As we embrace the arrival of spring, and approach the Easter holidays, the newsletter gives me the opportunity to stop and reflect on the events of this term. 

January saw the outcome of our Ofsted inspection. The arrival of the report set an excellent tone to the start of term. Being given the news that we continue to be a ‘Good’ school is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and the wider school community. It is a reflection of our collective commitment to providing a great educational experience for every student who walks through our doors.

As we enter the final term of our 60th anniversary year, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to making it a memorable milestone. From our dedicated staff to our talented students and supportive parents, each of you has played a role in shaping the legacy of our school.

To honour this occasion, students were given a final chance to celebrate with us this week. When form groups were asked how they would like to commemorate our anniversary, one form group suggested we run a free prize draw, where every student is entered, with a chance to win one of 60 prizes.

In addition to this celebration, we held a special time capsule event, where we sealed away mementos and memories to be opened in 40 years' time, on our 100th anniversary. I thought long and hard about what to write in a letter that accompanies the time capsule, and I wanted to reflect the pride I feel in the school. I feel privileged to have worked in a place where young people push themselves to achieve inside and outside the classroom; in a place where staff go above and beyond to help them; in a place where there is a collective ambition to succeed. I hope my letter, and the contents, have captured the essence of what our school is like today. It’s sure to be a fitting tribute to our rich history and something for future generations to look back on.

As we approach the Easter break, I encourage all members of our school community to take some time to rest, recharge, and reconnect. It has been a busy term filled with achievements and celebrations, and we all deserve a well-earned break.

Mr David Ramsden
Headteacher

The inspection team looked closely at many aspects of our curriculum over the two days, and found that our own internal evaluation of the quality of education was correct. They were impressed that senior leaders, subject leaders, classroom teachers, members of support staff and, crucially, students all said the same things about our curriculum and standards of teaching and learning.

The Ofsted report letter rightly places students at the heart of the judgements that were made during the inspection. It really is an outcome for the students as much as for staff at the school. Students should be proud of what they achieve daily at Little Heath. That was very much reflected in the findings of the inspection.

All of this leaves us now in a great position as a school. The team gave us lots of advice about how to improve things further, and we can now act on that guidance. They set us two targets. One about consistency of approach with teaching across the curriculum; and the second was to do with our Personal Development curriculum at Key Stage 4. We are looking forward to working in partnership with students and parents to make these further improvements.

To read more about the report, visit our Ofsted page online.

A team of students and staff from across the school have been planning the costumes, set and props; and thanks to the distribution team at Amazon in Theale, who have generously donated a large amount of materials, it means we can get to work and make our dream set a reality after the Easter holidays! 

The donation will also help to provide activities and catering at two children’s Group Events where 5 to 6 children in each group will have an opportunity to come together and reduce their sense of isolation by connecting, sharing memories of their loved ones and having fun.

If you would like to support Daisy's Dream, or would like to find out more about their bereavement support for young people, visit their website here.

We are excited to be able to offer all Year 12 students the chance of participating in work experience during June this year. It is a hugely valuable experience for young people to find out what the work environment is like and what their future careers might be like. 

Students still have time to find their placements, but this must be a priority for year 12 students to complete this over the Easter holidays. If you’re a parent who may be able to offer a placement for a student, please get in touch with Mrs Wooller (Careers Adviser) via email ewooller@littleheath.org.uk, who would be more than happy to match a student with your organisation.

Welcome to the newest members of our Little Heath family who will be joining us in September 2024.

Year 6 parents will have heard the outcome of their secondary school applications, and are busy completing admissions forms and preparing the family for the transition to 'big school'. 

If you have a new student joining us this September, and need any support with the transition process, please visit our website or contact the KS3 team on transition@littleheath.org.uk.

Please bag up your items, labelled 'SCHOOL UNIFORM' and bring them into Reception. We will take all good quality uniform, not just KS3.

Students took part in an extended tutor period where they watched a video of old images from the past 60 years. They also took part in a fun quiz about the school's history, penned by Mr Jessop and Mr Taylor.

It was a day full of 'sweet treats' with our breaktime 1960s School Tuck Shop; ice cream vans at lunchtime, and a chance to try some retro school puddings in the canteen.

Another term has flown past in KS3. I have been so impressed with the way that our Year 7s have settled in so brilliantly; they feel like they’ve been part of the Little Heath family forever!  I had a lovely chat with some Y7 boys today at fish and chip Friday in the canteen; they were absolutely buzzing because they had been lucky enough to meet Dave Kitson, an ex Reading FC captain, who came in to speak to those students who have done brilliantly representing the school in a variety of sports teams.  They were so excited to tell me about how lovely he had been and that they’d been able to have their photographs taken with him and some big stars’ shirts! Added to that was the fact that they had experienced the muddiest cross country ever and we were all laughing so much at their fun stories of wet socks and muddy legs. We all agreed that they’d made memories today that would last forever and that’s something we are passionate about at LHS.

