Dear Parents/Carers,

As you are aware, we have been using a new student absence reporting system called Studybugs.  This system is quick and easy to use. 

The student absent telephone line will cease to be operative on Wednesday 20 December 2023 at the end of the school day. 

From 04 January 2024,  the only way you will be able to inform the school of your child’s absence will be via Studybugs.  If you have not signed up to Studybugs, please do so before the 04 January 2024, using the following link: https://studybugs.com/about/parents

Thank you for your support.

There is lots of support available in Greenwich this winter including:

Household Support Grant

Vital financial support will be available for eligible families across Royal Greenwich this winter, as the Royal Borough of Greenwich steps up to help those who are struggling. Using money from the Government’s Household Support Grant, we will be supporting a number of schemes throughout December, until March, to ensure our residents stay warm, well and safe. 

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/200244/benefits_and_financial_help/2336/household_support_grant

Stay warm

It's important to keep yourself and your home warm in winter. Cold weather can cause health problems such as breathing problems, strokes or heart attacks. Being able to afford to heat your home in winter can be a real worry, but there's help available. The Royal Borough of Greenwich is providing extra services and support for residents who may be at risk during the cold weather. Residents who are over 60, caring for a young or vulnerable person or having problems paying their winter fuel bills could be eligible for support from Stay Warm Stay Safe.

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/staywarm

Look after your mental wellbeing

Winter can be a difficult time for lots of us. The cold weather and dark evenings can take their toll, and, whether or not it's part of your life, Christmas can bring up some tricky feelings and affect your mental health. But there are things we can all do to look after ourselves and loved ones. It's okay to ask for help, and lots of support is available.

https://livewellgreenwich.org.uk/lookafteryou/

For young people’s mental health: https://livewellgreenwich.org.uk/young-people/

Look after your body

Moving more is easier than you think. It can be easy to fall out of the routine of keeping active as the weather gets colder, but if you build it into your daily routine, you'll be moving more without even realising! Although some may still feel anxious about going outside, going for a short walk in the fresh air can make both your body and mind feel good.

https://greenwichgetactive.com/

Eating well for less

If the cost of food is putting you off eating well, here are 20 top tips on: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/20-tips-to-eat-well-for-less/

If you're struggling to afford to eat, call Live Well Greenwich on 0800 470 4831 to speak to a friendly advisor today. They will be able to organise support either through the https://greenwich.foodbank.org.uk/get-help/, a food club or to access the Emergency Support Scheme.

For updates around food, and support and advice to eat well, visit https://www.goodfoodingreenwich.org/

Holiday meals

During school holidays, Royal Borough of Greenwich provides food at a range of locations across the borough.

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/200234/children_young_people_and_families/2108/holiday_meals_for_kids

Holiday Food and Fun 

This winter, we're funding free holiday club spaces for eligible children and young people. If your child is aged between 4 and 16, and receives or is eligible for free school meals, they can claim a spot at one of our participating clubs. Every club will provide a filling meal each day too, so parents and carers don’t have to worry about what to do with the little ones. 
 
All programmes will have places for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/holidayfoodandfun

 

Support for children and young people

Young Greenwich

Young Greenwich offers local children and young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND), the opportunity to attend youth hubs and take part in free or affordable activities, trips and classes in a fun, safe and welcoming environment outside of school.

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/200235/youth_support/2257/young_greenwich

Children's Centres

Children’s Centres offer Mums, Dads children and families help and advice, family support and parental outreach and children and family health services.

https://livewellgreenwich.org.uk/livingwell/childrens-centres/

Families Information Service and Local Offer 

The Families Information Service offers help and advice on a range of issues that affect you and your family.  You can also find information, advice and a range of support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) on our Local Offer. 

https://www.greenwichcommunitydirectory.org.uk/kb5/greenwich/directory/home.page

 

Bexley’s Winter Holiday Activities and Food Programme

As part of the government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, Bexley is providing enjoyable activities and healthy food to school-age children and young people from Reception to Year 11.

Between Wednesday 20 December and Friday 5 January, Bexley’s Winter HAF Programme will offer children and young people lots of exciting ways to keep active, being creative and trying something new during the winter holidays. The programme will include a variety of fun activities, including sports, food-making activities, arts and crafts, computer coding, confidence-building sessions and CV writing, and other exciting opportunities to learn and develop new skills, alongside a nutritious meal each day.

Places are funded for those who receive benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM) and attend a school in Bexley. Paid for places are also available for those not eligible for the funded places.

https://www.bexley.gov.uk/news/bexleys-winter-holiday-activities-and-food-programme

The Money Saving Expert website has lots of tips and advice around money, including cards and loans, household bills, mortgages, insurance, budgeting and savings.  You can also sign up for the free weekly email which contains lots of money tips. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

Tellmi is a safe, anonymous app where you can talk about absolutely anything. From anxiety to autism, dating to depression, or self-harm to self-esteem, sharing your experiences with our awesome community helps you to feel better. Our moderators check everything to keep you safe, and our in-house counsellors are always on hand if you need extra support.

https://www.tellmi.help/

 

Dear Parents/Carers,

Since Monday we have taken guidance from a number of professional agencies. We would like to share this information from the Education Psychologist Team at the Local Authority, we hope that it helps.

