Parents

For Newsletters, general information or letters issued by the school, please select News and Events on the left.  All other information can be found in the Parents Handbook.

To view the school's ISI Report, please select Inspection Reports and follow the hyperlinks. 

COMMUNICATION
We hope your children will be very happy at Ashfold.  Their well-being is extremely important to us.  Please let us know if you think something is concerning them, however trivial it may seem, and whether the source of their worry is at school or at home.  We will then be able to work with you to give them the right kind of support and encouragement.

 With over 200 families at Ashfold each year we have a lot of practical experience to draw on, so please do not be reluctant or embarrassed to tell us of anything that concerns you.

 
It is important to let us know of any changes, large or small, in family circumstances, for instance: illness or bereavement; separation, divorce or remarriage; births; or moving house.  Do also let us know about things which might not seem worth mentioning, but which might still be unsettling - your travel overseas; a pet's illness; older sibling's finals; a change of job.

If you or your children are worried, please talk to us as early as possible.  Staff at Ashfold are very experienced at helping children, and we will, of course, discuss fully with you the best course of action to take.  We may wish to encourage your children to deal with the situation independently, with quiet support from their Form Tutor/Teacher, House Parent or someone else, or we may wish to intervene in a more direct way.

Form Tutors/Teachers

These are the first people to contact on most matters relating to your child's welfare.  The best times to catch staff are in person immediately prior to Registration in the mornings, or at normal school collection times. If you require longer than a few minutes, then please make an appointment with them. 

Other Matters

If matters are unresolved, or you need more help please contact either The Headmaster or other staff directly as follows:

Mr D Venn                                          Deputy Headmaster        

                                                                Serious matters of discipline

Mr A Downie                                     Director of Studies            

                                                                Academic matters

Mrs P McGarry                                 Acting Head of Junior Department  

                                                                Junior Department issues

Mr & Mrs L Giliomee                       House Parents                    

                                                                 Boarding & Evening Activities

Mrs G Crampton Smith                 Child Protection Officer  

                                                                Child Protection

Mr A Williams                                   Director of Music                               

                                                                Individual Music lessons

Mrs C Strong                                      Matron                                 

                                                                Health, medication, lost property

The School Reception Office

(Tel. 01844 238237) This is situated on the left after entering the front door of the Main Mansion and is staffed daily between 9.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m.  Our Receptionists are happy to try to answer any questions you may have, or to pass messages on to staff.  Outside these times any mail for the school and staff can be posted in the Reception Office letterbox and telephone calls are routed via a number of different phones.  We only have two incoming lines so it may take some time for us to answer your calls - please hold on and be patient! 

Parent Mail

Most general school communications, such as newsletters and reminders about school events, are emailed to you via Parent Mail.  If you have not subscribed to this service, please ask at the Reception Office for further details.

The Fasti - Calendar of School Events

A calendar of events for each term, which we call the Fasti, will be sent to you before, or at the beginning of each term.  It also contains future term and holiday dates.  Please look through it as soon as you get it and book key events into your diaries.

Parent Newsletters

Occasional newsletters keep parents up to date with news, forthcoming events and any changes to the Fasti. 

Parent Meetings

These are held twice a year and are formal opportunities for you to meet staff to discuss your child’s work.  Dates and times are published in the Fasti.

Tutors’ Evenings.  For these, formal appointments are made for one to one meetings with Form Tutors/Teachers.

Parents’ Meetings.  At these you have the chance to meet each member of staff who teaches your child for five minutes in the Sports Hall over a glass of wine.

Parents’ Open Afternoons.  Parents are taken round by their children to view their work and discuss in general terms the content matter with Heads of Department/Subject Teachers.  

Your child’s work generally comes home at the end of each term and is also available for discussion with teachers at Tutors’ Evenings in the Junior Department, and at Parents’ Meetings in the Senior Department.  Should you wish to meet a teacher at another time to discuss your child’s work, it is helpful if you can give staff, particularly Form Tutors, a little notice.

Telephones

All children who board may use the pupil telephones.  Boarders may also receive calls on 01844 238227.  The best times for you to call are between 6.30 - 7.00 p.m. and 8.15 - 9.00 p.m.  Children who do not board and who wish to make telephone calls may do so via the Reception Office or Surgery.  No charges are raised for any telephone call.  Mobile phones are not permitted in school.

Complaints

The school has a formal complaints procedure; copies of which are obtainable from the Reception Office.  If having used the available communications channels, you feel that you have a complaint, please contact the Headmaster or feel free to make use of this formal procedure. Ultimately, parents can make a complaint to Ofsted and/or the Independent School's Inspectorate:

                Ofsted:   08456 404040 (Helpline)

                ISI:          020 7600 0100

Chairman of Governors

In the event that you wish to write to the Chairman (R Williams Esq) please write to him c/o the school and we will forward his mail.