office@shaftesburyschool.co.uk 01747854498 

Useful Information

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Year 11 to Year 12 Transition Pack

The presentation slides used at the Year 12 information evening on Wednesday 11 September are available here.

The presentation slides used at the Year 13 Post-18 progression information evening on Thursday 19 September are available here.

The presentation slides used at the Year 12 Post-18 progression parent information evening on Wednesday 12 February are available here.

Presentation focusing on the post results procedure regarding UCAS, clearing and UCAS Extra/Adjustment is available here.

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 £26,000 will be able to apply for assistance to meet educational needs such as the cost of transport to school, equipment and educational visits. Please note it is not guaranteed that the fund will be sufficient to pay all needs in full.
  3. If sufficient funds are available we may also be able to provide some support to students on a family income of £26,000-30,000.

Attendance

At the start of year 12, all students are issued with a ‘swipe card’. This card must be used every day when you come into school to register you electronically. You must also use this card to register for your supervised study sessions.

All students are required to be on site at lesson times and study times during the day. Students travelling between sites also need to swipe in on arrival and out as they leave both schools. Students who persistently forget to use their swipe cards may be placed on attendance report. If swipe cards are lost or damaged, replacements can be obtained at a cost of £2.

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 an 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 obtaining a bus pass for Sixth form.

Transport Between Sites

The Sixth Form operates a free transport service between the sites. All buses will leave promptly and it is your responsibility to make sure that you are at the bus stop at the correct time. If you miss the bus you may have to pay the cost of a taxi journey or arrange for your parents to collect you in order to get home.

Buses depart from Shaftesbury School bus park (near A block) and from Sturminster Newton High School main school car park.

Depart Shaftesbury 08:35. Depart SNHS 08:35

Depart Shaftesbury 10:50. Depart SNHS 10:55

Last bus

Depart Shaftesbury 13:35. Depart SNHS 13:10

  1. If the bus is not there
    • Please wait, do not just go!!
    • If the bus does not arrive after five minutes, or if you miss the bus for any reason please go to reception and ask them to contact the Sixth Form Administrator. If you are waiting for the bus at Shaftesbury you could phone Reception on 01747 854498.
  2. If you need to catch a bus you do not normally use, check with the Sixth Form Administrator beforehand to ensure there is a seat on the bus for you.
  3. Sign in on the passenger list on the bus; sign out on the same sheet at Reception when you leave the site. One person should take responsibility to deliver the sign in sheet to Reception at the school when you arrive.
  4. If you need to travel for a lesson that is not covered by the standard bus timetable, speak to the Sixth Form Administrator about this.
  5. If there are problems, please let the Head of Sixth Form know.

There are study areas at both schools where you can work. Squid Cards will work at the canteen at the other school, as long as you have touched the card to the reader at your home school to collect the funds. Boarding students will need to do this in the morning using the card reader in the Main Hall at Shaftesbury School before you catch the bus.

It is important that you sign in and out when you arrive and leave both schools. Although you are registered at your lesson, if there was a fire this information would not be available and there would be no record that you were on the site.