Dear Parents, Carers and Families,
Last week we met with three different groups of parents and carers to talk about some specific issues. I’ve written before about the fact that I always think face to face conversation is the best form of communication, that the modern world is set up for lots of communication but too little conversation. What follows below is a summary of some of the conversations we had. Again, thanks to the parents who freely gave up their time to take part. In feedback one parent wrote, “I am very grateful that you have engaged with parents and are valuing our opinions.” We do value all contributions and while not every parent or carer will feel happy with where we land, I hope that at least we can continue to engage positively with each other.
Independent Learning
Parents expressed that some students, particularly in Years 7 and 8, associate homework with punishment, leading to anxiety and negative attitudes toward learning. The use of online programmes was highlighted as problematic when they introduce content not yet taught in class, causing stress and encouraging students to guess answers just to complete tasks. Parents were also concerned that completion rates may be prioritised over genuine understanding. Additionally, the increasing reliance on screen time across a range of different online platforms raised concerns, especially regarding parents' ability to monitor homework effectively.
On a positive note, parents appreciated the approach taken in subjects like Art, where students work on extended projects that are celebrated and valued, as well as creative tasks in other subjects like History. In response, the school plans to provide termly curriculum overviews to help parents support their children’s learning, improve communication about the purpose and monitoring of some of the online homework, and offer staff training to ensure homework is meaningfully connected to classroom learning and clearly explained to students.
The feedback shared with us after the event suggests this area of school life contains the most varied views and from experience, it’s important for schools to continually engage in reflection on this issue.
SEND
Parents of children with special educational needs (SEND) were positive about the school, appreciating its clear and structured approach to supporting SEN students. The school's graduated approach to identifying SEND needs and then offering the appropriate support was understood and viewed favourably. A key reason many chose the school is the strength of its pastoral team, which provides consistent emotional and academic support. Communication is seen as a strong point, with parents feeling that their views were welcomed and considered, and that the school is open to discussions about SEN. There were some concerns about the consistency of support during staff absences with supply teachers. From experience, this is an issue in all schools as often the need to get supply staff in place swiftly limits the exchange of key information. Additionally, parents suggested that a review of Individual Learning Plans and clearer expectations for SEND students would help ensure that their needs are more effectively met throughout the school. The national picture around this area is of course almost unremittingly bleak in terms of funding. The government's current suggestions around EHCPs may impact on this but I think on a school level we can’t wait for central government to make changes and must try to be as responsive as we can to meet the needs of our students in the here and now.
Personal Development
Parents spoke warmly about how their children feel valued, safe, and happy at school, with one parent recalling how their daughter felt an immediate sense of belonging during the Year 6 Open Evening, describing real warmth from staff and students.
Communication through ClassCharts was praised, especially the personalised comments from staff, with some staff’s notes receiving particular appreciation. Parents also expressed interest in receiving more updates about the Personal Development curriculum, suggesting that advance notice of upcoming themes would help them support their children more effectively.
There were several suggestions for enhancing communication, including more personalised feedback and regular updates from Heads of Year about what’s happening in each year group. Parents were positive about letters from the Head and suggested adding a termly video message to complement written communication. They also appreciated the content of these letters and recommended including the rationale behind any changes made at school to help families understand the reasons behind them.
Parents suggested celebrating a wider range of student successes, not just academic high achievers, and proposed holding Parents Evening earlier in the year to help them understand how their child is settling into Year 7—perhaps through a ‘meet the tutor’ event or video.
In Conclusion
The above should give a flavour of what was discussed. In the feedback one parent suggested we should hold these events on a monthly basis. From an operational standpoint that’s not really a possibility, but we do remain committed to working in partnership with all our community and I would hope over time this will be evident in how people see the school evolving.
And on a personal note...
I'm not from the North East and not a football obsessive, but my mum's family were all from Wingate and her dad, my Granddad Alf, has his name on a wall at the Stadium of Light. As the son of a local miner, he was particularly proud of the fact that I went to Durham University. This weekend I'll think of him when the Black Cats take to the Wembley pitch and also be wishing them all the best for the joy and delight it will bring to many in our community.
Many thanks for your continued support of the school; I hope you all have a good half term break.
Michael Wright
Headteacher
Training Update
Departments met this week to look at practical strategies to support students with speech and communication difficulties within their specific subject areas.
