News and Views
Visit this page for news, information, ideas, celebrations of success and opportunities to support our Christian community.
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Safeguarding updates ...
Mon 24 Apr 2023We like to give parents updates from time to time about features of our safeguarding policies and curriculum that we think will be of interest to you.
In the Spring 2023 term our Safer Internet Day theme was 'Want to talk about it'. Across the school we focused on how to make space for important conversations about how we use the internet.
Last term we also marked Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. Lower School looked at how we can handle strong emotions, and Middle School at how to manage unhelpful thoughts when they come along. Upper School pupils explored a range of mental health challenges, including stress and anxiety, together with ways they can help themselves and others.
Young Carers Action Day was in March and at school we are in the process of developing our understanding of what it means to be a Young Carer. Statistics show that quite a high number of young people in the UK provide some form of help for family members. This could be physical, medical, emotional assistance or helping translate for parents. Churches and schools are ideal places to support young people who may at times need to take on a caring role at home. We have undertaken some staff training in this area and have developed a Young Carer’s policy which can be found on the Policies Page of the website. This term we will look at this topic with our pupils in an age appropriate and Christ-centred way, so that they have an understanding of what the term Young Carer means, the challenges (and the positives) that young caring can bring about and how young carers can draw on spiritual and social support as well as access practical help.
IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE
Last week a pupil walking down Kingsley Road not far from School witnessed someone holding a gun. Whilst the pupil was not at direct risk themselves, this was not a pleasant experience and we advise parents to consider carefully the routes their children take if they are walking or cycling to and from school independently. We include street safety in our PSHME curriculum, giving young people advice about how to avoid potential danger and teaching them strategies to respond effectively if they find themselves in a risky situation. We will be repeating these messages over the next couple of weeks in form or assembly times.
We continue to address a range of other important topics with the children,including updates to online safety via assemblies and PSHME (Personal, Social, Health and Moral Education) lessons, in line with our Safeguarding curriculum plan.
The Safeguarding Page on the school website has very useful links to information about many important topics, including online safety. We encourage you to research some of these so that you can talk with your children about various issues to complement what is being taught in school. We would particularly like to draw your attention to the 10th edition of Digital Parenting Magazine. There are several interesting articles, especially the first one, which gives an overview of how the digital lives of different age groups have changed since the pandemic and how parents can be better equipped to ensure that their children can safely enjoy all the fantastic benefits technology has to offer.
We would also draw the attention of parents whose children use TikTok to a useful article from January this year: TikTok news: Are our kids getting a balanced view from social media? This focuses on the impact on children’s understanding of the world when news items appear on their feed because of the items they clicked on before, rather than because it is newsworthy by more objective criteria.
As always, with resources that are produced by other organisations, we advise parents to exercise their own judgement and spiritual discernment so that any messages you share with children are filtered through a biblical worldview perspective.
We have been asked by Liverpool City Council to make you aware of the Spring Edition Liverpool Parenting Newsletter March - May 2023 which features advice on a range of local and national services and some local events that are taking place this spring. Whilst many of the advertised services may offer valuable help to parents in the community and some of the activities may be of interest, we always advise parents to satisfy themselves that the services or activities are compatible with their personal and family values. There are also sources of support available through church and other Christian networks which parents may wish to look at, including South Liverpool CAP Debt Centre and Reach Counselling.
Finally, although not a safeguarding issue, many of you will have heard of ChatGPT, which is going to cause a lot of re-thinking of how we do education and particularly homework so that we can be confident that the pupils’ work is their own. We will be sharing our initial thinking with you later this term.
If you have any comments or questions about any aspect of our safeguarding work, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me via email: rb@cfschool.org.uk -
Summer Term, more ...
Fri 21 Apr 2023Welcome to the new term. Following our email at the weekend about changes to dropping off and collection times, we are writing with more information about other aspects and events at school this term.
Uniform
The summer uniform (which is optional), can now be worn in Lower and Middle School (up to year 6). There are still a few dresses available at school for ages up to age 7 - 8 which you can purchase at £5 each from the school office. Please remember that summer dresses should be worn with white knee length socks. Boys may wear knee-length school shorts up to year 8 if they would like to, with short grey socks.
For years 7 - 11, pupils should no longer wear their PE hoodie over their school jumpers / cardigans as we are in the summer term. Coats are not to be worn inside school unless it is particularly cold and the heating has broken down.
New uniform proposals
At the end of last term, a number of parents had the opportunity to look at uniform additions and changes proposed by the school council for Middle and Upper School next year. The consultation process is open for another couple of weeks and you are welcome to call into school between 3.20pm and 3.30pm next week to have a look and complete a survey. For your information, we are only considering these for years 9, 10 and 11 and the cost is a modest £35.
