Year 6 Transition Update

4th June 2020Jeremy Gartland

Update: 31st March 2023

Here is the presentation from the Year 6 Parents’ Evening:

Download here

 

 

Update: 28th July 2020

Here is the presentation from the Year 6 Parents’ Evening:

Download here

 

 

Dear Parent / Carer,

Firstly, I would like to thank all parents and carers who have participated in our virtual Parents’ Evening and the ‘Face to Face’ consultation sessions; I hope you have found these sessions useful.

I have previously outlined that Kepier’s plans are in line with the most up to date government guidance on schools reopening in September 2020 and I can confirm that further guidance was published on Thursday 2nd July. I would like to invite you to join a Google Meet on Wednesday 15th July at 5pm where I will share with you Kepier’s plans which are specific to learners starting year 7 in September. We will be communicating information regarding the arrangements for other year groups separately.

You can join this meeting via the following link: https://meet.google.com/hpc-swux-hbz

If you are unable to attend this presentation, information will be uploaded to the school’s website on Thursday 16th July 2020.

If you intend to access this Google Meet 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. There is a chat facility whereby you can type questions which will be monitored by Kepier staff.

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 16.45. In preparation for this presentation, if you need any support joining the Google Meet, please refer to the link below: Google Meet Support.

I look forward to speaking to you on Wednesday.

Yours faithfully,
Mr Van-Lindon

Dear Parent/ Carer,

I would like to take the opportunity to update you on the transition arrangements for your child. We will be posting updates each Tuesday on our website and Class Charts.

We have received a lot of positive feedback following our virtual Parents’ Evening on Tuesday 23rd June; I hope that you all found it informative.  If you would like to view the presentation again or were unable to join the presentation, please click here.

I know that learners will have a lot of questions; I asked our year 7 learners what advice they would give to year 6 learners starting Kepier, and you can see their advice by watching this video.

This week we are holding Face to Face consultations with your child’s coach; this is an opportunity to have any queries answered. At these consultations you will be issued with;

  • ParentPay Activation letter; this will enable you to use our Cashless Catering system
  • Parent and Learner Class Charts log in details; Class Charts is our online platform which allows you to monitor your child’s behaviour, homework, attendance and 2 way messaging system.

In addition to this, we require the following documentation to be completed:

  • Data Collection Form
  • Photograph Consent
  • Biometric Consent; this gives us permission for your child’s fingerprint to be taken so they can access the cashless catering system.
  • Indemnity Form; covering learners for trips and visits during the school day.
  • Book Borrowing acceptance form

We will also use this time to speak with your child regarding their transition to Kepier and our ‘buddy’ system.

We are updating Class Charts on a weekly basis with a number of activities for learners to complete in preparation for September; Mrs Ashton our Principal has set year 6 learners their first task.

I hope this information is useful; if you have any queries, please email info@kepier.com and your query will be directed to the relevant person.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Van-Lindon.to thank all parents / carers who joined the presentation and hope you found it informative. If you would like to view the presentation again or were unable to join the presentation, please click here.

 

Dear Parent / Carer,Yesterday, Kepier held it’s very first virtual Parents’ Evening. I would like Kepier have organised ‘Face to Face’ meetings with your child’s coach; this is an ideal opportunity to have any queries you may have answered and for your child to familiarise themselves with their coach. To book an appointment please complete the form via this link https://forms.gle/xG7tDdmJJ4eDFNMF8

During the Face to Face meeting, you will be asked to complete some paperwork in preparation for September and you will be able to pre order your child’s uniform, our uniform supplier, Total Sport, will be on site.

We will continually update our website with transition information; if you have any queries, please email info@kepier.com and your query will be directed to the relevant person.

Yours faithfully

Mr Van-Lindon

Dear Parent / Carer,

I hope you and your family are well.

Following my previous updates, I would like to remind you that we will be holding a virtual Parents’ Evening on Tuesday 23rd June starting at 17.30. It is anticipated that this presentation will last no longer than 45 minutes and will cover queries which you may have. If you would like to join this meeting, please use the following link; meet.google.com/uee-tgwq-von

If you intend to access 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. There is a chat facility whereby you can type questions which will be monitored by Kepier staff. 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 17.15.

