St Thomas More

RC College

Parent Handbook 2020

St Thomas More RC College

is a group of believers united, heart and soul,

in a Community which recognises the

worth and dignity of all people,

its Commitment to developing fully

the talents of all its members,

its Communication of the Gospel values of

peace, love, truth and justice,

its Communion with our Lord

and Saviour, Jesus Christ

Saint Thomas More was filled with the courage of the Holy Spirit and gave his life for his

faith. In our College we strive to live out our Christian ideals and faith because only by

doing that will we grow as a Christian community.

Welcome As Headteacher, I would like to welcome you to St Thomas More RC College. This booklet is a brief

introduction to the range of opportunities on offer in College and provides you with the information

you will need before you join us. We have an experienced, talented and committed staff at our college

who provide a supportive learning environment for all our pupils and we also have an excellent range

of buildings and facilities

There is friendly and experienced teaching staff in the college that work together to support our

Catholic Ethos and ensure that each pupil is enabled to achieve their full potential. We are proud to

be one of the highest performing schools in the Local Authority and the Salford Diocese. The collective

strength of our staff ensures that the ethos and values in our Mission Statement provide all our pupils

with high quality teaching and learning within a supportive environment.

Unfortunately, this year, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and the guidelines from the

Department of Education, our normal transition process has had to be amended and there will not be

a transition day this year for the Year 6s. Even though it is not possible to predict what the school day

and timetable will be like in September, we understand the importance of transition and this booklet

is an overview of the normal school day, routines and our high standards of behaviour and academic

learning at St Thomas More RC College. To help your child feel more confident about starting St

Thomas More RC College, there will be regular updates and news about our College on Twitter

@STM_College and our St Thomas More RC College Facebook page.

Normally, on the first day of school, we will meet our Year 7s in the main hall and they will be collected

from the main hall and escorted to their form rooms by their tutors and peer mentors (more details

to follow on the first day of school). Our peer mentors, teaching assistants and support staff will help

Year 7 pupils settle into life at St Thomas More. To help year 7 familiarise themselves with the cashless

cafeteria system in operation in the dining room, during the first two weeks of school, Year 7 pupils

will be allowed into lunch early. Furthermore, any changes that may occur will be communicated to

you as and when appropriate.

Along with the form tutor, each year has a Pupil Achievement Leader who will support your child

through their life at College. The form tutor and the Pupil Achievement Leader are the first point of

contact for parents who may want to discuss any issues or concerns that may arise.

By working together, we will be best placed to support your child to make the most of their time at St

Thomas More RC College.

Mr H Brophy

Headteacher

Contact Information

College Address

St Thomas More RC College

Town Lane

Denton

Manchester

M34 6AF

Telephone: 0161 336 2743

Fax: 0161 337 9701

General Email

admin@stmcollege.org.uk

Website

www.stmcollege.org.uk

Parents evenings

Parents evenings are held once a year when you have the opportunity to discuss your child’s

progress and development more fully with subject teachers. An appointment system is in

place so that you can choose times suitable to your evening. A letter is sent out in advance

informing you of times and dates.

St Thomas More Experience At St Thomas More we focus on providing an environment where pupils can enjoy and

achieve. All of our pupils matter to us and are treated individually with respect and

consideration. Our aim is to nurture the pupil’s natural talents and skills in order for the pupils

to become confident, high achieving, happy individuals.

The extra-curricular life of the College is rich and varied. St Thomas More offers pupils a wide

range of activities before College or at the end of the College day providing pupils with the

opportunity to meet other pupils and learn from each other in a relaxed atmosphere.

Extra-curricular opportunities at St Thomas More include:

A range of sporting clubs from football and netball to ultimate Frisbee

Leadership awards

Musical instrument instruction

Choirs

Art club

STEM club

Drama club

Reading and creative writing clubs

ICT clubs

GIFT Team

Stewardship

In addition, pupils take part in additional experiences including:

Form time reading

Retreat experiences

Cross curricular events

Trips and visits to support their learning

Reward trips

House System

Sports days and inter-form sports competitions

The College Day

The college day starts for pupils at 8.45am and finishes at 2.45pm

The details of the day are outlined in the table below.

