There are a few important announcements included in this week's newsletter. Please take time to view the various sections. Key points include how to access your child's allocated CCAs under the 'Sports & CCA News' tab and how to sign up for the the various Nexus workshops taking place this semester by clicking the 'Parent Workshops' tab. Please also add to your diaries the dates for the online Year 7 Parent and Teacher Conference on Wednesday September 30th . This event would normally be face to face but due to safe distancing measures we will be hosting this consultation online (more details to follow soon). Please take time to see our focus on learning as our faculty teams introduce themselves and what goes on in each subject.

Year 11 have completed the postponed Y10 trial examinations now and teachers are busy marking and feeding back to learners. Please talk to your child, our learner about how they feel these have gone. IGCSEs are the first externally assessed formal qualifications for many learners and it is important they reflect on their experience from the trial exams. Much research has gone into what makes an effective learner. Some strategies for effective study can be found here. To help learners get into good habits we are giving them planners so they can organise themselves.

As a school we have a duty of care to all learners, we recognise that they need guidance around keeping themselves safe in the online world. Learners complete an acceptable use agreement to make them aware of our policy. As part of our work to help learners become better digital citizens we have installed a cyber-security system that monitors and flags inappropriate search terms and sites when they are in school. This enables us to spot learners engaging in risky behaviour and work with them to understand the consequences of this. Please help us by working with your child; engage with the platforms they use and discuss responsibilities and potential threats. Mistakes online can be difficult to rectify and what is put online stays online. More and more companies and universities are checking electronic profiles and cyber behaviour of employees and learners so it is important to be a responsible digital citizen. This website may help you understand more about the issues. By working in partnership we can ensure we can support learners to keep themselves safe.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Dr Heather Millington

Head of Secondary