Dear Parents and Carers,

During this half-term break, I wanted to write to you in order to share some important information regarding school life here at All Saints’. You will notice as you read the letter that there are a number of different sections and topics which have been included into one document which I hope you will find easier to read and digest. Please may I remind you that a parent bulletin is sent out to you every week which is also a very useful source of information.

In terms of the vitally important Catholic Life here at All Saints’, I am delighted to inform you that Luke Potter and Clare Lund have very much settled into their new role as the School’s Chaplains. So many activities and events have taken place during the first half of the Advent term which truly celebrate our strong Catholic identity and ethos. Clare and Luke work in close liaison with myself and other Senior Leaders to support with the following; fund-raising (Macmillan Coffee morning and Harvest Festival), Liturgical prayers, Masses, the Year 9 Retreat day, participation at the Synod event in Lincoln and our celebration of Mass for the whole cohort of Year 7 students. We are extremely grateful for their hard work and commitment!

May I remind you that the School is in the process of recruiting a new Parent Governor to our Local Governing Body. You will be informed and updated of the outcome of the election process after the half-term break.

As you know the Health and Safety of your child is of paramount importance to us all here at All Saints’. Unfortunately, I remain extremely concerned by the parking habits of some parents who continually park opposite the front entrance of the school or extremely near to the front school gates. Furthermore, some parents use the front of school as a turning circle or choose to enter the school site to pick up their child. There are a small number of parents who have permission to enter the school site, however we have a large number of school buses that access the grounds to pick up and drop off children which is why we cannot allow parents and carers to arbitrarily enter the school site. May I ask for your cooperation to drive and park safely and thoughtfully near the school grounds.

During the last two weeks, all members of the Senior Leadership Team and the Sixth Form Pastoral Team have carried out Sixth Form interviews for our Year 11 students. We have received a large number of applications this year, however if your child is considering post-16 studies in the All Saints’ Sixth Form and has not applied, please remind them to complete an application form which is available via the school’s website. Equally, if your son/daughter has any questions about life in the Sixth Form, please encourage them to speak to their Form Tutor who will direct them to the appropriate colleagues.

Aspens provide an excellent catering service for all members of our community including a breakfast, break time and lunch time service. Students are able to purchase food and drinks using their own card. I must bring to your attention the necessity to ensure that money is placed on to your child’s card in a timely fashion. We have had a number of occasions where children have not had money available on their dinner card in order to purchase a school meal. Of course, we will ensure that all children are provided with a meal or a drink, however it is important that their cards are ‘topped up’ as and when required and it is important that they bring their cards to school every day. If you are experiencing financial difficulties at the moment, please do not hesitate to contact the school as we will always provide, support, advice and guidance on an individual basis.

In terms of preparing for the upcoming mock examinations which will begin the week commencing 7th November (6th is an INSET day), I would like to commend the response from Year 11 students who were selected to take part in additional intervention sessions. Teachers have made many positive comments about their positive approach and demeanour during these lessons and it has been extremely heartening to witness the large numbers of children who have actively engaged with these vitally important sessions on a daily basis.

Our PE department coordinate and deliver a rich and varied programme of extra-curricular activities both during lunchtimes and after school. Once more, the number of children who are taking part in these events has increased significantly which not only supports their physical health but also helps to boost their mental health and well-being. The children are able to find out which activities are available via the student bulletin or the screens which are located around the school. Please do encourage your child to take part in an activity and of course our homework club is open to all students after school in the library.

Finally, as we prepare for Advent, we open our hearts and minds to celebrate this most wonderful season in the Liturgical calendar.

Thank you once again for your continuous support and I hope you are all having a restful and enjoyable half-term break.

My very best wishes to you all.

