The following message was sent out to parents on Wednesday 13 July:
We are just dropping you a line as we enter the final run in before the Summer Holidays so that you are fully updated for what will be a hectic last few days.
Please be assured everything in this message is true – none of it is fake news. ?
This message will include:
- Last Days of Term
- Last Day Arrangements
- Sixth Form Results Day
- Year 11 Results Day
- September Return to School Arrangements
- Getting Organised at Home
- Year 7 & 8 Recovery Packs / Y9 Transition Packs
- Other News
Last Days of Term
Our last days are pretty jam-packed. In many ways it is like this every summer, but we have also tried to add in even more as we play catch up with field trips, extra-curricular, and fun, after the COVID lockdowns.
If we do not get back to you lightening quick this week please forgive us. There is a lot on so flick through to see what your child could well be up to:
Monday 11 July:
Y10 Geography Field Trip to Birmingham
Sixth Form Field Trip to Twycross Zoo
Sixth Form LAMDA (Drama Exams)
World Challenge Week 2 & Return – Borneo Trip
Fake News Week activities for all (full story here: https://www.friaryschool.co.uk/2022/07/09/inside-story-the-friary-fake-news-scandal/)
Tuesday 12 July:
Sixth Form LAMDA (Drama Exams)
Wednesday 13 July:
Rewards Day – Inflatables – based on winning House and rewards points average on days in school
Music students performing at Chadsmead Primary School
Spires Care Home residents visiting school as part of Health & Social Care course
Thursday 14 July:
Summer Sizzler – Hoodstock – outdoor music festival – tickets available online
Friday 15 July:
Staff Social Event – team-building and all that…
Monday 18 July:
Attendance Reward Day – Dodgems – based on 100% attendance since Easter, then a prize draw from the best attenders through the year (COVID absences do not count)
Sixth Form Induction Day (non-Friary students)
Tuesday 19 July:
All quiet(ish) on the school front…
Wednesday 20 July:
Last day of term
If your child is involved in these events please consider sun safety – details on the website at: https://www.friaryschool.co.uk/2022/07/11/preparing-for-a-heatwave/
Last Day Arrangements
We will be having a half-day to enable staff to clear rooms for the usual extensive round of refurbishment over the summer. Well over £200k will be spent in improvements over the busy six-week ‘holiday’.
The last day of term will be scheduled – with a normal start – as follows:
8.45-9.05 – Tutor Time / Registration
9.05-10.05 – Lesson 1
10.05-11.05 – Lesson 2
11.05-11.45 – Extended Break
11.45-12.05 – Tutor Time / Registration
These arrangements allow for every child to get fed – free school meals et al – and we will have an orderly dismissal after the final registration.
We have contacted all of the bus companies about the early finish and can confirm the early pick ups will operate.
Any children who cannot get home can be supervised until 3.05pm as usual but we very rarely get any takers.
Sixth Form Results Day
This is scheduled for Thursday 18 August at 8.30am. Staff will be on hand to support future placements and more besides. Entry will be via the Library entrance and results can be collected from the Sixth Form.
GCSE Results Day
This is scheduled for Thursday 25 August at 9.00am. Staff will be on hand to support Sixth Form places and other placements. Entry will be via the Library entrance and results can be collected from the Sixth Form.
September Arrangements
On reflection, the staggered return we have traditionally done in September is a pain for working parents and so we’re gong to scrap that and simply go for a normal day. This will help with parent drop-offs and buses and get us off into lessons more quickly.
This means that your child should return to school for 8.40am on Wednesday 7 September. They report to their tutor room and staff will be on hand to advise children where to go. We will also publish the tutor room allocations on the website before the start of term.
Getting Organised at Home
We are putting out a plea to all parents to give us their full support on uniform, standards, etc, on the return to school. Perhaps the biggest legacy of COVID for children is their ability to cope socially and within parameters and so your support is crucial on this. Managing 1,000+ children can only be done well if there are clear and consistent expectations – it would be foolish for us to think excuses or special treatment for one helps.
UniformPlus have already said how brilliant the Year 6 parents have been at getting ahead with their uniform and we would advise all parents (including myself) who are yet to look that far ahead to follow this lead. If there is new footwear to order then please do it in good time, likewise the clothing.
Similarly, if there are extended nails for the week away then schedule in an appointment to get them removed now. If the hair has gone a bright pink then get it washed out in time. If there are an array of facial piercings going in they be aware they have to have healed and removed by the return to school.
The last thing we want is a battle to chase these things up and I know you as a parent will simply want your child back into school without fuss or bother. We can help one another here.
Year 7 & 8 Recovery Packs / Y9 Transition Packs
We will continue to offer opportunities for students to learn through the Summer Holidays as we continue to cover the learning gaps stemming from the COVID pandemic.
Before the end of term, we will send out Year specific emails to Year 7-9 parents outlining how to access the summer work. It is entirely voluntary and is designed to get children thinking, open up their minds, and ensure they do not get bored over the long 6 weeks.
It is entirely up to you parents whether you wish for your child to explore these projects. We entirely appreciate you have your own summer timetables and that rest, play and friends and family are just as much a part of development as anything else.
Other News
Any parent who negotiates our school site at the start, and particularly the end, of the day, will know it is far from ideal.
Consequently, we are working at putting in a new electronic gate in at the front of school – similar to what the vast majority of schools already have – that will manage entry at set times. This will ensure there is safe pedestrianisation and the 100s of students leaving on foot will not have to zigzag through moving vehicles, etc. It is long overdue.
This means parents are going to need to think carefully about where their pick up will be from. The gates will be open from say 3.25pm so any parents who are particularly concerned can let their child attend homework club and then pick them up later.
Essentially, it impossible to disagree that if it is a choice between the safety of the mass, to the preference of the individual, then there is only one decision to make.
This work will begin over the summer holidays and we hope to have it in place for the new term. It will also see secure fencing around the whole site. The funding stems from our academy status and when the DfE reviewed the current provision they felt it was a priority that our bid was approved.
And Finally
We’ve really enjoyed the school year and as more and more opportunities have opened up things have only got better. The photos from the recent Prom, Leavers’ Meal and the weekend’s Y9 residential – beaming smiles and blazing sunshine – were brilliant.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us through the year, bore with us when there have been blemishes, and exuded positivity with the many successes.
We will have plenty of surprises for the children when they come back to school – all good – no tartan trousers – and we’ll be ready to try and make our school better still in 2022-2023.
Have a great summer and see you in September.
