Information for Year 6 Parents

If your child is absent from school, please:

• Follow the procedure detailed on our Attendance page
• Report absence every day that your child is away from school.
• Where possible, provide the school with copies or photos of appointments, prescriptions, letters from a medical professional relating to this bout of illness.

Registration is at 8.35am.  Procedures for arrival after registration are as follows:

• If your child arrives between 8.35am and 8.45am they should go straight to their form room; they will be marked as ‘late’ on the register and will receive a signature on their standards card. If your child arrives after 8.45am they must go to Student Reception to register.
• If your child arrives after 9.15am they must sign in as above but have a note from home explaining the reason for arriving late.

If your child needs to leave school during the day:

• He/she should bring a note from home to show to their teacher at the beginning of the lesson, and should then leave at the set time.
• If your child needs to leave school during the school day for any reason, they must sign out and back in (if applicable) at Student Reception.

Applications for Leave of Absence forms are available from Reception and on the school website.

Further information about attendance, together with a advice regarding whether or not your child should attend school, can be found HERE.

All students in Years 7 and 8 use Bedrock Vocabulary at Ashlyns School.

Bedrock Vocabulary is a digital vocabulary curriculum that teaches essential Tier 2 words, root words and academic verbs.  All new language is embedded in original stories and non-fiction texts so students are regularly reading high-quality texts as well.

Research suggests that as a student progresses through school they need to be adding at least 3,000 words to their vocabulary per year if they are to keep up with increasingly challenging curriculum texts.  Bedrock helps make this happen for every student.

Students and parents will be issued with login details in September and students access the website through their Chromebooks.  They will complete some during English lessons and some will be set for home-learning.

It is very important to us that we work closely in partnership with parents and carers, and communication between home and school is key. We recognise however that it can often be difficult communicating with teachers because they have a very full timetable; and we recognise that parents and carers also have very busy lives.

Please view our Communication Guidance here.

Please use the general admin email admin@ashlyns.herts.sch.uk  to provide factual information or to leave a request for a teacher to contact you (with brief details of the nature of your query). Our admin team will direct your query to the most appropriate member of staff.

Our weekly e-Bulletin contains information about events which have taken place, together with forthcoming events.

We sometimes use Twitter to promote student achievements, subject information and generic educational information. Our whole-school Twitter feed is @Ashlyns_School. The school accounts are for reason of publicity and information sharing, and the account and its monitoring is not set up so that the school can respond to social media comments or replies.

Whilst we recognise that some parents may set up their own group chats for classes or year groups on social media platforms, and that they may find these useful, these are not endorsed by the school and the school will not respond to or post on such forums.  On occasion, posts made by parents or students on such forums can be inaccurate or not representative of the school’s view.  Please therefore rely on official communications from school or the school website for information about school business.

Our staff have the right to a personal life and to be protected from harassment online, via email or in person.  We ask that parents avoid addressing staff members directly via social media, and avoid posting inaccurate or defamatory statements about staff or school on social media platforms. This is reiterated by our Home-School Agreement.

Concerns or disagreements should be dealt with politely, and in line with the school’s policy and procedure which can be found on our policies page. 

Your child’s progress and attainment are regularly assessed and recorded throughout the school year.  There are three formal data collection points (one in each term) when current working levels/grades, progress, attitude to learning and any home-learning concerns are recorded.  This information is collected into a report which can be accessed by parents/carers via Insight.

Your child’s progress against their targets will be tracked rigorously and personalised intervention strategies are put in place if they are failing to make expected progress.  Form Tutors will play a key role in the monitoring and target setting process.

Form Tutors play an essential part in the pastoral care of your child.  Tutors will be with their forms every day during morning registration, following a weekly programme.  This includes a formal assembly, focused tutor-led mentoring, merit collection, student voice, house discussions and tutor-led activities relevant to the year group.

Some Ashlyns students may experience difficulties, such as those listed below:

• Problems at home
• The death or illness of someone important to them
• Being abused or the fear of being abused
• Difficulties at school (such as friendships, bullying or work stress)
• Getting used to new family members
• Feelings of depression, loneliness or of feeling different

We encourage students to speak to a member of staff; whatever is on their mind or is worrying them will be taken seriously.

Shortly after your child joins the school, an email will be sent to the primary carer inviting them to join the Google Guardian system. Once the invitation is accepted, emails will be sent home on a daily or weekly basis (dependent upon which option the parent selects) advising them of home-learning that has been set.

