Welcome to the Junior School.
We're delighted to welcome you into our Junior School Community. This parent hub is designed to answer any questions you may have about starting your journey at St Chris. Along the way, you'll meet some key members of staff and find out about our School's culture and routines.
Useful Resources
Whether you'd like to stick print-outs on your fridge at home or keep them handy on your device, you can download a wealth of useful resources featured throughout this hub below. Alternatively, enter your details below to receive the full pack.
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Frequently asked questions
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How do I book the School bus? |
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St Chris has a partnership with a bus company so that students can travel from a number of areas directly to school. Normally, we are happy for students from Year 5 (E Group) and above to travel on the school bus, but we ask that parents check first with the Head, Katie. For more information about bus routes and prices, or to book a space on the bus, please visit the website of our School transport provider, Zeelo at https://app.zeelo.co/rides/st-christopher-school. Bus bookings for September open in June and the Admissions Team will contact parents/carers new to the school to let them know when bookings are open, and the process for booking a place. After school, coaches leave from the swimming pool car park at 4:05pm and there are staff on hand to ensure students are on the correct bus. Students who are booked onto the bus can go into After School Care on the days they are using the bus at no additional charge. |
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What is I have a child in the Senior School who finishes a little later? |
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Siblings club is available for students to attend up until the end of the Senior School day. This is run in conjunction with our After School Care at no additional charge. |
| Where can I find out more information about the PSHE/RSHE curriculum? |
| Personal, Social, Health and Economics Education (PSHE) is delivered in weekly lessons, following a programme created with the PSHE Association. Each year, we explore a range of topics under the three themes; Health & Wellbeing, Living in the Wider World and Relationships. These are taught in a spiral curriculum, building in an age-appropriate way, to cover the knowledge and skills needed by young people to make safe, well-informed choices. Lessons encourage students to reflect on topical issues and develop social skills through discussion. Signposting to support is also a key element of PSHE so that students and young people know how to make healthy decisions and seek appropriate help with difficulties. Further information about PSHE and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) can be found in our policies on the school website and through regular newsletters which update parents on what we have been learning about. |
| What is the silence? |
| The Silence is a tradition at St Chris where the staff and students take a moment together to pause, think and listen. It’s an important part of our Morning Talks and school meetings and in the Junior School, students ring a bell at lunchtime to signify a moment of silence. There is a bell in the Dining Hall (IG) that anyone can ring to start a moment of silence. |
| What are the School's bank details? |
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Account Name St Christopher School (Letchworth) Limited Account Number 90800643 Sort Code 20-41-38 The bank details are the same for all payments to the School, so please include a reference for your payment e.g. SURNAME FEES or SURNAME TRIP. |
| How do I contact the Governors? |
| The Chair of the Governors may be contacted in confidence by email alison.burrows@stchris.co.uk or c/o the main school address: Chair of Governors, St Christopher School, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 3JZ. |
| Where do I find the School's policies? |
| A comprehensive list of our policies and procedures can be found on the school website. www.stchris.co.uk/policies Alternatively please contact the Head’s PA, who can send you a digital or hard copy: toni.warner@stchris.co.uk |
| How do I make a complaint? |
| The open climate of St Chris encourages parents, along with students and staff, to voice their concerns. Usually, discussion of the matter allays or removes the worry without the need for formal procedures. All complaints are carefully considered, and it is usually helpful for there to be a discussion at an early stage about the issue, the procedures and the possible outcomes. In the first instance, please contact the Head: head@stchris.co.uk A copy of our Complaints Policy can be found on our website: www.stchris.co.uk/policies |
| Can I bring my dog to pick up my child from School? |
| Other than guide or hearing dogs, dogs are not allowed in the School buildings. Please keep dogs on a lead at all times and under your direct control, and be aware that some of our students are scared of dogs or may be allergic to them. |
| Is there a PTA? |
| All parents and guardians are automatically enrolled as members of the Parents’ Circle – our name for the PTA. Each class has its own Parents’ Circle Class Rep – another parent at the School. When a student starts at the school we ask their parent/carer if they would like to be put in touch with their Class Rep. The Class Rep usually creates a WhatsApp group to share information with their class. These groups are an efficient way to stay up to date and enable social engagements to be planned. |
| Can I book additional swimming lessons for my child and can our family use the pool? |
| Parents can book additional swimming lessons through the St Chris Swim School; these take place after school hours and at the weekend. You can find further information on our website https://www.stchris.co.uk/swim-school We also run regular weekly Family Swim and Adult Swim sessions for those families who have a child at St Chris. Further information is sent out in The Roundup at the start of each term. |
| Where can I park when dropping off or collecting my child? |
Morning drop off In the mornings, please can all Junior School parents use the Main Entrance and drop their students off from the Junior School playground. This car park can be found at the following location: https://w3w.co/remedy.lions.woven Please do not drive down to the main roundabout of the school. Please park in the playground and walk your students to the Junior School entrance gate. Drop off is between 8.00 – 8.30am to help ease congestion. Please find below a map indicating where car parking is available at other points of the school day. When turning into Barrington Road using the Main Entrance to school, if there is no room for both you and the car driving in the opposite direction, please wait at the top of the road and do not mount the pavement so that you can drive down the road towards school. In addition, please:
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| What do I do if I have concerns about my child? |
| If you have any worries, questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher in the first instance. They are experienced in supporting students through the transition to a new school both in terms of their general wellbeing, changing friendship patterns and academic progress. Most friendship patterns sort themselves out naturally without adults getting involved, and students form lasting, happy relationships. However, parents should contact the class teacher if their child becomes unhappy or withdrawn, or if they are struggling to settle in, and students should also feel free to speak to their teacher at any time. Parents should also contact the class teacher if they suspect that behaviour towards their child may be deliberately unkind. Marcia Bonanni, Lead of Junior School Pastoral marcia.bonanni@stchris.co.uk and Katie Wright, Head of Junior School katie.wright@stchris.co.uk are responsible for supporting all students within their care, and can be contacted directly by email. |
| Who do I need to tell if my child needs to leave School for a medical appointment? |
| If parents would like to request their child leave school for a medical appointment, this request can be made by the parent to the class teacher by email. If a student has an appointment during the school day, they need to sign out and back in again with the Junior School Office. Parents can come to the Junior School Office to meet them. |
| How do I request time off for my child during term time? |
| If parents wish for their child to miss school for any reason other than illness or an emergency medical appointment then they should write to the Head of the Junior School, Katie Wright, in advance, requesting permission for the absence: katie.wright@stchris.co.uk. You can also request time off via My School Portal. |
| How do I visit the School to see a member of staff? |
| If you wish to meet with a member of staff, please contact your child’s class teacher in advance, to arrange a convenient appointment. All visitors (including parents) must report to the Junior School Office on arrival at the School, where they will be signed in and given a visitor’s badge, and made aware of our safeguarding and fire procedures. |
| My child has SEND and I have further questions about them starting at St Chris |
| Karen Hoyle, the Junior School SENCO, leads the team on all day-to-day matters, and is your first port of call for any enquiries. Karen can be contacted via karen.hoyle@stchris.co.uk |
| Who do I contact if I have further questions? |
| If you have any additional questions or wish to discuss anything further, please do not hesitate to contact us. Before your child starts at school please contact Lucy in the Admissions Team via admissions@stchris.co.uk. We aim to respond to all emails within two working days. |
