We have released the new timetable for the Year 11 booster classes
Together for Children are currently participating in a Department for Education (DfE) āDelivering Better Value in SENDā programme (DBV in SEND). This programme aims to support local authorities and their local partners to improve the delivery of SEND services for children and young people whilst working towards financial sustainability.
As part of this process, we recognise that collaboration with families, young people and key partners will be key to achieving improved outcomes for children and young people across the city.
We invite you to complete this survey Delivering Better Value – SEND, Parent and Carers Survey to help us understand your views and experiences about your child or young personās current educational setting.
The information that you provide will not be used in decision making for individual children and young people but will be invaluable to help us improve outcomes as part of Delivering Better Value for SEND in Sunderland.
We thank you in advance, for your engagement with this process and we look forward to receiving your responses.
The survey closes on Monday 9th Oct at 11.59pm
Kepier (Learning Matters Trust) is currently consulting on a proposed merger with the Eden Learning Trust, and we are seeking the views of stakeholders on this proposal.
For the past 15 months, Kepier has been working closely with Schools within Eden Learning Trust and we want to formalise this partnership working further by merging with Eden Learning Trust. It provides an exciting opportunity for our school, our staff, the learners and our families within the local community we serve.
Eden Learning Trust would comprise:
Kepier
Chilton Academy
Ferryhill School
Woodham Academy
Tanfield School
Seaham Academy
We believe:
- Our children and young people will achieve and experience even more as part of a larger family of schools.
- Our staff will benefit from greater opportunities for collaboration and personal and professional development within a larger trust.
- Combining our experience, expertise and resources will enable an even better range of services, will support sustainability to our schools as well as maintain and advance educational excellence.
We will, of course, retain our unique identity and character whilst the opportunities for increased collaboration will help our school move forward for the benefit of all our learners.
The rationale behind the decision to consider joining together includes:
- The two Trusts have much in common, share the same values and culture and are committed to developing the trust on these foundations.
- All schools are successful and popular, and all highly value each individual schoolās unique identity and character.
- The Department for Education is strongly advising smaller Trusts to grow, as they believe this increases effectiveness and sustainability.
- Our school has benefited from working in partnership and already enjoys a close working relationship. However, combining our experience, expertise and resources would enable an even better range of services to our school and sustain and advance educational excellence.
- Our staff will benefit from greater opportunities for collaboration and personal and professional development within a larger trust. Staff will not be compelled to move between schools in the Trust however our aim is for staff to be able to take advantage of a wider range of career and professional development opportunities within a bigger Trust.
- Employees would retain the existing terms and conditions of their contract following any TUPE process.
- Our children and young people would achieve and experience even more as part of a larger family of school.
Additional information on a proposed merger of Learning Matters Trust (Kepier) and Eden Learning Trust
Governance and leadership
- We have āin principleā agreement from the Department for Educationās Regional Schools Commissioner for our proposal, subject to the confirmation of final details. This does not commit us to going ahead but it is positive that we have this support.
- There would be no planned changes to the leadership teams or staffing structure within Kepier as a result of this potential merger.
- It is proposed that all Trustees of Learning Matters Trust will become Governors of Kepierās Local Governing Body and will continue to play a vital role in maintaining the high standards, independence, individual identity and value for money.
The identity of schools within Eden Learning Trust
- The current determined admission arrangements at Kepier would not be affected by this proposal.
- There would be no changes to school uniforms as a result of this proposal.
- The name of Kepier will not change.
Trust and school finance
In line with current arrangements, funding would be given directly to Kepier from the DfE
Next steps
If the proposal goes ahead then we anticipate the merger with Eden Learning Trust will take place 1st December 2023.
We are already collaborating with staff who are extremely positive about the merger and we now seek the views of parents and carers, as well as local schools and trusts. If you have any comments or questions then please get in touch with us info@kepier.com before Friday 29th September.
Outcome from consultation
Following the consultation which closed on Friday 29th September we are pleased to inform you that we are currently progressing with the merger to Eden Learning Trust.
We fully expect to formally join Eden Learning Trust on Friday 1st December 2023.
