51吃瓜

Becky, our Literacy Specialist Lead, leads a team that improve all aspects of literacy, including this year a lot of handwriting and oracy (it鈥檚 OK, she鈥檒l be going into explain all of that) as well as reading, phonics, books and all sorts!

THE NEW LIBRARY!

Some slightly different news from the Literacy Team this week, as we’re excited to tell you about the new plans for our school library.听 We have been very lucky to have invested in lots of lovely books over the last few years, and this time it’s the turn of the library space!

We have been working with a design company for the past few months to get a plan that will hopefully work for students across the school, and give students even more chance to develop a ‘love of reading’. Our student council and staff in each of our curriculum pathways have been involved in the design process, and there’ll be many more opportunities for students across school to have their say in decisions before the library has its ‘Grand Opening!听

Features that our Student Council were very keen on included: lots of different cosy seating areas to enjoy the books, spaces for magazines or comics and a place where students can recommend books to each other. These were all happily included by the designer and we’re excited to see the ideas come to life!听

The new library won’t be installed until May half term (and it’ll take us a little while to get sorted after that), but students may have noticed some changes this week. The current library closed, and staff safely packed away the majority of the books. This may seem like a long time away, but our maintenance team need an opportunity to prepare the space, and we need to make use of the school holidays so there is as little an impact on students as possible. Luckily students have access to fantastic class libraries to tide them over 馃檪

We know that change can be challenging for many of our students, so if your child or young person has any questions or concerns please let the class team know and we will do our best to support.听

Happy Easter & Happy Reading!听

Everything that is fabulous in the world of Physical Development! This includes physio, hydro, MOVE, PE, HI, VI, a lot of OT and all sorts of key areas for us, including all of the Outdoor Learning, John Muir Award and many other aspects. Steph oversees this and will ensure that an aspect is shared in the blog each week

听REBOUND THERAPY!

Bouncing into the Easter holidays!

We鈥檙e delighted to now have our own inhouse team of specialist Rebound Trainers!! This specialist team consists of a group of teachers, physiotherapists and therapy assistants. They have been working very hard over the last year to complete this training, and have officially passed their exam this week! Having our own Rebound Trainers ensures we can continue to deliver high quality training to all staff, and enables us to offer this fantastic therapy to as many students as we need to. 听

Let鈥檚 remind ourselves about the many benefits of Rebound Therapy, and why it鈥檚 so important that we can continue to offer this within school鈥μ�听

More听congratulations听are in order for Kacey, Ellie, Faith Casey and Sadie who have been working towards their Rebound Winstrada Grade 2 and 3 certificates! The Winstrada programme supports children to develop their trampolining skills through a series of activities that support their physical development and demonstrate their progression!听

One of the best things about the school and one of the most important for our pupils, PD covers PSHE, Wellbeing, Careers, Social Moral Spiritual & Cultural, Online Safety, Behaviour and similar areas. Jo pulls it all together. Let鈥檚 see what Jo and the team have in store for us this week! The inspectors really loved all of the PD we do!

听

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION ON RESILIENCE DAY!

ALSO

To celebrate World Health Day on Monday, 3KH went for a walk in the local community this week. We enjoyed going for a walk and seeing what local wildlife we could find!

Here are Andy and the Wellbeing Team about what鈥檚 happening this year in their brilliant Connect Challenge series! Go Andy!

Connect Challenge 鈥� Taking Responsibility

The theme of this week鈥檚 Connect Challenge was “taking responsibility鈥�. Having opportunities to take on responsibilities can play an important role in developing resilience and enhancing wellbeing. Let鈥檚 hear about what you鈥檝e been up to.

Jo-Jo and Danny worked on their independence skills this week; they鈥檝e been practising taking off their shoes and socks before using the foot spa. The boys demonstrated tremendous resilience to accomplish this independent task, which greatly increased their confidence 鈥� excellent work Jo-Jo and Danny!

