Year 7 Information Booklet 2020

Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School Year 7 Information Booklet 2020 ‘Where tradition and excellence combine’



We are very happy to welcome you and your daughter to Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School and we hope your years of association with the school will be both enjoyable and stimulating. The following notes are intended to be helpful to you. Please keep them for future reference. USEFUL CONTACTS Headteacher: Mrs A Scully Deputy Head (Student Welfare): Mr R Green Deputy Head (Curriculum and Standards): Mr P Pollard Assistant Head (Pastoral Care and Guidance KS3 and KS4): Miss H Blaskett-Foord Senior Academic Lead: Mr A Mason Academic Lead (Year 7): Mrs M Buckley Pastoral Manager (Year 7): Miss C Bradbeer Telephone Number: (01227) 463711 Timings of the Day: Start of Day 8.45 am End of Day 3.25 pm SLGGS E-mail Address: [email protected] SLGGS Absence Email Address: [email protected] SLGGS Website: www.langton.kent.sch.uk Please contact your daughter’s Form Tutor to help with day to day queries you may have. Miss Bradbeer, Pastoral Manager, will be able to assist with urgent or more serious matters. THE FIRST DAY TRAVEL TO SCHOOL If your daughter is not using one of the direct buses, please make sure she knows where to queue in the bus station. On arrival, buses stop right outside the school. If she is being brought by car, we request parents to use the Park & Ride facility at the top of Old Dover Road; there is a drop-off and collection point and parents will not be charged for the short time this will involve. Students can then walk down Old Dover Road to the school. This is an attempt to stop the high volume of slow moving traffic in Old Dover Road at peak times of the day. The Highways Agency has requested that we ask this of parents. Parents are NOT PERMITTED to drive into the school or park in the bus lay-by when delivering students in the morning or picking up at the end of the school day. DURING THE DAY On the first day, students should come into school through the main doors into the entrance hall; they will all congregate in the School Hall and be welcomed by Mr Green, Miss Blaskett-Foord, Mrs Buckley, Miss Bradbeer and their Form Tutor. The first morning will be spent getting to know the school and each other. Students will receive bus passes if appropriate. The only requirements for the first day are:

1. Writing materials (and maths equipment) 2. Money on Parentpay for cafeteria lunch OR a packed lunch 3. PE Kit We encourage your daughter to carry a reading book with her and she may wish to bring something to eat and drink at breaktime. In the afternoon students will have their first lesson and will leave school at 3.25pm. Please make sure that your daughter is absolutely clear as to her travelling arrangements for the homeward journey. If you are collecting your daughter by car, please observe the same parking procedure as in the morning and tell your daughter exactly where you will be. (Please also discuss with your daughter a ‘plan B’ travel arrangement). HOUSE SYSTEM We have a House system at the Girls’ Langton which promotes the spirit of community and competition amongst our students, so encouraging the development of the Langton Ethos which is of paramount importance to us. Students are allocated to one of our six Houses: Austen, Curie, Fonteyn, Johnson, Nightingale and Pankhurst. SCHOOL PLANNERS Your daughter is given a school planner at the beginning of the year, in which she can record key information, including her homework timetable. It is important that you know what homework your daughter has and by when it has to be completed, so that you can help her be organised. Each week please sign your daughter’s school planner to confirm she is completing her homework. TIMETABLE The school day starts at 8.45am and ends at 3.25pm. There are five teaching periods during the day, each lasting 60 minutes. Breaktime is at 11.05am and lasts 20 minutes. Student have a lunch break of one hour. HOMEWORK For many, this will be a new experience and usually requires careful overseeing until a good working pattern has been firmly established. All students are provided with a planner in which they are to keep a record of homework to be done and will be provided with a homework timetable. Please notify your daughter’s Form Tutor or her Academic Lead, Mrs Buckley if there are any problems. MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES Our students learn a combination of two of the three modern foreign languages taught, French, German and Spanish. The six Houses offer different combinations of these three languages. As a school we see no advantage in studying any one of these languages in preference to the others. However, we understand that for a minority of our parents and students there may be a wish to study one language in particular, due to family ties and background. All students will learn two languages in Key Stage Three, studying one in Year 7, with the second introduced in Year 8. Either or both of these languages may be continued to GCSE at the end of Year 11 and, of course, on to A-Level in the Sixth Form. If your daughter has an older sibling already at the Girls’ Langton, she will be placed in the same House as her sibling. Should you and your daughter have a specific language preference, please indicate this to us in writing to [email protected] by 1st June 2020.

