8 November 2024 - Letter to parents

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that you have had a great half term week. We have started Term 2 well, and have much to look forward to, including our reward trips in December. It was so lovely to issue the Headteacher’s Commendations, over biscuits and hot chocolate, in the final week of term. I got to hear about the brilliant projects our winners are undertaking, including representing the school at various events both here at Orchard and in the wider community, how they help out in our community, how they’ve improved their attendance and how they’ve produced brilliant home learning.

Key Dates 

Year 11 Exams Prep Information Evening – Wednesday 26th March 6.15 – 7.45pm

Parent Subject Consultation Evenings 

The dates for these through the year are as follows: 

Year 7 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 3rd April 3.30 – 7pm 

Year 8 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 5th December 3.30 – 7pm  

Year 9 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 6th March 3.30 – 7pm 

Year 10 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 14th November 3.30 – 7pm 

Year 11 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 13th February 3.30 – 7pm 

Please also note the following date: 

Year 9 Options Evening – Thursday 27th February 5 – 7pm 

To help parents and children decide together which options subjects/GCSEs they might choose to take over the next two years in school.

There will also be a Revision Evening for Year 11 students and their parents/carers on Wednesday 20th November – further details of this will be sent directly to Year 11 parents and carers shortly

Last Day of Term

The last day of term this year is Friday 20th December. Children will have morning lessons, time with their tutor group and an assembly before leaving school in staggered timings around lunchtime. Year 11s will leave first, and Year 7s last, by 12.35pm - please note the earlier finish time. Christmas jumpers or own clothes, for those who may not want to wear a Christmas jumper, may be worn on the last day of term.

Attendance 

Congratulations to the following tutor groups for having the best attendance in each year group this week!

7A1,8W2, 9A2, 10D1, 11D2

Last day of Term 1 attendance winners were:

7A1, 8B1, 9W2, 10W2, 11D2,

Year 9 – Overall best attending year group (overtaking Year 7!)

Dorchester- Overall best attending House

House points have been awarded to all students in the above Tutor Groups - keep up the good work, everyone!

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

This term we are collecting Data on Year 8 and students will be sitting assessments in the next few weeks. This will then be turned in to reports published at the end of the month.

We are also looking forward to Year 11 mock exams – which happen in the final fortnight of the term, and then the first fortnight of January. We have after-school Year 11 prep running every week this term up to the exams to support Year 11 students as they build towards mock exams.

As a school we are seeing really clear, consistent and calm classrooms. Our starts to lessons are always retrieving (remembering) new information, followed by teacher explanation and modelling of the key topic, followed by students practising the skills or knowledge they are learning. We end our lessons with a review of the learning.

Safeguarding

A reminder of who our safeguarding leads in school are is below:

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) – Dorian Coxon dcoxon@orchard.tila.school

SLT Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) - Phil Edmonds pedmonds@orchard.tila.school

SLT DDSL -Sophie Alderson salderson@orchard.tila.school

Year 7 DDSL – Gary Scott-Mullen gscott-mullen@orchard.tila.school

Year 8 DDSL – Emily Bhakerd ebhakerd@orchard.tila.school

Year 9 DDSL – Debbie Piper-Murphy dpiper@orchard.tila.school

Year 10 DDSL – Beth Jones bjones@orchard.tila.school

Year 11 DDSL – Tracey Pointing tpointing@orchard.tila.school

Uniform Reminder

Thank you to the many parents and carers who have worked to ensure that their children have the correct uniform ready to come back, following our gentle reminders, ready for Term 2. We will apply our behaviour policy this term where we haven’t seen improvements, so we appreciate your help. Please remember that if you need to draw on our Hardship Fund, you can contact your child’s Pastoral Manager for advice on this.

Monkhouse

The Stoke Gifford store is closing and re-opening in Kingswood. However, between 14th November 2024 and 1st February 2025 there is free home delivery while the store is setting up. Please use FREEDELSTOKEG when placing the order.

School Meals Update

We have been informed by Bristol City Council that the cost of a set school meal will increase from £2.60 to £2.69 from 4th November 2024. The cost of a school meal is set by the local authority and is outside of the school’s control. We are sorry for not being able to make you aware of the price increase earlier, but the information was delayed in getting out to schools before the half term break.

Term 2 Clubs

A reminder that our clubs are a brilliant way for students to make new friends and that they support both mental and physical wellbeing. Please do encourage your child to come along.

 Clubs and Enrichment (Curriculum menu tab)

Trips and Events this Term

We have an exciting range of trips and events for various year groups this term. Please see the key highlights below:

Friday 15 November is a busy day! As well as Anti-Bullying Week, we will be supporting Children in Need; there will be a bake sale during morning break, and students can wear odd or creative socks to show their support of anti-bullying. We will also be launching our Christmas Card Competition.

It’s Road Safety Week from 19 to 25 November – tutor notices and assemblies will promote walking and cycling to school safely

Watch on our Twitter (X) platform for when our School Christmas Tree goes up decorated by our lovely Year 7s.

School Production – this year’s production of Peter Pan Jr will be taking place on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th December. Details of how to buy tickets will be announced shortly

Free flu immunisations have been offered to all students and will take place on Friday 13th December during the school day. If you wish your child to have the immunisation, please complete the form that was emailed to all parents and carers earlier this week

School Festive Lunch will be served to all students and staff towards the end of term (date to be confirmed)

A whole-school Rewards Trip to the cinema will be taking place on Thursday 19th December. The students with the most House Points from each year group will be invited to attend a showing of a Christmas classic at the Vue Cinema Cribbs Causeway during the school day, so do encourage your child(ren) to work towards those points!

Last Week/Day of Term: Watch this space for our Last Week / Day of Term plans, including musical performances from students and staff, celebration assemblies to celebrate our students’ achievements, Headteacher commendations and Last Day of Term non-uniform / Christmas jumper day!

Community Events 

Remembrance Day

We will be marking Remembrance Day in school on Monday 11th November at 11am. The school community will observe a minute’s silence, introduced by staff over the tannoy system.

We are also keen for any students who are in the Cadets, Guides or Scouts to join in a parade of respect in the corridor on 11th November at the end of break time; students taking part may wear their group’s uniform. Students have been informed via messages on Tutor Notices this week.

Poppies and other Remembrance Day items are on sale in Student Reception.

With best wishes,

Mel Sweet, Headteacher