Success for everyone
At Matthew Arnold School students make great progress in their learning and attain ambitious outcomes through our excellent curriculum. Through our diverse and inclusive community we support students to become kind and responsible young adults, confident and proud of who they are and ready when they leave us to make a positive contribution to their world.
Our Values
Ambition Kindess Inclusion Collaboration
What can you expect from the adults at school?
- Staff will meet you at the door to the classroom to welcome you into the room
- Staff will clearly use the phases of learning
- Staff will carefully plan where you sit
- Staff have high expectations of what you can achieve
- Staff will dismiss you from your seat at the end of the lesson
- Staff will escort you to the canteen when you have early lunch
- Staff will be out on duty in their hi vis jackets
- Staff will be clear and fair with reminders and removals if they are necessary
- Staff will speak to their curriculum leaders at the closing of the of the day 3.00 -3.15 to discuss incidents of students not meeting expectations and communication with home will take place.
- Staff will respond to emails with 48 hours of receiving them
- Tutors will have the same expectations for behaviour and standards as they do in lesson times
- Staff will help you to create an excellent working environment as well as a pleasant environment to work in through the use of displays and keeping the room tidy.
Teaching at our school
- Great teaching in a calm environment where the phases of learning will still happen - Active Listening, Independent work, Group work and discussion.
- Reminder to help you respond to the instructions or phases of learning. Removal happens after reminders.
- Homework will be set at the start of lessons. If HW is not completed, teachers give a NN. This means that families will know. Conversations about homework will happen between your tutor and yourself as well as your tutor and your families to support any HW issues
- If you have repeat reminders and removals, Curriculum leaders and your teachers will be putting in place reports and monitoring if you have repeat reminders and removals. This will all be communicated with your family.
- There will be drop ins from members of the leadership team as well as curriculum leaders to check on the progress of students and to support staff
Safety at our school
- We all need to feel a sense of belonging at our school and that includes how we are able to move around the site. By keeping to the left and not creating chaos at exits it enables all our school community to navigate our more crowded spaces happily and safely.
- There is a one way system in A block and there are lines to indicate walking on the left hand side. Students should line up against the wall in single file when entering A1-A6
- The middle doors and the doors at the end of the A block corridor are exit and entry only during lesson changeovers. Middle door - Entry only Door by A6 - Exit only
- We have a hands off agreement. Students need to make their way to lessons with this in mind and not wait outside classrooms in A, B, C or N block in groups hugging each other, wrestling or mock fighting.
Arriving and Leaving lessons
- Creating new routines can be tricky and can take time but it is really important. How we start our lessons and how we finish them is critical if everyone is to have a really positive experience at MAS.
- These routines will help all of us transition, settle, and find a place of calm. Learning can’t happen when we feel overwhelmed, anxious or preoccupied.
How do we arrive to lessons?
- Students should arrive promptly to class and greet the teacher at the door.
- Upon entering the classroom students need to get their equipment out and remove all outdoor clothing. Students should start to read, silently, until the register is taken in every lesson apart from PE.
- Students who are late to class should have a ‘late to class’ recorded on Bromcom.
How do we leave lessons?
- When the lesson is ending your teacher will ask you to pack up your things but remain seated
- You will be dismissed from your seat rather than standing behind your chair. Please ensure your chair is under and you have all your belongings before you leave.
- As you leave the classroom ensure this is done quietly and calmly and you show awareness of others in the corridor. In A block you must walk on the left.
Positive and restorative approach to behaviour
Recognition
Students will be recognised for their hard work both in and outside the classroom. This takes the form of an R3 and will be recognised with an email home.
Reminder and Removal
We want all students to be able to learn in a disruption free environment and that in their social time they feel safe and happy.
During the first Disruption to learning students will be issued with a REMINDER
At this stage, the student has a choice to correct their behaviour, and staff may choose to move the student within the classroom to support positive behaviour for the remainder of the lesson.
During the second Disruption students will be given a REMOVAL
On the second time the teacher will ask the student to report to the Reflection and Restoration area for the rest of the lesson. If the removal is in the last 15 minutes of the lesson, the student will remain in R&R for one further lesson to reflect and restore.
