Parent Briefing 16/12/24

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

And here we are! The final week of the Autumn Term before a well-deserved Christmas break.

School finishes at 12.30pm on Friday 20 December.

All children are expected to attend every day this week. Learning will continue and knowledge gaps will be present if children are not in school.

We invite children to wear their Christmas jumper or something festive to school on the last day. Children can also choose to wear an alternative item that represents their own cultural dress.

All children taking part need to wear their full uniform, including a shirt and tie underneath any Christmas jumpers or cultural dress. Usual school trousers/skirt and school shoes are required.

We return to school in the New Year on Tuesday 7 January. Monday 6 January is an INSET Day for staff when school be closed to students. Click the images below to zoom in.

A Successful Term

Our Autumn Term Rewards Assemblies take place on Thursday 19 December when children will be congratulated for their hard work this term.

This term has been an extremely successful one here at school. We have:

• Introduced a new uniform for Year 7 in September, reducing costs for parents/carers
• Introduced the new Family Dining system which allows all children to purchase a hot meal at lunch time, and sit inside in the warmth to enjoy it
• Issued more Guilford Gold to our children than ever before
• Sold a record amount of Dairy Milk chocolate bars in the swap shop!
• And much, much more!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, our parents and carers, for your continued support. Our partnership always makes your child’s school experience much more successful.

I would also like to thank all of our brilliant staff for always going the extra mile.

And finally, a HUGE thank you to our truly EGSellent children. I am a very proud Principal. You all deserve a very restful break when it comes.

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Other Events

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ATTENDANCE MATTERS

On the last day of term, students who have attended every day in December will receive a selection box on the last day of term. Normal lessons will continue right up until Friday 20 December when we close at 12.30pm. Please support your child to ensure they attend.

Is your child too ill for school?

As is common with this time of year, we have seen an increase in children absent from school due to illness.

It is usually appropriate and safe for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild respiratory illnesses. This would include general cold symptoms: a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above.

The NHS has published guidance to help parents and carers decide whether their child is well enough to attend school, including information on a range of common childhood illnesses and conditions, such as coughs, colds, chickenpox, measles and headlice.

nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

If you have any questions or are unsure if your child should be attending school, contact the attendance team on 0115 9131338 or email attendance@ellisguilfordschool.org.uk

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SAFEGUARDING

For the majority of pupils, the school holidays are a time to relax and take time off from studying. However, for some, the school holidays can mean a period of difficulty for many reasons. Click the link below for Click here for supportive resources for both students and parents during the holiday, including links to urgent support in a crisis.

If you have any Safeguarding concerns, please email: john.williams@ellisguilfordschool.org.uk

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SCHOOL REMINDERS

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KEY DATES & EVENTS

Head to our Term Dates, Events & Activities page to view our term dates and Key Events Calendar providing a month-by-month summary of key events. Click on the images below to view the ‘live’ calendar, and click through the pages to find out what’s happening this month or next!