Dear Parent/Carer,

You will no doubt be aware that there are a number of ongoing industrial disputes taking
place between various trade unions and UK and Welsh Governments. This industrial action
has now extended to some education unions. One of these unions, The National Education
Union (NEU), has called for strike action by their members on the following dates:

• Wednesday 1st February 2023
• Tuesday 14th February 2023
• Wednesday 15th March 2023
• Thursday 16th March 2023

In our school we have staff who are members of the NEU and we will therefore be affected
by this strike action. As a result of this, we have had to carefully consider the implications for
us in terms of whether or not we are able to open to learners on the days of strike action.
These implications are primarily linked to health and safety and the number of staff we know
will be in school, in relation to the number of learners and classes that need to be taught
each lesson. We also need to consider the supervision and safety of learners at break and
lunch times of course.

Regrettably, I have to inform you that having carefully considered all factors relating to this
situation, we will be unable to open for learners on Wednesday 1st February 2023.
Learners should therefore not attend school on this date. This decision has been made
in line with guidance from the Government, our Local Authority and from HR advisors. A
decision regarding the remaining dates of industrial action will be made in due course and I
will notify you of these decisions as far in advance of those days as possible.

In communicating this to you I would ask that you are mindful that schools must adhere to
very clear legal guidance and regulations on what can and cannot be done in order to
manage or reduce the impact of strike action. For example, we are not allowed to:

• Know in advance of a ‘strike day’ the identity or number of staff who will be
participating in the industrial action
• Use staff from recruitment agencies to ‘cover’ for striking staff
• Ask school staff who are not involved in the industrial action to ‘cover’ for striking
colleagues or to provide work for their classes
• Combine classes to enable one member of staff to supervise larger groups

We also have to consider anticipated ‘normal’ levels of staff absence on the day of industrial
action. At this point, we also do not know how many non-striking staff may be unavailable for
work due to childcare issues caused by the closure of their own child’s school.

Please be assured that the industrial dispute leading to this strike action is a result of an ongoing dispute with Government and is not as a result of any issues relating to our school specifically. We will continue to work closely with our Local Authority and trade unions in order to keep you fully aware of the ongoing situation relating to any further industrial action.

In the meantime, I am sorry that you will have to make alternative arrangements for your child on this day and understand that this situation may be frustrating for you. However, I would also ask for your understanding and support as we do our utmost to manage this challenging situation as effectively as possible. Staff who are not involved in the industrial action will be in school as normal on the strike day, undertaking work to further improve the quality of our holistic provision for your child.

Please find links below to a wide range of online learning that your child can engage in during the day of industrial action.

https://lliswerryhigh.org/learners/links/

https://lliswerryhigh.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Skills-Websites-for-Learners-LHS.pdf

Learners have school logins for the following:

https://hegartymaths.com/

https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/

www.linguascope.com – Welsh/French/Spanish
username: lliswerry
password: langtime

If you have any further queries regarding this matter please e-mail us at admin@lliswerryhigh.org

Yours sincerely,
Mr N Davies
Headteacher

Tickets to see our creative and ambitious learners perform are now on sale.

Tickets can be bought from our school finance office or ParentPay.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Dear Parent/Carer,

Year 11 Progress Evening – Online Appointment Booking

I would like to invite you to attend our Year 11 progress evening on Thursday 9^th February 2023.

The school is using an intuitive and easy to use online appointment booking system. This allows you to choose your own appointment time with your child’s subject teachers and receive an email confirming your appointment(s) to discuss their progress and how best to support them in year 11. Any feedback on this system is welcome.

Appointments can be made from Saturday 21^st January 2023 and will close on the Wednesday 8^th February 2023 Should you wish to make any changes after this date please contact the school office.

Please visit https://lliswerryhigh.parentseveningsystem.co.uk to book your appointments. (A short guide on how to add appointments is linked below.) Login with the following information:

Student’s First Name
Student’s Surname
Date of Birth (your childs date of birth)

If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the school office who will be happy to add appointments on your behalf.

Yours sincerely

Mr S Marshall
Head of Key Stage 4

Newport City Council is asking members of the public to give their views on the draft budget and mid-term financial plan for 2023/24.

The survey is available at https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=167095443126 Deadline 2^nd February 2023.

