Welcome to Summer!

Easter Joy!

As we prepared our community for the Easter celebrations our liturgies towards the end of term drew on the lovely reflection by Marianne Williamson, Powerful Beyond Measure. It is a beautiful piece that is full of light, joy and energy and includes a line that is full of challenge and, at the same time, full of hope:

“We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.”

As Christ rose from the darkness of the tomb He brought a light that shines in each one of us and certainly shines in the students we serve. This was the focus for our staff liturgy at the start of term as we celebrated the joy of His rising and the hope that this brings. I asked staff to remember that they, like good yeast in bread, are active ingredients in the lives of the children we are called to serve and that with care we can help the Risen Lord to be present in the heart of our community.

I ask that you hold the community at Cardinal Newman in your prayers and particularly so for those students taking public exams this summer.

Wishing you every blessing in the Risen Lord

Waiting for Summer?

As I write this the weather has turned balmy and it feels like summer! Although most of us may want the summer to arrive as quickly as possible I am fairly sure that many of the students in years 10, 11, 12 and 13 would rather wait a while as they make their final preparations for the summer exams.

The exam season is always challenging for students, staff, parents and carers and it is important that in the weeks that lie ahead we take special care to support one another as we seek to support our children / students.

As a parent of a GCSE-age student myself I am beginning to see things rather differently! I am learning when to back off with the nagging, when to offer the gentle prod and when to

ban anything that remotely looks like it could be fun – Xbox, iPod, phone etc!What I am learning above all else is that all those things I thought parents should be doing to support their children are far harder than I had ever anticipated.

With this in mind I want to invite parents and carers of students in Y10, 11, 12 and 13 to make contact with their child’s mentor if you have any concerns whatsoever as the exam season progresses. We will always do our best to support you.

Thank you!

In education we often talk about ‘going the extra mile’ and over the course of the last term and the Easter break we certainly saw students and staff going the extra mile. Every evening has seen a wide range of additional classes that are being run to support students preparing for their public exams, giving them the very best chance of success in the summer. This support extended into the Easter Holidays too with over 25 sessions being run across a number of departments in support of students preparing for their exams.

Clearly, all of these opportunities are only possible thanks to the exceptional commitment of dedicated staff and I am sure you will join me in thanking them for their service.

Celebrating success

I am delighted to inform parents that the school has been recognised for its excellent work with students with regard to Health and Well-being, following our success in gaining the Bronze Award. Cardinal Newman has always been a school that has taken pride in our commitment to educating the whole child and it is pleasing to see that, alongside our students’ spirituality and academic studies, this area of our work has been recognised for its quality. Well done students and staff!

Listening to your views

At the most recent meeting of the Parent and Carers’ Forum we took time to look at a range of issues and challenges for the school alongside those things we are rightly in a position to celebrate. Two key issues were raised that are highlighted below:

Uniform

The school is not consulting on a substantive change to the school uniform, but we do want to ensure that parents, carers and students are in a position where no mistakes whatsoever can be made when you go out to purchase uniform with your child.

Girls have the option to wear either trousers or a skirt and there is a clear choice to both students and parents that

should they not like / wish to wear the skirt agreed by the school, they have the option to buy trousers instead. This position has been agreed and approved by the governing body.

In taking this approach we anticipate spending far less time challenging students over issues of compliance with regard to uniform standards and far more time supporting students with their learning.

We do not wish to see parents incur any unnecessary costs and students currently in Y7-10 will be allowed to keep their current skirt until it needs to be changed. We will write to all parents at the end of the summer term where skirts need to be changed over the summer holiday.

Behaviour management

I have worked in a number of different schools in different roles and can honestly say that the behaviour management system used at Cardinal Newman is one of the most effective I have seen. It is clear, is understood by all and makes a clear link between behaviours and consequences. Most importantly, applied well, it enables all students to get on with their learning without low-level disruption.

Since September just 4% of students were responsible for over

55% of Remove visits

Behaviour at the school is good by any measure but it is not yet outstanding and as such we will continue to strive for improvement.

The school is trialling a system by which we challenge students to improve their behaviour over time. Rather than accepting the accumulation of behaviour points for any one student without consequences, we have imposed a threshold beyond which students will incur an after school detention with their Head of Year. As the weeks go by it is our intention to reduce the level of this threshold so that students have to show increasingly good behaviour in order to ensure they are not caught by one of these detentions.

