February 2017web

Poole Grammar School
newsletter
February 2017

HEADTEACHER
Dear Parents/Carers,
We have reached the halfway point of the school year, and it really feels that we
are getting close to the ‘business end’ – preparing for examinations, choosing
options, and planning for next year. Year 11 have just completed their mock
exams. These give the boys (and us) some very useful information that helps
us plan for the remaining months of curriculum time. Most subjects use a
recent past paper and use exam board mark schemes – so what the result
the student is what they would have got had they delivered the same in the
final exam. It tells them which areas of knowledge they are lacking (which should drive
their revision plans), and how their technique in answering questions fared (which should lead to
more practicing of questions). They will get lots of advice from us – mainly through subject staff – but
only they can actually deliver the goods in May/June. There is no substitute for learning, through
concentrated effort and a preparedness to practice good routines. The more active the revision, the
better. And having a revision timetable that is driven by areas that need consolidation is vital – it also
makes the student feel they are getting somewhere and creates a positive mindset.
We recently held an A level Taster Day where Year 11 students were able to experience an A level style
lesson in their preferred subjects as well as to talk with current sixth formers. This, coupled with the
Sixth Form Subjects Evening, aimed to provide students with good advice as to which subjects will
suit their aptitudes, interests and career aspirations. The same applies to transition into GCSE, and
choosing University courses and jobs, where getting up to date information and preferably some direct
experience can help us make effective choices.
We were delighted that so many of you were able to attend the sessions on our new assessment and
tracking systems, We didn’t know how many people to expect, and were pleased with the turnout and
with the excellent questions from the audience. We are mindful that our students need to have high
expectations, but at the same time see their time in education as stimulating and with due weight given
to broader educational outcomes as well as excellent GCSE grades. I am sure many of you will have
looked at the Performance Tables – we are very pleased with our Progress 8 figure of 0.31, which puts
us well above the national average and means that our students achieved, on average, over half a grade
better in each of their subjects as the national average. But I am also very pleased to see so many boys
taking part in sport, music and drama as well as pursuing their enthusiasm for art, technology, chess,
wargaming and so on.
Finally, on to fairer funding. I really appreciate the large number of parents who have taken the trouble
to write to local MPs and education ministers about what we see as an unfair proposal. Essentially, we
feel that the part of the proposed formula that is attached to each individual student is too low for us to
be able to deliver a high quality properly resourced education. We would like to see a higher proportion
– nearer 80% than the proposed 72% - devoted to the ‘per pupil’ element of the formula. There is a
consultation open until 22 March, and parents/carers may like to contribute to that. The link is https://
consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schools-national-funding-formula2/
Can I also take this opportunity to thank those of you that have contributed to the work we do through
donations. We do use this valuable resource to enrich the education of your sons, and whatever you
are able to contribute is put to very good use.
With best wishes for a safe and enjoyable half term break,
A.J. Baker
Headteacher

Headteacher’s Notices
Saturday Morning Detentions!
We will be holding a detention on Saturday morning once per
half term. This is for those students who have persistently failed
to meet our expectations in terms of behaviour and completing
work. They will run from 9.30 – 12.00, and students will be
expected to attend in school uniform The first will be held on
Saturday 11 March. As with all such sanctions, students do
not have to attend – they just need to maintain their workrate,
cooperate with their teachers and behave in a way conducive
to the community values of Poole Grammar. Parents will be
informed by letter when their son is required to attend.
We are also requiring students to undertake written tasks during
other detentions. These are designed to make students reflect
on their behaviour, and consider other ways they could have
acted in a particular situation. The aim of this is to make sure
students consider the wider implications of their behaviour, and
hopefully do not behave in a negative fashion in future.
I must say that the number of students who find themselves in
school detentions – either after school or during lunchtimes – is
small for the size of school. It is the only place I have worked
where students thank me or my colleagues at the end of the
detention!
