Wellsway School Transition Pack 2021 - Developing confident, respectful and successful young people
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Wellsway School
Transition Pack
2021
Developing confident, respectful and successful young people
Wellsway School Transition Pack 2021 Content Page
Content of Transition Pack Page Number
Welcome Letter from Principal Page 3
Welcome Letter from Mr Ive (Assistant Principal) Page 4-5
Student Welcome Letter from Mr Knowles (Assistant Page 6
Principal)
Tutor Group Allocation Page 7
Year 7 Team Building Day Page 8
Free School Meals/ Pupil Premium Page 9-10
Attendance Page 11-12
Insight Portal Page 13-14
Catering at Wellsway School Page 15-16
Home School Agreement Page 17
Term Dates 2021/22 Page 18
Policy- Finger Print Page 19-21
Policy- Taking and use of images Page 22
Policy- School Uniform Page 23- 30
To allow us to prepare well for your child’s induction and arrival in September 2021, we require key
information for our records. After reading the attached Transition Pack, please click on the survey
link below to provide us with this information. The survey should be completed by Monday 17th
May. We have revised our methods for collecting this information in light of the current restrictions
and national situation.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=FU48tNJMtUmhKRQyRYFNOqvLDd9B3adEu
QfMoQbtbvdUNlBPWjY4MzkxSE9EUE8xSEE4NE9XMDI3Si4u
May 2021 Dear Student, I am delighted that you and your family have chosen Wellsway School as the next stage in your education. As the new Principal, I am excited to be taking on the role of leading a school community that is committed to helping you develop into a confident, respectful and successful young person and look forward to you joining our school community. Wellsway School community has shown its strength and unity over recent times and is looking forward to meeting and getting to know you and supporting you on your journey through secondary education. The step to secondary school is one that everyone makes and although it is exciting, it is new and the unknown can bring with it questions and anxieties. This Transition Pack is just part of what we do to answer those questions and reassure you that you will be very happy here – I am really proud of the school and know that staff and students will welcome you fully into our community. There will be so much for you to do and we want you to look forward to your time with us and, although it may feel a long way away at the moment, hope you will stay with us through to post 16 studies in our successful sixth form. Teachers at Wellsway are passionate about their subjects and I am sure you’re looking forward not only to returning to school, but also to starting some new subjects with specialist equipment (including the Bunsen burners in science!) Alongside trying your best in lessons and working hard, we want you to enjoy everything about your time here and get fully involved in our wider school life. You will have plenty of opportunities to get involved in clubs and activities; to learn new skills and make new friends. A tradition at Wellsway is for students to write a brief letter of introduction for me to pass to the house team you will be joining so your tutor can learn a little about you and your interests - it seems more important than ever to take the time to think and write about what you enjoy and what you look forward to being able to do again. Please do write a letter, but rather than post it to us, please keep hold of it and bring it with you, the first time that we get to meet you. We look forward to welcoming you to the Wellsway School family. With best wishes Mr Pearsall Principal
Dear Parent/ Carer,
We are delighted that you have chosen Wellsway School for your child’s education and would like to
take this opportunity to welcome you to the Wellsway community. We aim to provide an outstanding
experience for your child and hope he/she takes full advantage of the many opportunities and
challenges that will be on offer during their time with us. I am very conscious of the fact that your
child has had a disrupted Year 5 and Year 6, but please rest assured we are taking these unprecedented
circumstances in to consideration in our planning for their transition to Wellsway School.
Wellsway’s examination results continue to be exceptionally strong, but we strongly believe success
is about much more than just exams and are proud of the wide variety of experiences and extra-
curricular opportunities on offer to our students. Our success is a result of high quality teaching and
support from staff; excellent attitudes to learning and effort by our students and outstanding support
from our parents and carers and the wider community. We remain grateful for this and look forward
to you supporting and encouraging your child to fully engage with and enjoy school life to not only
achieve the very best possible results but also make memories and lasting friendships during their
time at Wellsway.
To allow us to prepare well for your child’s induction and arrival in September 2021, we require key
information for our records. After reading the attached Transition Pack, please click on the survey
link below to provide us with this information. The survey should be completed by Monday 17th
May. We have revised our methods for collecting this information in light of the current restrictions
and national situation.
Key Information
Head of Transition
It is a key priority for us to ensure students experience a positive start to their secondary education
with us. Our Head of Transition will be writing to introduce themselves shortly, who will be working
closely with the Heads of House to oversee the Year 7 Induction to support this positive start. They
will be available as a first point of contact for parents/carers and students during Terms 1 and 2 of
Year 7.
The School Day
Please note that when your child begins in September, the school day begins at 8.45am and finishes
at 3.05pm Monday to Friday. It is important that students are on school site no later than 8.40am so
as to avoid rushing and being late to tutor time.
Studying Foreign Languages at Wellsway School
All students in Year 7 will learn French during their first year and we encourage all students to study a
foreign language as part of their GCSE studies.
Key Dates
*Please note that the events below are currently scheduled to take place. Government guidance will
dictate whether and how they can proceed. We will contact you to confirm the dates below and any
alternative arrangements that may be necessary as and when we receive further information.
Page 1 of 2
Transition Day – Thursday 1st July 2021, 9.00am–3.00pm
All Year 7 students are invited to spend the day with us to get to know the school and meet new
friends. Children should arrive at Mendip Hall no earlier than 8.30am for a 9.00am start and should
be collected at 3.00pm from the front gate. Please note, you will not be able to bring cars on to the
school site due to the number of school buses that will be arriving and leaving at that time. To support
their transition to secondary, we kindly ask you to let your child walk through the gates
unaccompanied – there will be staff there to welcome them in and support what we know will be both
exciting and a nervous experience.