As a parent myself I would welcome this move - and it was certainly welcomed by the Parent and Carer Forum. It challenges students who do not behave as well as we would like to behave better. It targets only those students who do not behave well and does so in order that all students will benefit from a better learning environment.

Mr Joe Richardson Headteacher

Mobile phones

Our usual reminder that rules on mobile phones and mobile devices have not changed. If they are seen or heard on the school site at any time they will be confiscated and returned to parents / carers at the end of the half-term.This is a well-established rule in the school and is non-negotiable.

Supply teachers

It is rare that the school has to employ supply teachers thanks to careful management, but there are occasions when unexpected staff absence can present a challenge. As far as possible we do try to ensure that we use our own staff to cover all groups in case of absence and particularly so where there are exam groups, but this is not always possible and we do have to use agency staffing to cover absent colleagues where we have a shortfall or if absence is long term. We fully understand that this can be disruptive and it is particularly difficult when it affects students taking public exams. To reduce the likelihood of this we do change timetables to ensure students in their exam year get the best, most experienced staff available.

Homework

The feedback from the most recent Consultation Day was overwhelmingly positive with some lovely comments from parents and carers. Thank you for your support.

One area of concern to parents is homework and it is an issue we will be seeking to evaluate and address ahead of the new academic year. Part of that evaluation will include a reflection on what homework is of best use to students’ learning given the significant changes that have been made to exams in recent years, with a greater emphasis on traditional knowledge-based learning and recall. We will update you on this later in the summer term.

Other Announcements

Student safety

As Headteacher my first concern is always for the safety of our students and staff. It is for this reason that students are told very clearly the red lines that exist with regard to their conduct.

This term students will be reminded that the school takes a zero-tolerance approach to issues of knife crime, sexting and violent conduct. I hope you will agree that this is a sensible approach in any school.

Mr Richardson

School Website

It is highly important that you check your area of the website for any updates or new letters as often as you can,

The parent area is full of information that could be helpful to you. Information such as examinations, policies, letters from the headteacher and much more. The student area also has links to Maths and Science revision content.

So please visit our website as often as you can to keep up to date!

www.cardinalnewmanschool.net

Silver Jubilee of Monsignor Kevin McGinnellThursday 19th March saw a great celebration of the 25th anniversary of the ordination of Monsignor Kevin McGinnell as a priest. The date is a significant one for the Church, as it marks the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, and is also the day on which, two years ago, Pope Francis was installed as the new Pontiff.

Bishop Peter presided and preached at the celebration Mass at Holy Ghost, accompanied by many priests from Luton and further afield. Many were delighted to see the return of Deacon Paul Wyer for the occasion. As a school, we were very well represented by students, staff and governors participating in the liturgy in a packed church.

As a school, we are extremely grateful for the support of Monsignor Kevin, not only in his role as Director of Education, but also as our Dean and Priest Chaplain to Year 11. We pray for his continuing ministry as a priest.Ad multos annos!

Jane Porter Chaplain

Holy Ghost parish are celebrating their Golden Jubilee this year; for details of all the events please click on their logo (left)

Easter LiturgiesOnce again during the last week of term, every year group marked the events of Holy Week with a liturgy in the hall.

As Christians, we are called to ‘keep firm in the hope we profess’, so we reflected on the hope that Jesus’ death and resurrection bring to a world that is in need of Good News.We listened to parts of the Passion reading from St Mark’s Gospel and related each part to an area of the world or of our own lives in need of prayer. We ended with the reflection, written by Marianne Williamson and read by Nelson Mandela in his inauguration speech as President of South Africa.

The readings and music at each liturgy were led by the year group, with over 70 students involved. Sincere thanks to the students who took part.

The school were at full fundraising throttle on March 13th to celebrate Red Nose Day and raise as much money as possible for the charity.

