Admission to St Ivo
St Ivo School is one of the largest county comprehensive schools in Cambridgeshire with some 1,400 students in the 11 to 16 population and 340 students in the Sixth Form.
The published admission number (PAN) for St Ivo is 296. St Ivo School serves Hemingford Abbots, Hemingford Grey, Holywell, Needingworth, St Ives and the dwellings on the Poultry Research Station at Houghton. The criteria of the Local Authority (LA) which are used for the allocation places are as follows:
Children who have a statement of special educational needs that names the school will be admitted. NB. Those children with a statement of special educational needs that does not name the school will be referred to Statutory Assessment and Resources (STAR) Team to determine an appropriate place.
- Children in Care, also Looked After Children (LAC) and children who were looked after but ceased to be so by reason of adoption, a residence order or a special guardianship order;
- Children who live in the catchment area, attend primary schools within the catchment area and who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
- Children who live in the catchment area with a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
- Children who live in the catchment area who attend the primary schools within it;
- Children who live in the catchment area;
- Children who live outside the catchment area, who attend primary schools within it and who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
- Children who live outside the catchment area who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
- Children who live outside the catchment area who attend the primary schools within the catchment area;
- Children who live outside the catchment area, but nearest the school as measured by a straight line.
In cases of equal merit, priority will go to children living nearest the school as measured by shortest straight line distance.
Please note, families of prospective Year 7 can click here to apply online for places at the school.
Transfer Process
- During the year prior to entry, parents/carers of Year 6 students invited to spend part of a morning being shown around St Ivo School
- An Open Evening is held in October, during which students and their parents/carers have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with all areas of the school
- Visits to junior schools are made by the Head and Assistant Head of Year 7, and the Head of Learning Support, to discuss issues relating to student transfer
- In July, new students will spend two full days at St Ivo, in their new form groups, and will meet their form tutors
- On the evening of the first day, parents/carers are invited in to meet their children's form tutors
For further information about the admissions and transfer process to Cambridgeshire Secondary schools, please visit the Cambridgeshire County Council website from which you can download leaflets etc for transition information and advice.
Complaints Procedure
As required by the 1988 Education Act, there is a curriculum complaints procedure, through which parents or carers can register a complaint that the school is failing to meet its statutory obligations in teaching the National Curriculum. In addition, parents and carers are able to contact the school on any aspect of their child’s education or welfare.
| Curriculum i.e. any questions, concerns or information to do with your child’s studies |
Pastoral i.e. any questions, concerns or information relating to your child’s general wellbeing, e.g. health, behaviour |
|
| 1st Contact | Subject Teacher | Form Tutor |
| 2nd Contact If first contact not available or un-able to help, or if unsure who to contact |
Head of Subject | Head or Deputy Head of Year |
| 3rd Contact If not satisfied with response |
Headteacher | Headteacher |
The full complaints policy can be found on the policies page.
Insurance
There is no insurance policy to cover compensation for accidental injury during normal school time; for example, there is no compensation for injury sustained on the sports field unless that injury arises through negligence. Parents/carers requiring such cover should take out a policy for themselves. There is also no insurance for personal property lost or stolen in school; particularly valuable items should not be brought to school.
Lost Property
Personal property belonging to employees, students, or members of the public is brought onto the premises at the owner’s own risk. The school cannot accept any responsibility for items of value and is not insured for any loss incurred. Staff are advised to include any valuable items brought to school on their own insurance policies.
To this end staff, students and visitors are advised to leave items of value at home, or where possible in a secure facility, such as a locker or locked desk.
Loss or theft of staff property should be reported immediately to the Head. Loss or theft of students’ property should be reported immediately to the Head of Year.
Possessions should be identifiable by name wherever possible. If lost property is handed in and has a name tag or identifier it is far easier to contact the owner for collection. If no name tag or identifier is obvious, the item will go through the lost property procedure.
The local police visit the school periodically to security etch staff/students’ bicycles with the owners’ postcode. You will be informed in advance of this facility.
Staff should not be expected to spend their time seeking such lost items on behalf of stu-dents. It is the responsibility of individual students to look after their own possessions.
A monthly updated list will be available for the students/parents to view on the IvoOnline portal. Please note that items will not be kept for more than a month. Unclaimed items will be disposed of in an appropriate way.
