91首发

Howay the lads!

听

Friday 14^th March 2025

Hi everyone

Howay! Hope everyone is good for the weekend 鈥� last weekend was warm, but let鈥檚 hope this weekend is hot where it matters 鈥� at Wembley!!!

Hope you鈥檝e had a good week in any case. We are still talking about Keswick here, and there are some student articles about it below, and two amazing longer pieces elsewhere in the blog too. Great stuff. We have been celebrating with NUFC-themed things here and there, and there have been some lovely lessons, assemblies, Early Years, Wellbeing, PE, trips out and all the usual other stuff. There are some great articles such as the Connect one, the ones on Physical Development, Oracy and safeguarding. And we have all our usual STARS!!! too, and triple Julie this week, after our double Julie last Friday. Lots of Julie. All good

And we have been awarded the Healthy Schools Award too!

Otherwise, please don鈥檛 forget Family Liaison and Online Safety, the rest of our website and the Foundation鈥檚. We鈥檝e had a good week here in school, and we hope you have too, whatever you鈥檝e been up to. Thanks for your support, and see you next week

All the best

John S

馃槉 from John & the PHS Team 馃槉

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Keswick

We鈥檙e still talking about this. The amazing Michael has told us about his experience. Brilliantly done, Michael. Enjoy!

Residential by Michael Kirsop

I went to the Calvert Trust in Keswick on Monday. According to Google Maps, it鈥檚 1 hour and 58 minutes away from home by itself, so I had to head here first, and that takes the travel time to 2 hours and 24 minutes. That first day is a bit of a chill compared to what鈥檚 coming up next, but I missed being with Mum and Dad, so I must be a wee bit worried

Tuesday is the first of 3 activity-filled days here. We did Bushcraft in the Morning, which is really hot considering the fire. Then in the afternoon we did Cycling, and I took part. Wheee! I love Cycling – well unless you wreck the bikes and took apart all the bits and bobs

Wednesday is the next activity-filled day. First in the morning, we went to Lake District Wildlife Park, and at the end, I chewed onto a Magnum. Crunchy indeed. This has to be the best moment of the entire 5-day adventure. Then in the afternoon, we stayed within the Calvert Trust boundary because we rocked and roped in the Sports Hall, and after that, we went on the swing, and I somehow broke the unofficial record for Highest Recorded Swing in Calvert Trust History

Thursday is the last activity-filled day, and we made sure that this break would come out with a bang. Firstly, in the morning, we went on the zip line. Wheee! After that, we went through the High Ropes Course. I was part of the team that broke the unofficial record for First Team in Calvert Trust History to Complete the High Ropes Course, which is a big achievement for Me, and a bigger achievement for Calvert Trust itself. Then, in the afternoon, we went on a chilling walk, not very wild when compared to what came before. But hey! We have left Calvert Trust with a bang here!

Friday is Home Day, and thankfully, it鈥檚 another 2 hour and 24 minutes trip according to Google Maps. It鈥檚 sad to say goodbye to a place I enjoyed, but I鈥檓 glad to be with Mum and Dad again. Before I said goodbye to Calvert Trust, I had a checklist. First thing on the list, I had to say 鈥淪o Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen Goodbye!鈥� to Calvert Trust, and surely enough, I did, so we have to check that off the list. Next, I had to watch Gloria鈥檚 House (the 2000 Australian Cartoon) first time when home, and surely enough, I did, so I managed to do both of the things in my checklist

I鈥檇 like to visit Calvert Trust again this time next year, just because of the 鈥淐hewing Magnum鈥� moment. Oh, and the fact that it鈥檚 so far away from home. I鈥檓 happy to be with Mum and Dad again, and based on what is going on since my Calvert Trust trip, it looks like the 鈥淐hewing Magnum鈥� moment might be the dividing line between my 鈥淧re-Calvert鈥� era and my 鈥淧ost-Calvert鈥� era. Thanks for making through the journey with me! And thanks for making new friends along the way!

