Useful Information and Dates
Request for Host Families
As you will be aware, in a boarding environment feeling confident that our students have appropriate guardianship arrangements is very important. Guardian agencies rely on being able to draw on well matched host families who welcome students into their homes for half terms, exeat weekends and often at the beginning and ends of terms or shorter holidays, although they do not have the full responsibility of guardianship.
If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in offering a home from home environment for overseas students, Pippa's Guardians would be very grateful to hear from you. The families would receive financial remuneration to cover their expenses, and hopefully would find that the experience of having an international student to stay would be rewarding and educational for their own children.
It would be very helpful to hear of families both in the local area and further afield. This website will give you a sense of what would be involved: www.pippasguardians.co.uk
If you think that you or someone you know may be able to help, please email imogen@pippasguardians.co.uk
Party Advice To Parents
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Following some concerns being raised by parents, I thought it appropriate to offer some well-intended guidance for those planning parties.
It is certainly not my intention to interfere in the private arrangements of families by offering such advice, rather it is my hope that such advice might support you with any arrangements you may be making for birthday parties or other celebrations where Sidcot students are involved. I do hope this is of some help and should you need any further advice or guidance please do not hesitate to contact me.
Numbers: It is generally sensible to avoid large gatherings since they rarely bring the best out of teenagers. The rites of passage of birthdays or finishing exams can be celebrated most effectively in small groups that are easy to manage.
The guest list should be managed rigorously with a clear message that gate crashers will not be welcomed. Teenagers generally need adult support to do this. Details of the party should not be posted on social media sites.
Safety: All gatherings should have adult supervision with a clear plan for how any potential crises will be managed. Experience tells us that good supervision prevents difficulties.
Timing: We would be most grateful if any event is scheduled for a time that will not impact on school commitments. Some students have missed school sports fixtures recently due to parties and gatherings at inappropriate times.
Venue: Home is rarely the best environment for the collective clumsiness of a group of partying teenagers. Hosts would be well advised to check the provisions against damage in their home insurance.
Alcohol: We do not encourage alcohol consumption amongst our students. Arrangements should be appropriate to the age of those attending. Alcohol should be supplied only with great caution and in accordance with the law. It would be sensible to talk to the parents of children who will attend to agree the ground rules. The consumption of spirits is often the cause of high levels of intoxication. It is not unusual for furtive drinkers to conceal spirits in innocuous looking water bottles or soft drink containers. A degree of scepticism should be applied to any drinks brought to the party. It may be helpful to know that possession of false ID is becoming more common since it can be purchased over the internet with ease.
Drugs: Whilst we work hard at Sidcot to educate our students on the dangers of drugs, we know that young people will be tempted to experiment and this will often happen at parties, particularly where alcohol is also involved. It was great to see how many parents attended our Drugs Awareness talks last year and I’m sure they will feel more confident in dealing with problems as they arise. For those of you who were unable to make them, we will be organising another talk for later this term. There are also some good online resources for parents such as: Talk To Frank and Mentor UK. As a school, we want to work alongside parents to help support our students and please do get in touch if you have any worries or queries.
Disrepute: Legal statute allows a school to extend its sanctions to behaviours outside school hours which bring the school into disrepute by association. It is, therefore, possible that students attending a party that creates problems locally could face sanctions on their return to school.
Boarders: Members of our boarding community can be given permission to attend, but their Hm will only allow them to do so if this guidance is followed and appropriate management arrangements are in place. For reasons of safety and for supervision to be deemed adequate, only two boarders are permitted to sign out to any one location. Duty staff will need to know timings, location, supervision arrangements and contact details well in advance and certainly by the Thursday before a Saturday event. A Boarders’ Leave request form can be obtained from Boarding houses or the Heads’ PA.
Advice to parents of those attending:
Arrangements: Ensure that you know the venue, timings and supervision arrangements for any party that is to be attended. If your child is vague in conversation then they actually may not have been invited and plan to gate crash someone else’s party.
Communication: Speak to the parents of the party host to reassure yourself that your child will be safe. It would be wise to provide a contact mobile number.
Support: Please make sure your child understands his/her responsibilities when attending a party hosted by someone else.
