FAQS
We know that you probably have many questions for us, so to answer as many as we can, here are some student and parent frequently asked questions.
STUDENT FAQS
WHAT SUBJECTS WILL I STUDY?
During Year 7, you will study the following subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Religious Education, Design Technology (Product Design, Textiles and Food) *, Art, Computing, French or Spanish**, Music, Physical Education, Drama, Enrichment and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education).
*Design Technology will be taught on a carousel. Throughout the year, you will study each of the three subjects. **You will be allocated to either a French or Spanish group. When you move into Year 8 you may then have the opportunity to study the other language. Your language teachers will tell you more about this in September.
You will have the majority of lessons with your form group. For maths, DT and PE you will be taught in different groups. This will give you the opportunity to meet and with work different pupils from Year 7.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I GET LOST?
Don’t worry! There will be many members of staff on the corridors during lesson change over to help point you in the right direction. Our older students will also help you to find your way around. Your planner will contain a map of the school and there are also lots of signs on each corridor.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH MOBILE PHONES?
You are allowed to bring them to school but it be must be switched off and out of sight at all times. This includes at breaktime, before and after school. Switch your phone off before you enter the school gates and do not turn it on again until you have left the school grounds. If you need to contact home during the school day, you can use the phone in the main reception. If you parents/carers need to contact you, they will phone the main reception and ask for a message to be passed onto you.
IS THERE LOTS OF HOME LEARNING?
You will receive a home learning timetable in September. Home learning may involve revising for a quiz, practising a key skill or completing an extended project. Your teachers will ensure that you always have at last a week to complete your homework. Extended projects will take place over a half term or term. Each department will run home learning lunchtime clubs where teachers will be available to offer help and support. You will also be able to use the LRC and a dedicated IT room at lunchtime and after school.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM NOT IN A FORM WITH ALL OF MY FRIENDS?
Don’t worry! You will have many opportunities to see all your friends before school, at break time, at lunchtime and during extra-curricular activities. Joining secondary school is a great time to make new friends and your form tutor will help you to get know everyone in your form during the first few days. It is important to remember that some pupils are the only member of their primary school joining Roundhay so please take time to talk to these pupils, especially if you see them on their own.
WHAT IS YOUR FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL LIKE?
On your first day, you will be the only year group who are in school for the whole day so will be able to get to know the school before all the other year groups join full time. You will come in through the main reception where you will have an assembly with Mr Partington. You’ll spend the rest of the day getting to know your form tutor and everyone else in your form group. Please don’t worry if some of your friends are not in your form group, you’ll get chance to meet up with them at break time and lunchtime.
ARE THERE ANY TRIPS DURING YEAR 7?
We believe it is essential to give you the chance to experience as many different opportunities as possible in order to make your time at Roundhay the best days of your life. In Year 7, the opportunities will start in the first term with the ‘Great Roundhay Sleepover’. This will involve taking part in the Sleepover Olympics, having a pizza supper, watching a nearly midnight movie and camping inside the school building. We will then build on this by taking you and the whole year group on a two night residential to Bradley Wood during the summer term. You will be challenged by a range of purpose built activities which include indoor climbing walls, archery, a high ropes course and many more exciting adventures.
WILL I GET A DETENTION IF I FORGET SOMETHING?
You will not get a detention for forgetting one piece of essential equipment but you will receive an E code. Detentions will be given when certain amounts of codes are reached e.g. after 5 codes. You will hear lots more about this in September.
ARE THERE ANY AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS?
We are proud to offer an extensive range of extracurricular activities and clubs. The majority of the activities take place at lunchtime or after school. A timetable will be sent home during the first half term. Throughout the year, you will also have the opportunity to contribute to Roundhay Radio and to take part in our school musicals.
CAN I HAVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT LESSONS?
If you have had music lessons at primary school and want to continue or if you would to start playing an instrument just let us know. Mrs Tustain, Team Leader of Music, will ask you to complete a short form and will do her best to arrange lessons for you.
WHAT TIMES DOES SCHOOL/START FINISH?
The school day starts at 8.20 but we encourage students to arrive and wait outside the door on the playground before then. The school day finishes at three o’clock every day except Wednesday where there is an early closure at 2.05. This helps to provide time for extracurricular clubs and intervention.
HOW LONG DO WE HAVE FOR LUNCH?
You will have forty minutes for lunch. Lunch begins at 12.30 and you will spend time on the Year 7 playground or the field if it is sunny. You can either bring a packed lunch or buy lunch from our dining centre.
HOW MANY LESSONS ARE THERE EACH DAY?
There are six fifty minute lessons during the day except on a Wednesday when there are five. Your day will start with registration from which you will go into two lessons. Between break and lunch there are a further two lessons. Following your lunch, you will have two more lessons before heading home.
DO YEAR 7 HAVE THEIR OWN PLAYGROUND?
