I am really proud of the work we do around wellbeing as a school. This includes teaching students that a low level of anxiety is a normal part of typical life experience, and that recognising it is healthy. In school, that might mean something like thinking about what questions might come up in an assessment. That is why we try to develop resilience in our young people by emphasising the importance of ideas like how connecting with others is good for us, and that taking notice of how we are feeling is healthy.

When I walked around tutor time on Tuesday morning, I saw different year groups taking part in our wellbeing course. In Year 8, students were practising the skills of mindfulness, being aware of the present rather than thinking about things from the past or in the future. In Year 7, students were reflecting on themselves and understanding different ways we can deal with worries. At the end of the session, students wrote down what they had learned. For example, one student wrote, “Breathing in and out carefully” could help in a worry-provoking situation and another described a situation where they felt peaceful and calm, “When I am in bed and all my homework is finished on time.”

Alongside our PSHE programme, I hope this wellbeing course supports our young people in several ways. Firstly, that they understand their feelings, are able to identify them, and then that they appreciate that we can do things that help. By understanding the ‘Big Five’ (Connect; Keep Learning; Be Active; Give; and Take Notice) we can all be as positive as possible. I am delighted that we make space in our teaching day for this content and was very impressed with the maturity that our students show when engaging with these ideas.

Harvest Festival donations

One of our ‘Big Five’ wellbeing ideas is the importance of giving. As a school, we believe that it is part of our community's responsibility to support others, but also that – brilliantly – giving also makes the person feel positive about themselves. 

After we packed up the minibus before half term, we knew we had some very generous donations, but the Sutton Food Bank weighed our contribution. The Greenshaw donation came in at a whopping 391kg of food (and other goods), the equivalent of a week’s food parcel for 18 families. Thank you for your kindness – it will be making a difference even now.

Students of the Week

This week’s great people are listed below. Congratulations to each of our stars of the week for their hard work, community endeavours and support of others. Well done all!

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9	Year 10	Year 11	Sixth Form
Adonis	Tamara	tbc	Molly	Thea	tbc

Curriculum enhancement days – 3rd April, 15th and 17th July 2025

We are writing to families early next week about our curriculum enhancement days. For those families that have joined us this year, this is when we take learning outside the classroom. Sometimes this is on our site (for example, a professional theatre group, or public speaking workshop) or off site (going to the coast, or attending a museum).

Although the first day is not happening until the end of the spring term (Thursday 3rd April, 2025) we wanted to give families several months of notice. We do ask for a contribution to some of these activities, particularly where there are transport and facility hire costs, and would want to allow families to plan for this in advance. Please see next week’s letter for more information.

Christmas Fair

We are excited to invite you to our annual Christmas Fair, taking place on Tuesday, 17th December, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Greenshaw High School.

This festive event is free to attend and open to everyone. Join us for an evening filled with holiday cheer, including:

• Delicious food and refreshments
• Fun games and activities
• Craft stalls featuring handmade treasures

More details will follow, but please save the date in your diaries. In the meantime, I wish you all a restful and relaxing weekend.

Mr N House, Headteacher