School Update 3rd March 2023
Updates re first aid, mental health support, year 8 lunch, 10 minute detentions and Satchel One
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you have all had a good start to the new half term. In school, it has been extremely positive with some special events punctuating the normal curriculum. Year 10 have begun their tenner enterprise challenge with a launch event taking place in the first week back. Alongside this, year 10 students also participated in a relationships and sex education day. Year 12 geographers have completed fieldwork in Snowdonia and rehearsals for School of Rock have begun. Please do have a look at our latest newsletter for more updates.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of some of the processes in school and some adaptations that we are making.
First aid
In school, we have trained staff who are able to administer first aid as appropriate. Please note, that these staff are not in a position to treat injuries that have happened at home or over the weekend. The provision is to administer first aid for injuries that may occur during the school day.
First aid is not a service for students that are feeling unwell. If your child is feeling unwell then we will endeavour to keep them in lessons but there will be occasions when we may contact home to discuss the situation.
The first aid staff do not have supplies of medication, i.e. paracetamol, to administer to students.
Mental Health Support
Over the next few weeks Shawmind will be delivering assemblies to each year group. The focus of the assemblies will be tailored to the age range and needs of the pupils. Shawmind are also offering three 1 hour after school sessions (3:00pm – 4:00pm) to year 11 and 13 students on 6th, 14th and 22nd March with the focus on managing exam stress, coping strategies and self-regulation.
Alongside this, we continue to train key staff to recognise the signs and symptoms of specific related illnesses in order to support students as appropriate.
Year 8 Lunchtime Arrangements
From Monday, the year 8 lunchtime will move from 1:00pm – 1:30pm to 12:30pm – 1:00pm. Currently, they have half their lesson, then have lunch break and then complete the second half of their lesson. This change will ensure that their lesson is no longer split allowing for a more focused lesson time.
10 Minute Lunchtime Detentions
From Monday, whole school 10-minute detentions will move from lunchtime to breaktime. Students have been made aware of this change in tutor notices today and will be reminded on Monday.
Satchel One Support
We have been very pleased with the introduction of Satchel One to record and communicate the rewards and sanctions that students receive. Students and parents and carers can now access their timetable, homework, rewards and sanctions through the Satchel One app. The initial feedback that we are receiving is positive with us being told that you like receiving instant notifications and having all current information to hand. Please note that we no longer send emails to notify parents and carers of sanctions or detentions: these are now only communicated using Satchel One.
If you have not yet created a parent or carer account, you can still do this by using the codes sent from school in January. If you would like any further support, the Satchel One parent guide is very useful and can be accessed here: Parents | Satchel Help Center (satchelone.com)