2022/23

8.6.23

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have had a good half term break. It is great to see the students back in school.

Parent Governor elections

Thank you to the Karen Quirke, Romina Adabra and Nadeem Butt, the parents who were prepared to stand for the Parent Governor position on the Governing Body. As a result of the election, Nadeem Butt has been elected as the new Parent Governor. Karen has been a faithful and effective governor for a number of years and will take a position on the Board, as a Co-opted Governor.

Hot weather and sun protection

It is the time of year when the weather is getting hotter and the sun is brighter. We have had our first hot weather warning of the season.

Students need to wear appropriate clothing to school; they may need to wear hats and sunscreen when they are outside and they will need to avoid being out in the sunshine at the hottest part of the day.

Please ensure that your child wears appropriate clothing to school. On hot days students can wear shorts or summer dresses. On very hot days, please do not send students in wearing jumpers. Please make sure that any hats are named.

Please apply sunscreen before your child comes to school. We recommend that you use a product which lasts for 8 hours. Please send in sunscreen for reapplication. Please put your child's name on the bottle. Please note, some sunscreen products have been reported to contain nut oil. As we have students in school with serious nut allergies, please do not use these products.

Implications for Sports Day

We had planned our Sports Day for next week, in order to try to avoid the hottest temperatures, however the forecast for next week is that temperatures will reach 25 - 26 degrees. As a result we are postponing Sports Day until Friday 23rd June when the temperatures are predicted to be 20 degrees, which should be much more comfortable for running around. Students should come to school that day wearing the appropriate sports wear.

Kind regards,

Sandra

20.7.23 - End of term message

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a busy end to the summer term. Our older students thoroughly enjoyed the school Prom last week - you can see some of the photographs on the Official Woodlands Secondary School Facebook page. This week we have enjoyed the Music Festival on Monday and we have celebrated with our students and their families at our Prize Giving ceremonies as well

Tomorrow is the last day of term. Students may wear their own choice of clothes. We will be having End of Year assemblies together in the morning and, for those who wish to participate, there will be an upper and lower school disco in the afternoon.

For the students and staff who will be leaving us tomorrow and not returning, because you will be starting on a new adventure in September, we wish you every success and happiness for your future.

We wish all of our students, their families and our staff a very happy, healthy and safe summer holiday.

School reopens for staff training on Friday 1st September and Monday 4th September. We will welcome our students back to school on Tuesday 5th September.

Take care,

Sandra

19.7.23 - Transport issues

Dear Parents and Carers,

Today has been a difficult day for many of you with regards to last minute changes to transport.

We were notified last month by PTU that they would no longer be working with PMCH/AtoB and that the contract would terminate on Tuesday 18th July.

PTU were responsible for ensuring these routes would be covered for the remainder of the term and they are responsible for communicating any such changes, directly with you, as parents and carers.

We understand that this communication has not happened.

We have been in contact with PTU and have been informed that the changes affect the following buses:

WDLS 10 (PMCH)

WDLS 6 (PMCH)

WDLS 7 (PMCH)

WDLS 8 (PMCH)

WDLS 9 (PMCH)

These 5 routes have been merged to make 4 new routes which are covered by the following providers: DTG, 24x7 and Brittania.

These routes should be operating at approximately the same time as your previous buses.

Please note that there are currently road closures on Bramingham Road which is significantly impacting traffic and there is increased congestion in the area.

If you have queries or complaints, please direct these to PTU. You can contact them by telephone on 01582 547219 or by emailing ptu@luton.gov.uk

If you choose to make alternative transport arrangements for the last two days of term, please communicate your intentions to your child's class teacher and inform PTU.

Kind regards,

Sandra

4.7.23 - Increase in Covid cases

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have seen an increase in cases of Covid and other respiratory illnesses in school over the past week.

The symptoms of Covid are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.

Symptoms of Covid-19 can include:

a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
shortness of breath
feeling tired or exhausted
an aching body
a headache
a sore throat
a blocked or runny nose
loss of appetite
diarrhoea
feeling sick or being sick

Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell or displaying any of the symptoms listed above.

Covid and other respiratory infections can be easily spread. We have some very vulnerable students in school and we want them to stay well. When staff become ill, this impacts our ability to provide safe staffing levels for the students.

Please continue to promote good hand and respiratory hygiene i.e. handwashing, accessing well ventilated spaces, using tissues, etc. Again, if your child is unwell, please do not send them in to school until they are feeling better.

