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Letters To Parents

A Welcome From The Headteacher

Dear Parent/Guardian, 

My name is Chris Hunt and I am incredibly proud to be the new Headteacher at Whitefield School, a school  which reminds me of my own secondary school, one which embraced its diverse community and acted as a  social leveller allowing us all to flourish. I hope you all have had a lovely summer break and are excited for  the academic year ahead.  

Our purpose is to ensure we develop well-rounded pupils who achieve great grades and have great  character through our high standards and expectations.  

Whitefield students are resilient and determined, focused and driven, qualities which are central to success.  During the disruptions to education over the last couple of years, our students have continued to make  exceptional progress, moving on after Year 11 to great destinations including our own Sixth Form and local  colleges, and our Sixth Formers have progressed to a range of Russell Group university courses,  apprenticeships and employment. Whitefield students justifiably take pride in their achievements.  We will continue to build and refine our Curriculum to ensure it is ambitious for all, that it is broad, balanced  and develops key skills like resilience and a growth mindset. My aim for academic excellence is simple: to  improve progress measures of all students and continue the upward trend of students progressing to further  education or to be better prepared for the world of work when they leave us. In order for us to do this we  will start the academic year by introducing two initiatives. The first is we will raise aspirations and in the first  instance offer each and every Whitefield student a chance to attend a school trip in the Autumn term which  is aimed at helping to build students cultural capital and look to offer insights on potential career  opportunities. Second, is the introduction of Disruption free Learning (DfL). No student should have their  learning disrupted by a classmate or be distracted by mobile devices during the school day. Letters will  follow to outline both initiatives in more detail. 

Alongside the pursuit of academic excellence, we have a key role in ensuring the students are happy. Our  teachers and support staff care about championing each student on their journey to achieve excellence and  reach their full potential. I never want great exam results to come at the cost of young people’s wellbeing, it  is all about balance. It is important to have an outlet and take part in the many clubs, performances, trips  and visits on offer.  

I look forward to continuing to grow and adapt with the school and its community. In the coming weeks I will  be offering parents opportunities to meet with me and see the school on a normal working day. With the  community’s support I know I can create a collaborative environment, where students, staff, governors and  the community thrive.  

Mr Hunt  

Headteacher

 
 


Disruption Free Learning

 

Dear Parent/Guardian, 

IMPORTANT BEHAVIOUR AND MOBILE PHONE INFORMATION 

I hope that you and your families are well and have benefited from a restful summer holiday. I would  like to firstly take this opportunity to introduce myself, my name is Charlotte Hammond and I am the  new Assistant Headteacher at Whitefield School. I am incredibly excited about joining this wonderful  community and will take pleasure in getting to know the students and families in the coming months. 

As a staff body we are committed to driving the new vision for the school to ensure all our children  receive the education they deserve. Our purpose is to ensure we develop well-rounded pupils who  achieve great grades and have great character through our high standards and expectations. 

So that we can fulfil this promise, we have taken two important steps as outlined below: 1. DfL (Disruption free Learning) Behaviour System. 

This is an extremely effective and successful behaviour system that supports the learning of every  student in our school. All students and teachers will follow the system so that there is consistency across  the school in every subject. 

If a teacher has to stop the flow of their lesson because of a disruption from a student they will  receive a ‘first reminder’.  

If misbehaviour continues they will receive a ‘final reminder’ and move seats. Where another behaviour infringement occurs from the same child, they will be removed from the  lesson and spend a whole school day in the ‘Reflection’ room until 3.40pm.  

Further disruption in the reflection room could potentially lead to an external suspension on a  child’s record. 

Parents will be notified of the removal from class and receive a follow up call from the teacher  whose class was disrupted. Once a restorative conversation has taken place and the full time is  served, the student will return back to their normal lessons.  

2. Mobile Phone Free School 

It is well documented in education that the distraction of mobile phones can hinder the learning of  students. We believe students should be able to come to school and switch off from outside influences  so that they can maximise their learning potential and protect their wellbeing. 

When your child returns to school they will not be able to use their phone. Our ‘See it’ ‘Hear it’, ‘Take it’  rule will apply and the sanction for this will be confiscation of their device for a week. To avoid the  temptation of using phones, all students will place their phone in a magnetically locked pouch (Yondr) at  the beginning of the day. They will then be able to open it and gain access to their phone as they leave  school. The below video will show this process in action. We realise mobile phones serve a security  purpose when travelling to and from school and do not expect students to leave their phones at home.  Therefore, if a student tells us their phone is not with them it will be followed up by a phone call home  so you are aware. We will also be able to detect mobile phones in bags with a ‘magnetic wand’ if  necessary.  

Yondr video 

Students will be fully informed of these changes during their first day back. We would also appreciate  you having a conversation with your child to ensure a full understanding of the consequences and most  importantly the benefits of these initiatives on their learning. 

Finally, I will need you to be aware that we will only be allowing students on site from 8.30am (more  information regarding a breakfast club will follow soon). Year 7-10 will enter the school through the  back gate and year 11 and 6th form will enter in through the front gate. Please do encourage your child  to arrive at the right time so that they have a positive start to the day. 

Kind regards, 

Mrs C Hammond 

Assistant Headteacher

 
 

Year 7 Welcome Evening

Dear Parent/Guardian  

Re: Year 7 Welcome Evening - Thursday 15th September 2022 Time: 5:30-6:30 pm   

I would like to invite you and your child to the Year 7 Welcome Evening, which will be held  on site at Whitefield School on Thursday 15th September 2022.  

This event will be an opportunity to discuss how your child is settling in at Whitefield.  

Your child’s form tutor will be available to talk to you and your child and address any  concerns you may have. We will offer you useful advice so that you can support your child  to maximise their potential.  

The evening will be an ideal opportunity for you to raise any concerns you may have at this  stage of your child’s education at Whitefield.  

We will also provide you with some information about key dates and how you can access  our Whitefield parental portal (My Child At School)  

I look forward to seeing you in the evening.  

Yours sincerely,  

Mr E. Tan  

Year 7 Team Leader 

 

 

Open Evening Closure 

 
Dear Parent or Guardian,  

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to inform you of our early school closure on Tuesday 27th  September in preparation for our school Open Evening.  

Students will come to school at their usual time, but the day will be shortened to three periods and will run  as follows: 

 

Tuesday 27th September 2022, Week 2

8:30am 

Line up and form time (AM registration)

9:00am 

Lesson 1 (please see individual timetables for lesson)

10:00am 

Lesson 2

11:00am 

Food break 1 - Food available for all students in the Hub. Anyone who is entitled to free school meals to collect food during this time. 

11:30am 

Lesson 3

12:30pm 

Form time (PM registration)

12:40pm 

Students will be dismissed and need to leave site

 

Some students have been selected to support the open evening, but they will also be dismissed along with  the rest of the school and are required to return to school at their allocated time. 

There will also be an INSET day on Wednesday 28th September and students will not be required to attend  school. All normal lessons will resume on Thursday 29th September. 

Yours sincerely, 

Mrs Zarina Elie 

Assistant Headteacher