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  • Congratulations to Ms Gurney for completing the London Marathon 2024!

    Published 22/04/24

    A huge congratulations to Ms Gurney for completing the London Marathon 2024!

    ‘It was an exciting and emotional experience. The Canary Wharf section was particularly challenging and crossing Tower Bridge was a poignant moment. The supportive crowds were incredible. I felt so fortunate and lucky to have friends, family, and the enthusiastic Poly Cheer Squad cheering me on throughout the route – their encouragement kept me motivated, along with the thought of the generous donations received. The current total on the JustGiving page stands at £2,175, and an additional £124 is expected from the finish time raffle. I am overwhelmed and delighted for the Brittle Bone Society.’

    Mrs Gurney

    A big thank you to everyone for the generous support and donations for the Brittle Bone Society.

    If you would like to contribute, there is still time to donate: Ms Gurney - JustGiving Page - Brittle Bone Society

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  • Ms Gurney is running the London Marathon this weekend for the Brittle Bone Society!

    Published 17/04/24

    Ms Gurney is an Assistant Head Teacher at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys and will be running the London Marathon this weekend on 21st April 2024.

    The London Marathon is held every year in London and first began in 1981. The race is about 26 miles long and more than a million people have completed the course with over a billion pounds raised for charity and countless stories of human achievement.

    Ruky is a student currently in Year 10 at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys and was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta – more commonly known as brittle bone disease. He has undergone several surgeries as a result of his condition, including a major spinal surgery which kept him away from his school. Inspired by Ruky Ms Gurney has decided to fundraise for the Brittle Bone Society which is a charity which provides support for people with Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

    We are incredibly proud of Ms Gurney for taking on this challenge and for raising awareness and funds for the Brittle Bone Society. Any donation, large or small, will make a difference. A huge thank you to everyone who has already donated, your generosity is greatly appreciated.

    Click to donate directly to her JustGiving page now!

     

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  • Kooth - Support for parents/carers & students taking exams

    Published 15/04/24

    Dear Parents/Carers

    Over the coming weeks your child may mention they have been made aware of a service called Kooth. At Kooth, we provide a safe, secure means of accessing online emotional health support from a professional team of qualified counsellors and emotional wellbeing practitioners. 

    Kooth offers wellbeing support 365 days a year via a range of self-help materials and peer to peer support which young people are able to contribute to. Everything is pre-moderated and age appropriate, in order to safeguard our users, so you know that what your child is accessing is safe. 

    Kooth works alongside schools and colleges across the UK and are running student facing webinars through April and May on topics like ‘Staying safe online’ and ‘Tips for managing exam stress’. 

    Kooth is also offering free virtual sessions for parents on the 22nd & 25th April that provide tips on how you can support your child manage anxiety about their upcoming exams - please use this link to sign up.  

    There’s also resources designed especially for parents available on our website including advice on how to talk to your teen about their feelings: Parents/Carers resources.

    If you have any questions or would like to discuss what Kooth.com can offer you can email us on parents@kooth.com.

    Kind Regards

    Kooth Engagement Team

     

    SUPPORT FOR STAFF & PARENTS/CARERS

    In April we’re running KoothTalks training webinars specifically to help education staff and parents support young people sitting exams. 

    Please share these booking links with your team:

    Tue 23 Apr. 3.30-4.15pm

    Thu 25 Apr. 12.30-1.15pm

    (Don’t worry if you can’t make these times - just fill in the short form and we’ll send you the recording to watch in your own time).

    And here are the booking links to share with parents in school emails or on parent portals. Please let parents know about this free session, especially if they are worried about their child’s anxiety:

    Mon 22 Apr. 1-2pm

    Thu 25 Apr. 6-7pm

     

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  • Easter Egg Donation for the Safari Tiger Ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital

    Published 04/04/24

    Our student council coordinator visited the Safari Tiger children's Ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust on Thursday, 28th March and presented the Easter eggs and the funds collected by our school.

    Tiger Ward is a paediatric oncology shared care unit (POSCU). They work closely with the Royal Marsden Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College Hospital. The Tiger Ward provides chemotherapy and supportive care to children and their families who are being treated for a cancer diagnosis.

    The Ward presented us with a wonderful certificate for our donation. We are immensely proud of our school community's contribution to this meaningful local cause.

    Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust #woolwichpoly #woolwichpolytechnic #Polymat #polymatschools #greenwich

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  • How to deal with exam stress?

    Published 28/03/24

    How to help your child manage exam stress

    It’s important to understand that your child may well be feeling worried at this time, and that this is normal. As we head towards the main exam time it's worth revising how we can support young people at what can be a very stressful time. Encourage them to talk about their concerns and reassure them that their feelings are valid and that you are there to support them. Young Minds have a series of support pages aimed to help with exam stress and anxiety. Their advice is available to help, parents and carers and, of course, young people themselves. You can find this helpful advice at the links below:

    Parents & Carers:

    https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/blog/how-to-help-your-child-manage-exam-stress/

    Students:

    https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/exam-stress/

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  • Apply now to be a parent governor!

    Published 28/03/24

    Dear parent(s)/carer(s),

    Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys’ Local Academy Committee

    I am writing to inform you of a vacancy for the role of parent academy committee member (ACM) on our local academy committee.

