Embedded Files
Dear Families,
It may be “the most wonderful time of the year”, but I know many of our students, and families, find the Christmas holidays a bit of a challenge. We aim to keep our celebrations low key at Snowfields for this reason, to provide as much structure and consistency as we can for this very reason.
Having said that, the Christmas showcases have been joyful celebrations of our young people’s talents and we were happy to share them with many of you. Christmas lunches were delicious, I was privileged to have 3! One each at Cranbrook and Bearsted, which were delicious thanks to Cucina, and another very special lunch both cooked and hosted by Pathfinder students. Each was a happy coming together of our communities.
I hope the Christmas holidays bring you some time within your own families and communities, along with some peace, health and happiness.
Thank you for your continued support. We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Mrs Dee Pickerill
Key Events
Cranbrook Christmas Show Extravaganza
Students from all Key Stages gave a spirited performance at Cranbrook College on Tuesday 17th December, with a Winter Wonderland theme gracing both the auditorium and atrium. Acts ranged from solo and group singing, class boomwhackers and chime bells, acting, storytelling, dancing, magic tricks and jokes. All the festive fun culminated in joyful song from the entire cast and audience of The 12 Days of Christmas, accompanied by piano, guitar and 12 percussion instruments all skilfully managed by Miss Fisk.
Bearsted College had their own Christmas Showcase concert on the 19th December, with a range of students from all key stages contributing song, dance, and animation to delight our audience. Students supported one another beautifully, celebrating with and congratulating their peers. It was wonderful to see students perform bravely in front of parents and carers, and there were some emotional moments as the congregation reflected on students coming to the end of their Snowfields journey as year 11 performers started to think about next steps in their academic journeys.
A selection of creative art work from Key Stage 3 and GCSE Art students was also on display for everyone to enjoy at both college sites. The Horticulture and Life Skills departments also worked tirelessly to produce some wonderful displays, gifts and tasty goodies.
We wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and can’t wait to do it all again next year!
Christmas Dinners
Bearsted’s Christmas lunch took place on Tuesday 10th December. Staff and students came together in their Key Stages to eat lunch and pull crackers. It was wonderful to see the college as a whole celebrate the festive season so wonderfully.
The Cranbrook Christmas dinner was a resounding success! Pupils arrived in festive jumpers, ready to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by the very talented Kylie and Chloe from Cucina. Christmas songs were played adding to the festive cheer. Staff and pupils dined together, sharing laughter and groans at the inevitable Christmas cracker jokes. Mr. Nolan lent a hand with serving duties, perhaps ensuring a slightly larger portion for himself! Will in Year 11 delivered a heartwarming speech, reflecting on his final Christmas meal at Cranbrook with his Year 11 peers and teachers. It was a truly memorable occasion enjoyed by all.
Huge thank you goes to the Cucina staff for preparing and serving a lovely meal and all the other staff members who helped to make this happen.
Visits and Trips
Angus Class Visit to London
We started off the school year with a trip on the train to London to help support our travel writing. We spent the day being tourists and seeing some of the amazing sights including: The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Downing Street, Kings Guard Parade and walking down The Mall to see Buckingham Palace. It was a beautiful sunny day which meant it was perfect for a picnic in St James’ Park.
We also had a Special FX Workshop where we learnt how to make realistic wounds using liquid latex and stage make-up. Some of them looked a little too realistic! The class worked really hard on their gruesome ideas.
Matilda Trip - Cross College Trip
Our Key Stage 3 students had a fantastic day out in London, filled with excitement. The trip began with a train journey from Headcorn and Staplehurst, where the students were super excited for their adventure into London.
Once in London, the students were immediately swept up in the festive atmosphere. They took a stroll through Covent Garden, where the streets were alive with the sparkle of Christmas decorations and performers. The twinkling lights, festive displays, and the magical seasonal vibe made it the perfect backdrop for the students to explore and take in the sights of one of London’s most iconic areas.
The highlight of the day, however, was the unforgettable performance of Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre. The students were mesmerized by the incredible talent, with the stunning sets, catchy music, and engaging storyline capturing their full attention.
The trip was a wonderful success, with the students returning home filled with joy and excitement, already talking about their favourite moments from the day. A big thank you to all the teachers and staff who helped make this trip possible and ensured the students had a safe, fun-filled adventure. It was a perfect mix of theatre, festive cheer, and excitement, making it a trip to remember for all involved!