We ask students to dress smartly for this day in their normal primary school uniform and shoes. Please
can you indicate on the survey if your son / daughter would like to access a free main course and
dessert or if they will be bringing in a packed lunch. All students will eat together in the dining hall.
New Intake Parents and Carers’ Evening – Thursday 1st July 2021, 6.00pm–7.30pm
Please come to a Parents and Carers’ Information Evening in Lansdown Hall where you will have the
opportunity to hear about what has happened during the day and find out more about Wellsway
School. Space for this is limited so we ask kindly that children do not attend.
Monday 6th September 2021 - First Day of Term for Year 7 Students
This is the first day for Year 7 and Year 12 students. The rest of the student body returns on Tuesday
7th September. Year 7 students should go straight to Mendip Hall for registration at 8.40am on
Monday 6th September. Please make sure that your child has a packed lunch or you have completed
Cashless Catering question in the survey linked to this email. A set school lunch of a main course and
dessert currently costs £2.50.
School uniform
In order for your child to settle fully at Wellsway School, it is very important that they arrive with the
correct uniform and equipment to be an effective learner. A copy of the Wellsway School Uniform
Policy can be found in the transition pack. All school uniform items will be available to buy from the
Scholars store at the address below or online using the following link: http://scholars-
uk.com/index.php
Scholars – Bath Shop Outlet, 4 Terrace Walk, Bath, BA1 1LN (01225) 462206
Wellsway School will host a fitting sessions on the school site in Thursday 8th July. Further information
in relation to this event will be forwarded to you shortly.
We want to do everything possible to ensure that your child will be very happy at Wellsway School
and makes maximum use of every available opportunity. We hope that things get back to normal
soon and that you and your family remain safe and well. We are very much looking forward to
meeting you soon, where we will be able to go in to further details about the next steps.
Yours faithfully,
Mr S Ive
Assistant Principal – Student Support
Page 2 of 2
Dear Students
I am delighted that you will be joining Wellsway School in September and am looking forward to
meeting you in person soon. I am writing to you today to tell you a little bit about myself and to let
you know about some of things that you can look forward to when you start at Wellsway.
My name is Mr Knowles and my role at Wellsway School is Assistant Principal: Culture and Ethos; this
is a great job which involves working with some brilliant people to make sure that Wellsway is a place
where you feel happy and safe and also a place where you can really enjoy learning.
Some of the people that I work closely with at Wellsway are Mr Ive, Assistant Principal: Student
Support and the four Heads of House, Miss French (Burnett House), Miss O’Malley (Compton House),
Mr Tanner (Newton House) and Miss Davies (Stanton House). We are all brilliantly supported by a
fantastic team of Learning Mentors and Pastoral Support Staff. Don’t worry, you will get to meet
everybody soon!
Moving from primary school to secondary school can be scary, particularly if you have spent part of
this year learning from home but please do not worry. Wellsway is a great school, full of great people
that are ready to help you feel welcome in your new school.
One of the best pieces of advice that I can offer to anybody joining a new school in September is to
get involved with the extra-curricular life of the school. At Wellsway we are fortunate to have a wide
range of activities available for students and this is a great way to meet new people and make new
friends. This is one aspect of school life that I am looking forward to seeing you enjoy through my role
as Assistant Principal. Below is a list of some of the other things that you can look forward to at
Wellsway in addition to your lessons:
• House competitions – test yourself alongside students in different Houses across all subjects
• Celebration assemblies – we use House and whole-school assemblies to celebrate your
success
• Community action week – work together with your tutor group to support various good causes
• School Production – work with students from all year groups to put on a great show
• Extra-curricular activities – meet new people and learn new skills in a range of clubs across all
subjects
• Sporting fixtures – have fun playing a range of new sports
At Wellsway all we ask is that every student does their very best and we look to take every opportunity
to use praise and rewards. House points are awarded to all students that demonstrate confidence,
respect and/or success. We enjoy running a whole-school competition between our four Houses and
at the end of the year the House with the most house points are rewarded with a celebration event.
Throughout the year, individual students can be rewarded with prizes in celebration assemblies,
letters home when they reach milestones such as 50 and 100 house points, e-postcards or simply a
telephone call or email home at the end of a good week!
Over the next few weeks our plan is to keep in touch with you and your parents/carers and to provide
you with all the information that you need so that you feel confident and excited about starting at
your new school. I hope that you are looking forward to starting at Wellsway as much as we are looking
forward to having you.
Kind regards
Simon Knowles, Assistant Principal.
Tutor Group Allocation Tutor groups meet every day with their tutor who will look after your son/daughter’s pastoral and academic needs. The Learning Groups (subject lessons) are not based on friendship groups and are decided by the school. Please encourage your child to view moving to secondary school as a time to meet new people and make new friends. To help them settle in we will, therefore, try to place them in a tutor group with someone that they already know. To help in this process, please detail in the attached survey the names of four children that your child knows and would wish to be with. We will do our best to ensure that s/he is paired with at least one of these four students. If you are unable to give a range of alternative names, then it may not be possible to ensure that your son/daughter is paired with a friend. The names you offer will not be treated in a preference order. If the form is returned after the due date your child may not be placed with children named on this form. Please submit the form in promptly to avoid disappointment. It may be that your son/daughter is the only child coming from a primary/ junior school or is in a school where a very small group of children are coming to Wellsway. If this is the case please do your best to indicate the names of children we could pair your child with. We will be aware of your circumstances and will do our best to place your child sympathetically.
