Parents and Carers
Parents Key Information
We believe that parent / carers play a vital role in your child’s education and that a pupil’s success and development is built upon on a successful partnership between home and school.
St John Fisher Catholic High School maintains a high level of contact with parents / carers throughout the year. Members of staff will often write to parents, contact them by telephone or invite them in to discuss issues of importance about their child’s welfare and progress. Likewise, we encourage parents to contact us if they have any concerns they would like to discuss, following the MCA guideline and protocols.
We hope the information on this website will give you an insight into St John Fisher.
Timings of the School Day
8:30am | Warning Bell |
8:35am - 8:45am | Year Briefing |
8:45am - 9:45am | Period 1 |
9:45am - 10:45am | Period 2 |
10:45am - 11:05am | RA |
11:05am - 11:25am | RB |
11:25am - 12:25pm | Period 3 |
12:25pm - 12:55pm | 4A |
12:55pm - 1:25pm | 4B |
1:25pm - 2:00pm | 4C |
2:00pm - 3:00pm | Period 5 |
Safeguarding
At St John Fisher Catholic High School we believe that every individual is unique, special and made in the image of God. In living out our mission statement, Learning together as a community in Christ, it is the duty of our staff to respect all members of the school community and contribute to providing an environment where all feel secure and valued. St John Fisher Catholic High School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its students and expects staff, governors, volunteers and visitors to share in this commitment.
We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and protect all members of our school community, and strive to ensure that effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support our children, families, and staff and that they are used consistently. The school will always seek to work in partnership with parents and relevant agencies to ensure the best possible outcome for the child and family. Any action taken by the safeguarding team is done with reference to statutory guidance and will always be in the best interests of the child.
In St John Fisher, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our students is everyone’s responsibility. Every member of staff is expected to contribute to providing an environment in which all students are safe, secure, free from harm and respected.
In St John Fisher we safeguard our students by:
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making sure all staff are provided with appropriate continued professional development, are able to recognise signs of physical/emotional harm and neglect, and know how to respond to concerns;
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creating a safe environment through robust and effective safeguarding practices;
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teaching them how to stay safe in school, out of school, and on-line;
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maintaining an environment where they feel confident to approach members of staff if they have a concern;
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ensuring we adhere to safer recruitment procedures as set out in KCSIE 2021.
Pastoral Care & Catholic Ethos
The education which we offer at St John Fisher Catholic High School is person-centred. It promotes the dignity, self-esteem and full development of each person who is made in God’s image and uniquely loved by God. We support our students in leading fulfilling and purposeful lives where they can contribute the common good. The ethos of the school promotes the spiritual, moral, intellectual, social and personal development of all students and is rooted in the Gospel values of respect for life, love, forgiveness, truth and justice. It takes account of the uniqueness of students and of their need for individual support and guidance. The pastoral care dimension is the ethos of the school in tangible form. What determines the effectiveness of pastoral care in St John Fisher is the quality of relationships at all levels in the school.
The school has a long-standing tradition of excellent behaviour and outstanding pastoral care. We firmly believe that high standards of behaviour lead to increased levels of achievement, enjoyment and participation, from which we all benefit. We look to cultivate a community which promotes tolerance, respect and sensitivity to the needs of others so that students realise their duties and responsibilities to their neighbour as well as their personal rights and freedoms.
In St John Fisher, every child matters to us. We adopt a multi-agency approach in supporting all of our students to enable them to achieve and be a success.
The school sets very high standards for all students. We expect them to respect the needs of others, to anticipate consequences and to justify their actions. We encourage students to develop self-discipline with regard both to learning and behaviour, within and outside the school community.
At St John Fisher Catholic High School we see pastoral care as being central to the success of all students in the school. The pastoral care policy of the school aims to:
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Create and nurture a positive learning environment, where all students feel safe, respected and are happy.
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Create a caring environment where all students are valued for who they are, not just for what they can do.
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Implement the code of discipline in an atmosphere of trust and care.
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Develop relationships between students and staff based on fairness, honesty and consistency.
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Promote a sense of achievement and self-worth within the academic and non-academic experience of each student.
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Support high standards of teaching and learning so that all students may achieve their full potential.
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Respond in an effective way to students’ concerns, fears and anxieties.
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Strengthen the partnership between school, home and parish and to foster a sense of shared responsibility.
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Enable and encourage all students to take full advantage of the educational opportunities on offer at St John Fisher
Online Safety
Today’s children and young people are growing up in a digital world. As they grow older, it is crucial that they learn to balance the benefits offered by technology with a critical awareness of their own and other’s online behaviour, and develop effective strategies for staying safe and making a positive contribution online.
St John Fisher Catholic High School is committed to ensuring that our students are safe online. Online safety is a priority for our school and forms an integral part of the school’s Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.
The online world develops and changes at great speed, with new opportunities, challenges and risks appearing all the time. This can make it difficult for schools to stay up to date with the latest developments and technologies. However, we will strive to ensure our staff have an awareness of recent developments through regular E safety updates.
