As we approach the end of our first half term of the academic year, I am sending this Newsletter out to
ensure that you are kept up to date with what has been a very busy half term. I wish you a lovely half term
break with your family.
We have a new phone system which is just being launched and will have a significant impact as will the
new gate system which is now in place. For those that haven’t visited us this half term we also have a new
booking in system which is far more effective and produces photos of visitors as an extra safeguarding
element.
The School Council has been relaunched and is already having a significant impact in the gathering of
the voice of the child. We have gone to two tutor periods a day which has been really successful and
alongside with tutors teaching RE and PSHE, teachers are able to build a stronger relationship with their
tutor group and support them throughout the day.
We have successfully opened our Primary unit and have a waiting list to join us, we just need to appoint
another teacher before we take these extra pupils in. We look forward to having an official opening of the
Primary unit with Wellesley at some point over this coming half term. Wellesley are the company that
undertook the refurb for us.
Our day pupils have settled in fantastically well. As their numbers grow we will look at dividing them for their
breakfast club into lower and upper school groups. Their presence means that we have more young
people in our school than we have had for many years and enables more people to be able to access all
of our wonderful resources. As a result, we are increasing our staffing numbers and have vacancies in care,
teaching assistants, kitchen, cleaning and maintenance. If you know anyone who might be interested,
then please ask them to get in touch. All vacancies are advertised on our website www.farneyclose.co.uk
One of our care team has led on raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness over the month of October.
He has done a fantastic job with this and we offer him our thanks. He not only made adults and children
more aware of this truly awful cancer and worthy cause to donate to, but the activities he organised have
helped bring the school together and have provided some real fun, whilst addressing the issues around this
very serious subject. Anyone wishing to donate please go to www.justgiving.com/farneyclose
We have also had our local police visit for two days this half term and provide assemblies vital in supporting
our children and young people in relating and learning about numerous topics such as sexting, the law
around use of social media, keeping safe online, knife crime and consent including what sexual
harassment looks like and the law surrounding this.
On a less positive note, unfortunately, as I feel I keep saying, Covid is here to stay. It also appears that Flu
and other illnesses are likely to cause upheaval over the upcoming winter. You will all have received a link
from our School Nurse asking for your consent to our children and young people aged 12 and over to get
their COVID vaccination and for all children to have a flu jab. Can I ask that you respond to this asap as
the date is fast approaching.
We continue to follow Government guidance and our COVID Risk Assessment is updated regularly. All staff
continue to undertake lateral flow tests twice a week and we continue to test children and young people
every Monday and Friday, in school. You, your family and friends can still order tests via the following this
link – https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests or they can be picked up from your
local chemist.
We have in place a School Strategic Plan, a School Self Evaluation Form (SEF), a School Development Plan
(SDP) and Prioritise list. Alongside this we have undertaken thorough audits of the following legislation with
action plans in place to further enhance our practice:
• Independent Schools Standards (ISS)
• Ofsted Inspection Framework
• The Nation Minimum Standards for Residential Special Schools which is in the process of being
updated but not yet published (NMS)
• Safeguarding
• Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF)
Should any of you wish to read any of this documentation please do not hesitate to drop me an email
and I will send them across to you or provide you with the relevant link.
We have welcomed Andy and Ashley to the maintenance team over the last half term. Already they
are supporting Gareth in making a significant impact to the site. Thanks to those guys.
The operations team will be joined over the next couple of weeks by Leanna our evening cleaner. We
are also looking forward to welcoming Sharon as our new Food Tech Teacher in January and thank
Claire for filling this place for the Autumn term (1&2).
Please click here to see the full newsletter including updates on our Directors & Governors, valuable dates for your diaries and other essential information.
