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My name is Miss McNally. I am an English teacher and Transition Coordinator here at Matthew Arnold School. I am very excited to be supporting the journey your child will embark upon before joining our school in September. We run a number of transition events throughout the year, which gives students the chance to ease themselves into the routines of secondary school, meet staff members/their peers, and get excited about the range of fantastic opportunities we provide as a school! |
hmcnally@maschool.org.uk transition@maschool.org.uk |
When will I know what tutor group my child will be in? Your child will find out their tutor group and house on the main transition day.
What is the role of a Tutor at Matthew Arnold School? The tutor is the first point of contact between home and school. They will meet students each morning during Tutor time. The tutor will link with the year team and heads of department to support good learning and progress and will work alongside the Year Team to help students resolve any issues that might arise in school.
How will I be kept up to date with school news and events? A student and parent bulletin will be emailed to all parents on a Friday afternoon. The weekly bulletin contains school wide notices and Year Group specific notices. It also provides up-to-date information on all the extra-curricular clubs running. You can also find the up-to-date bulletin and any archive copies on our website: Student and Parent Bulletin
How can my child travel to school? At Matthew Arnold School we encourage environmentally sustainable travel options. Many students walk or cycle to school. Bikesheds are provided for students wishing to cycle. For those further afield, there are a number of bus routes that service the school. Please refer to this link for further information on travel: Travel to Matthew Arnold School
What time does school start? School starts at 08:40 am and students should be on site by 08:35 am when a warning bell rings. Students should be in tutor time for 08:40 am to be registered. The register closes at 09:10 am and arrival after this time will be marked as unauthorised late.
What are the rules about phones? We are a no-phones school and expect that students turn phones off and put them away in their bags for the whole time that they are on site. If a call needs to be made home, this can be supported through the Year Team at student reception.
What uniform and PE kit do I need to purchase? Uniform guidanceParent Ordering Information All students must change from uniform worn in lessons and during the day into a separate PE kit when they have PE. Please do not purchase the PE polo top until after the main transition day when your child will find out what House they will be joining.
What equipment is needed in school? Equipment List
How can I keep track of what my child will be learning and their homework? Every student is provided with a two-week timetable which parents can also access via the Parent Portal, MyChildAtSchool (see below). We recommend keeping a copy of the timetable readily accessible. Every student will also be given a planner to record their homework on their first day in September.
What is MyChildAtSchool? MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) is a portal enabling parents to view their child's academic performance in real-time via a web browser. This facility allows exclusive access to the child's Attendance, Assessment and Behaviour whenever the parent/carer wishes. MCAS will be used to deliver reports, show timetables, show rewards and consequences and to publish attendance and assessment data.
Parents who live at the same address as their child will have permission to amend student and contact information in the Data Collection section; you are also able to update medical information and parental consent. Parent’s can self sign up for MyChildatSchool using the same email address that is registered on our system (i.e. the email address you provided on the Student Information Request Form). Please see this link for full instructions on how to sign up for MCAS: MCAS - Self sign up for parents - Instructions
How will I know how my child is progressing? There are three Progress Reports that are issued throughout the year, with details of attitude and academic attainment. There are opportunities to meet with teachers in Year 7 to gain more information about your child’s progress: Meet the tutor Evening Parents’ Evening Targeted parents’ meeting - SEND reviews You are more than welcome to contact subject specific teachers or the tutor directly if you need further updates throughout the year or have any queries or concerns.
What language will my child be learning in Year 7? At Matthew Arnold School students will initially study one foreign language, so as to be fully competent and confident in an initial language and immersed in the culture before they transfer and apply their linguistic skills to a second language. This means that in year 7 students will study either French or Spanish. In year 8 they will then begin to study the other language.
Students in year 7 will be allocated places in either French or Spanish. Please let us know if your child is bilingual in either of these languages and we will ensure they begin with the other language. Please contact transition@maschool.org.uk if you have any requests. Please see this letter from our MFL department for more information about languages at Matthew Arnold Schools: MFL Enrolment Letter
Do you offer music instrument lessons? Yes, visiting peripatetic teachers provide weekly 20- or 30-minute lessons during the school day. Lessons are scheduled to avoid missing the same subject repeatedly. Please see this letter from our music department for more information about instrument lessons: Music Department Letter
I think my child might be eligible to receive free school meals, how do I apply? Please complete the application form linked here:Application for Free School Meals We will share your application form with the Oxfordshire County Council Free School Meals Checking Service and inform you of the outcome as soon as possible. For further information about Free School Meals, please email: registrar@maschool.org.uk
What does the canteen sell? Students can bring their own lunch or buy from our canteen using our biometric fingerprint recognition system. At break time, students can choose from a selection of hot and cold snacks. At lunch, there will be a choice of hot meals, snacks, and a selection of sandwiches. Please view their menu here as well as pricing.
How will my child pay for food if they use the canteen? We use a cashless system called ParentPay, linked to fingerprint recognition (no images stored). Parents add money to accounts, so students do not carry cash.
What is ParentPay? ParentPay is a secure payment system used by our parents and staff. As well as enabling you to pay online for your child’s school meals, you can also use your ParentPay account to make other payments, for example school trips. You will receive a letter from us with details of how to create your account in ParentPay prior to the start of school in September.
Will there be lockers? We would like to offer Year 7 students the opportunity to purchase the use of a locker for the new academic year. The cost of a locker is £15.00 and will entitle your child to use the locker for the whole school year. Further communication will be out in due course and lockers will be allocated at the start of September.
What do I do if my child is ill and unable to come into school? If your child is unwell and unable to come into school, please report your child’s absence from school by 9am on every day of absence via text to: 07860 050 015 or email to: attendance@maschool.org.uk When you message to inform us that your child is absent from school, please provide the following details: Full name of student, tutor group and the reason for absence If unwell, symptoms/illness If absent for a medical appointment, state type of appointment (e.g. dentist, optician), date and timings of when your child will be out of school.
How do we request a leave of absence during term time? Please refer to our website for information on our attendance policy and information about requesting a leave of absence: Attendance Policy and Leave of Absence Request
What happens if my child feels unwell whilst at school? If your child feels unwell or has an accident whilst in school they should tell an adult straight away and a trained First Aider will take care of them. If your child is too ill to remain in school or if hospital treatment is necessary we will contact parents to make suitable arrangements.
Can you administer medication to my child whilst at school? Yes - a member of staff in our first aid office will be able to arrange this. We must receive a signed parental agreement to administer medicine form. The form can be found on our website here: Matthew Arnold School - First Aid
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 31 October 2025 |
The deadline to submit an application |
| 2 March 2026 |
National Offer Day for first round allocations (for on-time applications, received by 31 October 2025) |
| 5 June 2026 | Transition morning for students joining from low feeder primary schools. |
| 19 June 2026 | Primary PE day for all Y6 students from the main feeder schools. |
| 24 June 2026 | SEND Transition Morning (your child's primary school will invite you to this session if appropriate). |
| 1 July 2026 | Transition Day and Parent Evening for all students joining Year 7 in September 2026. |
| 2 June 2026 | PTA Rounders and BBQ |
| 27 - 31 July 2026 | Summer School Week 1 |
| 3 - 7 August 2026 | Summer School Week 2 |
