Parents Handbook Year 7 2014 - 15
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ARK ACADEMY www.arkacademy.org Dear Parents/carers Welcome to Ark Academy. We move into the fourth year of our brand new academy. Our Year 10 are about to embark on their GCSE course. We really look forward to working in tandem with you to give your child the best possible opportunities in life. We have a fantastic staff who are really focussed on teaching and learning and we know your son/daughter will rise to the challenge with our careful support. Your support, encouragement and clear boundaries will help us to help your child to progress and develop as model citizens. We place maximum emphasis on excellent behaviour and a thoughtful caring attitude to each other. We all simply live CIVITAS. I am sure you are aware that we have some very clear “givens” for example, reading every morning, beautiful uniform, excellent punctuality and attendance to name but a few. Consequently, this handbook is an essential support manual for all parents/carers in support of your child and Ark Academy. Please keep it, refer to it and get back to us with any queries. We have learnt much over the last few years. Obviously we have got to know our pupils really well but we have also developed and improved on our expectations and routines. We believe we are very organised and try not to let anything slip passed unnoticed. We will do everything in our power to communicate really effectively with you in the future and wish you and your child a happy and successful Ark Academy experience for the next seven years. Yours faithfully Delia Smith Principal 2 CONTENTS 1. Key information: Academy contact details Ark Academy Mission Statement Who’s who at Ark Academy 5 6 7 2. Working in partnership: Our Teaching and Learning Pledge The home-school agreement The student Planner Ark Academy Code of Conduct Ark pastoral Team Attendance and punctuality procedures Safeguarding Ark Academy Rewards Systems for Detentions Uniform policy Enrichment guidelines Physical, social and emotional wellbeing Communication Parental Involvement Travelling to school School Food Availability How to pay for school meals 11 13 14 16 20 21 23 27 28 31 35 36 36 37 37 38 41 3. Helping your child learn: Equipment Homework Helping your child with their learning Take your classroom home - Fronter The Curriculum Learning support Our Specialisms The House system Opportunities for Leadership School trips Assessment, reporting and your role. Reading 46 46 47 48 49 50 53 55 57 58 58 62 3 SECTION 1 KEY INFORMATION 4 GENERAL INFORMATION Contact information: Ark Academy Bridge Road Wembley HA9 9JP Telephone: 020 8385 4370 Email: info@arkacademy.org Website: www.arkacademy.org/secondary Term dates 2014/2015 Autumn Term 2014 Start Monday 1st September 2014 Half-term Monday 27th October – Friday 31st October 2014 Finish Friday 19th December 2014 Half-term Thursday 12th February – Friday 20th February 2015 Finish Thursday 2nd April 2015 Half-term Monday 25th May – Friday 29th May 2015 Finish Friday 17th July 2015 Spring Term 2015 Start Tuesday 6th January 2015 Summer Term 2015 Start Tuesday 21st April 2015 OTHER SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS Staff training days Bank Holidays 3rd November 2014 5th January 2015 12th & 13th February 2015 26th June 2015 4th May 2015 5 WHO’S WHO AT ARK ACADEMY? 1. The Senior Leadership Team: Name Role Email address Mrs D. Smith Principal d.smith@arkacademy.org Mr T. Dainty Associate Principal t.dainty@arkacademy.org Ms C. Haslam Ms T. Keane Ms A. Ryan V Mr C. Fairbairn Vice Principal Vice Principal Vice Principal Vice Principal c.haslam@arkacademy.org t.keane@arkacademy.org a.ryan@arkacademy.org c.fairbairn@arkacademy.org Mr R. Styles Ms J Downey Mrs Geary Mr Kirkman Assistant Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal r.styles@arkacademy.org j.downey@arkacademy.org Mr N. Fletcher Finance and Resources Manager n.fletcher@arkacademy.org s.geary@arkacademy.org j.kirkman@arkacademy.org 2. The Teaching staff: Name Role Email address Mr A Cooper Ms N Sutton Mrs K Woods Ms N Lewis-Smith Ms L Burdett Ms A Hanna Ms J Wada Mr J Suttle Ms I Clark Mc C Barton Ms. E Ozeke Ms J Bowley Mr N Edwards Ms B Kubba Mr T Ding Mr R Higson Ms T Houri Mr M Ahmed Ms A Clark Ms K Butler Ms A Milea Mr B Mahoney English Teacher and Head of Year 7 English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher Director of Mathematics Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Director of Science a.cooper@arkacademy.org n.sutton@arkacademy.org k.woods@arkacademy.org n.lewissmith@arkacademy.org l.burdett@arkacademy.org a.hanna@arkacademy.org j.wada@arkacademy.org 6 j.suttle@arkacademy.org i.clark@arkacademy.org c.barton@arkacademy.org e.ozeke@arkacademy.org j.bowley@arkacademy.org n.edwards@arkacademy.org b.kubba@arkacademy.org t.ding@arkacademy.org r.higson@arkacademy.org t.houri@arkacademy.org m.ahmed@arkacademy.org a.clark@arkacademy.org k.butler@arkacademy.org a.milea@arkacademy.org b.mahoney@arkacademy.org Mr I Weerakone Ms S McGrath Ms C Hickling Ms B Shute Ms M Armstrong Ms T Bryan Ms M Salad Ms H Rafferty Ms S Mohammad Ms C Zanstra Ms A Ibrahim Ms A Mason Mr A Fakhoury Ms N Patel Mr P. Matsangoura Ms A Johnson Ms A Lisk Mr E Chandler Ms G Eminton Mr A McGregor Ms C Thompson Ms A Sanders Ms F Pitkin Mr F Oxby Ms D Giannarou Ms M Burton Ms L McMillen Ms M Raveneau Mrs B. Cooke Mr J Franklin Mr S. O’Carroll Mr M. Foster Mr S Edmondson Ms N. Addison Ms K. James Ms K. Gallagher Mrs Z. Hicks Ms M. Falconer Mr H. Izzidien Ms K Geldard Ms L. Shotton Ms K. Margetson Ms B. Paw Ms G. Tauro Ms I. Smith Ms J Cullen Science Teacher Science Teacher Science Teacher and Head of Year 8 Science Teacher Science Teacher Science Teacher Science Teacher Science Teacher Science Teacher Science Teacher Head of RE RE Teacher Head of ICT, Computing and Business Lead Teacher of Art Art Teacher Drama Teacher Drama Teacher Lead Teacher of Geography Geography Teacher Geography Teacher Lead Teacher of History History Teacher History Teacher History Teacher Lead Teacher of MFL 2 i/c MFL MFL Teacher MFL Teacher Lead Teacher of Music Music Teacher Lead Teacher of Boys PE Boys PE Teacher and Head of Year 9 Boys PE Teacher Lead Teacher of Girls PE Girls PE Teacher Girls PE Teacher Head of Design Technology Lead Teacher of Food and Textiles Design Technology Teacher Design Technology Teacher Inclusion Co-ordinator Behaviour Manager of Pupil Support Learning Support Assistant Learning Support Assistant Learning Support Assistant SEN/Nurture Teacher 7 i.weerakone@arkacademy.org s.mcgrath@arkacademy.org c.hickling@arkacademy.org b.shute@arkacademy.org m.armstrong@arkacademy.org t.bryan@Arkacademy.org m.salad@arkacademy.org h.rafferty@arkacademy.org s.mohammad@arkacademy.org c.zanstra@arkacademy.org a.ibrahim@arkacademy.org a.mason@arkacademy.org a.fakhoury@arkacademy.org n.patel@arkacademy.org p.matsangoura@arkacademy.org a.johnson@arkacademy.org a.lisk@arkacademy.org e.chandler@arkacademy.org g.eminton@arkacademy.org a.mcgregor@arkacademy.org c.thompson@arkacademy.org a.sanders@arkacademy.org f.pitkin@arkacademy.org f.oxby@arkacademy.org d.giannarou@arkacademy.org m.burton@arkacademy.org l.mcmillen@arkacademy.org m.raveneau@Arkacademy.org b.cooke@arkacademy.org j.franklin@arkacademy.org s.ocarroll@arkacademy.org m.foster@arkacademy.org s.edmondson@arkacademy.org n.addison@arkacademy.org k.james@arkacademy.org k.gallagher@arkacademy.org z.hicks@arkacademy.org m.falconer@arkacademy.org h.izzidien@arkacademy.org k.geldard@arkacademy.org l.shotton@arkacademy.org k.margetson@arkacademy.org b.paw@arkacademy.org g.tauro@arkacademy.org i.smith@arkacademy.org j.cullen@arkacademy.org 3. The Operational staff: Name Role Email address Joanne Stuart Joanne Morton Principal’s PA Head of Student Services and Attendance Officer Admin - Detentions School Nurse j.stuart@arkacademy.org j.morton@arkacademy.org Clodagh Boyle Mary Okoli 8 p.hirani@arkacademy.org m.okoli@arkacademy.org ARK ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT Ark Academy has at its core the pursuit of highest standards possible in education. We believe in high aspirations, high motivation and high achievement for all. Through our extended curriculum and community life we seek to meet the needs of the whole person. Civitas – Citizenship – is at our core. We will build a community of civic pride and social justice in which all members are equally valued. We are committed to the service of young people and to helping them play their full part in society. In light of this we aim to: Provide every student with the knowledge, skills, self belief and motivation to be successful in their learning and lives Welcome, value and respect all who come to the school Build a community based on justice and a sense of personal responsibility Provide opportunities for all to experience CIVITAS whilst developing a spirit of tolerance and understanding for all cultures, traditions and faiths Promote dialogue and co-operation with the wider community Our Driving Principles are: Excellence Citizenship Participation Persistence Our goal Our goal is that all students should be able to access higher education and participate fully in our democratic society. 9 WHO’S WHO AT ARK ACADEMY? 1. The Senior Leadership Team: Name Role Email address Mrs D. Smith Mr T. Dainty Ms C. Haslam Ms A. Bates Mr R. Styles Ms A. Ryan Ms T. Keane Mrs A Cattermole Principal Senior Vice Principal Vice Principal Vice Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal/Director of Science Finance and Resources Manager d.smith@arkacademy.org t.dainty@arkacademy.org c.haslam@arkacademy.org a.bates@arkacademy.org r.styles@arkacademy.org a.ryan@arkacademy.org t.keane@arkacademy.org a.cattermole@arkacademy.org 2. The Teaching staff: Name Role Email address Mr J Kirkman Mr A Cooper Ms J Downey Ms N Sutton Ms R Fearnley Ms Z Yusuf Ms K Mason Ms N Lewis-Smith Ms L Burdett Ms A Hanna Ms J Wada Ms A Ryan Ms. E Ozeke Director of English English Teacher English Teacher and Head of Year 9 English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher English Teacher Director of Mathematics Mathematics Teacher – second in charge Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Mathematics Teacher Director of Science Science Teacher Science Teacher Science Teacher and Head of Year 7 Science Teacher j.kirkman@arkacademy.org a.cooper@arkacademy.org j.downey@arkacademy.org n.sutton@arkacademy.org r.fearnley@arkacademy.org z.yusuf@arkacademy.org k.mason@arkacademy.org n.lewissmith@arkacademy.org l.burdett@arkacademy.org a.hanna@arkacademy.org j.wada@arkacademy.org a.ryan@arkacademy.org e.ozeke@arkacademy.org Ms J Bowley Mr N Edwards Ms B Kubba Ms A Thomas Ms T Choudhury Mr K David Mr T Ding Mr R Higson Ms T Houri Dr B Norris Ms T Keane Mr I Weerakone Ms S McGrath Ms C Hickling Ms B Shute 10 j.bowley@arkacademy.org n.edwards@arkacademy.org b.kubba@arkacademy.org a.thomas@arkacademy.org t.choudhury@arkacademy.org k.david@arkacademy.org t.ding@arkacademy.org r.higson@arkacademy.org t.houri@arkacademy.org b.norris@arkacademy.org t.keane@arkacademy.org i.weerakone@arkacademy.org s.mcgrath@arkacademy.org c.hickling@arkacademy.org b.shute@arkacademy.org Ms E Fair Ms M Armstrong Mr S Barnes Ms A Ibrahim Mr A Fakhoury Ms N Patel Ms N McGeer Ms J Hodges Mrs S Geary Ms A Johnson Ms A Lisk Mr E Chandler Ms G Eminton Ms H Broadbent Ms C Thompson Ms A Sanders Ms F Pitkin Mrs R Arnold Ms D Giannarou Ms Y. Cooper Ms J. O’Connell Mrs B. Cooke Ms A. Cowan Mr J Franklin Mr S. O’Carroll Mr M. Foster Ms N. Addison Ms K. James Mrs Z. Hicks Ms M. Falconer Mr H. Izzidien Ms K Geldard Ms L. Shotton Ms K. Margetson Ms B. Paw Ms B. Kaur Ms G. Tauro Ms I. Smith Ms J Cullen Science Teacher Science Teacher Lead Teacher of Physics Head of RE Head of ICT, Computing and Business Lead Teacher of Art Art Teacher Art Teacher Lead Teacher of Drama and Head of Year 10 Drama Teacher Drama Teacher Lead Teacher of Geography Geography Teacher Geography Teacher Lead Teacher of History History Teacher History Teacher Lead Teacher of MFL MFL Teacher MFL Teacher MFL Teacher Lead Teacher of Music Music Teacher Music Teacher Lead Teacher of Boys PE Boys PE Teacher Lead Teacher of Girls PE Girls PE Teacher Head of Design Technology Lead Teacher of Food and Textiles Design Technology Teacher Design Technology Teacher Inclusion Co-ordinator Behaviour Manager of Pupil Support Learning Support Assistant Learning Support Assistant Learning Support Assistant Learning Support Assistant SEN/Nurture Teacher 11 e.fair@arkacademy.org m.armstrong@arkacademy.org s.barnes@arkacademy.org a.ibrahim@arkacademy.org a.fakhoury@arkacademy.org n.patel@arkacademy.org