May 2021 Year 7 Team Building Event Dear Parent and Carer, We are hoping to be able to continue with our plans to run a team building event for all Year 7 students on Monday 13th September 2021. As our students join us from many partner primary schools, this provides an excellent opportunity for students to make new friends and to learn the important skills of teamwork. This is always a very successful and enjoyable event where many students achieve things they didn’t know they were capable of. Depending on government guidance students will either visit the Wild Place Project where activities include orienteering; bubble football and the Animal Experience or the team building day will be held on site at Wellsway School and activities will include a climbing walk, inflatable obstacle course and brush craft. Further details will be available once your child has started at Wellsway, but if you would like your child to be included in this event, please complete the appropriate question on the questionnaire linked to this email. Students already in receipt of Pupil Premium funding can request financial support to fund this trip. Yours faithfully Mrs L Joseph Head of Transition
Free School Meals/Pupil Premium
DID YOU KNOW … registering your child for Free School Meals brings the school extra funds that
may help your child directly?
So … please help the school help your child to be successful.
Are you eligible for Free School Meals? You may be – check the eligibility list below.
If you are eligible – PLEASE REGISTER NOW
Why is it important?
Registering for Free School Meals is easy, totally confidential and will help us support your child
through extra resources. It doesn’t mean your child actually has to have free meals but we would
urge you to seriously think about this. Your child will be able to access a choice of hot (or cold),
nutritionally balanced meals each day and this could make a real difference to your weekly shopping
budget.
How does it work?
If you are eligible and you register, the school is given extra money – it is targeted at helping children
achieve their full potential. The more who register, the more money the school will receive. This is
called Pupil Premium and helps us with targeted intervention, one-to-one tutoring, adapting
timetables and much more.
Who is entitled to Pupil Premium Funding?
In addition to those currently in receipt of Free School Meals, your child may also benefit from Pupil
Premium if you answer ‘yes’ to any of the questions below.
Has the child been Is the child part of
Have you claimed Free adopted from the the armed forces
Is the child a Looked
School Meals within care or left the care Pupil Premium
after Child?
past 6 years? of the Local scheme?
Authority?
What else do we do with the funding?
Most recently, we have worked with parents and carers to:
• Help with the cost of school visits
• Support music tuition
• Subsidise or meet the cost of after school and out of school activities
• Arrange one-to-one tutoring
No one needs to know you have registered; it does not affect any other benefits you may be
claiming. Don’t be put off registering. There is a real benefit to you and your child if you do this.Do you qualify?
This letter explains the eligibility criteria and how these may apply to you.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Children are entitled to receive Free School Meals if they or their parents or guardians receive any of
these benefits:
• Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income not exceeding £7,400
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit, and have an annual
household income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
• Working Tax Credit 'run-on' – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks
after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• The Guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
What do you do next?
If you believe your child is entitled to Free School Meals, please visit the Free School Meals page via
www.bathnes.gov.uk , e-mail FreeSchoolMeals@bathnes.gov.uk or phone (01225) 394317; you may
not even need to complete a form. Remember to also complete the appropriate question in the
questionnaire linked to this email so we can ensure all students entitled to Pupil Premium receive
the appropriate support during their time at Wellsway School. Do not hesitate to contact us if you
are not sure, we are here to help you get the support your child is entitled to.
If your child currently attends a primary school in another local authority and is already in receipt of
free school meals, you must contact the B&NES Free School Meals team as above otherwise we will
not receive confirmation of your child’s eligibility.
Please act now to make sure your child doesn’t miss out!
To enable us to provide the appropriate support for your child, please tick the relevant box on the
attached questionnaire to highlight your child’s Free School Meal/Pupil Premium status.
Page 2 of 2May 2021
Dear Parent/ Carer
OUR AIM IS FOR OUTSTANDING ATTENDANCE FOR EVERY STUDENT
Our whole school attendance figure is 96.1% for the academic year 2019/20. This excellent level of
attendance is because we have successfully launched a new attendance initiative to help students
meet our high expectations for attendance and punctuality. Research has shown that regular
attendance and good punctuality are crucial factors in students achieving their full academic potential
and we are committed to providing a full and efficient education to all and encourage all students to
strive for excellence.
We wish to work in partnership with parents and carers and so are seeking your full support in
ensuring that your child attends school every day and on time. If you ever experience any difficulties
ensuring they attend regularly, then please contact myself or your child’s Head of House so that we
can support you.
The target attendance figure for all students is 98% attendance which means no more than 4 days of
absence per year.
Green Group Lowest Risk. Striving to meet or exceed academic targets
98% - 100% With 98% A student has still missed 4 days of education across an academic
year.
Yellow Group Concern. Risk of underachieving and missing GCSE targets.
95% - 97.9% 95% means a student misses 8 days of education across an academic year.
Amber Group Increased Risk of Underachievement.
93% - 94.9% 93% means a student misses 13 days of education across an academic year.
Pink Group Severe Risk of Underachievement
90% - 92.9% 90% means a student is missing 3.5 weeks of education across an academic
year.
Red Group Extreme Concern. Student's risk of underachieving is increased.
