16th January 2026
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT As we kick off 2026 the focus is now firmly on supporting our learners to achieve their very best this year. For C11’s, this term is the final furlong that will take them to their GCSE exams, whilst for C7’s they will be nearing the end of their first year at Honywood. Each cohort will have its own milestone to reach: C8 will be choosing their GCSE programme; C9 will be completing the first year of theirs; C10 will begin their first round of mocks and work experience. Yesterday we had a great turnout for our C11 parents evening. This is a crucial time for parents to understand the specific actions that our learners need to take to enable them to be successful. Previous parents evenings have always produced a real sense of energy in the hall as our teachers engage with families and learners. This one was no different. C11 teachers love talking to parents about how learners are doing and how best to support them. Personally, the evening contained a touch of melancholy sadness for me as I came to the realisation that I am fast approaching the end of my three year journey of teaching my GCSE class. Like many of our teachers the focus was on revision strategies and how to close the gaps and address any misconceptions arising from the mock exams. I found that my advice was all about two things. Repetition to help embed knowledge into long term memory, and deliberate practice to develop skills and application of knowledge. The mock results are looking really good so there is everything to play for. We all wish this wonderful cohort the best as they enter the final stages of gcse preparation. Learning, memory and revision The most important thing when approaching assessment time is for all learners to utilise their independent study wisely to complement their learning in class and effectively revise. I have
previously shared some useful resources around the school that I thought would be of wider interest. The following articles can help parents in understanding how to support their children with independent study and revision. Hopefully this will lead to some conversations with learners about whether their chosen method(s) of study are likely to be the most effective for them. https://www.tes.com/news/gcses-how-makelearning-stick https://www.tes.com/news/are-you-getting-revisionall-wrong https://www.tes.com/news/what-every-teacherneeds-know-about-memory Ethos It’s not just all about exams. School is so much more than that. Every day our staff are shaping the character and lives of our young people. Last Friday I had a visit from our local MP Priti Patel. Here are a few words that she wrote about her visit: “It is always a pleasure to visit Honywood School to discuss the school’s ethos and the important work being done to support students. Schools play a vital role in shaping young people’s character, confidence and aspirations and it was inspiring to see the strong values that underpin life at Honywood. TIKTOK AND ONLINE SAFETY We always advise families to exercise caution when allowing their children to engage with social media. Many issues that we have to deal with in school began outside of school and often originate from social media. This week I would like to draw your attention to TIkTok.
What is it? A video-sharing app that’s huge with children and teenagers right now. You lip-sync to music or do comedy sketches, and can add effects to your videos. You can also gain followers (‘fans’) and watch other people’s videos. The age recommendation is 13 and above, but it’s easy for younger children to sign up too. What are the main things to watch out for? • • • •
Sexual lyrics and swearing in songs Content about eating disorders (known as ‘proana’) and bullying content ‘Challenges’ that users take part in that are potentially dangerous Emojis that are seen as sexually suggestive, like the aubergine
Under-16s can’t send or receive private messages. But once users have made contact, like through comments on videos, they could still switch to another app like Snapchat to chat privately and swap images and videos. 7 steps to keep your child safe 1. Use family pairing (also known as family safety mode) This feature lets parents control some settings on their child’s account from their own phone (there’s more on which features below). You’ll need to download TikTok and link your account to your child’s. Once you’ve created a profile, go to your profile > tap the ‘…’ icon in the top right to open settings > Family Pairing > ‘Parent’. Follow the same steps on your child’s phone but choose ‘Teen’, then scan the QR code with your camera to link your accounts.
