider community together.
The DOTS are the Dorothy Stringer Parent Fundraising Group. DOTS parents plan and
organise events that raise crucial funds for the school. In the past the DOTS have held
successful quiz nights, an annual comedy night and raffles that have raised money for
the Dorothy Stringer School Fund
Fundraising ideas are always welcome, especially when many of our usual events can’t
run in the same way.
There are a wide range of opportunities for parents, carers and supporters to help
us with fundraising. #ShopForStringer & AmazonSmile online shopping, donating old
school uniform through Smarter Uniforms, Gift Aid contributions and offering valued
expertise to our bigger Fundraising campaigns all help hugely towards enriching
everyone’s life at Dorothy Stringer.
If you would like to get involved, contribute new ideas or share expertise email us at
fundraising@dorothy-stringer.co.uk. or visit our fundraising page:
https://public.dorothy-stringer.co.uk/ds/Pages/fundraising.aspx
Donating to the Dorothy Stringer School Fund
The Dorothy Stringer School Fund exists to raise money to enrich the experiences
of every student who comes to the school. We are proud of the huge range of extra-
curricular activities that we offer and it is largely thanks to the enormous amount of
support and time our staff give without charge to deliver these activities. But there are
costs for which we receive no contribution from our statutory funding. We can only
continue to deliver this enriched experience with your support.
If you would like to support the school you can make regular donations or a one off
payment. You can download our Gift Aid Form from our website and return it to the
Business Manager, Roshan Dias-Jayasinghe at the school. https://public.dorothy-
stringer.co.uk/ds/Pages/the_stringer_fund.aspxWHO TO CONTACT
NAME/WEBSITE USED FOR MY USERNAME MY PASSWORD
FOR HELP
SCHOOL • Canteen payments Bubbles Robinson
GATEWAY • Trips
www.schoolgateway.com • Year 11 Yearbook orders
• Prom
• Textbooks
STUDYBUGS • To report student absence Attendance Office
www.studybugs.org
STRINGER • Home learning, newsletters, reports Communications
LEARNING GATEWAY and much more. An essential part Office
Public.dorothy-stringer.co.uk of Stringer communication
communications@
dorothy-stringer.co.uk
SUSSEX UNIFORMS Sussex Uniforms
https://www.sussexuniforms. • School Uniform
co.uk/collections/dorothy- • PE Kit
stringer
My Information
SMARTER UNIFORMS Smarter Uniforms
https://smarteruniforms.org/ • Second hand school uniform
collections/dorothy-stringer- • Second hand PE kit
school
PAYPAL • Year 11 hoodie orders PayPal
www.paypal.co.uk • Parent Calendar
All Parents’ Evening bookings Bubbles Robinson
PARENTS’ EVE You only need to do this when your
BOOKING SYSTEM www. Parents’ Evening is approaching and
dorothystringer.parentsevening- you will recieve an email when the
system.co.uk Booking System is open
21
17Online Payment Systems & Useful
Contacts 22
18
School Gateway What you need to do now: Activate your School Gateway account.
All you need are your email address and mobile number that the school holds on record
for you. Download the app: If you have a smartphone, please download School
Gateway from your app store (Android and iPhone). The app shows the same
information as the website and it saves the school money when we send you a text
message or visit the website: www.schoolgateway.com and click on ‘New User’. You’ll
receive a text message with a PIN . Use this PIN to log into the School Gateway.
You also have the option to use ‘Instant Bank Transfer’ as well as debit or credit
card. Instant Bank Transfer is a secure payment method and will not only make
paying for school items faster for you but it will also cut the cost to the school of
processing online payments. When using ‘Instant Bank Transfer’ for the first time
you will be asked to enter your bank account details. Once set up, on all future
occasions, you’ll simply need to enter the amount you wish to pay the school and
then click to authorise the payment. We would encourage you to use this new
option to save yourself time and the school money.
USEFUL CONTACTS
First Aid 01273 852216 medical@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
Reception 01273 852222 reception@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
Attendance 01273 852217 attendance@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
Pastoral Hub office@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
Communications Office communications@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
Exams 01273 852212 exams@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
SIMS 01273 852212 bubbles.robinson@dorothy-stringer.co.uk
School Trips 01273 852288 schooltrips@dorothy-stringer.co.ukD AT E S F O R Y O U R D I A R Y
DATE EVENT
Monday 6 September 2021 Welcome to Year 7 Students
8.45 START
Tuesday 7 September 2020 Start of Term - All Years
08.45 START
Monday 20 September 2021 Meet the Tutor Evening
Thursday 7 October 2021 Open Evening
EARLY CLOSURE 12.10
Monday 22 October 2021 INSET Day
(SCHOOL CLOSED FOR STUDENTS)
Monday 25 – 29 October 2021 Autumn Half Term Holiday
Friday 17 December 2021 End of Autumn Term
EARLY CLOSURE 12.30
Monday 20 December – Friday 31 December 2022 Christmas Holidays
Monday 3 January 2022 Bank Holiday - New Year’s Day
SCHOOL CLOSED
Tuesday 4 January 2022 Start of Spring Term
Monday 14 – Friday 18 February 2022 Spring Half Term Holiday
Thursday 24 March 2022 Year 7 Parents’ Evening
EARLY CLOSURE 14.15*
Friday 18 March 2022 INSET Day
(SCHOOL CLOSED FOR STUDENTS)
Friday 8 April 2022 End of Spring Term
Monday 11 – Friday 22 April 2022 Easter Holidays
Monday 25 April 2022 Start of Summer Term
Monday 2 May 2021 Bank Holiday - May Day
SCHOOL CLOSED
Monday 30 May – Friday 3 June 2022 Summer Half Term Holiday
Friday 22 July 2022 End of Academic Year
EARLY CLOSURE 12.30
* The school finishes early for all year groups when there is a Parents’ Evening
Dorothy Stringer School | Loder Road | Brighton | BN1 6PZ
www.dorothy-stringer.co.uk
Email: office@dorothy-stringer.co.uk | Tel: 01273 852222 | Fax: 01273 852310You can also read
