SCHOOL ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER:
Highsted School
Highsted Road
Sittingbourne
Kent ME10 4PT

Telephone: 01795 424223 Fax: 01795 429375

* Form:...............................................................................

* Form Tutor:............................................................. ........

* Form Prefect:...................................................................

* Please fill in after Welcome Evening on June 18th

Normal hours: 8.35 am - 3.30 pm (lunch 1.05 - 2.10 pm)

AUTUMN TERM: Tuesday, 8 September - Friday 18 December 1998

(7 September: Staff Development Day)

8 September: Year 7 pupils start at 11.30 am

HALF TERM: Monday 26 October - Friday 30 October 1998

SPRING TERM: Tuesday 5 January - Tuesday 30 March 1999

HALF TERM: Monday 15 February - Friday 19 February 1999

SUMMER TERM: Monday 12 April - Friday 23 July 1999

Bank Holiday- Monday 3 May 1999

HALF TERM: Monday 31 May - Friday 4 June 1999

NAMES OF STAFF YOU MAY NEED TO CONTACT:

Head Teacher : Mrs J E H Lambert

Deputy Head Teacher : Mrs S Sakaria (Curriculum)

Deputy Head Teacher : Mrs L Wybar (Pastoral)

Mrs C Sullivan: Head of Lower School (Years 7 - 9)

Mrs G Jewell: Assistant Head of Lower School (Year 8)

Mrs R Harrod: Assistant Head of Lower School (Year 9)

We hope you will appreciate that we try to keep the amount of forms you are required to complete to a minimum. However, it is important that we obtain parental consent for certain matters and that we are aware of essential information. We are therefore asking for your co-operation with the following:

ACCEPTANCE FORM

Please return the pink form by 23rd March 1998in order to assure a place at Highsted for your daughter for September.

REPLY SLIP FOR WELCOME EVENING(details on page 4)

This form helps us to prepare seating arrangements and answer any specific queries you may have. Please complete and return it by Friday 5th June 1998.

ADMISSION FORM AND BIRTH CERTIFICATE

The admission form enclosed provides us with vital information we need in order to contact parents, and also important details about our pupils' health. Please bring the completed form along to the Welcome Evening, together with your daughter's Birth Certificate. It is most important that Birth Certificates are checked by the school as the information is needed for external examination purposes. If your daughter is known by a different name to that which appears on her Birth Certificate, it would be most helpful if you could contact Mrs Wybar (Deputy Head) or Mrs Sullivan (Head of Lower School) in confidence at the school before Welcome Evening.

FURTHER REQUIREMENTS

Also enclosed is a sheet of reply slips concerning other matters: Dining Arrangements, Sex Education, Administration of Medicines and Use of the Internet. Information about all of these can be found in the booklet. If possible, please complete and sign the forms where necessary, along with the Pupil Survey, and return to the Secretarial staff on Welcome Evening.

In addition to our Welcome Evening meeting for parents and new Year 7 pupils on 18th June, we plan to have a 'Welcome Day' on Thursday, 2nd July. We are inviting your daughter to join us for a day of sample lessons and providing a further chance for her to get to know her Form Tutor, Form Prefect, and other members of her tutor group.

We plan to start the day at 8.40 am and finish 10 minutes earlier than the usual 3.30 pm. This should give the new entrants the opportunity to accustom themselves to the kind of transport they will be using in September. We are also offering the girls the possibility of enjoying a school lunch. They may, if they wish, bring a packed lunch instead. In order to give the canteen advance warning of extra meals it would be appreciated if you could indicate which type of lunch your daughter would prefer. Details of our cafeteria system are enclosed on page 9.

Some girls will be enjoying a PE or Games lesson during the Welcome Day, so please ensure that your daughter brings some shorts or a games skirt, a T-shirt and plimsolls to change into (all named, if possible) . We do not expect our visitors for the day to wear their primary school uniform, but we ask you to ensure that their clothes are practical and suitable for school. Naturally, we would also like them to bring a pen and pencil. An old shirt or overall may also be needed for Art.

