Headlines - 19 April 2024

19th April 2024

HEADLINES

By James Saunders

THE RAINBOW FLAG AWARD

Welcome back everyone to the final term of the year. I would like to start the term by recognising the excellent work led by Miss Musk and Mr Spelman who have been instrumental in achieving the Rainbow Flag Award for the school. The Rainbow Flag Award is a national quality assurance framework recognising our dedication to promoting positive inclusion and LGBT+ visibility within our school community. This achievement is a testament to our collective efforts in fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and free to be themselves.

The Rainbow Flag Award is not merely a symbol but a commitment to improving the lives of all young people within our care, including those who identify as LGBT. It encourages a whole-organisation approach to LGBT+ inclusion, focusing on strategies to effectively challenge and combat LGBTphobic bullying while promoting visibility and acceptance.

What sets the Rainbow Flag Award apart is its flexibility and inclusivity. Rather than imposing a one-size-fitsall approach, it empowers schools to self-identify and self-determine the most appropriate ways to implement positive LGBT+ inclusion that complement their unique staff, learners, and wider communities.

At Honywood, we recognise that true inclusion can only be achieved through collective effort. That’s why we involve our learners, staff, and wider communities in leading the way towards meaningful change.

The Rainbow Flag Award focuses on six key areas of the school:

1. Staff Training and Development

2. Community Engagement

3. Policies and Practices

4. Curriculum and Learning

5. Support and Wellbeing

6. Pupil Voice and Leadership

Receiving the Rainbow Flag Award is not the end of our journey but rather a milestone in our ongoing commitment to promoting inclusivity and equality. Over the coming years, we will continue to build on this foundation, working tirelessly to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

Further info can be found here: https://www. rainbowflagaward.co.uk/

I would like to share with you some of the comments from the Rainbow Flag Award Assessment:

“Honywood, this is an excellent submission, illustrating your deep understanding of how to create the most inclusive environment possible for your learners.”

“The behaviour policy is truly a testament to your commitment to inclusion. It’s deeply ingrained in ensuring that the policy is practical and applicable to creating the most inclusive environment as is at all possible. Commendable also that you involve Governors, headteacher and all staff in ensuring that fairness is a form of treatment to all.”

“The excellent presentation and practical examples of how staff within Honywood have understood and implemented policies is truly commendable. Through your programme of CPD and staff

testimonials you are clearly ensuring that staff are reflecting on their actions and increasing their confidence to use their knowledge to create a more inclusive environment not just for learners but for staff and the wider community too.”

“CONGRATULATIONS, you have now completed all Standards of the RFA. You have demonstrated such care, diligence and passion in ensuring that you have disseminated learning, created safe spaces for discussion and very importantly you have ensured that this is a whole school journey, including parents, Governors, headteacher, staff and learners.

I must however single out Daniel Spelman and Becky Musk who have together produced some of the most considerate, committed, interesting and passionate RFA submissions. Your determination in creating an inclusive environment is infectious and certainly jumps out of the page, how I wish I had been a student of yours at Honywood!

Thank you to all members of the Honywood community for your dedication to inclusivity, acceptance, and respect. Together, we can make a difference and create a brighter future for all.

Have a lovely weekend

THANKS

James Saunders

To the following learners for supporting today’s Safeguarding Audit:

Roman Hague, Amelia Marshall, Margaret Tierney, Francesca Salmon, Stanley Pyne, Oliver Turfkruyer, Recep Almas, Freddie Brooks, Samuel Colairo, Max Ewers, Alfie Foster, Jonathan Hardington, Vasile Rusu, Zane Sargent, Daniel Viljoen, Darcie Berry, Phoebe Hazell-Young, Emily Henrici-Fernandez, Evelyn Lagdon, Soha Malek, Isabella Owen, Amelie Rees, Olivia Shardlow.

Congratulations to Caleb Gilbert!

Caleb was at the English National Karate Championships in Sheffield during the Easter break, where he came away with the gold medal. It massive achievement for him, where he was again facing athletes quite a bit older than him. Caleb has been selected to compete at a European event in Spain this May. We wish him the best of luck.

Well done to Tillianne Smith in C10.

