SPRING TERM EDITION 13 1ST APRIL 2021
As we come to the end of another term disrupted by the impact of the coronavirus upon our school and our lives, I wanted to add my thanks, recognition and sense of pride in the way that the students have responded to all that has been thrown at them this term. Earlier this week, I shared a letter to all young people from Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Education viewable here and my own message to students recognising their incredible adaptability and resilience in managing the sudden reversion back to remote learning; including the increased use of MS Teams and other tools to make that remote learning experience more interactive and engaging, as well as using Satchel:One as a means of accessing all their work. The students have been extremely responsible and mature in their engagement with the testing process enabling our recent return to school. On top of this, when we have been able to return to classrooms, they have set about their learning with an excellent attitude that will enable them to build on their learning during lockdown and
set them up for success in the Summer Term and beyond. I appreciate that this response is born out of a huge collective effort by parents/carers and school staff to maintain learning during lockdown, support the testing process (both at school and at home) and work hard to re-establish routines and expectations upon our return to School. While the vast majority of students have found the return to school reassuring and positive and have behaved impeccably, it is worth noting that some members of the student body have found it hard to return to the behavioural expectations, values and standards that we expect after such a long period out of school. While we have been addressing this in the first three weeks of our return, we recognise that the start of the Summer Term represents an opportunity for a fresh start as well as a renewed focus on our expectations. We have reviewed our arrangements for changing and P.E. to support more consistent uniform and you will have received a letter reiterating our uniform expectations from the start of the Summer Term.
Page 2
You will be aware that the DFE guidance on our return to school was to advise enhanced wearing of face coverings in all indoor spaces where social distancing was not possible, including the classroom. This was announced as a short-term measure to be reviewed at Easter. The DFE review and revised guidance has yet to be shared, however we will share this with you as soon as possible. The wearing of face coverings in corridors and other indoor spaces outside the classroom will remain our expectation after Easter irrespective of this review. We have had a number of instances involving the inappropriate use of social media and phones during, and upon on our return from, lockdown. Please can I ask for the support of parents/carers in monitoring the mobile phone use and social media engagement of students for what is and is not appropriate. As a parent myself, I am all too aware of the fact that this form of social interaction has been a more important means of students maintaining their friendships and social lives during lockdown. Nonetheless, their online safety and ability to make wise decisions as
Page 3
✓
Well done to students for the showing incredible resilience and adaption during homeschooling and the transition back to school this term
✓
Thank you to parents/carers and staff for their continued support
✓
The wearing of face coverings in corridors and other indoor spaces outside the classroom will remain our expectation after Easter
✓
Please ensure pupils use mobile phones and social media responsibly
✓
Covid-19 self-testing should continue twice a week during the Easter holidays
✓
The Summer Term brings an opportunity for a fresh start and renewed focus on our expectations
children regarding what and how they engage with this needs our support and guidance as adults. Should you need any support and advice in providing this, please let the school know so we can assist parents and carers in ensuring safe and responsible online and social media use. Moreover, please can I invite and encourage parents and carers to contact the school using the usual direct channels if they have questions or concerns, as opposed to using social media to do so.
I sincerely hope that we can look forward to a Summer Term with a renewed sense of optimism and drive to build on the successes of our students, colleagues and school community. I am keen for us to retain the best of what we have done (and been required to do) over this last year in future, as well as embrace a welcome to return to ever more normal ways of living and working. Have a wonderful Easter break, stay safe and enjoy the time with friends and family.
Our responsibilities in the management of Covid19 do not end as a school or as parents during the holiday. Students and staff have been given sufficient self-test kits to continue to test for the virus twice a week during the holidays and report results to the NHS website as we have been doing since 15th March. Please be aware that the school is required to support test and trace until 7th April and if your child tests positive for Coronavirus during that period please contact the school to enable us to do so.
