Frequently Asked Questions about Broadstone Middle School
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What is it like at BMS?
‘The teachers are really fun and friendly’
‘It’s awesome, you get to do great things like trips and the university of Broadstone’
‘Everyone cares’
What is the uniform?
Please click here for our uniform policy. Our colours are: white shirts, grey trousers/shorts or tartan skirts, with a navy jumper with our school logo on. We wear black school shoes without any logos, and black or grey socks. Have a look at the uniform list for more information including the PE kit.
What age are the children?
We are a middle school for ages 9 to 13 years old. We have Years 5, 6, 7 and 8 at school. We are quite unusual as there are not many middle schools left in the country!
What do I have to do?
At BMS we expect our students to try their best with their learning. We understand the importance of being in the right state for learning and our staff are always ready to support you if you are not in that right state. We expect you to listen and work hard, be respectful to others and respect your school environment and property.
Do you have a choir?
We have run choirs in the past – we have had students represent our school at the Lighthouse for the Christmas Carol Concert. We have some new members of staff joining our team who may want to continue to run a school choir – ask your child to talk to their music teacher if they are interested.
Do you have any music clubs?
We have music clubs that run across lunchtimes. Ask your child to talk to their music teacher if they are interested.
Do you have a football team?
We have both boys and girls football teams who have been very successful and won major tournaments.
What do you do if you don’t know what to do or where to go?
We are a friendly team – if you are lost and don’t know where to go…just ask! Our current students will also help you find your way – Years 6, 7, and 8 have all been in your position once, they know what it is like and they are asked to help. We have published a copy of our site plan so you can see the layout of our school. We also provide paper copies for new students in September.
If you are new to Year 5, everyone in your class is in the same situation and the class teacher will show you where to go.
What happens if you don’t understand what the teacher is telling/asking you to do?
We don’t know it all and sometimes we really try but we just don’t understand what is being asked of us. At BMS we say that if you don’t understand, we just haven’t explained it in the right way. Just ask for help! We do have some learning support assistants who support students in class, so if there is one in your class, you can ask them for help too! We also encourage peer support, that means you ask the person next to you. Don’t ever worry about not understanding – it happens and our job is to help you understand.
Do you have cooked dinners?
We don’t have hot school meals but we do offer a packed lunch option from our local catering company.
You can sign up for lunches via the Reach More Parents app. Speak to a member of the school office for more information about this.
Do I have the same teacher all the time?
In Year 5 and 6 students are taught in most subjects by one teacher. We call this the primary model. Sometimes classes and teachers mix together for projects and activities. In year 5 and 6 you will have a specialist teacher for French and PE as a soft step to secondary transition.
Years 7 and 8 run like a secondary school where students move around the school to classrooms and are taught by subject specialist teachers.
There may be times when your teacher is out on a course or is unwell, in which case, a different teacher will be with you. We don’t use supply teachers, all of our cover comes from our staff at school so you will always be taught by a friendly and familiar face.
I love to sketch – do you have any graphic design classes?
We have a fantastic art room with loads of great resources to use. We don’t have graphic design lessons as such, but in Years 5 and 6 you do art as part of your topic work. In Years 7 and 8 you have timetabled art lessons. There is also at least one art option for the University of Broadstone that you can sign up to.
Is the bus from Merley a private or public bus and how much a day is it? Can I get a yearly bus pass or do I pay daily?
The bus from Merley is a public bus. It is a More bus and you can find out the bus charges by visiting their website www.morebus.co.uk.There are options to buy a bus pass.
I’ve completed my bike ability course Level 2 so can I ride my bike to school and is there a safe place I can keep it?
Yes you can ride your bike to school if you have completed the Level 2 bikeability course. We do offer courses for middle school students, so don’t worry if you haven’t done this course yet.
If you do cycle to school, you MUST wear a helmet – we don’t allow students to cycle if they are not wearing a helmet – safety first.
We have a bike rack that you can use to lock up your bike. This is located near the Year 7/8 area near the car park. It is safe and secure as long as you use a bike lock.
Can I walk by myself to my Grandparents house in Broadstone or do I have to be collected by an adult?
At BMS we encourage independence so at the end of the school day we don’t walk students out to the car park for their parents, students walk out of school independently to either, wait to get picked up or walk home. There are always staff outside at the end of the day to check everyone is ok as they leave.
Can I have a list of term dates?
If you visit the school website www.bmsweb.co.uk, you will be able to locate the term dates for next year.