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Pastoral Information

Students learn best when they are in an environment where they feel happy, safe and secure.  At Monk's Walk we work closely with parents and carers to provide the supportive care and challenge to enable our students to flourish and succeed.

 

Administration

Health and Safety: Medication to Students

It is important for us to advise you that we are not able to accept the responsibility of administering medication to students; however qualified first aid staff will supervise pupils, unless a prior arrangement has been made in writing to the Admin Office.

If your child requires regular medication, where possible, please administer it at home. However, if your child will need this medication at school, it must be handed to the Admin Office together with written details of the dose, frequency and any other information.  Should your child require medication during the school day, they should attend to the student window either at break or lunchtime.  To minimise disruption to learning, they should not come out of lessons.

All medication, including painkillers for headaches, period pains etc is covered by this new requirement. If, however, your child suffers from asthma and needs to carry an inhaler at all times, please tell us. Medicine containing Aspirin is not suitable for under 16s unless prescribed by a doctor.

STUDENTS MUST HAND IN ANY MEDICATION TO THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION OFFICE.  

THEY ARE NOT PERMITTED TO CARRY MEDICATION WITH THEM. 

If your child is seen by a first aid member of staff, you will receive a note giving a brief explanation of the reason and the first aid treatment given, if any, so that you may discuss this with them.

Sickness

Please be informed of our attendance email to report your child's absence attendance@monkswalk.herts.sch.uk

Monk's Walk follow a 12 hour rule for upset stomach (a student needs to have a clear 12 hours and can then return to school)

Lost Property

We understand how upsetting it can be (particularly for younger students) to mislay their belongings. To help us re-unite students with their lost property, please ensure that all items are named.


Items brought in/messages for students

We will try to get items brought in, and emergency messages only, delivered to students. We always do our very best but please be advised that this may not always be possible. Every classroom interruption is a disruption to learning. Your understanding is much appreciated.


Telephone Calls

Unfortunately, the school office isn't able to make telephone calls on behalf of students. 


New Contact Details

  • Moved house?
  • Changed telephone number?
  • New mobile/email?

If so, please let the office know or update your details through the Edulink app; we may need to contact you in the event of an emergency so it is important that our records are kept up-to-date. Thank you.


Is my child’s personal property insured at school?

Please read document below for full details.

Student's Personal Property Insurance

Behaviour

Aims

The aims of the Monk’s Walk School Behaviour for Learning Policy are:

  • To maintain a safe environment in which each student’s behaviour is conducive to effective learning and to achieving their full potential.
  • To encourage personal standards which prepare students for a positive contribution to society in their adult lives.

Principles

Like all of us, students work best when they have clear structures and guidelines which they understand. The Monk’s Walk Behaviour for Learning Policy is based on:

  • Clearly defined expectations for all students.
  • An emphasis on recognising, celebrating and rewarding progress and achievement using a staged and structured approach.
  • Clearly defined consequences for not meeting the school’s expectations, using a controlled, staged set of sanctions.
  • On-going training for all staff in classroom management strategies.

Our Expectations

Students are expected to conform to these five rules in the classroom and at all times while at school:

  • Arrive on time, with everything you need to work.
  • Listen in silence to your teacher and other students.
  • Put up your hand when you need attention.
  • Follow instructions immediately and without argument.
  • Keep hands, feet, objects and inappropriate comments to yourself.

From September 2021, we will be using a rewards system that focuses on pupils completing their daily consistencies and demonstrating positive learning habits in class and around school. We also use a consequences ladder to reinforce these expectations in a staged, consistent manner. These will be displayed in classrooms, the student planner and can be accessed by clicking the links below.

Rewards system

Consequences Grid

Healthy Eating

Monk's Walk School encourages students to eat a healthy diet. Our restaurant is open at both break and lunchtime and is run by Hertfordshire Catering with the 'eatwell' Healthy Eating in Hertfordshire menu. There is always a selection of salads, pasta, sandwiches and jacket potatoes. No fizzy drinks, sweets or crisps are sold at school.

The Kitchen

The restaurant works on a three week menu (choices are subject to variation). Please click on the link to see what your child could have for lunch for up to £2.80. Week 1 is week commencing 4th September 2023.

school Menu

price list

Cashless Catering

As it would be very complicated for the School to work out who uses the The Kitchen, all students have been given an account.