Time Year 7, 8 and 9 Year 10 and 11

8.45 – 9.00 Registration Registration

9.00 – 10.00 Period 1 Period 1

10.00 – 11.00 Period 2 Period 2

11.00 – 11.15 Break Break

11.15 – 12.15 Period 3 Period 3

12.15 – 1.45

Period 4 and Lunch

Lunch 30 mins

12.15-12.45

Period 4

12.15-1.15

Period 4

12.45-1.45

Lunch 30 mins

1.15-1.45

1.45 – 2.45 Period 5 Period 5

All pupils are required to stay on the premises at lunchtime.

All pupils in the College follow a two week timetable. These timetables should be recorded in

the College Log Book. It is always useful to keep a copy of the timetable in a prominent place

at home to help in the early days with organisation. The timetables will be given to pupils on

the first day of the Autumn term. It will highlight the subject, subject teacher and classroom.

Term Dates 2020 - 2021

Autumn Term 2020

Wednesday 2 September - Friday 23 October

[October half-term holiday = 28 Oct to 30 Oct]

Monday 2 November - Friday 18 December

Spring Term 2021

Tuesday 5 January - Friday 12 February

[February half-term holiday = 15 Feb to 19 Feb]

Monday 24 February - Friday 3 April

Summer Term 2021

Tuesday 20 April - Friday 28 May

[Bank Holiday = Monday 3 May]

[May half-term holiday = 31 May to 4 June]

Monday 7 June - Friday 16 July

Inset Days

Tuesday 1 September 2020

Monday 4 January 2021

Monday 19 April 2021

St Thomas More RC College does not encourage parents to take

pupils out of College during term time. Absences for holidays will

not be authorised.

Academic excellence for all We are committed to ensuring that every pupil who joins St Thomas More is not only supported but pushed to achieve the very best they can during their time here. This is guaranteed through excellent transition links so we can build on the many successes achieved in the primary school. It is also reinforced through a rigorous system of tracking and progress reporting that sets challenging targets for every child. Progress is closely monitored to ensure pupils leave with the best possible qualifications.

Ongoing assessment takes place in every subject area at the end of each half term through a controlled assessment and formally through the year 7 examinations at the end of the year. Parents will receive tracking reports every term following the controlled assessments and a written report following the end of year exams.

Reports will include an Attitude to Learning score of 1-4 (as described in the table below). This indicates how well your child applies themselves to their learning.

Attitude to Learning

1. Always

Always enthusiastic to learn and make progress

Always communicates effectively with others

Always works independently

Always shows resilience when completing tasks

2. Usually

Usually enthusiastic to learn and make progress

Usually communicates effectively with others

Usually works independently

Usually shows resilience when completing tasks

3. Sometimes

Sometimes enthusiastic to learn and make progress

Sometimes communicates effectively with others

Sometimes works independently

Sometimes shows resilience when completing tasks

4. Rarely

Rarely enthusiastic to learn and make progress

Rarely communicates effectively with others

Rarely works independently

Rarely shows resilience when completing tasks

Curriculum On entry to St Thomas More RC College, pupils are placed into form groups under the care of

a form tutor. There is a Pupil Achievement Leader who is responsible for each year group. The

college has well-established links with our feeder primary schools and the programme of

integration enables smooth transition from primary to secondary phase.

Pupils are placed into their form groups after consultation with their primary school teachers.

The forms are made up of an equal mix of pupils of all abilities. Pupils are taught in these form

groups throughout Year 7 for most subjects. However, in Mathematics, Science and English

pupils are organised into sets within two parallel bands based on Key Stage 2 data and internal

assessments. National Curriculum guidelines are followed in all subjects. We provide a broad

and balanced curriculum. We challenge the most able pupils through effective setting of

groups from year 7-11 and through differention.

Inclusion and Support St Thomas More is an inclusive College that meets the needs of all pupils in always striving to

support and challenge them to achieve their potential. We are proud to have achieved

Advanced Inclusion Award which reflects our success in meeting the needs of all our pupils at

every level of ability. Support is provided at different levels according to need. At present this

is offered in class, by individual tuition and by withdrawal in consultation with subject

teachers. A Special Education Needs Policy including screening and assessment has been

developed in line with the Code of Practice for pupils with special needs. We want to ensure

that each child has access to any support they are entitled to and so positive links have been

established with all our feeder primary schools and specialist services.

