SCHOOL POLICIES

School policies are regularly updated.  The following policies are available for parents/carers to read.  Copies are available from the School Reception or contact Mrs. Pauline Gabriel at school.  Her email address is gabriel@blenheim.surrey.sch.uk

HOME SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

We are always encouraged when parents wish to support their child at school.  The home/school partnership is such an important link to success at school.

It is particularly disappointing, therefore, when parents choose to take their child out of school for a holiday.  Please could you ensure family holidays are not taken during the school term unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The links on the menu bar provide information which you should find useful in supporting your child at school.

Sometimes a lot of jargon is used in schools which can be confusing.  You may find the following 'Jargon Buster' of help to decipher the terms.

JARGON BUSTER!

Academic Tutoring Day

Students are off timetable on Academic Tutoring Day and come in with their parent(s) for an individual appointment with their Form Tutor or other specified member of staff.  It is an opportunity for parents to discuss any concerns they may have and of course for staff to update parents on their child's progress.  Targets are sets at these meetings.  They are usually held twice a year.  The dates are on the website.

Assessment:

Ways of judging how well pupils are progressing

Attainment:

What pupils accomplish

Catchment Area

A defined geographical area from which a school takes its pupils.

Code of Practice

A guide to schools and LAs about the help they can give to children with special educational needs.

Connexions Service

A youth service providing advice, careers guidance, support and personal development for all 13-19 years old. 

Core Curriculum

English, Maths, Science, RS, PE and PSHCE - those subjects which must be studied by all pupils.

Curriculum

All the courses and learning opportunities a school offers, or a course of study being followed by a child.

DCSF

Department for Children, Schools and Families

Differentiation

The way in which the school's curriculum and teaching methods are adapted to meet the needs of children.

E.B.D.

Emotional and behavioural difficulties

Equal Opportunities

Chance for everyone to participate in school life / curriculum.

Evaluation

How well did it work?

E.W.O.

Education Welfare Officer - a person employed by the LA to make sure that children are getting the education they need.  They deal mainly with school attendance.

Exclusion

Exclusion means that your child may not attend lessons or go on to the school premises for a set period of time, or permanently in the case of expulsion.

GCSE

General Certificate of Secondary Education.

IEP

Individual Education Plan - drawn up by a school's SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator).  It sets targets for a child to achieve and a date for a review of progress.

ICT

Information and Communication Technology - refers to the whole area of computers.

Inclusion

A process by which schools, Local Authorities and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include pupils.

INSET Days

In-service Education and Training.  INSET days are set aside to allow teachers to update their skills and knowledge in order to raise pupil achievement.

Key Stage

Your child's progress through school is measured in Key Stages.  Key Stage 1 covers pupils from 5-7, Key Stage 2 from 7-11, Key Stage 3 from 11-14, Key Stage 4 from 14-16 and Key Stage Five 17-18.

LA

Local Authority.  A body responsible for providing education for pupils of school age in its area.  It also has responsibility for early years, the youth service and adult education.

Learning Difficulty

If a child has a learning difficulty, s/he finds it much harder to learn than most children of the same age.

TA

Teaching Assistant.  A non-teaching member of staff who helps to meet the educational needs of children.

National Curriculum

The basic framework setting out what children aged 5-16 in state schools should learn.

Levels

11 and 14, commonly known as SATs.  The school then sends a report teling you what levels your child has reached.

Non-teaching or Support Staff

Members of school staff employed by the Governors to provide services in school other than teaching.

OFSTED

Office for Standard in Education.  The body which inspects state funded schools.  OFSTED inspectors produce education reports to help improve schools.

Curriculum Surgery/Curriculum Area Parents' Evenings

An evening for all parents to attend to get feedback on progress in specific subjects.  These are held throughout the year and are on the website.

Progress

Continuous proven improvement.

PRU

A Pupil Referral Unit is a centre that can provide part-time or full-time support for children who are currently not attending school or who need additional help with their behaviour or learning.

SATs

Standard Assessment Tests (taken in Year 9) which check children's progress.

School Performance Tables

Available towards the end of the year to help parents whose children are moving to secondary school choose where they want them to go. 

SEN

Special Educational Needs.  Learning difficulties, talents or other needs, for which a child requires special help.  One in five children may have some sort of learning difficulty during their school life.

SENCO

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.  The teacher in a school who is responsible for arranging the extra help for children with special educational needs.

Specialist School

Schools who use government grants and business sponsorship to improve their facilities and resources in languages, are, sport or technology.  Blenheim is a Specialist Status Science College.

Statement

A document that sets out a child's needs and all the extra help (provision) s/he should get.

Targets

The individual goals set for a child.  Targets are a way of checking the child's progress.

Work Experience

A system which allows students approaching the end of their secondary education the opportunity to take part in work placement.  At Blenheim students usually carry out a week's work experience in Year 10.