PARENT INFORMATION BOOKLET
BOLTON SCHOOL JUNIOR GIRLS
HESKETH HOUSE
2022–2023
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The Aims of the Bolton School Foundation are:
Bolton School seeks to realise the potential of each pupil. We challenge, encourage
initiative, promote teamwork and develop leadership capabilities. It is our aim that
students leave the School as self-confident young people equipped with the
knowledge, skills and attributes that will allow them to lead a happy and fulfilled
life and to make a difference for good in the wider community. We do this through
offering:
• A rich and stimulating educational experience which encompasses academic,
extracurricular and social activities;
• A supportive and industrious learning environment for pupils selected on
academic potential, irrespective of means and background.
The Bolton School Foundation consists of the Girls’ Division, the Boys’ Division and
Primary Division (Junior Girls, Junior Boys and Infants). Bolton School Nursery
and the Kidzone Out-of-Hours Childcare Centre are also run as part of the
Foundation. The commercial arm of the Foundation is Bolton School Services
Limited.
The Senior Officers in charge of the Foundation are: Mr Philip Britton (Head of
Foundation), Mrs Lynne Kyle (Girls’ Division), Mr Nic Ford (Boys’ Division),
Mrs Sue Faulkner (Primary Division) and Mrs Cathy Fox (Clerk and Treasurer).
The Foundation has a single Governing Body under the chairmanship of Mr Ian
Riley. The Governor with particular responsibility for the Girls’ Division is Mrs Joy
Bailey.
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1. The Junior Girls’ Division Team
Head of Foundation
Head of Primary Division
Mr Britton
Mrs Faulkner
Head of the Girls’ Junior School
Mrs Laverick
Deputy Head of the Girls’ Junior School
Mrs Holt
Senior Teacher
Mrs Marsden
Year 3 – 3C
Mrs Crowther
Year 3 – 3H
Mrs Hilton
Year 4 – 4B
Mrs Bass
Year 4 – 4W
Mrs Worsley
Year 5 – 5J
Mrs Joseph
Year 5 – 5M
Mrs Marsden
Year 6 – 6F
Mrs Forshaw
Year 6 – 6G
Miss Gregson
Art & DT
Mrs Labbé
French/Spanish
Miss Eccleshare
Music
Individual Music Lessons
Miss Fairclough
Mr Forgrieve
PE
Mrs Higgins
Teaching Assistants
Miss Berry
Miss Hussain
Mrs Lucas
Health and Wellbeing Assistant
Miss Harris
Secretary
Mrs Hurst
Sergeant
Mr Greaves
Bolton School Junior Girls
Hesketh House
Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 4PB
Tel: 01204 434761
Email: juniorgirls@boltonschool.org.uk
www.boltonschool.org/juniorgirls
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2. The School Day – Our Timetable
8.40am
Bell rings in the playground
8.45am
Registration
8.50am
Assembly/Form Time
9.15am
Lessons
10.25am
Break
10.45am
Lessons
11.55am
Lunch
1.20pm
Registration
1.25pm
Lessons
2.35pm
Break
2.50pm
Lessons
3.55pm
End of the School day
3. The School Day – Further Information
Arrival
School opens for the girls at 8.00am, with supervision on the playground if the
weather is fine. There is no supervision prior to this time other than Kidzone (01204)
434798.
Assemblies
Whole School assemblies are held on three mornings each week. They are based on
a series of spiritual, moral and religious themes, including British values. Assembly
times are also used to promote our ‘Hesketh House Habits’, celebrate achievements
and to inspire the children.
On Thursday mornings we hold a special Achievement Assembly when certificates
and awards are presented. If your daughter wants her achievements to be
recognised, she must remember to sign-up with a Year 6 Ambassador for the
Achievement Assembly.
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Lunchtimes / Extra-Curricular Activities
Girls are given the opportunity to join at least two lunchtime clubs every term in
addition to visiting the Library. Information about this is given out at the start of
the year and then again at the start of each term. We encourage parents to discuss
the options with their daughters. We do expect girls who have made the decision
to join a particular club to attend on a regular basis. Clubs vary across the academic
year to reflect seasonal changes and to give as broad an experience of activities as
possible.