The latest NHS Covid advice can be found by clicking on this link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/coronavirus-in-children/

Regards,

Sandra

23.6.23 - Summer term update

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are pleased to say that we have managed to proceed with our Sports' Day activities today, with most events happening earlier in the day when it was much cooler.

Please continue to ensure your child is wearing appropriate clothing to school, including a hat, for when they are outside. Please also apply sun-cream prior to sending them to school and send the named bottle in for reapplication.

End of Year reports

End of year reports have been sent home today, along with information about who your child's class teacher will be in September, if they are staying at Woodlands. It was a pleasure to read the reports and to note the students' progress and achievements this year. I hope you enjoy reading and sharing the reports with your children.

We value your views on your child's progress. Please write this on one of the copies of the report and send it back to school by Monday 3rd July.

Meeting new teachers

If your child is moving to a new class teacher in September, we will be in touch to invite you in for an informal meeting with them before the end of term.

Eid

Families who are celebrating Eid this week have been requested to complete and return a leave of absence form (not holiday) to indicate if your child will be absent from school to celebrate. These absences are authorised as Religious Observance.

Forms can be found on our website: https://www.woodlands.luton.sch.uk/letters-and-forms/

Students and staff who are celebrating are welcome to wear their special Eid clothes to school on Friday 30th June.

RSE Day - 29th June

RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) Day is celebrated by schools across the country. This year's theme is 'Launch into Kindness' and was decided upon by a primary school in North Yorkshire. As some students will be absent due to Eid, classes will be looking at his theme and carrying out acts of kindness at various points in the week.

Music Festival - date change

Our Music Festival was due to be on 30th June, we have moved it to Monday 17th July.

NEU Teacher Strikes

The NEU have planned some further strike action on Wednesday 5th and Friday 7th July. I aim to inform parents next week about the arrangements that will be put in place.

Parents of students in Year 10

It was lovely to see so many of you at the Post 16 transition information sessions. I have been sent the information from SENAT and the Transitions Team and I will aim to send this out to you next week.

Have a lovely weekend and try to keep as cool as possible!

Kind regards,

Sandra

12.6.23 - Transition Information Sessions

Dear Parents and Carers,

When your child moves into Year 11, in September 2023, the local authority will seek your views and your child's views about what they would like to do for their post 16 education.

All parents need to respond to this consultation in order to inform the local authority of your preference for your child's educational provision, from September 2024.

Hopefully you will already have had some contact with the local authority Transitions team and started to have conversations about your child's future hopes and aspirations and the possible routes and options available to them.

Information about possible post school options can be found on Luton's local offer - https://directory.luton.gov.uk/kb5/luton/directory/localoffer.page

The local authority Transitions advisor working with Woodlands families is Paul Hunt - He can be contacted by email: paul.hunt@luton.gov.uk

In brief, when our students are aged between 16 - 18 years, some of the local options include:

staying at Woodlands Secondary School - students in all departments can request to continue their education at Woodlands. Students who stay at Woodlands until they are 18, will be consulted again in Year 13 about their post school preferences. .
some students may wish to continue their education in a local college e.g. Barnfield college or Central Bedfordshire college - this option is likely to be more suitable for some of our students in Key Stage 4. If your child is in Key Stage 4, they may have had the opportunity to participate in a link course at both colleges and they, or their teacher, may be able to provide you with information about their views. Students in Pathways and PMLD do not usually participate in the local college link courses as the colleges are not usually able to meet their needs.
some students may wish to consider different options such as Oaklands college in St Albans or other provisions identified on the local offer.

We recommend that you visit each of the settings in order to see for yourself whether you think they will be able to meet your child's needs.

We will invite you to visit and discuss the Woodlands offer, in September; the local colleges will all have open days in the autumn term.

Transitions consultation process

We have invited representatives from the local authority to come to the school to provide an information session about the Transitions process.

The sessions will be held at school on Tuesday 20th June between 6.00pm - 7.15pm and on Thursday 22nd June between 9.30am - 10.45am.

We request that parents attend one of these sessions.

Please email our family worker Shazmeen, to notify her as to which session you will be attending. shazmeen.malik@woodlands.luton.sch.uk

We look forward to seeing you.

Kind regards,

Sandra

12.6.23 - Finance Decision Making Toolkit

Dear Parents and Carers,

Sara-Jayne Williams, who ran the recent parent information sessions regarding the Mental Capacity Act, has just sent through the following information.

The Ministry of justice have published a toolkit for parents and carers and young people about making finance decisions.

