FAQs

How can I speak to a member of staff?

If you wish to speak to a member of staff i.e. Teacher, Tutor or Head of Year, please contact reception on 01252 542397.  A member of the reception team will be able to put you through or take a message and email the member of staff asking for them to give you a call back when they become available.  Alternatively you can send an email to the member of staff, their email addresses are available under our staff list, tutor team, progress leaders or leadership team.

Who do I need to speak to if my child has been given a detention and I would like to discuss the reasons?

The member of staff who has given your child the detention will contact the parent/carer of the child by either phone or email with the information.  If you wish to speak to the member of staff, please contact reception, please give the name of the person you wish to speak to or if not known, a member of the reception team will be able to find out who you would need to speak to.  They will then be able to either put you through or send an email asking them to call you back.  Alternatively you can send an email.

What pastoral support is offered to students in school?

We have a dedicated team of staff who offer our students extra support.  These members of staff are located in The Raising Aspirations Suite, which is a positive and safe place that all students can access when they need to.

Within the RAS they offer a wide variety of help and support for our students, to encourage them to thrive within school. If students are having a particularly difficult day, they can ask their Teacher to come up to the RAS where our team can chat and support them where needed. We also have a bean bag room that they can access to re-focus and collect their thoughts before going back to lesson.

Please see our pastoral page for more information.

How will my child find their way around school?

Please check out our school map

What time does school start and finish? What time are lessons and when is break and lunchtime?

School starts at 8:30am sharp and finishes at 3:05pm.  Please ensure students are on-site by 8:25am at the latest.

For lesson and break times please refer to Our School Day 

When are the inset days and term dates?

All dates and events are available on our calendar

Can my child use their mobile phone in school?

The restriction of No mobile phones is in place at all times, while students are in the grounds of the school building, this includes when students arrive and leave at the end of the day. 

If a students mobile phone is seen or heard at any point throughout the day, it will be confiscated and held securely by our Behaviour Team for 24hrs in the first instance, 48hrs in the second instance and continued.  Please read our mobile phone policy for more information.

What does my child do if they have lost their timetable?

If they have lost their timetable, they can ask either their Tutor to reprint this for them or go to Student Enquiries for a new copy.

What does my child do if they have lost their school planner?

If they have lost their school planner a new one can be purchased via ScoPay and then collected from reception once they have been notified.  The cost of a new planner is £3.50

What does my child do if they have lost their lunch card?

Students can go to reception at either break or lunch time to get a new lunch card from our Finance Team.  The cost of a new lunch card is £1.

What meals are available and how do I pay for them?

Please see our school meals page for more information and menus.

When will my child know they have been set homework and where to find it?

Students need to check their Satchel:One (Homework App) each day to find out what new or existing homework has been set.  If homework has been set on a different online link, the teacher will inform the students in lesson or post a message on Satchel:One.

What do I do if my child has left something at home?

If a student has left something at home i.e. PE kit or homework, this can be brought into reception. If a student needs to call home to ask a parent to bring in something, they can use the phone in student enquiries to call home, they must not use their mobile phone to do this as per the mobile phone policy.

What subjects will my child be studying at school?

A list of all our subjects available are listed on our curriculum page.

Year 9 Options - If you would like to see information on the subjects and courses available in Years 10 and 11, please see our Year 9 options page

What extra curricular clubs and activities are available?

We have a wide range of clubs and activities available during either lunchtime or after school.  We run sports activities including gymnastics, football, basketball etc, as well as a range of music, maths and science clubs.  Alongside these we also have clubs such as chess, Uno and Warhammer. 

Please check out our extra curricular clubs and activities page to see what is currently running.

What should I do if my child has not arrived home after school as expected?

If your child has not arrived home as expected at the end of the day and you are unable to contact them, please do call reception before 4pm (phone line switches to answer phone at this time) on the main telephone number 01252 542397.  A member of staff will be able to check if they are in an after school club or activity or still on the school site.

