NewsletterFebruary 2024

We were privileged to have the Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre come into school on Wednesday to deliver an assembly to our Year 9 students. Our Equality and Diversity Student Leaders and the students involved in the Israel-Palestine Forum also took part in a workshop exploring where hate comes from, misinformation/fake news and solutions to overcome it. Years 11, 12 and 13 were then very fortunate to listen to a live talk by a holocaust survivor, Years 9 and 10 had the talk streamed to their classrooms.

Malka Levine, Holocaust survivor and author of A Mother's Courage: How I survived the Holocaust, recounted her remarkable story of bravery, kindness and hope, before taking on incredibly thoughtful questions from our students. It was an absolute pleasure to provide this opportunity for our young people.

Personal Development Team

We wish to thank parents and carers for their support of our daily road safety measures. Our school is thrilled that this important community issue was recognised in the local press. To read the recent article, please visit the Nottingham Post - https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/speeding-cars-put-pupils-nottingham-9075577

Again a reminder to:

• Keep it 20mph or less on Haydn Road
• Park safely if dropping off (not on zig-zags)

Thank you for your amazing support.

Mr Tomasevic - Assistant Headteacher

Having been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Stargardt disease in December, Lily-Rae has been told by doctors that her sight is constantly deteriorating, but it is hoped she will keep some of her peripheral vision.  Stargardt disease, which affects one in 10,000 people, is caused by a tiny alteration in a single gene, according to the Macular Society.

Lily-Rae, who has started learning braille at school, says she dreams of seeing Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and would like to go on safari in Africa. But most of all, she wants to see the Northern Lights before she loses her eyesight completely. Her mum Emma has launched a fundraiser to try and make her dreams come true.

In January, Titanic star Kate Winslet donated £5000 to Lily-Rae's fundraised, and wrote: "Wishing Lily-Rae some magical adventures so she can make many special memories to treasure! With lots of Love, Kate Winslet and family." Winslet's donation is double the fundraising page's target of £2,500.

We are so pleased to share that Lily-Rae's dreams are one step closer to becoming a reality. If anybody would like to pledge further donation to Lily-Rae's fundraiser, it can be found by following this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/show-my-sightimpaired-daughter-the-world

In readiness for our new half-term, I would like to remind parents/carers and students about how we wear our NFS uniform with pride. Please work with your child(ren), to ensure the following standards are met:

• Black socks only - a child is not wearing their uniform with pride if they wear white or other coloured socks. An R20 sanction is issued, if the child needs reminding here. 
• No make-up/mirrors in lessons - a child is not ready to learn if they are using make-up mirrors and lip gloss in lessons. Such items would be confiscated and need parents/carers to collect at the end of the school day, with the child completing an R20 that same day. 
• REACH badges worn with pride - As part of their uniform, students are to wear REACH badges with pride. They should be placed on the collar of the school blazer like so...

The Department for Education launched an additional campaign this month called 'Moments Matter, Attendance Counts'.  This campaign is designed to remind families of the importance of student attendance at school.  The campaign responds to a worrying national increase in the student absences, particularly in secondary schools.  

While the link between attendance and attainment is clear, absence is not just about exam results.  It's about all the other important moments in school that help shape young people, build positive peer relationships, taking part in extracurricular activities and trips, developing important personal skills and finding a sense of belonging within a school community.

Equally, for some families, the challenges around attendance are very real and there are significant barriers preventing children from coming into school  If you are struggling and need support, please contact your child's Head of Year or Mrs Mills our Attendance Officer and we can work with you to put a plan in place.

After February half term, we will be sending home an attendance letter which provides your child's attendance and what the percentage actually means in terms of number of days absent since September. Please do contact us if you have any questions.  

Attendance Team

  

A polite reminder to parents to continue to monitor their child's activity online.  We continue to educate students on their digital footprint and their responsibility regarding what they are posting online.  One of the key messages that students will be reminded of when they return after February half term, is that they are not allowed to create accounts in the name of 'Nottingham Free School' and sharing pictures of which they do not have consent to.  We will be looking to run another online safety support group for parents after Easter which will aim to give advice to parents regarding social media and how to monitor their child's activity online. Further details to follow. Please contact school if you have any concerns regarding your child and their conduct online. 