We have informed Primary School Head Teacher s of the date of the Welcome Day, and shall discuss it with them when we make our visits to your daughters at their present schools in late May or early June.

Time of arrival: 11.30 am

Girls will meet their Form Prefect in the main hall before going to their form bases. The first day will be spent getting to know each other and completing administrative tasks. Pupils need only bring something with which to write, their £2 locker key deposit and, if possible, school fund (please see below) .

SECOND DAY ARRANGEMENTS: WEDNESDAY, 9TH SEPTEMBER 1998

Again, it is intended that we concentrate on settling in and helping pupils find their way about the school in the first part of the day. Lessons for Year 7 will start properly later in the morning. Pupils will be told which equipment to bring.

SCHOOL FUND

School Voluntary Fund is set this year at £3.00 per pupil per term or £7.50 for the year; payable preferably on the first day of the term/year but in any case within the first fortnight (cheques payable to Highsted School) . For pupils with sisters in the school only the eldest is to pay School Fund (i.e. one payment per family) . Should you have financial or other difficulty in providing your daughter with School Fund a telephone call, in confidence, direct to Mrs Lambert, will ensure that the matter is dealt with without embarrassment. This is the procedure to follow should a similar situation occur in connection, for example, with school visits, provision of uniform, etc.

School Fund is spent on a variety of items: equipment, books, etc, for school and which are not covered by County funds; sports coaches and contributions to the expenses of sports and other teams or individuals in competitions; help to families who cannot afford to purchase uniforms or other items; subsidising or paying for school visits where pupils would otherwise be unable to take part; prizes at Awards Evening; help with interview expenses for University places when students find it difficult to meet the cost, etc, etc. In general, it is divided between items which are of benefit to the school as a whole and those which are of (confidential) benefit to the individual. The fund is audited by an external auditor each year.

ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

You will find term dates for the school year and the normal hours of the school day on page 2 of this booklet. We keep detailed registers and require a note explaining any absence during these times. If your daughter is ill, please telephone the school on the third day of absence. If it is an infectious illness, we would appreciate a telephone call immediately. We do need a written explanation of any absence, however short, which should be addressed to the Form Tutor.

We very much appreciate parents' assistance in ensuring as little absence as possible and ask that non-educational visits and trips be organised outside school time, as we are not permitted to authorise such absences within Department for Education guidelines. In the case of an application for Annual Holiday, parents will need to discuss dates with school before booking and applications must be made a minimum of two weeks in advance.

If your daughter leaves the school at any time during the day, she must report to the office to sign out before leaving the premises and again to sign in when she returns. This is essential for safety reasons.

If your daughter feels ill during the day, she must inform whoever is teaching her at the time, or her form tutor, and then report to the office. If the appropriate Head/Assistant Head of School feels it is necessary, we will contact you to make arrangements for your daughter to return home (we will ask you to provide emergency contact telephone numbers on some of the admission forms) .

As set out in Kent County Council guidelines, when a child is considered fit to attend school by her GP provided she continues with a course of antibiotics, only sufficient medication for each day to be taken during school hours (usually midday/lunchtime) may be brought into school in a clearly labelled dispensarycontainer(s) . If pupils come to the medical room requesting a paracetamol for a headache/period pain, we need parental consent before a tablet can be given to the pupil.

To help us deal with these requests quickly and to avoid having to contact parents each time, would you please fill in and return the enclosed slip so that we can have a quick reference of parents' wishes. Once completed, the consent will apply throughout your daughter's time at Highsted providing KCC Guidelines do not alter. Junior Paracetamol will be given to Year 7 pupils.

If there is any other medical matter you would like to discuss with us, please do not hesitate to speak to either Mrs Harrod (Health Co-ordinator) or Mrs Wybar on Welcome Evening.

TRANSPORT

If your daughter wishes to cycle to school, we would like to emphasise some important points. Bicycles must be placed in the cycle racks and any moveable items (lamps etc) should be kept in bags or lockers during the day. The cycle racks are vulnerable to prowlers, so the school cannot be held responsible for theft or damage to bicycles. For safety reasons, cyclists must not ride their bicycles inside the school gates. We also recommend the wearing of a cycle helmet.

