Somerset Studio School

Families’ Handbook

2024/2025

‘Developing curious, diligent, dynamic and skillful young people’

The Four Pillars of our school: Our Values

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The following is the language and methodology we use to develop and embed our school culture. We use this with stakeholders to support & challenge the school community so that everybody gets to live and work in an environment in which they can thrive.

Our Dress Code

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Why have a dress code? 

Schools are required to prepare students for adult life - Sixth, Apprenticeship, Higher Education and Employment. In every one of these routes, there will be expectations of professional presentation and conduct. In professional life, you will often need to demonstrate your individuality and creativity through your actions and words - not your clothing.

Conduct Code

What are our general expectations from students around the school?

• Be on time, at all times
• Enter the classroom, ready to learn
• Eat in the hub & outside only; drink water from transparent bottles (allowed in some lessons)
• Refrain from chewing
• Raise a hand before asking a question, politely
• Act quickly on advice and instruction
• Feel free to ask for more detail, at the right time and politely, 1 to 1
• Listen carefully to the reasons for guidelines when given them
• ‘Phones are off and away’ in the classroom, unless the teacher has asked for them to be used

Everybody has a part to play in ensuring that learning is

engaging, thorough and effective for all.

Parent/Carer code of conduct

• Phone in to the absence line to inform school of any absences. Leaving a message with the student’s name, tutor group and reason for absence before 8:30am.
• If you would like a meeting with a member of staff please either email, or call us and we will be able to support in booking this meeting for you. Parents/carers  must not just arrive at Somerset Studio School and expect staff to be available for a meeting - without prior arrangement, it is unlikely that a meeting will be feasible
• Inform us of any changes to personal details e.g mobile number, address…

Behaviour

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Behaviour Policy

The sanctions we may use when students do not behave as expected may vary according to the type of misbehaviour.  We believe that solution-focused strategies should be implemented to support the student.

Before any sanction, a restorative approach is used by staff to try to de-escalate the situation. Where appropriate a restorative justice meeting is used to repair relationships between students or indeed between staff and students. Students will be encouraged and helped to make amends, renew commitments to keep to the school rules, and/or to make suitable reparation.

This Behaviour Management Policy extends beyond the boundary of the school gates and into the community. Students are expected to maintain our expectations of good conduct to and from school, on transport, educational visits and/or other placements (e.g. college placements).  Behaviour cannot and will not be allowed to threaten the health and safety of students, staff and/or members of the public. The Headteacher may wish to apply appropriate sanctions for any poor behaviour off site. The sanction will depend on:  

• The level of misbehaviour;  
• The extent to which the school’s reputation has been affected.

LTLS, Lunch Time Loss:

Lunch time losses are held daily at lunch time. If a student has not met expectations and standards, they will be given an LTL.

ELT, Evening Time Loss:

Evening time losses are held on Friday evenings with Assistant headteacher, Inclusion. If your child receives 3 LTLs throughout the week, they will automatically be given an ETL. There are instances where the behaviour of a student may automatically be sanctioned with an ETL. You will be informed of this by an email/phone call.

Internal Isolation:

If a student has demonstrated poor conduct several times in one day, it can result in the use of isolation. Other more extreme aspects of poor conduct can also result in isolation. Students in isolation will be either parked in a 6th form lesson or a supervised empty classroom. A member of the Leadership or Behaviour Team will contact parents about the use of isolation.

Attendance

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Absence

Parents & Carers should notify the school by phoning by 08.30 if their child is going to be absent that day. If parents/Carers have not contacted the school by this time, an email will be sent home to notify that their child has not arrived for morning registration. If no reason for absence is received it will automatically be marked as unauthorised.

• Leave of absence will not be authorised except in exceptional circumstances.
• No absence due to illness will be authorised after five consecutive days unless medical evidence is provided (e.g. a letter from GP).
• Warning letter re: Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) will be issued after 5 sessions of unauthorised absence and FPN issued at 10 sessions of unauthorised absence.

Phones and digital devices

In the modern world, mobile phones are an incredibly important and valuable tool. As such, phones are a key part of many lessons (particularly Engineering), just as they are a key part of many jobs today.

However, schools now face the dilemma that data indicates that the most successful schools have banned mobile phones. We feel that, while this may increase average results, it does not prepare them for the world of work where they need to manage themselves and their habits actively.