Perishable items will be disposed of after 24 hours for Health and Safety reasons. Used towels/swimwear will be disposed of within 48 hours.
Any mobile phones/electronic devices will be held in the Finance Office for safe keeping. Glasses, watches, jewellery and other small valuables will be kept at reception.
Lunchtime
Parents/carers are asked at the beginning of the year to indicate whether their child will go home (not to town) or remain in school at lunchtime. Any alteration to this arrangement should be notified to the school in writing.
The school dining hall is open before school, at break and at lunchtime, and sells a range of hot meals as well as filled rolls and snacks. Those on free meals are currently allowed to spend up to £2.35, and this is ample to buy a main meal of the day with dessert. Drinking water is provided on the tables. We operate a cashless card system, which has a daily limit set by parents. We also provide vending machines that take cash, and offer a variety of food and drinks.
Medical Care
There is a medical officer in attendance during school hours to deal with emergencies and health problems that occur during the school day. We ask all parents/carers to give, in confidence, information about illnesses, infirmities or disabilities. This should include children with nut or any other severe allergies and if they require an Epipen or any other medication in school, which needs to be supplied by the parents. It should be emphasised that the medical officer should not be regarded as a substitute doctor and children who are unwell should not be sent to school.
The medical officer can arrange hearing screening for any child if parents/carers so request. We cannot express too strongly the need for parents/carers to contact their family doctor to arrange anti-tetanus protection for students before they take part in environmental courses or activities involving animals.
Procedure for Dealing with Cases of Suspected Child Abuse
It may be helpful for parents/carers to know that the law (Children Act 1989) requires all school staff to pass on information which raises concern that a child may be at risk from non-accidental injury, neglect or emotional or sexual abuse.
This procedure is intended to protect children and schools are encouraged to take the attitude that where there are grounds for concern it is better to be over-cautious than to risk a child's safety. In some cases they therefore have an unavoidable duty to contact Social Services without reference to parents. On other occasions, the school will contact parents prior to contacting Social Services.
Occasionally, this duty on headteachers means that they must risk upsetting some parents/carers by reporting a concern which, on investigation, proves to be unfounded. In these circumstances, it is hoped that parents/carers will appreciate how difficult it is for schools to carry out this delicate responsibility and accept that the headteacher was acting in good faith and had to take these steps in the best interests of children. The designated member of staff with responsibility for child protection is a senior member of staff.
The School Day
The structure of the school day is as follows:
| 8.00 | Resource Centre opens |
| 8.30 | Tutor period |
| 8.45 | Period 1 |
| 9.45 | Period 2 |
| 10.45 | Break |
| 11.05 | Period 3 |
| 12.05 | Period 4 |
| 13.05 | Lunch |
| 13.55 | Registration |
| 14.00 | Period 5 |
| 15.00 | Period 6 - for some students |
| 17.30 | Resource Centre closes (17.00 on Fridays) |
Adult Learning & Skills classes run on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Transport
Buses
Bus transport for students is arranged by the Local Education Authority. Students in Years 7 - 11 whose homes are three or more miles from the school and in the school's designated catchment area are currently entitled to free transport. Free transport is available for secondary school students from low income families to one of the three nearest qualifying schools where they live more than two miles, but not more than six miles. Students qualify on the grounds of free school meals or where parents are in receipt of maximum level Working Families Tax Credit. Please note that a new application has to be made each year. For further information parents should contact the Social & Education Transport Team at the County Council.
Subject to the availability of seats, children who travel from Hemingford Grey, can purchase tickets from the Local Education Authority, for the Hemingford Service.
Cycles
When students bring cycles into school, they should observe road safety rules and maintain their brakes and lights frequently during the winter months. Helmets are strongly recommended. Bicycles can be left in the racks provided for cycles in the school grounds. They are left at the owner's risk and students should lock them and remove possessions from them. The police inspect the bikes from time to time. Riding of cycles in the school grounds is not allowed. Students should not leave their bikes at the Leisure Centre.
Car
If you bring your child to school by car, please do not bring the car on to the premises. The best place to drop your child off is in the Leisure Centre car park, to avoid congestion in the streets around the school. Please do not drop off your child at the roundabout at the top of High Leys. Visitors cars are not allowed onto site between 8.10 and 9.00am in the morning and between 2.45 and 3.30pm in the afternoon.