Letter from New Vice Principal

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Dear Parents/Carers,

I am writing to introduce myself to any parent/carers that I have yet to have the pleasure to meet in these first 4 weeks of the new school year.

I am very pleased to join the committed team of staff at The Edge in supporting the development and progress of our young people. After moving from my previous school of 21 years just over the border in north Worcestershire, I have been very impressed with the level of genuine care from staff for our young people and the positive relationships between adults and students.

The Edge is at a very exciting time in in its growth and I hope to contribute to this development by leading on refining and expanding our systems for delivering simple, consistent and fair behaviour policy and practice. I firmly believe that through positive relationships, agreed safe routines, genuine recognition of when people meet expectations and by encouraging a culture of belonging and pride we can make the Edge even better.  I recognise that yourselves as parent/carers are central to making this happen and the positive and critical feedback you provide through our open communications is vital in helping us make these changes.

We will be working relentlessly to modify some of the school practices through simplifying our rules and being very clear with what is acceptable and unacceptable in terms of student behaviour and conduct. Student leadership and their voice will be key to these changes.  As such we are working with a hugely successful organisation called Pivotal Education to develop this new direction in creating a belonging classroom environment.

Some of these early changes will be introduced from the week commencing October 1st  and will help improve the experience for our students at lunchtimes. The opportunity to enjoy the freshly cooked and prepared food menus at the Edge is something all students are keen to do and we are lucky that we have an ample sized canteen space to seat all students at once. Therefore, following suggestions from students themselves regarding litter in school and from efforts by the school to improve the dining experience, we are introducing a dining time from 12.45pm-1.00pm when all students and staff will join each other in the canteen to sit down and enjoy the food provided from the wide range of options. Students are required to remain in the canteen and eat collectively as a whole school for this first 15 minutes as the remainder of the school site will be closed. Then the students will be requested to choose from a range of options for the remaining 15 minutes such as the games room, the outdoor space, film club or other social activities.

Can I also take the opportunity to remind both students and parent/carers that electronic devices (mobile phones) are not permitted in the school building during the school day and secure locker storage and charging facilities are provided for each student. If a mobile phone is found in a student’s possession during the school day it will be confiscated and a parent/carer will required to come and collect the item. These measures are to prevent loss or damage of personal property, whilst also to reduce the impact of inappropriate use of social media and messaging which can impact upon student wellbeing.

On a note of advice, we have been made aware of some unconfirmed messaging circulating regarding strangers in cars near surrounding schools.  Here are some simple steps for students recommended by West Midlands Police to make sure they stay safe on the street;

  • Never go off on your own with a stranger, take things from them or get in a car with them
  • Make sure you tell your parents where you are
  • If someone scares you, or makes you feel uncomfortable go somewhere safe, which could be your home, your school or a police station
  • Remember to tell someone what has happened straight away
  • If you have Snapchat check the settings on the new location sharing feature, Snap Maps , including details about how to change your settings and tips for staying safe.

USEFUL LINKS FOR PARENTS

If you have any further questions regarding this letter or if I can help and support in any way, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]

Yours faithfully,

Adam Smith

Vice Principal