Communication between home and school is essential. We ask parents to keep us fully informed about any concerns they may have, and about any issues which may affect their child's performance. We encourage the use of email to keep us informed.

The school is committed to giving parents ready access to those who work with their sons. Parents should first contact us by telephone and ask to speak with the relevant Form Tutor or teacher. If not available at the time, they may be teaching a class and will return the call. It is not usually possible to meet parents who come to school without an appointment as the teacher they wish to see is likely to be teaching, in a meeting, or seeing someone who has an appointment.

We ask parents to keep us informed of any changes to their email address as we use this to relay general information. We rarely send students home with a letter and are committed to using electronic communication.

Your child's Form Tutor should normally be your first point of contact for:

routine matters, including ordinary absence
private issues including family matters
progress or discipline

They will be the teacher who knows the student best and will be best placed to help in a wide range of areas of concern. We hope that all parents will quickly get to know their child’s Tutor. Routine letters such as absence notes, general information, requests for information etc. can be addressed to the Form Tutor.

Tutors are monitored and supported by Heads of Year. A student's Head of Year will automatically become involved by the Form Tutor in any matters that are not routine. If we have serious concerns about a student then it is likely to be his Head of Year who contacts parents. Parents should contact the Head of Year if they have already raised a matter of concern with the Form Tutor but are unhappy with the outcome.

Should parents have any questions or concerns about any of their child’s lessons it is best if they take up these concerns with the relevant subject teacher. They will always be grateful if potential difficulties are raised with them at the earliest possible opportunity, so that they have time to address any issues before they become serious. Subject teachers are also best-placed to suggest ways in which parents can help and support their child in their academic studies.

The school’s senior staff are always happy to speak with parents if there are any concerns.

Reports and Parents' Evenings

In each academic year, you will receive three formal reports on student progress. One of these reports will be a full annual report. In this report, subject staff will detail achievements in their subject and suggest ways in which their work may be improved. The other two interim reports will briefly summarise current progress and/or effort in all subjects studied. These summaries are designed to enable parents to readily identify any changes in their son/daughter’s attitude or attainment, so that any remedial steps considered necessary may be taken at the earliest opportunity.

In each academic year there will also be an opportunity for parents to meet teachers to discuss their child’s progress. Please make every effort to take full advantage of this opportunity – even if you believe there are no issues of concern, as they also they provide an opportunity to find out more about the teaching programme, and to get to know the teachers. Ideally the student will attend the meeting with parents.

Emergency/Severe Weather Arrangements

If severe weather conditions occur overnight or over a weekend, we expect to be able to make a decision before 7.00am on any particular day as to whether or not the school will open. If there is a serious deterioration in the weather during a school day (i.e. when the students are already in school), it is possible that after consultation with Bournemouth School for Girls and the transport contractors, it might be necessary to send some, or even all, students home early.

In the event of a closure notification we will endeavour to:

post a message on our website
send an email to all parents for whom we have an email address
get a message to Heart FM (they will also post it on their website), BBC Radio Solent, Fire Radio and Wave 105.

Parents are asked to check these sources before attempting to contact bus companies or the school by telephone.