East Barnet School is a co-educational comprehensive secondary school with approximately 1400 students, of whom 300 are in Years 12 and 13 (Sixth Form). The age range is 11 – 19. The school is structured through year groups, with 210 students per year. Two forms in each year group are designated to one of four Houses, which bring together students for fundraising activities and varied competition.
At East Barnet School, we are committed to nurturing the positive relationships we have with parents and carers. We strongly believe that for students to achieve their full potential, they need support from both parents/carers and the school. We therefore aim to work together with parents to secure the success of our students.
East Barnet School is guided by a clear vision. Students and staff embrace our mottos of “I want to learn” and “Do the right thing” to create a positive educational environment.
In addition to the National Curriculum, students at East Barnet School take part in innovative Triple E lessons, which allow them to explore concepts through enjoyment, curiosity and discovery.
East Barnet School was recently recognised for an inspirational approach to staff and student wellbeing, and as a result was awarded the ‘School Mental Health Award’.
At East Barnet School, we understand that it is not just the child starting a new school; this is also a new chapter for all our parents/carers, and we are here to support you too.
There is quite a lot of information to remember and take in, so we have created this handy web page that you can keep coming back to throughout your child’s time at EBS to familiarise yourself with the expectations and processes in place. Should anything be unclear, then please speak to your child’s Form Tutor, Head of Year, or contact the school for support and advice.
Attendance and punctuality to school and to lessons is very important. Below are the times for the school day.
| Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri | Wednesday | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:45 - 09:15 (Tue 08:45 - 09:20) | Registration | 08:45 - 08:55 | Registration |
| 09:15 - 10:15 (Tue 09:20 - 10:15) | Lesson 1 | 08:55 - 09:55 | Lesson 1 |
| 10:15 - 11:15 | Lesson 2 | 09:55 - 10:55 | Lesson 2 |
| 11:15 - 11:35 | Break | 10:55 - 11:15 | Break |
| 11:35 - 12:35 | Lesson 3 | 11:15 - 12:15 | Lesson 3 |
| 12:35 - 13:30 | Lesson 4a (Lunch Year 7/9/11/12) | 12:15 - 13:10 | Lesson 4a (Lunch Year 7/9/11/12) |
| 13:30 - 14:25 | Lesson 4b (Lunch Year 8/10/13) | 13:10 - 14:05 | Lesson 4b (Lunch Year 8/10/13) |
| 14:25 - 15:25 | Lesson 5 | 14:05 - 15:05 | Lesson 5 |
* Year 7 – 10: PSHEE/Assembley, Year 11: Mathematics, Year 12: PSHEE
If your child is not in school then there must have a justifiable reason. Parents/Carers should contact the Attendance Officer as soon as possible on each day of absence. Students must always bring in a note from home for the Attendance Officer when returning to school.
Students should not go on family holidays during term time.
Fact: Attending school every day makes students achieve better results in their GCSEs, it also earns 100% certificates and badges in Bronze, Silver and Gold. Prizes are awarded throughout the year for 100% attendance. Be in to win!
Punctuality is an important part of self-discipline and is essential for good time management. Students must ensure they are in the appropriate classroom no later than the times shown on their timetable. They should arrive at school no later than 8.40am for registration at 8.45am. Students arriving late will be given a late detention at lunchtime on the same day.
Although EBS is serviced by good public transport routes, students are encouraged to walk or cycle to school; it is beneficial for mental and physical health, the environment and congestion around the school. Many students live locally (within a one mile radius), so why not encourage your child to walk or cycle with a friend? For more information on getting into cycling, the British Cycling website is a great source of information.
Driving for parents/carers is also an option but please note the car park can be very busy, as is the drop-off point, and the road outside. Please do not park or stop across the driveways of local residents, and do not idle (leave the engine running) whilst sitting in the car; it is not good for the students, environment or neighbours. Beware of the yellow zig-zags, they are Barnet Council controlled, not the school. If you receive a ticket, we cannot help you appeal it!
There is no student parking available inside the school grounds.
Uniform is a particularly important part of being a student at East Barnet School. It should be worn correctly and with pride.
All students are ambassadors for the school, and the way in which the uniform is worn should reflect our high standards and positive expectations. Our school uniform creates a sense of community cohesion, formality, and professionalism. The uniform and rules about appearance are non-negotiable.
Whilst we have lots going on at school, the main reason students attend school is to learn new concepts that inspire them to research further or follow an academic passion. We are committed to showing your child everything we can to expand their horizons beyond what they even thought was possible! We will cover a wide-range of topics. Click or tap anywhere in this box to discover all there is to know about the EBS Curriculum.
