Charlton School

I am delighted to introduce myself as the new Principal of Charlton School. As I step into this role, my aim is to build on the strong foundations and culture, and I am eager to begin working alongside all stakeholders to shape the school's next chapter together, reflecting on the many strengths of Charlton and indeed the areas that could be improved further. 

I would like to be transparent in terms of my very intentional plan not to make any immediate changes. I will be spending the Autumn Term evaluating systems, policies, and processes, involving all stakeholders in this. I will be providing opportunities to meet with all families throughout the Autumn Term to listen, learn, and understand what matters most to the Charlton community. I genuinely welcome your insights and feedback. Further details will follow about the scheduled sessions. 

I hope that you have had a lovely summer break and that students feel suitably rested, recharged, and ready for the challenge of a new academic year. Below are a number of reminders about the first days of term and uniform expectations to ensure your child can make the best possible start to the new academic year. I would like to offer an extended welcome to all of our new Year 7 families who are joining us and look forward to working in partnership with you.

Return to school September 2025 

Year 7 and 11 only will start back on Wednesday 3^rd September, with the rest of the school returning on Thursday 4^th September. This is to support the transition of our new cohort. 

The timings for the school day are outlined below:  

8.30      Gates open for Year 7, 8 and 9. 

8:35      Students need to be on school site - Year 7, 8 and 9 students enter through the bottom gates and line up on the courts as directed.  

8:40      Students enter the school building - Year 10 and 11 through the main school entrance. 

8:45      Registration in tutor base

9:15      Lesson 1 

10:15   Lesson 2 including 20-minute break (10:15 Year 7, 11 and 8X; 11:15 Year 9, 10 and 8Y) 

11:35   Lesson 3 

12:35   Lesson 4 including 35-minute lunch (12:35 Year 7, 11 and 8X; 13:35 Year 9, 10 and 8Y) 

14:10   Lesson 5 

15:10   End of school day, students should leave promptly unless attending an afterschool club. 

 Arrival at school

We recommend that students arrive on site at 8.30am, with Years 7-9 gaining access to year group line-ups through the bottom gate. Any student who arrives to their tutor base after 8.45am will be marked as late and receive a breaktime detention on the same day in the main hall.

Breakfast Club

Please can I remind you that the early morning breakfast club is facilitated by the external food provider. Therefore, only students who are purchasing food from the canteen should be accessing the breakfast club. Doors for breakfast club open at 8.00am and are closed at 8.20am. There is a separate SEND breakfast club, which is by invitation only. Should you wish your child to be considered for this, please email claire.watkiss@lct.education.

End of the school day

Students should make their way promptly out of the school building at the end of the school day at 3.10pm. Students who are being collected should wait in the ‘collection zone’ marked by a green sign, and not around the flowerbeds at the front of the school. Staff are on duty at the front of the school until 3.20pm, by this time all students must have either left site or be in an extracurricular club. If your child is not attending an extracurricular club or intervention, they should not remain on site past the end of the school day. The extracurricular timetable will be shared once finalised. There will be no clubs during the first week back.

Punctuality

To further enhance our learning environment, we implemented a policy to reduce the transition time between lessons. Students are expected to take the shortest possible time to move between lessons, no longer than 5 minutes. Any student who arrives after this period receives a C2 sanction for lateness. This ensures all students are present and ready to engage in starter activities, maximising the educational opportunities available to them in each lesson.

Equipment

We will be conducting daily checks during form time to ensure students have the necessary equipment for their studies. Students lacking the required items during form or at any other point when checked will receive an equipment log on MCAS; accumulating three logs within a week will result in a C2 sanction. We kindly ask for your support in ensuring your child comes to school fully prepared each day to prevent any sanctions. We strongly recommend that a school bag be brought into school every day and be large enough to carry the basic equipment, exercise books, and A4 documentation. Every student is expected to bring the following basic items of equipment for every day: 2 black or blue pens, red pen, pencil, ruler, rubber, protractor and a scientific calculator. In addition to this, we would recommend students bring either highlighters or coloured pencils to enhance the presentation of their work.

