Duchess School

Parents and the School

The home and school need to work together (see the ‘3 Ways Forward’ document) and therefore parents are encouraged to come into school to meet the staff and discuss any matter which concerns them. It is advisable to make an appointment as teaching commitments mean that staff are not always available at a moment's notice. Newsletters are sent out at frequent intervals and parents are invited to let us know their views about any of the matters raised. A Home-School Agreement sets out the expectations of the School, the parents/guardians and the students. All families receive a copy and are encouraged (though not required) to sign it.

First Contacts
Parents of new students are invited the ‘New intake’ evening in the July preceding entry. There are further opportunities to meet the Head of Year 9 early in September. In January/February there are 2 more Year 9 Parents' Evenings, one to explain the Year 10 GCSE courses and one for parents to meet students' individual teachers.

Parental Contributions
We have a scheme through which parents make an entirely voluntary charitable donation of £3 per term to support the school’s extracurricular programmes.

The Duchess’s High School Trust
A parallel scheme, with precisely the same aims as the Parental Contribution scheme, exists for parents who wish to contribute more substantially by covenant to the school’s activities, as part of their charitable giving. Currently donations to the above trust range from £5 a month to £500 per annum.


Click this link to download the Three Ways Forward document:

• Three Ways Forward