Year 7 Author Visit
Year 7 Farah and Newton classes were visited by local author, Mat Willment (www.mrwillmentbooks.co.uk), who explored the writing process, discussed top tips for writing, and engaged them with tales of murder-mysteries in his interactive workshop that was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The students were enthused afterwards and keen to get a chance to read some of Mr Willment’s books; they even had follow up questions as they wanted to know more! Mr Willment also said how enthusiastic and courteous our students were - well done everyone, and thank you Mr Willment, for taking the time to share your exciting stories with us. We look forward to more author visits at both sites.
Maths Inspiration trip to London
Year 11 students from Bearsted and Cranbrook colleges enjoyed a fantastic day out in London. After a train journey filled with laughter and excitement, they arrived in the capital. They explored the city centre, taking in the sights of Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. The parakeets, ducks and pelicans at St. James’ park entertained everyone during lunchtime.
The highlight of the day was a captivating mathematics show at the Cambridge Theatre. Students were amazed by the practical applications of mathematics, from the geometry of footballs, the beauty of sequences, the intricacies of medical statistics and the fairness of sharing biscuits.
After the show, they strolled through the festive streets of Covent Garden and the Strand, admiring the dazzling Christmas lights. It was a truly memorable day that combined education, entertainment, and a touch of festive cheer.
Year 7 and 8 Pantomime..."on no it isn't"
To celebrate National Pantomime Day on Friday 13th December, we hosted a pantomime for some of our Years 7s and 8s. The performance of Cinderella by Valley Park A Level Drama students was funny, entertaining and interactive, with both students and staff joining in with catch phrases as well as singing and clapping along to the songs.
It was a lively afternoon, with memorable characters (Britney and Whitney, as the ugly sisters, were hilarious), great songs and some epic dancing. It was also a great addition to our Christmas calendar, as well as being a fantastic opportunity for students to enjoy the experience of live theatre. Watching our young people engaged and immersed in the production was a wonderful sight!
Farm
Christmas at the Farm
The run up to Christmas is always very busy at the farm. Most of the animals have been brought in out of the wet and cold, which means there is a lot of extra work cleaning and feeding. This is also the season of the "Fatstock Shows" when we prepare and take our best animals to shows and sales.
This year we attended the Ashford and Hailsham shows with small teams of cattle, lambs and pigs. These shows are the "shop window" for livestock producers from the whole of the South East of England, farmers with hundreds of animals to choose from compete there. All of our animals have been bred, fed and then selected for their own classes. We had outstanding results at both shows including Champion for cattle and pigs at Ashford and Champion for pigs and lambs at Hailsham. They also all made record prices for us, which will go back into the farm account.
Our students have been involved with every part of this process, from conception and birth to selection and sales, the whole circle. We continue to have a fantastic reputation within the farming industry.
To bring this back to ground, all the pens now have to be cleaned out and disinfected, ready for the next occupants, and of course we still need to do our preparations for our Christmas break.
I am very proud of what our students have achieved this year on and around the farm. I believe the hands-on practical skills working with livestock, and the high standards that we have, has given many students experiences and understanding that will be of use to them in later years. Plus, most have enjoyed themselves!
We would like to thank all the people who have helped us this last year, in so many ways, and wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and healthy and safe New Year.
Mr Cooper, Farm Manager
Personal Development
Inter-College Maths Games
This module Cranbrook were proud to host the 3rd KS3 inter-college Maths tournament.
Year 7 students from both colleges came together to compete for the much coveted Inter-college Maths trophy. Students practised their strategy skills and made new friendships along the way learning how to win and lose with grace.
In the end only one college could win the trophy. This year, after a lot of close games, Bearsted won the trophy by the smallest of margins, the size of one interlocking cube!
After the competition the Bearsted students had lunch with the Cranbrook students and they then had a tour of the Cranbrook campus. All the students were a credit to themselves and to both colleges, encouraging each other to participate.
Well done everyone!
Writing Competition
Congratulations to our fright club writing competition winners: Edward Gonzalez, Year 9, won first place with this eerily entitled: The End of a Beginning which was well written and full of suspense and intrigue. Runner up goes to Conan Clarke, also Year 9, for his adapted and illustrated entry, with a ghoulish fiend as the main character. Well done to Edward and Conan, who both win points to go towards their rewards totals.