n.mcgeer@arkacademy.org j.hodges@arkacademy.org s.geary@arkacademy.org a.johnson@arkacademy.org a.lisk@arkacademy.org e.chandler@arkacademy.org g.eminton@arkacademy.org h.broadbent@arkacademy.org c.thompson@arkacademy.org a.sanders@arkacademy.org f.pitkin@arkacademy.org r.kemble@arkacademy.org d.giannarou@arkacademy.org y.cooper@arkacademy.org j.oconnell@arkacademy.org b.cooke@arkacademy.org a.cowan@arkacademy.org j.franklin@arkacademy.org s.ocarroll@arkacademy.org m.foster@arkacademy.org n.addison@arkacademy.org k.james@arkacademy.org z.hicks@arkacademy.org m.falconer@arkacademy.org h.izzidien@arkacademy.org k.geldard@arkacademy.org l.shotton@arkacademy.org k.margetson@arkacademy.org b.paw@arkacademy.org b.kaur@arkacademy.org g.tauro@arkacademy.org i.smith@arkacademy.org j.cullen@arkacademy.org 3. The Operational staff: Name Role Email address Joanne Stuart Joanne Morton Principal’s PA Head of Student Services and Attendance Officer Admin - Detentions School Nurse j.stuart@arkacademy.org j.morton@arkacademy.org Pushpa Hirani Mary Okoli 12 p.hirani@arkacademy.org m.okoli@arkacademy.org SECTION 2 WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP 13 OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING PLEDGE Fundamental purpose Our job is to help every student who comes to Ark Academy get the most out of life in the 21st century. In order to thrive, young people will need to be ready to enjoy challenging situations and be able to meet them calmly, confidently and creatively. We know that there are many young people who aren’t like this, and who are struggling to cope. We really don’t want that to happen to any of your children. If you encourage them to turn up, join in and give 100%, we will do everything in our power to give them that confidence and capability. Powerful Learners We will do all we can to help your child to develop these habits of mind: curious courageous enjoy exploration experimental imaginative disciplined sociable reflective How you can support us in achieving our purpose: Achieving our fundamental purpose is not going to be easy and we will not be able to do it without your help and support. We want your help to keep us on track and to help us get better. We promise to be as open with you as we can be about what we are trying to do, and what we are thinking, and to take your thoughts and ideas seriously. We also need your help to be imaginative about all the ways in which we might tell if we are doing better, year by year, in achieving our fundamental purpose. What should we count, measure and publish? Activities of the student council? Overseas visitors? Entries into national competitions? Evidence of teachers taking on new learning challenges out of school as well as within? Involvement in local community projects? The proportion of the school budget spent on staff learning? Self-report questionnaire measures of self-confidence? 14 Attendance at parents’ events? What do you think would be the most important things to keep track of? How can you support your child in becoming a more powerful learner? Learning does not only happen at school, nor does it end when you leave school. If the students at Ark Academy are really going to fulfil their potential then they will need to be surrounded by adults modelling what it looks like to be a lifelong learner. There are many things you can do at home to support this: 1. Be a visible learner for your child. Let them see you learning new things, grappling with difficult ideas and making mistakes. 2. Involve children in adult conversations. The best thing you can do is to sit down with your child over a meal and discuss interesting news items or discuss a book you are reading with them. 3. Let them spend time with you while you are doing difficult things. Let them see you working things out and learning from making mistakes. 4. Tell your children stories about your learning difficulties. Share your own learning journeys with your child – what did you struggle with at school and discuss what can be done to get over such learning hurdles. 5. Don’t feel that you have to jump in if your child is getting stuck or making mistakes. Let them see that making mistakes is not a bad thing. 6. Restrain the impulse to teach. Offer them only as much help as they need to get going again once they are stuck and don’t tell them everything. Try not to give them the answer – think with them not for them. 7. Don’t praise too much – use interest rather than approval. Young people who are consistently told they are ‘bright’ or ‘talented’ adopt lower standards of success; engage in less challenging situations and under-rate the importance of effort in learning. 8. Encourage different kinds of computer use. Exercise a little ‘light’ parental guidance so that the computer not only becomes a vehicle for instant stimulation but also that the computer is used for challenges that require patient thinking and reading. 15 HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT Ark Academy recognises that the successful development of its pupils depends on an effective partnership of Academy, students and parents. All three parties share responsibility for the development and achievement of each pupil. Together, we commit ourselves to the following: The Academy will: Provide a learning environment that is stimulating, safe and caring Treat everyone with respect Ensure that each pupil has the opportunities, support and guidance to achieve his/her full potential Report regularly on each pupil’s progress Expect high standards, set clear rules, promote mutual respect and develop a sense of responsibility Keep parents informed about school matters, be welcoming to enquiries and responsive to concerns Record and reward good progress and performance Offer extra-curricular activities that will develop broader skills to prepare for life and the world of work Keep your child in detention until 5.00pm, where necessary Inform you if your child has detention rather than attending enrichment if he/she fails to meet the Academy’s standards As parent/carer, I/we will: Make sure my/our child attends school in correct uniform, arrives on time and is properly equipped for school Encourage my/our child to work hard and support my child in homework by checking and signing the planner each week Attend consultation evenings and discussions about my/our child’s progress Support the academy’s policies and guidelines as outlined in the Parents’ Handbook Allow my/our child to attend off-site visits Agree to the detention policy of the academy Agree to the biometric policy of the Academy Make sure that time is not taken out of school unless it is urgent Agree to my/our child’s photograph or film/video footage being taken for the academy’s use and for use by ARK Encourage my/our child to participate in the extra-curricular opportunities offered by the school As a student, I will: Be an ambassador for Ark Academy Work hard in class and at home, so that I can achieve my full potential Treat others as I would wish to be treated Put the needs of others before my own Be proud of my school Attend the academy in correct uniform, be on time and be properly equipped Use my planner to organise my homework and record my achievements Keep the academy rules, behave responsibly and be polite to others in the academy and in the wider community Understand that any poor behaviour whilst wearing Academy uniform will be dealt with as if the incident occurred at school Take part in extra-curricular activities offered by the school Care for the environment – in and out of school Complete homework on time 16 THE STUDENT PLANNER On their first day at Ark Academy your child will be given a Student Planner. They will be able to record their timetable and homework timetable and many personal details in it, and, like a diary, it will be used to record progress and all homework they may be given. The planner is a fantastic resource for every pupil and we are very proud of its design. The academy has taken a major budget decision to ensure every pupil has a planner that will help them to achieve. No student will ever be without their planner; this is a 20 minute detention offence. If lost, it will cost £2.50 to replace. Planners should be kept in a professional manner. The planner is used for the following: A record of all homework and the date it is due to be returned A record of all merits and commendations A record of their academic progress Target setting for academic and behavioural improvement Communication between parents and tutors in the comments page A record of all detentions which parents should sign Record of their lesson and HW timetable Details of important events in the school year Please look over your child’s planner and sign it each week. Their Form Tutor will also check over it and sign it each week as will their Year Head from time to time. In this way, your child will know that we are all interested in their progress. Do not wait for your child to show their planner to you – ask for it every day when they get home from school! There is a space for ‘Comments’ at the end of each week. This space may be used by your child’s Form Tutor to send a message to you, or you may send a message in to school in the same way. Please make as much use as possible of this means of communication, but always write to us more formally (in a sealed envelope) about absence and more confidential or personal matters. 17 Have you checked their homework? Parent/carer comments and signature 18 CODE OF CONDUCT In the community of Ark Academy: • We listen to all staff and follow their instructions politely and calmly • We are polite and respectful to everyone, treating people as we would wish to be treated • We go straight to every lesson • We walk in silence in a single file in corridors and stairs, keeping to the left, without running or causing a disturbance • We never insult, undermine or swear at, any member of staff, visitor or student • We keep our hands and feet to ourselves • We do not touch, or interfere with other people’s property 19 ARK APPROACH TO LEARNING In order to achieve our very best: We make learning our priority and understand there are no shortcuts We are on time for school and all lessons We bring our planners and equipment to school every day enter the classroom silently, greet the teacher, stand behind our chairs and say the pledge settle down to the DO NOW activity straight away We show respect for our own learning and that of others by being silent when requested We are active learners engaging with every activity We respect other peoples’ responses and questions and learn from them by active listening and following the speaker with our eyes We always record homework in our planners and complete homework on time and to the best of our ability We drink water when necessary from the appropriate water bottle, but never eat or chew in class We make sure we catch up with our learning if we are absent from school or behind in our work We help a classmate if they are finding the work difficult 20 THE ARK ENVIRONMENT To take pride in the Academy’s surroundings and support the planet: We will help keep teaching rooms pleasant, clean and tidy areas for myself and others to work in We will always be ‘ECO’ aware - switch off PC’s and any electrical items, not leave them on standby - never, ever drop litter and indeed help pick it up/ remind others of their duty to keep the environment clean and tidy We will never, ever indulge in graffiti We will only eat in the dining hall, never in corridors We will remember fizzy drinks and chewing gum are banned from Ark Academy 21 To show that I am a student of which the Academy can be proud: We will dress smartly, in correct uniform at all times, including to and from school. We will care for our uniforms by hanging it up at the end of the day and keeping it clean and well pressed We will have respect for the Academy’s neighbours and be helpful and considerate in the local community We will be aware of other people around us – on the streets, in shops, on buses and trains – never shout or behave in a way that will affect others (we share pavements, buses/ trains) We will speak quietly and politely to our friends We will offer our seat where possible to an older person/mother with young children We will make our way to and from Ark Academy quickly and not congregate in large groups on the streets We understand that there will be consequences if we do not observe the Code of Conduct! 