Message from Ed Hillyard, Headteacher

Dear Parent or Carer

 It has been a busy last half-term with lots of activity, a selection of which can be found below in this newsletter.  It is wonderful to see students taking the lead in their communities and doing something different from their peers.  The short article on our ‘Character Challenge Entries’ gives a great insight into the care and responsibility a lot of our students have for both our environment and local communities.  Well done all.

I wish to express our thanks for supporting us over the last two weeks when we have moved to online learning due to staff absences.  This is not something we want to do, as student voice is very clear that they learn best when they are physically present in class.  We very much hope we can avoid these in the New Year.  I also wish to thank the hundreds of parents that completed the Ofsted survey in our recent section 8 inspection as this was incredibly supportive.  The short report should be released early in the New Year.

This term has been characterised by a range of theatre and pantomime trips; charitable work of all types; the welcome relief to be back in the world of sports fixtures and competition; raising awareness to disability through a purple socks day.  Particularly pleasing is the continual increase in the popularity of our Duke of Edinburgh programme which now has just under 200 participants, 18 of whom will hopefully be able to attend the Palace in the summer to pick up their Gold awards.

This Christmas if your child(ren) are going to be surprised with a new internet enabled device, it would be worth taking 5 minutes to read a publication that has just been released by the Children’s Commissioner, which is very readable advice from young people on talking to your child about online sexual harassment.  There is a summary poster of two sides and a more detailed booklet of 15 pages.  It is the advice gained from their team speaking to a focus group of 16-21 year olds, looking back and explaining what they wish they had been told about earlier.  The main points are establishing an open relationship, speaking about the issues early, keeping the conversation casual and frequent, listening, understanding these issues exist and will be happened upon and setting boundaries.  On this last point in particular the advice points out that many parents will not let their child go out without a mobile device for safety; yet many have no safety mechanisms when their child is online.  Both resources can be found at the bottom of the following link https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/report/talking-to-your-child-about-online-sexual-harassment-a-guide-for-parents/

As a reminder, Monday 3 January is a Bank Holiday.  Tuesday 4 January is a staff training day.  Wednesday 5 January there will be a staggered start so that we can complete lateral flow testing on-site in line with Government guidance.   

• Years 7, 8, 9 will be expected in for normal registration at 8.55am.   

• Year 10, 11, 12, 13 will have a delayed start at 11.40am and will be expected to be registered in their normal timetabled period 3 lesson.   They will not have remote learning periods 1 and 2 as we will be carrying out testing on-site.

Students will need to wear face-masks on site for the whole of the first week back as we await to hear about updated guidance. 

I am currently reading ‘Team of Rivals’ about Abraham Lincoln, and thought it was surprisingly useful for anyone still wondering about what to get for Christmas: ‘The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the person who'll get me a book I ain't read.’

I hope everyone is able to spend some quality time with family and friends this holiday and hope we all appreciate, what and who we have around us, rather than what we do not.

Wishing you a Happy Christmas and New Year.

Ed Hillyard    

Headteacher