The star event was the staff show, performed for each year group throughout the day. Introduced by a boogieing Mr Richardson, the show launched straight into an array of dance routines and songs performed by various departments and staff members such as the Mr & Mrs Fay duet and Mr Clancy’s now traditional solo songs! English, Drama, RE and PE all entertained the crowd and University Challenge staff vs students saw heated compeition on general knowledge! Finally Mr Garvey showed his unique talent of spinning a suitcase on one finger!Thank you all for your support [We raised over £3500 on the day] and also to staff, Newman Sixth students and Exec.

Newman Staff Show

In February student Aishling McAree attended the All Scotland Irish Dancing Championships.

Aishling did very well competing against very tough competition but sadly just missed missed out on ‘The Worlds’ for this year. Her teacher was more than delighted with the performance but the passion to be a world-class dancer has only spurred her on to train harder.

She also impressed the local newspaper who published a photograph of Aishling in the Glasgow Herald, which was covering the event.

We are very proud of your achievement - well done Aishling!

Irish Dancing ChaplaincyOn Saturday 28th March, 107 Confirmation candidates from the parishes of Holy Family and St John’s, Holy Ghost, Sacred Heart and St Martin’s travelled to Thornton College for the Blaze retreat day in preparation for Confirmation. Highlights of the day were a variety of workshops, Mass and a question and answer session with Bishop Peter.

During this term in school we are praying for all those receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation over the next few months.

By Jane Porter

200 Club Draw Winners

December 2014

1st Mr Z MLILO 1312nd MRS A POTTER 473rd MRS S MULLANE 1374th MRS J KABEYA 113

January 2015

1st MRS M BRENNAN 682ND MR JOSE GONCALVES 103RD J HUMFREY 284th NATALIE DESNOES 5

February 2015

1st MISS L CURRINGTON 902nd MRS M POPOW 93rd MRS M FURNEAUX 1044th NATALIE DESNOES 4

Primary School Writing Day

On Monday, March 2nd, Cardinal Newman School hosted its first Writing Day, when pupils from our seven feeder primary schools spent the day exploring the theme of ‘Wonder and Mystery’ through a selection of different writing genres and tasks. Each school brought along pupils from Year 1 up to Year 6 and groups were carefully organised to include a range of ages and schools for each activity. Each pupil was able to sample three different activities during the day, including diary entries, writing poems and writing using pictures or objects for inspiration. The hall was filled with exciting props such as the wardrobe from the ‘Narnia’ series and the tea party from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Students from our Year 7 helped out during the day and were a real credit to us. Everyone enjoyed a visit to the

canteen at lunchtime to eat their packed lunch and sample a surprise portion of chips! A particular treat was having a short break on the tennis courts afterwards and a chance to get the creative juices flowing, with a game of tag in the brisk wind. Then it was back to the hall for the final activity and closing remarks. Teachers were given certificates to present to their pupils, to celebrate their attendance and to reward ‘Writers of the Day’. The day was a huge success and gave pupils and staff a chance to work together to produce some wonderful work, which can be displayed in the primary schools.

By Mrs Thorrington

On writing day, primary pupils from all across Luton flooded Cardinal Newman. This was to submerge themselves in the topic ‘Wonder and Mystery’. We helpers worked in pairs to assist the children with their creative writing. In addition to this, we dug deep into the land of Narnia, particularly Lucy’s first impression of it.

Bearing in mind that the pupils’ ages ranged from 6 to 11, their work was spectacular! We witnessed their creativity spread across each and every activity. For example, one table was themed around Alice in Wonderland. We recapped the story with them and created a unique recipe for a shrinking potion.

The second table focused on the ‘Shadow Shoes’. This inspired the children to write their own tale about a human-like shoe. It enabled them to use personification – we were astounded by their knowledge of this technique and we enjoyed making our own unique shoe. These could have super-powers, they could talk, whatever you wanted! We enjoyed teaching the students. Ria even taught a pupil how to use a question mark…WOW!

By Kian, Ria, Albin and CodyYear 7

What Did Our Year 7 Helpers Think of the Day??

During the February half-term the Religious Education Department at Cardinal Newman Catholic School brought a group of Year 11 students to experience all the sights, sounds and wonders of Rome. During the short trip students visited everything from the Sistine Chapel to the ancient Colosseum and all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The highlight of the trip for both students and staff was attending the Papal Audience on Ash Wednesday where we received the blessing of Pope Francis, a blessing which His Holiness sent to our school, our families and parish communities.