22 ARK PASTORAL TEAM Each year group in the school will be split into eight tutor groups. In Year 7, your child’s groups will be named after a famous poet. There is a teacher with special responsibility for each year group. Mr Cooper will have overall responsibility for your child and the other members of year 7. Each Tutor Group has a Form Tutor who looks after them. The form tutor is a very important person in your child’s life and will be the first point of contact, should you wish to make contact with the school or raise any questions. Please use the planner as the first means of contact as you and your child’s Tutor will be reading and signing this on a weekly basis. Ms Shotton will take responsibility for the extra support given to those children who may need it. Head of Year 7 Mr A Cooper a.cooper@arkacademy.org Miss Hickling c.hickling@arkacademy.org Mr Foster m.foster@arkacademy.org Head of Year 8 Head of Year 9 Assistant Principal & Head of Year 10: Ms J Downey j.downey@arkacademy.org Assistant Principal & Head of Year 11: Mrs S Geary s.geary@arkacademy.org Inclusion Coordinator: Ms L Shotton l.shotton@arkacademy.org 23 Attendance and Punctuality Procedures PUNCTUALITY & TIMINGS: Punctuality is very important both to your child and the Academy. Breakfast will be available from 08.00 every morning. The main school gates are locked at 8.25a.m. and all pupils who arrive after this time will have to go to main reception to sign in as late. If a pupil is late they will sit a 20 minute detention at lunch on the day they are late. If a pupil arrives after 9.00 they will sit a 1 hour detention after school. If they are late twice in one week, they will sit an hour’s detention on a Friday. PUPILS LINE UP AT 8.25 with their Head of Year and the Year 7 teachers. Line-up is when students will be greeted by their teachers and have their uniform inspected and get their planners out. SCHOOL FINISHES AT 3.55 Monday to Thursday, and at 3.05 on Fridays. However, many pupils will often be required to stay for enrichment and study support lessons until 5.00. Some pupils may also be required to attend detention, details of which are in the section on detentions on p.28. ATTENDANCE: If a child is going to do well at school it is vital that they have a good attendance record. Therefore, students should only be absent if they are too ill to come to school or in exceptional circumstances. If absence is unavoidable then a family ADULT should telephone the Academy on the first day of absence and every day there after. Phone calls should be made by an adult family member before 08.30 on each day of absence. When the student returns they must bring a written note of explanation addressed to the attendance officer (Jo Morton). This can be written in the planner or on paper. Holidays in term-time will never be authorised. However, if there are exceptional circumstances such as a death in the family, parents should write to Mr Dainty requesting a period of absence, clearly stating the reasons. He will then consider the request and write in response. The law makes it clear that taking a child out of school without the school’s authorisation is illegal. It is a Parent’s duty to ensure their child attends school 24 regularly under the Education Act 1996. Failure to meet this responsibility could lead to an appearance at Court which could then lead to: a fine of up to £2,500 community service referral to parenting classes a prison sentence A pupil taken on leave without permission will be marked in the attendance register as taking unauthorised absence (truancy). The matter will then be referred to the Education Welfare Service for discussion about further action. ACCIDENTS AND ILLNESS: If a student has an accident or feels unwell they must tell a member of staff straight away. If they are too ill to remain then their parents/carers will be contacted by the school nurse. MEDICINES: With the exception of asthma inhalers, students are not allowed to administer drugs themselves. All inhalers should be clearly labelled with the child’s name and be carried by the child at all times. A second inhaler, clearly marked with the pupil’s name, should also be left with the school nurse. If a student needs to take a prescribed medicine at the Academy they must bring a letter to the school nurse, giving authorised permission for her to administer the medicine. If a child wishes to take a pain killer, they must go to the school nurse. No pupils should carry any medicines or pain killers on their person. If your child suffers from any type of allergy or allergic reaction then they must bring in a letter from their doctor outlining the nature of the condition and the necessary remedial action required. MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS: It is always best to make medical appointments outside Academy hours. If this is not possible students MUST bring a note from their parents/carers in advance of the date along with a letter of appointment from their doctor or hospital to show to their Form Tutor and Head of Year. If their Head of Year agrees with the necessity to miss school they will countersign the letter and the student will present that at student reception where they will need to sign out. Reception will retain the letter. 25 SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AT ARK ACADEMY Ark Academy, its staff and governors, are committed to safeguarding the welfare of our pupils and to providing a safe environment with robust systems to ensure the safety and healthy development of all our pupils, within the academy and on related school trips and other activities. Everyone working in or for Ark Academy shares the objective of helping to keep children and young people safe by contributing to: ensuring that Ark Academy provides a safe environment in which children and young people can learn and develop, and identifying children and young people who are suffering, or at risk of suffering abuse and taking appropriate action with the aim of making sure they are kept safe both at home and in school. We recognise that some children may be especially vulnerable to abuse. We are committed to doing our best to identify such children and to working with the appropriate authorities to support and safeguard them. We are committed to providing all our pupils with a safe learning environment, free of bullying and other forms of harassment, and to teaching pupils to act safely in and outside school and on the internet. We will always take a considered and sensitive approach in order to support all our pupils. It is not the responsibility of academy staff to investigate welfare concerns or determine the truth of any disclosure or allegation. All staff have a duty, however, to recognise concerns and maintain an open mind. Accordingly all concerns regarding the welfare of pupils will be recorded and discussed with the designated senior person with responsibility for child protection, prior to discussion with parents. The name of the designated person in the secondary school is Mr Tim Dainty. If a pupil, parent or member of staff should disclose concerns about the welfare of a pupil at Ark Academy, he will first consider the following: any urgent medical needs of the child, discussing the matter with other agencies involved with the family, 26 consulting with appropriate persons e.g. Safeguarding Officer, Brent Children’s Social Care, the child‘s wishes. Then decide, in accordance with the procedures or advice of the local safeguarding children’s board: where possible to talk to parents, unless to do so may place a child at risk of significant harm, impede any police investigation and/or place the member of staff or others at risk; whether to make a child protection referral to children’s social care because a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm and if this needs to be undertaken immediately; OR: not to make a referral at this stage; if further monitoring is necessary; or if it would be appropriate to undertake an assessment and/or make a referral to other services. All information and actions taken, including the reasons for any decisions made, will be fully documented. Any referrals to children’s social care will be accompanied by a standard referral form. Recording and monitoring Accurate records will be made as soon as practicable and will clearly distinguish between observation, fact, opinion and hypothesis. All records will be signed and dated. All Child Protection documents will be retained in a ‘Child Protection’ file, separate from the child’s main file. This will be locked away and only accessible to the Principal and Senior Designated Person. Supporting the child and partnership with parents Ark Academy recognises that the child’s welfare is paramount and that good child protection practice and outcome rely on a positive, open and honest working partnership with parents. 27 While, on occasion, we may need to make referrals without consultation with parents, we will make every effort to maintain a positive working relationship with them whilst fulfilling our duties to protect any child, acting with the advice of the local children’s safeguarding board as appropriate. We will provide a secure, caring, supportive and protective relationship for the child. Children will be given a proper explanation (appropriate to age & understanding) of what action is being taken on their behalf and why. We will endeavour always to preserve the privacy, dignity and right to confidentiality of the child and parents. However, no member of staff can necessarily promise confidentiality to any child who should make a disclosure of abuse. If it is felt that a child is at risk of harm or is being harmed, the Designated Senior Person (DSP) has a responsibility to share this information with Social care. In turn, the DSP will determine which members of staff need to know personal information and what they need to know to support and protect the child. If you, as parents, should have any further questions about any of that which has been written above, you should contact Mr Dainty (Senior Designated Person) directly. 28 ACADEMY REWARDS The role of rewards in recognising and promoting Ark Academy values is a key part of developing the potential of young people by giving encouragement and praise. Praise is a key component of good teaching and good staff/pupil relationships. Good behaviour is also best promoted and developed by drawing attention to and rewarding well behaved and hardworking students. Praise needs to be used appropriately, sincerely and linked to tangible examples of a student’s strengths. The rewards policy operates within this guiding principle. The system also links individual recognition and achievement to the house system and develops a healthy competitiveness at house level and fosters a sense of belonging. Rewards can be given when a pupil demonstrates any one of the core values: Civitas Excellence Participation Persistence 29 Civitas Badge Principal's Gold merit Senior Teacher's Silver merit Commendation for every 5 merits Postcard sent home Merits and Civitas merits 30 SYSTEM FOR DETENTIONS Ark Academy has a zero tolerance of any behaviour which might cause offence or harm or disrupt the learning of others. We wish to ensure that every child is safe, happy and free to learn and make progress. To ensure that this situation is secured we will sanction students who do not comply with the expectations referred to earlier in this handbook. In order that students comply with these expectations, our detention system is simple, fair, swift and transparent. Detentions can be set for 20, 60 or 120 minutes. However, it is also possible to accumulate more than one detention in a day. Detention runs from 4.00 until 6.00. There are detention pages in the pupil planner for recording purposes. There will be a text message sent Monday to Friday to inform parents of the reason and length of detention. In the case of Saturday detentions a letter will be sent home and a phone call made. 31 SUMMARY OF SANCTIONS Description of behavior 20 minute detention Late to school Lateness to lessons Lack of equipment or missing PE kit Unsigned or unprofessional planner Action taken By whom? 20 minute lunch detention 20 minute detention 20 minute detention 20 minute detention Missing HW Continued disruption/ lack of focus in class /talking in line/poor corridor behaviour 1 hour detention - 3 Saturday Demerits Missing a 20 minute detention Truancy from a lesson Possession of phone/ jewellery /mp3/head phones 20 minute detention (1 Demerit) 20 minute detention Attendance officer Teacher/LSA Teacher/LSA Teacher/Form Tutor Teacher Teacher Eating food outside the dining hall / chewing / dropping litter Rudeness/defiance/answering back Inappropriate language; cussing other pupils; bullying Repeated or serious disruption of learning 2 hour detention - 6 Demerits Missing a one hour detention Refusing to leave the classroom or accept a 1 hour detention Any threatening or violent behavior to your fellow students Flat refusal to follow clear and reasonable instructions 2 hour Saturday detention An accumulation of demerits for poor behaviour A one off serious incident Serious incidents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Missing a 2 hour detention (2) Persistent and continued disruption (1 – 4) Continued rule breaking (1 – 4) Defiance (1 -4) Serious and continued Bullying (1 – 4) Fighting (1 – 4) Threatening or abusive behaviour (2 – 4)) Violence or assault (2 - 4) Using drugs or alcohol (3 - 4) Sexually inappropriate behavior (2-4) Bringing weapons to the academy (4) Supplying drugs (4) 1 hour detention 1 hour detention 1 hour detention +confiscate until half term 1 hour detention + items placed in bin 1 hour detention 1 hour detention + department relocation 1 hour detention + department relocation Head of Year Teacher/HOD/HOY Teacher 2 hour detention and discussion with parent SLT relocation to LSU and and 2 hour detention SLT relocation to LSU and and 2 hour detention SLT relocation to LSU and and 2 hour detention SLT See cumulative table for details Telephone call home Serious action VP Pupils SLT Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher SLT SLT/HOY SLT/HOY Responses to these incidents should always be discussed with the Principal, or Vice Principal if unavailable . However, the response will be one of the following, once investigation is complete. 