Newsletters

Dear parents and carers,

Some of you will know me very well and there may be some of you who don’t know me at all.  For those of you who don’t know me, I am the school’s SENCo and, along with the rest of the Individual Learning Department, it is my role to oversee the support for students with Special Educational Needs in the school.

It has been another busy couple of weeks at the school which started last Monday with the Year 11 team running the ‘Supporting for Success’ evening for our year 11 students and their families.  The evening provided them with lots of useful information to prepare them for their forthcoming mock exams.  Attendance at after-school year 11 exam booster sessions in the run-up to their mock exams next week has been great, and I wish them the best of luck for this next fortnight.

Our years 7 and 8 students had the opportunity to get into the festive spirit early last week as they were invited to watch a live theatre performance of A Christmas Carol, in our own school hall.  I know that many students really enjoyed this performance and the opportunity to be able to watch a live production.

As we officially start the countdown to Christmas today with many of our students getting stuck into their advent calendars this morning before school, I thought it would be helpful for me to signpost some of you to The National Autistic Society website page on preparing for Christmas.  Whilst the build up to the festive period can bring lots of excitement, it can also bring a lot of uncertainty for people with Autism.  This link has some good advice to support during the month of December.

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/leisure/christmas/tips

Mrs Marshall

SENCO & Assistant Headteacher

Trudging the Local Mud and Marsh!

Ten Tors 2024 training continued last weekend with a 16-mile circuit via Widbrook, Tellisford, Rode, Southwick and Studley. My personal highlight was in Wingfield Car Park. I realised just before the hike, that the 4 solid hours of torrential rain which had been forecast, had already passed through, and it wasn't going to be a morning of unrelenting misery. 

The students self-navigated on this hike, and some early skills were needed (watching out for signs and stiles, rotating their maps and watching for their "tick features"). On the whole, progress was smooth, and we made our way across sticky and gloopy farmers' fields, crunched through stubble, crab-walked down treacherous slippery slopes and handrailed the River Frome for our lunch at Tellisford weir. The older and more experienced students had steamed off ahead but also acted as our reconnaissance - sending me detailed messages about how to creatively navigate past several fields and footpaths with knee-deep water.

We had a little sprinkling of rain, and my usual frustrations with farmers who block footpaths with a cobweb of live electric fences, frisky bulls, or grow a jungle of 7 foot high maize in front of a stile - difficult to navigate in the pitch black, but overall the hike was a great success, and I'm looking forward to our next outing in the Deverills.

As usual, kind thanks to Imogen Wood and Mrs Brooks-Wiggins for their voluntary all-day contributions. Great work too from Elliot Ward and Tom Jones in Year 12 for just generally being extremely helpful to me in running Ten Tors this year. 

To support the Children’s Commissioner in hearing directly from young people, our students will be given the opportunity to complete the Bog Ambition survey in their ICT sessions in school. This is entirely voluntary and students are able to opt out. Please see the poster below to find out more.

As Christmas approaches, we know that many students will be hoping for new tech and gadgets. This is a gentle reminder that we are a mobile device-free school. This means that all mobile phones and related devices, including ear pods, smartwatches and hand-held gaming consoles must be turned off and in students' bags (not pockets) whilst on the school site between 8am and 4pm.

We do have places such as the year office and reception, where students who need to contact home, may do so with permission.

It is also helpful for you to know that rather than contacting your child directly during the school day, you are able to call or email our reception team, and they will get a message to your child – even if it is to come to one of our phone hubs to call you at break or lunchtime.

We really appreciate your support with this,

Mrs Kerr

The Class of 2023 GCSE Certificates Evening:

Tuesday 12^th December 4:00-5:00pm Wingfield Hall.

An informal gathering where our students past and present can collect their official GCSE certificates, as well as talk to teachers and socialise with friends and family.

As well as their certificates, students will be able to pick up their leavers Yearbooks.

(These need to be paid for on Parentpay prior to collection.)

We look forward to welcoming many of you back together for a lovely evening.

Please e-mail Miss Beer with any questions ebeer@jogschool.org

Dear Parent/Guardian,

 Year 8 HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination

 Your Year 8 child is now due their HPV vaccine, which will be delivered by the School Aged Immunisation Team at your child’s school in the new year.

 The HPV vaccine is offered to all boys and girls in Year 8 (aged 12/13 years) because the evidence is clear that the HPV vaccine helps protect both boys and girls from HPV-related cancers. More than 280 million doses of the HPV vaccine have been given worldwide, including 120 million doses in the US and over 10 million in the UK.

 The HPV vaccine used in the NHS vaccination schedule is Gardasil 9 and protects against 9 of the types of HPV which can cause cancer and genital warts for most people with just one dose.

Full details of the vaccination product used, including full contents, can be accessed at: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/7330/smpc#gref

To consent for your child to receive the vaccination, or to decline, please click on the link below:

 https://schoolimms.hcrgcaregroup.com/hpv/2023/wilts

You can also use this link to find out further information about the vaccination before you provide your response.

If you have any difficulties completing the consent, please contact our Immunisation Team on 0300 247 0082 or email vcl.immunisations@nhs.net for support.   

Please respond as soon as possible. 

Once completed, you will receive an automated email with a reference number as confirmation.  Please check your junk/spam box if not in your in-box and contact the team if it is not received.