As a result, we have the following school rule:

• Mobile ‘phones, and other digital devices, are not to be visible at any time in timetabled lessons (including tutor) unless the teacher has expressly stated they are to be used as part of the learning process in that specific lesson.
• If a student has a ‘phone or other digital device out in lesson, they are required to hand it in to the teacher - powered off - where it will be locked away safely and handed back to them at the end of the day.
• Parents and carers intending to contact their children during the school day must be made exclusively through the reception telephone or email, so that students are not interrupted in their learning.

Use of Social Media

We recognise that social media is a useful tool that most parents/carers and students often use.

We ask that, if a problem exists for you or your child, you inform us as soon as possible, allowing actions to be taken before views are posted on a matter affecting the school or its students

Meet our Staff

Our Senior Leadership Team:

Our Safeguarding Team

At Somerset Studio School, all our staff are dedicated to safeguarding all students.

Click here to access: My Voice

My voice allows you to report any safeguarding reports using My Voice.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

At Somerset Studio School, we recognise all of our students as individuals.  As such, we are committed to ensuring every student has access to a high quality education that allows them to fulfil their potential. The SEND team’s focus is primarily on supporting students who have needs additional to or different from others of their age range.  The SEND team provides regular monitoring of provision and progress.  The benefit of being part of a small school is that the whole staff quickly gets to know each individual student.  This enables us to recognise and adapt to additional needs in a timely manner.

The SEND team is:

SENDCO: Tracey Hunt thunt@somersetstudioschool.com

Deputy SENDCO: Lindsay Bates lbates@somersetstudioschool.com

Assistant SENDCO: Claire Ansell cansell@somersetstudioschool.com

Pastoral Leader: Natasha Cantrell ncantrell@somersetstudioschool.com

Inclusion Officer: Caroline Weale cweale@somersetstudioschool.com

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our School Day

Physical Fitness

Yr 10 Physical Fitness sessions are on Wednesday Afternoons

Y11 Physical Fitness sessions are on Friday Afternoons.

We have instructors from an external agency who take students for these sessions running a variety of different physical activities each week.

Physical Fitness Kit:

Students are required to come into school in their PE kit/clothes on PE days and will stay in them all day. Physical Fitness Kit is only for Physical Fitness days and on all other school days, the dress code must be adhered to.

Physical Fitness kit is the following:

• T shirt of your choice (Note: this must meet the rules for graphics on page 5)
• Shorts/Joggers
• Appropriate footwear (trainers/astros)

Because we use a 3G artificial pitch, students are not likely to come home dirty, but please consider that the clothes will wear out faster with the use they will get. We do not recommend students wearing expensive branded clothing options.

Required Equipment for lessons and Exams

The school requires parents to supply a minimal maintained equipment list for lessons and exams. If your child receives free school meals or you are otherwise unable to supply the equipment below, please let the school know in the first week of school term and we will organise this for them.

KS4

Pen (black or Blue ink-Biro is ideal), Pencil, Rubber, Ruler, Compass, Protractor.

Calculator: Minimum for GCSE exam: fx-83G CW or fx-85GT CW. Top rated for GCSE and

KS5

Pen (black or blue ink-Biro is ideal), Pencil, Rubber, Ruler, Compass, Protractor.

Calculator: Minimum for T level Engineering Casio FX-991EX

Research and Development (R&D)

The following is a list of clubs your child can choose between for enrichment. It is important to note that as a STEM school, we expect students to attend one of the following options: 

These will be confirmed in September.  

The Purpose of Independent Prep

An important part of our mission is to prepare young people for the next stage of their lives.  In all aspects of work and home life, independent preparation often makes the difference between success and failure.  Describing this as “homework” would not be accurate - it’s so much more than that.  If tasks are directly set by teachers, there is a specific need in a timeline, but even if a specified task is not set, the need for independent prep remains, to safeguard against failure.

National long term statistics suggest that regular Independent Preparation leads to better outcomes - not just in terms of exams, but in terms of long term chances in life, because it is such an important skill in both work and home life.

At Sixth Form (years 12 and 13), students should put in at least 2 hours, five times a week.  In the lead up to key assessments, there will need to be additional Independent Preparation and more hours in which to do it.  Students can accommodate eight of these ten hours in school during study periods making use of the private study areas in the Hub and unused classrooms.  This is why students have a full time commitment during the four days that they are in school.

For all students, if they struggle to manage their workload, we will work closely with them and their families to provide opportunities to get back on track.