Lunches
Lunches are eaten in the Hesketh House Hall. There is always a hot main meal,
with halal and vegetarian options, together with salads, sandwiches and jacket
potatoes to choose from. A hot dessert is provided, as well as fruit, yoghurts and
cakes.
A copy of the weekly lunch menu is available on the website
www.boltonschool.org/junior-girls/catering/ for those parents who may find it
useful to discuss choices with their daughter.
End of the School Day
You may collect your daughter from the School playground at 3.55pm.
Alternatively, at your discretion, your daughter may walk to meet you at the site
boundary. However, she must return to Hesketh House if you are not there for any
reason. If your pick-up arrangements change, please contact the School Office as
soon as possible and before 3.40pm in order to give us time to pass this on.
After School Clubs
If your daughter is attending an after school club, please collect her from Hesketh
House, as pupils are not permitted to walk to the School gates at this time.
4. The School Day – Practicalities
School Office
The School Office is open from 8.00am-4.30pm.
Please telephone (01204) 434761 or email juniorgirls@boltonschool.org.uk
Parking
Parents are reminded of the difficulties and dangers caused by parking in the
morning and at the end of afternoon School. The School frequently receives
complaints about parents who park on pavements and in areas about the campus
that are restricted in width and officially marked as no waiting/parking locations.
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Complaints are also made about parents who park at the front of School, in the ‘Lion
of Vienna’ car park and in nearby roads, blocking access for local residents. Parents
are asked not to park in the Bolton School Nursery car park. This is reserved for the
parents of Nursery children to enable them to drop off and collect their children
safely.
In order to help visitors who arrive by car, there are 13 clearly designated bays in
the car park at the front of the School on the corner of Chorley New Road and
Dobson Road. Visitors, including parents with an appointment in School, may park
there, before gaining pedestrian access to the Riley Quad by walking along a path
and the pavement along Chorley New Road and then under the Central Arch.
If you are visiting School for an appointment made by a member of the School staff,
you will have been informed about parking arrangements for your visit. If you are
visiting on an ad hoc basis and wish to reserve visitor parking, please contact
Reception. Visitors arriving by car should only drive through the central arch into
the Riley Quad if they have been invited to do so in advance of their meeting.
For evening and weekend events, other car parks on the site may be open (Tudor
Avenue, Dobson Road and the Sports Field car park). There is also parking in the
Boys’ Quad and the Girls’ Quad on some occasions. In addition, out of School
hours, the Tudor Avenue and Dobson Road gate may sometimes be left open for
traffic to drive in and park for School evening events or events held at the Arts
Centre. Parking for collection from after-school clubs is available on the Dobson
Road Quad.
Visitors
The Bolton School site is very secure. If you need to come into School for any reason,
please enter via the Riley Centre and sign in at the main reception. For Security and
Health and Safety purposes, we need to know who is in School at any given time.
Late Collection
Please ensure that your daughter is collected promptly at the end of the day and
after all after-school activities/trips. Occasionally parents are unavoidably delayed.
If this happens, we ask you to telephone the Junior School Office before 3.40pm so
that we can convey the message to your daughter.
If you are late, please collect your daughter from Hesketh House Reception. We ask
pupils waiting to be collected to return to Reception at 4.10pm if no-one has
collected them by this time. If pupils have not been collected by 4.10pm, a member
of staff will ring parents to ask about collection arrangements and arrange for the
child to attend Kidzone if necessary, for which there will be a charge.
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Absence
If your child is absent please telephone or email School before 8.30am. If we do not
hear from you, your child’s absence has to be marked as unauthorised. A letter or
email explaining your daughter’s absence must be sent into School, even if you
have telephoned to let us know at the time.
If your child has a medical/dental appointment, a note or email is required prior to
the absence.
After School/Pre-School Care
This service is available before School from 7.30am and after School
until 6.00pm. Please contact Kidzone on (01204) 434798 book a place
for your daughter.
Kidzone also provides care for parents in the School holidays where your child can
socialise with friends or make new ones. They offer many activities and trips
through fun themes with the added use of Bolton School's superb facilities.
This flexible service can be used on a weekly, daily or sessional basis from 7.30am-
6.00pm. All meals are included and provided by the Bolton School catering
department.
School Holiday Activities
Kidzone and BSS Leisure organise activities for children during the school holidays.