Home Learning

Home learning is a recognised tool for supporting and enhancing pupil progress. Your child will receive regular home learning tasks throughout their time with us.

At St Thomas More we use an online package called Show My Homework. This tool enables teachers to set home learning online and for pupils to access this information online. Your child will be issued with instructions on how to access Show my homework (SMHW). They will log in by computer and in many cases will download the app for use on their smartphone. The app is particularly useful as it provides the pupil with a daily to-do list as well as sending morning alerts reminding them of the home learning that is due that day.

Parents are also able, through their own log-in, to monitor the home learning tasks which have been set and when they are due to be submitted. SMHW also enables parents to see if a pupil has missed a deadline.

Log in details will be issued to pupils and parents at the start of the year.

Parents are asked to log-in to SMHW immediately when their details arrive. This enables parents to monitor home learning from the outset and to teach their child the vital skill of time management. It also allows us at St Thomas More to identify parents who have not logged in and to offer help.

We are able to support access to SMHW and completion of homework. This is achieved through ‘Period 6’, and after school study session made available to all pupils from 2.45pm until 3.45pm in the CLC and in room 41.

If a pupil has a problem accessing SMHW then they should speak to their form tutor immediately.

The frequency of home learning can change according to the college curriculum structure. A typical year 7 frequency is to receive home learning every week in all subjects with the exception of Computing, Art and Music where it is set every two weeks and in PE where no home learning is expected.

The Log Book The log book is an important communication tool. It contains details about the College day, timetables,

our core standards and pages for communication between home and College.

Communication between parents/

carers and College is made on these

pages.

Parents/carers can inform College of

any issues and/or confirm they have

read comments from staff.

The log book must be signed each

week by the parent/carer.

Subject teachers will inform

parents/carers of achievements,

behaviour and any particular issues

in a specific subject area.

Attendance and Punctuality Attend and Achieve

Attendance at St Thomas More is very important. There is a very clear link between attendance and attainment.

We expect 100% attendance.

We expect pupils to arrive on time every day.

Parents / carers positive attitudes towards attendance and punctuality have a lasting impact on the child.

Absence

Parents/Carers should telephone College before 9.00am on the first morning of an absence. If no communication is received College will contact home. If a pupil is absent for longer than 3 days parents/carers should contact College again. On return to College please provide a note in the log book for your child’s form tutor. Pupils will always be expected to catch up on the work they have missed. Lateness

All pupils arriving after 8.45am are late. Pupils arriving after 8.45am and before 9.00am should go straight to their form room to register. Pupils arriving after 9.00am must sign in at the attendance office. Pupils who receive a late mark may be placed in detention that same evening. Parents will be notified of this by text message. Leaving College early

Pupils attending medical appointments etc. need a note in their log book from their parent/carer and they must be signed out at the College office. A signature from the form tutor and Pupil Achievement Leader is needed before a child is allowed to sign out of college. Pupils must be collected by a parent/carer. Sickness

Pupils who feel ill during the College day should report to the college office who will refer them to their Pupil Achievement Leader if appropriate. The College will then contact the appropriate parent/carer. Any pupil leaving the College must be collected by their parent/carer and signed out. St Thomas More does not have a nurse on the premises and can only deal with relatively minor first aid issues. Medication needed during the day may be left with the main office and parents are required to complete consent forms. Holidays

Holidays should not be taken during term time. St Thomas More will not authorise absence from College for holidays.

Our CORE Standards

St Thomas More RC College expects high standards to be maintained at all times. The rationale behind the CORE standards is to allow all members of our community to learn, feel valued and be safe. Our CORE standards are:

We respect all members of our community

We wear our full college uniform

We are fully equipped for learning

We respect our college environment

Our mobile phones/electronic devices/headphones are never seen or heard Our CORE standards are displayed in all classrooms. Every member of staff is expected to be proactive in ensuring our CORE standards are maintained. Photographs

Digital images of pupils are regularly taken as part of their learning at St Thomas More. If you agree to

your child being photographed please inform the College by completing and returning the parental

consent sheet enclosed with this booklet.