If you bring your daughter to school by car, please drop her a little way from the school gates in Bell Road to avoid too much congestion. Please, for safety reasons, do not use the school drive as a turning space. We will advise pupils as they move up to the Senior School of our rules concerning girls who wish to drive cars or other vehicles to school themselves.

Whichever form of transport is used to get to school, or if they are walking, our pupils are very conspicuous in their uniform and we ask that they always give a good impression, by behaving sensibly and not eating in the street.

Our aim is gradually to introduce the concept of homework to our new Year 7 pupils. We intend to set homework in three subjects each evening. It should take approximately 10 minutes per subject at the beginning of the year; but by the end of the first term 20 minutes per subject. The reasons for doing homework and the ideal conditions will be discussed fully in PSE. Please contact us if you are concerned about the time your daughter is spending on homework.

THE CURRICULUM

In the Lower School, pupils study a wide range of subjects, including the complete range of National Curriculum subjects which are English, Mathematics, Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) , History, Geography, Modern Languages (French in Year 7 and both French and German in Years 8 and 9), Design Technology (Graphics, Food Technology and Construction Materials), Information Technology, Art, Drama, Music, Physical Education and Religious Education. There is also a Personal and Social Education course delivered by Form Tutors.

Pupils are taught in their form groups in all subjects in Year 7 except for Design Technology lessons which are divided up into smaller groups and a rota system operates for Food Technology and Drama lessons. In Years 8 and 9, pupils are taught in set groups for Mathematics only. For other subjects girls remain in their form groups.

SEX EDUCATION

In recent years pupils at Highsted have received sex education in line with National Curriculum guidelines. These lessons have covered sexual reproduction, contraception, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and the need to have a responsible attitude towards sexual behaviour.

These lessons have been taken by community midwives, members of the Family Planning Association and teachers/form tutors who have received very clear guidance on how to deliver these topics.

With these compulsory National Curriculum topics, Highsted has informed parents and invited them to discuss any aspects that worried them. We also made available, for their perusal, copies of any leaflets that may be used in the lessons.

Since September 1994 the Education Act: Sex Education in School has been in force and although the Act requires sex education to be provided as part of the Secondary Curriculum, it also provides parents with the rights to withdraw their children from sex education. However, it limits this right by saying that they cannot withdraw their children from aspects of sex education which are part of the National Curriculum, i.e. biological aspects of reproduction, which will continue to be taught as part of the Science syllabus.

All other aspects will continue to be taught as part of their Personal and Social Education lessons and we hope you will support our desire to educate Highsted girls effectively for future life: please sign and return the appropriate slip.

If you wish to discuss any matter pertaining to this, please contact Mrs R Harrod (Health Co-ordinator) or Mrs Wybar, Evaluation and Pastoral Manager, at the school.

As part of the school's Information Technology programme, we offer pupils supervised access to the Internet, the global network of computers. This enables pupils to explore thousands of libraries' databases while exchanging messages with other Internet users across the world, and clearly provides exciting educational opportunities.

Whilst our aim for Internet use is to further educational goals, there is a possibility that pupils might at times access other material which could be illegal, defamatory, inaccurate or potentially offensive to some people. We do operate a filtering policy and will instil in pupils the need to be self-regulating in addition to this (with sanctions if they fail to so be) . However, we believe that you as parents should be fully aware of the situation.

Within lessons, Highsted staff will guide pupils towards appropriate materials, however students also may have access to the Internet outside of lesson time. In order to allow your daughter extra-curricular access to the Internet, we should be grateful if you and your daughter could sign and return the attached slip. We do, of course, respect each family's right to decide whether or not to apply for access outside of lesson time, but must stress that supervised Internet access within lessons will take place when appropriate as part of your daughter's general education.

In order to give parents a heightened awareness of the opportunities presented by the Internet, we intend to offer some short "taster" sessions allowing parents to try out the system for themselves. Further details of such sessions will be sent to parents in the near future. Should you have any queries regarding this matter, please contact Mr Smith, Head of Technology Department, or Mrs Wybar, Deputy Head, at the school.

