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Safeguarding Newsletter January 2022
Safeguarding News Vol 2 January 2022
Safeguarding Newsletter September 2021
What should we expect on the first day of school and what time should my child arrive?
Our school day starts at 8.50am with students’ first lesson of the day and students must therefore be through the gate by 8.45am. They enter through the gate closest to the sixth form block off The Green. Students must never enter the site through the double gates off the turning circle. On the first day, our new Year 7s will make their way to the area outside the sports hall ready to greet their tutor at 8.50am (they will no where to go as we will practise this during their transition days and staff will be on hand to guide them) where their tutor will register them. They will then be taken into the dining room for an assembly with a member of the Leadership Team and the Year 7 Team.
During their first day (and first couple of days) with us, Year 7 will:
- Receive their timetable and be talked through where to go and when (this can be a scary thing for students coming from primary but they are well supported!)
- Have their finger print taken so they can use the dining room
- Have their photo taken so we know what they look like
- Be given their login details for the important apps we use in school
- Be settled in to their lessons and meet their subject teachers!
We will take a great deal of care of them!
What uniform and equipment will my child need?
Students must be in full school uniform and have all the required equipment on their first day. The only thing they won’t need is their PE kit (this will be needed for their first PE lesson on their timetable). All of our equipment and uniform requirements can be found on our school website via the following link: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/culture/ready-to-learn/
How can I help my child prepare for the transition to secondary school?
We understand that this can be a worrying time for Year 6 students and their families, however, we work really hard to support you in the process. We have a team of experienced staff who support students from Miss Owen, the Assistant Headteacher for Pastoral, who has now led Transition for a number of years to Miss Barnsley, the Head of Year 7, who is employed as a static Head of Year for Year 7 meaning she has a great deal of knowledge of and experience with Transition. In a survey which went out to families and students of current Year 7, the overwhelming majority stated that the Transition process had been successful and they were fully settled into secondary school.
A few practical things that families can do to help:
- Ensure your child attends the Transition days in July 2025
- Ensure you attend any after-school events on offer to current Year 6 parents
- Try to attend events put on by Swanwick Hall School such as the Summer Fayre
- Check the letter section of our website as a parent/carer letter is posted on there every week: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/?s=letter
- Show your child the route to get to school and walk them through it so they are confident on where to go and how long it will take to walk
- Ensure you look out for messages or literature regarding Transition – you will receive more of these in the Spring term as we build up to the Transition days
- Of course, get in touch with us on enquiries@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk if you require anything further, for example, a tour or a meeting with the Year 7 team
Here are a few websites that our families might find useful for Year 6 Transition:
What support is available if my child struggles to adjust to secondary school?
Our Transition process and our Transition days are designed to support students in adjusting to and settling in to secondary school. However, where there are concerns, families can liaise with either the Form Tutor, the Non-Teaching Head of Year, Miss Barnsley who is the Head of Year or Miss Owen who is the Assistant Headteacher. We work with students and families to triangulate our support, all three of us (families, students and school) working together to find a solution. We will always be happy to meet and communicate with families where needed.
Who should I contact if I’m concerned about my child’s academic progress or wellbeing?
You can either telephone us on 01773 602106 or email us via enquiries@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk. You can also ask to speak with your child’s Form Tutor, Non-Teaching Head of Year or Head of Year. We will share these names and contact details with you before your child starts with us in Year 7.
What are the school’s expectations for homework in Year 7?
We set our homework on an app called Satchel:One and our students receive a login for this in the first few days in September. Parents/carers will also receive a login meaning they can monitor their child’s homework. Year 7 will be set 15 minutes’ worth of homework per subject per week. We also encourage students to complete independent revision or read for pleasure.
What is the process for signing up for school meals?
Our dining room runs a cashless service and we use a system called ParentPay. Your child will have their fingerprint scanned on their first day and will be issued with login details to enable you to create and credit their account. If your child is eligible for Free School Meals, this information will be transferred over from their primary school so we will already have this on record. The FSM allocation is currently £2.80; your child will be able to use the dining room at lunchtime and this amount will be credited to their account each day. If your child wishes to purchase food at breaktime then you will need to ensure that their account does have credit.
