BIS HCMC believes that good communication between parents and school is essential, and we aim to provide a wide and varied range of opportunities for parents to engage with what is happening here at school on a regular basis. Following is a wrap up of those options available. Please do ensure that your email address is up to date at all times and that if you ever see an email from us in your SPAM box that you add BIS HCMC to your safe senders list.
To keep you informed with the weekly events in school, each Head of Campus will update the News and Insights section of our school website each Friday. This provides an overview of what has occurred during the week, as well as an a look forward to any upcoming events. You will be emailed a link to this update each week, but otherwise simply return to this page and click on the pictures below, or the links here:
Primary Campuses, or Whole School.
If your email address changes, please inform the office immediately so that this important communication reaches you each week. Contributions are made by the Head of Campus, staff and children.
All classes within the primary campuses will be using SeeSaw, a multi-use communication tool which provides teacher to student, teacher to parent, and student to parent communication; along with notifications of upcoming events and highlights, as well as being an online 'Learning Journey'. This is all available through the SeeSaw app, available here for Apple devices, and here for Android.
We are very excited about what Seesaw offers us as a school, but mostly because our lines of communication with you, as parents, are greatly improved. Notifications of events and pupil work will be instantaneous once the class teacher has updated their class Seesaw page. We hope and trust that you will get much from this platform.
To start each academic year, the Heads of Campus and the campus staff welcome parents with an overview of the coming year. This begins with an overview by the Primary Senior Leadership Team in the Sports Hall (EYIC) and the Hall (JC) and then moves to Year Group classrooms for general Year Group information. This is a great first opportunity to meet your class teacher, as well as other parents. Presentations used will be shared so that even those who are unable to attend are able to access the overview. Once the event is over, they will be available through this link: Parent Information Evenings - by year group
Weekly class information providing details about the children’s present and future learning will be made available to you every week from your child’s year group leader. This will come as an email attachment.
To enable regular communication between you and the teacher, the two most effective methods are the school email system and the School Diary. If communicating with your child's class teacher via email, teachers will endeavour to reply within 24 hours. School diaries can also be used to communicate with the class teacher.
A copy of your child’s timetable is placed in the diary showing specialist lessons when your child will require additional equipment to be brought into school, e.g. PE kit, swimming costume.
SchoolsBuddy is an online communication management system. This system is used for club selection and consent for expeditions. All club selections are made online, as are various whole year group and school announcements. A link to SchoolsBuddy can be found on the home page of the school website as well as the new Parent Portal. It is vital that your email address is always up-to-date for SchoolsBuddy to be effective. If it changes, please inform the office at either campus as soon as possible.
Destiny is our online library catalogue system, allowing children and parents to search for book titles in school from their own computer. Destiny can be accessed via our whole school website, or here for EYIC and here for JC.
This will be sent home at the end of Term 3 and will provide a colourful souvenir of the year.
You will receive two written reports each year:
End of Term 1 – For F1 to Year 6, an interim report detailing effort and achievement for that term and identifying targets to help your child’s future learning.
End of Term 3 – For F1 to Year 6, full report detailing effort and achievement for that school year and identifying targets to help your child’s future learning.
The first PTSC is a pastoral event, or a 'getting to know the teacher' evening at the beginning of Term 1. This event takes place in early September and is a great way to inform the new teacher of any details from home that may be of use. A reminder, it is not an academic meeting, as the students will have only been at school a matter of weeks.
During Term 1, your class teacher will always be available to answer any questions you may have.
At the end of Term 1, the interim report will form the basis for discussions at the first academic PTSC in January for Y1 – Y6 classes.
Invitational PTSCs happen in Term 2 and in Term 3 to discuss the End of Year Report with teachers will be made to all parents at the end of Term 3 which may include a follow up of the year's progress.
You may, of course, request additional meetings with the teacher, Assistant Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher or Head of Campus at any time by prior arrangement with the school office.