Message from the Headteacher, Mr C Richards:
Welcome back! I hope you all had a lovely relaxing break.
We’ve hit the ground running as usual this term with GCSE Textiles and Drama students taking practical exams this week. The vast majority of our students have arrived punctually and entered gate 6 before 8.27a.m. meaning they have arrived in tutor rooms by 8.30a.m. and school uniform has been very smart in general with the odd exception. We will pick up on all lateness and incorrect uniforms so please do get in touch with your child’s form tutor if you have any concerns. A reminder that our expectations for the school day and for uniform can be found on the key parental information page on our website.
It will be a very busy week next week. We are honoured to be hosting the ‘Southall Resists’ exhibition on Tuesday commemorating the 45th anniversary of the death of Blair Peach and our community forum will also be taking place that evening. We will also be holding our annual multicultural day and evening celebrations on Thursday (25th April) and pupils are encouraged to dress in clothing representing their heritage. Please book a ticket on parent pay and join us at 5.30pm on Thursday. Further details can be found below.
Multi – Cultural Evening
We are excited to announce our upcoming Multi-Cultural evening to celebrate our diverse community. Please save the date and buy tickets via ParentPay.
VHS trip to Greece
Students from Villiers travelled to Greece for a sports trip just before the Spring holiday. They stayed at a sports camp, trained with professional coaches and then competed against other international teams. The football and netball teams won all their fixtures, and the basketball team played amazingly well too. Our students thoroughly enjoyed experiencing this wonderful opportunity, they showed dedication and commitment during their training sessions. Overall the trip was a great success and we welcome back our students. Thank you to all the staff members for their help in supporting the children, and also took their time out to accompany the students on this trip.
Startup Sherpas – Time Machine 2024 Launch
Johan and Brendon, both Year 12 students, recently attended the Startup Sherpas – Time Machine 2024 Launch held at the Financial Times Headquarters. This event propelled them to the forefront of innovation in the insurance industry. They received insights into groundbreaking solutions tackling insurance challenges, giving them a head start in understanding the future of finance.
By networking with representatives from major organisations, they opened doors to potential mentorships and future career opportunities. Their attendance earned them priority for paid work experience with LNER, providing valuable real-world experience. They’ll also attend an early careers event at the Financial Times, giving them a leg up in exploring career paths within the financial sector. This is an incredible springboard for them. Well Done to you both!
Year 10 and 11 Media Studies trip to Warner Bros Studio
Year 10 and 11 media studies students weren’t just learning about filmmaking, they were experiencing it! Their trip to Warner Bros. Studio offered a deep dive into the magical world behind Harry Potter, from concept art to elaborate sets. They saw firsthand how cameras, costumes, and creativity come together to bring a story to life.
Year 10 Creative Minds Project
The Creative Minds mission with Year 10 students has sparked an overwhelmingly high-quality response. From its inception, the assignment aimed to nurture innovation, important thinking, and artistic expression among our students. As we witness the culmination of their efforts, it is clear that this endeavour has undoubtedly ignited a creative spark inside every player. The enthusiasm and dedication exhibited by the Year 10s had been nothing quick of inspiring. This project not only showcases the boundless creativity of our students but also underscores the value of providing platforms for them to explore and express themselves freely.
VHS Science Stars
Congratulations to all the following students for all their hard work during their science lessons.
Lanyard Redesign Competition
During the last half-term, the student leadership organised a competition to redesign our staff lanyards. The objective was to represent the nine protected characteristics, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for all at Villiers High School. We’ve received numerous creative submissions and have narrowed them down to three finalists. Now, we’re seeking your input to decide the ultimate winner.
Please take a moment to review the shortlisted designs and vote for your preferred option by clicking the link below:
Changes to lunchtime arrangements after the Easter break
Our new lunchtime arrangements have started as a result of the work that has begun on our new building. As we will have less space for all the pupils to have the same lunchtime sitting, the split lunches begun on Monday 15th April. Please see all details below.
Years 7, 8, 11 and 13 will continue to have their lunch from 12.30pm until 1.20pm
Years 9, 10 and 12 will move to a later lunchtime of 1.20pm until 2.10pm. We recommend that the pupils have a snack at breaktime to help keep their energy levels up until their later lunchtime.
On Thursdays, Years 9, 10 and 12 will not have a lesson after lunchtime. Therefore, they will be dismissed from school at 1.50pm and expected to be off site by 2pm.
On Thursdays, Years 7, 8, 11 and 13 will be dismissed at the usual time of 2.20pm.
Uniform after the Easter holiday
A reminder to please ensure that your child has all items of uniform. Uniform checks will be ongoing and will be conducted during registration. For more information about our school uniform, please go to our website. Thank you for your support.
A week in Politics
A summer programme will be run by our local MP Virendra Sharma, which will give students the opportunity to work with various different members of parliament. This will be an amazing experience for students to work in politics and learn about the political system.
To apply, please click this link.
The Southall Resists Exhibition
We are proud to be hosting the ‘Southall Resists’ Exhibition to celebrate Southall’s history through arts and crafts.
Ealing Mental Health Summer Workshops
Over the summer, the Ealing Mental Health Support Team will be running a variety of online workshops for parents and carers of children who attend a school in Ealing. The workshops will be held online using Microsoft Teams. If you are interested in attending any of the workshops, please fill out this form.
For more information, please follow this link.
