 |
The Brakenhale School |  |
||
| Home | About Us | Teaching & Learning | Beyond the Classroom | ||||
 |
||||||
| Parents' A-Z | ||||||
|
You are here:
About Us > Parents' A-Z |
||||||
Attendance, Absence and Punctuality Students are legally required to attend school every day and should only be absent in real emergencies. If your child is not in school they must have a justified reason and you should contact the school on the first day of absence. You should also provide a letter on their return to school to explain the reason for their absence. You are strongly advised not to take holidays during term time. If your child has to take time off school for a family holiday you must fill in a Holiday Request Form in advance and return it to Student Reception. If your child has a dental or doctor's appointment or other reason to leave the school during the day, they will need to bring a letter from you giving the details. Your letter must be counter-signed by your child's Tutor as evidence that it has been seen by the Tutor. Students leaving the school site during the school day must sign out and back in at Student Reception. Punctuality is a very important part of self-discipline and is essential to good time management. Your child should always make sure they are in school on time and in the appropriate classroom at the appropriate time.
Return to top of pageThe Brakenhale School aims to be a safe and secure learning environment in which all members of the community are respected and able to reach their potential. We are firmly against bullying and the negative effect it has on all parties involved. Brakenhale has adopted the Kidscape definitions of bullying, which identifies the following
as bullying behaviour: Every student has the right to receive their education free from humiliation, oppression and abuse. Bullying affects everyone, not just the bullies and victims so at Brakenhale we have formulated our own anti-bullying policy with procedures for staff, students and parents to follow if such an incident should occur. Any accusations of bullying are taken very seriously and are investigated by the appropriate members of staff immediately.
Return to top of pageAt Brakenhale we expect all students and staff to behave both in class and around school. This is called Behaviour for Learning and is designed to support learning for all and is based on mutual respect for all members of the school community. Expectations for behaviour are displayed in classrooms and clearly explain what is expected at all times: Respecting Ourselves
Respecting Others
Respecting Property
Return to top of pageBreak and Lunchtime Arrangements Students are expected to remain in school from 8.40am to 3.05pm, and all are given opportunities to stay until 4.15pm. Food is provided at break and lunchtimes in the canteen. Return to top of pageThe Brakenhale School believes that all students have the right to feel safe, both in the school and with the people they interact with. The school aims to support students' development in ways which inspire security, confidence and independence. We have a comprehensive child protection policy which applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in the school. We follow the procedures set out by the Area Child Protection Committee and take account of guidance issued by the Department for Education and Skills. There are five mains elements:
Return to top of pageLetters and Newsletters are sent home to parents throughout the school year. Most communications are sent home via the students. Copies of communications can be downloaded from this website: We use ParentMail to send out notices of a routine nature and to inform parents when new documents are made available on this website. If you are a parent of a Brakenhale student and would like us to keep you informed via ParentMail emails then please complete the attached form and hand it in to us at school. Return to top of pageBracknell Forest Local Authority proposes to deliver its first Diplomas from September 2010. All secondary schools in Bracknell Forest, together with Bracknell & Wokingham College, have indicated that they would like to be involved in delivering aspects of the Diplomas. Information about Diplomas is available from the following websites:
Return to top of pageEvidence suggests that many students excluded from school never get back into mainstream education and therefore it is only used in extreme situations or when other alternatives have been considered. At Brakenhale there are two types of exclusion: Fixed Period Exclusion Permanent Exclusion Return to top of pageYour child's Form Tutor will support them in all aspects of school life, with work, relationships with others and with any personal matters. If you child has any problems at school they should talk to their Tutor first and they will be able to help them or advise them where to go to seek help. Return to top of pageHomework is arranged in a timetable at the start of the year to ensure that each student is able to set the correct amount of homework each week. It is important for all students to be able to work independently at home to further their own learning. Homework is an extension of work done in lessons and therefore is expected to be of the same quality. Parents, students and staff work together to ensure that homework is completed well and on time. To ensure that all parties understand this responsibility the school has a 'Home School Contract' to be signed at the start of the academic year that cements the agreement on homework. Homework is monitored by a student planner system involving parents and tutors. Return to top of pageIllness, Accidents and Medicines If your child feels unwell or has an accident they should tell a teacher straight away. Normally they will be sent to Student Reception where they will be taken care of. If they are too ill to remain at school or if hospital treatment is necessary then the school will contact you to make suitable arrangements. Students must not leave the school premises without permission. If your child needs to take any medicine whilst at school you must write a letter to their Tutor and the medicine must be handed in to Student Reception. The only exception is an inhaler for asthma. Return to top of pageLost property should be handed in to the Student Reception. If your child loses something please enquire at the Student Reception. Return to top of pageIn order to promote effective teaching and learning during lessons and throughout the school day, Brakenhale does not permit the use of mobile phones at school, including during break and lunchtimes. If you have an emergency and need to contact your child, you should phone the school reception on 01344 423041 and the school is then responsible for giving the message to the student. Similarly if your child needs to contact home, they can do so by going to Student Reception. Students found with a mobile phone on the school premises will have their phones confiscated. It is then locked away by the school and can be reclaimed by parents making an appointment to see the Headteacher at an agreed time and date. Appointments are made via the Receptionist on 01344 423041. Refusal to hand over a phone when reasonably requested by a member of staff will result in school behaviour sanctions being implemented. Return to top of pageAt Brakenhale we take the responsibility of educating and caring for your child every seriously. The care and welfare of our students starts with the Form Tutor. The Form Tutors work very closely with their Heads of Year. Parents can contact Form Tutors or Heads of Year if they wish to discuss any issues. The Form Tutor is the main link between home and school. Return to top of pageThe school and site is designated as a No Smoking Site on the grounds of health and safety and promoting positive attitudes with young people. This policy applies equally to all employees, students, parents, visitors and users of the school building and site. Students found to be smoking on the school premises will result in school behaviour sanctions being implemented. Return to top of pageThe Student Planner contains all the information that parents and students need for the school year. Students record details of their lesson timetable, homework timetable and other activities in their Planner. The Planner should be used to both record homework set and note when it is completed. It is a valuable source of information and communication between home and school. Return to top of pageThere are 2 Target Setting Days in each academic year. Parents are expected to meet with their child's Form Tutor on Target Setting Days. The first Target Setting Day is held at the beginning of the year. The aim of the day is to set targets for the year for all students so that together, with parents, we can help students achieve as high a grade as possible in all subjects. The second Target Setting Day is held towards the end of the year to review progress. Reports are issued to parents at different stages through the year, according to year group. A Parents' Evening is held for each year group during the year. The purpose of these evenings is to provide parents with an opportunity to meet with their child's subject teachers and to discuss progress. Return to top of pageTerm dates are published at the beginning of each year. A printed copy is sent home via students and it is also available from this website: Return to top of pageStudents are not allowed to bring any valuables to school for health and safety reasons. This includes personal stereos, mp3 players, computer games etc. Money should be kept on their person at all times and not left in coat pockets or bags. Large amounts of money should not be brought into school. Students may wear a watch and a small earring but no other jewellery is permitted due to health and safety issues. The school does not accept any liability for loss or damage of personal possessions. Return to top of page |
||||||
Student Holiday Request Form
|
||||||||
| Learn - Achieve - Succeed |
|
|
|
|
|
|||