Q: When is the 2024 start date for Year 7?
A: Students start school on Thursday 5th September 2024.
Wednesday 4th September is an inset day.
Q: What happens on the first school day in September?
A: On the first day you need to arrive at school no later than 8:30am and then make your way to the canopy (where you gathered on your induction day). Your Form Tutor and Head of Year will meet you there and then you will be taken to your form room. You will then spend an hour with your Form Tutor and Tutor Group. During this time, you will be given your timetable which you will then follow for the rest of the day.
Q: Should students bring my PE kit to school on the first day?
A: On the first day you will receive your timetable and you will follow this throughout the day, however you will not be required to bring your PE kit.
Q: How are tutor groups decided?
A: Before students visit us for their induction days, we liaise with primary schools so we can best place them in the correct tutor group. We make sure that each student is with at least other student from their primary school unless advised by the primary school. If your child is the only student from their primary school but knows another student within the cohort, please inform Miss Faulding via the transition email no later than 1st April. Once the tutor groups have been formed, after a very lengthy process, these are final. Each tutor group will have a tutor who will get to know each student very well. They are your first port of call if you are having any problems that you need to talk about and will also celebrate any successes with you too.
Q: What do students do for lunch?
A: During your child’s first week with us, Year 7 are dismissed early from lesson 3 in order to have their lunch, whilst other year groups are still in lesson. This will then revert back to the normal timetable in the second week. This allows the Year 7 students to get into a routine at lunchtime, whether that is buying their lunch from the canteen or one of our two pods situated outside or finding somewhere to eat their packed lunch.
Q: My child is eligible for free school meals; how will the school canteen know?
A: If your child is entitled to free school meals, they will automatically receive a daily meal allowance of £2.60 added to their account each day. If not spent, it does not rollover to the following day.
If you wish to apply for free school meals, please contact Derbyshire County Council. If you are eligible, Derbyshire County Council will inform the school to allow us to update our records.
Q: How do I set up a ParentPay account (cashless payment system)?
A: Parents/Carers will be issued with a letter detailing account login for their child. You will receive this letter in the post, prior to your child joining us in September.
We operate a cashless system in school which means money can be loaded onto ParentPay accounts or students can bring in cash to load onto the revaluation machine at school.
We strongly encourage you to set up your ParentPay account as this will also be required for payment of trips, equipment etc., throughout your child’s five years with us.
Q: Can my child’s thumb print (for use in the canteen) be used by any other agencies?
A: No, the software we use turns your child’s finger/thumb print into a mathematical algorithm. The image of the finger/thumb print is then discarded. The information stored cannot be used to recreate an image of the child’s finger/thumb print.
Q: What happens if my child is unwell throughout the school day?
A: If you child starts to feel unwell during the school day, they need to report to Student Services. They will be checked over and then you will be contacted where necessary to come and collect your child. Students must not ring home themselves to say they are unwell.
Q: Can my child bike to school?
A: No. With the school situated on a busy main road, we do not allow students to bike to school for safety reasons.
Q: How much homework will my child get?
A: Your child can expect to receive regular homework. On average they should get a couple of pieces of homework per night, Parents/Carers/Students can log in to Class Charts to view all homework set with deadlines. You will receive your Class Charts login once students join us in September.
Q: What Modern Foreign Language will my child learn?
A: We are committed to inspiring our students to develop their knowledge, understanding and love of other cultures through the Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) programmes of study. We expect most students to choose a language to study as one of their GCSE courses and so we would like them to have an element of choice in this language as they progress through the school.
Students will be taught in tutor groups (7J,F,C,S,A or R) and will study either French and German OR French and Spanish. The second language they will be taught will depend on the tutor group they are placed into, and the member of staff allocated to them.