Parents’ Handbook

2015-2016

Preparatory School

Parents’ Handbook

Preparatory School

2015-2016

Fostering scholarship and integrity, the High School provides

inspirational opportunities and strong support to develop a lifelong

love of learning and respect for others.

CONTENTS

WELCOME

Letter from the Head 1

Letter from the Head of the Preparatory School 3

School Mission 5

Aims 5

School Motto 6

WHO’S WHO

Governors 7

Senior Team 8

Form Teachers 9

COMMUNICATION

Absences 10

Academic Concerns 12

Change of Personal Details 14

Parents’ Evenings 14

ParentMail 15

Parent Portal 15

Pastoral Concerns 16

Pre-Prep Message Books 17

Reports and Academic Tracking 17

Twitter 17

Welcome Evenings 18

GENERAL INFORMATION

Behaviour 19

Birthday Treats 19

Break Time Snacks 20

CONTENTS

Blogs 20

Coaches 20

ESafety 22

Extra-Curricular Activities 23

Fees 23

Fees Assistance 24

FROG (Virtual Learning Environment) 24

Homework 24

House System 25

Lunches 26

Medical Provision 27

Medicals 28

Milk 29

Mobile Phones 30

Music Tuition 30

Parking 31

Pastoral Care 32

Personal Possessions 33

Pets/Animals on Site 33

Planners 33

Policies 34

Pre-Prep After School Care 35

Prep Sessions 35

Rewards and Sanctions 36

School Educational Visits 37

School Rules 37

Second-Hand Uniform Shop 39

Sisters’ Club 40

Term Dates 41

Timings of the School Day 42

Uniform 43

Volunteer Helpers 43

WELCOME

1

September 2015

Dear Parents

I visit Wheathampstead House on a weekly basis and am

always enchanted by the fun the girls have here. Whether

they are plying me with good ideas in assembly, or their

latest newly-found baby worm from the woods, they are

always great company. They will be working hard, learning

fast and absorbing an exciting range of different experiences.

The school’s aims: scholarship; adventure and integrity,

inform all we do; we see life across the High School as an

intellectual adventure, presenting the love of learning in all

sorts of ways throughout the school day, week and year. I

very much look forward to getting to know you and your

daughter as she embarks on this adventure with us.

The relationship between school and home is of huge

importance to your daughter’s success and happiness and we

value open, warm and clear communication between parents

and the school. I hope that you quickly feel part of a warm

and inclusive community and we warmly encourage parental

engagement with the school. There are so many ways in

which you can get involved in the school: as a parent rep for

WELCOME

2

the Parents’ Association, within the High School Association,

by attending the Head’s Breakfasts, and Parent Forums as

well as through year wide events such as Welcome Evenings.

I look forward to working with you and your daughter over

the coming year.

Warm regards

Mrs J Brown

Head

WELCOME

3

September 2015

Dear Parents

A warm welcome back to Wheathampstead House. I look

forward to getting to know you and your daughter well over

the coming years.

I hope that you find this parent handbook useful in providing

clear information about the many facets of life within the

Wheathampstead House community. It aims to help you to

understand the routines which ensure the smooth running of

the school and I hope you find it a valuable tool.

There has been some development in the parental

communication at Wheathampstead House and you will find

the addition of staff email addresses in this booklet. The use

of the Pre-Prep Message books and the Prep School daily

planners also continue as a means of communication. You

are, of course, always welcome to speak to your daughter’s

Form Teacher face to face at the end of the day or arrange a

telephone conversation or meeting if you have any concerns

about her welfare or progress. We are keen to work in

partnership with you to nurture your daughter to become a

WELCOME

4

successful and confident learner who enjoys her time at

Wheathampstead House.

I hope that you feel a part of the Wheathampstead House

community. I look forward to welcoming you and your

family to the many special occasions during this school year,

as well as informally during the school day.

With best wishes

Judy Rowe

Head of the Preparatory School

WELCOME

5

SCHOOL MISSION

Fostering scholarship and integrity, the High School provides

inspirational opportunities and strong support to develop a

lifelong love of learning and respect for others.

AIMS

Scholarship: to offer an education for girls, which promotes

intellectual confidence, curiosity and the joy of learning.

Adventure: to build an outward looking community through

local, national and international curricular and co-curricular

programmes.

Integrity: to sustain a community in which every girl feels

known, supported, confident and ready to shape society in a

school which builds a strong ethic of service and responsible

citizenship.

AIMS WRITTEN BY PUPILS

The girls and staff at the Prep School have written their own

aims, which are easy to remember:

To be happy, safe, grow and learn

To do our best and enjoy challenges

To achieve and be confident

To prepare for the future

These aims are displayed in each classroom, either as a

poster or as a class book.

WELCOME

6

SCHOOL MOTTO

Initium sapientiae timor Domini

“Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.

WHO’S WHO

7

GOVERNORS

We are fortunate to have a very active governing body who

are referred to collectively as the Council. Our Governors

attend many school events throughout the academic year.

