Year 6 Transition Portal 2024

“Education is not the filling of the pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

WB Yeats

Our Vision

On an unyielding foundation of respect, honesty and compassion our vision is to forge strong, positive connections with our students so we build a genuine partnership that promotes confidence and self-belief as they develop into well-informed, thoughtful young people, who take pride in themselves, our school and our community.

We challenge all students to acquire and value the ambitious knowledge and skills that will support them to be life-long learners as well as critical and active participants in the world around them.

Our Mission

High expectations of students and staff promote hard work, commitment and camaraderie with the belief that everyone in our school matters, and that everyone can improve and grow.

Through inspirational teaching of an ambitious curriculum, a genuine concern for wellbeing and personal development, and a rich abundance of learning opportunities within and outside school, we nurture high aspirations in our students for themselves, our school and our community whilst developing their character and enabling them to achieve their best.

Our Values

Curriculum Intent

Next

A huge welcome to all Year 6 students who are joining our school community in September 2024.

I am delighted that we will be visiting you in your Primary schools this term. We will be working closely with your Primary Head Teacher to ensure you meet your new Head of Year at Toot Hill School, We also look forward to inviting you into school for induction days this term as well as ensuring you have all transition resources ready to make a fantastic start to your time at Toot Hill School.

I am so excited to meet you wearing your green blazer, that means so much to me and our school and represents our ‘Work Hard, Be Kind, Take Pride’ ethos, in which I know you will thrive.

I very much look forward to getting to know you all and supporting you to develop your personality, build your character and achieve more than you ever thought possible.

Dr C Eardley 
Head Teacher

 

Welcome to all Year 6 students and their families.

Embarking on your secondary school journey is both an exciting and nerve-wracking time and I’m incredibly privileged that you are choosing to do this at Toot Hill School. This next stage of your education will bring with it lots of fun experiences, new friends, plenty of learning and most importantly, the opportunity to develop yourself in ways you never knew were possible. As your Head of Year, I am looking forward to working and supporting you throughout your journey and I am sure we will create many fabulous memories along the way.

Stay safe, keep working hard, and make sure to look after those around you too.

I look forward to meeting you and your family very soon.

Take care,

Mrs Laura Munro
Head of Year 7

Next

Our website is full of useful information for parents and pupils. Here are a few links to some of the most important for new Year 7s.

Next

Transition visits to Toot Hill School will take place on Monday 1st July and Tuesday 2nd July. Your child will be invited to one of these days to take part in a range of different activities, meet teachers and try a range of lessons all aimed at helping students to get to know the school. Please refer to the attached sheet to see which of these two dates applies.

Transition Visits July 2024

If you wish for your child to use a school bus on the transition day, please select the appropriate bus/day below. A temporary bus pass will be arranged to permit travel on that bus service for the transition day. Without this there will be no arrangement made for your child to use one of the school buses on this day.  You can, of course, drop them off and pick up yourself, should you wish to do so; in that case, please select the 'No bus transport required' option below.  Students will need to bring their own packed lunch on this day. 

Next

As you prepare for your child to join Year 7 at Toot Hill School, we would like to draw your attention to our current uniform purchasing process.

Certain Toot Hill School uniform items are only available to order directly from our suppliers, “Academy School Uniforms”. They offer an extensive and well-established on-line purchasing facility with options to have garments delivered direct to home.

Please visit https://just-schoolwear.co.uk/product-category/toothill-school/

This year, Just Schoolwear are offering two ‘Blazer and PE kit Fitting Events’ for pupils who will be joining us in September 2024. For your convenience these will take place here at Toot Hill School, on the same night as the Parents’ Evenings, between 4 pm and 5.30 pm., on Monday, 24th and Tuesday, 25th June 2024. This service includes:

• Qualified Academy School Uniform members of staff
• Sizing sets of uniform, for students to try on
• Sizing data forms, confirming correct size of uniform to then be ordered on line (as detailed in the promotional information leaflet)

There is also a very comprehensive measuring guide on the above website to assist you in the purchase of uniform for your child should you require this.

We would advise that you order all the uniform required as soon as possible, in order to ensure you have receipt of the items prior your child’s due commencement date here at Toot Hill.

For more information about uniform requirements, please see the Uniform and Equipment page on our website or the recent letter sent to parents.

