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.
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
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:
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
