Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Mobile phone policy
Please can parents remind their children that mobile phones must be placed in lockers for the start of the day (years 7-11) and should not be used during the school day. Years 7-8 should not have smartphones.

Students caught with their mobile phones will have them confiscated. When a phone is confiscated for a second time, parents or carers will be expected to collect the phone from school. We are aware this may cause parents an inconvenience and it is of the utmost importance that students in years 7-11 follow the rule, so parents should talk to them about this at home. Please also remind students the charging of any other type of electrical equipment by students, including Chromebooks and mobile phones, is not permitted in classrooms or other areas of the school due to health and safety.

The R;pple Suicide Prevention Software
This software offers a comprehensive set of tools for educators, empowering us to identify warning signs, engage in effective communication, and take appropriate action when needed. By implementing this software in school on both staff and student browsers, we aim to proactively address the mental health needs of our students, fostering a culture of care and understanding. This free resource is saving lives and will provide a subtle intervention if any students and young people conduct a harmful online search relating to self-harm and suicide.

R;pple is an interceptive tool designed to present a visual prompt when a person searches for harmful keywords or phrases relating to the topic of self-harm or suicide. These phrases include any words or terminology which have been identified as displaying potentially damaging online content. R;pple respects user privacy, focusing on intervention without intrusive monitoring of personal data. Easy to install and operate, R;pple is designed to be unobtrusive and user-friendly, making it accessible for all family members: https://www.ripplesuicideprevention.com/information/install - Further information can be found here.

Our safeguarding contact details are:
Safeguarding email: safeguarding@townleygrammar.org.uk - which is monitored by our team of safeguarding leads, although not 24/7. Safeguarding phone number: 020 3884 1777 - please be aware that it is not monitored 24/7. Further information relating to the safeguarding services and policies is available here.

If a child is in immediate danger, you should always call 999.

Some other support services are:

• Kooth - https://www.kooth.com/
• Shout -  https://giveusashout.org/ or Text SHOUT to 85258
• ChildLine - https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/  0800 11 11
• Papyrus - 0800 068 4141 or 07860039967 pat@papyrus-uk.org
• Samaritans - 116123 or  jo@samaritans.org

Survey by University College London
University College London is conducting a survey looking at the experiences of teenagers (aged 13 and above) using social media and how seeing drugs on these platforms might affect them. The hope is to ensure that young people can be kept safer around drugs both off and online. The research aims to understand young people's experiences better and to see what can be done to improve safety with the platforms being used.

Further information is available here for Parents and Carers. Should you have any questions regarding the study, please email: uclsocialmediaproject@gmail.com.  If you do not wish for your daughter or son to take part in the study, please complete the attached consent form and return to your daughter or son's Learning Manager.

Grammar School Heads Association - National Conference for Pastoral Leaders
On Tuesday 19^th March, Townley welcomed over fifty school leaders from across the grammar school sector for our inaugural National Conference for Pastoral Leaders.

The event ran very smoothly with all delegates praising our students and school community for the warm welcome they received. Mark Fenton, CEO of the Grammar Schools Heads Association commented “The event was superbly organised and Townley should be very proud of its work.”

In the afternoon, delegates enjoyed a keynote speech from Sir Anthony Seldon.

Finally, I leave you with a jam packed Townley Bulletin to read, engage with and enjoy.

Kind regards,

Miss S Totty
Senior Deputy Headteacher