End of Year Parent Bulletin

This week, we wrapped up the school year with exciting end-of-year trips and an action-packed sports day! The pupils enjoyed exploring new places and participating in various activities. Our sports day was filled with friendly competition, showcasing the students' athletic talents and team spirit. It was a memorable way to celebrate the end of the year and all the hard work everyone has put in.

Year 7 Trips

Our Year 7 pupils had an amazing time on their recent trips to Go Ape and the exciting London city tour! These outings were packed with fun, adventure, and a wealth of learning experiences that we are thrilled to share with you. Be sure to check out the fantastic photos we’ve captured along the way!

At Go Ape, our pupils embraced their inner adventurers among the treetops. The day was filled with thrilling activities that challenged their courage and teamwork. The tree-top courses, complete with zip lines, rope bridges, and a variety of obstacle courses, had everyone cheering each other on.

On the London city tour, our pupils explored some of the most iconic landmarks and historical sites, each with its own story to tell. From Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London, every stop was a new adventure.

Year 8 Trips

Our Year 8 pupils had an unforgettable time on their end-of-year trips to Camber Sands and a picturesque walk along the River Thames! These adventures were the perfect way to celebrate their hard work and achievements throughout the year.

At Camber Sands, the students enjoyed a day filled with sun, sand, and sea. They played beach games, built impressive sandcastles, and splashed around in the water. The laughter and joy were infectious as they bonded over shared experiences and created lasting memories.

The walk along the River Thames offered a serene and educational experience. As they strolled along the riverbank, the pupils took in the stunning views and learned about the rich history of the area. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to unwind and enjoy the beauty of nature while deepening their understanding of London’s heritage.

Year 9 Trips

Our Year 9 pupils enjoyed some fantastic end-of-year trips (also) to Camber Sands and Thorpe Lakes Water Obstacle Course! These outings were filled with fun, excitement, and a great sense of adventure, marking a perfect end to a productive school year.

The trip to Camber Sands was a delightful beach day, where our pupils embraced the sun, sand, and sea. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and joy as they spent the day engaging in various beach activities, enjoying each other's company, and making wonderful memories.

The adventure continued at Thorpe Lakes, where our pupils took on the thrilling water obstacle course. This exciting day was all about testing their agility, balance, and teamwork as they navigated the challenging obstacle course on the water.

Sports Day

We had an exhilarating and unforgettable Sports Day this year, filled with energy, enthusiasm, and spirited competition. The entire school community came together to celebrate athleticism, teamwork, and school spirit in an action-packed day of events.

Safeguarding

The local shops and businesses in Ealing Broadway have reported some Anti-Social Behaviour and shoplifting taking place recently. With the school holidays approaching the Metropolitan Police will be increasing patrols in the area and will be enforcing the Public Spaces protection order as mentioned on this letter.

Clubs this week

The last day of after-school clubs will be Weds 17th Jul. The timetable & sign-ups for clubs for next academic year will be released upon return in September.

Soane Parents' Association (SPA)
SPA is in need of more people to run activities and take up committee positions - please get in touch if you could see yourself as a Co-Chair, Co-treasurer or Co-Secretary of the Association.

Local Film Project
The Acton Gardens Community Project are writing to ask if your child would like to participate in a local film project over the summer. Please fill in this survey if you are interested.

Ark Soane's Approach to Phones
We are increasingly aware that some of our pupils have smart phones with no parental controls installed. Please ensure that you do have controls in place to keep your child safe. Learn about setting phone controls, understanding popular apps and terminology, and our comprehensive support for digital well-being. Ark Soane's Approach to Phones Newsletter

Device monitoring
All Soane students are provided with a laptop upon entry to the school. This is to facilitate students completing their school work, and ensure that all students are able to access any online programmes or websites that we use for homework. There are protections on these devices to keep students safe: inappropriate content is blocked and devices are monitored for safeguarding concerns which are reported to the school.

Please be aware that not all non-educational content can be blocked on these devices (for example YouTube is accessible) and parents/carers should still monitor usage. Just because they are on their school laptop does not mean that they must be doing productive schoolwork! If you have concerns that sites are accessible which should be blocked then please flag this up to info@arksoane.org so that we can address with our providers.

English language sessions for parents and carers
Our last English language session for this academic year has now passed.
We have thoroughly enjoyed connecting with our students' parents and carers and expanding the Soane community. This year we've enjoyed fiction extracts such as Harry Potter, discussed current news items such as the rise of AI and explored new cultures, food and traditions - with a cup of tea and biscuit in hand. We would love to continue these sessions next year and will send updates on this in due course.

Ealing Mental Health Workshops

The Ealing Mental Health Support Team are offering workshops for Parents/Carers over the Summer term of school:

31st July: Supporting Friendships in children – aimed at parents/carers of primary-aged children to provide information to help you support your young person with building and managing friendships, including supporting with social anxiety.