The toolkit aims to help users understand:

what lacking mental capacity means and the decision-making principles
the changes to decision-making responsibility when a child reaches adulthood
the relevant route for you to make financial decisions on behalf of a young person, including how to access a Child Trust Fund
if the young person is under the age of 18, how to prepare to make financial decisions when they reach adulthood

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-finance-decisions-for-young-people-parent-and-carer-toolkit?utm_campaign=mca_1&utm_medium=stakeholder&utm_source=media&utm_content=mclp_jun-23

As it is difficult to lift links from Parentmail, it may be useful to search for: making finance decisions for young people parent and carer toolkit

Kind regards,

Sandra

8.6.23 - Summer update

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have had a good half term break. It is great to see the students back in school.

Parent Governor elections

Hot weather and sun protection

It is the time of year when the weather is getting hotter and the sun is brighter. We have had our first hot weather warning of the season.

Implications for Sports Day

Kind regards,

Sandra

18.5.23

Dear Parents and Carers,

Information sessions - Mental Capacity Act.

A reminder that the face to face information session about the Mental Capacity Act will be held in school tomorrow. The session aims to start promptly at 9.30am. Parking will be available AFTER transport buses have left the school site. Please do not arrive before 9.15am in order for the buses to have left the site. The session is scheduled to run for 2 hours.

The remote session is happening on Tuesday 23rd May. Shazmeen has sent out the Teams link for the session. The Teams link will start allowing parents to enter from 6.15pm. The session will start at 6.30pm and will end at 8.30pm.

Parent Governor Election

The ballot papers for the parent governor elections will be sent home as paper copies tomorrow (Friday 19th May). Please return your completed form by midday on Friday 26th May.

Half termly information - Summer 2

Information about the events taking place in the second half of the summer term will be sent home next week (paper copy).

Half Term and Training Day

School will be closed between Monday 29th May - Friday 2nd May for Half Term. The school will be closed to students on Monday 5th June for a Training Day. All students are due back on Tuesday 6th May.

Unwell children

If your child is unwell and will not be able to participate in their normal curriculum, please keep your child at home. If your child comes to school and they are unwell we may need to contact you and request that you collect them. Parents are reminded that they need to be contactable and that they need to be able to arrange to collect children form school, if this is required.

Sun protection

As we move into the warmest part of the school year we remind all parents to send children into school with appropriate clothing for the weather. When the weather is particularly hot we request that students are sent to school with sun cream and a hat/cap.

Parent drop offs and collection

As fewer students have been given travel assistance from the local authority and more parents are responsible for transporting their children, we have put various measures in place to try to make this as safe as possible. Afternoons are often busier than the morning sessions. As parents will be aware there are occasions when the traffic backs up onto Northwell Drive. We request parents to drive around the block rather than adding to the queue. We are proactively working with Luton Council Health and Safety department trying to see how else we can resolve some of the challenges presented at the end of the day.

Kind regards,

Sandra

Please find below the termly event sheets for Summer term 2 2023

Termly events - Summer term 2 2023

Summer Term 2 Event Sheet 2023

28.4.23 - Upcoming events May 2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

Please find below an update on what is happening this half term:

On Monday 1st May, school will be closed for the May Day Bank Holiday.

On Tuesday 2nd May, school will be be partially closed due to the ongoing NEU teachers' strike action. You will have received a Parentmail message explaining the implications for your child.

On Friday 5th May we will be thinking about the King's Coronation in our assemblies. The students have requested a non-uniform day on this date and we suggest that people may wish to wear red, white and blue clothing. No monetary contribution is requested.

On Monday 8th May school will be closed due the Bank Holiday for the King's Coronation.

Friday 12th May is the deadline for any parent nominations for the position of Parent Governor. In the event of an election, Ballot papers will be sent home on Friday 19th May.

On Monday 15th May we have our Open Evening - Letters should have gone home this week. Please send your replies into school so we can schedule appointments.

On Friday 19th May and Tuesday 23rd May we are running Parent information sessions about the Mental Capacity Act and its implications when your children are 16 years old. Information was sent home this week about this event. Please send your replies into school to register your attendance.

Kind regards,

Sandra

17.4.2023 - Parent Governor Elections

Monday 17^th April 2023

Dear Parents,

Nomination for Parent Governors

The current term of service for one of our parent governors, Karen Quirke, expires on 17^th June 2023. Karen has been a very proactive parent governor at the school since June 2019. Her son is now in Year 11 at the school. Karen is willing to continue in the role as parent governor. However, this also provides us with an opportunity to seek interest from other parents who may wish to undertake the role.

