Un au revoir de Mrs Brooks

4 8 11 21 64

My brother often jokes that I have spent my life in education and his joke is perhaps not far from the truth! What is perhaps even more notable is that I have spent virtually all of that time in schools in Lincolnshire apart from brief spells in South and West Yorkshire! My education journey started at the age of 4 in Coningsby in a small school that now houses the community library. That journey is now concluding in another Lincolnshire school, after 27 memorable and fulfilling years at Carre’s.

My father was a Vulcan navigator in the Royal Air Force, so we moved around quite a bit in my primary school years. One little known claim to television fame is that whilst at Coningsby I appeared (briefly) in an Anglian Television documentary on the Blue Steel nuclear deterrent that the Vulcans were armed with in the 60s: The Deliverers.

Thanks to an RAF scheme to fund boarding places for RAF children my secondary education was more stable. I spent seven years as a boarder in Louth, first at Cordeaux High School then transferring in Y10 (4^th year in those days) to King Edward VI Grammar School to do my O and later A Levels. I received a very good education not just academically but also in life. When my father was posted to Cyprus at the end of my first year, I found myself having to travel on my own to Cyprus three times a year. There are some stories from those years that we still talk about. On one occasion I decided (at 12) that I couldn’t go straight back to Louth after our plane was diverted to Manchester due to fog as I had a box of fruit to deliver to friends in London. I ended up being taken under the wing of an American family travelling back to London on the same overcrowded train and along with another Louth student (safety in numbers?) spent the night at their flat. I felt quite proud of my independence; needless to say, my mother and house mistress thought quite differently! On another occasion, in the days before automatic train doors, my sister and I found ourselves running to board a train only to find the first door we opened was the cleaning store. Amazingly, we managed to open the right door and board. Health and safety was just non-existent!

I had always wanted to be a teacher. I think bossing around my four younger siblings gave me a taste for being in charge! So, from Louth I went to the University of Leeds to do a Joint Honours Degree in English and French followed by a PGCE in Secondary Education. I was actually at Leeds when the Yorkshire Ripper was active and can remember them digging up all the bushes around accommodation entrances and telling us we should not go out alone. It was quite a scary time.

As part of my degree, I got to spend a year abroad being paid to be an Assistante in a French school. By the end of the year, I was dreaming in French and had also forged some friendships that are still strong today. One of the things I am looking forward to in retirement is being able to spend more time in France, which I feel is my second home.

After a few years in schools in Lincoln and Newark, I found myself in 1995 at Carre’s for an interview for the part-time post of Teacher of French and Spanish. For some reason I hadn’t really computed it was a boys’ school and was hastily trying to escape in my car, thinking it would be too big a challenge, when the Head at the time ran after me into the car park shouting, Del Monte style, “My Head of Department says, Yes!”

I have never regretted seeing that as a sign that being at Carre’s was meant to be. I have loved working with our boys. They can, of course, be exasperating at times but, they have also been great fun. I have loved the fact that they tend to have quite short memories and are able to quickly move on from a stiff reprimand.

I have held a few posts in my years at Carre’s: Teacher of French, Spanish and occasionally English; Key Stage 3 Manager, Head of Year 7 and latterly as Safeguarding Lead and SENCO. I think it is fair to say that I have derived the most satisfaction from my pastoral and SENCO roles, although I always enjoyed the repartee of the classroom. Along with Matthew Wilson, we introduced and established the Behaviour for Learning system of consequences and the counterbalancing reward assemblies and visits. It has been great to see Heads of Year take on and develop further the pastoral support at Carre’s. It is also good to have a Headteacher who has been prepared to invest in Pastoral Support at Carre’s and as a result, we have a strong team. I believe that our reputation for supportive, individualised pastoral care is well deserved.

As a languages teacher I have had the privilege of leading and accompanying many school trips: France, Spain, the Battlefields of France and Flanders, Berlin and China. I have always enjoyed seeing our students in a different light on these visits and there are many funny and fond memories that will stay with me. These visits can be taken for granted, but I know I wouldn’t have been able to do them without my colleagues being willing to give up their own time and be part of the staff team. I’ve worked with some great teams – thank you to all of you! I will have to find a new use for my trusty Acme Thunderer (my Dad’s old PE whistle), which always went on school trips with me.

I can honestly say, I have never regretted my decision to become a teacher. I went into teaching, because, like the current television advert says, I wanted to make a difference to the life chances of young people. Education provided a way for my own father to escape “going down the pit” and by extension provided myself and siblings with opportunities that have enabled us all to go in to fulfilling careers. For those parents, who over the years, have put pen to paper or finger to keyboard (!) or spoken in person to thank me for supporting your sons – that has meant more to me than any official judgment, and it has been a privilege to be able to make a difference for your family.

