General information for new students
Our pupil handbook, which can be found on the left of this page, provides our pupils and parents/carers with key information about pastoral staff, timings of the school day, a map of the school, uniform and essential information requirements and behaviour rewards and sanctions, safeguarding, young carers and SEND support, and further information about pupil leadership opportunities and some of our pupil groups at CVC. We strongly encourage you and your child to look through this together to better understand the ethos and culture at CVC, and to help be aware of the support and opportunities on offer as members of our school community.
Please find details to the left of this page.
Parents of children using school transport are asked to discuss with them the importance of correct behaviour on the buses.聽聽 The drivers must be allowed to drive safely without distraction.聽 Any issues should be reported to form tutors who will then follow up with the member of the Senior Team who oversees the relvant service. Most buses operate CCTV 鈥 complaints about poor behaviour on the buses are always followed up at school and the 鈥榣adder鈥 of bus sanctions is applied.聽 Please ensure that your child is familiar with the Code of Conduct聽 and School Bus Code Of Conduct to the left of this page, as drawn up by the School Council.
Parents should apply for transport 鈥 either to the council (passes are NOT issued automatically) or put a child鈥檚 name down for a sixth form bus by emailing聽[email protected]
For more information on the services available please see the travel page at聽/parent-and-student-information/transport
Your child鈥檚 progress at school will be maximised if it can be ensured that he or she attends punctually for every session. We understand that pupils will sometimes be unable to attend due to illness: in this case, please notify us by 8.30 am on each morning of the absence, by phone or by email聽[email protected]聽Please avoid making routine appointments in school time whenever possible. When notified that a pupil is absent through illness or other unavoidable situations, the school will mark the absence as authorised on the pupil鈥檚 records. In line with Government guidelines, the College is not able to authorise absence during term time for family holidays except under exceptional circumstances. Please refer to the absence section on the website for聽further information.
We cannot be responsible for the safety of our students on site after school hours unless participating in an afterschool activity.
Our Library is used by Sixth Formers and other students for revision and personal study. It is open Monday-Friday until 4pm and computers may only be used for schoolwork.
The college has the responsibility of providing you with safe, reliable and useful ICT resources (network, internet, email and Go4S access) that will help you make the most of your learning opportunities. You have a right to these resources. However, with this right, comes with responsibilities. All students must read and abide by the Acceptable Use Policy found to the left of this page.
All pupils at CVC have the opportunity to rent a locker for the five years that they spend with us. They provide a secure place for pupils to leave their possessions and are placed in, or near, the year group鈥檚 social area. The payment for a locker should not exceed 拢35 and is made in full and not on a year by year basis. Information on how to apply and pay for a locker will be sent at the beginning of September. Lockers are paid for via ParentPay and are allocated within the first couple of weeks of term in September.聽If your child is receipt of school meals a hire fee will not be charged. All enquiries to聽[email protected]
We communicate with parents electronically through CombertonPost using the email addresses from the registration form (Priority Contacts 1 and 2). It is therefore essential that if you change your email address (and/or any other contact information) that you inform the school immediately.
The College uses systems called GO 4 Schools (G4S) and My Child at School (MCAS) to assign homework and track pupil progress. Pupils and parents have access to them either through a website or a mobile app. Pupils will create their account as part of their introductory computer science lessons. Parents鈥 accounts will be set up using the email addresses from the registration form (Priority Contacts 1 and 2). Further information about how parents can access their account can be found to the left of this page.
The system allows pupils and parents to:
- View their timetable
- View and keep track of their homework tasks
- Collect academic reports
- View up-to-date information following assessments
- View behaviour logs
The behaviour log information is directly linked to our Positive Behaviour policy and therefore stores information relating to both rewards and sanctions for your child.
At 黑料正能量 we are committed to giving every pupil the best education possible. There is no doubt that digital technology will continue to transform the workplace and all aspects of our life. We have a responsibility to our pupils to equip them with the skills necessary to succeed in that 21st聽century workplace: to be digitally literate; to be able to think and work independently; to be able to problem-solve and to collaborate with one another. We believe that technology can play a crucial role in the classroom, transforming the learning opportunities available to our students.
We Believe
We believe that embracing more fully the potential of the use of IT in the education process can help to:
- Learn powerfully
- Learn for life
- Learn from each other
The use of iPads by pupils on a 1:1 basis has the potential to: provide opportunities to enhance pupils鈥 overall learning experience; give access to learning anywhere, anytime 鈥 both in classrooms and at home; narrow the digital divide between pupils; encourage pupils to become more independent in their learning; personalise learning to suit individual pupils and provide opportunities to create and share work.
We believe that iPads empower us to work together to open new avenues to learning, so that our students are flexible and creative and better prepared for the future.
Our iPad Initiative
We launched our iPads initiative in September 2021. All pupils in years 7-11 have the use of an iPad as an additional tool to support their learning.
We have been overwhelmed by the way teachers and pupils have engaged with their iPads. Teacher are using them to enhance the way they teach, and pupils are being given different ways to develop their knowledge and skills, work with each other and organise their learning.
Our iPad for Learning (Leasing) Scheme聽
Our iPad scheme is funded using parental donations, without which we would not be able to continue with this valuable resource. We work with Albion, an Apple Solution Expert for Education聽 (), so that or pupils can use technology for learning both in school and at home. The College will make no profit from the parental donations.
We ask that parents/carers make a voluntary donation:
- For pupils joining year 7 in 2025, this will be 拢12.83 over 60 months
In return for supporting the scheme your child will receive:
- an 11th聽generation, 128GB, 11″ iPad with wall charger and cable
- an Educo rugged folio case and tempered glass, screen protector.
