News

Monday 31st March 2025

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Welcome to our newsletter for the twelfth and final week of the Spring Term 2025. It’s Week B, so year assemblies focusing on praise are taking place this week. On Friday there will be a special assembly for students on Y13 and Y11 reminding them of the importance of using the school closure for essential revision as the Public Examinations are starting shortly after the break on 1st May. 

Students in years 7, 8 and 9 will be taking their crucial end of year examinations in core subjects in the sports hall during the week of 22nd April. Details have been issued separately about this to families. A reminder that these examinations are essential in assessing the progress students have made this year so preparation by students is the key to success.

As we come to the end of this term and reflect on success, it is important to remember that the most important way to support your child/children’s success is to ensure that they attend school every day and on time. As I said last week, the recent government research shows that students are twice as likely to achieve the all-important benchmark of a grade 5 in English and mathematics at GCSE if their attendance is consistently above 95%. At Lampton we currently have over 800 students who have attendance of between 95% - 100%.  For those 366 who are in the 90-95% band it is crucial that they act to improve their attendance when we return after the holiday. Please ask your child about their attendance and find ways that you can support them to achieve our school target of 96%.

This term ends on Friday 4th April at 12.30pm. The summer term will start on Tuesday 22nd April with Registration at 10am.

Thank you for your continued support of the school and I wish you all a restful break. Eid Mubarak to all those in our community who are celebrating at this time.

With best wishes,

Stephen Davis

Headteacher

 

Holiday Vouchers

Families with children living in the borough who are aged between 5 and 11 years and entitled to benefits related free school meals, can attend the Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) activities for free. When families are registered for benefits related free school meals, they will automatically receive their voucher(s) to book by email and text message.

Funded by Department for Education, HAF in the Summer will be delivered by experienced providers with fun and enriching activities featuring sports and games, cooking, computing coding, music, arts and crafts, Easter egg hunts, nerf wars and so much more taking place across the borough. Eligible children can attend 4 sessions from 7- 18 April 2025. You will be sent these vouchers to your email. Please look out for these and book the places appropriate for your child's interest.

 

Attendance Data and New Research

New research published by the Department for Education found that at key stage 4, pupils who attended school nearly every day in Year 11 (with an attendance rate of 95-100%) were 1.9 times more likely to achieve the Grade 5 in English and Maths GCSE compared to pupils who only attended 90-95% of the time. At Lampton we have a high number of students whose attendance is between 90-95%. This may seem like a small difference; the impact is great in relation to achievement. So please support us in ensuring your child attends school every day.

We appreciate your support and if there is a reason they cannot attend please let us know. Please contact the Head of Year, Ms Kapila or our Attendance Officer who will support your child and the family if there are ongoing medical issues or other concerns

 

Keeping Your Children Safe Online: Self-generated Imagery

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is the key organisation that works to remove indecent images of children from the internet. Their annual report helps us understand trends in this area, with the last published data from 2023.

The majority of all imagery reported to the IWF is self-generated imagery, meaning that more commonly, children are either independently creating or being asked, coaxed or coerced into sharing nude photos and videos online, either via their devices or a webcam. The largest group of concern was found to be 11–13-year-old girls. This group continues to be the most at-risk group, making up 51% of all actioned reports and 55% of self-generated child sexual abuse reports.

As a parent you may wish to review your children's friends list and ask your child about who they speak to online. Please also consider discussing with your child the tactics used online by those who wish to do them harm, such as asking them to keep secrets, making threats, or even blackmailing them. Children should be empowered to raise their concerns with a parent or a trusted adult or know where to seek support, such as Childline.

 

Grief

If you or members of your family are going through a challenging time related to grief then you may find the following link really helpful:

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/professional/resources/support-with-grief-and-loss/