We plan to provide parents with two types of reports during the first year. You will receive a brief summary of your daughter's achievements and effort at the end of the Autumn Term, and a more detailed report towards the end of the Spring Term. A summary of examination results will be sent to you in the Summer Term.

ASSESSMENT: WHAT DO MARKS MEAN?

Marks achieved by your daughter may vary dependent upon the difficulty of the task set and the set she is in (applicable only to Maths in Year 8 and 9) . It must be remembered that marks given are within the context of a selective school (top 25% of ability range) and this may be lower than your daughter has been previously used to.

Marks will be out of ten or a multiple of ten. When a mark is out of ten, marks of 9 or 10 indicate a very good standard; marks of 7 or 8 indicate a task well completed, although there is room for improvement; marks of less than 5 would give cause for concern.

When a comment is given with the mark, this should be read carefully as it will elaborate on the assessment and perhaps give guidance for the future. Different tasks may cover different skill areas and sometimes may be set on very small areas of the curriculum. The term grades given on reports and grade sheets not only take these marks into consideration but also your daughter's performance in class, her oral contribution and test results.

PARENTS' MEETINGS

During the first term, in the Autumn, you will be invited to discuss with her form tutors how your daughter has settled into the school. On the same evening you will also be given a guided tour of the school by your daughter.

At the end of the Spring Term (or the beginning of the Summer Term) there will be a more comprehensive meeting, where you will be able to meet subject teachers and discuss progress with them. In every year of the school there is a similar meeting, the emphasis changing to subject option choices, careers, university entrance, etc.

EXAMINATIONS

Pupils here are examined once a year in all subjects. In Year 7, these examinations take place early in the Summer Term. It would be helpful if you would check these dates with the school if you are considering booking a holiday but we hope you will try very hard to avoid term dates altogether.

The office staff are naturally busy people. It would be helpful if you could make their lives easier by communicating with form tutors if possible (eg if you wish to check dates of terms or exams) . The school office can only accept messages for pupils if there is a real emergency communicated by a close member of the family.

MONEY

It is sometimes necessary for money to be brought to school. This should be kept safely, not in a coat pocket or an unattended bag. There should be no need to bring large amounts, but if this occurs, the office staff may be asked to put it in the safe until the end of school.

LOST PROPERTY

In any large organisation, where people move around a lot, it is likely that things will be lost. It is very important that everything should be permanently named. A member of staff supervises lost property in order to collect or return items which have gone astray. The school cannot accept any liability if valuable items are lost, mislaid or damaged on the premises. In general, valuables are best not brought to school: for example, gold watches, etc.

Lunches are on a cash cafeteria system. Vegetarian meals are always available.

Full school uniform should be worn at all times when pupils are representing Highsted, including on journeys to and from school. Trainers or tennis shoes should only be worn for PE lessons. We ask that pupils clean school shoes daily (sports shoes after wearing) and that they press skirts regularly.

No badges other than school ones may be worn.

SCIENCE
In practical lessons pupils are required to wear safety goggles which are provided. Pupils must always wear overalls in Science lessons to protect their clothes from possible traces of chemical even if they are not engaged in practical work.

MUSIC - INDIVIDUAL TUITION

If your daughter is currently having tuition in the playing of an instrument from the Kent Music School, or if she wishes to begin lessons, these will be available just as they were in her previous school. We currently have visiting teachers for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Tuba, Violin, Viola, 'Cello, Double Bass and Guitar. These lessons (minimum of 10 lessons of 20 minutes each per term) cost £66 per term or (minimum of 10 lessons of 30 minutes each per term) cost £97 per term. There are also Piano and Singing teachers attached to the school who are not part of the Kent Music School, and to whom fees are payable direct. A series of 11 piano lessons per term, each 20 minutes long, cost £66 per term. For 11 lessons of 30 minutes per term, the fee is £97 per term. Singing lessons cost as follows: 10 lessons of 20 minutes each £47 per term, or 10 lessons of 30 minutes each - £70 per term.

