FAQs

If you have not found the answers you are looking for on our website or in the questions below then please send us a message by email adminoffice@iscaexeter.co.uk or if it is urgent, call us on 01392 204082.

We will endeavour to get back to you within 2 working days.

Email attendance@iscaexeter.co.uk giving your child’s name, tutor group and reason for absence.  This should be done each morning your child is absent.

Your child’s tutor should be your first point of contact and you will have been given their address early in the year. They will endeavour to get back to you within 2 working days.

If you do not have their email address, please contact the appropriate Head of Year or the school office: email addresses found here.

Please also contact tutors in the first instance if you feel your child may benefit from our wellbeing or student support services.

A list of the clubs can be found here, there is no need for your child to sign up to the club they just need to turn up and take part.

If your child is eligible for a free school meal then their account is automatically credited with an allowance of £2.30 per day.

If you need to pay for school meals then your child can bring cheque (made payable to ASPENS) or cash in to credit their account. Staff at school can show them how to do this.

If you think your child may be eligible for free schools meals, parents/carers can ring the Devon County Council Education Helpline on 0345 155 1019, or check the website for application details.

Uniform requirements are shown on the website Uniform page and can be order through Price and Buckland. 

All students are issued with a unique access code so that parents can sign on to the web-based platform and the SCOPay app. If you need a new copy of this then please let the office know and we can re-issue it.

If your child needs to have time off school to attend a dental or medical appointment, please email attendance@iscaexeter.co.uk with appointment details in advance.

Absence requests must be submitted on an S2 FORM

Schools are only allowed by law, to authorise non-medical absences if requested in advance by a parent with whom the pupil normally resides. A school can only authorise such a request if they are satisfied that there are “exceptional circumstances” which apply. However, even if there are exceptional circumstances, schools can still consider any other relevant factors such as previous attendance rates; the ability of the pupil to catch-up on missed work; the wider impact of missing the specified period of time.

Devon County Council’s advice is that schools must be extremely cautious about approving such requests if the pupil’s education is likely to be significantly impacted upon.

Parents should ensure that they know whether the absence will be authorised or not before they go away as an unauthorised absence will likely result in a penalty notice or court summons being issued to each parent for each pupil affected. It is therefore recommended that this completed form is sent into the school at least three school weeks before the intended absence.

For details of what your child is learning please see our Curriculum Pages

Subject Specific links can be found with overviews of the learning map for each subject and more detail on the content of the programme that students follow at Isca.

Questions about any element of your child’s lessons can be directed to members of staff directly, or via your child’s form teacher.

What homework am I supposed to hand in today?

The following table shows the homework that is being checked each day, and which year groups have a p.6 lesson.

What happens if I have not completed my homework?

Every morning tutors will check the completion of homework for that day. If any of the set tasks have not been fully completed, the tutor records this on Classcharts.
At around 10am each day Classcharts is checked and any students who have not completed their homework, and do not have a p.6 lesson, will be issued with a half hour detention after school on the same day.
A notification of the detention is sent to parents/carers via SMS. 

I completed my homework today. Why have I been given a detention?

If a student fails a homework check on a day with a p.6 lesson, the detention is carried over to the next available day. If a student fails to attend a detention, or is absent, the detention is also carried over. Detentions will also be carried over from a Friday to the next available day on the following week.

I have been told I have a homework detention. What should I do?

Go to the main atrium at 3:15pm, register with the member of staff on duty and check the length of your detention. You should sit in silence and complete the homework task that was missed. If any time remains, you should complete any other tasks due that week. Chromebooks will be available.

What happens if I don’t attend my detention?

If a student fails to attend two half-hour detentions, they will be issued with a one and a half hour detention on the next available day.

What happens if I don’t attend a one and a half hour detention?

Failure to attend two separate 1.5 hour detentions will result in a referral for a full day in Reset. If Reset is busy, this may be deferred until an opening is available. A 1.5 hour detention will be issued each day until this is either attended, or the student goes to Reset.

What should I do if I think I have been given a detention incorrectly?

