Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Hello Yellow for World Mental Health Day and Thank a Teacher Day
The whole school community came together today.  First of all, the staff would like to thank the Prefect Team for organising a thoughtful card for every member of staff in school; a very touching gesture that was appreciated by all.  In addition, thank you to our students, staff and parents for wearing their yellow accessories to school and for their contributions to Young Minds, in honour of World Mental Health Day.

Black History Month Cookbook
As a part of Townley's celebration for Black History Month, the Equity Prefect Team are putting together a digital cookbook for the greater Townley community to enjoy. The cookbook will consist of the amazing and delicious recipes submitted by parents, carers, and students alike. The cookbook will be released to all students through their Google classrooms, and to parents via the weekly parent communications email. We would be delighted to receive your submissions for the cookbook – please submit your recipes using the form link below:

Black History Month Cookbook – please upload recipes here

Reporting absences
A polite reminder to parents and carers that when reporting an absence due to illness, you must provide a clear reason (e.g., "high temperature," "vomiting," or "severe sore throat") that prevents your child from attending school. Please be advised that simply stating your child is "unwell" is not sufficient for an absence to be authorised.

This is necessary to accurately record attendance under the DfE guidelines and ensure appropriate safeguarding. Thank you for your support with this.

Autumn celebrations - Keeping your child and the community safe
We are writing to all parents and guardians to ask for your assistance during the autumn period, in particular over Halloween, Bonfire Night and the days in between, where we commonly see increased reports of antisocial behaviour and dangerous use of fireworks.

Know the law – Here are a few things we would urge parents and guardians to be mindful of: 

• Did you know? A person under the age of 16 could be arrested and fined £60 if found with an unlit firework. 
• Did you know? A person under the age of 16 could also be arrested and fined if they throw or light a firework or make a bonfire. 
• Did you know? Throwing things like eggs, flour, paint or other objects at people, vehicles or property is a criminal offence. If you are caught or reported to police, you could be arrested and fined. 
• Did you know? If a young person under the age of 16 commits any of the above offences, the parent/guardian will be liable to pay any fines. 

Know the risks – Remind your children of the consequences criminality can lead to:

• Getting into trouble with the police can result in a criminal record, which means you may not be allowed to travel to certain countries on holiday, such as the United States. It may also mean that you may not be allowed to do some jobs or training courses in the future.
• Throwing things at cars, buses, shops and houses can hurt people – drivers might swerve if they get distracted and cause a crash, or someone might get hurt by broken glass.
• Messing around with fireworks is dangerous – some burn as hot as 1,200 degrees, which is enough to melt glass! Finally, know how antisocial behaviour can make others feel. 

Some residents and members of the community remain anxious, threatened and targeted around this time of year by those involved in crime. We need help in making sure young people don’t get tempted into antisocial behaviour – they need to think about what it would be like if it was their friend, parent or family member who was on the receiving end of a firework being thrown at them, for example.

Parents & Guardians – Know where your children are:

• If your children are going out (particularly on 30th and 31st October), make sure you know where they are going. If possible, drop them off and pick them up from their activity.
• Don’t let your children hang around the streets with nowhere to go. 
• Ensure your child’s safety by either accompanying them or arranging between friends for one of you to take a group of children out. 
• If you are not accompanying your child, agree with them before they go out what time they should be home.
• Don’t buy fireworks or eggs and flour for young people – it could contribute to antisocial behaviour in your own community 

 What Parents Need to Know about Sharing Images Online
The sharing of nudes, semi-nudes and other explicit material is a prominent issue in today’s digital landscape: both their distribution and their misuse. In the year to June 2024, the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received an average of 556 reports of 'sextortion' per week, amounting to over 28,000 global cases per year – up from 26,718 the previous year. The NCA's CEOP Safety Centre received 380 reports of 'sextortion' in 2024 and in the first five months of 2024, police forces received an average of 117 reports of 'sextortion' from under 18's each month.

It is vital for parents and carers to be aware of how they can safeguard children from exposure to, or involvement in, sharing intimate images – especially given that the sharing of such material featuring under-18s is a serious criminal offence. The attached guide offers expert insight into the risks of sharing intimate images online, as well as tips on implementing measures to shield young people from encountering inappropriate digital content of a sexual nature. The second leaflet from the Metropolitan Police, is designed for parents and carers, surrounding how you can speak to young people about sharing indecent images, and a few ways to keep safe online.

Kind regards,

Miss H Mitchem
Deputy Headteacher