Yes, Year 7 have their own playground. We try to ensure that each year group has a distinct area which allows them to spend time with their friends, eat their lunch and relax in preparation for the afternoon’s lessons.
CAN I BRING MY BIKE TO SCHOOL?
Yes, we encourage pupils to walk and cycle to school where possible in order to help protect the environment. You are not able to ride your bike on the school grounds and will need to walk your bike between the gates and the bike sheds. Please remember to bring a lock to ensure that your bike is safely stored in the bike shed.
PARENTS FAQS
WHAT UNIFORM IS REQUIRED? WHERE CAN I PURCHASE IT?
Our uniform plays an important part in making sure that students are recognisably Roundhay whilst they are at school or are representing the school. Students should wear a Roundhay School blazer and clip on tie with a white school shirt, black tailored trousers and black school shoes. Some students also choose to wear a Roundhay School jumper. Students who forget a piece of their uniform or arrive wearing the incorrect footwear will receive a U code and will be supplied you with the relevant piece of clothing or appropriate footwear for the day.
All Roundhay School items can be purchased from a number of shops, however, for the best prices we currently recommend Design School Uniform which can be found on The Headrow in the city centre. Orders can be placed online (enquiries@designschooluniform.co.uk) if you prefer with home delivery and click and collect options currently available. Orders can also be placed online with Rawcliffes Leeds (customer.service@rawcliffesleeds.co.uk), the store is located on Roundhay Road near Oakwood Clock.
At this particular time, we are aware that some families may require support with acquiring items of school uniform. If you do need any help please contact Mrs Brining (Assistant Headteacher) at wearelistening@roundhayschool.com as soon as possible and she will do all she can to help.
HOW DOES THE BEHAVIOUR SYSTEM WORK?
At Roundhay School it is our aim to promote positive behaviours and attitudes amongst our pupils and to reward those pupils who contribute positively to both the school and the community. It is the intention that a consistent use and application of this policy should ultimately result in a reduced number of negative behaviours and an increase in the number of positive stamps pupils will receive. We are currently in the process of reviewing our behaviour policy in readiness for September. A full copy of the updated policy will be made available on the school website and in the pupil planner. We strongly recommend that all parents/carers read through the policy before signing the positive behaviour charter.
The Behaviour Charter highlights explicitly the basic expectations that we have of all members of the Roundhay School community. If we are to work effectively and in the best interests of all, it must be understood that everybody has a role to play and whilst the roles may be different, they are all equally important if we are to achieve a consistent approach to challenging negative behaviours and promoting the school ethos - Be Responsible. Be Resilient. Be Ready to Learn. Be Roundhay. All pupils, parents and members of staff will be required to sign up to the Behaviour Charter and the demands it places on them in their particular role. This can be found in the pupil planner and must be signed by a Parent/Carer and pupil at the start of each school year.
CAN PUPILS BUY LUNCH? WHAT CAN THEY BUY? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Pupils may choose to bring a packed lunch or purchase food from the dining centre. The dining centre is open at break time and lunchtime and provides hot and cold options. Please see the Secondary Transition booklet for more details.
We operate a cashless system; money has to be pre-loaded onto a pupil account before they are able to purchase food. Pupils then pay using their fingerprint as part of our biometric system. During the first couple of weeks in September you will receive details of how to access our online Parent Pay system. Once your login and password are set up you will be able to transfer money directly into your child’s account and you will be able to monitor how they are choosing to spend the money. Prior to this, your child will be able to load cash onto their account using pay stations in the dining centre.
HOW ARE FORM GROUPS DECIDED?
Form groups are mixed ability groups that are put together by the Key Stage Three team at the start of your child’s journey at Roundhay School. We work with our colleagues from primary schools to put children in groups that will allow them to flourish at Roundhay School. They are always made up of children from multiple primary schools and we cannot guarantee that children can be in the same group as their friends. However we are very confident that once they have completed the transition programme then they will have made lots of new friends in their form.
CAN I DROP MY CHILD OFF AT SCHOOL?
The roads around the school site do become very congested at the start and end of the school day so where possible we would encourage pupils to use public transport, walk or cycle to school. The summer holidays are an ideal time for pupils to practise their journey to and from school particularly if they are planning to walk or cycle. Parents are not permitted to drive onto the school site without prior arrangement so if you are dropping your child off please do so outside of the school gates and outside of the ‘no parking’ restrictions.
WHAT LANGUAGE WILL MY CHILD STUDY?
Students will be allocated to either a French or Spanish group. They will learn that language with the rest of their form. When they move into Year 8, they may then have the opportunity to study the other language.
ARE PUPILS PLACED IN ABILITY SETS FOR SUBJECTS? IF SO, WHAT INFORMATION IS USED?
Students will study most subjects in their form groups during Year 7. For Maths and Physical Education, students will be placed into ability groups. This will be decided based on Key Stage Two and internal assessments that are carried out in school. These groups are reviewed regularly as we get to know our students better.