Food and drinks in school
As the school year continues, we want to remind you about the importance of providing healthy and appropriate foods for your child's packed lunch. It is important to remember that the food your child eats throughout the day plays a crucial role in their overall health and wellbeing. A balanced diet helps to fuel their bodies and minds, allowing them to focus and perform well in class. We would ask that you limit the amount of sugary snacks and a reminder that sweets and chocolate are not allowed in school as part of pupils' packed lunches. A chocolate biscuit, for example a Penguin or a Kitkat, is ok as part of a balanced packed lunch. We would also ask that sweets, lollipops and chocolate not be brought in for birthdays as we do not want children eating sweets and lollipops on the playground or on their way home due to safety reasons.
Fizzy drinks are not allowed in school. Please provide your child with a drink of water in a clearly labelled bottle for drinking during the day.
Parents may find this site helpful: Healthier Lunchboxes and may want to consider involving their older children, including Middle School, in preparing their own lunches under guidance and supervision.
Term dates for next year and a change to the school day
The term dates for next year have now been agreed and are available on the website and a PDF HERE.
We have a total of 12 staff INSET days next year for training, down from 13 this year. Our October INSET days will be midweek with a Wednesday one week and a Thursday the following week. This format will enable us to plan specific training for our many part time staff. Furthermore year 11 should be available for extra sessions at school during February INSET which we will confirm nearer to the time. Generally speaking, our vision for INSET days is that families plan opportunities for educational outings, perhaps with others in the school community, and for older children there may well be specific work set for completion at INSET. We do appreciate that the cost of travel is more expensive in the state school holidays, but we do ask that parents do not plan to extend their family time off during term time. However, we do usually finish a week earlier than other schools in July and this should help a little towards holiday costs.
Invigilators required
Many thanks to those who have volunteered for invigilation of GCSE exams which start in late May. However, we are still in need of help! If you are able to offer at least two sessions and have an Enhanced DBS either with school or another organisation, we would be grateful if you would consider invigilating. We are trying to avoid staff being asked to do sessions if at all possible. Please email Rachel Johnson rj@cfshool.org.uk if you can help.
Inspection
As we write, we are expecting an Inspection from the Independent Schools Inspectorate some time soon. We understand that the inspectors will phone on a Monday and be physically in school on a Wednesday and Thursday. We just want to remind you that once we have received the phone call that they are coming that week, we will be sending out a parent questionnaire which should be completed by 8pm on the Tuesday, which will itself demonstrate the nature of our school.
Coronation celebration
We would like to mark the Coronation of King Charles as a whole school community with a ‘bring your own afternoon tea’ on Friday 5th May from 2.30-3.30pm at school. More details to follow.
Brown envelopes
We will be sending a number of letters home in the Brown Envelopes in the next week or so. Please look out for these, and do make sure that you take time to read the letters about the various matters. One or two of the letters will require you to complete the reply slip. Please return these in the Brown Envelope and remember to sign the envelope itself. -
Summer Term Arrangements ...
Sun 16 Apr 2023As we return to school on Tuesday, please be aware that the building work in Lower School is continuing all term and there is a change to arrangements for drop off/arrival and pick up/departure for all pupils for the whole of the term. We would greatly appreciate your help and support to enable the day to go as smoothly as possible, and we do recognise that socialising may be more difficult as a consequence.
There will be no access to the playground for parents in the morning or the afternoon.
Morning Arrangements
Lower School (classes R-3) will go across the front grass into the right side of the Reception playground and directly into their classes. Doors will open at 8.35am.
Middle and Upper School will come through the main front doors from 8.30am and will then go straight through onto the playground through the foyer. They will then line up on the playground and Middle School will go in with their teachers, and Upper School to their form rooms as before at 8.45am.
We are asking all parents and especially parents of younger children to ensure that children and young people do not arrive before 8.30am as the front grass is not suitable for play. Ideally pupils should arrive nearer to 8.40am as far as possible.
Lower School will be going straight to their classes as it is not safe for them to be on the playground without any additional parental supervision which we rely on for safety and support.
Collection Arrangements in the afternoon
Lower School will exit through the Reception playground opening at 3.25pm. They will come out in their classes with their teachers and be handed over to parents as before.
It is extremely important for parents to take full responsibility for their children from that point as the space is limited and not suitable for playing.
Years 4 - 6 will exit through the main front doors with their teachers at 3.30pm and be handed over to parents. Again please make sure that you take full responsibility for your children who will not be able to play.
Years 7 & 8 will exit through the main front doors at 3.35pm. The slightly later time is to help avoid congestion upon exit and also on the front grass.
If you are not waiting for older children, it would be very helpful if you could leave soon after pick up to avoid congestion on the front grass.
Upper School pupils will leave via the main front door at 3.45pm and will be encouraged to leave the premises as quickly as they can.
We do apologise for the inconvenience to parents for the need for a later drop off for some in the mornings and a change to pick up times for some in the afternoon. Please do impress on your children the need for being more careful and vigilant at drop off and collection times. There will be two members of staff on security in the mornings and afternoons to help with the smoother running of arrivals and departures. Please be reminded that parents should not be parking or leaving their car even for a few minutes on Overbury Street as the road has parking restrictions for residents only.