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 on Wednesday 24th June; https://kepier.com/year-6-transition-update/

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us via emailing info@kepier.com

I look forward to speaking to you all in the coming weeks.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Van-Lindon

Dear Parent / Carer,

I hope you and your families are well.

Following the latest government advice on schools reopening, I have detailed below Kepier’s transition arrangements for current year 6 learners. It is important to note that these arrangements are in line with current guidance and may change if any subsequent guidance is published.

Given the current guidelines, Kepier will not be able to offer the two transition days in July as we have in the past, however, we will ensure that a full transition programme is in place for when your child starts Kepier.

Over the past few weeks, key staff from Kepier have been liaising with your child’s primary school and gathering as much information as possible to help our staff best support your child at Kepier.

In order to further support your child’s transition, we are in the process of producing a virtual tour of the school and a year 6 prospectus. We hope that these resources will help your child familiarise themselves with the school building, staff names, and give them an overview of what they will be studying in year 7. Kepier’s Principal, Mrs Ashton, will also write a letter to all learners and she absolutely loves reading their replies.

In order to support parents and carers, Mrs Ashton and I will be holding a Google Meet on Tuesday 23rd June 2020 at 5.30pm. The purpose of this meeting is to give parents and carers a presentation on Kepier and the key information you need to know prior to your child starting school. We will also be able to answer any additional questions you may have. If you would like to join this meeting, please use the following link; meet.google.com/uee-tgwq-von

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. There is a chat facility whereby you can type questions which will be monitored by Kepier staff throughout the session which should last approximately 45 minutes.

Over the coming half term, Mrs Crompton (Year Manager), Mrs King (Deputy SENDCo), Mrs Watson (SENDCo), Mr Devlin (Assistant Principal and Safeguarding Lead) or myself will make individual phone calls to every parent or carer. The purpose of this phone call is to introduce key staff to you and discuss any support we can offer in further detail. To ensure the best person contacts you and at the most convenient time, please complete the Google Form by following the following link: https://forms.gle/zDNWdufgdbbEuqej7

Kepier uses an online platform called Class Charts for; attendance, behaviour, homework, announcements and messaging. I would encourage you to download the app, which is free, from either the App Store or Google Play Store. During your phone call, we will issue you with both you and your child’s login details. You will be able to login to Class Charts once you have these details and we will continually update Class Charts with transition tasks for your child to complete.

Mrs Paula Smith is Kepier’s designated First Aider. If your child’s current school has identified that they have a medical condition, Mrs Smith will be in contact with you to discuss this further.

I know one of the biggest queries parents have is around school uniform. We are continuing to work with our supplier, Total Sport, and will contact you regarding how to order uniform very shortly.

Finally, I will be working with your child’s primary school to try and organise a Google Meet Question and Answer session for those children who have returned to school. This will be a one off session and only available for those who are in attendance on the day.

We look forward to speaking to you all in the coming weeks.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Van-Lindon

—
Kind Regards,

Shaun Van-Lindon
Senior Leader

Y10 Updated Information

26th May 2020Nicola Ashton

Year 10 Update for Parents

On Monday 25th May, the Government changed its advice and now wants the School to offer face-to-face support to supplement the remote education of year 10 learners and have stated that remote learning should remain the predominant mode of education during the summer term.

The advice states that ‘face to face support’ should not start until 15th June.  Therefore we still intend to provide a consultation session for parents and Y10 learners commencing the week beginning 15th June. Following the initial consultations we will look to offer some further ‘face to face’ support for learners. 

Many thanks to all parents who completed the online form, however due to the change of dates, please complete the amended version here:   https://forms.gle/LeZVpHw2nA3BQ5id7 

Further details on arrangements for any other sessions will be communicated nearer the time. Please note that your child will still be expected to complete the online work which is regularly being set by staff.

Update 14.05.2020

14th May 2020Nicola Ashton

Many of you will already be aware of the recent updates by the Prime Minister announcing a gradual re-opening of schools from 1st June 2020.  This proposal remains under regular review and will only take place if the infection rates remain low.

Currently, there is no change to the current guidance for us and we will continue to provide childcare for those already identified parents whose work is critical to the COVID – 19 response (critical and Key workers only) and those children who are identified as vulnerable.  We will also require evidence of employers’ work hours and contact details to support the current Government lockdown rules.