AJB
Absence Reporting
Would all parents please ring the office or complete the Report
An Absence form on the School website by 0900hrs on any day
that your son is absent. This means that we can account
for him in the registration process and have an accurate list of
pupils in school and who will be absent, as soon as possible and
not have to phone to find out why a pupil is away. This enables
us to ensure any evacuation that had to take place by Period 1
can be done with the confidence of knowing who is present and
not just delayed / late. Many thanks for your co-operation.
Telephone: 01202 692132
Message: www.poolegrammar.com - Report An Absence
Sickness Bugs
AJB
In our on-going fight against sickness bugs, we have been
advised by the School Nurse for the Borough of Poole, that any
boy who has been sick should be given 48 hours grace after his
last bout of sickness before you send him back to school.
We have had several boys taken ill recently who had been
sick before coming into school and they are consequently still
infectious. So please take the precautionary route over these
vomiting bugs so that other members of the school community
are not exposed unnecessarily. Your help in this matter is much
appreciated.
AJB
New Parent Governors
Following the recent Parent Governor election process, votes
cast have meant that Mr Jay Rana, Mr Stephen Morris, and Mrs
Catherine Churches have been elected onto the Full Governing
Body at Poole Grammar. Thank you to all the candidates who
put their names forward as part of the election process.
School Travel Plan
Snow Closure Procedures
JRTS
As part of the revised school travel plan reflecting the increased
numbers of pupils and staff on site we have made several
changes – just reinforcing what we have been saying in previous
school newsletters:-
• There will be no parent cars on site between 3.15 and
4.00. Please don’t put either us or yourselves in the
embarrassing position of having to ask you to remove
your vehicle from the site.
• There will be no Sixth Form parking on site except for
prefects.
Our risk assessment makes these measures are necessary to
reduce the risk of accidents, particularly at the end of the day
when 1200 young people are exiting a congested site from 3.30
to 3.45 by bus, cycle and walking. By not having parent cars on
site that reduces the number of vehicles on site considerably
and so makes it a safer site. Please arrange to meet your son off
site if travelling by car, ideally in Steepleton Road or Tollerford
Road or further afield, e.g. the ASDA car park as that will
encourage him to walk and remove cars from the site. Can I
thank you in advance for you co-operation on this matter.
AJB
If the school should have to close for snow or any other
reason out of our control, the school will endeavour to have
an appropriate message on its website and social media feeds
by 0630am. This is to allow time for consultation with bus
companies as they to some extent will determine our position
over closure if they are not running.
If the decision is taken to close the school during the day a
message will be posted on the website and social media feeds,
pupils will be asked to contact their parents if possible, and
then will be gathered in the hall until they are collected or can
make their own way home, if conditions are safe. We are very
much at the mercy of the bus companies as they will tell the
school if they are coming to collect pupils and we cannot take
the risk of not allowing pupils to go home even if conditions
from the school’s perspective do not warrant closing. I hope
we will not be put in this position this year and this note gives
you a reminder of what we would do in the event of a closure.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any
concerns.
AJB

Geography News
Britain’s Got Talent. It’s true. Our Year 7 pupils will tell you
that we do more than just eat Fish and Chips in the rain. They
have been exploring the natural and human characteristics
that create the British Identity and stick us firmly on the map.
They will shortly be exploring sustainable settlements so
make sure you have your energy saving lightbulbs firmly stuck
in before they do their sustainable home surveys!
Following a tour through the rainforests and a slide through
cold environments Year 8 are now back on solid and perhaps
more familiar ground of mapping skills. The interpretation
and manipulation of this media will feature throughout the
geography journey (and into the real world) so it is important
to get it right at this stage. Our pupils will shortly be designing
their own ‘Fantasy Island’ using their honed skills.
On a more global scale Year 9 have completed their unit about
Globalisation and are now informed consumers who should
realise the power they wield and impact they can have not
only upon business but on workers around the globe. They
step into our Weather and Climate unit and should soon be
able to tell you why it’s not so bad to live in our rainy land
considering the alternatives of droughts, thundersnow,
cyclones, heatwaves and flooding (…oh, wait). Weather and
climate affects us all and aside from preparing, predicting
and protecting ourselves from its various hazards we should
also be exploring links between our actions on Earth and the
resulting climatic changes.