1. 2. 3. 4. Relocation to LSU Day in LSU +2 hour detention Fixed term Exclusion Permanent exclusion or managed move 32 What happens if a pupil accumulates demerits for poor behaviour? Number of accumulated demerits 20 demerits Action taken By whom? Saturday detention, phone call Form tutor 40 demerits Saturday detention, parental meeting and agree targets for daily report Form Tutor 60 demerits Saturday detention and meeting to sign a behavior contract Head of Year 80 demerits Saturday detention and meeting with parents to set up a PSP Head of Year 100 demerits Saturday detention and parental Meeting to agree action plan Vice Principal Pupils 120 demerits 3 day fixed term exclusion meeting with Principal Principal 140 demerits 15 day exclusion and parental meeting with governors Permanent exclusion, managed move or alternative placements Governors 160 demerits Principal and Governors 33 UNIFORM POLICY It is expected that all pupils will travel to and from the Academy every day in neat, clean uniform, giving the clear message to the public that our pupils take pride in belonging to the Academy. Anyone who fails to do so will be sent home to change their uniform or kept out of lessons for the day. Regulation Academy Uniform Boys Grey blazer with deep red trim Grey trousers Tie White shirt Black socks Grey jumper with ark academy logo PE polo shirt PE shorts and deep red socks Tracksuit top with ark academy logo Tracksuit bottoms Rugby shirt (optional) Ark Academy Rucksack or book bag White non-marking trainers Plain black leather lace-up shoes GIRLS Grey blazer with deep red trim Grey Kilt or trousers Pink coloured long sleeved blouse (winter) Pink and white striped short-sleeve blouse (summer) Plain grey or black tights or white socks Grey jumper with ark academy logo PE polo shirt & skirt / shorts PE socks deep red Tracksuit top & bottoms Ark Academy Book bag or rucksack White non-marking trainers Plain black leather lace-up shoes 34 Dos and Don’ts: Grey or black plain Hijab for girls. No jewellery or make-up to be worn by any student, except for a watch. Hair must be worn in an appropriate style with no extreme styling or designs of hair or eyebrows; e.g. lines/intricate patterns/Mohicans/ Hair should be no shorter than a grade 2 No coloured hair extensions/ braids or other types of extravagant hair. Only natural hair colour is allowed No false nails or coloured nail varnish is allowed. Outdoor coats must be black and have no logos, patterns or markings of any kind and they must be long enough to cover the blazer. Hooded sweatshirts and cardigans are not allowed. During the winter months a plain black woollen hat and scarf, with no markings or logos may be worn. Hats and scarves are available to buy from the Academy. All outdoor clothing must be removed on entering the building. Shirts and ties should be worn appropriately, i.e. shirts must be tucked in and top buttons done up; ties must be worn at the correct length. All clothes, including rucksack and trainers, should be clearly labelled with the child’s name, especially PE kit and trainers. Otherwise the owner of any lost item cannot be identified! 35 PURCHASING UNIFORM All uniform can be purchased from the school suppliers: Pullens 48-50 Church Road, Stanmore, HA7 4AH Tel: 020 954 3850 Website: www.uniform4kids.com WASHING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACADEMY UNIFORM PILLING Every garment selected and supplied by Pullens is designed to perform in the demanding school environment. Our continuing commitment to our customers is to provide quality, value for money products using the best fabrics available. However, some fabrics are prone to pilling during their initial wearing. This is quite normal and does not indicate a fault in the product or that it is of poor quality. In fact this may occur more with heavier weight fabrics than lighter weights. WHAT IS PILLING? Bobbles form on certain fabrics when loose fibres on the surface make contact with each other and become entangled. 36 Pilling is often caused by: External friction with outer garments, especially bags and rucksacks. Washing the garment at an incorrect temperature Washing the garment with other heavy fabrics that may cause friction Tumble drying the garment. This causes raised fibres Body heat generated by the wearer These loose fibres tend to form a ball and will fall off overtime or can be removed by a special device or a razor; once removed pilling is unlikely to occur again. To get the best from your garment: Always wash the garment inside out Machine wash at maximum 40°C – never higher Do not use fabric conditioner Do not tumble dry Cool iron only The above is intended for information only and does not affect your statutory rights. GARMENT CARE Always follow the wash label Avoid using fabric conditioners - They displace the finish that is on the fabric Never use a hot iron on blazers or knitwear - The fusible inside will de-laminate Ties cannot be machine washed - Hand wash and lay on a flat surface to dry Never tumble drying acrylic knitwear or rugby tops on a high heat - Acrylic will soften with heat and the garment goes baggy Wash the cotton PE shorts separately - As they are cotton, they will lose some black dye on the first few washes - If they are washed with the rugby shirt, the white collar will pick-up some of the black dye The Blazer is dry clean only NEVER TUMBLE DRY KILTS, BLAZERS, TROUSERS OR JUMPERS 37 ENRICHMENT GUIDELINES From Monday-Thursday between 4-5pm students will be offered an hour of enrichment activity. This programme is carefully tailored to offer a range of activities including sport, music and academic support for those students not meeting their target levels or those who need more stretch. Students will be provided with the full enrichment programme from which they can make their choices at the beginning of the school term. Student will be able to swap their enrichment at the mid-point of the school year. Students will only be able to attend enrichment if they have followed the school’s code of conduct and have not been awarded a sanction. Examples of sessions available: Sport- Basketball, Football, Netball, Table Tennis, Badminton, Cricket Music- Samba, African Drums, Choir, Musical Ensemble Dance- Zumba, Street Dance, Aerobics K Kwon Do Chess club Passport Maths UK Maths Challenge Debate Mate Science Club Art Club DT Club STEM Club Let’s get Cooking Art Club Homework club runs alongside enrichment from 4-5pm in the Learning Centre. Students who require extra support with Homework will be identified to do homework club in the Pupil Support area in smaller groups In addition to enrichment there will be numerous opportunities to attend trips and visits special events that support learning and personal development. 38 PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING We want all children and young people to be healthy and achieve at school and in life. We believe that by providing opportunities at school for enhancing emotional and physical aspects of health in the longer term, this will lead to improved health, reduced health inequalities, increased social inclusion and raise achievement for all. Personal, Social and Health Education This will be delivered during tutor time either by tutors or by specialists. Students will acquire a range of information on health issues that are relevant to their age and maturity. These will include emotional health and well being, sex and relationships, diet and exercise, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, careers and personal safety. Students will also have the opportunity to develop emotional health and social skills including skills for learning, achieving and managing change. In addition to these weekly sessions there will be days during the school year where the timetable is collapsed to focus in more detail on one of these issues. COMMUNICATION There will be a meeting for all new parents in October when you will have the opportunity to find out how your child is settling in and also find out how best to help your son/daughter to learn most effectively. At the end of each term you will have a written report detailing the levels your child has achieved in their end of term assessments. In 2014.15 you will receive a report and we will have a full parents’ evening. The dates will be confirmed in due course. This is an opportunity to see as many of your child’s subject teachers as possible and discuss with them the progress they have made during the academic year. We may also have an additional parents evening in January, but you will be informed about this nearer the time. The school believes open and regular communication with parents is crucial to our success. If you have any concerns at all and need to talk to a teacher at the academy, just call our switchboard on 020 8385 4370 or email secondaryinfo@arkacademy.org 39 We will also keep you up to date through the newsletters and regular letters to parents. Please let us know if you need separate copies sent to each parent/carer. If you have any other questions or problems you are always welcome to telephone for an appointment with the Year Head or Form Tutor; sometimes a chat on the phone will settle your worries, but if not please do make an appointment rather than just turning up. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN ARK ACADEMY Parents Association The Parents Association (PA) is a growing body of parents from Ark Primary and Secondary. The main aim of the PA is to raise funds to support our enrichment programmes or to subsidise the cost of trips and visits. Please look out for the school calendar for confirmed dates and times of the upcoming meetings. A “drop in” Parent Surgery is held fortnightly if you have a specific query or questionagain please check the school calendar for dates/ times. North London Citizens Ark Academy is one of the Founder members of North London Citizens. North London Citizens is an alliance of schools, universities, churches, mosques and synagogues that come together to take action together for the common good of the local community. Training in community organising is provided for any parents who wish to get involved in this kind of work. Please speak to Mrs Haslam for more information. TRAVELLING TO SCHOOL Our students will be very distinctive in their school uniform and we expect the highest standards of behaviour at all times. If there is unacceptable behaviour on the streets or on public transport we will deal with it most severely and in the most appropriate manner. If such behaviour occurs, the usual practice would be to send a 40 letter home offering an appointment to discuss the issue as a matter of urgency. We do ask parents to respond with the same urgency in such circumstances. We would expect most of our students to travel by public transport or on foot to school every morning and pupils will be supervised getting onto buses and the underground at the end of the school day. The Academy has excellent facilities for storing bicycles and we would encourage many students to travel by bike if it is deemed appropriate. If you decide to drive your child to work then you may only set your child down at an appropriate place. Parents may not drive into the staff car park to drop their children off, nor may they park across exits or entrances to driveways and other roads. The same applies for the end of the day when you pick your child up. Bridge Road is a congested and busy main road and there are very few places to park whilst dropping off or picking up your child. For that reason we would heavily urge against using your car for school transport. SCHOOL FOOD AVAILABILITY Healthy Eating Our onsite school kitchen offers every child a healthy lunch, cooked freshly at the school, everyday, and healthy snacks at break times. A vegetarian choice is always provided and it can usually cater to special dietary needs if these are notified to the school. Breakfast We believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for everyone. Many studies have found a relationship between eating breakfast and learning ability, attention span, and general well-being. Children who regularly eat breakfast think faster, clearer, solve problems more easily, and are less likely to be irritable. 