Our parent governors are very valuable members of the governing body. We rely on them to give us a parental perspective on the strategic overview and direction of the school. Governing bodies are responsible for a wide range of matters. Their duties include careful management of the school budget, school effectiveness, target setting and monitoring, plus involvement in a variety of personnel and pupil issues. Support for new governors in carrying out these duties is provided by other experienced members of the governing body including the Chair of Governors, the headteacher and the clerk to the governing body.

Our governing body meets together at least once a term; these meetings tend to be face to face and are usually held on a Wednesday evening, at the school. In addition to the main governing body meetings, we delegate responsibilities to two main committees; the Curriculum Committee and the Finance, Premises and Personnel Committee. Governors usually join one of these committees based on their interests and or skill set. The Curriculum Committee tends to meet on a Monday afternoon, face to face at school; the Finance, Premises and Personnel Committee tends to meet on a Wednesday evening, this is often a remote meeting. Each of the committees meets at least once each term. There are occasions when other committees need to be formed for specific responsibilities; these will be organised as required. Governors are requested to read all of the paperwork in advance of the meetings and be prepared for discussions.

As a parent governor, you will normally hold office for a period of four years, even if your child leaves the school during this time. You can, however, resign from the governing body at any time. Nationally, parents from ethnic minorities and with disabilities are generally under represented on school governing bodies. The school would like to encourage nominations from all groups in our school community. Anyone who has parental responsibility for a pupil on the school roll at the time of the election may stand for election. Exceptions include if you are an elected member of the Local Authority, or if you work more than 500 hours per year in the school.

In line with good practice, all school governor appointments will be subject to safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS check . The aim of this check is to protect children and vulnerable young adults from abuse of any kind.

If you are satisfied that you are eligible to become a governor and wish to do so, please complete the attached nomination form and return it to the school by Friday 12th May 2023. Every nomination must be signed. If you require a paper copy of the nomination form - please contact the school office and we will send a copy home.

Please include a few details about yourself and why you would like to become a governor (not exceeding 100 words). This will then be circulated to all parents to help them decide who to vote for. You do not have to complete this section, but if you do not you may put yourself at a disadvantage should there be an election. An election will be held if more nominations are received than the number of vacancies. Anyone who has parental responsibility for a pupil on the school roll at the time of the election may vote in an election.

In the event of an election, we will send out ballot papers with the names of the candidates and their details on Friday 19^th May 2023. Each parent will have one vote per vacancy regardless of the number of children they have in the school. The ballot is secret; we will send out further details if we have to hold an election. All the votes must be received by the school by midday on Friday 26^th May 2023 after which they will be counted.

If you would like to discuss the role further and would like to speak to me or the Chair of Governors or one of the parent governors, please contact the school office and we will make the appropriate arrangements. Please email: woodlands.sec.admin@lbc.luton.sch.uk

Sandra

Please find below the termly event sheet for the first half of the summer term.

Termly Events - Summer term 1 2023

Summer Term 1 Event Sheet 2023

31.3.23 - End of term update

Dear Parents and Carers,

We participated in Children’s Mental Health week in February and had a number of activities for students to participate in over the course of the week.

On 7th February we ran Internet Safety sessions for parents and then students – run by Ashley Rolfe from NSPCC – as part of Safer Internet Day.

We enjoyed participating in World Book Day activities at the end of February/beginning of March. John Hegley (local poet) ran 2 workshops with students – the older students wrote some of their own poetry and in the second session John performed his work to a wider group of students. One of our LOFT students won one of John’s books for the school – John said it was ‘because he provided one of the most creative suggestions I have had in any school session.’ The students and staff dressed up on 2nd March itself and we had a bookstall in the café – run by Angel Miller from No Ordinary Bookshop.

Red Nose Day coincided with St Patrick’s Day and World Sleep Day. We opted to participate in Red Nose Day – Red Clothes Day.

Our 50th Birthday Party on 20th March celebrated the official opening of the school on 20th March 1973. There were some fabulous costumes, birthday cake, a 1970s disco for the students, a drone shot of the students in the shape of the number 50, plus birthday greetings sent from the Colin Salmon, Daniel (Rock Popstar) from the Undateables and two of the Cbeebies presenters. Brian Stein former Luton Town player and the Mayor of Luton, Sameera Saleem, joined us on the day, alongside governors and colleagues from the local authority and the other special schools.

