The Towers School Vision 

The Towers School and Sixth Form Centre is an inclusive, academic school that provides equal opportunities for all. We strongly believe in traditional values that ensure a happy, safe and challenging educational environment for every student in our care.

We want students to leave Towers as confident young people who will aspire to great things. We want them to leave having developed the knowledge and skills which will allow them to do this. We want them to be good people, with their own moral purpose, treating others with respect and understanding, and having an appreciation of different views and cultures. We want them to care; to be eloquent and passionate; to be critical thinkers making reasoned choices; to have a vision of the world which extends beyond the boundaries of their town and their country; who are interested in what is going on in the world and care enough to want to make a difference.

We believe in the potential of our students and in our ability to help them reach it. We have, and uphold, high expectations of all of our students and, as such, we have high expectations of ourselves. We expect students to meet our code of conduct; we uphold a strong sense of discipline because we care. We want every student to learn in the most focused, calm and consistent of surroundings. We offer a curriculum that stretches and challenges, where knowledge and revision is at the heart. We emphasise the importance of silent study and individual application which allows for pace and challenge in every lesson. We strive for consistency and fairness in all our dealings, being open about our expectations with our whole community.

We are proud of our strong welfare system which cares for and supports our children and their families. This stands at the heart of our school, ensuring the focus is on academic success. We encourage our students to be respectful in all aspects of their dealings with others. Through our curriculum and enrichment programme, we aim to inspire our students to develop themselves as individuals with their own skills, talents, character and passion.  

We are proud to be Towers School and we stand together.

We are #ProudtobeTowers #BeliefInPotential

The Towers School Expectations  

As a school, we need everyone to be clear about the expectations. We aim higher because we believe in the potential of our students.

All of our students deserve the chance to be the very best that they can be.

In order to achieve this, we need wholehearted support from all our families. In choosing to attend Towers, families are making the choice to follow all of our systems.

Expectations of all:

• We are a school that works harder, smarter and faster.   
• We are a school that has increased discipline because we care.
• We hold true to our focus on students’ welfare BUT every student will understand that "reason is not an excuse”.
• We have a curriculum that stretches and challenges and where high level knowledge is at the heart.
• Our lessons are purposeful and pacy.
• Students will arrive ready to learn & low level disturbance will not be tolerated as it disrupts the learning of others.

We know that students who wish to succeed, take pride in themselves and in our school:

We correct students on their behaviour when necessary

• Mobile phones are a non-negotiable.
• Uniform must be worn correctly.
• Students must be punctual to lessons.
• Students must demonstrate STAR behaviours in all lessons.
• Students must trust that teachers’ instructions are to help them be successful. If an adult tells a student to do something, we expect it to be done straight away.

Additional Expectations of Students

In addition to our current expectations including STAR behaviours, we have increased our clarity around two issues: punctuality and litter.

Punctuality

In order to maximise learning time, we are continuing to speed up our entry procedures so that students begin their review task as soon as possible. Entry 1, 2, 3 must be completed by 4 minutes into lesson time at the latest. Any student arriving in lesson beyond this point for no justifiable reason will be given a no notice detention.

Litter

The R in STAR stands for respect. This includes respecting the environment and responsibility for a clean school environment belongs to everyone. Any student deemed to be responsible for litter will be isolated the following lunchtime. As it is difficult at times to ascertain whose litter it is, students will be collectively responsible for keeping areas tidy. Therefore it is their responsibility to ensure they do not leave mess behind. Students will be responsible for litter and will lose their lunchtime if they are seen: dropping litter; walking away from an indoor or outdoor space and leaving litter on the ground; dropping food or wrappers on the floor in the dining hall; walking away from a table in the dining hall leaving food/ wrappers on the table or surrounding area; walking away from a space in the sixth form centre leaving litter/ food/ wrappers on table or floor; kicking bottles or cartons around without picking them up.

If students do not attend their lunchtime isolation, they will be given an after school detention where they will take part in litter picking around the site (gloves/ litter picker and bin bag will be provided).

Where students do not adhere to school expectations, consequences will follow. Consequences are necessary in order to teach students to take personal responsibility.

For more details please refer to the policy tab.

 Our Expectations of Behaviour & Uniform 

We know that students who wish to succeed take pride in themselves and in our school.

We will no longer use the language of warnings. We will correct students on their behaviour when necessary.

