Handbook2013 – 14

Tudor Grange AcademySolihull

Welcome to Tudor Grange Academy

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Thank you for the interest you have shown in Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull. We are very proud of our Academy and I personally regard it is as a privilege to serve our community as its Principal. I recognise that the process of looking for the right school can be an exciting, daunting and confusing one at times, especially as the choice you make will shape your child’s experiences and future success.

Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull has an excellent national reputation for its academic achievement and thoroughly deserved the recent grading of outstanding at every assessed level by Ofsted in June 2014. Our student outcomes have been consistently outstanding over a number of years and we continue to lead the way as a non-selective school in Solihull. Our GCSE results saw 91.1% of our students achieving 5 or more A*-C grades including English and Maths with notably a third of our students achieving 5 A*-A grades. Using the measures of final grades Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull recorded 95.6% 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths which is a school record and gives those individuals a fabulous passport to the future. Also our sixth form is witnessing huge growth due to the excellent effort and hard work of both staff and students. The results this year saw 99.6% of students achieve A*-E and a phenomenal 56% of all grades were A*-B which is comparable with some of the best schools in the country and reinforces our outstanding status.

As an Academy we have a strong commitment to traditional values and a focus on continuous improvement and development. Our ambition is to deliver a world class education and allow our students to become highly successful and qualified people, with a strong sense of moral purpose. We make no apology for placing a high priority on excellent behaviour, attendance, uniform and the highest possible standards as an expected norm. In addition to our students’ successes, we were selected as one of the first hundred teaching schools which goes from strength to strength and enables us to be on the cutting edge of developments in teaching and learning. Our status as a National Support School further allows us to develop education nationally.

We really do believe that we offer a high quality education experience to every child who chooses to attend the Academy. We care about our students’ development and achievements and we endeavour to provide first class support and every opportunity for our students to thrive. We have a plethora of enrichment and extra-curricular activities which grow every year in popularity thanks to the level of dedication from staff and the sheer enthusiasm of our young people. Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull is definitely an Academy where your child will enjoy themselves, work hard and receive great encouragement and success.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Academy and working alongside you in securing the best possible education and future success for your child.

Yours sincerely

Mr D Turner MA EdPrincipal

Contents

Contacting the Academy

The College structure

Academy policies

Communication with home

Attendance

Travelling to and from the Academy

Books and equipment

Uniform

Lost property

Lunch arrangements

Homework

Photographic images

Consent to administer medicines

The aim of this guide is to provide you with key information about theAcademy to support the learning of your child both in the classroom and at home.

It is an important element of the partnership between home and theAcademy aimed at giving the best opportunities to all our pupils.

Please take some time to read through the details carefully, anddiscuss the contents with your child.

How do I make contact with the Academy?

There may be times when you need to contact the Academy. The College Support Administrators can be contacted on 0121 705 5100 between 8.00am and 4.30pm (4pm Fridays).

If you wish to speak to your child’s tutor or a specific member of staff please send in a letter outlining your concerns either to the specific member of staff or to the College Leader.

The college structure

Your child will join a college upon entering the Academy and will remain within that college throughout their Academy career. All aspects of support for academic progress and pastoral care will take place within the college.

The choice of college does not imply that your child has a particular aptitude or interest in that area. Your child will have access to the same curriculum provision, choices and Academy facilities irrespective of college. Tutor groups are of mixed ages, with 3-4 pupils from each year allocated to each. This `family grouping’ will provide your child with opportunities to learn about leadership and responsibility and take an active role in supporting and encouraging other pupils. It will also provide your child with a much broader knowledge and understanding of all aspects of Academy life.

Tutor groups have approximately 20 pupils allowing each tutor to really get to know their tutees.

From September 2013 there will be six colleges, each college will be lead by a College Leader.

Academy policies

All key policies are available to download from the website: www.tudor-grange.solihull.sch.uk or may be obtained from the Executive Principal’s PA on request.

Communication with home

Pupil post is updated on the Academy website. In addition, the website includes a calendar of events, Academy term dates and news updates. Please check this regularly for news and key dates.

When will my child attend?

The Academy day starts at 8.35am and finishes at 3pm, Monday to Friday inclusive.

