TERM DATES 2010/2011 PARENT GOVERNORS THE BILLERICAY SCHOOL th Autumn Term Ends Friday 17 December I am pleased to inform you that following the election earlier this term we now have a new parent governor. His name is A MATHS AND COMPUTING COLLEGE th Spring Term 2011 Starts Tuesday 4 January 2011 Carl Johnson and he will be joining the governing body this month. Spring Half Term Monday 21 st February 2011 to th Friday 25 February 2011 There will be another vacancy coming up shortly; so if you are interested in this role please look out for the nomination Newsletter December 2010 th Spring Term Ends 8 April 2011 papers. They will be distributed via students. Details are also posted on our website. Summer Term Begins Tuesday 26 th April 2011 Mrs J. Moore Dear Parents, Summer Half Term Monday 30 th May 2011 to Open Evening and Open Mornings Friday 3 rd June Our open evening on Tuesday, 5 th October was We are proud to announce the launch of an nd very well attended. We were very pleased to Olympic inspired programme at our school. The Summer Term Ends Friday 22 July 2011 welcome so many parents and children and the Be the Best you can Be! programme has been The Billericay Sports Centre school hall was packed for the Headteacher’s talks. developed to inspire, engage and empower young people to recognise and fulfil their potential and to Training Days We were especially proud of our students who took Friday 18 th February 2011, Friday 8 th April 2011, support the quest that the London 2012 Olympic th the visitors on tours around the school during the Tuesday 5 July 2011. evening and also on the open mornings over the Games be an inspiration to the youth of Britain following weeks. Their enthusiasm and good and the rest of the world. Bank Holidays manners were complimented upon by many not included in holidays above parents. I was determined that our school would be one of Monday 2 nd May 2011 th the early schools to undertake the Be the Best Our Sixth Form Open Evening on Tuesday, 9 you can Be! programme as it begins to roll out November was equally well attended and we hope nationally. The inspiration offered by Olympians to see many of our existing students return and look forward to welcoming new students to the and high achievers who strive to achieve their school. dreams is incredibly powerful and can really reach SSttuuddeenntt SSeerrvviicceess out and engage our young people. I am pleased If you were unable to attend any of our open to be welcoming Danny Crates to launch our events we are always more than happy to show programme and my teachers and I look forward to We would ask that parents be aware that they are not permitted Our Sports Centre is open to members of the public you around the school. Please contact the Student delivering this exciting and transformational to drive into the school grounds unless they have an appointment and details of opening times can be found at: Services at any time to book a tour and to request programme. or are visiting a member of staff. For safety reasons we ask www.billericay.essex.sch.uk/bl/sports_centre an information pack. parents to drop off or pick up children inside the gates. The Be the Best you can Be! programme is Please can you also exercise extra caution when parking outside currently aimed at key stage 3 students and we the gates and in the roads around the school. shall give parents more information next term. Please remind your children to use the underpass by Southend USED STAMPS APPEAL Road/Bell Hill roundabout if they need to cross the road after Please can you collect any used stamps As we come towards the end of another busy and school. There have been several incidents of students just for this appeal. Please save stamps leav - productive term, I would like to say how proud I running across the road which is dangerous at this obviously ing 1 cm border around each one and ask am of the successes of so many of our students. very busy time. your son/daughter to pass them to Miss Hopkins in A2 or to the Language Office. th The underpass is checked every day before the children emerge Thank you. Students will finish this term on Friday, 17 from school and there is a regular staff presence in the area. December at 12.10 pm and return to school on Tuesday, 4 th January 2011. We will be sending our newsletter via email to those I thank parents for their continued support and families who have already registered with their details. We would be very interested to hear your feedback wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a and whether you would like the newsletter by email in Healthy and Successful New Year 2011. the future. If you have not already given us your email address, please contact the school office or email it to [email protected] “We were very impressed with the enthusiasm of the students who showed us around the school” Mrs S. Hammond, Headteacher If you would like to advertise in our newsletter please contact Jenny Titford on 01277 655191 School Road Billericay Essex CM12 9LH or email [email protected] for more details. www.billericay.essex.sch.uk Tel: 01277 655191 Fax: 01277 314414 School Meals Service Healthy Eating Menu KIRKLAND ROWELL I regret to inform you that it will be necessary for us to increase PARENT AND STUDENT SURVEYS the school’s food prices by a modest amount from January 2010 FEEDBACK 2011. Our last increase was in January 2010, but with ingredient a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who took the Firstly , prices increasing almost on a weekly basis we are no longer time to complete and return the questionnaires. We had able to absorb these extra costs without some increase in in - over 1100 forms back which is our biggest return to come. Please be assured we will always keep prices as low as date! The results have been independently analysed by we possibly can and we continue to try to make the healthier Kirkland Rowell and action points have been fed back to options the most affordable for the students. The majority of the Senior Leadership Team and to all staff. Individual items will increase by approximately 10p. comments have all been collated and passed on to the relevant department or senior member of staff. As the The ‘Meal Deal’ price will rise from £2.10 to £2.20. This gives questionnaires are anonymous, we cannot respond to students the chance to buy a full meal comprising a protein choice, carbohydrate (i.e. potato, rice or pasta) a choice of We are very proud of our individual queries or complaints but are trying hard to Students: vegetable or salad, plus a pudding, fruit or yoghurt and a juice catering team at The Billericay ensure that any issues are appropriately dealt with or • You were even more enthusiastic than your parents drink or bottle of water. In line with government “healthy eating” rectified. Please contact the relevant member of staff judging the school to be ‘Outstanding’ in nearly all areas guidelines the ‘Meal Deal” is a nutritionally balanced meal and School and would like to remind (e.g. form tutor/subject teacher), or senior teacher if including: encouraging a healthy lifestyle, ensuring you by far the cheapest way for a pupil to purchase a nutritious parents and students that we offer a there is an outstanding matter you wish to discuss. stay safe, enjoyment and achievement, enabling you to lunch, rather than buying items individually. We believe it offers complete Healthy Eating menu which make a positive contribution and ensuring you achieve very good value for money. There are several choices to will provide a nutritionally balanced economic well being. choose from and one of them is always a vegetarian option. meal that offers good value for money. • You told us that you thought you were making good progress in all your subjects but especially in General Our Meal Deal price of £2.10 (£2.20 Studies (Sixth Form), Languages, Sociology and from January 2011) includes a meal Chemistry. plus pudding and a drink. The • In terms of non academic areas you said you were most equivalent ‘meal deal’ elsewhere would 2 happy with availability of resources, community spirit cost yat least £3.99. and social health education. You scored “promoting racial harmony” and “encouraging students to do their For more details and menus click on school catering at best” even higher than in the last survey (2008). There http://www.billericay.essex.sch.uk/bl/parents/ were also significantly higher scores for control of Parents: bullying and school discipline. • You gave us an overall performance score of 82% • The vast majority of you make good use of learning (nationally anything over 70% is considered a success) 6th Form Leavers AwardsEvening 7 conversations and most of you feel that they help you • You are happy with the delivery of all subjects but make good progress. Our annual 6th Form Awards Evening will take place on particularly pleased with Maths, French, Drama, ICT th • 85% value the well equipped RBLC. 72% access Thursday, 16 December at Emmanuel Church. and English. resources via the portal (please contact Mr Darley for • In terms of non academic areas you are most pleased This special evening celebrates the Sixth Form advice if you’re having difficulties) with school discipline, careers advice, availability of successes of 2010 and sees the return of our students • 89% say there is a good level of discipline.