Yours sincerely,

Carlo Cuomo

Headteacher

On Thursday 19^th October 2023, the Hub Chaplains, along with school staff, took students to the Trust Synod Event at the Alive Church in Lincoln. It was an excellent opportunity to participate in the Synodal process, mirroring the discussions that Pope Francis and all of the clergy in Rome and around the world are partaking in at present. Students from All Saints’ and all the schools in our De La Salle Hub were outstanding ambassadors, who spoke well in small groups, led and took part in liturgical prayer, and shared their voices in developing the vision of the Church. Our thanks to all who prepared and took part in the day, which is hoped to become an annual event.

Dear Parent/Carer,

We will be taking Year 7 to celebrate Mass as a whole year group on Friday 13^th October. The Mass will take place during school time, on Friday morning. Supported by the RE team, staff and sixth form stewards, we will walk students to church and back and they will return in time for Period 3. Access arrangements have been made for those requiring support.

It’s a great opportunity for the year group to begin their school journey at All Saints’, by embracing the Catholic Life and Mission of our school and the parish to which we belong. We will also be providing a commentary throughout the Mass, to develop students’ understanding of this Eucharistic Liturgy.

Thank you for your continued support and please don’t hesitate to get in touch, should you have any questions.

Yours sincerely,

Clare Lund and Luke Potter
De La Salle Hub Lay Chaplains

We are pleased to announce that we have two vacancies for Parent Governor at All Saints’ Academy.

This is an exciting opportunity for you to join our Local Governing Body and play a key role by contributing to the life and work of your child’s academy.

Successful candidates will be a vital part of driving improvement and excellence within All Saints’.

Please read the attached letter for further information and send your nominations to school by Friday 20^th October.

Parent Gov Elections Letter To Parents

Parent Governor Elections Nomination Form

Year 11 students will be receiving letters on Tuesday, 3^rd October about the subject support sessions running for a fortnight from 9^th October to 20^th October. The support sessions will take place until 4.30pm each day and most Year 11 students will have been allocated to at least one of the sessions. As the support sessions will provide subject-specific revision guidance in the run up to the November mock examinations, we hope we have your support in encouraging your child to fully engage with the sessions. Some students will have been allocated to sessions on a number of afternoons, however this will only be for the two-week period in the run-up to October half-term.

Year groups 7 – 11 Nasal Spray Flu Immunisation – Tuesday 10 October 2023

Years groups 7 – 11 are being offered the Nasal Spray Flu Vaccination in school on Tuesday 10 October 2023.

To register your e-consent please visit: https://nhsimms.azurewebsites.net/session/95b84099

The link is now open and will close on Tuesday 3 October 2023 for clinical triage.

Attached is the NHS booklet giving full details of the flu immunisations.

