Useful Information

Financial Support for Sixth Form Students

The 16-19 Bursary Fund is used to support students remaining in post-16 education when financial issues might impact on their time in the Sixth Form.

We aim to do this in the following ways.

  1. Students who the government has identified as ‘highly vulnerable’ such as students looked after by the local authority, care leavers, students who receive Income Support [in their own right] and those entitled to both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance will receive a bursary of £1,200 in six half-termly instalments.
  2. Students who are eligible for free school meals or who come from families with a household income of below £30,000 will be able to apply for assistance to meet educational needs such as the cost of transport to school, equipment and educational visits.
  3. If sufficient funds are available, we may also be able to provide some support to students on a family income of £30,000-35,000.
  4. The bursary fund can support with the cost of transport to school, books, equipment and trips associated with courses. Books and equipment can be purchased directly by the school. Students are encouraged to speak to a member of the Sixth Form team about any books or equipment they require.
  5. Bursary students will receive £2.50 per day on their lunch card to spend in the Sixth Form Café. This is enough to purchase the hot meal of the day (including dessert) which they can pre-order from the sixth form cafe at breaktime.

Attendance at Lessons

Each student must attend all timetabled lessons, arriving on time with all relevant equipment. Evidence shows that poor attendance almost always leads to poor results, so your teachers will monitor your attendance and punctuality and will report back to your tutor or the Sixth Form Office if your attendance becomes a concern.

If you know you are going to miss a lesson, you must complete the online Planned Absence form. It is your responsibility to inform your teacher and arrange to get the work to catch up on. Failure to meet these attendance requirements alongside underperformance may jeopardise your place in Year 13.

Student misses a lesson/s

Subject teacher emails student requesting reason for absence (if none given).

Further lessons missed

Subject teacher contacts home to report absence.

Attendance drops below 85% for a subject

Tutor arranges interview with student and parents to discuss absence and the tutor informs Sixth Form Manager, Head of Sixth Form & Year Progress Leader

Attendance drops below 80%

Letter sent home by Year Progress Leader outlining the consequences of poor attendance, including the initiation of the school disciplinary procedure and the risk of failure. Targets set to improve attendance over a 2 week period.  Student placed on Attendance Report, which is monitored by Year Progress Leader.

No Improvement

Letter sent home by Year Progress Leader initiating disciplinary procedure.

Transport to school

When entering Sixth form, students who need to get the bus to school no longer receive a free bus pass. Click here for more information about post-16 transport. The 16-19 bursary fund (see above) may be able to help with the costs of school transport.

Home-School Agreement

We are delighted you have chosen to continue your studies at Shaftesbury School and we will support you in the transition from lower school to employment, apprenticeship or university. We want you to be successful in your courses, develop as a person and leave us ready to play an effective role as an adult in society.

The below is for information only. Students and parents/carers should complete and submit the online form here: https://tinyurl.com/home-school-agreement

Home-School Agreement

Appearance

As role models for younger students and senior students in the school, dress should be appropriate for a study / work environment.

1. Dress code

The Sixth Form Prefect Team, in consultation with other students, has contributed to this Sixth Form Dress Code and has played a key role in finalising its content.

  • Sixth Form students are expected to show responsibility in the way they dress for school, educational trips and visits. It is important that Sixth Form students should be sensitive to the rest of the school community and set an example to our younger students.
  • There will be occasions when smart dress is more appropriate e.g. school events, interview practice, presentations or visits to places of work. Students will be given ample warning of such occasions.
  • Students must also consider health & safety issues relating to some styles and fashions of clothing – for example in PE/Sport or practical lessons, clothing needs to be suitable for the activity.
  • Our aim is for Sixth Formers to have a smart appearance, which also allows a degree of personal choice. Sixth Formers are not required to wear a uniform; however, clothing is expected to be acceptable smart/casual wear, suited to the professional setting of a school.
  • Unacceptable/offensive logos, beachwear, over exposure and revealing clothing are not accepted in our dress code.
  • Caps and hats should not be worn in school and hairstyle should be appropriate. Jewellery must be discreet and safe for a professional environment.

