Page | 1 SIXTH FORM Parent Handbook 2024
Page | 2 As your child is about to enter the Sixth Form, we felt you would like to be informed about some aspects of School life that will affect him during the next two years. Much of the information in this booklet is part of the School Rules and the Sixth Form Agreement, which all pupils sign when they join the Sixth Form. The School Rules and all relevant policies are available on the school website. We expect your child to read and adhere to these rules and policies. Contents Welcome from the Director of Sixth Form The Sixth Form Team Getting Ready for September: 1. Induction into Sixth Form ● Summer subject work for students ● Sixth Form Entry booklet and Sixth Form booklist ● Timetable for the Induction Day on 4th September 2. Sixth Form Subscription 3. Sixth Form Dress Code 4. Personal Appearance 5. Personal Property 6. Lockers 7. Laptops, iPads and Tablets 8. Catering / Restaurant 9. 16 -19 Bursary Fund Information for Years 12 and 13 in the Sixth Form: 10. Attendance: School Hours and Punctuality 11. Attendance: Absences from School inc Leave of Absence 12. RGS 360 Award 13. Calendar 14. Careers / Higher Education 15. Co-Curricular Activities / Clubs and Societies 16. Daily Timetable 17. Driving Lessons 18. Driving to School 19. Exams and Predicted Grades 20. Library 21. Lost Property 22. Matron 23. Music at RGS 24. Organisation of Forms 25. Parent Portal 26. Parental Responsibility 27. Parents’ Association 28. Private Study and Homework 29. Reports and Parents’ Evenings 30. Safety Glasses / Laboratory coats 31. School Closure 32. School to Home Communication 33. Sixth Form Agreement 34. Sport at RGS 35. Travel to and from school Quick Reference: ● School Contact Details (including, how to contact your child’s Head of Year) ● 2024 / 2025 Term Dates
Page | 3 Welcome from the Director of Sixth Form A very warm welcome to the RGS and thank you to your child for choosing us to complete his A Levels over the next two years. Sixth Formers at RGS leave here as confident, well rounded and independent young people, ready to take on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Joining our Sixth Form marks a departure from all previous school experience. It is an exciting new beginning, marking the start of two years that will shape what your child chooses to do beyond RGS. It is also the start of studying subjects they have chosen and excel at. Students are given greater autonomy, are expected to take responsibility, to demonstrate leadership qualities and to become increasingly independent in all they undertake. The School enjoys a long-established reputation as a centre of academic excellence, and RGS Sixth Formers are here because they want to be. Consequently, students are ambitious, hard-working and respectful of scholarship. The environment is designed to be challenging and purposeful, but supportive and inspiring in equal measure. Galvanised by a collaborative relationship with staff, parents and peers, your child will be emboldened to explore and to push boundaries. The step up from GCSE to A Level is a seamless process, facilitated by dedicated subject teachers. There is scope for rigorous independent research and learning, guided by specialist academic staff who prepare students thoroughly for Oxbridge, university entrance, apprenticeship and job applications. They help students make important and sometimes daunting choices, whilst helping to formulate personal statements and navigate application procedures. Throughout the two years in the Sixth Form, your child will be supported by a dedicated Head of Year and a team of caring Form Tutors who will ensure he makes the most of his time here. Your child’s academic timetable will have some noncontact study periods so that he can organise his work and develop the crucial skill of self-discipline. Balancing the purely academic with life beyond the classroom is critical to personal growth and well-being. Your child will enrich his intellectual and social development by taking advantage of the seemingly limitless range of co-curricular opportunities on offer. We advocate that students involve themselves in some of the 70+ clubs, teams and activities that flourish in our diverse and inclusive Sixth Form. In Year 12, there are opportunities to get a flavour of the world of work, such as attending business-focused conferences with other local schools. Our vision of an RGS Sixth Former is a student who not only fulfils his academic potential but who is also a well-rounded individual. To this end, all Sixth Formers are expected to work towards the RGS 360 Award, which involves developing their commitment to co-curricular, volunteering, work experience, extended research and leadership activities, so that they foster new competencies and develop existing talents to the very highest levels, whatever they may be. This ethos encourages our students to be outward looking, showing an understanding of the School and its role in the local community. Similarly, the RGS Lecture Series, delivered by an array of visiting speakers, aims to cover a comprehensive range of topics and life skills enhancing and complementing the established academic curriculum. We are determined that our Sixth Form students should be generous-spirited, caring and considerate individuals who can cope in all circumstances and make a meaningful contribution to the lives of others. It is also our aim that your child should be equipped with the necessary skills to be employable, to succeed and to be personally fulfilled.