Next

Please see the leaflet below for information about bus passes. More information and timetables can be found on the Buses page on our website.

Next

Toot Hill uses the Tucasi Online Payment system. The system will allow you to view balances and pay for the following items online without the need to send cash or cheques into school:

• School meals
• Trips and events
• Before and after school clubs

Once your child is attending you will be sent an account access letter. You can use the same online account to link any children you have at this school and to link children at other schools using the Tucasi secure scopay.com system. If you have multiple children at this school you will create your online account for the first child and then link the second child using the instructions in the 'I already have a scopay.com account' section.

We hope you find this method of payment easy and convenient. Please contact the school if you require any further assistance.

Next

At Toot Hill School, we endeavour to provide our students with the highest quality, knowledge-led curriculum across all subjects, including in our Relationship, Sex Health and Economic (RSHE) Curriculum. Relationships and sex education and health education (RSE) became statutory in all secondary schools in England in September 2020. The curriculum outlined by the Department for Education is designed to equip your child with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships as well as preparing them for a successful adult life.

Relationships and Sex Education will build on the teaching at primary. It aims to give young people the information they need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds.

Our RSHE curriculum will look at what healthy and unhealthy relationships look like and what makes a good friend, colleague and successful marriage or committed relationship. At the appropriate time, the focus will move to developing intimate relationships, to equip your child with knowledge they need to make safe, informed and healthy choices as they progress through adult life.

At Toot Hill School, RSE will be taught as part of the RSHE programme of study in tutor time and via dedicated lesson once a week from Year 7 to 13. There may also be assemblies and guest speaker throughout the year to allow for external providers to share their expertise.

We deliver a ‘spiral’ curriculum that enables pupils to build on their prior learning by re-visiting some themes to further develop knowledge, values and skills in an age-and stage-appropriate manner. As such, some themes are repeated, to enable a deeper exploration of the related issues. An overview of the RSHE curriculum for each year group can be found on the school website here; https://www.toothillschool.co.uk/page.php?d=pshe&p=sow

Relationship, Sex Education

By the end of Year 11, your child will have been taught content on:

• Families
• Respectful relationships, including friendships
• Online media
• Being safe
• Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health.

Health Education

Health education aims to give your child the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, to recognise issues in themselves and others, and to seek support as early as possible when issues arise.

By the end of Year 11, your child will have been taught content on:

• Mental wellbeing
• Internet safety and harms
• Physical health and fitness
• Healthy eating
• Facts and risks associated with drugs, alcohol and tobacco
• Health and prevention
• Basic first aid
• Changing adolescent body.

Our school prides itself on delivering effective, age-appropriate RSHE within an inclusive and supportive learning environment; using non-biased, PSHE association approved resources. We are flexible and deliver content which is completely age appropriate and sensitive to the needs and backgrounds of all pupils. RSHE is facilitated by experienced and skilled professional teachers, who are committed to preparing your child to live and learn safely in the modern world, negotiating the transition into increasing independence with the development of knowledge, values and skills to make positive, healthy and safe choices.

We would encourage you to discuss your child’s RSHE with them at home regularly in their time at Toot Hill. This will provide opportunities for you to share your family values in relation to the topics, and building strong channels of communication about relationships and RSE related matters with your child. As a school, we wish to encourage a positive engagement process that includes the views of pupils, parents, guardians, staff and governors in relation to RSHE. If you would like to know more information about our programme of RSHE, please familiarise yourself with the RSHE policy or have a look at the RSHE page on our website or, feel free to contact the school if you would like to discuss our programme of RSHE on an individual basis or would like any further information.

Jen Gray
School Leader and Head of RSHE
jgray@toothillschool.co.uk

Next

In addition to the regular timetabled music lessons that are part of our curriculum, individual lessons are available a wide variety of instruments.  These are:

Violin, viola, cello, piano, flute, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, trumpet, cornet, trombone, French horn, saxophone, clarinet, voice.

You only need to complete this if you wish for your child to receive additional individual instrumental tuition.

For these lessons, pupils are withdrawn from their normal timetable to receive their instrumental lesson, which is usually a 20-minute lesson.  This is done on a rotating basis in order that they do not miss the same subject each week. It is the student’s responsibility to catch up on any work missed.