Key messages from the Government are raising lots of questions and scenarios which we must plan for effectively and we are now waiting to receive more detailed information from the Government, Department for Education about what this will mean for us here at Kepier.

I want to reassure you that I, and the senior leaders here at Kepier have been and will continue to work hard to ensure that the safety of all learners and all staff is paramount and always foremost in our minds.  ALL decisions made about returning, will be based upon the safest way possible to limit the risk of the virus spreading.

We will be using the next few weeks to ensure that we carefully and safely think about the process of re-opening, and that we have all the required measures in place, so that Kepier will be a safe place for your child to return to when the time is right.

I appreciate that many children and their families may be anxious about many things but hope that you continue to trust and support us in making decisions based upon the safety for your child. 

For parents and children in Year 10, part way through Key Stage 4 courses, we understand this is a particularly difficult time.  As soon as we can give you more specific information regarding our plans for what the Government stipulates as ‘some face to face contact with year 10 pupils’, which  ‘will… support to supplement pupils’ remote education.’ we will do so.

In the meantime, ‘home learning’ via our school website and online learning platforms will continue.  Thank you to all those parents who took the time to give us feedback on how we are currently working.  We are constantly reviewing all of our procedures and will inform you of any changes that we make which may improve how we are working. 

If you have any concerns regarding the progress of your son or daughter in any of their subjects please contact the relevant department leaders via email.  We have a fantastic team of staff who are happy to help you and your children at this difficult time.  Department emails can be found here: https://kepier.com/contact-us/

Kepier and the Coalfields Community has always been unique in its strength and unity and in recent times this has been even more evident.  Our weekly Thursday ‘social media’ updates, sharing the hard work and bravery of all of our ex learners is testament to the strength of Houghton as a community.  Please do send any pictures of key workers and care workers to info@kepier.com, with their name and role.

If we continue to work together, supporting each other where necessary, we will get through this period of uncertainty.  All of the staff at school have very much appreciated your kind messages, emails and thoughtful comments throughout these difficult weeks, thank you.

I would like to end by taking this opportunity once again to thank you for all of your courage and support over the past weeks. 

Best regards

Nicola Ashton

Principal

 

FSM Update

27th April 2020Nicola Ashton
**Free School Meals**
 The weekly vouchers of  £15 you should have received are for W/C the 6th and 13th April.  The vouchers for W/C 20th April and this week ( W/C 27th April)  we would expect these to be with you any day now.  It is the intention to send vouchers for two week periods going forward and we will put regular updates on this site to keep you informed.  Thank you for your patience and support with this. If you haven’t provided your email address or have any queries please contact us on fsm@kepier.com or on 0191 5128960.

ParentPay

21st April 2020Nicola Ashton
**ParentPay refunds**
All refunds have been processed by the school and parents should now be able to see these by logging onto their ParentPay account.  However, we have been made aware that due to high demand and the amount of refunds being processed by all schools across the country, it may take up to 10 days to receive the amount you are due.  If you cannot access your refund please contact ParentPay via the following email parent-support@parentpay.com and they will be able to assist.

New Government Guidelines

21st April 2020Nicola Ashton

For the latest Government guidelines please see link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers#resources-and-support

We continue to remain open for children of critical workers.  However please protect you and your family and wherever possible stay away from School.  If the latest guidelines enables a responsible person including older children to remain at home, please do not send your child to school and contact us to let us know.

Tel: 01915128960

email: info@kepier.com

 

 

Visors for Key Workers – Can You Support Us?

20th April 2020Jeremy Gartland

Kepier is supporting ‘front line key workers’ by manufacturing visors using our Technology Department’s equipment.

If you know of any organisation that would benefit from a donation of visors please contact us on info@kepier.com

If you would like to make a donation towards to the cost of materials, please do so via our JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/kepieracademy

You can also support us by donating towards the cost of materials via Parent Pay.

Thank you for your support.

Free School Meals

14th April 2020Nicola Ashton

 

From 6th April, Kepier will be using the Government Voucher Scheme for Free School Meals which gives all eligible families £15 per week.  If you are eligible, you will receive these vouchers soon.  If you do not receive your vouchers within the next 10 days, or you have other queries, please contact fsm@kepier.com or on 0191 5128960.