Meanwhile, Jay stepped up by reminding his teacher to feed the fish. Christian said, 鈥淛ay was given responsibility of reminding me every day to feed the fish in our classroom aquarium. He has got better and better at doing this now and does it mostly without prompts. He used to shout and then look to the fish tank, but now he uses his Eye Gaze device and activates cells to say 鈥渇eed鈥� 鈥渇ish鈥� – well done Jay鈥�. This is brilliant, very well done indeed Jay!

These important tasks showcased the children鈥檚 growing sense of responsibility whilst boosting their self-esteem and confidence. Taking responsibility is directly linked to the core-self strand of the resilience framework, highlighting how personal responsibility can build emotional strength and resilience in our students.

We hope everyone has a great Easter break 鈥� make sure you keep connecting over the holidays and don鈥檛 forget to check back next term for more exciting connect challenges!

Science Investigation of the Week with Our Newest Class 鈥� but really it鈥檚 an excuse to have chocolate! From Chris!

Our newest class is great! And it seems like they鈥檝e already been hard at work!

听

Chocolate Investigation: Milk, White, or Dark?

With Easter just around the corner, the sweetness of chocolate fills the air, and what better way to celebrate the season than with a scientific investigation into the favourite chocolate at our school? The eager students of 2RM/CT set themselves the challenge of discovering whether milk, white, or dark chocolate holds the title of the most beloved treat among both staff and students.

The investigation kicked off with a series of taste tests, where students sampled each type of chocolate. There were some delightful discussions as they discovered that white chocolate was perceived as the sweetest, while dark chocolate was noted for its distinct bitterness. Upon examining the ingredients, the students quickly realised that white chocolate contains significantly more sugar, reinforcing their findings about its sweetness.

But the investigation didn鈥檛 stop there! Our aspiring chocolatiers delved deeper, exploring the physical properties of the chocolates. They made a fascinating observation: white chocolate melts faster than dark chocolate, a discovery that would come in handy later during the practical phase of their project

To gather comprehensive data, the students conducted a survey around the school, engaging a variety of adults and their peers in conversations about their chocolate preferences. The results were quite telling鈥� younger individuals tended to favour the sweeter options of white and milk chocolate over the more robust dark chocolate. The pupils hypothesised that this preference stemmed from the sugar content

Armed with their research and findings, the students made predictions regarding which chocolate would be more popular in a classic Easter treat: rice crispy cakes. They confidently concluded that both white and milk chocolate crispy cakes would capture the hearts (and taste buds) of their fellow classmates

With staff and students more than happy to help with the investigation, the students set out to have the chocolatey delights sampled. The pupils then compiled their findings into a bar chart, illustrating the preferences clearly. To their delight, their prediction was confirmed鈥� the white and milk chocolate crispy cakes were indeed the most popular choices!听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

In conclusion, this engaging investigation not only allowed our students to explore the science behind chocolate but also fostered a sense of community as they brought everyone together to celebrate a sweet treat. With Easter approaching, it鈥檚 clear that chocolate holds a special place in all our hearts!

Love Therapy Star of the Week, especially when it鈥檚 Emily & Rebecca鈥檚 Post-16 Social Games Transdisciplinary Group!

Here they are! Let鈥檚 hear about it, and see a picture of the Fab Four!

Celebrating our achievements this term in Social Games therapy session, done jointly by the boys鈥� SaLT and OT. The students have worked really hard this term and have been awarded certificates based on their individual strengths. This included:

鈥楽uper Sportsman鈥�

鈥楾he Domino King鈥�

鈥楥reative Model Maker鈥�

We finished off the celebrations with a group game of Bingo! The therapists have been incredibly impressed by the students鈥� participation, teamwork, skill development, problem-solving and sportsmanship throughout the term. Well done!

Lots happening in PE, sports teams, and physical activity these days! First of all, let鈥檚 hear from Richard about a bit of dance! Click on to the video if you can or watch it on youtube!

Over the past term Christian and Andy’s class have been taking part in a joint dance performance preforming a routine to our space theme. Students have really enjoyed pretending they are in a rocket ship blasting off to see the sun and floating around in space. Please watch the video of the amazing work that they have done!!!

听Nathan continues: What’s new in PE this week!