Further information about where the council’s funding comes from and the general budget challenge is available on the budget webpage. 

Dear Parent/Carer,

You will undoubtedly be aware from the media of concerns around Strep A cases and we are mindful of the anxiety this can understandably cause. To advise and reassure you on this matter, please see the information from Aneurin Bevan Health Board below.

‘The Health Board is aware of increased public anxiety with regards to recent media reports on rare complications of Strep A in children.

We are asking parents and carers to view official advice from Public Health Wales, which can be found at www.phw.nhs.wales/news/igas-infection-remains-rare-say-public-health-experts/

Complications of Strep A are extremely rare and there are lots of viruses circulating at the moment, which may give children a sore throat. We are urging people not to worry unnecessarily – please read the Public Health advice or use the online 111 symptom checker before seeking medical attention. 

Consultant in Adult and Paediatric Emergency Medicine at The Grange University Hospital, Dr Rob Stafford, said: “We know there are a lot of parents and carers who are anxious about Strep A at the moment, but I would urge people to stay calm. 

“The complications of Strep A that have caused a small number of deaths across the UK are extremely rare and parents are advised to be vigilant and only seek healthcare if their child displays symptoms that might suggest a review by a health professional is needed. The symptoms to look out for are: a high temperature above 38°C, severe muscle aches, localised muscle tenderness, and redness at the site of a wound.

“There are many other illnesses circulating at the moment, many of which cause sore throats and cold symptoms in children. This should be managed at home with paracetamol and ibuprofen products.

“If your child does not have the symptoms that might suggest Strep A, listed above, then there is no need to seek a swab test or to see a medical professional.

“It is particularly important that parents avoid taking their children to the Emergency Department at The Grange University Hospital unless absolutely necessary to ensure those children who are seriously ill can be seen and treated quickly.”

Parents and carers are being advised to contact their GP or call 111 if they think their child has any of the signs and symptoms of Scarlett Fever or iGAS disease.’

From our perspective as a school, we would ask that you follow the normal procedure of not sending your child to school if they are unwell, including if they have a sore throat. Please do contact us to let us know if your child is going to be absent and to explain the reason why.

Best wishes,

N Davies

Headteacher
Lliswerry High School

Dear Parents and Carers,

Did you or someone you know attend Lliswerry High School? We would value your help to inspire current learners to become more confident, motivated, and inspired about their future careers. 

There is extensive research highlighting the benefits to learners of employer role model engagement in schools.  In their 2019 research, Insights, and Inspiration; Exploring the Impact of Guest Speakers in Schools, the charity Education and Employers reported: 

* 91% of learners surveyed reported increased levels of motivation, understanding of careers and self-belief after listening to employer guest speakers. 
* 88% of learners said they were helped to understand that everyone needs to overcome setbacks in pursuit of their career goals. 
* Learners who could not recall any encounters with employers were 5 times more likely to believe that their background held them back from achieving their ambitions.
* Free school meal (FSM) students typically benefitted more than non-FSM students 

Research also shows that engagement with employer role models who attended the same school, and experienced similar barriers to current learners, is even more valuable. 

By becoming part of the ‘alumni community’ at Lliswerry High School and depending on the amount of time you would like to commit, you can support the school and its learners in a range of ways:               

* Give a talk to a small group of learners about your career or your industry 
* Deliver a presentation to a large group of learners or at open days or special events 
* Host a visit for a group of learners to your workplace 
* Join a lesson in a specific subject to talk about how the subject is relevant to your work 
* Host a work experience placement for a learner at your workplace 
* Film a vlog about your experiences of school and your career to date 
* Attend mock interviews or support a Careers Fayre 

 Register your interest here – [EN] Community Alumni 

If you would like to find out more, please contact Heidi Purnell 07890 274901 – Heidi.Purnell@careerswales.gov.wales 

Best wishes,

Mrs L Evans
Senior Assistant Headteacher

The timetable of After school and Lunchtime clubs have gone live on Google Classrooms, along with a link to a Google Form for learners to sign up to the clubs they wish to attend.  The sports based clubs will continue as normal when we return to school on the 7^th November.  Our new clubs for the half-term will commence w/c 14^th November.  Learners will receive more information about the specific clubs on Friday 11^th November via their school email.