If you are interested in your child receiving instrumental lessons, please return the contract to the school, marked for the attention of Mr Kieran Seymour, no later than 5th July.  Please note that if contracts are received after this date students may need to wait until January for a place on the timetable. During the summer period, payment for your child’s first term of lessons will be uploaded to Scopay. You will be notified by email that this payment is available. This will need paying in order to secure lessons starting in September.

If you have any queries, please email the Finance Department at finance@toothillschool.co.uk (finance queries) or Miss Ward at jward@toothillschool.co.uk (music / staff related queries).

Yours sincerely

Mr K. Seymour
Head of Music

Download the Music Contract for 2024-2025

Next

The guidelines from the government to schools on holidays during term time were tightened in 2013 in the interests of high pupil attendance and improved achievement.  The school must always aim to work within such stated guidelines and this may require us to refuse permission for parents/carers to absent their child from school for the purpose of a holiday.

DfE guidance can be summarised as follows:

Holidays in term time interrupt continuity of teaching and learning, disrupt the educational progress of individual children and create disruption in schools.  In a recent survey, the DfE estimated that one in six truants is away with their parents on a family holiday.

The DfE have stipulated that Head Teachers are prohibited from approving term time holiday except where an application has been made in advance and where the Head Teacher considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. Holiday prices and the fact that parents have booked a holiday before checking with the school are not exceptional reasons.

Ten days absence for a family holiday can result in pupils with poor attendance becoming persistent absentees.

Further information is available on the DfE website.  A copy of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) regulations 2013 is accessible via www.legislation.gov.uk.

According to Nottinghamshire County Council policy, you may be fined for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission. The DfE strongly advise schools NOT to authorise holidays for the following reasons:

• Availability of cheap holidays;
• Availability of the desired accommodation;
• Poor weather experience in school holiday periods; and
• Overlap with beginning or end of term.

Applications for permission to absent a child from school for the purpose of a holiday can only be made by the parent/carer that that child normally resides with.

Critically for the school, an extended period of absence can disrupt learning progression.  Often prolonged absence puts additional pressures on the teaching staff to make special arrangements for catch-up work.  The impact of students missing lessons now in Years 9, 10 and 11 is that much greater. 

Enrichment Week (at the end of the Summer Term) forms an important part of the wider sphere of education for our children in Years 7, 8 and 9.  A family holiday is not a suitable substitute for the team-building and social skills taught during this week and holiday leave will not be authorised for this week.

We trust parents and carers will understand our position and will give support to our stance on this matter.

Next

Please may we ask for your co-operation in an important matter.

Pupils and staff at our school receiving medical treatment for serious illness can be put at risk of becoming very unwell if they are exposed to measles, chicken pox or shingles.

Exposure to the above diseases will require treatment to be given as soon as possible.

As a result of this, if your child is suspected of having chicken pox, measles or shingles could you please inform us immediately.

Your child is not at any risk whatsoever from this situation, however, the health and wellbeing of our pupils at risk, does depend on the co-operation of all other parents and carers.  We are grateful for your full support at this time.

Yours sincerely

Dr C Eardley
Head Teacher

Next

Our family of schools is committed to providing a great educational experience for all children in our community. We want this to commence at the point of entry into their school life and continue right the way through Toot Hill School and College.

Our aim is very simple: to enable all pupils to gain the opportunity, support and guidance to grow and develop into confident and aspirational young people, who stand up for what they believe and make positive contributions to society in the future. By working closely together we believe we can enhance the quality of our provision and are committed to doing this by: 

• Developing greater:
  • Aspiration and Achievement
  • Expectation and Engagement
  • Care and Guidance
• Having high expectations of our students both academically and in terms of their commitment to their personal development.
• Creating opportunities for our staff, within and across our schools, to share ideas, knowledge and skills and so enhance understanding of our provision and standards from Reception to Year 13.
• Head Teachers and School Leaders meeting regularly to review progress towards our ‘Great’ objectives
• Providing specific themed meeting opportunities for staff.
• Strategically supporting our students throughout key transition periods.
• Providing extensive joint enrichment opportunities for our pupils.
• Actively helping our students to reflect and recognise their full potential and self-belief.

Work Hard, Be Kind

Next

Student's Details

Legal Forename

Legal Surname

Middle Name(s)

Preferred Forename

Only if different from legal name given above.

Preferred Surname

Only if different from legal name given above.