In Year 11, students will need to start with 45 minutes four times a week, increasing this to six times a week in preparation for mocks (November and March) and, of course, for their final exams in May/June.

In Year 10, students will need to start with 30 minutes four times per week, increasing this to 45 minutes four times a week, from January.

There will be no such thing as “I haven’t got any Independent Prep”.  The best way that Parents and Carers can help their young people succeed, is to quiz them on “what assignments do you have this week?” and “let’s have a look at them together” - you don’t need to be able to complete tasks to be able to help!  Simply, encouraging your children to get into a routine of Independent Prep will support them to become skilled learners and more successful in both work and home life.

For example; if your child does say “I haven’t got any Independent Prep”, please remind them that they have assignments, revision materials, quizzes and much more on their Google Classrooms for each and every subject they study.  Quite often, the best preparation is to go over the work that was completed in the previous lesson, to look at the schedule of topics or checklists to see what’s coming next, or to try some quizzes on the topics to deepen their understanding.  Ultimately, in years 11 and 13, the best form of preparation is the completion of past exam papers in timed conditions - marking these (using the examiners’ mark schemes), correcting them and then revisiting the gaps in understanding and knowledge - finally, having another go.

Teachers will make assessments of the level of Independent Preparation that students complete and feedback to you in reports and parents/carers’ evenings - they may contact you directly, if they think there is too little Independent Preparation going on and that this is reducing the likelihood of success.

As always, we are here to help.  The key thing is that Independent Preparation is a life skill: it is not the teachers’ responsibility to conjure activities every week, though they may choose to do so.  It is the children’s responsibility to prepare.

Frequently Asked Questions (Parents & Carers)

What do I do when I ask my child what Independent Prep they have and they say, they haven’t got any?

Please direct them to, or join them in looking at their Google Classroom assignments.  If they have completed the tasks set, ask to have a look at the completed task to see if the quality/quantity looks good.  If it does, encourage them to look at the revision, checklists, quizzes and past paper resources for the relevant subject/s.

What happens if we haven’t got an available digital device for my child to work on?

Please email your child’s tutor if that is the case: under some circumstances, we can provide one.  Meanwhile, if there is a family device that is just not available at that time, perhaps a rota for its use could be put in place by negotiation, so that your child knows exactly when and for how long they can complete their Independent prep.  If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact your child’s tutor - we may be able to help.

What happens if we haven’t got a quiet place for my child to work?

Again, please email your child’s tutor.  Meanwhile, we can arrange for time in school for your child to complete Independent Prep - perhaps lunch, after school or during private study lessons (if applicable).  We can also provide a digital device during this time, in a small number of cases.

What happens if I can’t help with the content of the Independent Prep?

Don’t worry!  It is NOT your responsibility to teach - it is our responsibility to make sure resources and, occasionally, set tasks are in place and it is your child’s responsibility to complete the Independent Prep.  If your child is struggling, they have supportive resources in Google Classroom (as well as web searches, including YouTube “explainos”) and a lifeline of email to their subject teacher if they cannot complete the Independent Prep without additional teacher input.  As always, if your child is struggling to reach out, please let us know directly. We now also have SENECA full suite which is a self-marking learning platform: independent prep set through this allows students to repeat questions that they found tricky the first time and provide extra tuition to help them complete the assignment.

My child has an Education HealthCare Plan.  I struggle to get my child to work at home.

For students with EHCPs, we often provide Independent Prep time within the school curriculum time.  We will be in close contact with you to make good use of this time in school and to help your child develop the Independent Prep skills needed for life, until they feel more comfortable working elsewhere.  For more information, please contact our SENDCO, Tracey Hunt on thunt@mendipstudioschool.org.uk .

My child says that they work better when they have ear/headphones on, listening to music - could that be true?

Yes, it might well be.  All people are different, but a common theme is that, to complete meaningful study, some people need to control what their senses are receiving, otherwise they are distracted.  It can be the case that listening to music helps people to complete their independent work because it blocks out other sounds that are unpredictable and distracting.  This level of control often reduces anxiety in students too, making the learning activity more fruitful.  It is much less likely that irrelevant audio AND visual stimuli will help in the completion of independent work, however: TVs, computer games and social media are likely to sabotage effective learning.

Can I receive assignment details directly from SENECA, by request?

Yes! Please email mfryer@somersetstudioschool.com with your request, stating which subject and the level of detail you would like to receive.  This is brand new and may have some bugs to fix over term 1.