Miss D Henderson MA (Cantab) MA (Chair of Council)

Mr R E B Allnutt LLB

Mr D Alterman MA (Oxon)

Mrs C R Callegari BA (Hons) Cert Ed

Mr A G Follows BEng DChA FCA

Ms E A de Galleani BA (Hons)

Mrs H J Greatrex BA ACA

Mrs W Hazley-Payne BA (Hons) ACMA CGMA

The Very Revd Jeffrey John MA (Oxon) DPhil (Oxon)

Mr B R Kettle FRICS MCIArb MAE

Miss R Musgrave MA MA FRSA

Mr D Roe BSc (Hons) MRICS

Mrs J Ross BA (Hons) NPQH

Mrs J Stroud MA (Cantab) PGCE

Mr J S Thomson CA

Mr R H Ward

If you wish to contact the Chair of Council, then please send

correspondence care of the Senior School Office, and it will

be forwarded to her.

WHO’S WHO

8

SENIOR TEAM

Senior Team

Head Mrs Jenny Brown

Head of the Prep School Mrs Judy Rowe

Acting Deputy Head Mrs Jacquelyn Jeavons

Head of Pre-Prep Mrs Elizabeth Courtney-Magee

Acting Senior Teacher Mrs Laura Perry

A full list of staff can be found on our website at

www.stahs.org.uk under the Community tab.

WHO’S WHO

9

FORM TEACHERS

Form Teachers

Reception C Mrs Courtney-Magee

Reception M Mrs Miller

Year 1F Miss Fidgeon

Year 1H Mrs Harris

Year 2G Mrs Garton

Year 2P Mrs Petronella

Year 3H Miss Hill

Year 3M Miss McClean

Year 4B Mrs Brady

Year 4J Mrs Jeavons

Year 5C Mrs Caruso

Year 5S Mrs Storey

Year 6R Mrs Rogers

Year 6S Miss Skuse

COMMUNICATION

10

One of the keys to a good parent-school relationship is

communication and there are a number of ways in which we

effect this.

ABSENCES

Advance request to the Head for a significant

absence

Advanced absence requests should only be made for

compulsory events, such as Christmas services, plays and

Open Days, for exceptional personal circumstances and for

absences that are for longer than one day. Permission is

unlikely to be given unless the request is made well in

advance of the event. Written requests addressed to the

Head of the Prep School should be made to the Head’s PA,

Mrs Pope.

All other advance absence requests

All other absence requests should be made using the

Absence Note on the Parent Portal, via the Contact Us tab

on the menu bar, where there are clear instructions to

follow. Please make sure that you select the WH Absence

Note, rather than the SS Absence Note.

Routine requests will receive a simple acknowledgement of

permission. More complex requests will receive a personal

response from the Head of the Prep School.

Absence requests should be made as far in advance of the

date as is possible to enable the school to maintain accurate

and up-to-date records of attendance.

COMMUNICATION

11

Absence as a result of short term illness

If your daughter will not be in school due to illness, then

please call the Absence Line or email on each day of her

absence for the duration of her illness.

Please ring or email as early as you can but no later than

9.00 am on the morning of each day that your daughter is

absent and be specific about the reason for the absence.

The Absence Line voicemail will be checked shortly before

9.30 am and if your daughter is absent, and we have not

received a message from you, then you will be contacted for

us to ensure that your daughter is safe. This is why we ask

that you contact us each day.

Once your daughter returns to school, we require written

confirmation that she is fit again for school, and explaining

the reason for her absence.

Absence as a result of longer term illness

In general, longer term absences will be dealt with on an

individual basis. For absences of more than a week’s

duration, formal medical authorisations are likely to be

required by the school.

Absence Line telephone number: 01582 839279

Email: WHoffice@stahs.org.uk

COMMUNICATION

12

ACADEMIC CONCERNS

Should you have any concerns about your daughter’s

academic progress, then please contact her Form Teacher in

the first instance and then a member of the Senior Team.

A full list of staff can be found on our website at

www.stahs.org.uk under the Community tab.

Form Teachers

Department Name Email Address

Reception C Mrs Courtney-Magee Courtney-MageeE@stahs.org.uk

Reception M Mrs Miller MillerC@stahs.org.uk

Year 1F Miss Fidgeon FidgeonLX@stahs.org.uk

Year 1H Mrs Harris HarrisC@stahs.org.uk

Year 2G Mrs Garton GartonM@stahs.org.uk

Year 2P Mrs Petronella PetronellaCX@stahs.org.uk

Year 3H Miss Hill HillL@stahs.org.uk

Year 3M Miss McClean McCleanMS@stahs.org.uk

Year 4B Mrs Brady BradyAM@stahs.org.uk

Year 4J Mrs Jeavons JeavonsJM@stahs.org.uk

Year 5C Mrs Caruso CarusoC@stahs.org.uk

Year 5S Mrs Storey StoreyL@stahs.org.uk

Year 6R Mrs Rogers RogersA@stahs.org.uk

Year 6S Miss Skuse SkuseT@stahs.org.uk

Please note that emails will be responded to by staff as soon

as possible but please don’t expect an immediate response as

COMMUNICATION

13

Form Teachers are in the classroom with your daughters for

most of the working day. Emails will be picked up and

responded to within normal school hours. For urgent

communications, please phone the school to ensure that a

message is received immediately.

