Post on 09-Jul-2020
St Thomas More
RC College
Parent Handbook 2020
St Thomas More RC College
is a group of believers united, heart and soul,
in a Community which recognises the
worth and dignity of all people,
its Commitment to developing fully
the talents of all its members,
its Communication of the Gospel values of
peace, love, truth and justice,
its Communion with our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ
Saint Thomas More was filled with the courage of the Holy Spirit and gave his life for his
faith. In our College we strive to live out our Christian ideals and faith because only by
doing that will we grow as a Christian community.
Welcome As Headteacher, I would like to welcome you to St Thomas More RC College. This booklet is a brief
introduction to the range of opportunities on offer in College and provides you with the information
you will need before you join us. We have an experienced, talented and committed staff at our college
who provide a supportive learning environment for all our pupils and we also have an excellent range
of buildings and facilities
There is friendly and experienced teaching staff in the college that work together to support our
Catholic Ethos and ensure that each pupil is enabled to achieve their full potential. We are proud to
be one of the highest performing schools in the Local Authority and the Salford Diocese. The collective
strength of our staff ensures that the ethos and values in our Mission Statement provide all our pupils
with high quality teaching and learning within a supportive environment.
Unfortunately, this year, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and the guidelines from the
Department of Education, our normal transition process has had to be amended and there will not be
a transition day this year for the Year 6s. Even though it is not possible to predict what the school day
and timetable will be like in September, we understand the importance of transition and this booklet
is an overview of the normal school day, routines and our high standards of behaviour and academic
learning at St Thomas More RC College. To help your child feel more confident about starting St
Thomas More RC College, there will be regular updates and news about our College on Twitter
@STM_College and our St Thomas More RC College Facebook page.
Normally, on the first day of school, we will meet our Year 7s in the main hall and they will be collected
from the main hall and escorted to their form rooms by their tutors and peer mentors (more details
to follow on the first day of school). Our peer mentors, teaching assistants and support staff will help
Year 7 pupils settle into life at St Thomas More. To help year 7 familiarise themselves with the cashless
cafeteria system in operation in the dining room, during the first two weeks of school, Year 7 pupils
will be allowed into lunch early. Furthermore, any changes that may occur will be communicated to
you as and when appropriate.
Along with the form tutor, each year has a Pupil Achievement Leader who will support your child
through their life at College. The form tutor and the Pupil Achievement Leader are the first point of
contact for parents who may want to discuss any issues or concerns that may arise.
By working together, we will be best placed to support your child to make the most of their time at St
Thomas More RC College.
Mr H Brophy
Headteacher
Contact Information
College Address
St Thomas More RC College
Town Lane
Denton
Manchester
M34 6AF
Telephone: 0161 336 2743
Fax: 0161 337 9701
General Email
admin@stmcollege.org.uk
Website
www.stmcollege.org.uk
Parents evenings
Parents evenings are held once a year when you have the opportunity to discuss your child’s
progress and development more fully with subject teachers. An appointment system is in
place so that you can choose times suitable to your evening. A letter is sent out in advance
informing you of times and dates.
St Thomas More Experience At St Thomas More we focus on providing an environment where pupils can enjoy and
achieve. All of our pupils matter to us and are treated individually with respect and
consideration. Our aim is to nurture the pupil’s natural talents and skills in order for the pupils
to become confident, high achieving, happy individuals.
The extra-curricular life of the College is rich and varied. St Thomas More offers pupils a wide
range of activities before College or at the end of the College day providing pupils with the
opportunity to meet other pupils and learn from each other in a relaxed atmosphere.
Extra-curricular opportunities at St Thomas More include:
A range of sporting clubs from football and netball to ultimate Frisbee
Leadership awards
Musical instrument instruction
Choirs
Art club
STEM club
Drama club
Reading and creative writing clubs
ICT clubs
GIFT Team
Stewardship
In addition, pupils take part in additional experiences including:
Form time reading
Retreat experiences
Cross curricular events
Trips and visits to support their learning
Reward trips
House System
Sports days and inter-form sports competitions
The College Day
The college day starts for pupils at 8.45am and finishes at 2.45pm
The details of the day are outlined in the table below.