School Calendar & Key Dates

• Each week, the Headmaster produces and emails home a Headteacher’s Letter. This letter has been rebranded by the students called “STEMpire” and it outlines the week and further ahead for students, staff and families. You will find advanced notices of anything you or your child may need to know for the term or year ahead.
• The school sends emails out for invites to events (parents’/carers’ evenings, social events etc.) directly as and when they apply with enough notice to plan around.
• Term Dates and Calendars can be found on the school website (under ‘About → Calendars’) or following this link: Calendars - Family Absence in Term Time - Somerset Studio School

Parents’/Carers’ Events

All year groups have 2 parents’ & carers’ evenings a year. These are held remotely and are completed via ‘School Cloud’ login.

Your ‘School Cloud’ login is the information we have on file for you. This is provided by your data collection sheet, any changes to any personal details please do let us know.  You can book an appointment with your child's teachers in one of the available slots.

Parents/Carers Booking Guide for School Cloud

How can I support my child’s achievement?

All homework and coursework deadlines are set on Google ‘Classroom’. Parents will be given a login approximately 2 weeks into term where they can see all assignments for their child:

• what is due,
• when it is due
• If it was completed on time.
• Keeping up to date on ‘Google Classroom’ is an excellent way to engage with your child in conversations about their school life, what they might want to do when they leave and more.

Data indicates that when parents and carers take ‘active interest’ in the education of their children, it increases their average final grade by 0.54 levels, so any conversation you have on the topic of school has value.

Data also indicates the most effective single method of raising results is for the student themselves to teach others how to do a task. So called ‘Visible learning’ increases final level by an average of 1.44 levels. Consider asking your child to teach you what they have learned as part of your conversations with them.

Memories are lost over time as they are not revisited. Revisiting a topic you have discussed with them for as little as 2 or 3 mins more than once over the next 2 years is the most effective way to retain knowledge.

What difference does student attendance make?

• The school fully appreciates there are a great variety of legitimate reasons for missing a lesson or a day from school.
• As a consequence, some students will unavoidably not gain the attendance they wish to have.
• Data across schools shows a clear and strong connection between attendance and outcomes for students.
• If it is at all possible for a student to attend school in KS4 and KS5 it is of paramount importance for them to be here.
• We appreciate there can even be a financial price with things like holidays costing more, however as you can see from the chart opposite it typically comes at an otherwise unseen price.
• This is the reason that schools set the required attendance at 95% for KS4 and KS5. We owe our children every opportunity we can give them for choices and success in their future.

What difference does parenting/caring make?

There is infinite variety in approaches by parents and carers, meeting the unique needs for every child

Some general principles tend to lead to better life chances (authoritative - neither permissive nor authoritarian):

• These include, setting clear expectations and sticking to them
• Working together with young people to solve problems through honest, respectful, conversation
• Asking for support from school and other professionals in solving problems
• This is the reason that school has a responsibility to work closely with parents, carers and that all have responsibility to work together with common expectations of young people
• We also both need to work with other professionals to support and challenge young people to gain the best possible chances in life

Software & Apps we use

To help us keep up to date with your young person we use a number of different softwares and apps. We appreciate your support in accessing these and using them to keep in touch with us.                       Families Links Webpage

School Gateway

School Gateway is our school's communication app. We are now using School Gateway, an essential tool to keep you informed about what’s going on at school. It keeps everything in one place, behind one login, so you can easily keep in touch. Sign up using the information we have on record for you. You will receive a pin to use to login.

Parentpay

Parent pay is the external system we use to manage all external finances such as trips and school lunches. Parent pay will contact you with a login, once your account is set up you will be able to top up the account and make payments.  Our school canteen has a variety of food available at break and lunch times.

Edukey

Edukey provides a comprehensive online tool which enables us to map and manage the support and provision for students with special educational needs.  It also facilitates quick and efficient communication between school and parents. 

School Cloud

School Cloud is the system we use to book and manage parents' evenings. Online parents evenings are completed via 'School Cloud' login.Your 'School Cloud' login will be sent to you via Email closer to the time and you will be able to book appointments with your child's teacher in one of the available slots.

