Useful Information
Transition Programme
We are aware from previous years that the move from Year 6 into Year 7 can sometimes feel like a huge responsibility for the students and for you as a parent. With that in mind we have the following transition programme which will help to assure you that this is not something that you will have to work through alone.
New Year 7 Parents meeting
Both parents and students should attend this meeting, where you will be joined by the rest of your child’s form group, have the opportunity to meet their Form Tutor, and the rest of the Year 7 team. Parents evening is on Wednesday 24th June. You will be informed of which of the 2 sessions on the night that your child has been allocated to.
Baseline Assessment Day
All new Year 7 students will be invited to Highams Park to carry out some cognitive ability tests. These cannot be prepared for and are designed to help us ascertain your child’s academic strengths, and areas they may need support with. This year assessment day is on Saturday 20th June, we will inform you of whether your child has been allocated onto the morning or afternoon session.
Induction Day
As part of the induction process, all new Year 7 students will also be invited to attend the school for an Induction Day. The Induction Day will provide the children with the opportunity to experience a normal full school day with the rest of the school also in session. They will meet their future classmates, as well as some of their subject teachers. Induction day will take place on Wednesday 1st July, students should arrive at the Beverley Road entrance at 8.25am and the day will finish at 3.15pm.
First day of School
Only the Year 7 and Year 12 students will be in school on this day, Thursday 3rd September, which will enable the new students to experience a school day before the remainder of the school start back the following day.
Queries/Correspondence
It is always best to email the school rather than calling because the phone lines are usually very busy. If your query relates to your child's admission to the school then email Admissions@highamsparkschool.co.uk or you can also email enquiries@highamsparkschool.co.uk and your query will be forwarded to the relevant member of staff. You can find other contacts, such as Heads of Year and Heads of Departments, on the school website under 'Contact'. Once your child is on roll and you have an issue you can raise it in the first instance by emailing your child's Head of Year. If you would like a meeting then this will need to be arranged in advance, please do not turn up at the school expecting to be able to see any member of staff without prior arrangement.
School's MIS system, Arbor
All parents will need to set up an account in the school system, Arbor. Some of you will be familiar with Arbor as some primary schools also use this system. Once you have set up your parent account you will be able to see and make changes to the details the school holds for your child, such as contact details, dietary requirements and medical issues. You can also view your child's timetable, attendance and behaviour points. You will need to use Arbor to top up your child's canteen account and make payments to the school for things like trips, music lessons, school ties etc. Parents will be sent details on how to set up their account before the summer break. For any problems or issues with your Arbor account, please email Arbor@highamsparkschool.co.uk and we will try to help.
Uniform
Full and complete school uniform must be worn correctly on the way to school, throughout the school day and on the journey home. Please see the link HERE to our uniform page.
Ties and badges. If you purchase your child's blazer from Speedstitch in Walthamstow then the blazer will come with a badge already on the pocket. If you purchase a plain blazer then you will need to also buy a badge for the blazer pocket. For students joining year 7 in September 2026, a badge with a blue border will be needed. Your child's tie can only be purchased from the school. Our ties come in four colours depending on which house your child is in. Burnell house (7B1 and 7B2) has a yellow tie, Forest house (7F1 and 7F2) has a green tie, Gibson house (7G1 and 7G2) has a red tie and Payling house (7P1 and 7P2) has a blue tie. Once you have been informed which form group your child is in, you will know which tie you need. We encourage new parents to purchase their ties and badges at Parents' Evening on Wednesday 24th June. Unfortunately, we can only take cash payments. Ties and badges are £4.50 each.
Absence
Once your child has joined the school you will need to report any absences via the school website. Absences include being off with illness or being off for any part of the school day, eg arriving late or needing to leave early for an appointment etc. You can only report your child's absence via this form, please do not ring or email the school. The 'absence and lateness reporting' form can be found on the school website under the Parents tab HERE. If your child is not going to be able to attend due to illness, please complete the form before 8am. You will need to complete the form every day that your child is off ill.
Extra Curricular Activities
A diverse range of different clubs are offered throughout the year and take place at either lunch time or after school. Please follow the link HERE to view our extra curricular page.