Good afternoon everyone,
I hope this message finds you well. Today, I would like to share an important announcement regarding my role at Kepier. After 12 years of serving as Head of Kepier, I have made the decision to step down this summer. It has been an incredible journey, filled with unforgettable experiences and remarkable achievements.
Yesterday, I received news that Mr. Colin Devlin, our esteemed Vice Principal, has been appointed by the Trustees to take over as Headteacher in September 2023. I wholeheartedly support this decision and would like to extend my congratulations to Mr. Devlin. I am confident that under his leadership, Kepier will continue to flourish, building upon the strong values and ethos that already exist within our school community.
I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support and constant challenges throughout my tenure. It is because of your dedication and commitment that Kepier stands in a position of strength today. Together, we have fostered an environment where learners are at the heart of everything we do. I am immensely proud of our staff, our excellent facilities, and, above all, our learners, who continually inspire me with their passion for learning and personal growth.
As I prepare to embark on a new chapter in my life, I leave Kepier with a profound sense of fulfilment and optimism for the future. I have every confidence that, with Mr. Devlin at the helm, Kepier will continue to thrive and evolve, empowering generations of learners to reach their full potential.
Once again, thank you for your incredible support. and I look forward to hearing about the future successes of Kepier.
Warm regards,
Mrs Ashton
*Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity have informed us that this event has been CANCELLED*
Come and join us at Kepier Community Facilities for a fun-filled family day on Sunday 9th July.
Family entertainment, donkey rides, face painting, a selection of stalls and lots more!
Tickets on sale now!
We would like to invite you to our Video Call Year 9 Parentsā Evening on Wednesday 26th
April 2023, from 3.30 ā 6pm.
Please be aware that bookings for our Year 9 online parents’ evening will open atĀ 6pm on
Wednesday 29th March 2023. Basic personal details of the parent/carer (title, first name,
surname, email address) and student (first name, surname, date of birth) will be required in
order to log in and make bookings.
Further information is available on our parents’ evening webpage at:
https://kepier.com/parents-evenings
Thank you.
Dear Parent / Carer,
I hope you and your family are well.
Following my previous communication, I would like to invite you to our virtual Parentsā Evening on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 starting at 5pm. The purpose of this presentation will be to share Kepier’s transition plans with you and give you some further information now your child has been allocated a place in our September 2023 intake. It is anticipated that this presentation will last no longer than 45 minutes and will cover queries which you may have. To join this meeting, please use the following link; meet.google.com/nrd-hshe-axx
There will be a chat facility available whereby you can type questions which will be monitored by Kepier staff and where possible questions answered throughout the presentation.
If you are joining this presentation via a mobile device, you must be logged into a Google account. Google Meet has a maximum capacity of 250 participants and therefore we would ask that only one device per household connects to the meeting. In addition to this, you will need to ensure that your camera and microphones are turned off. I would advise that you try and log into Google Meet before the presentation starts. You will need to be accepted into the meeting, we will start to accept you into the Google Meet from 4.45pm.
In preparation for this presentation, if you need any support joining the Google Meet, please refer to the link below: Google Meet Support.
I am aware that some parents / carers will be unable to join this presentation, therefore I will upload a copy of this, and the links to the supporting information, on our website by Friday 25th March 2023.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us via emailing info@kepier.com
I look forward to speaking to everyone at the Virtual Parents’ Evening.
Regards.
Mr Van-Lindon
We would like to invite you to our Video Call Year 8 Parentsā Evening on Wednesday 22nd
March 2023, from 3.30 ā 6pm.
Appointments can now be made using the online booking system. Bookings will close at
midday on Wednesday 22rd March.
Please visit:
https://kepier.com/parents-evenings
to book your appointments. Here you will find a comprehensive guide to the SchoolCloud
system, including links to parent guides, videos and frequently asked questions.
If you have any further questions, please use the contact form at the bottom of the webpage
and we will be happy to help.
Please be aware that bookings for our Year 8 online parents’ evening will open atĀ 6pm on
Wednesday 8th March 2023. Basic personal details of the parent/carer (title, first name,
surname, email address) and student (first name, surname, date of birth) will be required in
order to log in and make bookings.
