Headteacher Update

April 2023

Unfortunately, I do need to start with a couple of pieces of disappointing news. Firstly, all John Spence students have been banned from Morrisons before and after school following anti-social behaviour that took place on Thursday involving a small number of our students. I find it very saddening that the actions of a small minority have impacted on the majority, but the management of the store are well within their rights to take this action; we have also recommended that they call the police if young people are causing issues for them. It is also upsetting that the behaviour of this small minority can have such a negative impact on the profile of school; we know that the vast majority of our students are considerate and community minded individuals, but this fact will be lost on anyone who witnessed the behaviour outside the store yesterday afternoon. Please do speak to your child about the importance of being considerate to those around them and remember that when the school day ends and 800+ children head home, some people may find this intimidating and this will only be made worse by reckless and inappropriate behaviour.

Secondly, there was an unpleasant incident on the scholars bus yesterday evening before it left where a member of staff was verbally abused by a large number of students who were on board. Whilst there were certainly ringleaders, who will be punished for their behaviour, too many others thought it was funny to join in and taunt this member of staff. Again, if your child gets the scholars bus, please speak to your child about these behaviours and consider the impact that it may have on others.

It is very rare that I have to write about negative incidents in my update because the vast majority of the time our students are respectful, considerate and ambassadors’ for the school; there have been some wonderful example this week.

• We currently have nearly 50 students out on their Duke of Edinburg Bronze expedition (they will be glad it has stopped raining!). These fantastic numbers demonstrate their willingness to get involved in a programme that is demanding, requires resilience and commitment. A core element of the programme is the volunteering unit, which reflects our students understanding of the importance of community.
• Earlier in the week our Lion King cast had a trip to the Sunderland Empire to see…The Lion King. They had an absolutely wonderful time and were a credit to the school. Their commitment to the show and again the fantastic numbers involved show their desire to get involved with opportunities that the school offers.
• Yesterday some of our students with SEN attended a Careers Fair in North Shields. Ms. Haswell reports that our students engaged incredibly well with the exhibitors and gained much from the experience, which will help them to consider what their next steps may be when they leave education and enter the world of work.

There have been an enormous range of opportunities this week, which will be collated and shared in our newsletter later this term

On that note, I wish you all a relaxing, and hopefully slightly warmer, long weekend.

Best wishes
Jonathan