Getting To School

Security Passes

If an adult comes to collect a child at any time of day they must wear this pass and show it to the security guard at the main entrance. Without a pass, the security guard will not allow you in the main perimeter entrances and will need to contact a member of staff to confirm identification. Any visitors to the school who have made a prior appointment to meet a member of staff will be issued with a visitor’s pass at the main entrance. An adult collecting a child will not be able to do so using a visitor’s pass. 

The security pass will display the name of your children and for Early Years, a picture of your child (for families with more than one child at the school, we will display the picture of the youngest child). For children in Early Years the initials EYFS will be displayed on the pass. 

We will automatically provide all our families with a security pass, but would appreciate it if you could inform your child’s teacher of the adults for whom you wish to give permission to collect your child/children from school. This will help us to ensure that we only ever hand over your child to someone you trust and have identified to us. 

The main perimeter entrances of the school will remain closed until 3.20pm. At 3.20pm, only adults with a security pass will be allowed through the main entrance. Adults should then wait for their children on the green part of the playground to the right of the main entrance. 

At other times of the school day, parents who enter the main school building should report to the staff on duty at the Primary and Secondary Schools' reception desks, stating the reason for their visit.

School Buses

The school buses are an extension of school and the same high expectations are still in place for all the students using them. There is often a wide range of ages present on a bus and the older children, especially, need to take care of how they behave and what they choose to talk about. 

Each bus has a Bus Monitor to supervise the children and to ensure that behaviour/safety is acceptable. If there are problems with a student on the bus then the following procedures will be applied:

• First time – a warning;
• Second time – a second warning and a bus report given to the class teacher, who will speak to the child about their behaviour and the consequences of their actions;
• Third time – a bus report given to the class teacher and contact with the parents.

Role of the Bus Monitor

The Bus Monitor ensures that all the children leave school on the correct bus wearing seatbelts and that they remain seated throughout the journey. 

The Bus Monitor carries a mobile telephone and will contact parents if there is any delay to the service on either the outward or return journey.

The Bus Monitor will attempt to contact parents if the child is not waiting at the bus stop as expected, but the bus will wait only two minutes before leaving.

If there is a problem with a student’s behaviour on the bus, the Bus Monitor will point out the problem to the child and request that the poor behaviour stops. It is expected that students will conform to the request. If students do not respond, the Bus Monitor will report the incident to the Bus Coordinator, who in turn, will report this to senior members of the teaching staff for follow-up.

Bus Rules

1. Be polite and respectful to the driver and Bus Monitor and follow all instructions.
2. Remain seated for the whole journey and do not change seats once the journey has started.
3. Wear a seatbelt at all times.
4. Act responsibly and avoid doing anything that might distract the bus driver.
5. Avoid making too much noise by shouting or talking loudly.
6. Be polite to fellow pupils, pedestrians and other road users.
7. Respect other people’s property including the bus itself.
8. Arrive on time at your bus stop in the morning and go promptly to your bus at the end of the school day with your bus teacher.
9. Remember to take all of your possessions with you when you get off the bus.

Travelling By Car

Students who travel by car must ensure that they are on time for school in the morning, and that their car is available to pick them up at the appropriate time at the end of the day.

There is no facility for students to arrive before 8.10am or to stay beyond 4.40pm other than as part of a scheduled school event.

Parking, Dropping Off and Picking Up

We have a great many children entering and leaving the school at the beginning and end of the day. Drivers must follow the instructions given by school staff about where to drive and where to park. We hope that we won’t have any difficulties with cars, but we’ll contact parents if we do have any cause for concern about a particular driver. 

Bicycles

We care about the safety of our students and have a number of conditions that we need students and parents to understand and agree to before they cycle to school. We’d like to encourage students to cycle to school, as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle and we’d also like to encourage safe cycling habits. Students will be given permission to cycle to school provided that they have the written consent of their parents and they:      

• use a bicycle which is maintained to a safe standard;
• have front and rear lights fitted for journeys in the dark;    
• ride with care and attention for their own safety; 
• ride with consideration towards other road users and pedestrians; 
• wear a helmet whilst riding; 
• do not carry any passengers; 
• push, rather than ride, their bicycle whilst on the school site; 
• park in the designated area of the campus; 
• are punctual.