You will need to make payments into your account rather than students paying for items with cash at the till. The easiest and quickest way to do this is online using WisePay. If this is not possible there will be an alternative facility available each morning between 8.00am and 8.30am for you to make payments to your account.

Why?

  • We were asked by the Student Council to look at ways of speeding up the queues in The Kitchen
  • Students are safer if they are not carrying cash to school
  • There is less chance of students forgetting dinner money
  • If we spend less time on administration tasks like counting money and banking, we can keep down the cost of food

Help

  • If you want to discuss this with the school, please contact Mrs Tracie Smith.
  • If you need help with WisePay, please contact the finance office.
  • If you think your child will need help managing their account, please tell us how much they can spend each day and we will put on a limit.

e-Safety

e-Safety @ Monk’s Walk School

At Monk’s Walk School we realise that the online world is integral to how children stay in touch with their friends, and access to the internet is now available like never before. However, we also appreciate that with this use of technology, can come some risks, and that is why we are building e-Safety into our curriculum at all levels, to ensure our students understand how to remain safe online.

We have a strong e-Safety Policy and Acceptable Use Agreements for students, staff, governors and visitors alike. We have built a range of e-Safety lessons into the curriculum that help students understand a wide range of e-Safety issues that young people face today. In addition to this we take part annually in Internet Safety week, looking at how internet safety can be promoted globally.

Moreover, we also think that it is important to educate and help parents and carers to understand how to reduce the risks of new technologies and help their child/children remain safe online. This year we will be hosting an e-Safety briefing for all parents/carers to attend.

Please view the following documents for more information:

e-Safety Policy

e-Safety Presentation

e-Safety Booklet

Childrens' Commission "Gaming the System" Report 2019

ESAFETY FACTSHEET 2019

For even more information about e-Safety please use the following websites: 

ThinkUKnow

ChildNet International

CEOP

BBC - Online Safety

Safeguarding

Monk's Walk School actively seeks to ensure the welfare and safety of all its students and we do everything we can to ensure that every student feels secure, valued, and listened to. As your child spends so much time with us, we are uniquely placed to look out for the warning signs of any kind of abuse.

Our Child Protection Policy contains more in depth information

Child Protection Policy

The following leaflet describes how the school, along with all other schools in the country, is meeting its statutory duty to support vulnerable young people who may be at risk of grooming or radicalistion for extremist or terrorist purposes.

The Prevent Strategy

In response to the Ofsted report on sexual harassment in schools, we surveyed all our students in July 2021.

We have analysed the results of the survey and have written the whole school action plan below.

sexual harassment and abuse strategy

We also ran a "Safe to Learn" survey in November 2023, the results of this are below:

Safe to learn survey

Uniform / Dress Code / PE Kit

Stevensons and Smarty's are able to supply the correct school blazer, tie, jumper and skirt. 

SMARTY SCHOOLWEARStevensons' website


Uniform Option 1:

Blazer Navy blue, eco-blazer, fitted style, with embroidered school logo. Available from Stevensons or Smarty schoolwear. Blazers must be worn at all times around the school unless permission has been granted by the teacher to remove it in lesson.
Skirt Black, kilt style with an adjustable waistband, no zip and with school logo embroidered in the bottom left corner. When purchasing please allow sufficient length for height growth so that the school policy on skirt length (worn no shorter than on the knee cap) can be observed without the need for repeat purchases during the year. Waistband must be visible and not allowed to be rolled.
Trousers

Tailored black trousers can be worn. These may be purchased from a range of different suppliers such as Stevensons, New Look, Primark, Marks & Spencer and most supermarkets. The important points to note are that the following are not part of our dress code and are not allowed:

