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Activities

To enhance learning, teachers may organise special activities, possibly away from the school site.  When this incurs additional expense, parental contributions may be sought in accordance with the school charging policy.  Students will be expected to return completed consent or medical forms as appropriate in order to take part. 
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Assemblies Policy
We are required by educational law to hold a daily act of collective worship.  Assembly time is valued as a time for bringing whole year groups together to share a common theme, to air school issues, to celebrate students' successes and achievements and to generate agreed common values.  Parents who wish, for religious reasons, to withdraw their children from assembly should contact the Deputy Head. 

Expectations
- Students will arrive promptly for assembly having first registered with group tutors.
- Students should be dressed smartly, should not be chewing and should enter the hall in silence.
- Tutor groups, on a rotational basis, will be responsible for setting out the chairs in the hall.
- Tutors will accompany their tutor group to the assembly and remain with the students to oversee correct seating in alphabetical order, by tutor group, and monitor behaviour.
- Key Stage Leaders will be responsible for the management, control and dismissal of the assembly and for introducing the 'speaker' for each assembly.

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Assembly Rota

There are three main purposes for the assembly rota:

1.      To link up with the topic themes in PEACE lessons

2.      To highlight the school values

• Respect and consideration for others

• Everyone in the school community valued as an individual

• Fostering relationships based on honesty and trust

• Developing a sense of self and the ability to express oneself with confidence

• Resilience and a desire to learn

• Independence and creativity

3.      To ensure key issues of school life are addressed.

In addition, assemblies will be used to cover special events, develop house identity and convey information, particularly from the School Council.

Assemblies will follow a 6-day rotation system to include all houses and the sixth form

6^th Form Assemblies will not take place on a Wednesday due to CCP and paired reading.

A full calendar of assemblies is available from the school. This is subject to change. Accurate assembly rotas are published on the staff and student announcements for the fortnight ahead

Whole school assemblies and Achievement assemblies

On the first day of term in September, after Christmas and after Easter a whole school assembly takes place in the sports hall for all students and teaching staff.  A member of the leadership team will take the assembly.

A procedure schedule will be issued prior to this event.

On the last school day before Christmas, before Easter and before the summer recess, achievement assemblies will take place for all year groups.

Attendance

Attendance Policy

Attendance is vital for your child’s education.  If your child is too ill to attend school, please telephone the school to let us know.  Our absence line is 862 232 and select Option 1.  If the absence is likely to be longer than three days, please inform us so that work can be sent home.  When your child returns to school, please write a note explaining the duration and reason for the absence (for example: illness, hospital visits, dental visits, etc.)  If no note is received, the absence may be classified as unauthorised and be included as such in your child’s school report and in any references.

If your child’s attendance is a cause for concern, the House Leader will contact you to discuss ways in which your child can be supported to improve their attendance.  If there is any change in circumstances that may affect your child, please contact the House Leader.

Please try to arrange appointments (medical etc.) out of school hours.  However, if this is unavoidable, it would be appreciated if appointments were made for the last lesson of the morning or afternoon, so that your child’s absence is minimised.

It is important that your child’s attendance at school is uninterrupted and therefore we request that you do not arrange family holidays during term time.  Requests for leave of absence should be made in writing to the Headteacher, well in advance of the date.  Request forms can be obtained from the Attendance Officer or Reception.  We are allowed to authorise up to 10 days per year for a family holiday. Any unauthorised absences are reported as part of the school’s statistical returns to the DfES.

See here for further details and here for a flowchart (Word documents).

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Clubs

MAX (Matthew Arnold eXtra-curricular) offers students a wide variety of activities to suit all talents.  Students can find details of activities on offer from the MAX noticeboard in the restaurant or the Extra Curricular Activities list on the website. We encourage every student to take part in at least one activity.  There are many sporting and artistic events to work towards.  In order that your child can take part in certain sporting activities, we require your permission.  Your child may need to go off site, accompanied by a teacher, to take part in matches and other activities.  To give your consent please sign the consent form sent to parents in the appropriate yearbook.

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Contacting Us
A cornerstone of each child achieving their full potential is a strong relationship between home and school.  If children are to be happy and successful then they need to be secure in the support from their parents and teachers.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of your child’s education please contact the group tutor or House Leader in the first instance.  If the problem relates to a specific subject, please contact the Curriculum Leader.  Our aim is to respond within 2 working days.  If you are unhappy with the way in which a problem has been dealt with, please contact a member of the Leadership team.  Our aim is to resolve any problems within 5 working days.

We are happy to discuss any aspect of your child’s progress and welfare.

The school' address, telephone number and email address are available on our Contacts web page.
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Exams and Assessments

Exams and assessments are an important way for us to assess the progress your child is making.
The statutory end of key stage tests are marked externally. 
You will receive an exam statement shortly after the Year 7, 8 and 9 exams.

The majority of GCSE examinations take place in May and June of Year 11, but some subjects are examined throughout Year 10 and 11.  It is important that students and parents are aware of forthcoming examinations and up-to-date information is available on the school intranet.  Any queries regarding examinations should be addressed to the Examinations Officer. 

There are guides available on our Student Assessments page to help you understand how assessments work.

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Emergencies

Emergency Evacuation

Students are told: upon discovering a fire, break the glass at the nearest fire alarm call point.  These are located around buildings and near exits.  The alarm is a siren/claxon.  On hearing the alarm, leave the building by the nearest exit and proceed quietly to the assembly area on the school field.  Line up in silence, in tutor groups, alphabetically (register order).  Under no circumstances must the fire alarm be activated when there is no fire.  False alarms are a criminal offence.  The school will ensure the arrest and prosecution of offenders as they place everyone at the risk of harm.  The school will also exclude offenders and levy an administration charge of £50 towards the costs incurred when a false alarm is made.


