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Safeguarding, Mental Health and Well-Being and Online Safety

The staff at Bishop Heber High School is committed to helping keep our students safe. We ensure that students learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Students are taught how to keep themselves safe, to develop positive and healthy relationships, and how to avoid situations where they may be at risk.

We recognise and accept our statutory and moral responsibility to safeguard our students. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. Where students are identified as at risk of harm concerns are shared with other agencies including the police, health and children’s services.

We have a clear and secure system for reporting and recording concerns. Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are:

Designated Safeguarding Lead:  Ms U Mort      umort@heber.org.uk

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead:  Mrs S Vaughan     svaughan@heber.org.uk 

If you have any concerns about a student in our school do not hesitate to contact us.

Online Safety

Child Protection

Mental Health

School Badge and Motto

School Closure Notice (Before the start of the school day)

The Headteacher’s decision not to open the School in the morning will be taken if one of two things happen:

1. At 6 a.m. the Site Team will judge whether the School is unsafe and if it is unlikely to improve before the start of the school day
2. At 7 a.m. the bus companies will contact the School to inform us that they are unable to get students to School safely and therefore will not be running a bus service

If the weather conditions force either of these two actions a “School Closure Notice” will be issued for that day only. You can find out if the School has been affected by the weather conditions by either:

• Visiting the school web site www.bishopheber.cheshire.sch.uk
• School Twitter @BishopHeberHS
• Contact the school number on 01948 860571 and listen to the answerphone message

In any event, work will be set for each year group and published on the website. The School Closure Notice is for one School day only and it must be assumed that the School will re-open on the following day.

School Closure Notice (During the School Day)

If, due to adverse weather conditions or emergency during the school day, the decision is taken to close the School early, students with mobile phones will be asked to contact parents to inform them of the situation and to confirm if it is in order that they go home early or, in the case of cancelled buses, that they will be picked up. Those students who do not own mobile phones will be allowed access to a school phone. Students will return to Tutor Rooms and sign a class list to confirm that verbal permission has been received from a parent allowing them to go home early. Any students who have been unable to contact parents or have not been given permission to go home will be directed to the Main School Hall or equivalent, where they will stay, with adult supervision, until parents arrive or alternative arrangements have been made. If the weather condition remains the same or deteriorates, we ask parents to follow the procedure above (Before the start of the school day) to ensure that the School is open as normal on the following day.

School Day

08:45 – 8:55 School Opens – Tutor rooms available (unsupervised)
08:55 – 9:10 A.M. Reg
9:10 – 10:10 Period 1
10:10 – 11:10 Period 2
11:10 – 11:30 Morning Break
11:30 – 12:30 Period 3
12.30 – 13.30 Period 4
13.30 – 14:10 Lunch
14:10– 15:10 Period 5
15:10 – 15:20 P.M. Reg
15:20 – 15:30 Students Depart
15:30 Buses Depart
15:30 – 16:45 Extra-curricular events/clubs and activities start/end

School Leaving Age

Your school leaving age depends on where you live. For example, in England you can leave school on the last Friday in June if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.

You must then do one of the following until you’re 18:

• stay in full-time education, for example at a college
• start an apprenticeship or traineeship
• spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training

School Transport and Behavioural Expectations (see also Bus Routes)

There are a large number of buses and different bus companies that bring students to and from School, and the Business Manager is responsible for the management of school transport. However, all the transport, bar four coaches, are coordinated by County Transport who can be contacted direct on 0300 123 7039. Alternatively, if you log on to www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk and click on A-Z button then S and then School Transport, you will find that many of your questions can be answered.
We urge parents to encourage their son or daughter to behave appropriately when using School transport as sanctions will be imposed for any misbehaviour. Students must:

• Remain in their seat until it is time to get off the bus
• Talk quietly and behave sensibly at all times
• Do as the bus driver tells them and be courteous to the driver at all times
• Be polite to all other bus passengers
• Be tidy and leave no litter on the bus
• Follow all reasonable instructions
• Wear a seatbelt for the duration of the journey
• Not get onto the school bus unless directed by a member of staff
• Be an ambassador for the School at all times

SEND

Bishop Heber High School values the abilities and achievements of all its students and is committed to discovering and providing the best learning conditions for each student, promoting development in understanding and social maturity, alongside their peers wherever possible. For further information our Individual Needs SEND Policy is available online at www.bishopheber.cheshire.sch.uk/Parents./Policies as a read-only copy in the School Library or as a printed copy which is available from the Clerk to the Governors, Miss J Ashley, jashley@heber.org.uk

School Leadership Team (SLT)

Mr D Curry Headteacher

Mr M Ridley Thomas Deputy Headteacher

Ms U Mort Deputy Headteacher

Mrs R Abbotson Assistant Headteacher

Mr J Garnham Assistant Headteacher/Director of Sixth Form

Mr A Cummings Assistant Headteacher

Miss H Windsor Assistant Headteacher

Mrs M Nesbitt Business Manager

Sixth Form

We are very proud of our Sixth Form and it is a very important part of the School. Students enter after having completed their GCSE examinations and lead a full and varied life, leaving for University, or to commence their career, two years later. The example they set for the main school is excellent and these older students bring many benefits to the whole School community.

Smart Card

The School operates a completely CASHLESS system for School meals and snacks. Students can pay cash (coins and notes) directly onto their Smart Card in one of the three (re-valve) machines in the Dining Room and Maths corridor. Alternatively, cheques may be put into a sealed envelope and marked with the student’s name, Tutor Group and enclosed amount and placed in the post box in the Dining Room. If this is done by 9:15 a.m., the money will be credited to the Smart Card in time for morning break. If your child loses their Smart Card during the day, they should go to Student Services in the first instance for advice. The cost of replacing a lost Smart Card is £2. In addition, if you wish to know what your child is eating, the School can provide a print-out on request or you can view this online via the School website, Internet Payments page.

Smoking / Vaping

Bishop Heber High School is a totally non-smoking site. Students caught smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes, or who are found to be in a ‘smoking situation’, where circumstances suggest that they might have been smoking, are dealt with severely, including an Internal Exclusion in the first instance followed by a Suspension (also known as a Fixed-term Exclusion) for subsequent ‘smoking situations’.

STEPs (setting targets and evaluating progress)

This takes place at the beginning of the new Academic Year and presents an excellent opportunity to find out how your child is doing at Heber. Letters are sent home informing parents of the event and students will be asked to make appointments online for you to meet with the Form Tutor. We do strongly recommend that you bring your child with you, and in fact Form Tutors will be keen to involve your child in the discussion about their progress. If you are unable to attend and would like to meet with either your child’s Form Tutor or one of their teachers, then please contact the school and make an appointment (see Parents’ Evening). Please note; non-attendance will result in an unauthorised absence mark.

Student Diaries (Planners)

In order to help students and their parents, the School provides a Student Diary at the beginning of each Academic Year. They are used for communication between School and home:

• Students – to record events/ reminders
• Teachers – for comments of concern or notes of praise/good work
• Parents – are encouraged to write comments/concerns and to sign the Diary weekly

Students who draw graffiti on their diary may be asked to pay for a replacement.

Student Services

Student Services can be located opposite the main toilets. This is an extremely important area of the School and students should be encouraged to use it for any queries and information such as:

• • Signing In and Out
  • Sickness or injuries
  • Lost Property
  • Student-related general enquiries

Subject Leaders