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10th February 2021

Dear parents and carers,

I hope that this letter finds you all well and that you are looking forward to the half term break. In the next two weeks, we will receive information on the plans for the reopening of schools and detail on how the cancellation of examinations will be managed in England. We have all become more adept at managing to live with uncertainty but the greater clarity will help us all to allay some of the anxieties that students and staff have been experiencing. I will, of course, write to you in due course.

A laptop for each student

Firstly, I would like to share with you some extremely exciting news. We have purchased brand new lightweight and high specification laptops and will be providing every single student with their own device. It is our commitment to ensure that each student attending Stepney All Saints School has a laptop for the duration of their time with us.

These laptops, purchased in partnership with the Portal Trust (formerly the Cass Foundation) are secure and registered to individual students. This will be their laptop to keep and to use for the duration of their time as a student at Stepney All Saints.

My mission, and that of all teachers in our school, is to level an unequal playing field and ensure equality of opportunity for all of our students. Having personal laptops for use in and outside of school will ensure that no student’s achievement is hindered as a result of not having sufficient access to technology.

Students should bring the laptop to school with them daily as part of their school equipment, for use in lessons and to take home with them daily to use for homework and further research. We believe that encouraging the use of laptops and access to educational resources will prepare and inspire students to become more active and independent learners.

We hope to roll out the distribution of the new laptops next term and will share further information with you in due course.

Consultation on a proposed move to a two week half term holiday in the autumn term

We are consulting on the proposed change to increase the autumn half term holiday to two weeks instead of one. The autumn term is disproportionately long when compared to the spring and summer terms. We have confidence that an extended half term in the autumn will positively impact on staff and student morale, the quality of learning and teaching and lead to a reduction in absence during this term. This in turn will have a positive impact on student outcomes. The term dates we propose are in line with the Tower Hamlets suggested dates.

The proposed school term dates as of September 2021 are:

Autumn Term

1st September 2021 – 17th December 2021 (1st – Inset Day, 2nd – Induction Day)

Half Term: 25th October – 5th November 2021 (2 weeks)

Spring Term

4th January 2022 – 5th April 2022

Half Term: 14th – 18th February 2022

Summer Term

18th April -22nd July 2022

Half Term: 30th May – 3rd June 2022

End of academic year 2022: 22nd July 2022

As you can see from the table of dates above, if we proceed with this proposal, we will nonetheless finish the school year in line with the window for term dates published by Tower Hamlets, and thus is line with other schools. This includes the usual holiday dates for both Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr. Governors and I believe that this change will be beneficial to the school community and will have an encouraging effect on your child’s education.

I appreciate these changes may affect you, and welcome your feedback. Should you have any comments, positive or negative on this proposal or require further clarity, please send your response in writing to info@stepneyallsaints.school by Friday 19th February. We will consult with the governing body and will share the outcome of the proposal with you after the February half term.

Free school meals

If your child is eligible for free school meals, you will receive an email voucher from Asda. The amount you receive for half term has been determined by the local authority.

Full details regarding free school meals and eligibility can be found on the local authority website – https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/health__social_care/health_and_medical_advice/Coronavirus/Schools/Free_school_meals.aspx

Key Dates

I would like to remind you that next week is the half term break when the school will be closed to all students. All dates can be found on the school website, however, below are key dates for the coming weeks. Please check our website and social media feeds for regular updates @StepneyAS (Twitter and Facebook).

Spring Term                                     

Spring Half Term Holiday                   Monday 15th February – Friday 19th February 2021

Last day of Spring Term                     Friday 26th March 2021

Thank you for your continued support.

Yours sincerely,

 

Paul Woods

Headteacher