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Headteacher’s letter 26.9.24

26th September 2024

Dear parent/carer,

I do hope you are well, and your children have enjoyed their first weeks back at school. We have certainly enjoyed seeing them. Students have made an excellent start to our new school term demonstrating an enthusiastic, positive and cooperative attitude to their learning. I am delighted at how smart they look in their uniform, which they are wearing with pride and would like to thank parents for your support in making this happen.

I have been incredibly proud to walk the school this week. Our focus for this half term is on our core standards: uniform, punctuality and the completion of homework / pre-learning and as I write a huge 61305 positive points have been awarded across the school, testament to the fantastic start all students have made and a school record for this point in the year.

Enrichment / Extra-curricular activities

All students in our school must take part in enrichment activities regularly during the course of the academic year. Research shows that regular participation in extra-curricular activities provides students with a significant advantage when making applications to university and for employment. At Stepney All Saints a wide variety of activities is on offer and full details have been given to students. A copy has been placed on the school website for reference by parents – click HERE. Please encourage your child to participate and support us in ensuring that our students are well prepared for their future and develop a wide range of skills beyond their classroom studies.

Residential trips

Currently we have a group of Year 9 students visiting the Argoed Lwyd Outdoor Centre, a converted 19th century traditional Welsh farmhouse in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (the Brecon Beacons, South Wales). All Year 9 students will have the opportunity to take part in this residential during the year and experience a range of outdoor activities such as canoeing, caving and rock climbing.

More trip opportunities will arise during the year and we look forward to sharing details of these as well as a number of international visits.

Student attendance to school

Attendance is monitored closely at Stepney All Saints School. Missing lessons can lead to students falling behind and those with poor attendance achieve less overall.

If your child feels unwell, you must send them to school and our medical staff will assess them. We will contact you if they need to go home. Common illnesses like colds and sore throats do not require students to stay at home.

If your child is ill, contact the school on the first day of absence before 8.30am at 020 7790 6712 (Option 1), stating their name, tutor group, and reason for absence. A call is needed each day unless discussed with the Attendance Officer. Failure to inform us will result in an unauthorised absence.

Medical appointments must be outside school hours, but if not possible, notify us in advance. Your child should attend school before or after appointments.

We address poor attendance and may issue fines for unauthorised absences, such as holidays during term time. Leave requests must be made in writing to the headteacher and approved before booking. The Department for Education only allows term-time absences in “special circumstances.”

For more details, visit our website – click HERE.

Breakfast for every student

As you may have heard in the press, the government is planning to offer breakfast clubs in every primary school in England. In 2023, Tower Hamlets Council became the first local authority in England to rollout universal free school meals to all primary and secondary pupils up to the age of 16, however at secondary this has not covered breakfast. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that with the support of The Portal Trust, at Stepney All Saints all students are provided with access to a free breakfast each day from 8am in the Sixth Form Café. We want to ensure that our students start their day energised and ready to learn and we would encourage parents to take full advantage of this offer.

Open Evening 2024 for September 2025 places 

The application deadline is rapidly approaching for secondary school places for the academic year 2025-26. We have so far welcomed over 500 families to our school for tours during our open mornings and evening. Visitors have been able to see all that is wonderful about Stepney All Saints. The final event takes place on Tuesday 1st October. To attend please sign up on the school website. For those who may have missed our events, please contact the school and we will work to accommodate your visit.   A reminder that the deadline for applications is 31st October.

Key Events for this Academic Year

Please note that the Year 11 mock examination will start on Tuesday 5th November. The timetable will be shared with students shortly and made available on the school website. Other key dates are as follows:

Parents should also note that we break up for the half term on Friday 18th October. There will be a two-week break with lessons resuming on Monday 4th November. The full set of term dates for the academic year are available on our website, www.stepneyallsaints.school/our-school/term-dates-school-hours/.

I will be writing again in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please check our website and social media feeds for updates on what is taking place at Stepney All Saints. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us via email on info@stepneyallsaints.school.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Siaw

Headteacher