- iCare Coverage against theft and accidental damage for the duration of the scheme
- MDM Software security and technical support (during school hours)
- Pupil safeguarding monitoring (during term time)
- Access to the school systems seamlessly at home, with all the same security and safeguarding provisions.
If this page does not answer your query, please send an email to聽[email protected]
The College operates a cashless payment system for catering, stationary and any other purchase required on site. Each pupil is issued with their own unique account card. When the card is placed on a card reader at the ‘catering till’ a display shows the pupil’s name, tutor group and account balance. The selected food items are entered by the catering assistant and the amount spent and new balance is displayed. As a guide, a pupil having school lunches every day will spend an average 拢15.00 to 拢20.00 per week from their card.
Money can be credited to a cashless account by online payments made via your ParentPay account.
Full username/password access details are given to parents when a pupil starts at Comberton and there are information pages available on this website.聽 Select ‘For Parents’ and 鈥淧arent Login鈥澛 When you make an online payment it takes approximately 10 minutes before the credit becomes available on a cashless catering card for use in school and automatic top ups can be set up to ensure your child’s card always has funds available.
If a card is lost or damaged, no money is lost. Reception should be notified and a new card will be printed. The new card is ready for use immediately. Due to the high cost of the cards the first card is issued free but a 拢2.00 charge will automatically be deducted from the cashless catering balance for a replacement.
黑料正能量 uses ParentPay, an online payment system for parents. ParentPay is used in many schools and parents can make their payments online 24/7.
Parents can make payments for school trips, school meals and various other items.聽 Parents can view their accounts online where at any time making it easy to track payments that have been made.
An email is sent to parents which will give a unique username and password enabling access to your ParentPay account. Once this has been sent, parents are able to pay for lockers, catering, library items, trips etc.
For further information please click聽丑别谤别听
For further information free school meals and pupil premium
To apply for free school meals. Click to link to the Cambridge County Council website for clear guidance on how to apply on line. The application form is easy to complete, but we can help you with this at school if you would like further assistance.
Pupils who receive free school meals have 拢2.95 placed on their Cashless Catering cards at the start of every school day. This can be spent at break or lunchtime in the buttery or canteen. The pupil cannot be identified as receiving free school meals when they use their card so the process is completely private.
Please contact Mrs Collins in confidence, on 01223 262503 with any queries regarding Free School Meals
For further information free school meals
Students鈥 learning at 黑料正能量 is greatly enhanced through a range of activities that take place聽during the school day but outside of the classroom.聽 This could be a Maths lesson involving work on the school field, participating in a football tournament at a different location or working with younger children at a local primary school.聽 Parents and carers will be informed of these activities via CombertonPost.
Students are also encouraged to participate in sporting activities that take place off-site and聽out of school hours.聽 Due to the extensive range of sporting activities it is not possible to inform you of these on an individual basis and you should refer to the Student Bulletin for this information and the “Clubs” section of this website.
By returning the form in the registration pack you are consenting to your child participating in sports fixtures and activities that are offsite and go beyond normal school hours for the duration of their time here at 黑料正能量.
Please note that the following trips and activities are聽苍辞迟听covered by this form and you will be asked for your consent prior to your son or daughter鈥檚 participation.
- Trips which incur a financial cost
- Trips which extend well beyond the normal school day.
- Trips which include adventurous activities
- All residential trips
- All international trips
The Music School offers all pupils from all years and abilities the chance to learn a musical instrument or participate in extra-curricular activities. Over the years, the music school has flourished and now nearly 200 pupils are learning instruments, passing exams and showcasing their talents in concerts and production.
We employ our own team of highly skilled instrumental tutors who offer a wide range of instruments for all pupils to learn.
Information Booklet:聽Please download the booklet and carefully read carefully before completing the online application form. Enrolment for instrument lessons is based upon acceptance of the terms and conditions outlined in the booklet.
For transition year applications: To enrol your child for lessons, please complete the online Application Form (detailed within the Information Booklet which can be found on the “Year 6-Year 7 Transition” section of this website).聽 Applications are being accepted until the of the school day on Wednesday 1st聽 July 2026.聽 After this date, your child may be placed on a waiting list until a space becomes available.
If you have any questions, please contact聽[email protected]
FAQs
If you live in catchment, you must apply through the County Council. These are not automatically issued. The link can be found here:聽
The parents of out-of-catchment schools will be contacted by us about alternative paid-for bus options.
We have a cashless catering system called 鈥楶arentPay鈥. You will receive a link to this service once your child is registered with us. This allows you to sign in and top-up your child鈥檚 money on their card to use at school. You can receive reminders when it is getting low and you can see how much your child spends at the till.
Please click here for further information
Lockers are issued at the start of the academic year to all new Year 7 pupils joining us. If you are interested, you will see an option on ParentPay (in Active Payment items) and can pay for the hire of a locker for the duration of your child being at CVC. The key is issued through the form tutor once this has been arranged.
Please go to the “Uniform” page on this website for more information.
Preferably one which will be comfortable to wear around the school site and will hold books, stationery, packed lunch (if required) and a water bottle.
When your child joins us in September, we will have processed all your information, and this will be accessible for our staff to use. Until that point, our main contact will be the primary details you have submitted on the registration documents. This means that information will need to be shared by the primary contact with any secondary contact until the September start.
This is at the discretion of the Head of Year and how they would like to manage their pastoral team.
At CVC we have social areas where pastoral year groups meet for break and lunch. These are outside and offer cover for the pupils. When the weather is brighter, we open the backfield for pupils to gather on and socialise. The social areas change along with the Head of Year and so these spaces change each year.
If it is to do with applications, passing on information and day-to-day queries about the school day, please contact聽[email protected]. 聽If it is about concerns about your child鈥檚 transition, please contact聽[email protected]. Once pupils have joined our school, we would ask that you contact the pastoral team direct.