Please contact us if your child needs more support. We have a wide variety of support in our counselling service.

Click to download the Relaxation Techniques Booklet

Click to download the Advice for Parents/Carers Booklet

Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys proudly supporting Christmas Jumper Day 2023!

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are excited to announce that Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys will be participating in this year's Christmas Jumper Day on Friday, December 8th in support of the charity Save the Children. Our school has been an active supporter of this event for several years.

Save the Children's annual Christmas Jumper Day raises money for children in need, and has already raised over £35 million since it was launched in 2012. We encourage all staff and students to wear their favourite Christmas jumper on Friday 8th December. Students must still wear their full school uniform, but with the addition of a Christmas Jumper. Please note that trainers, hoodies, or hats are not permitted.

To participate, staff members can donate £1, but we are not asking for student donations for this particular event. Any donations should be handed into Reception.

Throughout the week, we will share information with students on the significance of supporting this cause and participating in the event. Let's come together to make this year's Christmas Jumper Day one to remember and help make a real difference in children's lives.

We will be sharing our activities and photos on the school website and social media platforms. We hope that you will support us in our promotion of such an important charity.

Dear Parents/Carers,

We are writing to remind you that on Tuesday 19th December we are holding our Academic Review Day. On this day the school will be closed for lessons and all students and their parents/carers will be expected to come to the review day to see form tutors.  Attendance at the review day will constitute attendance at school for the day.  You will be able to book an appointment between 11.00am to 1.00pm and 1.30pm to 3.20pm.

Appointment bookings should be made via Bromcom MCAS.

You can find guidance on how to do this at the website link below.

https://docs.bromcom.com/knowledge-base/how-to-book-parents-evening-appointments-using-mcas/

On arrival at the school, you will be able to collect your child’s report which shows progress made this term and will be used as a basis to set targets for them for the future.

As you are aware, parking availability in the roads around the school is very limited and local traffic enforcement officers are likely to penalise those parked illegally.  You are encouraged to park in the local retail stores’ car parks and walk to school from there.

T Lawrence

Head of School                                

Celebrating Key Stage 4 & 5 Achievements at Prize Giving

Thursday 30th November 2023

It was a joy to welcome so many students, parents, carers, and staff to our prize giving evening. It was an evening to acknowledge what has been a highly successful year, despite the challenges presented by the recent educational landscape. Our students have demonstrated tenacity, resilience, and pride, which has led to remarkable achievements.

The 2023 results show that we have achieved a new level of success. A higher number of students passed in English and Maths than the previous year, and 90% of our Year 13s secured places in universities, including the prestigious Oxford and Russell Group. Our vision is "Success for Everyone," which encompasses our students, staff, parents/carers, and the wider community. Our students' triumphs enrich the community with hope, founded in the proof of their realised ambitions.

Prize Giving is an opportunity to celebrate a milestone in life. Each of the students who received a commendation has their own unique story of hard work, set-backs, and triumphs. We celebrated all the students' successes and special awards, and we were honoured to welcome several special guests.

Cheavon Clarke, a British Olympic Boxer, addressed the audience and shared his journey from school to his success in boxing. Cheavon represented Jamaica in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and he later represented Team GB, winning a silver medal at the 2017 European Championships. Everyone was thrilled that he brought in the belt from when he won the IBF International Cruiserweight title. Cheavon is an advocate for his community and supports local and nationwide causes by utilising his success and platform. He has been recognised for his contributions by both GB Boxing and Kent Council, as well as being a Fight4Change Ambassador. He spoke about the importance of hard work, seizing opportunities with confidence and using failures as valuable lessons.

We also welcomed The Mayor of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Councillor Mr. Dominic Mbang. Cllr Mbang is a Specialist Renal Nurse and Specialist Discharge Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and has previously worked as a police officer. He spoke passionately about the importance of education and how wonderful our schools in Greenwich truly are. Cllr Mbang also spoke about the two charities that he will be supporting this year, the Stroke Association and the Javan Coker Foundation.

Dr. Donald Palmer, Associate Professor of Immunology at the Royal Veterinary College was our last guest speaker of the evening. With over 45 scientific publications, Dr. Palmer is a leading researcher in the field of ageing of the immune system. He specialises in studying cellular and molecular interactions in T cell development, using advanced technologies such as antibody phage display to identify cell surface structures on tumours. In addition to his impressive research, Dr. Palmer is also a passionate educator. Dr. Palmer also shared in his speech about his upbringing in South London, where he was born and raised by parents who emigrated from Jamaica. Before joining RVC, Dr. Palmer completed his PhD at King's College London, followed by two postdoctoral fellowships at Cancer Research UK and Imperial College. He is also an Editorial Advisory Board member for Immunology News and a member of the British Society for Research on Ageing.

‘Thank you for your support over these formative years and again for attending the evening to share in the considerable success your children have achieved. To you, students, I acknowledge your trials, and I am in awe of your considerable accomplishments. I know that this admiration is shared by all our staff, as staff that care deeply about your personal and academic development. Revel in this milestone. You deserve it. Let it be just one of many more glorious milestones to come!’

Mr T Lawrence - Head of School