Home-learning will enable your child to:

• Become an independent learner and take ownership of their learning
• Implement skills required in later life such as time management, self-discipline and organisation
• Develop presentation skills
• Learn how to research topics
• Understand how to work at their own pace
• Explore their own interests
• Show the teacher what they have learnt
• Indicate to the teacher the areas where they need to improve

Home-learning could take the form of answering questions, writing a report, carrying out research or learning for a test.  It is helpful to have an area where home-learning can be completed without interruption and away from distractions.

All home-learning is notified through our online learning platform, Google Classroom.  Full details will be provided to students and parents/carers in September.

This is a copy of the Home-School Agreement which forms part of our Admissions document.

The Parent/Carer acknowledges:

• I have read the school prospectus (available via school website or hard copy on request)
• I am aware of the school’s policies (available via school website or hard copy on request)
• I understand that the school will not authorise holiday leave as outlined in the School’s Attendance Policy  

The Parent/Carer will:

• ensure my child attends school regularly, on time, properly dressed, properly equipped and that they understand the importance of punctuality to lessons
• make the school aware of any concerns or problems that might affect my child’s behaviour/learning
• support my child with their home-learning opportunities and ensure my child completes their home-learning on time
• attend parent-teacher consultation evenings and other information events about my child’s progress
• support my child in responding positively to the general expectations and regulations of the school
• support the school’s approach to online safety and not upload or add any text, image, sound or videos that could upset or offend any member of the school community, or bring the school name into disrepute
• ensure that my/our online activity would not cause the school, staff, pupils or others distress or bring the school community into disrepute.
• support the school’s policy and help prevent my child/children from signing up to services such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube whilst they are underage (13+ years in most cases)
• close online accounts if I/we/teachers find that these accounts are active for my underage child/children
• read and respond, (if appropriate), to all communications sent out from the school, including the e-Bulletin.  I will also regularly log on to the school’s online system to access information about my child’s attendance, behaviour, assessment data and other information relevant to my child’s year group.
• Update the school promptly with any changes to contact details for any parent/carer and/or any changes which may affect my child, eg family/home circumstances
• interact with school staff in a polite and professional manner, whether this is via a meeting, phone call or other method of communication
• support the school in upholding the expectations within their policies at all times

The School will:

• care for your child’s safety and well-being
• promote high standards of teaching, learning and behaviour and provide clear guidelines for students and parents
• ensure your child is given every opportunity to succeed as a valued member of the school community
• provide a broad and balanced curriculum 
• keep you informed about your child’s progress and how you can help them at home
• be open and welcoming

The Student will:

• attend school and lessons on time and with any necessary equipment 
• adhere to the school’s dress code and be tidy in appearance
• observe the school’s rules and regulations
• apply myself to learning to the best of my ability, completing all class work and home-learning on time
• be fully committed to school life and participate in its activities inside and outside the classroom 
• inform an appropriate member of staff about any concerns or worries I may have
• support the school approach to online safety and not deliberately upload or add any images, sounds or text that could upset or offend any member of the school community
• interact with all members of the school community in a kind and considerate manner
• always follow staff instructions in order to keep me safe within the school environment

Ashlyns welcomes students of all abilities, treating each one as an individual.  Experienced Teaching Assistants work alongside our Inclusion Co-ordinator (INCO) and teaching staff to assist children on the Special Needs Register who experience learning difficulties.  Learning Mentors support Heads of Year to ensure students make good progress.  The school also offers a counselling service and works with outside agencies to support the education of all our students.

To plan for the individual education of our students we initially use the data supplied from previous educational establishments.  At Ashlyns, progress and welfare of students is closely monitored and we welcome the help and support of parents.

Students with Special Educational Needs follow the normal curriculum with additional support in the classroom.  Students may be withdrawn from time to time to provide them with additional help, primarily in literacy or numeracy.  This takes place in a dedicated area where specialist staff work with individuals or small groups.

Ashlyns’ policy for students identified as having Special Educational Needs takes account of the recommendations of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 and the Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice.  This policy, along with the Accessibility Plan and Equal Opportunities policy, can be obtained from the school.

Arbor is the system used by the school to enable parents to access information regarding their child’s achievements, attendance, timetable, behaviour and progress.  Parents will receive log in details shortly after their son/daughter joins the school.

You will have received details of the locker rental system in the Admission Pack.  Subject to availability, you will be able to rent a locker from Independent Locker Solutions Ltd: Independent Locker Solutions. It is your child’s responsibility to keep the locker clean and tidy.  Spare and replacement keys can be purchased directly from Independent Locker Solutions Ltd.  Lockers have to be emptied at the end of the academic year.

