“”As parents we have been welcomed into The Downs family with open arms. They say it takes a village to raise a child. The Downs is the village.
Katie Hall
Parent
Quick Links
Parent comms
Keeping the lines open
Good communication is a triangular partnership between children, parents and school staff. It is fundamental to the level of care and education we aim to provide.
How we stay in touch
We look to strike that perfect balance between keeping you well updated while not bombarding you with unnecessary communications.
The Downs’ Diary
This weekly whole-school email newsletter goes out on Friday afternoon to all parents on our system. Featuring upcoming events, important information or requests for action relevant to the upcoming week we’d suggest it’s an essential read. It also includes a weekly round-up of what's been happening across the school.
School office
Open throughout the year, our friendly office team are happy to help with any queries you may have. You can use the live chat tool on our website or get in touch via email or phone.
01275 852008
Term time office hours are: 8.20am to 5.15pm
Holiday office hours are: 9.00am to 4.00pm
Text message, via Clarion
Occasionally we need to get urgent messages to parents via our Clarion Call text service. This sends an immediate text message, with the hope you see it right away. It’s used in emergencies or if there are last minute changes to events, school opening times or sports matches.
Classlist
This is a tool we’ve introduced in Reception. It’s a parent portal where you can view photos and updates from teaching staff who post regular updates of what children have been doing in class. You’re able to comment or post and ask questions. This is a great way for you to keep in touch with our Reception team, who quickly respond to any queries.
WhatsApp groups and form representatives
We suggest parents from each year group to create a WhatsApp chat as it’s a handy way to keep in touch with each other. Two parent volunteers from these groups are then nominated as form representatives.
Form reps attend a termly meeting (with all other reps and the headteacher) to discuss key topics. They can bring feedback to the meetings from parents and it’s their job to feed information back to parents via the WhatsApp group.
Appointments
When a parent raises an issue, teaching staff will contact them within 24 hours. Issues should initially be raised with the form tutor or the member of staff involved.
Parents might want to contact their section head (head of Pre-prep, Juniors, Seniors) should they continue to have concerns after meeting teaching staff. Appointments with the deputy heads or headteacher are arranged through Mrs Thompson, the Headteacher’s PA.
The school communicates as much as possible through email. So it’s really important that you keep us updated if your email address changes. Where possible we try to create packages of information rather than sending daily correspondence.
Get in touch
We know how important communication is, if you have any questions or need assistance please get in touch, you can call us, use our live chat or complete the form below.