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Woodstock Road, Witney, OX28 1DX 01993 702355 www.woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk office@wgswitney.org.uk

w. www.wgswitney.co.uk t. 01993 702355 e. office@wgswitney.org.uk Woodstock Road, Witney, OX28 1DX 01993 702355 www.wgswitney.org.uk office@wgswitney.org.uk

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Student Information Forms 2

Contacting the School 2

Learning Communities 3

Communication 3/4

Term Dates 2013/2014 4

Lesson Times 5

Arrangements for Wednesday afternoons 5

Arriving Late/Leaving Early 5

Travelling to School

buses

bikes

cars

walking

6/7

Attendance/Absences 7

Illness at School 7/8

Essential Equipment 8

Lockers 8

Lost Property 8

Lunchtime Arrangements including Cashless Catering 9

Homework 10

Student Planner 10

SEN 10

Literacy 10/11/12

Clubs and Societies 12

Charging for School Activities 12

Sex & Relationship Education & Drugs Education 13

Reviews, Assessments and Parent Evenings 13

Uniform List 13/14/15

Code of Conduct 15/16

Student e-Learning Acceptable User Policy 16

CONTENTS

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Our main school records are kept on computer, and you will be asked to

check and amend a Data Collection sheet at the beginning of the year. This

form has essential information such as emergency contact telephone

numbers, email addresses, etc. We thank you for your co-operation in

returning this promptly.

All information is secured in accordance with the requirements of the

Data Protection Act.

Your child's education should be a partnership between them, yourself

and the school. If there are any problems we can help with, or should

know about, or if your child has achieved something we can share in,

please let us know. We would also like as much feedback as possible from

you concerning the general life of the school.

The school address is: Wood Green School

Woodstock Road

Witney

Oxon OX28 1DX

Telephone: 01993 702355

Email: office@wgswitney.org.uk

www.wgswitney.org.uk

In the case of an emergency, if you need to reach your child during the

day, the school office will pass on any message you leave.

Your main staff contact is your child's tutor.

Staff who may be of special help are:

Heads of Learning Communities

Head of Wychwood Lower Mr S Roberts

Head of Cornbury Lower Mr S Hart

Head of Wychwood Upper Ms E D’arcy

Head of Cornbury Upper Mrs J Willet

STUDENT INFORMATION FORMS

CONTACTING THE SCHOOL

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Director of Learning Communities Mr Bonsell

Assistant Headteacher Mr D Askew

Assistant Headteacher Mrs C Whiting

Deputy Headteacher Mrs R Stevens

Deputy Headteacher Mr I Goddard

Headteacher Mr R Shadbolt

You can arrange a meeting by telephoning the school, emailing

office@wgswitney.org.uk or sending a letter through your child's tutor.

In the main school we have organised the school into four smaller learning

communities. The Lower School is Years 7 and 8, whilst Upper School is

Years 9, 10 and 11. The Year groups are the split into two houses,

Cornbury and Wychwood. Each tutor group is a member of one of the

four communities. The creating of these communities has allowed us to

foster still further a strong sense of belonging to both the school and each

student’s learning community. Each community is led by a Head of

Learning Community who are detailed above.

A variety of communication methods are used to inform parents about

news and events at Wood Green School.

The email address supplied by parents is used for targeted mailings.

If you have an email address but are not receiving notices from the

school then please email office@wgswitney.org.uk asking that your

contact records be checked. For security reasons the school will do

other checks to confirm the request is from you.

A WGS Briefing is sent out by email every weekend detailing news,

next week’s events and dates for your diary. WGS Briefing also gives

links to any letters sent home in the last seven days. Parents can join

WGS Briefing email list by visiting www.wgswitney.org.uk/briefing.

Please tick the relevant I am box to receive targeted mailings.

LEARNING COMMUNITIES

COMMUNICATION

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Parent Insight is our online parent communication too which shows

details such as attendance, past reports, homework and other

information for your child/children. You will receive a letter about

Parent Insight with log in details, early in the school year.

The school website www.wgswitney.org.uk is the best place to find

out information eg term dates or contact details. The front page has

links to a comprehensive list of events, news and @wgswitney

tweets. The school Twitter feed is an excellent source for daily

reminders and breaking news items about Wood Green.