Year 10 are our first pupils through the new GCSE course.
Glacial Landscapes, Rainforests and Urban Issues have been
explored with enthusiasm and although this is quite a step up
in tempo form Year 9 level of work our boys are holding their
own. Desert Environments and Resource Management just
around the corner!
Year 11 have noticed the clock is indeed ticking and they will
have completed their course before they know it. The mock
exams were tough and some pupils will need to take this as a
wakeup call to the challenges in June. Revision is paramount
and a failure to prepare means to prepare to fail (as they say).
Those that were creating effective revision resources have
already lessened the pressure of exam preparation prior to
the real thing and will be expecting to meet challenge grades
in due course.
KS5 students are facing challenges about Coasts, Making
Places, Weather and Globalisation. At this level the
background reading and information brought back into
classes is the key to success. Our boys generally realise this
and are becoming more able at independent work and selforganisation.
Year 13 are close to the end of their course and
will begin revision before too long whilst some of our Year 12
pupils will sitting the AS exams. Year 12 will be conducting
fieldwork around Poole trying to establish a sense of place
through the eyes of different people and gathering data to
analyse back in lessons.
Mr Syms
Acting Head of Geography
Music Department News
We welcome this term Miss Saracino, who has taken on the
day to day administration of the Music Tuition during the
absence of Mrs Twycross. Please contact her with any queries
regarding the timetabling of Music Tuition. Ms Straw oversees
arrangements for Music Tuition and will be your point of
contact if there are any other issues or for those wishing to
start or stop lessons.
The PGS Music Ensembles continue to meet regularly her each
week, with the committed involvement of many students.
We look forward to presenting our next showcases on two
occasions later this term; please join us for the following
events.
Friday 10th March at 7.00pm
PSA Musical Supper Evening & Murder Mystery
Featuring the Jazz Band, Big Band, Saxophone Ensemble
Thursday 16th March at 7.30pm
Spring Concert
Featuring the Concert Band, Orchestra, Voices, Percussion
Ensembles
If you have a Twitter account, please follow @PGS_Music,
where we tweet information about events, rehearsals, etc.
We look forward to seeing you at future events.
Please note Music Department email addresses:
BeebyD@poolegrammar.com
StrawH@poolegrammar.com
SaracinoF@poolegrammar.com
Charity Fund-raising News
DWB
Year 10 held the first year-group charity day on Friday 3
February in aid of WaterAid. A WaterAid representative
visited our assembly and educated our boys about how
donations are used. With car washing, movies with popcorn,
paper aeroplane competitions and much more we hope the
hard work by the Year 10 charity team pays off.
Year 7 and 8 have also had visits from a Julia’s House and
Dorset Search Dogs representatives (respectively) which have
been informative and enthusing to the groups. Their charity
days run later in the year and will be advertised in due course.
Year 9 should expect a visit from a MacMillan representative
before long and will begin planning their charity day shortly –
so get those ideas going!
Well done to all involved and thank you in advance for
donations. Get stuck in and have fun!
Mr J Syms
PGS Charity Organiser

CALL FOR MORE FOSTER CARERS
TO PROVIDE CARE AND A HOME FOR
CHILDREN IN POOLE
More foster carers are needed in Poole to provide a safe
and loving environment for children and young people
in the area.
The Fostering team at Borough of Poole work with local
residents to provide foster placements for children
ranging from the very young to those in their teens.
Over ninety foster carers, including couples, same sex
couples and single people, are already fostering in the
area, but more are needed as some retire or move out
of the area.
Cllr Mike White, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children,
Families and Capital Projects, Borough of Poole said:
“There is a constant need for foster carers in the area and
while we have a large group of existing and committed
foster carers, we need more people to come forward to
ensure we can cater for the demand. Fostering is a vital
service not just for the Borough but more importantly
for the children, who need carers to provide vital support
and care at what is a critical time in their young lives.”
Children placed with foster carers may require short or
long term care and each and every child is different in
their demands and needs.