And so, my journey in state education draws to a close. I have had a great 40 years and am now looking forward to all the opportunities retirement brings…leisurely mornings, lunching with friends, going on holiday in term time, more time with family, volunteering at church, seeing more of my own country, walking Raffles my cockapoo, gardening… I doubt I’ll be bored, but I will miss you all.

Au revoir et bonne continuation à tous à Carre’s!

Wishing you a very happy retirement Mrs Brooks

Sixth Form Dress Code

The Importance of the Dress Code

Sleaford Joint Sixth Form operates a Sixth Form Dress Code which is both SMART and FORMAL. The appearance, as well as the conduct, of the Sixth Form students who are highly visible around the town contributes substantially to the reputation of SJSF and positively enhances the employability of all students. The visiting speakers, including universities on a national scale, never fail to be impressed by the smart appearance and mature conduct of our students. The dress code therefore, directly contributes to our destination success rates being well above the national average and in direct contrast to less formal Post 16 providers. Sixth Form students are also role models for the younger students, in the same way that staff are.

The Dress Code

The core characteristics of our dress code are smart and formal. Items of casual clothing, even smart casual, are not smart enough.

Students may choose to wear:

Smart, formal suit with shirt and tie
Students based at Carre’s are required to wear the Carre’s Grammar School tie
Smart, formal jacket, skirt/trousers and blouse/top
Smart, formal jacket and dress
Smart, formal footwear
In colder weather, a smart jumper or cardigan may be worn under the jacket, but not instead of
If a coat is worn, it is as well as, not instead of, the jacket
The SJSF purple lanyard, provided by the base school, must be worn at all times.

Further guidance

In the case of skirts/dresses, the length must be at least mid-thigh at all times
In the case of blouses/tops, no strappy tops, sheer fabric or bare midriffs are allowed
Clothing should not have logos or slogans
Appropriate smart shoes should be worn. Shoes with excessively high heels, trainers, canvas shoes, open-toe footwear and other casual footwear should not be worn
Students are allowed to wear subtle jewellery. Facial piercings, with the exception of one small nose stud, are not permitted
Tattoos should not be visible and hair should show no extremes of style/fashion; if dyed, it should reflect a natural colour
If a student loses their lanyard, the base school will replace it the first time. Any further replacements will be charged for

Students on certain practical courses will have course-specific clothing – please see course leaders for more details.

The Head of Sixth Form or Headteacher reserves the right to make a decision about the suitability of a student’s dress. Students may be sent home if their dress is considered unsuitable.

Notices

Free School Meals

Get extra funding for your school

If you receive any benefits, you should tell your school as they can get extra funding called the Pupil Premium grant. This includes:

Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of state Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more £16,190)
Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

Children who get paid these benefits directly can also get free school meals.

Contact the free school meals team

Telephone: 01522 782030

www.lincolnshire.gov.uk

Absences from School

If your son/daughter is going to be absent from school due to illness/medical appointments etc, please email enquiries@carres.uk to inform the office.

For planned absences due to family events etc, please complete the Leave of Absence Request which can be found on our website www.carres.uk - Parents - Forms - Leave of Absence Request. This can then be emailed to enquiries@carres.uk

Uniform Borrowed from The Office

If your son has borrowed a shirt/tie/blazer/socks or trousers from the school office, we would be grateful if they could be returned. We rely on a small supply of uniform that we can lend out to students but with so many items not returned, we are running low on what we can lend.

If you have any good quality school shoes/football boots or trainers that you are willing to donate, we would be grateful to receive them.

School Lunch Money

Please ensure you remember to top up your son/daughter's lunch account before returning to school in September. We are introducing a new cashless system in the Chill over the summer and this does not have the facility to allow overdrafts. It is, therefore, extremely important that your son/daughter has sufficient funds on their account. Thank you.

PE Kit

We have many unclaimed items of PE kit/coats/school uniform/water bottles/shoes/trainers in lost property. Following the lost property amnesty, all these items will be disposed of or sent to charity.

Please ensure all property is labelled so anything that is lost can be returned to the students.

Parent/Carer Cars on Site

For safety reasons, only staff and visitor cars are allowed on site during the day. We would ask that you do not drop your son/daughter off in the school car park at the beginning or end of the day unless you are collecting a poorly student.

Wishing you all a relaxing and enjoyable summer break.

See you in September

A message from Lincolnshire Police

2022 Summer Safety Message

In my role as your local Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant, I wrote to all parents before the beginning of last year’s summer holidays to talk briefly about safety and anti-social behaviour. I wanted to take the opportunity before the end of this school year to reach out and appeal to you again.

