Dear parents/carers,

We are holding some talks at both Woolwich Poly Girls' and Woolwich Poly Boys' schools this half-term on the topic of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE).  They will be given by the Growing Against Violence charitable organisation and will be on the following dates:

Thursday 16^th November 3.30 - 4.30pm at the Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls' site

Tuesday 5^th December 4 - 5pm at the Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys' site

These talks are open to parents and carers of students in either school, so you may attend on either day. The talks will be the same each time so you do not need to come more than once. 

Please see the attached flyer for information regarding CCE and contact your child's Head of Year if you have concerns of this nature.

Click to download Child Criminal Exploitation Leaflet

Kooth is an online, mental health and wellbeing service for children and young people.

Click to download FAQ guide to Kooth for parents and carers

Dear parents/carers, 

The police have informed us of their intention to have a dispersal zone covering Woolwich Town Centre on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 November throughout the days and nights as a measure to prevent antisocial behaviour.

We advise that any children without adult escort may be stopped by the police, questioned and asked to leave Woolwich Town Centre. Failure to co-operate with police instruction may lead to arrest.

Those students coming to Saturday school or passing through Woolwich Town Centre are advised to take or change buses outside the main squares and Powys Street areas.

Mr T Lawrence

Head of School 

On Tuesday 31st October 2023 we welcomed the Little Fish Theatre company in to perform ‘Cancelled’ and host a workshop for our Year 9 and 10 students based on Healthy Relationships.

‘Cancelled’ explores how young people who are still discovering themselves can take responsibility for their harmful mistakes in a 24/7 digital world. It explores the complexities of teenage relationships and the impact of social media. Through music, media and participatory theatre techniques, the play is designed to engage students in thinking critically about the worlds in which they live and how to make positive choices.

The play centres around three teenagers - Rose, Bestie, and Xavier. When an intimate photo Bestie sends Xavier is shared online, it sets off a chain reaction of betrayal, heartbreak, and bullying. Rose gets caught in the middle, trying to support Bestie, but developing feelings for Xavier. Their secret relationship is exposed, destroying Rose and Bestie's friendship. The online bullying escalates to physical violence, sending Rose to hospital.

Each character must confront their own mistakes and figure out how to move forward. They eventually agree to stop engaging online and part ways, hopefully having learned some hard lessons about consent, trust, forgiveness, and the destructive power of technology. The play highlights the pressures and confusion of young relationships in an age of oversharing. The play's themes, scenarios, and character dynamics align closely with many SRE curriculum objectives for this age group related to healthy relationships, consent, managing influence, online safety, gender identity, and communication skills. The play is a springboard for the workshop where student discussion, analysis, and self-reflection can enhance delivery of the SRE curriculum.

Thank you so much to the Little Fish Theatre Company for providing such a wonderful performance and interactive workshop for our students.

Celebrating Black History Month with Ore Ogungbayi

As part of our Black History Month celebration, we had the pleasure of hosting Ore Ogungbayi. This year's theme is “Saluting our Sisters,” and Ore is a remarkable example of a successful, resilient woman. Ore shared her story of growing up as a child of Black Nigerian immigration, fostered by a white British family. She was recently featured in a Channel 5 documentary that explored the impact of "farming," a practice where over 70,000 West African children were fostered by white Britons between 1955 and 1995. The documentary sheds light on the controversy surrounding this official policy and the long-lasting effects it had on those impacted by it.

Despite the challenges Ore faced, she became a successful entrepreneur, author, life coach and public speaker. For over a decade, Ore has worked with our school, delivering workshops on public speaking. During her visit, Ore spoke about her success and resilience, and we are extremely proud to have her as part of our community. Ore, we salute you!

Synopsis of the documentary:

The Channel 5 documentary explores the experiences of nine individuals who were raised as part of the controversial "farming" practice. These individuals were fostered by white Britons between 1955 and 1995, and they share their stories of dealing with such a major change at a young age. For many of them, the workshop retreat was the first time they had the opportunity to connect with others who shared similar experiences. The documentary, called "White Nanny Black Child," is a personal, poignant, and sometimes unsettling reflection on identity, belonging, and the nature of family.

The Flu season is here. 

Oxleas will be offering the vaccination to all Year 7- 11 students on Friday 1^st December 2023.  For further information on how your child can be vaccinated, please view the PDF attached.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM OXLEAS NHS TRUST REGARDING YOUR CHILD’S NASAL FLU VACCINATION