Uniform and Appearance

There is a college uniform which the pupils must wear. It not only serves to provide a clear, common

identity and sense of belonging for our pupils but also signals a strong message about equality and

frees pupils from a potential source of pressure about the clothes they wear.

GIRLS

Black blazer with school badge*

Black school pullover with St Thomas More trim*

Clip-on school tie*

Black skirt* or black school trousers*

White blouse – button collar to take tie

White or black ankle socks or plain black tights

Plain black leather school shoes (no logos, stripes, fabric shoes or pumps)

Black boots may be worn under trousers but not a skirt PE Kit

Gold STM polo shirt*

Black STM fleece*

Black STM shorts*

Plain black jogger style tracksuit bottoms

Plain black PE skirt

Black or white socks

Trainers BOYS

Black blazer with school badge*

Black school pullover with St Thomas More trim*

Clip-on school tie*

White shirt – button collar to take tie

Black school trousers (not jeans or fashion trousers)

Plain black leather school shoes (no logos, stripes, fabric shoes or pumps) PE Kit

Gold/black long sleeved rugby shirt*

White STM polo shirt*

Two pairs of black STM shorts*

Two pairs of socks (Black)

Trainers

Football boots

* These items of uniform must be purchased from our college supplier.

Trainers are only allowed in PE. They must never be worn in school other than during PE lessons and

must be brought to school only on the days the pupil has PE. We ask you do not allow your child to

wear expensive coats and jackets for school. All items of jewellery are NOT allowed.

Equipment checklist: Pens, Pencils, Coloured pencils, scientific calculator, ruler, eraser,

pencil sharpener, protractor and pencil case.

Cashless Cafeteria The college operates a cashless system for our catering service at College. It is a biometric system

which takes an image of your child’s fingerprint and turns this information into a digital signature. The

image of the fingerprint is then discarded. This process will be completed when your child attends the

Induction Day on Thursday 4th July.

This type of system offers many advantages including:

1. Convenience of paying for College meals. 2. Specific food allergy ingredients can be barred automatically. 3. Healthy eating is encouraged. 4. Queuing times are reduced through increased speed of service. 5. Other pupils will have no way of knowing who is on free school meals.

It enables us to deliver an efficient, fast service and to provide healthy and enjoyable meals at the

lowest cost.

College is able to provide you with a report detailing each item of food served, each credit made to

the system, for any time period and show a current balance. There is a daily ‘spend limit’ of £5.00

programmed into the system and this can be increased or decreased for an individual pupil by making

a written request to the College.

Payment methods

There are two methods of payment available:

ParentPay On-line* – This is a facility for you to credit your child’s account on-line. Using this system

means that you don’t have to give your child the responsibility of carrying cash. Log in details for

ParentPay will be posted to parents/carers during the summer holidays. Please be assured that

ParentPay offers the highest security and no card details are stored on the system or are accessible by

the college or ParentPay. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact college.

Validation Machines – There are two machines located in College, one which accepts notes and coins and the other coins only. These machines accept the following:

o £20 notes o £10 notes o £5 notes o £2 coins o £1 coins o 50p coins o 20p coins o 10p coins

There is no overdraft facility available on this system, therefore please make sure your child’s account is credited in plenty of time. Please note: Change is not available from College.

* ParentPay Online must also be used to pay for college trips and visits.

Free School Meals

Any pupil entitled to free school meals will have monies credited directly to their account. This is a

confidential system and therefore no member of the College will be aware of who is on free school

meals.

If you feel your child may be eligible for free school meals, please visit our Website and complete the

appropriate application. If you require further assistance please contact the college office on 0161 336

2743.

Rewards

Pupils are awarded MORE points as part of the reward system. A summary of the rewards and the

allocation of points is shown in the table below:

Reward Allocation of points

Attendance 100% - awarded every half term 40 points

Attendance 96-99.9% -awarded every half term 30 points

A2L from tracking 1 = 20 points, 2 = 10 points

Lesson Star 10 points

Achievement 10 points

4 C’s 10 points

Equipment 10 points per day

The points are added up over time and pupils achieve the following depending on the number of

points they receive:

Bronze badge

Silver badge

Gold badge

Platinum place on rewards trip and an entry for big prize (value £100) selected by each

year group.

