WLD Update for Parents and Carers - Friday 16th April 2021

Good afternoon,

The weather has been beautiful this week and it has been great to see students relaxing on the field at lunchtime.  We have installed a lot of new benches outside which seem to have become very popular!

Year 11 update:  I circulated an update for Year 11 parents and carers which was a video message shown to Year 11 on Thursday morning about assessments of final grades and their probable "leaving" date.  If you missed it you will find it on the website.

Extra-curricular activities:  These are restarting after school - initially a bit more limited than usual, partly due to the need to keep year groups separate - we will develop this further as the term progresses.  The current timetable is on the website.

Homework support/club:  This runs every day after school - please sign your son or daughter up using this online form.

Social media:  There are clear issues with the use of social media - it can be a wonderful resource, but it can also be harmful.  We recommend the NSPCC Net-Aware website, Amnesty's video on "How to stay safe on social media" along with many other useful resources identified on the Online Safety page on our website.

Year 10 Parents' and Carers' evening:  As previously advertised this will be on Wednesday 5th May from 4.30 to 7pm and will run virtually using SchoolCloud.  Bookings will open two weeks before the event (on Wednesday 21st April at 9.00 am) and information about how to access the system will be emailed out to parents and carers before then. 

Appointments in school time:  Wherever possible, can you please avoid making appointments for your child in school time. We appreciate that certain appointments need to be taken during school time, and if this is the case, please provide evidence of this - in the form of a letter or appointment card. This can be a photo or screenshot emailed directly to Mrs Gorrill at e.gorrill@waltonledale.lancs.sch.uk. Thank you.

Our neighbours in Sollam's Close:  If you drop off or pick up your son or daughter by car please do not use Sollam's Close (the small road next to our front gate)- it becomes blocked for residents. Please drop your son or daughter off further up the road and allow them to walk the last hundred metres or so.  Many thanks.

Mobile phones:  Our mobile phone policy has not changed in several years - students can use their phones at break or lunchtime outside the buildings.  If their phone goes off or is seen inside a building then it will be confiscated until Friday in the first instance.  If it is vital that the young person has their phone before that day then an adult may come in and collect the phone and return it to them.  Those have been our rules since at least 2014 and generally work very well so please support us in enforcing them.  They are part of belonging to Walton-le-Dale.

Coats in classrooms:  When the weather was very cold and we had to have the windows open for ventilation we allowed students to wear their coats in classrooms.  As the school is now considerably warmer due to the lovely weather and the approach of summer we are going back to our usual rule of outdoor coats not being worn inside buildings.  Coats may of course be needed outside.  We let all the students know that over the last few days and we will be making sure that this happens from Monday.

Year 9 vaccinations:  As previously notified, DTP and Meningitis ACWY vaccinations are taking place on Thursday (22nd April). 

Best wishes for a good weekend,

James Harris

Headteacher