Assemblies have covered the following themes: What a lot of potential, Chinese New Year, Children’s Mental Health Week, World Book Day, School’s 50th Anniversary and Celebrations (Ramadan and Easter).

Earlier this week, a paper copy of our termly events sheet was sent home to provide some information about some of the events happening in the first half of the summer term. A copy is also attached to this Parentmail.

If your family will be celebrating Eid, I request that you complete and return a leave of absence request if you plan for your child to be absent from school on Friday 21st April. A copy of the leave of absence form is attached. Thank you to those parents who have already returned these forms. Absences related to religious observance are authorised.

I would encourage as many parents as possible to join us at one of the information sessions about the Mental Capacity Act and what this means for parents and students once the students are 16 years old. A face to face session will be held on Friday 19th May, between 9.30 - 11.30am at school; there will be an online session on Tuesday 23rd May between 6.30pm - 8.30pm. This will be particularly relevant for parents of students in Year 10 and above, but all parents are welcome.

I hope that you and your families have a good and safe holiday break and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday 17th April.

Take care,

Sandra

17.3.23 - Ramadan and Eid update

Dear Parents and Carers,

In the UK, Ramadan 2023 is currently expected to begin in the evening of Wednesday 22 March and end the evening of Friday 21 April. Many Muslims celebrate Ramadan by fasting during daylight hours, praying, reciting the Quran, and by giving to charity. Many of our muslim students would be considered exempt from the requirement to fast, due to their learning disability and or their physical disability or their health needs.

However some of our students may decide to fast during the month of Ramadan. If your child is fasting, or partially fasting, we request that you notify the class teacher.

If a parent or child informs us they are fasting then we will respect this decision. If it is the child who informs us, we will notify parents.

If during the course of the school day the child requests a drink or food, we will not withhold this from them. If this happens, we will notify parents.

If your child appears to be unwell during this period, we will also contact you.

For some young people with Special Needs and Disabilities Ramadan can be a very challenging time of year for those due to the changes in routine and daily life. A local charity, DeenAbility have created a *SEN friendly Ramadan Calendar* which is a great interactive visual aid. The calendar comes with *30 Ramadan & Eid themed PEC symbols* as well as day to day signs to aid transition, lower anxieties & manage any undesired behaviours.

For a *FREE* printable copy, please email deenability@gmail.com and request a copy.

Eid al-Fitr is scheduled to start on the evening of Friday 21st April and the celebrations will continue over the weekend. If you are planning for your child to be absent from school on Friday 21st April, for the purpose of celebrating Eid, we request that you notify school in advance. Please complete the LEAVE of ABSENCE form (NOT HOLIDAYS) and return this to school. A copy of this form can be accessed from the school website https://www.woodlands.luton.sch.uk/letters-and-forms/

Please note that requests for days off for religious observance are usually granted and considered as authorised absences.

On Thursday 27th April we are planning to have an Eid celebration day in school. All of our students (and staff) are invited to wear their special clothes to school that day; we will participate in craft activities, cooking and have a special Eid themed assembly. Further details will follow closer to the event.

Yours sincerely,

Sandra

8.2.23 Parent Consultation re. RHSE policy

Dear Parents and Carers,

The school's Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) policy is due for review this month. The school team have worked on our current policy and I attach a copy of the proposed amended version of the policy that will be presented to the Governing Body for ratification in March 2023.

The policy aims to ensure that we cover our statutory duty in relation to the teaching of this subject and aims to emphasise that the curriculum is not a one size fits all curriculum. The content and the delivery of the curriculum will be shaped by the students' levels of understanding and is driven by the need to ensure students have sufficient knowledge and understanding to keep them safe and safeguarded. The policy also aims to outline how we liaise and consult with parents and aims to clarify the parental right to withdraw from sex education. This information can be found in sections 8 and 9 of the policy.

We would like to receive your feedback about the policy prior to it being taken to governors for ratification.

Attached to this Parentmail is a copy of the policy and a copy of the Parental views survey.

We request that if you wish to share your views with us, that you complete and return the survey by Monday 27th February.

If you require a paper copy of the policy and a paper copy of the survey, please contact your child's class teacher and we will send a paper copy home.

Sandra

29.1.23 Sickness and Diarrhoea

Dear Parents/Carers,

We have had a number of incidents of sickness and diarrhoea in school in the last few weeks. This can be very infectious and there is a high risk of others being affected.

