A Brand New School Year – from John & the PHS Team! Friday 6th September 2024
Welcome to Percy Hedley School's Whole School Blog!
Hi everyone,
Well, how are you all? Good I hope. It’s good to be back and whilst not quite totally in the swing of it yet – I think that will come from Monday – it’s been great to see the pupils again in the last few days after a couple of training days. I really do hope you’ve had the holiday you wanted, and a lovely time together
We’ll be sending out our blogs again – this one, Eileen’s Family Liaison blog and one for Online Safety. I don’t have too much news or too many stars this week I’m afraid, as I write this after the children have only really just settled in and got to know their new arrangements. I hope that yours has come back happy! And I hope that you are too!
The new events calendar for 24-25 is online, on the Parent and Carers Area of the website, so please do take a look
Our Key Drivers are Communication, Wellbeing and Independence – they are the point of our school. If you’re reading this in Word, they are at the bottom of every page, and what our whole curriculum is based on
Our School Values are Respect, Teamwork and Resilience – that’s the kind of school we strive to be. Our Stars of the Week, school rules and behaviour plans are based on them too and you may be able to see them at the top of every page of this blog. You can certainly see them written all around school
There has been some very nice work done in the school over the summer too – painting, some more overhead hoists, more air-conditioning, and our new Pilates Studio, which I couldn’t resist showing you below! Hopefully you will get to see these things when you come to the school for one event or another – a Coffee & Catch-up session, one of Kasia, Sarah or Rebecca’s, or one of Eileen’s, a consultation, review, or any other reason
Whenever you do come, I wish and your child all the very best for the year. I hope they make fantastic progress, and I hope they’re happy coming in every day. We’re certainly very happy to have them
All the best. See you soon
John S
We’re so pleased with our new Pilates studio that was put in over the summer! Gonna be a great addition to the school. Together with the Hellens Sensory Motor Suite that we had installed last year, and our pool, we’re really building up the right levels of resources and opportunities for the pupils. Got to keep going though! 😊
Here’s Ruth making sure it’s all done properly! And the room under construction!
We have 3 Super Steering Groups which deliver our Key Drivers through our curriculum –
Communication, Wellbeing and Independence
Literacy
Becky, our Literacy Lead, leads a team that improve all aspects of literacy, including this year a lot of handwriting and oracy (it’s OK, she’ll be going into explain all of that) as well as reading, phonics, books and all sorts!
Physical Development
Everything that is fabulous in the world of Physical Development! This includes physio, hydro, MOVE, PE, HI, VI, a lot of OT and all sorts of key areas for us, including all of the Outdoor Learning, John Muir Award and many other aspects. Steph oversees this and will ensure that an aspect is shared in the blog each week.
Personal Development
One of the best things about the school and one of the most important for our pupils, PD covers PSHE, Wellbeing, Careers, Social Moral Spiritual & Cultural, Online Safety, Behaviour and similar areas. Jo pulls it all together. A different aspect will be covered in the blog each week
Student Leavers in July
One thing that you may be interested in is that our student leavers in July have gone on to the destinations of their choice – mostly colleges, and some other learning places too. It’s really great to see, and the leavers’ assembly is one of the highlights of the year. It’s so important for us that when students leave us they go on to where they want and need to, and it’s a huge part of our job to help them to do that.
If you want to talk at all to anyone about what comes next for your son or daughter, then please do. The Class Team will point you to the right people – most probably Louise F, who I know many of you already know! 😊
Safeguarding Updates – new training
Aylisha is our Safeguarding Officer, Rebecca is the DSL, and Tracy, Corin round out a great DSL Team; other colleagues look at other aspects too. For the blog, they give us weekly updates, which cover a range of topics – some of them pretty heavy sometimes!
Attendance Matters!
We’re committed to promoting high attendance among our students which was a key focus highlighted in our latest Ofsted report. I’ve put an extract from that below
Updated Code of Conduct
Here’s a link to our Code of Conduct, which is also on the website in the Parent and Carers Area - Percy Hedley School’. Most schools have these now, so please do have a read – they aren’t used very often.
Friends of PHS – the FoPHS!
I’m really excited by all the things that our fabulous FoPHS are talking about and planning A huge thanks to all of them for their time, commitment and support, with projects, ideas and all sorts. They’re also talking about the Outdoor Learning area – my favourite part of the school! It could be called the FoPHS Outdoor Learning Zone or anything! Great to have you guys on board, thanks again
Lunch and Lunch Accounts
Just a reminder please if your account is in arrears significantly to please move to reconcile that with us. There are just a couple so thanks to the vast majority for doing all of that!
Leading Parent Partnership Award (LPPA)
With Tracy and the Team! Please get in touch with Tracy via the email below and she will be happy to respond to any queries, suggestions about the LPPA and other issues for parents From Tracy and the LPPA team Contact t.smithson@percyhedley.org.uk
Stars of the Week!
That reflect our School Values!
Makaton Signs of the Week with Julie!
Welcome back to school!
Finally
It is really good to be back, and I’m looking forward to things starting up again here in earnest. We really do want the time your child has here to be fulfilling because it’s been a partnership with you – and it will definitely be more successful if it is. We won’t always get things right but we are always open to improving! The pupils will do so much better if we are all working together, so thank you for your support up until now, and I look forward to doing great things together as time goes on! All the best
…..from John & the Team here at PHS