In an emergency
Occasionally, circumstances can result in a school being closed for a period of time due, for example, to severe weather conditions.  Local radio plays a key role in any emergency, as it is the only way in which information can be transmitted rapidly.  In these rare circumstances, information would be broadcast on BBC Radio Oxford, Fox FM, GWR FM, 2-Ten FM and Mix 96.  There are procedures in place to avoid hoaxes and so any announcement by these radio stations will be genuine.  The school website will contain information on the Emergency Info page.  There will also be a sign outside the school giving the same information.  The local radio stations will be informed of the date of re-opening.  If the school is closed, any students who arrive and cannot return home will be supervised at  school until the end of the normal school day. 
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Health and Safety
Around the school walk sensibly keeping to the left.  Be particularly careful on staircases and places where vehicles may be moving around.  You should not play or loiter on staircases, landings, driveways or car parks.  Be careful not to leave the site or enter any areas that are out of bounds to students.  Do not climb trees or onto fences or low roofs for any reason.  In class be careful to carry out your teacher’s instructions, especially for fire alarms. 

This is a no smoking school for pupils and staff.  Cigarettes, lighters and matches, and any other smoking-related materials, if found in the possession of pupils, will be confiscated and destroyed.
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Home School Association (MAHSA)
We enjoy a strong partnership with parents of our students, particularly through the Home School Association, which is a very active, fund-raising group providing many useful ‘extras’ for the school every year.  The MAHSA makes a significant contribution to the facilities, which we can offer to our students by organising a variety of social events, which bring parents, staff and students together.   New members to the MAHSA are always welcome – contact details can be obtained from the school.
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Lunchtime Arrangements    

All students are expected to stay on site during the lunch break.  It is important, in the interests of student safety and welfare that we know where they are at all times of the day.  Only students who live close by may apply for permission to go home for lunch.  At the start of the year a letter should be sent to the House Leader requesting permission.  The House Leader will write to parents confirming the arrangements.  A copy of the letter needs to be carried by the student at all times.  If students need to go off site for any reason, permission must be obtained on each occasion, in advance, from the House Leader.

Click here for lunch menus (3 page PDF)

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Medical    

The First Aider deals with medical matters in the First Aid Room. If a student is feeling ill during lesson time, they should inform their teacher.  The teacher has a pass for a student to leave the lesson.  The First Aider will then deal with the problem and if necessary ring parents. 

If students need to take medicine at school they should bring a letter from their parents stating when it is required, and what dosage to give.   The medicine must be left with the First Aider.  The only exception is an inhaler for asthma.   

Students should not ask for paracetamol or other tablets at school; we are not allowed to dispense medicines.
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Out of Bounds              

Students are expected to be on the school premises (i.e. within the boundary fences of the site) at all times during break and lunchtime.  They are not permitted off site unless they have the House Leader's permission.  The skate bowl and Oxford Brookes University sports field and the woods behind school on Cumnor Hill are out of bounds. 

Out of bound areas on the site include the area immediately behind the sports hall and behind the mobile classroom by the car park and the area behind and around the telephone mast at the edge of the site.
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A member of the leadership team is always available, without appointment, to discuss any matter at these evenings.  There is one Parents’ Evening per year for every year group.  Students are given an appointment sheet to make appointments for their parents with their subject teachers.  The appointments are normally set at 5-minute intervals.  Students are welcome to accompany their parents to these meetings.
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Stationery / Text Books

Exercise books are provided for students.  Students should write in blue or black pen.  If exercise books are lost the replacement cost will be charged.  In some subjects work is kept in files.  Most text books are supplied by school, although on occasion parents may wish to buy a specific book to help their children with their studies.  All students should have a dictionary for English and a language dictionary.  If text books are lost the full replacement cost will be charged.
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Student Planner

At the beginning of the school year students will be given a homework planner.  This planner has information, followed by a week-to-week section for recording homework and making notes or writing reminders.  There is a section for target setting, where students will record previous achievements and future aims.  This will help them to plot and plan their own progress and successes.  The tutor will show them how to best make use of the planner and will also require seeing it each week to track the homework completion.  Parents too should see the planner and sign it to acknowledge that all is in order.  Mostly this is a reference guide and personal organiser, though teachers and parents may wish at times to write comments or make observations.
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Matthew Arnold School works in partnership with the University of Oxford to train new teachers.  Part of their training involves conducting a school based investigation: for example they might look at what students think help them learn most effectively, or how Year 9 students select their options and what advice they take.  This kind of research helps trainee teachers understand more about how schools work and what their job as a teacher will involve.

If a trainee teacher would like your child to take part in a study then they will write to you to request permission and to explain exactly what it involves.  Every child naturally has the right to say no and they can pull out of the interview or stop answering questions at any time.

If you do not wish your child to be involved in any of the trainee teachers' research then please write to Ms Harries, Professional Tutor, at the school. 

If you have any questions about this then please contact Ms Harries.  All studies are also checked and approved by the senior staff at the school and the University of Oxford's Research and Ethics Committee.

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If there is a difficulty with transport the school is unable to intervene and parents are responsible for ensuring that their children attend school.  The contact number for the LEA transport department is 01865 871674.

Cars and Motorbikes
Students may only bring a car or motorbike to school, and park it on site, if they have been issued with permit to do so by the Business Manager.  This permit must be displayed in the vehicle concerned.  To obtain a permit they must provide evidence of the following:

·         Qualification to drive

·         Vehicle details

·         Parental consent

·         Consent of vehicle owner (if different)

·         Valid insurance and MOT if applicable

Permits will be revoked in the event of dangerous driving or concern about the vehicle’s condition. The school accepts no responsibility for student vehicles parked on site.