FAQs

The school follows a two week timetable. 

Week 1 is known as Alpha Week and Week 2 is known as Omega Week. You can find out which week is Alpha and Omega by visiting the front page of the school's website http://www.stphils.org.uk/.

The school day begins at 8.15am and finishes at 3:00 pm 

Year 7 & 8 leave school at 2.45pm if any students in Year 7 & 8 have RE Period 5 they will remain in their lesson until 3pm.

Currently, the  morning break is 25 minutes in length from 10.45am to 11.10am and the lunch is 50 minutes long from 1.10pm to 2.00pm.

There are 5 lesson periods each day. Each lesson is 1 hour long.

Further details about the school day are on the school website: https://www.stphils.org.uk/about-us/school-opening-hours  

We are strongly advising that Year 7 have "brick phones" for the first term to aid with behaviour and the use of social media.   Mobile phones are allowed to and from school, but as soon as your daughter reaches the school, phones have to be physically turned off and locked in your daughter's locker or handed in at reception if your daughter does not have a locker.  Mobile phones cannot be on your daughter's person.

Checks are carried out. If a student  has their mobile phone on them, it will be confiscated until the end of the day. A Behaviour Point will be given and an internal exclusion applied.

If this happens multiple times, then the matter will be escalated to ascertain why a student cannot follow a reasonable instruction, so support can be given to prevent it happening again.

Your daughter will need to go to the late sign in desk at the front of Reception and report to a member of the school's Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to state her reason for being late. She will be marked as late and a note will be written in her planner to be shown to parents. 

Should lateness persist, your daughter may be expected to attend school on a Saturday morning from 9am- 12 noon in full uniform.

Providing your daughter can prove that the transport was late, she can sign in and it won't count as a late, but will be recorded as one, as will the time she arrived at school.

French and/or Spanish 

On the Online Family Information Form (FIF) you are able to express your daughter's preference of Modern Foreign Language (MFL) - either French or Spanish. Please be aware that it is not possible to change this selection after completing this form so please ensure you discuss this with your daughter prior to making your selection. Please note that this is only an expression of your daughter's preference and we cannot guarantee all students will be allocated their preferred language. The allocation of language classes will also take into consideration the date on which you complete your FIF. Students in Year 7 will study either French or Spanish, with the option of studying the other language during twilight lessons.

Every student has the right to attend school and be safe. The school actively encourages the reporting of incidents should a student experience bullying in school so that the matter can be promptly dealt with.

Please see the specific anti-bullying policy in the policies section on the school website - https://www.stphils.org.uk/about-us/policies-and-procedures 

We offer Achievement Points and you will be able to see these on Arbor.

In the same way, we issue Behaviour Points - these could be for lateness, non-completion of work or poor behaviour. 

On the online Family Information Form there is a section regarding musical instruments and you can select to show your interest in up to two different instrumental music lessons for your daughter. You will then be contacted by the relevant peripatetic music teacher regarding your daughter's chosen instrument/s and to set up the lessons. If your daughter would like to learn more than two instruments you will need to contact the Music Department directly (enquiries@stphils.org.uk email).

 Please complete the online Family Information Form by Friday 2nd May 2025 to ensure that the Music Department has your daughter's musical instrument choices. 

It is also possible for your daughter to collect a form regarding musical instrument lessons from the Music Department after joining the school. 

Please note there is a cost for musical instrument lessons which are taught by outside peripatetic music teachers. Discounts are available for Pupil Premium students - please discuss this with the Music Department.

We are a cashless school and those students for whom Biometric Consent has been received will register with their fingerprint for cashless payments in the Dining Hall. 

As a parent you will need to monitor this account and top up funds when needed.  

No recording/videoing is permitted on the school site. Presentations which take place at the school can be viewed on the school website after the event has taken place.