89.9% or below. This is the equivalent of one whole year of learning out of five years missed.
There are a number of important steps that you can take to ensure that your child maintains a high
level of attendance:
Ensure your child attends every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn. Registration begins at
8.45am. Students should be on site no later than 8.40am. Students arriving after 8.45am will be
marked late and may receive a detention. Students arriving after 9.30am and the close of registers will
be marked absent.
Ensure the school has up to date addresses and telephone numbers. We will contact you if your child
is absent and you have not contacted the school. It is essential that you respond to this for
safeguarding purposes. If we have not received a reason for absence after two days and your child has
been absent from school, we may make a home visit or inform the police.If your child is ill, contact the school absence line (0117 916 1030) or notify us on the ‘Report Absences
Page’ of the school Insight Parent Portal before 8.30am on the first day and any subsequent days of
absence and provide an explanatory note / medical documentation on his/her return.
If no contact is received regarding the absence, it is recorded as unauthorised. Ultimately the school
is responsible for deciding if the absence is acceptable or not. Only genuine absence will be authorised.
You may be asked to provide medical evidence if your child has a poor attendance record.
Ensure where possible medical appointments are made outside of school time. If a medical
appointment in school time is unavoidable. Students should try to attend school before their
appointment or afterwards: a whole day should not be missed.
Absence such as ‘missing uniform’ or ‘buying new shoes’ will not be accepted as a reasonable absence.
Holidays in term time will not be authorised. Any leave of absence request can only be agreed by the
Principal in advance and only exceptional circumstances will be considered. You may receive a Penalty
Notice from the Local Authority if you take unauthorised leave of absence in term time.
Thank you for working in partnership with us to achieve the highest possible levels of attendance and
punctuality at Wellsway School.
Yours faithfully
Jenny Lodge
Attendance Improvement Officer
Page 2 of 2INSIGHT Portal I would like to introduce you to a system that Wellsway School use to give you immediate access to all the important information we have about your son or daughter’s progress in school, called Insight Portal. Using this system will give you secure, online access to view your child’s data 24 hours a day via PC, laptop, tablet or smart phone. How does it work? Insight Parent Portal is a secure on-line system which means that you are able to log onto the website using your email address and password to access up to date information about your child’s progress in school. Through a number of screens, you will be able to see at a glance, information about attendance, attainment and behaviour and access all school reports on-line. Parent/Carer accounts have the ability to authorise and notify absences, change personal details, book parents’ evening appointments and make option choices. For this reason, we recommend that you keep your username and password secure and do not share them with your children. Separated parents who do not live with their child will also have access to the Parent Portal through their own account. Students can access their own accounts using their normal school usernames and passwords, issued when they start at Wellsway School. Attendance and Absence Notes Insight Portal is designed to be a convenient way for you to monitor your child's attendance. If your child has been absent because of illness you can use Insight to notify us of the absence on the 'Report Absences' page. However, if you would prefer to telephone the school, this option is still available. You can also notify the school of planned absences, for example for future medical appointments. Please note, it is not possible to request holiday absence through Insight Parent Portal as family holiday must not be taken during term time. Contact and SEN/D Details It is very important that the information we hold about students’ contact information in case of emergency is up to date and accurate. Using the Insight Parent Portal, parents and carers will be able to check the information held about their child and send an update request with any updated information. If your child has any special educational needs you can use the Insight Parent Portal to check our record of these. School Reports All of your child's school reports will be available via the portal, not just the latest one. You will be able to view the reports on-line, print them or save them to your own computer. You will be notified by e-mail when new reports are available. Paperless reporting not only reduces our carbon footprint but, generates significant savings for the school, enabling more money to be spent on teaching and learning. Nevertheless, the option of receiving paper copies will still be available to parents and carers preferring this method. Homework The Insight Portal also provides the facility to see homework tasks that have been set, check when they are due and monitor your child’s completion of them. Your support in helping your child organise their time and ensure that deadlines are met is a valuable contribution to their success.
Parents' Evening and Options Appointments for parents' evenings can be made and amended through the Insight Portal. The system will allow you to see the availability of your child's teachers on Parents' Evenings and select an appointment time that suits you. If I already have an older child at Wellsway School If your Year 7 child currently has a sibling at Wellsway School there is no need to do anything as your username and password will remain the same. You will notice that your Year 7 child has been automatically linked with their older sibling. If for any reason this has not happened, please email us at insight@wellswayschool.com How to access Insight Please visit the school website: https://wellswayschool.com and click on the 'Insight' link at the top of the home page. Your username to access Insight will be the email address that we hold on our system for you. Please enter this and then click on ‘Don’t know your password’. Insight will then generate a password and send directly to your email. It is important that we hold an email address for you as this is what we will use to contact you. Please note that your Insight account will not become active until the day your child starts at Wellsway School. If you need to update any of your details, please let us know by emailing insight@wellswayschool.com. When logging in with this password for the first time it will prompt you to change your password to a more memorable word. An Insight user guide can be found on our school website under the Parents & Carers Area/INSIGHT Portal. We hope that you will find this system helpful and informative. Yours faithfully Data & Communications Team
Catering at Wellsway school
At Wellsway School we use Cashless Catering.
Cashless Catering is a computerised system which removes the need for cash being taken at the till
point, allowing for quicker serving times. Parents and carers credit their child’s online account. The
system recognises each individual student, holds individual cash balances, records cash spent and cash
received, and records details of items purchased.
