Dear Parent/Carer

I would like to remind you all that non-school staff vehicles are prohibited from entering the school car park, especially during the start and end of the school day.

If you are dropping your children off please park on the main road outside and away from the school gates themselves. A large number of our learners access the site either on foot or on bikes at this time of day and there is an increased risk of accidents with the traffic we are currently experiencing.

The school has CCTV covering the whole site and dangerous driving will be identified and reported as appropriate.

Access is only permitted to taxis or those parents/carers supporting learners with access issues.

Thank you for your understanding,

Julia Fitzgerald
Headteacher

Dear Parent/Carer,

As I will soon be stepping down as Headteacher of Lliswerry High School it was necessary to undertake a recruitment process in order to appoint our next Headteacher. This recruitment process took place over the course of the last month and was completed yesterday. It was extremely rigorous and the final stage involved members of the school’s Governing Body, staff, learners, senior Local Authority officers and the Deputy Director of the Education Advisory Service.

As a result of this process, I am extremely pleased to inform you that Miss Julia Fitzgerald has been successful in her application and will take up her new role as Headteacher from January 1^st 2024. Miss Fitzgerald is already working in Lliswerry as Head of School of course and it is fantastic that we will have the continuity this brings as I hand over the Headship to her at the end of this term. This is an excellent appointment for our school, as I have no doubt whatsoever that Miss Fitzgerald will do an outstanding job on behalf of our learners, our staff and our community as a whole.

Best wishes,
N Davies
Executive Headteacher

Dear Parent/Carer,

As you know there are many benefits of social media when used responsibly, offering an easy way to communicate and connect with people and access to a wide variety of online material. However, as we also know, when used irresponsibly it can cause significant problems and potentially put children at risk from the actions of others. This is relevant both in and out of school of course.

It is important to stress that most of our learners use social media safely and responsibly. Unfortunately, we continue to have to respond to issues in school caused by the online activities of a small number of learners, which puts them or others at risk and can create significant issues in school.

One of the most common challenges schools face is when learners post unpleasant, insulting or offensive messages on social media or engage in what could constitute cyber bullying. Occasionally, a learner may also use social media to incite other learners to undertake unacceptable behaviour (in or out of school). Sometimes these messages are sent privately or in a closed group online, but then get shared beyond the intended recipients. Unfortunately, the repercussions of these actions then impact negatively in school and can cause serious incidents when the people involved are in the same environment.

Your support in helping us to address this is greatly appreciated. As a parent of two teenagers I understand the challenges around supporting your child’s online activities, in order to keep them safe and in monitoring their responsible use of social media. The Government and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) have useful guides and links for parents and carers to support with this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-online/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-parents-and-carers-to-keep-children-safe-online

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/social-media/

The UK Safer Internet Centre also provides helpful and practical advice at https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers

These links tend to focus more upon helping to ensure that your child does not become at risk from the actions of others online. However, we also appreciate your help in monitoring their responsible use of social media platforms. Thank you for your support and understanding with this matter. If you would like any further advice or support in relation to supporting online safety, please don’t hesitate to contact us on admin@lliswerryhigh.org

Best wishes,
N Davies
Headteacher

Dear Parent/Carer,

I am writing to inform you that after just over six years as Headteacher of Lliswerry High School I will be standing down from my position at the end of this term. The Local Authority and school staff are already aware of my intentions and I will be informing learners in assembly next week. Therefore, it is appropriate that I should also inform you at this point. The recruitment process for my successor is about to get underway and the intention is that the successful candidate will take up their role at the beginning of January 2024. This will also be the end of my current role as Executive Headteacher of both Lliswerry and Llanwern High Schools.

I know that whoever is appointed will be very fortunate, as throughout the achievements and the challenges of the past six and a bit years I have had the honour of working with fantastic staff, supportive Governors and wonderful learners. I am also grateful to parents and carers who have given so much support throughout this time.

During the recruitment process and remainder of this term we will ensure that we do not allow the Headteacher recruitment process to be a distraction and we will continue to strive for improvement in all areas. I will update you on the outcome of the recruitment process in due course.

Best wishes,

N Davies
Headteacher
Lliswerry High School