family pairing set up, you check this using family pairing. 3. Set age limits so your child doesn’t see inappropriate content You can do this through the family pairing settings. You can also use family pairing to turn off search on your child’s account. If you’re not using family pairing, on your child’s phone go to Settings > Digital wellbeing > Restricted mode > follow the steps in the app. 4. Consider setting a time limit on use TikTok can be hard to put down – help your child rein in their use with a time limit. You can do this through the family pairing settings, or on your child’s phone. Go to the Digital wellbeing section > Screen time management > follow the steps in the app. 5. Restrict in-app purchases to block spending On iPhones, if you already have Screen Time turned on, go to Settings > Content and Privacy Restrictions > enter your passcode if asked > turn on Content and Privacy > tap iTunes and App Store Purchases > Inapp Purchases > set to Don’t Allow. If you don’t already have Screen Time turned on, go to Settings > Screen Time > tap to turn it on > choose whether it’s your device or your child’s device > follow the steps to set up a passcode. Then just follow the steps above to block in-app purchases. On Android, open Play Store, tap on your profile icon in the top right > scroll to Settings > Authentication > Require Authentication for purchases > Select ‘For all purchases through Google Play on this device’. Keep an eye on your bank statements to check your child isn’t getting round the controls.
2. Keep account set to private and limit profile information Accounts for users aged 13 to 15 will be set to private by default. This means that only approved ‘followers’ can see your child’s videos.
6. Check settings on interactions like duets, direct messages and comments Duets are where users reply to one person’s video with another, and then share it all. The videos appear together, side by side. This feature has now been turned off for users under 16, and set to friends only by default for users aged 16 and over.
Even with a private account though, anyone can see your child’s profile information. Tell them not to share personal information publicly, like their full name or where they go to school. Plus, encourage your child to only accept ‘fan’ requests from people they know and trust.
Your child can also change settings for comments on their videos via the Privacy section, and for users aged 16 and over, change settings for who can send them direct messages and duet with them. If you have family pairing set up, you can do the same through the family pairing settings.
To check your child’s account is private, on their phone, simply go to your child’s profile > … > Privacy > check ‘Private Account’ is turned on. If you have
7. Make sure your child knows how to report content and users Filters aren’t perfect, so make sure your child knows
how to report harmful or upsetting content or users. Make sure you both know the rules too – TikTok bans sexually explicit content, bullying, graphic content, “pro-anorexia” content, and hate speech. To report a user, go to their profile > tap ‘…’ settings > Report > follow the steps in the app. To delete a fan, your child should go to their own Profile > Followers > tap the 3-dot icon next to the follower they want to remove > tap ‘Remove this follower’ To block users altogether, go to their profile > … > Block > follow the steps in the app. You report specific content through the video, comment or message itself. To report a message: open it, tap … > Report > follow the steps in the app. To report a video or comment: long press the comment > Report > follow the steps in the app. Have a lovely weekend.
James Saunders
Congratulations to Shania Haynes in C8 who represented the school recently at the Southern area schools championships in Surrey for judo. She took a silver medal. Shania will compete in the national schools in Sheffield in March. A great achievement. Well done! Our C7 Futsal team became District Champions this week!
January can certainly be a dark and chilly month, but it is also a great time of year for us to take the opportunity to slow down and take some time to connect with the nature on our doorsteps. This can offer mental and physical health benefits to adults and childreen alike, with accessing our natural environment increasingly being ‘prescribed’ as a therapeutic treatment. Whether on a bright frosty morning or a dank, cold afternoon, we can take inspiration from the cheery resilience of resident birds such as robins, blackbirds and blue tits, singing and flitting around in our parks and gardens. If we are fortunate, we may also be treated to sightings of rarer Winter visitors such as redwings, fieldfares and siskins, who may have travelled from as far away as Scandinavia or Russia to nibble on treats in your garden! The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch takes place over the weekend of 23rd - 25th January, so make a note in your diary to set aside just one hour to take part and be a Citizen Scientist! You can do this from the comfort of your own home, maybe together as a family, or as a mindful, screenfree hour to yourself. It’s free to register and by registering your results with the RSPB, you can help contribute to this ongoing study into how garden birds are faring. Find out more at https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch We would love to hear about your unexpected or rare sightings!
Dates for the Diary Tuesday 20th January 2026
Ski Trip Parents Meeting 6pm
Tuesday 27th January
Jack Petchey Awards Evening
Thursday 5th February
C11 Whole Cohort photo - 8.45am
5th - 10th February
Book Fair
Wednesday 11th February
C7 Parents Evening
Friday 13th February
Ski Trip Departs
16th to 20th February
Half Term holidays
23 & 24 February
C11 Learning Group photos - LS5