  • tight 'skinny fit'
  • outside zips, buttons and labels
  • Corduroy, denim or jeans material or style are not allowed. (Jeans-style is defined as "outside seams or pockets, rivets or denim/denim style material"). Outside zips and labels are not allowed.
  • Trousers need to be full length, not cropped. The bottom of the trouser must touch the top of the shoe.
Belts Black, not wider than 6cm, with a plain buckle. Belts should not have obvious branding.
Blouses Plain white open-neck revere style (long or short sleeve), worn tucked in, without a tie.  Blouses may be purchase from a range of suppliers including supermarkets.
Pullover (optional) Navy blue V neck school pullover with sky blue trim. Available from Stevensons or Smarty schoolwear.
Socks/tights Socks must be black; white socks are not allowed. Tights can be black or flesh coloured. Socks are not to be worn with tights. Socks must be ankle length and not knee length.
Shoes School shoes should be black, flat and logo-free. The style should be traditional, avoiding the appearance of a trainer with heels no higher than 6cm. No backless slip-on, flip-flops, or canvas/plimsoll type shoes are allowed. Boots or platforms are not allowed. Trainers are not allowed.
Coat Navy blue or black.  No denim, leather or fur.  No tracksuit tops or hoodies.  Coats should not be worn in lessons.

Uniform Option 2:

Blazer Navy blue, eco-blazer with embroidered school logo. Available only from Stevensons or Smarty schoolwear. Blazers must be worn at all times around the school unless permission has been granted by the teacher to remove it in lesson.
Trousers

Tailored black trousers can be worn. These may be purchased from a range of different suppliers such as Stevensons, New Look, Primark, Marks & Spencer and most supermarkets. The important points to note are that the following are not part of our dress code and are not allowed:

  • tight 'skinny fit'
  • outside zips, buttons and labels
  • Corduroy, denim or jeans material or style are not allowed. (Jeans-style is defined as "outside seams or pockets, rivets or denim/denim style material"). Outside zips and labels are not allowed.
  • Trousers need to be full length, not cropped. The bottom of the trouser must touch the top of the shoe.
Shirts White (long or short sleeve). These should be worn tucked in, with a school tie and the top button done up. Shirts may be purchased from a range of suppliers.
Tie Standard school tie. Available from Stevensons or Smarty schoolwear. This should be tied with a Windsor knot and worn at an appropriate length (to the belt).
Pullover (optional) Navy blue V neck school pullover with sky blue trim. Available from Stevensons or Smarty schoolwear.
Shoes Shoes must be black. Trainers are not allowed.
Socks Socks must be black - white socks are not allowed.
Belts Black, not wider than 6cm, with a plain buckle. Belts should not have logos or branding.
Coats Navy blue or black. No denim, leather or fur. No tracksuit tops or hoodies.  Coats should not be worn in lessons. 

Additional Items

Hair Style and colour must be appropriate for school. Fashion gimmicks are not acceptable (eg tramlines or logos). No extremes of colour (eg reds, blues). Long hair must be tied back for safety, when necessary.
Headscarves

Some of our students may choose to wear headscarves. If so, these headscarves must look conventional and understated in style.

  • Headscarves must be black or dark blue.
  • Pins or clips must be small, dark in colour and understated.
  • There can be no decorations such as sequins or patterns.
  • Material must not be too long at the front or the back so as to obscure the uniform or look untidy. At the front, headscarves material must not go below the V-neck of a jumper or equivalent.
  • If students choose to wear a headscarf, it must completely cover the hair.
Jewellery One plain pair of studs or sleepers and one plain ring is allowed. Diamante earrings are not allowed.  Under no circumstances are facial or body piercings allowed.
Make-up Make-up is unsuitable for school and therefore not allowed.
Hats/caps Hats/caps must not be worn on school premises.
School bags Students need to have a sturdy and roomy school bag to carry around books etc.  Handbags are not suitable and should not be brought into school.
Chewing Students are not allowed to chew gum in school.

Students are expected to follow the uniform rules. Students not complying with these will be provided with school uniform stocked in the ACE room. Any refusal to wear school uniform provided will be treated as defiance and the student will need to spend time in the ACE room.