Time Year 7, 8 and 9 Year 10 and 11
8.45 – 9.00 Registration Registration
9.00 – 10.00 Period 1 Period 1
10.00 – 11.00 Period 2 Period 2
11.00 – 11.15 Break Break
11.15 – 12.15 Period 3 Period 3
12.15 – 1.45
Period 4 and Lunch
Lunch 30 mins
12.15-12.45
Period 4
12.15-1.15
Period 4
12.45-1.45
Lunch 30 mins
1.15-1.45
1.45 – 2.45 Period 5 Period 5
All pupils are required to stay on the premises at lunchtime.
All pupils in the College follow a two week timetable. These timetables should be recorded in
the College Log Book. It is always useful to keep a copy of the timetable in a prominent place
at home to help in the early days with organisation. The timetables will be given to pupils on
the first day of the Autumn term. It will highlight the subject, subject teacher and classroom.
Term Dates 2020 - 2021
Autumn Term 2020
Wednesday 2 September - Friday 23 October
[October half-term holiday = 28 Oct to 30 Oct]
Monday 2 November - Friday 18 December
Spring Term 2021
Tuesday 5 January - Friday 12 February
[February half-term holiday = 15 Feb to 19 Feb]
Monday 24 February - Friday 3 April
Summer Term 2021
Tuesday 20 April - Friday 28 May
[Bank Holiday = Monday 3 May]
[May half-term holiday = 31 May to 4 June]
Monday 7 June - Friday 16 July
Inset Days
Tuesday 1 September 2020
Monday 4 January 2021
Monday 19 April 2021
St Thomas More RC College does not encourage parents to take
pupils out of College during term time. Absences for holidays will
not be authorised.
Academic excellence for all We are committed to ensuring that every pupil who joins St Thomas More is not only supported but pushed to achieve the very best they can during their time here. This is guaranteed through excellent transition links so we can build on the many successes achieved in the primary school. It is also reinforced through a rigorous system of tracking and progress reporting that sets challenging targets for every child. Progress is closely monitored to ensure pupils leave with the best possible qualifications.
Ongoing assessment takes place in every subject area at the end of each half term through a controlled assessment and formally through the year 7 examinations at the end of the year. Parents will receive tracking reports every term following the controlled assessments and a written report following the end of year exams.
Reports will include an Attitude to Learning score of 1-4 (as described in the table below). This indicates how well your child applies themselves to their learning.
Attitude to Learning
1. Always
Always enthusiastic to learn and make progress
Always communicates effectively with others
Always works independently
Always shows resilience when completing tasks
2. Usually
Usually enthusiastic to learn and make progress
Usually communicates effectively with others
Usually works independently
Usually shows resilience when completing tasks
3. Sometimes
Sometimes enthusiastic to learn and make progress
Sometimes communicates effectively with others
Sometimes works independently
Sometimes shows resilience when completing tasks
4. Rarely
Rarely enthusiastic to learn and make progress
Rarely communicates effectively with others
Rarely works independently
Rarely shows resilience when completing tasks
Curriculum On entry to St Thomas More RC College, pupils are placed into form groups under the care of
a form tutor. There is a Pupil Achievement Leader who is responsible for each year group. The
college has well-established links with our feeder primary schools and the programme of
integration enables smooth transition from primary to secondary phase.
Pupils are placed into their form groups after consultation with their primary school teachers.
The forms are made up of an equal mix of pupils of all abilities. Pupils are taught in these form
groups throughout Year 7 for most subjects. However, in Mathematics, Science and English
pupils are organised into sets within two parallel bands based on Key Stage 2 data and internal
assessments. National Curriculum guidelines are followed in all subjects. We provide a broad
and balanced curriculum. We challenge the most able pupils through effective setting of
groups from year 7-11 and through differention.
Inclusion and Support St Thomas More is an inclusive College that meets the needs of all pupils in always striving to
support and challenge them to achieve their potential. We are proud to have achieved
Advanced Inclusion Award which reflects our success in meeting the needs of all our pupils at
every level of ability. Support is provided at different levels according to need. At present this
is offered in class, by individual tuition and by withdrawal in consultation with subject
teachers. A Special Education Needs Policy including screening and assessment has been
developed in line with the Code of Practice for pupils with special needs. We want to ensure
that each child has access to any support they are entitled to and so positive links have been
established with all our feeder primary schools and specialist services.
