Return To School : September 5th 2023

We ask that you read the information that follows so that you are aware of our expectations for students and parents in readiness for the start of the new academic year in September 2023. The first day of term for students in Years 7 to 13 will be Tuesday 5^th September 2023.

Kettering Buccleuch Academy is not affected by the concerns that have been publicised in the media relating to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

The information below contains details of arrangements for the start of term and clear expectations relating to significant areas of academy life. Please take time to read everything carefully.

Site Entrance

As of September 2023, there will be two entrance points for the academy site.

• Main Entrance (opposite Almond Road)
• Dahlia Road entrance (opposite Dahlia Road)

As of September 2023, there will be two exit points from the school site:

• Main exit (opposite Almond Road)
• Scott Road exit

Our Dahlia Road exit will not be open at the end of the school day as we have become concerned about the number of students spilling out of this exit and onto Weekley Glebe Road.

We will maintain a high level of staff presence at the start and end of the academy day as students enter and leave our site.

The pedestrian gates at the main entrance and Dahlia Road entrance will be opened each morning at 8:05am. Only members of staff will be allowed access to the site before this time.

Please be aware that students should not arrive before the time that gates open to avoid large groups gathering on pavements.

Traffic On Site

Please do not enter the school site by car to either drop off or pick up your child at the start and end of the school day. The reduction of traffic on the site has a positive impact on the safety of children and adults on site.

The only exception to this rule is for students who have mobility issues and need to be dropped closer to the academy entrance doors.

Timings of the School Day

Students must be on site before 8:25am and must be seated in tutor rooms ready for the morning register to be taken at 8:30am.

Our advice is for students to plan for arrival at 8:15am at the latest. By doing this, students will ensure that they are always on time.

The timings for the end of the school day are found in the table below.

Day of the Week	End of School Day
Monday	All students finish at 3:00pm
Tuesday	All students finish at 3:50pm
Wednesday	Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 finish at 3:00pm Years 11. 12 and 13 finish at 3:50pm
Thursday	Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 finish at 3:00pm Years 12 and 13 finish at 3:50pm
Friday	All students finish at 3:00pm

First Day Of Term Arrangements: Years 7 to 13

The first day of term for students in Years 7 to 13 will be Tuesday 5^th September 2023.

All students should arrive at school fully prepared for learning to begin. Please ensure that your child has an appropriate school bag as well as a pencil case with the following items: Chrome Book* (fully charged), black pen (ballpoint), pencil, ruler, eraser, protractor and scientific calculator. Students can choose to bring coloured pens or pencils but please be aware that the following items are banned: permanent markers and correction fluid.

*students in Year 7 will be issued their Chrome Books during the first week of term.

As soon as students enter the site, they must make their way directly to their tutor room as set out below.

Year 7 students must enter through the main secondary entrance and go directly to the theatre where they will be met by members of the senior leadership team, pastoral leaders and their form tutor.

• Year 7 students should come in full school uniform as they do not have PE on this day.

Tutor Group	Tutor	Tutor Room
7B1	Lois Gorst	N102
7B2	Josephine Sams	N103
7G1	James Politano	N104
7G2	Kay Tracey	N104
7P1	Olivia Bonner	N106
7P2	Victoria Roberts	N109
7V1	Tom Brooker	N110
7V2	Louise Lovell	N111

Year 8 students must go directly to their tutor room where they will be met by their form tutor.

• Year 8 X Band students should come in school PE uniform as they have PE on this day.
• Year 8 Y Band students should come in full school uniform as they do not have PE on this day.

Tutor Group	Tutor	Tutor Room
8B1	Melissa Amrar	C107
8B2	Adam Yeo	C105
8G1	Cameron Dhadli	C106
8G2	Sean Male	C104
8P1	Kristy Jillings	N205
8P2	Victoria Ortega Laguna	N206
8V1	Kieron Dodge	N207
8V2	James Woolford	N208

Year 9 students must go directly to their tutor room where they will be met by their form tutor.

• Year 9 students should come in full school uniform as they do not have PE on this day.

Tutor Group	Tutor	Tutor Room
9B1	George Bott	S102
9B2	Emma Jeeves	S103
9G1	Steven Atkinson	S104
9G2	Laura Shocklidge	S105
9P1	Ellie Rowden	S106
9P2	Lewis Mitchell	C103
9V1	Will Gourlay	C102
9V2	Amy Holland	S107

Year 10 students must go directly to their tutor room where they will be met by their form tutor.

• Year 10 students should come in school PE uniform as they have PE on this day.

Tutor Group	Tutor	Tutor Room
10B1	Jen Mackay	N202
10B2	Matthew Marshall	C201
10G1	Troy Dillon	C202
10G2	Laura Staley	C203
10P1	Carl Cooper	C204
10P2	Frances Dempster	C205
10V1	Kate Thomas	C206
10V2	Louise Jensen	C207

Year 11 students must go directly to their tutor room where they will be met by their form tutor.

• Year 11 students should come in full school uniform as they do not have PE on this day.