Information about these is published in our Newsletters at the appropriate time and
can also be found on the School website.
Coaches
Bolton School operates a wide-ranging coach service for the convenience of pupils
and parents. For further information, please check the website or contact the
Logistics Coordinator on (01204) 434711. You can use this number until 4.30pm on
weekdays.
School coaches leave from Chorley New Road just after 4.00pm. Junior Girls finish
their School day slightly earlier than Senior School pupils so that they can arrive at
the coaches first.
For the first few days of the Autumn Term, new pupils are escorted to and from the
coach to make sure that they familiarise themselves with and have confidence in the
arrangements. We encourage any older pupils who might travel on your daughter’s
coach to keep an eye on things.
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Snacks
Girls are allowed to bring a piece of fruit or another healthy snack into School for
morning and afternoon break. Crisps, sweets and chocolate bars or biscuits are not
allowed. Girls will be given a School water bottle which they can use in the
classroom. This can be refilled from water fountains around the building.
Birthday Treats
Some children like to bring in treats for their birthday to share with their class.
Please note that anything sent in to School should be pre-packaged and clearly
labelled with ingredients and allergens. These can then be distributed at the end of
the day to be eaten at home with parents’ permission.
Gifts
The exchange of gifts at Christmas and Easter is only permitted on the last day of
term.
5. Communication
Letters/Correspondence
Newsletters are emailed each Friday and give you an opportunity to read about the
weekly life in School and remind you of forthcoming events for the term. Some
information is sent to parents via email and letters are also sent home with pupils.
Please provide the School Office with an accurate email address and emergency
contact numbers and inform us of any contact changes as they arise.
Parental Responsibility
In the interest of your daughter’s welfare and for legal reasons, the School must
have accurate and up-to-date records on the following:
• who lives with your daughter and which of these people has parental
responsibility,
• whether there are any other people with parental responsibility who live apart
from your daughter,
• whether there are any court orders which may have made changes to those who
have parental responsibility or which impose restrictions on the exercise of
parental responsibility.
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If there are any changes following your daughter’s admission to School, please
notify the School immediately via Parent Portal. Please note that any letters sent to
you by School requiring a permission slip to be returned, eg regarding a School visit,
must be signed by someone with parental responsibility as defined by the Children
Act 1989.
Under the Terms & Conditions signed upon acceptance of the offer of a place for
your daughter, ‘when both parents will be absent from a pupil’s home overnight or for a 24
hour period or longer, the Head of Junior Girls must be told in writing the name, address
and telephone number for 24 hour contact with the adult who will have the care of the pupil’.
Therefore, if you are going away and leaving your daughter in the care of family or
friends, please advise us of emergency contact arrangements.
Website
The website is worth visiting regularly for information, news and to view recent
events that have taken place at School www.boltonschool.org/junior-girls.
Twitter
You can follow us on Twitter @BSPDJnrGirls and @BoltonSch.
Appointments with Teachers
If you have a concern or worry about your child, please ring the Junior School
Secretary and ask for an appointment, initially with the teacher. For some issues it
may be possible to speak with your daughter’s teacher by telephone, at a time
convenient to both of you. We also use the girls’ Homework Diary to communicate
with parents/guardians on a regular basis. We know that minor worries can quickly
become major ones and we like to avoid this.
If teachers have any serious concerns about your child, they will contact you.
Appointments with the Head
Appointments with the Head should be made via the School Office. If possible, it
would be helpful to know the nature of the meeting in advance, in order that any
relevant information can be gathered.
Consultation Evenings and Reports
Consultation Evenings are held in the Autumn and Spring Terms when you will
have a short appointment with your daughter’s Class Teacher. You will receive a
short interim report in the Autumn and Spring Terms and a full report at the end of
the Summer Term.
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Dates List
A Dates List for the year will be issued to all parents early in the Autumn Term.
Whilst we try to keep any amendments to a minimum, changes may occur.
Upcoming events/dates are included in the weekly Newsletter. All girls are
expected to attend whole School events and concerts.
Emergency Procedures
Information on procedures in the event of bad weather or an unforeseen emergency
will be sent to you during the Autumn Term. In the event that the coaches cannot
run and/or the School is closed for snow, we will post alerts on the website and the
School will send the information via twitter. Please ensure that your daughter has
your emergency contact number on her person at all times.