We have included the whole school for a great cause…

Get听North Tyneside Active together: Active Mile.The aim of this is to improve focus and concentration, increase physical fitness and to improve wellbeing

Hopefully the weather stays sunny and dry which will make this activity extra beneficial, this includes each class per week all joining in and complete a mile of the school yard, for example 10 lap of the yard is 1 mile and as a class they will record the laps down and as a result they can work as a team and feel connected to this cause.

Also…

Throughout PE in upper school we have been encouraging students to continue to improve and understand the importance of using the TREDS Teamwork-Respect-Enjoyment-Discipline-Sportsmanship

At the end of each term, we have decided to create a certificate of achievement award to a standout student, this term all students have generally improved in all 5 areas but the student who just shined is鈥�

Well done to all, you have done a great job to improve on TREDS goals and enhancing students’ enjoyment while being active

As part of resilience day 6RDLWC went to visit Seaton Delaval Hall. Students looked around the hall and the grounds outside, it was a lovely day and a great opportunity for the students in the class to talk and connect with each other. Students had the opportunity to also see the sun like never before with Luke Jerram鈥檚 Helios; a brand-new 7-metre diameter sculpture by internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram

Aylisha and Corin have developed the BfL Group and are developing it all the time

If anyone has any queries or would like more information about this, please feel free to get in touch with the BFL team

• holland@percyhedley.org.uk
• orr@percyhedley.org.uk

Looks like lovely stuff has been happening over there in Hannah鈥檚 class! Let鈥檚 read and see what they鈥檝e been up to!

2HL enjoyed making Easter bonnets as part of Process Art this week

The students worked on using individual communication methods, eye gaze, symbols, reaching out and eye pointing to select which colours and decorations they wanted to add onto their bonnet. As well as working on communication, the children practiced fine motor skills by exploring various decorations, gluing and sticking their chosen items on

The final results were fantastic and the students loved looking at themselves in the mirror wearing their bonnets!

On Thursday 10^th April the Post 16 Hobbycraft option group went to enjoy a session at the Messy Paints Studio in Prudhoe. The students were encouraged to release their own passion and expression to create their very own unique art in which will be used as part of their work towards the AQA Unit Award and Art Awards

The children really enjoyed the session and are keen to have another experience in the Messy Play paint studio

Kasey 鈥淚t was really good. I threw paint in a dark room. I would like to go again definitely鈥�

Alex 鈥� I had a lot of fun painting

Louise鈥� 鈥� I want to take me class鈥�

Ahmed 鈥� I liked the experience鈥�

Rosie 鈥� I created a canvas in the coffee shop鈥�

Melody 鈥� I threw paint at the wall and at Louise and Naomie. I would come again鈥�

Let鈥檚 get the latest update from what鈥檚 been happening down in the fabulous Early Years, and then see some lovely pictures which show what sort of a week they鈥檝e had

Another eventful week in Early Years with more lovely Spring activities.

In Outdoor Learning this week we looked for bugs as well as our friends (a fun game of hide and seek). We also read this week鈥檚 story Ten Little Bees! 鈥� and some lovely counting took place.

In attention group we have enjoyed the dancing bunny, the rabbit balloons that make a funny noise when we let it go; some of the children had great fun imitating the noise.

Our sensory story this week was lovely – the children explore all the different textures and looked for all the different 听animals in the story.

We have once again enjoyed the lovely weather and made the most of our outdoor continuous provision in the water, mud kitchen, bikes and bouncing around on the space hoppers.

Rebound was a great success this week as some of us overcame our fears and jumped with reduced support.

We made some lovely easter crafts this week. It all got really messy, but lots of fun. A lovely example of our teamwork value shown by George this week reading a story too one of his peers. 听Look out for next term鈥檚 blog where the children will be learning about some amazing animals where they, live, eat and what they like to do. Hope you all enjoy the Easter break

Fantastic stuff from The Ducklings there 馃槉 馃槉 馃槉

Since we gained the Bronze level of this award, Rebecca & the teams are already working on the next level. We particularly like this scheme because it puts the voice of the child at its centre

This week as part of our UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award we are focussing upon Article 10.

