News Blog

15/11/22

Festival of Inclusion

On Monday 14th November 2022, some of our student had the opportunity to take part in the ‘Festival of Inclusion’ at the university of East London. During the day our students were able to go on a tour of the universities Stratford campus. The Stratford Campus is home to the School of Education and Communities and the Centre for Clinical Education in Podiatry, Physiotherapy and Sports Science. The students enjoyed experiencing the atmosphere of a typical day at university. In the afternoon, our students presented their feelings on special needs inclusion to a cohort of 200 trainee teachers. Our students were joined by students from two other schools. One who spoke about ethnicity and religion being represented correctly in the curriculum and the other discussing how to stretch more able students. All the presentations were well received by the trainee teachers and provided vital feedback from the students about how to best teach them. After the presentations the trainee teachers were able to meet with the students in the gallery for informal conversations, during this time students were able to confidently discuss their school experiences. In a response to the student presentations the trainee teachers were each ask to make a small visual tile which represented what they had learnt from the visiting children. The tiles will be combined into a piece of commissioned 3D art, which will be displayed in the campus grounds as a permanent reminder of the ‘festival of Inclusion’. We can’t wait to go back to see the piece of art, which we inspired!
10/11/22

Remembering Jason Matthews

Today, 10th November 2022, staff and pupils who were close friends of Jason attended the celebration of life service and burial of Jason at Bowers Gifford. At school, pupils and staff also remembered Jason Matthews with a 2 minutes silence and the service for Jason was also attended on-line by pupils and staff who wished to pay their respects. Jason was a remarkable young man. He was a dedicated and committed pupil who had a vision of joining the medical profession as a doctor. We have no doubt that he would have achieved that ambition and was already making his mark in the school as a role model, School Council Representative and all round excellent pupil. He was an aspirational and motivated young man who was always going to be a top contender for head prefect and further success. As well as his amazingly high achievement scores, Jason was a unique person who was well-liked and respected by both staff and pupils. The book of condolences, written in by so many staff and pupils, continuously mentioned his bright smile and friendliness. His positivity rubbed off on others; he had a character which was caring and kind; his sense of humour made him fun to be with. Jason was described as a confident, caring and kind friend who will be very much missed by his form group, 10W1, as well as his classmates, staff and the wider community of St Clere’s. We were fortunate to have him as our pupil in our school. Our thoughts are with Jason’s family and friends as we all remember this bright, shining, clever young gentleman who will always have a place in our hearts.
1/04/21

Abuse in Education - NSPCC Helpline

Sexual abuse in any form is unacceptable. Following the concerning reports provided to the Everyone’s Invited website, detailing incidents of sexual assault in schools and colleges, the Government is taking immediate steps to support to those affected and ensure all schools are safe places. The Government is working with the NSPCC to launch a dedicated helpline for victims of sexual abuse to provide support and guidance. The dedicated NSPCC Helpline - Report Abuse in Education – launched today (Thursday 1 April) and can be contacted by phone on 0800 136 663, or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. Here’s what you need to know about the helpline.   Who is the helpline for? The new dedicated helpline will open from today to children, young people and adult victims of sexual abuse. The helpline will be run by the NSPCC and will provide victims of abuse with the appropriate support, advice and onward action, including on contacting professionals or the police if they wish. The helpline will also provide support to parents and professionals too. Everyone’s Invited, a place where victims are encouraged to record their experiences of sexual assault and abuse, will also signpost to the helpline from their website.   What will happen to the information that the helpline receives? We want victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing everything will be done to bring offenders to justice. The NSPCC will provide support to those who are reporting abuse and signpost and advise on services available, including contacting the police if needed. Operation Hydrant, the coordination hub delivering the national policing response, oversight, and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations, will pass on any police referrals made through the helpline, asking local forces to investigate serious allegations.   Is the helpline just for school age pupils? No. It is open for people of all ages.   Is this just for incidents that happen in schools? No. As a Government we are determined to improve outcomes for victims and survivors of all ages and backgrounds, both outside and inside educational settings. The Government published its Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy in January. It aims to help local areas to improve their response to exploitation with Home Office funding for The Children’s Society’s Prevention Programme. It will help victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to rebuild their lives by boosting investment in specialist sexual violence support services delivered by the voluntary sector, as well as support for victims and survivors through the court process with the new and revised Victim’s Code and consultation on a Victims’ Law.