I will start by impressing upon you as strongly as I can, that in Sleaford and its surrounding villages we are fortunate enough to live in an extremely safe town, with low levels of crime and a safe environment for our children. I say “our” children because I live and raise my children in Sleaford also, and so I am as invested in this town and it being a safe place for families as any other parent. The policing team here at Sleaford will be visible and patrolling proactively during the summer. Please if you see anything locally which concerns you, or you think we should be aware of, contact the team and tell us.

We have seen some instances and complaints of anti-social behaviour involving school children in Sleaford in recent months. This has mostly affected local business owners in the town centre. I know full well that the vast majority of children in Sleaford do behave appropriately and the numbers of those who cause genuine issues is small. I do not in sending this letter, tar all children with the same brush. My appeal to you however is the same as last year. Please make sure you keep communicating with your children and talk to them about keeping themselves safe and out of trouble. This includes not just anti-social behaviour but also sound advice about playing on building or derelict sites, railway lines, open bodies of water or main roads. We still attend incidents over the summer months when children put themselves in risky situations such as this, and I am determined to see that none of them come to harm. Now in the modern age of social media, sensible advice and monitoring to keep our children safe online is also important. Please, to the best of your abilities during the holidays, know where your children are, which friends they are with and what they are doing. Please agree a sensible curfew so you, and they, know what time they should be home.

My wish is for everyone in the Sleaford area to enjoy the holidays safely and free from concern. I also want to remind you again, as last year, that Sleaford Police will be providing a 24/7 policing service as normal throughout the summer, and we will be out on patrol. Please raise issues or concerns to us direct to the neighbourhood policing team, by calling on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

S MUMBY-CROFT

Sgt 409 Mumby-Croft

Lincolnshire Police, Neighbourhood Police Team, Sleaford Sector

Sleaford Police Station, The Hoplands, Sleaford NG 34 7LZ

www.lincs.police.uk

01522 532222 (Ext 3820) 07788 855511 Stuart.Mumby-Croft@lincs.pnn.police.uk

July 2022

Results_Day_Support_Get_The_Jump_Digital_version.pdf (mcusercontent.com)

Get the Jump: explore your education and training choices | National Careers Service

2022 / 2023

Term Dates

Bank Holidays

Closed for Staff Training Days

All Term Dates are available on the school website - under Term Dates at the very top of the Home page.

Parents' Consultations

Year 7 Wednesday 14 June 2023

Year 8 Thursday 22 June 2023

Year 9 Wednesday 7 December 2022

Year 10 Thursday 9 March 2023

Year 11 Thursday 2 February 2023

Year 12 Wednesday 4 January 2023

Year 13 Wednesday 23 November 2022

Un au revoir de Mrs Brooks

Au revoir et bonne continuation à tous à Carre’s!

Wishing you a very happy retirement Mrs Brooks

Hi I’m Alex, the new Fitness Manager at Carre’s

Sports Day 2022

The RCT Swimming Gala Team

The gala was against Stamford School.

Well done to all participants.

The Tri-School Kidlit 2022

They all did a great job - well done.

Year 10 History trip to Roman Lincoln

Well done to our Year 10 history students!

Students in Posterngate

Roman soldiers in the museum

Holding a Roman tile showing a dog print

‘Into the Arab World’ Competition

Thank you RAF Cranwell.

Harry Potter Reward Trip

Mischief managed!

Mrs Brooks and Mr Fisher take a ride on a broomstick!

The Honours Board has been updated, with Meera and Angus (current team below) added to the list of those who have held the position in the past.

A-Level Biology Field Work

Sixth Form Dress Code

The Importance of the Dress Code

The Dress Code

Further guidance

Dr Caroline Johnson, MP visited recently to speak with the Senior Prefects from Carre’s, KSHS and St George’s.

The students appreciated the opportunity to discuss lots of topical issues and to gain an insight into political decision-making.

Year 12 Work Experience Week - 18 - 22 July 2022

Some of the placements our Year 12 students have secured this year.

Jaguar Land Rover Retail Apprenticeships

Find Out More and Apply

Engineering Development Trust

www.etrust.org.uk

Staff and Students dressed in rainbow colours to celebrate Pride Month. £560 was raised for the nominated charities from a non-uniform day and sale of cakes.

Student Barnaby, Year 8, (front row second from left) is part of the England Under 15 fishing team and is off to Slovenia this summer to take part in the world championships on the River Sava.

Good luck to all the Teams taking part in the competition.

Henry Whitelaw in 8C and his sister entered a local cake competition for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

They both won prizes (the medal). Henry's is the Queen Union Jack cake.

Super cakes - well done to Henry and his sister

Staff Pottery Painting Café

Thank you, Jo, we had a fantastic time - taking us back to our own school days and pottery classes!