Message from the Headteacher, Mr C Richards:
Whilst it’s Friday 13th, we are feeling very lucky at school today having enjoyed such a wonderful Winter Music Concert yesterday evening and with the exciting prospect of a second performance to Tudor and North Primary schools this morning. Many thanks go to the music department for preparing the students so well, but also to all those who spent hours and hours practising and to the parents who supported them when they perhaps weren’t as accomplished as they are now. We are very proud!
This week, we’ve had a Science trip to the LGC laboratory, a STEM taster day, a History trip to the British Museum, a Business and Economics trip to the Bank of England and, as of yesterday, a trip to the Christmas markets of Paris. All the while, GCSE and Alevel practical mock exams have been going on and preparations for the end of term have been underway.
A reminder that next Friday is the end of term. Key Stage 3 pupils (years 7 – 9) will be dismissed at 12.15pm and Key Stage 4 and 5 (years 10 – 13) will be dismissed at 12.30pm. 6th form students may leave after their final lesson of the morning if it is before 12.30pm. It is vital that all students head straight home and do not linger around school, Southall park or in and around local shops and businesses. Term starts again 6th January, 2025. Pupils will need to enter via gate 3 (on Boyd Avenue) for the next half-term due to the work on the Air Source Heat Pumps near gate 6. It is expected that students are in tutor rooms by 8.30am that morning (and every morning).
Dates for your diary
| 17th December | Y11 Eduqas Drama Conference Year 7 Rewards Trip (3.30 – 6pm) |
| 18th December | Year 7 Pantomime Trip to Lyric Theatre Year 11 GCSE Food Mock NEA 2 |
| 20th December | Year 11 Psychology Trip to the Twist Museum End of term. KS3 Dismissed at 12.15pm; KS4 & 5 dismissed by 12.30pm |
| 6th January, 2025 | All return for the start of the new term. (In tutor rooms by 8.30am). |
| 7th January | Year 13 Mock Exams → 17th January |
| 9th January | Provisional date for HPV and Teenage Booster vaccinations (TBC) GCSE resit results |
| 10th January | PSHE: Online Safety for Y7 – 11 |
| 13th January | Year 10, 12 & 13 D&T Trip to the Design Museum Year 11 Chemistry Drop-down day |
| 14th January | Year 11B Geography Field Trip to Olympic Park |
| 15th January | Year 11C Geography Field Trip to Olympic Park |
| 16th January | Year 8 Parents’ Evening Spanish Trip to BFI |
| 22nd January | Challenge Partners Visit → 24th January |
| 24th January | India Trip → 1st February |
| 29th January | Intermediate Mathematical Challenge |
| 31st January | Higher Education Fair |
Other key dates for the year can be found on our website. Next year’s confirmed dates are also available now.
Year 7 Historians Visit the British Museum
5th December, thirty enthusiastic Year 7 historians embarked on a fascinating visit to the British Museum. They were captivated by the grandeur of ancient statues from Egypt, Greece, and Rome before venturing into the immersive Silk Roads exhibition.
The exhibition transported students back to the 6th century CE, beginning at the easternmost point of the Silk Road in Japan. As they journeyed through time and across continents, they explored how products, ideas, and cultures were exchanged. Highlights included Buddhist images from Korea, Christian texts in China, early Islamic writings from the Abbasid dynasty, exquisite perfume bottles from Islamic Spain, intricate jewellery from Britain and Ireland, and ornate ivory artefacts, including the oldest ivory chess set from India. Students were really excited to see a set of Aksumite gold coins which they had studied in great detail in their first unit on the Aksumite Empire. They even had the chance to experience history through their senses by smelling balsam!
The visit also gave students the opportunity to consider the curatorial work behind the exhibition and reflect on what it revealed about the interconnectedness of civilizations.
A special thanks to Ms. Bennett for accompanying the group. The Year 7 historians are excited to apply their newfound knowledge in upcoming History lessons!
Congratulations to Our Science Students of the Term!
We are delighted to recognise your incredible hard work and dedication this term. Your outstanding attitude and effort during science lessons have truly set you apart. Well done on this well-deserved achievement!
Villiers receives another Attendance Award
We are very proud to announce that we have won yet another award for our school attendance, this time for the academic year 2023/24 from the Fischer Family Trust (FFT), an organisation who supports a range of education projects. The awards are an acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication of staff, pupils, parents, and carers in achieving excellent attendance.
The FFT tracks attendance data from over 10,000 schools, and we have been given the award because our attendance puts us in the Top 10% of similar schools and Top 25% of all FFT schools nationally for the 2023/24 academic year. Thank you for all your help and support in achieving these awards.