Letters may be sent home with your child. These will normally

include an acknowledgement slip, which should be signed and

returned to your child’s form tutor as soon as possible. In this way we

can be sure that you are receiving our messages.

Parents wanting to contact a member of staff using email should, in

the first instance, contact office@wgswitney.org.uk asking for the

message to be forwarded to the relevant member of staff. Staff will

then reply either by email or, for more complex issues, arrange a

phone call or meeting.

Term 1 INSET Day Monday 1st September Years 7, 12 & 13 start Tuesday 2nd September Whole School Wednesday 3rd September INSET Day Friday 3rd October End of Term 1 Thursday 23rd October Term 2 Start Term 2 Monday 3rd November End of Term 2 Friday 20th December Term 3 INSET Day Monday 5th January Start of Term 3 Tuesday 6th January End of Term 3 Friday 13th February Term 4 Start Term 4 Monday 23rd February End of Term 4 Thursday 27th March Term 5 Start Term 5 Monday 13th April May Bank Holiday Monday 4th May End of Term 5 Friday 22nd May Term 6 Start Term 6 Monday 1st June End of Term 6 Friday 17th July Please note the INSET days may vary, please check our newsletters or

our website for up-to-date information

TERM DATES: 2014/15

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The timing of the school day is as follows:

Monday/Tuesday/Thursday

/Friday

Wednesday

Registration 8.25am 8.45am Registration 8.25am 8.45am

Period 1 8.45am 9.45am Period 1 8.45am 9.45am

Period 2 9.45am 10.45am Period 2 9.45am 10.45am

Break 10.45am 11.05am Break 10.45am 11.05am

Period 3 11.05am 12.05am Period 3 11.05am 12.05pm

Period 4 12.05pm 1.05pm Lunch 12.05pm 12.50pm

Lunch 1.05pm 1.50pm Period 4 12.50pm 1.50pm

Period 5 1.50pm 2.50pm Academic

Tutoring

1.50pm 2.10pm

Academic

Tutoring

2.50pm 3.10pm Period 5 2.10pm 3.10pm

School Closes 3.10pm School Closes 2.10pm for

majority

On Wednesdays some students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 will leave at

2.10pm. Buses will be rearranged for this early closure. However for

some students in Year 9 -11 who are studying further courses, school will

remain open until 3.10pm. There is a late bus leaving school between

3.00pm and 3.15pm on Wednesday.

Students should arrive at school by 8.25am when the bell will sound for

registration.

We need to be certain that your child is in or out of school for safety

reasons, for example in the unlikely event of a fire. If for any reason your

child arrives later than the end of registration then he/she should go to the

Heads of Learning Communities Office to ‘sign in’. Similarly students

leaving early for, say a dental appointment, should ‘sign out’.

We would ask that you inform us of such arrangements in a letter to your

child’s tutor.

LESSON TIMES

ARRANGEMENTS FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

ARRIVING LATE/LEAVING EARLY

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Buses - These are provided from the following areas:

South Leigh, North Leigh, East End, Hailey, Crawley, Ramsden and

Finstock - these services are provided by Oxfordshire County Council

Integrated Transport Services on 01865 871670 and queries should be

directed to them.

West Witney (Deer Park Estate) – The school currently has a minibus in

the morning to school. Unfortunately we are unable to do a return

journey in the afternoon as the minibus is required for fixtures and trips.

A fee is payable. Places are restricted, please contact school for more

information.

All buses leave from the bus park. Students should aim to arrive at the bus

park by no later than 3.05 pm to catch their buses, and line up at the

appropriate stop. Members of staff supervise students in this area after

school. Students are required to wear seat belts at all times.

Bicycles - Many children cycle to school and there are bicycle sheds for the

parking of bicycles during the day. All bicycles should be securely locked.

Your attention is drawn to the safety advice outlined below concerning

cycling to school. The keeping of these is in the interest of your child’s

safety and should be rigidly observed.

Parents are urged to ensure that their child knows the rules of the road as

they apply to bicycles.