Thank you

School Aged Immunisation Team

School Age Immunisation Team 

HCRG Care Group

t: 0300 247 0082 (Monday – Friday, 9am - 4.30pm) 

e: vcl.immunisations@nhs.net  

The John of Gaunt’s Early Help Offer for Children and their Families

 At The John of Gaunt School, we recognise the challenges that families face in bringing up children. There may be times when you need extra help and support. If this is the case, our doors are always open for you to come and talk to us.

School Telephone Number: 01225 762637

Meet The Teams

Pastoral Teams

All staff can be emailed by using the staff initial and surname followed by @jogschool.org

For example, Miss Lewis is zlewis@jogschool.org

Additional Key Personnel:

Early Help is a pathway to supporting you and your child as they grow up when you or they may need further support or guidance. Providing early help to our pupils and families at The John of Gaunt School means we can improve outcomes for children, families, and communities, providing support as soon as a problem emerges.

There are many ways in which we can help as outlined in this offer of early help. In order to support you in the right way, we work with you to identify: what are you worried about, what is working well and what needs to happen. The information you share with us, we will use to form a ‘family plan’. This will help us to easily identify what other agencies and professionals we may use to be able to support you and your child appropriately.

Early Help can support children and their families who may be struggling with:

- Routines and family rules

- Children who care for a family member

- Children who may not want to go to school for different reasons

- Children in the family who have special educational needs (SEND)

- Children or parents / carers misusing drugs or alcohol - Children at risk of becoming involved in anti-social or criminal behaviour

- Children who go missing from home

- Children at risk of being tricked, forced, or made to work in the criminal world

- Children who may need support because they may live in a home and see adult mental health problems.

- Children who have parents who argue a lot (and sometimes might hurt each other) whether the parents live together or apart.

- Children at risk of being groomed to join groups which support illegal views

- A privately fostered child (a child from another family living within your family home)

Early help relies upon local groups and people in the community. Sometimes we work together to help children, young people, and their families.

Early Help is a pathway to supporting your child and you during challenging times.

The diagram below shows the range of needs at different levels. We use this graduated approach to make sure we provide the best support for different families’ individual situations.

All staff at The John of Gaunt School understand and follow the statutory guidance for safeguarding in schools called 'Keeping Children safe in Education' (KCSIE 2023) and follow the early help procedures as stated in this document.

If you feel your family may benefit from working with us, please contact one of your child’s year team to see what we may be able to offer.

Dear Parent/Guardian,  

Catch Up Nasal Flu Immunisation Session - Tuesday 19^th December 2023

If your child missed the earlier Flu Immunisation and you would like them to have it, please complete the online link below as soon as possible if you have not done so already.

If you have already consented but for any reason your child missed the immunisation, they will be able to have their Nasal Flu Immunisation on the 19th.  You do not need to consent again.

This vaccination is recommended to help protect your child against flu. Flu can be an unpleasant illness and can cause serious complications. Vaccinating your child will also help protect more vulnerable family and friends by preventing the spread of flu. 

Please complete the consent form using the following link:  

https://schoolimms.hcrgcaregroup.com/flu/2023/wilts 

Please ensure you complete your child’s consent 48 working hours before your school session to ensure your child receives their vaccination. 

We are visiting your child’s school on 19^th December 2023. 

The vaccination is free and is a quick, simple and painless spray up the nose. Even if your child had the vaccine last year, the type of flu can vary each winter, so it is recommended to have it again this year, or they won’t be protected. 

A leaflet explaining the vaccination programme for secondary aged young people can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1167454/UKHSA-12388-protect-yourself-against-flu_information-for-those-in-secondary-school.pdf 

and includes details about the small number of children for whom the nasal vaccine is not appropriate.  The nasal spray vaccine contains a very small amount of purified porcine gelatine as an essential ingredient to keep it stable and able to work. For those who may not accept medicines or vaccines that contain porcine gelatine, a flu vaccine injection is available. Since the programme was introduced, most children offered the vaccine in schools have had the immunisation.  

If you have any queries, please contact the School Aged Immunisation Team on 0300 247 0082 or email us using vcl.immunisations@nhs.net 

Yours sincerely, 

Roanna Ellis 

Acting Professional Lead for School Aged Immunisations 

If your child becomes wheezy, has a bad attack of asthma, or has started oral steroids for their asthma after you return this form, please contact the healthcare team on 0300 247 0082.   

If you decide you do not want to vaccinate your child against flu, please complete the consent form giving the reason. This will help us plan and improve the service. 

For further information see: www.nhs.uk/child-flu 

Financial support for your family and school 

Parents can claim ‘Pupil Premium’ support for children (referred to as Free School Meals FSM) if you are in receipt of any of the following benefits: 

• Income Support 
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance 
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit 
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re also not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190) 
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit 
• Universal Credit - if applying on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax & not including any benefits you get) 

This entitles your child to free school meals, beyond EYFS and KS1, where this provision is universal, as well as a wide range of additional support for your child (academic, cost of the school day support and wellbeing).  

Information for parents about access and benefits of claiming FSM can be found at: Free school meals - Wiltshire Council 

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme. Food vouchers may also be available through the Household Support Fund. 

Please email aclark@jogschool.org for support if you have any questions about your entitlement or application.