May Half Term GCSE Revision Sessions
There are two revision sessions in school during half term. GCSE English Language preparation on Tuesday 27th May in A Block between 9.30-11.30am and GCSE PE on Wednesday 28th May in the Sports Hall between 9.30am-12.30pm. Details have been shared via ClassCharts.
Key Stage 3 Assessment Week
The annual KS3 assessment week is the week beginning 2nd June, the first week back after May half term.
How can I support my child?
- Talk to your child about their assessments after they have had their assessment assembly.
- Help your child to be organised by looking at the dates of the assessments on ClassCharts and getting them to record it on their exam timetable.
- Encourage your child to make a revision plan following the steps in their revision booklet to alleviate stress.
- Actively help your child to revise by engaging in the ‘How to Revise’ tutorials which will be made available to you via ClassCharts.
Ms Lutynski, Assistant Headteacher
Puggle Chat
I shared this information regarding a website called ‘Puggle Chat’ on ClassCharts this week but wanted to share it again in case anyone may have missed it.
Our filtering and monitoring support has informed us that some young people across the area have been accessing a new website called Puggle Chat (puggle.chat) which invites users to chat anonymously with strangers online.
It purports to be for users aged 18+ only, but there is no age verification process, and its design choices suggest that it is marketed towards younger age groups. It promotes itself as a space for anonymous chat with zero censorship and a platform where users can develop long-term relationships with strangers.
Puggle Chat is NOT an app, so it DOES NOT require permission from a parent to download onto devices. We immediately blocked the website so it cannot be accessed through the school Wi-Fi.
We would urge you to please check your child's phones and other digital devices and add Puggle Chat (puggle.chat) to their blocked sites, if you can.
I would also like to take this opportunity to ask you to consider setting parental controls to disable access to certain sites and beyond certain times.
Please click here for guidance on setting up parental controls.
Year 11 Prom
With the Year 11 Prom just around the corner, I wanted to share some useful links to support families with the stress and financial cost of attending the Prom. Please see the links below that may be of interest.
Prom Alley
This charity has been established for several years now and they provide a free loan of prom dresses and suits to students across the UK who otherwise couldn't afford one. Prom Ally runs on a referral basis so if you would like to be referred by the school, please contact Mrs Burr for Year 11 students or Mrs Liddle for Year 13. Once the referral has been made, students can then order their dress or suit online like a regular online store. For quality purposes, every item is checked and freshly laundered before each loan, and whilst the loan of an outfit is free of charge, they do request £10.00 to cover the cost of delivery and return postage and packaging. However, compared with the hundreds of pounds some prom dresses can cost, this is affordable for most. You can find Prom Ally at https://www.promally.co.uk/
Prom at The Cowshed
Working in a similar way to the above Prom Ally and also on a referral basis, the Cowshed has a variety of prom dresses available which they can loan out. The Cowshed is a charity which provides appropriate clothing for a range of people. For example, they may support someone who is homeless with an outfit appropriate for a job interview etc. You can find out more here https://www.thecowshed.org/prom-the-cowshed-old/#:~:text=Prom%20at%20The%20Cowshed%20Old%20%7C%20The%20Cowshed
All Dressed Up
All Dressed Up is a not-for-profit project that gifts donated prom dresses to school students in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire that need them. To ensure the dresses reach those in most financial need, schools are contacted to invite young people to one of our pop-up shops. You can find more details here https://www.alldressedup.org.uk/ It is possible that there is a service similar to All Dressed Up in your area too, so please ask around.
Mrs Osborne, Director of Safeguarding
Departmental Spotlight – Music
During the week beginning 12th May we spent time in the Music department and enjoyed seeing the way in which students are trained and encouraged to think and act like real Musicians. In a Year 7 lesson, students were singing and practicing their C chord on ukelele to create a local cultural classic - their rendition of 'The Blaydon Races' and children learnt about the heritage of folk music in this region. One of the strengths of the Music department is of course its extra-curricular offering and students have opportunities to be involved in the String group and a Junior and Senior ensemble which culminate in the concerts that many of you have attended and enjoyed. The KS4 and KS5 students we spoke with really valued the opportunities they had been afforded through Music and spoke about how much time they spend composing and rehearsing. Students are exposed to the technical language of Music from the beginning of their school career and we saw Year 9 students starting to get to grips with composition software as well as Year 8 students evaluating the different techniques used.
Mrs Machin, Deputy Headteacher