Year 8 Welcome Back Letter 2024

April 2024

Dear Parent,
I hope that you and your family have enjoyed a restful and relaxing Easter and I look forward to a busy and productive Summer term. I want to thank you for your support with the Lenten fundraising across the year group with the money raised from their efforts being used to support the most vulnerable in our society. It is just one of the examples of our students living out our College virtues of Kindness and Giving.

As our children continue to navigate an increasingly digital world, the challenge for all of us as parents, carers and teachers is to ensure that our children are safe in their use and exposure to online social media platforms. Please continue to monitor your child’s use of the internet and social media. I would also ask you to discuss with them what is and isn’t appropriate to share online. If you have any concerns about this, please contact us for advice on how to proceed. The website,
www.thinkuknow.co.uk , contains lots of practical advice about staying safe online. This also links into recent studies from the US recommending that teenagers aim to restrict screen time to 2 hours per day, ensure that they have 9 – 11 hours of sleep each night and engage in physical activity for approximately an hour a day.

I would also like to thank you for your ongoing support of our uniform policy. Uniform is a way of showing that you and your child support the ethos and values of the College. We aim to instil in our students that dressing in a professional and tidy manner is necessary to build good habits for future studies and employment.

Can I also enlist your support in ensuring that your child arrives to school with the correct equipment for learning, such as a fully stocked pencil case. If your child has a habit of misplacing pens, pencils etc, please consider buying in bulk so that they can top up at home every day before school.

With the improved weather, please ensure that your child brings a water bottle to school that they can refill during break and lunchtimes.
The summer term is always busy and this year is no exception.

Please note the following dates:

  • Thursday 2 May – Pastoral Planning Afternoon – Students leave at 1.35pm
  • Monday 6 May – Bank Holiday
  • Friday 24 May – Students finish for half term
  • Monday 3 June – Students return
  • Wednesday 5 June – Year 8 HPV vaccinations
  • Wednesday 3 July – curriculum Planning afternoon – Students leave at 1.35pm
  • Tuesday 9 July – Sports Day (provisional)
  • Friday 12 July – Personal Development Day
  • Friday 19 July – End of Term – Students leave at 12.30pm

Please continue to contact myself or your child’s form tutor if you are concerned with any aspect of College life.

Yours sincerely,

Mr C M Taylor
Head of Year 8