Who do I talk to if my child has additional needs?
The Transition team will work closely with the junior and primary schools to ensure that we have all of the information we need about each child. Included in this will be any SEND concerns or provision. For any student with SEND or suspected SEND, our SEND team will work with the student and the families during the Transition process and into Year 7. For more information about SEND at Swanwick Hall School including who to contact, please see our SEND section: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/?s=SEND
When will my child find out which form group or house they are in?
During the Transition days, your child will spend all day with their form groups in order to build strong relationships prior to starting with us in September. Our families will receive a letter before the Transition days to inform them of their child’s form and house.
To ensure that we have as much information as possible before your child starts with us in September, we ask that you complete our admission form. This can either be posted back to us or emailed on enquiries@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk.
Aspens, our catering company, also request details of any dietary requirements or food allergens. If your child has either, please complete and submit the form below in the same way, post or email.
Aspens Special Diets Parent Letter
Aspens Alternative Menu Form (Allergy & Lifestyle Notification And Medical Diet Request)
Going to school regularly is important to your child’s future. By arriving on time for school it gives children a positive start to the day, ensuring they are ready to learn and miss no learning. Good attendance and punctuality are important life-skills that are highly valued by employers, colleges and universities and teaching students about the importance of good attendance is an important part of our curriculum. We want all children to be happy and at school.
In September 2013 the government introduced new regulations making it clear that Headteachers must not give approval for any leave of absence during term time, including holidays, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Any requests for term time leave should be made on a Request for Absence available from the school office and handed in 28 days before the first date of the requested absence whenever possible. You must have received written authorisation before your child can be absent from school.
Parent/carers may be issued with a penalty notice fine or prosecution should leave of 5 days or more be taken which is not authorised by the Headteacher, or where repeated incidents of leave in term time for less than 5 days occur or where the unauthorised absence contributes to wider poor attendance that meets the legal threshold. Absence deemed for the reason of unauthorised leave in term time will be marked in the register with the Attendance code G.
You may be issued with a Penalty Notice should leave be taken which is not authorised. If unpaid this could lead to prosecution under section 444(1) of The Education Act 1996.
Each year group has a Progress and Achievement Manager who is available to discuss any attendance concerns and worries. If you would like to speak to your child’s Progress and Achievement Manager, please call 01773 602106. Alternatively, Mrs Kate Parkin (Attendance Officer), is available on 01773 602106 extension 5035 or kate.parkin@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk. We also have a Family Support Worker, Mrs Rachel Christian, who is dedicated to working with families needing extra support.
Please click here for our policies
Guidance For Parents & Carers Request For Time Off During Term Time SHS
If your child needs collecting from school for any reason, including medical appointments or illness, you will be required to sign out your child from main reception where they will meet you. We will not allow students to leave site without an adult and if they do not have parental responsibility, we must get verbal consent from a parent/carer.
Student absences
To report your child being absent due to illness please contact school using one of the following methods, giving your child’s name, year and reason for absence. To ensure safeguarding, you must ring daily if your child is absent.
- Telephone 01773 602106 x 5035, follow the links to the absence line and leave a message if necessary on the 24hr answerphone – please contact us before 8.30am where possible.
- Email attendance@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk
Late to school
All late students should report to the top car park off Derby Road. Students should buzz to speak to Reception who will take their name and reason for absence. The student will then go straight to their current lesson.
Medical Appointments during the school day
Where possible all appointments should be made out of school hours but in the event of this not being possible, students should attend school before and after the appointment. Please telephone school to advise of the time you need to collect your child. Students are to be collected from the top gate, Derby Road entrance. Please buzz to speak to reception who can organise your child being handed over to you. Where possible please email attendance@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk with a copy of the appointment card/letter.