We understand that judgements may be subjective, but staff discretion will be exercised.

Attendance

2. Lesson attendance

Each student must attend all timetabled lessons, arriving on time with all relevant equipment. Attendance in lessons is essential for success in exams. All students should attend tutor time by 8:45 each day and not leave school until 15:00.

Students may leave the site at 13:30 for lunch but must return by 14:00 for a P5 lesson or assembly, only if parental permission has been granted below.

3. Parental off-site agreement

The form to request parental permission for student to go off-site will be emailed to parents at the start of September.

I give permission for my child(ren) to leave the school site at lunchtime and/or Period 5 (as long as they do not have a scheduled lesson/assembly/meeting). I understand my child does not need to return to the school site if they do not have a further lesson after lunch. I understand that this privilege may be temporarily removed or withdrawn altogether at the discretion of the school.

While my child is offsite their behaviour and conduct must be in line with that expected in school. Students must understand that poor behaviour by Sixth Form students at lunch/period 5 while offsite is not acceptable and the school has the power to sanction pupils for misbehaviour outside of the school premises to such an extent as is reasonable.

When my child leaves the school site, I understand that the school’s opportunity to monitor, support and safeguard them becomes much more limited. As a result, I understand the school is therefore unable to take their usual duty of care in terms of responsibility and accountability for my child’s welfare when they have signed out and left the site.

4. Planned absence

If you know you are going to miss a lesson, you must complete an online Planned Absence Form which can be found on the Sixth Form Sharepoint. It is your responsibility to inform your teacher and arrange to get the work to catch up on. Failure to meet these attendance requirements alongside underperformance may jeopardise your place in Sixth Form.

Examples of acceptable reasons for missing a lesson include: 

  • attending a university open day
  • attending a school trip 
  • appointment with a hospital consultant 
  • driving test

You are allowed to take time out of study periods for driving lessons – a maximum of 2 hours per week, but you must not miss lessons, tutor time or assembly. Complete the Planned Absence Form to inform us of the times of your driving lessons. 

We would encourage any students to organise non-emergency appointments with GP, dentist or optician outside of school hours or during their supervised study periods.

5. ID cards

All students are issued with an ID card and lanyard which must be worn at all times on the school premises to identify you as a student. These cards are also used to store lunch money (topped up via iPayImpact, or FSM/bursary lunch allowance), to access the printers around school, and to sign in (see next point).

6. Registering on site

You must register electronically whenever entering or leaving the school site. This can be done by swiping your ID card at one of the terminals, or by downloading the sign-in app on your phone.

You are a full-time student, therefore you are required to be in school every day. At the beginning of term, all year 12 students are required to be on-site at all times during the day. This will be reviewed after the first few weeks of the Autumn term. You will only be allowed out of school at lunchtime or during P5 if we have received consent from your parent/carer (a form will be sent to parents at the start of the year). If you are repeatedly late or miss lessons then you may not be allowed off-site at lunchtime for a period of time.

7. Unplanned absence/lateness

If you are unexpectedly absent due to illness, either you or your parent/carer should notify the school before 9am on 01747 854498 or e-mail sixthformoffice@shaftesburyschool.co.uk. You should endeavour to call/email each day of absence. You are allowed to self-certify for the first three days of any illness. Following this, we require your parent/carer to certify your absence by contacting the sixth form office. Please be aware we may ask for a doctor’s note to confirm any long-term absence.

8. Truancy

Lesson absence will result in a sanction. Repeat offences will prompt a meeting with the Head of Sixth Form and a letter/email home. Persistent absence may lead to removal of your place in the Sixth Form. 

Text messages will be sent home if a student is absent and we have not received a reason for absence, or if the student has not swiped in when they arrive at school.

9. Holiday in term time

We cannot authorise holiday during term. Please do not book holidays in term time.

10. Study

Success at post-16 level requires a new way of working. Students should undertake 3-4 hours of independent study per day in addition to lessons. The Sixth Form study centre is available for quiet study though subject areas may also offer specialised study facilities. There is also a Sixth Form area of the library.