On the first day of term, your child will be required to register for Cashless Catering. At this stage each
student will have finger image registered. This will enable them to purchase food from our school
dining hall and other food outlets on the campus.
Please indicate on the attached survey if you give consent for your child to have their finger image
registered at Wellsway School.
The system scans certain points of the finger and creates a mathematical representation. It is this that
is compared with each scan. There is no way that the system can be used to recover a finger image as
it does not store a copy. Please take time to read the Frequently Asked Questions included in this
pack.
PIN option
If you would prefer your child to be issued with a PIN (Personal Identification Number) rather than
have her/his finger image registered, please note this clearly on the consent form. In this case your
son/daughter will be issued with a PIN on the first day of term.
Adding funds to your child’s account
At the end of Term 6 you will be sent a letter detailing your access code. You will need an access code
in order to set up your child’s account.
After you have received your access code you will be able to access your online account here:
https://www.scopay.com/wellsway?redirect=true
This link will allow you to set up online payments.
- Minimum on-line top up value is £10.
- Maximum daily spend has been set at £5.
This limit can be decreased or increased by request, please e-mail zest@wellswaymat.com. There is
no need to use up the balance by the end of term as any balance on your account will automatically
carry over to the next term.
What happens if my child does not have enough funds?
There is a balance checking machine located in the Lansdown foyer just outside the dining hall for your
child to check their account balance at any time, out of lessons, to ensure there is enough funds for
their purchase.
Developing confident, respectful and successful young peopleIf there is not enough for lunch, your child can obtain a permission slip from student support for the
value of £2.50 to be spend on a lunch time meal deal. When you credit their account our catering
team will redeem the funds, this will show online as "redeem deposit".
Free School Meals
The system works in exactly the same way for all students, including those entitled to a free school
meal. The amount allocated for the free school meal will be added to the student’s account by the
software daily. Parents or carers can add extra funds to their child’s balance using the online-payment
system, Tucasi, to enable a greater daily spend than allocated by their free meal allowance, or for use
on break time snacks.
If you have any queries please e-mail zest@wellswaymat.com
Mrs Claire Mansri
Catering Operations Manager – Zest Catering
Developing confident, respectful and successful young peopleWellsway School: Home School Agreement:
At Wellsway School, we are committed to ensuring that students in our care develop into confident, respectful and successful young people. We can achieve this by
working in strong partnership with families.
Our Home School Agreement sets out a clear and transparent framework for our school community and its families to work together to support the young people in our
care, so we can ensure that all students succeed: academically, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
School – staff and governors Families – parents/ carers Students
We will: We will: We will:
• Ensure effective teaching and learning • Ensure children arrive to school on time, every • Be ready to learn every lesson by:
challenges and enables students to reach their day, properly equipped to learn and in correct o bringing necessary equipment
full potential. uniform, in line with our Attendance and o wearing correct school uniform
• Provide an inclusive environment where all Uniform Policy. o being punctual to every lesson
students feel safe and understand how to stay • Actively support children in undertaking o submitting homework on time and
safe. homework and work missed through absence. completed to a high standard
• Treat students fairly and with respect, • Actively support the school in promoting its o acting positively and immediately on
modelling mutual respect for all members of values and encourage children to be respectful feedback
the school community. and kind and aware of the effect their o contributing fully in all parts of a lesson
• Encourage and empower students’ behaviour can have on others. o working effectively without direction
independence by teaching them how to learn • Support the school’s rules and disciplinary when required
so they leave engaged, well prepared and procedures, understanding that we will always o working to my best.
confident lifelong learners. do our best to act in a student’s best interest. • Behave appropriately and respond to staff
• Foster personal moral values and respect for • Attend consultation and relevant information requests quickly and without question.
others and an understanding of how to be evenings. • Listen patiently when others are talking.
happy and healthy and thrive in the modern • Inform the school of any changes in home • Speak respectfully and politely to everyone
world through personal, social and health within the whole school community.
circumstances that may affect a child’s welfare
education. • Show respect for other students’ learning and
or ability to learn.
safety.
• Maintain effective communication with • Inform the school promptly of any change of
• Respect the school environment and do not
families, keeping them informed of their child’s home contact details. drop litter
progress and attendance and respond promptly • Ensure all communication with the school is • Meet all school expectations regarding
and professionally to contact from families. respectful and constructive. behaviour and conduct.
Developing confident, respectful and successful young peopleWellsway School Term Dates 2021/2022
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May 2022 June 2022 July 2022
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Developing confident, respectful and successful young peopleBiometric FAQs
Finger Image Registration FAQs
Page 1 of 3Biometric FAQs
What is BioStore?
BioStore is the central database which will be located within the school, and will store the
information which identifies students uniquely to the cashless catering system. Each student will be
registered by placing a finger on a fingerprint scanner.
Why use Finger Image Technology?
Students cannot borrow or steal credentials from each other. Queues are reduced, because the rate
of identification of students is faster. Students need no longer carry cards, remember PIN numbers,
or use cash to buy a meal.
Finger imaging systems save time and money for both school and students because the need to
replace lost cards and forgotten passwords is eliminated.
Does BioStore record images of individual fingerprints?
BioStore does not store images of fingerprints on its system, and never will. Only mathematical
representations of certain points of a finger image are recorded, typically between ten and sixty
depending on the characteristics of the finger. This mathematical data is encrypted and is called a
template. The data is extremely secure in its encrypted form, and even if it were not encrypted it
would be impossible to recreate the original fingerprint image from the stored data.
