Life in Year 6

Boys should arrive no earlier than 8.00 am when there will be a member of staff on duty, and no later than 8.25 am. Registration is at 8.30 am each day.

We offer a breakfast club from 7.30 am. Further details are available from our Extra Curricular Co-ordinator (clubs@themallschool.org.uk).

If a boy is ill parents must notify the school welfare officer (welfare@themallschool.org.uk) immediately, stating the nature of the illness. Parents are asked to confirm by email any absence of more than three consecutive days.

All requests for leave of absence for boys should be addressed to the Headmaster, at least one week in advance – leave of absence for periods of time adjacent to school holidays will not normally be granted.

At various stages during their school career some boys may find parts of the curriculum more demanding and they will have the opportunity to receive some additional teaching support. The boy’s parents will be informed of this and feedback on his progress will be forthcoming via parents’ evenings, termly meetings with the appropriate staff and the school reports.

A boy who has English as an additional language and is experiencing difficulties in class as a result may need to receive extra support. There will be a charge for this service. Parents will be contacted and, once the support is in place, there will be feedback from the appropriate staff as described above.

Homework club is available daily running from 4.10 pm to 6.00 pm. Homework club operates on a drop in basis. Any boy not collected by 4.10 pm will join the homework club and a charge will be made for this additional supervision.

There is a range of after school activity clubs available at an extra charge, including swimming, chess, judo, table tennis, science, stop-animation, and seasonal cricket nets. All clubs are booked on a termly basis. Further details are available from our Extra Curricular Co-ordinator (clubs@themallschool.org.uk).

Staff operate a positive rewards system which recognises and encourages boys’ behaviour, as well as hard work and progress. Boys receive credits in line with the school’s reward system and they are awarded certificates which are presented in a weekly assembly. However, boys are not always perfectly behaved and if they make the wrong choices they may receive a verbal reprimand, be kept back at break or be spoken to by the Deputy Head. If such behaviour is persistent, the class teacher will, of course, inform parents.

Boys should bring a healthy snack (no nuts) and a bottle of water (not juice) each day.
Lunch is on a cafeteria system with boys going into lunch by year group. There is a choice of food available with one meat and one vegetarian option provided. Food is freshly prepared on the school premises and the school has a healthy eating policy. Further catering information is to be found on our website as are the daily menus. The school is able to operate nut-free catering but parents of boys with food allergies must inform the school in writing with full details, so that any risk can be assessed. To support boys with nut allergies, parents are asked never to send nuts or products containing nuts to school as snacks.

Communication to parents is via email, a weekly newsletter and the school website. The school subscribes to ClarionCall, a text-based service, which enables us to contact parents quickly in an emergency or when there has been an unexpected change to the school routine (for example cancellation of games, late return from a school trip, etc.).

Should you wish to speak to your son’s class teacher, please email them to make an appointment. Please allow 24 hours for a response but we will normally respond as soon as we can.

Boys are dismissed by teachers at 4.00 pm.

Should your child be collected by someone other than yourselves on any particular day, please inform us via the office. You may only take another child if a parent has specifically asked you to collect him and informed the class teacher of the arrangement. This will prevent any uncertainties and ensures the safety of the boys.

Boys will need their own pencil case with their own writing equipment, ink pen and washable blue cartridges; spare pen; biro for science; 2 sharp pencils; a set of coloured pencils; pencil sharpener; rubber; small glue stick; 2 clear rulers (15cm and 30cm); small pair safe scissors (not pointed); highlighters for occasional use; geometry set and a glue stick. It is advisable these items are named. They will also need 8 plastic wallets or folders, one for each academic subject, as this helps enormously with organisation. These should be labelled with their name and the name of the subject. Good examples are plastic wallets and school folders

Our exams include paper based tests as well as online testing to prepare for future school assessments. Throughout the school year boys take termly standardised online tests in literacy and numeracy. All exam results and standardised assessments are shared with parents. Written exams take place in the autumn term in English, maths and reasoning (verbal and non-verbal). Exams are followed by a parents evening to go through boys’ performance.

The school does not wish to prevent parents from taking photos or filming events which involve your sons. However, there are some circumstances when photography or filming are not permitted. Firstly, for some school plays we are required to purchase a performing licence where we would be in breach of copyright restrictions if photography or filming were to take place. In this situation a member of staff will inform parents at the beginning of the play of this restriction. Secondly, as is common practice elsewhere, we also ask that parents do not film or take photographs in the swimming pool or changing rooms.

