Our Home-School Agreement has been produced in consultation with parents and Governors. We are required by the Secretary of State under Section 111(1) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to implement a Home-School Agreement. We believe that Comberton’s Home-School Agreement expresses the spirit of co-operation which exists between the College, parents/carers and pupils. We have always relied on strong partnerships, and this document is an attempt to reinforce our shared commitment to the highest standards of education and to the values and expectations in our Code of Conduct a copy of which is below.
We would be grateful if you would read through this information with your son/daughter and discuss the implications of each document.
Please find details to the left of this page.
Parents of children using school transport are asked to discuss with them the importance of correct behaviour on the buses. The drivers must be allowed to drive safely without distraction. Any issues should be reported to form tutors who will then follow up with the member of the Senior Team who oversees the relvant service. Most buses operate CCTV – complaints about poor behaviour on the buses are always followed up at school and the ‘ladder’ of bus sanctions is applied. Please ensure that your child is familiar with the Code of Conduct and School Bus Code Of Conduct to the left of this page, as drawn up by the School Council.
Parents should apply for transport – either to the council (passes are NOT issued automatically) or put a child’s name down for a sixth form bus by emailing com-buses@combertonvc.org
For more information on the services available please see the travel page at https://www.combertonvc.org/parent-and-student-information/transport
Your child’s progress at school will be maximised if it can be ensured that he or she attends punctually for every session. We understand that pupils will sometimes be unable to attend due to illness: in this case, please notify us by 8.30 am on each morning of the absence, by phone or by email attendance@combertonvc.org Please avoid making routine appointments in school time whenever possible. When notified that a pupil is absent through illness or other unavoidable situations, the school will mark the absence as authorised on the pupil’s records. In line with Government guidelines, the College is not able to authorise absence during term time for family holidays except under exceptional circumstances. Please refer to the absence section on the website for further information.
We cannot be responsible for the safety of our students on site after school hours unless participating in an afterschool activity.
Our Library is used by Sixth Formers and other students for revision and personal study. It is open Monday-Friday until 4pm and computers may only be used for schoolwork.
The college has the responsibility of providing you with safe, reliable and useful ICT resources (network, internet, email and Go4S access) that will help you make the most of your learning opportunities. You have a right to these resources. However, with this right, comes with responsibilities. All students must read and abide by the Acceptable Use Policy found to the left of this page.
All pupils at CVC have the opportunity to rent a locker for the five years that they spend with us. They provide a secure place for pupils to leave their possessions and are placed in, or near, the year group’s social area. The payment for a locker should not exceed £35 and is made in full and not on a year by year basis. Information on how to apply and pay for a locker will be sent at the beginning of September. Lockers are paid for via ParentPay and are allocated within the first couple of weeks of term in September. If your child is receipt of school meals a hire fee will not be charged. All enquiries to lockers@combertonvc.org
In Year 7, all pupils learn Spanish. In addition, some will also learn a second foreign language. The timetable dictates that one half of the year group is taught languages at a different time to the other half, therefore one year-half will learn French and the other will learn German. Pupils will be put into sets based on ability and the top three sets in each year-half will learn two languages.
We recognise that learning two foreign languages is not for everyone as it is more challenging and involves having less time for each language. Therefore, as part of New Intake Day, pupils will take part in a language challenge which will help us ascertain who is most suited to learning two foreign languages. Parents will be sent a form to complete for their preferences. In the meantime click here for some introductory spanish resources.
We communicate with parents electronically through CombertonPost using the email addresses from the registration form (Priority Contacts 1 and 2). It is therefore essential that if you change your email address (and/or any other contact information) that you inform the school immediately. Please see the letter to the left of this page.
The College uses systems called GO 4 Schools and MCAS to assign homework and track pupil progress. Pupils and parents have access to them either through a website or a mobile app. Pupils will create their account as part of their introductory computer science lessons. Parents’ accounts will be set up using the email addresses from the registration form (Priority Contacts 1 and 2). Further information about how parents can access their account can be found to the left of this page.
