Dear Parents

I should like to take this opportunity to give you some important reminders about the end of term arrangements and procedures to start the new term in September.

End of Term

As you will be aware, school finishes on Friday 23 July. Arrangements are as follows:

8.55 – 12.50:  normal lessons
12.50 – 1.50:  lunch break
1.50 – 2.15:  tutor period
2.15: Dismissal of students (school buses have been altered to this earlier time).

Start of Autumn Term

At the start of the Autumn Term there will be one training day – Monday 6 September.  This will leave a further 4 training days to be held later in the year.  The first day of term for students, therefore, is Tuesday 7 September.

For the new Year 7 and the new Year 12, students will report to school at normal time – 8.55 a.m. – and will spend the day completing important induction activities with their Form Tutors.

However, for the new Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 we are introducing a Target Setting Day.  Each individual student will have an appointment time to meet with a member of staff to discuss their previous year’s progress and to set goals and targets for the new school year.  In addition they will complete any important administration, they will be issued with their new timetables and Student Planners and they will enter their goals and targets for the year on our Learning Platform – SLN2.  Full details about the arrangements for Target Setting Day, including appointment times and locations, will be sent by a separate letter.

Where students other than Year 7 need to arrive at and leave school at normal time because of transport issues, they should go to the Library Resources Centre where arrangements will be made for them.

Uniform

King Edward VI School is committed to a formal school uniform.  It reinforces a sense of belonging to the school community, supports staff in maintaining good discipline and a businesslike approach to learning, whilst ensuring that all our students are easily recognisable on the school campus.  

In September, when they return to school, all students should report in normal school uniform (blue polo shirts are not allowed except in the summer term). 

The summer break is often the time when new items of uniform are purchased and we appreciate how costly such items can be. Therefore, in order to try to prevent unnecessary purchases which are not suitable for school, we would like to draw your attention to the uniform list below.

The school uniform consists of:

• a black blazer with a school badge (sleeves rolled down)
• a plain skirt or tailored trousers (not jeans cut) in black or very dark grey (skirts should be around knee length)
• a plain black belt with a modest buckle (studded belts are not acceptable)
• a white shirt, tucked in and buttoned to the neck (a plain white t-shirt can be worn below the school shirt)
• a school tie, done up to the neck and at east six full stripes in length  (with approval, county or colours ties may be worn as an alternative).  In September the new Year 7 will all be wearing clip on ties.
• a plain grey or black v-necked sweater or cardigan (without collar, zip or hood)
• plain black, grey or white socks
• plain black, grey or neutral tights (no footless tights or leggings)
• plain black shoes (not sports trainers) – backless, toeless and shoes with high heels, which can be especially dangerous on the school’s many staircases, should not be worn.

All items of clothing should be clearly labeled with your child’s name.

Plain = a lack of styling, insignia, patterns or other colours.
Jewellery is not permitted in school, with the exception of an inexpensive watch and two charity bracelets.  A stud (not a sleeper) can be worn in each earlobe.  Students will be required to remove items of jewellery for some practical lessons.

Other forms of piercing are not allowed, even if they are covered by a plaster.

Only school badges are allowed on blazers.

Extreme hair styles should be avoided (bright hair-dyes, Mohican haircuts, patterns and  writing shaved into hair are not appropriate).  For health and safety reasons, beads at the end of hair braids are not allowed.

Students should not draw graffiti on the backs of their hands or on other parts of their body.

A modest amount of make-up is acceptable, but nail-varnish must be kept to light shades (black nail-varnish and bright colours are not permitted).

The following items are not suitable for school wear:

• trainers or baseball boots
• hipster-style trousers
• mini- or hipster-style skirts - skirts should be around the knee in length

If you have any questions regarding uniform please telephone your son/daughter’s Head of Year at the school.

In September, in response to a number of enquiries from parents and to ensure that students follow school uniform guidelines that we have issued, we will be checking school uniform very carefully.  Where necessary we will be issuing reminders to students.  These will be followed up by letters home, verbal communication via telephone and sending students home to change if uniform is deemed to be inappropriate.  We would appreciate your continued support on uniform issues.

Changes to the School Day

As a result of our Curriculum Review, we will be making some minor changes to the school day in the coming year.  There will not be any change to the time of the start and the end of the school day.  However, lesson times will now be as follows :

Registration   8.55 a.m. – 9.15 a.m.
Period 1  9.15 a.m. – 10.15 a.m.
Period 2  10.15 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.
Break   11.15 a.m. – 11.35 a.m.
Period 3  11.35 a.m. – 12.35 p.m.
Lunch   12.35 p.m. – 1.35 p.m.
Period 4  1.35 p.m. – 2.35 p.m.
Period 5  2.35 p.m. – 3.35 p.m.

Finally, I should like to wish you all, students and parents, a happy restful and peaceful summer holiday.

Yours sincerely
 
K W MAYCOCK
Headteacher