41 By the time a child wakes up, they've gone around 12 hours without food, leaving them low on blood sugar. Children's brains are especially sensitive to this and the brain can't function properly if it is low on energy. As a result children get moody; they can't concentrate and are more inclined to behave badly. Research suggests that a 12-year-old who skips breakfast has the same brainpower as a 70-year-old in the classroom. Breakfast will give kids more physical energy so they'll perform better at sports. Plus energy from food keeps them warm. Breakfast eaters are more likely to be slim, according to research. The first meal of the day kick starts the body's calorie-burning process. Meanwhile, those people who skip breakfast are more likely to have cravings for fatty, sugary foods. The foods that will really set them up Boiled egg with whole meal bread soldiers, diluted fruit juice with no added sugar or home-made fruit smoothie Pitta bread with houmous and raw carrot sticks, sliced banana in low-fat yoghourt. Bagel with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese, apple. Wheat flakes or biscuits with semi-skimmed milk, slice of toast with reducedsugar jam. Porridge with a dollop of reduced-sugar jam; toasted fruit bread. Grilled tomatoes or mushrooms or mashed banana on toast, low-fat yoghourt and fruit. The dining hall will be open for Breakfast club each day from 8.00 am where a variety of healthy options will be on offer. Students who are eligible for Free School Meals will be able to have breakfast in the school dining hall free of charge when they present their “Breakfast Club” card at the till. No pupils will be allowed out at lunchtime and we expect all pupils to eat a hot meal at lunchtime; we will provide a choice of meals including vegetarian and Halal. The following foods and drinks are banned from the Academy: 42 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Crisps Sweets Chewing gum Fizzy drinks of any description Lucozade or other ‘energy drinks’ Any other food or drink product that the Principal deems unsuitable We expect that students do not purchase or eat these items on their way to or from school. Access to drinking water Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. The students can access free, clean and palatable drinking water from the canteen and water fountains during break, lunch and before and after school. Students must only use the Ark water bottles provided when in class. If a pupil loses their water bottle they should go to student reception and pay Miss Morton £1 for a replacement. Physical Activity Ark Academy students will be offered an exciting range of sporting opportunities in their enrichment programme in addition to their timetabled PE lessons. They will learn about the benefits of physical activity and be offered the chance to participate in team, competitive and individual activities. It is expected that at least one of the four enrichment evenings per week is dedicated to a sporting activity by each student. Emotional Health and Wellbeing We will work closely with external agencies to support students and their families. At Ark Academy we will ensure that vulnerable children and young people have individual support plans and we will put in place planned and structured intervention work addressing the issues of identified. We are aware that social and emotional skills are an integral part of the curriculum and of PSHE due to their potential impact on teaching and learning. 43 HOW TO PAY FOR SCHOOL MEALS At Ark Academy we will be using a cashless catering system based on biometric identification. An account for each pupil will be created with Parent Pay. The preferred method for adding credit to your child’s account is by you using a credit or debit card online at www.parentpay.com (see the Quick Reference guide attached). It is also possible for you, and your child, to add credit using the cash loading machines located in the main reception area and the atrium adjacent to the student entrance. If you prefer, you can request a Pay point card to add credit at Pay point terminals in local shops. Exceptionally credit can be added by the academy’s finance staff for cash or cheques if you place these in an envelope clearly labelled with your child’s name, class and stating it is dinner money and hand the envelope in at the Main Reception. If a pupil is eligible for a free school meal because the household income is less than £16,000 you should contact Brent to apply. Once this has been agreed they will let us know. This does not happen automatically if your child was eligible for free school meals at Primary school so please make sure that this has been agreed with Brent and the Academy. Once we have been notified by Brent, your child will be eligible to a free lunch to the value of £2.15 and a free meal for breakfast. Every child has to pay for food during morning break, even those children who are eligible for Free School Meals. The beauty of this system is that your child does not need to bring any money to school and it massively reduces queuing time at lunch and break. Your child will simply press his or her right finger down on the recognition system. The amount owed is then debited from your account. Please make sure that the account stays in credit. This will mean checking it on a weekly basis. If your child falls into debt, they will not be allowed to get any food at morning break, until money is paid into the account and the balance is back in credit. Keeping the account in credit also avoids any embarrassment. When in debt we will write to you to tell you that you owe money and ask that you credit the account as soon as possible. 44 PARENTPAY QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE Activating your account You will receive a letter from the school setting out the initial username and password you should use to access ParentPay for the first time. You need to follow each of the following steps in order to activate your ParentPay account. 1. Go to www.parentpay.com and click on the Login tab in the top right corner of the page. 2. Type in the username and password that you received in your letter from school, be careful when typing in UPPER and lower case letters, also be sure not to confuse the letter l (for lemon) with the number one (1) and the number 0 (zero) with the letter o (for orange). NB these user details are for one-time use only and will become invalid after account activation 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to successfully activate your account. You will be asked to provide your own choice of username and password which you will use every time you access ParentPay. You will also be 4. Read the ParentPay terms and conditions and click in the box next to Accept terms and conditions at the bottom of the page and click Continue. 5. You’ll see an overview of your activation onscreen and will receive an email confirming your account settings. 6. Click Continue Your account is now activated and you are ready to start making payments. Making a payment Click on the Items for payment tab. 1. Put a tick in the box to the left of each item you wish to pay for. If required, type the amount you wish to pay for in the Amount column. The minimum payment for dinner money is £10. Other items such as music lessons require payment in full and you will find you cannot amend the figure in the Amount column if this is the case. 2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Continue. 3. Check that the details on the My basket page are correct. 4. Click Pay now to continue to the payment screen. 5. Enter your credit or debit card details in the appropriate fields. 6. Click Make payment. 45 Checking payments/statements To check payments made between two dates click on the History tab. 1. Select your child from the first drop down list by clicking at the arrow to the side. If you only have one child at the school you should only see this child’s name. 2. Select the appropriate service by clicking on the arrow to the side of the second box and selecting from the drop down list. 3. Select the dates between which you wish to view your past payments. 4. Click Search. 5. You can sort the table by clicking on the title of a column To get a payment statement for a particular month click on the History tab then click on the Account Statements tab. 1. Select the service that you would like a statement for using the drop down menu. 2. Choose the month that you would like to view and click Search. Statements and payment listings can be printed by clicking on the small printer icon at the left hand side of the tab menu at the top of the screen. Merging Accounts If you have more than one child at the same school you will have received a separate username and password for each child. You can merge all the accounts together so that you will only have to use one username and password to make payments for all your children. 1. Login to your ParentPay account using the username and password for one child (these login details will become the login details for all children merged to your account) and click on the History tab. 2. Click on the Merge my logins tab. 3. Type in the username and password for the child that you wish to merge with this account and click Search. 4. Your child’s details will appear on screen, click on Merge pupils to my account. 5. If you have more than two children at the school you need to carry out the above steps for each child. 46 ParentPay FAQs When can I log in to my account? Once you have received your activation letter from the school with your activation login details you’ll be able to activate your account and start making payments. Which cards can I use? ParentPay accepts MasterCard and Visa credit cards, and Maestro, Switch, Delta, Electron, Solo and Visa debit cards. Is it safe to make payments on the internet? Yes. ParentPay uses leading technology to process your card transactions securely. All communication with the bank is encrypted and neither ParentPay nor the school have access to your card details. How can I check that it’s secure? Standard website addresses begin with http; the address for a secure site will always begin with https. You will also see a padlock at the bottom/top right of the screen on our login page and after you have logged into your account; never enter your card details or personal data on any web page whose address does not start https. What about our personal information? ParentPay holds a very limited amount of information about you and your child solely for the purpose of administering your account; however ParentPay does not use your personal information other than for supporting the school. It does not share or give information to any other organisations. It operates under strict guidelines set out by the Data Protection Act 1998. ParentPay will NEVER contact you by phone, email or mail and ask you to divulge confidential information like passwords or card numbers. If you are ever contacted by someone claiming to be from ParentPay, please contact ParentPay immediately on 0845 257 5540. I don’t have a home PC so how can I use ParentPay? Why not visit your local library, internet café or see if you can get access to a computer at work. For more information please visit www.parentpay.com or ask for assistance at Main Reception 47 Section 3 HELPING YOUR CHILD LEARN 48 EQUIPMENT There are a number of items that a student needs in order to be able to take a full and active part in learning at the Academy. Therefore all students should pack their Ark Academy bag with the following items