4th June 2020

Dear Parent/Carer,

I hope this letter finds you well and you managed some kind of break last week.

Very sadly during the half-term break, we learned of the tragic murder of George Floyd in America. This terrible event has rightly resulted in public outrage from all four corners of the world. The events which have unfolded over the last week are part of a wider and largely unaddressed issue that has been impacting the lives of Black people and people of colour for generations. Whilst this horrific act occurred in the USA, it has drawn attention to the inequalities in our own country. We have collectively seen the impact of the pandemic on Black Asian and Ethnic Minority groups. The Public Health report, published this week, shows that BAME people have been disproportionally affected by COVID-19.

Equality is something we unapologetically stand for at Stoke Newington School and we want it to be a place where students feel safe and have a voice. SNS Staff stand against racism in all its forms and we acknowledge there is work yet to be done to ensure we eradicate the inequality in society. Our fantastically diverse school body makes us all the richer and is something we celebrate. The fact that some of our community face prejudice simply based on the colour of their skin is abhorrent. Our SNS teachers and support staff work hard to give all our students the best of futures. We strive to develop young people who are equipped not only with excellent academic qualifications, but with the courage and character to call out injustice. We want our students to be proud of who they are, hold their heads up high and live their ambitious dreams. We want them to play a key part in making our society a fair and equitable one.

We send our condolences to the family of George Floyd and we stand in solidarity with our Black families. We know this is a challenging time and we want you to know we are here to support. Please see attached the letter sent to all students today.

Moving on to school matters now, there were further government announcements during half term, on restrictions slowly being eased, and a decision that from June 15th, secondary schools are to provide some contact time for year 10 and year 12 pupils. In preparation for opening our school to more students, we recognise that though it is still a time to be cautious, it is also a time to feel encouraged that we are taking small steps to return to normal. We send our thoughts to those who have suffered as a consequence of the virus and we are hopeful we are over the worst of this pandemic. It will be good for us to have more students on site in a safe and carefully structured way before the summer holidays. It will certainly help to prepare for the start of the new academic year in September.

At the end of last week, the school underwent a deep clean by Zirkon, an external company experienced in cleaning NHS buildings, supermarkets as well as schools. Our first Parent Consultation Group meeting took place this evening via Microsoft Teams. Thank you to those parents involved in the discussion for your openness and helpful feedback. I limited the numbers as we are using an online forum. However, as we received a number of parent requests to join the meeting after the deadline I will conduct another session next week. If you wish to be involved in this consultation please contact my PA, Sophie Preedy, on sop.pre@sns.hackney.sch.uk. *Please note we want to hear from a broad representation of parents/carers from all the students in our community*. To clarify, this consultation group has not been convened to decide whether we open or not, but to better understand parent/carers’ views on reopening and how we can together best prepare for this important chapter for our staff, young people and their families. We will be discussing this with some student representatives, starting with Year 12s, who will be meeting with staff and governors. Staff consultations together with union bodies are also well underway.

I know that the reopening of schools’ debate is a controversial one; there are many conflicting views which adds to the angst. However, we are all agreed that the health and safety of everyone is paramount. This is an emotive subject, but I know that our brilliant community is resilient and strong and together we will navigate this next chapter in the same way we did when school closed for most students. The parents of Year 10 and Year 12 students will be notified about these plans in more detail next week and I will of course update the wider school community in my weekly communication.

At this time of year, we usually prepare for our new Year 7 intake. These summer term meetings with parents and students of Year 6 soon to be joining us will go ahead as planned - albeit virtually - and we are planning an induction week of online events for the week commencing 29th June.

We would also traditionally be marking an important milestone for our Year 11s and Year 13s with celebration assemblies and proms. Please be reassured we are planning to give students a send-off when circumstances allow, we will also ensure we properly celebrate your contribution to SNS over the last few years too as supportive parents and carers.

SNS Home Learning

Curriculum maps for this half-term are now uploaded onto the school website. If you have any questions about a particular subject, please contact the named person for that subject. This information can be found on the curriculum map. Teams Tutor sessions for all year groups are well underway. These sessions help strengthen the sense of belonging to school and an opportunity to discuss topical issues. Please ensure your child attends these sessions.

SNS Home Learning Project

Our ArtWell Workshop continues this week with the Humorous Art theme. We look forward to receiving your submissions via creativeproject@sns.hackney.sch.uk. Thank you to students who have sent in fantastic creations. Well done!

This week is National Volunteer Week, quite timely that we should thank volunteers for all that they have done and continue to do. So, this week’s quote, which sums up so well the mindset of those who volunteer. To all of our volunteers in the SNS community – thank you.

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” —Elizabeth Andrew

Wishing you the very best. Keep well.

Zehra Jaffer

#BlackLivesMatter #Strongertogether #Staysafe