THE FOX’S UPDATE February 2021

So, we reach the end of another term and I would like to start Due to the government’s decision to cancel the GCSE and this “Fox’s Update” by thanking all of the parents and guardians BTEC exams we will not be running our Pre–Public Exams who have worked so hard to support our students with their (PPEs or mock exams) in Year 11 as originally planned. Instead learning in this half term. It really has been a tremendous effort students will take part in a series of in class assessments run to help your children take part and engage in the live lessons by their teachers at some point in their first three weeks on and remote learning that has been provided. returning to school. Equally the Year 10 Raising Achievement Evening on the 4th March has been postponed as we are not Due to your support 94% of students were accessing live clear if the Year 10 internal exams can run after Easter as lessons last week, a considerable improvement on the early originally planned. More details on our plans for assessment in weeks of the term - so on behalf of our students, thank you all years will be made clear once we know the arrangements for your support. for the full re-opening of the school.

We have provided over 100 students with laptops during On a different note it is World Book day on 4th March. The lockdown and have been able to support more than 130 English team are planning a series of activities to celebrate this students on site each day as part of the Critical Worker and day so please do all you can to support your child to help Vulnerable Student group. Events including Year 11 Parents’ them read widely and regularly during this period of remote Evening and Year 8 Option Evening have taken place virtually learning. As a parent/guardian, supporting your child to read and students in Years 8-11 received their second school report for pleasure is one of the most powerful things you can do to of the year today. So we are continuing to operate “as normal” help with their education. within the restrictions placed upon us. I would like to thank all of the students, both those that are As of yet we do not know the plans for the full re-opening of working at home and those that continue to attend school, schools. We understand that an announcement will be made for their ongoing resilience and the responsible attitude so on the 22nd February regarding the plans from the 8th March. many of them have demonstrated towards their learning. It is So, for the first two weeks after half term, the school will truly commendable and we look forward to welcoming them continue to provide live lessons and remote learning. For those all back to Bishop Fox’s sometime soon. in the Critical Worker and Vulnerable Student group, a place at school can be booked through the usual booking system. Have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable half term. As soon as we have more details regarding the government’s plans for after the 8th March, we will let you know. Mr Blunsum

- DATES FOR YOUR DIARY NEXT TERM - 25th February: Year 8 Parents’ Evening 4th March: World Book Day 18th March: Year 10 Parents’ Evening High Standards & ENGAGEMENT WITH REMOTE HOME LEARNING PARENTS’ EVENING Thank you to all teachers, support staff, students and Thank you to all the parents and students who attended the virtual parents/guardians for working together to make the roll out of live parents evening for Year 11 last month. Despite some connection lessons a success. 75% of students surveyed last month said that issues, we are pleased to report that 82% of parents attended live lessons is their preferred method of home learning and the which is higher than the in school parents evenings we have run teaching staff have really enjoyed connecting with the students to previously! provide as close to a physical classroom experience as possible. We are pleased to report that engagement with live lessons has The next virtual parents evening is for Year 8 students, scheduled steadily increased since the start of term and our recent reports for 25th February. Please refer to our recent letter for more show that 94% of students have been able to access live lessons in information: the last week. 83% of students are pleased with the level of LAPTOPS feedback they receive about their learning and progress as a result of live lessons so we will continue to streamline our delivering of We have deployed over 100 laptops to support students in lessons via Microsoft Teams. Thank you again to all the accessing their remote home learning. We have also been parents/guardians for supporting their child(ren) with remote successful in applying for a grant to purchase more lap tops to home learning to allow students to learn together positively even further support our students so please inform us via this survey if when they are apart. your son/daughter has limited access to IT: https://bit.ly/3jwLn5Q

YEAR 8 OPTIONS HELLO AND GOODBYE During the school closure, Mr Summerill has been leading the Year 8 It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Mrs Dalling as she options process. Each week, our Curriculum Team Leaders have retires after many years at Fox’s. posted presentations about the choices in their subjects areas via Mrs Dalling was a member of the Maths team for many years and Satchel One. before becoming the Lead Teacher of our Careers department. All of these presentations are now uploaded on to the school website Mrs Dalling has been a loyal, devoted part of Bishop Fox’s and we under the ‘Curriculum - Options’ tab. The presentation that Mr will all miss her greatly. Summerill made to all Year 8 and their parents on Thursday 4th February is also available to view, along with FAQs. We say a fond bon voyage to Miss McCann who leaves us at half term on maternity leave, we wish her the best luck for her and her Students are now making their choices using the options pack that second child. has been sent to all students. The deadline is 12th March. Congratulations to the winner of This week our AQA Unitary Award Scheme students have been listening and responding to our our Science class book The Gruffalo. We have had lots of fun sequencing and re-telling the story, identifying competition... adjectives in the story to describe the Gruffalo’s appearance and acting out events from the narrative. Teagan (7SL) has won a telescope! The students have worked very hard and have achieved one full AQA unit certificate for English and are well on the way to achieving their second!

