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Littleover Community School

Induction - Information for Parents, Carers and New Students

This page aims to answer questions that parents, carers and Year 6 students may have before the start of school in September.

Click a section below to view more information.

Induction 2023

Induction

Wecome to Littleover Community School.

Induction - Introduction with Ms Wilson


Welcome to Littleover Community School. We hope that the following pages will give you all of the information you need for Induction at LCS.

Our Induction Days are on the 4th and 6th of July 2023 (NOTE: due to industrial action, the induction day previously planned for 5th July will now not take place); your child will attend LCS on these days to help them to find out more about LCS. They will meet their form group and tutor and experience different lessons. They will also take part in an interform sports competition as well as a Technology activity and some Creative Arts performances.

Induction Evening for parents is on 3rd July at 6pm. On this evening parents will have a talk followed by a chance to meet your child’s tutor.

We have been liaising closely with the Primary Schools and have the information that we need about your child. If you have any concerns or information that you would like to pass on, please contact the school and ask to speak to Ms Wilson, Assistant headteacher who will be able to help you.

As well as information about Induction we have added information to the website in the Induction Process area about the school including videos, photos and virtual tours. Videos targeted at Parents and Carers are mostly found under the About LCS (Information for Parents & Carers) section. Videos targeted primarily at Year 6 students are found under the About LCS (Information for Year 6) section. We hope that you find the information useful and we look forward to meeting you and your child in July.

Induction - Important Dates


Event / Task Date
Complete the Student Information Collection form by Friday 16th June
Induction Evening for Parents on Monday 3rd July
Induction Days on

Tuesday 4th July
Thursday 6th July

 

(NOTE: due to industrial action, the induction day previously planned for 5th July will now not take place)

Submit Locker Request via Parent Payment System by Friday 8th September
Submit D&T Contributions via Parent Payment System by Friday 8th September

 

 

Our payment system information will be sent to you in July.

Induction Days - Frequently Asked Questions

When are the Induction Days?

  • We have organised the Induction Days for the 4th and 6th of July.

    (NOTE: due to industrial action, the induction day previously planned for 5th July will now not take place)

How should students travel to school?

  • Students should travel to school as they intend to on any normal school day and parents should not enter the site. The school bus will be running as usual.
  • If your child will be travelling to school by bus, or you decide to bring your child by private transport, please see the section entitled Getting to and from School.
  • So that we can guide your child to their form they should enter through the Pastures Hill gate on the first Induction Day, 4th July.

What time should students arrive?

  • Students should arrive between 8.25am and 8.35am. Staff will be on the gate and the drive to escort them to the correct area.

What should students wear?

  • Their normal primary school uniform.
  • They should bring their trainers with them.

What should students bring?

  • Students will need a snack for break and a bottle of water.
  • In addition to this they will need a small bottle of hand sanitiser for personal use.
  • Please could you ensure that students have a pencil case with the following equipment:
    • Pens and pencils
    • Ruler
    • Eraser
    • Glue stick
    • Coloured pencils
    • Small curved-edged scissors

What will students be doing during the induction days?

  • Students will be doing lots of activities in their forms and will have a number of sample lessons in different subjects.
  • They will have a tour of the school and will take part in a Technology activity and an Inter-form sports competition. They will also watch Creative Arts performances, including music and drama.

What are the lunch arrangements?

  • Lunch will be provided free of charge on the Induction Days.

What time does the day end?

  • The day ends at 2.55pm. Please ensure that your child knows how they are getting home. No cars should enter the site.

About LCS (Information for Parents & Carers)

At LCS we pride ourselves on our level of Pastoral Care and our positive relationships with our students.

Our methods are fairly traditional when it comes to the Academic and Pastoral organisation of the school. We believe our systems are clear and understood by students and parents alike.

Classes in Year 7

  • Students in Year 7 will be taught in 10 different Tutor groups.
  • They will have the majority of their lessons in these groups for their first year here, so their relationship with classmates will be vital.
  • They will see their tutor each morning, who will be their first point of contact for help and support.
  • A lot of time has been taken to organise students into balanced groups, bearing in mind information the Primary Schools have given us. Communication with Primary Schools has been ongoing during school closure.
  • We don’t ask students to provide names of 2 or 3 friends they would like to be in a class with – we haven’t done this now for some time.

    The reasons for this are to help students widen their group of friends, also because of changing friendship groups and how often they find new friends, as well as old friends, and want to change classes as a result.

Bullying

Parents and carers will have lots of questions ahead of the start of the new academic year in a new school.

One of the first questions parents always have is about Bullying.

Bullying is always an issue that parents and students are rightly concerned about.

We do not tolerate bullying at LCS

Those of you who have students already at the school, or who have been here in the past will know that we never say that there is no bullying at this school. No school in the world can make that statement.