Page 4
Changes to the Test and Trace Support Payments for Parents Parents and carers of children who have been advised to self-isolate by the school or by NHS Test and Trace are now able to apply for a Test and Trace Support Payment or discretionary payment of £500, if they meet the eligibility criteria. The extension of the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, which is administered by district and unitary local authorities in England, ensures that parents receive the financial support they need if they are unable to attend work due to childcare responsibilities.
Parents and carers should apply to their local authority to receive a payment. Applications for the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme are made via the local authority in which the parent or carer resides, not the local authority where the setting is situated, if these are different. Where the school is advising self-isolation, upon request, we will provide a letter to you as evidence to show to the Local Authority.
To be eligible, applicants must meet all of the criteria that: ✓
✓ ✓ ✓
they are the parent or guardian of a child or young person in the same household and need to take time off work to care for them while they self-isolate. This is limited to one parent or guardian per household for the child or young person’s self-isolation period they are employed or self-employed they cannot work from home while undertaking caring responsibilities and will lose income as a result they meet all the other means-tested eligibility criteria for a Test and Trace Support Payment or locally determined criteria for a discretionary payment
That their child or young person: ✓ ✓
Page 5
is aged 15 or under (or 25 or under with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC)) and normally attends an education or childcare setting has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or by their education or childcare setting because they have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19)
Free School Meals It is apparent that during the current COVID pandemic, some family’s financial circumstances may have changed. As such, and in order to provide support where we can, we are seeking to raise awareness for those that may now qualify for an entitlement to Free School Meals. The criteria are laid out below. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA DOES EITHER PARENT RECEIVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING?
N.B. If you receive WORKING TAX CREDIT you do NOT qualify even if you receive child tax credit and your income is below £16,190 Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
✓
Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400
✓
Income support Income based Jobseeker's Allowance (IBJSA)
✓
Income related Employment and Support Allowance (IRESA)
✓
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
If you have any questions regarding this, please contact:
✓
The guarantee element of Pension Credit
Nicola Jenkins Head of House Coordinator
✓
Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC
n.jenkins@warlinghamschool.co.uk
For information about free school meals and an application form, please click here . Children who are eligible for Free School Meals also attract additional funding in the form of Pupil Premium which is used by the school to support the child's learning.
01883 624067 ext.2028
Page 6
Breakfast Club We are pleased to announce the recommencement of breakfast club after the Easter break. A range of breakfast items including croissants, waffles, breakfast bars and fresh fruit, along with a range of cold and hot drinks will be served from the outdoor crunch servery. Breakfast collection will be available to Years 7 and 8 between 8.15 and 8.30am and for all other year groups between 8.30 and 8.45am. Food must be taken away and consumed in the year group morning gathering points. The service will start from Monday 19th April 21.
For those students entitled to free school meals, an additional £1 will be made available daily for those that wish to purchase breakfast. This amount will not be rolled over to lunch that day and is not cumulative or saveable so if it isn’t used that morning for purchasing breakfast, the top up will be lost. If you have any queries, please contact Mr Kinder on p.kinder@warlinghamschool.co.uk
Page 7
Employability Skills Employability Skills can be defined as the transferable skills needed by an individual to make them ‘employable’. Along with good technical understanding and subject knowledge, employers often outline a set of skills that they want from an employee. These skills are what they believe will equip the employee to carry out their role to The seven key the best of their employability skills ability. are: Employability ✓ Leadership depends on your ✓ Perseverance knowledge, skills, ✓ Communication and attitudes, how ✓ Problem solving ✓
Negotiation
✓
Teamwork
✓
Organisation
seven key employability skills. As they venture into the worlds of higher and further education and the world of work, they may be asked when they have demonstrated these skills, or what they believe to be their strengths or weaknesses. In identifying the key moments to students using the logos, we hope that they will develop their understanding of these skills and be able to answer these questions.
