Science lessonI have been talking in assemblies this week about the importance of having soap in the student toilets. You may wonder if this is this important? Of course it is.

A few years ago I was at a conference where a very wise Headteacher explained that having soap in the student toilets is the barometer of a great school.  He undoubtedly anticipated a surprised reaction from his audience who probably expected him to talk about something entirely different and there was a little bit of this at first. However, he was, of course, absolutely right.

In school we often talk about our school’s values – particularly around our students being able and qualified – and our culture – essentially how we do things. Both of these are embedded in what having soap in the toilets represents. It is about shared values, high expectations and mutual respect. We want young people to come through Wallingford School understanding that common courtesies and respectful behaviour are important. These messages are reinforced through how we as a school community treat our facilities. If they are not fit for purpose then it implies that we as a school community somehow do not care or certainly do not think something to be of importance. The condition of the student toilets is a reflection of this. If things run out or get broken then we will replace or fix them; if someone acts irresponsibly then we will sanction them but more importantly make them understand the consequences of their actions upon the rest of the school community.

In short, over the coming weeks and then moving forward we will make sure that there is soap in the toilets because this is a vindication of the shared values and strong culture of the Wallingford School community.

English lessonWe’ve also explained in assemblies this week that we are making a few changes from Monday 11th November to the way behaviour is managed - pupils have been made fully aware of these changes so there are no surprises. Most of the changes relate to the Remove room. As always, pupils will be sent to Remove if they are being disruptive in lessons, not following instructions or have behaved inappropriately around school. From Monday, if sent to Remove, pupils will automatically be issued with an after-school detention the following day as a consequence of having gone to Remove. Parents will be also be contacted by an appropriate member of staff (Subject teacher, Head of House or Curriculum Team Leader) with some further detail as to why Remove was necessary. It is intended that the contact home and after-school detention will deter pupils from repeating the behaviour originally leading to the Remove. In Remove, pupils will complete work and have the opportunity to make a written apology for their conduct. If, unfortunately, pupils are frequently being sent to Remove, then further periods in isolation or loss of social time during the school day might follow. We will also invite parents/carers in to review how the behaviour can be best addressed and explore what support can be offered to get things back on track. We appreciate that this will only apply to a very few students but feel that this clarity is helpful.

Finally, one particular change in terms of behaviour relates to mobile phones. Again from Monday, pupils are to ensure that when they arrive at a lesson their mobile phone is switched off and is placed in their bag. This will remove any temptation to check or use their phone during lesson and so avoid causing disruption to learning. Of course there may be times when the phone is needed for the lesson and on such occasions the teacher will invite pupils to use their phones. We would appreciate your support in reminding your child that to avoid any sanction as a result of mobile phone use, they should keep them in their bag during lessons.