For simple day to day matters for Pre-Prep children, the

Message books are the best way to communicate with a

teacher as they can be seen immediately.

Senior Team

Head of the Prep School Mrs J Rowe RoweJA@stahs.org.uk

Acting Deputy Head Mrs J Jeavons JeavonsJM@stahs.org.uk

Head of Pre-Prep Mrs E Courtney-

Magee

Courtney-

MageeE@stahs.org.uk

Acting Senior Teacher Mrs L Perry PerryL@stahs.org.uk

Subject Specialists

ICT Mrs S Millac MillacSJ@stahs.org.uk

MFL Miss C Allin CMAllin@stahs.org.uk

Music Miss H Watts WattsH@stahs.org.uk

PE Mrs L Still LS@stahs.org.uk

Peripatetic Music Miss S Dumbrill SDumbrill@stahs.org.uk

Science Mrs L Perry PerryL@stahs.org.uk

SENCO Mrs J Byron ByronJE@stahs.org.uk

For admin enquiries and after school care please email

WHoffice@stahs.org.uk.

COMMUNICATION

14

CHANGE OF PERSONAL DETAILS

If any of your personal details should change such as email

address, address, phone numbers, then please let us know as

soon as possible so we can update our records. The simplest

way to do this is via the Details Update electronic form on

the Parent Portal and please make sure that we have both

addresses and contact numbers in cases where parents do

not live at the same address.

If you are temporarily away from home during term time,

please inform us of the alternative arrangements for your

daughter. This should include the name, address and

telephone number of the person responsible for her in your

absence.

PARENTS’ EVENINGS

There are formal Parents’ Evenings twice a year for each year

group to which parents are invited. The purpose of Parents'

Evenings is to give you the opportunity to discuss your

daughter's academic progress with her Form Teacher.

We very much hope you will make a special effort to attend

these evenings which provide a vital link between parents and

the school. There are two dates in each of the Michaelmas

and Lent term for you to choose from.

If you have any concerns regarding your daughter, please

don’t wait until the Parents’ Evening to raise these with the

school, but contact her Form Teacher as soon as possible.

COMMUNICATION

15

Dates for Parents’ Evenings for 2015 are:

Reception – Year 6 Thursday 5 November

Wednesday 11 November

PARENTMAIL

The school uses ParentMail. This is a system which uses

email to send you any notices, information and forms

pertinent to your daughter. If urgent notifications need to be

sent, email and SMS (texts) are used, to ensure that you

receive them on time.

It is therefore imperative that you inform us of any changes

of email or phone numbers as soon as possible.

PARENT PORTAL

The St Albans High School Parent Portal provides an online

link between parents and the school to ensure that you are

kept informed. It is a useful way for parents to find out

important information and keep updated. For example, you

will find:

Clubs

Bulletins

Latest publications

School calendar

All new parents will automatically receive their own login

details when their daughter joins the school.

COMMUNICATION

16

PASTORAL CONCERNS

Your daughter’s Form Teacher, the person who sees her

every day, will be the first contact for most queries. You can

contact your daughter’s Form Teacher by email.

Alternatively, you can arrange to see the Form Teacher at

the end of the school day, by writing a message in the

‘Home-school’ diary, telephoning the School Office or via

email.

Form Teachers walk the girls to the pupil ‘pick-up’ point at

the end of the school day which provides a further

opportunity to talk to a member of staff.

Reception girls are collected from their classroom door in

the first half of the Michaelmas term which provides a greater

opportunity for discussions at the end of the day and helps us

to get to know our Reception families as the girls settle in

during these very important and special few weeks.

If you have any concerns at all regarding your daughter, then

please contact us immediately so that the problem is

addressed as early as possible

The Head of the Prep School is available by appointment at

different times each day. If you would like to speak to her,

then please contact the Head’s PA, Mrs Denise Pope, on the

normal school telephone number.

PRE-PREP MESSAGE BOOKS

For simple day to day messages for Pre-Prep children, please

write in your daughter’s Message book. These are checked

COMMUNICATION

17

at the start of every day so this is a quick and efficient way of

communicating with your daughter’s Form Teacher.

REPORTS AND ACADEMIC TRACKING

It is the school’s policy to inform you of your daughter’s

progress every term, either at a Parents’ Evening in the

Michaelmas and Lent terms or by a full written report in the

Trinity term.

Throughout her time at the High School, your daughter’s

academic progress is tracked by her Form Teacher.

TWITTER

The school has its own Twitter @STAHSPrep [and

Facebook] account which parents can follow. It is used to

communicate the High School’s vision and successes to

parents, students and the community and to promote and

celebrate pupil voice.

The school does include photographs or images (including

moving images) of pupils in the school's promotional material

such as the prospectus, website and the media, including

social media. We would never disclose a pupil’s home

address, but may include a pupil’s first name in any

accompanying text. Parents who do not want their child's

photograph or image to appear in any of the school's

promotional material must make sure their child knows this

and must write immediately to the Head requesting an

acknowledgement of their letter.