Home Learning
Home learning is a recognised tool for supporting and enhancing pupil progress. Your child will receive regular home learning tasks throughout their time with us.
At St Thomas More we use an online package called Show My Homework. This tool enables teachers to set home learning online and for pupils to access this information online. Your child will be issued with instructions on how to access Show my homework (SMHW). They will log in by computer and in many cases will download the app for use on their smartphone. The app is particularly useful as it provides the pupil with a daily to-do list as well as sending morning alerts reminding them of the home learning that is due that day.
Parents are also able, through their own log-in, to monitor the home learning tasks which have been set and when they are due to be submitted. SMHW also enables parents to see if a pupil has missed a deadline.
Log in details will be issued to pupils and parents at the start of the year.
Parents are asked to log-in to SMHW immediately when their details arrive. This enables parents to monitor home learning from the outset and to teach their child the vital skill of time management. It also allows us at St Thomas More to identify parents who have not logged in and to offer help.
We are able to support access to SMHW and completion of homework. This is achieved through ‘Period 6’, and after school study session made available to all pupils from 2.45pm until 3.45pm in the CLC and in room 41.
If a pupil has a problem accessing SMHW then they should speak to their form tutor immediately.
The frequency of home learning can change according to the college curriculum structure. A typical year 7 frequency is to receive home learning every week in all subjects with the exception of Computing, Art and Music where it is set every two weeks and in PE where no home learning is expected.
The Log Book The log book is an important communication tool. It contains details about the College day, timetables,
our core standards and pages for communication between home and College.
Communication between parents/
carers and College is made on these
pages.
Parents/carers can inform College of
any issues and/or confirm they have
read comments from staff.
The log book must be signed each
week by the parent/carer.
Subject teachers will inform
parents/carers of achievements,
behaviour and any particular issues
in a specific subject area.
Attendance and Punctuality Attend and Achieve
Attendance at St Thomas More is very important. There is a very clear link between attendance and attainment.
We expect 100% attendance.
We expect pupils to arrive on time every day.
Parents / carers positive attitudes towards attendance and punctuality have a lasting impact on the child.
Absence
Parents/Carers should telephone College before 9.00am on the first morning of an absence. If no communication is received College will contact home. If a pupil is absent for longer than 3 days parents/carers should contact College again. On return to College please provide a note in the log book for your child’s form tutor. Pupils will always be expected to catch up on the work they have missed. Lateness
All pupils arriving after 8.45am are late. Pupils arriving after 8.45am and before 9.00am should go straight to their form room to register. Pupils arriving after 9.00am must sign in at the attendance office. Pupils who receive a late mark may be placed in detention that same evening. Parents will be notified of this by text message. Leaving College early
Pupils attending medical appointments etc. need a note in their log book from their parent/carer and they must be signed out at the College office. A signature from the form tutor and Pupil Achievement Leader is needed before a child is allowed to sign out of college. Pupils must be collected by a parent/carer. Sickness
Pupils who feel ill during the College day should report to the college office who will refer them to their Pupil Achievement Leader if appropriate. The College will then contact the appropriate parent/carer. Any pupil leaving the College must be collected by their parent/carer and signed out. St Thomas More does not have a nurse on the premises and can only deal with relatively minor first aid issues. Medication needed during the day may be left with the main office and parents are required to complete consent forms. Holidays
Holidays should not be taken during term time. St Thomas More will not authorise absence from College for holidays.
Our CORE Standards
St Thomas More RC College expects high standards to be maintained at all times. The rationale behind the CORE standards is to allow all members of our community to learn, feel valued and be safe. Our CORE standards are:
We respect all members of our community
We wear our full college uniform
We are fully equipped for learning
We respect our college environment
Our mobile phones/electronic devices/headphones are never seen or heard Our CORE standards are displayed in all classrooms. Every member of staff is expected to be proactive in ensuring our CORE standards are maintained. Photographs
Digital images of pupils are regularly taken as part of their learning at St Thomas More. If you agree to
your child being photographed please inform the College by completing and returning the parental
consent sheet enclosed with this booklet.
