Parent Information
This page acts as a reference point for information that parents may need to know about Clacton County High School and day-to-day school life for our students. In addition we have included links to external organisations that can help support parents and can provide parenting information.
Links to various information:
CCHS Arbor Portal (Timetables/Homework/Rewards) - How to Guide...
ArborPay - Cashless Catering - How to Guide...
CCHS Free School Meals - End of Ever6 - 31st March 2025
Instrumental Lessons at CCHS from Essex Music Services
CCHS Expectations for Students
Ready to Learn Information
Student Equipment Checklist
How to Support your Child with their Sparx Homework - Years 7 to 9
First Aid - Parental Agreement for the Administering of Medication
First Aid - Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) Form
Practical PE Activities - Years 7, 8 & 9
CCHS Policy Information
CCHS Young Carers Statement
Support for Families
CCHS Student Reports
Student Reports - An explanation of our Attitude to Learning Descriptors
Academic Year Reporting Schedule - See our Key Dates Calendar
CCHS Free School Meals - Online Application
End of Ever6 - 31st March 2025
Since 1st April 2018 and until 31st March 2025, all existing and new free school meals claimants have continued to receive free school meals for 6 years or until the end of their current school phase (primary or secondary), regardless of any changes to their eligibility criteria. This is known as Ever6 FSM.
All pupils in receipt of free school meals (FSM) are also eligible for Pupil Premium Funding (PPG) which is extra funding received by the school. This funding provides more funding for the school as a whole but can also help individual students who are eligible as they may receive assistance with paying for items such as resources and trips.
From April 2025, Ever6 FSM is coming to an end. This means that:
• Existing claimants who no longer meet the eligibility criteria will continue to receive FSM until the end of their current school phase (primary or secondary)
• New claimants will only receive FSM while meeting the eligibility criteria
• PPG will mirror this
Free school meals are available to pupils based on the following benefits:
• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
If you believe your child may be eligible and this is something that you have not already applied for, you can make an application via this link.
We would strongly advise that you do this prior to 31st March 2025 so that your child can benefit from the Ever6 FSM scheme before it ends.
If your child is already registered for free school meals, there is no further action for you to take.
Arbor Pay and Free School Meals
- Every student requires an active ArbortPay account, even those entitled to Free School Meals (FSM), as it is used for all payments in school - food technology ingredients, trips, revision guides (in later year groups) etc.
- If your child is eligible for free school meals, a daily allowance of £3 will be automatically added to their dinner account to use on a main meal each day - Parents will not see this as a credit on their Arbor Pay account - it is held in the catering system.
Your child will have access to these funds in the same way as they would if you had topped up their dinner account from your bank account.
This process ensures that students receiving FSMs do not stand out in any way removing any concerns you may have about being treated differently in this regard FSM allowances will show only to the staff member on the till in our canteen (Clouds). You will not see the £3 credit on your child’s Arbor account but once eligibility is approved the daily allowance will be automatic (it will not accumulate if unused or the student is absent) - Parents can top-up their child's accounts to allow them to purchase additional/more expensive items, above their daily FSM allowance.
- When adding money to the account you must remember to then allocate a proportion of your available credit to the child's 'Dinner Money' pot.
- Daily spends on Arbor dinner money is capped at a £6 spend per day. Some students who make purchases at break time may not have sufficient daily funds remaining for what they wish to buy at lunchtime. If you wish to increase your child’s daily capped amount please email admin@cchs.school stating your child’s name, form and the amount you wish to be available each day.
Student Drop-Off / Collection
Students should always be dropped-off or collected outside of the school site - please do not drive into the school car park to allow students to embark or disembark.
There is no access for drop-off or collection on the school site between 8 - 9am and 3 - 4pm.
At other times, we ask that vehicles are only driven into school for planned meetings or to collect your child when requested by the school - eg. from First Aid.
Only visitor parking spaces should be used; if none are available, please park off-site.
The speed limit on the school site is 5mph.
The school does not accept any liability for damage to vehicles on the school site.
Lost Property
Please ensure that all items of uniform and PE kit, including ties, blazers, trainers and football boots etc, are named so that it easy to reunite them with their owner.
Lost property is located next to the attendance office (opposite Room D03)
Students should only visit during break, lunch or afterschool to check the lost property.
We always endeavour to reunite students with their lost property but it is the student's responsibility to endeavour to locate lost items themseleves. The school has over 1700 students and it is not always possible to look for the number of lost items that we are informed about everyday.
Frequently Asked Questions
Late arrival to school
Any student who arrives after 8:45 will need to enter from the front student gate, as the rear gate will be shut.
Arrivals between 8:45-9:15am will be registered at the front gate (students should not go into reception) and instructed to go straight to their tutor group, or to Period 1, depending on time. They will be marked late for school and will need to meet the pastoral team after school to explain this.
Arrivals after 9:15am must come to the main school reception where they will be escorted down to the attendance office and signed in late for school. These students will receive a senior detention at lunchtime that day.
What to do if your child is ill..
Please contact the School on the first day of your child's illness and each day after, as long as the absence continues. (Telephone the Student Absence Line before 9.00am - 01255 424266 - Option 1).
Following any period of absence, written confirmation must be supplied to the Attendance Office detailing the reasons for the absence, signed by the student's parent/carer.
This is in addition to your notification by phone each day during the absence.
First day calling
If we do not receive notification of your child's absence from school, CCHS will endeavour to make contact, via a telephone call, with the parent/carer of all children who are absent from school on any given day, but were in school the day before. These calls will take place Mon-Thurs as a welfare check to see if the school can expect the child in the next day.
Visit the Attendance webpage for more information.
How soon should I expect a response from the school?
The school will endeavour to respond to queries within 24hours. This can sometimes take up to 48hours. This could be via phone or email.
What to do if your child is unable to participate in PE...
Please write a note for your child to give to their PE teacher, explaining the reason why your child is unable to participate in that particular lesson.
A note is required for each PE lesson they are unable to participate in.
Students who are unable to participate in PE must still bring and change into their PE kit. They will still be required to assist and engage with the lesson even without active participation.
Which PE kit should my child bring to school for each lesson?
We encourage all students to bring their full PE kit* to all of their PE lessons.
This means that there is never any confusion to which PE kit students need to remember to bring into school. It also allows a lesson activity to be altered on the day due to weather conditions or other circumstances etc. The only execption to this is when they are timetabled for swimming. In this case they are required to bring their swimming costume and towel IN ADDITION to their normal PE kit. This is so that, in the event that the swimming pool is out of action, they can participate in an alternative activity.
*Full PE Kit is defined as:
Navy Polo Shirt, Blue Rugby Top/PE Sweat Shirt, Shorts/Skort, Royal Blue PE socks and trainers.
If a student knows that they have football or rugby for a particular lesson they may also wish to bring football boots in addition to their trainers - this is not compulsory and they can wear trainers for these activities.