What we can say is that Bullying is not a major problem at this school. Feedback from Parents and Students shows us consistently that the vast majority of students here enjoy school, feel safe here and feel supported to achieve their best.

Results from the most recent Parent Survey (available on website) and termly Student Surveys are consistently extremely positive.

  • Most issues we deal with are relatively minor, as young people inevitably fall-out with each other now and again.
  • When students report bullying to us it is always dealt with – it is never ignored.
  • We will always work to find a solution to a problem, in order to stop the issue from happening again.

What we must all do is to encourage our young people to report any issues of bullying so that they can be dealt with.

We will need your help and support in doing this. We must make it clear to all of our young people that they should not have to tolerate bullying and that they must talk to us if they are unhappy about anything they have seen or heard.

Your commitment to school

As part of your commitment to us we ask you to maintain a positive interest in your child’s education to support and encourage them.

We ask you:

  • To sign the Home School Agreement in the front of their planner, in first few days of new term in Sept.
  • To check your child has the right equipment each day for school.
  • To make sure they attend regularly and on time.
  • To attend Parent’s evenings, the first of which will be the ‘Settling In’ Evening in November, details of which you will receive nearer the time.

Parents and carers can regularly check students’ progress through accessing Go4Schools; information about this is on the school website.

Uniform

We ask you to make sure that students are wearing the correct uniform, details of which can be found on school website. You should also find details of suppliers and their arrangements for on-line purchases; there is no facility to purchase uniform directly from school.

The main issues we have with uniform are always with trousers and shoes.

  • We ask students to look smart for school, as they would for work.
  • Skin-tight trousers and trainers are, therefore, not acceptable.
  • We ask for trousers to be correctly fitted and for students to wear shoes.
  • Please refer to details of our Dress Code on the school website– including photos.

Attendance and Holidays

We ask you not to take holidays in school time. School policy is very clear on this and always has been.

  • Holidays are to be taken outside of term time and we will not use discretion on this,  except in defined ‘exceptional circumstances’.
  • Term dates are published on our website well in advance, to assist parents and carers in booking holidays.
  • Our stance on holidays has always been the same and has not changed. It is one of reasons why this school has the best attendance record of any in the city.
  • This is also because our students like being here and want to keep coming each day.
  • In any school, there is a clear link between attendance and ultimate academic success.

If any of us took an exam and achieved a mark of 90% this would be an excellent result.  90% attendance level at school, however, means that the student is missing, on average, 1 day every 2 weeks.

This equates to 20 days a year – or 4 school weeks.

  • We ask you to send your child to school every day and to contact us immediately on the first morning if your child is ill or unfit to attend.
  • We operate a First Day calls system and all parents and carers will receive a phone call or text message on the first day of their child’s absence. It helps us greatly, therefore, if parents and carers can inform us immediately, if their child is not going to be in school.

Mobile phones and social media

This is a place of learning and consequently we ask students not to bring mobile phones or other electronic devices into school.

  • Most bullying issues or arguments between students are caused by social network sites such as Instagram and Snapchat, accessed through a mobile phone.
  • The vast majority of issues and problems we deal with in school are started on Snapchat, Instagram or Tik Tok by young people sending messages/images in the evenings and weekends. They then bring this into school the following day.
  • As a school we would be grateful if all parents monitor their child’s use of the internet and Social Networking sites such as these, as social media use is one of the largest problems in schools in this country at present time.
  • There is a lot of information on our school website regarding on-line safety and risks of social media, which can be found in the Safeguarding section

Growing numbers of young people are displaying signs of addiction to social media, which has become a significant factor in mental health issues in young people.

  • We believe we are doing students a favour by not letting them have phones for 8 hours each day.
  • A recently published study found that young people can spend up to 12 hours scrolling and messaging on mobile devices each day.
  • We must not underestimate this issue and would ask parents and carers for their help in educating students about it.
  • Please look for regular updates on our website and school Twitter and Facebook sites, which we do use as a positive form of social media interaction with students, parents and carers.

SEND

Mrs B. Bush - LCS SEND Co-ordinator

About LCS (Information for Year 6)

Mr Wilding - Headteacher



The Essential Guide to LCS for New Year 7 Students

Year 7 Guide to LCS

Below is a useful guide for new Year 7 students containing a wide range of useful information.

Mr Woods - Head of Year 7

 

Lessons, Homework and the School Day

Mrs Spalding explains how learning works at LCS.

Mr McElhone - Deputy Headteacher

Mr McElhone talks about what is expected of LCS Students.

Safeguarding and Wellbeing

A message from the LCS Safeguarding and Wellbeing Department.

