Information for students

All appointments such as doctors or dentist appointments, should be made out of school time. If you have an unavoidable appointment such as at the hospital, you must bring in a note from a parent and a copy of the medical letter. All notes must be signed by your Head of Learning, prior to signing out at reception. A parent or carer must collect you from school and sign you out. You are expected to be in school before and after the appointment, allowing for travelling time.

You are expected to be present in school every day. You should only be off school if you are very ill. A cough or cold is not a reason to not attend school. If you are ill, it should be a rare occurrence. Anyone who takes a lot of time off school misses out on learning and it affects their grades and life chances. Phone calls must be made to the absence line each and every day you are absent from school. A parent who does not make sure their child has good attendance is referred to the Local Authority and faces fines and can possibly be taken to court. Holidays are not permitted in school time. 

• It is expected that you follow our behaviour code. We expect you to: 

• Arrive on time to school and lessons; be in correct uniform; follow reasonable instructions; engage in lessons fully; try hard to complete classwork, homework and coursework; treat other students and all of the school community with respect; follow instructions first time; be helpful, polite and honest; show care and compassion to others. 

• The following are some examples of what we consider to be unacceptable behaviour.

• Swearing; violence or threatening behaviour; damage to property; being in possession of a weapon; rudeness; not following teacher instructions; distracting others; not completing class work, coursework or homework; bullying; discriminatory language such as homophobia; lateness to school or lessons; truancy from school or lessons; abuse of the school email or ICT network. This applies in lessons, around the school and when you are outside of school.

• These are the strategies we will use to deal with students who behave unacceptably.

• Recording a demerit on the school information system; removal from class by our on call system; sending students home to change their uniform; asking students to make up for lost time; a reminder of expected behaviour in and around school; letter or phone call to parents; parental meeting; withdrawal from lessons on a temporary basis; confiscation of items; teacher, department and school detentions; removal of privileges; Internal Exclusion; Fixed Term Exclusion; Permanent Exclusion.

• We follow a sanctions ladder to sanction poor behaviour.

The following items are banned in school:

• Mobile phones, smart watches and other electronic devices 
• Headphones 
• Chewing gum
• Hoodies
• Non standard uniform items
• Energy and high sugar drinks
• Large sharing bags of crisps, chocolate and other unhealthy food items.

These items will be confiscated and will either be disposed of or given to your student manager who will log the item and then return to your parent or carer at a time convenient to the school.

The following items are prohibited in school:

• Offensive Weapons such as knives and anything which is intended to cause harm to someone else
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Fireworks, lighters, matches
• Tobacco products including E-cigarettes and vaping devices
• Stolen items 
• Pornographic images.

Items such as these will be reported to the police. The headteacher may add to the list of banned or prohibited items as appropriate.

Do you know what you want to do when you leave school? Most people need help and guidance with this and thankfully we have a member of staff on hand to help. For information and advice about colleges, universities and jobs please go to 101. All students will receive a careers interview and have the opportunity to do careers activities and workshops. Alternatively you could check out our careers section on our school website.

You should move around the corridors quietly and without fuss, following the corridor rules. Please have a look at the signs on the wall. They tell you the unacceptable behaviours. These are:

• No littering
• No mobile phones or headphones
• No physical contact
• No shouting or inappropriate language
• No running
• No lingering 
• Uniform infringement.

On the rare occasion some students decide not to follow safe corridor rules, they will receive a slip which gives notice of a detention. You will be awarded a merit for positive behaviours such as holding doors open, letting people through and picking up litter. Thank you for being polite and courteous. It really makes for a pleasant environment.

Sometimes students are given a centralised detentions. They are obligatory to attend. If you have been given a detention, make sure you make a note of the date, time and location and inform your parent/carer so they know where you are after school hours. Your parent/guardian will receive a text message stating when this will be. It is your responsibility to be present on time. The school has the power to set detentions for up to one hour after school and parents/carers can’t object. It is the law!

Our school uses the Dynamic Progress Reporting (DPR) software to monitor and report on your learning in different subjects. You will have key learning objectives, which you must work towards securing. You will be assessed regularly and will be awarded the following:

E: Emerging

D: Developing

C: Consolidating

S: Secured

You can access the DPR from school or from home. Please make sure you login to the DPR regularly (daily) and check the feedback your teachers are giving. In addition, you should share your DPR login details with your parents/carers and private tutors so they can support you with your learning. You can also upload evidence of your work to show how you are achieving the key learning objectives in your different subjects. As a school we also monitor how frequently you login to the DPR in order to check the level of your learning engagement and self-regulation.

Successful students come to school ready to learn. It is expected that you bring with you a blue or black pen, pencil and ruler. You should have your knowledge map with you and all books for the subjects you have that day. You must also have a reading book at all times. You should also have a mathematics set and a small dictionary. Your own green pen would be useful for peer-marking and redrafting. Don’t forget your PE kit on PE days!

All homework and assignments will be set by your teachers on the DPR. You should make sure all assignments and homework are written in your planner too. You can log on to the DPR through the school website. All assignments and homework should be submitted as requested by your teacher on the DPR on or before the deadline. All assignments and homework will be linked to a key objective as identified on your DPR. You will be set different types of homework by your teachers. These are:

• ‘Flipped Learning’:  Homework that will require you to complete specified learning tasks at home, ahead of the topic or skill being covered in class. This will help you to become more independent in your learning as well as helping you to consolidate your learning more rapidly in class.
• ‘Exam Skills’: Homework that is in the form of a practice exam question to help you develop your exam skills.
• ‘Consolidating’: Homework that is an extension of something you have covered in class, to help you consolidate your learning.
• ‘Closing gaps in learning’: Homework that allows you to complete any work that may not have been completed in class.

