FAQs

We hope the answers below provide information to questions we are regularly asked by parents. If you have a question, please feel free to contact us at enquiries@arnewood.hants.sch.uk

Students starting ‘out of rounds’, a term used for those joining throughout the year, will receive the same information pack as those who started in Yr 7. As a school they are happy to field/answer any questions of new parents. If you have any question or concern and are not sure where to go please contact your child’s tutor group teacher or email us on parentenquiry@arnewood.hants.sch.uk

R – Right and L – left is a timetabling mechanism to ensure students have the greatest flexibility and opportunity with their options. It allows students to study the same subjects but at different times.

The easiest way to meet other parents is to join the PFA (Parents and Friends of Arnewood). It is an informal group of parents and friends of the school who meet to discuss and brainstorm ways to work alongside the school. Please email pfa@arnewood.hants.sch.uk for details on our next meeting; there’s also the website www.arnewoodpfa.org where you can find our mission statement and will give you an idea of what is available and how you can get involved if you want.

You can check online by looking at ADDS, alternatively there are parent evenings or you can contact their tutor or subject teacher via the school reception.

ADDS (Arnewood Data Delivery System) is a complete online system to help you monitor your child’s academic and pastoral progress at The Arnewood School. The system provides access to your child’s timetable, a monthly indication of progress in all subjects, overall attendance and lists all rewards and sanctions. ADDS is accessed using a standard web browser and does not require any extra software to be installed on your system.

The ‘Getting Started’ section explains how to open ADDS (see below); to find out more open ADDS and access the Family User Guide

Getting Started

ADDS can be accessed from your home computer or tablet device; open the web browser and simply enter adds.arnewood.net into the address or location box of your web browser, or follow the link from the school home page.

If you have typed the address correctly (or followed the correct link) you will be presented with the ADDS ‘Welcome’ page. Press the enter button on the ‘Welcome’ page and then enter the parent username and password that were issued to you for your child; once ADDS has loaded, the button to access the ADDS User Guide will be at the bottom left of your browser window. If you have more than one child at the school, you will be issued with a separate parent username and password for each child.

Homework set will be shown on Firefly. If your child does not have an Ipad and would like a diary, the Finance Office will be happy to provide one.

Firefly is the school’s way of delivering online lesson content and homework to students. The platform works well with iPads, smart phones and PCs. Students can login and see the work that has been set for them, parents can use this same login to check as well.

Firefly is accessed via the school website.

Parents are provided with a login and once they have set up an account payments can be made for cashless catering, residential trips, music lessons etc. The system works very well and enables parents to also see what their child is eating in the canteen.

Methods available:

  1. Cash-Parents/students can make a payment by visiting the school’s Finance Office.
  2. Online – payment can be made online once an account has been set up. To make a payment online please go to the school website at www.arnewood.hants.sch.uk and follow the link to online payments
  3. Cheques–should be made out to The Arnewood School with the student’s name and tutor group on the reverse and handed to the school Finance Office by 09.00 prior to that day’s commencement of service.

For planning purposes school events/trips are included in the school calendar and are posted on the website under calendar. The details of events/trips are usually sent out to parents via a letter home. Letters are also posted on the school’s website.

The Yellow and Purple pathways are designed to support a student in choosing subjects to study at GCSE.

  • The Purple pathway is designed to support students that will perform well in subjects that mainly assess through examinations at the end of year 11. Students who follow the purple pathway will typically leave school with 9 GCSEs and can claim the English Baccalaureate status (providing they have chosen to study both language and humanity subjects).
  • The Yellow pathway is designed to support students that will perform well with subjects that assess during the course of study, so decreasing the number of examinations taken at the end of year 11 and therefore reducing pressure on the student at this time. Students will usually leave the school with 8 or 9 GCSEs depending on the subjects studied, and students have the opportunity of gaining the English Baccalaureate if they choose a humanity and language GCSE. Both pathways are customisable, allowing students to study subjects that are not on their pathway or not study subjects that their pathway requires them to study. However, this is done in discussion with Mr Hutson to ensure that the choices are appropriate.

All staff will reply as soon as possible to any queries that they receive. There will only generally be a delay if they are absent or if they need to find out any information before contacting a parent. Teaching staff will normally reply at the end of the day. It is worth bearing in mind that teaching staff have full timetables. If you would like to see a member of staff it is important to make an appointment with reception before hand on 01425 625400.

Students attending The Arnewood School are expected to wear school uniform and adhere to the uniform code. There is a forum on the PFA website where you can enquire about outgrown uniform. PMG Schoolwear is the school’s uniform provider. www.pmgschoolwear.co.uk

The Parent/Friends of Arnewood are a group consisting of parents, staff and friends of the school that meet regularly and organise fundraising events to benefit the School. They also attend various school activities such as concerts and productions to provide refreshments and support. Please email pfa@arnewood.hants.sch.uk for details on our next meeting; there’s also the website www.arnewoodpfa.org which will give you an idea of what is available.

Details of the Trust Members and school Governors are listed on the school’s website under Community, then Governors.

The governing body has a strong focus on three core strategic functions:

  1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
  2. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
  3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.