Please be aware that we do not communicate every after school event with parents and do rely on students communicating this so that unnecessary concern and worry is avoided.

Do you offer music tuition lessons at school?

We offer a wide range of music tuition lessons at school. 

The Rock and Pop Foundation offer guitar, drums, piano/keyboard and vocal lessons. For more information on what they offer please either read the following letter with more details or watch the following information video (the password to access this is: eb$@H#1f).  To enrol and book your child’s place from September 2023 please visit www.rockandpopfoundation.com/enrol.

Absence / Lateness / Holiday / Planned Absence

Absence - In the case of any absence due to illness, please phone the main school line 01252 542397 and choose option 1. Please clearly state the name of the student, their tutor group and reason for their absence.

Lateness - If a student is going to be late for any reason, please call and speak to reception giving the name of the student, reason for being late and an approx time of arrival

Holiday/Planned Absence - Copies of the request for absence form are available from reception or on our website under attendance.  This form once completed needs to be returned to school via reception. Please note that in accordance with statutory regulations we can only authorise absence in exceptional circumstances.

For more information please see our attendance page under parent info.

External Appointments (eg Medical/Dental/Hospital/Orthodontist)

If your child has an external appointment, please either send an email to info@coveschool.uk, telephone reception on 01252 542397 or put a note in your child's planner, giving details of the appointment and a collection time.

You will need to come into reception to collect your son/daughter.  Upon their return to school, they need to go to student enquiries to sign back in.

What do I do if my child needs to have medicine in school?

If a student needs to take any medication (including paracetamol) during the school day, the administration of medicines and treatment consent form must be completed by a parent/carer and handed in with the medicine in the original box with the dispensing details to reception, where it will then be given to our Health and Welfare Assistant (Matron) to be kept and locked away in the medical room.  Students then can visit Matron at the medical room at the correct time or as required to take their medication.  Students must not carry any medication on them at any time. 

What should my child do if they are feeling unwell during the day?

If they are feeling unwell during lesson or breaktime's, students need to go and see our Health and Welfare Assistant (Matron) to be assessed.  If a student needs to be sent home for being unwell, a parent would be called to collect.  Students must not call home themselves and ask to be collected. 

If our Health and Welfare Assistant (Matron) is unavailable, a member of staff who is first aid trained would see the students.

Who do I contact at the school to change address or contact details?

Please email any changes of address, phone numbers or email addresses to Mrs Lewis g.lewis@coveschool.uk. In the email please clearly state the name of your child and either their year or tutor group.

Please make sure when emailing the changes over that this is from a known email address to the school.  When changing an address, please attach a copy of proof i.e. utility bill, bank statement or drivers license

Walk - Please make sure your child is aware of their surroundings, especially when they cross roads. Walking with headphones in and loud music will distract them and prevent them from hearing traffic.

Cycle - Your child must wear a helmet to school; this will save their life and is essential.  Bikes must be fitted with working lights at the front and rear.  We have two large lockable cycle sheds at the rear of the school and also a cycle rack at the front.

All bikes must be padlocked when left on site.  If bikes are left unlocked at the front of the school, it will be at risk of being stolen, as members of the public can, and do walk through the front car park. Please be aware the school will not be liable for any bikes left on site.

Car - If your bringing your child to school by car, we ask that you do not drive onto the school site to drop off or collect.

E-Scooters - These are banned from the school site and students must not be riding these to and from the school. If they are seen they will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day to a parent only. This is causing a considerable amount of concern in the local community and is likely to cause harm to smaller children who are going to and from our local junior and infant schools, let alone the general public.

What will my child have to wear?

Cove School places a great deal of importance on high standards and on students’ overall appearance. Our uniform represents community, respect, pride in learning and a sense of belonging.  Please see our uniform and equipment page for a complete list.

What should my child do if they have lost something?

If a student has lost anything i.e PE kit or coat, they need to go to either our health and welfare assistant's (matron) room or the PE office.  If students have left anything in a classroom, please get them to back track their steps for the day and ask the teachers.