Curriculum

Our curriculum drives our vision for the development of passion, skills, understanding and knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths, in addition to Engineering, Enterprise and Creative Media in years 10 and 11.  We interweave the development of employability skill, with the aid of our industry partners, to make the ideal personalised futures of our students a reality and, in so doing, reduce the gap in the UK’s employment market for young people with these skills.  We fulfil our legal duty in providing English Language and Literature to GCSE in years 10 and 11 and offer students in our Sixth Form the opportunity to gain English Language and/or mathematics at grade 4 or above, if they have not yet secured these gateway qualifications.  

Literacy Programme:

Every week, students will have a lesson focused on developing functional Literacy skills. We work in groups to ensure that individual needs are being addressed, but broadly follow the same curriculum. Students will complete Reciprocal Reading through their PSHE lesson guided by a member of staff. This will be followed by a period of time using a package called Bedrock Learning.

Reciprocal reading focuses on developing reading strategies for accessing longer pieces of text and teaching reading success. It is thematically linked to PSHE and is an excellent way to build crucial reading skills in an engaging way, requiring students to activate prior knowledge, predict, clarify meanings, question authors and summarise their learning. Bedrock learning is a computer package that focuses on developing students' reading and vocabulary skills. Students will also be able to access Bedrock at home and are expected to use it as part of their Independent Prep. Parents will be sent home login information so that they can check on their child’s progress and support their skill development.

You might ask why. Well, GL Assessment analysed the data from more than 370,000 secondary school pupils across the UK in one of the largest studies of its kind. They discovered that:

• A quarter of students at 15 have a reading age of 12 or below.
  
• There is a significant correlation between student reading ability and eventual performance across all subjects at GCSE, which is just as strong in maths and sciences as it is in arts subjects.
  
• Indeed, the correlation between good literacy and good student outcomes at GCSE was higher in maths (0.63) than in some arts subjects like history (0.61) and English literature (0.60).

Careers:

Work Experience

Work Experience (yr 10)

Contact: Mrs Megan Fryer, Careers Leader

TOP TIPS FOR FINDING A PLACEMENT

Ask parents to use networks of friends and work colleagues for useful contacts. It is much easier to find a placement if they have a named contact to approach.

Research local companies in their chosen field – they should always write to a direct contact, which they should be able to find via the website or by calling them direct.

Send a brief CV and covering letter stating clearly when they are available and what they want, whether it is work experience, a part-time job, voluntary work or work shadowing.

Think more widely about where they can find experience, directing them to volunteering, seasonal work and gap year websites.

Think 'around' their chosen subject – especially if direct placements are highly competitive. For example, medical students can gain as much from a placement in a care home as in a hospital.If students in previous years have had successful placements, arrange an event where current students can talk to them to get an insight and share contacts.

Search local authority websites for work experience placements in areas such as housing, environmental health, arts centres, communications, HR and planning. If you are finding it difficult to find a placement please contact Mrs Cooper as we may be able to help with alternatives such as virtual work experience.

WHAT IS WORK EXPERIENCE

Work Experience is a Government scheme which is described as “a placement on an employer’s premises in which a pupil carries out a particular task or duty, more or less as would an employee, but with an emphasis on the learning aspects of the experience.”

The experience involves taking on the role of a young worker and engaging in work tasks and processes, developing employability skills and experiencing work environments.

It is an important part of ‘being ready for work’ which allows students, of all abilities, to gain knowledge about the world of work through a “real life” situation.

Year 10 Students cannot work:

• in a tattoo studio or any other skin

piercing environment

• on board a registered boat or ship

• in any gambling context

• in a cinema or night club

• behind a bar

• in a travelling fair ground or circus

Apart from the shipping rule the above

also apply to under 18s.

There are also restrictions on the types

of activity students cannot do on work

Experience.

No Students can:

• work above two metres fall height i.e. 2

metres above ground level outdoors or

floor level indoors

• work with toxic substances

• be exposed to radiation

• use power driven tools and machinery

• work in excessive noise, heat or cold

• work in confined spaces: mines,

chimneys, storage tanks, tunnels,

basements etc.

• drive tractors, quad bikes, earth moving

machines etc.

THINGS STUDENTS CANNOT DO

Employment law and work experience law are not the same. Work experience, or education law, allows students below the minimum school leaving age into workplaces which employment law would not, such as industrial settings. However, a number of employment laws and guidelines which are age related still apply in a work experience setting.

Certain situations are not allowed for work experience for students under a certain age.

Work experience will be held for a week in term 6. This will be Monday 7th July- Friday 11th July 2025.