Uniform Reminders 

I would like to take a moment to address the importance of the uniform policy at Charlton and the need for its consistent implementation. Our uniform guidelines are in place to promote a sense of unity, discipline, and pride among our students, fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment. We expect all students to take pride in their uniform and appearance, including PE Kit, and we would like to thank parents for their continued support. If you need to purchase replacement items, our uniform is stocked at Bakers and Sons in Wellington, and uniform guidance can be found here: http://charlton.uk.com/parent-student-information/uniform. Please see a copy of the uniform policy attached for your reference and some key reminders below. 

Navy blazer with school crest in blue

Students must wear their blazer when they are outside of class. The blazer is an integral part of our uniform and signifies a level of respect and responsibility. It promotes a sense of pride in our school and encourages students to represent themselves and Charlton School in the best possible manner. When in class, students can ask to remove their blazer if the classroom is warm. Students must wear their blazer during break and lunch unless they are on the courts playing sports. All students must put their blazer back on and ensure their shirt is tucked in before re-entering the school building.

Navy V-neck pullover with school crest* (Optional to be worn under the blazer)

The school jumper must not be worn in place of the blazer, but rather worn underneath the blazer in cold weather as an extra layer.

School Shirt

Years 7 to year 10 students wear a blue school shirt. Year 11 students wear a white shirt to identify them as the senior year group. It is crucial that all students have their shirts tucked in. Tucking in shirts is a basic expectation of the uniform policy, as it helps create a smart and tidy appearance. This attention to detail teaches students the value of presentation, self-discipline, and respect for their school community.

School Tie

The tie should be worn with 5 double stripes visible or the width of a piece of A4 below the knot. Each year group has its own colour tie to support transitions around the school building, allowing staff to quickly identify which year group students belong to and ensure they are in the right place at the right time.

• Y7 Green
• Y8 Blue
• Y9 Purple
• Y10 Red
• Y11 Yellow

Black tailored trousers or Black knee length pleated skirt

Skinny trousers or leggings are not permitted; trousers must be straight leg only. The only skirts that are permitted are black pleated knee length. Any trousers that are made of Lycra material are identified as leggings and are therefore not permitted, this includes the stretchy black flared leggings, please be reminded that these are not permitted.

Plain black school shoes

No sports trainers or canvas type shoes. Full guidance and examples can be found on the attached uniform policy.

Jewellery and Make Up

Jewellery is not permitted except for one pair of small gold or silver studs earrings worn in the ear lobe (no jewels) and a wristwatch. Other piercings are not allowed. Cosmetics other than a discreet amount or mascara or foundation for girls should not be worn. Eyebrows should be natural and not tinted. Nail varnish and nail extensions are not allowed in school. False eyelashes are not permitted in school.

Breach of the uniform policy

Temporary breaches of uniform must be supported by a parental signed note from home. Students should show their note to their form tutor or pastoral manager on arrival to school and will be issued with a blue letter which gives them 24 hours to rectify the issue. They must carry this with them throughout the school day and present to staff members. If the issues are not resolved, students may be placed in a suitable location away from mainstream lessons (BRR), parents will be contacted to bring in replacement items, or the student will, with parental consent, be allowed to return home to change into their school uniform. For repeated instances, the School Exclusion Policy may then be applied.

Uniform Bank

We know that uniform can be expensive and have therefore set up our own uniform bank. If you would like to bring used branded items of uniform, including ties, you can swap items for larger sizes. Items are also available for sale for a voluntary donation. We are always grateful of donations for the uniform swap shop, particularly in larger sizes. If you have any branded items you no longer require and would like to donate, please drop them off at the main reception. This includes PE Kit, football boots, and school shoes. If you would like to request specific items from the uniform bank, please contact your child’s pastoral manager:

Y7 Mr Mincher              chris.mincher@lct.education

Y8 Mr Delves                 simon.delves@lct.education

Y9 Ms Millar                   caroline.millar@lct.education

Y10 Miss Darrall          nicky.darrall@lct.education

Y11 Miss Thomas        claire.thomas1@lct.education

We appreciate your continued support this term in our efforts to maintain the highest possible standards and provide the best education for your child.

Finally, I genuinely believe that children receive the best educational experience when the school and families work together constructively, collaboratively, and transparently. We will endeavour to ensure that we achieve this. I look forward to working with you this year. 

Yours sincerely 

Sarah Barton