漏 2025 Michael Kirsop Productions Ltd. All rights reserved. Produced in association with Calvert Trust Lake District, Cumberland Council, Keswick Town Council, GO Outdoors, Lake District Wildlife Park, The A.L.I.E.N Team, Pictor Media, Porchlight Entertainment, France 3, Telegael Teoranta, Haribo Candy Company GmbH, Unilever PLC, Start Cycles, Dr. Martens, Greatest Hits Radio Cumbria and Southwest Scotland, Your Family Entertainment AG, 91首发 Foundation, Guinness World Records, Google LLC, JD Sports, Pentland Group, The Lord鈥檚 Taverners, and the Association of British Counties

And as well as Michael, Katie has shared her thoughts with us too! Cheers Katie! Brilliant job!

What I did throughout my Calvert Trust week听鈥︹��..

I went cycling, bushcraft, went to the animal park and went swimming.

I watched everyone on the zip line and the king swing. I didn鈥檛 want to do it because last time it was uncomfortable for my back.

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What I enjoyed the most鈥︹��

I enjoyed the disco because I like partying.

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Would I go again听鈥�..

Definitely. It was fun听and the hydro is better than school pool and I could go every night.

How did it feel being away from home鈥�

I loved it because I felt free听and it was a break for my family

By Katie Cruddas

See more stories from our residential trip below:听

We have 3 Super-Steering Groups which deliver our Key Drivers through our curriculum. The Key Drivers are Communication, Wellbeing and Independence. The Groups are Literacy, Physical Development and Personal Development

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Literacy

Becky, our Literacy Lead, leads a team that improve all aspects of literacy, including this year a lot of handwriting and oracy (it鈥檚 OK, she鈥檒l be going into explain all of that) as well as reading, phonics, books and all sorts!

WORLD BOOK DAY FOLLOW-UP!

AND ORACY AT PHS!!!!

As you will know, last week was a busy one for the Literacy Team as we celebrated World Book Day across the school. It’s been great to see more of the paper plate book characters as the final touches were added this week! Here’s some from 6CC, and a little bit about what they got up to

There’s also been a lot of chat about ‘oracy’ this week, which is one of the areas on our School Development Plan (our areas to focus on this year)

When we talk about oracy we’re thinking about all of the skills we need to be able to ‘learn to talk and learn through talk’, or to put it another way, communicate with others and learn from each other. The Literacy Team and our Oracy Champion Teachers have been delivering training and leading discussions this week on what we’re already doing to develop students’ oracy skills, and it’s been really lovely to see so many examples in so many different areas of school. Have a look at some of the examples here

Oracy fits perfectly with our key drivers of communication, wellbeing and independence – so whilst the word might be new to some, developing oracy skills are certainly not new to PHS! We’ll be sharing further information about oracy and what that looks like for different student groups later in the term but if there are any questions please get in touch!

Happy Reading & Communicating!

Physical Development

Everything that is fabulous in the world of Physical Development! This includes physio, hydro, MOVE, PE, HI, VI, a lot of OT and all sorts of key areas for us, including all of the Outdoor Learning, John Muir Award and many other aspects. Steph oversees this and will ensure that an aspect is shared in the blog each week

New equipment to support our children鈥檚 physical development! 听– Exciting stuff! Let鈥檚 hear from Steph!

We听had an exciting delivery of 2 new Myway+ walking aids in school last week. These听walkers have been received favourably by听both the children and physiotherapists! It provides a good supportive, upright posture with the option of children stepping to walk, or using the pedals in a reciprocal pattern to transport the walking device around their environment

Why are walking devices important for children鈥檚 physical development?听

First and foremost, by using walking听devices, an individual will be able to reap听benefits of more physical activity and a reduction in sedentary time. Physical activity can improve physical and mental health and decreases the chance of developing chronic disease. Spending time in an upright position also helps to optimise the function of our organs, improves our bone density and muscle strength. For children who spend most of their time in sedentary positions, getting the opportunity to move and be physically active becomes even more important to obtain a healthy lifestyle.听Introducing the use of walking aids early enables children to engage in and improve their confidence in walking movements but听also enables them to explore their environment; helping to develop socially and cognitively

Take a look at Vivie using the new walking aid and let鈥檚 see what her Physio Nina has to say about it….

鈥榁ivie did amazing work! She loved the new walker and was able to steer the scooter and keep her head upright to greet everyone that she passed with a big smile! The use of the pedals allowed Vivie to feel the sensation of a smooth reciprocal pattern and enabled her to become more independent as she explored the school鈥�

Well done Vivie!!

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础濒蝉辞鈥�..

PE update with Nathan!

