Headteacher’s letter – Monday 6th September
6th September 2021
New Academic Year 2021/22
Dear parent/carer,
Welcome back to the new school year. I would especially like to welcome our new Year 7 students and those joining us in the Sixth Form. I look forward to the year of learning ahead and to achieving our usual high standards by working in partnership with you.
Lateral Flow Home Testing for Covid-19
We will now be returning to a level of normality in our school routines, however coronavirus remains an issue in society and we will continue to encourage good hygiene. In addition, the government has advised that following the 2 on-site Covid-19 tests to be carried out at the start of term, students should continue to test twice weekly at home. Following your child’s second test in school, they will be provided with a box of home testing kits. Please ensure that test results are recorded via the government portal, and if there is a positive result, your child must isolate and book a PCR test. Please advise the school if your child has received a positive result from their home test, and also about the result of the subsequent PCR.
Uniform
We believe that our uniform is to be worn with pride and consequently we have high expectations. The full details of items to be worn are clearly listed on the school website – https://www.stepneyallsaints.school/for-parents/school-rules-and-information/uniformequipment-list/ and can be found in the student online planners. There is no room for personal interpretation as the list of acceptable items is clear.
We will be enforcing our uniform standards when we return in September. All students must wear the full and correct uniform for school, school occasions and PE lessons. We will check the uniform of all students on the gate and at tutor time. Students who come to school dressed incorrectly may, if there is no adequate reason, be sent home to change or parents contacted to bring in the correct items. In addition, all items of uniform, especially blazers and coats should be labelled with the student’s name.
Students should be equipped with what they need in all lessons. In their school bag they should have black or blue ball point pens, pencils, a rubber and a ruler. It is useful for students to have equipment such as highlighter and glue sticks also.
Water fountains are available for students to use, however students will need to bring a reusable and labelled drinking bottle to fill up from the fountains. The water fountains should be used for filling up water bottles only. Students should not drink directly from the fountains.
ID cards will be issued to every student and must be worn at all times. ID cards will be used in place of the finger scan system when paying for meals. The ID card is a new addition to the school uniform, and students will need to pay a replacement fee of £5 should they require a replacement.
PE kit
On the days where students have PE lessons, they should arrive at school in their PE kit with their blazer worn over the top of their kit. The changing facilities in school are being refurbished and should be ready for use after the half term break in October. Students will attend all lessons in their kit and blazer. On these days, students will obviously be wearing suitable PE trainers for their PE lesson. This is the only time that students should be wearing trainers.
Face masks
Government guidance has said that there is no longer a need for students to wear face masks. However, we understand that families and students may well feel more confident if they wear one. Face masks should be appropriate and not have a slogan written on them. If you are wearing a reusable facemask, guidance suggests that you should store this in a plastic bag when it is not being used to prevent it from getting dirty or picking anything up from surfaces. Reusable facemasks should be washed regularly at home.
Student Planners + SIMS parent app
As each student now has their own school laptop, out student planner has moved online. The planner provides students easy access to their Google Classrooms, timetable and a host of important links and information. You can ask your child to show you their online planner and check what homework is set and how your child is keeping up with work. Parents also have access to the SIMS app which provides you with updates on progress, rewards and more. For full details you can visit the school website – https://www.stepneyallsaints.school/for-parents/useful-school-links/parent-view-app.
Behaviour updates
We have every confidence that students will follow and adhere to the rules and processes in our school, and an outline of the addendum to the behaviour policy put in place due to the pandemic remains available to view on the policy section of our website. Behaviour that falls below our usual high standards, especially those surrounding hygiene will be dealt with in accordance with the behaviour policy.
I would also like to remind you that should your child have their mobile, headphones or speakers confiscated during school the item can be collected from reception on Wednesdays from 3pm by a parent or guardian. Also, as a reminder the school can keep students for up to 30 minutes after school for any detentions. If a detention is for any longer than 30 minutes, the school will call home to let parents/guardian know.
Absence Line
The school has a phone number which can be used to report student absence: 020 7790 6712 and select option 1. Please use this number to report any child absences. The line also has a voicemail service to allow parents to leave messages outside of school hours.
Key Events for this Academic Year
The term dates for 2021-22 are listed below. Please check our website and social media feeds for regular updates.
Autumn Term
1st September 2021 – 21st December 2021
Half Term: 25th October – 5th November 2021 (2 weeks)
Christmas Holiday: 22nd December 2021 – 3rd January 2022
Spring Term
4th January 2022 – 1st April 2022
Half Term: 14th – 18th February 2022
Easter Holiday: 4th April – 18th April 2022
Summer Term
19th April -22nd July 2022
Half Term: 30th May – 3rd June 2022
End of academic year 2022: 22nd July 2022
Important Information Documents
There are several useful and important policies and documents we would like to draw your attention to, in particular the Safeguarding Policy. In addition, important documents and letters sent home to parents can be found under the ‘for parents’ section on the school website.
I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage you all to follow the Stepney All Saints social media accounts which provide regular updates and useful information. These can be found @StepneyAS on Twitter and Facebook.
In our bid to go paperless, we aim to communicate with parents primarily via email and phone calls. It is your responsibility as parents/carers to ensure that the school has the correct contact information so that we can communicate with you efficiently.
Again, I welcome all new students and parents who have joined our school community and look forward to a wonderful 2021-22 academic year and working with you to provide all of our students with a fulfilling, challenging, joyful and life enhancing education. 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,
Paul Woods
Headteacher
A copy of the letter can be downloaded here – Headteacher letter 6.9.21.