Parent Bulletin 6th October

It was also a big week outside the classroom, with clubs in full swing and high attendance! The pupils in Textiles club are currently 'working with the urgency of Fashion week' according to Miss Back, as they develop their clothing projects. Architecture club was similarly buzzing with enthusiasm and creativity, as the pupils got to constructing their cardboard buildings. 

It was also a huge week for Soane's footballers, as both the Year 9 boys and the Year 7 boys and girls got to attend the highly competitive Ark Tournament. The Year 9s were highly success on Wednesday, making it all the way through to the quarter finals, and picking up a 6-1 win on the way! The Year 7 boys put on a similarly impressive show, making it all the way to the semi-finals and enduring a tense penalty shoot out. The Year 7 girls displayed brilliant effort despite being a newly formed team, and were improving with every game. Mr Chippendale was extremely proud! 

A huge well done to all students who auditioned for The Lion King! We were blown away by the level of interest in being part of the show. The cast list will be announced on Tuesday; students who have been cast must attend their first rehearsal on Friday, 3:30PM-4:40PM. The office will be in touch to confirm places.

If your child auditioned but was not cast this time around, there will be additional opportunities we encourage them to apply for throughout the year. Please stay tuned for future announcements! 

Please find attached below the E-consent letter for your child's upcoming flu vaccination this winter. 

You have the option to consent to either the flu nasal spray or the non-gelatin intramuscular flu vaccine. We kindly ask that you complete the online form at your earliest convenience, as the portal will close 48 hours prior to the flu session.

It is important to note that influenza can be quite uncomfortable for children and may lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia. Additionally, children can easily catch and transmit the virus, so vaccinating them not only protects their health but also safeguards those at higher risk, including infants and the elderly.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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