At lunchtime we advise all students to eat a delicious freshly cooked meal from our school canteen. If you are worried about queuing there are five places where you can get your lunch from and we have timed the queue and it is no longer than seven minutes. At lunchtime we have a range of clubs and activities for you to get involved in, including the gym. Check out our clubs board for more information. We also have three designated areas for private study. If you are attending a club or need to see a teacher at lunchtime, you will need a lunchtime pass from the teacher before the time the club starts. Private study requires a pass which you can get by queuing up on the ground floor outside 035. The library has free access at lunchtime. 

The library opening hours are Monday to Thursday 8.00am - 4.30pm and on Fridays 8.00am - 1.30pm. Students are allowed to borrow three books for two weeks but can renew them at any time!

To find out more please visit the following link.

/269/learning-resource-centre?search=library

Lost property should be taken to the front office where it will be logged and returned to its rightful owner. If you have lost anything, please go to the front office first. To avoid misplacing items, please make sure all uniform has been marked with your name. All unclaimed lost property will be displayed at the end of each term. Any items remaining by the holidays will be donated to charity.

If you have medical needs, please make sure your parents or carers have informed the school. Any medication that you have to take during the school day should be placed in a sealed named bag and given to the Welfare Assistant in the medical room. This will be discussed with your parents and a care plan will be put in place. If you hurt yourself or fall ill during the school day, you can go to the medical room. You must have a note from your teacher or you won’t be seen. Most of the time the ailment can be treated in school and you can carry on with learning. If you are really hurt or ill, your parents or carers may be called to accompany you home. Please make sure all phone numbers on the system are up to date and there are at least three contacts available.

Mobile phones are not permitted to be seen in school. If a member of staff sees a mobile phone at any time on the school premises, it will be confiscated and you will receive a detention. Your phone will only be returned to a parent or carer and this will be done at a time convenient for the school.

Neat work is really important. It shows that you have taken care and given the right amount of attention. It also helps your teacher read what you have written! Neat, well-presented work is easier to revise from and easier for an examiner to mark. Please make sure you have a black pen, pencil and ruler. Over the page we have our presentation policy- please keep to it. 

You must be in school before 8:25am. If you arrive after this time, you will be marked as late. This will have an effect on your learning and will result in a detention for you. Be on time! 

At Forest Gate Community School we offer sport as part of the curriculum and a range of clubs before school, at lunchtime and after school. For more information, see our clubs noticeboard; ask your PE teacher or check on the website.

Personal presentation is important in the world of work and we want to make sure that you develop a sense of pride in how you look. Research suggests students behave better in school uniform and therefore your learning will benefit. Remember you are ambassadors for Forest Gate Community School and your behaviour when in uniform, including going to and from school, reflects on the school.

The school’s uniform supplier is Fashion Stop, 138 High Street North, East Ham, E6 2HT 

Tel: 020 8552 3200

Uniform items must be plain, without accessories, logos, decoration or any other colours. Below is a list of acceptable uniform:

• Blazer: Black FGCS blazer with logo
• Shirt: Plain white shirt with collar (top button fastened)
• Tie: FGCS tie, worn to the waist
• Jumper (optional): FGCS V-Neck with logo (worn under blazer)
• Trousers: Plain matt black, tailored, regular fit (no denim, jeggings, skinny, embellishments, ankle high or coloured pocket zips)
• Skirt: Plain A-Line matt black, knee-length (no pencil or tube skirts)
• Socks or tights: Plain black
• Shoes: Plain black leather school shoes, providing adequate protection and support (no casuals, fabric, canvas, trainers, sandals, pumps, ‘work’ type shoes e.g. Doctor Martens, high heels, boots, coloured laces, coloured stitching)
• Coat: Plain black, to be removed in the building (no leather, suede, denim, hoody, sweatshirt, sports top, body warmer, gilet)
• Hijab, abaya, prayer cap, turban, patka: plain matt black.

Jewellery, accessories and other items:

• A single necklace or bracelet for religious reasons
• Plain black woollen hats and gloves are allowed in cold or inclement weather. Hats and gloves are only to be worn outside the buildings during cold weather. Hats should not have visors or bobbles
• Hair fasteners are allowed and should be plain black
• One piercing in each ear lobe is acceptable for all students. Earrings should be matching and studs
• Plain black belts are required with a plain buckle. Buckles should not be oversized or emblazoned with logos
• Make-up if worn, should be discreet (no lipstick, false eyelashes or acrylic nails are allowed)
• No body jewellery, unnatural hair dyes, coloured hair extensions, tattoos or visible undergarments are permitted.

PE Kit: Required items:

• Shirt: Green FGCS polo shirt with logo
• Shorts: Black FGCS football shorts with logo
• Socks: Black FGCS football socks.

PE Kit: Optional Items:

• Tracksuit bottoms: Black FGCS bottoms with logo or plain black bottoms
• Sweatshirt: Black FGCS sweatshirt with logo or plain black sweatshirt.