As we start the new school year, we’d like to remind our learners about safety to and from school.

Whilst not every stranger is a threat of course, please speak with your child once again about the potential dangers a stranger could pose and about their safety to and from school.

Advise them not to walk on their own wherever possible and especially if it is dark. If your child feels threatened in any way whilst making their way to or from school (or outside of those times of course), they should call 999 and inform the police immediately.

The Schoolbeat.cymru website has advice on advising your child about ‘stranger danger’ (and many other topics also) https://schoolbeat.cymru/en/parents/know-what-could-affect-your-child/personal-safety/what-you-need-to-know/stranger-danger/

Mrs J Bartley
Acting Senior Assistant Headteacher

Dear Parent/Carer,

I hope you had an enjoyable summer and I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome you back to a new autumn school term. I’d also like to update you on a few things as we start back:

RAAC

You may be aware from the media that concerns have been raised about the safety of ‘reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete’ (RAAC), that has been used in the construction industry in the past. Based on current information, Newport City Council does not believe this issue affects its estate and that includes Lliswerry High School of course. Work has been undertaken in many schools across the city in recent years and RAAC has not been detected. However, the local authority will be fully cooperating with the Welsh Government’s decision to survey all schools and colleges. The local authority want to reassure parents, staff and service users that there are no immediate concerns, but if the further surveys do raise any potential issues, action will be taken as a priority.

Uniform

We are aware that there is a need to review our school uniform policy and the Governing Body will commence this process this term. This review will also consider our uniform expectations in warmer weather. We will consult with learners, parents and carers regarding any potential changes and should there be any changes they will be implemented with plenty of notice and as sensitively as possible in respect of cost. We will update you in due course regarding our school uniform review as we move forward. In the meantime, please remember that our pre-loved uniform shop will be available for you to access should you wish to do so. To access our pre-loved uniform shop, please make contact with our Family Engagement Officer (Mrs Natalie Davies) via email at DaviesN857@Newportschools.wales, who will be able to support you further.

Parent/Carer Communication and Conduct

Firstly, I would like to emphasise that most of our parents/carers are fantastic in their support for the school and in the reasonable and polite way that they raise any concerns they may have. However, last year saw an increase in the incidents of verbal and physical aggression/abuse towards school staff by a small number of parents/carers. This has already happened once again this week on two separate occasions. This is incredibly saddening and something I’m sure you would agree is absolutely unacceptable. It is now standard protocol for us to report any incidents of aggression (verbal or physical) towards staff to the police. Further school action could also be taken such as restrictions on contacting school staff or ultimately being banned from school site altogether.  Ultimately, these things are a last resort and we will do all we can to avoid having to take these actions.  An ‘acceptable conduct’ policy for parent/carer interaction with school staff will be reviewed by our Governing Body next week and shared on our website following this. We value our communication with parents and carers and want to keep a two-way dialogue in place. However, as in places such as the NHS or in any other workplace, I’m sure you would agree that our staff should not be expected to tolerate abuse or to feel threatened or intimidated. Thank you for your understanding and support with this.

Attendance and Punctuality

Improving our whole school attendance and punctuality is a priority for us this year and we would like to thank you in advance for your support with this. Whilst we understand that sometimes learners will not be well enough to attend school, the attendance image below tells its own story in terms of the impact of absence upon learner progress.

High levels of attendance to school also gets learners into good ‘habits’ for when they enter the world of work. School starts at 8.30am and learners should be in their tutor rooms for that time. If you have any concerns or would like some support in relation to your child’s attendance or punctuality, please don’t hesitate to contact their Head of Year.

