Message from the Headteacher, Mr C Richards:
I mentioned in the last bulletin that we had more external visitors last week and they were even more complimentary about the work going on at Villiers than the previous visitors the week before. Challenge Partners (formerly London Challenge who transformed London Secondary schools in the early 2000s) sent six visiting reviewers over 12th to 14th June. They observed lessons, spoke with staff, parents, governors and students and analysed our documentation. Some of their comments included: “Students and staff are proud of their school.”; “Staff care deeply about students as individuals.”; “The school understands that children are part of both their own external communities and the Villiers community and both are celebrated as equally important.”; “Excellent relationships mean that student wellbeing is supported and students develop character and confidence.”. Needless to say we were very proud of our young people, staff, parents and governors who took part and showed what an excellent school Villiers truly is. We are not complacent and there were some very helpful suggestions for areas we can improve and our Senior Leadership Team will build this into the coming year’s School Development Programme.
Whilst political parties prepare for the forthcoming general election, our Citizenship and PSHE teams are preparing for ‘Parallel elections’ at school making sure all our students are well versed in understanding the enormous democratic process going on around them. This will give them the opportunity to create their own manifestos and to vote preparing them for when it’s their turn in future years.
This week we have also welcomed our new year 6 families in for induction interviews, the Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 national exams have finally come to an end, year 10 have sat their internal exams and we’ve had various theatre events including a preparatory performance of “Windrush” before we take it to the National theatre next week.
Don’t forget that school is closed to pupils on Monday 24th June for staff training.
Year 12 Journalism workshop
Students in year 12 participated in a journalism workshop last week. Students were immersed in the essentials of journalism, exploring its history, purpose, and various forms. They learned the basics of news writing, including the structure of articles and editing skills. This also included insights into careers in journalism and tips for building a professional portfolio. Overall, the workshop provided a comprehensive introduction to journalism, inspiring students to pursue further opportunities in the field.
A-Level French
We are thrilled to announce that Villiers will now be offering A-Level French! This is a fantastic opportunity for your child to dive deeper into the language, culture, and literature of France. Whether you’re passionate about languages or looking to expand your horizons, A-Level French is the perfect choice.
Year 7 End of Year Trip Letter
Year 7 Parents Evening Letter
National Theatre Windrush performance
Tickets are still available to come and see us perform at the National Theatre on 29th June at 8:30pm. Tickets are £5 and are available on the link, directly from the National Page.
https://tickets.nationaltheatre.org.uk/91219/91231
Year 7 End of Year Activities
As the academic year is coming to an end, the year 7 students will have two activity days where, on the first day they will be visiting London zoo and on the second day they will have a maths workshop at school and will be watching a film. We look forward to celebrating one whole year at Villiers with you. Well done!
Explore Barcelona with us in 2025!
Join our exciting secondary school trip to experience vibrant culture, stunning architecture, and delicious cuisine, whilst immersing yourself in Spanish! Limited spots available – reserve yours now by speaking to your languages teacher.
Lifeguarding qualification for Year 11 pupils eligible for the HAF programme
As part of our Summer HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) programme, we are offering year 11 pupils who are eligible (in receipt of benefits-related free school meals) the opportunity to complete the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) which will enable them to apply for work as a lifeguard in the future. The qualification will be offered at Northolt Leisure Centre, on 19th – 23rd August with the assessment taking place on Saturday 7th September 2024.
For further information, please click on the link https://www.egfl.org.uk/news/2024/05/lifeguarding-qualification-year-11-pupils-eligible-haf-programme
Careers conference
On Friday 5th July, there will be the 8th Annual careers conference taking place here at Villiers High School. Please see the attached poster for more information. We look forward to seeing you all.
Gita Ralleigh – The Sher Jung Foundation
An exciting event is taking place Saturday 22nd June as part of the Sher Jung foundation in the new Parkside Yard, part of Southall Green Quarter. Children’s author, Gita Ralleigh, will be talking about her new books and tickets involve really tasty pizza! Gita’s books are written for student from year 5 upwards.
Plot synopsis for “The Destiny of Minou Moonshine”: The story of a Queendom set in an alternate India. A debut rich in fantasy, friendship and faith, and an original middle grade adventure that sparkles with storytelling magic.
Plot synopsis of “The Voyage of Sam Singh”: In Gita Ralleigh’s second magical middle grade adventure set in a parallel colonial India, land-pirate Sam Singh sails to an isle teeming with spirits and secrets on a perilous journey to find the truth.
The Greener plan updates
Please read through some of the changes that have already started to take place here at Villiers as part of our ‘Greener Plan’ project. Some of the slides are blank as these will be updated on a weekly basis for you to look through. You can click the link to find out more.