every night: Current reading book Student planner 1 x clear pencil case with the following contents: 2 x black or blue writing pens 1x red writing pen 2 x highlighter pens 2 x sharpened pencils 1x rubber 1 x 12 inch ruler Scientific Calculator Protractor and compass 1 x Ark Academy water bottle – full Books/folders for that day PE Kit if required Correction fluid, such as tippex, is banned from the Academy. We cross out our mistakes, but we do not remove them as mistakes are a vital part of the learning process. HOMEWORK On their first day, your child will be given their timetable and homework timetable. This might seem a little complicated at first but they will soon get the hang of it. All pupils are expected to do homework in two subjects each night; in year 7 we expect them to spend about half an hour on each subject, but as they get older this time will grow. Please check your child’s homework nightly and contact his/her Form Tutor if they seem to be spending either too long or not long enough on it. A useful way of cross-checking is to look in their student planner at what has been set and then at the actual work in their exercise book. 49 The same applies if your child appears to be getting through their homework in much less than the expected thirty minutes. In this way, the subject teacher will be helped to judge what is best for the class and the individuals in it. At the beginning of the school year, when teachers and students are unfamiliar with one another, it sometimes happens that the homework given is too hard or too much for some students. If this happens to your child, please help them to do their best, but do not let them struggle on for hours. HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH THEIR LEARNING There is a lot of help and support available in school for all our students, whatever their ability level. We have in place many strategies for different stages in your child’s career and for different curriculum areas, and we try to make all students aware of the many beneficial opportunities available to them in the media. The first port of call in wanting to know more about your child’s work is by visiting our school website. www.arkacademy.org/secondary Here you will find up to date information about our own curriculum and the management of our school. Your son/daughter will be accessing school resources, especially designed to support their lessons, homework and revision online linked to school through Fronter. This is a secure website, explained below. In the first few weeks they will be given their access code and password. This site is an invaluable tool for your child and often used for homework, so it is vital that your child has easy access to PC and broadband. If you are interested in finding out more about the National Curriculum and other issues relating to your child and being a parent and you can access the Internet, you might find it useful to log on to this Government site: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/index.htm or to download lots of information: http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/ 50 TAKE YOUR CLASSROOM HOME! VIDEOS, QUIZZES, WORKSHEETS, TOP LINKS, SURVEYS, VOTES, BLOGS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE ARE ALL FOUND ON . Fronter is our schools ‘Virtual Learning Environment’. It allows students to log-in from any computer, even at home and instantly access lesson resources, worksheets, revision material, videos and games to practise their learning from every subject. Fronter helps with everything – from Maths to PE – and all presented in a fun and exciting way. Details for how to log-in to Fronter will be included in students’ planners and covered during student induction. 51 THE CURRICULUM What kind of Curriculum does Ark Academy provide? Overview of the Key Stage 3 Curriculum At Ark Academy we offer a rich and varied curriculum, designed to engage students and prepare them for GCSEs, A Levels, and University. The curriculum helps us to fulfil our pledge that we will, ‘prepare students to cope with whatever life may throw at them.’ We place a strong emphasis on English and Mathematics, with five hours a week of each. This allows us to make sure every student has the academic foundations they need. However we also give significant time to practical subjects such as Physical Education and Design Technology, and the Expressive Arts such as Music, Drama and Art itself. We believe that if the focus is too narrow, with the same subjects done all the time, then students will enjoy school less, and won’t develop into the rounded, mature individuals we want them to be. In Year 7 all students will study a Modern Foreign Language, either French or Spanish, and we hope that nearly all students will study at least one language up until GCSE. How many lessons of each subject in a week Subject English Mathematics Science Modern Foreign Languages Geography History Art Drama Music Physical Education Design Technology (Graphics/Resistant Materials/Textiles/Food) PSHE Religious Education Number of Lessons 5 5 4 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 52 Extra Lessons As well as 29 timetabled lessons each week, we provide our students with 30 minutes of guided reading and 20 minutes of form time each day. In addition, there is one hour of enrichment from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Thursday. A range of activities will be on offer, including learning support. Some of these sessions will be compulsory to attend, particularly where it is felt that your child is struggling to make progress. This means the overall education being provided for your child is much more than just the subject allocations described above. Learning Support Every pupil at Ark will be given every opportunity to fulfil their potential. For some students this will mean getting extra help in lessons and even out of lessons. To identify who the students might be we will spend the first half term assessing the needs of every student. For instance, we will pay close attention to the advice given to us by each child’s primary school. We will also examine every child’s SAT scores and set some additional tests during Induction week to find out more about their reading, writing and numeracy. We will use all of this information, in addition to our own assessments, to get the right help to the right students. If you should have any questions about your child’s learning support please contact Louise Shotton (Inclusion coordinator) or Tim Dainty (Associate Principal) at the Academy. If a pupil is experiencing difficulties with their learning we can provide them with one of our learning mentors: Ms. K Margetson Ms. G Tauro The role of Learning Mentor is to work in partnership with teachers, parents and pupils to address the needs of students and support them in overcoming barriers to learning, both in and out of school, in order to achieve their full potential. Alternatively, pupils experiencing difficulties may be thought to benefit from a peer mentor. This is a service provided by the students and is an initiative to maximise inclusion within the school. Its aims and objectives are to create a nurturing and supportive environment for every student. This coincides with the school’s Civitas motto, which encourages citizenship within and outside the school. 53 Peer Mentors are selected very carefully through an interview process held by a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Through the year they are supported by the Peer Mentoring Co-ordinator. They receive training and an induction, which helps them understand their role and what is expected of them. This role is respected by students and is viewed as a privileged position within the school. Peer Mentee’s are referred to the co-ordinator through a referral process which helps mentee’s to be matched with an appropriate mentor. Once matched, the mentors are expected to meet with their mentee’s at least once a week. Students can be referred for a range of reasons from struggling with homework to lack of confidence. The objective is to use listening skills and extra support to help students enjoy their time in school. Supporting pupils who have English as an additional Language (EAL) At Ark Academy we support the principles of inclusion and bilingualism where all students from a wide range of social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, have the right to access the curriculum and participate in all aspects of school life and we strive to ensure all students make the same levels of progress. All languages and cultures are valued equally and we aim to develop a strong sense of belonging to the school community amongst all students. To this end, we provide support to pupils who join us with different levels of proficiency in English. We have specialists who will assess your child and depending on the level of English put support in place in order to enable your child to access the full curriculum. For students who have limited English when they join our academy we have an induction programme, which aims to support students whilst they attend the majority of lessons as normal. This programme of withdrawal would focus on the key language necessary to be able to take part in all lessons and links in with the current curriculum being studied in English lessons for example. It is time limited in order to reintegrate student into a regular timetable. We also have a reading group for students who are learning English as an additional language, with a specialist in EAL teaching the reading. Outside of lessons, we run a homework club specifically targeted at students who are learners of English as an additional language, as well as an EAL literacy booster and offer lunchtime support. 54 We value strong relationships with parents in order to raise attainment of our EAL learners and host regular special events to celebrate the progress made by our EAL students with their parents such as “Come Read with Me”. If your child is learning English as an additional language, encourage them to read in English and also to read and write in their home language if possible. If you have any questions about the level of language support your child may need, please contact your child’s form tutor in the first instance. 55 OUR SPECIALISMS Citizenship Our Mission Civitas – Citizenship – is at our core. We will build a community of civic pride and social justice in which all members are equally valued. We are committed to the service of young people and to helping them play their full part in society. Our goal Our goal is that all students should be able to access higher education and participate fully in our democratic society What is Citizenship Education? Education for citizenship equips young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding to play an effective role in public life. Citizenship encourages them to take an interest in topical and controversial issues and to engage in discussion and debate. Pupils learn about their rights, responsibilities, duties and freedoms and about laws, justice and democracy. They learn to take part in decision-making and different forms of action. They play an active role in the life of their schools, neighbourhoods, communities and wider society as active and global citizens. Citizenship encourages respect for different national, religious and ethnic identities. It equips pupils to engage critically with and explore diverse ideas, beliefs, cultures and identities and the values we share as citizens in the UK. Pupils begin to understand how society has changed and is changing in the UK, Europe and the wider world. Citizenship will delivered across the curriculum within all subject areas, tutor time and dedicated Citizenship Days. At its core students will be encouraged to be active participants in their communities who not only learn about how to make a change but will be actively supported in making that change. 