FAQs
What is a typical day like?
Students are expected to be on the school site by 8.35am and will start the day with their form tutor at 8.40am. Students have five minute's at 8.55am to get to their first lesson at 9am. They will have half an hour for P1 and then a further three one and a half hour lessons each day which begin at 9.30am. Break time is 11.00-11.30am and lunch is 1.00pm-1.30pm. The day finishes at 3pm.
What should I do if my child is absent from school?
We encourage all students to attend school 100% of the time. If your child is too unwell to come to school, the first option is to report the absence via the Studybugs app or please contact the absence line (0208 974 0400 option 1) as soon as possible every day of absence. If you are unsure whether to send your child in, please do so and we will contact you if they are too unwell to be in school.
If your child has been physically sick or has diarrhea, please note that we have a 48 hour exclusion policy.
We understand that children sometimes need to attend appointments and we would ask that these are scheduled outside of school times where possible. If this is not possible please send a note in with your child for their form tutor prior to the appointment.
Who are my points of contact?
For most issues your first point of contact will be your child’s form tutor via email. For more urgent or serious concerns you may wish to contact your child’s head of year or a member of the senior leadership team. For subject specific queries you can contact your child’s subject teacher or head of department. All staff email addresses can be found on the website, under Parents and then Staff Contacts.
If you wish to meet with a specific member of staff we are very happy to accommodate this. Please contact the member of staff via email or telephone to arrange a mutually agreeable time. Please bear in mind that there are times when there may not be a relevant member of staff available for an immediate meeting or phone call unless it is an emergency due to teaching commitments.
How will I be informed about my child?s progress?
Staff report predicted levels and behaviour for learning codes 3 times per year. These are available for parents to view electronically at the end of each term. All year groups also have at least one parents’ evening a year where you can meet with your child’s subject teachers. As parents, you will also have access to the Arbor app which is a program staff can use to record behaviour points, praise, detentions, homework and attendance. Staff may also contact you via telephone or email should they have specific concerns or praise they want to share with you.
What happens if my child receives a detention?
Detentions can be given for poor behaviour, failure to hand in homework, failure to complete classwork, not following instructions, truanting lessons or lateness. Detentions may be set at break, lunch or after school. For detentions of 15 minutes or less we will not inform you in advance. For longer detentions you will have at least 24 hours’ notice. Detentions will be logged on the Arbor app. Failure to attend a detention may result in a longer one or an escalated sanction.
What equipment will my child need?
All students are expected to have a pencil case containing at least two blue or black pens, a pencil, a rubber and a ruler. Other pieces of equipment which would be beneficial are a calculator, highlighters and a glue stick. Students will also be responsible for remembering to bring in the correct exercise books for their subjects each day as well as their PE kit and any ingredients they may need for catering.
What is enrichment?
Enrichment encompasses all extra-curricular activities that take place during and outside of the school day. There are a variety of sports clubs that run at lunchtime and after school as well as a variety of others such as chess club, debate club and Italian club. All years are well accommodated. Various trips are arranged throughout the year including a ski trip, languages trips to France/Germany/Spain and sports activities. We also run enrichment days for years 7 and 8 when students spend the whole day completing an activity of their choice.
See our extra curricular activiities web page below:
What is Alternative Provision?
Alternative provision is a pathway we offer for small number of students who would benefit from extra support and a more vocational curriculum. For the most part they will study the same subjects as their peers, but they will not study a language or RS. During these lessons they will instead complete courses on life skills, money management and stress relief as well as practical projects e.g. gardening, wood work and extra English and maths. This is available to select students from year 8 upwards.
How is homework set?
Please see our homework section
What happens if my child has Special Educational Needs or a disability?
We collect details regarding SEND from primary schools during transition meetings prior to the start of each new school year. This is used to allocate support where appropriate. In addition, every new pupil to the school will have their reading and spelling assessed using a specifically designed program. If it is suspected that a child has a special need or an additional need, we will arrange to further testing. If appropriate, we will arrange for interventions and/or shared TA support in lessons.
What is The Wave?
The Wave is a provision we offer to any student who requires it. Its main aim is supporting the wellbeing of students, particularly those who may be vulnerable due to adverse family circumstances, bereavement or mental health issues. It is run by two learning support mentors who have a wealth of experience on these matters and liaising with outside agencies when required. In recognition of our commitment to promoting good mental health we are the first secondary school in the UK to be awarded the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools award at Gold status level.