The picture above shows the group in St Peter’s Square just after gathering for the Sunday Angelus which again was led by Pope Francis. How lucky we were to see him twice in one visit! It was a truly exciting, enjoyable, prayerful and enriching journey for all who participated.

By Mr Fahy

Ciao from Rome!

I will never look at Rita the same again! I am not talking about a friend but one of the rides at Alton Towers. There are no engines on the carriages that you are sitting in, OH NO! As soon the light turns green you are catapulted by large strong metal ropes (using hydraulics – pressurised nitrous gas) to 100km/h (61.1mph) in 2.5 seconds. Time for some physics, we have all heard of G-force but do we know what it actually is? Well G-force stands for either the force of gravity on a particular extraterrestrial body or the force of acceleration anywhere. It is measured in g’s, where 1 g is equal to the force of gravity at the Earth’s surface, which is 9.8 meters per second per second. The G-force on an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall.

The object experiences this acceleration due to the sum of non-gravitational forces acting per unit of the object’s mass. The stresses and strains on objects cause sufficiently large g-forces which can be highly destructive to objects and organisms. Phew! Well after all that you may find it interesting that on Rita you can experience 4.5G (the same as a fighter pilot!) But you are not obliterated because it’s only for a brief second.

The ride, Nemesis, is an inverted roller coaster which is 716 metres long (2,349ft) and 13 metres (43ft) high and has a top

speed of 80.5 km/h (50mph). Nemesis has four inversions including two corkscrews, a zero-g (weightlessness) roll & a vertical loop. On Nemesis you experience between 3 and 4 G force.

During the show the most frightening bit of information was that most of the rides do not have friction brakes but use air resistance to reduce their momentum at the end of the ride and come to a halt!

Next time you are having a physics lesson, just think that the engineers who have designed these fantastic rides were students like you, and it was the knowledge they gained about the forces around us that helped them to bring so much fun to so many. Maybe it could be you in the future who becomes one of these engineers who designs the roller coaster ride of the century!

We would all like to thank Miss Partridge for organising this amazing Engineering experience.

By Mrs Shah

The Science of Roller Coasters at Alton Towers!

Year 11 Unit 2 Performance Exam

Mrs Vanneck and Mrs Cleary are delighted and relieved to announce that Year 11 Drama students smashed their devised performance exam pieces. It was a very successful day. The moderator remarked that she was impressed with the standard and quality of the work shown. It was clear that the GCSE students had been given a dynamic and varied curriculum which was evident in the Drama performances.

Mrs Cleary and I want to congratulate Year 11 Drama students. The lead up to this exam was challenging for a number of reasons but in the end, the Drama groups demonstrated gutsy resilience, insight and sensitivity in working in a group to produce a performance.

Theatre Arts Spring Show

This year the Drama Department produced its first Theatre Arts Spring Show. The evening was held in the main school hall and comprised acts from all year groups, singing, dancing and acting.

The 2-hour show was a fantastic success and students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to perform and share their talents. Solos and duets were performed by several year 11 pupils, many from hit West End Musicals. The choir and Orchestra played a medley of songs from different genres. YYear 11 students choreographed large musical numbers for the lower school years and the evening was a real celebration

or our students’ God given talents. Thank you to staff, parents and students who baked up a treat for the interval refreshments.

A big thanks to Mrs Wigley and Mrs Cleary for producing the show, supported by Mr Carter and Mrs Sunners.

Presenting Spacious House, Welcoming Friend

To celebrate St Patrick’s Day and the diversity of our community, CNS Year 10 Drama students performed at Wardown Park Museum. Rehearsals began in February, with the pupils devising their own piece of work based on the theme ‘Immigration’. Using their own life experiences and scripts by writers from other cultures, our pupils are creating a powerful piece on the varying perceptions of immigration throughout the last century.

In addition to performing in an intimate venue which drew

you into the script and performance, our pupils will have their stories and memories displayed at the museum in a dedicated gallery.

The exhibition is open now and is well worth a visit and show support for our local museum so please do come along to support our community.