The school has a strong musical tradition and all girls who take advantage of the opportunity of tuition from the Kent Music School's peripatetic music teachers are expected to support their school, as soon as their standard permits, by taking part in one or more of the musical activities.

ENGLISH

It would be very helpful if pupils had access to a personal dictionary and thesaurus at school and at home. Ideally each pupil should have a pocket edition which can be taken with her to each lesson (not just English) . We think it is important that pupils develop the habit of using a dictionary for spelling and vocabulary work as a normal routine.

MODERN LANGUAGES

Bilingual dictionaries are available for use in class, but they are also needed by pupils when performing homework tasks. It is therefore recommended that they have a dictionary at home. Appropriate dictionaries will be on display at "Welcome Evening".

MATHEMATICS

It is essential that pupils learn mental mathematics and traditional methods. However, calculators play a vital role in today's Mathematics lessons and when girls sit Mathematics examinations, we will expect every candidate to have a scientific calculator. A scientific model can easily be recognised as it will have buttons labelled SIN, COS and TAN. In addition, it may be useful if the calculator has a fraction feature but this is not essential.

It is not necessary to buy anything too complex, in fact that can be a hindrance rather than a help. Makes recommended include Casio, Texas and Sharp, but many others are available. It should not be necessary to spend more than about £10 and it is certainly well worth comparing prices in some of the main national companies.

Your daughter will need a protractor and a pair of compasses.

In any institution it is important that there are clear rules concerning emergency procedures. The fire drill routine will be carefully explained to pupils in September but it is important that they are aware of two school rules. Firstly, when walking about the school everyone should keep to the left of all corridors, staircases and footpaths. Secondly, when going to assembly, pupils are asked to walk in complete silence. This is an exercise in moving about the school with no talking, so that it is possible to evacuate the building quickly and quietly in the event of an emergency such as fire.

The 'Highsted School Association' (more often referred to as "The P.T.A.") is a registered charity and every parent, guardian, governor and member of staff is automatically a member. The principle aims of the P.T.A. are to 'develop more extended relationships between staff, parents and others associated with the school' and 'to engage in activities which support the school and advance the education of the pupils attending it'. In order to achieve this the P.T.A. committee regularly organise fund raising social events in addition to promoting background fund raising activities such as the '200 Club' and the annual 'Grand Prize Draw'. We trust that you will attend the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 29th September, which will be followed by a Cheese and Wine evening, given to welcome you, the new parents, into the fold! We very much hope that you will give your Association the benefit of your organising powers, your ideas, or just your capacity for hard work!

Funds raised by the P.T.A. are used to provide 'extras' i.e. equipment, facilities, teaching aids, student prizes etc. for which the school budget does not readily stretch and, whilst there is not a membership subscription, every member is urged to support the P.T.A. in whatever manner they feel able. The greater the support provided, the greater the benefit to the students attending Highsted School.

Some practical suggestions for providing support would be:

• Joining the P.T.A. Committee - contribute time, ideas and enthusiasm!

• Assisting in the organisation and running of social events - Wine and Wisdoms, Barbecues, Barn Dances, Student Discos, etc.

• Attending the social events - poorly attended events are no fun and do not raise money!

• Joining the '200 Club' - details enclosed, but briefly a cash draw currently paying out prizes totalling £107 per month.

• Purchasing (and selling to others) tickets in the annual 'Grand Prize Draw', donating prizes for raffles and draws.

• Joining in the occasional working parties at the school - professional advice, practical skills and willing workers are often in short supply.

HIGHSTED SCHOOL ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE 1997/98

President: Jill Lambert 01795 424223

Chairman: Trevor Gasson 01795 472224

Vice-Chair: Kath Coombes 01795 476027

Treasurer:John Clark 01795 423113

Secretary:Pat Hatt

Lesley Evans; John Golding; Fiona Nilson; Sue Fray; Sue Knight; Anne Nutting; Sally French; Vicki Mayatt; Liz Roberts

SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES:

Mrs Sheila Sakaria; Mrs Linda Wybar

Head Girl; Deputy Head Girls (to be decided April 1998)