HEADLINES
By James SaundersWELCOME BACK
“If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labour passes quickly, but the good endures. If you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly but the shame endures.”
Gaius Musonius RufusThe first couple of weeks of term are always important ones. After the long summer holiday both learners and staff often find it hard to get back into gear. In the current climate it is even more of a challenge. I am pleased to say that everyone has embraced the first two week cycle of their timetable both in and out of school with focus and enthusiasm, ready to reflect on the prior year’s performance and embrace the challenges ahead required to succeed. After welcoming our newest cohort of year seven learners I have been continuing to welcome the rest.
More so than ever it is crucial that learners balance the ability to endure, with the pursuit of enjoyment. When working remotely it is so easy to succumb to the temptations and distractions that surround us in our home environment. Perfecting the art of listening and being present in the moment is vital within the learning environment - both in school and remotely.
At Honywood we continue to place relationships at the heart of learning. By understanding our learners as individuals we are able to support them when things get tough so that when they reach the end of the journey and they look back on all they have enjoyed, as well as endured, they are truly happy and successful. Our Core Values (Trust, Respect, Equity and Excellence) and Capitals (Moral, Social, Cultural, Knowledge and Professional) remain at the heart of what
we are trying to achieve.
We are all really looking forward to the year ahead. We have entered this term on the back of an improved set of exam results that have validated the improvement work we have been doing over the last five years. We were very pleased with the performance of our
outgoing learners in the summer; each one faced their own individual challenges. These results build on the success of the last five years and are a real testament to the hard work of the staff. Improving a school year on year is always a tough task, however, that is what we have all been able to achieve with your support.
RESPECT CODE & UNIFORM
I would like to thank all our learners and families for such a great start to the term. Uniform and behaviour has been excellent. I would like to thank parents and learners that have embraced these expectations. Learners looked incredibly smart as they arrived for school and teachers have commented to me about there being an atmosphere of purposeful learning in the classroom. I have certainly seen this for myself on my daily walks around the school. Popping into lessons to see the school in action is a real pleasure and I can honestly say every lesson I have been into has been an absolute joy.
BREAKFAST SERVICE
We are currently providing a breakfast service in the morning to support families with the current pressure on the cost of living. This is in the form of cereal, toast and juice and is available from 8:15am - 8:45am every day.
EMAIL ETIQUETTE
Each year I share information with staff around managing email and not letting it take over their life. The following articles are of use to everyonelearners, parents, the community and staff:
https://hbr.org/2014/07/the-cost-of-continuouslychecking-email
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2005/ apr/22/money.workandcareers
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/mindsbusiness/even-small-distractions-derail-productivity. html
I am sharing this with you so that you are able to support us in maintaining an effective culture of communication and a healthy use of email that supports wellbeing. Whilst we appreciate that both learners and parents may find that the best time to email teachers is the evening or during the weekend, it should be understood that they will not be expected to reply until the following school day. We also feel it is unfair to learners if teachers are emailing them well into the evening - our IS policy also supports this. We thank you in advance for your support with this.
Your can read our communication protocol on the school website here: Honywood Communication Protocol
GOVERNOR VACANCIES
We are pleased to announce that we have two vacancies for a parent governor. The school’s governing board is responsible for providing confident and strategic leadership, and creating robust accountability, oversight and assurance for the school’s educational and financial performance. The board is passionate about education and committed to continuous school improvement to ensure the best possible outcomes for our learners.
As a governor, you’ll work with the board to ensure it effectively carries out the duties referred to above. You’ll also play a vital role in ensuring that the board is connected with, and is aware of the views of, parents and the local community.
To be a governor you should have:
• A strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children
• Good interpersonal skills, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and develop new skills
• The specific skills required to ensure the governing board delivers effective governance
Governors are expected to be able to commit to meeting four times a year for the full governing body meeting as well as joining a committee which meets a further three times. Some committee meetings tend to start after school so availability after 4pm would be preferred. Full governing body meetings meet at 6pm. Governors also agree to visit the school twice a year for a day to meet with staff and learners.
If you’re interested in applying for the role we shall be sending out further information next week.
I would like to finish with the words of Margaret Mead that really sum-up this great start to the term.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
Margaret MeadHave a great weekend.
James Saunders
