Charlton School

Dear Parents and Carers

We hope you have had a restful summer, and your child is excited to start the academic year with us at Charlton. We are looking forward to a year of continuing to strive for excellence and celebrating the achievements of our wonderful students. I write with reminders about the first days of term and uniform expectations to ensure your child can make the best possible start to the new academic year. We are delighted that our new cohort of Year 7 students will be joining and know that the rest of the school community will give them a very warm Charlton welcome.

Return to school September 2024

Year 7 and 11 only will start back on Wednesday 4th September, with the rest of the school returning on Thursday 5th September. This is to support the transition of our new cohort.

We have made some changes to the timings of the school day, not the start or end, just the internal timings.

• 8.30 – Gates open for Year 7, 8 and 9.
• 8:35 – Students need to be on school site - Year 7, 8 and 9 students enter through the bottom gates and line up on the courts.
• 8:40 – Students enter the school building - Year 10 and 11 through the main school entrance.
• 8:45 – Registration/Form Time
• 8:55 – Reading
• 9:15 – Lesson 1
• 10:15 – Lesson 2 including 20-minute break (10:15 Year 7, 11 and 8X; 11:15 Year 9, 10 and 8Y)
• 11:35 – Lesson 3
• 12:35 – Lesson 4 including 35-minute lunch (12:35 Year 7, 11 and 8X; 13:35 Year 9, 10 and 8Y)

• 14:10 – Lesson 5
• 15:10 – End of school day, students should leave promptly unless attending an afterschool club.

We have made the decision to return to having form time and reading at the start of the school day to allow our pastoral and SEND teams to make all the necessary checks of students in a morning and to ensure they are settled and supported so that the rest of the day can be focussed on the learning opportunities in lessons.

To further maximise pastoral support and to take every opportunity to promote academic achievement and outcomes, we have made changes to how our students are placed in tutor teams. From September the following arrangements will be in place, this will mean your child is likely to have a change of form tutor and may have a change of year halves. Please support your child by reviewing their timetable from home on MCAS. Printed timetables will be handed out during form time on their first day back.

Year 7 – Science rooms

Year 8 – Languages and ICT rooms

Year 9 – Humanities rooms

Year 10 – Maths rooms

Year 11 – English rooms

Where possible teachers from these areas will make up the tutor teams, with colleagues from other subject areas supporting them.  At Key Stage 3 (Year 7, 8 and 9) your child will remain with the same tutor in that subject area for the three years (from Year 7).  At Key Stage 4 all students will change forms and in Year 10 will be placed in the Maths area, mostly with Maths teachers and all students will change again in Year 11 to be in English, with mostly English teachers.

Whilst we appreciate this move may be unsettling for some students initially, we feel it will allow us to better support our students moving forward over the coming years and help us to maximise their academic potential. Please also ensure that all students bring the correct equipment with them to school from the first day, compulsory items are as follows: Two black or blue pens , a red pen, a ruler and a scientific calculator. Highlighters are also useful in lessons as are a small pack of colouring pencils.

Uniform Reminders

As we prepare for the return to school in September, I would like to take a moment to address the importance of the uniform policy at Charlton and the need for its consistent implementation. Our uniform guidelines are in place to promote a sense of unity, discipline, and pride among our students, fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment. Please see a copy of the uniform policy attached for your reference and some key reminders below.

Navy blazer with school crest in blue

Students must wear their blazer when they are outside of class. The blazer is an integral part of our uniform and signifies a level of respect and responsibility. It promotes a sense of pride in our school and encourages students to represent themselves and Charlton School in the best possible manner.

Navy V-neck pullover with school crest* (Optional to be worn under the blazer)

The school jumper must not be worn in place of the blazer but rather worn underneath the blazer in cold weather as an extra layer.

School Shirt

Years 7 to year 10 students wear a blue school shirt. Year 11 students wear a white shirt to identify them as the senior year group. It is crucial that all students have their shirts tucked in. Tucking in shirts is a basic expectation of the uniform policy, as it helps create a smart and tidy appearance. This attention to detail teaches students the value of presentation, self-discipline, and respect for their school community. Students will receive a uniform concern which can be viewed on MCAS if they have their shirt untucked, if they receive 3 uniform concerns in a week, they will be issued with a C2. C2’s can also be issued by your child’s Head of Year or Pastoral Manager for persistent uniform concerns.

School Tie

The tie should be worn with 5 double stripes visible or the width of a piece of A4 below the knot. We have switched to one colour per year group to support transitions around the school building, allowing staff to quickly identify which year group students belong to and ensure they are in the right place at the right time. The vast majority of students are now wearing the correct colour, a reminder that this is an expectation from September.

• Y7 Blue
• Y8 Purple
• Y9 Red
• Y10 Yellow
• Y11 Green

Black tailored trousers or Black knee length pleated skirt

Skinny trousers or leggings are not permitted, trousers must be straight leg only. The only skirts that are permitted are black pleated knee length.

Plain black school shoes

No sports trainers or canvas type shoes. Full guidance and examples can be found on the attached uniform policy.

Jewellery and Make Up

Jewellery is not permitted except for one pair of small gold or silver studs earrings worn in the ear lobe (no jewels). Other piercings are not allowed. Cosmetics other than a discreet amount or mascara or foundation for girls should not be worn. Eyebrows should be natural and not tinted. Nail varnish and nail extensions are not allowed in school. False eyelashes are not permitted in school.

Breach of the uniform policy

Temporary breaches of uniform must be supported by a parental signed note. Students should show their note to their form tutor or pastoral manager on arrival to school and will be issued with a blue letter which gives them 24 hours to rectify the issue. They must carry this with them throughout the school day and present to staff members. If the issues are not resolved students may be placed in suitable location away from mainstream lessons (BRR) or returned home to change into their school uniform. For repeated instances the School Exclusion Policy may then be applied.

Uniform Bank

We know that uniform can be expensive and have therefore set up our own uniform bank. If you would like to bring used items of uniform, including ties, you can swap items for larger sizes. Items are also available for sale for a voluntary donation. We are always grateful of donations for the uniform swap shop, particularly in larger sizes, if you have any items, you no longer require and would like to donate, please drop them to main reception. This includes PE Kit, football boots and school shoes. If you would like to request items from the uniform bank, please contact your child’s pastoral manager:

Y7 Mr Delves                   simon.delves@lct.education

Y8 Ms Millar                    caroline.millar@lct.education

Y9 Miss Darrall               nicky.darrall@lct.education

Y10 Miss Thomas          claire.thomas1@lct.education

Y11 Mr Mincher              chris.mincher@lct.education

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in shaping the future of our students. We look forward to seeing them all again on Wednesday (Y7 and Y11) or Thursday (All Years).