You can book these by scanning the QR code or visiting the following website.

After signing up, you will be emailed a Microsoft Teams link and receive an email reminder on the morning of the workshop. Any queries relating to the courses should be directed to the following email address: Ealing.mhst@nhs.net

Attendance
As you may be aware from the news, attendance at school is the predominant focus of all professionals. We know that for your child(ren) to have the education and character to go on to live happy, fulfilled lives as the drivers of their own destinies they MUST be in school. It is widely evidenced that students who frequently miss days at school significantly underperform and achieve lower grades than those pupils who attend every day.

Additionally, a change in guidance from the government means that any students that are late to school after the registers have closed will impact their attendance percentage. This could be coded as unauthorised and could result in local authority action.

Please see reminders of actions you can take to support your child(ren)’s attendance and progress at school, we really appreciate your support and are dedicated in working together to achieve the best outcomes for your child(ren):

• Support with an evening/morning routine to ensure they are prepared and organised for school the next day – this is a message we narrate in school.
• If your child needs/has a medical appointment please try and arrange these outside of school hours (we appreciate this is challenging). If you are not able to do this, please inform school in advance of the appointment and provide evidence (appointment cards/letters/emails).
• If you are not sure whether your child is well enough to attend school, send them in anyway as they often perk up on arrival. We will contact you if they are too ill to continue.
• If your child is ill, please telephone the school before 8.25am each day of your child’s absence.
• Have a backup plan for if your child misses transport, call on a family member, neighbour or friend.
• If you and your child are experiencing difficulties with school attendance then talk to us as a first step so we can help!

If you have any questions or concerns please email info@arksoane.org

Unifrog
All pupils have access to the Unifrog platform to support in researching future careers and recording their growing aspirations. We encourage you to explore the website together with your child to research careers and future study options of interest to them.

Careers speakers
We are always on the lookout for volunteers to give inspirational careers talks to our pupils. If you or someone you know would be interested in speaking to our pupils, please complete this form.

PE Bags
A reminder that pupils should bring their PE kit to school in a navy Ark Soane branded PE bag. They are available from our uniform supplier here.

Lost property
The lost property box in the reception area of the school is full of unclaimed items. Please ask your child to go to reception to check the box if necessary, and you are also welcome to pop into reception to check it yourself if you would like. Please may we also remind you to label your child's school uniform and belongings with their name.

Chewing gum
Please note that chewing gum is prohibited at Soane. Please reiterate this with your child as possession of chewing gum will result in behaviour sanctions.

Safeguarding
We have been advised by the local police force to remind you about the process of reporting incidents to the police in the event of a crime.

Please can we request that if your child is the victim of a crime that a report is made to police at the earliest opportunity. Recently we have been made aware of a number of incidents by the school. It is essential that the school are made aware of an incident as it may have an impact on their ability to safeguard your child but if you delay reporting an incident to police it can have an impact on the investigation and lead to valuable evidence being lost.

You can report an incident to police in a number of ways:

• If it’s an emergency and the crime is still taking place, call 999 and ask for the police.
• If it’s not an emergency, do not call 999. This doesn’t mean the crime is not important to us it just helps the police to make the best use of their resources. In this instance please contact 101 or please report the incident online on the following link Report a crime | Metropolitan Police
• You can go to your local police station in Acton or Hayes to report the crime there.
• If you have information regarding a crime and don’t want to talk in person to the police you can contact Crimestoppers online or call

If you have information regarding a crime and don’t want to talk in person to the police you can contact Crimestoppers online or call 0800 555 111. You will remain 100% anonymous. Always.

If you would like any further information then please do not hesitate to get in touch with your local Safer Schools Team who would be happy to help.

Accessing support in school

At Ark Soane there are lots of ways to access support in school – speaking to form tutors, class teacher or a member of the safeguarding team.

Pupils can also use SHARPs, an online form that is found on the school website that is sends a message to the safeguarding team – you can use this at home. It is only monitored in term time. This is an avenue for students to raise concerns or ask for support, if as parents you have concerns you should continue to contact the office or email infor@arksoane.org

Other places to get support are; Mind, The MIX, Childline, NSPCC, Circle Café and Kooth

Soane PTA
If you would like to get involved then please email soanepta@gmail.com.

Contact us
If you need face-to-face assistance then the school office is open during term-time from 8am-4pm. So that we can deal with email enquiries promptly please see the school email addresses below:

• General Enquiries – info@arksoane.org
• Attendance - absence@arksoane.org
• Free School Meals - fsm@arksoane.org

Thank you for your ongoing support.
Kind regards,
Matt
Matt Neuberger | Principal | Ark Soane Academy