Flu Secondary School

Dear Parents and carers,
Welcome back to the new Academic year 2023/2024. As we are now a week into the new term, I wanted to write to you in order to share some important information regarding school life here at All Saints’. You will notice as you read the letter that there are a number of different sections and topics which have been included into one document which I hope you will find easier to read and digest. Please may I remind you that a parent bulletin is sent out to you every week which is also a very useful source of information.
In terms of the vitally important Catholic Life here at All Saints’, I am delighted to inform you that we have two new Chaplains that will be working with us this year. Luke Potter and Clare Lund were recently appointed and both colleagues have a longstanding connection and history with All Saints’. Both Luke and Clare attended All Saints’ as students and you may also be aware that Clare was a teacher at St Patrick’s, one of our Partner Primary Schools. Both of our Chaplains have some new and exciting ideas as to how to further inspire our children both spiritually and morally.
Over the summer, a small amount of building work took place including the installation of a new Science block roof. Our site team have worked extremely hard decorating many internal areas of the School too and I am sure that the students will notice a much brighter environment in many internal areas.
A letter regarding our student uniform expectations was sent to you in July however, may I remind you that the current school uniform policy is as follows:
As mentioned, All Saints’ sets the highest standards for our community and an integral part of this is student uniform and appearance. We feel it is vital that students look smart and ready to learn. Visitors to our school regularly comment on how exemplary our students look in their uniform and this helps hold our students in high esteem in the local community.
The uniform policy remains in place, but there are some updates to the policy that we would like to draw your attention to:
• Black school trousers should be full length, with dark socks (no trainer socks).
• No rings, bracelets or necklaces are allowed.
• A Crucifix or Cross can be worn under the shirt. The Crucifix / Cross should be no more than 2cm in length and on a fine chain.
Secondly, we would like to reiterate the expectations regarding the days when students arrive in PE uniform. Students should ensure that the PE uniform is worn as smartly as the full school uniform. Students are still representing All Saints’ when wearing this attire. This includes:
• Black tracksuit bottoms or leggings (not jogging bottom material).
• The tracksuit bottoms/leggings must be plain. (No different colours / no patterns / no stripes / no mesh or vent panels in leggings. Only one small logo no wider than 5cm).
• Black hoodie with the school logo.
• Students are able to wear knee length cycling shorts or loose shorts for PE lessons, however they must wear leggings and track suit bottoms over the top when in class and around school.
“Leaders have high expectations of all. Pupils, including Sixth Form students, respond well to this
challenge. They are determined to succeed.”
We would also welcome any uniform that no longer fits being handed in to reception for our second-hand provision. This will allow us to support families facing financial difficulties.
Please note that students must not be dropped off at school before 8.15am as there will be no staff to supervise them. Breakfast is available from 8.15am every morning from the canteen for a small charge.
Payment/ID cards – please remind your child to bring in their payment card each day to avoid delays in the canteen. Students must have these cards ready when queuing to purchase food and we recommend they keep them in their school bags rather than in their blazer pocket to avoid forgetting them on PE days. If your child has lost or damaged their card then they must go to the IT office asap to get a replacement one for £1.
On the school’s website, you will find information on a variety of topics (as mentioned), ranging from school uniform to attendance. In addition, there is the Behaviour for Learning Policy and one change this academic year is the introduction of a separate Mobile Phone and Smart Technology Policy. We firmly believe that a policy preventing the use of mobile phones and smart technology is the best way for All Saints’ Catholic Academy to eliminate the disruption that mobile phones and smart technology can cause. For students in Year 11 or below mobile phones should not be used, seen or heard at any point, anywhere on the school site. Taking feedback on board from students and parents/carers, we have created a graduated response to mobile phones which are seen or heard in school. The policy takes into account the different scenarios which could occur and students have been told about these changes in assemblies. For full information please see the policy section of the school website. Wellbeing – We will be sharing tips to support both your own and young people’s mental health and wellbeing throughout this academic year. Please remember that the link on our website is: Wellbeing – All Saints’ Catholic Voluntary Academy – Mansfield. In addition, if you have any questions or specific concerns regarding your child’s wellbeing then please email the address: wellbeing@allsaints.notts.sch.uk. Careers update – Each week we will share information regarding various aspects of our careers provision, through the parent bulletin. This year we continue to work with Progress Careers (Home | All Saints (progress-education.org.uk) and also Unifrog – The Universal destinations platform, (Unifrog – The universal destinations platform.). You can also visit our school website: Careers – All Saints’ Catholic Voluntary Academy – Mansfield. Finally, I thought that it was important for us to share the many examination successes over the summer. Students both at GCSE and A’level performed extremely well, exceeding not only our expectations but in every key area achieving stronger results than 2019. Three students have secured a place at Cambridge University and GCSE students exceeded the National averages in all key measures. We must remember that this cohort of students suffered from a huge amount of disruption during the terrible Covid Pandemic and the Government decided that 2023 examinations would return to pre-pandemic expectations and regulations. We are enormously proud of their efforts and achievements! I think it’s also important to recognise the enormous hard work, determination and unrelenting commitment demonstrated to these young people by our teaching and support staff. I know that many of my colleagues were delighted by the results achieved this summer.
We will soon be preparing for Advent where we will open our hearts and minds to celebrate this most wonderful season in the Liturgical calendar. Thank you once again for your continuous support.
My very best wishes to you all.

Yours sincerely,

Carlo Cuomo
Head Teacher

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