News
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CEIAG: Careers education and information, advice and guidance
Youth unemployment has featured prominently in the national news recently. The national picture According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, between December 2022 and the end of 2025, 333,000 16-to-24 year olds lost payrolled employment – a 4.3% decline. This fall in youth employment is almost as sharp as following the 2008 financial […]
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Industrial Cadets receive glowing feedback
A group of Friary students have received glowing feedback from a panel of engineers. The school’s EDT Gold Programme team got feedback on a project they’ll present at an awards ceremony next month. The EDT programme is part of the King Charles Industrial Cadet scheme, which has been assisting schools around the UK […]
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Free school meal (FSM) eligibility
From September 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) will expand free school meal (FSM) eligibility to include all pupils from households receiving Universal Credit. This creates two categories: Targeted FSM: Based on the existing £7,400 income threshold Expanded FSM: Covers meals only for pupils in households receiving Universal Credit who […]
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Online Safety – Instagram
Recent updates to Instagram have brought renewed attention to how we balance privacy and safety online. In May 2026, Instagram removed its optional end‑to‑end encryption feature for direct messages. This means that while messages are still protected, they are no longer fully private between just the sender and recipient in the […]
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Hot Chocolate with the Head / Friary Character Award
Miss Wright, Johnson’s Head of House, nominated Alice P (Year 10) as a “fantastic role model to others.” Miss Wright gave credit to Alice’s “positive attitude,” which is evident in the number of awards she received in the last House Celebration Assembly. Alice is also Johnson’s Sport Captain, which is […]
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Hot Chocolate with the Head
Evie G (Year 7) was nominated from Seward House. Evie helped to settle a new student into the school last week. Mr Sleigh, Seward’s Head of House, recognised her as “a great buddy” and that “anyone would be lucky to have her help.” Evie’s “hard work, positive attitude and high […]
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The Friary celebrates the life of Sir David Attenborough
During this week’s Focus Week, students have been learning about Sir David Attenborough – a true British hero – coinciding with his 100th birthday on Friday 8th May. As part of their activities, KS3 students took part in the final Independent Learning Quiz of the year. Teams from each House were […]
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Online Safety
The Department for Education (DfE) offers practical support for parents on its Kids Online Safety website. This is designed to help parents and carers feel more confident on the steps you can take to protect your child online. The updated website can be accessed here: Kids online safety The Friary is […]
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Hot Chocolate with the Head
Amy M (Year 9) was nominated from Seward House. Her “consistent high effort, maturity and attitude to school” make her “a credit to Seward House.” Mr Sleigh, Seward’s Head of House, also recognised the hard work Amy does in form and how helpful this is to Mrs Jones. Miss Wright, […]
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Hot Chocolate with the Head
There were twice as many nominations to acknowledge this week, with Mr Drury being involved in assemblies last week. Louis M (Year 9) was nominated from Darwin for always going “above and beyond” in his studies and being “a role model for other students.” Mr Britton, Darwin’s Head of House, […]