Page | 4 The Sixth Form Team Mr Grant Sheehan – Assistant Head and Director of Sixth Form Mrs Suzan Byrd – Head of Year 12 Mr James Chitham-Mosley – Head of Year 13 Mrs Robina Khan – Sixth Form Administrator Mrs Sarah Wallace – Sixth Form Administrator If you have any concerns about your child’s progress, subject choices or more general matters during his time in the Sixth Form please contact either his Form Tutor or Head of Year (sixthform@rgshw.com) or for Sixth Form Attendance, please contact attendance@rgshw.com
Page | 5 1 Induction into the Sixth Form Moving into Sixth Form means adjusting to the demands of A Level specifications and, for some, a new school. The following have been put in place: ● Transition work – a small package of work in each subject has been designed for students to sample work in each academic area. The transition work can be found in the ‘Dive into A Levels’ section of the Sixth From web portal and the log in is in the letter sent out to parents. It is recommended that it is completed before the start of term in September. ● Sixth Form 2024 Entry booklet, available on the School website under the Sixth Form tab, which details A Level entry-requirements for each subject. This booklet also gives information regarding recommended reading material by subject area. ● Sixth Form booklist which details which books to buy for each A Level subject, in the ‘Everything you need to Know for September’ tab of the Into the Sixth portal. ● An Induction Programme designed to make the transition as smooth as possible from an academic and pastoral perspective. In addition to the Induction Day in September, this will include a Freshers’ Fair (where students will be informed about RGS clubs and volunteering opportunities) and an A Level study skills workshop. The timetable for the Year 12 Induction Day on Wednesday 4th September 2024: 9.00am Year 12 students that are new to RGS, to meet in the School Library for registration and School photographs. 10.00am All of Year 12 in the Queen’s Hall for Introductory talk 12.00pm End of Induction Programme for existing RGS students 12.00pm Year 12 students (new to RGS) to meet for lunch in the Restaurant provided by the School. 1.30pm End of Induction Day. 2 Sixth Form Subscription Apart from our academic programme, we aim to offer a variety of activities in the Sixth Form so that your child can make a smooth transition into A Level studies from Year 11 and develop in character and citizenship in preparation for the time he ends his school career and moves on to the world beyond RGS. In the Sixth Form, your child will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of events and activities which include: ● an induction programme to start working on A Level study skills and a Freshers' Fayre to allow your child the chance to choose from a range of volunteering and co-curricular activities ● Year 12 and 13 social events and joint ventures with other schools ● a Sixth Form Lecture Series where we invite guest speakers in to talk to our students on a range of important and valuable topics ● a series of Leavers’ events towards the end of your child's time with us As your child progresses through his two years in the Sixth Form we are sure you will agree that all these events will help to make your child's time in the Sixth Form at RGS memorable, worthwhile and help develop his all-round profile. These events would not be possible without some financial support from parents. The Sixth Form subscription allows us greater flexibility to be able to offer the above package of events and opportunities for your child. In order to cover the costs of these events we ask for a one-off subscription of £60 for the two years that your child is with us in the Sixth Form. The subscription also covers the cost of your child’s Year 12 school tie which will be given to him on the Induction Day in September. A Parent Pay account has been set up for your contributions to be made and we would be grateful if you could make your payment by Monday 16th September. If you feel that you are unable to make this contribution please contact Mrs Wallace, our Sixth Form Administrator, in confidence, at sjw@rgshw.com.
Page | 6 3 Sixth Form Dress Code Please ensure your child adheres to the following dress code: ● Plain black, grey or dark blue suit ● Sixth Form or Prefect tie* ● White or pastel coloured shirt (plain or striped) ● Black, grey or dark blue V-neck pullover ● Black leather shoes (not trainers or boots) ● Socks of a plain dark colour or grey ● Scarves of RGS design or single plain colour * Sixth Form ties are given to students on the Year 12 Induction Day. The cost is covered by your Sixth Form subscription. Games There is no prescribed Games kit for Wednesday afternoon Games sessions although your child should be appropriately dressed for the activity he chooses to do. School Sports Kit When representing the school, they must wear the appropriate RGS sports kit supplied by Hawkinsport (Bourne End, Bucks) our official suppliers. During term time, RGS sports kit can be ordered online from Hawkinsport and delivered to School where it can be collected from Resources, or an appointment can be made to visit Hawkinsport in Bourne End. 4 Personal Appearance The personal appearance of our Sixth Form students sets the standard for the rest of the School and we ask for your support in our aim of maintaining the following expectations: ● Hair should be clean, smart, seemly and professional across all year groups. Buns, top knots and ponytails are acceptable if smart, seemly and professional ● Extreme hairstyles, hair with contrived patterns and/or unconventional shaving are not acceptable ● It is unacceptable for hair to be of an unnatural colour ● The Sixth Form are allowed to grow a beard if it is