56 Active Citizenship Ark Academy is proud to be one of the founder members of North London Citizens- a powerful alliance of schools and universities, churches, mosques and synagogues that has been built to take action together for the common good of our local area and beyond. Our participation in this initiative underpins our goal of active citizenship and participation in democratic society for our students and the community. We will work hard to train our students to become community leaders who have the confidence and skills necessary to participate in society. We will help them to formulate plans and campaigns that challenge the issues that are of most concern to them and their community. As part of London Citizens and Citizens UK, North London Citizens will build on a successful work such as the Living Wage Campaign, which has won over £70m of Living Wages for low-paid families, the City Safe Campaign, which has helped stem youth violence and make our streets safer, and the Strangers into Citizens Campaign, which calls for a pathway to citizenship for long-term undocumented migrants. This training is not limited to students and we will look to involve parents and other community leaders. Please look out for more information in the termly newsletters. Mathematics Our vision: We aim to ensure that every student at Ark Academy achieves highly enough by age 18 to have real options: to go to university or college or to follow the career path of their choice. Achieving GCSE mathematics at Grade C or above, by age 16 or earlier, is a necessity for this aim to become a reality. In order to achieve our aim, we have developed ambitious and coherent mathematics curricula, taught by committed and knowledgeable staff who engage learners and integrate their teaching with assessment. Furthermore, there is a 57 school-wide commitment to both equity and excellence in mathematics. The development of a specialist ethos centred on mathematics will facilitate: real dedication to high quality mathematics education for all high expectations and non defeatist attitude to excellence and endeavour in mathematics ensuring that the school’s mathematics provision is engaging, vibrant and innovative, stretching beyond mathematics lessons into the school’s enrichment and awards programme Above all, we believe that mathematics education in ARK Academy will develop, at all ages, confident and competent learners with the capacity to aim high. THE HOUSE SYSTEM Every member of the Academy will be a member of a House – with the exception of the principal. The purpose of the House System is to allow every student in the Academy the opportunity to participate in the wider life of the school and to contribute to the growth of the academy community. THE 4 HOUSES AND THEIR HISTORY: Newton, Socrates, Plato, Currie. Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist, mathematician and astronomer, who is considered by many to be one of the most influential people in human history. His 1687 publication of the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (usually called the Principia) is considered to be among the most influential books in the history of science. In this work, Newton described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion. Newton showed that the motions of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural laws by demonstrating the consistency between Kepler's laws of planetary motion and his theory of gravitation, thus advancing the scientific revolution. Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying the foundation for Western philosophy. He is famous for his questioning of the fundamental principles of life and for the ‘invention’ of Socratic method – a type of 58 critical thinking whereby individuals with opposing viewpoints ask and answer questions to test logic. Plato was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher education (University) in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Plato's dialogues have been used to teach a range of subjects, including philosophy, logic, rhetoric and mathematics. Marie Curie was a physicist and chemist of Polish upbringing. She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity and the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry. She was also the first female professor at the University of Paris. She founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw. Her achievements include the creation of a theory of radioactivity (a term she coined), techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes, and the discovery of two new elements, polonium and radium. Under her direction, the world's first studies were conducted into the treatment of neoplasms (cancers) using radioactive isotopes. 59 OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP There are many opportunities for your child to develop their leadership and strategic thinking by taking on a role of responsibility within their House. House Captain Form Prefects School Council Representative Peer mentor Sports Captain Debating captains Librarians Primary school readers Anti-bullying representatives OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMPETITION: House competitions take place throughout the school year and each competition will contribute points to the overall House Competition. Every student will be expected to be involved and participate fully in the competitive life of their House and this will culminate in the annual school birthday and awarding of the House cup to the winning House. House competitions will include the following: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) j) House debating competition Sport and sports day competitions House Art competition House Charity fundraising competition House drama competition House singing competition Civitas and community action projects Maths competitions Science competitions Design and technology competitions 60 SCHOOL TRIPS At Ark Academy we believe that our students benefit significantly from visiting places of interest and we know these experiences will broaden students’ horizons and deepen their learning. We will run regular trips to universities, museums, galleries, theatres and sports venues. At the parents interview you were asked to sign a copy of the Home-School agreement which includes a statement agreeing to allow your child to attend off-site visits. This cuts out the need for you to sign a separate form for each trip. However, you will always be informed if your child is taking part in a trip or visit. It is then your responsibility to tell the school office if you do not want your child to attend a trip. For trips which are further afield or for a longer time, you will be sent detailed information and asked to sign a specific form for that trip. We will ask parents for a contribution towards the cost of school trips where necessary. We do not want cost to be a reason for students to miss out, so if parents are unable to make a contribution they should discuss this with the school. ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING How are students assessed at Ark Academy? Overview Assessment can be a confusing concept for parents. What does it mean? What am I supposed to do about it? This page will help you to understand all that you need to know. Assessments are tests that students take at certain points during the academic year which indicate their performance in each subject. There are two kinds of External A-Levels, GCSEs, or the Key Stage 2 SATs your children did at the end of Year 6. External assessments are normally national exams. Internal Tests that the school design. These are often based on national exams, and help prepare students for them. Assessments: In Key Stage 3, assessments are graded using National Curriculum levels (5c, 5b, 5a etc). In Key Stage 4, we use GCSE grades (A*, A, B etc). 61 The parent calendar sent home each half term details when the next half terms assessments will be. Assessments run on a regular cycle: Core subjects: English, Maths, Science Other subjects: History, Geography, MFL, RE, PE, ICT, Drama, Music, Art, DT Six times a year (at the end of every half term) Three times a year (at the end of every term) Reporting to Parents It is our duty to regularly update you on how your children are performing in their different subjects. Three times a year the academy will report to parents on their child’s assessment results. These reports are designed to be as simple and clear as possible. Below is a quick guide to help you make sense of them: Baseline: This is the starting point – the level a student is on at the start of the year. Working At: This is their level from the recent assessment – where they are now. Target: This is the minimum level they are expected to achieve at the end of the year. It is only a minimum target – many students will exceed their targets. 62 How do National Curriculum (NC) Levels work? National Curriculum levels measure students’ performance in a particular subject. They are used in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. Each level is broken down into three sublevels – c being the lower end of the range, a being the higher end. For example: Level 7 Level 6 7a 7b 7c 6a 6b 6c 3 sub-levels per NC Level Levels and Targets: Ark Academy sets targets for students. These targets help parents know how much progress students should make each year. Like the other schools in the Ark Network, we expect students to make at least 2 sublevels of progress in each academic year. In many cases we expect them to make 3 sub-levels. So a student with a baseline of, say, 4c in year 7, will be expected to achieve 5c by the end of the year. There are a few subjects (most notably French and Spanish) where students are expected to make more than 3 sub-levels. This is because many students begin year 7 having never studied the language before – so their baseline could well be 1c or 1b. However, we still expect them to get beyond Level 5 by the end of Year 9 – so more than 3 sub-levels is required each year. 63 How do National Curriculum levels relate to GCSE and A-Level Grades? The levels your child achieves in Years 7, 8 and 9 are a strong indicator of the grades they will get in their GCSEs and A-Levels. This is why assessment in Key Stage 3 (KS3) is so important. The table below shows how we set targets for GCSE success based on how your child performs in KS3. In Maths: KS3 Level Minimum GCSE Target Grade 5b or below C5a C 6c C+/B6b B 6a B+ 7c A7b A+ 7a A*8 A* In English and Other Subjects KS3 Level Minimum GCSE Target Grade 4a or below C5c C 5b C+/B5a B 6c B+ 6b A6a A 7c A+ 7b A* 7a A*+ MORNING READING AND READING WITH YOUR CHILD Morning Reading takes place at the start of the day from Monday to Thursday for half an hour. We are starting the day with this because reading for pleasure has a very large influence on your child’s future life choices. Reading teachers lead sessions which enable pupils to read aloud, discuss what they are reading, enable them to develop their vocabulary and reading age and broaden their enjoyment of literature. However, it is not enough for us to encourage reading within the Academy if pupils are not encouraged to read at home. So we need your help! 64 What you can do at home to help1 Read to and with your child everyday. This shows that daily reading and spending time together is very important. Let your child choose the books you read together. This will help get them interested. You can also read magazines and newspapers with them. Anything they want to read is a good choice. Read aloud to your child. When you are reading together they don’t have to do all the reading. This will help them to learn the language of books and will encourage them to enjoy books and reading. Find a comfortable place to read together. This will help them create a special feeling at reading time. Change the voice and the pace that you read to fit the story. This makes the story interesting for the children. Read in your child’s home language if your first language is not English. Experience shows that using your home language will help your child to learn English. After reading a book, talk about the story. Talking about the main ideas in the book helps develop understanding. Let your child see you reading books, newspapers, and magazines. This sets a good example for them because it shows that you enjoy and value reading Play word games with your child. They are a great way to help children learn how to read and spell. Here are some of the best ones that we use at Ark Academy; Boggle, Scrabble and Junior Scrabble. Take your child to the library. Libraries are a wonderful place to find books and so much more. Praise your child about their reading. Children who feel positive about themselves tend to learn better. 1 Reading with your child at home. New South Wales Department of Education and Training. 