11. Subject/timetable changes

These can only be authorised by the Head of Sixth Form. A course drop/change form must be completed by all parties before a final agreement is made, with the student, teachers and parents all in agreement. Please be aware we operate a ‘Right Move’ week at the end of September which will allow students to consider changing their subjects. Likewise joining new courses will be unlikely after October due to the catch-up work required.

12. Subject issues

Discuss emerging issues promptly with tutor and subject staff in the first instance; follow-up with the Head of Sixth Form.

13. Work Experience & Internships

We expect all our students in Year 12 to undertake a minimum of 30 hours work experience over the course of the year. Work experience is an opportunity to introduce young people to the reality of working life within a willing organisation, to help them to secure and sustain employment.

The work experience week is at the end of the summer term. Additional work experience may be taken throughout the year during study periods.

An internship is a work experience placement within the school. This is usually within a specific subject department that the student is attached to, for example supporting lower school lessons.

14. Driving

Please register your vehicle with the Sixth Form Office using the online form (on Sharepoint). Parking on site is limited and all drivers must park safely and with respect for our neighbours.

15. Finance

Bursary funding may be available: ask in the Sixth Form Office. Support for school equipment, travel and trips may be available.

We request that every student who receives Free School Meals completes a bursary application form.

16. Part-time employment

We recommend no more than 10hrs/week during term time and none in the build-up to or during exams.

17. Prohibited Items

Searches may be conducted by school staff authorised to do so by the Headteacher or Senior Leaders. These are subject to DfE guidance on the law. To be lawful, confiscation must be a reasonable sanction in the circumstances of the particular case. Decisions about retention and disposal of confiscated property must also be reasonable in the circumstances of the particular case.  

Prohibited items include:  

Weapons (or anything deemed to be able to be used as a weapon), knives, alcohol, illegal drugs, stolen items, tobacco and cigarette papers, electronic cigarettes, vapes and associated liquids, fireworks, pornographic images, any article that could be used to cause harm and any item banned by the school rules.  

Drugs and alcohol are not permitted on school site. Any student found with drugs or alcohol on them in school will face an investigation immediately, which may result in an exclusion of a fixed term or permanent nature.

18. Smoking and Vaping

The school is a no-smoking site; you may not smoke/vape near the school, in large groups or with lower school students. You must not bring smoking/vaping equipment into school. Students violating these rules will be subject to an investigation which may lead to a fixed term suspension. Repeat offenders may lose their place in the Sixth Form.

19. Leaving Sixth Form before the end of your course

A big decision – discuss with the Head of Sixth Form. Keep your tutor, parents and teachers informed at all times before a final decision is made.

20. Personal problems

Your tutor and the rest of the Sixth Form team may well be able to help. Please get in contact so we can support you. We have a dedicated Sixth Form Counsellor. You can self-refer by using the short online form on the Sixth Form Sharepoint site.

21. Enrichment

All students are expected to participate in enrichment. Students sign up to activities and are timetabled to attend these. Please utilise these extra opportunities to ‘add value’ and allow a break from your main studies.

22. Communication

Please check your school email address regularly and ensure that your inbox does not get full. The Sixth Form Office in particular will use this as a key means of communication regarding enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities as well as meeting requests and academic issues. Please also refer to the bulletin emailed out at the start of every week.

23. Communication with Parent/Carer

We send out student reports via email and other important information via email/text message. Please email SixthFormOffice@shaftesburyschool.co.uk if you wish to check that we hold the correct contact information for you.

Final Declaration

We have high expectations of our students not just in terms of academic success but also conduct, appearance, attendance and punctuality. We believe meeting these is of fundamental importance to your success; not meeting these could result in your being asked to leave the Sixth Form.   

We hope that you recognise that the policies outlined above are designed to make students’ experience during their time in our Sixth Form enjoyable and successful. We look forward to welcoming you and working with you in the future.

Contact Shaftesbury School

01747 854498

office@shaftesburyschool.co.uk




    Copyright Shaftesbury School 2024 - Registered in England: 04616045