Weekly prize pupil in each form with most points per week (not cumulative). Approximate

value £1.50

House System Each pupils will be in a House and wear a badge that indicates which house they are in. Each House has pupils from Year 7 to Year 11 in them. The house system will embodies the ethos of St Thomas More. The Mission Statement values of

Community, Communication, Commitment and Communion are evident throughout all activities.

House System Objectives

Our aim is to provide every pupil in each house opportunities for individual and group success that

will be celebrated as a community across the school. The House System will create:

A wider sense of belonging within the school

Social, academic, physical and practical challenge and celebration

Fun and excitement through challenge

Opportunities for leadership

A sense of individual and collective responsibility

The House your child is in will be dictated by the form that they are in as shown in the table below:

Form Groups In Year 7, we have 6 mixed ability form groups and the groups are put together by balancing academic needs, gender and information from the primary schools. Each form group is part of our house system and they will have a designated form tutor who will support, guide and inspire them during their time at STM. Also, there is no guarantee of friendship groups and initially, during tutor period, time will be spent building relationships in the form groups through a range of pastoral activities. Furthermore, the Year 7 cohort is split into 2 year halves 7T, 7H, 7O and 7M, 7A, 7S and students will be set, according to their ability, in Mathematics and taught in mixed ability classes in all other subjects.

Form Group House Name Colour T Teresa Green

H Hope Purple

O Oscar Yellow

M Mary White

A Andrew Blue

S Simon Red

Travelling to St Thomas More

Travelling to a new school can be one of the major worries that a child has. It can be useful to time

the journey to the College. Work out with your child how they are getting to College and what they

need. Also plan a routine for mornings and afternoons, and try a couple of practice runs.

There are various ways of travelling to St Thomas More which include walking, cycling, travelling by

bus, or by car.

WALKING

The journey to St Thomas More and Town Lane itself is extremely busy, pupils must stick to safe

walking routes and to use pedestrian crossings to cross the road; taking care of passing traffic at all

times.

CYCLING

Many pupils cycle to the College and there is a bike shed which is very secure so bikes can be stored

safely. Pupils should bring their own bike lock to secure their bike and will be expected to wear a cycle

helmet.

Our college policy on cycle safety states we can only grant permission for pupils to bring cycles onto site if they and their parent/carer have signed the college Cycle to School Contract. BY CAR

Parents bringing their children by car should drop them on Town Lane taking care not to obstruct the

College entrance or park in the restricted areas. If parents are collecting their child by car please do

not park in, near or opposite the college entrance as this is a danger to pupils leaving the premises.

BUSES

If your child travels by bus, they will need a bus pass or cash depending upon the route.

Numbers for bus enquiries:

Y86 Belle Vue Coaches 0161 947 9477

219/719 - Y79 - Y80 Stagecoach 0161 276 2550

Partnership Agreement

We have a lot to get through in the average College day, so pupils must be here by 8.45am. Important messages are often passed on in registration and assembly; so it is

vital that pupils are not late.

St Thomas More RC College is dedicated to fulfilling the Gospel values of the School Mission

Statement through a partnership between home and school.

AGREEMENT:

Parents/Carers

I/We shall try to:

Ensure that my child attends school regularly, on time and with the correct uniform and proper equipment.

Let the school know about any concerns or problems that might affect my child’s work or behaviour.

Support the college’s policies and Code of Behaviour, as stated in the school log book.

Support my child in homework and other opportunities for home learning.

Attend parents’ evenings and discussions about my child’s progress.

Support the staff of the college in their efforts to maintain high standards of discipline.

The College will:

Let parents know about any concerns or problems that affect their child’s work or behaviour.

Contact parents if there is a problem with attendance or punctuality.

Send home interim assessments and an annual Record of Achievement.

Set, mark and monitor homework.

Arrange parents’ evenings, consultation evenings, information and action planning sessions.

Keep parents informed about school activities through regular letters home, termly newsletters and notification of special events.

Nurture the pupils’ intellectual, social, spiritual and emotional well being.

The Pupil will:

Attend college regularly and on time.

Bring all necessary equipment every day.

Wear the college uniform and be tidy in appearance.

Do classwork and home learning to the best of their ability.

Respect the college environment.

The Partnership Agreement, along with other important information, can be found on the college

website. Please sign the parental consent sheet to acknowledge agreement.