Parent/Carer – Senior Leader Meetings

Last term we started our meetings between parents/carers and senior school leaders. These meetings were very constructive and helped greatly in developing a two-way understanding of the positives and any areas of concern for parents. It was also a great opportunity for ideas to be shared on future improvements in school. We are committed to continuing these meetings this year once again. Talking of positives……

Positives

I would like to finish by emphasising that it has already been a very positive start to the new term. Year 7 learners are settling in well and whilst having only been in school for two and a half days have already amassed a fantastic 4,275 positive behaviour points! Across the school our other year groups have contributed to a total of over 11,000 positive behaviour points in the overall total achieved by our learners so far. This is incredible considering Years 8 – 11 only returned to school yesterday. Please do discuss this with your child as (if they are like my own children) they may not tell you about the ‘positives’ they’ve been awarded this week so far! Please remember that you can also check your child’s ClassCharts entries, where their behaviour points are recorded. If you would like further information or support in doing this, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at admin@lliswerryhigh.org

Best wishes,
N Davies
Executive Headteacher

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

Dear Parents and Carers of Learners at Lliswerry High School

We want the best for all Newport children and young people and we would like to remind you of the importance of good attendance at school.

What is good attendance?

The recommendation from Welsh Government is that good attendance is at least 95% and we expect this of most children. Out of 365 days in a year, schools are open to pupils 190 days which allows 175 designated days for parents to take holidays, dental/medical appointments and other non-urgent appointments.

What are the advantages of good attendance?

Attending school has the benefit of:

* Keeping up with school work
* Ensuring that children meet their expected progress
* Meeting friends and learning and playing together
* Learning key skills needed for adult life such as regular attendance and arriving on time.

What are the consequences of poor attendance?

* Your child will fall behind in their learning and miss out on key concepts taught.
* Lack of social contact in school; difficulty in maintaining friendship groups.
* Low self-esteem and poor pupil well-being.
* Statistics show that poor attendance can be linked directly to low attainment in National tests.

Regular attendance is required by law. Following the pandemic, the Welsh Government has re-introduced the use of Fixed Penalty Notices for non-school attendance. Schools in Newport will resume their use of Fixed Penalty Notices to ensure children and young people are accessing their education. This can be issued for any absences not authorised by the school, including holidays. Newport City Council will issue these notices when concerns are raised by EWO, school or the police. The fine is £120 unless paid within 28 days when it is £60.

Contacts

If your child is absent for any reason, please contact the school to explain why.

If you need help and advice with any difficulties, contact the Education Welfare Service on 01633 210615 or email inclusionadmin.support@newport.gov.uk

[Read more…]

Dear Parent/Carer,

There have been no major changes to our school uniform policy, so please bear our uniform rules in mind when purchasing new uniform items over the summer. Trousers must not be skin tight or jean type and skirts should not be tight fitting and should be a maximum of 7cm above the knee. Currently the length of some girls’ skirts is not appropriate for school, however we have not asked parents/carers to purchase new skirts so close to the end of term. No leggings are to be worn. Please see the images below.

All learners must wear a Lliswerry High School blazer and should they be cold they can add a Lliswerry High School branded black jumper. This does not however replace the blazer. A school tie must also be worn at all times and footwear should be plain black.

The school PE kit remains the same and can be seen below.

Female – Compulsory –  Polo-shirt, either skort or shorts or leggings, and socks

Male – Compulsory –  T-shirt, shorts, and socks plus optional rugby jersey

All learners have the option of purchasing a hoodie as well as having their initials printed on their kit too (no names or nicknames). This would be at an additional change.

The only change in our uniform policy is around jewellery where, after listening to our learners, we now allow 1 small nose stud. Large hoop or dangling earrings, bars, nose rings or any other facial piercings are still not permitted.

The uniform policy is part of the school’s drive to raise standards and helps ensure that learners feel part of our school community and take pride in their appearance. Full details about the uniform  requirements can be found on the school website at https://lliswerryhigh.org/parents/uniform/.

From September, if a learner is not wearing correct and appropriate uniform, as per the school’s uniform policy, parents/carers will be expected to bring appropriate uniform items to school. If a learner persistently attends school in incorrect uniform, they may be placed in our Inclusion Room (IR). Obviously, we do not want either of these scenarios to happen, so we would ask that you work with us and support the school with this matter.

We appreciate that buying school uniform can be expensive. If the cost of school uniform is likely to be problematic for you, please do contact us on admin@lliswerryhigh.org or contact your child’s Head of Year so that we can assist you if possible. Many thanks for your support and understanding with this.

Yours sincerely

Mr D Jackson
Assistant Headteacher (Wellbeing, Inclusion and Equity)