By Miss Duckett

Golf Opportunity for CNS students

In October last year Miss Gazeley (Head of PE) was approached by the Bedfordshire County Golf Chairman regarding funding available to set up a Satellite Golf Club in conjunction with South Beds Golf Club. Our proximity to the Golf course was key to us being selected for the opportunity.

Miss Gazeley met with relevant parties and applied for the funding which was granted. The satellite club is up and running. It started with Yr 7-9 pupils having an assembly led by Christine Boyd, the Junior Section manager of South Beds Golf Club. They were then able to access a golf taster in Core PE lessons. Those that wanted to continue were offered an 8 week block of golf lessons provided by Professional Golf Coaches from South Beds after school on Thursdays. These sessions are highly subsidised due to the funding accessed and were put on at a cost of just £3.00 per session.

The pupils really enjoyed the taster sessions in the Sports Hall and many of them have been able to continue learning the new skill in the lessons. The coaches were really impressed with the attitude, interest and focus of the students that they taught.

Golf is a sport that is accessible to all; you do not have to be ‘sporty’ as it is challenging you in a variety of ways. Though you play alongside others it encourages you to better your own score each time, giving you an opportunity to set personal goals. You are able to be outdoors in the fresh air and beautiful settings.

We hope that this satellite club will be successful and offer pupils another one of many sporting opportunities at Cardinal Newman School for years to come.

Year 8 Boys’ FootballThis year the squad has been:Bradley ValentineEwan AndersonNiall MacManusJoshua LockettWilliam JohnstonKian DeversJosiah JeanFinlay Brennan

Akiel TalbertTim OlagbemiroNiko KicoferJames KellyThomas TreanorMichael ForesytheDominic ProspereKonrad Jedrysiak

Over the entire season we have played seven fixtures; one in the ESFA National Cup, one in the Bedfordshire County Cup and five in our local Luton Schools’ league.

Match reports for the first two competitions are in past editions of Newman News.

In the Luton Schools’ league we were in the tougher ‘first division’. A summary of the results can be seen below:

Date Opponents ResultW 28/1/15Tu 10/2/15F 13/3/15Tu 17/3/15F 20/3/15

Lealands (H)Stopsley (A)

Barnfield South (H)Ashcroft (A)

Lea Manor (H)

W 8 – 0L 3 – 4

W 2 – 1L 2 – 3L 0 – 3

I am very proud of the progress the boys have made this year. We are technically good and can pass the ball very well when we play with confidence and authority in a game. We are not as tall and as strong in some cases but this will level out as time moves on.

Even though we lost the game, the stand out fixture was against Stopsley. Had we played them earlier in the season I think they would have overwhelmed us with their physical presence. However, on the back of a thumping win against Lealands, it flooded the boys with confidence to take on Stopsley. A really good game of schoolboy football.

Towards the end of the season we had injuries which kept one or two players out and perhaps lacked a little confidence for the final game vs Lea Manor.

Next season we will see if we have kept our Division 1 status or indeed if we will play in Division 2. In reality, it doesn’t matter which league we play in! It’s simply about all of the boys taking up the opportunity to play football, develop their game and represent the school… and enjoy it, of course!

Well done for a good season, boys – thoroughly enjoyable and already looking forward to next year!

Year 9 Boys’ FootballSeason Roundup

This year the squad has been:Louis Agbontaen-PalmerHarrison SheafLouis CampbellSonny FlahertyTaylor DennieKeiran TaylorJason PittaBenny Kweme-MayambaMorgan DayesJalen Miller Blessa

Samuel OyeleyeKyle IngramElgeniy DaalbergDominic EamesCallam TurnerSam RichardsonMichael RustSeun AkintolaDominic Simao

Over the entire season we have played eight fixtures; two in the ESFA National Cup, two in the Bedfordshire County Cup and four in our local Luton Schools’ league.

Match reports for the first two competitions are in past editions of Newman News.

In the Luton Schools’ league we were in the tougher ‘first division’. A summary of the results can be seen below:

Date Opponents Result

Tu 27/1/15Th 12/3/15

N/A

Tu 24/3/15Th 26/3/15

Challney (A)Stopsley (A)

Barnfield West (W/O)

Ashcroft (A)Putteridge (A)

W 9 – 1W 2 – 1

Awarded 3 – 0 Win

D 1 – 1W 8 – 0

Have you worked it out yet from the results?! Yes we are… LUTON SCHOOLS’ CHAMPIONS!!