Uniform and Appearance
There is a college uniform which the pupils must wear. It not only serves to provide a clear, common
identity and sense of belonging for our pupils but also signals a strong message about equality and
frees pupils from a potential source of pressure about the clothes they wear.
GIRLS
Black blazer with school badge*
Black school pullover with St Thomas More trim*
Clip-on school tie*
Black skirt* or black school trousers*
White blouse – button collar to take tie
White or black ankle socks or plain black tights
Plain black leather school shoes (no logos, stripes, fabric shoes or pumps)
Black boots may be worn under trousers but not a skirt PE Kit
Gold STM polo shirt*
Black STM fleece*
Black STM shorts*
Plain black jogger style tracksuit bottoms
Plain black PE skirt
Black or white socks
Trainers BOYS
Black blazer with school badge*
Black school pullover with St Thomas More trim*
Clip-on school tie*
White shirt – button collar to take tie
Black school trousers (not jeans or fashion trousers)
Plain black leather school shoes (no logos, stripes, fabric shoes or pumps) PE Kit
Gold/black long sleeved rugby shirt*
White STM polo shirt*
Two pairs of black STM shorts*
Two pairs of socks (Black)
Trainers
Football boots
* These items of uniform must be purchased from our college supplier.
Trainers are only allowed in PE. They must never be worn in school other than during PE lessons and
must be brought to school only on the days the pupil has PE. We ask you do not allow your child to
wear expensive coats and jackets for school. All items of jewellery are NOT allowed.
Equipment checklist: Pens, Pencils, Coloured pencils, scientific calculator, ruler, eraser,
pencil sharpener, protractor and pencil case.
Cashless Cafeteria The college operates a cashless system for our catering service at College. It is a biometric system
which takes an image of your child’s fingerprint and turns this information into a digital signature. The
image of the fingerprint is then discarded. This process will be completed when your child attends the
Induction Day on Thursday 4th July.
This type of system offers many advantages including:
1. Convenience of paying for College meals. 2. Specific food allergy ingredients can be barred automatically. 3. Healthy eating is encouraged. 4. Queuing times are reduced through increased speed of service. 5. Other pupils will have no way of knowing who is on free school meals.
It enables us to deliver an efficient, fast service and to provide healthy and enjoyable meals at the
lowest cost.
College is able to provide you with a report detailing each item of food served, each credit made to
the system, for any time period and show a current balance. There is a daily ‘spend limit’ of £5.00
programmed into the system and this can be increased or decreased for an individual pupil by making
a written request to the College.
Payment methods
There are two methods of payment available:
ParentPay On-line* – This is a facility for you to credit your child’s account on-line. Using this system
means that you don’t have to give your child the responsibility of carrying cash. Log in details for
ParentPay will be posted to parents/carers during the summer holidays. Please be assured that
ParentPay offers the highest security and no card details are stored on the system or are accessible by
the college or ParentPay. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact college.
Validation Machines – There are two machines located in College, one which accepts notes and coins and the other coins only. These machines accept the following:
o £20 notes o £10 notes o £5 notes o £2 coins o £1 coins o 50p coins o 20p coins o 10p coins
There is no overdraft facility available on this system, therefore please make sure your child’s account is credited in plenty of time. Please note: Change is not available from College.
* ParentPay Online must also be used to pay for college trips and visits.
Free School Meals
Any pupil entitled to free school meals will have monies credited directly to their account. This is a
confidential system and therefore no member of the College will be aware of who is on free school
meals.
If you feel your child may be eligible for free school meals, please visit our Website and complete the
appropriate application. If you require further assistance please contact the college office on 0161 336
2743.
Rewards
Pupils are awarded MORE points as part of the reward system. A summary of the rewards and the
allocation of points is shown in the table below:
Reward Allocation of points
Attendance 100% - awarded every half term 40 points
Attendance 96-99.9% -awarded every half term 30 points
A2L from tracking 1 = 20 points, 2 = 10 points
Lesson Star 10 points
Achievement 10 points
4 C’s 10 points
Equipment 10 points per day
The points are added up over time and pupils achieve the following depending on the number of
points they receive:
Bronze badge
Silver badge
Gold badge
Platinum place on rewards trip and an entry for big prize (value £100) selected by each
year group.
