A daily dialogue between class teacher and home is important to ensure that relevant information is relayed each day to parents and carers who can respond or provide information about their child or young person.

Each class teacher or tutor designs an effective method of home-school communication suitable for the needs of their class, students, parents and carers.  This is to ensure that they are as student-centred as possible.  

Parents of younger students may find a diary page with symbol supports useful to aid discussion between parents and carers and their young people.  These can be used as a prompt for parents and carers to communicate with their child or young person about their activities and feelings on how their day went.

Some parents and carers may prefer a daily communication by email or a paper diary sent home in students’ bags.

Parents and carers are welcome to telephone the school with urgent messages that need to be delivered immediately to staff.  Urgent calls may be put through to the most appropriate or available person.  

If it is not possible for a parent or carer to speak to class staff, a message will be taken and delivered for contact to be made within a reasonable time. Non-urgent calls to class staff should be kept to a minimum at times of the day where teaching and learning may be disrupted.  This includes before school where lessons are being prepared.  

It is preferred that parents and carers do not contact staff by text.  

Parents and carers should not expect staff to:

• Return calls after work hours
• Answer email in the evening or weekends 

Since March 2015, a Home School Agreement is not a statutory requirement for schools. However, the school still values the use of a Home School Agreement,  which sets out the school’s responsibilities towards students, the responsibilities of parents and carers and what the school expects of students.  It is designed to help achieve a supportive, communicative and effective partnership and is sent to parents and carers annually.

The school newsletter is sent to parents and carers at the end of each school week and added to the school website.  It contains general details of school events and activities.  We send other letters of a general nature when necessary.

The school distributes a parent and carer survey once in the Summer Term each year to establish the views and opinions of parents and carers on the school performance.  This is analysed by senior management and governors and this data is used to provide a focus for wellbeing initiatives and school improvement.

Our school website has up to date information on the school and links to various policies for parents and carers and also includes progress on equality plans and how we are spending Pupil Premium and Primary PE Funding.  The school prospectus is also available on the school website.

All students have an annual review to evaluate and develop an action plan regarding all aspects of the student’s life with a view to updating their Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) as appropriate.  In Year 9 students, participate in a person centred review which will have contributions from our Educational Psychologist and Careers adviser.  Representation from all professional services working with the family can be invited to attend as appropriate.

Staff meet with parents and carers as soon as it is possible in each new school year. Parents and carers are invited to a ‘Meet the Teacher’ session in the Autumn Term of each academic year. Two parents and carers evening meetings per yearare offered in addition to the annual review meeting. These meetings are used to explain areas of our curriculum and discuss progress. Parents and carers may also be invited into school prior to residential visits regarding the planning and content of the visit.

In the Summer Term, the school provides an annual written report to parents and carers on their child or young person’s progress. This includes information on students’ Learning Pathways (if applicable), individual skills achieved as well as any other additional assessments, and it will be maintained with progress updated throughout the year.