Article 10 states that听I have the right to see my parents if they live in another country.听 Governments should let families move between countries so that parents and children can stay in contact.

If children have parents living in different countries, they have the right to stay in contact with both of them.

In particular, Article 10 says that:

• children and young people should be able to enter countries to see one or both of their parents, either permanently or as a visitor,
• children and young people should be able to enter and leave countries in order to see a parent, and a parent should be able to enter and leave a country in order to see them, and
• children and young people should always be able to enter and leave their own country.

In school this month we are focussing on Earth Day which is celebrated on the 22nd April to show support for the protection of the environment and our planet.

Since 1970, Earth Day has brought together people, governments and companies from around the world, supporting them to do something positive for the environment.

It promotes the fact that 鈥榗hange starts with action鈥� and we can all take action听and encourage others to take action that positively impacts on the world around us.

Many articles of the CRC relate to this but mainly听Article 6 (life survival and development)听and听Article 24 (health and health services).

As always if you want any further information about the UN Rights of the Child, or the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award, you can find information at听听where you can find lots of information for parents and training in this area

Beth is doing the LSTE Department鈥檚 assemblies this half term 鈥� and they鈥檝e been so good. It鈥檚 great to hear about them 鈥� let鈥檚 have a bit more now! Last one of the term!

This week was our final assembly about Nature and the story about looking for the signs of Spring

We added the last bits to the blossom tree, it is beautiful. We also examined our flowers, which are called Peacock Lilies. Some have grown a lot, some have not grown very much at all! Your child will bring theirs home this week, it will need to be re-potted in sheltered spot in full sun

For the best display, they need fertile soil that is moist and free-draining.听 You can find out more here:听. Let us know how your flower grows, send us photos!

Our menus are online and you can find them here:听听School Meals – Percy 51吃瓜 School

In terms of ipay accounts: unless your child is in receipt of Free School Meals or Bursary, you should ensure your iPay account is topped up听before meals are taken. Please also note that from听6th January 2025, the cost of a two-course school meal will increase to听拢2.75. Thank you for your understanding and continued support in helping us to provide good quality and nutritious meals for our children and young people

If you have any questions or need support with your iPay account, please don鈥檛 hesitate to contact the school office

Aylisha is our Safeguarding Officer, Rebecca is the DSL, and Tracy, Corin round out a great DSL Team, with Carla as well

Other colleagues work on other aspects of safeguarding too, and Paul is our Safeguarding Governor, with Clennell our Safeguarding Consultants, so we are taking advice and training from a where we need it to do the best we can

From Screen to Safeguarding Strategy: Insights from Netflix鈥檚 Adolescence听

The highly praised听听created by BAFTA winner Jack Thorne and Broadcasting Press Guild Award Best Actor Stephen Graham, is more than just compelling drama 鈥� it鈥檚 a poignant lens through which we can examine the complexity of safeguarding in young peoples lives and within schools. 听

At its heart, the programme explores how a single act of serious violence can ripple outward affecting families, peers, communities and systems for years to come. 听

Key Safeguarding Themes in听Adolescence听

What makes听Adolescence听so thought-provoking is its unflinching look at some of the most听difficult safeguarding issues: 听

• Toxic masculinity 听
• The grief that follows tragedy 听
• The stark disconnect often felt between generations

These are not just plot points; they are real, daily concerns for DSLs and education professionals. 听

The Ripple Effect of Trauma and the Role of Trusted Adults听

The narrative reminds us: 听

• How quickly vulnerability can be masked听by bravado 听
• How unresolved trauma can manifest in harmful behaviours 听
• How timely, compassionate support is essential in the lives of young people.听

The series doesn鈥檛 just focus on the pain of serious incidents, it also drops in some subtle but powerful moments of reflection 鈥� easily missed amidst the intensity of the main plot. One such moment is the female officer recalling just how brilliant her favourite history teacher was and听the lasting impact that connection听had on her from childhood. It鈥檚 a tribute to the lasting influence of great educators and the protective power of trusted relationships听in school settings.听