Common and worrying breaches of road safety are:

Turning right without signalling or looking

Riding on pavements

Riding two to a bike

Riding two abreast

Having no lights in dark or foggy conditions

We strongly recommend that your child wears a safety helmet for cycling

to and from school.

TRAVELLING TO SCHOOL

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Cars – The Bus Park and access road to the school are very busy at the

beginning and end of the day. In the interests of safety, there is no

vehicular access to the school site from 2.50pm – 3.10pm on Mondays,

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 1.50pm – 2.10pm on

Wednesdays.

Walking – Students who walk to school are asked to take every care when

crossing the Woodstock Road and using the access roads into the school.

There is a pedestrian crossing on the Woodstock Road.

Regular school attendance is important and we will actively pursue the

goal of regular attendance. Please telephone us on the first day if your

son/daughter is absent due to illness.

For unexpected absences you should notify your child’s tutor as early as

possible, and at the latest by the third day of absence. For long absences,

work can be sent home. For our full Attendance Policy, please refer to our

website.

Many of our staff are trained in first aid, and are thus qualified to deal with

the minor ailments that can occur during the school day. Children should

therefore report to the medical room situated in the main corridor or to

the main office, should they feel ill. Our school matron is on duty from

8.30am to 3.30pm daily. First Aiders are on call at all other times.

Whilst regular attendance at school is absolutely essential for educational

progress, parents should take care not to send sick children to school, who

then have to be sent home during the first part of the day. Likewise, any

injuries or ailments occurring at home cannot be dealt with at school.

Please do not send sick or injured children to school for us to ‘look at’.

Such cases should go directly to your doctor.

In cases of emergency students will be sent to hospital and parents

notified. It is regretted that we cannot take sick children home.

If your child becomes unwell or sustains a minor injury you will be

contacted and asked to collect him/her. If you are unable to provide

ATTENDANCES/ABSENCES

ILLNESS AT SCHOOL

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transport, we can arrange a taxi, but must charge this to you. No student

will be sent home unless we have been able to contact you. With this in

mind it is essential that you give an emergency contact number where we

can reach you during the day. Please check and return the data collection

sheet sent out at the beginning of the school year and remember to

contact us if your telephone numbers change.

If your child has a medical condition that will need managing in school and

you have not yet made us aware of this, please contact matron. For more

details, please see the school website.

All students will need some basic equipment, namely black pens, a pencil,

ruler and eraser, and a case to carry it all in. Coloured pencils and a

calculator may also be useful. A full range of maths equipment is sold in

the Resources, Events and Community Administration Centre (REC Centre)

at reasonable prices. It should be noted that most students tend to carry

their equipment around with them during the day, hence only bringing in

books and equipment needed for a particular day is a useful habit for

students to develop.

Lockers are provided for those students who wish to use them and are

available by rental system. Students should go to the Finance Office if you

wish to have a locker. Where the demand for lockers exceeds the supply,

priority will be given to Year 7-9 students.

It is very likely that your child will lose some item during his/her time at

school! It is important, therefore, to mark all property with your

child’s name. If property is lost a student’s first action should be to check

with the main school office to see if it has been handed in. Please note,

however, items are only kept for six weeks before being sent to charity.

We are unable to compensate loss or damage through the school's

insurance policy, although parents may find it is possible to claim under

their own household insurance.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

LOCKERS

LOST PROPERTY

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At the beginning of each year, you will be asked to indicate on the Data

Collection sheet which of the following options you wish to choose for your

child. Should you wish to change this, either for a single occasion or long

term, a note to the tutor is essential.

a) Off the School Premises - Students who go home for lunch should not

return until ten minutes before afternoon registration. They are also

expected to behave in a manner that does not discredit the school.

b) On the School Premises - Students staying in school are not allowed to

leave the premises during the lunch break. However, should you wish

your child to leave school for any reason, please write to the tutor

informing him/her of this. Your child should then sign the book in the

Heads of Learning Communities Office as he or she leaves and again on

return.

(i) The school restaurant is open from 7.45 am to 1.50 pm every day.

