Headlines - 10Jan25

10th

January 2025

HEADLINES

By James Saunders

WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER GREAT TERM AS PART OF THE HONYWOOD FAMILY

Welcome back everyone. I hope that, like me, you have all had a restful break and have entered the new year with a refreshed zest and enthusiasm. The autumn term is always the most gruelling and when schools around us started to finish for the holiday whilst we were still going I knew that some of our learners were beginning to fade. It was certainly a busy term.

This half term is going to speed by rather quickly. We already only have five weeks to go. If the autumn was about running the marathon, the spring term is about short sprints. With little time we have a lot to do. C11s are entering the final phase of their education before they begin their exams - in fact a few courses have already had some of their official assessments.

It has been great to start the term. Looking ahead over the next five weeks we have the launch of the Creative Club with our resident artist; Jack Petchey awards evening; C10 apprenticeships fayre; DanceEast workshop, residentials visits to Europe, annual Dance show and C7 Smashed Theatre Performance.

We will also welcome families into school for C11 and C7 Parents evening and for information evenings for the Disneyland and Ski trips. The half term will end by saying farewell to our skiers for the half term break.

Welcome back everyone. Let’s get stuck into another great term.

Have a great weekend

James Saunders

TAKING CARE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH

This week it has been a pleasure to discuss with each Cohort the importance of looking after their wellbeing in these dark months. During the assemblies, I have challenged children to physically push a straw through

a potato. Most of them made a real mess! However, a few used excellent problem solving skills to hold their finger at the end of the straw to create a vacuumand the straw went straight through! We used this as a metaphor for when life is difficult, they need to try something different.

We discussed how although ‘blue monday’, or the 3rd monday of each new year is supposedly the most depressing day of the year, this is actually a term coined by travel companies to sell plane tickets in the new year. However, ‘Seasonal affective disorder’, or SAD, is a real thing that can impact our wellbeing. We discussed what good mental health looks like, the biological need for anxiety to help protect us, and ways to improve our wellbeing.

We watched clips from the excellent documentary ‘swiped’ about children at Stanway school locking away their phones, and the positive impact this had on their mental wellbeing.

Finally, we explored the support that is available to them in school and how we use the app ‘youHQ’ to plan interventions and enable children to ask for a check in from a trusted member of staff. A huge well done to each cohort for their positive engagement. Mr Smith

TEACHING AWARDS

The 2025 Pearson National Teaching Awards are open to every school across the UK. The awards were established by Lord Puttnam CBE in 1998 and are managed by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity. The vision of the charity is to recognise and celebrate the work and impact of schools, teachers and colleges across the UK. If ever there is a time to recognise the hard work of our school staff, now is the time. Click here to access a youtube link highlighting this year’s awards - https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhE7DVjRc5k

For Schools who take part, entering the awards has a really positive impact on the wider staff and school community, far beyond the individual nominated. Please do take this opportunity to thank a colleague. You can nominate them here: https://www. teachingawards.com/2025-categories/

The entry process has been simplified this year to make it even easier to enter.

Now let’s all switch off for the weekend.

I wish you all a happy weekend.