Dear Parents and Carers,
We have been back in school for two weeks already and the Christmas break seems a distant memory. I hope that you all had a great holiday and that the new year brings you all that you wish for.
Sporting Events
It’s been a busy start to the Spring term and already groups of children have been Roller Racing, to indoor athletics and worked with the Middlesex Cricket Club. It’s great to see a range of different things taking place that go above and beyond the expectations of the National Curriculum offer. We are so fortunate to have Mr Oakley to not only deliver amazing lessons but to also organise the additional activities and events.
Smart Phones and Social Media
In previous newsletters I have written about the challenges and concerns that arise from primary aged children having smart phones and devices like tablets. Disappointingly, we have already had to deal with two incidents that have happened outside of school on social media, that have been brought into school. These incidents are all taking place on apps such as WhatsApp, Discord, SnapChat and the like, however these all have a minimum age restriction of 13+ years and so the children should not be on them anyway.
If your child already has a Smart phone or device please monitor the content of communications and the apps that are being used. Keep track of what apps your child is engaging with, use parental controls to limit access and regularly review their digital activity.
If you are thinking about giving your child a smart phone, you may wish to consider an alternative. If your child needs a telephone to contact you as they walk to and from school, many parents are now purchasing basic phones that can be used for calls, messages and simple games. If required, use a home PC, laptop or device for using apps. You can control this so much better, putting it in a central place at home and checking what your child is using it for.
If you haven’t seen this already, I would urge you to watch the following documentary that aired on Channel 4 over the holidays, Swiped: The School That Banned Smart Phones. This three-week experiment studied the horrifying effects of the content that children can access 24/7 on their smart phones. As a parent, the realisation that I gave my children smart phones and potentially access to absolutely everything on the World Wide Web was both frightening and concerning. This is an education for parents! Let me know your thoughts if you manage to watch it.
Please note that with the advances in technology, we now consider a smartwatch to have the same capabilities as a phone, and any brought in to school should be handed over to the class staff for the day, in the same way as a mobile phone.
Leave During Term Time
Schools are committed to improving attendance in line with Local Authority and Government priorities. There has been a decline in attendance since Covid and there is clear evidence of the detrimental impact that absences can have on children’s education and well-being.
Please be reminded that you should not be taking your child out of school during term time. In exceptional circumstances some time may be granted but these are usually unavoidable and one-off events. Examples may include close family members bereavements or religious observance for a ceremony. We will look at individual circumstances including looking at attendance and any previous leave when making a decision and may seek guidance from the Educational Welfare Service. Any request for exceptional leave must be made in advance to the school. We will then respond to let you know whether any exceptional leave has been granted. Holidays and the cost of travel are not exceptional circumstances and will not be authorised.
Coming Up..
We have many more sporting activities coming up as well as a wide range of trips which include the local synagogue, Kew Gardens, London Zoo, Natural History Museum, St Paul’s Cathedral and Pizza Express so watch out for communication about the trips that your child will be attending this term.
Have a lovely weekend and we will see you on Monday,
Best wishes
Jane O’Brien
Headteacher