Kevin Jones, Head of Children and Young People’s
Social Care, Borough of Poole, said: “There are many
misconceptions out there about fostering, but what we
are looking for is people who want to make a difference
to a child or young person in need. Whether single or
with a partner, any gender or sexual orientation, married,
with or without children, we want to hear from people
who can provide this vital role.
We provide support and advice from the start. We are
always there for a foster carer, each step of the way. We
also ensure that any children considered for fostering are
placed with carers who
can meet their needs.”
We need a broad range of
foster carers to ensure we
have the right placement
for each and every child.”
The Fostering team at
Borough of Poole provides
advice, information and
support throughout
the recruitment and
placement process. They
are on hand to speak
to anyone who might
want more information,
or who are already
committed to becoming
a foster carer and want
to apply.
Alex & Louise Wilson
have been foster carers for the Borough for over 7
years. “We had discussed fostering for some time and
already had our own children but really wanted to
provide other children, who’s own families were not
able to care for them, with the chance of a safe, happy
and loving home.”
“We contacted the fostering team at Poole who were
very helpful and explained all the different roles
we could help with as foster carers, from providing
day care and respite right up to offering long term
placements. They also talked through the process of
becoming foster carers.”
“As foster carers for the Borough we have looked after
many children, some for just a day whilst others for
many years. We have found that each child is different
and you need to accept them as they are with their
different backgrounds, cultures, experiences and
needs. We have found fostering, as part of the team
at the Borough, to be a very rewarding experience and
are looking forward to welcoming many more children
into our home in the years to come.”
Borough of Poole’s Fostering team is also keen to hear
from potential carers in full or part time employment.
“There’s often a misconception that having a job is a
barrier to being considered as a foster Carer. In fact, we
work with and support many carers in employment. It’s
much more about the ability and commitment of the
person to care for a child in foster care than anything
else,” said Kevin Jones.
The campaign to recruit twenty-five new carers has
begun! More details can be found at www.poole.
gov.uk, by emailing fostering@poole.gov.uk or by
telephoning us on 01202 714711.

Sports News
School Hockey
It has been a very busy period on the hockey front
following victories in the Under 14 and Under 16
Dorset State School competitions last term, as well as
participating in the Under 18 National Cup for the first
time, a competition for the best hockey schools and
colleges in the country. The down side of qualifying
for these tournaments is that we meet the extremely
strong private schools who play hockey and train on
a very regular basis, they also have their own full size
pitch or two! The plus side is lots of running around and
a very high standard of competition.
The Under 13 team played in the Dorset In2Hockey
tournament at the start of January at a very wet and
cold Castle Court School. Matches against Clayesmore,
Castle Court and Dumpton Schools all resulted in close
losses, which were made all the more frustrating by the
fact we created lots of chances and just couldn’t get the
ball in the goal! Deserved mention to Jack Midgley in
goal who made some outstanding saves.
The Under 14 side took part in the Dorset Finals on
Tuesday 31st January at Chapel Gate, having suffered
the loss days before of Toby Middleton, our leader and
centre midfielder who has shown over the term that he
can more than hold his own playing in both the Under
18 and Under 16 sides. We wish Toby a speedy recovery
from injury. 1-0 losses to Sherborne, Bryanston with
2 minutes to go and Gillingham were in addition to a
3-0 loss to Canford and an eventful and unfortunate
2-0 reverse to Clayesmore. Yet again the day was wet
and cold, the boys involved were brilliant and gave their
all and another top goalkeeping display from Ronan
Graven. Players such as Ruhan Harmse, Piers Middleton
and Toby Russell all showed that next year we will be
stronger still as all three have at least one more year in
this age group.
The Under 16 team went to Canford to play in the
Dorset Schools Finals on Thursday 26th January on an
incredibly cold day when it was impossible to even feel
a hockey stick in the hand. A team decimated by illness,
absence and an art trip were unable to compete against
very strong Clayesmore and Bryanston sides and then
lost by one goal in a play-off against Gillingham School.
