A bumper newsletter with lots of information about summer holiday activities. -Please note we are signposting these activities to you but have no association with them and are therefore not in a position to recommend them either way.

You may have also been aware that over the last couple of days we have had a flurry of positive lateral flow tests and over 100 of our students are now self-isolating at home. We are so sad that they get to miss the last week of term but can assure you that we are providing them with live lessons wherever possible.

We will also make the celebration assembly available to stream next Friday at 11.15 am, in the meantime please enjoy our virtual end of term concert, next week.

Also, a quick reminder that school finishes at 12.15 pm for years 7 and 8 and 12.20 pm for years 9 and 10, next Friday. We have informed all relevant bus companies.

 

Music Department – KAR Virtual Summer Concert 2021 – Trailer for the main event

Please see the following link that will take you to a sneaky peak trailer for our KAR Virtual Summer Concert 2021 - https://youtu.be/NJuDjLB-zp0   Full concert will be published next week.

 

Year 9 Immunisations – Tuesday 20 July 2021

On the morning of 20 July, the School Health Service will be on-site to deliver Teenage Booster immunisations to all our Yr.9's who have returned their parental consent letter.  Please can you ensure that should you wish your child to be vaccinated that you have returned your consent form to our main school Reception ahead of Tuesday 20 July.

If you have any queries please contact your local Immunisation team on 01273 696011 ext 2080

 

125 Bus route – last day of term, 23 July 2021

The 125 Bus only services our students for our normal school day.  On the last day of term, we finish at 12.15 pm.  The bus will therefore not be at school to collect the students who would normally catch that bus home.

We have spoken to the bus company and the bus has a stop at the junction of Gote lane and New Road in Ringmer. There is a grassed island and wide verge there where the students can wait for the bus. There is a bus that leaves Lewes at 12.30 pm and so the students would have enough time to walk from the school to this stop in time to pick up the bus to get home.  If you preferred to pick up your son/daughter at 12.15 pm rather than catch the bus, please make alternative arrangements accordingly.  

Please note that this lunchtime bus does not run via Berwick Station. The afternoon journey will serve the school as normal

For further information please see the attached route map and timetable, further bus details can be found on the Compass bus website https://www.compass-travel.co.uk/compass-timetables/bus-timetables/

Kind regards, Debbie Duckworth, Business Services Manager

 

School Transport from September 2021

If you qualify for school transport with East Sussex County Council (ESCC) as in previous years your child's new bus pass will be sent to home addresses from the middle to end of August 

Please find attached the booklet that has information for parents and students on school transport.

The policy for home to school transport can be found on the ESCC website here:

School transport policies – East Sussex County Council

We will not have confirmation of timetables until the end of the summer holiday.  If you require further information on the Home to school transport information please see the following link : School transport – East Sussex County Council,  We have been advised that this is subject to change but generally the routes and times remain the same from one year to the next.

Freedom Ticket price currently £17.50 is again subject to change, but we are awaiting confirmation of this.  Please see link below for details on getting an ID card for students that you may be interested in 

 3i-D card for young people aged 11-19 – Money saving travel schemes – East Sussex County Council

KInd regards, Debbie Duckworth, Business Services Manager

 

Holiday Activity Opportunity for FSM

East Sussex County Council are co-ordinating the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme which has been sponsored by the DfE. This is an exciting opportunity for young people who are eligible for free school meals. This activity is free for those young people to attend. Please signpost your eligible pupils to book onto this enrichment activity, with lunch provided, via the link below.

Details of the offer:

Experienced music tutors will design and deliver activities that focus on genres of music that appeal to the participants, with scope to accommodate their musical preferences and interests. The aim is to extend skills and boost well-being through positive and collaborative creative experiences. Young people with existing musical/instrumental skills are welcome but tutoring will also be available to young people to develop new skills in guitar, keyboard, drumming, singing, music production and song-writing.

 

What	Where	How to book
East Sussex Music Service  invite young people to   ‘Make some noise!’      Rock and pop workshops   for ages 11 to 14 at two   venues.    Hot lunch included.	Lewes Performing Arts Centre,   East Sussex College campus  26 July to 5 August  9.30am to 1.30pm, Monday to   Thursday    Heathfield Community College  16 to 26 August  9.30am to 1.30pm, Monday to       Thursday	Free to families who receive   benefits-related free school   meals.  Book online.

The full list of available activities is available on our website:  Welcome to Holiday food and fun | East Sussex County Council

Starfish Music Workshops in Lewes – 16 to 20 August 2021

We have been made aware that Starfish are running a week of exciting music workshops over the Summer break (August 16th-20th) at Starfish Studios in Lewes.  Please note that this does not form part of our summer school offer. 

The Open Ears workshops have run successfully over the Summer, Autumn and Spring holidays last year attracting young people from all over Sussex and we have another week of really fun practical sessions lined up this August., Aimed at young people aged 10-19 years old, all groups are mixed ages of 5 children and the sessions are designed for young musicians/non musicians with or without prior experience.

They have some great tutors lined up, all delivering a range of innovative sessions, with an emphasis on learning new music related skills and building a positive creative relationship with technology:

Electronic Song Writing using Ableton

Acoustic Song Writing & Recording Techniques

DJ Scratching & Beat Making

Band Recording & Production

Loops & Circuits

Music Video Production

Old Skool Beat Making: Synths & Sampling

Global Grooves.

Please see attached flyers below.

If you are interested in taking part, please contact Iain Paxon, Starfish Youth Music and Open Ears Coordinator at support@starfishlewes.co.uk or see their website at: https://www.starfishlewes.co.uk/contact/

 

Oak Outdoor Adventures

Please see attached flyer below.  We have also been made aware of an opportunity of a local bike guide running mountain bike sessions for children in the local area during the summer holidays.  His main aim is to get children out and about in nature, being active and having fun.  Please note that this does not form part of our summer school offer. 

 

Parenting Guides – What’s on in August and September 2021

Please find attached Children’s Services Department latest “What’s On Guide” below. 

Families can book onto any of these online courses.  You need to email them with your name, the title and the date of the discussion group you wish to attend to: info@openforparents.org.uk  They will then send them the required links for the booking forms and to join the relevant sessions.

 

Safeguarding Focus

Netmums – prevent radicalisation

The ACT Early campaign encourages family and friends who are worried someone close is at risk of becoming radicalised, to act early and share their concerns. It also encourages parents to have radicalisation on their radar in the same way they do with other online harms.

Over the next 8 weeks, The Netmums partnership will include online 'drop-in' clinics where parents can ask a Prevent officer questions and seek advice.  There will also be four informative articles on the Netmums website, social media content, a video of the topline survey results and content sent direct to parents via the Netmums newsletter.

Key messages to parents:

• Have a conversation with your children about the potential risks of radicalisation as you do about other harms like drugs, sexting and child sexual exploitation. Find out more by visiting www.actearly.uk
• Protect your child by finding out about extremism and radicalisation and help make them more resilient to potential risks.
• Find out how to make your child digitally savvy to help protect them
• Not all children are vulnerable to radicalisation but some are and every parent needs to know the potential risks and what to look out for.
• If you are concerned act early and seek advice from the advice line on 0800 011 3764.
• We are here to help and to listen. They will not be wasting our time. The earlier they tell us their worries, the quicker we can get the person they care about the help they need to protect them from being groomed and radicalised. Most cases they issues will be unconnected to radicalisation and the support will be provided by other partners.

 

 

Sian Williams

Principal