    The role of the Local Academy Committee

    A Local Academy Committee replaces the previous accountable body – the Local Governing Board – and is designed to allow Academy Committee Members to focus on the key priorities for each school, specifically, Progress, Learning and Achievement, Safeguarding, Well-Being, Leadership and Pupil Related Matters, providing oversight and challenge for school leaders across these areas.  The committee is passionate about education and committed to continuous school improvement to ensure the best possible outcomes for our pupils.

    The role of a parent ACM

    As a parent ACM, you’ll work with the board to make sure it effectively carries out the duties referred to above. You’ll also play a vital role in bringing a parental perspective to the committee, but you’re not there to speak ‘on behalf’ of the parent body.

    To be a parent ACM you should have:

    • A strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children
    • Good interpersonal skills, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and develop new skills
    • The specific skills required to make sure the committee delivers effective governance

    The committee is keen for candidates to have skills in the following:

    • Knowledge of/ can identify with the communities served by the school;
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion;
    • Analyzing Data/ KPIs.

    Expectations of governors

    • The term of office for an ACM is 4 years, and ACMs are expected to commit to completing their full term, unless there are extenuating circumstances why they need to step down earlier;
    • ACMs are required to attend 6 meetings per year, either online or in-person;
    • ACMs are also required to attend 3 Deep Dive Forums per year, and the annual conference. These are all in-person;
    • ACMs are required to undertake a monitoring visit to the school at least 3 times per year;
    • ACMs may be required to become Link ACMs for a specific area, including visiting the school and writing a report.  Full support will be given;
    • ACMs must maintain confidentiality at all times with regard to matters discussed at meetings;
    • The Trust expects that members will undertake appropriate induction training and regular additional training, for which we provide access to both the National Governors Association and The Key.

    How to apply

    If you’re interested in applying for the role, please complete the candidate form attached Parent ACM Application Form and return to the Governance Professional (governanceprofessional@polymat.co.uk) by Sunday 28th April 2024. If we receive more applications than there are vacancies, a secret ballot will be carried out. We will inform you closer to the time if we have to do this.

    If you have any queries about this process or would like to find out more about the role, please contact the Governance Professional on the email address shown above.

    Yours sincerely,

    Mr M Guest

    Director of Innovation & Systems

    PolyMAT

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  • The Big Easter Raffle - The winners are announced!

    Published 28/03/24

    The Big Easter Raffle at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys - The winners are announced!

    The student council expresses their thanks and gratitude to everyone who participated in the Big Easter Raffle, it was a huge success and created such a buzz around school.

    Together as a school community, we raised an amazing £205 through raffle ticket sales and received numerous chocolate egg donations from our families.

    The winners are:
    Winner: Harley - Year 7 - Well done!

    Runners-up who have won Easter eggs:
    Ms J Prescott
    Nicholas - Year 8
    Alex - Year 8

    Thank you to everyone who helped to organise the raffle and to everyone who donated their money for such a worthy cause.

    Our school's student council coordinator will be delivering the Easter eggs, along with all the funds raised, to the Safari children's ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital later this afternoon!


    #woolwichpolytechnic #schoolcouncil #woolwichpoly #fundraising #polymatschools #Polymat #Queenelizabethhospital #safarichildrensward

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  • FREE Things to do in Greenwich this Easter half-term

    Published 27/03/24

    Please find below a list of useful links for free events and activities for the upcoming Easter half term break locally:

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  • Free hat-making workshops to support and raise awareness for Brain Tumour Research

    Published 26/03/24

    Free hat-making workshops to support and raise awareness for Brain Tumour Research

    Across the last two weeks, we have held free hat-making workshops for Year 7 and 8 students in preparation for Wear a Hat Day for Brain Tumour Research, which is taking place on Thursday, 28th March 2024.

    The students involved have been so creative in transforming their white blank canvas baseball hats with different designs and motifs using paints, fabric pens, stickers, and even diamante gems!

    These workshops have been wonderful, and the students have really enjoyed this project.

    We are looking forward to seeing everyone wearing their hats on Thursday.

    #WearAHatDay #wearahatday2024 #BrainTumourResearch #woolwichpolytechnic #woolwichpoly #polymatschools #Polymat #thamesmead #greenwich

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  • Spotlight on...Year 7 Science

    Published 25/03/24

    On Friday, March 22nd, Year 7 science students were conducting various experiments during their morning lesson. Amongst them, Year 7 students Promise and Toni were calculating rates of combustion.

     

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  • Kooth wellbeing service for students - Easter

    Published 22/03/24

    As we approach the Easter holidays, we would like to remind you that Kooth will be available for students to access throughout the Easter period.

    To remind you, Kooth is a free online mental health and wellbeing service available to all young people in Greenwich aged 10-25.

    At Kooth, we offer free support with no waiting lists. Kooth is a safe and anonymous space for young people to talk about their wellbeing without the fear of judgement. We have clinical practitioners on hand to offer one-to-one support through text-based counselling, operating after school hours, on weekends, and during school holidays. Your students can access the immediate help they need without a formal referral.

    Also, a reminder that for education staff we have our upcoming KoothTalks webinar on overcoming mental health stigma in the Muslim community. This topic is particularly important in ensuring all students receive the support they need, with anxiety, depression, and stress being prevalent issues among young Muslims (University of East London, 2021). Secure your spot by registering here. If you've already signed up or plan to do so, please expect the Zoom link one day before the session.

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