The City School

Please could ex-Year 11 students who haven’t yet picked up their GCSE certificates please do so by 27th November? They are available for collection from the school reception between the hours of 8am and 4pm.

Thank you.

Global Entrepreneurship Week begins on 16th November with the Make Your Mark Challenge.

This years challenge is to “Let local inspiration lead you to a ‘cool’ creation” by coming up with a new and innovative business idea that takes its inspiration from something local. The competition is open to schools, colleges and youth organisations throughout the UK. Each school/organisation may enter 1 team only.

For more information about Global Entrepreneurship Week and the Make Your Mark Challenge, please visit www.gew.org.uk

Good luck to the City School’s Make Your Mark Challenge Team.

20 October 2009

Dear Parent/Carer

School Lunchtime

We have, for some time, recognised that the arrangements at lunchtime are far from perfect. There are many reasons for this, not least because of the physical layout of the school. Fortunately we are now not too far away from being able to do something about this as we plan for and then move into our new school buildings. In the meantime we are working hard to try to make lunchtime a more pleasant experience for all of our pupils and I would like to update you on what is going on.

A working party of staff has been gathered and I am delighted they have been joined by some interested parents who are actively working with this team in order to improve matters. I want to thank them for their input which is greatly appreciated. If any more parents would like to be involved in this initiative then please contact the school – you will be very welcome. This working group is supported by specialists within the local authority with the aim of developing a ‘STAY ON SITE’ policy.

The key areas of this work include:

-  Improving the quality and compliance of the food we serve to pupils

- Reviewing the dining room environment and queuing arrangements

- Promoting student participation in lunchtime activities

- Anti-bullying and emotional health and well being

- Promoting positive behaviour and lunchtime supervision

As part of this policy we have taken the opportunity to review our break time and lunchtime ‘offer’ to students which is now compliant with the national food based and nutritional standards. Our catering staff have worked hard to introduce a 4-week menu cycle and I have enclosed a sample week for you to look at. I think you will agree the meals are varied and attractive and certainly offer students a wide choice of wholesome food. We also believe they offer terrific value as we have worked extremely hard with suppliers to keep costs down. At £1.90 the ‘meal deal’ really is an excellent option. We are going to publish the menus on our school website so that parents and pupils will be able to see in advance what is being provided on any given day.

You will remember I wrote to you all at the start of the year asking if you would help us in keeping students in school over lunchtime. I would like to thank the vast majority who supported us in this aim. However, there are still far too many students leaving the site at lunchtime to visit the shops (usually the chip shop) where they usually consume unhealthy options which are then often washed down by a fizzy drink. What is more disturbing is that for some students this is a daily event! My primary concern is for the health and well-being of every student and I think you will agree this scenario is not good – our students deserve better. Alongside this we might also usefully consider the anti-social side of what goes on in the community at lunchtime and the associated damage to the good reputation and profile of the school. Please help!

As a school we regularly seek feedback from our pupils, and we are now keen to gain the views of parents as well on the issue of lunchtime arrangements. With this in mind I would like to ask that you spend a little of your time completing our questionnaire survey. Once completed please give to it to your child to hand in to Students Services. The closing date for the survey is Friday 6^th November 2009.

Finally, I do recognise that lunchtime is too short and for some students it is too rushed. We are trying hard to ease the situation in a variety of ways including shortening queues by introducing a pre-ordering system. I will also be looking carefully at the length of the school day with a view to extending it from next September in order to make lunchtime a more civilised experience for all. More details on this will follow in due course.

I hope you appreciate we are working creatively to try and improve all aspects of lunchtime arrangements and welcome your support in encouraging your child to chose healthy options in school each day.

Yours

Matt Percival

Headteacher

Copy of the Questionnaire for parents and carers

We would welcome your comments on the lunchtime experience which your son/ daughter receives at The City School. Your views and those of our students will be taken into account and help us improve the service we offer. Feedback will be given parents and students once the questionnaires have been analysed.

 Please return to Student Services by Friday 6^th November 2009.

Please read the following statements and tick the answer which best fits what you think about the lunchtime experience. Please only tick one box per statement. If you cannot answer leave it blank

Click here to view our sample menu