COMMUNICATION

18

WELCOME EVENINGS

Each year, the Prep School holds two Welcome Evenings

towards the start of the Michaelmas term to which all

parents are invited. These evenings provide the opportunity

to speak with the Head of the Prep School and Senior Staff,

as well as being informed about what topics will be covered

throughout that academic year and the differences (for Years

1 and above) from the previous year.

Additionally, Reception parents are given more information

about routines and procedures.

The dates for these evenings are as follows:

Reception, Years 1 and 2 Tuesday 15 September

Years 3 – 6 Wednesday 16 September

GENERAL INFORMATON

19

The following information is in alphabetical order and will

hopefully provide you with all you need to know (or where

to find out the information) for your daughter’s time in the

school.

BEHAVIOUR

The school has high standards of behaviour and endeavours

to encourage good habits of work and behaviour from the

moment a girl enters the school.

For more information, please see the ‘Behaviour and Exclusion

Policy’ on the Parent Portal under Policies.

BIRTHDAY TREATS

Some girls wish to share edible treats to celebrate their

birthdays or Christmas. In view of allergies and different

parental views of how often their daughters can eat sweets

and cakes, we ask that all girls take treats home and do not

eat them in school.

It is therefore much easier if such treats are wrapped to

enable them to be transported home. Please avoid any

products which contain nuts being brought into the school.

Small, nut-free chocolate bars are usually the best option as

these are generally acceptable for most dietary requirements.

GENERAL INFORMATION

20

BREAK TIME SNACKS

Girls may bring in fruit or vegetables as a break time snack,

but no cereal bars, fruit rolls, fruit flakes, sweets, crisps or

similar. We recommend parents providing pre-cut items for

the younger girls. Plastic containers should be clearly named

so that your daughter can identify her box in the class tray.

BLOGS

Each year group maintains a specific blog site to share photos

and news of their learning. In the older year groups, pupils

act as contributors to the sites with weekly posts. Each year

group has its own blog address which starts with the year

name followed by ‘.edublogs.org’. For example:

www.yearrecstahs.edublogs.org

www.year1stahs.edublogs.org

COACHES

We have a wide range of coach routes available to Years 1 –

6 and the up-to-date list of these is on the Parent Portal

under General Information, Whole School. Regrettably, we

cannot offer a coach service to Reception children except in

exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Head

of the Prep School.

Whilst every effort will be made by the operators to comply

with route schedules, it may be that bad weather, operational

difficulties, or other circumstances beyond our control will

cause delays. Ice and snow may result in total cancellation

GENERAL INFORMATON

21

on all routes. In these circumstances, the Preparatory School

may close.

Drivers are instructed to stop only at official stopping points

and not to leave earlier than scheduled. Girls are requested

to be at the coach/taxi stop at least five minutes before the

scheduled arrival time. Passengers are expected to find a

seat as quickly as possible, to remain seated throughout the

journey and to wear their seat belts. Parents should be at

the collection point ten minutes before the service is due to

arrive and must have a back-up arrangement with a

friend/relative if they are unable to meet the service at the

designated time.

Parents are responsible for the safety of their daughters

while they are travelling on coaches/taxis.

All correspondence relating to permanent changes of travel

on the coaches/taxis should be sent to the Administration

Officer in the Bursary at the Senior School in writing or by

email (coaches@stahs.org.uk). Correspondence relating to

daily changes of travel should be sent to the Form Teacher at

least a week in advance. Please avoid late changes as it is

difficult to maintain our levels of safety if there is insufficient

time to alter our lists.

Casual travel

Anyone wishing to travel on a service occasionally or other

than her normal one must have permission from Miss Dale

at the Preparatory School at least two days in advance. This

will only be granted, space permitting, upon receipt of a

written request by parents. Some coaches are fully booked

and therefore no casual travel is possible. Anyone discovered

to be travelling without permission will be turned away.

GENERAL INFORMATION

22

Casual travel undertaken by pupils not paying for termly

coach use will be charged at £7.00 per journey, added to the

next termly bill.

Late Coaches

Girls attending Thursday Music can travel to the Senior

School in St Albans on the 3.30 pm feeder coach.

Girls attending Clubs and Late Prep at the Preparatory

School will be able to catch the 4.45 pm feeder coach for

St Albans to join the Senior School late coach service. This is

available from Monday to Thursday.

Conditions of Use for the coaches and the school Coach

Regulations are on the Parent Portal under General

Information, Whole School.

If you should need to phone PPH Coaches, their number is

01727 864988.

ESAFETY

Safe and appropriate use of technology is paramount in

today’s increasingly digital world: both ICT and PSHEE

lessons include eSafety issues and discussions within their

curricula and the school has a dedicated eSafety Officer. It is,

however, vital that these messages are also reinforced within

the home environment and the school provides an eSafety

site which provides useful, current information for parents.