Holidays and Other Requests for Leave of Absence in Term Time
Families must obtain permission from the Headteacher to take their child out of college during term time. This should be done by completing a Request for Absence Form
Calls and Home Visits
In addition to Mrs Kate Parkin (Attendance Officer), we have two Community Attendance Officers, Mrs Maureen Robinson and Mr Kevin Hughes. The Community Attendance Officers carry out home welfare visits to students who have had time off ill. They also visit households daily when school have not been informed for the reason for the absence.
The catering at Swanwick Hall is provided by Aspens, a highly experienced catering provider for the education sector. They provide a wide range of tasty meals, refreshments, and snacks for our students whilst raising awareness around nutrition and mindful eating.
Deli Kitchen
The Deli Kitchen brand is for the popular standard Aspens hot and cold offers. This can range from Authentic Italian pizza and pasta, Hacienda Mexicana’s burritos, rice pots and sides and Voulez Poulet’s house rub chicken, dogs and sides through to our range of healthy sandwiches, paninis, wraps, jacket potatoes, salads, fruit and cold dessert pots.
Streateries
Streateries is the secondary meal offer where every day has a theme. Featuring Global cuisines, customised offers and food on the move, they are bang up to date with the current trends whilst still ensuring that there is a place on the menu for the comfort of our familiar school dining hall favourites. Each day the menu includes as standard a street food dish, a hand held version, vegetarian/vegan choices along with a selection of sides.
Breakfast Club
Open daily 8.00am to 8.20am to all students, with a range of hot and cold food and drink items available for purchase
Breaktimes
From September 2023, all students now have access to tuckshop at breaktimes
Tariffs
Aspens, our catering provider, have requested details of students who have food allergies to enable them to comply with regulations and to ensure that all students are catered for. A letter from Aspens is below which contains more information. If you child has a food allergy, please complete the form below and return to school, for the attention of Kate Parkin, and this will be passed onto the dining room.
Alternative Menu Form (Allergy & Lifestyle Notification And Medical Diet Request)
Free school meal entitlement
All children aged 3 to 18 at Derbyshire nurseries or schools can get a free meal if they qualify.
Qualifying criteria:
- Universal Credit, provided they have an annual net earned income not exceeding £7,400 (£616.67 per month)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190) as assessed by HMRC
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit is in place for new claims but existing claims for ‘legacy’ benefits (Income Support, Income-Based JSA, Income-Related ESA, Tax Credits, Housing Benefit) may continue until 2024 or later.
Until April 2018, all claimants of Universal Credit could claim free school meals. From 1 April 2018 for new claimants, you can claim free school meals on Universal Credit provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400. This is assessed by earnings from up to 3 of your most recent ‘assessment periods’.
If you were already receiving help with school meals prior to 1 April 2018 you’ll remain eligible until your child finishes the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023.
Read more about free school meals guidance for schools and local authorities.
Young people age 16 to 18 who receive the benefits or tax credits in their own right are also entitled to receive free school meals.
Even if you meet any or all of the criteria, families will not be eligible if they are claiming Working Tax Credit.
Applying for free school meals
You can sign up for free school meals at any time of year by applying online here
You or your partner can claim for your children, as long as you live at the same address.
You do not have to fill in a separate form for each child, even if they go to different schools. Just name the child and which school they go to.
If another of your children starts school and one of your children already has free school meals, we can add them to the application you already have. Just call the free school meals team:
- Andy Burton tel: 01629 536481 or 07812 475250 Monday to Friday
- Sue Upton tel: 01629 535743 Wednesday (pm), Thursday and Friday
If your child receives Free School Meals and you need any further support, use the contact details above.
ParentPay information and lunch account debt
All new students will receive a letter with a unique code to be used with the ParentPay website – this will be issued shortly before or after they start at Swanwick Hall. Lunch accounts can also be topped up using cash by students using the revaluation machine in the hall.
Lunch money can also be topped up through a local PayPoint store – please contact our finance team to request a PayPoint barcode letter.
