Say hello to Leah, our school terrapin!

Leah is a yellow-bellied slider, or Trachemys scripta scripta, a species of turtle that thrives both on land and in water. Originally from the southeastern United States, specifically from Florida to southeastern Virginia, this species is now considered invasive, which means that Leah cannot be rehomed.

Donated to Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys by a former student many years ago, Leah is estimated to be around 25 years old. In the wild, yellow-bellied sliders can live over 30 years, while in captivity, their lifespan can exceed 40 years.

As omnivores, yellow-bellied sliders enjoy a diet of pond plants, vegetables, insects, and fish, although Leah’s favourite food is king prawns. As they grow older, 95% of their food intake comes from plants.

Leah resides peacefully in the school pond, located in a courtyard at the heart of the science classrooms, where she is lovingly cared for by our dedicated science technicians.

Leah will forever be a Woolwich Poly terrapin!

Click to download the Conclusion: Changing the timings of the school day letter pdf

3^rd May 2024

Dear Parents/Carers,

I am writing to you to inform you of the results of our consulted changes to the school day, coming into effect from September 2^nd 2024.

Feedback on this proposal has been overwhelmingly positive, and I can therefore summarise concluded changes below for years 7 to 11 at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys:

• A 10 minute later start time of 8.40am every day;
• A 15 minute later finish time of 3.20pm every day except Wednesday;
• A finish time of 2.40pm on Wednesdays which will include an afternoon registration;
• We will no longer need to have different finishing times in Week A and Week B, meaning that the finishing times above are consistent each week;
• The lengths of periods, break and lunch will not change;
• Interventions that we run after school will also start and finish 10 minutes later, normally from 3.20-3.50pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

For years 12 and 13, the same start time will apply but these students will not have afternoon registration, meaning that they will finish school at 3.05pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and at 2.30pm on Wednesdays at the latest.

The new school day timings will therefore be as follows:

Monday/ Tuesday/ Thursday/ Friday

	Start	Finish
AM registration	8:40am	9:05am
P1	9:05am	9:55am
P2	9:55am	10:45am
Break	10:45am	11:05am
P3	11:05am	11:55am
P4	11:55am	12:45pm
Lunch	12:45pm	1:25pm
P5	1:25pm	2:15pm
P6	2:15pm	3:05pm
PM registration Year 7-11 only	3:05pm	3:20pm

 

Wednesday

	Start	Finish
Personal Development	8:40am	9:20am
P1	9:20am	10:10am
P2	10:10am	11:00am
Break	11:00am	11:20am
P3	11.20am	12:10pm
P4	12:10pm	1:00pm
Lunch	1:00pm	1:40pm
P5	1:40pm	2:30pm
PM registration Year 7-11 only	2:30pm	2:40pm

Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls, our sister school right next door, will start at 8.15am and finish by 3.00pm, creating a 25-minute gap between both schools’ start times and a 30-minute gap between finishing times from September 2024 onwards.

I want to thank you for your engagement in our consultation process and hope that you agree that these new times will greatly benefit the smooth access and exit from our two schools.

 

Yours faithfully,

Mr. T. Lawrence

Headteacher

As it is hayfever season students are now likely to display symptoms of hayfever which include swollen red eyes, a runny nose, sneezing etc.

Please can all students who are known to suffer from hayfever be given antihistamine (cetirizine hydrochloride) each morning before they arrive at school. 

If you have not already done so, please ensure that you use the MCAS (My Child At School) app to provide parental consent for over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines, paracetamol, ibuprofen and strepsils.

Click here to view the NHS page for Hayfever

Click here to view our Medical & First Aid webpage which is updated regularly

 

Dear parents/carers,

This morning, Wednesday 24 April, we conducted searches of all students on entry to the school.

The school police sergeant and his team helped us conduct these searches, working alongside our staff.

This police-school collaboration is increasingly common amongst Greenwich secondary schools and is devised to maintain a safe community both within the site and also beyond in the local area.

Sergeant Geoff Warren said, “We have worked together with other Greenwich schools on operations similar to this. Today’s event was devised to keep children safe in school. I was so impressed with the staff professionalism and the patient cooperation and good manners of the students.”

I have been delighted with the students’ cooperation and the staff’s and police’s sensitive efficiency to ensure that this has also not impacted upon the learning of the school day.

I thank you for your understanding, and we will continue to search randomly and more systematically in the future as well.

Mr Lawrence

Headteacher

Erith Town vs. Snodland Town FC - Final Game of the Season Thursday 25th April 2024 at 7.45pm

Stanmore Stadium Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead, London SE28 8NJ

The final game of the regular league season against Snodland Town FC is this Thursday 25th April at 7:45pm. This may be a bit late for some, but we would be delighted to invite as many fans as we can to this game to celebrate the first season we have had at Bayliss Avenue.

As a thank you for your support this season, fans will have the chance to have photos taken with the SCEFL Challenge Cup and Kent Senior trophies that the club has won, as well as the club buying fans their first drink of the evening at the bar. There will also be half-time entertainment for any children to take part in, as well as the chance to meet and have photos with the players and management after the game. As always, any season ticket holders will get in FREE and any accompanying adults will get in at the reduced rate of just £5 instead of the usual £8.

Thank you again for your support this season. It has meant a lot to all of us at Erith Town FC, and we would not have been able to achieve what we have without you.

Click to view the Erith Town FC website for more details

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!