Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Bexley's Apprenticeship & Participation Event - Monday 3rd February

The London Borough of Bexley is hosting another Apprenticeship & Participation Careers Information event. The event is for young people and their parents/carers and will promote Apprenticeships at all levels, from Traineeships to Higher and Degree Apprenticeships for those aged 16-24. The event will take place on Monday 3rd February at the Civic Offices and will be split into 2 sessions:

• Session 1 – 5.30pm – 7.00pm
• Session 2 – 7pm – 8.30pm

Young people and their parents/carers can register for their preferred session. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Important reminder – Year 9 DTP MEN ACWY Immunisations
A reminder that the Bexley Immunisation Team will be in school on Friday 14^th February.  It is important that parents read the attached letter and complete the link to give consent for their child to receive the vaccinations – the deadline for this is Monday 10^th February.  Please see the attached information leaflets for guidance.

Teenage 3-in-1 Booster Leaflet

Protect yourself against meningitis and septicaemia with the MenACWY vaccine

Parents are also asked to complete the appropriate link should they decide not to vaccinate their child this year.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Children's Mental Health Week
Next week marks the start of Children's Mental Health Week, from 3rd - 9th February 2025. At Townley Grammar School, we recognise that our students' mental health and wellbeing can change all the time. It can be hard to know if a young person is struggling with their mental health or wellbeing as we all act in different ways when we are going through a tough time. The key thing is to have open conversations so that we can remove the stigma that often accompanies mental health and create a safe environment for young people to seek support. Supporting a young person can feel really worrying but it is important to know that there is lots of support out there.

Mind's young person info hub is full of advice to help young people and those around them understand what they are going through – visit them here https://www.mind.org.uk/for-young-people/

Kooth is an online platform to help young people with their mental health and wellbeing. More information is available at https://explore.kooth.com/families/

Smoking
Support is available for anyone affected by smoking and substances from the following two Bexley services.  Please also see the attached guidance:

• Children and Young People’s Services in Bexley - this can be brief advice through to structured interventions that aim to support an individual through their dependency and into recovery - Website, Telephone: 0203 260 5200, Email: oxl-tr.bexleycamhsreferrals@nhs.net
• Bexley Stop Smoking Service - available to anyone who wishes to stop smoking and who is registered with a Bexley GP. They offer free, friendly and effective practical support as well as advice on medications to support you while you or your child stop smoking. Book a smoke free session here, Telephone: 0800 783 2514, Email: stopsmoking@bexley.gov.uk
• Youth Smoking Fact Sheet
• Vaping and E-Cigarettes - The Facts

Kind regards,

Miss S Totty
Acting Headteacher