Useful information about the new school year

Please take some time to look at our uniform booklet that was sent out before the May half term holiday or refer to our uniform requirements on the transition section of the website.  There is another chance to visit school to purchase uniform from our suppliers on 2^nd August 2022, 10am-2pm, or you can visit their store directly:

C&A Embroidery & Print
Unit 13 Durham Way S
Newton Aycliffe
DL5 6ZF
Contact [email protected]
Tel 01740657831

In addition to this, when we return to school for the beginning of the new school year, we are requesting that children do not wear a hoodie or jumper that is not part of school uniform. We want our children to be protected from any inclement weather and these items of clothing do not provide adequate protection from the elements. Our children gather in outdoor locations at the beginning of every school day and are escorted to their lessons by their teachers. They also spend time outside at lunch and breaktime and we need to ensure they are appropriately clothed for any weather eventuality.

We will expect all children to have a coat that is suitable for school with some element of protection. This will exclude any coats made of a jersey type material or a denim jacket.

We would also like to take this opportunity to let parents and carers know that students are not permitted to wear trainers for school and should wear a sensible black shoe without embellishments which is professional in appearance and appropriate for school. In addition, those students who choose to wear skirts should wear a pleated skirt and not a pencil style skirt.

Equipment Requirements

We hope that the end of term for our Year 6 students was a wonderful celebration of their primary career. We understand that beginning secondary school can be daunting, but we are incredibly excited about the next five years and the journey we will go on together.

This letter contains some important information about the school day and when we return after the holidays. Please read it carefully and discuss it with your children before they begin with us in September.

The list below is the general equipment we would expect students to have in September:

2 x black pens
2 x green pen
2 x pencils
Pencil case
Rubber
Ruler
Pencil sharpener
Pink Highlighter
A suitable sized bag/backpack

School meals

The standard cost of a school meal is £2.50, and students will complete their biometrics on the first day they arrive. There will be a variety of meals available for the students on their arrival to secondary school, however some students may wish to bring a packed lunch which is fine.

Once we have entered your details into the school system you will be able to download the School Gateway app by following the instruction below.

What you need to do now:

The account can be accessed via the internet or through an app.

Download the app: If you have a smartphone, please download School Gateway from your app store (Android and iPhone). The app shows the same information as the website plus you can message the school for FREE, this will also save the school money when we send you a text message.

Or

Visit the website: www.schoolgateway.com and click on ‘New user’. You will receive a text message with a PIN number. Use this PIN to log into School Gateway.

If you have difficulty logging in, please contact the school and we will update the details on our system. We hope that you will find School Gateway a great way to keep up to date with what is going on at school. It is also possible for students to download the app so they can access the same great features such as behaviour, achievement, timetable and attendance.

School Day – September 2022

The school operates a staggered start and end of the day. The details of arrival / exit times can be found in the table below. Those children who travel to school via bus will be dropped off and collected at the times either listed below (for students who live in Shildon) or as stated by the company providing the transport.

We would like to remind all parents, carers and students that breakfast is available to all of our students free of charge from 8:00am every morning.

Student Lunch and Break Times

We have also operated staggered break and lunchtimes for our children, and this will also continue in September. The times are listed below.

Useful Numbers for Buses

Students travelling from Chilton – Andersons Coaches.  At present this bus picks up from Chilton Library at 08:00am. If you wish to use this service, contact Andersons direct on 01388721549.

Students travelling from School Aycliffe – Coach company is ‘Garnetts’ route 226.  At present this bus picks up from Heighington Green at 08:30am. Any new students wishing to apply for a bus pass must ring Darlington Borough council on 01325 406333.

Key Dates for 2022-2023 School Year

This list is not exhaustive and additional events may be added or alterations made be made. Please check the full school calendar on the school website for the most up to date in formation.