PE & Games Kit

Option 2:

  • Monk's Walk games jersey
  • Polo shirt (boys' fit) with school logo
  • Plain navy shorts
  • Monk's Walk sports socks
  • Rain jacket with school logo (can also double up as coat for day use)
  • Football boots (may be bought from any retail outlet)
  • Trainers (may be bought from any retail outlet)
  • Black or navy swimming trunks /swimming shorts (may be bought from any retail outlet)

Option 1:

  • Monk's Walk games jersey
  • Polo shirt (girls' fit) with school logo
  • Plain navy shorts or plain navy skort
  • Monk's Walk sports socks
  • Rain jacket with school logo (can also double up as coat for day use)
  • Trainers (may be bought from any retail outlet)
  • Black or navy one-piece swimming costume (may be bought from any retail outlet)

Optional items:

  • Navy tracksuit bottoms - optional but recommended. (Available only from Stevensons)
  • Shin pads (may be bought from any retail outlet)
  • Moulded boots/astro boots for use on the 3G artificial pitch.  Ordinary trainers are a suitable alternative (may be bought from any retail outlet).
  • Students are allowed to wear a long sleeved, navy blue top beneath their normal PE kit when the weather is cold. This includes so-called 'skins'.
  • Students can also bring a towel for all PE lessons.
  • Jewellery is not allowed to be worn during PE lessons.

It is essential that all students wear the correct uniform and footwear in order to participate in PE.

Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly labelled with your child's name.  This will help us return them if they are lost.


Other compulsory equipment:

  • White apron - child 28" (000496)
  • White apron – youth 34" (000497)
  • Cyclists should wear reflective clothing and must wear a cycling helmet.

Name tapes:

Stevensons also sell name tapes. Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly labelled with your child's name.  This will help us return them if they are lost.

Woven name Tapes (ref: 006955) A card will be sent with a code for you to order online direct with the supplier. Labels are usually despatched 2-5 days afterwards.
Iron-on Name Tapes (ref: 008044) You will be asked for your child's name during the checkout process. These will be despatched with any other items ordered.

In the event of an emergency, we keep a small amount of spare uniform items in the Ace Room.  Students can borrow an item and then return it the next day when they have sorted their emergency out.  If any  borrowed items have not been returned after 1 week, an invoice may be sent home for a replacement item.

School Day

Timetable

Our school day is broken down into 5 periods plus registration as below.

The school is open from 8am to 4pm Mon-Fri (total 40 hours per week) with a total of 33 hours 20 minutes of compulsory attendance time each week.

Period Start Finish
Registration 08:40 09:00
Period 1 09:05 10:05
Period 2 10:10 11:10
Break 11:10 11:30
Period 3 11:30 12:30
Lunch 12:30 13:15
Period 4 13:20 14:20
Period 5 14:20 15:20

Assemblies

During years 7-11 students will have 2 assemblies each week during registration time. One of these is run by SLT and takes place in the school hall, the other is run by their Head of Year and takes place in the Drama Studio. The schedule for these is as follows:

Day SLT (Hall) HOY (D S)
Monday 7 (Q Year) 10 (M Year)
Tuesday 8 (P Year) 11 (L Year)
Wednesday 9 (N Year) 7 (Q Year)
Thursday 10 (M Year) 8 (P Year)
Friday 11 (L Year) 9 (N Year)

Sixth Form students have an assembly every Friday during period 3.

Unforeseen School Closure

Occasionally it will been necessary to close the school due to bad weather or other emergencies outside of our control.  When making a decision to close the school, there are a number of factors that have to be considered:  

  • Many students are reliant on public buses.  We need to be sure that the buses will run and that journeys are safe. 
  • Most of our staff live some way from school, some a considerable distance from Welwyn.  We have to be confident that there will be sufficient staff able to get here in order to teach the students.  We have to ensure a safe level of supervision. 
  • The condition of the site – is it safe for students and staff to move around the school?

It is a difficult decision to make and parents will appreciate the dilemma between giving everyone sufficient notice of closure and trying to guess what conditions will be by the time students are expected to arrive.

If at all possible a decision will be taken by 9.00pm the night before or at the very latest by 7.00am on the day.  It is possible that a decision will be taken to open the school but with a delayed starting time.  Our decision will be posted on the school’s website and on the school’s Facebook page, Monk’s Walk School Official.  The message will be updated regularly. 

We will inform local radio stations – BBC Three Counties 103.8FMHeart Four Counties 97.6FM or Bob FM 106.7FM and 106.9FM. We will also inform the local authority of closure – this information will be found on the Herts Direct website.

No closure message on our website means that we intend to open and all students will be expected to attend. 

When the school closes we appreciate how inconvenient and difficult this is for families and how disruptive it is for students’ learning.  Our primary concern has to be the safety of the students and staff.  Please be assured we will not take this decision lightly.