Hidden Safeguarding Concerns: Seen but Not Noticed听

While the lead detective is immersed in the investigation, his own son is quietly navigating complex emotional struggles 鈥� feelings of isolation, social pressure and the absence of his father鈥檚 attention. These moments serve as a powerful reminder that safeguarding concerns are not always loud or obvious. 听

Sometimes, they鈥檙e hidden in plain sight, missed even by those trained to notice. The series challenges us to consider how easily the needs of young people can go unnoticed when adults are consumed by crisis, workload or their own emotional burdens. 听

Designated Safeguarding Leads: Balancing Professional and Personal Pressures听

For many DSLs and education professionals, this storyline may resonate. The tension between 鈥渨ork life鈥� and 鈥渇amily life鈥� is a very real challenge. DSLs and safeguarding practitioners are often the first to spot signs, coordinate responses and provide support for others 鈥� yet at home, they may find it difficult to switch off, or may even miss signs in their own children and relationships. 听

The challenge of holding space for others while still trying to show up for your own family is something that should not be forgotten and is one of the many reasons听听

How School Safeguarding听Procedures Support Our Pupils

Adolescence听is a difficult watch at times, but that鈥檚 what makes it essential viewing. It challenges us to look again at the support structures we build around children and young people 鈥� and reminds us that safeguarding is never just about response but about the proactive, relational work we do every day. These themes serve as a reminder that safeguarding听rarely exists in isolation and听why safeguarding systems and听tools like the system we use in school, CPOMS, are so vital in helping schools stay connected, responsive and proactive. 听

These tools and training听 are听 all designed to give DSLs a more complete view of a child鈥檚 context. Through these integrations, staff can access insights such as:

• Alerts from digital monitoringor content filtering platforms
• Wellbeing check-insand emotional health data
• Trends in pupil behaviours or engagement
• Information shared securelywith external safeguarding professionals

This joined-up approach enables safeguarding teams to act earlier, build fuller chronologies and coordinate more effectively across agencies.

Supporting Contextual Safeguarding听

The principle of听听recognised by Ofsted and embedded in statutory guidance, acknowledges that young people often face their greatest risks in online spaces, peer groups and community settings 鈥� not just at home. Using a joint up approach to this helps听schools respond to this complexity by:

• Linking related incidents and concerns across multiple pupils
• Capturing small but significant indicators over time
• Supporting collaboration with external services
• Enabling secure communication with multi-agency partners

By creating a clearer, broader safeguarding picture, which all staff are trained to support,听empowers DSLs and school leaders听to make informed decisions, support earlier intervention and ultimately protect young people more effectively.

If you have any concerns about any of the information from the program or about a student within our school, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

A DSL is available throughout the holidays:

aylisha.holland@percyhedley.org.uk

r.fletcher@percyhedley.org.uk

Everyone & anyone is always very welcome and actively encouraged to contact Aylisha at 听aylisha.holland@percyhedley.org.uk or Rebecca at R.Fletcher@percyhedley.org.uk, or any of the DSL Team

The Online Safety blog and this week鈥檚 is now live 鈥� Joel has sorted it and you can click through on to it below

Here is the online safety blog for this week. It is an overview of useful websites, links, contact details etc for parents to support them in keeping their children safe over the holidays.听

Here we are –听Online Safety blogs – Percy 51吃瓜 School

Please do tell us what you feel would be helpful in the Online Safety blog, and Lizzie and Joel will look into it. We know what a priority this is for many of you

Thank you for your support with attendance, an area of national scrutiny for everyone

听

Let鈥檚 hear from Kelly, our Attendance Officer

We are always looking at new and innovative ways to build our relationship and make contacting us as easy as possible. A new email address has been set up to allow you to notify us of absences in the morning (before 9:30) via email instead of phone if you prefer.

The email address is听PHSattendance@percyhedley.org.uk.