Mrs Gray - Deputy Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead

We have launched our new-style Year 11 Half-Termly bulletin; providing key information and updates for our Year 11s.

The latest edition can be found here: http://www.nottinghamfreeschool.co.uk/newsletter.php?id=3684c6137bd9b87a0b5594a6fecff9020d72

Mrs Farnie - Deputy Headteacher (Academic)

We are excited to be starting the options process with Year 9 next half term.

The timeline for this process is:

• Thursday 8 February - Nottingham University talk with students about 'careers and choosing GCSE options'
• Wednesday 21 February - Year 9 Assembly and Option Booklet Handout
• Thursday 29 February - Year 9 Options Information Evening
• Tuesday 5 March - Year 9 Parent Teacher Meetings
• Thursday 27 March - Deadline for return of options form

When your child brings the booklet home, please take the time to read through the information and talk to them about their initial thoughts on the options they would like to take. Having this knowledge before attending the information evening allows you to make the most of your time with the subjects on the night, and ask the questions needed to inform their choices. This is a busy night, however you will then have a further opportunity to talk in more detail to subject teachers about your child's progress in any subjects they are considering taking at the parent teacher meetings. There will also be activities happening in tutor time and personal development lessons to allow students to reflect on their decision making process. We recommend students do not submit their choices too early, and take full advantage of the opportunities available to them, before the deadline of 27th March.

If you have any questions please contact Mr Wells (Head of Year), your child's tutor or myself.

Many thanks,

Mrs R Farnie - Deputy Headteacher (Academic)

During personal development lessons this term, Years 12 and 13 have been practicing First Aid thanks to the British Red Cross. Year 13 were also given a workshop on coping strategies and resilience delivered by a current university student, which they found very useful. First Aid workshops have continued for Year 9, with all students now having participated in a workshop.

The Israel-Palestine Forum have been meeting every week to discuss some more fundraising ideas and how to raise awareness about the situation. The group met with Dr Simpson to put their ideas forward and here is a piece from them to explain what they have planned next half term:

After meeting with Dr Simpson, we have decided we would like to hold a non-uniform day and a bake sale next half-term to raise money for the Red Cross/Crescent, who are currently supporting aid in Gaza. We will let you know the date soon. We are also working on a display that shows the facts and history around Palestine and Israel to raise awareness among students. We are hoping to display this information on the television screens in school too so that the day has real impact.

Personal Development Team

In order to support your conversations at home, the topics that will be covered in PSHE next half term will be:

Year 7

• FGM (Female genital mutilation)
• Exploitation and trafficking plus grooming/gangs
• Finance

Year 8

• FGM (Female genital mutilation) recap & HBV (Honour Based Violence)
• Exploitation and trafficking with focus on county lines & criminal gangs
• Finance

Year 9

• Taking the law into your own hands / Knife crime- how to help a friend
• Mental Health- Hearing voices & intrusive thoughts plus fabricated illness
• British Citizenship

Year 10

• Year 10 will be looking at religion and relationships this half term as part of their RPE statutory curriculum.
• Year 10 will also be taking part in a workshop on sexual expectations- all parents have already received an email about this.

Year 11

Due to the mock exams, we are a little behind in our programme of study for PSHE, so the following topics will be covered:

• Radicalisation and Extremism
• Internet safety
• Fertility & menopause, healthy pregnancy, young parents & abortion
• Year 11 will also receive a workshop during the half term on managing sexual pressures and pleasure- all parents have already received an email about this.

As always if you have any concerns or would like to discuss the topics further then please contact the school.

Personal Development Team

Mixed Netball - NFS Success

Huge congratulations to the 6th Form Mixed Netball Squad who defeated Djanogly 22-0!

Great Big Dance Off

Congratulations to the Personal-Development-Enrichment Dancers who have qualified for the Regional Round of The Great Big Dance Off, which means they will be performing on stage at the Albert Hall, Nottingham, in February.

Miss Singleton - Head of PE