Behaviour Policy Update and new Heads of Years 

I hope you had a restful Easter break and were able to spend some quality time with your family. I would like to thank  parents/carers for their overwhelming support of our new uniform policy which is the first of many steps we are taking  in raising standards. A small number of students received their education in the Refocus Room last week as they are  not yet ready to join us in this new phase, but for the rest of the school it was an overwhelming success, with a palpable  impact on the atmosphere and standards around the school. 

Following my letter regarding mobile phones and school uniform sent before the break, I would like to update you on  some further developments in our strategy to improve behaviour and engagement at the school as we start the new  term. I would also like to update you on two new appointments to the post of Head of Year. 

On Tuesday 19th we held an INSET day for all staff at the school at which Mr Hatley, Ms Sangster and I detailed the  cultural change that is going to take place at the school, both amongst staff and students, to secure the high standards  that you and your children deserve. We were unequivocal about what was expected of staff and students, as well as  why this is so important. What your son/daughter will have experienced last week was the start of how it is going to  be at Welling School moving forward. 

Mr Hatley, Ms Sangster and I held a series of special assemblies last week to outline for students the changes they will  see, and the role they are expected to play in this. We were clear that we are doing this for them; because they deserve  a consistently good school with consistently high standards.  

This week we will be introducing a number of new systems to further support our school improvement drive. These  were shared with students in their assemblies last week, so they are prepared for the week ahead. We were clear with  students that a punitive approach is not what we are striving for in the longer term, but for a minority of students  these systems are necessary to demonstrate how serious we are about raising standards. 

School Detention 

A 45-minute after school detention will run every day, starting Tuesday 26th April. This is a same-day detention, and  parents will be informed via text message and their MCAS (Bromcom) account by 2pm if their son/daughter is required  to attend. The after school detention will be issued for the following reasons: 

• A student refuses to hand over a banned item (for example a mobile phone, earpods, hoody, etc.) the first  time of asking, meaning that other staff have to become involved 
• A student is late to school and does not attend their 15 minute breaktime detention 
• A student is late to school more than once in a school week 
• A student is sent to the Refocus Room for any reason 
• A student fails to attend a detention set by their subject teacher.

We will regard failure to attend the after school detention as extremely serious. In order to be placed in this detention  students will have failed to respond to other sanctions aimed at supporting them in getting things right. If students do  not attend, an even more serious sanction will be put in place - this may well be suspension (formally known as a  fixed-term exclusion or FTE) the following day. 

Refocus Room 

The Refocus Room will continue to operate as before, but with two main changes. Firstly, if a student is sent there,  they will receive a same-day 45 minute after-school detention as outlined above. This is instead of a break or lunchtime  detention as issued previously. Secondly, if a student is sent to the Refocus Room more than once in a school week,  they will be issued a Berwick Centre internal exclusion.  

Students who are sent to the Refocus Room for uniform infringements which cannot be resolved on the day will be  given up to three days in the Refocus Room to amend the infringement, after which they will receive a suspension.  Following this, a parental meeting will be required before their return. 

Heads of Years 

We are delighted to introduce two members of staff who have been appointed as Head of Year. 

Mr Brown, formerly the Head of PE, has been appointed as Head of Year 8, and will be taking over from Mr Ward who  leaves us due to relocating. Mr Brown is well-known to students at the school and is a highly experienced middle leader who is committed to high standards. Students have been introduced to Mr Brown in assembly, and he looks forward  to meeting parents/carers in the near future as he starts his work with Year 8. 

Ms Reid has been appointed as Head of Year 11, taking over from Ms Nosa-Oviasu who leaves us after 13 years at  Welling. Ms Reid is an experienced and highly regarded maths teacher who will transfer the high standards she sets in  her classroom to this pastoral role. Some of you will already know her as she has been supporting the Year 11 Raising  Standards programme this year. Ms Reid will oversee the exam season with Year 11 as they enter the final weeks of  their GCSEs.  

Please do say hello to Mr Brown or Ms Reid when you see them on the school gates in the morning as they will be  pleased to meet you. 

As always, thank you for your ongoing support of the school and what we are trying to achieve. Every day that your  child attends school on time, dressed appropriately and ready to learn, they are doing their part in helping us to build  a better school for everyone. 

Yours faithfully 

Mr P Hemsley 

Deputy Headteacher