Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

We have had a fantastic start to the term, with students settling back into school life remarkably well. They have demonstrated fantastic support over the past few days, acting as brilliant role models and helpers while we hosted three days of 11+ exams.

Looking ahead, we are excited for a continued excellent term filled with positive behaviour, active engagement in lessons, and wholehearted participation in all aspects of school life. Thank you as always for your ongoing support.

Reminder – Academy Day Thursday 17th September 2026
A reminder that students will not be in school on Thursday next week as it is an Academy Day.

New Mobile Phone Policy
We are pleased to see that the system for unlocking mobile phone pouches at the end of the day is running smoothly and is not causing any delays. From 14th September, years 8-11 will now be dismissed at the usual time at the end of the school day.

Year 7 will continue to be dismissed early but the dismissal times will now be 2.30pm on a Monday and 3.25pm Tuesday - Friday until the end of the day on 18th September.

Year 7, 9 and 12 School Photographs - 14th September 2026
Please note all year 7, 9 and 12 students will have their school photos taken on Monday 14th September. It is important students continue to follow our school uniform expectations to ensure photos can be taken.

Years 7 – 11 Flu Vaccinations – Friday 25th September 2026
The Bexley Immunisation Team will be in school on Friday 25th September to administer this year’s flu vaccine – please read the attached parent/carer letter carefully. Please complete the consent form via the link in the letter, even if you do not want your child to have it in school.

For more information, please see the attached letter and visit the NHS website here.

Free School Meals
We would like to remind you, following our previous email, about important changes to Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility, which has now taken affect. We encourage all parents and carers to read this information carefully and, if they consider that they may be eligible, then please apply.
What’s changing? - Under new national rules, all families receiving Universal Credit will qualify for Free School Meals. This means more children will become eligible.

From 1 September 2026, there are two categories of FSM eligibility:
Targeted Eligibility - Applies to children in households receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. Pupils in this category will:

• Qualify for Free School Meals
• Enable schools to receive additional Pupil Premium funding
• Be considered for other support, such as school travel assistance

Expanded Eligibility - Applies to children in households receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings above £7,400. Pupils in this category will:

• Qualify for Free School Meals only
• Not attract Pupil Premium funding

Any existing transitional protection for Free School Meals has ended. If you have joined us in Year 7 and previously received Free School Meals due to receiving qualifying benefits, then you must reapply using the link below. If you are unsure if you are eligible, we encourage you to apply.

If you think you are eligible, we strongly encourage you to complete and submit a short application form, using the link provided here ­­­­­­­­­­­­https://apply.cloudforedu.org.uk/ for each child as soon as possible. The school will use this information to assess eligibility and the outcome will be communicated via email.

Children’s Commissioner for England Survey
Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, is encouraging all students to take part in her national survey ‘The Big Future’. It is important that our young people have the chance to add their voices so that their experiences, views and aspirations are represented when the survey findings are presented to Government. The survey can be completed here: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigfuture.

Soluna by Kooth App
Soluna by Kooth is the next chapter of the trusted, safe, and free mental health support Kooth has provided to young people for over 25 years. Available as an app or through any web browser, the service gives children and young people a safe space to manage their mental health and wellbeing. Provided in partnership with the NHS and local councils, Soluna retains the same clinical model, safeguarding standards, governance and professional support, but with a new look and feel. It offers BACP-accredited one-to-one text chats with qualified practitioners, evidence-based self-help tools and pre-moderated peer communities. No referral is required, and there are no waiting lists. For more information, see the attached flyer and go to SolunaByKooth.com.

Emotional Based School Avoidance - Parent/Carer Support Group
Please see the attached flyer for details of the next EBSA support group which takes place on Thursday 17th September.

Kind regards,

Miss S Totty
Headteacher