Pupils are registered during each period of the day. The statutory registration of pupils takes place at 8.35am and at 2.00pm. Prompt attendance is expected throughout the day.

Enrichment activities take place before school, during lunchtimes and after school as arranged.

In addition, there are supervised study/homework facilities available in the Learning Resource Centre until 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Absences

Pupils who have been absent through illness should bring in a parental note of explanation on the day they return. When a pupil has been off sick for more than three days, it is important for parents to telephone the Academy to update us about the problem. Please notify your child’s tutor of any infectious or contagious illness occurring in the household of a pupil. In such cases, a pupil should not attend the Academy until a medical certificate has been submitted indicating that he/she may do so with safety to other pupils.

Leave of absence

If a pupil needs to attend a medical appointment, or requires a leave of absence for any other reason, a letter must be brought from home. The letter should be shown to the group tutor and then passed to the College Support Office who will issue a `leave of absence permission slip’. The leave of absence should be obtained before the day it is needed, except in an emergency.

Before leaving the Academy the pupil should report to Oak Reception and sign out. Pupils must be collected by parents from Oak Reception unless a letter, giving specific permission to leave the Academy alone, is received. On returning to the Academy the pupil should immediately sign in and hand the slip in to Oak Reception.

Pupils are expected to remain on site throughout the school day however, in exceptional circumstances, a pupil may be allowed to go home for lunch. A formal written request should be made to the pupil’s College Leader requesting permission. If granted a lunch pass will be issued. Pupils would be required to sign out and in each day on their return on the sheet available in Oak Reception.

Leave of absence for family holiday

Wherever possible, family holidays should be taken during the Academy holiday period.

Requests for leave of absence for family holidays should be put in writing to the pupil’s College Leader in advance. The College Leader will decide whether or not a leave of absence will be granted. Holiday leave will not automatically be granted, though up to ten days in any one year may be granted if such a request is really necessary. A child’s normal attendance record and forthcoming examinations will be taken into account before approval is given. A holiday taken without official leave will automatically be recorded as an unauthorised absence (i.e. truancy). Leave cannot be given for holidays taken at home; it must be a `going away’ holiday. Pupils will be expected to catch up with missed work promptly on their return.

How will my child get to and from the Academy?

Walking to the Academy

Any pupils walking to the Academy should use public footpaths and wherever possible should walk to the Academy with a friend. For safety reasons pupils should not travel to or from Academy by way of the park. Pupils should also avoid walking through the private grounds of the flats near the Academy. Good standards of behaviour and respect for all our neighbour’s property and privacy are expected at all times; pupils should be aware that whilst they are wearing the Academy uniform they are representing the Academy. Access to the Academy is to be by means of the routes defined.

Public Transport

The local education authority provides free transport to the Academy for secondary age pupils if the distance between home and Academy exceeds three miles. Distances are measured by the nearest available route. Suitable timed bus schedules can only be guaranteed for pupils living within the Academy catchment area.

You should apply directly to the local authority for bus passes. Pupils using public transport must show every consideration for other travellers. It is important to emphasise that pupils travelling to and from the Academy by bus will still be expected to serve Academy detentions and study support sessions from 3pm onwards.

How will my child get to and from the Academy?

Cycling to the Academy

As an Academy we would like to encourage as many pupils as possible to cycle. Tudor Grange Academy has a cycle store, overlooked by CCTV, with lockers in the store for storing helmets. The cycle store is locked during Academy hours. Your child would be expected to lock their bicycle using a suitable cable and bring in a padlock for the safe storage of helmets in the lockers. We would prefer your child to wear a cycle helmet. Although we cannot insist upon this we would encourage you to tell your child to wear one.

It may be possible to offer your child some cycle training, which will be provided by Solihull MBC Road Safety Officers. Pupils wishing to cycle must complete and return a cycle slip, which is available from College Support.

We must also ask you to satisfy yourself that the bicycle is roadworthy. Permission to cycle to the Academy may be withdrawn if your child is seen riding inappropriately or unsafely.

Travelling by car

In order to ensure the safety of all our pupils, parents who bring their children to the Academy by car should not bring their vehicles onto the Academy site and should be aware that their insurance cover is likely to be invalid if they do so. If, at the beginning or end of the Academy day, you are using your car to drop off or collect your child, please do so well away from the bus stops and entrances to the Academy.

