SCHOOL RULES
personal property
All personal property should be clearly marked. Students should not bring valuable items into school.
Mobile phones, smart watches (web-enabled or storage devices) or similar
We are keen to ensure that expensive items are left at home and that students are not distracted by receiving phone calls or sending and receiving text and social media messages whilst on the school site, including before and after school hours. If these devices are seen or heard on school premises they will be confiscated. They will be taken by staff to the Main Office for safekeeping.
If a teacher deems that it is beneficial to students’ learning for them to use a mobile phone in lessons, then they will write to you in advance notifying you of this. In these lessons students may use their phones as and when instructed by the teacher.
If it is the first confiscation of that item for that academic year, the item can be collected at the end of the school day.
If it is not the first confiscation of that item for that academic year, the item will be kept in school and it will be retained until 3.20pm the following day and will only be returned on receipt of an e-mail from the parent/carer.
Non-regulation clothing and other items (e.g. jewellery)
Clothing and Jewellery which is not part of school uniform may be confiscated and held in the main office. Students are only allowed a watch and small earrings (one in each ear), either stud earrings or small hoops – a useful measure for hoops is that they should not be able to slide onto the little finger. Facial and body piercings are not allowed, this includes nose and tongue piercings.
Any other jewellery will be confiscated, put in a sealed envelope with the student’s name, form and the date on the outside, and taken to the Main Office for safekeeping.
The return of the item will follow the process in place for mobile phones as described above.
HAIR, MAKE-UP AND NAIL VARNISH
Students may not dye their hair an unnatural hair colour. Extreme hairstyles, dip dyeing, streaks and highlights are not permitted. It is important that long hair is well managed. No student may have their hair cut shorter than a barber's number 2.
If worn, make-up should be discreet. Nail varnish and fake nails/nail extensions should NOT be worn. Students wearing nail varnish or excessive make-up will be asked to remove it. False eyelashes are not permitted at SWCHS.
UNIFORM
SWCHS takes pride in its school uniform and students in uniform represent the school at all times. Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct school uniform on a daily basis (including the correct year colour bar). Please ensure that all uniform articles are clearly marked with full names.
The code is clearly stated and students should adhere to it when they are travelling to and from school as well as when they are on site.
At an appropriate time (usually the second half of the summer term) a decision will be made allowing students to discard blazers in the event of hot weather.
Students may wear one charity wristband and/or one charity badge on their blazers.
Further information on uniform can be found under the uniform page of the new starter section.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
Every student at SWCHS is expected to take personal responsibility for their learning, including organisation and preparation.
School bags should be big enough to contain all necessary equipment (exercise books, textbooks, stationery). All students should carry basic equipment to ensure that lessons and learning can commence promptly. Please ensure all clothing and personal items are named clearly so if they are lost, they have the potential to be returned.
Basic stationery equipment should include: a pencil case, pen and spare pen, pencil and sharpener, rubber, 30cm ruler, basic-coloured pencils, glue stick, highlighter, green pen and whiteboard pen. Calculators and geometry sets can be bought on Wisepay and will be distributed by the Maths Department in one of your child’s first Maths lessons.
A refillable and named water bottle should be brought into school each day.
Punctuality and absence
We appreciate that absence is at times unavoidable due to illness, but request that parents ensure that it is kept to the absolute minimum and always e-mail absence@swchs.net to explain any absences and indicate how long your child will be off for. Please email in on any subsequent days of illness if it was not clear initially. We will require medical evidence for any period of illness of five days or more.
Please ensure that students are in school by 8.30am ready to start to period 1 at 8.40am. Parent/Carers will be contacted if students are frequently late to lessons, or at the start of the day and sanctions will be applied if necessary. It is expected that when students are well enough to come back to school, they should complete any missed work.
- We actively discourage pupils from taking holidays during term time. Requests for leave of absence during term time should be made using our online form on the school website under Information - Key information - Attendance.
All leave of absence within term time will be recorded as unauthorised unless there are very exceptional circumstances. Parents will be notified by letter within two weeks as to whether the absence will be recorded as authorised or unauthorised.
If your child needs to leave school to attend a medical/dental appointment, please email absence@swchs.net or call the school.. They should also present the appointment card or letter from you at the school reception area when signing out for the appointment, ensuring that they sign in again on their return.
Any student who has cause to arrive after 8.40am or who has a valid reason for leaving during the course of the school day, must sign in or out at the main school reception desk.
ILLNESS IN SCHOOL
Students feeling ill in school should report to the school nurse in the medical room between 8:45am and 3:20pm. At any other time, they should report to the main office. Whenever possible they should see the nurse at break and lunchtime rather than during lessons.
Eating arrangements
There are four eating areas set aside for a student to eat their lunch; the school dining hall, Pod A, Pod B and Pod C.. Eating and drinking outside these areas is not allowed. At lunchtime, no student is allowed to leave the premises without written permission.
Car Parking/Visiting the school
We ask you to avoid dropping off your child, or collecting them, from the school site at the beginning and end of the school day. This will help to ease the considerable congestion which occurs at these very busy times and will allow students to leave the site safely. If this is unavoidable, you must use the Sports Centre Entrance and drop your child off in the bottom car park. For meetings or appointments at other times, visitor parking can be accessed through the Main Entrance and is at the front of the school.
CYCLES, MOTORBIKES AND CARS
There must be no cycling within the school grounds. Students must obtain permission to bring motorbikes or cars. A permit system is in operation.
sMOKING/ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES (VAPES)
SWCHS is a no smoking site for all staff, students and visitors.
Smoking is expressly forbidden on the way to and from school. Students caught smoking/vaping and students associating with smokers will be punished.