Call: 01948 860571
Call: 01948 860571
Search
Menu
Outstanding Provider High School

A

School Aims and Visions

Our vision is a School in which Respect, Opportunity and Achievement can flourish. We recognise the differences, values and beliefs of each individual yet acknowledge the responsibility that we all have to treat everyone with respect and courtesy, so we all feel happy and safe in our School. Bishop Heber forms the heart of the wider community, providing all its members with a central resource to enhance the quality of opportunity: a world-renowned international, innovative place to learn and grow into active, global citizens. The School enjoys a positive, well-ordered and stimulating environment, promoting and celebrating achievement in academic study, sport, performance, creative art and community work. We provide high quality and exciting teaching with support and challenge appropriate to the needs of every individual to encourage learning as a lifelong activity.

Absence Requests During The School Term Time

We like to acknowledge the high levels of support that we get from the overwhelming majority of families in ensuring that their child attends School regularly. However, the School will issue Fixed Penalty Notice’s (FPN-fines) to families if unauthorised absence is an issue. If any student has attendance that is less than 97% then any application for a leave of absence will automatically be declined, unless in exceptional circumstances. From September 2017 the Government, following a Supreme High Court ruling, introduced revised attendance regulations; Headteachers are no longer able to authorise Holiday requests unless there are exceptional mitigating circumstances. Requests will only be accepted using the Leave of Absence Request application form downloadable from the school website returned to the attendance@heber.org.uk four weeks in advance. If your request is declined and you subsequently take the holiday, the School, in conjunction with the Local Authority will issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN – fine).

Requests for absences, which are not holiday related but required to attend events such as sporting competitions, must be made in advance using the Leave of Absence Request application accompanied by supporting information and organisation contact details. Again, this must be made in advance, and submitted via the attendance@heber.org.uk

Absence - Foreseen (see also Attendance and Holidays)

The Governors expect that all medical and/or dental appointments are made outside of the normal school day or in school holidays. However, we do recognise that this may not always be possible and parents are asked to report the absence in advance either:-

1. Email attendance@heber.org.uk
2. Call the absence line on 01948 860571 option 2

Medical evidence in the form of appointment letter/s or card/s is required to record on the student’s file.
Before the student leaves the School site or when returning from an appointment, they must sign in/out at Student Services.

Absence – Unforeseen (see also Attendance)

On every day of unplanned absence parents / carers are required to report the absence, clearly giving the students name, year, Tutor Group and the reason for absence before 8.30 a.m. via either:

1. Email attendance@heber.org.uk
2. Call the absence line on 01948 860571 option 2

Unreported absences will be followed up by text message requesting a reason for absence. Any absences not reported will be recorded as unauthorised.

Activity Week

Each Academic Year, usually during the first week in July, the whole school timetable is suspended for Activity Week. All of Year 7 go to the Conway Centre at Menai for a five-day cross-curricular and team-building residential week. This is an extremely important part of the Year 7 life – often being away from home, sleeping in dormitories and an opportunity to face personal challenges in a “fun” and safe environment. In addition, Years 8-10 have the opportunity to participate in other residential trips, which are run on a carousel bases e.g.; The Battlefields History trip; Watersports Experience in France. Lower Sixth are on their one-week Work Experience. Year 11 and the Upper Sixth have completed their examinations and are not in School. The rest of the students are occupied in curriculum-based projects.

Admissions

If you are seeking a place for your child at Bishop Heber High School, please contact the Headteacher’s P.A./ Admissions Officer on 01948 860571 or email admissions@heber.org.uk who will be able to advise you on procedures for applying to the School, or to arrange a date and time to tour the School with the Headteacher if there are places available in the required year group.

Advice - External / Outside Agencies

Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) – Independent, practical and legal advice on schooling issues

Cheshire’s Family Information Service (FIS) – supports parents, prospective parents, carers, professionals and children and young people living in Cheshire to enable them to become more informed consumers of services that are available to them

Arbor - Parent Portal

Arbor, our new Parents’ Portal, will allow you to access up to date information about your son or daughter. There will be a link to the site on the School’s website in the Parents section. You will receive your login and password when your daughter/son joins the School and you can reset you password, using the forgotten my details.

Once logged into the site you can check your personal details, access past reports and letters home, check behaviour and attendance, view your son/daughter’s timetable, homework and check examination timetables. A help session is available during the Year 7 child’s Parents’ Information Evening in the early Autumn term each year.

Army Training Corps

The Air Training Corps are a UK-wide cadet force with more than 40,000 members aged between 13 and 20. Cadet life is about learning through practical experience, especially in the great outdoors. The Air Cadets is a fantastic organisation with a wide range of different opportunities that caters for many different interests and hobbies. 617 (Heber) Squadron is located on the Bishop Heber School Grounds, parade nights are Tuesdays and Thursdays 7.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. For more information call OC Sgt Gina Aldous 617 (Heber) Sqn ATC Officer Commanding via oc.617@aircadets.org or visit the website http://617atc.t83.net/ for further information.

Attendance

By law, all children of a compulsory school age must receive a suitable, full-time education, and, as parents, it is your responsibility to ensure that this happens. Your child’s attendance at School is recorded at 8.55 a.m. each morning and again at 3.10 p.m. at the end of the school day. This information is used for a variety of reasons such as Fire Safety; Truancy; Government; Local Authority and internal school reports. We expect 100% attendance and therefore reward students for excellent attendance. Students falling below our threshold will be subject to close monitoring by their Tutor, Year Leader and the Education Welfare Officer (EWO), possibly leading to interventions and the engagements of the Local Authority for continuing poor attendance. A complete copy of your child’s attendance will be sent with each STEPS pack, and we ask you to use the slips attached to the document in order to update any errors. Parents are also able to view their child’s statutory attendance record on Arbor.

The Medical Needs section contains information about how we support students with medical conditions who are finding it difficult to maintain attendance.

Late arrival to School

Students are considered being late to school if arriving after 8.55 a.m. or to p.m. registration after 3.10 p.m. without having attended an authorised/agreed appointment. Students are required to sign in at Student Services. They will be registered as ‘Late’ on the register and a text message will be sent home to parents and carers advising of late arrival. Students arriving at 9.30 a.m. will be recorded as U, arriving after registers have closed, which is an unauthorised absence mark. Accumulation of late arrivals will result in school led interventions and sanctions. A full copy of the Attendance Policy is available at www.bishopheber.cheshire.sch.uk/Parents/Policies or from the Clerk to the Governors, Miss J Ashley, jashley@heber.org.uk