smart, seemly and professional ● Students should take care of their personal hygiene ● Watches and a plain stud in each ear lobe are acceptable but other jewellery or piercings are not. The only exception is jewellery which is worn for faith reasons. Please ensure any ear studs are removed prior to taking part in Games or sports fixtures ● No nail varnish or makeup to be worn in school ● Students are expected to be smartly dressed in full school uniform coming to and going home from school 5 Personal Property In order to avoid unnecessary loss: ● all personal property, and particularly games kit, should be clearly marked with your child’s name. ● large amounts of money should not be brought into School. ● During Games personal, all valuables must be deposited in the secure boxes provided. Between 8.40am and 3.40pm, valuables such as mobile phones and other devices should not be used in accordance with the Valuables Policy. If they are seen they will be confiscated by a member of staff, your child will receive an after-school detention and the phone will need to be collected from the School Office at the end of the day. Exceptions to this rule: ● Year 12 and Year 13 students may use mobile phones if they go off site at lunchtime. ● Year 13 students may use their mobile phone in the Sixth Form Centre only. 6 Lockers Your child is responsible for his own equipment and the School will not accept responsibility for any loss, theft or damage of such equipment. In order to provide better lockers (in terms of both size and condition) we use an external supplier
Page | 7 called Independent Locker Solutions Ltd (ILS). The lockers are owned by ILS and are available to rent on an annual basis. Rental costs for 2024/25 are £25 per year for a standard locker and £35 per year for a large locker. The rental period allows use from September to July. The lockers have to be emptied at the end of each summer term so that ILS can refurbish them and change locks. STANDARD LOCKER £25 LARGE LOCKER £35 Height 595mm Height: 900mm Width: 300mm Width: 300mm Depth: 450mm Depth: 450mm Small lockers, which are suitable for storing laptops, iPads or tablets, are available for Sixth Form students to rent on an annual basis by booking directly with ILS online from 9th July 2024. To book a locker for your child, please visit the ILS website www.ilsschools.co.uk . The rental agreement is direct with ILS and is subject to their terms and conditions available on the website. Keys will be dispatched directly by ILS. Please note the school does not hold spare keys. 7 Laptops, iPads and Tablets Sixth Formers are expected to have access to a digital device in all lessons. This may be their own laptop, iPad or tablet. Use is at the discretion/request of the teacher. Students are not allowed to access their phones during lessons. Year 13 may use their phones for work purposes only in the Sixth Form Centre. Students are also expected to be able to access homework set electronically and communication sent via their School email address. The guidance and rules indicated in the School’s “Acceptable Use of ICT Systems and Learning Gateway Policy” also apply to the use of laptops, iPads and tablets. There are limited facilities at School for charging devices and your child should charge this equipment at home. If he uses his own laptop, iPad or tablet in School, he must use the school WiFi. We would also wish to stress that it is vital that your child maintains the ability to write quickly as this is the way they are examined. 8 Catering / Restaurant ● The Restaurant offers breakfast baps and pastries between 8.00-8.30am daily as well as a full cooked breakfast every Friday. During the week, we are open 11.40-12.10 for break and lunch 1.25-2.10. ● We also have a dedicated Sixth Form Café for Years 12-13, this area has WiFi and is a quiet and relaxed area for students to study. This is open all day and students can choose from a range of foods and drinks on offer. ● The Snack shack provides a selection of homemade hot food items including paninis, chicken wings and burgers. There are also several homemade sweet treats: cookies, brownies, muffins, flapjacks along with confectionary items such as chocolate bars and crisps. We also have cold drinks on offer in the snack shack. Cucina are RGS’s appointed caterers. Executive Chef, Jen Correy, and her catering team serve menus based on healthy ingredients, variety and lots of interesting new things to try. All dishes are prepared every day using quality, fresh and seasonal ingredients that are responsibly sourced. Cucina want students to understand the importance of eating the right foods and to help them with their food and nutrition journey. Some of the dishes/items on offer are: ● A selection of 'grab and go' items including baguettes, paninis and salads. ● A variety of healthy, tasty main meals prepared from carefully selected ingredients. The menu will follow a similar weekly pattern so that your child knows what to expect, for example, a roast is served every Wednesday and fish and chips on a Friday. ● There is a ‘V’ range with lots of vegetarian and vegan choices to choose from including the V burger, vegetarian alternative main meal including homemade spring rolls and a quiche on roast dinner day. ● A salad bar with homemade healthy salads, all pre-boxed and ready to be collected. ● Theme days including Chinese New Year, American Drive-Thru, BBQ Beach Party, Harry Potter and Love British Food Fortnight. Meal deals: The most popular meal deal is the Blue Dot meal deal for £2.50. Students can choose any 4 items (usually 85p each) displaying a blue dot sticker. Items include selected rolls, sandwiches, drinks, cakes, tray bakes and fruit bags. The Blue Dot meal deal is also available to students who have a FSM allowance.