6. Medical Matters
Across the Foundation, we have a Nurse and a team of many first aiders who deal
with any medical issues during the School day. In addition, we will also have a
dedicated Health and Well-Being Assistant at Hesketh House every day to support
the girls.
You are asked to make the School aware of any medical problems as they arise and
not to send your daughter to School if she is unwell. In the School community,
infections can be readily transmitted. Pupils who are suffering from diarrhoea,
vomiting, feverishness and earache should be kept at home until they recover
completely. If you have any queries, please telephone 01204 434736.
Health Assessments
The School Nursing Team carry out general health assessments at various stages of
your child’s time at Bolton School and children in Year 6 are weighed and measured
as part of this programme. In Year 5 the girls will attend a talk on puberty given by
the Nurse as part of their PSHEE and Science curriculum. If there are any health
concerns, the Nurse will contact you to discuss these.
Accidents
Unfortunately, accidents do happen in Schools – in the playground, the classroom
or in PE. When necessary, the Nurse or First Aider sees children who are injured or
who become ill at School. Any child who has a head injury is given a note to warn
parents that they should monitor their child for 24 hours. Please do not be alarmed
if you receive one of these notes, as cases of concussion at School are very rare.
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Diseases
If your child contracts a contagious disease such as mumps, the Nurse will be able
to advise on the length of absence required by the Local Authority.
Sickness and Diarrhoea
Children should not return to School until at least 48 hours have elapsed since the
last bout of sickness or diarrhoea. This not only prevents the spread of infection but
also saves your child from experiencing a very miserable day.
Head Lice
Occasionally we receive reports of head lice in School. Please check your daughter’s
hair regularly and if necessary, seek advice from your local pharmacist about
treatment.
Medicines
Asthma sufferers must carry an inhaler with them at all times. Please also provide
a spare to be kept in the medical room in case this is lost or forgotten. If your
daughter has an Epi-pen please make sure we have at least two in school – one to
be kept in the classroom and a spare in the medical room. If your child requires a
dose of prescribed medicine or any applications of cream prescribed by the doctor
during the School day, they should hand it in to the School Office on arrival clearly
labelled with their name and with all details of the medicine and dosage
instructions. A ‘Consent to Administer Prescription Medicines’ form should also be
completed, which is regularly included in the weekly Newsletter, and can also be
found on Parent Portal.
It is possible to purchase sun tan lotion that can be applied once and will last for the
whole day. Please use this to protect your child from the sun on sunny days. Your
daughter may also bring a named sun hat to wear.
7. Miscellaneous
Holidays
Bolton School holidays are generous and requests for extra holidays are strongly
discouraged. If you do ask for leave of absence for a holiday or family function, your
child may need to complete work missed on her return. The School policy is not to
set work in advance for pupils in these circumstances. All absence requests must
be made in writing to the Head of Primary Division, Mrs Sue Faulkner.
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Homework
Your daughter will be provided with a homework timetable and a Homework
Diary. Staff may use the Diary to send a message to you via your daughter. Please
check your daughter’s Diary on a regular basis and sign it at the end of each week.
You may also be asked to sign if your daughter is experiencing difficulty in a
particular area.
We expect Year 3 and Year 4 children to spend approximately 20-30 minutes a night
doing homework. In Year 5 and 6, children may spend about 30-40 minutes per
night. We also expect children in all year groups to read each night. The amount of
time to be spent on homework is offered as guidance only and on occasion a pupil
may wish to spend a little longer than is suggested. This is perfectly acceptable.
However, we do not expect any pupil to spend hours on her homework and would
ask parents to stop their daughters from working after a “reasonable” amount of
time has lapsed. It may mean that the work is too difficult for her or she has
misunderstood the task.
As teachers, we believe that homework is an essential part of the learning process
and we expect girls to do their work thoroughly and promptly, so please bear this
in mind if you are planning family events during the week.
Computer Equipment and ICT
Your daughter will have many opportunities to make use of computers in School.
She will also be issued with an iPad for use during her time at Hesketh House
You and your daughter will need to sign both the School’s ICT and iPad Acceptable
Use Policies which include coverage of email usage and correct use of the iPad.