GENERAL INFORMATON

23

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

For girls in Year 1 and upwards, the school runs a wide range

of activities and clubs at lunch time and after-school (from as

early as 3.15 pm for Pre-Prep till as late as 5.00 pm for some

clubs) and all girls are encouraged to attend at least one of

these. Most after-school activities are timetabled on Monday

to Thursday evenings to enable your daughter to catch the

4.45 pm feeder coach for St Albans and join the Senior

School late coach service. If there are too many girls for a

club, a rota system is set up whenever possible.

A list of all clubs on offer and what they involve is on the

Parent Portal, under Clubs.

FEES

Tuition fee charges are normally reviewed once a year and,

at present, are announced in April for the following academic

year. Fees are payable in advance and are due by the first day

of term. A late payment charge of 2% per month will be

added for payments received after the due date.

Details of methods of payment will be sent to you with the

details of the tuition fee charges. Further details are available

from the Fees Administrator who can be contacted on 01727

792540 or by emailing fees@stahs.org.uk.

Most books are provided by the school, but where girls

should be annotating texts, they will be charged for such

books on their termly bill. Please help us to keep down

costs by encouraging your daughter to look after her books.

If school or reading books are not returned on time or

GENERAL INFORMATION

24

returned in such a condition that the member of staff

concerned feels that it is due to careless treatment or wilful

damage, then you will be charged the full replacement cost.

FEES ASSISTANCE

In the present economic climate the Governors feel it is right

to remind parents that a proportion of the school’s income is

budgeted to be available to provide fees assistance to parents

who encounter financial difficulties. If parents find themselves

in this situation and wish to explore the possibility of

assistance, they should contact the Head or the Bursar who

will be happy to provide further details of the scheme.

FROG (VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT)

The school is committed to providing remote access to

school resources and does so using a Virtual Learning

Platform (VLE), Frog. The VLE provides teaching and learning

materials, but is also the administrative hub of the school.

HOMEWORK

Form Teachers set homework each week according to the

age of the pupils. This can range from simple practice

activities and reading for the younger girls, to more formal

written tasks for the older girls.

GENERAL INFORMATON

25

HOUSE SYSTEM

The school’s aim is to protect its close and kind community,

offering spiritual, emotional and moral support. To facilitate

this, there are four House groups in which every girl is

placed. We like to put girls whose mothers or sisters have

been at the High School into the same House.

House badge House name

and colour Named after:

Julian

(Red)

Lady Juliana Berners, a

fifteenth century

prioress of Sopwell,

famous for her learning.

Mandeville

(Green)

Sir John Mandeville,

associated with a book

of travels in the

fourteenth century.

Paris

(Blue)

Matthew Paris, a monk

of St Albans Abbey in

the thirteenth century

and well-known for his

Chronicle of local

events.

Verulam

(Yellow)

Francis Bacon, first Earl

of Verulam, philosopher

and writer.

GENERAL INFORMATION

26

The House system also provides a valuable opportunity for

girls of all ages to work together and to take on

responsibilities as they move through the school.

LUNCHES

All girls are provided with a hot meal every day, which

includes a meat, fish and vegetarian option as well as a salad

bar. A variety of homemade desserts, fresh fruit and yoghurt

are also provided. Meals are nutritious and freshly cooked

and care is taken to select menus that are appropriate for

4 –11 year olds.

The kitchen team are aware of the foods any individual girl is

unable to have for medical or religious reasons so that their

specific dietary requirements are met.

The food selected by girls is monitored by staff, to encourage

them to choose a balanced meal as well as trying foods which

they are unfamiliar with. Girls are never forced to eat

anything that they don’t like.

Daily menus are displayed in the dining room and parents can

also view them on the Parent Portal, under Menus.

Lunches are provided at no extra charge for Reception/EYFS,

and Years 1 – 2.

A termly charge of £260 is added to the bill of girls in Years

3 – 6.

The school does not make a profit on lunches and every

endeavour is made to keep charges down as low as possible.

GENERAL INFORMATON

27

Days missed through illness, unfortunately cannot be

refunded.

MEDICAL PROVISION

The Prep School has a Nurse and other members of staff

who hold First Aid qualifications to deal with accidents and

illness as they arise during the school day. The Nurse keeps

paracetamol and antihistamine and may administer these

following receipt of a signed school consent form. These can

then be given if deemed necessary.

Should your daughter need to take any medicines during the

day (such as ibuprofen, regular paracetamol or throat

lozenges) a letter of consent stating your daughter's name,

the medicine, quantity and time to be administered should be

sent to school. Please ensure that the medicine is fully

labelled, in the original container and then please ask your

daughter to give the medicine to the Nurse, so that it may be

given at the appropriate time. The Nurse, or in her absence

a First Aider, will supervise the taking of the medicine.

A register of asthma sufferers, girls with severe allergies and

other medical conditions is kept by the Nurse. Girls with

asthma should have their named inhalers at all times. An

inhaler must be kept in the medical room at all times. The

school can administer salbutamol (reliever inhaler) if your

daughter’s inhaler is not accessible. This can only be given

with parental consent. Girls with severe allergies should

have an in-date, working Adrenaline Injector which is kept in

school at all times. A second injector should be kept in their

GENERAL INFORMATION

28

school bag and brought to school daily in order that two

injectors are available at all times.