For other events we ask that if parents are taking photographs or filming they show consideration to other parents by not being so enthusiastic that they spoil the occasion for others by getting in the way. We also ask that if the photographs or film you take contains images of children other than your own you do not upload these to social media sites.

A Health and Safety Document, available from the Bursar explains how boys are treated if ill or injured and how parents are contacted if necessary. A copy is issued to parents when a boy joins the school. All medicines and inhalers must be handed to the office, rather than the class teacher, for safe keeping and administering. Please let the school welfare officer know of any health problems or allergies that your boy may have; also any special dietary needs but please do not include food likes and dislikes.

Boys have eight pieces of homework each week. Homework will be uploaded to Microsoft Teams. In addition to their homework, all boys are expected to read for about 15 – 20 minutes each night and what they have read should be recorded in their reading booklet.  Parents should try to listen to their sons read 2 – 3 times a week. As your son’s reading improves the number of times you listen to him can decrease. However, even the most able reader can benefit from having a parent listen to him and discussing the story or explaining new vocabulary.

Boys are placed in one of four houses: Corpus, Magdalen, Pembroke and Trinity. As well as competing in their houses for sporting events and competitions such as general knowledge quizzes, art and music, boys can earn credits for their houses through good work or behaviour.

During Year 6 boys have the opportunity to take on positions of responsibility. At the end of Year 5 boys in Years 4 to 6, and all staff, vote for heads of houses, prefects and head boys. Boys can also be on the pupil council, charity committee and work as librarians. Year 6 boys have access to a common room at break times and are allowed to use the table tennis equipment in the sports hall.

The MSA supports the school via fundraising and social activities and parents who would like to volunteer to take an active part can contact the current Chair (msachair@themallschool.org.uk).

Peripatetic music teachers can provide on-to-one tuition for a range of instruments.  There is an additional charge for this service. Please contact The Director of Music for further information (music@themallschool.org.uk).

Concerts are held in the theatre and all boys studying an instrument have the opportunity to perform if they feel ready to do so. There are also several ensembles (eg the string orchestra, the samba band) and choirs which rehearse weekly during school time and boys are invited to join these by the Director of Music as soon as they are ready.

Pupils will be provided with logins for online learning sites. These will be written in their books at the beginning of the school term.

Parents’ evening where you can meet your son’s teacher individually to discuss his progress are held in the autumn term. Parents’ evenings are virtual and conducted on Microsoft Teams. Additional parent meetings face-face are available on request.

The Mall School parent portal is a communication tool which will give parents quick access to information about your son such as attendance records and assessment reports. Extra-curricular activities and parents’ evenings are also booked through the parent portal.

Parents are reminded that in the interests of safety they may not stop on the zigzags outside the school site. We ask parents to show consideration for our neighbours and local residents by taking care not obstruct the entrances of offices, houses or flats close by, nor park in their car parks or driveways.  Boys are also told that they must not cross the road except at the pedestrian crossing, even if accompanied by an adult, and parents are asked to reinforce this elementary road safety policy with their sons.

Boys have PE once a week on site and two afternoons of games at Sunbury Cricket Club (Monday and Friday).  Boys will need their full PE and games kits from the start of term.  Boys will need either football or rugby boots.  Astro boots are not permitted. Boys should wear their games uniform to school on games days.

The following are available on request and are also available in hard copy:

• Admissions (also available on school website)
• Behaviour, Rewards and Sanctions (also available on school website)
• Disciplinary
• Expulsion and Removal
• Anti-Bullying (also available on school website)
• Special Educational Needs (also available on school website)
• English as an Additional Language (also available on school website)
• Safeguarding (also available on school website)
• Curriculum
• Health, First Aid and Security
• Health and Safety; Tours, Visits and Events
• Equal Opportunities Policy
• Previous Years’ Academic Results
• Complaints (also available on school website)

From time to time the School will wish to create material to be used for publicity purposes.  Should you not wish your son to be included in any such materials you are asked to notify the marketing manager in writing immediately (marketing@themallschool.org.uk).  Otherwise the school reserves the right to include your son in any publicity material, eg. news releases, prospectus, school email newsletter and magazine, school website, social media etc. Your son’s full name will not be included with his photo, unless parental permission has been given to do so. For more information on how the school uses photos or videos of your child, please refer to the school’s privacy notices which can be found on our website: www.themallschool.org.uk.

A full written report is published on the parent portal at the end of the autumn term and a class teacher and headmaster report at the end of the summer term.  Our reports aim to be positive but are honest and will highlight boys’ strengths while suggesting areas for improvement. We welcome comments on reports via an online survey link, which are always read by the class teacher and action is taken when appropriate. All reports are published on the Parent Portal, in a PDF format which can saved to your own files.