To ensure that the School’s budget is not adversely affected by the cost of school meal debt, we will seek prompt corrective action to recover the debt and inform parents as soon as possible to prevent the debt balance growing.
We encourage all families to familiarise themselves with our school meal debt policy. If you are struggling to afford the cost of school meals, please contact the school so we are able to support you.
For guides and information on using ParentPay, please click here.
Click here to review our policies.
Information correct as of 6th January 2025
| Service 201 | E Coaches (01773 541222) | ||
| Ironville, Cinder Bank | 0825 | Returns from School at | 1530 |
| Swanwick Hall School | 0845 | ||
| Route Description: Ironville, Cinder Bank, Bullock Lane, High Street, South Street, Riddings Hil | |||
| Greenhill Lane, Swanwick Road, Cray’s Hill, B6016 to Swanwick | |||
| Service 319 (Local Bus) | Stagecoach (01246 207103) | ||
| Oakerthorpe, Four Lane Ends | 0755 | Returns from School at | 1530 |
| South Wingfield, Market Place | 0800 | ||
| Crich, Market Place | 0807 | ||
| Bullbridge, Canal Inn | 0812 | ||
| Nether Heage, Gunn Lane | 0818 | ||
| Heage, Eagle Tavern | 0821 | ||
| Upper Hartshay, Charity Farm | 0823 | ||
| Swanwick Hall School | 0835 | ||
| Service 439 (commercial) | E Coaches (01773 541222) | ||
| Pye Bridge, Dog & Double | 0830 | Returns from School at | 1530 |
| Black Horse | 0835 | ||
| Hillside Club | 0838 | (£1.00 each way) | |
| Somercotes, Co-op | 0841 | ||
| Swanwick Hall School | 0845 | ||
| Service 317 | E Coaches (01773 541222) | ||
| Ripley Road, Heage | 0800 | ||
| Brook Street, Heage | 0801 | ||
| Windmill PH, Park Road | 0804 | ||
| Black Boy PH | 0807 | ||
| Lower Hartshay (if required) | 0814 | ||
| Swanwick Hall School | 0824 | Returns from School at | 1530 |
Students living in Ironville and Heage will automatically have been assessed in line with statutory regulations. Parents/carers should have received a letter informing them of their entitlement and will receive a bus pass around the middle of August.
For any parent/carer who is wishing to apply for a bus pas this can be done on line at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/get2school – applications home to school transport assistance.
For any parent/carer wishing to contact school transport the telephone number is 01629 536739
At Swanwick Hall School we provide our students with opportunities and experiences to enhance their life choices, helping them to make a positive contribution to the world we share. Everything we do is underpinned by our three values of inclusivity, respect and resilience. We aim to provide students with a vision for their achievements further into the future, beyond school, through a comprehensive and cohesive, high-quality careers education programme. In a highly competitive employment market, the choices our students need to make are becoming more complex. As such, our curriculum ensures that our students can develop skills for employability and guides students into making well-informed, realistic decisions to make a positive careers choice. Our aim is that their choices allow them to be happy with the way that they spend their time, being able to make a positive contribution to their community and to sustain a decent standard of living. In addition, we want to ensure that our young people are prepared to make successful transitions into their next steps.
Students are entitled to Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) which meets professional standards of practice and is both personalised to the individual and impartial. Our programme is designed to meet the CDI learning outcomes, raise aspirations, challenge stereotyping and promoting equality and diversity.
Our programme of study follows the Career Development Institute (CDI) Framework which aims to ensure students make positive career choices. There are six key areas:
- Growth throughout life- to enable students to reflect on themselves and their strengths
- Explore possibilities- to enable students to investigate a range of options and workplaces
- Manage career- to allow students to make the most of opportunities
- Create opportunities- to enable students be proactive about their future and build positive relationships with others
- Balance life and work- to enable student to understand life as a worker and how to maintain well-being and other interests, alongside family and community commitments
- See the big picture- to help students to understand how the economy, politics and society connect with their lives.
