Week 11 – MP visit and KS3 Revision

Staying well this winter

Dear Parents and Carers,

As winter approaches, we typically see more seasonal illnesses such as colds, coughs, and flu. To help keep students well and reduce the spread of germs, please support the following:

1. Good hygiene
Encourage regular handwashing with warm water and soap. It remains one of the simplest and most effective ways to stop germs spreading.

2. Cough and sneeze etiquette
Please remind your child to use a tissue or their elbow when coughing or sneezing, and to dispose of tissues straight away.

3. Staying warm and eating well
Make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather and eating a balanced diet to support their immune system.

4. Illness, recovery, and attendance
Mild symptoms—such as a light cough or slight cold—do not usually require students to stay home. Routine, learning continuity, and social connection remain important.
However, if your child has a high temperature, persistent vomiting, or is too unwell to take part in normal school activities, they should stay at home and medical advice should be sought through your GP or local walk-in service.

5. Reporting absences
If your child is absent, please contact the school on the first day and, where possible, provide evidence such as appointment cards or medical notes.

6. Flu vaccinations
If your child is eligible for the NHS flu vaccine, please book this through your GP.

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Attendance Expectations

The Department for Education (DfE) expects all students to attend regularly, aiming for 96% or above.

To help parents understand the impact, here is what attendance looks like in real days and lessons lost:

• 100%: 0 missed days, 0 lessons
• 99%: 2 missed days, 10 lessons
• 97%: 5 missed days, 25 lessons
• 95%: 10 missed days, 50 lessons
• 90%: 20 missed days, 100 lessons

Falling below 90% has a significant impact on learning and wellbeing and may lead to legal intervention if absences are unauthorised. Our aim is always to work supportively with families to prevent this.

Why attendance matters:
DfE research shows that at KS4, students attending 95–100% of Year 11 were 1.9 times more likely to achieve a Grade 5 in English and Maths compared with those attending 90–95%. (DfE, 2025)

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Support Available

We offer a range of support to help students attend consistently, including:

• Guidance from teachers and tutors
• Brag about attendance cards
• Leadership Links for additional encouragement
• Flexibility around medical appointments where possible
• Regular communication about attendance

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Further Reading for Parents

• The link between attendance and attainment in an assessment year (DfE, 2025)
• The impact of school absence on lifetime earnings

Post-16 Application Support

To help Year 11 students with their post-16 applications, Mrs Parks will be running lunchtime drop-in sessions every Tuesday and Wednesday in IT Room S15 until Christmas.

Please encourage your child to come along if they need guidance — whether it’s navigating MyChoice16, choosing courses, completing applications , or checking personal statements. No booking required just turn up!

Sixth Form

Year 13 Mock Exam Results

Well done to our year 13 students that received their mock exam results today as they would next year. We want all year 13 student to think about their future and think if there is anything additional they need from the sixth form team or their teachers but also look at themselves and see if they are doing enough to achieve what they want to achieve! We want to remind students and parents/carer we are here for whatever our young people need to succeed in their exams to prepare them for their next steps.

Faculty Cup

What an incredible Sixth Form community we have! Every Thursday, students take part in our Faculty Cup – a competitive and lively 5-a-side football tournament held during lunch. The energy is amazing: purpose-made team shirts, student photographers, dedicated “gaffers,” and plenty of supporters cheering from the sidelines.

It’s more than just football – our students are building a genuine, supportive community of their own, and you won’t want to miss being part of it.

Matches will run through to April, with scheduled breaks during exam weeks.

Football Success

Well done to the Year 7 football team who won 7-1 in the National Cup against Wymondham College. All students battled the cold conditions to give a brilliant performance! Onto the next round we go!

Art Department

Christmas is Coming!

Get involved with Astrea and St Ivo Christmas Card Competition – open to all year groups! Deadline is the 24th November. Please hand this your Art teacher.