St Helena currently runs three key Student Leadership Programs:
- The Senior Prefect Team are selected from Year 11s and include a Headgirl, Headboy, Deputy Headgirl and Deputy Headboy. They are involved with whole school projects, assemblies and represent the school in a number of ways.
- Anti-Bullying Ambassadors are part of our whole school anti-bullying project in connection with the Anti-Bullying Alliance national campaign. All year groups (and forms in year 7 & 8) are represented. Students who successfully applied and undertook training to become one of our Ambassadors are now working closely with staff to support their peers.
- Student Voice is our communication program that allows students the opportunity to have their views represented by representatives within year groups and forms. The Student Voice meets once a term to discuss the issues the student body feels are important.
The St Helena Rewards system is based on five strands:
Students will be recognised for daily, termly and yearly achievements.
Every student has access to the daily rewards scheme. Every credit awarded will create a ‘Spendable Point’. Students manage their own accounts and when they have acquired their targeted ‘Spendable Points’ they may purchase items from the Rewards Store. The Rewards Store will be open during specific windows throughout the academic year. Once a student has used their ‘Spendable Points’, this will not affect their credit balance on Class Charts.
Expectations
We want students to feel safe, comfortable and confident enough to take responsibility for their learning. This means that we have certain expectations of them during lessons, outside the classroom and in the community.
| At the start of the school day |
Students should:
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| At Lesson Changeover & Travelling between break/lunch and lesson |
Students should:
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| During the lesson |
Students should:
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| At the end of the lesson |
Students should:
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| In the community |
Students should:
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St Helena School recognises that positive behaviour and good attendance are essential in order to raise standards of pupil attainment and to give every child/young person the best educational experience possible. Good attendance has a direct correlation with higher attainment, increased positive mental health and increased life chances to make a positive contribution to society post 16 education. The whole student is of key importance, so yes academic performance is important, but we also place student wellbeing at the heart of our school culture by educating our students on healthy life choices, offering inclusive opportunities so students thrive within extra curricular activities are of equal importance to nurture the whole student.
- We are committed to meeting our obligations with regards to school attendance by:
- Promoting good attendance and reducing absence, including persistent absence
- Ensuring every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled
- Acting early to address patterns of absence
We will also support parents to perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory school age attend regularly, and will promote and support punctuality in attending lessons. The school will work in partnership with parents/carers and our young students to solve any attendance difficulties – please get in touch with the relevant Year team.
Attendance and holiday’s guidance
The news has highlighted the government’s stance to drive attendance back above pre-Covid levels. At St Helena our attendance is in the top 25% of schools nationally and I thank parents/carers for our partnership to ensure students attend every day, supporting students’ progress, well-being and belonging. Where attendance difficulties arise, please contact the relevant year teams as soon as possible. Please click on this link which highlights Essex County Council’s updated term time holiday guidance, with potential higher fines and court proceedings, which as a school we are directed to follow.
Punctuality