Alongside the CDI framework we assess ourselves on how well we are meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks. Whilst the students are in our care, they will:
- have had meaningful encounters with a range of employers and educational providers. We hold monthly virtual careers talks
- have had tailored support and advice.
- linked curriculum learning to career opportunities. We have monthly career starter sessions within subjects so that students understand how their subjects link to their future
- have been provided with information about different career pathways, including apprenticeships, entry requirements and costs
- have had personal careers advice from a qualified careers advisor who works with us two days a week
- experienced a workplace visit in year 10 and year 12
- We also plan a variety of events linked to careers throughout the year including mock interview days and workshops
- The school aims to review our careers provision and information on an annual basis.
The Two Counties Trust provides each school with a qualified careers advisor so that students can have access to advice and guidance when they need it. It is essential that students have clear plans for the future. Having a long term career goal provides a real purpose for current learning and education.
Paula Shanahan (Careers Lead), paula.shanahan@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk, Swanwick Hall School, 01773 602106
Nicola Stevens (Careers Advisor), Nicola.Stevens@ttct.co.uk
Please click here for our policies and here for The Two Counties Trust policies.
All staff have a contribution to make to the careers, employability and enterprise curriculum through their role as employees at Swanwick Hall School. Subject teachers are passionate about the links to their subjects of expertise and the transferable employability skills that our students aim to develop. Students are encouraged to practise and develop these skills throughout the subject curriculums, as well as during specifically targeted activities such as our subject ‘career starter days’ which take place monthly. Support staff also help to play a critical role in delivering activities to students. Our careers programme is planned, monitored and evaluated by the career’s leader and coordinator. The training and support needs of staff involved in co-ordinating, delivering and supporting careers education and IAG are identified and met through a continuing professional development programme, as well as being identified via the monitoring, review and evaluation of the programme.
At Swanwick Hall, we believe that our young people and parents/carers will need advice, guidance and support in order to effectively plan for the future to ensure positive career choices after leaving us. Parental engagement is an essential part of careers, employability and enterprise education. As such, parents are kept informed and up to date about careers at parents’ evenings, open evenings, throughout the options process as well as any events which take place throughout the school year. Parents are also directed to the careers section of our school website as well as via our communication channels. At the end of each career’s unit, students will complete an evaluation to help inform future planning. Evaluations are also undertaken after any specific career events. The first point of contact for parents/carers and students is their tutors. Tutors are able to support students and signpost appropriate information advice and guidance. Throughout the academic year, there are several opportunities for reflection following release of student reports to allow students to review their strengths and implement next steps.
Open Days – Sixth Forms, Colleges and Training Providers
(Dates correct as of 13.09.2024)
If a ticket is required, please book via the provider websites
Welcome to the Two Counties Trust first careers newsletter. Following the recent years of the Covid 19 pandemic we are pleased to say we have completed a full year in school delivering a wide range of Career Guidance across the 9 schools.
To read more about what each school has achieved so far, please download the newsletter below.
Careers Newsletter December 2023
Year 10 Work Experience Week – Monday 23rd to Friday 27th June 2025
All students in Year 10 will undertake one week of Work Experience as part of their entitlement to Work Related Learning which will consist of a mock interview day in school and then a week at their off-site placement with employers. Even though students do not take up their placement until the summer term, we need to secure placements and carry out the necessary checks in advance.
Students are responsible for finding and negotiating their own placement. However, as a school,
we recognise the value of Work Experience and will support every child through the process. A
list of available placements can be accessed via the Safety First database
Safety Measures
There are over 12000 placements listed and details of how to access the site are:
• User name: TTCTStudent
• Password: TTCT2024 (Note this must be capital letters)
The deadline for requesting a placement is 29th March 2025
Students have also had an assembly explaining the process and have been issued with their Work Experience pack; this can also be downloaded below.
Y10 Letter To Parents November 2024
Y10 Placement Request Form 2025
Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Andrea Hollingsworth,
WEX Coordinator, andrea.hollingsworth@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk or Mrs Grundy, Non-teaching
Head of Year, grace.grundy@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk