Sixth Form Weekly Newsletter | Autumn Term, Week 5 | Date: 6 Oct 2023
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REPORTING STUDENT ABSENCE
We have an online absence reporting form for all absences (whole day or part of the day). If you are unable to use the form you will need to email absence@hgs.herts.sch.uk with the student's name and tutor group, reason for absence and expected return date (if known).
[Every day - Pasta / Jacket Potatoes & Toppings, Panini of the Day]
** MENU SUBJECT TO CHANGE **
** GLUTEN-FREE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST **
Monday: SPAGHETTI SAVOURY (v), VEGETABLE HOTPOT (v) (gf), CAULIFLOWER CHEESE (v), PEAR & GINGER CRUNCH (free from wheat, eggs, milk)
Tuesday: CHICKEN & CHORIZO PASTA, TOMATO & MASCARPONE RISOTTO (v)(gf), CHEESE QUICHE (v), ICED SPONGE
Wednesday: CHICKEN KORMA (gf), BROCCOLI & CHEESE PASTA (v), PESTO, TOMATO & CHEESE PASTRIES (v), APPLE & SULTANA SPONGE
Thursday: LAMB HOTPOT (gf), PASTA BAKE (v), CHEESE QUICHE (v), DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP SPONGE
Friday: CHICKEN IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE (gf), MACARONI CHEESE (v), BATTERED FISH, CHOCOLATE KRISPIE (free from eggs)
(V) = Vegetarian (GF) = Gluten Free
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SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Good afternoon,
It was a pleasure this week to welcome Year 8 and Year 12 families into school for their Information Evenings - the excitement building for next week's Caythorpe trip was palpable and no wonder, this trip is often talked about as a fond memory among school leavers.
Tuesday was quite a momentous day, with the largest whole-school photo taken in the school's history! If you haven't seen the social media posts about this I urge you to take a look! It was quite a feat of logistics and the students were amazing; the photography team made a point of commenting on how impressed they were with the students. I look forward to seeing the photograph when it is produced.
We had the last of the Open Mornings for prospective families on Wednesday and once again the school bustled with excited Year 6 students. Our guides from Year 7 and the Sixth Form were exemplary and I want to give a huge thank you to all involved. I lost count of the number of families who remarked on how fantastic the students were.
The Year 11 Geographers enjoyed good weather for their fieldwork in Sheringham and I would like to thank all the staff who gave their time to organise and run the trip. The students will benefit greatly from the experience as they work towards completing their NEA.
I hope you are all benefiting from an extra pair of hands around the house today; I would suggest that it would be very much in keeping with our school value of Kindness for your child to have at least hoovered a few rooms or cleaned the bathroom!
Have a good weekend.
James Crowther, Headteacher
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Free School Meals - vouchers for half-term
Hertfordshire County Council will be providing a supermarket voucher for each child entitled to benefits-related Free School Meals to cover the October half-term holiday period.
Eligible families will be emailed a digital supermarket voucher to the value of £15 for each child on 16 October, which you must redeem within 3 months (the expiry date will be included in the email that you receive from noreply@edenred.co.uk).
You can choose to receive a digital voucher to spend at one of the following supermarkets:
• ALDI
• Asda
• Marks and Spencer
• McColl’s
• Morrisons
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco
• Waitrose
Please note that the voucher works like a gift card and so doesn't have to be spent in one go.
Contact HertsHelp for general advice and practical support – call 0300 123 4044, email info@hertshelp.net or visit www.hertshelp.net.
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Whole-school photo 2023
A big occasion this week, as we had our four-yearly photo taken of all students and staff - more than 1500 of us in all!
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Jeans for Genes Day grand total
Thanks to everyone's donations, we have raised almost £2000 for Jeans for Genes! £400 of this was from the epic cake sale, where so many bakes were contributed - possibly a record! Well done all for getting involved!
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National Poetry Day, 5 October
In our Headstrong wellbeing session on Thursday, students looked at this year's theme of 'Refuge', and poems composed around this theme. They are now invited to write their own poem or create a piece of artwork connected to the idea of refuge if they would like to.
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Library news
We are celebrating Black History Month in the Library with a display of amazing authors and their books. This year's theme is 'Saluting Our Sisters', so we've gathered together a whole host of titles by black female authors past and present. There's a wide range of brilliant books to choose from, including mystery, history, romance and fantasy - there really is something for everyone!
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Herts Parent Carer Involvement exists to represent the views of the parents and carers of children and young people with SEND in Hertfordshire.
They are an independent parent-led organisation who work alongside Hertfordshire health, education and social care services, to help improve services and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
Their 2023 annual survey is now live, to find out more about what families in Hertfordshire are experiencing. They want to know what works and what doesn’t, so that they can concentrate on the areas that matter most to local families. The survey is open until 15 October 2023.
Last year’s survey helped secure an additional £5m investment into the statutory SEND service and was also used during the Ofsted / CQC Area SEND inspection.
The more families who fill out the survey from different stages of the system the more powerful their voice - you don't need to have an EHCP or a formal diagnosis yet to take part.
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NOTICEBOARD - CAREERS / HIGHER EDUCATION
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HM Government Communications Centre - national security engineering
Apprenticeship opportunities in Milton Keynes:
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University of Newcastle Open Day
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Solent University, Southampton
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Pathways to the Professions 2024
applications now open!
The Sutton Trust Pathways programmes help disadvantaged students in Years 12 – 13 explore career opportunities in Banking & Finance (in person & online), Consulting (online), Engineering (in person), Law (in person & online), Medicine (in person), and Veterinary Medicine (in person & online) - for free.
Far too often, breaking into these careers requires professional connections, the ability to take on unpaid internships, and/or soft skills which aren’t taught in schools. The Pathways programmes bridge that gap for disadvantaged students.
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Features include 'The Fire Service'; 'What would you tell your 15-year-old self?'; 'Eight unusual courses to study'; and 'Engineering - a great career'. There is also an article on Studying Esports, where there are now a lot of opportunities for young people.
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Migrant Leaders - mentoring and work experience with FTSE100 companies
Migrant Leaders, a charity that supports young migrants to develop skills and capture opportunities, is running a free professional development programme for first- and second-generation migrants (as well as young people from other disadvantaged backgrounds).
Successful candidates will be invited to workshops, work experience, and mentoring from leaders in companies such as Meta, Kantar, and KPMG.
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In-person Interview Preparation Day
Thursday 26 October, 11:00 - 15:00 at Gonville and Caius College
For Year 13 students attending state schools in Hertfordshire and Norfolk who have applied to Cambridge. Students should sign up in advance, with further details and a sign-up link being sent out to schools in W/C 9 October.
Applicant Webinar Series
6 September – 23 November
A series of webinars addressing all stages of the application process, with a specific session for parents/supporters as well. Find out more and book at https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applicant-webinars
The Cambridge Higher Aspirations Scheme (CHAS)
This is aimed at highly able Year 12 students attending state schools considering Cambridge/highly selective universities.
At the heart of the scheme is the opportunity to experience Cambridge- style supervisions.
Applications to the CHAS programme are now open, and we encourage all interested students to attend. The scheme consists of six supervisions from January-March 2024, summer application sessions and a selective residential during summer. The scheme is free, and the only eligibility requirement is that the student attends a state school in one of our Link Areas.
For more information on the scheme, visit: Cambridge Higher Aspirations
Sign up to the scheme
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NOTICEBOARD - WELLBEING / SEND / SUPPORT
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Mental health support for
Hertfordshire's young people
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