Your child will have a Pastoral Manager, Head of Year and form tutor who supports the behaviour of students within a year group. Your child’s Pastoral Manager is a key contact for both your child and parents/carers in school and can identify the most appropriate route and contact for any queries you may have. Information about your child’s Pastoral Manager and Head of Year can be found on the school website.
Students have their own separate reception in the Malley Building, and this is known as ‘Attendance’. For urgent pastoral issues, students can visit the ‘Pastoral’ office before school, and their Pastoral Manager will be available at break and lunchtime.
We believe an ordered, disciplined atmosphere is the best environment for learning. Students are encouraged to exercise self-discipline and the small number of school rules are for the safety and mutual consideration each member of the school community should have for one another.
Trauma-Informed Practice is at the heart of what we do – we believe that a school can only be successful when it is a true community. Achieving good relationships in school depends on every member of staff understanding that adults need to model the behaviour they wish to see from students, that good behaviour needs to be taught as much as academic content and that lapses in behaviour can be a learning opportunity for students. We place much emphasis on positive encouragement for our students with a strong belief in the value of smart appearance, considerate, safe behaviour, and a positive attitude to homework and classwork. The few ‘rules’ we have are based on common sense and safety. For the common good, all students are expected to comply with them.
We believe that the partnership between home and school is essential in order to maintain these high standards. Accordingly, we involve parents at an early stage when problems arise and trust that parents will feel able to support appropriate interventions.
As part of the School’s reward system, we firmly believe that a larger emphasis on rewards as opposed to consequences is important. With this in mind, there will be a Rewards Day held at the end of each year with as many students as possible being given the opportunity to take part, as a reward for their positive behaviour.
All students attending Alderbrook are required to wear uniform. Whilst fully appreciating the initial cost of school uniform, we feel that it solves several problems. From the school’s point of view, it helps us set an example of high standards in dress, establish the identity of the school and pride in that identity. We do ask and expect parents to support us in the detail as well as the principle of school uniform. We do need parental support in maintaining high standards of appearance. View the full uniform page here.
At the beginning of the school year, students are given braids according to their year group. These must be sewed on their blazer at the top of the blazer pocket just above the Alderbrook badge. Replacement braids will be available at a cost of £1.00. Year 7 students will be given braids at the start of the year free of charge.
It is most important for each child to have a suitable bag for their personal property, to carry books and to ensure that exercise books and other items are protected from the weather.
All items of clothing and personal belongings must be marked with the owner’s name.
Alderbrook School records have gone live! This means you will be able to view information about your child who is currently studying at this school. This information will include attendance records, behaviour and achievement information, the current timetable and some relevant assessment data as well as the latest school report.
You will also be able to view your own personal details and check them.
Provided you have access to the internet, all you need to access this information is a logon name and a password. These will be issued during the first half term. Please keep them safe as you will require them on a termly basis to access your child’s report as we no longer send hard copies home.
We hope you will find this a useful tool, assisting your involvement in the education of your children.
Classcharts is an online system used by staff and students to track achievement and behaviour throughout the school day. Some homework is also added onto Classcharts.
The main purpose of using this new system is to allow students to view and monitor their own behaviour record.
This programme has been created in response to requests from both students and parents/carers. Students wanted staff to put a stronger emphasis on rewarding positive behaviour and learning.
The is the system that you will receive detention notifications, please add donotreply@classcharts.com to your email contacts, as this will be the email address that we will be using to inform you of any detentions. If your email address has changed, please logon using the parent app or section of the Classcharts website.
Please note: for you to receive email notifications from Classcharts, you need to sign up using a passcode specific to your child’s account. Please call 0121 704 2146 or email office@alderbrook.solihull.sch.uk if you require more assistance with this.
The internet is a brilliant place to connect with others, to be creative and to discover new things. There are many things we can to do to ensure that all young people are using the internet and technology safely, responsibly and positively. An emerging national concern is the inappropriate use of the internet by students. This problem has the potential to be harmful, and we ask your support in assisting us with this challenge.
There are many aspects to keeping our students safe, these include:
What are Parental Controls?
Parental Controls are software and tools, which you can install on phones or tablets, games consoles or laptops – and even your home broadband. You can also use them to help you block or filter the content your child sees when searching online.
Parental Controls are also available to help you:
Whatever your child is doing online, there is a way that you can help keep them safe. Advice on setting up parental controls can be found on the NSPCC website (https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/).
Please see below some of the resources that are available:
Kooth is a free, safe and anonymous online counselling and support service that we would recommend. Students have been introduced to the website in assemblies https://www.kooth.com/
Children can talk to a ChildLine counsellor 24 hours a day about anything that is worrying them by ringing 0800 11 11 or in an online chat at http://www.childline.org.uk/Talk/Chat/Pages/OnlineChat.aspx
If parents or carers are concerned that their child is being contacted by adults as a result of having shared sexual imagery they should report to NCA-CEOP at www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre
If parents and carers are concerned about their child, they can contact the NSPCC Helpline by ringing 0808 800 5000, by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk, or by texting 88858. They can also ring the Online Safety Helpline by ringing 0808 800 5002.
The NSPCC has information and advice about sexting available on its website: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
Childnet have information and advice about sexting available on its website: http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics/sexting
Parent Info (www.parentinfo.org)provides information and advice to parents from expert organisations on topics ranging from sex and relationships, mental health and online safety. This includes content on sexting. The content of Parent Info can be hosted for free on a school’s website via a newsfeed service.
The UK Safer Internet Centre have produced checklists for parents on using social networks safely –www.saferinternet.org.uk/checklistsChildLine have created Zip-It, an app that provides witty comebacks in order to help young person say no to requests for naked images – https://www.childline.org.uk/Play/GetInvolved/Pages/sexting-zipit-app.aspx