Headteacher’s Letter – 11th September 2023

11^th September 2023

New Academic Year 2023/24

Dear parent/carer,

It was a real privilege to welcome all our students back to school last week. They have been exceptional in both attitude and actions and have really hit the ground running. I would especially like to welcome our new Year 7 students and those joining us in the Sixth Form. I look forward to the year of learning ahead and to achieving our usual high standards by working in partnership with you.

GCSE / A level / BTEC Results

The summer holidays brought excellent examination results for Year 11 and 13 students at Stepney All Saints. Students, families and staff deserve credit for all the hard work, support and effort that went into ensuring students completed their courses successfully.

Special congratulations go to the students listed below who have all achieved outstanding results:

Uniform and Equipment

Our uniform is to be worn with pride and consequently we have high expectations. The full details of items to be worn are clearly listed on the school website – www.stepneyallsaints.school/for-parents/school-rules-and-information/uniformequipment-list/ and can be found in the student online planners. There is no room for personal interpretation as the list of acceptable items is clear.

All students must wear the full and correct uniform for school, school occasions and PE lessons. We will check the uniform of all students on the gate and at tutor time. Students who come to school dressed incorrectly may, if there is no adequate reason, be sent home to change or parents contacted to bring in the correct items. In addition, all items of uniform, especially blazers and coats should be labelled with the student’s name.

Students should be equipped with what they need in all lessons. In their school bag, they should have black or blue ballpoint pens, pencils, a rubber and a ruler. It is useful for students to have equipment such as highlighter and glue sticks also. Laptops must be charged and in addition students must have the mini-whiteboard provided by the school. This equipment allows staff to get the most out of our students and failure to be fully equipped slows down learning in lessons.

I would also like to point out that water fountains are available for students to use, however students will need to bring a reusable and labelled drinking bottle to fill up from the fountains. The water fountains should be used for filling up water bottles only. Students should not drink directly from the fountains.

Finally, ID cards are issued to every student and must be worn at all times. ID cards will be used when paying for meals. If the ID card is lost, students will need to pay a replacement fee of £5.

Enrichment / Extra-curricular activities

All students at Stepney All Saints must take part in enrichment activities during the course of the academic year. Education is about more than grades. Taking part in enrichment allows young people to develop their character, confidence and vital skills for the future. It is important to recognise that employers and universities frequently give preference to those who can demonstrate that they have acquired the key employability skills that participation in enrichment activities develop. Consequently, showing that you have regularly taken part in enrichment activities can give you an edge over others.

Students will shortly be signing up for activities that will start in the coming two weeks. Please ensure that your child participates in what is on offer as well as the further opportunities that will arise across the year including trips and residentials. 

Behaviour updates

We have every confidence that students will follow and adhere to the rules and processes in our school. Behaviour that falls below our usual high standards will be dealt with in accordance with the behaviour policy.

I would like to remind you that Stepney All Saints School operates a gate-to-gate mobile phone policy.  This means that students are not permitted to use mobile phones or any other portable electronic devices such as headphones or speakers for any purpose during the school day unless directed to do so by a member of staff according to our ICT Acceptable Use Policy.

Students who choose to bring mobile phones to school must turn them off and stow them away in their bags until the end of the day. Only when they are exiting the gates at the end of school may they retrieve their phones for use. This policy also applies to the sixth form. Students who are unable to follow the school policy will have their mobile devices confiscated. Items can be collected from reception on Wednesdays from 3pm by a parent or guardian

Absence Line

The school has a phone number which can be used to report student absence: 020 7790 6712 and select option 1. Please use this number to report any child absences. The line also has a voicemail service to allow parents to leave messages outside of school hours.

Key Events for this Academic Year

The full set of term dates for next academic year are available on our website, www.stepneyallsaints.school/our-school/term-dates-school-hours/. Parents should note that there is a two-week half term break in October.

Important Information Documents

There are several useful and important policies and documents we would like to draw your attention to, in particular the Safeguarding Policy (click HERE). In addition, important documents and letters sent home to parents can be found under the ‘for parents’ section on the school website.

I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage you all to follow the Stepney All Saints social media accounts which provide regular updates and useful information. These can be found @StepneyAS on Twitter and Facebook.

In our bid to go paperless, we aim to communicate with parents primarily via email and phone calls. It is your responsibility as parents/carers to ensure that the school has the correct contact information so that we can communicate with you efficiently.

Again, I welcome all new students and parents who have joined our school community and look forward to a wonderful 2023-24 academic year and working with you to provide all of our students with a fulfilling, challenging, joyful and life enhancing education. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us via email on info@stepneyallsaints.school.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Woods, Headteacher

• Download Headteacher letter 11.9.22