Gender

Male Female

Date of Birth

Year Group / Tutor Set

Student's Home Information

House Number / Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Address Line 3

Town / City

County

Postcode

Home Phone

Parental Information (First contact)

Title

Forename

Surname

Relationship to student

ParentCarerStep ParentFoster ParentGrandparent

Parental Responsibility?

Yes No

Same address as student

House Number / Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Address Line 3

Town / City

County

Postcode

Daytime Phone Number

Mobile Number

E-mail Address

Is this parent/carer currently in the Armed Forces?

Yes No

Has this parent/carer been in the Armed Forces within the last 6 years?

Yes No

The first contact detailed above will be used for communication regarding student information (reports, letters etc.) and school information (newsletters, school closures etc.).

Please indicate below whether the first contact would like to receive the communications described below:

Marketing for additional commercial services
(e.g. Sports clubs, external training courses etc.)

Yes No

Parental Information (Second contact)

Please make sure that the second contact detailed below has given you consent to share their information.

Title

Forename

Surname

Relationship to student

ParentCarerStep ParentFoster ParentGrandparent

Parental Responsibility?

Yes No

Same address as student

House Number / Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Address Line 3

Town / City

County

Postcode

Daytime Phone Number

Mobile Number

E-mail Address

Is this parent/carer currently in the Armed Forces?

Yes No

Has this parent/carer been in the Armed Forces within the last 6 years?

Yes No

Please indicate below whether the second contact would like to receive the communications described below:

Contact for student information
(e.g. Contact information, student reports, letters etc.)

Yes No

Contact for additional school information
(e.g. Sports clubs, external training courses etc.)

Yes No

Marketing for additional commercial services
(e.g. Sports clubs, external training courses etc.)

Yes No

Additional Emergency Contacts

Please provide details of up to four additional contacts for use in emergency situations where the first two contacts are unavailable. Please make sure the person(s) detailed below have given you consent to share their information.

Emergency Contact 1

Name

Relationship to student

Telephone Number

Emergency Contact 2

Name

Relationship to student

Telephone Number

Emergency Contact 3

Name

Relationship to student

Telephone Number

Emergency Contact 4

Name

Relationship to student

Telephone Number

Student's Family Links

Name(s) of any siblings currently on roll at the school

Student's Educational History

Previous School Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Address Line 3

Town / City

County

Postcode

School Telephone Number

Date of Admission

Date of Leaving

Additional Relevant Information

Student's Ethnic/Cultural Information

This information is not mandatory. If you would prefer not to share any of the information requested below, then please tick the REFUSED box(es).

Ethnicity

White British White Irish White and Asian

White and Black African White and Black Caribbean

Bangladeshi Black African Black Caribbean

Chinese Indian Pakistani

Gypsy-Romany Traveller of Irish Heritage

Any other White background

Any other Asian background

Any other Black background

Any other ethnic background

Any other mixed background

Other

REFUSED

If Other, please state

Religion

REFUSED

Nationality

REFUSED

Country of Birth

REFUSED

Select if applicable to student

Asylum seeker Refugee N/A

REFUSED

Date of arrival in the UK

REFUSED

Is English their First Language?

Yes No

REFUSED

If No, please state the main language spoken at home

REFUSED

Please state any other languages spoken at home

Please enter 'None' if no other languages are spoken at home.

REFUSED

Student's Travel Arrangements

Travel Arrangements

Bicycle School bus Car Taxi

Train Public transport Walk Other

Student's Lunch Arrangements

Lunch Arrangements

School meal (free) School meal (paid for) Packed lunch Home

Next

Doctor's Details

Doctor Name

Surgery Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Address Line 3

Town / City

Postcode

Surgery Telephone Number

Student's Medical Information

Please note: Although we have the facility to store general medication (e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen etc.), we are unable to administer any medication to students.

Does your child have a specific medical condition?
For example, Allergies, Asthma, Hay Fever, Epilepsy, Arthritis etc.

Yes No

If Yes, please state conditions

Does your child require any medication or treatment?

Yes No

If Yes, please give details and ensure that your child knows the correct dosage and is capable of taking their own medication

We do recommend that with any medication taken on a regular basis, a spare supply is given to the school for use in case of emergencies (e.g. inhaler, EpiPen, migraine treatment etc.) Your child will be responsible for administering this medicine themselves.