High Standards & High Expectations WELLBEING SCHOOL NURSE: Our school nurse, Maria Thomas, who was appointed during lockdown to provide the school with a clinic. She will be in school on Mondays – see details below. WORKSHOPS Free family wellbeing workshops are being run through Young Somerset. The courses are free if you are a resident in Somerset and over 19. The next 2 courses are listed below:

15/02/21 - How to Make Physical Activity Fun for the Whole Family in Lockdown.

22/02/21 - Making a Wellbeing Plan for Me and My Family and Sticking to it.

To sign up, please visit their website: https://bit.ly/2Z1r5rq

STARTING A CONVERSATION Starting a conversation can be difficult, especially if you’re worried that your child is having a hard time. It doesn’t matter what topic the conversation starts with – it’s about the opportunity it gives you both to talk about feelings and to provide comfort. Youngminds have come up with a handy list of ways to embrace these conversations: https://youngminds.org.uk/media/1712/young-minds- conversation-starters_final-003.pdf

OLLEE Ollee is a digital friend for children aged 8-11, created by Parent Zone and funded by BBC Children in Need’s A Million & Me initiative, which aims to make a difference to children’s emotional wellbeing. CONSENT It’s designed to help children reflect on how they feel and to process Consent is like being ruler of your own country, population = YOU. The book ‘Respect: Consent, Boundaries and Being in Charge of their experiences with the support and help of their parents and YOU’ guardians - and it does this by offering them advice about a range is a smart, playful guide to consent and bodily autonomy. of subjects: school, family, friends, their body, the internet and the There is an upcoming book, based on this video that’s packed with world. bright and energetic illustrations.

For each of these subjects, children can choose an emotion that Readers will learn about boundaries and how to set them; signs of matches how they feel about it: happy, angry, sad, confused, healthy (and unhealthy) relationships; ways to respect themselves frustrated, stressed or worried. and others; how to spot grooming behaviours; what to do if someone makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe; and much Next, they can choose from a list of topics - for instance, a child more. who was worried about school might be able to select ‘I haven’t done my homework’ as the cause of their worry. Finally, they’ll see Along the way, they’ll be encouraged to reflect on (and improve!) a page of advice about the topic, presented in child-friendly bite- their own behaviour and to practice consent in their daily lives. If sized chunks they can read then or save for later. you’re searching for a way to talk to your To download it for free, simply register using the link below: child about what it https://parentzone.org.uk/introducing-ollee means to be in control of their own body and respect others’, look no further!

This humorous and insightful book from the co-creator of the viral “Tea Consent” video is the perfect teaching tool, conversation starter, and insightful, e m p o w e r i n g resource for families everywhere.

High Standards & High Expectations MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

LA CHANDELEUR COMPETITION HOME LEARNING - MRS POTTER Year 7, 8 & 9 French students have been learning about ‘La Unfortunately, Mrs Potter is currently absent from school. The MFL Chandeleur’ (Candlemass). This is a French festival similar to department will provide home learning tasks on Satchel One/ Show pancake day, celebrated on 2nd February. Students and staff have My Homework, and will endeavour to provide recordings of live been invited to take part in a culinary competition, following a lessons in Teams files where possible, so that students are able to recipe and method – available on Show My Homework - in order access their usual curriculum. This will also mean that students will to make galettes. To enter, students should take a photo of their not receive a report this term from Mrs Potter. creations, and upload them to Show My Homework by 22nd February. If you have specific questions about the progress your son/ daughter is making, please feel free to contact Miss Ringwood via the school email address ([email protected]).

Apologies for the inconvenience caused, however please be assured we will do our utmost to provide a regular language experience for your son/ daughter.

MFL LANGUAGE EXCELLENCE If students are looking to expand their knowledge of French or Spanish language and culture, then look no further than the Language Excellence projects - these have been shared with students on Show My Homework, and should reflect a Half Term’s work. There are lots of different suggestions of how to go about this - students may also choose to learn a new language, or teach a language to a friend. Contact your Miss Ringwood or Mrs Piper if you have any questions.

YEAR 8 - which language should I choose for GCSE? For those of you unsure which language might be the best fit for you in KS4, then here are some handy questions to ask yourself which may help you to decide:

1. Which one might I use more in the job/ career I'd like to do in the future? 2. Which one do I feel more confident speaking out loud? (You'll have to do a speaking exam and speaking activities in lessons so this is quite important) 3. Which one do I feel I'm better at, at the moment? 4. And finally, where do I see myself wanting to travel in the future?

Although some students think that French is easier as they've been doing it for longer, others think Spanish is easier as it's new and they're picking it up quickly. They end up being as difficult as each MUSIC other by the time you get to GCSE, so it's better to think about your In KS3 lessons this half term we have been studying lots of music. future plans, and your own personal preference. Due to no practical music, we have been exploring this through live lessons including using interactive pianos, backing tracks, YEAR 11 composition programmes and Despite an unusual start to our Spring Term following the Government online lesson programmes. All of announcement for schools to remain closed until 8th March (at the earliest) these are new and different ways , Year 11 have maintained an outstanding attitude in “live lessons”. to access practical music learning.

