Whole School Bulletin

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If you have updated your email address recently please contact Claire Kent, Communications Officer

 A full list of staff email addresses is now available on the parent portal of Frog

When sending an email to a member of staff, please copy Claire Kent, Communications Officer: claire.kent@oxted.thpt.org.uk 

Whole School Calendar  - w/c 21 June (Week Two)

Whole School Notices

If there is something that a member of staff at Oxted School has done which you are happy with,
please do let them know (thankstaff@oxted.thpt.org.uk)

Surrey County Council Letter - emailed home 16/06/21

COVID-19 Leaflet - emailed home 16/06/21

Parent/Carer Letter - emailed home 16/06/21

How we are striving to build emotional strength
Earlier in the year, during the lockdown, we contacted you to let you know that as part of our drive to build emotional strength, we are asking every student in the school to complete a short online survey which will measure their resilience.

Not every student had the opportunity to complete this survey during lockdown, so we will be providing them with the chance to do so over the coming weeks and we will be sharing further information with you once it is complete.

If you have any questions, please contact the school.    Below is the message sent earlier this year explaining how we are looking to build emotional strength. 

Your child attends our school each day to learn and their emotional strength is an important factor in that process.  Children and young people who struggle with emotion difficulties will find learning harder.   Our school has invested time and resources to help children who may be struggling, and we continually look for new ways to improve that help.   Our goal is to have students who build emotional strength and resilience because we believe this helps their learning and they need this for adult life too.

Government school inspectors (Ofsted) now require all schools to support children’s emotional strength and this is something we have been doing for several years.  We will be asking all children to complete a short survey which measures their resilience.   Resilience is defined as a person’s ability to “bounce back” from difficult life events.   We all face difficulties in our lives and some people seem to bounce back quicker than others.   We hope to identify those children who may struggle to bounce back because they may need additional support from school staff or may need a referral to our school child psychologist.

This half term our focus is on peer-on-peer abuse 

What is peer on peer abuse?

‘Peer-on-peer abuse is any form of physical, sexual, emotional, financial, and/or coercive control exercised between children and young people; this includes intimate and non-intimate relationships. As with many forms of abuse it rarely takes place in isolation’. 

All students have focused on this in their LSC (PSHE) lessons during the first two weeks of this term.  In these lessons they looked at the various types of peer-on-peer abuse and understood what constitutes abuse, explored circumstances when peer pressure becomes peer abuse and evaluated what support networks are available to help support those in need. 

During assemblies, students looked at what it means to be ‘cool’.   ‘Being cool is being your own self, not doing something somebody is telling you to do’.  We will consider which is more important - to have values such as treating others with respect versus being cool.  We will continue to raise awareness of respect and responsibility in tutor sessions, look at scenarios involving peer pressure and remind each other the importance to report incidents to help keep our community safe.

Virtual Parent Forums with the Head of School
If you would like to book a fifteen minute meeting with Mr Bond, please email his PA, Yvonne Everall at Yvonne.Everall@oxted.thpt.org.uk specifying the date and time you would like for your appointment.  If you have any further questions about these Parent Forums, then please do also contact Yvonne Everall.  

• Friday 25 June
  • 10.00am - 11.00am
• Wednesday 30 June
  • 11.00am - 12.00 noon

National Thank a Teacher Day - Wednesday 23 June
Thank a Teacher Day is on Wednesday 23 June and students can take part by nominating their favourite teacher(s).

Students can enter one of the #HowWillYouSayThankYou competitions and they could receive a special celebrity shout out!

If your child would like to take part in the competition please follow this link.  Any entries that are posted within the next 5-7 days, will have the chance to be showcased on the ‘Thank a Teacher’ social media channels.  Participants have the chance of winning:

• A creative writing competition judged by Sir Michael Morpurgo
• A baking competition judge by Nadiya Jussain
• A drawing competition judged by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler

Students can also send a FREE limited edition Axel Scheffler e-card ‘Thank a Teacher Card’, with special thank you’s being read out by secret celebrities on the day. 

The school with the most thank you’s will be announced on the day (23 June) – entries close at midnight on Tuesday 22 June.

Summer Reading Challenge Volunteer
If you are aged between 14-25, like children and books and can spare 10 hours over the summer then join Oxted Library as a Summer Reading Challenge Volunteer. 
As well as having fun and giving something back, you will be adding something positive to your CV or UCAS statement.  Apply at: www.surreycc.gov.uk/libraryvolunteers

Train to Teach
Are you interested in training to teach in a school local to you?   Why not attend the Surrey Downs Partnership summer virtual open evening to find out more!

Wednesday 23 June from 5pm to 7pm 

• What training does the Surrey Downs Partnership offer?
• What funding options are available?
• How do I apply?
• A chance to ‘drop in’ and speak to our team of Professional Tutors from each of our partner schools!

Find out more and book your place by emailing admin@surreydownspartnership.org.uk or visit the website www.surreydownspartnership.org.uk

Parent Reminders

• ‘Forgotten Items’
  Parents are reminded that Reception are unable to accept any ‘forgotten items’ left at home by students.  This includes money for transport, packed lunches, FDT ingredients or any other items.  Please make sure that your child has everything they require for the school day prior to them leaving home.  Thank you for your support.
  
  
• Drop Off and Pick Up Times
  The safety of our students is paramount and parents are reminded that they should not be driving on to the school site, either at the back of school or the front of school, to drop off or pick up students.  Both of these areas are extremely busy during these staggered start and finish times.  Thank you for your support.