Breakfast is available before school. At lunchtime, the main

courses are cooked in-house and a range of sandwiches, baguettes

and snacks are available. Free school meals are available if you are

on Income Support or other benefits. Please enquire at the school

Finance Office for a letter explaining how to apply for this.

(ii) Snacks are available for those students who do not wish to have a

full school meal. These can be purchased using the Trust-e

Cashless Catering System.

(iii) Sandwiches - eating areas are made available for students bringing

sandwiches. Normally this is the hall for Lower School students

and House areas for Upper School. Lunchtime supervisors are

employed to oversee these areas.

It is the responsibility of students who stay at school for lunch to keep the

dining areas in a tidy state.

LUNCHTIME ARRANGEMENTS

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Homework is set for all students from year 7 to 13. This a partly to help

students learn to organise themselves and work independently: it is

essential preparation for GCSE courses in Years 10 and 11 and AS/A2

courses in Years 12 and 13. Detailed information about homework to be

set is available on our website at www.wgswitney.org.uk/homework-1.

We encourage parents to go online and use Parent Insight to see set

homework.

All students are additionally given a student planner to allow them an easy

reference to homework set each night. The planner can also serve as a

means of communication between yourself and your child’s tutor

concerning homework or other matters.

The SEN Department, led by Mrs Turton provides additional provision for

students. Our revised ‘School Offer for SEN’ setting out how we identify

and provide this support will be on our website from September 2014.

In secondary school, literacy (reading, writing and communication) are

developed across all subjects. We have made literacy a priority this year

and are encouraging all students to extend their reading and writing skills.

PUSH posters and stickers appear across the school to

remind students that they must always write in black or

blue pen; they must underline titles with a ruler; their

writing needs to be in sentences and their handwriting

has to be clear and legible.

All teachers encourage PUSH and refer to it when they mark work. Please

encourage it in homework and support us in this initiative.

Classrooms have writing mats for students to refer to, which remind them

of the rules for spelling, punctuation and grammar.

HOMEWORK

LITERACY

SCHOOL PLANNER

SEN

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You can use these at home, too, as they appear in the green pages of the

student planner and can be downloaded from the school website.

Research shows that children who read regularly succeed at school.

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We have a wonderful school library which students will visit fortnightly in

English lessons as well as in other subjects for researching topics. They can

borrow books at break and lunchtimes and after school, too. Please

encourage this. We are working very hard to increase independent reading

in our students.

Clubs and societies exist during the lunchtime and after school for

students of all ages. Some are especially for Year 7 students, and there will

be an opportunity to find out about these during the year.

The school has a strong tradition of visits and residential work in a wide

range of areas, for example, curricular fieldwork, outward bound activities,

foreign exchange and theatre visits. The Education Act allows for the

charging of board and lodging costs. Travel, entry to places of interest etc

must be a voluntary contribution by parents. We are grateful for the

supporting parents, as funds available for subsidy are extremely limited

and trips will have to be cancelled if costs cannot be covered. Parents in

receipt of Family Income Support or Supplementary Benefit are entitled to

support with these residential costs on production of documented

evidence and, as always, such matters will be treated discreetly and in

confidence.

External examination fees represent a sizeable proportion of the school

budget and students are entered on the advice of their teacher, at no cost

to the parent. The Education Act now allows us to recover from parents

‘wasted fees’ ie where a student fails to complete coursework

requirements or fails to sit an examination without good reason.

The above policies will be available on our website at

www.wgswitney.org.uk. If you require paper copies of any or all these

policies, please contact the school.

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES

CHARGING FOR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION, SEX EDUCATION AND DRUGS EDUCATION

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We view these as an important formal means of cementing the

partnership between home and school, and both our subject reviews and

assessments aim to give as much information about your child’s progress

as possible. The intention is to spread out these contacts over the

academic year as follows:

Autumn Term: Parents of year 7 students will be invited in to meet their

son’s/daughter’s tutor to discuss how they have settled into Wood Green

School. This is also an opportunity to raise any concerns that you may

have.

Spring Term: All Year 7 students will have a Review document which

details the academic progress made by them and informs the discussions

that will take place at the parent’s evening which follows the publication of

this Review.

