February 23rd 2024  

Dear Parents and students

 

We welcomed the students back to school on Monday and since then they have earned 2716 Excellent Effort Points.

 

Again, this term we will be encouraging all students to submit their personal best class and homework assignments, and we will of course aim to acknowledge these efforts via Excellent Effort Points and commendations, wherever we can.

 

We will also be emphasising the importance of 98%+ attendance together with punctuality to school in the morning and to lessons along with self-organisation: always bringing the correct equipment to school.  Please see our student Equipment List HERE. These skills are crucial to the learning of students and their success in secondary education.  

 

Some reminders around uniform: coats must be black or navy blue and only black or navy blue scarves may be worn in mid-winter; hoodies are not permitted and non-uniform items may be confiscated and returned to parents by appointment. Please check the uniform list and items, which are not permitted.  Uniform List 

 

We would also like to remind parents and students that mobile phones should be turned off and in the bottoms of bags during Tutor time and lessons. Where students do not comply with these requirements a mobile phone may be confiscated and then only returned to parents. Students must not use mobile phones before break or lunch when use will be permitted. This means that mobile phones must remain in students’ bags when moving between lessons. Students must not wear or carry headphones or ear pods in school at any time. The arrangements above represent no change to our previous practices or policies.

 

Gov.uk issued 4 possible versions of Guidance in respect of mobile phones on Monday morning: each of these is stricter than our current arrangements in school. The guidance is however not statutory, and we will take our time to reflect before implementing any changes to our approach.

 

I will advise you of any change to our approach, but please be assured any change would take account of the school’s location and the reassurance a child having a mobile phone provides to parents. I prefer we teach and guide young people to use technology appropriately and at appropriate times than ban it.

 

As we embark upon this half-term and these crucial weeks in advance of Public Examinations beginning, please see our information letters about the after school session we run across the range of subjects for Years 11 & 13 students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after school. Please encourage your daughter or son to attend: - the support they receive will be invaluable.

Year 11 Letter After School Study Sessions

Year 13 Letter After School Study Sessions

 

If your daughter or son has not yet applied for a place in our Sixth Form, please encourage them to do so over the half-term. Our Sixth Form Induction will run for 3 days from immediately after GCSE examinations from Monday, June 24^th – Wednesday, June 26^th.

Pleas ensure your child reads for 20 minutes daily and have them choose and read a book from Digital Library – Spring Term 2023 - 24

Have a lovely weekend.

Yours sincerely,

 

Charles Joseph