If your son/daughter has sickness or diarrhoea when they are at home, they must stay at home for 48 hours after their last episode.

If this happens when your child is in school, you must be able to make arrangements to come and collect them from school and then you must keep them at home for 48 hours after their last episode.

If your child will be absent from school, please remember to call the school office to report the absence and the reason for absence. 01582 572880.

If your child accesses transport, please ensure that you also inform PTU 01582 547219.

Let's support each other to remain as well and healthy as possible.

Take care,

Sandra

11.1.23 - Ofsted report - Inspection 22nd and 23rd November 2022

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are pleased to say that we have received the final inspection report following our ungraded Ofsted inspection in November 2022.

We are really pleased with the content of the report. The inspectors have identified that we are a happy and welcoming school where pupils feel safe and are well cared for. They say that our pupils benefit form a broad and rich curriculum that is well suited to their needs and aspirations. The inspectors have identified two priorities in order to further improve; these are priorities that we are already working on, as identified in our school improvement plan.

You can read the full report; a copy of the report can be found on the school website: https://www.woodlands.luton.sch.uk/ofsted-reports/

It will be published on the Ofsted website later this month.

Regards,

Sandra

9.1.23 - Cafe reopening to the public

Good news!

Woodlands Community Café will be re-opening to the public from 11th January. We will be open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 9.30am - 2.30pm, during term time.

To access the café via the gates near the FE college building, press the intercom and wait for us to open the electric gates where you will be able to drive through and park your car.

We will ask you to sign in when you enter the café. You will not be able to access the rest of the school.

If you are feeling unwell then please postpone your visit.

We look forward to seeing you!

Sandra

3.1.23 - New Year, New Term!

Dear Parents and Carers,

We wish you all a Happy New Year and we look forward to the students returning to school tomorrow (Wednesday 4.1.23)

You will be aware, via media coverage, that the NHS is under increased pressure at the moment due to raised levels of flu and Covid cases, in addition to an increased number of Strep A cases. As a result the UKHSA have stated that if your child is unwell or has a fever, the advice to families is to keep them at home in order to a) let them recover and b) prevent the spread of infection. We request that all families adhere to this advice at all times.

The press release can be found at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/back-to-school-advice-issued-amid-high-levels-of-flu-covid-19-and-scarlet-fever

If your child is unwell and unable to participate in their normal school timetable, please do not send them in to school. If your child becomes unwell during the school day, we may need to contact you and you may need to collect them from school. Please ensure that the school has up to date contact details for you and your nominated emergency contacts.

Please continue to inform the school of your child's absence and to keep us informed if the absence lasts over a period of days.

If your child accesses transport provided by the local authority, please ensure that you contact PTU to inform them that transport will not be required and to reinstate it when your child is well again.

School phone number: 01582 572880

PTU number: 01582 547219

Kind regards,

Sandra

16.12.22 - End of term

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you for your patience over the past week as we have tried to safely negotiate the snow and icy weather conditions.

We have been pleased to be open and to see the students and to enjoy the end of term celebrations together.

We will be sending home a copy of the Spring term event sheet with the students. A copy is attached to this email.

We hope that everyone has a happy and healthy holiday break and we look forward to seeing the students again on Wednesday 4th January 2023.

Take care,

Sandra

13.12.22

Bad weather update

Dear Parents/Carers,

We are planning to be open for the remainder of this week and would ask you to work with us to ensure that student safety remains a priority.

The site team has been working hard to create safe spaces for the students to be dropped off and collected from school – whether they are dropped off by parents or if they come to school by buses provided by the local authority. Despite these efforts, the site will still be icy and we encourage parents, students and staff to be cautious and careful.

We will be using a reduced area for unloading and loading students on the buses so this process will take longer than normal.

In order to keep the site safe, we request that if you normally transport your child to school, you do so at the times stated below. Please stick to these times in order to avoid congestion on the slip road or on the main road.

Mornings

If your student is a wheelchair user, please drop them off between 9.15 and 9.30am.

Please drop students off between 9.40am - 10.00am in the mornings.

Afternoons

Please pick students up at these times:

2.00pm LOFT and BASE students

2.10 - 2.30pm - other students

2.30pm - students who are wheelchair users.

We request that you do not park up, but that you drive towards the steps and students will be collected from you or brought out to you by staff. Wheelchair users will be dropped off/picked up at the end of the ramp.

We request your patience with school staff and with other parents and students as we try to implement this process as smoothly and safely as possible.