Coffee Mornings
We welcomed families at both colleges in person in October and it was lovely to see some new faces. This term we also held our first virtual coffee morning where Snowfields families had the opportunity to meet each other online. This was followed by a short workshop by Kooth where families were shown how students and young people can access this online platform for Mental Health support.
Romney Horse Riding Lessons
During module 1 and 2, the students in Romney have been participating in weekly horse riding lessons, which are run by Chalkdown RDA in Staplehurst. The students have loved getting to know the horses and it has been wonderful watching them grow in confidence and skills. They all completed their Grade 1 in Riding and Horse Care and they also received certificates and rosettes for completing their first 1km hack!
Well done Year 7!
Snowfields Post 16 - Pathfinder College
Snowfields Post 16 - Pathfinder College
Pathfinder Update
It has been a busy term for Pathfinder students who have had many opportunities to compliment their learning with educational opportunities outside of the classroom.
We have welcomed our first toddlers into the Childcare room. Students planned activities as part of their course and hosted the children for 2 hour sessions, the themes so far have been Autumn and Christmas. We look forward to offering this out to our wider community with a Spring and Summer session.
Students hosted the annual World War Tearoom in our new Hospitality Room. A ‘rationing menu’ was planned and 10 guests enjoyed lunch served by Pathfinder students.
Retail and Business students went to London to look at the Christmas displays on Oxford Street. They analysed how the department stores create interesting point of sale displays that entice the shoppers in. It was also an excellent opportunity to offer some travel training around our capital city - students travelled up by train and on the underground, navigating the complex network and timetable with the support of Pathfinder staff.
We finished off the term by cooking our own Christmas lunch using the utilities in our Common Room. Students worked together to cater for each other, decorated the hospitality room with properly laid Christmas tables, and shared Secret Santa gifts with each other.
Fundraising
Thank you for your kind donations. Snowfields raised £176.46 for the Charity, Children in Need.
We also raised £69.56 on Christmas Jumper day for Save the Children.
Postcards
There has been a real drive for positive reinforcement at Snowfields this academic year. In addition to our Celebration Assemblies, Shout Out Boards and Reward Stamps, our pupils are recognised by staff with a postcard home for displaying Snowfields’ core values. It has been wonderful to see the pupils stretch themselves above and beyond, to earn a postcard!
Snowfields Academy Updates
Code of Conduct
We have 3 simple rules in the academy that we expect students to follow at all times. These are:
to be ready (wearing the correct uniform, ensuring chromebooks are charged and taken to lessons, have the correct equipment for lessons),
to be respectful (using polite and appropriate language to staff and peers, giving everyone the space to learn and succeed in lessons, engaging with school equipment sensibly and carefully)
and to be safe (being mindful with our words and body around others, using the strategies offered to help manage your feelings).
By doing these three things, you will then be able to show the five Snowfields core values.
When supporting pupils’ behaviour for learning, staff will look to offer regulation strategies to help themselves - and their peers - access their learning. Staff work to identify any possible antecedents and support pupils with these. This does not mean that there are no consequences for behaviours, instead we seek to identify the most appropriate consequences for the behaviour and offer our students the opportunity to learn about what is appropriate and how they could better manage themselves.
My Child At School (MCAS)
My Child At School (MCAS)
As you are aware, Snowfields has now implemented a parent platform called My Child At School (MCAS). This is an online platform which is designed to share key information about your child/children's school day and enable effective communication between parents and the school.
All our communications are now issued via the School Office and sent to you via MCAS including letters and documents which will also be shared with you in the same way. Ahead of the issuing of School Reports and Provision Plans, we would like to encourage families to sign up to MCAS if you haven't already done so.
MCAS has proved to be a great help to parents as it allows them to see their child's timetable, attendance, positive behaviour points and school reports to name but a few.
Parents no longer need a link from the school - you can sign up yourself just as long as you use the email address we hold on our system for you.
If you need any support with self-sign up, then please feel free to contact the School Office who will assist you with this.
School Contact Details
Messages from the School will show as 12072@bromcomcloud.com. This is a no reply email address.