The system allows pupils and parents to:
The behaviour log information is directly linked to our Positive Behaviour policy and therefore stores information relating to both rewards and sanctions for your child.
The College operates a cashless catering system. Each pupil is issued with their own unique account card. When the card is placed on a card reader at the 'till' a display shows the pupil's name, tutor group and account balance. The selected food items are entered by the catering assistant and the amount spent and new balance is displayed. As a guide, a pupil having school lunches will spend an average £12.00 to £15.00 per week from their card.
Money can be credited to a cashless catering account by two methods:
This is the school's preferred method of payment. Parents can now credit individual cashless catering cards online 24/7 using their credit/debit cards via a company called ParentPay. Payments are transferred straight into the school's bank account. Full username/password access details are given to parents and there are information pages available on this website. Select 'For Parents'and “Parent Login” ParentPay - Leading Cashless Payment System for Schools. When you make an online payment it takes approximately 10 minutes before the credit becomes available on a cashless catering card for use in school.
We accept cash in the Finance Office during Break and Lunch every day. Cash receipts update the Catering Balance immediately.
If a card is lost or damaged, no money is lost. The Finance Office should be notified and a new card will be printed. The new card is ready for use immediately. Due to the high cost of the cards the first card is issued free but a £2.00 charge will automatically be deducted from the cashless catering balance for a replacement.
Comberton Village College uses ParentPay, an online payment system for parents. ParentPay is used in many schools and parents can make their payments online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Parents can make payments for school trips, school meals and various other items. This means that parents do not have to remember to write cheques or give their children cash to take in to school. Furthermore, ParentPay helps parents to view their accounts online where it is easy to track payments that have been made.
An email is sent to parents which will give a unique username and password which will enable access to your ParentPay account. Once this has been sent, parents are able to pay for Lockers and Cashless Catering (see below for details).
Should you prefer not to pay by ParentPay, cheques can be posted into the cheque post box which is located outside the Finance Office. Please write your child’s name, tutor group and reason for the payment on the back of the cheque. Alternatively, cheques can be posted to the school address c/o Finance Department
Payments in excess of £20 should be paid either by ParentPay or cheque so that students are not carrying around large amounts of cash. All cheques should be made payable to The Cam Academy Trust.
For further information please click here
It has never been easier to apply for free school meals. Click here to link to the Cambridge County Council website for clear guidance on how to apply on line. The application form is easy to complete, but we can help you with this at school if would like further assistance.
Pupils who receive free school meals have £2.95 placed on their Cashless Catering cards at the start of every school day. This can be spent at break or lunchtime in the buttery or canteen. The pupil cannot be identified as receiving free school meals when they use their card so the process is completely private.
When you register your children for Free School Meals, the College will receive a sum of money from the government for each child. This is called the Pupil Premium and is used to help fund a range of educational benefits for pupils across the school which may include assistance with paying for extra-curricular activities, school trips and music lessons. Please click here for the latest figures for PP.
Please contact Mrs Collins in confidence, on 01223 262503 with any queries regarding Free School Meals or Pupils Premium.
For further information free school meals and pupil premium
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals
Students’ learning at Comberton Village College is greatly enhanced through a range of activities that take place during the school day but outside of the classroom. This could be a Maths lesson involving work on the school field, participating in a football tournament at a different location or working with younger children at a local primary school. Parents and carers will be informed of these activities at the beginning of each academic year and through the weekly Student Bulletin on the school website.
Students are also encouraged to participate in sporting activities that take place off-site and out of school hours. Due to the extensive range of sporting activities it is not possible to inform you of these on an individual basis and you should refer to the Student Bulletin for this information. In the unlikely event that your child is involved in an accident while participating in these activities staff will access your emergency contact details on the school database. Therefore, please ensure you email datachanges@combertonvc.org to inform the school office if these details change. By returning the form in the registration pack you are consenting to your child participating in sports fixtures and activities that are offsite and go beyond normal school hours for the duration of their time here at Comberton Village College.
Please note that the following trips and activities are not covered by this form and you will be asked for your consent prior to your son or daughter’s participation.
Details regarding music school tuition can be found in the booklet to the left of this page.
