School Information

First Day of Term – Wednesday 2nd September 2026

New pupils should arrive by 8:30am and make their way to the front terrace where staff will be ready to greet them and take them to assembly. We encourage all pupils to walk, cycle or use public transport but if parents/carers are dropping off, we ask that they do so at a safe distance from the school site, since local roads get extremely congested. Parents/carers are not permitted to drive on to the school site.

New pupils should be smartly dressed in their uniform and have their pencil cases and writing equipment ready to start their first day!

Uniform

The presentation of our pupils is something that we are very proud of. Every pupil carries a uniform card which members of staff will ask to be presented with if uniform falls below school standards. These cards are carried in blazer pockets, so please remove before washing. Detentions are issued for repeated infringements of uniform rules. There are full details of uniform and further guidance on presentation, recommended suppliers and appropriate school shoes within the Uniform Policy.

Further details can be found here as well as information on the pop-up shop that our uniform provider, Stevensons, runs for our new Year 7 pupils on Transition Evening which is usually in July each year.

All uniform is available to purchase online via the Stevensons website and a sizing kit is available in school to check uniform sizes prior to purchase.

Equipment

Pupils must have the correct equipment for all lessons. They must bring a transparent pencil case, with black and blue pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, a set of highlighters, protractor, ruler, mathematical compass, scissors, glue stick and whiteboard marker. Note: Pencil case sets and calculators will be available for purchase on the Year 7 transition evenings, and sets will also be available to purchase via Wisepay throughout the school year.

They will also need:

• PE Kit – Even pupils who are not doing PE due to injury or illness will still be expected to bring and wear their PE kit for their PE class in order to participate in an alternative role in the lesson.
• Additional PE Items (optional, winter season only) – During the winter months, pupils may wish to bring in additional sports layers to wear underneath their PE kit, preferably black. They may also wish to bring a towel to dry off and a carrier bag to store muddy PE kit.
• Casio fx-83GT CW or fx-85GT CW Calculator – As part of Maths studies, all pupils will require a scientific calculator. If you are buying a new calculator, the Maths department would recommend either Casio fx-83GT CW or fx-85GT CW, available from all good retailers or it can be purchased from school. 

The Structure of the School Day

Travelling to and from School

The most up-to-date copy of bus timetables is available here. School buses are run by the bus companies, so if you have any queries, issues including lost property or would like to pass on any feedback, please contact them directly.

• IGO Passes- All children under 16 using public transport must purchase an IGO card to confirm their age. Without it they may be would be required to pay the adult fare. IGO application forms are available here and the cost is £10.

School Catering

The restaurant opening times are :

Pupils may either purchase food from our restaurant onsite or bring a packed lunch from home. Pupils are not permitted to leave the school site during the day.

School meals are provided by Mellors, a proud family owned catering business established in 1840, who make all of our food on site and from scratch. There will be regularly updated menus, a variety of healthy choices and a great dining experience for our pupils.

We are committed to helping our families get the best value for money that they can. More information regarding school meals can be found here: School Meals – The Blue Coat School.

There are filtered water machines in the restaurant, and we would suggest that pupils bring a refillable bottle to avoid the added cost of a drink and support our school in being environmentally conscious, reducing our use of single-use plastic.

Cashless Catering

Pupils wishing to purchase from the school restaurant will need a cashless catering account. Most of our pupils choose to set up facial recognition for payments, which allows them to quickly pass through the lunch queue using funds pre-loaded by a parent/carer to our online payment system. Consent for facial recognition is obtained through our Data Capture Form which is sent to parents/carers in advance of transition day, and can be withdrawn at any time. You can find more information on the cost of meals, menus, cashless catering and free school meals here.

Free School Meals

We encourage all parents/carers to check their eligibility for free school meals which you can do here: Online FSM Application. Details of children already in receipt of free school meals in their previous school are not necessarily transferrable, so all parents and carers should re-apply.

School-Home Communication

Parents/carers must not contact their child directly during the school day, and pupils must not attempt to contact their parent/carer directly. Pupils mobile phones are not permitted to be used or seen within school and risk confiscation as per our Mobile Devices Policy. It is essential that we are aware of any key issues, so any such communication would need to be via our Pastoral team. Non-urgent issues should be addressed outside of school hours.

Music Tuition

We have a very active and successful music department at Blue Coat and we offer individual and group tuition in:

• Violin
• Viola
• Cello
• Singing-Musical Theatre
• Clarinet
• Saxophone
• Piano
• Keyboard
• Drum Kit
• Guitar (Bass & Electric)
• Brass
• Flute

Around 140 pupils receive tuition each year, and many take part in our extensive extra-curricular programme which involves performing in concerts, at Church services, as well as local and national competitions. Many pupils who start in Year 7 develop into fine young musicians and we are extremely proud of the school’s music provision and the achievements of our young people. Any provision will be subject to availability of both tutors and instruments.

Further details on our music tuition programme will be provided as part of the information sent out around transition. Parents/carers who would like their child to participate in the programme will be asked to return a signed contract by a designated deadline so that tutors can be arranged for an Autumn start.

Please note that the music tuition coincides with normal lesson time and it is the pupils’ responsibility to catch up on any missed work. Instrumental music tuition is a full year financial commitment.