How will my child know what books to bring?

Your child should check their timetable each evening and pack their bag ready for the next day.

All pupils are issued with their own Diary at the beginning of the academic year for this purpose.It acts as :

• A diary for daily work• A place to record work to complete at home

Each day pupils are expected to enter the following information:

• Full particulars of each homework set, written clearly• Day/date when completed homework is due and any special arrangements for handing in

The diary is an important record document and planner; we therefore expect pupils maintain them appropriately.

We would encourage you to check your child’s diary regularly in order to satisfy yourself that the homework has been properly completed.

What equipment will my child need?

Pencil case

Good quality ball-point pens

A 30 cm plastic ruler

Pencils - a variety (2B and 4B for Art)

An inexpensive pair of compasses and a 180°or 360° protractor

A rubber and pencil sharpener (no penknives please)

A pair of blunt ended scissors

Coloured pencils

Highlighter pens

Pritt Stick

A rough note book

An art sketch book provided by the academy (£1)

Collins Pocket English Dictionary

A calculator - CASIOFX-83GT PLUS ± available from the Mathematics Department in September (price to be advised)

Collins Pocket French, Spanish or German Dictionary (depending on which language is being studied)

Philips Modern Academy Atlas (96th edition ± Publisher: Heinemann paperback edition (0540080888) £9.99) (optional)

Please note that for safety reasons liquid ink erasers, such as Tippex, are not allowed.

What should my child wear for the Academy?

Tudor Grange Academy is very proud of the standards it maintains with uniform. This is achieved through the partnership between the Academy and home. To enable you to support the Academy the full uniform requirements are listed below.

BLAZERGreen with Academy badge on pocket, single breasted, two-button blazer.Blazers are to be of the green shade specified by the Academy.

SHIRTWhite (boys) - buttoned to the neck with enough material allowance to remain tucked into waistband. Optional, for summer wear only - white, short-sleeved shirt.

Apple Green (girls) - shirt style, buttoned to the neck with enough material allowance to remain tucked into waistband. Optional, for the summer wear only - short-sleeve, v-necked apple green shirt.

TIEOfficial Tudor Grange Academy clip on tie, reaching the waist.Ties should not be tucked into shirts.

PULLOVERMedium grey (boys) with v-neck in green/gold Academy colours or plain medium grey with v-neck.

Bottle green (girls) - plain v-neck, long sleeved, pullover or cardigan. Round necks and sweatshirts are not permitted.

TROUSERSDark grey (boys) of an orthodox style, not unduly tapered or flared and without front pockets.

Dark grey (girls) with the Tudor Grange logo on the waistband. These are onlyavailable from the Academy stockist. No other colour or style of trousers is allowed.

SKIRTGrey pleated skirt, regulation length, on or just above the knee (no shorter than 5cm above the knee), obtainable only from the Academy stockist. No other styles of skirt are allowed.

SOCKSPlain black or dark grey (boys).

Grey or black (girls) ankle or knee length. Tights must not be worn underneath socks.

TIGHTSPlain, neutral colours in nylon for pupils other than Year 7. Thick tights in grey or black are allowed for all years. Patterned tights are not permitted.

SHOESPlain, dark brown or black with a maximum heel height of 5cm and a maximum sole thickness of 2cm (the heel height is measured from the ground to the welt up the back of the heel).

Boots, boot-style shoes, stiletto heels, sling-back shoes, canvas shoes, trainers and trainer style shoes are not permitted.

COATSPlain grey, dark green or black with no stripes, designs, patterns, slogans or fur.

SCARVESOfficial Academy scarf only.

If parents are not sure about any uniform item, they are advised to seek clarification from the Academy before purchase.

JEWELLERYGirls may wear 1 pair of plain gold or silver stud earrings (a matching pair, one in each earlobe).

In Years 10 and 11 only, girls may also wear one plain gold or silver ring and chain. Nothing else is permitted e.g. other body studs and bracelets.

What should my child wear for the Academy?

MAKE-UPIn Years 7, 8 and 9 no make-up or nail varnish is allowed.