If any girl feels unwell, she must go to the Nurse. In cases

where the Nurse deems it necessary for your daughter to be

sent home during the school day, she will notify you and ask

you to collect her. Girls should only be collected on the

recommendation of the Nurse, not at the request of

the girl herself.

In the rare event of a serious accident which requires

emergency hospital treatment, the school will make the

necessary arrangements and you will be contacted

immediately with all the details.

In order for the foregoing to work smoothly it is essential

that parents advise the school immediately if there is any

change to telephone numbers, to enable us to contact you

straightaway should an emergency arise.

MEDICALS

School medicals are arranged for all girls in Reception or at

any other age on entry to the school. Parents are strongly

recommended to take advantage of this and will be invited to

attend if they so wish. We also follow up any concerns as

appropriate. The School Doctor would be pleased to

consult with parents on any matters which concern their

daughter(s) if required.

To facilitate the best care possible, parents are asked to keep

the Nurse informed of any medical condition or problem

pertaining to their daughter during her time at the school.

GENERAL INFORMATON

29

As part of an overall approach to healthcare, girls will be

regularly weighed and their height measured.

Communicable Diseases

There is a list of communicable diseases on the Parent Portal

under General Information, Whole School. If your daughter

contracts any of them, you need to inform the school by

telephone immediately.

We recommend that girls are absent from school for the

following periods for the illnesses listed below:

Vomiting and diarrhoea Return when there has been

no recurrence for 24 hours

Measles and chickenpox Return 5 days from onset of

rash

Mumps Return 5 days from onset of

swollen glands

MILK

Milk is provided daily, free of charge to girls in Reception,

and Years 1 – 2.

In Years 3 – 6, milk is an optional extra and charged at

£16.00 per term. Please contact the Fees Administrator if

you would like your daughter to continue having milk at

school from Year 3 onwards (fees@stahs.org.uk).

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30

MOBILE PHONES

Mobile phones are not permitted in school other than for

girls who travel on the coaches and subject to the parents’

wishes. Mobile phones are not permitted to be used within

school hours.

MUSIC TUITION

A full list of extra music lessons in the Prep School is on the

Parent Portal under General Information, Pre-Prep & Prep.

The majority of lessons are given during school time on a

rota basis with fixed lesson times only for girls in Years 2 and

3 in the first term of tuition. Whilst every effort is made to

avoid disruption of these individual music lessons because of

expeditions and school functions, this is sometimes inevitable.

Requests for music tuition and all correspondence

connected with the taking of music lessons should be

addressed to the Director of Music, Dr Nigel Springthorpe,

email address: NRS@stahs.org.uk. Normally lessons can be

arranged to start within half a term.

Musical instruments

Before starting piano lessons it is assumed that there

will be a suitable instrument available at home for

regular practice. The only acceptable substitutes for

beginners or girls taking early grades, is a Yamaha

Clavinova or a bona fide electric piano with 88 weighted

keys and a sustaining pedal (eg Technics or Roland). In

the case of orchestral instruments, we can usually

GENERAL INFORMATON

31

arrange for beginners to hire a school instrument for a

year, although guitars and recorders are not available

for hire and parents are asked to make their own

arrangements for these.

Choirs

Choirs participate in services in the Cathedral and Abbey

Church of St Alban, in concerts in school as well as in local,

national and international competitions.

There are un-auditioned choirs open to all for Years 3 – 6, as

well as the more selective Junior Chamber Choir to which

Years 5 – 8 are invited to join after an audition. Parents are

also invited to take part in the annual Choral Society

Concert, rehearsals for which take place in the Lent term

leading up to a major concert with orchestra and

professional soloists in the Abbey in March. For information

about each of these choirs, please visit the Parent Portal

under General Information, Pre-Prep & Prep.

PARKING

There are several dropping-off and collection points within

the school grounds.

As there are a significant amount of cars dropping off and

picking up girls in a relatively short space of time, please

make sure that your daughter is ready to step out of the car

when you drop her off. We encourage parents to share lifts

whenever possible, or to walk to school if you live locally.

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32

The electronic gates on the driveway close at 9.00 am and

re-open at 2.45 pm. If you are entering the school between

these hours, you will need to approach the gates slowly and

they will then open for you.

The school has planning permission to change the road

layout of the school, but has not yet been advised when

work can start by the local council. The changes should

make dropping-off and collecting your daughter much more

efficient, and will also stop the need for only being able to

turn left when you exit the school.

Full details of these changes will be given to you well in

advance, but in the meantime we need to continue to follow

the current process which is drop-off in the bay on the left

and follow the one way direction back out of the gate, where

you can only turn left during drop-off hours.

PASTORAL CARE

Your daughter’s welfare is of paramount importance to us. In

order to support her as effectively as possible, open and

efficient communication between home and school is

essential. If there is something that is troubling your

daughter, please contact us sooner rather than later. Rest

assured, we will be doing the same if we notice any changes

in your daughter at school.