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Embedded within our online safety provision are the following key priorities for our students:
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Enabling them to evaluate what they see online
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Enabling them to recognise techniques used for persuasion
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Supporting them to understand what is acceptable and unacceptable online behaviour
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Supporting them to appreciate that they create an ‘online reputation’ and digital footprint
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Enabling them to identify online risks
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Enabling them to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy online relationships
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Supporting them in knowing how and when to seek support, including reporting to CEOP
Attendance
St John Fisher gives a high priority to attendance and punctuality and we are committed to supporting all of our students in achieving the highest standards in these two aspects of school life. We will consistently work towards a goal of 100% attendance for all children. Whilst we appreciate that students can occasionally be unwell and there can be exceptional circumstances for absences, please consider carefully all absences your child takes. Good attendance ensures our students are able to develop both academically and socially, thus improving their future life chances. Regular attendance and good punctuality are essential life skills and are greatly valued by employers and colleges. It has been proven that poor attendance has a significant negative impact on learning, progress and attainment. Our students can only benefit and make the most of the opportunities provided by St John Fisher Catholic High School if they attend regularly and on time.
Please be aware that, in line with wider DfE and Wigan Local Authority protocols, we as a school may issue Educational Penalty Notices (EPN’s) where a pupil is persistently absent (attendance below 90%) and medical evidence is not provided by parents/carers.
Please read the EPN letter below for further information
EPN Notice Letter for non Attendance
Start Well Family Centres
Children’s centres provide support and activities to help parents, carers and childcare providers give children the 'best start in life'. These include:
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Childcare
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Early education and play
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Health services
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Information and advice about children’s services
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Parenting support.
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You can find out about lots more activities taking place at children’s centres on the Family Directory website (external link).
Student leadership
Catholic Life and Mission Ambassadors:
All pupils at St John Fisher are invited to apply for the role of Catholic Life and Mission Ambassador. Working in partnership with the Chaplaincy team, these ambassadors help to plan, co-ordinate and lead projects and ideas related to the Catholic ethos of our school.
Our current team consists of 39 pupils and includes pupils from years 8-11, who were all commissioned during a special Mass in Lent 2022. Our Ambassadors have helped to plan activities and prepare resources as part of our prayer and liturgy, led very successful fundraising projects and cared for our common home by undertaking activities such as litter picking in the local community.
Our Ambassadors are the role models for all pupils. They are positive and enthusiastic, encourage and motivate fellow students, support the Catholic ethos of the school and promote Gospel values. As a result of taking on these extra responsibilities, they are developing numerous skills including leadership, confidence, initiative and problem-solving.
Ambassadors work as a team across the year groups and take part in an annual day retreat
Pupil Premium and Free School Meals
What is the Pupil Premium grant?
The Pupil Premium Grant is additional funding which is allocated to schools on the basis of the number of pupils who have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point over the last six years (known as ‘Ever 6 FSM’) and Service Children including those who were eligible for the Service child premium at any point in the last three years (known as ‘Ever 3 Service Child’). Students in care, who have been looked after by local authorities for more than six months also continue to qualify for the Pupil Premium. The Pupil Premium is aimed at addressing the current underlying inequalities which exist between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their more affluent peers.
In order to check your eligibility, claim free school meals and access the pupil premium funding please complete the information using the following link:
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Benefit-Grants/Free-school-meals.aspx
HOW WE WILL MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THE USE OF THE PUPIL PREMIUM?
In making decisions on the use of the Pupil Premium we will:
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Ensure that Pupil Premium funding allocated to our school is used solely for its intended purpose.
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Use the latest evidence based research1 on proven strategies which work to narrow the attainment gaps and meet the needs of our pupils.
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Be transparent in our reporting of how we have used the Pupil Premium, so that interested stakeholders are fully aware of how this additional resource has been used.
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Encourage take up of Pupil Premium by working proactively with our parents and carers.
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Be mindful of the fact that eligibility and take up of Pupil Premium does not equate with pupils being considered to be of ‘low ability’ because of their social circumstances.
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Ensure there is robust monitoring and evaluation in place to account for the use of the Pupil Premium, by the school and governing body.
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Recognise the fact that Pupil Premium pupils are not a homogeneous group and cover a wide range of needs.
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Use high quality teaching and learning as the preferred way to narrow the gaps in attainment in the first instance. We will also use high quality interventions with proven evidence of impact to assist our pupils who need additional support.
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Use the Pupil Premium for all year groups not just those taking examinations at the end of the year.
Pupil Premium strategies and review statements can be found under the ‘policies’ section of the website.
School Uniform
Our school takes pride in the appearance and conduct of its pupils. The School’s reputation in this area is of importance to individual pupils both during school life and later when seeking employment. Part of the school’s mission is to poster pride in personal appearance. The Headteacher reserves the right to prohibit unsuitable fashions/styles in dress and personal appearance. If you are in doubt, please contact the school for clarification.