In our first venture in the Under 18 National Cup we
were drawn against Bryanston School. As a trial the
strongest players from each year group down to Year
9 were selected. Despite the loss of Sam Evetts on the
day, the team put up an excellent performance. George
Robson was outstanding in goal, further evidence that
we breed top quality hockey goalkeepers. Toby Bolland,
Sam Wheeler and Connor Wright from Year 13 all led
by example, supported by Seb and Quinn Noble and
Peter Morawiec from Year 12. From Year 10 and 11,
Joe Ruslin, Gabe Winsor, Sam Guest and Nik Seibold
all showed they can play against bigger and stronger
opposition, Nik in particular grew into the game and
showed the ability to leave several Bryanston players in
his wake. Especially pleasing were the performances of
Toby Middleton, Tom Barr and Joe Bland from Year 9,
despite being much younger they will have benefited
a great deal from playing at this standard and this has
been reflected in recent competitions. The result was a
3-0 loss in a 60 minute match and we now progress to
the plate competition to play Clayesmore.
All the students who have represented the hockey teams
over the past month have been a huge credit to the
school. Their commitment and efforts cannot be faulted
in any way and throughout every match they have never
given up hope and it has been a great privilege to work
with them.
ECG
Dorset Schools Badminton Finals
Having won the Poole Schools tournament both the Key
Stage 3 and 4 badminton teams qualified to compete
in the Dorset Finals. Winning all their pool games the
Key Stage 3 team qualified for the gold medal match,
however they were eventually beaten to second place
returning with the silver medal. The Key Stage 4 team
qualified for the 3rd/4th place play-off and won this
match earning the bronze medal.
DPC

ESFA Under 12 Indoor 5-a-side
School’s Cup
The Year 7 5-a-side team were entered into the Poole
& East Dorset area competition at the beginning of the
Spring term.
As the games progressed throughout the day, the teams’
performances became more consistent as the boys got
to grips with the different rules and tactics required for
indoor football.
After matches against Magna Academy (L 1-0),
Broadstone Middle (D 1-1), Carter Community (W 4-1)
and Poole High (W 3-0), we had done enough to qualify
for the ‘finals afternoon’. The semi-finals saw us come
up against Lockyers Middle and a 4-1 victory ensured
that we were through to the PEDSSA final. In the final
tie we played Ferndown Middle and after a competitive
game we ran out as 2-1 winners.
As Poole & East Dorset champions we had subsequently
qualified for the regional South-West Championships
held at Torbay Leisure Centre on Wednesday 25th
January.
Following group stage matches against South Molton
(North Devon W 5-1), Gordano (North Somerset L 4-2)
and Commonweal (Swindon W 3-1), we had qualified
for the semi-final stage. Although an evenly contested
game, our opponents from the Holyrood Academy
(Yeovil & District) were more clinical in front of goal and
at the final whistle we had been beaten 2-1.
Young Sailor of The Year 2016
Elliott Kuzyk had the very best day of his life when he
met all of his sailing heroes from the Ocean Yacht Racing,
Olympic Dinghies, and Power Boat Racing Worlds, at the
premier boating event of the year, (the Oscars of sailing,
yachting and power boating) the ‘Yachtsman of the Year’
and the ‘Young Sailor of the Year’ awards ceremony at
Trinity House, London.
150 of the most famous and decorated yachting people
past and present were there for the gala luncheon
presentation, along with the BBC, Radio channels, and
countless journalists, and Elliott Kuzyk was voted the
winner for the ‘Young Sailor of the Year’ for winning the
Topper World Championships in 2016, the Winter U.K.
Regatta 2016, and 5 x Southern Area Championships, in
succession.
We were then escorted to the London Boat Show main
stage where a live presentation was made once again
and this was filmed too.
The presentation was shown on the BBC news, covered
on radio, and streamed live on facebook.
Elliott, Ali and I would like to extend our heartiest
thanks once again to Poole Grammar School for their
100% support with Elliott’s sailing and time off school as
without this none of this would have been possible over
the years, thank you!
Mike Kuzyk
The boys performed extremely well and they should be
proud of their achievements in finishing within the top 4
teams in the South-West.