Reflection and Restoration
When a student is removed from a lesson they will attend the R&R room. Some students may be upset or frustrated when they first arrive and will need time to calm down and discuss their feelings. They will be given this opportunity by the R&R Team, who will help them to understand why they have been removed from their lesson, and remind them that they will have the opportunity to discuss their point of view with the member of staff who sent them in a restorative conversation.
When the student is calm, the R&R Team will work with them to complete their reflection sheet; they will log onto Google Classroom and complete the work for their normal timetabled lessons so that they do not fall behind peers while withdrawn from lessons.
Restorative conversation
If a student is sent to the Reflection and Restoration, the member of staff who sent the student will meet with them at the end of the day for a ‘Restorative Conversation’ where they will discuss what went wrong and what needs to be done differently next lesson. To allow this to take place, students sent to R&R will be required to remain at school until 3.15pm that day.
A restorative conversation works through 5 steps:
- What Happened? What’s been happening? What’s up?
- Thoughts and Feelings? What were you thinking/feeling at the time? What are you thinking/feeling now?
- Impact? What’s been the impact? On you? On your friends/the class. Who else has been affected?
- Needs? What do they need? What do you need?
- What now? How can we move forward?
MAS Non Negotiables
The following are non negotiables that will be logged on Bromcom and followed up with your family and you by your teacher and tutor.
- Students must wear the correct uniform at all times
- Students must always have the correct equipment for lessons
- Students must complete homework for the lesson it is due
- Students must demonstrate positive behaviour during tutor time and social time
- Any time out of lesson must be authorised by the teacher
The follow negotiables result in a lunch detention
- Students must always be on time to tutor time and lessons (2nd late results in a detention)
- No mobile phones, or earphones, should be seen on the school site at any time
- No truancy from lessons
Detentions take place in A7. Non attendance is escalated to an after school detention. If this is not attended the student does a 2 hour morning detention in R&R
Vaping/Smoking
Any student vaping or smoking or associating with students vaping will receive a 1 day suspension.
Toilet cubicle use
More than one student in a toilet cubicle will lead to an automatic internal suspension.
Student Planner
The planner is an essential tool in keeping organised.
It should be used to:
- Keep a record of your timetable. As no phones are allowed on site, this is your tool to know where you should be
- To keep a record of the homework you have been set and when it is due to be handed in
Uniform
At Matthew Arnold School the following principles hold for our uniform:
- The uniform is recognisable as that of Matthew Arnold School.
- The uniform is comfortable to wear.
- The uniform is affordable.
- The uniform meets the health and safety requirements of a busy school.
The dress code is intended to provide the opportunity for collective pride in our school as well as a clear structure for students and parents to follow.
- Burgundy ‘V’ neck sweatshirt with school logo.
- White polo shirt that is worn for all lessons except PE. Logo polo shirts are available but not compulsory.
- On a PE day, students must wear standard uniform and change in and out of PE kit for PE lesson
- Plain black legwear. No faded, or ripped trousers.
- Footwear must be predominantly black, no higher than the ankle. No croc style, open-toed or heeled shoes are permitted.
Mobile phones
The school site is mobile phone free at all times. Once on the school site students must have their phones in their bags and switched off.
If a student is seen with their phone, it will be confiscated and kept in student reception until the end of the day and a ‘Non Negotiable - mobile phone’ is recorded.
If a student refuses to hand over their phone, a senior member of staff will be called.
If a student continues to refuse to hand over their phone, the student will be suspended the next day.
Water bottles
The canteen does not sell drinks. This will reduce the litter around site and also reduce the amount of single use plastic around the site.
All students should bring a water bottle to school which can be filled from the newly installed water points on each building.
Equipment
Students should ensure they have all equipment necessary for lessons including. Tutors will contact home in the case that students don’t have equipment to support getting the necessary equipment.
- Pencil case
- Black Pen
- Pencil
- Pencil sharpener
- Green pen
- Ruler
- Homework Planner
- Reading Book
- Maths kit
- Calculator
- PE kit
- 2b pencil for art
- Mini white board pen
Punctuality
Punctuality to the start of the school day and to lessons matters.
Students should be in their tutor groups by 8:40 and be in lessons 3 and 5 by the time the second bell rings at the end of break.
For period 1,2 and 4 students should be in the room 5 minutes after the lesson changeover.
A second Late results in a lunchtime detention.