Whilst we do everything we can to keep your child safe whilst they are at school, there is an online world that is putting our young children in danger. We have put together a safeguarding page that has instructions on how to secure your network, computers and phones. There are also posters on all the most recent social media networks, online games, general online advice and our Safeguarding Team. Please note that the majority of social networks are 13+ with WhatsApp being 16+, therefore no Year 7s should be on any social media; this greatly helps their integration into secondary school. Click or tap anywhere in this box to be taken to the Safeguarding Advice page.
There are many staff at East Barnet School that are first-aid trained. We also have a dedicated Medical Officer that is located in the Student Welfare room during school hours. Our Medical Officer is trained to deal with medical emergencies and can also administer epipens, should that be necessary, and also decide on the best course of action for your child, whether that is staying in school, or being sent home. If a child is too ill to remain in school, we will phone home and the child must be collected.
Within the Student Welfare room, we can also store and administer prescription or non-prescription medications. However, we cannot do so unless the below forms are filled in, depending on the type of medication. This is for both long and short term medicines, such as a course of antibiotics. Once you have completed the appropriate form, please arrange to visit our Medical Officer, Mrs Cara, to drop off the medication. Please email info@eastbarnetschool.com to arrange this. If the school already has a signed form, you do not need to repeat this form until new medication is delivered to us.
When students start at East Barnet School, both the child and the Parent/Carer are required to sign the Home-School Agreement. This is an agreement between the school and home to make clear the expectations of students both in and out of school and what will happen if these expectations are broken. Click or tap here to go to the policies page where you will find the agreement.
My Child At School (MCAS) is a web portal and app that is for our Parents and Carers. Along with being able to update your contact details, view attendance, data and progress for your child, MCAS is also the way we communicate home. When a student starts at the school, login details will be provided.
ParentPay is a secure system used in many schools around the country. It allows Parents and Carers to monitor and top-up their child’s account for lunches, and also for school trips and other school-related items. Tickets to our amazing school productions are also bought on ParentPay.
We are a Microsoft 365 which means we use and have access to all the Microsoft programmes. These are provided for free and can be downloaded on a home PC or laptop and used for as long as your child is at EBS. If we have any online events, these will take place on Microsoft Teams, but full instructions will be provided.
MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) is a portal enabling parents and carers to view their child’s academic performance in real-time via a web browser or app. This facility allows exclusive access to the child’s attendance, assessment and data whenever the parent/carer wishes. As well as student performance data, the portal also provides general useful information about school such as announcements. MCAS is the main way we communicate with parents and where we upload letters, so it is important to access your account regularly. MCAS can be accessed anytime of the day or night by clicking on the icon at the top of the website or visiting the website by clicking here. Alternatively, use the links below to download the app to your phone:
East Barnet School has a cashless catering biometric system for all year groups that links with ParentPay, enabling parents to view their child’s account and make online payments for school lunches and trips. Based on fingerprint recognition technology, the system takes measurements of the fingerprint, but does not capture a complete image. The original fingerprint cannot be reconstructed from the data and the biometric information cannot be used for any reason other than for the express purpose for which it was collected. Your child will use their thumb/finger to access the cash loader and at the point of sale. The biometric system is also used for print management. If you wish to opt out of the biometric system, your child will be issued with a PIN number. To opt out, please contact the Finance Office at the School – finance@eastbarnetschool.com or phone 020 8344 2100.
We encourage students not to borrow funds; please ensure that your child’s account is always topped up to avoid an embarrassing or difficult situation for both students and staff.
Just as parents and carers have access to MCAS, there is a Student Portal for your child. Here they will be able to see the home learning that has been set, just as you will be able to see it on MCAS. For students, this will then combine with Microsoft 365, which gives a complete solution for all important daily tasks. Our aim at East Barnet School is to enhance digital learning for students whilst simplifying the use of Microsoft 365 in and outside of the classroom, providing tools to assist with planning, communication & collaboration, assessment and learning. With Microsoft 365, everything students need during a school day is available in one place!
Students can use the Microsoft 365 packages at home online or by downloading the programmes to a home computer or laptop. They will have been provided with their username and password to login, which they should not share with anyone else.
Government research shows that when children eat better, they do better. Whether families are paying for school meals or are entitled to them for free, children are more likely to concentrate in the classroom in the afternoon after eating healthy school lunches in a pleasant environment. This also improves their health and their learning about making better food choices. This research also shows that children eligible for free school meals are less likely to do well at school, continue into further education or secure higher paid jobs. Ensuring that these children eat and gain the benefits of the free school meals they’re entitled to really will make a difference to their ability to learn and succeed.
East Barnet School encourages families who are entitled, to apply for Free School Meals (FSM). FSM are a statutory benefit available to children from families who receive other qualifying benefits and who have been through the relevant registration process.