SQUAD: Oscar Feingold, Lewis Bowra, Sean Corbin, Jack
Garland, Jay Charman, Joseph Cornick, George Farley
SRL

Communication between Parents/
Carers and Poole Grammar School
At Poole Grammar, we value the relationship we have
with the parents, carers and wider families of our
students. We believe that effective communication
can deal effectively with any issues that arise, and help
us work together to make sure our students achieve
their best and enjoy their time at Poole Grammar.
At the same time I am mindful of the impact on the
smooth running of the school, and of the work-life
balance of my colleagues. With this in mind, we have
developed some protocols which we hope will achieve
the right balance.
Arranging Meetings with School Staff Poole
Grammar School expects parents/carers/members
of the public who wish to meet with staff to have an
appointment. If someone turns up at school without
an appointment no member of staff will be obliged
to see them, unless the issue is a safeguarding one
when one of our designated safeguarding staff will be
contacted immediately. In all other issues, the parent/
carer should request an appointment and should be
seen within two working days where practicable. It
is important that such requests give the subject of
the requested appointment, so that staff are fully
prepared for the meeting. We also reserve the right
to terminate meetings or phone calls where parents/
carers become aggressive.
Responding to Phone Messages/Emails We are
happy for parents/carers to contact staff via their
school email address. We would always hope to
respond to such messages/calls within 1 working day,
but please be aware that members of staff may not be
in school for a particular day(s) – running field trips,
attending courses or absent for other reasons. We do
not expect staff to respond to messages out of school
hours or at weekends/during holidays, in order to
protect their work-life balance.
I hope parents/carers will appreciate that these
protocols are designed to facilitate effective
communication between school and families. Students
progress well when school and families are working
together for the common purpose of supporting their
progress.
A J Baker
ABSENCE IN TERM TIME
PGS, in conjunction with all other state schools
nationwide, are working to the amendments made
to the Department for Education school attendance
regulations. These changes to the regulations are
now in force:
“Amendments to the 2006 regulations remove
references to family holiday and extended leave as
well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The
amendments make clear that headteachers may not
grant any leave of absence during term time unless
there are exceptional circumstances. Headteachers
should determine the number of school days a child
can be away from school if the leave is granted.”
The school is bound by this legislation and granting
holiday or extended leave is no longer a matter
for our discretion. We are therefore now unable
to authorise any absence for family holidays.
Exceptional circumstances such as family illness and
bereavement, religious observance or unique events
such as regional or national representation in sports
will of course still be authorised in line with the
guidance, though this list is not exhaustive. If you
have to apply for an absence in term time please
contact your son’s Head of Year in the first instance.
If pupils are taken out of school without permission
being granted then the absence will be recorded
as unauthorised on their record and the matter
referred to the Borough of Poole Education Welfare
Service who may decide to take further action. This
will normally be in the form of a Penalty Notice and
potentially a subsequent fine.
In the initial information given out to parents on
joining the school and subsequent newsletters we
strongly urge parents not to take their son out of
school during term time unless it is unavoidable or an
emergency. In a grammar school context in particular
where the pace of work proceeds quickly, any time
missed cannot help but be detrimental to a pupil’s
progress. To support your son’s learning please can
you ensure that you consult the term dates that are
published well in advance in order to maximise his
attendance.
AJB

We are on Facebook!
Poole Grammar School has an official Facebook page. Like our page on Facebook to keep up to
date on what’s going on at School.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poole-Grammar-School/300918820037941
Running alongside our e-comms system and our Twitter feed, we hope that this will help keep the
School community up to date and fully informed at all times.
Follow us on Twitter
The PGS Twitter page is used as an additional instant way to communicate diary dates,
reminders, weather warnings and any other important or interesting School news or
information.
You can follow us at @poolegrammar and you can set up Twitter on your smartphone or any mobile device so that
you can instantly view any tweets from PGS. Twitter also has an excellent Help section to guide you if you are new
to Twitter. Just go to www.twitter.com and follow the instructions.
