23 July 2010

Dear Parents

Another year has passed and I wish to thank the staff who have taught at
Alderbrook over the past year and are moving on to ‘pastures new’, S.
Beadle, R. Begum, J. Comelio, E. Gormally, S. Handcock, M. Hargreaves,
A. Kalinda, T. Jones and J. Woodbridge.

We also like to welcome the following staff who will be joining the school in
September, V.Campbell-Kelly(College PA), D. Chard (SSA),E Wilkinson
McKie (Cover Manager), S Hughes (Library Assistant), (G. Egan (Maths), J.
Swanston (English), H. Walsh ( Spanish), T.Whitehead(ICT). We welcome
back to Alderbrook T.Stent(English), S.Merriman(Science), C.Ross(P.E),
N.Shepherd(Science) and S.Humphreys in the Library.

I would also like to thank all parents who have supported the school and
their children this year. Without your support the school would not be as
successful. Many parents will be preparing for the next academic year
2010/2011 and I wish to take this opportunity to remind pupils and parents
of the uniform code prior to the expense of replacing uniform. There are no
new changes in uniform but can I stress that all girls in years 7,8,9,10
should now be wearing the grey pleated skirt purchased from Early Years
with the embroidered ‘A’ at the waistband. All years must wear a skirt of the
appropriate length (5cm above the knee). Socks need to be plain black, not
grey, and tights either plain black or neutral. Girls and boys should be
wearing formal shoes, not pumps, boots, black trainer type shoes, or those
with Velcro straps. The list of appropriate uniform items is on the school
website.

Pupils sometimes find the organisation of homework and the structure of

their learning difficult. We would be grateful if parents could help the school
in monitoring their son or daughter’s planner to help them achieve their full
potential. The planner is full of very useful information that helps parents
with their child’s learning.

Would parents please not arrange holidays or non-urgent medical

appointments, during school time and stress to their children the
importance of attending and arriving to school punctually. This is an issue
raised by Ofsted at our last inspection in 2009 and it will be one they will
check again at the next inspection. There is a direct and well proven link
between attendance and success at examinations. If you need to contact
school with reference to your child, please contact the relevant College PA.

From 1st September 2010 the school, with exceptions mentioned below,
cannot allow cars to be brought onto the school site to collect children at
the end of the day. This is a Children’s Safeguarding and a Health and
Safety matter. There have been problems this year with buses unable to
turn correctly because of parked cars, near misses of cars and children and
strangers in parked cars that therefore place children and staff at risk. Of
course it is acceptable if there is a medical reason or an emergency to
collect the child, or if we have asked you to collect the child from within the
school grounds. However for Safeguarding reasons nearly all schools now
have ‘bars’ across school entrances to stop cars entering school sites and
for Health and Safety reasons, car parks are located away from where
children congregate and move around. I am sorry but we must insist that
parents/carers adhere to this request.

Grosvenor coaches will be running a service S14 to Solihull via Cheswick

Green (in addition to Claribels) and Monkspath. Payment can be by a
Grosvenor bus pass, a Centro N card or 75p per journey this coach will
unload and load on the school grounds.

Arrangements for Thursday 2nd September are as follows;

08.45 Year 7 and prefects

10.30 Break
10.50 Year 8/9
11.30 Year 10/11
12.15 Lesson 4.

I would like to wish you a restful break and for the pupils to return in
September refreshed and eager to learn.

Yours sincerely

Mr W. Sedgwick
Headteacher