We also request that students come to school wearing appropriate clothing and footwear.

Kind regards,

Sandra

12.12.22 - Weather update

Dear Parents and Carers,

PTU have taken the decision to cancel transport this morning due to the adverse weather conditions - snow and ice.

In order to facilitate staff to safely get to school we will be opening later this morning at 9.30am

We will be closing at 2.30pm.

Parents who can drop their children to school are requested to adhere to these times.

The site agents will clear the path from the pedestrian gate to the main entrance.

They will not be clearing the car park and playgrounds. The playground will be out of action today.

If you are driving your child to school, please exercise caution, particularly when on site.

Please ensure your child is suitably dressed for the weather and that they have appropriate footwear.

Keep safe,

Sandra

3.11.22 - Anti-bullying

Dear Parents and Carers,

In the student survey at the end of the summer term, a very small number of our students said they were sometimes worried about bullying. As a result, during this half term we will be learning more about bullying - what it is, what it is not and what we should do if we think we or someone we know is being bullied. This will be the theme for our assemblies, starting tomorrow, when we will consider how it might feel to be bullied.

An easy way to remember what bullying is, is the word BOO!

B - Being Mean (causing physical or emotional harm)

O - Over and over (more than a single incident)

O - On purpose (aware of the impact on others)

Bullying is an intentional action which causes harm or upset to others. This means it is done on purpose with the understanding of the consequence. It has a negative impact on the person being bullied i.e. they are physically or emotionally harmed. Bullying is not a single incident - it is repeated behaviour towards an individual or a range of people.

We acknowledge that due to their complex, profound or severe learning difficulties, some of our students may not be able to comprehend the impact of their actions on others and it will therefore be difficult to label their behaviour as bullying; however, the school is still responsible for ensuring that other students are protected from challenging behaviours.

The school's Anti bullying policy has been updated and added to the school website. If you would like to read the policy, you can find it here: https://www.woodlands.luton.sch.uk - Key information - School policies

We will be participating in Odd Socks day on 14th November, which is the start of the National Anti-Bullying week. A flyer will go out to families to remind you and the students about the day.

If you have any queries or wish to discuss this issue further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandra

13.9.22

Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope that the new school term has started well for you and your young person. It has been lovely to see the returning students back in school and to welcome our new cohort.

It is my intention to try to stick to a half termly update/ newsletter which will usually be sent out towards the end of a half term. I am sending this letter at this point as there are a number of important pieces of information that need to be conveyed.

Official Period of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II

We discussed the Queen’s death in assemblies last Friday and had a short period of silence. This seemed fitting as we had spent a significant time thinking about and celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, earlier this year.

The Royal Family’s website has set up an area where people can leave a message of condolence. The website address is: https://www.royal.uk/

In addition we will have a physical Book(s) of Condolences where staff and students can contribute their messages of condolences. This has been set up in the entrance hall and will be available for staff and classes to add to during the course of this week, if they wish.

Queen’s funeral - this will be recognised by an official Bank Holiday on Monday 19th September. As a result the school will be closed to staff and students on that day. Planned meetings for that day will be rearranged. Students are expected to attend school every day this week and to return to school on Tuesday 20th September.

Mobile Phones in school - student use.

In light of the updated statutory advice in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 we have updated our policy in relation to the use of mobile phones by students in school. We wish to recognise the value of teaching students to use mobile phones appropriately and safely whilst minimising the safeguarding risks that may arise from inappropriate use of mobile phones.

Moving forward, students who have a mobile phone should only bring them to school on days when they have community visits or trips.

Please note there is no expectation for any students to have a mobile phone and there is no expectation for them to be brought to school.

On the allocated community access day for your child, if you decide that they will be taking their phone into school we will follow the procedure below:

Parents to email the class teacher to inform them that their child will be taking their phone to school
Mobile phone to be sent into school in a named zip wallet (sandwich bag).
Teachers will collect the phones in the morning when students arrive and store them in a safe place until the session.
Students will have access to their phones for the community session and will be responsible for looking after it for the whole of the session including the journey to and from the venue.
Phones will be returned to students at the end of that school day.

The school accepts no responsibility for the loss, theft or damage to students’ mobile phones

There may be exceptional circumstances where some students may benefit from having different access to their mobile phones during the day or at specific times. If you wish to make this special request, please send a letter to the school for the attention of the Headteacher and we will consider the request.