If your child has mislaid any item, please encourage them to look where they last had it.  Students can also go to Student Reception to see if the item has been handed in.  Lost property can only be collected during lunch/break or after school.  Named items are returned to students as soon as possible.

Peripatetic lessons are organised by the Head of Music and an online application for lessons should be completed via the Herts Music Service: www.hertsmusicservice.org.uk.

Each student is responsible for checking the time of their lesson each week; a timetable of lessons is posted on the Music Department notice board and is also available on Google Classroom.  Lesson times vary to ensure students don’t miss the same lesson every week.

It is very important to establish a good routine at secondary school as this is often the pattern followed for the rest of school life.  Organisation can sometimes be one of the issues where students need assistance.  Your child may initially require help with getting everything ready for school each evening and checking their timetable to see which timetable week it is (week 1 or week 2), and which lessons will take place the following day.  They may need support with planning when to complete home-learning tasks.  Combining secondary school with family life, home-learning and after-school activities can sometimes be a challenge and it is important to establish a sensible routine.

Parent-teacher consultation evenings are one of the most important communication opportunities that we have, and therefore attendance at them is very important.  We use an online booking system which makes it easy for parents to book appointments with their child’s teachers.  You will be sent full details shortly before the evening takes place.  Children take part in the parent-teacher consultation evening, with their parents/carers.

At Ashlyns parents can make payments for items such as school meals, trips and activities through a secure online payment system called ParentPay.  Students are issued with a payment card to allow them to make purchases in our canteen, and the purchase amount is then deducted from their online account.  The details of all deductions made from the account can be viewed online by the account holders.  Parents need to ensure that their children have sufficient funds on their account to cover any food/drink purchases.

• Payments can be made when the school is closed
• Safe and secure
• Balances can be viewed at any time
• No more searching for cash or your child having to carry large sums of cash into school

You will be provided with login details.

ParentPay is our preferred method of payment but we are also able to accept cheques.  Cheques should be made payable to Ashlyns School and can be placed in the locked Finance Box which is on the wall outside the staffroom.  Cheques should be sent in a named envelope and be accompanied by the relevant, completed, return slip.  If you are unable to pay by ParentPay or cheque, please contact the Finance Office.

ParentPay FAQs

When can I log in to my account?

You can activate your account as soon as you receive login details from the school.  

Which cards can I use?

ParentPay accepts MasterCard, Visa and American Express credit cards, and Maestro, Switch, Delta, Electron, Solo and Visa debit cards.  

What if I do not have a credit or debit card?

A feature of ParentPay is the PayPoint facility, for parents who prefer to make cash payments.  If you wish to use the PayPoint facility please contact the Finance Office (Finance@ashlyns.herts.sch.uk).  A plastic card will be issued to make cash payments at local PayPoint stores.  The first card is free of charge; lost or damaged cards will be charged at £1.50 each.  Payment cards take approximately two weeks to arrive.

PayPoint payments are recorded by ParentPay and can be seen by logging into your ParentPay account and viewing your payment history online.  The nearest PayPoint stores to Ashlyns are The Village Shop in Gossoms End and Hall Park Service Station.  To find other stores, please visit https://consumer.paypoint.com/.

Is it safe to make payments on the internet?

Yes.  ParentPay uses leading technology to process your card transactions securely.  All communication with the bank is encrypted and neither ParentPay nor the school have access to your card details.

How can I check that it’s secure?

Standard website addresses begin with http: the address for a secure site will always begin with https.  You will also see a padlock at the bottom/top right of the screen on our login page and after you have logged into your account; never enter your card details or personal data on any web page whose address does not start https.

What about our personal information?

ParentPay Limited, and its group companies, operate in full compliance with Data Protection Law; Including the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

The ParentPay Terms and Conditions include a Data Processing Agreement (DPA), compliant with the GDPR, which details both parties’ obligations relating to Data Protection.  https://www.parentpay.com/schools/school-terms-and-conditions/ 

The ParentPay Privacy Notice, which is available to end users, provides further information on the processing activities undertaken by ParentPay.

https://www.parentpay.com/privacy-policy/ 

ParentPay will NEVER contact you by phone, email or mail and ask you to divulge confidential information like passwords or card numbers. If you are ever contacted by someone claiming to be from ParentPay, please contact them immediately on 02476 994 820.

Please click on the image below for suggestions of how to encourage your son/daughter to read.

So what is different about secondary school?  If your eldest child is about to join Ashlyns you may not be aware of the changes that they are about to face at secondary school.