Page | 8 Year 12 and 13 students are eligible for free school meals if they or their parents are receiving one of the qualifying benefits. If your child is eligible for free meals, he will still have to register his fingerprint to open the account. The free meal allowance will automatically be credited to his account although the allowance will not accumulate if it is not spent. For further information, parents should contact the Finance Manager at finance@rgshw.com. We want to ensure that all students have access to a healthy nutritious meal and, with this in mind, we ask anyone with a Free School Meal allowance to select any 2 items including a hot main meal, pizza, salad box, panini or other nutritious snack plus either a hot pudding, fruit pot or freshly-made cake. If your child prefers, he can also choose to switch the pudding for a drink. Biometric System and ParentPay: (new students) The School operates a Biometric Cashless System through ParentPay, which is used in the Canteen and School Shop. Your child will have his fingerprint registered on the first day of School if he is new to the Sixth Form. In order to load money on to your child’s account, during the first week of term, you will receive a letter containing a unique username and password to activate your ParentPay account. This allows future payments for School meals to be made by credit or debit card. The balance will be shown each time the account is used to make a purchase to allow time to re-credit. You may request a printout of your child’s expenditure from the Catering Manager (also available on ParentPay). Whilst your child’s ParentPay account is set up, he can pay for lunch items via Apple Pay, Android Pay or bank card on the PDQ machine in the Restaurant or Sixth Form Café. 9 16-19 Bursary Fund 2024/2025 What is the 16-19 Bursary Fund? This fund is made available from the Government through its funding body, Education Funding Agency (EFA), to provide assistance to students aged 16 - 19 years old whose access to, or completion of, education is inhibited by financial constraints or barriers. ● A Bursary of up to £1,200 a year for young people in one of the defined vulnerable groups ● Discretionary Awards targeted towards those young people who cannot stay in education without financial help for things like transport, meals, books and equipment. Who is eligible to apply for 16-19 Bursary Funding? Students at the School are eligible if they are at least 16 and under 19 years of age on 31 August 2024 and meet the residency criteria set out by the EFA and fall into one of the two categories below: Vulnerable Bursary Students eligible for a Vulnerable Bursary must fall into one of four defined vulnerable groups: ● Young people in Care, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children ● Care givers ● Young people receiving Income Support or the equivalent Universal Credit (UC) in their own right ● Young people receiving Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit and Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right Discretionary Bursary Students who are economically or socially disadvantaged and at risk of not taking up or continuing in their education are eligible for a Discretionary Bursary. Typically, students are eligible if their household income is less than £25,000 pa, or they are entitled to Free School Meals, or they are in receipt of other means tested benefits. Further information can be found on the RGS website or through the Finance Office. The application form and appropriate appendix needs to be handed to the Finance Office or emailed to finance@rgshw.com and marked “Confidential - 16-19 Bursary Fund” as soon as possible, after admission to the Sixth Form in September. Sixth Form students are not eligible for Pupil Premium.
Page | 9 Other useful information for the Sixth Form 10 Attendance: School Hours and Punctuality Registration Sixth Formers are expected to be in their form rooms by 8.40am and Registration is taken by Form Tutors at 8.45am. Form time is essential both as a daily point of contact with their Form Tutor and for developing effective organisation and good time keeping. Lateness If, on a very rare occasion, students are unavoidably late, they must sign in at the Student Hub as soon as they arrive on site. Students arriving late, without communication from parents within 24 hours, will automatically be placed in an after-school detention from 3.40pm to 4.40pm. Parents will receive an email to their school registered address informing them of this. 11 Attendance: Absences from School Attendance Sixth Formers are expected to have an Attendance record at School of 90% and above. This attendance rate takes into account leave required for academic exams and University Open Day visits/interviews. Illness If your child is extremely unwell and unable to attend School, please advise us by email attendance@rgshw.com before 9am on the first and subsequent days of absence. The email message should clearly state your child’s name, Form and reason for absence. Please keep the School informed about an on-going/long term absence using the e-mail address above. Appointments If your child has a specialist medical appointment, driving test or music exam that cannot be made outside the school day, please advise the School in advance by email attendance@rgshw.com Your child is personally responsible for ensuring that he does not leave the site for a pre-agreed appointment without signing out at the Student Hub. Please note that students are not permitted to leave school during the day for driving lessons. Leave of Absence Please ensure that your child does not miss School for a family holiday or social occasion. We pursue a full academic programme to the end of every term and we ask for your support in this. In exceptional circumstances, requests for Leave of Absence can be made in writing by email to attendance@rgshw.com and this will be considered by your child’s Head of Year. Where possible, please give 2 weeks’ notice of the request. Leaving the School Premises The School Rules still apply to Sixth Form students in that they must not leave the site for an appointment without signing out at the Student Hub. In the case of illness, your child needs to see Matron (or, in Matron’s absence, the School Office). If after seeing Matron, your child needs to leave school, please ensure he signs out at the Student Hub. Given the importance of knowing who is on school premises at all times, it is imperative that your child adheres to this request. Year 12 and 13 have permission to leave the premises at lunch time only. They are then expected to be back on site for any lessons timetabled in the afternoon. Year 12 and 13 may leave at the end of Period 6 if they have no lessons timetabled after that for the rest of the day. Please note that there may be occasions where we plan talks for the Sixth Form during an afternoon and we would expect Sixth Form students to attend. Students should not take up paid employment during the school day 08.403.30pm 12 RGS 360 Award Our vision of an RGS Sixth Former is a student who not only fulfils his academic potential but who is also a wellrounded individual. To this end, all Sixth Formers are expected to work towards the RGS 360 Award, which involves developing their commitment to co-curricular, volunteering, work experience, extended research and leadership activities. Your child will be expected to develop a portfolio demonstrating his involvement in these activities and the skills he has developed. Those students who successfully meet the criteria set will be awarded the RGS 360 Award and
