General Information

Parents receive communications from school mainly via our school app, MyEd, which is free to download on the App Store for Apple users and the Play Store for Android users.

This application is the most efficient way of two-way communication open to us as a school and parents.

You are able to:

• Report your child’s absence
• Communicate via email with the HOY and other key staff members.
• See attendance and behaviour data for your child
• See Term dates and key events and add these to your personal calendar
• See relevant school information such as policies.
• Receive instant notifications via push message regarding concerns, urgent information.
• Complete trip forms and other details the school requires at a touch of a button.
• Access Parent Pay
• Help us to help the developer in enabling this app to become a one stop shop – what would you like to see, what could be done better!

Once you have downloaded the app, you should be able to see your own child.

• Please choose your child.
• Please test the app out.
• Please search through to see if you can see their attendance reports etc.

This is fairly new to us as it is to you, but together with your commitment to communication this will work.

Your comments are always welcomed.

ParentPay is our online service where you can pay for school meals, text books etc.

Given the option, most parents prefer to pay online at a time that suits them. With ParentPay they don’t need to queue up at the school office with cash or expect their child to carry envelopes to school with consent forms and money.

A good backup system is our Twitter account which we use to keep in touch with parents with news, parents evenings, upcoming events or website updates.

Our Twitter account was particularly useful during the bad weather conditions of 2018 when the amount of sudden traffic to the school websites of Islington crashed the services. We were still able to send out information to our Twitter followers.

You can follow us on @AMSI_school

Parents/Carers, please refer to Parent Pay in regards to funds on children’s lunch cards. Please call Student welfare if you have any concerns.

If lunch passes are lost/broken the replacement charge will cost £2.50, this charge will be added to Parent Pay.

All ID badges must be worn in school and will be part of the uniform check.

Arts and Media School Islington’s policy on leave during term time.

The law requires parents to ensure their child’s regular attendance at school and normally we would not expect you to take your child out of school for a holiday or other family commitments. There is no automatic right to leave in term time.

When considering the timing of your family holiday, please remember the following:

• A two week term time holiday will mean that your child misses 50 school lessons.
• Research shows that children often do not catch up from work missed – this could have serious consequences for their learning and progress.
• Your child’s term time leave could affect other pupils – the time teachers have to help all the children in a class is reduced if they spend time helping your child catch up after a holiday.
• There are 175 non-school days in each year for holidays, cultural experiences and family time.

The local education authority and the national government strongly discourage schools from allowing term time leave. While you can be assured that each request will be considered on its individual merits, our practice is to only authorise leave on exceptional circumstances.

If we do agree to leave in term time, it is very important that your child comes back to school on the date agreed. Failure to return could result in your child being deleted from the school roll or legal action being taken against you for the absence. Our school has a duty to keep children safe and this includes knowing where they are.

If you withdraw your child for leave during term time when we have not agreed to it, this absence will be unauthorised and could result in a penalty notice (a £60-£120 fine) or a summons to court.

Holiday request in term time 

Term time leave will not be automatically authorised. If you believe your child must be absent from school due to exceptional circumstances/reasons then please put this in writing to the Head Teacher for her consideration. Please note that if your child is absent from school without the Head Teacher’s permission you may be issued with a Penalty Notice.

Illness

When a child has fallen ill during the school day, parents/carers will be notified to collect their child to escort them home, should parent/carers not be contactable the child will remain in school. 

Medical and Dental appointments   

Parents/carers should make all GP and Dental appointments outside of school time. Only Orthodontic and Hospital appointments will be upheld during the school day, your child will need to show a medical appointment card to the reception. 

Parents/carers are expected to collect their child prior to any appointment otherwise they will not be authorised to leave the school premises. 

At AMSI we endeavour to ensure that we are taking all the necessary measures to guarantee the safety of our young people and that our pupils receive the most from their education.

Thank you for your support in this matter.