These forms will be sent to you at the appropriate times. Any infringement of these
agreements will be treated seriously. The most common misunderstanding regards
the taking and/or sending of images whilst your daughter is in School; this is
strictly forbidden unless a member of the teaching staff specifically authorises a
particular image to be taken for a specific learning objective.
School internet access is highly filtered but occasionally, inappropriate email may
get through. Your daughter will be made aware of this possibility and told to report
any such incidents immediately to a member of staff.
We strongly advise that parents discuss the use of the internet with their daughters;
the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) website,
www.thinkuknow.co.uk can provide you with further information. There is also
very useful information at www.nationalonlinesafety.com.
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Mobile Phones
Girls are discouraged from bringing mobile phones to School, however we
recognise that some children do need a phone in case of difficulties or issues on the
journey to and from School. Any girl who does bring a mobile phone is required to
hand it in first thing in the morning. Phones are then collected at the end of the day
on the way out of School.
Pupils should not be using mobile phones on the premises except when permission
is given by a member of staff, eg to inform parents of a change in collection time for
a sporting fixture. If a child needs to contact home this should be done through the
office, after first discussing the matter with the class teacher. Similarly, any
messages for pupils from home should also come through the School Office.
Music Lessons
School is able to offer private music tuition on a wide range of instruments with
skilled and experienced instrumental music teachers. Please apply directly to your
chosen teacher using the information contained in the VMT brochure (available
from the School Office) to check on vacancies. If you have any questions, please
contact the Foundation Head of Instrumental Studies, Mr Forgrieve –
[email protected].
Anti-Bullying
We take allegations of bullying very seriously, when we hear of an incident we:
• Talk to all parties involved.
• Monitor behaviour at playtimes.
• Alert staff at our weekly meetings.
• Contact all parents involved if it is felt that a child is behaving inappropriately.
Our ‘Pathways of Help’ information is included in the Homework Diary.
Girls are encouraged to talk to the staff about anything which concerns them.
Alternatively pupils can also put a note in to our ‘Listening Box’ in Reception and a
member of staff will then pick this up.
Photographs and Publicity
Photographs of pupils are used for a variety of publications including School
brochures, Newsletters, Twitter and also for the School website.
A consent form will have been sent to you in your Joining Papers Pack which should
have been completed and returned. Please let the office know if you no longer wish
to give consent for your daughter to appear in any of our publicity materials.
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Equality of Access
Bolton School is committed to providing equality of opportunity and improving
access for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities who study at the
School. If your daughter has a diagnosed special educational need, disability or
medical condition, we will do all that is reasonable to accommodate her needs.
Assessment of her study needs will be carried out and her teachers will be consulted
about putting reasonable adjustments into place to enable her to study effectively
and to participate in School life.
The School Welfare Team is able to offer routine help where this is required. If your
daughter develops a medical condition, health problem or allergy, this should be
disclosed to the Head of Junior Girls as soon as possible so that the necessary
arrangements can be made to provide for her welfare, health and safety.
Privacy Notice
Bolton School handles all personal data in line with GDPR regulations. A copy of
the School’s Privacy Policy is provided on acceptance of a place at School and can
also be found on our website.
Safeguarding & Child Protection
Bolton School aims to provide a safe and caring environment for its pupils. Bolton
Children’s Services Department recognises that, because of day to day contact with
children, Schools are particularly well placed to observe outward signs of abuse,
changes in behaviour or failure to thrive.
Parents should be aware that where it appears to a member of School staff that there
is a safeguarding issue involving one of the girls, the School is required, as part of
the local Child Protection Procedures, to report its concern immediately to the Social
Care Department for the area where the child lives and/or for Bolton (as the area in
which the School is sited). To avoid any misunderstandings, parents of children
who sustain accidental injuries which result in cuts/bruises should inform School
on the next working day.
If there are any concerns related to Child Protection issues, please contact
Mrs Laverick (Hesketh House) or Mrs Faulkner (Primary Division) who are
designated people responsible for Child Protection. It should also be noted that,
where a child is looked after by someone other than a relative for more than 28 days
in any School year, Bolton Children’s Services Department should be informed. The
Foundation’s Safeguarding and Child Protection policy is available for inspection
on the website.