Achievement and Effort grades are awarded at half term and the end of term and are also published on the Engage Parent Portal.

School buses currently run each morning from:

Chiswick, via Osterley

Isleworth via Richmond

Sunbury via Hampton

Richmond via St Margaret’s

Two afternoon services currently run to Kingston via St Margaret’s and Chiswick via Isleworth and Osterley. These leave from the main site at 4.30pm.

Boys may begin using school mini buses from Reception, providing they are able to securely fasten their own seatbelt. Further details are available from our Extra Curricular Co-ordinator (clubs@themallschool.org.uk)

The pedestrian gate is locked from 9.00 am until 2.50 pm each day and admission during this time is via intercom to the school reception. At lunch and break times all boys are supervised by members of staff. No boy is allowed off the school premises unless supervised by an appropriate adult.

In the highly unlikely event that a boy went missing, his parents would be informed immediately, all available members of staff would search the school premises for the boy and the police would be contacted.

Information about all of our fixtures, including location of matches, team lists and results can be found on The Mall School Sports website https://sport.themallschool.org.uk. Access to the team information is for current parents only and is password protected.

A complete list of governors and staff (with qualifications) is to be found on the website and is available in hard copy on request from the office.

Boys begin swimming classes in the first week of term. They will need plain black swimming trunks, a Mall School swimming hat, a towel and a Mall School swimming bag (all items to be named). If a boy has a verruca then he must wear a verruca sock or have the verruca “sealed” with Bazuka, to prevent cross-infection.

Boys are expected to be neat and tidy at the start and end of the school day. All boys must wear a blazer or, during the winter term, a Mall School coat to school. Please name all clothes, including underwear, socks and shoes as these can become mixed up during changing for swimming.

Items in bold are school regulation pattern and can only be obtained from Stevensons, 1-5 Heath Road, Twickenham. (Tel: 020 8892 2201, twickenhambranch@stevensons.co.uk, www.stevensons.co.uk).

All year round

• Mall School blazer
• Long grey trousers
• White long sleeved shirt (short sleeved shirt may be worn start of summer term to October half term)
• Mall School grey v-neck jumper
• Mall School tie
• Short charcoal grey socks
• Plain black shoes (Velcro or laces). No trainer type
• Mall School backpack

Summer (September to October half term and post Easter Break)

• Mall School sunhat

Winter (post October half term to Easter break)

• Black coat (optional)
• A scarf is optional but if worn must be a Mall School scarf
• A hat is optional but if worn must be a Mall School hat
• Gloves are optional but if worn must be plain black gloves

PE kit

• Mall School white and burgundy polo shirt
• Mall School white and burgundy shorts
• White socks
• White Velcro fastening trainers with non-marking soles
• Mall School drawstring PE bag

Games kit (autumn and spring term)

• Mall School rugby jersey
• Mall School black rugby shorts
• Mall School games socks
• Mall School tracksuit
• A midlayer jacket is optional but if worn it must be a Mall School midlayer jacket
• Studded boots are compulsory to participate in rugby or football games sessions. Astro trainers are not permitted.
• Mall School boot bag
• Mall School holdall
• Shin pads are compulsory for the football season
• A gum shield is compulsory for the rugby season

Games kit (summer term)

• Mall School cricket shirt
• Mall School cap
• Plain cream cricket trousers
• White socks
• White trainers with non-marking soles

Swimming kit

• Black swimming jammers (must be tight fitting and not shorts)
• Mall School swimming cap
• Mall School swim bag
• Goggles
• Towel

The school website at www.themallschool.org.uk includes information about the syllabus for each year group.

Email addresses

Main reception – reception@themallschool.org.uk

Headmaster’s PA – headpa@themallschool.org.uk

Deputy Head – deputyhead@themallschool.org.uk

Welfare Officer  – welfare@themallschool.org.uk

Extra Curricular Co-ordinator – clubs@themallschool.org.uk

Bursar  – bursar@themallschool.org.uk

Finance Manager – finance@themallschool.org.uk

Director of Music – music@themallschool.org.uk

Head of Games –pe@themallschool.org.uk

SENCo – senco@themallschool.org.uk

Parents can also raise concerns related to the quality of education or the welfare health or safety of pupils, to Ofsted (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted) tel: 0300 123 1231 and/or to the Independent Schools Inspectorate (https://www.isi.net/) tel: 020 7600 0100.

The Mall School is a registered charity. The Chairman of Governors is Mr R J H Walker, The Mall School Trust, 185 Hampton Road, Twickenham. Telephone: 020 8977 2523.