Follow us @poolegrammar

Poole Old Grammarians
World War One Project
The history research group at Poole Grammar School
recently went on a visit once more to the Local History
Centre to further investigate the war dead of 1914-18
that attended the school. This being original research,
we went open to the possibilities that the archive might
present: we had little idea of how our work would
proceed. That said, with the help of several sources,
including the internet genealogy database ancestry.com
and the complete collection of the East Dorset Herald
throughout the war, most were able to locate their
subject and identify a line of inquiry. However, the most
rewarding part of the trip was the surprise of unexpected
evidence and other records, such as photographs, which
really brought home the personal ramifications of the
research. It was a sobering experience, yet one that left
us enthused to continue the project. Our thanks to ex-
Grammarian and current archivist at Poole Local History
Centre, Gary Edwards and head of the unit Dai Watkins
for their skill, patience and interest in making an array of
resources available.
Tom Spiers (SGP) and SGP
Papercut and
Parentpay
Every student has an account set up in Parentpay so that you
can top up once his free allocation has been exhausted. This
is very similar to how the topping up of the cashless catering
works.
The 2015/2016 annual free allowance for each year group is
as follows:
Year Group
Free Allocation for
2016/2017 Academic Year
Year 7 £3.00
Year 8 £3.00
Year 9 £6.00
Year 10 £6.00
Year 11 £6.00
Year 12 £9.00
Year 13 £9.00
Each academic year starts afresh with a yearly free allocation
which will be added to any positive balances in Parentpay
from top-ups already made and are so far unspent.
Pupil Premium and 16-19 Bursary students are eligible to
greater free allocation support.
Managed Print Service Project Team
Sex and Relationships
Education
As part of the broad education provided within
PGS, we include, as standard, one or two lessons for
each year group from 8 to 11, which contain ageappropriate
information on sex and relationships.
The sessions themselves are mostly provided by
Dorset Health (NHS) in PSHE lesson time. We think
this is a really important part of the education that
our students receive while at PGS. The sessions
supplement what they are required to learn in their
standard biology lessons from Year 7 to 11. I strongly
believe that this is part of our duty to our students,
and has strong support from parents. However, if you
do have an issue with your son’s attendance in such
sessions (other than biology lessons), and would
prefer that he did not attend, I would ask you to
contact me formally to discuss.
AJB
Free money? Yes please!
Did you know you don’t have to spend anything to
start raising money for Poole Grammar School? Some
retailers will make FREE donations if you register with
their website, sign up to their mailing list or participate
in a free trial.
We have just signed up to easyfundraising.org.uk. It is
an easy way of raising money for the school and it will
not cost you a thing. If you shop online with retailers
such as House of Fraser, Argos, Amazon, Tesco, ebay
etc, they will send us a donation if you click to the
retailers site through the link below every time you
shop. It takes less than 30 seconds to sign up.
You can raise funds for the School without spending
anything! Simply visit http://www.easyfundraising.
org.uk/causes/poolegrammar and click on the Free
Donations page for more details.

Parents and
Governors
You may have noticed at some of
the recent Parent Consultation
meetings that there have been a number of Governors
in attendance too. This is a deliberate policy to be more
accessible to receive your feedback at such events, as
well as at the other headline events that Poole Grammar
organises such as concerts, drama performances etc.
We also plan to have a regular feature in the school’s
newsletter to respond to queries that you have relayed
to us, with this being the first.
Examples of queries that have come our way over the
Summer term and responses to these include:
Query
• Debates of
rugby and other
sports injuries
• The length of
the lunch-break
• The weight of
school bags
Response
The school does review the pattern
of incidents recorded in the
accident book, and will provide
games expectation guidance in
future parent packs issued
The lunch-break is 60 minutes plus
with lunch served for up to 40
minutes in this period
The school always advises students
to use their personal lockers as a
store to keep the weight of school
bags down
Do look out for us at each Parent Consultation evening.
We look forward to meeting you.
Poole Grammar Governors
Free School Meals
Eligibility for free school meals was directly linked
with the income threshold for Child Tax Credit set
by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) – which stood
at £16,190. However, from the 6th April 2011,
the income threshold for Child Tax Credit became
£15,860. To make sure that HMRC’s change didn’t
reduce the number of children able to claim a free
nutritious lunch at school from 6th April 2011, the
Government got rid of that link.