Page | 10 could quote their involvement in their university personal statement and employment applications. Co-Curricular Opportunities There are a wide variety of activities available in the Sixth Form and we encourage all Sixth Formers to participate. A list of activities will be issued to students early in the Autumn Term and can be found on the School website. Volunteering We expect all Sixth Formers to undertake some form of volunteering over a period of time. All students will be presented with some volunteering opportunities both inside and outside School, however, should your child find other sources of volunteering outside school we would be happy for him to pursue this. Leadership As your child progresses in the Sixth Form there will be leadership opportunities made available to him. We would also encourage him to seek leadership opportunities outside School and communicate these to us as part of the ongoing discussions with his Form Tutor about his RGS 360 Award. Work Experience As part of the criteria for the RGS 360 Award, we would like your child to take up at least 3 days of work experience. Ideally this is with one establishment but if this is not possible, then it is fine to have done some work experience with a few different establishments. Extended Research We like our Sixth Form students to develop as independent learners. As part of the criteria for the RGS 360 Award, we would like your child to do some research on a topic of interest or as part of a super-curricular activity. There are opportunities to submit articles in our Sixth Form Academic Journals. 13 Calendar The School Calendar is available to view on the RGS website. 14 Careers / Higher Education Preparing for futures and priding ourselves in the commitment to an all-round education is at the centre of school life at RGS. Our Careers Department, recognised as the "National Centre of Excellence in Careers Education" (by Challenge Partners), is dedicated to providing students with valuable support and resources to help them navigate future career paths. There are a number of ways we can support students: Work Experience Opportunities: We facilitate work experience placements, connecting students with businesses and professionals in various sectors. Higher Education Support: We guide students through university options from a university fair trip to organising guest/alumni talks, parent events and Higher Education taster sessions. Apprenticeships: We provide information on apprenticeship opportunities, connecting students with industry experts and offering support regarding application processes. Career Events and Workshops: Our career workshops and seminars bring professionals from different industries to share their insights, helping students build networks and gain knowledge. Online Resources: our careers platform Unifrog contains tools, industry websites and virtual career exploration opportunities to familiarise students with occupations and progression routes. Alumni Network: students will have opportunities to connect with successful former students through talks, gaining useful industry links and potential mentors. Personal Development: Our curriculum includes sessions on employability skills, CV writing, mock interviews and personal branding. Engaging in volunteering opportunities will enhance skills whilst also making positive contributions to society. The Careers Department will provide students with the resources and support to help them make informed decisions
Page | 11 about their next steps and future. Please encourage your child to explore our career services, 15 Co-Curricular Activities / Clubs and Societies We offer an impressive array of Clubs and Societies and co-curricular activities. These activities, together with a wide selection of educational visits in the UK and abroad, are an important part of education at RGS. We hope your child will take every advantage of these opportunities and that you will encourage him to participate. Full details of such opportunities will be issued to pupils under separate cover in the Autumn term. This information will also be posted on the School’s website. The Freshers’ Fair in September will highlight co-curricular opportunities and the display board in the main corridor shows details of times and locations of activities. If you feel that financial circumstances make it impossible for your child to take part in an educational trip or activity, please write to the Headmaster in confidence, we may be able to assist you. 16 Daily Timetable The school day begins at 8.40am although we would ask you to ensure your child arrives no later than 8.30am. Timings of the school day are outlined below. Parents will be notified if changes are made. RGS SCHOOL TIMETABLE 2024-25 0840 Start of school day & Form Period (registration/assembly/tutor time) 0910 Period 1 0950 Period 2 1025 Period 3 1105 Period 4 1140 Break 1210 Period 5 1250 Period 6 1325 Lunch 1415 Period 7 1455 Period 8 1530 End of school day On the last day of each half term if before a holiday day, School finishes at 3.00pm. On the last day of each term, School finishes at 1.00pm. In the case of early finishes, some contract buses are rearranged to leave earlier. You and your child will be informed of these arrangements via the parent/student bulletins. 17 Driving Lessons Driving lessons should not be arranged during school time (8.40am-3.30pm including lunchtime). The only exception to this is when a student has a driving test, where a lesson is permitted before the test. Requests for Leave of Absence for a driving test should be made in advance via a Leave of Absence form in the Parents section of the School Website. 18 Driving to School Students in Year 13 may choose to drive to School. However, very limited parking is available for Sixth Form students on the Uplyme Field car park. Year 12 students who pass their test should not consider driving to school until June when they will be advised how to apply for a parking permit. They will be allocated a parking bay & will able to park in Uplyme once Year 13 have
Page | 12 finished their exams. A parking permit will be issued by Resources, upon receipt of payment and evidence of a Driving Licence (not certificate of passing test). The cost of the Permit is £120 per year from end of June of Year 12 to after Year 13 exams in June the following year; reducing to £80 after Christmas and £40 after February Half Term. Permits are given out on a “first come, first served” basis, with Year 12 students only allowed to park on site once the Year 13 have left school after exams. It is a privilege to park on-site and not automatic as there are not enough spaces for all Year 12 students. Sixth Form parking permits must be clearly displayed on the dashboard at all times. The School cannot accept responsibility for students driving their own cars or for passengers choosing to have a lift from a friend. Drivers should be aware of any insurance restrictions. The School reserves the right to request parents to stop their child driving to school should we witness dangerous or careless use of a vehicle. Car drivers are strongly urged to protect their car with an anti-theft device and not to have expensive stereos or valuables on display. The School accepts no responsibility for damage, loss or theft. 