I hope that the advice above provides some useful pointers. I have also attached a PDF from drinkaware which gives some simple tips that parents can use when discussing parties with young people.
Kind regards
Matt Williams
Deputy Head
School Colours
We have been working hard to improve the system of awarding school colours, in order to include more areas of school life and to ensure that more students are being recognised for their efforts. At the end of the autumn term we moved to our new Colours badges and it is wonderful to see so many students wearing them with pride.
There are four major areas in which Colours are awarded – Academic, Arts, Service and Sport. In each area there are three types of badge – Bronze, Silver and Gold. Bronze badges are most likely be awarded in KS3, Silver in KS4 and Gold in the Sixth Form. Exceptions to this may be made for outstanding students who have exceeded the criteria for awards.
Only one badge from each area will be worn at once – i.e. once you have been awarded Silver, you will no longer wear Bronze in that area. Up to four badges may be worn at once – i.e. badges from up to four areas.
Although Colours may be ‘re-awarded’, a certificate will be used up until the award of the next colour badge – i.e. a student may be awarded Colours in more than one Sport or Academic subject in KS3, but will only be awarded one Bronze badge in that area.
The criteria for awarding Colours is as follows:
Academic:
Academic Colours are awarded to students in Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 who have shown commitment to their studies. They will have demonstrated effort, determination and a willingness to embrace academic challenges. They may have had significant success during the term, but this will be based on personal progress and attainment rather than just on grades achieved.
Arts:
Arts Colours are awarded to students who have shown commitment and enthusiasm for the Arts outside the classroom. They may be the students we see on our stage, in our concert hall or whose artwork graces our walls. They will have pushed themselves in practice and performance and will have demonstrated a real passion for their subject.
Service:
Service Colours are awarded to students who have shown outstanding commitment and made a significant contribution to the life of the school. They may be the students who have led assemblies, contributed significantly to Student Council or represented Sidcot outside the school. They will have gone the extra mile and will have demonstrated Sidcot values in action.
Sports:
Sports colours are awarded to students who represent the school in the major games or who have been selected for representative honours regionally or beyond in other sports. They will have shown commitment throughout the season to both practice and fixture availability. They will have demonstrated a positive sporting attitude on all occasions, both in practice and matches and are a positive role model both in and out of school. They may also have shown the ability to be a ‘game changer’ in terms of ability/performance.
Heads of Faculty are responsible for nominating students in their specific areas for Academic Colours and the Heads of Art, Music and Drama provide names for the Arts awards. The Sports department nominate for Sports Colours, whilst all staff are asked for nominations for Service awards.
Feedback from staff and students has been very positive and we looking forward to celebrating more students at the end of this term.
Matt Williams
Deputy Head
Half Term Sports Centre Activities
If you're interested in the below activities and would like to join us, please book your place online.
Lower & Upper Fourth Examination Timetables
Week beginning 21st May
Lower and Upper Fourth examinations week is the week directly before half term.
Students are currently doing work in PSHE and FLEX relating to study and revision skills and the knowledge gained should be used to help with creating a revision timetable and with revision technique.
Subject staff will speak to students regarding the examinations so that they know what and how to revise and what to expect.
Students have been given a copy of the examination timetable and will also be given a Revision Booklet which has helpful hints and advice about revision techniques at the beginning of next week.
We are confident that students will be well prepared and thank you in advance for all for your support in helping to encourage them in their revision programmes and for your support of them through what some find is a somewhat stressful time.
Rosie Bellinger & Geoff Andrews
Head and Deputy Head of Fourth Form
Lower Fourth Exams Week Timetable
Upper Fourth Exams Week Timetable
New Uniform
We are pleased to announce that the Senior School uniform which will be introduced to all Year 7 to Year 11 students from September 2018 is available to view in the Sports Centre foyer. All students will be expected to be wearing the new uniform.
As previously communicated, the changes are being introduced to improve the current standard of uniform being worn by students. Uniform is an important part of Sidcot’s identity. It reinforces who we are as a community and allows students to take pride in their appearance.
What are the key changes?
SKIRT
- A new Senior School pleated kilt skirt in charcoal grey will be rolled out for Year 7 to 11. This will be available in differing sizes and lengths to ensure that it is available to the required knee length.
TROUSERS
- As an alternative option girls will be able to wear the new Senior School Greenwich style trouser in charcoal grey in Year 7 to 11.
- From September 2018 all boys charcoal trousers will need to be purchased through Deane & Sons. Deane & Sons stock a variety of styles available in charcoal grey: Slimbridge trousers, Plymouth trousers and Putney trousers.
Where can I purchase the new items from and what are the costs?
- All Sidcot School uniform will be available to purchase from the online uniform ordering shop www.sidcot.org.uk/uniform or from Sidcot Uniform stockists: Deane and Sons, Bath Street, Cheddar BS27 3AA. Tel: 01934 742530 Email: info@deanesofcheddar.co.uk
- Pleated charcoal kilt skirt: 22” to 28” £29.95, 30” to 32” £37.90 and 34” to 36” £39.95
- Greenwich charcoal trouser: 22” to 28” £18.95, 30” to 36” £24.90 and 38” to 46” £26.90
- Slimbridge charcoal trouser: 24” to 28” £15.50 and 29” to 40” £19.95
- Putney charcoal trouser: Up to age 12/13 £13.60 and 29” to 40” £17.60
- Plymouth charcoal trouser: 24” to 28” £18.50 and 29” to 46” £23.50
*Bermuda charcoal short: 21” to 28” £13.95 and 29.5” to 34.5” £17.95.
*Summer dress will be announced by the Heads of School with the onset of fine weather in the second half of the Summer Term.
We hope that we can work in partnership with parents to ensure that the new uniform guidelines are followed from September 2018.
We anticipate the new Senior School skirt will be available to purchase from Deane & Sons during the latter part of the summer term. However, we will keep you updated over the coming months.
If you have any queries regarding the above, please do not hesitate to contact uniform@sidcot.org.uk
Kirstin Tringali
Operations Manager
Adult Swimming Lessons
Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff and Friends of Sidcot School
Are you aged 18+ and interested in learning to swim? Or maybe you would like to improve on your current swimming skills?
We have received a number of enquiries regarding adult swimming lessons and we are currently looking into how we may be able to support this. To enable us to offer the right type of lessons we're asking for people to register their interest by emailing swimschool@sidcot.org.uk and identifying their preferences to the below:
- Type of lesson: 1:1, 2:1 or group lesson;
- Swimming ability: Non-swimmer, beginner, intermediate, advanced;
- Lesson content required: Learn to swim, new strokes, stroke refinement;
- If there is something you would like to learn but is not covered above please let us know.
Many thanks
Natasha Sayers
Sports Centre Assistant Manager / Swim School Co-Ordinator
Avon Schools Cross-Country Championships
We thought that with the recent success for the cross country runners we would make clear the Principles for Sidcot School's involvement at individual athlete sporting events.
At school and local Level events, Sidcot will enter and organise teams to represent the School and we will support the athletes on the day. If selected for the next rounds, often county or regional, it becomes the responsibility of the athletes' parents/family to organise (and) travel to and from the event. Sidcot School staff will endeavour to attend these events to support and encourage, when possible. It is the responsibility of the athlete to continue to train for these events, if selected, in their own time. The School's extra-curricular programme offers swimming/Swim Club and a running club for athletes to access if they so wish.
There are also unique sporting events that the School will ‘sign-post’ to athletes and parents, for example, Biathlon. If the events run in school time our staff will help with organisation and transportation to the event if at all possible. For the most part, these unique events (when held out of school time) will be the responsibility of the parent/family to organise entry and transport (to the venue). It will be the responsibility of the athlete to access training for the event in their own time as above. Sidcot staff will endeavour to attend if available/appropriate to support and encourage.
Matt Lloyd
Director of Sport
Dropping-off and Picking-up
Please be reminded of the appropriate system for dropping-off, picking-up and also safe walking routes for your children which can be found in the Parent Handbook on Firefly.
In order to keep everyone safe it is important to follow these instructions and we would appreciate you taking some time to re-familiarise yourself with them.
Many thanks
Hilary Atkin
Director of Operations