Dear Parent / Carer
END OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS
Tuesday, 21 December will be a non-uniform day for students, there is no charge for this. Students will be dismissed from school at 12.30pm and the school buses will be available at this earlier time. There will be an extended canteen service available at break time for all students. Those entitled to the Free School Meal allowance will be able to access it at break time.
The Autumn Term of 2021 has felt, in many respects, like a huge step back towards normality. We have focused firmly on routines and expectations, and, as always, the school motto, ‘Learn, Dream, Achieve,’ lies at the heart of everything we do.
One of our priorities this term has been offer students in all year groups a wide range of enrichment opportunities, both within and beyond the school day. Year 7 students have accessed a multitude of lunchtime clubs which contribute to the Sharples Baccalaureate. Many Year 9 students have signed up to the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the PE department are reporting record numbers of students attending extra-curricular sessions. We have also hosted our first residential trip of the year, with 150 Year 8 students attending the ‘Night at the Museum’ experience in Birmingham.
One of this term’s highlights was Open Evening, which was incredibly well attended and resulted in fantastic feedback from many of the visiting families. Our current students played a huge part in ensuring that the event was successful through their roles as Subject Ambassadors and Tour Guides, I was incredibly proud of them all. As a result of this event and our extensive transition programme we are very pleased to report that this year we have received almost 800 applications for places at Sharples. Once again, Sharples is significantly oversubscribed.
As we move towards the start of the new term, I want to remind you that we have high standards in relation to appearance at Sharples and the full uniform policy can be accessed on the school website. To maintain our high standards, I would like to remind you that, school trousers should be black, formal and full length. Jeggings, leggings or jean style trousers are not acceptable. In addition, socks should be plain black or white, trainer socks are not allowed. For further details, please refer to our website – https://www.sharplesschool.co.uk/policies/
As we are now in the midst of winter with frequent inclement weather, it is important to note that your child will be outside at some points during the school day. It is therefore recommended that your child has a warm coat and an umbrella with them every day.
For those of you who have consented to your child being part of the on-going Covid home testing programme, we will be providing your child with additional test kits prior to the Christmas break. We recommend that you maintain the twice weekly testing routine through the holiday period and that you continue to upload the results using ‘TestRegister’. In line with Government guidance, students will also be tested in school when they return for the start of the new term.
On a final note, I hope that you all enjoy a well-earned Christmas break and I look forward to welcoming our students back to school ready for a prompt start to registration at 8.45am on Thursday, 6 January 2022.
Yours faithfully
Ann Webster
Headteacher
