Twickenham School FAQ's

• I would like to contact someone about my child’s progress. How do I do that?

Please email info@twickenhamschool.org.uk with as much information as possible. We will then pass this onto their tutor, class teacher or Head of Department and they will be in touch with you via email or phone.

• I would like to speak to someone about my child needing more support. Who do I need to contact?

The first person to contact is your child’s tutor. Please email your concern to info@twickenhamschool.org.uk and the tutor will be in touch with you via email or phone. If you have requested a call back, please be mindful that tutors and teachers may not be able to call back until after their teaching commitments. If you haven’t heard from them after 48 hours, please feel free to email or call again.

The full uniform details are listed on our website - www.twickenhamschool.org.uk/34/uniform

• What sort of socks does my child need to wear for PE?

Your child can wear plain white sport socks (crew socks or trainer socks) or the school branded socks from the uniform store. As our house system is being re-launched, if you choose to purchase the school PE socks, any colour is permitted.

• Can the school jumper be worn on its own without a blazer?

The jumper is an optional piece of uniform. The blazer is compulsory. However, uniform policy changes in hot weather as per direction of the Headteacher.

• What does my child wear to school if they have a lesson of PE that day?

Students are to come dressed in full school uniform even if their PE lesson is during period 1. They will have time to get changed at the beginning and end of their class. If their lesson is during P5, they will not have to change back into full uniform to go home. They can stay in their PE kit.

• My child is injured. Do they have to do PE?

If appropriate evidence is provided to info@twickenhamschool.org.uk we will let the Head of PE and their PE teacher know about the injury. We would ask that they still bring their PE kit to lessons so they are able to perform an officiating and coaching role which doesn’t require any level of physical activity.

• My child is on her period. Does she have to do PE?

Students are expected to participate in all lessons. If they are on their period we would ask that they still bring their PE kit to lessons and do their best so that they can access their learning each week and not miss out on key curriculum content. We endeavour to have empathy and understanding at all times with any issue that may be a barrier for participation in PE or other practical subjects. If there is a medical condition to be aware of, please ensure the medical officer is aware so we can support accordingly. The school has period products available, for free, to students who do not have their own. Students can access these in student services, the medical room, inclusion, reception and the changing rooms.

Our clubs timetable is on our website - www.twickenhamschool.org.uk/43/extra-curricular and circulated on the Headteacher’s bulletin each week. Clubs start officially on Monday 16th September.

• What time do students need to leave school premises by?

Most clubs run no later than 4.15pm. Homework club runs each day until 4.00pm and sport fixtures can be a later finish too. We encourage all student to have left by 5.00pm. Families are notified of these later timings as needed.

Homework club is in the library every day after school until 4.00pm with a member of staff to support if needed. Computers are available for student use.

• Can all homework be in one place? Or at least same login details?

Homework is set on Arbor and both students and parents have access to this. Certain subjects may use another platform for homework, but the task will be set on Arbor with a link to that platform e.g. Maths – Sparx. If your child is finding it difficult to submit their homework, feel free to email their teacher or tutor via info@twickenhamschool.org.uk and they will be able to support with this.

• When will you start issuing detentions for lateness/uniform etc?

Detentions for Year 7 students will start on Monday 16th September. Each Year 7 student will be issued with one ‘Oh No’ card per half term. They can choose when to use this card – but it will excuse them from one 30 minute detention. We want our students to learn from mistakes and we believe that this will help with being late or forgetting equipment. Their tutor will support them with this and will explain how they can use their card if they get a 30 minute detention. The ‘Oh No’ card cannot be used for a 60 minute detention.

• Is there any help from the school if students are going through a tough time?

Your tutor is the first contact for any pastoral concerns. We can then work together with you to find a way forwards with strategies to help support them. We also work with a wide range of services (some internal and some external) that we will mention in the presentation this evening. Each year group has a dedicated Inclusion Officer who works closely with the Head of Year and supports with any barriers to learning that may arise. We also have a team that support with learning English and SEND queries. Please email: SEND@twickenhamschool.org.uk and address your email to our SENCO Ms J Goode.

• How do I access/reset my epraise account as this has now become inaccessible?

If you are struggling to log into epraise (platform for rewards), please use this guide for support: www.epraise.co.uk/help/logins

• My child has free school meals – What do they get?

All students that qualify for free school meals receive the following: £2.52 for lunch to be used after 12.30pm.

The best value meals for lunch are:

• Main Meal, Pudding & Drink
• Any 4 Blue Dot Item

If your child does not use the daily lunch allocation it will roll over to the next day however this will be removed every Friday if not used.

Free porridge is available for breakfast for all students every day from 8.00am – 8.25am.

Please check your eligibility for free school meals on https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/

If you are eligible, please send the certificate through to info@twickenhamschool.org.uk

• My child has free school meals – why have they been getting charged?

FSM is only available at certain times and up to a certain monetary value in the canteen. Your child has likely chosen something outside of these hours or above the £2.52 threshold. Daily FSM Allocation: £2.52 is automatically added to each eligible student's account at 12:30 pm. These funds can only be used during lunchtime. Lunchtime begins at 13.10 and ends at 13.50. Please note that these FSM funds are not accessible during break time or at any other time.

Best Value Meal Deals

• Meal of the Day: for best value, students can opt for the 'meal of the day', which includes a main course, a pudding, and a generation juice.
• Four Blue Dots Scheme: This offers excellent value and allows the student to choose any four items from the following categories: - a) Breads: Garlic bread, pizza, cheese on toast, or BBQ melt bap - b) Rolls: Various selections available - c) Fresh Produce: Bags of watermelon, grapes, oranges, or vegetable sticks - d) Pots: 4oz pots of jelly, fruit, yoghurt, or seeds - e) Home Bakes: Mini muffins, mini cookies, mini shortbreads, or mini flapjacks - f) Drinks: 8oz slush or a small generation juice

• The school requires a healthy packed lunch yet the canteen sells slush puppies…

Our slush puppy and generation juice drinks are no added sugar and the slush puppies are 50 calories per serving – so we hope that your child will enjoy them alongside other juice options.

• I don’t know my child’s sQuid registration number

All sQuid details have been emailed directly to families over the summer holidays. However, if you need them again, please contact the school office so that you can register your account.

• I get an error message when I try to register on sQuid

Please try registering using https://squidportal.squidcard.com/LoginPortal/ If you are still encountering an issue, please contact squid customer services on customerservice@squidcard.com

Student services is open before school, break time, lunch time and after school for any assistance that students may need. If you bring something into reception for your child, for example, a forgotten PE kit, your child should go to student services to retrieve it.

• What happens to lost property?

Lost property will be sent to Student Services and your child can check there before school, during break, lunchtime and at 3pm. It would help if you could label all items of clothing with your child’s first name and surname to help reunite lost items with their owner

Twickenham School

Percy Road

Twickenham

TW2 6JW

0208 894 4503