Cardinal Wiseman Catholic SCHOOL FORWARD IN FAITH

Your child is a valued and safe member of our school community. Your child will be able to achieve their full potential academically, socially and spiritually. We will alert you if we have any concerns about your child and we will be available for you should you have any concerns or queries that you wish to discuss.

Contacts Drop-in sessions every morning Phone or email Monthly Mail Website Progress reports every term Parents’ Evenings

Secondary school is where pupils discover what particular talent and passion they have; what job or role is going to make them happy and then we start them on their path to brilliance. The journeys they will make are their own; the learning is theirs but we will walk with them and enable them to be their best in every aspect of themselves.

Support US in supporting YOU This is what we ask of you…….. Support US in supporting YOU

Ensure that the school has current addresses and contact numbers and in case of emergency additional contacts that can be called. Attend all Parents’ Consultation evenings.

Attitude to Learning at Cardinal Dr Beavan (Assistant Headteacher) Behaviour and Safety are good at our school. We aim to work together as a community (pupils, staff, parents/carers) to achieve the very best! To do this we must not only develop the whole child but also expect the very best in all things.

Achieving the best You want We say Your child to be happy, safe and to do well at school To be ‘kept in the loop’ To be able to speak with someone when there is an issue To be a valued part of our learning community Our procedures are designed to secure the very best for each child We will keep you informed (by meetings, phonecalls, texts and letters) Our website and induction information will show you how to contact staff We want to work with all parents and carers!

Our expectations All should show respect to each other and seek help if there is an issue Children should meet their attendance target and arrive on time each day Children should be ‘prepared to learn’ each day – uniform, equipment, kit, attitude Children should take an active role in their lessons and never disrupt learning

Dr Beavan’s top tips for parents Experience shows that two things lead to more issues at schools around the country than any other issue. The use of mobile phones (an other electronic devices) The use of social media (Whatsap, Snapchat, facebook) At Cardinal Wiseman we do not allow the use of either during learning time. Parents and carers should be aware of the issues that mobiles and social media can cause – then supervise accordingly (I know I do!). Please do not allow issues to come into school.

Cardinal Wiseman – a Catholic School Catholic means universal We welcome all faiths and none Celebration is a key feature of the catholic life of our school This includes assemblies, services and particularly mass All are times to think, reflect and celebrate our achievements

Chaplaincy A key feature of our school is the chaplaincy team Each year group has its own chaplain They will provide support for your child alongside their teachers The chaplain will also help to organise year group assemblies and mass

Head of Year Mrs Cooney ecooney@cardinalwiseman.net

Head of Year - Expectations Perfect behaviour in lessons and around school To put 100% effort in your work Always try your best Attend clubs to further your knowledge and experiences Communicate any issues so they can be sorted quickly Treat others how you would like to be treated Be kind and respectful

Head of Year I will: Be pro-active with parental communication Be an active presence to support year 7 pupils Be approachable Work with your child to help them to achieve their best Allow your child to develop as an individual and guide them to success

Transition Mr Beckett (Assistant Head – responsible for transition) abeckett@cardinalwiseman.net Met with Year 6 pupils and teachers Detailed information about each child from their Year 6 teachers – transition forms Additional meetings and tours of Cardinal Wiseman for pupils who need extra support with transition

Term Starts Tuesday 6th September 8.45am Year 7 only

Success 2015-2016 Here is a brief summary of some of the great successes this year: last year, the average % of parents attending parents’ evening was 58%. This year it is currently 85%. nearly five times as many children are meeting their reading ages in school this year compared to the same time last year. Students want to come to Cardinal Wiseman, that is why we have a 96% attendance rating, this is above the national average. Students voluntarily stay after school to complete home learning and get help from teachers on a regular basis. Current GCSE predictions are a 20% overall improvement on our 2015 outcomes Cardinal loves praise! This year 31875 merits were given by our staff. This is more than twelve times as many as the previous year.

Things to do this evening: Ensure that you complete all of the pupil information forms Speak to a member of the Senior Leadership Team or Mrs Cooney (Head of Year 7) If your child has Special Education Needs or your child has English as an Additional Language – visit the LSC Purchase school uniform from Clive Marks Purchase a school tie and badge