Tutor Group	Tutor	Tutor Room
11R1	Emma Yarde	A203
11R2	Daniel Prudden	S201
11R3	Andy Major	S202
11R4	Leighann Smith	S203
11R5	Rhiannon Marshall	S204
11R6	Matthew Hounslow	S205
11R7	Kim Furniss & Susie Iliffe	S206
11R8	Becky Collins	S207
11R9	Catherine Pringle & John Mason	A204

Year 12 students must go directly to their tutor room where they will be met by their form tutor.

• Year 12 students should come dressed in accordance with the Sixth Form dress code.

Tutor Group	Tutor	Tutor Room
12R1	Amy Coates	S017
12R2	Emma Chan	N009
12R3	Michael Frayne	N008
12R4	Ryan Tully	N010
12R5	Tracy Druce	S016
12R6	Alison Randle & Rachel Johnson	S015
12R7	Faye Commons	C001

Year 13 students must go directly to their tutor room where they will be met by their form tutor.

• Year 13 students should come dressed in accordance with the Sixth Form dress code.

Tutor Group	Tutor	Tutor Room
13R1	Georgia Bainbridge	201A
13R2	Jane Thom	201C
13R3	Bill Pringle/Wendy O’Sullivan	201B
13R4	Karen de Boer/Martin Shepherd	A213
13R5	Jo Watts	A212

School Uniform

Please ensure that your child has full and correct school uniform in advance of the return to school on Tuesday September 5^th, 2023. The information below provides an overview of what is and is not acceptable.

In Term 6 we made an adjustment to our uniform policy which allowed

Secondary School Uniform Year 7-11

Item	Compulsory of Optional	Purchase From
KBA blazer	Compulsory	Karlsports
Black trousers	Either trousers or KBA pleated kilt are compulsory	Any retailer
KBA pleated kilt		Karlsports
KBA House tie	Compulsory	Karlsports
KBA V-necked jumper	Optional	Karlsports
White formal shirt	Compulsory	Any retailer
Black polishable shoes	Compulsory (No boots, trainers of other forms of footwear are allowed)	Any retailer
Plain black or white socks/tights	Compulsory	Any retailer

Secondary Physical Education School Uniform Year 10 and 11 (to be worn on timetabled PE days)

Item	Compulsory of Optional	Purchase From
KBA sports polo shirt (Old style)	Compulsory	n/a
KBA sports polo shirt (New style)	Optional at start of year (Compulsory if/when old style polo shirt is replaced)	Karlsports
KBA black training trousers OR KBA black sports leggings	Compulsory (Plain black or branded black training trousers / leggings are not allowed)	Karlsports
KBA sports hoodie (Old style)	Compulsory	n/a
KBA sports hoodie (New style)	Optional at start of year (Compulsory if/when old style hoodie is replaced)	Karlsports
KBA sports shorts	Optional	Karlsports
KBA sports skorts	Optional	Karlsports
KBA sports zip rain jacket	Optional	Karlsports

Secondary Physical Education School Uniform Year 7, 8 and 9 (to be worn on timetabled PE days)

 

Item	Compulsory of Optional	Purchase From
KBA sports polo shirt	Compulsory	Karlsports
KBA black training trousers OR KBA black sports leggings	Compulsory (Plain black or branded black training trousers / leggings are not allowed)	Karlsports
KBA sports hoodie	Compulsory	Karlsports
KBA sports shorts	Optional	Karlsports
KBA sports skorts	Optional	Karlsports
KBA sports zip rain jacket	Optional	Karlsports

Other Uniform Expectations

Jewellery

A single ring and one pair of small, plain stud or sleeper size earrings and a watch are the only items allowed.  All Jewellery must be removed for PE activities and is brought into school entirely at the student’s own risk. Students must not wear multiple rings, ear piercings, hoop style earrings or jewellery in the upper ear, ear cartilage, nose, tongue or gum. These items are banned and will be confiscated.

If you do decide to allow your child to have additional piercings, please ensure that they are removed for school. This will be strictly enforced, and students not correctly attired for lessons may be withdrawn from mainstream lessons until the issue has been fully resolved.  Any piercings made during the summer holidays must be able to be removed at the start of the academic year on September 5^th, 2023.

Hairstyles

Students are expected to have moderate hairstyles, avoiding extremes. A definitive list of acceptable and unacceptable hairstyles is impractical, but our guiding principle will relate to whether the hairstyle is appropriate for a professional, working environment.

Make Up

Discreet make-up only is allowed. In practical terms this means no bright lipstick, eye shadow or eye liner.

Nails

False nails can represent a health and safety risk in physical education lessons and are not appropriate for school. It is far easier to maintain the cleanliness of short, natural nails than longer acrylic or varnished ones. Clear or subtle nail varnish is allowed.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Uniform

What happens if my child comes to school without school shoes?

If there is a genuine reason for your child not wearing school shoes, we ask that you inform their Head of Year either by email or telephone before your child arrives at school on that day. In cases where a genuine reason exists students will be provided with a non-uniform pass for a limited duration of 1 day.

Why can’t my child wear clothes, jewellery or make-up to express their personality and individuality?