The take up of instrument lessons is based on acceptance of the conditions under which lessons are offered. Please take the time to read the Information Booklet carefully before completing the Application Form.
To enrol your child for lessons, please complete this online Application Form. Applications are now being accepted until the end of the school day on Friday 7th July. After this date your child may be placed on a waiting list until a space becomes available.
Any queries please email Ms Claire Cook at musictuition@combertonvc.org
Please see to the left of this page.
The school has established a uniform summary (below) which should help parents of new students to be aware of our expectations. Our uniform is supplied by School Uniform Specialists. See our website https://www.combertonvc.org/parent-and-student-information/uniform for details of how to order.
There are 2 in-school selling events per year if you prefer to order in person.
SCHOOL UNIFORM SUMMARY
Please see details to the left of this page.
Please see details here and to the left of this page.
For further details see https://www.combertonvc.org/about-us/open-evening
Q: How do I apply for a bus pass?
If you live in catchment, you have to apply through the County Council. These are not automatically issued. The link can be found here: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/schools-learning/school-transport/pre-16-school-transport
The parents of out-of-catchment schools will be contacted by us about alternative paid-for bus options.
Q: How does my child buy food and drinks at school?
We have a cashless catering system called ‘ParentPay’. You will receive a link to this service once your child is registered with us. This allows you to sign in and top-up your child’s money on their card to use at school. You can receive reminders when it is getting low and you can see how much your child spends at the till. If your child forgets their card or does not have enough money on their card to spend, they should go to the Finance office. Please find further information here:
Catering - Comberton Village College (combertonvc.org)
Q: How do I apply for Free School Meal status for my child?
Please click on this link for Catering on our school website where at the bottom of the page, you will see a link to the County webpage with the application form:
Catering - Comberton Village College (combertonvc.org)
Q: How does my child reserve a locker?
Lockers are issued at the start of the academic year to all new Year 7 pupils joining us. If you are interested, you will see an option on ParentPay (in Active Payment items) and can pay for the hire of a locker for the duration of your child being at CVC. The key is issued through the form tutor once this has been arranged.
Q: What is the school uniform and where do I get it from?
Please find the link to our website page which details our uniform policy (including PE kit). There are also details of provisional uniform sales from our two suppliers.
Uniform - Comberton Village College (combertonvc.org)
Q: What type of bag should my child use for school?
Preferably one which will be comfortable to wear around the school site and will hold books, stationery, packed lunch (if required) and a water bottle.
Q: Can an additional contact be added to my child’s profile?
When your child joins us in September, we will have processed all your information and this will be accessible for our staff to use. Until that point, our main contact will be the primary details you have submitted on the registration documents. This means that information will need to be shared by the primary contact with any secondary contact until the September start.
Q: When can children find out which tutor group they are in?
This is at the discretion of the Head of Year and how they would like to manage their pastoral team.
Q: Where is my child’s social area?
At CVC we have social areas where pastoral year groups meet for break and lunch. These are outside and offer cover for the pupils. When the weather is brighter, we open the backfield for pupils to gather on and socialise. The social areas change along with the Head of Year and so these spaces change each year.
Q: I have a question about primary transition. Who do I contact?
If it is to do with applications, passing on information and day-to-day queries about the school day, please contact admissions@combertonvc.org. If it is about concerns about your child’s transition, please contact shiggs@combertonvc.org. Once pupils have joined our school, we would ask that you contact the pastoral team direct.
Q: How might I find out further information about the school?
Our school website is constantly being updated, especially the Year 6 to 7 school website page:
https://www.combertonvc.org/about-us/admissions/year-groups/year-6.php
We also have a Twitter page (@CombertonVC) where we upload information and share experiences of the CVC community.
Comberton Village College
West Street, Comberton
Cambridge CB23 7DU
Tel: 01223 262503
Email: thecollege@combertonvc.org
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Comberton Village College is part of The Cam Academy Trust, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales with company number 0749 1945.
The registered office is at Comberton Village College, West Street, Comberton, Cambridgeshire, CB23 7DU