The sports fields and courts have been buzzing with energy and enthusiasm as our students showcased their talents and dedication in various sporting events. Whether it was on the football pitch, the basketball court, or netball court, our students have demonstrated exceptional skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

We're immensely proud of our sports teams for their stellar performances, including securing victories in inter-school competitions and tournaments. Their commitment to training and their passion for their respective sports have undoubtedly been key factors in their success. Let's continue to cheer them on as they strive for even greater accomplishments in the future.   

Looking through the well-being surveys, it was wonderful to see so many different accomplishments that our KS3 students are proud of! Ranging from gaining a high mark in a test, to competing in a show-jumping competition, from upcycling products, to helping to look after pets, from securing a higher belt in martial arts to becoming the captain of an external sports team and so much more! I would really like to give some more personal shout-outs to individuals in our next newsletter. You can use this form to send us details.

It's also heartening to see the dedication and hard work of our students reflected in their praise point totals. Throughout the term, many of our students have accumulated praise points through their outstanding behaviour, exemplary effort in class, and acts of kindness towards their peers and teachers.

In addition to excelling in the classroom and on the sports field, our students have showcased their talents in various competitions and challenges. Whether it was in academic quizzes, creative arts contests, or Chinese lantern making, our students have demonstrated creativity, critical thinking, and resilience.

As we look ahead to the final stretch of the academic year, there's much to anticipate, including the graduation of our Year 8 students and the highly anticipated trip to Thorpe Park. Graduation marks a significant milestone in the academic journey of our students, and we are excited to celebrate their achievements and wish them the very best as they transition to the next phase of their education.  We are really looking forward to seeing the amazing challenges that Y8s set themselves over the coming term!

As you know, we pride ourselves at LHS on our commitment to spreading kindness and celebrating success and the vast majority of students are doing this brilliantly. However, there is still room for more kindness and more of an emphasis on not being a bystander.  Watching on, laughing or adding a LOL to an online comment is so unkind and we want to eradicate this kind of behaviour.  Students who stand up for others or call out and report unkindness are so important to us and make wonderful friends. We want every student and every member of staff at LHS to be treated with kindness and respect.  Thank you so much to those parents and carers who model this in their communication with us.

As always, I would like to end by thanking the wonderful KS3 team for their hard work this term, the Y7 and 8 students for being lovely… most of the time! And thanks to our parents for their continued support. 

Wishing you all a happy holiday with blue skies and sunshine!

Ms Kayley Button
Deputy Headteacher - KS3

Year 7 students took part in a workshop at the University of Reading to assist with their film and script writing unit they are working on in English this term.

All the students enjoyed a day of engineering challenges and the winning team were awarded a prize each and a trophy for the school. Well done Year 8!

The focus for Year 8 this term has been on choosing subjects for their GCSE options. This year, we have put a framework in place to ensure that all students opt for subjects that will enable them to study a broad and balanced curriculum which also reflects their own personal interests, abilities, aptitudes and talents.

Now all applications have been received and interviews have been taking place. Confirmation of course places should be communicated by May, at the latest.

For more information on the Options process, visit our website.

At this important time of year, where so many of our students and families are either observing Ramadan or Holy Week building up to Easter, it’s a good time to reflect on what we are doing well in KS4, and where we can improve further, both as individuals and as a community. It has been a term of highlights for our students including PPE successes for both Year 10 and 11, as well as the range of extra-curricular and sporting activities that our students enjoy.

Year 11 have been working extremely hard in the build up to their GCSEs, finding the right balance between diligent revision and time for rest and enjoyment. We enjoyed a motivational talk from Reading FC legend, Dave Kitson, who inspired us with lessons learnt from his many experiences meeting and competing against a range of Premier League players. Year 11 have also been working with Elevate Education to improve their revision skills, and Mr Linz and Mrs Watson have given lots of helpful guidance on managing exam stress. Finally, we have a hugely exciting Give Something Back Day planned for the final day of this term, where students can celebrate their time so far at Little Heath, and can thank their teachers and friends for all their support. We have encouraged Year 11 to strike a careful balance with revision over Easter, and we look forward to welcoming the year group in for revision sessions in school over the next fortnight.

13 Year 9 students took part in the Young Magistrate competition where they played different courtroom roles. They practiced every lunchtime since December and performed fantastically in the competition which took place on 16 March at Reading Crown Court.

We welcomed the Education Business Partnership along with a number of representatives from local companies to take part in "What's My Job" this month. This event aims to introduce students to a wide range of jobs that are available to them, broadening their horizons and encouraging them to aim high.