Virtual Tour

School Map

Below is a map of LCS, showing all the classroom and facilities. It may help to have a copy to hand when watching the virtual tour below.

LCS Map

Virtual Tours

Interactive Tour

Use the menu on the left to select an area to view. You can then drag to look around each area.



Video Tour

Below is a narrated video tour of LCS.

Student Information Collection Form

Please complete and submit the online student information form. It is essential that ALL details are completed and submitted no later than: Friday 16th June.

Students’ entitlement to free school meals will not automatically be transferred from primary school.  Therefore, to ensure students receive their FSM entitlement, please indicate this on the Student Information Collection Form and a form will be forwarded to you.

Conduct at LCS - "The LCS Way"

LCS puts great emphasis into ensuring that students show respect, courtesy and compassion to others.

We encourage students to follow "The LCS Way" - a set of guidelines on how LCS students are expected to behave. You can download a copy of the "LCS Way" poster, which can be found displayed around the school, below.

More specific information about behaviour in school can be found in the Behaviour Policy under School > Policies page.

Computer and Internet Use

Responsible Internet Use

Users of computers and the Internet at LCS must do so responsibly. Below outlines a list of rules for responsible Internet and computer use at LCS.

Rules for Responsible I.T. Systems Use

The school computer system provides Internet access for students and staff.

This Responsible IT Use statement is designed to protect students, staff and the school by stating clearly what is acceptable and what is not.

  • Access may only be made via the user’s authorised account and password, which must not be disclosed to any other person.
  • School computers and the Internet use must be appropriate to the student’s education or to staff professional activity.
  • Details of any unsuitable website must be reported, at once, to the Network Manager (Mr. Varley).
  • Copyright and intellectual property rights must be respected. Plagiarism is prohibited.
  • Users are responsible for e-mail they send and for contracts made.  Messages from students to outside agencies must be checked by a teacher before sending.  E-mail messages should be polite and carefully written and only used for school related business.
  • Users should not give out personal details over the Internet.  Remember: You cannot be certain who is reading your messages.
  • Use of the Internet to bully or harass anyone (inside or outside school) is strictly forbidden.
  • The use of public chat rooms or social networking sites is not allowed.
  • The school’s IT systems may not be used for private purposes, unless the Headteacher has given permission for that use.
  • Use for personal financial gain, gambling, political purposes or advertising is forbidden.
  • Personal commercial transactions (buying and selling) on the Internet are strictly prohibited.
  • The security of the school’s ICT systems must not be compromised.
  • The use of any computer system in school is monitored at all times by software which records and logs inappropriate use of the systems.

Irresponsible use may result in the loss of Internet access and other disciplinary sanctions. Gross abuse of Internet use e.g. for personal gain or to access pornographic material will result in serious disciplinary procedures, which may include exclusion/dismissal.

Data Protection

Design and Technology Contribution

D and T ProjectAll students at Littleover Community School study Design and Technology and complete a number of products that they are allowed to take home. As you will appreciate the cost of the materials is high; therefore we ask you for a contribution towards the cost. This allows us to give students far more interesting and challenging projects than would otherwise be possible.

This voluntary contribution covers all of the material areas for Design and Technology, apart from the Food Technology modules in Year 8 and Year 9, where students are required to bring in ingredients, and Year 9 Textiles where they bring in their own choice of fabric.

Students who do not make a contribution will not be excluded from any part of the lessons but they will not be able to take the products home. The materials and components from their work will be recycled or the products may be used for display.

In the past, students have paid for their products at the end of every module they complete. To simplify administration for all concerned we are asking you to make a contribution for Years 7, 8 and 9 in one payment of £25.00. This cost will contribute towards the following projects:

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9
Cushion cover Laser cut light MP3 speaker
Thermometer Clock Desk tidy

If your child leaves Littleover Community School, the outstanding amount will, of course, be refunded. If this presents a problem to you, please let me know - the contribution may be waived in cases of hardship.

You will be able to pay for your Technology Department subsidy using our parent payment portal.

Should you wish to discuss any aspect of this further, please feel free to contact school.

Getting to and from School

Please see below for useful information about the journey to school.

Bus Transport

Information last updated: 10/03/2023

Mornings
276
07.55 Normanton Road (opposite Pak Foods)
08.00 Mill Hill Lane/Swinburne Street
08.05 Carlton Road/Fairfield Road
- Direct to School via Burton Rd/Littleover Village

 

Evenings
276
15.30 LCS Turning Circle
- Carlton Road/Fairfield Road
- Mill Hill Lane/Swinburne Street
- Normanton Road (opposite Pak Foods)

Fares

The school buses operate as a pay as you ride service.