19 Exams and Predicted Grades We wish to stress to you how important Year 12 is with Year 12 UCAS Exam results having a real impact on your child’s UCAS application, higher and degree level apprenticeship and/or job applications. The grade he achieves in his UCAS Exams will play a major factor in determining the predicted grades that will be used on his applications made in Year 13. There will be Year 12 UCAS Mock Exams in January. Please be aware of the need for your child to prepare thoroughly for these exams. In the past, parents have asked us to make this point so that they have an awareness of the work Year 12 students will be undertaking when they consider February and Easter holiday arrangements. It is perfectly possible for Year 12 students to plan and organise their revision schedules so that family holidays are restful breaks, but we want to highlight this for your early and general awareness. The Year 12 UCAS Exams usually take place at the beginning of June. 20 Library The Library opens at 8.00am every school day and closes at 4.30pm (4.00pm on Fridays). Students can use the Library before and after School and during break and lunchtime in order to browse and read quietly, borrow and return books. Students are automatically members of the Library and can borrow up to six books. In addition to fiction and non-fiction books, the Library offers an online ebook platform, has an instragram page and regularly broadcasts podcasts. There are also several online resources to encourage research skills and the Library Catalogue is available online. The Librarian, Mrs Payne, is assisted by a team of trained Year 12 Library Prefects who can help with all enquiries and information needs and assist with book choices and advice. If you would like to join a bespoke Sixth Form book club focussing on modern classics and character led books, please keep an eye on Form Tutor bulletins for the opportunity to sign up. There will also be a bespoke Readers Collection in the Sixth Form Centre that students can issue to themselves using the Library App which is available on all mobile phones. A Library induction will be given to all Year 12 students at the beginning of term. 21 Lost Property We expect students to look after their property and to ensure belongings are kept safe. All items must be named in full. If a named item is received in Lost Property, students will be emailed to ask them to collect it from Resources or items will be posted in the Form Tutor’s pigeon hole for distribution. Unclaimed and unnamed property will be stored for a period of half a term. After that time, it will be disposed of via the charity supported by RGS. 22 Matron Mrs Gina Barry RCN, is our Matron and deals with the students' everyday medical requirements. Please inform Matron, either by email matron@rgshw.com or by filling in the RGS Medical App, of any known medical conditions for which your child may need treatment. If he is prescribed an asthma inhaler or EpiPen, he must always carry it with him and complete a care plan. If you are concerned about your child's health or well-being, please contact Matron. If your child feels unwell during the day, he must report to Matron who will contact you if he needs to go home. 23 Music There is a strong tradition of Music at the RGS, both as an academic subject and as a performing art. Concerts, competitions, recitals and workshops take place on a regular basis. Most years there are several students who go on to pursue musical studies at University or Music conservatoire. The highlight of all the Music Department events
Page | 13 would have to be the RGS Musical; our productions carry a reputation of being a step or two above that expected of most school shows and are a fantastic experience for all involved. The Music Department has excellent facilities, including a suite of two large teaching/rehearsal rooms, a 6th form classroom, a studio and 10 practice rooms. Indeed, there is a strong sense of community amongst Sixth Form musicians, who regard the Music Department as a second home! RGS Music is well supported, both logistically and financially, by its own parent group, Friends of Music. Large numbers of Sixth Formers also learn musical instruments on a private basis with one of our 22 highly-regarded peripatetic music tutors, covering all instruments (orchestral/popular) and voice. There are weekly orchestra and wind band rehearsals for players of all standards, regardless of whether the student studies A-Level Music or is on the regular timetable. All instrumentalists are encouraged to take part in these activities, which usually happen at breaktime, lunchtime or after-school. There is a strong choral tradition at RGS – including a four-part Senior Choir, Close Harmony Group and Chamber Choir – so budding singers are also particularly welcome. 24 Organisation of Forms On the Induction Day, your child will meet their Form Tutor and Form group. These are organised by the school house system, our houses are named after royal residences: Balmoral, Buckingham, Kensington, Sandringham, St James and Buckingham. Your child’s Form Tutor is always your first point of contact. At the beginning of term, he will be advised of his Form Tutor’s email address. 25 Parent Portal The Parent Portal allows you to access information about your child at School. Parents of students joining RGS for Sixth Form will be sent login details by email and once you have created an account you can access the portal via the browser on any device or via a smartphone app. This will give you access to information including your child's timetable, reports and exam information. 26 Parental Responsibility A parent who does not live with their child, and maintains parental responsibility, will receive School communications, copies of their child’s School Reports and Progress Grades via the InTouch system. To ensure this can happen please provide an email address, via the Sixth Form Admission Form. 27 Parents' Association The Parents’ Association always welcomes new members. During the year, the PA organise a range of fun and entertaining social events for students and their families such as Family Quiz nights, Coffee mornings, Theatre trips and Monthly Prize Draw. The success of the Parents’ Association is reliant on support from its members. You can support them in several ways: by coming along to the events organised; by volunteering a few hours of your time; joining the Committee; giving us ideas and feedback; donating raffle prizes or baking cakes for our events. If you would like any further information, please email rgspa@hotmail.co.uk. or visit the PA web page on the School website. 28 Private Study and Homework Part of the process of adapting to further study is to learn how to use Private Study time effectively. To assist with this process, all Year 12 students have their Private Study periods supervised by a member of staff. We hope that Year 12 students will increasingly learn how to use their Private Study time profitably and develop sound time management skills, which are essential for success at A level and in higher education. Our expectation is that all students are full-time and should be dedicating a minimum of 16 hours a week at home to their studies. This will vary from student to student and week to week but for good A level grades we believe this is the commitment required. If your child is regularly not spending this time working at home, there may be cause for concern and you should enquire of him how his work is progressing. If you have further cause for concern, please contact the School to make an appointment with his Form Tutor or Head of Year. Assignments and set work should always be submitted on time. On the rare occasion there is a problem with a deadline, students should always discuss this with the member of staff concerned before the due date.