Year 11 received their final set of PPE results this term. It was great to see students noticing real progress from November, with their hard work and revision paying off.

Work hard over the next few weeks, revise lots and go smash those exams! You've got this Year 11!

Save the date for Sixth Form Induction Days on Thursday 27 June and Friday 28 June. These days are exclusively for our Year 12 intake in September 2024.

The two days will introduce life as an LHS student including fun team building events, taster lessons, talks and competitions.

We are nearly at the end of another busy term and both Year 12 and 13 students have achieved so much we are proud of. Year 12 have had their first set of predictions and are busy organising their work experience placements. Year 13 have once again organised an amazing community event for our local senior residents and have sat their final round of PPEs as practice for the summer exams.

We are heavily supporting their final revision, and we are delighted to be able to offer a range of revision opportunities and study options for students over the holidays. Information about the sessions will be communicated home.

Lastly, we would like to wish all our students and their families a very happy Easter.

Mrs Sam Chaventré
Deputy Headteacher - KS5

We had a wonderful afternoon at the beginning of term with our Senior Citizen Afternoon Tea Party. The word keeps spreading and this year we welcomed close to 100 senior citizens from our local community into our school.

The Sixth Form students chatted and entertained our guests. They served them food and drinks, played bingo, and even a proper old school dance off!

This event was organised exclusively by our students in the Sixth Form Social Committee, and we were delighted to see so many returning guests from last year.  This event means so much to our guests and our school. We look forward to welcoming you all back next year.

After sailing through the first round, our team were put through to the final with Kennet School. This time the topic was Organic Farming. As we await the final outcome, we asked the students their thoughts on taking part. Lucas said: 

“This debate competition was a unique experience, nothing like anything I've really done before.” 

“I've been nervous in the past about public speaking, but the more I thought of this as a performance, with jokes and suspense and perhaps some melodrama, the more comfortable I became with it.” Lucas is very involved in Drama and is currently rehearsing as the lead role of Willy Wonka in our school’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

"Regardless of how the result turns out, it's been a very fulfilling experience and I would recommend it to anyone who feels like they have a voice but are struggling to share it. I would absolutely do it again if given the opportunity, it feels like it's all over so quickly!”

As we await the final outcome, Heidi has written a brilliant article about her experiences and the challenges she faced in preparing for this competition. You can read the article in full on our website here.

We welcomed parents and Year 12 students to a Futures Evening about future applications for university, apprenticeships and work experience. The evening provided information about the skills, experiences and enrichment activities that students should be getting involved in to enhance their application to a university or employer.

All students had the chance to experience an exam window and practice their exam technique in preparation for the summer. This was followed by the collection of their results on the 11 March.

Congratulations to all our Year 13 students for their hard work and commitment. Keep striving to do your best and feel prepared for August 2024.

Sixth Form student absence – please remember to inform the school of any student absence first thing in the morning, by calling the school on 0118 942 7337 and leaving a message on the absence line, or by email to sixthform@littleheath.org.uk

In this issue, Student House Captains give us the low-down on House matters this term...

Stirling took first place in the Book Worm competition for World Book Day. However, Warwick are currently in the lead, so the other three houses need to step up their game next term!

Interform House Football

5-aside football games took place this term for year groups 7 to 10. Here are some photos from the Year 7 girls match.

Languages Egg Competition

Students were asked to decorate a hard-boiled egg to represent a famous or historical person from a French, Spanish or German Speaking country!

Here are the results...

• Bag2School competition - if you're having a wardrobe spring clean this Easter, bag up your donations, labelled with your House, on Wednesday 17 April, or Thursday 18 April (before 8.30am)
• KS3 Art Colour competition - design a piece of artwork with the theme of 'colour'. Return to Mrs Wooldridge by Monday 22 April
• Geography Foodbank competition - please bring donations for the West Berkshire Foodbank after the Easter holidays 

The Tutor Wellbeing Survey, which is a survey focusing on how our young people, as individuals, are feeling, was completed by all students across the school in tutor time at the start of March. Each tutor and Sixth Form mentor has reviewed the surveys completed by their tutees. The Pastoral team then met to triage each year group, and we discussed and implemented support and any necessary intervention where appropriate.  The next Tutor Wellbeing Survey will take place in June 2024. 

Children's Mental Health Week 

Children's Mental Health Week led to many conversations about wellbeing and the importance of looking after your mental health. We had a whole school assembly at the start of the week which explored the theme "my voice matters". During this assembly, we talked with students about the importance of their voice in terms of participation, but also in terms of them using their voice, at any time, to share any worries or concerns. Students were also reminded about their avenues of support in school and the support that is available outside of school.

