Student Transition
Welcome to our Transition page for new Year 7 students. This page provides you with all the necessary information required for a successful transition to Katherine Warington School.
We are looking forward to meeting you in September 2024!
Deadlines requiring actions
Settling in
Transition
We understand your child will be anxious to know who they are going to be placed with at secondary school. Some students come to us with very close friends and others come alone as single joiners. Currently, an important process is taking place whereby the pastoral team at Katherine Warington is gathering information from primary schools so that we can begin to get to know your child. Our discussions with teachers and the information provided by your child will help to inform form groups but will not dictate them.
Form groups at secondary school are a child’s pastoral base; they stay in these groups throughout their school career and form strong bonds with their classmates. Teaching groups are different from form groups and are created for the purposes of learning. Friendship choices or preferences are not considered in the teaching group process.
Additional needs
If your child has any additional needs, or special educational needs or disabilities, the SENCO from your child’s primary school and Mrs Grainger (our SENCO) will be in contact to exchange key information in order that we can continue to support these needs through transition and onwards into daily life at KWS. When your child joins us in September they will spend an initial period of time with their form groups and form tutors so that they can develop closer relationships with both staff and students as they familiarise themselves with their new school.
Summer School information and Dates
Every year we offer an opportunity for our new Year 7 students to attend our Summer School where they experience a few days of life at KWS. The mornings are structured around academic studies before the students have lunch and then go on to enjoy various activities including orienteering, sports and team-building activities.
This year the dates for our Summer School will be Monday 19th August – Wednesday 21st August. This is not compulsory, we highly recommend our new students attend in order to gain familiarity with the school whilst being the only year group on site. This will help prepare them for the behaviour expectations and academic routine after a long summer break.
Manor Adventure Trip
Year 7 students will have the opportunity to visit Manor Adventure in Norfolk from the 6th – 8th November 2024. Please find attached the trip letter and information pack containing more details about the trip. The Team from Manor Adventure will be presenting at the Year 7 Information evening to provide more information on the trip.
>> ACTION REQUIRED!
The deposit payment of £50 to secure your place on the trip is due by Wednesday 10th July 2024 via Arbor.
Life at KWS
School Day
The school day starts at 8.30am and students are required to be ready for registration in their form rooms by this time. The school will be open for students arriving earlier (the canteen will be open for breakfast). The school day will finish at 3:30 pm Monday – Thursday and 2:30pm on a Friday. We also offer a home learning club, Monday – Thursday from 3:30pm – 4:30pm in the school library. One aspect of KWS that we are increasingly proud of is our Period 7 options which offer a super- curriculum experience to students, ranging from Photoshop to Gaelic football. This happens from Monday to Wednesday. Whilst on Thursday, this time is used as an extra form time to catch up on home learning or silent reading. On Friday afternoon we mark the end of the school week with a celebration assembly.
Uniform
Uniforms are available to purchase online or from their shops. It is advisable to book an appointment for a school uniform fitting to ensure the size your child needs is ordered in time. We have house coloured ties so please do not purchase a school tie before you know what house your child has been allocated. You will be notified of your child’s house – which will also be their form name – at the Parent Information Evening on Tuesday 2nd July.
We will start in September in our winter uniform. As part of our uniform policy we do not allow trainers (unless PE kit is being worn) or boots. Hair should be kept to natural colours, and makeup, facial piercings, fake nails and smart watches are not allowed. One set of plain stud earrings in the earlobes are acceptable as part of our uniform policy.
Students are allowed to wear PE Kit on the days they have PE, a sports club or a Period 7 that requires them to be in PE Kit. If you have a child who is likely to take up additional sports, please take this into consideration when purchasing their school uniform.
>> ACTION REQUIRED!
Uniform: We have two school uniform suppliers, Beats School Uniform based in Harpenden and Smarty Schoolwear based in Hatfield.
Chromebooks
All students at KWS are expected to have a Chromebook and you can find attached details of our Parental Contribution Scheme. The scheme is provided by FreedomTech and as well as the device, your purchase will contain the Google Licence required to connect to the school’s system It will also comprise a three year warranty package which includes cover for accidental damage and theft, with no excess to pay. There are options available to purchase outright or spread payments over 12, 24 or 36 months. Devices will be given out at Summer School (w/c 19th August) for those students attending, or early in September for those who are not attending the Summer School.
Parents don’t have to purchase a device through the school scheme and can purchase their own device elsewhere. However, there will be a £30 charge for the device to be added to the school’s system and parents will take responsibility for any damage/loss/theft so we strongly encourage parents to take advantage of the school’s scheme. We will organise the £30 payment in September if your child has their own device.