The Form Teacher should be the first port of call should you

have any concerns or worries.

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33

PERSONAL POSSESSIONS

The school does not accept any liability for personal

possessions. All uniform, musical instruments, watches,

calculators, mobile phones, electronic equipment and purses

should be clearly and permanently marked with the

owner's name.

Money and watches or other valuables must either be carried

on the person or handed to a member of staff for safe

keeping. Large amounts of money or valuable items should

not be brought to school. Borrowing is allowed only with

the consent of the owner and the express permission of a

member of staff.

PETS/ANIMALS ON SITE

We ask that you do not bring your pet onto the school site,

as both fear of dogs and allergies can cause problems. This

applies to horses as well as any other animals. We do not

have space for horse-boxes, so please do not drive one of

these on site.

PLANNERS

Prep girls have planners to record details of homework and

for parents to send in important messages. Pre-Prep girls

have Message books for two way communication between

parents and Form Teachers.

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34

POLICIES

The school has a large number of policies, which are to be

found on the Parent Portal under Information, Policies. They

include:

Admissions Policy

Anti-bullying arrangements

Assessment Policy

Attendance and Absence

AUP for Pupils

Behaviour and Exclusion Policy

Child Protection Policy (Safeguarding)

Code of Conduct

Complaints Policy

Curriculum Policy

Cyber Bullying

Data Protection Policy

Discipline

EAL

Educational Visits

Equal Opportunities

First Aid Policy

Health and Safety Policy

Safer Recruitment

Parent Portal AUP

SEND (Special Educational Needs)

The most recent ISI Inspection Report (2011) is available on

the Parent Portal under General Information, Whole School.

GENERAL INFORMATON

35

PRE-PREP AFTER SCHOOL CARE

After School Care for Pre-Prep is available every evening

until 5.00 pm. If you would like your daughter to stay after

school for a snack, drink and an age-appropriate activity,

please send a written request to your daughter’s Form

Teacher. Alternatively, please telephone if there is a last

minute requirement. We will seek to accommodate

requests; however there are limited numbers, so spaces

cannot be guaranteed.

Girls collected before 4.15 pm will be charged £6.80, and for

those who stay until 5.00pm, the cost will be £11.50. Please

note that if your daughter has been booked until 4.15 pm and

is not collected within 10 minutes of that time, you will be

charged for the full session to 5.00 pm. Similarly, if your

daughter is not collected by 5.10 pm, unfortunately it will be

necessary to charge you a premium of £10.00. This will be

levied regardless of the reasons for late collection.

PREP SESSIONS

A supervised prep session for Years 3 – 6, including a snack

and a drink, is offered to girls for an extra charge. This takes

place every evening between 3.30 pm and 5.00 pm.

The cost is £11.50 for a full session and £6.80 for up to 45

minutes (a half session). If you wish to use this facility either

on a regular basis or occasional basis, then please put your

request in writing and give to your daughter’s Form Teacher.

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36

Girls can stay for part of the time each day if it helps with

travel arrangements and this will be charged on a pro-rata

basis.

REWARDS AND SANCTIONS

We have a system of merits throughout the school which

recognise good work, positive behaviour and effort based on

personal progress. Conduct in the school is generally

excellent and therefore sanctions are light and behaviour

issues are very rare.

Merit Stickers

Pre-Prep classes use stickers and other in-class systems such

as gems in the jar to encourage good effort and positive

behaviour.

Years 1 and 2: ‘Golden Time’ is given as a reward for good

work and positive behaviour. This is a reward of an

additional activity which pupils choose, once they have

earned it.

Years 3 – 6: There is class-based reward system where the

girls receive a treat after achieving their target for good work

and behaviour.

All girls in Years 3 – 6 collect merit stickers on a card and

certificates are presented to the girls when 25, 50 or 100

stickers have been awarded.

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37

House Points

House points are awarded for positive behaviour and at the

end of each term, the House Cup is awarded to the House

with the most points.

Sanctions

Conduct in the school is generally excellent and therefore

sanctions are light and behaviour issues are very rare.

SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL VISITS

A number of educational visits are arranged throughout the

academic year in school hours. For visits beyond the local

area or where there is a charge, you will need to complete a

permission slip. All visits will be charged to your school bill.

For local outings, within a five mile radius of the school,

when there are no associated costs, approval is obtained

from you when your daughter starts at the school.

SCHOOL RULES

Girls conduct is generally excellent and self-regulated but

there are a few key rules it is important your daughter

recognises and follows.

The rules are essential for the efficient running of the school

and for the safety of the girls and their property. We expect

girls to behave with consideration for others.

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38

1. Attendance

Pupils must attend regularly and be in school for

Registration. Permission to be absent, apart from illness,

must be requested. Please see section on Absences, in

the Communication section of this booklet.

No girl may leave the school premises during the

day without permission.

2. Uniform

Every girl below Year 12 is required to wear the correct

school uniform.