UNIFORM We greatly rely on the support of all parents in order to maintain our uniform policy. Regulation uniform for Years 7-11 is: Blazer* Compulsory braided trim monogrammed navy school blazer Skirt* Compulsory tartan box pleat skirt OR Trousers Compulsory regulation navy trousers Shirt White blouse with revere collar Jumper* Monogrammed dark navy maroon trimmed v-necked school jumper (optional) Coat Navy/black winter coat Socks Navy, black or white socks or natural, navy or black tights – over the knee socks are not permitted Shoes Flat/practical leather shoes in black or navy, Ankle-high Kickers are acceptable (Ballet-style shoes/pumps are not permitted, ‘Leather look’ plimsolls and trainers are not permitted) * Items are specific to this school and are only obtainable through the uniform supplier, Price & Buckland at www.price- buckland.co.uk. Please place all uniform orders by 9th August 2020 to guarantee delivery before the start of the new term. School uniform should be worn appropriately at all times when in school or representing the school. Navy or black scarves, hats, gloves and leather boots may be worn to and from school, but must be removed in the school building. ALL UNIFORM MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR DAUGHTER’S NAME PE KIT Navy blue tracksuit bottoms (optional)* Large blue kit bag, drawstring or holdall* Navy Aptus polo shirt with lion logo* Short white socks Navy Blue skort* and/or Navy shorts* Laced sports trainers/Football boots Navy hockey/football socks with white tops* Shin Pads Navy sports leggings printed with ‘SLGGS’* Mouth Guard Navy blue hoodie* House Colour t-shirt* * Items are specific to this school and are only obtainable through the uniform suppliers, Ambition Sport www.ambitionsport.com or Barnums Schoolwear in Herne Bay. The polo shirt, skort, shorts, hoodie, leggings, tracksuit bottoms and kit bag will be supplied with your daughter’s initials printed on them. ALL PE UNIFORM MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR DAUGHTER’S NAME ON THE INSIDE LABELS. Students will be made aware of their form/house allocation on the Induction Day, and therefore which house colour t-shirt they will need to purchase. Ambition Sport have their warehouse open during the school summer holidays and are happy for you to go and try on items and collect any orders. When ordering please include the initials you require along with your daughter’s name to avoid any complications. Friday 9th August 2020 is the final date for orders to be placed to guarantee delivery before the start of the new term. Orders can either be collected from Ambition Sport’s warehouse or posted to your home address via Royal Mail for a fee. All items of PE kit must be brought into school on the first day of every term. ALL PE KIT MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR DAUGHTER’S NAME JEWELLERY REGULATIONS No jewellery is preferred. Where jewellery is worn it remains the responsibility of the students at all times and the following regulations should be noted: 1. Earrings – must be small unobtrusive, plain colours. No more than two per ear lobe and ears should match. All earrings must be removed for PE. No other form of pierced body jewellery is permitted in school. 2. Rings and Badges – A single discreet ring or appropriate badge may be worn.

