Please note the school is now closed for summer. This includes the Success Shop. We reopen for staff training on Thursday September 3rd, and enquiries will be read then.

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

This is the official Neatherd High School Instagram account. We are aware there are other accounts using Neatherd in their name, but they are nothing to do with the school. https://instagr.am/p/CDBIzeUBXZL/

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

This has been a school year like no other in living memory. We’re probably unanimous in wishing to see the back of 2019-20 and looking forward to the new academic year, when school opens to pupils (Y7 and Y11) on Monday 7th September, and all the others the next day. When the government announced the closure of schools on Wednesday 18th March, our attendance was already plummeting with pupils being kept home and being sent home with symptoms of the virus. A quarantined triage room was set up and we feared for the health of our school community. We also had to consider how to keep educating our pupils from the following Monday, with just two working days to prepare a remote education system. Our year 11 pupils were broken-hearted to hear, on the news like their teachers did, that they would not be able to sit the GCSE exams they had spent months, years, working towards. Their now-traditional end of year rituals – the farewell form party, the shirt signings, the exam speeches, the prom – were now all up in the air. Staff hastily put together a small farewell gathering for them on the Friday afternoon of March 20th, now their final day of high school. Other pupils missed out too – the year 10s on their week’s work experience, as well as our sports festival, activities week, trips out, school holidays to Belgium, Italy, Spain, France, all cancelled. The support staff went into fifth gear, organizing free school meal vouchers for families to be sent out immediately so no pupil missed out. There was no time to wait for the government to sort things. Welfare calls were made to all Neatherd families to check in on how they were managing. We ordered dozens of netbooks so pupils could continue their learning and distributed them within weeks. The government’s smaller batch of laptops arrived a few weeks ago and will also find their way to pupils. Teachers entered into a new way of working. Uploading work to the Google Classrooms (which they had to quickly learn how to use), organizing pupil work, giving feedback at all hours, responding to emails, teaching by text, video tutorials, Google Meet check ins and holding staff meetings online. Working from 6am to 6pm became the new norm, staring at the screens while their own families sought to find a new normal. Teachers are parents too and found that “home schooling” was far more difficult with our own children than teaching “bottom set year 9” on a Friday afternoon. The Google Classrooms will stay open throughout the summer so pupils can improve and complete any work they need to. The pupils really stepped up too – producing excellent work for months, finding technological solutions such as uploading work via smartphone, email conferencing and innovative ways of not just doing school work but learning new skills – DIY, childcare of siblings, new hobbies and of course cooking the family meals – and sharing these successes with us here on our Facebook page. #neatherdhomelearning shows these fantastic kids keeping spirits up in those dark (but sunny) months. Parents and carers suddenly became teaching assistants at home, and their eyes were opened not just to the intricacies of the school curriculum and the technological prowess of their children but also to the importance of what school provides above and beyond the teaching in the classrooms – the routine, the discipline, the pastoral care and the support for kids, earning a new respect for what happens behind the famous red doors. We thank the parents for working with us in maintaining the progress of the pupils – some thrived, some struggled – but all were supported and cared for. The school of course wasn’t closed at all. We welcomed in the children of key workers – NHS, police, agriculture, care, retail, education etc. – so their parents could keep the country’s essential work going. The building was kept clean and safe, with new social distancing measures by our great site team. Pupils who relied on our support were also brought in – peaking at 75 pupils on our busiest day. The school stayed open throughout Easter “holidays”, May half term, and the bank holidays. Staff worked on a rota, caring for the children and ensuring a safe routine for them during school hours. Pupils worked the allotment, sent cards to care homes and made PPE masks and shields for local health and care workers. Many of these kids have spent an unbroken four months of school together in unique circumstances that they will surely look back on with fondness for the rest of their lives. As with every end of year, there are tinges of sadness as we say farewell to some colleagues. Ms Rogers in the data team, tenaciously organizing the sensitive details of our pupils and families; Mr Minai, the softly spoken, sharply dressed mathematical genius who leaves us for Jane Austen School; Mrs Zawiasza, our tough cookie cover supervisor ably taking year 11 maths one lesson and year 8 art the next. And finally of course a stalwart of the Neatherd scene. We say a fond farewell to Mr Miller, head of PE and a teacher at Neatherd for 36 years. The word legend is often overused but not in this case. Everyone will miss his humour, warmth, support and sheer passion for sports, especially rugby. And now we are looking ahead to September, again given a very short period of time to plan “the best way we can” a safe return for pupils and staff. We are confident that our school, like all other schools working with like minds, will bounce back and continue to offer the education, care and kindness we are renowned for. We would love to share your messages with staff when we reopen, so we ask you to share them here: https://ift.tt/2OGy1W1 We wish all our families and friends a properly relaxing summer break – everyone deserves one – and we will see you all in September.