Weekly prize pupil in each form with most points per week (not cumulative). Approximate
value £1.50
House System Each pupils will be in a House and wear a badge that indicates which house they are in. Each House has pupils from Year 7 to Year 11 in them. The house system will embodies the ethos of St Thomas More. The Mission Statement values of
Community, Communication, Commitment and Communion are evident throughout all activities.
House System Objectives
Our aim is to provide every pupil in each house opportunities for individual and group success that
will be celebrated as a community across the school. The House System will create:
A wider sense of belonging within the school
Social, academic, physical and practical challenge and celebration
Fun and excitement through challenge
Opportunities for leadership
A sense of individual and collective responsibility
The House your child is in will be dictated by the form that they are in as shown in the table below:
Form Groups In Year 7, we have 6 mixed ability form groups and the groups are put together by balancing academic needs, gender and information from the primary schools. Each form group is part of our house system and they will have a designated form tutor who will support, guide and inspire them during their time at STM. Also, there is no guarantee of friendship groups and initially, during tutor period, time will be spent building relationships in the form groups through a range of pastoral activities. Furthermore, the Year 7 cohort is split into 2 year halves 7T, 7H, 7O and 7M, 7A, 7S and students will be set, according to their ability, in Mathematics and taught in mixed ability classes in all other subjects.
Form Group House Name Colour T Teresa Green
H Hope Purple
O Oscar Yellow
M Mary White
A Andrew Blue
S Simon Red
Travelling to St Thomas More
Travelling to a new school can be one of the major worries that a child has. It can be useful to time
the journey to the College. Work out with your child how they are getting to College and what they
need. Also plan a routine for mornings and afternoons, and try a couple of practice runs.
There are various ways of travelling to St Thomas More which include walking, cycling, travelling by
bus, or by car.
WALKING
The journey to St Thomas More and Town Lane itself is extremely busy, pupils must stick to safe
walking routes and to use pedestrian crossings to cross the road; taking care of passing traffic at all
times.
CYCLING
Many pupils cycle to the College and there is a bike shed which is very secure so bikes can be stored
safely. Pupils should bring their own bike lock to secure their bike and will be expected to wear a cycle
helmet.
Our college policy on cycle safety states we can only grant permission for pupils to bring cycles onto site if they and their parent/carer have signed the college Cycle to School Contract. BY CAR
Parents bringing their children by car should drop them on Town Lane taking care not to obstruct the
College entrance or park in the restricted areas. If parents are collecting their child by car please do
not park in, near or opposite the college entrance as this is a danger to pupils leaving the premises.
BUSES
If your child travels by bus, they will need a bus pass or cash depending upon the route.
Numbers for bus enquiries:
Y86 Belle Vue Coaches 0161 947 9477
219/719 - Y79 - Y80 Stagecoach 0161 276 2550
Partnership Agreement
We have a lot to get through in the average College day, so pupils must be here by 8.45am. Important messages are often passed on in registration and assembly; so it is
vital that pupils are not late.
St Thomas More RC College is dedicated to fulfilling the Gospel values of the School Mission
Statement through a partnership between home and school.
AGREEMENT:
Parents/Carers
I/We shall try to:
Ensure that my child attends school regularly, on time and with the correct uniform and proper equipment.
Let the school know about any concerns or problems that might affect my child’s work or behaviour.
Support the college’s policies and Code of Behaviour, as stated in the school log book.
Support my child in homework and other opportunities for home learning.
Attend parents’ evenings and discussions about my child’s progress.
Support the staff of the college in their efforts to maintain high standards of discipline.
The College will:
Let parents know about any concerns or problems that affect their child’s work or behaviour.
Contact parents if there is a problem with attendance or punctuality.
Send home interim assessments and an annual Record of Achievement.
Set, mark and monitor homework.
Arrange parents’ evenings, consultation evenings, information and action planning sessions.
Keep parents informed about school activities through regular letters home, termly newsletters and notification of special events.
Nurture the pupils’ intellectual, social, spiritual and emotional well being.
The Pupil will:
Attend college regularly and on time.
Bring all necessary equipment every day.
Wear the college uniform and be tidy in appearance.
Do classwork and home learning to the best of their ability.
Respect the college environment.
The Partnership Agreement, along with other important information, can be found on the college
website. Please sign the parental consent sheet to acknowledge agreement.