Parent/Carer FAQs
The school term and closure dates are listed on the school website and are also featured in the website calendar.
Uniform is available from Castle Sports & Uniform Ltd - situated on High Street, Falmouth. Purchases can also be made on Castle Sports & Uniform Ltd's website: castlesports.co.uk/penryn-college. If you wish to purchase sports kits, please visit macronstoresw.com/schools/penryn-college.
Please contact Student Services on 01326 372379, extension 1239, or e-mail attendance@penryn-college.cornwall.sch.uk
If your child is unwell during the school day, they must tell their class teacher. The class teacher will contact a member of our First Aid team and decide the next steps. You will be contacted if your child is unwell and needs collecting.
Students are not permitted to carry medication around with them during the day. Please complete a Medication Consent Form on the school website (penryn-college.cornwall.sch.uk/parents/letters) and bring it to Reception with the required medicine. Students will then be able to go to Reception when required during the day.
If your child requires a medical or any other appointment during the school day, please contact attendance@penryn-college.cornwall.sch.uk or call 01326 372379 ext. 1239, in the first instance, preferably one week in advance. Then, on the day of the appointment, please let your child know the time they should meet you for collection in Reception, where they will be required to sign out.
Our menus change daily, therefore, each day, our catering staff complete a chart identifying all allergens in the food that is offered. This information is available on request and any students that need further information can speak to our canteen staff who will be able to advise them on what each dish contains, and which food options are free from specific ingredients. There are also posters in the canteen area reminding students to speak to staff who can advise them on the day's menu.
The RESET Room is an area where a student goes to due to extremely poor behaviour or if they repeatedly refuse to follow the instructions of a member of staff. The aim of the RESET Room is to allow the student an opportunity to reflect on their behaviour and discuss this with a member of staff. The hope is that the end result will have explored how the student can make better choices and to see if they need any further support to help them get things right next time.
Please go to the ParentPay login page and enter your e-mail address, then click on the 'forgotten password' link. If you need support with accessing ParentPay, please contact finance@penryn-college.cornwall.sch.uk
If your child has lost their swipe card, they can purchase a new one from Reception for £3.00. If your child has forgotten their swipe card and needs lunch, as long as there is still money on their card, they can go to the canteen, where staff will help them purchase food.
Please e-mail secretary@penryn-college.cornwall.sch.uk or call Reception on 01326 372379 and leave a message, which will be passed on to the tutor.
There are Subject Review Evening dates, which take place at different time across the year depending on your child’s year group. Please check the school website and newsletter for upcoming dates.
We would advise you to firstly contact your child’s tutor. If there is a significant concern, the tutor will contact the Head of Year, the Anti-Bullying Team, and the Assistant Head in charge of behaviour. Our anti-bullying policy is available to view on the 'Policies' page of the website.
How do I find out what's happening at school with my child if I have shared parental responsibility?
We can add more than one parent/address or e-mail address to our system if you have shared parental responsibility. Please complete this information on the Data Collection Sheets we send to you. If you would like to be added to our system or our e-mail mailing list to receive our weekly communications, please e-mail secretary@penryn-college.cornwall.sch.uk
Any person with parental responsibility of children at the College is welcome to join our Parents' Forum. The aim of the Forum is to make the College more aware of the parents’/carers' perspectives, and to provide a meeting ground for parents/guardians and teachers.
Parents are also regularly consulted on development plans, new initiatives and changes. If you would like to attend the Parents' Forum please contact the school on 01326 372379.
This information is available to view on the Virtual School. As a parent/carer you can also sign up to a weekly e-mail. You will be sent this e-mail every Friday, with details of homework, behaviour, achievements, attendance and any upcoming key dates for the diary.
If your child is having any issues with their iPad, they can let their tutor or class teacher know in the first instance. You are also welcome to contact ICTSupport@penryn-college.cornwall.sch.uk
You should only try and contact your child in an emergency. If your child has a mobile phone, they are allowed to check messages during break and lunchtime if necessary. If there is an emergency, please call Reception on 01326 372379.
The Clubs & Activities list is always on the school website and available on all pupils' iPads as a live document. If a club is cancelled, the teacher organising the club will contact pupils who have attended previously. We will also share this via social media.
Lost property items are situated in the College Reception, please ask your child to visit Reception during break or lunchtime. We advise that all uniform is named, as we are then able to return these items to your child. We keep all lost property at Reception for one term, before taking unnamed items to a local charity shop.
If your child would like a locker in the school, please complete the £10 payment found on ParentPay. Our Finance team will then notify the Reception team, who will issue a locker within one week.
Please contact the local authority: cornwall.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools-and-colleges/school-meals.
Please contact the Local Authority: www.cornwall.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools-and-colleges/school-transport.
If your child has lost their bus pass, please ask them to go to Reception during lunchtime, where they can be issued with a temporary bus pass. This is valid for one week, and includes details about how to get a permanent replacement.
Your child will be given lots of support in lessons to help prepare for their examinations, and many students will also be confident revising. However, we have made some useful downloads available on the 'Exams and Exam Timetables' section of our website.
Internal Mock Exams and Semester Tests will be available for students to view on their Virtual School page.
Autumn term: Year 11 Walking Talking Mock Exams and Year 10 End of Semester 1 Tests
Spring term: Year 11 Mock Exams and Year 10 End of Semester 2 Tests
Summer term: Year 10 End of Semester 3 Tests; Year 10 and Year 9 End of Year tests.
External Exams - GCSEs (summer term - May onwards) will also be available for students to view on their Virtual School page. A provisional timetable for the GCSE exam period will be available on the school website from February. This will also be given to Year 11 and Year 10 students, as appropriate, and copies will be available from the Exams Office.
Specific venues and seating details will be available on the Virtual School from April onwards; however, we do ask that students regularly refresh their Virtual School page for the most up-to-date information.
If you would like to collect exam results once you have left Penryn College, you will need to contact the Exams team on 01326 372379, ext. 1231, or e-mail exams@penryn-college.cornwall.sch.uk