Our approach to behaviour at Finchley Catholic High School is intricately woven into our Catholic ethos, aligning with our mission statement. Our mission encompasses fostering an environment where we embrace the joy of God’s creation, cultivate a faith that sustains us through challenges and triumphs, and nurture inquiring minds that value scholarship and a lifelong joy of learning. In addition, we aim to build a steadfast community characterised by a thirst for dignity, respect, and social justice.
With a commitment to creating a positive culture that promotes excellent behaviour, our objectives include:
Our students are encouraged to develop high aspirations and ambition for their work and behaviour in school, respect for others' feelings, opinions, and cultures, as well as respect for themselves, demonstrated through pride in their achievements and adherence to high standards of dress and behaviour. Additionally, fostering respect for the environment, including the school, personal and others' property, and the wider community, is emphasised.
The promotion of good behaviour is a collective responsibility, and as a school, we are dedicated to collaborating with parents and carers to ensure students reach their potential. The success of this approach relies on the wholehearted support of the entire Finchley Catholic Community, including parents/carers, students, staff, and governors. To formalise this commitment, a Home/School Agreement is in place.
We are committed to promoting and supporting good mental health and wellbeing for all students and staff.
The World Health Organisation defines mental health as: “A state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”
At Finchley Catholic High School, our aim is for each member of the school to be able to play a positive part in the school community, meeting challenges with resilience and working towards reaching their own potential. To facilitate this, we offer a range of support, education and opportunities.
Every lesson holds significance, and missing classes can pose challenges for students catching up on essential material. Upholding high standards for punctuality and attendance is crucial. The school emphasises the importance of consistent attendance for students' academic progress, promptly addressing absences through a text messaging system.
With attendance figures ranking among the best nationally, we kindly request parents to refrain from scheduling holidays during term-time. Whenever possible, dental and medical appointments should be arranged outside of school hours.
Our school day commences at 8:30am, with an expectation for all students to be on-site by 8:25am at the latest. This early arrival allows time for essential tasks like restroom use, water bottle replenishment, locating first lesson classrooms, and friendly interactions with peers. The back gate is locked at 8:25am every morning and any students arriving after this time will need to walk round to the front gate and sign-in at Student Services.
The student’s parent/carer must notify the school on each day of absence by 8:25am or as soon as practically possible.
Parents/ carers must report absences via the email addresses below on every day of their absence:
Please do not send emails regarding absences or appointments to our general info inbox or directly to individual staff members as these may not be processed in time.
We will mark absence due to illness as authorised unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness. If the authenticity of the illness is in doubt, the school may ask the student’s parent/carer to provide medical evidence, such as a doctor’s note, prescription, appointment card or other appropriate form of evidence.
We will not ask for medical evidence unnecessarily. If the school is not satisfied about the authenticity of the illness, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and parents/carers will be notified of this.
Other than medical emergency appointments, please arrange for appointments to take place outside of school hours. If this is unavoidable, please ensure we have at least 24 hours notice of the appointment. Due to safeguarding reasons, students will not be permitted to leave school if we have not been informed by a parent/ carer that they have an appointment.
Ensure you are using the above email addresses to notify the school of your child's appointment with the following information:
Please note that time off school for appointments, even if they are authorised, will count against your child's attendance record.
Before leaving for an appointment or when returning to school from an appointment, students are required to sign in at Student Services.
If your child needs to attend a non-medical appointment during the school day, this should be requested with as much notice as possible, by emailing the respective attendance email address (attendance@finchleycatholic.org.uk for Years 7 - 11 or sixthform@finchleycatholic.org.uk for Years 12 and 13).
Please be aware that we cannot approve absences for holidays during term time.