Sunday 22.03.2020 Update

22nd March 2020Nicola Ashton

This is important information for parents and carers following updated advice from the Government over the weekend.

The Government’s advice about sending your child to school even if you are a key worker, or if your child is vulnerable, can be interpreted in different ways. Following communication with parents and carers on Friday, events have changed; we need to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both learners and staff, so please familiarise yourself with the following information:

The default position is that the school is close

The Secretary of State has clarified his initial comments, and now says that ‘if a child can stay safely at home, then they should be at home’. Sending your child into school, places both them and the staff at greater risk.

Children in Care/EHCP/Social Worker attached

Parents of children with social workers or children with an EHCP do not have to send children into school, it is the parents’ or Carers’ choice.

Children of Key Workers

Again, a consensus has emerged which replaces previous advice. Even if you are a ‘Key Worker’ yourself, please ask whether your secondary school age child can remain at home. Is there another parent / carer who is not a ‘Key Worker’? Are they old enough to be left at home for periods of time during the day safely, as they would be during school holidays or weekends? We need to reduce the list of children who we are expecting to attend Kepier on Monday to an absolute minimum.   If you did not complete the online form on Friday, your child will be sent home as we have not planned for their provision.

 

We have received a number of enquiries regarding Covid 19. Outlined below are our responses to some frequently asked questions:

Attendance

We will only accept learners onto the school site who we know in advance will be at School.

Contacting Kepier 

We will  keep parents / carers updated through our website: https://kepier.com/category/school-closure-updates/ 

We will also use other platforms such as Facebook, Class Charts and MyEd. 

If you have any queries, please contact info@kepier.com  

Members of the senior leadership team are continually monitoring this email address and will be able to advise accordingly. 

Free School Meals

We are currently working with the Government  to ensure that parents and carers of learners who are eligible for Free School Meals will receive payment.  We are anticipating that this will be activated within the coming days.   If you are struggling, please get in touch.

Trips and Visits

During this period, we have  cancelled all trips, visits and events which were scheduled to take place until the end of this academic year. Parents and Carers will receive a full refund of any payments they have made. Parents and Carers will be contacted individually regarding refunds, please bear with us on this, we will refund as soon as possible.

Information from Parent Pay

Parent Pay has sent out a blanket message that they will not refund balances on accounts. This is not a school decision. However,  we are considering the best way to refund parents and carers of learners who have a significant amount of credit on their account.

Online Learning Platforms 

During this period, every learner has access to their learner homepage and the login details which are needed to access the system. Department Leaders have ensured there is work for learners to complete. Kepier uses a number of online learning platforms such as: GCSE Pod, Hegarty Maths and Educake. All learners have their usernames and passwords. 

If your child is unable to access the internet, we have produced paper based workpacks for them to complete.  Please email info@kepier.com if your child does not have access to the internet via their mobile phone whilst at home and we will send you a pack.

Period Poverty

During school closure, we will continue our support to tackle ‘period poverty’  by ensuring that free sanitary products are available to those learners in need. Please contact your child’s Year Manager via email if you need to access this service.

Virtual School Nurse service

The school nursing service is available via an online service, this can be accessed through our school website.

Mental Health Support 

Xen Zone (Kooth.com) are continuing to provide a free online counselling and support service. Kooth.com which is available to all young people between the ages of 11-18 years old and for care leavers up to 25 years old.

Xen Zone is accredited by the BACH and a trusted partner of the NHS. Kooth.com has been commissioned by Together for Children and Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group to provide a safe and confidential service for young people to receive advice and support. 

Year 11 GCSE Results 

On Friday, it was announced that the exam regulator, Ofqual as well as exam boards, will work with teachers to provide appropriate grades to learners whose exams have been cancelled this summer. Ofqual will develop and set out a process that will provide a calculated grade for each learner which reflects their performance as fairly as possible.  They will work with the exam boards to ensure this is consistently applied for all students. Information regarding how learners collect their GCSE results will be shared with year 11 parents and carers directly, once results have been confirmed by the government.

Year 11 Leavers arrangements 

During these unprecedented times and following the Government’s decision to close schools, our year 11 learners are no longer expected to attend Kepier. We want to ensure that the year 11 learners are able to celebrate their time with us like other year groups have. With this in mind, we will still be producing a yearbook and leavers hoodies will be available to purchase. Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the Prom, however, we are looking to hold an event in September 2020 and details will follow shortly.