We will update the student鈥檚 class teacher of this absence also. As always if you do have any queries absence related, please do feel free to reach out for a quick chat

Any questions please feel free to contact the Attendance Officer 鈥� Kelly Richardson on听Kelly.richardson@percyhedley.org.uk鈥�

Thanks for your support and partnership in this area

We鈥檝e updated our Parent/Carer Code of Conduct for this year, which is also on the website here:听Parent and Carers Area 鈥� Percy 51吃瓜 School. Most schools have these now, so please do have a read 鈥� they aren鈥檛 used very often. Thanks for your support with it in general terms and in the vast majority of times and cases

A huge thank you to all of them for their time, commitment and support, with projects, ideas and all sorts. Great to have you guys on board, you鈥檙e an important part of the school

Why don鈥檛 you join them! The Fabulous Friends are always looking for volunteers for events!听 If you can offer any support, please contact Eileen at听e.robinson@percyhedley.org.uk

Please get in touch with Tracy via the email below and she will be happy to respond to any queries, suggestions about the LPPA and other issues for parents

听

From Tracy and the LPPA team. Contact t.smithson@percyhedley.org.uk

ENGAGEMENT

听

Masie!

Congratulations听to Masie, STAR of the LSTE Pathway for Resilience in action. Masie showed outstanding determination. Well done, Masie!

ELTBA!

听

Alf!

ELTBA Star of the Week鈥�

Alf for showing great resilience and communication

Alf has been on a trip out to North Shields to visit the C-ex store. Alf had great road safety and had excellent communication with the store assistants. He was able to ask them if they had what he needed in stock and dealt well with money when paying for his purchase too. Well done, Alf! STAR!!!

KS4

What a great KS4 we have! Let鈥檚 hear from Jo what鈥檚 been going on and who鈥檚 been doing what!

Leighton H for having a settled week and coping well with changes!

Leighton H for having a settled week and coping well with changes!

听

Teamwork听

Tom W for being an excellent salesperson at the Easter Fair!

POST-16!

听

Great atmosphere in the post-16 area these days 鈥� and look at how many are being mentioned by the staff there as STARS!!!

听

Resilience

听

Katie C worked really well in Maths and RE. Very well done! STAR!!!

听

Andrew was stuck in his taxi for over 3 hours.听He arrived a school in a lovely positive mood with a big smile on his face.听Very well done for coping so well. STAR!!!

听

All of 6RF deserve a mention for completing their exams this term.听 Well done to you all. STAR!!!

听

Respect

听

Joseph has been so kind and polite to his peers and staff.听 His manners are wonderful.听What a STAR!!!

Every Sunday Julie prepares a message for the whole school on Makaton signs that are current and relevant to the time of year. I generally reproduce them here so those at home can do the same thing if you want to and if it works for you 鈥� or just for you to learn a few signs each week. Hope it works for you!

听

Happy Easter Everyone!

Here is an Easter video from the Singing Hands:

听

Wishing everyone a very happy Easter break full of sunshine and chocolate!

听

听

More from Mary and the Gang!

The students followed clues around the school which took them to different locations where they had a range of activities for all abilities.

In the Library students had to throw hoops on to bunny ears, throw eggs through targets and scratch patterns onto egg decorations. Students worked on their upper limb skills as well as head control

Students made their way to the Physio room in which they worked on their mobility but racing with an egg and spoon, bouncing on the trampette like a rabbit and unearthing carrots as part of an activity game. Students followed the next clue which took them to the quad where students using their upper limb coordination and fine motor skills to shoot balloons using water pistols and scooped up rubber ducks using nets and grabbers.

Next up students transitioned to a dark garden room with lovely sensory lights where they had to stand to peg eggs along a line and searched for eggs in hay using their fine motor skills.

In the 5^th听room, students had to use their motor planning and cognition to match the coloured patterns of eggs, match the pictures of number and shapes as well as sending a ball down the run to catch at the other end. Lastly in the small gym, Students worked on their teamwork and partner support by playing group activities such as batting a balloon over a net, playing kerplunk, initiate a switch toy and playing skittles with a boccia ramp. All the students seemed to have a great time, some feedback included 鈥業 love shooting the balloons this is the best!鈥� and 鈥榟olding an egg on a spoon is so hard but I got this, can I do it again!鈥�

Well done to all the students you all worked really hard working on your fine and gross motor skills as well as areas of cognition, learning, team work, independence, speech and language!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�..from John & the Team here at PHS