Parenting Workshops for January 2025
Please find attached flyers for upcoming parenting workshops in January. If you would like to attend either of these sessions, please register by emailing parentingserviceadmin@ealing.gov.uk, including which workshop you are interested in.
Keeping children safe online – Parental App Controls
In today’s digital world, keeping children safe online is more important than ever. Parental control apps can help you monitor screen time, filter inappropriate content, and protect your child’s privacy. Join us as we explore tips and tools to create a safer online environment for your family.
In the digital age, it’s essential to ensure that your children are navigating the internet safely. Parental control apps are a great way to monitor their online activities, set boundaries, and protect them from potential risks. Please find links below with more information on how these apps can help keep your children safe online. We encourage you to explore these resources and take proactive steps for your family’s digital safety.
Here are the URLs for the parental control apps:
- Qustodio: https://www.qustodio.com
- Bark: https://www.bark.us
- Net Nanny: https://www.netnanny.com
- FamilyTime: https://www.familytime.io
- OurPact: https://ourpact.com
These platforms provide a range of features such as screen time management, app blocking, location tracking, and online activity monitoring to ensure a safer digital environment for children. If you’d like more details about any specific app or help choosing the best one for your needs, let us know!
Southall – Your Town, Your Vote
Have a say in our local community and vote for your key priority for Southall. The priority with the most votes will receive a significant investment over the next twelve months, so it is important to have your say. Through the link, there are also chances to sign up for a range of volunteering opportunities so that you can support your local community too.
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.
If your child is eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals, please look at the attached letter below on how to receive a supermarket voucher for this December Holidays.
PE Extra Curricular Timetable
Please take a look at the timetable below offering extra curricular activities to all children.
Years 11 and 13 Interventions Timetable
Please find attached the schedule for our whole-school intervention sessions, which began this week and will continue until Thursday, December 19th.
You can check your child’s Google Classroom to see which sessions they have been invited to attend. We strongly encourage your child to participate in these sessions, as our teachers will be focusing on targeted topics and exam practice.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sustainability Survey for all Parents and Carers
Parents/carers, please spend 2 minutes completing this very short 6-question survey to help us understand what sustainability means to the school community. https://forms.office.com/e/A4FA236CFb
(We’ll be asking you again at the end of the Summer Term to see whether there have been any changes.)
Villiers Diner – Week 2 Menu ( Monday 16th Dec – Friday 20th Dec)
EGFL – Ealing Grid For Learning
- Kids go free at Trailfinders Rugby Club double header on Saturday 14 December 2024
- Parent/Carer survey on social emotional and mental health (SEMH) provision and pathways- As part of Ealing’s review of social, emotional and mental health provision and pathways, we are seeking the views of parents and carers of young people living or attending school in the borough. Please Click here to complete the survey.
Holiday Playschemes – Christmas 2024
Penalty Noice for Unauthorised absences
A reminder to families that following the new guidance around school attendance that came into effect from September, new absence fine rates and thresholds at which penalty notices can be considered are now in place. If a family take their children out of school without authorisation for 5 or more days (which do not have too be consecutive) in a 10-week period, they will be liable to receive a penalty notice from Ealing. This can also include poor punctuality to school without an acceptable reason. Currently, the amount payable under a penalty notice is £160 per parent/carer, which reduces to £80 if paid within 21 days. If a further 5 days of absence occur, parents will be liable for a second penalty notice of £160 per parent per child with no reduction. If the penalty notice remains unpaid after 28 days, the Local Authority will consider a prosecution in the Magistrates Court.
Please note that penalty notices are issued per parent/carer per family so a family of two parents and two children will receive 4 penalty notices. Further absence could also result in prosecution.
We encourage all our families to notify us of any pupil absence, and for every day they are absent as well. You can report student absences or lateness by calling Ms Gough, our Attendance officer, on either 0208 8138001 or 020 8867 9077, or by emailing studentabsence@villiers.ealing.sch.uk
For Sixth Form Absences – please contact Ms Boliya, our sixth form administrator, on 020 8813 8001 (extension 1478) or email sboliya@villiers.ealing.sch.uk
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.
Detention Information
In order to support your child’s learning and keep standards high, we have introduced a new centralised teacher detention. This means that if a student’s behaviour has not improved after several reminders, they will have to sit a 40-minute detention after school.
We want to ensure that communication is made, so an automatic email will be sent to you, and students will sit the detention the next day, giving you 24 hours’ notice.
Please do remind your child about this and if you do have any queries about how we can best support your child, please do contact their Head of Year.
Contacting Staff
A reminder that if you need to contact staff at school, please use the contact page on our school website to make sure you get through to the right person: https://www.villiers.ealing.sch.uk/contact
If you are reporting lateness or absence, please check the details on this page: https://www.villiers.ealing.sch.uk/key-information/my-child-is-going-to-be-absentlate
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.