No jewellery may be worn except one pair of plain stud

earrings. They are allowed in the earlobe only and must

be removed for PE.

Hair must be tied back with a plain, dark coloured hair

tie.

Tunics and summer dresses must be knee length.

All items of uniform and other personal possessions

should be clearly and permanently marked with the

owner’s name.

3. Use of mobile devices

Girls must adhere to the ‘Acceptable Use Policy for

Pupils’ with regard to the use of IT.

GENERAL INFORMATON

39

4. Conduct around the school and on coaches

For safety reasons every individual must be familiar with

the arrangements for evacuation of the building in an

emergency and be aware of safety instructions applicable

to particular rooms. These are displayed clearly in every

room.

Bottled water may be consumed in class at the teacher’s

discretion.

Poor behaviour on the coach will not be tolerated and

may result in being banned from using the coaches. Not

wearing a seatbelt is strictly prohibited.

SECOND-HAND UNIFORM SHOP

The Second-Hand Uniform Shop is run by parent volunteers.

It provides a really useful and cost-saving service to parents

as well as making a substantial fund raising contribution to

the school. The shop is based in the Senior School, on

Townsend Avenue.

Whether buying or selling, 20% of the proceeds goes to the

school; last year the donation was in the region of £3,000. It

sells practically everything that is on the official school

uniform list for both the Senior School and Wheathampstead

House.

For full details of this service, please see the information on

the Parent Portal.

GENERAL INFORMATION

40

Further information

If you need any further information, the Second-Hand

Uniform Shop Co-ordinator, Jan Caines, can be contacted via

Senior School Reception.

SISTERS’ CLUB

For girls in Reception and Years 1 – 2, we run ‘Sisters’ Club’

from the normal end of the school day until 3.20 pm. This

facility is only available for girls who have a sister in an older

year group, or a sibling in another school where collection

timings make it difficult to be at Wheathampstead House.

We cannot accept girls for any other reason.

Parents should notify Form Teachers in writing when they

need to make use of this service. Girls are brought to the

Reception classes at the end of the day and staff then bring

the girls out to the end of the path for collection.

GENERAL INFORMATON

41

TERM DATES

Michaelmas term 2015

Reception Wednesday 9 September

Whole school Thursday 10 September

Half term Monday 19 October –

Friday 30 October

Term ends Friday 18 December

Lent term 2016

Years 3 – 6 Tuesday 12 January

Reception, Years 1 – 2 Thursday 14 January

Half term Monday 15 February –

Friday 19 February

Term ends Thursday 24 March

Trinity term 2016

Whole school Tuesday 19 April

Half term Monday 30 May –

Friday 3 June

Term ends Friday 15 July

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42

TIMINGS OF THE SCHOOL DAY

Girls can be dropped off at Wheathampstead House from

8.00 am but in all cases, they should arrive promptly for

morning Registration.

Registration 8.30 am – 8.40 am

Assembly 8.45 am – 9.05 am

Session 1 9.10 am – 10.10 am

Break 10.10 am – 10.30 am

Session 2 (Pre-Prep – Year 2) 10.30 am – 12.00 am

Session 2 (Years 3 – 6) 10.30 am – 12.35 pm

Lunch 12.00 pm – 1.10 pm

Session 3 (Reception) 1.10 pm – 3.00 pm

Session 3 (Year 1) 1.10 pm – 3.05 pm

Session 3 (Year 2) 1.10 pm – 3.10 pm

Session 3 (Years 3 – 6) 1.35 pm – 3.20 pm

Coaches depart at 3.30 pm

Late coach departs at 4.45 pm

Girls may choose to stay in school between 3.30 pm – 4.45 pm

for an organised school activity or club and catch the late coach

if that is her mode of transport home.

If your daughter is not participating in an activity and not

collected by you or an authorised person by approximately

3.30 pm, then she will be placed in the After-School club

which is a chargeable service.

GENERAL INFORMATON

43

UNIFORM

Certain items of uniform MUST be purchased through the

official school outfitter (indicated on the uniform list). Other

items, although in most cases stocked by Stevensons, may be

purchased elsewhere (eg Stanmore Pullen), provided that

they conform to the specified regulations.

The school outfitters are:

Stevensons Ltd

133 Victoria Street

St Albans

Tel: 01727 853262

A full list of the uniform and other items which must be

purchased are on the Uniform List on the Parent Portal

under General Information, Whole School.

Please ensure that you purchase items from the correct list

as there are two separate lists.

VOLUNTEER HELPERS

We have a significant number of volunteers who help with

reading, IT, Science, the library, Design Technology, cookery

lessons, and costumes for productions. Helpers may be

parents, relatives, former staff or ‘friends of the school’ and

at the beginning of the Michaelmas term, you will be invited

to volunteer to be a helper, if you have any time to give.

GENERAL INFORMATION

44

St Albans High School for Girls

Preparatory School

Wheathampstead House

Codicote Road

Wheathampstead

AL4 8DJ

Tel: 01582 839270

www.stahs.org.uk

NOTES

45

Artwork by

Astrid Williams

Year 3