Summer term: All Year 7 students receive a final Review of the academic

year and this gives both students and parents their final estimated

National Curriculum level. It also informs discussions that will take place

during academic tutoring.

As a school we believe that uniform is important, giving young people a

sense of belonging and a feeling of confidence (it also avoids some

agonising choices first thing in the morning). It is practical, hardwearing

and, as far as possible, reasonably priced. It is our intention that students

be neatly turned out, and we would therefore ask for your utmost

co-operation in making sure that the guidelines on style as well as colour

are followed when buying your son/daughter’s uniform.

On the advice of the Local Authority, we limit the wearing of jewellery to a

watch and, for those with pierced ears, one stud in each ear. No other

piercings are be to worn in school at any time. Please note any additional

piercing etc must be done during holidays to allow time for healing, as

additional earrings, nose studs etc. must be removed for school.

REVIEWS AND PARENT EVENINGS

SCHOOL UNIFORM: MAIN SCHOOL

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Under no circumstances will students be allowed to cover piercings

with a plaster.

Skirt or trousers must be black in a plain style suitable for school activities;

as sold by chain stores for school uniform. Trousers must be ankle length

and a suitable style (No jeans, jean style, leisure style, combat style

trousers with external pockets and/or stud fastenings, leggings or

hipsters). Tracksuit trousers are not acceptable. Skirts must be

approximately knee length, not figure hugging and suitable for a working

environment.

Belts should be black and in a plain style and not used as a fashion

accessory.

Shoes must be BLACK in a sensible style (boots, sandals or open

shoes/open-backs are NOT allowed). High heels are not sensible for

school.

Trainers ARE NOT ALLOWED.

Extreme hair styles will not be permitted and hair should be of a natural

colour.

School is the final arbiter of the suitability of any item of clothing and

footwear.

A full uniform list can be obtained from school or accessed on the school’s

website

Compulsory:

PE Kit:

Boys

WGS white polo shirt

Long sleeve games shirt

Black shorts

Black games socks

White sports socks

Towel

Trainers

Girls:

WGS white polo shirt

Long sleeve games shirt

Black shorts/skirt

*Black games socks

White sports socks

Trainers

Football/ Astroturf boots

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Swimsuit

Football/Astroturf boots

Shin pads

Shin pads

Towel

Swimsuit

Food Technology: Apron

Optional:

PE

Black Micro-fleece top

Black tracksuit trousers for outdoor lessons in Terms 2 & 3, and

trampolining.

Cricket whites

Mouthguards (purchased from a dentist can be worn in the games lesson)

Drama:

Black rubber soled plimsolls or slipper socks.

For up to date information on uniform policy and ordering, please check

the school website.

The Code of Conduct was written by students, parents, governors and

staff, with the aim of making the school a safe and happy place in which to

work and learn. We assume that at all times the students will act in a

sensible and responsible manner, having thought for others.

All students are expected to follow the Code of Conduct which is clearly

displayed in every classroom and in Student Planners. Staff will, when

necessary, remind students of the Code of Conduct.

As members of Wood Green School we are expected to comply with the

following:

Care for others

Be polite and considerate

Do not fight, push or shout

Walk around the school, keeping to the left hand side

CODE OF CONDUCT

CT

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Respect others and their right to learn

Follow instructions without inappropriate question or comment

Allow others to work without interruption

Listen without interruption

Use appropriate language

Be properly prepared

Be fully equipped for lessons

Arrive punctually to lessons

Follow the school’s dress code

Always do your best

Complete classwork as requested

Hand homework in on time

Complete classwork and homework to the best of your ability

Attend all lessons in the school day

Care for the environment

Put litter in the bins

Eat in the designated areas

Do not chew gum on site

Do not damage the school’s materials

We strongly advise that mobile telephones, iPods and other electrical

items are not to be brought into school as the school can take no

responsibility if they are lost, stolen or damaged. If any of these items

interrupt the flow of learning/or events in the school day then in all

likeliness they will be confiscated and returned to the student at the end of

the working day.

At all times students are expected to follow the student e-Learning

Acceptable Use Policy. A copy of this policy can be found on the website.

STUDENT E-LEARNING ACCEPTABLE USER POLICY

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