School is a formal setting (just like a place of work or business) where students should be treated equally and have equal access to attention and support from staff.   We do not want to encourage an environment where students are competing in terms of their appearance or how “fashionable” they look. Students very often claim that their appearance sets them apart from others and is an expression of individuality when they are simply conforming to the expectations of their peer group.

Why can’t my child wear piercings/nail extensions/varnish when I have been told that other children do?

Students often use this as their first defence with parents/carers and members of staff. Invariably, the truth is that everyone else is not being allowed to break the rules that also apply to your child.  Where there are students wearing piercings/nail varnish/extensions then they will also be dealt with. However, the school is not at liberty to discuss the sanctions and issues regarding another child with you or your child.  In the same way, we will not discuss issues to do with your child with others.

Why can’t my child have nail extensions?

As previously stated, long nail extensions pose a risk when a student is engaged in physical activity or taking part in specific subjects within the curriculum. If one is ripped off or brushes another student, this can result in painful cuts and rips to the skin.  In addition, the academy does not want to encourage an environment where such “additions” to appearances are taken as the norm.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are banned from being used at any point on the academy’s site, whether indoors or outdoors.

Mobile phones are not just distracting, but when misused or overused, they can have a damaging effect on a pupil’s mental health and wellbeing. It is to be recognised that the enhanced functions of many mobile phones give the most cause for concern and are most susceptible to potential misuse. Examples of misuse include the taking and distribution of images of others on the academy site without permission, the capture of indecent images, exploitation and bullying. It must be understood that mobile phones can have a negative impact on a pupil’s safety, dignity, privacy and right to confidentiality.

Procedure:

We operate a ‘See it, hear it, lose it’ policy with regard to mobile phones. This simply means that a mobile phone will be confiscated if it is seen or heard on the academy’s grounds*.

• This restriction is always in place while students are on the grounds of the academy; this includes when students arrive and leave at the end of the day. It is also in place after enrichment clubs have finished. Phones should be turned off (not just put on silent) and put away before students enter the academy gates and not turned on again until they have left the site.
• We recognise that some parents/carers, in the interests of their child’s personal safety, may wish their child to have their mobile phone with them for their journey to and from the academy but must stress the importance of parents/carers clearly communicating that this must be turned off at all times on site.
• Mobile phones that are seen or heard will be confiscated and stored in a secure place at Student Reception and can only be collected by a student at the end of the academy day.
• If a student repeatedly has their mobile phone confiscated the device may be kept until parents/carers make an appointment for it to be collected.
• Students will be able to contact staff on duty/staff running clubs if there is an emergency and they require to speak with their parent/carer although we do not envisage this to be necessary. Whether or not a situation is an emergency can only be determined by a member of staff.
• We will ensure that any important messages are relayed to your child through the day if you leave a message at reception. However, please be aware that this facility should only be used for emergencies.
• Students who refuse to hand the phone over to a member of staff will be placed in Reflection for the rest of the day. In these instances, parents will be contacted by the relevant Head of Year. Refusal to go into Reflection may result in a Fixed Term Suspension.

*Please note that if a member of staff does not physically see the phone, then this can still be confiscated if they are sure the student has been using it i.e. text has been sent to parents.

Behaviour Policy September 2023

Parental support is essential in relation to our expectations of student behaviour, and we ask that you read the Behaviour Policy (which can be found on the academy’s website) so that you and your child(ren) are fully aware of this. Our expectations are high, and we make no apology for this as we know that a disruption free learning environment is essential for students to achieve their true potential.

The purpose of our Behaviour Policy is to ensure that all members of our community, including parents, have knowledge of the behaviour system and follow it to bring about consistency of practice throughout the academy.

It also ensures that all students understand what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and that every student understands their choices and the consequences of their decisions. The policy also outlines the rewards that helps make the system effective as we recognise that rewards play as vital a role in the process of ensuring outstanding behaviour.

Our key purpose is to ensure the safety, well-being and success of all our students. To ensure success for all, we have in place a range of interventions to support students, develop positive relationships and refocus on learning. Poor conduct has consequences for learning and achievement and, in these unprecedented times, the safety and wellbeing of our community. High expectations of staff and students make a positive contribution in our aim of achieving the ‘Best in Everyone’.

Our policy is built around our core values of Respect, Determination and Ambition and is aimed at supporting our students to exhibit the values we look to develop in them, and to reflect when they have breached these values.

In applying this policy, the academy considers its duties under the Equality Act 2010 regarding relevant characteristics protected by that act, notably disability. It also considers the needs of pupils with special educational needs in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2015. The academy will also have regard to its safeguarding policy where appropriate.

Examples of reasonable adjustments include but are not limited to:

• Specific seating position in classroom
• Additional direction to remain focussed in lessons before being moved or removed
• Support from an additional adult in the classroom
• Time out card

Any reasonable adjustments will be shared with staff of individual students.

The academy’s Secondary Behaviour Policy can be access via our website and we encourage all parents and carers to spend some time reading through this with their children in advance of our return to school in September.