Festive food donations

Gosport Futures

Delivering the

NO child at a school run by the Gosport and Fareham Trust (GFM) went hungry last Christmas after hampers were handed out to those in need.

GOODS during

The hampers helped feed difficult times disadvantaged and vulnerable students at GFM schools; Gomer Junior, Rowner Junior, Brune Park Community School and Bay House School. With the help of volunteers, the GFM ensured food The hampers fed over 800 students from the town over Christmas thanks to donations reached those who really needed them...the partnership between the GFM and catering company Aramark. It included food for a festive meal and bread, cheese, biscuits and crackers. Assistant Headteacher at the Gosport and Fareham Trust leading on inclusion Faye Longden-Thurgood said: “At this incredibly difficult time the GFM are doing all they can to support families in need. “We know that many people are facing great challenges having been hit hard by the impact of the pandemic.” Meanwhile, the GFM also collected donations for their Christmas Food Bank Appeal in support of Jacob’s Well and the Gosport & Fareham Basics Bank. Dozens of boxes and bags of food and essentials were donated by the families of students at schools across the Trust. Each tutor group at the schools were designated a different item to donate which included toilet roll, shower gel, tea, coffee, soup and pasta. Citizenship teacher at Bay House School Amy Robinson said: “We collected a whopping 40 bags of food from our kind hearted families which will be donated to people in the local SUPPORT for Gosport community. families continued “By getting students to donate items they are taking ownership for their role in supporting the into the New Year with the school helping to feed up to 450 families per week during the second lockdown. Hampers food bank. We also asked them and Tesco vouchers were provided to think about why some families for families of students on free may need that support. school meals. The Trust also set “The Trust have worked up collection points at Brune collaboratively across both schools Park School and Spring to positively affect the lives of so Garden Lane. many people in our community.” Volunteers collected kind donations for families in need.

Many thanks to teachers for all their hard work

I just wanted to say a big thanks to all your teachers. The amount of preparation you have all put into ensuring the right level of content, facetime, clarity of access and teaching is really impressive. I’ve been working in my office, but can hear the teachers and would like to praise their virtu virtual teaching style. They are inclusive and involved, understanding of the tech shortcomings, creating amazing discipline and level of engagement. The bite size live sessions are really working and critical to helping my child to stay connected. I have spent the last 10 months on team calls and I know it’s not easy and how exhausting this can be. I have never seen my child so engaged and positive — I am also really proud of his level of motivation and commitment — he is taking things very seriously and the schedule is giving him real structure.

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Striking the right chord

Assistant Headteacher for Performing Arts at the GFM, David Malcolmson on the benefits of learning an instrument.

MUSIC empowers young people to shape their world through sound and allows them to exercise their imaginations. To succeed in the future, students will need to be inventive, resourceful and imaginative, an arts education will help. As well as being creative and enjoyable, playing an instrument has been proven to help relieve stress, create a sense of achievement, build confidence and also to improve patience, memory, discipline and time management skills.

Due to these attributes, the Department for Education say a high-quality music education not only improves self-confidence but also behaviour and social skills as well as contribute to an improvement in academic achievement. At the GFM, we are proud to work with a team of specialist instrumental and vocal teachers to offer a wide range of music lessons that pupils and students are able to access in addition to their normal music curriculum lessons. An early start in music education often results in music becoming a life-long passion. This gift is precious and, whilst not all students go on to play professionally, the seeds sown in the classroom continue to flourish for a lifetime. If you are interested in your child learning an instrument, or receiving vocal lessons, please contact the relevant Head of Music or music co-ordinator at your school. Gosport Futures

Learning how to build TRUST

Building relationships has been the key to discussing sensitive issues with teenagers in an online setting...

MR PENFOLD who heads up the Citizenship/ PSHRE programme across our two secondary schools says developing trust has allowed students to feel safe to speak out. His team cover a range of topics including relationships and sex education, misuse of substances such as alcohol and drugs, antisocial behaviour and diversity. Because of the nature of the lesson and learning, his eight-strong team will often be the first port of call for any safeguarding and or complex personal problems students may experience. He says recreating the intimacy and support in the classroom has been the biggest challenge during school closures and lockdown. He said: “Because of the types of discussion we will have with students it will often be one of our team who will be the first to hear about an issue a student may be having. “As you can probably imagine that comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility to make sure the support and advice you are giving is correct for that individual student and their situation. “Of course, it is much easier to discuss these complex and sensitive issues within the safety of a school classroom. Classrooms are places where students feel like they can be themselves. “When you are discussing sensitive issues like sexuality or relationships teenagers do not necessarily want to be front and centre in front of their peers. “That is why we have created and signposted a range of resources to support our student’s mental wellbeing during the lockdown.” Over a two-week period just under 1800 students will take part in classes run by Mr Penfold and his colleagues. He added: “We are acutely aware that our students need us now more than perhaps they ever have but equally are perhaps not as well placed to ask for that support.” “That is where trust and relationships built up over time are so crucial to being able to deliver that much needed support. They know we are there for them.”