you use those assets, and how you present them to employers. Students will be seeing these logos on the PowerPoints that teachers use in lessons to show them moments where they are developing or demonstrating the
College Years 12 & 13
Main School Years 7-11
Page 8
Digital Safeguarding Research Survey Surrey County Council is supporting research that is being undertaken by Praesidio Safeguarding (on behalf of the Government), to understand the impact of legal and policy changes coming into force over the next year that will require internet-based services such as gaming and social media sites to establish the age of their child users with a greater degree of confidence. They have asked us to share the surveys below, which aim to gather the thoughts and feelings of young people and their parents/ carers on different methods that can be used to establish children’s ages online. The research is aimed at finding out if any of the suggested methods pose a risk of exclusion to children. The information they are collecting from the survey
Page 9
will be anonymous and will help the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to establish the most appropriate ways to help protect young people online. Please share your thoughts and feelings by clicking on either the ‘Child’ or ‘Parents’ survey link below. DCMS Age Child Survey
DCMS Age Parents Survey For more information contact; info@praesidiosafeguarding.co.uk The closing date for the surveys is Tuesday, 6 April 2021.
Reading Tree Challenge Years 7 & 8 We are running a Reading Tree challenge with years 7 & 8 over the Summer Term. The idea of the challenge is to encourage students to seek and share recommendations of books to read and to encourage a reading for pleasure culture. Each form will be given a laminated Reading Tree poster with the aim of the challenge to cover the bare branches and trunk of the Reading Tree with lots of leaves showcasing all the books that the pupils have read. The Tutor group with the healthiest looking tree in each year group will win some goodies at the end of the term. We know that a love of reading and writing can help students flourish at school and go on to succeed at work as well as playing a vital role in helping children lead happy and healthy lives. Reading for pleasure really does provide a refuge in difficult times, supporting children’s mental wellbeing and enabling them to dream about the future.
A survey carried out by the National Literacy Trust found; 3 in 5 children and young people said that reading during lockdown made them feel better.
✓
3 in 10 said that reading helped them when they felt sad because they couldn’t see family and friends. ✓
Reading encouraged half of children to dream about the future. ✓
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could inspire the children who don’t currently read regularly to do so and take advantage of these important wellbeing boosts that reading for pleasure offers? National Literacy Trusts research found that children who enjoy reading and writing in their free time have significantly better mental wellbeing than their peers who don’t.
Page 10
The key is finding the right reading material for the child, to inspire and excite them. Our LRC holds a vast range of titles - there really is something for everyone! We may not be able to open our doors to all the students at the moment, but we are still able to loan books. Please encourage students to “There's no such thing as a contact us kid who hates reading. directly via There are kids who love email with reading, and kids who are any book reading the wrong books..” requests. They are also James Patterson all able to view our current stock via the Eclipse Library system, which can be found in the ‘Student Room’ area of the school website, or fill in a book request form that can be obtained from their form tutors. If we can be of any support when selecting books for your children, please do let us know by email to: l.ferguson@warlinghamschool.co.uk.
Page 11
Year 12 Cooking for College Enrichment At Warlingham Sixth Form, students in Year 12 have the opportunity to take timetabled enrichment options every Wednesday afternoon.. We want to ensure students have the opportunities to develop skills outside of their academic lessons and leave College well rounded. We also know these opportunities help support mental health and physical wellbeing. One enrichment option is ‘Cooking for College’. This course enables students to learn a range of recipes using healthy ingredients that they can use in the future. With Easter approaching, we thought it would be fun to make some Easter treats – a relaxing Wednesday afternoon making chocolate cornflake nests. They looked amazing!
Page 12
Year 13 Apprenticeship Workshop On Monday 29th March, we were delighted to welcome Sue Taylor, Network Manager from Associated Learning Partners in Surrey (ALPS), to host a workshop for a group of our Year 13 Sixth Form students. ALPS works with Surrey based schools and colleges to support apprenticeship and work placements post 16 and 18. This was a practical workshop with the students getting online and actively looking for apprenticeships. Sue guided the students, showing them where and how to search for opportunities, as well as how to apply. We know all the students found the session useful with one even walking away with an offer – an amazing success! It was wonderful to hear Sue say what a fantastic and engaged group of students we have here at Warlingham Sixth Form College and what a pleasure it was to spend time with them.
Page 13
The Warlingham Learner
Page 14