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:
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!
Fresh and dry foods collection
We are having a small amount of fresh and cupboard food donated to us once a week. If you would like to participate and collect a bag for your family, please come to gate 5 and collect from the collection point (near the 6th form entrance ) on Villiers Road. This will be every Thursday from 1:30 – 2:00pm.
Please bring a suitable bag from home as we are not able to provide any.
Staff Meetings and Phone Calls with family members
This probably goes without saying for most families, but it is not permitted to record or film any aspect of any meeting (virtual or in person) or phone call with Villiers High School staff without first seeking permission to do so.
Lunchtime arrangements reminder
Our new lunchtime arrangements are still ongoing 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 began on Monday 15th April, and will still continue. 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
To ensure that we have high standards until the end of the school year, we have had a sharp focus on uniform standards since the return after the half term break.
Pupils were reminded in assemblies prior to half term about what the uniform expectations are and that they needed to ensure all items are in place by Monday 3rd June.
We will have a particular focus on the items listed below:
- Shirts tucked in at all times.
- Blazers with pupils (on their person, not necessarily worn).
- School shoes on (not trainers).
- No socks over tights.
- No hoodies.
- Student ID cards and lanyards on.
If your child has lost their lanyard or ID badge, please order a new one as soon as possible.
A level 1 sanction will be issued for pupils who are not wearing full school uniform (see the behaviour pyramid). We appreciate your support, as always.
Please contact your child’s form tutor or Head of Year if there are any circumstances that you need to discuss about their uniform.
Year 10 Mock Exam timetable
Year 10 mock exams will begin from next Tuesday 18th June. Please see the attached timetable.
We wish the students the very best.
Year 12 Mock exam timetable
Year 12 mock exams will begin from next Tuesday 18th June. Please see the attached timetable.
We wish the students the very best.
Year 10 assessments
Year 10 assessments are coming up and we’re here to help! The revision booklets are packed with subject-specific guidance to ensure your child feels confident and prepared. It also helps them identify areas where they shine, so they can focus their studies strategically.
We know assessments can be stressful, but we’re with you every step of the way. We’re committed to providing all students with all the support they need to succeed. Their hard work and dedication will be rewarded with fantastic results!
The Year 10 end-of-year examinations will be held in a couple of weeks. To ensure your success, we are pleased to provide you with a comprehensive revision booklet. This resource outlines the potential content areas you may encounter in each exam, equipping you with the knowledge necessary to excel.
Important information about Measles
Cases of measles are continuing to rise in London, including North West London. In order to manage this increased capacity, UK Health Security Agency colleagues are moving away from a full risk assessment of individual cases to only following up vulnerable contacts and high-risk settings. For more information, please click on the link below.
Infectious and contagious diseases and immunisations | Ealing Grid for Learning (egfl.org.uk)
Guide to Family Support Services
This guide is funded by Ealing’s HAF (Holiday, Activities and Food). The guide will highlight the important services and organisations that work locally to help various aspects of family life. These organisations provide help, guidance, and support to families.
For more information please click on this link: https://www.egfl.org.uk/news/2024/04/guide-family-support-services-2024-edition
Keeping children safe online
As we all have a part to play in keeping children safe online, please read and use the guidance on the NSPCC’s website to keep yourself, your friends and family safe online. Please click on the link below.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety
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 Mental Health Support Team
Over Summer, there will be a range of workshops that the Mental Health Support Team will be running for parents and carers. If you would like further information on how to sign up, please see below.
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. The deadline is 14th June, 2024.
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
Phishing: Spot and report scam emails, texts, websites and calls
Please click on the link below to learn how to recognise and report emails, texts, websites, adverts or phone calls that you think are trying to scam you:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams
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.
Key information about Villiers’ Diner
Please look through and have a read to find out more about our produce in the kitchen and even our excellent hygiene ratings. You can also have a walkthrough through our canteen to see where our delicious meals are prepared on-site daily. Please click on the link below.
https://www.villiers.ealing.sch.uk/our-school/our-food-and-service
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.
| 24/06/24 | Staff INSET day. School not open to pupils |
| 27/06/24 | Prize-giving evening followed by Art and D.T. exhibition (1800) |
| 28/06/24 | Year 6 Common Induction Day |
| 02/07/24 | Year 11 Prom (Evening) |
| 04/07/24 | School parallel elections Year 7 Parents’ Evening |
| 05/07/24 | Careers Conference & D.T. Careers Workshops |
| Just ahead… 11/07/24 → Year 9 Parents’ Evening 16/07/24 → Sports Day 17 and 18/07/24 → Activity Days 19/07/24 → End of Term (12.15/12.30pm) | |
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.