Frequently Asked Questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I request for my child to be absent from school, or attend a medical or dental appointment?
For medical or dental appointments, please email absence@salegrammar.co.uk or contact Student Services 0161 973 3217 Option 2. At the time they are due to leave, they must sign out at Student Services and wait for you to collect them. Please report to our Reception when collecting your child.
For all other absences, please visit the Attendance and Absence page, under ‘Parents’, on the main school website. Here you will be able to download a Leave of Absence form to complete and submit electronically, which will then be passed to the Headteacher for authorisation.
What if my child is ill?
If your child is too ill to come into school, please email absence@salegrammar.co.uk or contact Student Services 0161 973 3217 Option 2 before 9.15am to report the absence. You only need to do this on the first day of your child’s illness, however our Attendance Officer may contact you on subsequent days if your child does not return to school.
What should I do if my child has broken a bone, needs to use crutches or has their arm in a sling?
Please contact the school in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made and ask your child to see their Head of Progress and Learning in the Student Development Office as soon as they arrive at school.
What should I do if my child isn’t making friends?
Transition can be a difficult time for any child, especially if they are struggling to make friends. It is important to realise that many of our new students are the only child from their Primary School in their year at Sale Grammar School, so if your child feels as though they haven’t made any friends yet then they certainly aren’t alone. It generally takes the full year for students to fully feel comfortable in school, and cement their long-term friendships. Often friendship groups chop and change regularly, which is completely normal. Encourage your child to join as many extra-curricular clubs as possible, and not to hide away if they are on their own at break and lunchtimes. If they are really struggling, advise that they speak to their Form Tutor or Head of Progress and Learning for further guidance.
How can I help my child with their organisation?
It is important that we allow students to develop their organisational skills independently, and to learn from their mistakes, however, it is understandably difficult for a parent not to intervene if they receive communication home regarding late Homework and missing equipment. Rather than actually doing the organising for your child, perhaps provide them with a checklist of things to do each night, with a gentle reminder from you to check the checklist! It can take a while for Year 7 students to develop organisational skills, particularly if they haven’t had experience of this in Primary School, but most will get there eventually. It is important for students to realise that it is ok to make mistakes, as long as we learn from them and know what to do next time.
How do I find out about Extra-curricular clubs?
Extra-curricular activities are usually emailed home to parents and are also advertised directly to students by means of a timetable placed in their form pigeonhole, which is then displayed on their form noticeboard. Additionally, staff may make students aware of extra-curricular clubs during lesson time. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that you are aware if they are staying at an after-school club, and they are expected to make their own way home afterwards.