 

We would like to thank you for all your support during these very difficult and unprecedented times and please do contact us if you have any further queries:

info@kepier.com.

 

 

 

ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

28th February 2020D Leighton

Kepier is working with the Police to reduce anti social behaviour in Houghton-le-Spring.

Following reports of young people travelling to Houghton from all areas of the city and neighbouring counties, the decision has been taken to close the astro turf from 7pm on a Friday evening with immediate effect.

POETRY RECITAL

7th February 2020D Leighton

Pupils enjoyed an afternoon reciting poetry as part of the Poetry by Heart competition last week. Brandon, Alex, Brooke and Daniel made it through to the final stage where one pupil will be chosen to represent Kepier in the nationals! Well done to everyone who took part and all the very best to our finalists.

CATERPILLAR VISIT

7th January 2020D Leighton

Year 10 went to Caterpillar on 17th December to take part in engineering activities and experience a tour of the factory.

The staff at Caterpillar were impressed with the positive attitude, maturity and interest that the learners showed on the day.

NEW KEY STAGE 3 REPORTS

7th January 2020D Leighton

In the coming weeks we will be issuing mid-year reports for our Y7-Y9 learners. They will be different to KS3 reports you may have previously received from us.

For the EBacc subjects and Cultural Studies, we will no longer be predicting an end of Y11 GCSE grade: instead, we will report on your child’s current attainment and progress, compared to the rest of their year group. In addition, we will continue to report an attitude to learning grade for every subject.

If you have any questions about the new reports, either now or after you receive the report, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Mr Langley
Assistant Principal

KEPIER SUPPORTS FOOD BANK

19th December 2019D Leighton

Kepier is living up to the motto of ‘Inspire, Challenge and Support’ by working in harmony with Bethany Christian Centre. We were inspired by the work of the Bethany Christian Centre when we saw through Graham Cleland (Youth Leader) how there was a provision of a local food bank for people in the heart of the local community. Graham Cleland highlighted the important work of the Food Bank, an invaluable service offered for the local community. After discussion, we decided to support ongoing work and roll out an appeal for non-perishable food across school with learners, parents and wider family and staff as a challenge to see if we could be of benefit to the ongoing service for the community. The input from Kepier school has opened a new door to positively impact and reach out to some of the most vulnerable families in Houghton-le-Spring.

The next step was the challenge of how we would be able to support sustainability and together we have seen a growth in the opportunity to serve the community. We have, and are, achieving this through monthly ongoing donations of both non-perishable food and money which is gratefully received by all within the school and wider families, this is then given to Bethany Christian Centre whom identifies in partnership with Kepier, families most at need. Kepier and Bethany Christian Centre share the same dream where there is a sustained provision all year around.

The next step was the challenge of how we would be able to support sustainability and together we have seen a growth in the opportunity to serve the community. We have, and are, achieving this through monthly ongoing donations of both non-perishable food and money which is gratefully received by all within the school and wider families, this is then given to Bethany Christian Centre whom identifies in partnership with Kepier, families most at need. Kepier and Bethany Christian Centre share the same dream where there is a sustained provision all year around.

FOOTBALL ACADEMY CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY

16th December 2019D Leighton

Our Football Academy Learners and staff had their annual ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ to help raise funds for a local charity.

This year they chose the local Food Bank and all funds raised will be used to fill a trolley with as much food as possible, to help this worthwhile cause.

NORTHERN SCHOOL OF ART

20th November 2019D Leighton

Learners experienced 3D Design, Graphic Design and Illustration Workshops at The Northern School of Art.These skills would be expected from college level learners. They were all fantastic and enjoyed the whole day.

ABIGAIL’S EQUESTRIAN GLORY!

13th August 2019realsmart admin

Abigail from Year 8 came third in the Winter Series Dressage Competition, held at Leamside Equestrian Centre on Sunday 14th April. Abigail qualified for the competition through her performances during the season. Her achievements are all the more meritorious as her horse, Gunner, is only 4 years old, and was bought and has been trained by Abigail herself. From everyone at Kepier, well done!