In Years 10 and 11 a small amount of discreet make-up is allowed but lipstick, coloured lipsalve and nail varnish are not permitted. Pupils must not bring make-up into the Academy.

HAIRSTYLESHair bands (girls) should be black, dark brown or bottle green, if worn. Hair slides or Alice bands (girls) should be plain and brown, if worn.

Extreme hairstyles, cut and colour are not allowed on any occasion. Examples of extreme hair styles would include close shaved - less than a No. 2 cut, decoratively shaved, as well as, for boys, hair length below the collar. Two tone colouring, extensive highlighting and decorative braiding are not allowed.

If parents are not sure what the Academy sees as “extreme” they are advised to seek clarification before any styling or colouring is undertaken.

TURBANSBlack or dark green.

HIJABSBlack and pinned under the chin to stay on the head comfortably. Hijabs worn around the neck only are not permitted.

HATSNot permitted except during extreme weather.

ACADEMY BAGA bag fit for the purpose of carrying Academy equipment, books and folders. Small hand/shoulder bagsand carrier bags are not allowed.

What should my child wear for the Academy?

Girl’s kitBottle green and gold polo shirt with Tudor Grange Academy crestBottle green skort or shortsBottle green and gold football socksTrainersStudded bootsShin pads (compulsory for hockey and football lessons)

Boy’s kitBottle green and gold reversible rugby shirt with Tudor Grange Academy crestBottle green shortsBottle green and gold football socksTrainersStudded bootsShin pads (compulsory for hockey, football and rugby lessons)

Optional ExtrasBottle green long sleeved thermal (highly recommended)Bottle green hooded sweatshirt with Tudor Grange Academy crestBottle green tracksuit bottomsGum shield (advised for rugby and hockey)BOYS – Bottle green and gold polo shirt with Tudor Grange Academy crestGIRLS – Bottle green and gold reversible rugby shirt with Tudor Grange Academy Crest

Please remember:Academy uniform should not be mixed with non-uniform items. Academy bags should be an appropriate size and free of graffiti. The sports clothing specified in the uniform list must be worn for all PE lessons and for matches against other schools. All uniform must be clearly labelled. The use of laundry markers is proving to be most effective in the return of mislaid items. When travelling to and from the Academy, whilst at the Academy, and when representing the Academy at functions or matches, pupils must wear full Academy uniform. Uniform is also normally worn during educational visits.

ClothiersThe Academy’s approved local stockist for supplying uniform and clothing of the required style and colour is:

Early Years407 Stratford RoadShirley, Solihull, West Midlands0121 733 1456 www.earlyyears-uniform.co.uk

Tudor Grange Academy Physical

Education Kit

What about security?

All articles of clothing and all personal property must be marked clearly with the owner’s name.

While we try to ensure the security of cloakroom areas, such property is brought to or left on Academy premises entirely at the owner’s risk.

A pupil is not allowed to borrow another pupil’s property (including PE kit) with or without the consent of the owner.

Money or valuables of any kind must not be left in coat pockets. During practical activities such as PE when blazers and other clothing may be changed, money and valuables must be left with the staff in charge of the activity.

If your child forgets to bring anything you may bring the articles, clearly labelled with name and Tutor Group, and leave them for collection in Oak Reception.

Mobile phones should, under no circumstances, be brought into the Academy.

Contact between pupils and parents, and vice versa, can always be made through the College Support Office.

Lost Property

Loss of property must be reported without delay. Those who find lost property must hand it in to the College Support Office. If a pupil loses something, he/she should first look for it in the most obvious places. Lost PE kit will initially be held in the PE office before being passed to Lost Property. Pupils who have lost items of property may check Lost Property, located in the cloakroom/bag store, before school, after school and during morning break.

Cloakroom / Bag Store

The Academy provides a cloakroom/bag store for pupils to store their Academy bags, coats and PE kits. This area is situated in Willow and is supervised by adult cloakroom assistants during break, lunch time and at the end of the day. Pupils hand in their belongings and are given a numbered wristband in return. To retrieve their items, the wristband must be handed back in. Lost wristbands will incur a small charge.

What are the arrangements for lunch?