65 Hints for listening to your child read • • • • • • Before reading, talk about the cover, the title, the pictures, and discuss what the book may be about. During reading, discuss what has been read up to that point, and imagine what will happen next time. After reading is finished, talk and ask questions about the story and the pictures. When reading a harder book together, take turns. Beginning readers can read the repetitive parts and more experienced readers can read a paragraph or a page. On finding an unknown word: Pause to give your child time to work out the word Prompt – go back to the beginning of the sentence, or read past the difficult word to the end of the sentence. – look for a clue in the picture or the words – look at the first letter and think about what the words could be – ask “Does this make sense?” – try to sound out the word – if necessary tell your child the word Praise your child for trying even if mistakes are made. What to read and do • • • • • • • • • • • Tell and re-tell stories of all kinds including favourite stories, fairy tales, movie plots, local news items and family history. Play games such as “I spy... something beginning with d”. Ask your child to read out simple recipes while you cook together. Read comics, magazines, short stories, poems and rhymes, including nursery rhymes. Do crosswords & other word puzzles together. Read the TV guide before watching a program. Look at letterbox leaflets together. Read directions and signs when driving and shopping. Read and write notes and letters to family members. Play board games together and read the rules. Provide plastic letters, crayons, pencils, pens and writing paper. And do remember... • • • • Let your child see you enjoy reading. Visit and use a library near you. Borrow books for yourself as well as your child. Talk to your child’s classroom teacher or the principal for further help and advice. Enjoy reading – it should be fun! 66 SUMMER READING There is some evidence to suggest that students’ performance dips between the end of Year 6 and the beginning of Year 7. To keep your children’s brains working over the long summer holiday we would strongly encourage you to get them reading! Regular reading (an hour a day at least) combined with other worthwhile activities – trips to museums and galleries, working from textbooks and revision guides, watching the news and documentaries – willkeep their brains sharp during the summer months. Below are some suggested titles that should be readily available in local libraries, shops and over the internet at sites like www.amazon.co.uk. Easier options (Reading Ages from 8 to 12) Stig of the Dump by Clive King The story of eight-year-old loner Barney who befriends Stig, a remnant of the Stone Age hidden in the local chalk pit, is one of the most famous children’s novels. The two boys grow to appreciate each other's eras and skills as they come up with ingenious solutions to Stig's various problems living out of the junk that is thrown into the pit! Charlotte's Web by EB White "'Where's Papa going with that ax?' said Fern to her mother" is probably the most famous opening line of any children's book. He is going to dispatch Wilbur, the runt of the litter, until Fern pleads for his life. With the help of Wilbur's wise and devoted friend, Charlotte, the spider is able to live out the rest of his days in safety. You may feel like warning your child that Charlotte dies "as spiders do" at the end of the summer. You should resist. It's a book that teaches you that characters can be made to live forever simply by turning back to the first page and starting again. The Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett This collection of the adventures (in the late 1930s) of the Ruggles family (seven children, two parents) was one of the first books for this age group to take working-class life as its central theme and to depict it with charm and without condescension. They remain as fresh as the day they were penned. The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson One End Street was Wilson's favourite book as a child and its influence can be seen in all her wildly popular books, which speak just as directly to and about the kind of children underrepresented in young fiction. Tracy Beaker is their totem, an irrepressibly imaginative child (though the staff in her care home say she has "behavioural problems") who writes the story of her life while waiting for her mother to come and get her back. 67 Matilda by Roald Dahl It's almost impossible to choose between Dahls but Matilda is one of the most borrowed by children so let us pick her. Matilda is the superbright daughter of horrible parents who helps free her schoolmates and her lovely teacher Miss Honey from the tyranny of Miss Trunchbull, the headmistress. All of Dahl's humour and cartoon brutality is on display here, just the way kids like it. Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce Beautifully written, perfectly pitched and full with a gentle yearning, the story of lonely Tom – who discovers that the gardenless flat in which he is staying returns at midnight to its days of Victorian splendour – is Pearce's masterpiece. And if you don't cry at the final scene, well, you'll know you're dead inside. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Bored, disaffected young Milo receives a mysterious present – a purple tollbooth – and sets off on a journey through Dictionopolis and Digitopolis, cities at war in the Kingdom of Wisdom which has banished the Princesses of Rhyme and Reason. It gripped me from start to finish. The Narnia books by CS Lewis Recently made into successful Hollywood films, these stories are a riot of fauns, talking beavers and dancing dryads - a cracking set of stories. Harry Potter by JK Rowling Maybe some of the most famous children’s books in recent history. They're may not be great literature. But, like Enid Blyton, they give new readers quick and convincing proof that reading can be fun. For that alone Harry has earned his Z-shaped stripes. The Borrowers by Mary Norton The Borrowers – tiny people, living secretly in the houses of "human beans" and scavenging therein – are a wonderful idea. The story of young Arrietty's growing frustration with life under the floorboards speaks forever to children's irritation with their own restricted world. If only we could all pole vault with a hatpin out of here. Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestly Beautiful, understated, and convincingly Victorian in tone, these scary ghost stories are beautifully framed by the mysterious Uncle Montague, telling tales of his sinister knickknacks to his nephew Edgar over tea and cake. A book for children who enjoy being frightened – and a perfect introduction to Saki and Edgar Allan Poe. The Lionboy Trilogy by Zizou Corder 68 This riproaring trilogy crams in everything – brutal oppression, passionate conservationism, evil relatives and a boy who can speak to cats, all set in a petrol-poor, corporationcontrolled future. Charlie Ashanti discovers his scientist parents have been kidnapped by the corporation because they're on the verge of discovering a breakthrough cure for asthma. Charlie must travel to Paris, Venice, Morocco and Haiti, in the company of the lions he has freed from a drug-administering tamer, to set the world to rights. Joyous. Skellig by David Almond Michael, worried because his baby sister has been born prematurely, finds a curious creature in the garage of his family's new home. Weird in its tastes – which include brown ale and Chinese takeaway – the being nevertheless seems to have wings. Skellig celebrates children's imaginative, Technicolor perceptions of the exciting world in which they live. A bookshelf essential. Trickier Reads (Reading Ages of 12 and over) I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith The first entry in Cassandra Mortmain's diary ends with her feeling happier than she ever has in her life, despite her depressed father and impoverished state. "Perhaps it is because I have satisfied my creative urge; or it may be due to the thought of eggs for tea." The story of the restoration of a degree of the family fortunes unfolds in the same briskly attractive voice and appeals to the romantic streak in every teenage heart. Trust no one who does not love this! His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman Bleak, brutal, warm, lush and exhilarating by turns, fiercely intelligent, compassionate and compelling always, it will undo all the harm or all the good you feel was done by letting your offspring loose on Narnia. That's what reading is for. The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness An unbelievably thrilling read that nevertheless asks important questions – about the effects of war, the constraints of love and hate, the competing claims of vengeance and forgiveness – as the epic tale of Todd's efforts to escape various warmongering forces unfolds. Profoundly humane and utterly magnificent. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume At a time when the disturbing Gossip Girl series and Twilight books, with their troubling attitudes towards teenage girls' sexuality, have such a popularity, Blume's concentration on 69 the lived experience of adolescence makes the books an increasingly valuable antidote to this prevailing mood, as well as continuing to be great reads. Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian Angry, long-bereaved old man Tom Oakley grudgingly takes London evacuee and abused child Will into his home and their needs and gifts help heal each others' wounds. This is a beautiful story, sad and true. Get it to your kids before it is ruined by being presented as a set book at school. A Little History of the World by EH Gombrich Talking of beautiful, sad and true – Gombrich's short, measured jog through the main civilisations and events that have shaped the world is a warm, witty presentation of vital facts in narrative form, which grew out of a correspondence the author had with his friend's young daughter. It is a useful reminder that there is lots of fantastic non-fiction as well as fiction out there too. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon The boy with Asperger's syndrome, who is trying to navigate his way through a family breakup and solve the mystery of who killed the dog next door, provides an unlikely hero whose fresh perspective engages the reader, although he fails to engage with people himself. It's one of those "easy reads" with substance for which there is frequently such a gaping need (see Gossip Girl) in teenage life. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott There is something for everyone (or, OK, every girl – much as we hate to admit the possibility of gender division in readers, we sometimes must) in Alcott's bestseller. Tomboys have Jo, wannabe celebs have Amy, homebodies have Meg and drips have Beth. And, of course, because we all contain multitudes, we love all of them equally according to mood. Except, of course, for Beth! The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain A classic for – ostensibly – the boys. Until they are ready for the greater demands of Huckleberry Finn, whet juvenile appetites with Tom, his entrepreneurial spirit and his taste for treasure-hunting adventure. A celebration of true boyhood. Witch Child by Celia Rees In 1659, 14-year-old Mary Newbury travels from England to the New World, where she becomes embroiled in what are effectively the Salem witch trials. It's a completely 70 absorbing account of what happens when suspicion and rumour fuel secret agendas, prejudices and politics. A book to make you sigh with satisfaction. Exposure by Mal Peet This is a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s Othello – the doomed couple now a black Brazilian star footballer and a pampered young pop goddess. A book that will continue to grip young readers for years to come. The Sterkarm Handshake/The Sterkarm Kiss by Susan Price These books cross effortlessly between science fiction and fantasy, depicting life as it might have been in the primitive past with rare and enthralling realism. A British corporation, FUP, has developed the Tube, a means of time-travelling between the 21st and 16th centuries, and made contact with an ancient Scottish tribe. FUP expects no difficulty in negotiating for resources with savages, but the Sterkarms are unexpectedly ruthless – and Andrea, FUP's 16th-century liaison, has complicated matters by falling in love with the Sterkarm leader's son. Not for the fainthearted, and with some decidedly adult language in Kiss, these books never talk down or soften the harshnesses of the past. Unforgettable. The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean Sym is a typical teenage girl in many ways, wrestling with a colossal crush – unusually on long-dead Polar explorer, Captain Oates. When her eccentric uncle offers her the opportunity to go to Antarctica, she's delighted – but Uncle Victor's unnerving behaviour and the dark cold of the South Pole are more than Sym bargains for. Bleakly, heroically romantic. A full list of recommended children’s books can be found on both The Guardian and The Telegraph websites. 71