>> ACTION REQUIRED!
Chromebook: The deadline for signing up to the Parental Contribution Scheme is Wednesday, 10th July 2024 and there will not be another opportunity to purchase through the school after this date.
Lockers
All students will have the opportunity to purchase a locker. There is a £25 non-refundable charge for this and this will last them from Year 7 through to Year 11. They will also need to provide a padlock to keep their locker secure – please see the equipment list on our website for the type/size of padlock required.
Transport
A key part of gaining planning permission for KWS was a commitment from the school that parents/carers of students attending would seek to promote sustainable methods of transport for students. The order of preference is walking, cycling, bus, train, car share.
The transport services available to the school community currently can be found on our website here; we await further guidance from Hertfordshire County Council on any amendments to these routes once they have looked into this year’s intake. A further communication will be issued in due course.
If your child is entitled to free Home to School transport you will be contacted separately by Herts County Council who will allocate a place on one of the bus routes serving KWS. You can find more information on the Herts County Council website here.
We appreciate that these bus options are not available for all students who live outside of walking/cycling distances and for those who are, the cost is significant. We encourage everyone who intends to use the bus frequently as their transport choice to access any early purchase discounts offered by providers. We will send out details of any Early Bird deals from operators when we have this information. For the public bus services, students are entitled to purchase the Hertfordshire Savercard which gives a 50% discount on all fares.
Students who have no other transport choice other than by car are encouraged to car share. Students being dropped off or picked up from school should walk the last 10 minutes of the journey. All drop offs/pickups should be away from the school and not in the roads surrounding the school. A map detailing our pick up and drop off points is available on the website click here.
Technology and Payment
Arbor
Arbor is our Management Information System (MIS) and also offers the ability for parents/carers to have accounts and manage their data. You will shortly receive an email to set up an Arbor account. Once you have received this email please follow the instructions to set up your account, at which point you will be able to fill in medical information regarding your child. If you already have a student at KWS you should be able to see your new Year 7 joiner under the same login.
You can also download the Arbor Parent Portal app on both Android and Apple devices. This allows us to send you notifications as a reminder regarding important upcoming events.
>> ACTION REQUIRED!
Consents: We also request consents via Arbor. There are 4 that require immediate attention:
• Charging for Materials
• Biometrics/Fingerprint Consent
• Photograph Consent – this is giving the school permission to take and use pictures of your child in publicity material for the school
• Technology User Agreement.
Classcharts
Once your child starts in September you will be issued a log in for Classcharts and will be able to see other information via your parent login including Rewards and Consequences information.
Online Payments
Online Payments for school trips, school meals and other items such as lockers, textbooks etc are now paid for through Arbor. You will be able to make payments to the school immediately once you have activated your Arbor parent portal account.
Financial Assistance
If you require financial assistance with the cost of a Chromebook, uniform and/or the Manor Adventure trip and you live in Harpenden, Wheathampstead, Redbourn, Markyate, Kimpton or Flamstead, please contact the James Marshall Foundation in the first instance. Their easy-to-complete online application form is available here. If you live elsewhere and require financial assistance please contact us at finance@kwschool.co.uk to discuss your options. If you think you may be eligible for free school meals please click here for more information.
Keeping your child safe at KWS
Health
Keeping our students safe is of paramount importance and it is essential that you inform us of any health issues that your child has that could in any way impact their time at school or on day/residential trips before they start.
Our policy as a school is that it is the responsibility of the student to carry their own medication at all times if they require inhalers and/or epipens. All of our staff will be trained to administer epipens in an emergency and we will hold spare inhalers/epipens at reception, but they are there for emergency use and must not be relied upon as a substitute for a child taking responsibility for their own medical needs.
A number of staff are first aid trained and we have a medical officer who is responsible for managing the medical room. KWS understands the importance of medication being taken as prescribed. In the vast majority of cases, students will be able to administer their own medication during the school day. Medicines will only be administered by the school when it is detrimental to the child’s health or school attendance not to do so. It may be appropriate in some cases for students to be supervised when taking medication.
Staff will only administer medication to a student with parental consent. A ‘Request for School to Administer Medication form’ must be completed by parents. Please contact the School Office if you require a copy of this form. Staff will not administer any non-prescribed or over the counter medication during the course of the normal school day (e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen) unless they are part of a wider care plan for a condition and their use has been prescribed by a medical practitioner. Further information is included in our Medical Conditions Policy on the school website.