We have also been listening to The following students had the most minutes in Microsoft Teams “live different styles of music. lessons”:

Well done to those students who 11LEN - Annabel Johns 11SMW - James Grant are continuing with their 11MDG - Kai Charlton 11APP - Bradley Richings instrumental / vocal lessons online! 11JPO - Emily Uff 11ALM - Sarah Perks 11AM - Al Rigden Coming soon - KS3 musical instrument competition... check A huge congratulations and well done! Now relax, SMHW for further details. recharge those batteries and enjoy your half term break! Mr Contreras (Head of Year 11) High Standards & High Expectations ENGLISH

We want to thank everyone, students and parents, for doing all they can to be successful during this term. It’s not been easy! We want to remind you, that if you feel the screen-time is getting too much, reading a book is a fantastic way to wind-down and relax. Check out the school website for the KS3 and KS4 reading lists. English Home - Learning Stars!

These are students who are doing an exceptional job; attending lessons, contributing and engaging with all aspects of English.

- Ben Wyrwoll - Alfie Conroy - Libby Johns - Nikola Saladiak - Peter Watson-Pettitt - Michael Jolley - Tristan Benson - - Jaydn Naylor - Harvey Williams - Amelia Douglas - Molly Loveday - Owen Limerick - Anvika Biju - Josh Priestman - - Victoria Wisniewska - Ryan Monsey - Amelia Khan - Josie Cohen - Dolly Edwards - Nadine Matull - - Kayleigh Lee - Brandon Rowe - Molly Coles - Charisse Agsam - Yanni Roach - Ryan Shaju - - Paige Perring - Layal Al-Roubaie - Connie Tomkins - Will McLean - Macayle Manatad - - Imogen Webber - Amara Webber - Ellie Richards - Reece McBride -

Well done to all of the girls who CYBERFIRST COMPETITION have taken part in the A big well done to our Year 8 Girls who have competed in the National competition: CyberFirst Competition 2021.

The competition, which is run by the National Cyber Security Centre Layal Al-Roubaie (NCSC) - a part of Government Communications Headquarters Imogen Bale (GCHQ) - officially got underway in January. This year’s online qualifying round ran until 1pm on Wednesday 3rd February. Cia Barraclough Amelia Barrett The CyberFirst Girls Competition sees girls aged 12 to 13 working in teams of 4. They put their cyber security skills to the test through a series of fun and challenging Cerys Blinco online puzzles covering topics including Logic & Coding, Cyber Security, Networking and Cryptography. Holly Boyland Megan Curry The CyberFirst Girls Competition is the NCSC’s flagship cyber security event for schools and Bishop Fox’s school has proudly been a part of CyberFirst since its launch in 2017. Amelia Douglas Wiktoria Draus Just being part of this competition is a fantastic achievement and we are very proud of the girls who have taken time to do it. Evie Edwards Dolly Edwards AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE... One of our Year 8 Girls Teams have qualified for the Semi-Finals! The ‘Female Fox’s’ team is Daisy Ford made up of Evie Edwards, Layal Al-Roubaie, Lucia Jakubec and Amelia Douglas. Foweraker The semi-final will take place on Friday 19th March 2021. We will let you know how they got Niamh Halliday on in the next ‘Fox’s Update’. Millie Helyar Good luck girls, and huge congratulations, from Mrs Ryder and everyone at Bishop Fox’s. Fianna Long Valerie Ng Paige Perring Jessica Talarek Evelyn Tudor Lucia Velarde Jakubec

AHALF reminder that TERM there will be no in school provision for Critical Worker / Vulnerable Children during February Half Term. School will return both online and in school for Critical Worker / Vulnerable children on Monday 22nd February. Have a restful break. High Standards & High Expectations SEND A VIRTUAL HUG! Ms Trigg has set an optional task on Satchel One today which we would love to see as many of you as possible get involved with. The challenge is to make a paper life-sized hug! The task shows a step-by-step guide of how to put this together. Colour / decorate one side of the hug and write a special message or a poem on the other side. Then pop it in an envelope and send to a friend or family member to you’re thinking of them.

DANCING STARS Well done to this half terms dancing stars. The Dancing Star Award is given to students for hard work and achievement throughout the term.

Erin Yard (Year 7) - Sam Rosser (Year 7) Isabel Corrie (Year 8) - Dennis Ivanov (Year 8) Ellie Richards (Year 9)

Georgia Merrell (Year 10) Draw around your hands on a piece of paper and cut them out. Francesca Sandy (Year 11)

SOFA DANCE Cut strips of paper - LOCKDOWN to connect to the hands. We PROJECTrecommend 3 strips but you can We are bringing thea whole Bishop Fox’s community together with a sofa dance film! This is a great opportunity to let your hair down and express what lockdown has been like for you by performing your own moves on your sofa. For more information see the task set on Satchel One 'Lockdown Dance Project'. Have you submitted your video clip yet? If not, there’s still time - the deadline has been extended to Monday 22nd February! If you need any further assistance, contact Mrs Everitt on Satchel One. Look out for the finished film which will be debuting on our website and social media next term!

High Standards & High Expectations