Attendance

The government have issued new guidance regarding school attendance. Good school attendance helps to improve outcomes for young people. As a result of the new guidance we have updated our school attendance policy; a copy can be found on the school website. www.woodlands.luton.sch.uk/school-policies

We aim to work with families and students to ensure good attendance.

Some key points from the new policy:

The Senior Leader who will act as the Attendance officer is Lindsey Lucas
The school day starts at 8.45am and finishes at 3.15pm.
Registers will be taken between 9.15 – 9.30am and 1.15 –1.30pm.
Students arriving in class between 8.45 – 9.00am will be marked present.
Those arriving between 9.00 – 9.30am will be marked as late.
Those arriving after 9.30am will be marked as unauthorised and the reason for absence noted.
Parents/ carers should call the office before 9.00am to report their child’s absence. This can be followed up with an email to the class email.
The main reason for absence will usually be due to illness.
If students come to school they should be well enough to participate in their timetabled activities.
If a child becomes unwell in school, parents may be contacted to come and collect them.
Parents must provide school with up to date contact information including emergency contact details for more than one person.
Leave of absence requests must be made for medical appointments, participation in religious events, etc and holidays. Holiday requests will not normally be granted. Parents should submit requests via the appropriate request form available on the website: www.woodlands.luton.sch.uk/-letters-and-forms Paper copies are available from the school on request.
Where medical appointments are in Luton, parents are expected to ensure that students attend school before or after the appointment, depending on the appointment time.
Where there are concerns about a student’s attendance, this will be followed up by the Attendance Officer or the family work team in the first instance.
If you have queries about the new policy or if you have difficulties with supporting your child to attend school, please contact Lindsey Lucas,

lindsey.lucas@woodlands.luton.sch.uk

Consultation re Post 16 Educational Provision

From the age of 16, when students are in Year 11, they will be consulted by the local authority regarding their preferred Post 16 placement. The consultation responses should be submitted to the local authority by the end of November 2022.

During 2021 – 2022, there were some circumstances which caused some worry and anxiety for parents of students in Year 11 as there appeared to be the implication that there would be changes to the Post 16 provision at the school. Along with support from the Governing Body, we sought clarity from the LA about their intentions for our Post 16 provision. In the summer term 2022, Paul Senior, the Interim Service Director for Education, at the time, issued the following statement:

Woodlands currently has and will continue to have an FE offer and it has never been the intention of the LA to imply otherwise. However, as with all Year 11 pupils, parents and the young person do have to be given the opportunity to state a preference for a setting. Some may have a preference to remain in Woodlands Post 16 and others may have a preference to transition to college.

Parents should have support from the Transition Team from Year 9 as this will help them to make an informed decision for Post 16 placement.

The LA will consult with relevant providers to ensure that young people are appropriately placed.

As with all placements, parents and young people have a right to state a preference but it is the LA that makes the final decision at a placement panel. Parents have a right to appeal against that decision.

Local Authority Transition Event - The Leagrave Centre

To assist parents and students to find out more about Post School options, the Luton Council Transition Team are organising a Transition Event to be held on Thursday 6^th October at The Leagrave Centre, Luton, between 3pm to 6pm.

This will be a ‘marketplace’ style event where young people will be invited to attend, with parents, and they will have the opportunity to talk to stallholders about the courses and services they are able to offer them when they leave school. The event is open to all young people in years 9, 10 and 11 from Luton and students in Year 12 and 13 from Woodlands.

If you wish to attend this event, please contact Olivia Hannigan, 07857 654097

Information session for students in Year 11

The local authority will also be running an information session specifically for parents of students currently in Year 11 at Woodlands School. The session will be held on Friday 7th October at 11.00am. The session will be repeated on Monday 10th October at 6pm. The session will explain the Post 16 processes and timelines for expressing preferences. It may be appropriate for some Year 11 students to attend the meeting.

Representatives from SENAT and the LA Transitions Team will be present, along with school staff.

I will send out a letter to parents of students in Year 11 next week, specifically about this information session.

I strongly encourage parents of students in Year 11 to attend these meetings in order to ensure that they are fully informed about the process and the options. There should also be opportunities in these meetings to pose any questions about the process. I also strongly encourage parents and students to engage with the local authority Transitions Team in order to be as well informed as possible when expressing preferences.

If you have any queries about the content of this letter, please raise the concern with your child’s class teacher in the first instance.

Best wishes,

Sandra

2022/23

Termly events - Summer term 2 2023

Termly Events - Summer term 1 2023

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