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

Success Shop closes at the end of term. Have your children checked what they can get? Email ewickers2fry@nsix.org.uk for all enquiries.

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

Don't forget the Facebook Live broadcast with Mr Smith and Mr O'Brien for parents of the new year 7s. This is taking place in the private parents' group. It will be recorded and uploaded tomorrow to the transition page of our school website.

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

Mr Taylor sent us this picture of a chocolate mint cake Lydia made for her sister's birthday. "I think you will agree this shows amazing skills and the presentation is incredible." Absolutely amazing!

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

Dereham Neatherd High School

Don't forget the Facebook Live broadcast with Mr Smith and Mr O'Brien for parents of the new year 7s. This is taking place in the private parents' group. It will be recorded and uploaded tomorrow to the transition page of our school website.
from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/2ZrawGG
via IFTTT

The Facebook Live broadcast planned for tomorrow evening, Wednesday 8th July, will now take place on Monday 13th July at 7:30pm. The broadcast will be presented by Mr Smith and Mr O'Brien our SENDCO. We look forward to seeing you then.

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

Duke of Edinburgh Awards Dear Participants and Parents, Whilst D of E expeditions have not happened so far this year, and whilst we are waiting to hear when we will be able to offer this section again, this is the ideal time to ensure that you have completed the other three sections to your award: Volunteering, Physical and Skills. The sections are also more flexible, and can be made up from different activities at this time. Please do look at the D of E website for up to date information and changes that are agreed to help you to complete your award. You can now help neighbours, and family, and skills can relate to how you have had to learn about the “new normal” during the Covid 19 pandemic. For this current situation, D of E is offering an award for the completion at Bronze of the three sections that can be completed – the expedition can always be added at a later date. We will be launching both Bronze and Silver to Year 9, 10 and 11 on our return to school – unfortunately, we will not be able to do an assembly as previously, but we will offer the award and completion of the current awards in 2020-2021. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me through email at office@neatherd.org (marking it for my attention) or vjones55rp@nsix.org.uk , or through eDofE if you have currently signed up. Badges and certificates for awards completed are currently being held at school, as we would like to be able to have some form of celebration to recognise the achievements. Obviously, we need to make sure that we adhere to any current guidelines and safety concerns. Good luck and enjoy finishing the sections that you can!! Mrs Jones

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

Dereham Neatherd High School

Reminder about this evening's live event for parents of soon-to-be-y7 parents in the group. Parents with applications that have not been confirmed - please remember you need to answer all 3 questions.
from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/2VU0mMy
via IFTTT

We will be hosting two Facebook Live events next week. Mr Smith will be talking about all of the information you need to know and answering our most commonly asked questions about transition/induction. Please join us on Monday 6th July at 7:30pm when Mr Smith will be joined by Hannah Holmes, Acting Assistant Head who is overseeing transition. Alternatively you can join us on Wednesday at 7:30pm when Mr Smith will be joined by Nick O'Brien, Assistant Headteacher and SENDCO. As well as presenting information we will also do our best to answer questions raised.

from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/1X2LDLg
via IFTTT

Free school meals, school meals and milk - Norfolk County Council

To apply for free school meals please see the web page on Norfolk County Council's website. If eligible, this is where you apply as well. We have a cashless system for food here which means that there is no stigma like in some schools with separate queues and tickets. Parents also get subsidies for trips, uniform and pupils receive loans of textbooks via our Gateway provision. The more parents that register for FSM, the better we can provide for the pupils. https://ift.tt/3eWAMOp
from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/3eWAMOp
via IFTTT

Dereham Neatherd High School - Transition 2020

For parents and pupils joining us in September we have a page on our website here: https://ift.tt/3ipLI9a This runs alongside our private Facebook group which now has nearly 200 members.
from Dereham Neatherd High School https://ift.tt/3ipLI9a
via IFTTT