The opportunity to receive a Free School Meal is extremely important to a substantial number of children from low-income families, for whom a school lunch may be the only balanced meal they will eat in a day; it can also provide other support. EBS will check eligibility on behalf of parents/carers at any stage during the school year through the LGfL Eligibility Checker, for this service we require parents/carers full legal name, date of birth and NI number. This service is especially useful if your circumstances change and you think you might be
entitled. EBS also uses a Local Authority Identification Service, once a term prior to School Census, to ensure that all those that are eligible are receiving FSM. If you do not want us to include your details in either checking system, please email the school info@eastbarnetschool.com.
Important information:
Parents/Carers living in England and Wales do not have to pay for their children’s school lunches if they receive any of the following:
Sixteen plus: A child over the age of 16 in receipt of any of these qualifying benefits in their own right is also eligible to receive free school meals.
Parents and carers who receive working tax credit are not entitled to FSM, however you may apply during the run-on paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
Students receiving Free School Meals will be able to enjoy a breakfast meal deal and a lunch main hot meal and pudding/fruit or a sandwich/filled roll. Free of charge chilled water fountains are situated around the school. Items not included in the FSM allowance may be purchased if there is sufficient credit on the account. All purchases will be chargeable if the Free School Meals allowance is not renewed or if there is a lapse in entitlement.
Offering nutritionally balanced, tasty and cost-effective meals makes our Kitchen popular with students and staff.
Learn more about the EBS KitchenIt may be possible for new students who qualify for FSM to claim for school uniform up to the value of £50 upon joining the school. For more details and how to make a claim, please email finance@eastbarnetschool.com.
Consideration will be given to provide financial assistance for field trips for students where applied for, where the field trip is considered to be essential or desirable for an examined course. For more information, please email finance@eastbarnetschool.com with the name of your child and the trip you would like assistance for.
When students start at EBS, they will be placed into one of four Houses: Chama, Keller, Murray or Tutu. The Houses have members from all year groups and promotes team work and responsibility.
Rewards and celebrating success are an important part of life at EBS and we want student success both within and outside the classroom to be acknowledged and rewarded. At EBS we do this through House Points. Being a key member of the House System means that successes contribute to a whole team effort, helping every House attempt to win the annual House Cup competition, but also encourage students as individuals to feel valued, confident and motivated to keep trying.
In addition, for every 50 House Points achieved by a student in a term they will be entered into a termly prize draw. Heads of Year may consider House Points when selecting students for rewards and recognition towards the end of the year.
There are also additional awards available: ‘Do the Right Thing!’ recognises a student’s contribution to the school and wider community and the Jack Petchey Award which requires students to be nominated by peers or staff for achievement in any aspect of school life.
Extra Curricular Activities are of central importance to our culture and ethos of learning through participation; providing further opportunities to engage and learn.
The PE Department provides an extensive calendar of events. These include table tennis, swimming, cross-country, athletics, rounders, cricket and volleyball, as well as activities such as orienteering. Our success in inter-school competitions demonstrates the high standard of skills attained by the students and our enthusiasm for sport. However, not all our clubs are sports clubs; some of our most popular activities include robotics and chess. Students can join as many clubs as they like and can even set up their own.
We are also rightly proud of the drama productions and music concerts that are a regular feature of school life. The participation of staff and students in these events develops our sense of community and mutual respect and gives opportunities to share skills, abilities and interests that lie outside the classroom. There are a large number of after school clubs organised by subject areas or year groups. These are meant for students who wish to pursue a particular area of interest, or those seeking help with homework.
Foreign language trips to France, Germany and Spain are annual events as is the Sixth Form Trip to New York and school European skiing trip. In addition to all of this, there are a variety of football tours, field trips, Humanities trips and visits to the theatre, museums and art galleries.
We offer a wide and varied programme, including violin, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, guitar (acoustic, bass and electric), drums, piano and singing lessons.
Lessons are usually taught on a one-to-one basis during normal school hours but are rotated each week so that students do not always miss the same part of the same lesson on a regular basis, and may occasionally miss lunch or break time instead. This helps to ensure that other studies are not affected. In the unlikely event of a problem occurring please contact the Head of Department to discuss the matter.
As we have to book our visiting instrumental teachers several weeks before term begins, it is essential that you contact the Head of Music well in advance of each new term, if a student wishes to have music lessons. Students who do not submit their forms and payment in advance, will not be able to start their music lessons until the following term.
Instrumental lessons are either 15 or 20 minutes in length, and equate to £37.50 per hour. Students eligible for Free School Meals are entitled to a £50 discount per term on instrumental tuition. For the exact pricing per term, please get in touch with Mrs K. Eustace, Head of Expressive Arts.
If you are excited by fundraising, organising events, using your time to benefit the students of EBS, or even playing our own school lottery, we would love to hear from you!