Well done to all of the boys who have played this season! This is our first overall competition win and it is richly deserved; you train frequently and train hard and your effort and commitment has now paid off!

I must just add that we have been helped along the way to this success. The reason we didn’t play Barnfield West was due to the fact that they have been a victim of their own success – they have actually reached the FINAL of the ESFA U14 National Schools’ Cup! That is a tremendous achievement – which means they have been ultra-busy with fixtures – and we wish them the very best of luck for their final vs Cardinal Heenan Catholic Sports College on Monday 18th May.

But enough about Barnfield West! I am very proud that we took advantage of their absence in our local league and finished on top!

We are blessed to have a mix of very good technical players as well as fast and strong athletes; next season let’s see if we can have an extended run in the County Cup and successfully take on the mighty National finalists!

Well done for a very good season boys, topped off with a triumphant Luton Schools’ League. Roll on next year!

By Mr Igglesden

PE Clothing & Footwear

Please ensure your son/daughter is in correct PE kit. Pupils should have clothing appropriate for the weather. A plain navy sweatshirt with the school crest or rugby top are essential for warmth at most times of the year in our inclement British weather! Plain navy tracksuit bottoms, no ticks or stripes are also an essential item.

Most importantly footwear; football boots for activities on grass in winter are essential. For indoor lessons netball/tennis and other summer activities trainers are essential. These need to be supportive and well-cushioned for the feet.

Pumps, Converse and high tops are not appropriate and should not be worn. Parents will receive a letter home form the PE department if kit is incorrect.

Piercings

Body piercings should not be worn in school and should definitely not be worn in PE. All body piercings (even hidden ones i.e. navel piercings) must be removed for PE lessons to avoid injury/tearing to the individual or injury to others participating in lessons.

Please click here for the full CNS uniform policy

Polite NoticeBefore Easter we had a few incidents where students were getting out of vehicles which have stopped in the entrance of the school drive.

Please do not stop in the area clearly marked between the speed humps (this is highlighted in red in the photograph on the left) as stopping in this area restricts the traffic flow to the school drive and Warden Hill road plus limits the visibility for the students who are arriving to school on foot attempting to cross the road.

Debate ClubThe year 10 team won their first round against Lealands, at The Luton Sixth Form College High School Debating Competition 2015.

Ten Luton schools were involved in the first round and the competition is of a very high standard. Putteridge, Icknield, Denbigh and Barnfield South also won their debates and Challney Boys went through as the best loser.Our motion was proposing that all nations should have the right to nuclear weapons – so not an easy topic!

The team was:

Jovi Macholowe, Jeremiah Tudor, Tremayne BarkerAnastasia Christodoulou, Melissa Muniafu.

We also asked the most questions and Jovi got a round of applause from the whole auditorium for one of his challenges.I am very proud of them all and looking forward to the next round on the 5th May.

Please congratulate them for their hard work, they were all a credit to the school.

By Miss Burr

Reception

All parents and carers are now able to top up the student payments online from the comfort of home!

This new system means that you can ensure your child is spending their dinner money in the school dining room as expected.

Please note that the reception desk and the Finance office do not have change.

Please ensure your child has plenty of change for their bus fare and also the dining room if you are unable to top up online during the week.

Attendance Officer

We are always striving for excellent attendance and the more you are in school, the more you will learn!

Please keep in mind these few points when booking your medical or Orthodontist appointments that we will not authorise a full day absence and will expect the student to school before and return after their appointment, except during exceptional circumstances.

Authorisation for an absence for an appointment at the Opticians will not be granted as these can be arranged after school in the evenings or over a weekend.

To report an absence please call 01582 587 537 or email attendance@cardinalnewmanschool.net

A polite reminder to all parents that new items of uniform should be purchased from our new provider:

Prestige Design & Workwear LimitedUnit 2 Barton Industrial EstateFaldo RoadBarton Le ClayBedfordshireMK45 4Rhttp://www.prestigedesignww.co.uk/live/01582 883222

Please can I ask that all parents help us maintain the quality of uniform by noting the following points?Coats for the colder weather should be just that – a proper coat not a hoody, cardigan sweat top, denim jacket etc and baseball caps have never been a part of our uniform. Any student bringing these items into school knows that they can expect to have them confiscated. Coats should also be plain black or navy.

