Open Events for the September 2027 Intake

Our Open Evening event will take place on Thursday 17 September 2026. To allow us to prepare for the event, the school will close at 1:00pm on this day.

Please be aware that there are no buses at 1:00pm.  Students can either make their own way home at this time, or they can stay on the school site until the buses come at 3.25pm. They will assist in setting up the school for the Open Evening.

For safeguarding reasons, any students who will remain in school (for buses or student helpers who wish to stay) must let us know in advance by coming to the Student Wellbeing Office before Thursday 17 September. These students must also come to the Student Wellbeing Office at 1:00pm to sign in on the day so we have a complete list of all students still on site.

Student Helpers

Letters with important information for students who are helping out on the evening will be sent home shortly. Any students who are helping in the evening may remain the whole day if they wish.

Those students returning at 3:30pm to help must sign in at the Student Wellbeing Office before reporting to their subject department. Please ensure they are in full school uniform. 

Students must return to the Student Wellbeing Office to sign out at 7:00pm, and will leave via the Sixth Form gate. We are very grateful to all the students who are supporting us at this event.

Attending the Event

If you are planning to attend the event, we will open our doors at 4:15pm and departments will close at 7:00pm. Talks from Mr Ramsden, Mr Rayner (Assistant Head, KS3) and some of our students will take place at 5:30pm and 7:00pm.  We recommend visitors allow plenty of time and to ensure they are able to visit each department. More information is on our website here: Joining LHS - Open Evening information

Many families find that attending our evening event allows them to take their time exploring the school together, without needing to take time away from work or primary school commitments.

While we are also offering Open Morning Tours, the Open Evening will provide the fullest opportunity to meet staff from across all departments and experience the vibrant atmosphere of our school community.

Open Morning Tours

If you can't make Open Evening and are hoping to join us for one of our Open Morning Tours, they are taking place on:

• Wednesday 30 September 2026
• Monday 5 October 2026
• Friday 9 October 2026

Places are limited and booking is required. The online booking system will open on Monday 21 September at 8:00pm. Visit our social media pages on Facebook or Instagram, or the website, for the booking link: LHS - Open Morning Tours Online Booking Information

STUDENT SUPPORT
Tours for September 2027 Intake

The LHS Student Support Team will be available for discussion with prospective parents and carers on the following dates this autumn: 

• Monday 28 September, 2pm-4pm
• Tuesday 6 October, 9am-11am
• Monday 12 October, 2pm-4pm

Our team will be available to answer queries relating to transition to secondary school, Special Educational Needs, disabilities and medical needs, specific learning difficulties, emotional support and intervention programmes throughout Key Stages 3 & 4.

Please email our Mrs Barnes, Inclusion Administrator, dbarnes@littleheath.org.uk to book your place or call 0118 9427337 for more information. 

We are asking for your support in ensuring the safety of our students at the start and end of the school day at the front of school.  We would like to remind you of our recommendations to keep everyone safe:

• Please do not drive onto site between 8:30-9:00am and 3:10pm -3:45pm.
• When picking up or dropping off students, allow yourself plenty of time as the area is likely to be busy.
• Do not park on yellow zigzag lines on Little Heath Road.
• Avoid parking near to or opposite our gates.
• Please do not block driveways or access ways.
• We suggest parking further away in one of the side roads.

We always encourage students to walk or cycle to school if they are able, or to use public transport. For more information about getting to school safely, please visit our website: Little Heath School - Transport to School

Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us keep our school community safe.

At the start of each academic year, we require a completed electronic Annual Medical and Consent Form which is valid for all non-residential school trips for the current academic year. 

What You Need to Do

You will receive a notification via ParentMail advising that a new form is available for completion. Please log in to ParentMail and complete the Annual Medical & Consent Form 2026/2027 by Monday 21 September.

This form will provide consent and medical information for all non-residential school trips until the end of the academic year in July 2027, replacing the individual medical and consent forms previously issued for each trip.

It is essential that the form is completed by Monday 21 September. If we do not receive a completed form by this date, your child will not be eligible to participate in any non-residential trips for the following 12 months.

If you do not have access to ParentMail, please contact the school office by telephone or email at finance@littleheath.org.uk.

Should your child's medical information change after you have submitted the Annual Medical & Consent Form, it is your responsibility to notify the school as soon as possible by emailing office@littleheath.org.uk with full details of the change.

Residential Trips

Please note that residential trips are not covered by the Annual Medical and Consent Form due to insurance requirements. For each residential trip, a separate form will be issued via a Microsoft Forms link. These forms must be completed individually and will not be available through ParentMail.

Offsite Activities Policy

Further information regarding our Offsite Activities Policy can be found on the school website here: Little Heath School | Policies. This includes details about voluntary contributions and the procedures followed when a trip is oversubscribed.  Please note, it is not always possible to accommodate all students who would like to participate in each trip, but we will communicate the process when a trip is launched.

If you have any questions regarding the Annual Medical & Consent Form or school trips generally, please do not hesitate to contact us by email.

There have been some changes to the Free School Meals (FSM) programme, which came into effect from 1 September 2026.

The government has broadened the eligibility criteria, meaning that a greater number of families will now qualify for free school meals. In particular, all children in households receiving Universal Credit (from 1 September) will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of overall household income. 

What has changed?

The Free School Meals programme has been structured slightly differently. For secondary-aged pupils, it has been divided into two categories:

• Expanded Free School Meals (New): All children whose families receive Universal Credit will now be eligible.
• Targeted Free School Meals: This applies to families with an earned household income below £7,400. Eligibility for this group also enables the school to receive additional funding, known as the Pupil Premium, which directly supports your child’s education.

 Why is this important now?

• As the previous “transitional protections” ended in August, all families — including those who previously received free school meals — must be reassessed under the updated criteria.
• Once confirmed, your child’s eligibility will be secured for the entirety of the 2026/27 academic year.

What do families need to do?

If you have NOT already applied, please do so by contacting West Berkshire Free School Meals: Free school meals and pupil premium - West Berkshire Council

The current Free School Meals (FSM) allowance is £2.80. Students entitled to FSM can have one main from column 1 and one pudding/drink from column 2 from the following menu: Culinera FSM Menu September 2026

Students may select an item outside this list, but any additional cost above the £2.80 limit will be deducted from their lunch money account.

We encourage students to bring a refillable bottle to school which can be filled at the Hydration Station in the Restaurant area, or one of the water refill points across the school site. This will save the cost of a bottled drink from the FSM menu allowing them to get a pudding item instead.

Please find the latest menu for the catering provision at school: Autumn Term Menu 2026

This week, we announced our next whole school production, which will be taking place this December – Peter Pan: A Christmas to Remember!

Please save the date, as our production will take place on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 December.

Students from Year 7 to 13 are welcome to audition. The audition takes place after school on Tuesday 15 September, in the Drama Studio.

We are looking for actors and performers interested in main parts, small or non-speaking roles, as well as physically strong Year 10 to 13 students interested in joining the ensemble.

Students should sign up outside the Drama Studio and collect an extract.

We look forward to sharing updates with you over the next few months.

Dame Rachel De Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, is conducting a national survey, The Big Future.  As part of this, she would very much like to hear from our students! Dame De Souza has asked us to give our students the opportunity to share their views.  

Through The Big Future, the Children's Commissioner can take the views of students directly to the government to ensure their priorities will help to inform the decisions that affect their lives.

The survey can be completed here: The Big Future | National Survey link

We have uploaded the link to the survey to Satchel One for the students to access easily. We would be grateful if you could encourage your child to take a few minutes to answer the survey questions. The Children's Commissioner would be very grateful!