Click to download the Proposal to change the timings of the school day letter

Re: Proposal to change the timings of the school day

26^th February 2024

Dear neighbours,

I am writing to you to consult you on the proposed changes to the school day at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys.

The reason for this proposed change is to ensure that students can safely access transport to and from school whilst we expand our sixth form numbers from around 380 to approximately 490 students in September 2024 and up to 620 students in September 2025.

We are aware from our own monitoring that public transport frequency is not adequate to meet the demands of two adjacent full schools finishing at similar times, resulting in long waits for students and congested bus stops. We are also aware that buses are often full when students try to access them on their way to school from the Plumstead area, leading to lateness.

We believe that the following changes are necessary to ensure safer dismissal of students as well as easier transport to school in the mornings.

For Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys, the years 7-11 changes can be summarised as:

• 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;
• We will continue to meet the minimum length that the Department of Education requires of 32.5 hours per week.

Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls, our sister school right next door, intends to start at 8.15am and finish by 14:55pm, creating a 25-minute gap between both schools’ start times and a 30-minute gap between finishing times. This difference in start and finish times will make students’ access to public transport significantly easier and safer, both to and from school.

For years 12 and 13, the same start time applies 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. This is also intended to relieve more pressure on public transport as our sixth form numbers grow to ensure safe dismissal of our students at the end of the day.

Should these changes be approved, they would come into effect from 2^nd September 2024. 

If you would like to give your own feedback on this proposal, then please email us at consultation@woolwichpolyboys.co.uk by Friday 29^th March 2024.

We will release the results of the consultation by Friday 3^rd May 2024 via our website and the final decision will be made at that point.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. T. Lawrence
Head of School
Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys

Click to download the Royal Borough of Greenwich Attendance Letter February 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

I trust this letter finds you well and that your children have enjoyed the half term break and are settling into the new term, with enthusiasm and a desire to learn.

As we head into this new term, I would like to emphasise the importance of good attendance at school. While some children face occasional illnesses or barriers to attending school, maintaining regular attendance is key to ensuring they receive the education and support they need to thrive.

Why is good attendance so important?

1. Learning Consistency: Regular attendance ensures that your child can consistently engage with their teachers and peers, contributing to better learning outcomes.
2. Social Development: School provides a vital environment for children to develop socially, build relationships, and develop interpersonal skills. Missing school can disrupt this crucial aspect of their growth.
3. Academic Progress: Absenteeism can result in missing out on key learning experiences and valuable classroom activities, potentially leading to gaps in your child's knowledge. There is documented data on the correlation between absences, academic achievement and lifelong outcomes.
4. Preparation for the Future: Regular attendance helps your child build a strong work ethic, which is essential for their future endeavours.
5. Sanctions for irregular school attendance. As well as the impact on your children, parents and care givers can face sanctions for not ensuring their children’s regular school attendance. Action, we strive to avoid.

We understand that there can be challenges to ensuring regular school attendance and we are committed to supporting parents/care givers and children to enable regular school attendance. Each school is committed to:

• Providing a clear Attendance Policy, clarifying the school rules regarding attendance.
• Providing guidelines on when it is appropriate to keep a child home due to illness, and when it is safe for them to attend school.
• Supporting with health and well-being concerns; Parents are encouraged to communicate any health concerns promptly. Parents are encouraged to communicate any other issues that are impacting on their ability to ensure regular school attendance, so that supportive measures can be put into place, via school resources, signposting and/or involving or referring to support agencies.
• Schools will work on and review strategies to build the resilience of their students, equipping them to adapt to challenges that may arise during their school journey.

The Local Authority, School staff and teachers are committed to providing the best educational experience for your children. We believe that by working together with parents and care givers, we can create a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment that will enable your child to succeed.

With your support and collaboration in encouraging your children’s good attendance, we can endeavour to ensure they make the most of their learning opportunities and lifelong outcomes.

Kind regards

Florence Kroll Director of Children’s Service

LGBT+ History Month

Claiming our past – Celebrating our present – Creating our future

LGBT+ History Month is for everyone; whether you work in education, a museum, a library or an art gallery, a business, a service, or are a member of a network/social group or an individual.

It is celebrated every February across the UK and was founded in 2004 by Schools OUT UK  co-chairs, Paul Patrick & Professor Emeritus Sue  Sanders. It was first celebrated in February 2005.

For so long LGBT+ people’s history was hidden, following the repeal of Section 28, UK LGBT+ History Month was created to:

• claim our past
• celebrate our present
• create our future

The UK 2024 LGBT+ History Month theme is:

Medicine – #UnderTheScope

The 2024 theme celebrates LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to the field of Medicine and Healthcare both historically and today.

We want to showcase the amazing work of LGBT+ staff across the NHS and in other healthcare settings, in providing healthcare, especially during the pandemic. Whilst still shining a light on the history of the LGBT+ community’s experience of receiving healthcare which has been extremely complicated leaving LGBT+ people still facing health inequalities even today.

Click to view the LGBT+ History Month 2024 Website

Careers in Science:

In our science department, we have assembled a display featuring a select group of individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of medicine. Thank you to Mr Maddox for putting this display together. 

Book recommendations in the Library:

Our wonderful librarian, Ms Griffiths has put together another fantastic display supporting LGBT+ History Month as well as a section of book recommendations that students can check out right now.

Afternoon Tea at Woolwich Town Hall with the Mayor of Greenwich and Councillor Lekau

In December, Councillor Lekau invited students at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys to design Christmas cards to be printed. She then met with the students in person to award prizes and showcase the winning designs. After the christmas break, the councillor invited the participating students to visit Woolwich Town Hall.

On Thursday 25th January, we took seven students from Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys on a short bus ride to the town hall, which serves as the home of Royal Greenwich's local government. Constructed in 1906 and opened by Will Crooks MP, the magnificent listed building reflects a rich history.

Upon arrival, Councillor Lekau led the students on a brief tour of the building, including the council chamber where the Mayor of Greenwich conducts meetings. The students had the chance to sit in various seats in the room, including the Mayor’s seat and even speak into the microphones.

Next, the group visited the Mayor's office, where they met with Councillor Dr. Dominic Mbang. The students introduced themselves and asked the Mayor questions about his role, including how he became the Mayor, what he does in his position, and how heavy his chain that he wears is. The students also discussed their own career aspirations. The day concluded with some wonderful refreshments and the Mayor and Councillor Lekau presented each student with a badge, a pin, and a bag of goodies.

The students thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful and informative afternoon. We are incredibly proud of these students and how fantastically they represented our school on this trip.

Message for current parent/carers

We are delighted to invite you to participate in a new annual survey in which we'll be giving you the opportunity to express your opinions on parent and carer engagement at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys, and your overall confidence in the school’s strategy.

To help us with this, we're working together with the Edurio survey platform. You will have received a link to this survey through your MCAS account. 

Surveys are completely anonymous and confidential, though the responses will be aggregated for the purpose of analysis.

The survey will be available until Friday 23rd February 2024, so please make sure to have your say and share your feedback over the next few weeks.

Your opinion and honesty are much appreciated.

If you have any questions or concerns please get in touch with Edurio at support@edurio.com

We look forward to your feedback!