Trainers should only be worn during sporting activities. They should not be worn on the journey to or from school or in the school building. I have asked staff to see that pupils in trainers change into their shoes but if individuals persist in breaking the rule about trainers, they can expect to have them confiscated. I will ring the parents of pupils who only have trainers with them and ask if they can go home and change. Sore feet, swollen ankles and blisters are not acceptable reasons for not wearing proper shoes!

Shoes should also be black and a SENSIBLE design. High heels, boots and flimsy ballerina pump styles are not practical and do a lot of damage to growing feet.

Please ensure that your son / daughter’s SCHOOL BAG is large enough to actually carry a book? This may seem obvious but there has been an increase in students carrying fashionable items that are really of no use to them when it comes to having the correct equipment for lessons and carrying homework home.

Finally, can I ask that parents follow the official school dress code and disregard information from their son or daughter about variations on the style of school trousers or skirts that are acceptable? This is not true and only results in students being sent home to change or buy the correct uniform before returning. Skinny black trousers and very short, tight skirts are not acceptable.

SECOND HAND UNIFORMThe Friends of Newman have a supply of clean second hand uniform in good condition and sell it to parents at very reasonable prices at Parent Consultation Days and Open Evenings. In these difficult times of financial constraint we all appreciate a bargain and this is a very good way of keeping growing children dressed in proper uniform. If any parents have any uniform that their children have grown out of that is in good condition please send it to school to Mrs Aizlewood at the main school reception.

MOBILE PHONESThe message that mobile phones are not allowed in school is given out to students and parents very regularly. It is a frequent addition to Newman News, we have issued separate letters and all parents received a Home-School Agreement to sign which explains that mobile phones must not be brought into school.Our reasons for this rule are simple:-Phones are not necessary. In emergencies students can use the phones in Senior Leadership Team Offices or Head of Year phones.

Parents who need to get in touch with their children can pass on urgent messages via the school office.Phones are frequently stolen – staff are not able to put in hours of detective work to discover who has stolen a mobile phone.

Phones do not protect students from harm. The police have advised us that students using mobile phones are far more likely to be attacked than students without them.

Phones disrupt lessons. No matter how many times parents might tell their children to leave the phone turned off in their bags, they never do!This rule is not new. Mobile phones have never been allowed in school and if staff see them they will confiscate them. This involves locking them away in the school office until the next half term or end of term holiday.

They will only be returned if a parent collects the phone at the end of the term/half term in office hours.

We realise this inconveniences students and also parents but this is a very important rule as mobile phones are so disruptive to school life.

Please make sure that your child does not ignore this rule as we cannot make any exceptions no matter what the circumstances. It would not be fair and totally undermines the discipline policy. I am afraid that recently staff have been bombarded with phone calls – sometimes abusive, where parents have tried to get an exemption from this school policy for their child and demanded that their child’s phone is returned before the holiday period.

Therefore the Chair of Governors, Mrs Moloney, and I have repeated the rule about mobile phones in this copy of Newman News in the hope that everyone will follow the policy without expecting special treatment. I am afraid that while we are always happy to talk to parents about their children, staff will no longer meet with parents or discuss the confiscation of mobile phones with parents over the phone. There can be no flexibility on this issue and it is unfair to take up a teacher’s time in this way.Many thanks to all the families who have supported us on this issue and on all other issues of school discipline.

UPDATING CONTACT DETAILSAny parent who has not made his/her mobile phone number known to the school or whose number has changed recently should contact the school through the child’s tutor to make the necessary changes as soon as possible.

Thank you for your co-operation with our policies. A full copy of our policies can be found on our website.

SCHOOL POLICY UPDATES

Would you like to advertise in Newman News?

Newman News is a fantastic way to advertise your business. Each edition of our newsletter is viewed by over 1000 readers! Five editions are published each academic year and now feature hyperlinks that will take readers directly to your website or social media page.

Each advert block is 92mm x 74mm and can be purchased from £30.Terms and conditions will apply. Artwork must be provided by your company.Please contact our Finance Office on the main school phone number.