Before the Easter break, Tillianne participated in the Eastern Counties League Girls Rugby Final held at Ipswich RFC. Tillianne plays with the U16 Braintree Warriors. This season they have played against 9 other teams from around the Eastern counties and with a lot of hard work they came second! An amazing achievement. Tillianne only started playing rugby in October 2023 and she has really enjoyed it ever since. (Braintree RFC are always on the lookout for more players!)

C7

As part of the C7 Spring Enrichment programme we were delighted to take learners to Marks Hall Arboretum in March. We have worked closely with Marks Hall over the years and the children were able to undertake learning away from the classroom. They embraced the activities using orienteering skills which they learn during LS5 in school.

Moving around the estate as a Learning Group with adult supervision, they visited four different zones with activities designed by our team, on the grounds of Marks Hall. These included bug hunting, den building, team building and creative writing. They were accompanied by their Learning Group Leader and worked on the four challenges together.

C8

C8 took part in their Creative Careers Enrichment programme on 28 February and 1st March. In February they visited the Mercury Theatre who designed a bespoke day for our learners to enable them to explore the creative industry. They took part in devising workshops, exploring the creative process; a Shakespeare workshop, a tour of the theatre with talks from the different departments, from production, lighting, business and marketing all led by industry professionals and finally they were able to watch the technical rehearsal for “The Importance of Being Earnest” which was on that week at The Mercury. The day is designed to give a real insight into the creative careers industry. On 1st March, the learners were working in their chosen discipline on their final piece. Learners were in Art, Music, Dance, Drama, Gaming Design and Film. Working together, they then showcased what they had created to guests from the industries. A massive thank you to our visitors who gave feedback to our learners. Well done to all of our learners who took part.

C9

Nuclear Wild Forest is a unique and fun obstacle course teaching teamwork, motivation, mindset, focus, resilience, self-confidence, determination and friendship. Being outdoors and around nature, completing the course alongside their peers and teachers was a truly memorable experience.

C10

Our focus for C10 for the Enrichment week was preparing them for the challenges they will face over the next 18 months; providing experiences for learners to develop their skills for the world of work, mock exams and final exams and for post-16 education. C10 learners took part in mock interviews by guest industry professionals who gave advice and tips on the interview process. They were also visited by MADE training, a specialist company that runs workshops teaching revision techniques to learners. With the mock exams for C10 starting after the Easter break, this was an excellent opportunity to learn new revision and memory skills. The learners attended a Department for Work and Pensions workshop to further their understanding of the world of work, employment and all that accompanies adult life in the workplace.

C11

For C11, their Enrichment week focussed on preparing them for the challenges they will face over the next few months with their GCSE exams, culminating in a scavenger hunt day out in London to celebrate their time together as learning groups and as a cohort, whilst continuing to develop life skills and confidence.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Ofsted Big Listen

Asyouwillbeaware,yourchildren’seducationisapriorityformeandIfrequently engagewithschools,parents,ourlocalauthorities,theDepartmentforEducationand Ofsted about important issue impacting your children’s education.

AtthebeginningofMarch,IhadtheopportunitytomeetwithSirMartynOliver,the newlyappointedChiefInspectorofOfsted.IhadaproductivediscussionwithSirMartyn aboutourlocalschools,educationalstandardsandcrucially,educationaloutcomesfor pupils across the Witham constituency.

SirMartynhasbeenclearthatasthenewlyappointedChiefInspector,hispriorityisto listentoparents,children,andtheteachingcommunityabouttheirownexperiencesof localschools,howbesttoimprovethem,raisestandardsandalsoreformtheschool inspection process.

Thisisavaluableopportunityatthestartofhistenuretogiveyourviewsandshareyour feedbackontheeducationalexperiencesofyourchildrenexperiencesatourschools, thoughthenewOfstedprogrammethe‘BigListen’,whichwillrununtil 31stMay 2024. ThelinktogiveyourfeedbackisenclosedbelowandIwouldencourageyoutotake part in this important national survey.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/ofsted-big-listen

IhopeyoutakethisimportantopportunitytoplayanintegralroleinensuringthatOfsted serves the interests of your child and their educational outcomes.

Asalways,Iamalwaysavailableifanyparentsorguardianswanttosharetheirvery specificconcernswithme,andtodothis,pleasewriteto me via withammp@parliament.uk.

Yours sincerely,

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