Please do not message Teachers directly, if you wish to contact the school you can do so in the following ways:
Call the school office on 01622 250 050
Contact the school using MCAS ✉️ this message is sent directly to info@snowfieldsacademy.org.uk
For Attendance Only - you can send a text message to 07860 054 492. This is a SMS service only it will not accept voice messages.
Confidential emails for Mrs Pickerill can be emailed to principal@snowfieldsacademy.org.uk
Attendance News
We have been working closely with families over the past year to support students who struggle with their attendance and understand that many of our students struggle particularly with anxiety, which in turn impacts on their attendance. However, over the past year we have had some huge successes and have seen students return to school using many of our strategies that we can use to support parents and ensure they continue to access lessons.
Our overall attendance sits just below the national average for special schools and will be looking to improve our attendance in the next academic year. In line with national guidance, we will be communicating with parents via letter to advise you if your child's attendance is of concern and work with you to support your child's return to school. Our Student Service Managers are a vital link to keeping in touch with parents and finding solutions to any concerns that you may have, particularly around attendance.
We will continue to celebrate the positive with certificates for those who achieve over 95% or made the biggest improvements. Well done to the students that have achieved this since September.
SMS Attendance Reporting
Just a reminder that we now have a mobile number that you can use to report absences 07860 054 492. Please send a text message with Students Name/ Dates of Absence/ Reason of Absence by 9.30 in the morning. Future dates can be reported too. Alternatively you can still use the office email address to report student absence: info@snowfieldsacademy.org.uk. The office staff will then pass these messages on to form tutors.
Student Service Managers
Each college has a team of Student Service Managers (SSMs). At Bearsted the team includes Miss Savage, Miss Burton and Mrs Giles. At Cranbrook the team is made up of Mrs Davies, Miss Clarke, Mr Lawrence and Mrs Stock. Many families will be familiar with these members of staff as they regularly make contact with home about student needs, concerns and support. All of our SSMs are Safeguarding trained and work with teachers and the school leadership to support students and families. You can contact the SSMs at your child’s college on the following email addresses:
Bearsted:
ssm_bearsted@snowfieldsacademy.org.uk
Cranbrook:
ssm_cranbrook@snowfieldsacademy.org.uk
Uniform Expectations
At Snowfields Academy, like most schools we have expectations of our pupils’ uniform. As we shared in our transition booklet, Snowfields pupils are expected to wear a white shirt, black blazer, black shoes and black trousers or skirt. Some boys also wear a Snowfields tie. Trainers which are not black, or have distinct coloured branding, do not meet our uniform expectations.
Students may also prefer cotton Snowfields T-shirts, polo shirts or shorts which are also acceptable. To order directly from our uniform supplier, Brigade, click this link.
Where necessary, we can make reasonable adjustments for individual pupils. This does however need to be agreed with either the senior leadership team or your college behaviour lead.
If you feel that your child cannot meet our uniform expectations and will require reasonable adjustments, please contact your college Student Services Manager.
Brigade offer
Don’t miss out! 15% off from 31/12/24 to 05/01/25.
Simply use the promocode: NY15 at checkout.
Schools Team Officers and Safeguarding
Safeguarding Team
The Safeguarding team at Snowfields meet regularly to discuss ways in which we can support our students and families. The team has grown and the school website reflects the current staff members who are involved.
Details of our designated team at each college can be found below.
Safeguarding Links
Snowfields Policy - It’s important that all Snowfields students understand Safeguarding and the school policy is available in easy to read language: Child Friendly Safeguarding Policy.
Helpful links - websites that we recommend include:
Student Friendly Safeguarding Policy
Wellbeing & Therapy
Events in 2024
Snowfields 2024/25 term dates are available to view on our website: https://snowfieldsacademy.org.uk/academy-life/term-dates/
Please see below for our upcoming Snowfields Events:
Community Links
The Official Snowfields Academy Facebook
Please like the page and see what the students do day to day at Snowfields.
Your support will be much appreciated
Infinity Cafe
Infinity Cafe is open for bookings 9.30-2.30 Monday to Friday Term Times only
Call 01622 250050 or email info@infinitycafe.org.uk or pop in for a take-away if you are passing. Your custom will give our students excellent opportunities to develop transferable skills for employment.
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