If you know why the detention was issued, speak to your teacher for that subject, and check why the detention was set. If there was a mistake, they will contact the Head of Year or homework manager on your behalf. This is particularly important for Quizlet, Tassomai and Sparx.
If you do not know what the detention is for, first speak to your tutor and ask them to check Classcharts for that week. If they do not know the reason for the detention, ask them to contact your Head of Year (or speak to the HoY directly).

What should I do if I am not able to attend my detention?

If there is a valid reason for not attending a detention, for example an after school activity that has already been paid for, then you should speak to your tutor or Head of Year and request permission to postpone the detention to the next available day.
If parents/carers need to contact the school regarding a detention, they should either email adminoffice@iscaexeter.co.uk, or leave a message at reception on 01392 204082.
Staff do not always have time to reply within the school day, but we aim to respond to all messages within 48 hours.

I am struggling to complete my homework. What should I do?

If you are finding it very difficult to complete your homework, or it is taking you much longer than the recommended time, then you should arrange to speak to the Head of Year. They can discuss strategies for managing your time, and finding a suitable environment away from distractions. If necessary they may feel it is appropriate to put a tariff in place, to help keep the homework at a manageable level.
If you do not have access to the internet at home, your Head of Year can discuss alternative arrangements that can be completed in school. The school does have access to some Chromebooks which can be loaned out in exceptional circumstances.

Go to sparxmaths.uk , click ‘Forgot Login Details’. You will then be prompted to enter your First Name, Last Name and Date of Birth – this will allow you to choose a new Sparx password.

I am stuck on my Sparx homework, what should I do?

Sparx Homework is set on a Friday and due the following Wednesday. All students are expected to get started with homework by Monday. Students who are struggling with particular questions should attend Sparx Drop in on a Monday Lunchtime in G30.

I have forgotten my Tassomai password, what should I do?

Go to app.tassomai.com/login, click ‘Forgot password?’. You will then be prompted to enter your School email address, and a message will be sent to this account with a password reset link.
School emails can be accessed from mail.iscaexeter.co.uk using your normal school email address and password.
If you can’t reset your password yourself, your Science teacher will be able to do this for you.

I didn’t manage to complete all my daily goals, what should I do?

Tassomai Club runs every Tuesday lunchtime in F15. Attending one full session will allow you to complete any daily goals from the week before, and a detention will not be issued.
The staff there can also reset your password, and answer any questions about Tassomai

I don’t know the answers to the questions, what should I do?

Tassomai is an intelligent learning system that responds to your answers. If you often get them wrong, the questions will get easier. However, by remembering the right answer once it is given, you will be able to answer the question correctly if it comes up again, and finish your daily goal more quickly.
If you are concerned that the questions are on topics that you have not studied, and are not related to what you are studying at the moment, ask your teacher to check the settings are correct for your class.

I lost my connection to the internet and Tassomai hasn’t saved my progress, what should I do?

Ask a parent or carer to write a note/email to your science teacher explaining that they have seen you complete the task. This must be done BEFORE Wednesday.

I have forgotten my password, what should I do?
You log into Quizlet via Google using your school email and password.  If you have forgotten your school password please let a member of staff know and they will get it reset for you.

What week am I on?
Each term your Quizlet classroom will have a folder that contains all the vocabulary you are learning.  Select the correct week of the cycle.  The Quizlet set will match the vocabulary listed in your Knowledge Organiser for that week.

I didn’t do my homework last night, what should I do?
Quizlet is set as 3 or 4 short periods of practise each week, starting on a Monday. If you miss a night you can catch up later in the week or at the weekend.   You can even do it all in one go.  3 tasks (minimum) must be completed by the following Monday 3.15pm

How many ticks have I got?
Your teacher will check the class progress once a week for you to see how you are doing.

I am stuck on my Quizlet homework, what should I do?
Use your Knowledge Organiser to help you with your Quizlet learning – it is ok to have the vocabulary out in front of you.  If you are having other issues speak to your class teacher or drop in to F05 on a Thursday lunchtime.