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

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 28^th 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

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

• Easter in Greenwich - Visit Greenwich
• Holiday Food and Fun Easter 2024 | Royal Borough of Greenwich (royalgreenwich.gov.uk)
• Easter Holidays: Ways into Drawing | Royal Museums Greenwich (rmg.co.uk)
• Peckham Levels Easter Egg Hunt Tickets, Sun, Apr 17, 2022 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite
• Easter at Greenwich Market | Greenwich Market
• Welcome Spring: Family Easter Holiday Events (3rd April 2024 - 12th April 2024) | Royal Borough of Greenwich (royalgreenwich.gov.uk)
• All events - IKEA Greenwich - IKEA
• Easter Fun - Easter Event in Woolwich, Greenwich - Visit Greenwich
• Easter holidays | Museum of London Docklands
• Easter Workshop | Woolwich Works
• Woolwich Family Film Club | Woolwich Works
• Free activities for kids in London - visitlondon.com
• School holiday activities - Thamesmead (thamesmeadnow.org.uk)
• Tump 53 half term open morning - Thamesmead (thamesmeadnow.org.uk)
• 5 FREE Activities for Kids in London during Easter 2024 - The Strings Club
• Events & Activities | Greenwich Centre Library | Better
• Events & Activities | Abbey Wood Library | Better Libraries
• Where kids can eat for free or £1 during the Easter holidays 2024 (prima.co.uk)
• Next month | Royal Borough of Greenwich (royalgreenwich.gov.uk)
• Lesnes Abbey Easter Festival - Lesnes Abbey Woods
• Easter Dinosaur Egg Hunt - Lesnes Abbey Woods
• Easter Fun with the Rabbit Run — Enjoy Bexleyheath
• Anatomical presents: The Buildy-uppy Dance Show | What's on | Tramshed
• Youth Unity Hub at the Moorings - Thamesmead (thamesmeadnow.org.uk)
• Thrive Youth Club - Thamesmead (thamesmeadnow.org.uk)
• Calendar - Young Greenwich Youth Services (young-greenwich.org.uk)
• Search for services | Greenwich Community Directory

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.

 

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.

Under 16s go FREE Saturday 23rd March - Erith Town FC vs Whitstable Town FC match at Stanmore Stadium - Sporting Club Thamesmead at 3pm

This weekend is Non-League Day, a fixture every season where the non-league pyramid is highlighted and fans are actively encouraged to go to grassroots games due to the international break for professional teams.

This weekend Erith Town FC are playing Whitstable Town, a huge fixture for both clubs. Part of this day would see fans getting in for a reduced rate, as well as FREE ENTRY for anyone under the age of 16.

Recent games involving Community Partners have seen fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable atmospheres, and plenty of activities before and during the game for all the youngsters who come along to take part in.

See the attached poster for further information:

Non-League Day is Hudson’s Day! – Erith Town FC

Erith Town FC vs. Whitstable Town – Erith Town FC