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Equal Opportunities
We have an Equal Opportunities Policy and every effort is made to create an
atmosphere of mutual respect for and between all pupils and staff. We try to cater,
as far as is reasonable, for any disabilities.
Complaints
A parent who has a complaint to make should, if possible, see the Form Teacher
initially. If you feel that a situation has not been resolved through contact with the
Form Teacher, you should make an appointment to discuss it with the Head of
Hesketh House.
Parents whose complaint remains unresolved on an informal basis should proceed
to putting their complaint in writing to the Head of Primary Division. The
Complaints Policy is available on the website.
CCTV
Security CCTV is in operation at various key areas across the site.
Policies
Bolton School has a full list of policies, in compliance with the regulations of the Independent
Schools’ Inspectorate. These include:
• Admissions Policy*
• Allegations of Abuse Policy & Procedure
• Anti-Bullying Policy*
• Behaviour Policy*
• Child Protection & Safeguarding Children Policy & Procedure
• Complaints Policy
• Curriculum Policies (including the Teaching and Learning; Assessment and
Reporting; PSHEE and Relationship Education)*
• English as an Additional Language Policy*
• First Aid Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Privacy Notice
• SEND Policy*
Policies marked * are specific to Primary Division, all others are Foundation wide.
These policies are available for inspection on request and some can be found on the
website.
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Health & Safety
The School attaches great importance to matters of Health and Safety. Every care
must be taken for personal safety and the safety of others. We expect girls to wear
flat shoes and to tie long hair back.
Uniform and Property
All of your daughter’s clothing needs to be clearly labelled. She will need a small
PE kit bag (maroon drawstring) and a swimming bag (black drawstring). Please
name your child’s entire uniform, including her shoes.
Items of high monetary or sentimental value should not be brought into School.
Please note that School cannot take responsibility for loss or damage to personal
items.
Earrings
Girls will not be allowed to wear earrings at school. If you do choose to allow your
daughter to have her ears pierced during her time in Junior School, then we ask that
you only do so at the start of the Summer holidays. In this way her ears will have
had time to heal before the new academic year starts.
For your own notes:
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Uniform
Bolton School Shop
3 Dobson Road
Bolton
Tel: 01204 536678
Email: bolton@monkhouse.com
# denotes available from the School Shop only
~ denotes available from School only
All items of uniform and equipment must be clearly named.
The summer dresses are being phased out, but may still be worn this year up until
October half term and then after Easter for the Summer Term 2023.
DAILY UNIFORM
Plain black coat
#
Maroon with School crest
#
Plaid skirt
#
White BSGD School blouse (long or short sleeved)
#
Maroon and grey striped cotton dress
Should be plain, black and flat with a maximum heel
height of 4 cm. Shoes should be well-fitted, suitable for
School wear, and the stairs. Slip on shoes are not
permitted
Should be plain black, worn for religious reasons only
School scarf
Dark navy, black or maroon
Black socks or black opaque tights, no patterns allowed
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GAMES UNIFORM & EQUIPMENT
#
Maroon, with School crest
#
Navy and maroon, with School crest
#
Navy, with BSGD logo
#
Navy, with maroon and white diagonal stripe
(optional)
#
Navy, long-sleeved, with School crest
#
Black, plain
#
White with School crest
White sports trainer
No long tongued, high backed trainers or leisure
fashion trainers
White, plain, ankle
#
Maroon drawstring PE bag
#
Black drawstring swimming bag
Required in Year 6 only for lacrosse
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Watches
Small, tidy, analogue watches. Must be named,
preferably engraved
Hair accessories
Black or maroon - no exaggerated styles. If your
daughter has long hair, please ensure that it is tied back
Bags
~
Maroon ‘Hesketh House’ School bag (Available for
purchase from the School Office)
Name tapes
To name all items of uniform and PE kit
Descant Recorder
Required in Year 3 and Year 4 only. Must be named and
remains in School. (Aulos is a popular make)
Our Parents Association also stock second hand uniforms, please get in touch with
the School Office if you require further information about this.
The Hesketh House School bags are part of the compulsory uniform requirement
and all new girls entering School will be required to purchase the rucksack. They
will be available for purchase at the New Parent Information Evening in June and
also from the School Office, priced £15.00.
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