Does your child have a recognised disability?

Yes No

If Yes, please give details

Is there any further information that the school/school nurse should be aware of with regard to your child?

Yes No

If Yes, please give details

Student's Dietary Requirements

Dietary Requirements

Artificial colouring allergy Kosher foods only Seafood allergy Egg allergy No dairy produce Halal No nuts of any type or quantity Gluten free No pork Vegetarian Vegan Other (please specify)

If Other, please specify

Next

During a pupil’s time with us we will gather information about them which we will use for various purposes. A Privacy Notice in relation to the use of this information is available on the school website.

There are some things that we cannot do without the consent of parents/carers or pupils and we have set these out below. This form should be read very carefully and the appropriate options ticked. This informs us which of these things we are permitted to do, and which we are not.

No pupil’s place with us will be affected by the decisions made on this form. Parents or carers / pupils are completely free to refuse to provide consent to any of these things and do not have to provide reasons for refusing consent. However, we are happy for parents or carers / pupils to give us additional information if they choose to so that we understand their concerns and can take appropriate steps where necessary.

We will gather consent from parents or carers to use their child’s information in the ways detailed below until their child reaches the end of Year 8. We have deemed the start of Year 9 as an appropriate threshold at which to seek consent directly from pupils regarding the ways in which we use their information. This decision to renew consent at this point will be taken on a case-by-case basis.

Photographs and Videos

Some of the information below includes photographs and videos of our pupils. We take very seriously the issue of potential misuse of photographs and videos of our pupils, and have the following measures in place:

• Images taken by a professional photographer for marketing purposes (school / trust websites, prospectuses, adverts etc.) are stored in a secure online gallery for a maximum of six months following a photo shoot, after which they are deleted
• Professional images are also stored on an encrypted hard drive for sole use by the trust’s marketing department
• Access to professional images and videos is limited and only provided to selected members of staff by the trust’s marketing department upon request by the school
• Students who have consent to appear in the professional images are required to be appropriately dressed in full / correct school uniform while being photographed
• Use of professional images is limited to marketing materials only, for which special consent is sought

The school / trust may provide photographs and videos to the media, or the school / trust may be visited by the media who will take videos and photographs. When these have been submitted to—or taken by—the media, the school / trust has no control over these.

Image Rights

Please see the Privacy Notice provided on the school website for more information regarding school photographs.

The school may take photos and / or videos of students during normal school activities (e.g. class work, trips etc.) for use in displays for public areas of the school (e.g. reception) and in school newsletters distributed directly to named contacts. Occasionally these displays may include the name of the student.

The school may take photos and / or videos of students during normal school activities (e.g. class work, trips etc.) for use in publicly-accessible media (e.g. newsletters on school websites, social media, television news articles, local press stories etc.)

Consent for use of any images in promotional campaigns (e.g. on the main pages of school websites, school prospectus etc.) or public events (e.g. awards evenings) will be sought prior to any images being used.

Biometrics (Cashless Catering)

The current Data Protection legislation requires that we obtain explicit consent to use your child’s biometric (fingerprint) data in school. If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact the school.

There are several forms of characteristics that can be used to identify a student, but the biometric data we use is the fingerprint.

What will we use the information for?

Biometric information will only be used to identify the student when purchasing food at school. It enables us to provide a faster service than traditional cash tills and the technology works in the following way:

• The technology uses biometric fingerprint recognition and no image of a fingerprint is ever stored
• The reader creates a mathematical template that is a fully secure identifying information system, just like any other identity number
• The data is ID encrypted for further security and cannot be used in any other database
• It is not possible to recreate an image of the original scan for the data that is stored
• Once a student leaves the school their record is deleted from the database

It is possible to purchase food from the school without giving your fingerprint information. Should you feel you do not wish for your child to be registered on the fingerprint system please indicate below and your child shall be issued with a PIN instead.

Parents or Carers / pupils may change their mind in relation to any of the consents that have provided at any time. This includes withdrawing consent to anything that has been agreed to here.

To withdraw consent to any of the above, or otherwise amend their position, parents or carers / pupils should write to us at the address shown on the contact page of the school website.

This consent will otherwise continue until the pupil leaves the school / trust.

Once the pupil ceases to use the biometric recognition system, his/her biometric information will be securely deleted by the school.