Ref: JAS/VAR

14 February 2020

Dear Parent/Carer

We thank you for the support that you provide to us to enable us to offer an excellent education for your child. The partnership between the child, parents and the College is paramount to the continued success of what a child can achieve. We are pleased that parents are positive about Class Charts and the daily information that this provides to you. We know that students too are very positive, it allows them to see the accolades their Teachers are awarding and it is pleasing to hear that so many students want to achieve a green circle full of positives.

We work hard every day to set high standards and expectations for all students and staff. Whilst we are highly focused on supporting students in Year 10 and Year 11 as they approach their final examinations we equally want our students in Years 7-9 to be challenged and achieve more than they first thought was possible creating a strong foundation for future success.

It is important that students attend College regularly and on time. The website has copies of the Joint Statements that the Havant Federation of Schools have compiled to set the standards that we want to achieve together. In addition to the Statements on Relational Conflict, Expectations, Social Media and the Use of Mobile Phones there is an additional Statement on Attendance for parents to be aware of. The vast majority of parents support our drive to ensure that students aim to attend for over 95% of the time to make certain that their education is not unduly affected. The Attendance Joint Statement clearly states the expectation and refers to the legal legislation that will affect parents where students are not attending regularly.

The College currently has a 9x9 all-weather pitch which is used by both the students and local community. It has been highlighted in the local sports plan that HTC would benefit from a larger sized pitch to enhance the curriculum we can offer alongside the activities that take place outside of College hours. Last year we were fortunate to secure a funding bid from EHDC to support the development of an 11x11 pitch on site. The Football Foundation and other local partners are currently working with us to secure the remaining funding for the project which is hoped to commence in 2021. It would be of benefit for parents/carers to also be involved in this very exciting project which I am sure many children will enjoy in future years, please can you support by ensuring that you contribute to the College Fund which will support this project. If parents would like to make any additional contributions to this exciting project the preferred method of donation is through the following link which would enable the Parent Forum to claim Gift Aid: https://www.wonderful.org/charity/horndeantechnologycollegeparentteachersassociation.

Further to the information that I sent regarding the Art entry for the Holocaust Memorial and for the 75th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in January we were subsequently invited to the National Memorial Service at Westminster. The service was attended by the Prime Minister, Archbishop of Canterbury, Chief Iman, Chief Rabbi and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Art work was in the exhibition at the service and will tour the Country in due course. It was a proud moment to see the students’ artwork in a national exhibition. We were also delighted to congratulate Andrea Marr who this week received the national award from Just Like Us for being an ‘Educator Champion”. This award, presented by Matt Evers , recognised the outstanding contributions that Andrea has made to championing LGBT+ and equality within HTC and Hampshire County.

As we approach the end of this half-term there is also the forecast of another Atlantic storm arriving at the weekend. It will be good to welcome the Spring in the next half-term, however, I am conscious a few years ago that the snow arrived in March resulting in a College closure on the grounds of Health and Safety. As previously mentioned we would inform all parents/carers by the In Touch system and via the College HTC website and HTC’s Facebook page. A decision will be made as soon as we are able to in order that parents can make alternative provision for their child’s care. We only make this decision when conditions are exceptional.

We are all very aware of the Coronavirus and the impact that it is having on communities. The Department of Education have asked that we encourage good hygiene amongst our students and staff. The advice is given below and is particularly pertinent if students and parents are travelling at half term.

Encouraging good hygiene:

As always, if you have symptoms of a cold or flu, then there are measures you can take to stop germs:

 Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.  Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.  Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

The half term break commences at 2.10pm on Friday 14 February 2020 and College commences after the week’s break at 8.25am on Monday 24 February 2020. This will be a Week 2.

Yours sincerely

Mrs J A Summerfield Headteacher