It means that eligibility for free school meals for
families receiving Child Tax Credit has its own income
threshold which stays at £16,190. Please feel free
to approach the school in absolute confidence if
you think you are eligible and we will provide the
appropriate guidance and forms.
JRTS
ParentPay Hints and Tips:
• When a top up is made on ParentPay for school
meals, it usually takes a few hours for the credit
to show. We therefore suggest you top up the
night before.
• Did you know you can set up reminders on
ParentPay to inform you when the balance on the
school meals account is low? From the homepage
select View/Edit Profit and then Alert Settings
• You can also monitor the activity and food choices
on your son’s ParentPay account in detail.
• We suggest you log on regularly to keep an eye on
forthcoming deadlines.
• You are not charged for using ParentPay. The
full amount you pay gets credited to your son’s
account.
• Please note the school has not subscribed to the
ParentPay SMS text alerts so please do not put
money on to sign up to this service.
• The Finance Office are here to assist with any
questions.
KH
IMPORTANT NOTICE
MOODLE ACCESS FOR PARENTS
If you would like to register for access to your son’s
timetable, attendance record, etc, please send
an e-mail to info@poolegrammar.com with your
name, your son’s name and form, and the full home
address we have registered for you so that we can
complete security checks for Data Protection. If you
have previously registered for Moodle access but
have not received a letter containing your username
and password, please follow the above procedure to
apply for access again.
Network Admin Team
Lost Property
We appreciate that replacing lost uniform and
equipment is expensive. If property is labelled it can be
promptly returned to its owner via the school office.
Please ensure you son’s property is clearly named,
this will help to keep lost property to a minimum thus
avoiding distress and costly replacement.
Thank you for your cooperation.
School Office

Dates For Your Diary
For your
noticeboard
School Terms and Holiday Dates - Academic Year 2016/2017
2017
SPRING TERM
Half-term holiday:
Easter holidays:
Tuesday 3 January – Friday 7 April (inc)
Monday 13 February – Friday 17 February (inc)
Monday 10 April – Friday 21 April (inc)
13-17 February Half Term
28 February Year 9 Options Talk 7.30
10 March PSA Murder Mystery Evening
29 March Year 12 Parents Evening
1 April Old Grams Dinner
4 April Year 9 Parents Evening
7 April End of Term
SUMMER TERM
Half-term holidays:
Monday 24 April – Friday 21 July (inc)
Monday 29 May – Friday 2 June (inc)
*May Day Bank Holiday: Monday 1 May
*Spring Bank Holiday: Monday 29 May
*Professional Development Day:
Friday 28 April 2017
Monday 5 June 2017
* School closed for pupils
School Terms and Holiday Dates - Academic Year 2017/2018
2017
AUTUMN TERM:
Half-term holidays:
Christmas holidays:
Monday 4th September 2017 – Friday 15th December 2017 (inc)
Monday 23rd October - Friday 27th October 2017 (inc)
Monday 18th December - Monday 1st January 2018 (inc.)
Please note:
Year 7 and Year 12 attend on Wednesday 6 September (Induction day). ALL pupils start school Thursday 7 September.
*Professional Development Days:
Monday 4th September 2017
Tuesday 5th September 2017
Friday 20th October 2017
2018
SPRING TERM
Half-term holidays:
Easter holidays:
SUMMER TERM
Half-term holidays:
Tuesday 2nd January 2018 – Thursday 29th March 2018 (inc)
Monday 12th February 2018 – Friday 16th February 2018 (inc)
Friday 30th March 2018 - Friday 13th April 2018 (inc)
Monday 16th April 2018 – Wednesday 25th July 2018 (inc)
Monday 28th May 2018 – Friday 1st June 2018 (inc)
*Professional Development Days:
Friday 27th April 2018
Monday 4th June 2018
December 2016
Poole Grammar School Registered in England and Wales - Number 7666111
An Exempt Charity and Company Limited By Guarantee
Registered Office: Poole Grammar School, Gravel Hill, Poole Dorset, BH179JU Tel: 01202 692132