Ealing Junior Chess Tournament
The Ealing Junior Chess Tournament will be held at the Dominion Centre and Southall Library. Prizes and points awarded to all players. All registration information is on the flyer below:
Tickets for the Windrush Generation performance at Hammersmith
You can now purchase the tickets here as they have been released by clicking on the link below. This is our casts ‘Partner Theatre’ performance as part of the National Theatre connections festival. Tickets are £5 and are bought directly on the link. The school, nor Ms Gough, are able to reserve tickets.
https://lyric.co.uk/shows/windrush-generations/
Year 11 End of Year Celebration
The Year 11 End of Year Celebration on the Thames is taking place 2nd July by Thames Boat Hire. An exciting experience to see London’s famous landmarks and celebrate their achievement once their GCSEs have finished. Please read the letter below and purchase tickets on Parent Pay. We look forward to celebrating!
Young Carers
All pupils were given information about young carers in assemblies recently. Please see the information below about how you can make a referral to access support if you consider your child to be a young carer.
Vape Awareness Letter
Please take the time to read the letter below highlighting the dangers of using any sort of vape devices, and discussing this with your children to raise the importance of just how damaging on their health this could be. We want all children to be safe, so talking about this with them will be a great help.
Behaviour Systems
Our behaviour systems have been further developed so that they are clear and transparent for everyone. Please see our new behaviour pyramid below. The pastoral team has explained this to all the children. Since Monday 19th February, there have been posters up in classrooms and other areas of the school as a visual reminder. As always, we appreciate your support and any feedback is welcome.
Information about free school meals
Families who are not currently registered for free school meals but feel that they are eligible can apply using the following link here.
Free school meals are available for pupils of parents or carers that receive certain benefits.
Further information on the criteria for applying can be found here.
If your child is eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals, please click here for further information regarding supermarket vouchers for the Easter holidays to support families.
Year 10: Non-A level progression to Sixth form
The Ealing Learning Partnership are running a “Progressions to level 2” careers event targeted at families of current year 10 students who may not want to or be able to choose to study A-Levels at sixth form level. Please read the attached for more information.
Top tips for staying secure online from the National Cyber Security Centre
Combine three random words to create a password that’s ‘long enough and strong enough’.
Weak passwords can be cracked in seconds. The longer and more unusual your password is, the harder it is for a cyber criminal to crack. A good way to make your password difficult to crack is by combining three random words to create a password (for example applenemobiro). Or you could use a password manager, which can create strong passwords for you (and remember them). Avoid the most common passwords that criminals can easily guess (like ‘password’). You should also avoid creating passwords from significant dates (like your birthday, or a loved one’s), or from your favourite sports team, or by using family and pet names. Most of these details can be found within your social media profile. If you’re thinking of changing certain characters in your password (so swapping the letter ‘o’ with a zero, for example), you should know that cyber criminals know these tricks as well. So your password won’t be significantly stronger, but it will be harder for you to remember.
If you want to find out more about why the ‘three random words’ technique works, you can read this blog by one of the NCSC’s technical experts that further explains our thinking.
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/three-random-words
Medical needs & allergies
We would like to ensure that our school records accurately reflect your child’s medical needs including information on any allergies. Please keep us informed of any changes to your child’s medical allergies to ensure information is accurate and up to date on our school system. In the case that a student has been prescribed an Epi-Pen by the doctor, they should bring two Epi-Pens to school, one to carry on their person and the other to be provided to the Welfare Office, as a spare in case of an emergency. Please encourage your child to check with the canteen staff for any food allergies and to read the food labels before making purchases. If you have any questions, you can contact the welfare officer directly via email- welfare@villiers.ealing.sch.uk or call reception. For food related questions, you can contact the canteen directly via email- cparameswaran@villiers.ealing.sch.uk
Protect yourself from Fraud and Cyber crime
Fraud and Cyber crime comes in many forms, there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself.
For more information on how you can do this, please click the link https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/individual-protection
Cash payments
We are a cashless school and families can pay for school meals, stationery, trips and clubs via ParentPay. You can top up your ParentPay account from a bank account or by using a debit/credit card. If you do not have a valid bank account or debit/credit card, please email info@villiers.ealing.sch.uk. We will set up a PayPoint account, so you can make payments using cash.
Villiers Diner
Please click through each slide to view this week’s canteen menu.
Safeguarding and well-being spotlight
There is a lot of advice and guidance available to help and support parents and carers when you have any worries or concerns about your child. Please click this link for the NSPCC website which offers advice on some different issues.
Key forthcoming dates
For our major events, please check here.
| 22/04/24 | Charity Week Year 11 Walking talking mock exams begin → 7th May |
| 23/04/24 | Southall Resists Exhibition (10am – 12pm) A level Graphics Practical Exam Day 1 Community forum 5 – 6pm |
| 24/04/24 | GCSE Drama Exam Preparation 1 – 4pm |
| 25/04/24 | Multicultural Day and Evening (Evening event starts at 5.30pm) Junior Maths Challenge A level Graphics Practical Exam Day 2 GCSE Graphics Practical Exam Day 1 |
| 26/04/24 | A level Graphics Practical Exam Day 3 GCSE Graphics Practical Exam Day 2 |
| 01/05/24 | Art & Photography GCSE and Alevel practical exams |
| 02/05/24 | Art & Photography GCSE and Alevel practical exams Year 8 Parents’ Evening 1630 – 1930 |
| 03/05/24 | TFL Pioneers Challenge Art & Photography GCSE and Alevel practical exams |
| Just ahead… 06/05/24 – Bank Holiday (No staff or students on site) 25/05/24 – 02/06/24 – Half-term holiday | |
Opportunities at Villiers High School
Take a look at our current vacancies and join our team – Click here
Get in Touch
If you have any suggestions on how to improve the school further or any concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch via email: info@villiers.ealing.sch.uk
Don’t forget to follow Villiers High School on social media.