Is it possible to recreate a fingerprint from the data stored by BioStore?
No, the BioStore system only stores a short string of encrypted numbers, not enough data for the
original print to be reconstructed.
How secure is the stored data? What would happen if somebody stole it?
The BioStore database is protected by a licence key, meaning that the database and any backup of
its contents can only be accessed on licensed hardware. The hardware is stored in the school’s own
secure facility, so that the encrypted data is only available to the registered licensee. Even if a
school’s security were to be compromised and a backup of the database stolen, the encrypted data
would still be unreadable, even by another school.
Page 2 of 3Biometric FAQs
If I lose my bank card then it can be replaced. But I can’t replace my finger. If
a template is stolen, have I lost my identity forever?
The simple answer is no. The fingerprint template stored in the database is merely a string of
encrypted numbers. If this string of numbers were to be removed from the database, it would be
useless, because it cannot be recognised as a fingerprint. A fingerprint scanner checks for a real
finger – it does not recognise a string of numbers.
Could the police or a court of law use the fingerprints stored in a BioStore
database?
BioStore does not store fingerprint images. The recorded templates are comprised of a set of
numbers which represent each person. This set of numbers will be unique within populations of
hundreds, or a few thousands, of people. However, in a wider population the system is not accurate
enough for the templates to be usable for forensic matching with any degree of certainty. A court of
law would not be able to use this information as evidence.
What happens about twins, or someone who has hurt their finger?
Even identical twins have different fingerprints, and will not be mistaken for each other by BioStore.
Occasionally someone’s fingerprints may deteriorate because of exposure to some chemical
products, and sometimes temperature changes can cause reduction in fingerprint quality. However,
a cut finger would not cause any problem for BioStore, unless it resulted in major disfigurement.
Is there any alternative for students who are unable to provide biometric
data for some reason, such as a disability?
Alternative identification methods can be used where students are unable to, or would prefer not,
to provide biometric data.
If I object to my child being fingerprinted, what will happen?
The school will issue any student who wishes to opt out of the biometric system with an alternative
method of identification.
Page 3 of 3Taking and use of images
We are proud of our learning at Wellsway School and enjoy sharing the successes of our students
and staff. We do this within our school and trust using digital and print displays and in the wider
community via our newsletter, on our website and social media. We also believe positive coverage
of the school in the local and education press is an important means of celebrating the work we do.
For this reason, we sometimes take photographs and video of students. On some occasions, we will
send images to local media outlets or invite them in to film or photograph activities. Students may
also be interviewed/recorded/photographed by the media, education providers and researchers, or
by their hosts when on educational trips and visits.
We would like your consent to take images of your child, and use them in the ways described above.
If you’re not happy for us to do this, that’s no problem – we will accommodate your preferences.
Why are we asking for your consent?
You may be aware of the General Data Protection Regulations. To ensure we are meeting the new
requirements, we need your consent to take and use photos of your child. We value using photos of
students so we would appreciate you taking the time to give consent.
We will contact you at the start of Term One for you to submit your choices for taking and use of
images for your child.
If you change your mind at any time, you can let us know by emailing
enquiries@wellswayschool.com or calling the school on 0117 9864751. If you have any other
questions, as always please get in touch.
We know families also like to photograph or video their children’s successes at school; for example
at plays and performances or award presentations. It is important that any images are for personal
use only and are not shared online or via social media.
Developing confident, respectful and successful young peopleSchool Uniform Policy
For review by the Assistant Vice Principal: Student Support
Approved by the Academy Governance Committee
Date of last review: July 2020
Date of next review: March 2022
Developing confident, respectful and successful young people 11. Introduction
1.1. It is our School policy that all children wear School uniform when attending School, travelling to
and from School or when participating in a School-organised event outside normal School hours.
We provide a complete list of the items needed for School uniform in this policy, in the essential
information for Year 7 parents and new in-year admissions.
2. Aims and Objectives
2.1. Our policy on School uniform is based on the notion that School uniform:
promotes a sense of pride in the School
engenders a sense of community and belonging towards the School
is practical and smart
identifies the children with the School
prevents children from coming to School in fashion clothes that could be distracting in class
makes children feel equal to their peers in terms of appearance
is regarded as suitable wear for School and good value for money by most parents.
3. The School Uniform
3.1. The uniform must be worn by all students in Year 7 to 11.
3.2. Whenever the School uniform is worn, it must be complete and not mixed with non-uniform
clothing. This includes when travelling to and from School, at which times the uniform must be
worn.
3.3. School uniform expectations during lesson
Students will adhere to the School uniform policy during lessons. If the weather is hot
then students may be allowed to remove blazers. This is only if the teacher deems this
appropriate.
Teachers will ensure uniform expectations are adhered to at the start and end of each
lesson.
3.4. School uniform expectations at Break Time and Lunch Time
Students will adhere to the School uniform policy, including wearing their blazers at all
times, if they are in or around the main School buildings. If students are involved in some
form of physical activity in an open space then blazers may be removed.
3.5 School uniform expectations when students leave the School site at the end of the day
At the end of each day all students will adhere to the School uniform policy when they
are leaving the School site or in close proximity to the School. Staff on duty at the end of
the School day will challenge students who are not meeting the School’s uniform
expectations when they leave the School premises.
3.6 Items marked with an asterisk* must be purchased from the uniform supplier, Scholars, the
School’s official uniform supplier.