Page | 14 Given the commitment needed to fulfil 16 hours of study at home, it is our advice that students do not commit to lengthy periods of part-time employment, which will undoubtedly impact on their academic progress. Academic staff spend many hours preparing and marking work and it is very frustrating to have students who are tired and unfocused in lessons often because they have been working the previous evening doing a part-time job. We would ask all parents to support us in our aim of preparing your child for his UCAS exams and A-Level examinations and help him to establish clear priorities. A maximum of one day at the weekend is our general guideline for part time employment. Students should not take up paid employment during the school day 08.40-3.30pm 29 Reports and Parents' Evenings During Year 12, you and your child can expect to receive regular reports on his progress through Progress Grades, target report and at Form Tutor and Parents’ Meetings. Your child is encouraged to attend these meetings with you. Parents’ Meetings dates are listed on the School Calendar and you will also be notified, of course, by letter. In addition, should we have any concerns about your child’s progress or work ethic we may contact you to discuss the matter. 30 Safety Glasses / Laboratory Coats Health and Safety rules require all students to wear safety glasses for Design & Technology and Science lessons. These may be purchased from the School Shop for £3.50 per pair and collected from Resources. If you would prefer to make your own purchase of safety glasses, they must conform to an appropriate European Standard such as EN 166F. If your child is studying Chemistry, he must bring his safety glasses to every Chemistry lesson. If he forgets and a practical lesson is scheduled, he will have to hire a pair from the Department. Health and Safety rules also require students to wear their white laboratory coats for all practical lessons in Design & Technology and Science. 31 School Closure If the School is closed unexpectedly due, for example, to bad weather, details will be posted on the School website: www.rgshw.com 32 School to Home Communication You will receive all School correspondence via e-mail, to the email address you have provided. If you are unable to receive e-mail correspondence, or if you would like to amend or add an e-mail address, please email Mrs Wyncoll at tlw@rgshw.com. All correspondence intended for Parents (including letters from the Headmaster and holiday dates) is posted on the School’s website www.rgshw.com in the ‘Parents – Parent Letters’ section. Please check the website regularly. If there are any home circumstances which could affect your child at School, or if any issues of this nature arise in the future, please contact your child’s Head of Year. Any information received will be treated sensitively and in confidence. We understand there may be occasions when you would prefer us not to discuss such matters with your child but ask you to make his Head of Year aware, as it is often helpful to know of any matters which may be troubling him. Experience has shown us that the more we know about home and/or personal circumstances, the more support and understanding we can offer the young men in our care. We seek to work with you in these situations and value this important partnership we have with parents. 33 Sixth Form Agreement As a Sixth Former, your child is a role model for the rest of the School, and they continue to be subject to the School rules. Sixth Formers are expected to act in accordance with the School's Code of Conduct and all students will be required to sign the Sixth Form Agreement in September. The Agreement outlines the conduct and behaviour we expect from our Sixth Form students and a copy can be found in the Essential Documentation section of the Into the Sixth 2024 portal on the School’s website (from the homepage, choose “Sixth Form” then ‘Into the Sixth’ from the drop-down menu). 34 Sport at RGS There are many representational and recreational sporting opportunities across the year. We encourage all students to get involved in one or more of the sports on offer. Representational matches take place on Saturdays and during
Page | 15 the week and we welcome parents at all our school matches, both home and away – click HERE to view our current fixture schedule. There is also the opportunity to compete in the Inter-House Sport competitions. This allows all students to compete for their House in a variety of sports and activities throughout the year. Gym Membership All students in Years 9-13 have the opportunity to purchase a gym membership which is available to purchase via ParentPay. A letter with further information about gym membership will be sent out in September via Parent Comms. For Recreational Gym users, it is a fantastic space to enhance general health & fitness levels, as well as all round wellbeing. All Gym members receive technical support from the Athletic Development Team, who are on hand to develop a tailored programme to help deliver individual long-term goals. If you have been invited to a scheduled Gym session for your Core Sport – cricket, hockey or rugby – then you are not required to purchase a Gym membership for those particular sessions. Mouthguards The School policy is to endorse various sporting governing bodies in their guidelines surrounding the use of dental protection. All students require a mouthguard