If you need a little ZEN in your life too, check out these tips from The Zen Project.

On the Friday, tutors and tutor groups took part in a special tutor period with activities and discussions about wellbeing.  We are grateful to our students for their enthusiastic participation and for the positive feedback we have received.

All Sixth Form students were invited to our Healthy Marketplace where they had the opportunity to speak with members of our school community, and external organisations, who could offer help and advice on issues including sexual and emotional health; drugs, alcohol and vaping; fitness; stress; and careers.

Thanks to all the organisations who came to support the event, including Everyone Active, The Edge, Sport in Mind, and Time to Talk.

What a great term this has been! We have had such an exciting term both in Sixth Form and across the whole school. We feel the Sixth Form Senior Citizens party was a huge highlight for us as we really felt the purpose of the community, not only in the Sixth Form but also across West Berkshire, by creating such a lovely event for the older members of our community.

We wish everyone all the best of luck for any upcoming end of year exams, especially year 11 and 13 with their GCSES and A levels! Have a lovely Easter!

Quabi and Annabelle
Year 13, Head Students

So far in School Council this year, we have had a meeting with Caterlink to discuss the school's catering and menus. We put forward our suggestions and queries to their team to see what we could negotiate for the future. This was valuable as it allowed the students to take some responsibility towards important decisions that directly affect them.

Year 8 Student Ambassadors have continued to impress us hugely in their role of supporting the Reception team this term. The tasks they undertake help them to develop, or showcase, their communication and teamwork skills. 

All year groups watched this video during tutor time on Safer Internet Day.

This term we, as Curriculum Prefects, got to help organise and run the Year 8 Subject Marketplace. It was a really fun event, and we are glad that so many students took a lot away from the experience. Hopefully it's made choosing their GCSE options easier! As curriculum links, we are hoping that the whole process is a lot more straightforward for this Year 8 cohort and in true Little Heath fashion we're always looking for ways to develop and refine everything we do to support students in the best way possible!

Lily, Joe, Heidi, Kayleigh and Tyrese
Curriculum Prefects

We are currently super busy planning our upcoming Cultural Appreciation Evening on Wednesday 17 April and have had 16 auditions which include singing, dancing and spoken word pieces across the school. We are very excited for the upcoming term after Easter to celebrate diversity and inclusivity at Little Heath!

Christina, Cheryl, Norah, Samantha, Aaron, Bethany, Emily, Darkowaah
The Diversity Society

Find out about the Eco-Committee's achievements and activities this term:

Over 5,000kg of plastic, and almost 50,000 tubs, have been collected through Tub2Pub over the past two years' and the money raised for Macmillan has totalled £11,308. We are proud to have been of this initiative! Thanks to The Water Tower pub in Tilehurst for taking in our hundreds of tubs and thanks to all of you for donating them! We will be collecting them again next year.

We assessed the space and talked about how we would use it, who would use it and what we would like to include, getting advice from Ms Manning along the way. We compiled everyone's ideas together and came up with our plan. 

The next step is to source all the items and start work on the key elements of the design, before we can begin planting and putting in the outdoor learning areas. If this is something you can help with, by donating plants, gardening equipment, or your time, please email Mrs Saunders at marketing@littleheath.org.uk

They picked litter on Spring Lane,  Little Heath Road the surrounding roads, the park at Turnham's Farm, and inside the school grounds.

Well done to all the students who took part. We will organise another community litter pick next term.

This year, on Earth Day, all our Year 7 students will be taking action by being part of our very first Eco-Day!

We have a number of local organisations and eco-conscious volunteers who have come together to inform and challenge our Year 7s, and make them think about changes they can make at school and at home, to protect our planet.

They will take part in several interactive workshops throughout the day. We are looking for the following items to be donated which will be used in the Tech and Environmental Art sessions. If you can help, please bring them to main reception or to Mrs Saunders in Resources:

CONTACT WITH SCHOOL OVER THE EASTER HOLIDAY 

Most staff will not be checking their emails from Thursday 28 March until we return on Monday 15 April so please do not expect any response from staff over the holiday. The “office” email at Reception and the "smile@littleheath.org.uk" email will also not be monitored for the duration of the school holiday.   

As we have done over previous holidays, we wanted one point of call for emergency contact or safeguarding matters that you feel you need to pass on while the school is closed for the holidays. Please note that this email is for emergency or Safeguarding matters ONLY and should not be used for “routine queries”.  

This email is: concerns@littleheath.org.uk  

This inbox will be monitored on the following days over the school holiday: 

• Tuesday 2 April until 3pm on Friday 5 April

• Monday 8 April until 3pm on Friday 12 April

Please note that the "concerns" email will not be monitored until after the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and will not be monitored on the second weekend of the school holiday.