3. Necklaces and bracelets – should not be worn. Those with genuine religious significance may be worn but they should not be visible. Inappropriate jewellery will be confiscated and returned at a later date. Parents may be asked to collect confiscated items. HAIR Hair should be worn neatly, without the addition of coloured braids, in a natural colour and in a manner that is safe and suitable for the workplace. MAKE UP Students must NOT wear any noticeable make up, nail varnish or acrylic nails at school. RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL ITEMS/EQUIPMENT 1. Oxford School Dictionary (published by Oxford University Press) 2. Foreign Language Dictionary for the MFL your daughter will be studying: Collins French School Dictionary and Grammar/Collins German Pocket Dictionary or Collins Spanish Pocket Dictionary 3. Pocket Calculator (scientific calculator). A pocket calculator is an essential item of equipment for secondary school students. It is used to aid and enhance the teaching of many areas of Mathematics and as a calculating aid in subjects such as Science and Geography. The students are taught how to use their calculators correctly in Year 7 and we strongly recommend that each student has her own scientific calculator so that she can familiarise herself with the various keys and functions. Because the calculator is used not just as an aid to arithmetic calculations but also to investigate other areas of mathematics it is practical for all students to use the same model. The Mathematics Department considers that the Casio FX 83GT PLUS is the ‘best buy’ and this is the model now used by the majority of the students at Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School. As with all personal equipment brought to school, your daughter’s calculator should be clearly marked with her name and we suggest that you keep a note of the make, model and serial number. 4. Dry Wipe Pen (for Mathematics + other subjects) 5. Science/Art Overall – Navy blue Science/Art overall – clearly name labelled 6. Apron for Food Technology, ideally a plastic coated apron – clearly name labelled 7. Padlock for locker – shank diameter 5mm – 8mm recommended. All Year 7 students are allocated a locker near their form rooms for their books, coat and PE Kit 8. Pritstick/Gluestick THE SCIENCE/ART OVERALL, FOOD TECHNOLOGY APRON AND OTHER PERSONAL BELONGINGS SHOULD BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR DAUGHTER’S NAME NON UNIFORM DAYS Non-uniform days are an excellent way for the school to raise money for our chosen charities and a source of enjoyment for our students. The expectations of dress for non-uniform days are as follows. Students should not wear very ‘short’ shorts, vests or tops which expose their midriff. Fishnet tights or high heels should not be worn and jewellery expectations remain the same as any normal school day, particularly with reference to any facial piercings. No make-up is preferred but if worn, should be very discreet. Students will be expected to remove excessive make-up, this includes nail polish. Should a student fail to comply with these expectations then the normal school sanctions will be applied. Please can I also remind you that your daughter should bring in £1 for charity and give this to her Form Captain/Form Tutor at the beginning of the day. We want our students to enjoy non-uniform days but they are still school days. MOBILE PHONES Students may bring mobile phones into school but they must be switched off at all times in lessons, form time and assemblies, unless students have been given specific permission by their teacher to use them for an educational purpose. Guidance on mobile phones can be found in the school behaviour and online safety policies. The school cannot accept responsibility for mobile phones that go missing nor does it have the resources to conduct investigations into misplaced or stolen phones. Students are not permitted to use any camera features and should be advised of the possible complications of using social media.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Although the school maintains a register of special educational needs, the amount of information passed to us from primary schools may not produce a complete picture. We would be pleased to receive any details of particular needs your daughter may have in this respect. Please complete the SEN Information Sheet in the admissions pack in the first instance or contact Mrs McLellan, SEN Administrator, by email via [email protected] to discuss this further. MEDICAL NEEDS Please let us know on the Admission Form if your daughter has any particular needs, requiring support from the school. Students who need regular medication (e.g. in case of migraine or asthma) are requested to lodge their tablets and/or spare inhaler at the Student Support Centre. Please ensure that they are clearly marked with your daughter’s name. PARENTS’ MEETINGS AND REPORTS During the first school year there will be an Information Evening in September and a chance to meet with your daughter’s form tutor during Term 2. Your daughter will receive a written report during the academic year, with monitoring reports at regular intervals. SCHOOL LUNCHES The school has a cafeteria system. Currently, the cost of a main meal and pudding (excluding drink) is £2.60. Students will be able to make a selection from both hot and cold menus. Cashless Catering – The school operates a cashless catering system for the school meal service. You will be provided with a log-in registration letter for ParentPay before your daughter starts in September. KCC will inform us if your daughter is eligible for free school meals. The Cashless Catering System will then, on a daily basis, automatically allocate £2.60. Students with free meal entitlements remain anonymous at all times as all account types are accessed in the exact same manner regardless as to whether paid for or not. NB. Any monies not spent from the daily free meal allocation will not be carried over to the next day. Further information can be found on the school website. LUNCH HOUR AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES We expect all Year 7 students to participate in at least one of these. Clubs and activities for the last academic year have included: Art Athletics (Summer Beginners Brassies Big Bang (Science) Biology Club Term) Computer Code Creative Writing Dance Debating Drama Club Electronic Microbit Film Society Football Guitar Group Gym Club Hockey Homework Club Jazz Band Junior Choir Lego MFL Choir Mindfulness Club Musicals Club Netball Orchestra Percussion Club Robotics Club Rock & Metal Society Sax Group Soul and Funk Band Stress Busting Touch Rugby Ukulele Club Wind Ensemble TRANSPORT BUSES If your daughter is entitled to a bus pass and if you have made the appropriate application before mid July, she should receive her bus pass in school during the first morning. Bus drivers allow new students to travel free in the first week, but we would advise that your daughter has the bus fare in case it is needed. CARS Parents are NOT PERMITTED to drive into the school or park in the bus lay-by when delivering students in the morning or picking up at the end of the school day.

MUSIC – INSTRUMENTAL & SINGING LESSONS Individual music lessons are available at the school on all orchestral, band and popular instruments as well as singing. Lessons take place during the school day on a rota system; this means that the lesson is at a different time each week. The school has a number of wind, brass and string instruments which can be hired in the first year of lessons and we have access to various bursary and trust funds to assist where lessons or instrument use would otherwise be financially impossible. Parents who would like advice with their daughter’s musical development (including transition to a new school, instrument purchase or starting a new instrument) are warmly encouraged to contact the Director of Music, Mr Burvill via [email protected] If you would like your daughter to have individual music lessons, further details are available on our school website (www.langton.kent.sch.uk), together with the application forms, which should be completed and returned to Mr Burvill, Director of Music as soon as possible. SCHOOL FUND The School Fund is invaluable in helping to support our students’ wider education, as it helps to cover costs such as team travel, lecturers’ expenses, school events, prizes, minibuses, clubs and assisting individual students. We are very pleased and extremely grateful to have a positive response from parents to this voluntary fund, which is now mostly collected by Standing Order, through the Gift Aid Scheme. Please contribute if you can as this ensures that we can cover these additional expenses throughout the year. Any surpluses are placed on deposit in a special fund from which we finance more expensive items from time to time, such as minibuses. School Fund and Standing Order forms are enclosed in the admission pack. SCHOOL VISITS We believe that through a carefully planned educational visit, students can acquire first-hand knowledge which complements the classroom experience. The visits are arranged to ensure that the impact upon class time is minimal. The school also seeks to keep the costs requested for travel in any one year to a minimum. The finance office is able to assist families who find it difficult to contribute to trips. SICKNESS IN SCHOOL Any student who is sick must report to the Student Support Centre first – she may then be sent to the medical room for recovery, but if illness persists we ring parents to have her taken home. If there is nobody at home, please leave us a telephone number where you may be contacted during working hours – see Admission Form. On the rare occasion of severe illness or injury a student would be taken by ambulance to hospital, but it is essential that parents have a fail-safe arrangement for us to contact a responsible person in an emergency who will go to the hospital and take over responsibility. ‘Fortitude’ is to be encouraged, but students should not be sent to school if they are clearly not well enough. ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL SICKNESS Parents are asked to telephone the school on 01227 463711 or email [email protected] before 8.45am on the first day of illness, and every day thereafter to report the reason for the absence. DENTIST AND DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS The appointment card, brought to school and shown to staff in the Student Support Centre in advance is sufficient. ABSENCE Students should not be taking any holidays during term time, particularly in examination years, as there is a very strong correlation between absence and lower attainment. Amendments have been made to the 2006 regulations in the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013, which now state that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time, unless there

are exceptional circumstances. Any absence requests for ‘exceptional circumstances’ must be put in writing, including specific dates, and addressed to the Headteacher for approval, giving as much advance notice as possible. If permission is granted, your daughter will be responsible for finding out from the staff who teach her beforehand what work will be missed. Work must be made up as soon as possible after any absence. Attendance for all students is routinely monitored, recorded and declared to Kent County Council. In the event that attendance is irregular and unauthorised, the school may issue a Penalty Notice, in line with guidance from KCC and the 1996 Education Act. A PARTNERSHIP We hope and believe that your daughter will be happy and successful during her years with us. This will best be achieved through a close working partnership between you, the school and your daughter. Your daughter should read our ‘Code of Conduct’ (a copy is also included in student planners), which is a brief statement devised by the students themselves of what we expect. The vast majority of students find this a helpful guide to being a member of the community and adhere to the code of conduct. It is understood that parents in seeking admission here, agree to the school’s approach to behaviour and discipline. There is a further statement of Behaviour Policy and Practice available for consultation by parents if desired. SIMON LANGTON GIRLS’ GRAMMAR SCHOOL – STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT As a student of this school you must:  Walk quietly around the school, keeping to the left on stairs and corridors.  Be punctual for registration and lessons, and arrive equipped with all appropriate materials.  Behave in a thoughtful and considerate way and ensure everyone is treated with respect.  Carry your ‘community card’ with you during the school day.  Care for the school environment and not create litter.  Not eat or drink during registration, lessons or form periods or in the corridor.  Only drink water in lessons and not take hot food out of the canteen.  Look smart and wear the appropriate uniform.  Hand homework in at the time and place designated by the class teacher.  Not participate in bullying of any kind or for any reason (including online ‘cyber-bullying’).  Follow the mobile phone policy and keep your phone away during lesson time unless directed by your teacher.  Remember that you are a representative of the school even when you are not on the school site and uphold the expectations of the school in public. Full behavioural expectations can be found in the school’s behaviour policy. HOW TO RAISE CONCERNS OR TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SCHOOL IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS We would like you to tell us about it. We welcome suggestions for improving our work in school. Be assured that no matter what the problem is, our support and respect for you and your daughter in school will not be affected in any way. Please tell us of your concern as soon as possible. It is difficult for us to investigate properly an incident or problem that happened some time ago. WHAT TO DO FIRST Most concerns and complaints can be sorted out quickly by speaking with your daughter’s Form Tutor or the Assistant Head for their Key Stage. Any teacher or member of the administrative staff can put you in contact with the right member of staff. All staff will make every effort to resolve your problem informally. They will make sure that they understand what you feel went wrong, and they will explain their own actions to you. They will ask what you would like the school to do to put things right. Of course, this does not mean that in every case they will come round to your point of view, but it will help both you and the school to understand both sides of the question. It may also help to prevent a similar problem arising again.

WHAT TO DO NEXT If you are dissatisfied with the initial response, or you do not want to discuss the matter informally, you can make a formal complaint. The School’s complaint procedure is on our website or can be obtained from our administration team. TERM DATES 2019/2020 ACADEMIC YEAR 1st September 2020 STAFF INSET DAY – NO STUDENTS 2nd September 2020 Year 7 & Year 12 students ONLY 3rd September 2020 All Year Groups TERM 1 2nd September 2020 – 20th October 2020 TERM 2 2nd November 2020 - 18th December 2020 TERM 3 4th January 2021 – 12th February 2021 TERM 4 22nd February 2021 - 1st April 2021 TERM 5 19th April 2021 – 28th May 2021 TERM 6 7th June 2021 - 22nd July 2021