to take part in Rugby or Hockey at school throughout their school life. We work with OPRO, the largest manufacturer of Custom-Fit mouthguards in the world. OPRO have launched their revolutionary Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard, a dentist level mouthguard that can be fitted at home. Benefits of the Instant Custom-Fit Mouthguard: ● OPRO’s revolutionary fitting mechanism allows the pupil the take an instant dentist impression of their teeth whilst moulding their Custom-Fit mouthguard ● You can choose between 3 protection levels and add anti-microbial protection to the mouthguard ● Made in OPRO’s manufacturing facility in Hertfordshire, the Instant Custom-Fit offers the highest level of protection as worn by professionals ● Prices start from just £29.99, plus you receive 10% off if you use the code RGSHighWycombe10 ● No waiting for your mouthguard! The Instant Custom-Fit can be manufactured in as little as 2 days. Once fitted at home, it’s ready to use ● You will receive a complimentary Self-Fit mouthguard to practise the fitting process with and this can be used as a spare mouthguard for the season To order an Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard: 1. Visit OPRO 2. Choose the mouthguard you would like to purchase 3. Enter the discount code at checkout to receive 10% off 4. Your OPRO Instant Custom-Fit will be sent to the delivery address provided 5. Follow the fitting instructions included with the mouthguard 6. Your mouthguard is now ready to use! Any questions about the product or OPRO’s service should be sent directly to the OPRO Customer Care Team (not RGS) on 01442 430690 or email info@oprogroup.com. If your child already has a mouthguard, please check that it still fits. Your child’s growth can prejudice the fitting and effectiveness of a mouthguard. There is no obligation to purchase a dentally fitted mouthguard and you may choose to purchase these items elsewhere. Football Boots and Shin Pads During Year 12 Games, we offer Football as an activity option. Wearing studded football boots and shin pads is a key safety requirement to participate in this session. ‘Off Games Policy’ If your child is unable to take part in his Games activity due to injury or illness, you need to email School Matron and inform the Sports Department via a letter which should be presented at the start of the lesson or before. If your child is to be off Games for more than two lessons, this should be communicated via email to Matron and the Sports Department, as well as providing any relevant medical note. A suitable non – performing task will be set based on the injury or illness.
Page | 16 Parental Support We are very lucky to have strong parental support for sport in the form of our various ‘Friends of RGS’ sports groups; FRORGS (Rugby), FoC (Cricket) and FoR (Friends of Rowing). All new parents are very welcome and if you feel you could help support in any way, please get in touch. Sport Social Media Follow us on our social media platforms for all the latest news: X @RGSHWSport Instagram @rgshw_sport 35 Travel to and from School Student parking spaces are at a premium. We encourage all Sixth Formers, who live close to the School, to continue to use public transport, bicycle or walk to school. Bus All students, whether travelling on a school bus or public service bus, must always behave well. Poor behaviour on any type of public transport will not be tolerated; pupils and parents are reminded that travel on school buses is a privilege that can be withdrawn. Bicycle Students may secure their bicycles in the bike shed on the school site at their own risk. They must ensure security precautions are taken when leaving bicycles. Car If you drive your child to and from school you may NOT drive into the School car parks, park outside the school, or drop off / pick up your child by the barrier entrance to School House. The car parks on the school site are for Staff and Sixth Form students only. Please arrange to drop off or meet at a place well away from the school entrances and exits. We are very concerned that student safety is jeopardised by parents’ parking/picking up in an inconsiderate way. We also ask you to be considerate of our neighbours by not parking opposite or across driveways. This is of great concern on the Ridgeway where traffic flow can be severely compromised. The roads near the school are extremely busy and all students are warned to take extra care when crossing them. Please always encourage your child to use the proper pedestrian crossings. The area surrounding the school can get very congested before and after school which is a clear hazard to road users and thus dangerous to all especially your child. Parking If you are attending school for Parents’ Meetings, Music events, PA functions etc, please be aware that parking on the school site is limited. While we do have some parking on the site, it is likely that we are unable to accommodate all vehicles. In that case please be considerate to our neighbours’ needs when parking on adjoining roads.
Page | 17 Quick Reference: School Contact Details: Royal Grammar School Amersham Road, High Wycombe HP13 6QT Telephone: 01494 524955 Email: admin@rgshw.com Website: www.rgshw.com Headmaster: Philip Wayne To contact staff in the Sixth Form: please use sixthform@rgshw.com or attendance@rgshw.com Term Dates: RGS Term Dates 2024-2025
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