Developing confident, respectful and successful young people 23.7 Students can choose to wear either School Uniform A or School Uniform B. Both uniforms can
be seen in our Example Uniform document.
3.8 School Uniform A:
House Tie – Wellsway School clip-on tie in House colour
Blazer – Dark green with School logo embroidered onto pocket
White shirt (roll-neck pullovers or coloured/patterned T-shirts may not be worn under the
shirt)
Trousers - Black. Please see Trouser Guidance document on the school website for a list
of the only acceptable styles. Students are not permitted to wear leggings, shorts, cargo
pants, or fashion trousers of any kind
Plain black formal leather flat shoes (no trainers, no ballet pump style shoes. no boots, no
suede shoes, no daps and no canvass shoes). Examples on appropriate plus non-compliant
shoes available on the school website.
Optional:
Jumper – Dark green, V-neck, long sleeve, only to be worn under blazer not instead of the
blazer
Belt - Plain black with a discreet plain buckle or clasp
3.9 School Uniform B:
House Tie – Wellsway School clip-on tie in House colour
Blazer – Dark green with School logo embroidered onto pocket
White shirt (roll-neck pullovers or coloured/patterned T-shirts may not be worn under the
shirt)
Trousers or skirt - Please see Trouser Guidance document on the school website for a list
of the only acceptable styles. Students are not permitted to wear, leggings, shorts, cargo
pants, or fashion trousers of any kind. Skirts must be worn to the knee.
Skirt*
Black/dark-grey socks
Tights - Black or opaque
Plain black formal leather flat shoes (no trainers, no ballet pump style shoes, no boots, no
suede shoes, no daps and no canvass shoes)
Optional:
Jumper – Dark green, V-neck, long sleeve, only to be worn under blazer, not instead of the
blazer
Belt - Plain black with a discreet plain buckle or clasp.
3.10 It is important that students know the kit requirements in P.E. and any specific requirements
for individual activities (i.e. gumshields/shinpads). P.E. lessons will take place in every
changing weather conditions and it is therefore vital that all students are appropriately
dressed in order to do so.
The following outlines the P.E. kit required by students during lesson time at Wellsway.
Items marked with an asterisk* must be purchased from the uniform supplier, Scholars, the
school’s official uniform supplier.
Developing confident, respectful and successful young people 33.11 PE Kit
Compulsory
Wellsway polo shirt*
Wellsway shorts or skort*
Wellsway hockey socks*
Wellsway rugby shirt (black and green)*
White trainer socks/ankle sports socks
Sports trainers (not astro, skate boarding or daps i.e. Converse)
Football boots (Boys)
Gum shield
Shin pads
Optional
Wellsway fleece top*
Black tracksuit bottoms
Black skin type layers (only black will be permitted).
4 Weather
4.1 During term 6 students may elect to wear their white shirt, tucked in, with sleeves rolled up above
the elbow and blazers may be removed.
4.2 During periods of excessively warm weather/temperatures, the school may:
4.2.1 Declare at the start of the school by notice from the Principal that ties may be removed.
A sign to make students aware will be put up outside Student Support and a message
given to students in tutor time at the start of the day.
4.2.2 In extreme heatwave conditions the school may allow students to wear Wellsway School
PE kit instead of school uniform.
4.3 During periods of excessively cold weather/temperatures, students may wear a plain white tee
shirt or vest underneath their regular shirt/blouse. In the eventuality of snowy/icy conditions,
students may wear suitable/appropriate shoes/ boots to school.
4.4 Students and parents will be informed of these temporary changes to the regulations in 4.2 and
4.3 along with the applicable dates via the schools regular communication channels.
5 Head Scarves or Dupattas
5.1 Head Scarves or dupattas, if worn, must be black or white.
6 Hats, Scarves, Gloves, Hoodies, Coats and Jackets
6.1 Hoodies are not part of our uniform code. They are not to be worn, to and from, or at the school
at any time. Students who arrive at school in these garments must anticipate having them
removed for the duration of the day. Please do not send your child to school dressed in any
Developing confident, respectful and successful young people 4garment, which resembles a hoodie of any description this includes hoodies with or without, a
zip.
6.2 A smart coat or jacket may be worn to and from School. Any logo must not be excessive. Hats and
scarves may also be worn but extreme styles will not be permitted.
6.3 Coats and jackets made of leather or denim are not acceptable.
6.4 Outdoor clothes are not to be worn during lessons or in the dining area.
7 Make-up and Jewellery
7.1 Discrete personal make-up will be allowed on students.
7.2 Students will be asked to remove any make-up identified. This includes nail varnish, eye make-up,
lip-stick, glitter etc.
7.3 Students are not permitted to wear jewellery at School (including rings and bracelets). The
exceptions to this rule are that students may wear a single stud in each ear; small objects of
religious significance, such as a crucifix on a chain and a wristwatch may also be worn.
7.4 Jewellery as a result of any facial piercing (including tongue piercing) or any other form of body
piercing is not acceptable. Taping over a facial piercing, covering it with a plaster, or using ‘clear’
jewellery is not permitted.
7.5 No false nails or “gels” nail polish may be worn.
7.6 Hair accessories must be black, navy or white.
7.7 No tattoos are permitted.
8 Hair
8.1 Hair must be kept tidy. Extremes of length or style (as determined by the Principal) are not
permitted.