• Instead of one teacher, who has often known them since their early years, students will be taught by many different teachers and will have to get to know a whole range of adults in different roles within the school.
• The site will be much bigger and students will have to find their way around, moving from classroom to classroom between lessons.
• They will have to use a complex timetable (on a two weekly cycle) and also a Standards Card.
• For the first time children will be responsible for ensuring that they have the correct books and equipment for several different lessons, as well as PE equipment, lunch, etc.
• Children will be given full responsibility for their home-learning, completing it and handing it in on time.
• There will be new lessons and new variations on familiar ones.
• Teaching and learning styles may be different. Children may be expected to write more frequently and for longer.
• Breaktime and lunchtime will be organised differently with less adult supervision and children having a lot more independence in terms of getting back to lessons on time, making their own choice of snacks and lunches, etc.
• In general, students are expected to be more independent, self-reliant and self-organised; a welcome development for many students, but also a challenge for others.

When your child starts at Ashlyns they are expected to cope with a whole variety of new experiences and changes, many of which demand skills and abilities that they have not had to use before.

Most parents would like to help reassure their child and we want to work with you to help provide the support needed for your child.  The top two worries that Year 6 students express relate to friendships and getting lost.  Although common, most children report that they are no longer worried about these after just one or two weeks at school.

If your child expresses these worries it is useful to tell them this, and to emphasise that everyone else will also be feeling anxious.  As there will be many more children in Year 7 at Ashlyns than in Year 6 at primary school, everyone has a good choice of friends and even children who move up with many other children from their primary school tend to make new friends at secondary school.

The remaining worries are nearly all related to the new organisational demands that they know will be placed upon them.  These are the areas in which we can help the most, both at school and at home.

Parents/carers can help in the following ways:

• Take an active interest in your child’s progress and development
• Encourage your child to fulfil work requirements to the best of their ability and encourage them with home-learning
• Attend Parent-Teacher Consultation Evenings
• Access ‘Tooled Up’ resources, exclusively available to Ashlyns parents
• Encourage your child to take part in extra-curricular activities
• Join the Ashlyns School Association, attend their meetings and help with events
• Be a part of the Parent Forum – look out for the invitation to join the Parent Forum in the weekly eBulletin at the start of the year

Students are expected to be positive ambassadors for Ashlyns when travelling to and from school.  They should behave in a sensible, mature manner whilst walking to school or on public transport and must wear school uniform at all times.  Poor behaviour travelling to or from school will not be tolerated and a range of consequences will be used in line with the school behaviour policy.

Please note, parents should only drop students off at the front gates and not drive into the school; where practical, students should walk to school.  Parking is not permitted in the turning circle at the front of the school.

Please visit our travel page for information on local public transport services. We encourage staff, students and visitors to use sustainable modes of transport where possible.

Students must wear full school uniform at all times, including travelling to and from school, at break and lunchtime.  They are also expected to wear uniform at  school events held outside of normal hours.

Outdoor clothing, such as coats, scarves and hats, may be worn outside the building but must not be worn inside the building at any time.

Students will need the following items of uniform:

• School blazer with Ashlyns emblem
• Ashlyns school tie, with seven black stripes showing
• Ashlyns House badge (they are given this when they start at the school)
• White shirt or blouse with collar suitable for wearing with ties, either long sleeved with cuffs or short sleeved; shirts must be tucked in
• Plain black v-neck jumper can be worn in addition to the school blazer, but not in place of it
• School skirt (optional) which is plain black with permanent pleating and must not be rolled up. There is a choice of 3 suppliers for the school skirt (PL Schoolwear, Asda and M&S)
• Trousers must be black and full length, straight legged and not skin tight
• Plain black belt with a simple buckle, if required
• Black socks to be worn with trousers
• Black opaque tights, flesh colour tights or white or black ankle socks to be worn with skirts; tights must not be patterned
• Black shoes – lace up or slip on – no trainers or canvas shoes
• Plain coloured outdoor coat with no badges or logos

Black, flat, leather shoes must be worn in school.  Trainers, sports shoes or any kind of canvas shoes are not permitted as uniform shoes; this includes black trainers and Converse-style shoes, in either leather or fabric.  School shoes must be plain black and able to be polished, with no motifs, coloured stitching or reflective areas.  Heels should be no more than 4cm.  Boots are not permitted as uniform shoes for boys or girls.

Click on the image below for examples of acceptable school shoes, and those which are not considered suitable for school:

If students are seen wearing non-uniform shoes to school they will be asked to go to Student Reception, where they will be given a pair of plimsolls to wear until the end of the day.  They will receive a signature on their Standards Card.

Full details of our uniform and appearance rules can be found here.

If students do not follow our uniform rules there will be a consequence.