As per last term, the lunch clubs are still going strong, with all variety of clubs we have for students at 91首发 School we continue to keep it fresh and fun for all to access

Timetable as follows

Nathan’s clubs

Tuesday girls’ wanderers football team- 1- 1.30

Wednesday boys’ wanderers football team 1- 1.30

Thursday dodge ball lower school 12.30-1

Friday post 16 wanderers football team 1- 1.30

Richard’s clubs

Monday lower/Upper school cricket club 12.30- 1.30

Tuesday Engagement pathway Pe club 1 – 1.30

Wednesday lower school boccia club 12.30-1

Thursday Upper school boccia club 1- 1.30

Friday Engagement pathway PE club 1-1.30

Antonia’s dance club听upper school 1-1.30 Wednesday

础濒蝉辞鈥�..Well done to KS3 Kristinas class in PE as they all worked so hard and had a lot of fun in this term鈥檚 activities being skills around dance.

Look at Aurora showing off her Saturday night fever move and Edward with his press up move

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Personal Development

One of the best things about the school and one of the most important for our pupils, PD covers PSHE, Wellbeing, Careers, Social Moral Spiritual & Cultural, Online Safety, Behaviour and similar areas. Jo pulls it all together. Let鈥檚 see what Jo and the team have in store for us this week! The inspectors really loved all of the PD we do!

Healthy Schools Award

We gained the Healthy Schools Award! I just got the certificate this morning. Thanks to everyone who works hard at all of this kind of thing, for PSHE, PE, Eating, Wellbeing and loads of other aspects of it all.

It鈥檚 good to be involved in this kind of thing, connecting to people in our community and making sure that we are thinking about the whole young person when we are caring for them. It鈥檚 good to seek awards when they are real and meaningful, and help you to do a better job. This is one of those!

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Wellbeing

Here are Andy and the Wellbeing Team about what鈥檚 happening this year in their brilliant Connect Challenge series! Go Andy!

This week, our school’s “Connect Challenge” encouraged everyone to embrace the idea of “just be“鈥攁 powerful reminder to live in the moment and to be ourselves. In a world that often pushes us to our limits, this challenge encouraged us all to focus on the present

On Wednesday, our Key Stage 4 boys took this message to heart during their football competition at the Newcastle United Foundation. With each match, they set aside any worries about the outcome and instead focused on doing their best and having fun. Their commitment to living in the moment paid off spectacularly, as they returned to school unbeaten 鈥� well done lads!

One of our Post 16 students shared how she had been trying to keep her worries in check by concentrating on the present rather than getting lost in anxious thoughts about the past or the future

We鈥檝e had a few messages from staff members this week too, as they have embraced the idea of “just be“, finding ways to incorporate the connect challenge into their daily routines. For example, Eileen, our Family Liason Officer, shared how she has tried to find a couple of minutes for reflection following meetings this week, allowing her a moment of calm and contemplation

Moments like this can reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus, and enhance our overall wellbeing. This week has shown us that by simply being ourselves and focusing on the present, we can achieve great things鈥攂oth individually and as a school

Stay connected!

Therapy Star of the Week 鈥� love Therapy Star of the Week, especially when it鈥檚 Jay!

Julie has been working with Jay 鈥� let鈥檚 hear what they鈥檝e done!

Jay has been using his eye gaze VOCA to tell people in school about his excitement about the class trip to his Temple on Friday. Jay used his VOCA to say 鈥渟chool go temple鈥� which is his and used his VOCA to invite a friend from another class. Fabulous communication Jay!

Trip of the Week 鈥� With Hannah F!

Hannah has done another one of her trips, which are very educational, and also very helpful in providing an accessibility guide. Let鈥檚 hear from Hannah

This week, some of the students from 6HF enjoyed a trip to the Great North Museum.听It was lots of fun and we were wowed by the amazing exhibits including the Natural History section, which included native and exotic animals, and the Roman section, which had a huge screen showing the path of Hadrian鈥檚 Wall.听 We really enjoyed the immersive section in the Ancient Egypt exhibition where we were able to enter Anubis鈥� lair.听It was exciting to experience the projections which showed the Feathers of Truth and the fiery pits of the Underworld!听In the dinosaur section, we used a switch to activate a 鈥楻OAR鈥� and touched the different fossils which were millions of years old

The Great North Museum is very accessible.听Blue Badge holders can park at the front and there are push button electric doors.听 There is a ramp to the side of the building for wheelchair access.听The exhibits have plenty of room to move around and the lift is enormous.听The exhibits are very interesting and there are plenty of immersive/interactive things to do.听There is also a Planetarium, and although there is a charge for this exhibit, the rest of the museum has free entry.听There are large lockers for storage which can be used for 拢1.听The staff in the caf茅 were very accommodating and happy to help.听There are accessible toilets on every level though no Changing Places bathroom. However, the Civic Centre across the road has a Changing Places facility which can be accessed by radar key holders (or ask reception staff)

Behaviour for Learning (BfL)

Let鈥檚 hear from Aylisha about all the exciting work this team are doing

As we are at the end of another week, the BfL team continue to support our students and work collaboratively with external agencies our parents and carers to ensure our students and families have the relevant support they need and deserve to improve their quality of life

This term the BfL team intend of focus on networking and look to expand and enhance our knowledge on everything behaviour related.听As well as networking with professionals internally within the 91首发 Foundation, we will also continue to network with similar provisions.听Networking is really important as it allows us to听provide opportunities to connect and share information in order to problem-solve, develop knowledge, and discuss how this translates to practice

If you want any further information or support in relation to BfL please contact a member of the BfL team

Exams with Kat!

Hello!

I hope all students are in good spirits and enjoying being back in school after the half term break, seeing their friends and learning new things at 91首发 School every day

The exams entry deadline for qualifications that run on the GCSE annual summer cycle and NEA Coursework has now passed and all entries were submitted on time

Next steps after the entries now are

• Establish the room set ups 鈥� who can be accommodated with who in an exams room
• Access Arrangements
• Invigilator assignments for those entered
• Prepare for this summer series
• NEA Mark Submission deadline in May – there is plenty of paperwork to be completed, collated and to be checked before the submission of marks to the awarding bodies by mid may, prior to posting the paperwork off to the awarding bodies

Here is to a positive next term with Easter to look forward to soon听馃槉

Kind regards, Kat

Early Years 鈥� The Ducklings!

Let鈥檚 get the latest update from what鈥檚 been happening down in the fabulous Early Years

This week in early years we spent a lot of time outdoors

In Outdoor Learning we looked for bugs, saw our first daffodils and played music for our friends. In the outdoor play area we played in the mud kitchen, rode the bikes and played on the water wall

We celebrated 鈥淗oli鈥� a Hindu festival that celebrates spring, love and new life.听It’s a colourful festival, with dancing, singing and throwing of powder paint and coloured water.听We listened to the sensory story and enjoyed exploring the paint, as you can see we made our own fabulous pictures. Some of us used our hands and our feet whilst others used brushes, we all had lots of messy fun

UNICEF Award update with Rebecca

Since we gained the Bronze level of this award, Rebecca & the teams are already working on the next level. We particularly like this one because it puts the voice of the child at its centre. Let鈥檚 hear what鈥檚 been happening

This week we are working on Article 8 which states that听UNCRC Article 8: I have a right to an identity.

This right means that governments should respect children鈥檚 right to their own name and nationality. Their family ties should be respected.

A child or young person鈥檚 identity is made up of many different parts. Among other things, it includes

• their name and nationality
• their race, culture, religion and language
• their appearance, abilities, gender identity and sexual orientation.

Article 8听of the UNCRC is about a child or young person鈥檚 name, nationality and family relationships. It says that the government shouldn鈥檛 interfere with a child or young person鈥檚 right to any of these. It also says the government should be able to help if any of these things are taken from them illegally.

As well as this, this Article says official records should be kept of who a child or young person is to make sure information about their name, nationality or birth parents isn鈥檛 lost.

As always if you want any further information about the UN Rights of the Child, or the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award, you can find information at听听where you can find lots of information for parents and training in this area

Assembly of the Week with Beth!

Beth is doing the LSTE Department鈥檚 assemblies this half term. Let鈥檚 hear about them from Beth.

And finally鈥�..

Good luck in the football!!!!!!!!!

Here鈥檚 some Makaton from Julie

Some useful signs for football chat!

Keep scoring!!!

Mmmm, two of my favourite things鈥�..

鈥�..from John & the Team here at PHS

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Our Key Drivers

Communication, Wellbeing, Independence