Page 11 - Parents' Handbook - Sept 2021

LEARNING SUPPORT
PARENTS’ MEETINGS
Classwork or previous assessment often identifies pupils who have a profile of Specific Learning Difficulty, or those who simply need a little extra input to achieve their full potential.
Pupils may have difficulty with organisation, spelling, reading, study skills, time management or Maths – possibly arising from short term memory problems or speed of processing. Expert help is available from qualified tutors in our Learning Support Department led by Mrs Catherine Beaumont.
The Learning Support Team liaise closely with all departments as well as with parents and can carry out ‘in house’ assessments as well as advise on further assessment by an Educational Psychologist. The lessons delivered on an individual basis are charged as an extra. For 2021 – 2022 the charge will remain
at £21.75 per half hour lesson.
Parents may request Learning Support tuition for their child, and they will always be informed if it is felt necessary.
HOMEWORK
Until the final years, we aim for all schoolwork to be done at school. No day pupil should need to take work home to finish, nor any child have to do work
at weekends.
Prep (homework) and independent Work Sessions take place at school. Children in years 3 to 5 do these during their timetabled school day and those in years 6 to 8 have Prep from 5pm to 6pm. Some of the older day children choose to do their prep at home but the majority stay and get their work done at school.
EXAMS
There are school exams for the older children at the end of the Autumn Term, during the Summer Term and in the Spring term for Year 8. Younger children may have less formal assessments carried out during normal lessons. Where appropriate, results are recorded in each pupil’s end of term report.
There are formal parents’ meetings and less formal opportunities to meet teachers during the year
and you will find details in the school calendar. In addition, a reminder will be sent to parents prior to all such meetings. There will be opportunities for parents to meet teachers virtually as well and this proved to be very effective and popular during lockdown.
REPORTS
Parents will receive a number of short Progress Reports as well as full End of Term Reports. You will be written to with an outline of when to expect these reports as well as an indication of when Parents’ Meetings are due. Our aim is to ensure that you receive formal feedback a number of times during the year but we also encourage ongoing dialogue between parents and school throughout the year. As always, the Tutor should be the first ‘port of call’.
HOLIDAY WORK
The holidays should normally be unclouded by academic demands. The exceptions are pupils in their final year facing scholarship exams or Common Entrance; and younger children with specific difficulties who, in agreement with parents, may be asked to do short daily exercises or holiday work to help them prior to the start of the following term.
Occasionally there are suggestions for holiday reading, which we hope will be a pleasure, and some parents ask for recommendations of websites that can be accessed with little supervision by pupils if they wish to further a particular skill or subject.
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