Please be advised that our official St John Fisher uniform suppliers are:
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Slaters Schoolwear, Unit 2, Eckersley Mill Victoria Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan WN3 5BD, Tel: 01942 244426
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AC Sports, 789 Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, Wigan, WN5 8HE, Tel: 216537
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Impressions, 31-33 High Street, Standish, WN6 0HA, Tel: 01257 400010
School on Remote Learning
We have high expectations for our students whether they are in the classroom or not. Please see our Online Learning Expectations document here and share this with your child. SJF expectations for live lessons
We expect all of our students to engage fully with their remote learning; they MUST or they will fall behind.
We expect students to join the morning Registration Teams invite for their Form at 8.45am to participate in collective worship and to start the day in a positive way.
Teaching staff will email links to 'live' teams lessons, direct pupils to set work on the pupil dashboard or give instructions for alternate work.
To support remote learning, please read the step by step guides on how to open an email, how to access the pupil dashboard and how to use Microsoft teams. Please use the links below.
Remote Learning Offer
There is also a useful video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SemjM2fHV2Q
Microsoft-Teams-Parent-Guide-Getting-Started-1
How-to-access-emails-from-home-3
If you need IT help with your remote learning, please email SJFpupilitsupport@sjf.wigan.sch.uk
Pupil Remote Learning Policy
Remote Learning Offer
SJF Online Expectations
School Meals
The school has a bright, modern dining room where pupils enjoy their meals. There is also a separate area for children with packed lunches. Hot food is provided for pre-school breakfasts, for break and at lunchtime.
Our meals are provided by Metrofresh, an in-house service of the Council, which provides meals to many primary and secondary schools in Wigan. Metrofresh has consulted with student councils and a borough-wide focus group to ascertain what students expect from a modern school meals service. Menus meet all Government food-based standards and are fully-compliant with the nutritional based standards brought in from September 2009.
The school operates a ‘biometric’ catering system. The system recognises an image of the pupil’s finger (not a fingerprint) which then allows them to load cash on to their electronic account at the machines situated adjacent to the dining room. Money can be loaded before school, at break or at lunchtime. Accounts can be topped up for a number of meals in advance or on a daily basis. When pupils have chosen their food, their finger is scanned and their account debited.
Mid Morning Breakfast Menu
Meal Deal Menu
Drinks Menu
Main Menu
Free School Meals
Children can have free school meals if their parents receive one of the following:
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Income Support
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Income-based Jobseekers’ Allowance
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Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
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Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
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The guaranteed element of the State Pension Credit
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Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by H.M. Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
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Working Tax Credit ‘run on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
For more details, or to apply, then phone Wigan Council Customer Services Contact Centre on 01942 489002. Lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 12:30pm on Saturday.
If your child is entitled to free school meals then please do apply as it benefits both yourself and the school. The Government provides funds called the ‘Pupil Premium’ and the amount received by school is based on the number of pupils receiving free school meals. So the more free meals provided, the more funds school will receive the help children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Transport
For any comments of the routes/times or vehicles provided, or for any other queries or comments on services in Wigan then please contact TfGM on 0161 244 1000 or use the contact form at www.tfgm.com/contact.
Severe Weather
Every effort will be taken to ensure that the school remains open and it will close only if the Headteacher considers there is a risk to the health and safety of pupils and staff. This decision to close will not be taken lightly as we are mindful of the disruption which a closure causes both to the pupils’ education and to parents.
Closure before the start of the school day
Closure of the school will be advised to parents by text as early in the morning as is practicable. Notice of closure will also be posted on the following websites:
St John Fisher
Wigan Council
Wish FM
If you are not made aware of a closure by the above means then the school will be open as normal. Please do not ring the school to check on the situation as this will block our phone lines which may be required for emergency use.
Closure during the school day
Parents will be informed as above.
Please ensure that you make contingency arrangements with your child should the school close. For example, to whose home they should go to if you are at work. No child should leave school if they have nowhere to go. In such circumstances, they must remain on site where they will be supervised until the end of the school day at 3pm.
It is important that parents advise school of their current mobile numbers to ensure that the school’s text messages are received.
External examinations guidance
We will make every attempt to ensure that External Examinations continue to take place as scheduled by the Examination boards, and where possible will draft staff into school to conduct exams as timetabled, including where the school is closed to normal lessons. This includes occasions where the Local Education Authority announces that all schools are closed.
In the unlikely event that an external examination has to be cancelled a message will be placed on the school website as early as possible.
The boards do not allow deviations to the timetable, therefore all exam students must make every effort to attend school to sit their exam at the scheduled time. Whilst it is possible to accept students who are delayed please be aware that the JCQ regulations state that the Awarding Bodies may not mark exam papers if candidates arrive later than one hour after the published start time.
The Exam Awarding Bodies do not grant any special consideration for students who fail to turn up for their exams.