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