£1.30 for the morning journey

£1.30 for the afternoon journey

Buses Provided by:

Harpurs Coaches Ltd.
Unit 2 Wincanton Close
Derby
DE24 8NB
Tel: 01332 757677
harpurscoaches@gmail.com

Information for Parents Bringing Students to School by Car

The road outside the main school gate on Pastures Hill is very dangerous. The speed limit is 30mph. Traffic moves very fast and, during the start and finish of school, it is very busy. We value our students’ safety and expect parents to do so, too.

If you, or a relative, drop off or collect a child from school, please make sure these rules are obeyed.

  • DO NOT bring cars onto the school premises.
  • DO NOT drop off or pick up your child on the opposite side of Pastures Hill from the school.
  • DO NOT perform a U-turn in the school entrance or anywhere on Pastures Hill.
  • DO NOT park on the yellow zigzag lines on either side of the school entrance.
  • If travelling down Pastures Hill, from the direction of Littleover Village, drive past the school entrance and turn round at the first Heatherton roundabout, to drop your child safely on the correct side of the road, well away from the entrance to the school.
  • Ensure that your child only crosses Pastures Hill at the light controlled crossing by Swanmore Road.

The safety of all our students MUST be our first priority.

Free School Transport

Some students may be eligible for free transport to and from school. Please see the letter below for more information.

Parents must apply/renew Home to School Transport Assistance (HtSTA) requests each academic year.

For more information, please see Derby City Council - Schools - Transport.

Go4Schools

Go4Schools

Go4Schools is a website which can be used by LCS staff, students and their parents to track student progress throughout the school

You can navigate to the Go4Schools site by clicking the folliwing link:

Go4Schools Help

Setting Up Go4Schools Access

A guide to setting up Go4Schools access can be downloaded below:

The Go4Schools Mobile App

A guide to setting up the Go4Schools mobile app can be downloaded below:

Lockers

LCS Lockers

All students have the opportunity to use a school locker for the duration of their time at LCS.

The cost of the locker is £6 of which £2 is refundable once the locker is no longer in use and the key is returned.

You will be able to purchase this via our online payments system, alongside school meals, trips, visits etc. 

If keys are lost the cost of a replacement can be obtained for £3.50.

Prices subject to change. Information correct as of 25/04/2021.

Payments to School

Biometric Payment System for School Meals

We operate a biometric payment system for school meal payments which uses the latest finger recognition technology. This system means that students no longer need to carry a card.  Instead a scan of their finger will be taken.

To enable this technology to be introduced, we will require certain points of a finger image to be recorded as a short string of encrypted numbers.  A full image of a finger is never recorded. Typically between ten and sixty points will be recorded depending on the characteristics of the finger. This is too few to provide enough detail for the original print to be reconstructed.  However, it will provide a template for the student to be recognised by placing their finger on a scanner each time a payment is to be made.

This biometric payment system offers greater security to student payments as well as reducing the need to replace lost cards.  This has been the experience of other schools which have been using the system for many years.

The template of student fingers is taken on one of the Year 6 Induction Days.

Students entitled to free meals will have their account credited to the value of a standard meal each day.

Students will not be required to bring money to pay for lunches on the Induction Days, they will be offered the chance to try a school meal, or bring sandwiches, if they prefer.  There will be no charge for these meals.

ParentPay – Parent Payment Portal

The school operates a ParentPay online payments system for parents.  This will enable parents to pay money online to cover for trips, visits, school meals etc.  Year 6 parents will receive information and a password before the start of term on how to pay monies using the ParentPay payment portal.

ParentPay is a safe and secure payments system and we would encourage all parents to use this facility, once they have received their password.

For more information, please see the ParentPay Help page.

 

Term Dates

Term Dates

A list of Term Dates for the upcoming school years can be downloaded below.

Please Note: Holidays During Term-time

These dates will enable you to plan your holidays during the official school holiday periods.  Absence for holidays during term-time WILL NOT be authorised.

Students who take unauthorised holidays in term-time will be liable to a fine and may lose their place at LCS.

Uniform/Dress Code

School Dress Code

Our uniform helps students to look smart and professional for school.  We ask parents and carers to support our dress code.

Full details of the uniform/dress code can be found in the Uniform Policy below:

Music - Instrumental Tuition

We have a thriving music department within the Creative Arts Faculty at LCS. A key part of this is the instrumental tuition programme.

This takes place outside of curriculum time with specialist teachers accredited by the Derbyshire Music Partnership.

He have lessons available on Keyboard/Piano, Guitars (electric, acoustic and bass), Singing, Drum, Brass (trumpet, trombone, euphonium, French horn), Strings (violin, viola, cello), and Woodwind (flute, clarinet, saxophone).

If you wish for your child to be placed on the list for lessons, please fill in the form below.