LGS Headlines 31 March 2014 From the Headteacher In the student pages of this issue...... Dear Parents The LGS Sports Centre Egham & BBC Concerts Our final Headlines newsletter for the Spring term is another PGL Netball trip bumper edition, reflecting the New Forest Training Weekend range of visits, competitions and iPads in Education conference numerous other events which Year 12 Careers Network Event have taken place in school over the last few weeks. Indoor Rowing There have been a number of parent-teacher Heroines of Science consultations this term together with report review Magistrates Court Mock Trial meetings for students in various year groups. MFL Vocabulary Competition These have been very positive occasions and I would like to thank you for your continued support. Year 12 History Conference Our staff work hard to ensure that you are well- Sport Relief informed about your son or daughter’s progress Be my Baby through PTCs and written reports, which we hope Physiology Science Competition you find informative and useful. Year 9 Dieppe Visit Students at our school will achieve very good Year 11 Art Visit examination results, but we know they will be competing for jobs and university places against Mr M Aplin - News Manager other equally well-qualified candidates. It is very important that they also develop their skills, abilities and talents in other directions to give them a Key dates ‘competitive edge’. This is one reason why we encourage participation in a wide range of additional activities, and also why we work hard to ensure that you are aware of those opportunities through the End of term arrangements website and this newsletter. Friday 4 April Periods 1-3 as normal This year we have scheduled a number of ‘Focus Dismissal at 12.30pm Days’ into our calendar. These allow us to timetable learning in a different way and provide students with some memorable experiences outside the normal Summer term begins Tuesday 22 April 8.20 am timetable structure. Our March Focus Day took Timetable week 2 place near the end of the month and will therefore be reported on in the April edition. However, our student news pages contain a great deal of Study leave dates : information about other recent events and activities Year 11 From Friday 9 May - I hope you enjoy reading about them. Year 12 From Monday 12 May On behalf of all the staff I wish and your families a very enjoyable break. Year 13 From Friday 16 May Mr J Constable - Headteacher Langley Grammar School Reddington Drive Please visit our website at Langley Berkshire SL3 7QS www.lgs.slough.sch.uk 01753 598300 [email protected] LGS Headlines 31 March 2014 Appointments during school time ParentPay Wherever possible, please try and avoid all medical Over the next few and other appointments during the school day as weeks we are these do disrupt learning. We are aware that some introducing the appointments (eg hospital or orthodontist) cannot ParentPay system to easily be changed or arranged outside school time. enable you to make online payments to the school. If your son/ daughter has an appointment during After the Easter break we will no longer be school time please inform the school in writing in accepting cash and cheque payments to top up advance so that the absence can be authorised. cards for lunch money. Using the ParentPay Please also note that students arriving late or secure website you will be able to load money onto having to leave during the school day MUST sign in your son or daughter’s account using your debit or or out at Student Support. credit card. Parents are expected to collect their children from Over the course of the Summer term we will extend Reception if they have to leave during the school the online payment facility to other payments such day. as those for educational visits, uniform, etc. Parents who wish to continue to make payments by Mr S Cook - Assistant Headteacher cash will not be able to do so to the School directly, but may use the PayPoint network at local convenience stores. In-House Uniform Stock What are the benefits to parents and students? You may be aware that the school has small numbers of some items of school uniform, primarily ParentPay is easy to use and offers the PE kit, ties and badges, available for purchase. freedom to make online payments whenever and wherever you like, 24/7; We also currently have limited stocks of girls’ green cardigans and jumpers and long and short sleeved The technology used uses the highest white blouses in a variety of sizes. These items internet security available ensuring your are available at reduced prices of £10 for the money will reach the school safely – offering knitwear and £5 for the blouses. As the green you peace of mind; knitwear is being phased out, this is can only be Payments can be made by debit/credit card purchased for students currently in Years 10 or 11. and also though PayPoint; The blouses are available for all girls. Full payment histories and statements are Available items can be purchased from Mrs available to you securely online at any time; Simmonds using the in-house stock order form which can be found on the school website. Daily limits can be applied to ensure your child stays within your allocated daily amount Payment for all items must be made prior to for lunch payments; collection. Your child won’t have to worry about losing Uniform expectations money on the way to school We are proud of our uniform and expect students Parents can choose to be alerted via email to be as well. The great majority of students wear and/or SMS text when their balances are low their uniform correctly; however a small number do not meet our expectations despite frequent If you have registered for Free School Meals then reminders. The uniform regulations are clearly these will continue to be automatically allocated to stated in the Student planners, and we expect both your son or daughter’s account. Information about students and parents to be familiar with them. Free School Meals and the eligibility criteria can be found in the ‘Parents’ section of the school website. Whether in Year 7 or in the Sixth Form, the way in which uniform is worn is often a general indicator of The new system will go live for lunch payments on a student’s attitude to the school community and Tuesday 22 April and the School Finance team are their learning. We are pleased to see such a sending out account activation information, together positive attitude among most of our students and with instructions as to how to set up and operate ask that all parents support us in upholding high your account. You can then top up your son or standards. daughter’s account during the Easter break so it is ready for use on the first day of the Summer term. Mrs R Smith—Deputy Headteacher Mr G Trigg—Business Manager LGS Headlines 31 March 2014 Langley Grammar School Development Fund Congratulations! We are sure you are aware that all schools are Students and staff raised a total of just over....... facing very considerable financial pressures in the current economic climate. £3,000 Langley Grammar School provides a very high .....for Sport Relief this year. The money was raised standard of education for your sons and daughters, through but the extent to which we can do this depends to a participation in the Sport Relief Mile round the large extent on our funding. There have been school grounds; changes imposed by the Government to the way in which schools are funded for their students in Years staff student netball and basketball matches; 7-11 and in the Sixth Form. These changes have cake sale for staff resulted in real-terms reductions in our school budget. Although schools budgets are currently Special thanks go to Mr Podbury for his enthusiasm safeguarded against severe cuts by transitional and ability to get students from all year groups protection, this is due to end in 2015. motivated and involved. Our income is about £5.6 million per year. Of this, For more details see the student news pages. over 80% is spent on direct staffing costs – salaries, national insurance and pension contributions for our teaching and administrative staff. More than 10% goes on utilities, services and maintenance of the buildings. Less than 10% of our income is available to provide books, sports equipment, software, computer hardware, etc. All of these items need to be periodically renewed in order to provide your son or daughter with the best resources for learning. As a grammar school, we do not attract significant funding to support students with low attainment or from deprived backgrounds, and our funding per student can therefore be as much as 50% lower Dulux Young Scientist Competition than in non-selective schools. Students from Years 7, 8 and 9 competed against The reality is that in the future we Burnham Grammar, and Upton Court Grammar in will have less money available to the Dulux Young Scientist competition. spend on the education of your sons and daughters. We are Along with presenting their own therefore taking an opportunity this scientific proposals on the theme month to remind you of the LGS “Should we build a renewable Development Fund which is power generator in Slough?” the described in detail in the leaflet students also took part in a group recently sent to you science activity where they designed and built their own A monthly donation of £15 from all parents would boats.