How will I receive information from the school?
Where possible we try to minimise the use of paper so do not post out letters except in individual circumstances. We use the Studybugs app for most parent communication. If there is a letter we will text a link for you to view it on the school’s website. The school’s website will also have the calendar for the academic year for notable dates and term times, information about trips, recent successes and previous letters for downloading. All our policies, results and most recent Ofsted inspection are all available for viewing on the website. We may also call, text or email you to request or pass information on. Finally, Class Charts will be available for viewing using an app on your phone so you can access your child’s academic progress, behaviour and attendance.
Please remember to inform the school if you have any changes to your contact details.
What happens if my child is ill in school?
The school’s medical room is situated at reception. If your child feels unwell they need to ask their class teacher or tutor for note before going to reception. Here, a trained first aider will assess whether your child needs to be sent home. If this is the case, we will call you to either obtain permission to send them home alone or request that someone collects them. In some circumstances we can give paracetamol or hayfever medication, but only if we have your permission.
The school has several trained first aiders including some who are trained to operate the school’s defibrillator should this be required.
If your child has any regular medication they need to take such as a course of antibiotics or insulin we can look after this in a lockbox or a refrigerator. Students will need to administer their own medication, but can do so in the privacy of the school’s medical room.
If your child requires an asthma pump or Epi-Pen please ensure they carry these will them at all times.
It is vital that we have up to date medical information so please complete the medical form as soon as possible to return it to reception.
What are the meal arrangements at school?
The canteen is run by a company called Pabulum.
www.pabulum-catering.co.uk/secondary-healthy-school-lunches/
The opening times for the canteen are:
Breakfast – 8.00-8.30 (free porridge available for all students)
Break – 11.00am - 11.30am
Lunch – 1.00pm - 1.30pm
The current cost of the daily main meal is £2.35
If your child has any food allergies or intolerances please inform the school via the medical form.
Free meal provision at school
Provision of food in the middle of the day will be given free of charge to a student whose parents are in receipt of
- Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400
- Income support
- Income based Jobseeker's Allowance (IBJSA)
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance (IRESA)
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC
N.B. If you receive WORKING TAX CREDIT you do NOT qualify even if you receive child tax credit and your income is below £16,190
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
If your child is currently in receipt of free school meals, or you think that your child is entitled to them, you must fill out an application form and return to the school office:free-school-meals-form.pdfDue to recent changes to the Free School Meal Eligibility Criteria and the rollout of Universal Credit (1st April 2018) your child may be protected to receive FSMs. Eligibility will be verified and confirmation advised by the school office on submission of an application form.
Students may also bring a packed lunch from home which must be eaten in the dining hall or in good weather at the picnic tables. Parents are encouraged to adopt the healthy eating guidelines for packed lunches and fizzy drinks should not be included in lunches. Glass bottles are not to be brought into school and all litter must be placed in the bins provided or taken home.
How does the cashless catering system work?
When students start at EEHS we will scan their fingerprint for use in the cashless catering system. This can be topped up by logging into ParentPay:
www.parentpay.com/public/client/security/#/login
There is a top up machine in the canteen, but we recommend using ParentPay as there can sometimes be a delay between using the top up machine and the money being available to spend. There is a £5 daily spend limit in place.
What items are banned from school?
Any items which can be construed as dangerous or as a weapon (or replica thereof) are banned from the school site. Prohibited items include: knives, alcohol, illegal drugs, stolen items, tobacco and cigarette papers, fireworks, pornographic images and selfie sticks. In all circumstances these items will be confiscated and may be disposed of if appropriate. In some cases we may release the items back, but only to a responsible adult and not the child in question.
Can I get a locker for my child?
A company called I.L.S provide lockers for Epsom and Ewell High School students. The lockers are owned by I.L.S and are available to be rented on an annual basis. Rental costs are £22 per year from September to July.
To rent a locker please visit www.ilsschools.co.uk
What extra curricular activities are available?
You can find our full programme of clubs and activities here:
If I need to request leave for absence of my child. How do I do this?
Please use the following form:
Application for leave of absence for exceptional circumstances
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