Pupils can either purchase food from the Academy restaurant, the Café or bring a packed lunch.

In the Restaurant and Café the Academy operates a cashless system.

Pupils’ accounts can be credited by using a debit/credit card over the internet via ParentPay or by posting a cheque payable to Tudor Grange Academy in the lunch cheque box in either Oak or Willow, clearly marked with the pupil’s name and tutor group.

We do not accept cash at the Academy to credit lunch accounts. The internet payment system is the preferred means of payment for all Academy activities. The Academy will provide logon and password details to access the system.

Parents are able to view their child’s lunch account balance and the details of what is being purchased using the ParentPay system.

If a pupil forgets their packed lunch or discovers that there are no funds on their account when they try to buy lunch in the Restaurant or Café, they should go to the Finance Office who will arrange a loan to enable the pupil to have lunch.

Pupils are identified in the Academy Restaurant, the Café and LRC by use of biometric data held for this purpose. This involves a finger scan which is converted into numeric data and stored for each pupil. No register of fingerprints is kept, nor is it possible to reconstitute a finger print from the data we hold.

If you are unwilling to have your child’s biometric information used in this way, or would like to talk further about this please contact Mr C Key, Executive Finance Director.

What about homework?

We believe that each pupil’s education is enhanced where there is shared understanding of what the Academy expects, and how parents and teachers can work together in this important area.

At Tudor Grange Academy we expect all pupils to undertake homework on a regular basis.

We recognise that children work at different speeds and that, as a result, homework may take longer for some than for others. We try to ensure that homework requirements are reasonable and that tasks are set are suitable to the pupils’ needs and abilities.

Some homework will need to be completed on the day it is given and handed in the next day, at other times, homework will be set over an extended period; this may apply particularly with GCSE or Vocational courses in later years.

Pupils gain a great deal from discussing their work with their parents. One particular way in which you can help support your child is by trying to ensure the best possible conditions for homework to be undertaken - in suitable surroundings without distractions.

If homework is not satisfactorily undertaken, we will take appropriate measures; in some cases, this may involve a catch-up or study support period after school. Pupils who miss homework through illness will be given support.

Academy policy requires staff to set homework, and we are confident that this will be done regularly.

If your son or daughter states that homework has not been set on a regular basis, or that homework is repeatedly finished in class, or if you are concerned about the amount of homework being set, then please do not hesitate to contact your child’s tutor. Similarly, we will contact you if we feel there are concerns over work which you could help resolve or of which you need to be aware.

Photographic Images

At Tudor Grange Academy we take the issue of pupil safety very seriously. This includes the use of images of pupils in Academy publications and on the Academy website. Research has shown that using digital images and videos in education can motivate and enthuse pupils, help encourage creativity and improve communication and team-working skills.

At the Academy we would like to use images of pupils for educational and promotional purposes on the Academy website, in printed publications, on CD-ROM and in digital video productions. Academies, however, have a duty of care towards pupils, which means that pupils will remain unidentifiable in digital images, reducing the risk of inappropriate contact if images are used in this way.

If you are unwilling for images of your child to be used in this way please indicate this on the appropriate form.

Consent to administer medicines

Academy staff are unable to administer medication to pupils. However, if it is absolutely necessary that your child receives medication during the Academy day, the College Support Office will be able to do this, but only on completion of a Consent to Administer Medicines form. These forms are available from the College Support Office.

In Confidence

If there are circumstances at home which may affect your child’s work or behaviour at the Academy (e.g. illness in the family), please notify the Academy. Such information will be treated with discretion, though, if you wish, teaching staff will be informed in general terms that there is a problem.

In case of financial hardship please do not feel embarrassed to notify the Academy. Naturally, the matter will be treated with the utmost discretion and no child will be made to feel uncomfortable. In certain cases, the Academy may be able to assist through an educational scholarship, or funds provided by the Parents’ Association, provided that we know a problem exists.

Tudor Grange AcademyDingle Lane

SolihullWest Midlands

B91 3PD

www.tudor-grange.solihull.sch.uk

office@solihull.tgacademy.org.uk

t. 0121 705 5100f. 0121 703 8226

Online Prospectus: Visit our website page – About TGAS

Tudor Grange Academy