Robert Clack School Welcome Pack Year 7 2021 - Forti Difficile Nihil

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Robert Clack School Welcome Pack Year 7 2021 - Forti Difficile Nihil
Robert Clack School

  Welcome Pack
   Year 7 - 2021

      Forti Difficile Nihil
   For the brave nothing is difficult
Robert Clack School Welcome Pack Year 7 2021 - Forti Difficile Nihil
A message for Parents/Carers and Students

Dear Student,

Congratulations on securing your place at Robert Clack School. I am
sure you will settle in quickly and enjoy your time at secondary school.
This booklet will help you understand what happens on a day-to-day
basis in your new school as it will be very different from primary school.
Using this booklet in the summer holidays before you start will really help
you feel more positive about this big step into secondary school. We look
forward to you joining our school community in September.

Dear Parent/Carer,

Moving from primary to secondary school is an exciting and significant
milestone in a child’s life. This booklet is designed to give you and your
child some useful guidance and information to help make this transition
as smooth as possible. The first section of the booklet will give your son or
daughter information about Robert Clack School which will help them on
a day-to-day basis. Please go through this with them to help them
understand the differences between primary and secondary school. The
second part of the booklet contains information designed to help you
understand the transition period and what you can do to help as a
parent/carer. Thank you in advance for your help and support during
this period and throughout your child’s time at Robert Clack School.
Robert Clack School Welcome Pack Year 7 2021 - Forti Difficile Nihil
Contents

For Students
    Your new school
    Finding your way around school and the school day
    Subjects and form class
    Inter-form competition
    School uniform
    Ready for school
    Extra-curricular activities
    You must remember

For Parents/Carers
         How can I help as a parent/carer?
         What is different about secondary school?
         Tips for parents/carers
         School planner
         Contact the school; attendance; punctuality
         Parentpay; free school meals
         Important dates

                          For Pupils
Your new school

Now you know you will be attending Robert Clack School in September it
is a good idea to find out as much information as you can before you
start.

What is the name of the Headteacher? _______________________________

How many sites does Robert Clack School have? ______________________

Name the sites: ______________________________________________________

Which site will you be going to? _______________________________________

Who is the Head of your site? _________________________________________

What time does school start? _________________________________________

What time should you wake up in order to arrive at school on time? _____

How will your school day start? ________________________________________

How many lessons are there each day? _______________________________

If you are going to an after-school club, what must you do? ____________

Make sure you know how you will be getting to and from school. Discuss
this with your parents or carers.

How will you be travelling to school? __________________________________

If you had to catch a bus to school, what number bus do you need? ____

If you are walking to school, who will you be walking with? _____________

Finding your way around
It can be difficult to find your way around a new school. When you start
Robert Clack School in September you will be provided with a map
which will help you find your way around. You must keep this safe and
use it every day – until you get the hang of things!

You might want to mark the following places on your map on your first
day and colour them in so you can spot them easily:

Reception
The Head of Year office
The toilets
The canteen
The sports centre for PE

The school day

At Robert Clack School the school day is split up into 3 different lessons.
Students should arrive at school no later than 8:40am
  • 8:45am - 9.00am         – Students in form rooms for registration
  • 9.00am - 10.40am        – Lesson 1
  • 10:40am - 11:00am       – Breaktime
  • 11:00am - 12:40am       – Lesson 2
  • 12:40pm - 1:20pm        – Lunchtime
  • 1:20pm - 3.00pm         – Lesson 3

Subjects

Every week you will study the following subjects:
   • English                          • Music
   • Maths                            • Art
•   Science                       •   Design Technology
   •   MFL                           •   Food Studies
   •   History                       •   ICT
   •   Geography                     •   PE/Games
   •   RE

How many subjects will you study? ___________________________________
How many lessons will you have each week? _________________________
Which subject are you most looking forward to? ______________________

Form class

On your first day you will be introduced to your form tutor and taken to
your form room. You will see your form tutor every morning. They will
play a very important role during your first year at Robert Clack School.
They will give you your timetable and a planner which you must look
after. The planner will help you find out all the important information you
will need. Every weekend your parents or carers must check and sign
your planner.

Every Monday morning you will spend period 1 with your form tutor
before going to assembly with the rest of your year group to celebrate
the successes of students in year 7.
Inter-form competition
At Robert Clack School our form groups compete against one another
throughout the school year in an inter-form competition with the winning
form awarded a prize in July. Points can often be earned for good work
or behaviour and they are awarded in a weekly assembly. It is possible
to earn points individually or together as a form group in the following
ways:
Pupil of the week – awarded for the overall pupil of the week.
Subject pupil of the week – awarded to a student who has excelled in a
particular subject.
Attendance shield – awarded to the form with the best weekly
attendance.
Word of the week and numeracy challenge of the week – bonus points
awarded for the student who uses the word of the week correctly to the
secret teacher.
Form assembly – as a form group you can sign up to deliver an assembly
on the theme of the week.
Sporting and extra-curricular achievements – read out in assembly.
Charity – As a form you will be involved with various events throughout
the year to help raise money for different charities.
School uniform

The school aims to develop in its pupils a corporate identity. All pupils in
Years 7-11 are expected to be appropriately dressed in school uniform at
all times. We take pride in our school tie and it must be visible at all
times.

Girls Uniform                                  Boys Uniform
Black blazer with school badge                 Black blazer with school badge
Black tailored trousers (6”-8” hem width)      Black trousers (6”-8” hem width)
Black knee length box pleated skirt            White cotton shirt with collar
White cotton shirt with collar                 School tie worn to waist length
School tie worn to waist length                ‘V’ necked black jumper
                                                  (optional)
Plain black or flesh coloured tights           Plain black socks
Plain black socks                              Sensible flat black leather shoes*
‘V’ necked black jumper (optional)
Robert Clack School headscarf (optional)
Silk/Satin scarf, black, no wider than 1 inch
   either side of the hairline; no bows/knots
   to be worn at the front of the head
Hair accessories: small and simple in black, white or red, no metal clasps
Sensible flat black leather shoes*

*No heels or ‘fashion shoes’ eg, platform shoes or ankle straps. Kicker shoes
can be worn in school only if all the stitching and soles are black and any
Kicker tags are removed. We do not allow any boots, Kicker boots,
“Timberland”, “Lacoste”, “Vans”, trainers, plimsolls or canvas shoes.

Uniform can be purchased online from:
https://www.premierschoolwear.co.uk.
The school tie and blazer badge are also available from the school
office.

The following items are NOT PERMITTED in school: baseball caps,
cardigans/tank tops and jewellery, including earrings. Also, extremes in
appearance cosmetically, such as make-up, fake tan, false nails, nail
varnish, shaved lines in hair or eyebrows and unnatural hair extensions or
dye are not allowed. Anything that is not to be used for lessons should
not be in school.
Uniform for Physical Education and Sports

For all students:

•    Robert Clack School rugby jersey in red with blue side panels
     (winter and summer)
•    Robert Clack School black shorts with school crest
•    Robert Clack School red polo shirt with school crest (summer only)
•    Black silk/satin scarves can be worn to protect hair during contact
     sports, which must be tied tightly at the back of the head
•    Long plain red football socks
•    Training shoes (no plimsolls)
•    Rugby/football boots (compulsory for girls and boys)
•    Towel and change of underwear
•    Shin pads and gum shields are required for (all sports including
     hockey, football and rugby
•    Optional for cold weather lessons – Robert Clack School black
     tracksuit bottoms with school crest

Please note all PE kit is available to buy from Premier Schoolwear

Additions (optional)
•    Cricket whites (for those selected for the school team)
•    Black rugby shorts with Robert Clack School logo (available at
     Premier Schoolwear)
Ready for school

 Make sure you have a strong waterproof bag for school. This will make
 sure your books, equipment and belongings are safe and well kept.
 You must have the equipment shown below every day in school and be
 presented in the correct uniform:

    School Bag             Correct Uniform             Hair/make-up
• Books for the day      • Top button               • A sensible haircut
• School planner           fastened                   with natural colours
• Pencil case with       • Shirt tucked in            only
  black pens,            • Tie done up              • Boys hair: No 2 or
  pencils, rubber,         covering the top           above
  colouring pencils,       button and down to       • No shaved
  ruler, sharpener,        the waist                  lines/shapes in hair
  protractor             • Regulation                 or eyebrows
• Scientific               trousers/skirt           • Headbands must
  calculator             • Skirt to be knee           be plain
• Dictionary               length                     black/blue/red
• Reading book           • No make-up or            • No make-up or
• PE kit if needed         jewellery, including       false tan or nails, or
                           piercings                  nail varnish
                         • Black leather shoes,     • Robert Clack
                           black soles                school
                         • Blazer worn at all         headscarves worn
                           times                      safely

 You will be given a planner on the first day of school you must bring this
 in with you every single day as it will be your best tool for organising
 yourself. You must record all your homework and any things you need to
 remember in your planner. When you start, your form tutor will go
 through how to best use your planner.

 You should also bring a reading book with you every day to school.
Extra-curricular activities

There are many different extra-curricular clubs for you to get involved in
at Robert Clack School.

There are sports clubs such as rugby, netball, football, dance,
cheerleading, athletics, cross-country, cricket and rounders. Often you
get the opportunity to represent the school in these sports and students
who regularly attend the club may be awarded the prestigious school
colours.

There are lots of other clubs such as art, ICT, homework club, music,
drama, BBC school report, games, Lego, debate and many more.
When you start in September, we encourage you to try as many clubs as
possible. Make sure you tell your parents or carers that you are going to
a club and what time it will finish. Use the table below to help you
organise yourself.

    Day            Club       What time does     What do I need to
                                 it finish?           bring?
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday
You must remember …

You will have different lessons each day of the week and for different
subjects you will need to remember different things. For example, you
must bring your PE kit for PE and games and you will need to remember
your cooking ingredients for practical lessons in food studies.

Make a list of additional equipment you may need for extra-curricular
clubs you attend.

A good way to help you is to have a table like the one shown below in
your bedroom so you can check you have everything before you go to
sleep.

EXAMPLE

Monday         Tuesday       Wednesday      Thursday       Friday
PE kit         Homework      PE kit         PE kit         Homework
               for English                  Food studies   for maths
               due                          ingredients    due

Always pack your school bag the night before so you don’t forget
anything.
At Robert Clack School, we have high standards and
expectations of our students. As a Year 7 student, you are
  expected to demonstrate the learning behaviours of a
successful student, whilst following and upholding our core
                values. They are as follows:

                    Mutual respect
                Compassion for others
                       Discipline
         High expectations and aspirations
                       Hard work
Our school motto is:
                    For the brave, nothing is difficult.
 But what does it mean to be BRAVE at Robert Clack School?
           We have clear expectations which all students are able to follow:

  Behaviour – we expect students to follow the clear rules and guidelines we have in
        place which allow all students to learn in safe and calm environment
Responsibility – we expect students to be responsible for their own learning by ensuring
they are well organised and prepared for each school day. We also expect them to take
                          responsibility for their own actions.
  Attitude – we expect students to have a positive attitude towards their learning by
  developing a ‘growth mindset’ and being polite and respectful towards the whole
                                 school community
  Virtuous – we expect students to be kind, honest and compassionate towards each
                       other and the wider school community
           Effort – we expect students to try their best in everything they do

  We know that all students are capable of meeting and exceeding our expectations.
   Which, in turn, will lead to happy, successful and hardworking students who can
                      “achieve excellence” at Robert Clack School.
For Parents

How can I help as a parent?
When a child begins secondary school, they will have to cope with a
variety of new experiences and changes, many of which demand skills
and abilities they have not had to use before. Most worries that year 6
students express before they start secondary school are usually gone
within the first few weeks as they settle in. It is important you emphasise
that everyone else will also be feeling nervous.

Organisation is one of the biggest issues students have when starting a
new school. They will have to carry books for different subjects,
remember to bring in their PE kit, food ingredients and homework
amongst other things during each week. In order to help them with this
they will be given a planner to record everything they need. This is
essential for communication between home and school; please
encourage your child to look after it, use it properly and please as
parents/carers, check the planner regularly. You should also sign it on a
weekly basis.

Encourage your child to organise themselves as much as possible as they
will be expected to be independent and self-sufficient. Your child needs
to know that they are responsible for ensuring that they bring the right
equipment to school every day. Reminding them to check their
timetable and planner each evening for they what need at school the
following day will help them to form good habits.

Over the summer holidays give your child the opportunity to read and
discuss a book with you. If you feel the level of book they are reading is
becoming comfortable for them, try to stretch them and introduce more
challenging books. It is also very beneficial to introduce them to
different types of reading materials, such as new articles or film reviews.
The following sections of this booklet are designed to give you an
understanding of the differences between primary and secondary
school and how you can support your child through the transition period.
What is different about secondary school?
As you know
  • Children often have to travel further and some will be making their
    way to and from school independently with many travelling by bus.
  • They will have to wear a new school uniform.
  • Instead of one teacher they will be taught by a range of teachers
    and will also have to get to know other adults who have different
    roles in the school.
  • The site will be much bigger and children will have to find their way
    around, moving from classroom to classroom between lessons
    carrying their belongings with them.
  • They will have a timetable to follow as they will have different
    classes each day of the week.
  • They will be responsible for ensuring they have the correct
    equipment each day and they may be required to write more in
    lessons.

                               Key tasks for pupils:
                    ✓ Packing their bag the night before
                    ✓ Getting up on time
                    ✓ Getting dressed and ready to leave with
                      everything they need
                    ✓ Leaving on time to get the bus or walk
                    ✓ Going straight home after school or
                      informing parents/carers of clubs or any
                      reason they will not be home on time

Tips for Parents
Before your child starts secondary school
   Practice the journey with your child to ensure they are confident
    about making their way to and from school.
   Be sure your child is clear about what time they are expected
    home and what to do if for any reason they are held up.
   Make sure they know/have your contact numbers.
   Work out with your child what time they will need to get up to go to
    school on time. Agree a routine for mornings and after school. We
    advise they get their bag ready the night before.
   Check the uniform requirements including rules regarding haircuts,
    footwear and jewellery.
   Label their school uniform and PE kit. Lost clothing can be easily
    returned if it has their name clearly displayed.
   Ensure their transition work in this booklet has been completed.
    Feel free to support them with their writing pieces in preparation for
    year 7.

When they start secondary school
   Go through the routine regularly with your child and see if anything
    needs to be changed.
   Check the clubs list that your child has been given (this will be
    made available on the school website) and agree what clubs they
    will attend and what evenings they will be home late.
   Have their planner signed on Sunday for the previous week. Go
    through their planner to know what else they will need to bring with
    them each day of the coming week.
   Have an organisation check list that they can go through each
    night along with a copy of their timetable.

School planner
Every student will receive a school planner at the beginning of each
term. This is designed to help planning, organisation and time
management so that homework deadlines are met and students learn
the important study skill of planning ahead.

The form tutor and subject teachers will occasionally write a message or
a comment for students or parents; parents should feel free to do the
same. If correctly used, these student planners provide another
opportunity for parents to keep in contact with the work of the school.
Planners must be brought into school every day and presented at the
beginning of each lesson on the desk.

Planners must not have any graffiti on or in them. All homework tasks or
reminders are to be written in the planner.

Planners must be check and signed by parent/carer at the end of each
week. Pupils who have not had their planner signed by the parent/carer
on the form tutors inspection will be issued with a detention.The planner is
an important tool for tracking detentions. Any detentions over 15 minutes
will require notice and this will be provided via the school planner.

Contacting the School
Each child is placed in a form and each group has a form tutor. It is with
this tutor that contact should initially be made regarding routine matters
via letters or the student planner.

Form tutors are supported by the head of year who has responsibility for
the overall academic and social progress of each child in the year.
All meetings are by appointment and are best arranged by telephoning
the school.

Attendance
If your child is absent
Parents should contact the school by telephone on the morning of the
first day of absence. If your child is absent from school for any reason, a
letter should be brought to their form tutor on their return, explaining the
absence, even if a phone call has been made.
If your child is late
If your child arrives after 8:45am a lunchtime detention will be issued for
that day. If they arrive later than 9:00am they will need to register in the
attendance office because morning registration will have finished.
Late arrival will be recorded in your child’s planner. You should discuss
punctuality with your child and review their morning routine with them if
you need to. An after-school late detention will automatically be given if
your child is late more than twice in a week.

Leaving school during school hours
If it is necessary for your child to leave school during school hours, they
must:
   • Bring a note from their parents/carers which must be signed by the
     form tutor.
   • They must then go to the attendance office to receive a pink slip.
     The pink slip needs to be shown to their class teacher to grant them
     permission to leave the lesson.
   • Whenever leaving the school site the pupil must ensure they sign
     out at the attendance office and show verification of permission to
     leave.

Illness during school hours
   • If your child feels unwell during the day, they must tell their teacher
     or their head of year.
• It is VERY important that every child is in school as much as possible.
    If for some reason they are too ill to attend, parents should
    telephone the school and then send a note when they return to
    school, as per the point above.

In the case of illness within school, the school will contact the emergency
contacts provided upon enrolment – please ensure this is always kept up
to date. You can use the SIMS parent app to do this. You will receive an
invitation to join the app via your email address, therefore please make
sure we have the correct one.

Parentpay and Free School Meals
You will receive a letter from the school which will explain how to
activate your Parentpay account. You must ensure that this is activated
and there is money on your child’s account before school commences
in September.

If your child currently receives free school meals, can you please provide
a copy of your entitlement letter on your child’s first day in school so we
can ensure that our records are completely up to date.

Should you have any queries as to whether your child is entitled to free
school meals, you should log onto the following website for more
information https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/financial-support-for-pupils-and-
students

Please be reminded the Parentpay account used at primary school is
non-transferable and any funds on this account will not automatically
transfer to secondary school; you must request a refund.

Breakfast club
Robert Clack School provide a breakfast club each morning between
8.00am and 8.30am, which is free to those pupils entitled to free school
meals.

Important Dates
The term dates for 2021-2022 are listed below. During the year you will
receive invitations to meet the form tutor evening, parents evening and
presentation evening.
Information is regularly updated on the school website
(www.robertclack.co.uk) and is communicated to parents via the SIMS
parent app and text messages.

     First day of the school year   3rd September 2021
     Half term break                25th-29th October 2021
     Inset Day                      26th November 2021
     Inset Day                      29th November 2021
     Last day of Autumn term        21st December 2021

     First of Spring term           4th January 2022
     Half term break                14th-18th February 2022
     Last day of Spring term        1st April 2022

     First day of Summer term       19th April 2022
     Half term break                30th May-4th June 2022
     Last day of Summer term        21st July 2022
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