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24th September 2021

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I do hope you are well and your children have enjoyed their first weeks back at school. We have certainly enjoyed seeing them. Whilst we have not yet seen the end to the pandemic and we know we must remain cautious and vigilant, it has been a relief to see the school function in a much more ‘normal’ way than at this time last year. 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.

COVID-19

Our school’s response to Covid-19 remains as ever, following the guidance provided by the Department for Education and Public Health England.

As a result of a number of confirmed cases of confirmed COVID-19 within the school community we have been advised the London Coronavirus Response Cell (LCRC) and Tower Hamlets to implement our school outbreak plan, and measures put in place will be reviewed at the end of next week.

Full details were shared in a letter last week and a copy of the outbreak plan can be found on the school website. The points implemented from Friday 17th September are as follows:

In addition to these measures put in place, the Tower Hamlets response team have also set-up a mobile lateral flow testing site open to the public in the Stepney Green Park on Stepney Way. The site will be open between 9am-5pm from Thursday 23rd until Saturday 25th September. We encourage all families to visit the site or complete twice-weekly home test kits to support our school’s outbreak contingency plan.

Attendance

Regular attendance at school is vital to help children achieve and get the best possible start in life.  Children who frequently miss school often fall behind and there is a strong link between good school attendance and achieving good results. 

Our school has high levels of attendance; however, those students who are failing to reach these high standards will be a focus for us this year.

In the first instance, if your child presents themselves to you as ‘unwell’ then please send them to school regardless, unless you are seriously concerned that they are presenting Covid-19 symptoms. At school, we have a medical needs coordinators, Ms Anderson and Ms Vella. If your child continues to feel unwell our medical needs coordinators can assess them. We will call you should there be a need for them to go home.

Children sometimes have to miss school because of illness or if they have long-term medical issues. If this is the case, parents should contact school the same day to let us know the reason why the child is not in school. Please be familiar with our school processes for reporting absence that can be found on the school website.

Medication Reminder

If your child has been diagnosed with a medical condition, in particular allergies, asthma or epilepsy, where emergency medication is required, it is extremely important that you provide an emergency supply of your child’s medication to the school. In addition, your child should carry their own medication with them as they travel to and from school.  

It is the responsibility of parents/carers to notify the school if there is a change in medication, a change in dosage requirements, or the discontinuation of the student’s need for medication. In addition, parents are responsible for replacing any medication when it expires.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your child’s medical needs with the school, please contact Ms Anderson or Ms Vella (Medical coordinators).

Open Evening 2021 for September 2022 places 

The time is rapidly approaching for our annual open evening for prospective parents, which takes place on Monday 27th September 2021. We are looking forward to demonstrating all that is wonderful about Stepney All Saints and of course, the central aspect of this is our students, many of who will be helping to guide tours or will be working in department areas. We have already welcomed large enthusiastic groups to our open mornings with the final event taking place on Tuesday 5th October. To attend please sign up on the school website – www.stepneyallsaints.school/visit  

Enrichment

Our enrichment programme has already begun with Year 7 Team Building Days and a range of clubs. The Enrichment Programme offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities to all of our students. The importance of activities beyond academic work must not be underestimated. Extracurricular activities complement our students’ studies to develop as well-rounded individuals. Indeed, countless studies demonstrate that students who participate in enrichment activities have a marked improvement in their grades. This can be attributed to skills they learn such as better time management to accommodate their hobbies and class activities, better organisational skills and a boost in their self-esteem. Skills learnt in clubs such as debate can be applied in the classroom too, as the students learn how to express themselves better. In addition, students can make new friends with similar interests and can take up activities that are new to them.

Details have been given to students via the online planner outlining the range of activities and a copy can be found on the school website for reference by parents. Please encourage your child to participate.

 

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.

 

Yours sincerely,

Paul Woods

Headteacher