• Mobile phones continue to be a non-negotiable.  If a student uses a mobile phone during the school day, it will be confiscated on sight. Mobile phones that have been removed from students will be held securely at main reception until a parent collects.  Sixth Form students have permission to access their phones whilst in the Sixth Form Centre.  Outside of the Sixth Form Centre, the same whole school sanctions will apply.
• With regards to jewellery, we will enforce our current expectations to the letter.  Students are only allowed a single plain stud in each ear lobe. No other piercings are acceptable. Any other jewellery will be deemed inappropriate; students will have to remove the item and it will be confiscated. Items of jewellery that have been removed from students will be held securely at main reception until a parent collects.
• Obvious and visible make up will not be allowed, including coloured nail varnish, lipstick, false eyelashes, false nails and eye-shadow. Students who do not follow this will be sent to welfare to remove.
• Hair colour should be natural and the style should not be extreme.
• Uniform must be worn correctly. This includes wearing a blazer at all times, no hoodies at all although a coat may be worn over the blazer when it is cold. Shirt must be tucked in and the tie (if applicable) must cover the top button and be worn to a reasonable length. Appropriate trousers/skirt and black, polishable shoes must be worn. 
• If a student is seen with shirt untucked, for example, they will be corrected. Repeated corrections will result in further sanctions. 
• If students do not meet these expectations but cannot correct because they are missing an item or wearing an inappropriate item, they will be sent home to correct. If this is not possible, they will be isolated all day that day and must be in proper uniform the next time they attend school.  Sixth Form students are expected to be in business dress at all times. Sixth Form students who do not adhere to this policy will be sent home to change. 
• Students must be punctual to lessons and will not use changeover of lessons to go to student reception or the toilet. The teacher will judge whether to allow a student out of lesson for any reason and will give them a pass. Any student out of lesson without a pass will be given a detention.
• In school buildings, students must walk on the right. This will ensure more efficient movement around the school.
• Students must demonstrate STAR behaviours in all lessons and follow Entry 1… 2… 3… and Exit 1… 2… 3… protocols at each changeover.

All of these actions are taken to ensure that all students take pride in their appearance and that our students are treated fairly. It is unfair if the vast majority of students keep to the dress code and some do not.

Students must trust that teachers’ instructions are to help them be successful. If an adult tells a student to do something, we expect it to be done straight away. If a student feels unfairly treated, they must still follow the instruction first time, every time. Later, in their own time, students may approach the adult to politely ask to discuss the situation.

Detentions & Isolation 

 Consequences are necessary in order to teach students to take personal responsibility.

Detentions

• No notice detentions will be given for up to 13 minutes at the end of the day and 10 minutes at lunchtime for issues including lateness and missed deadlines.
• Issues beyond these will result in longer after school detentions; parents will be notified via behaviour watch.
• Failing to attend an after school detention will result in the student attending Saturday morning detentions; parents will be notified by phone and in writing.  These detentions will run from 8.45am until 10.30am. Full uniform and self checking work will be completed in total silence.
• Failure to attend Saturday detention or failing Saturday detention will mean that students are isolated/twilighted for the next week and Saturday detention will be completed the following week.

 Isolation

• A correction will be given if a pupil makes a bad choice such as interrupting others in lessons by talking over silent practice. If a student is given two corrections in class, the next wrong decision will result in immediate isolation.
• If a student is isolated, they will work on self checking and reviewing their knowledge organisers. They will remain there until they have completed enough work to warrant leaving isolation.
• Students getting it wrong in isolation will be sent home or isolated with the Senior Leadership Team. Further sanction will follow and students will still have to serve isolation periods on their return.
• Students who persistently refuse to follow the school expectations and learn from these sanctions will be removed from mainstream lessons and will attend Twilight education sessions. If Twilight education sessions are put in place, parents must support the school as the student will not be able to return to mainstream lessons until a successful Twilight period has been completed, as judged by the quantity and quality of the work as well as the improvement in attitude. Return to the mainstream will be decided by the Senior Leadership Team.

Please email Mr. Field Assistant Principal for Behaviour for Learning for further information j.field@towers.school

Towers Welfare

 At Towers School we pride ourselves on delivering a fully inclusive and holistic approach to welfare and support. There is no point having an academic curriculum that is fit for purpose, provides students with bespoke pathways and offers them endless opportunities, if we are not developing emotionally, mentally and physically healthy students.

Good welfare is underpinned by communication. Quick communication, effective communication, meaningful communication, honest communication and two-way communication. Because of this, there are a number of things that we have put in place to support this process;

• All our Welfare Managers are non-teaching specialists.
• They are have a direct email, landline number and mobile number.
• All parents get a business card with the necessary details they need to stay informed.
• Parents will never have to phone the main switchboard, thus saving valuable time and giving you the peace of mind that any contact/messages are with the most appropriate and relevant people.
• The Welfare Centre is a one stop, bespoke building that provides all students from years 7-13 with the support, guidance and advice that they need as they progress through their school lives.

Keeping problems manageable and in perspective is critical. Effective welfare is about being calm and rational. Knee-jerk, short term and reactive decision making may provide an instant fix, but  this approach very rarely leads to the long term and substantive solutions that best support student wellbeing.

All we ask from parents is that there is an open and honest link between school and home. We do not sit in judgement on any situation and our sole, driving aim is to ensure that students are in the best possible state, both physically and mentally to allow them to succeed in school.

Year 7 Welfare Manager Anmari Clarke: 07463 372 042 a.clarke@towers.school

Year 8 Welfare Manager Anne Sheppard:  07463 315 101 a.sheppard@towers.school

Year 9 Welfare Manager Danielle Kelly: 07463 330 987 d.kelly@towers.school

Year 10 Welfare Manager Sue Barrett-Austen: 07463 402 504 s.barrett-austen@towers.school

Year 11 Welfare Manager Kris Morley: 07463 355 483 k.morley@towers.school