Further information is available on our parents’ evening webpage at:
https://kepier.com/parents-evenings
Thank you.
We would like to invite you to our Video Call Year 10 Parentsā Evening on Wednesday
15th February 2023, from 3.30 ā 6pm.
Appointments can now be made using the online booking system. Bookings will close at
midday on Wednesday 15th February.
Please visit:
https://kepier.com/parents-evenings
to book your appointments. Here you will find a comprehensive guide to the SchoolCloud
system, including links to parent guides, videos and frequently asked questions.
If you have any further questions, please use the contact form at the bottom of the webpage
and we will be happy to help.
Please be aware that bookings for our Year 10 online parents’ evening will open atĀ 6pm on
Wednesday 1st February 2023. Basic personal details of the parent/carer (title, first name,
surname, email address) and student (first name, surname, date of birth) will be required in
order to log in and make bookings.
Further information is available on our parents’ evening webpage at:
https://kepier.com/parents-evenings
Thank you.
We would like to invite you to our Video Call Year 11 Parentsā Evening on Wednesday
8th February 2023, from 3.30 ā 6pm.
Appointments can now be made using the online booking system. Bookings will close at
midday on Wednesday 8th February.
Please visit:
https://kepier.com/parents-evenings
to book your appointments. Here you will find a comprehensive guide to the SchoolCloud
system, including links to parent guides, videos and frequently asked questions.
If you have any further questions, please use the contact form at the bottom of the webpage
and we will be happy to help.
Please be aware that bookings for our Year 11 online parents’ evening will open atĀ 6pm on
Wednesday 25th January. Basic personal details of the parent/carer (title, first name,
surname, email address) and student (first name, surname, date of birth) will be required in
order to log in and make bookings.
Further information is available on our parents’ evening webpage at:
https://kepier.com/parents-evenings
Thank you.
Kepier Celebrates Inter-faith Week
Inter-faith week promotes understanding and cooperation between organisations and people of different faiths across the UK. Inter-faith week always begins on Remembrance Sunday encouraging remembering together the service of people from all backgrounds.
At Kepier we are celebrating inter-faith week and have a variety of activities, speakers and live music that learners in years 7, 8 and 9 will have an opportunity to participate in over the week.Ā Some of the activities include: decorating Diya Lamps learning about Hindu traditions; speakers from the Islamic Diversity Centre and the Sikh community will talk to learners about their faith with activities for learners to help them understand their tradition; ‘IGNITE’, and the Christian rock band āSocial Beanā will give a concert; and our school chef will serve an extra choice on the menu each day reflecting different faith traditions. Learners will be given the opportunity to ask questions to broaden their understanding of a multi-faith Britain.
A Sunderland school has introduced cutting edge translation technology to help Ukrainian students access the school curriculum.
Kepier School in Houghton-le-Spring recently welcomed a number of students from Ukraine after their families were forced to flee the country following the Russian invasion earlier this year. The school has been exploring ways to break down language barriers and has come up with an innovative solution.
The school IT team has created a way to display live translation of the teachersā voice on classroom displays in real time, so that Ukrainian students can feel as much a part of lessons as their classmates.
Principal of Kepier, Nicola Ashton, explained how it works:
āAs the teacher speaks to the class, a microphone picks up their words, instantly translates them into Ukrainian and then displays them as subtitles at the bottom of the large screen at the front of the class.
āWe have a number of Ukrainian students at Kepier at the moment, and they are finding this really helps them engage with the rest of their classmates in lessons.
āThis has been made possible by the excellent teaching and learning facilities we have at Kepier, with large interactive touch screen displays in every classroom. The language barrier was a potential problem, however we were able to quickly put a solution in place to ensure all learners are able to achieve their best in lessons.ā
āAt Kepier our motto is āInspire, Challenge, Supportā and we strive to ensure all learners achieve their full potential.ā
Kepier moved into a brand new school building four years ago and the school recently achieved a āGoodā rating from Ofsted.