8.2 Hair must be natural coloured.
8.3 Minimum length: Number 2 cut.
8.4 A skin fade haircut is allowed when the top half of the head is cut to a minimum length of a
Number 2 cut.
8.5 Facial hair must be trimmed so that it is tidy.
8.6 Other styling: Parents must ensure that their child avoids unconventional styles. The School
reserves the right to insist on re-styling if it considers the style inappropriate.
8.7 Shaved patterns in hair or eyebrows are not permitted.
Developing confident, respectful and successful young people 58.8 The Principal may grant exceptions to any of the above, but only where this is required as a matter
of sincere religious observance and where this can be substantiated by a letter from the leader of
the relevant religious community.
9 Sixth Form Dress Code
9.1 Sixth Form students are expected to dress appropriately for the task of learning and membership
of Wellsway School. A smart appearance is therefore expected of all students in the Wellsway
community.
9.2 Staff are entitled to engage with students over their appearance. They will inform Heads of Year
and/or SLT where there are individual concerns over what is suitable within the framework of the
Sixth Form dress code.
9.3 The demands of particular religious beliefs are taken into account.
9.4 The dress code for Sixth Form students is as follows:
General
Footwear in good condition and suitable for the context of Wellsway School.
Conventional jewellery / earrings with no facial (with the exception of a small nose stud)
and no visible body piercings
The following should not be worn
No revealing clothes, including crop tops or low-cut shirts / blouses / t-shirts
No tops with slogans which may be regarded as offensive, aggressive or out of place in a
school context
No short dresses. Skirts must be to a mid-thigh length
No beach-wear or sports shorts. Shorts must be tailored, and to a mid-thigh length
No flip flops or high heels
Jeans can be worn but have to be smart
No headwear, including baseball caps
9.5 Students are expected to follow this code and to participate in regular reviews or the code.
9.6 Smart wear must be worn by all students, male and female, for occasions when students are
representing the School e.g. Open Evening, Reception Duty at Parents’ Evenings.
9.7 Please note that the spirit of the code is important. All Sixth Form students should dress in such
a way as to bring credit upon the School.
10 The Role of Parents
10.1 We ask all parents who send their children to our School to support the School uniform policy.
We believe that parents have a duty to send their children to School correctly dressed and ready
for their daily Schoolwork. One of the responsibilities of parents is to ensure that their child has
the correct uniform, and that it is clean and in good repair.
Developing confident, respectful and successful young people 610.2 If any parent would like the School to modify the uniform policy, they should make
representation, in the first instance, to the Principal. The School welcomes children from all
backgrounds and faith communities. If there are serious reasons, for example on religious
grounds, why parents want their child to wear clothes that differ from the School uniform, the
School will look sympathetically at such requests.
10.3 It is essential that all items of uniform are marked with your child's name as the School does not
accept any responsibility for any lost items.
11 Student Non-Compliance
11.1 In line with the guidance from the DfE teachers can discipline students for breaching the School’s
policy on appearance and uniform. This will be carried out in accordance with the staff guidance
accessible on the school website. Students who arrive at school and are not complying with this
policy, must anticipate being given replacement uniform and/or shoes, being isolated or, in
some cases, being sent home to change.
11.2 In making a decision about what constitutes acceptable uniform and appearance, the decision
of the Principal and the Leadership Team is final, binding and without question.
11.3 The Principal, or a person authorised by the Principal, may ask a student to go home briefly to
remedy a breach of the School’s rules on appearance or uniform. When making this decision the
Principal will consider the student’s age and vulnerability, the ease and time it will take, and the
availability of the student’s parents. This will not be recorded as a fixed term exclusion but as an
authorised absence.
11.4 If the student continues to breach uniform rules in such a way as to be sent home to avoid
School, or takes longer than is strictly necessary to effect the change, the pupil’s absence may
be counted as an unauthorised absence. In either case the student’s parents must be notified
and the absence should be recorded.
11.5 When considering excluding a student for breaches of the uniform policy then this will be in line
with the legal requirements for exclusion.
12 The Role of Governors
12.1 The Academy Governance Committee supports the Principal in implementing the School
uniform policy. It considers all representations from parents regarding the uniform policy and
liaises with the Principal to ensure that the policy is implemented fairly and with sensitivity.
12.2 It is the governors’ responsibility to ensure that the School uniform meets all regulations
concerning equal opportunities.
12.3 Governors ensure that the School uniform policy helps children to dress sensibly, in clothing that
is hardwearing, safe and practical.
13 The School Supplier
13.1 The School supplier is Scholars. The address for Scholars – Bath Outlet Shop is 4 Terrace Walk,
Bath, BA1 1LN.
Developing confident, respectful and successful young people 7The telephone number for Scholars is (01225) 462206.
13.2 Parents can visit the parents’ online website to order uniform authorised by the School. The link
is: http://scholars-uk.com/index.php
13.3 Once logged in, parents can purchase any uniform authorised by School.
14 Monitoring and review
14.1 The Governing Body monitors and reviews the School uniform policy through;
Listening to the views of parents, to ensure that they agree with and support the policy
considering, with the Principal, any requests from parents for individual children to have
special dispensation with regard to School uniform
requiring the Principal to report to the governors on the way the School uniform policy is
implemented.
14.2 This policy will be reviewed every two years by SLT and led by the Assistant Vice Principal:
Student Support.
14.3 This policy will be approved by the Academy Governance Committee.
14.4 Date when policy was last approved: July 2020; for implementation from September 2020.
14.5 Date when next review is due: March 2022.
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