This week you would have heard in the press about the planned strike action of the NEU teachers union. The NEU has announced that their member ballot has met the requirements and their members will take strike action in the coming months. I am sure that parents will understand that the decision to strike or not is always a difficult one, and we are a profession who always places the well being of others first, namely the children. I am anticipating Trust guidance next week to principals on how we support colleagues and our pupils, however I would advise parents to begin planning contingencies for the dates listed below should we need to close year groups. I will keep the community updated on our provision once agreed.

• Wednesday 1st February
• Wednesday 1st March
• Wednesday 15th March
• Thursday 16th March

Primary Calendar

• Monday 23rd January: Nursery and reception food workshop
• Monday 30th January – Reception food workshop
• Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd February – Primary parent consultation evening
• Tuesday 14th February: Nursery parent workshop
• Wednesday 15th February: Reception parent workshop

Primary parent consultation evenings will be held onsite and details to book your time slot have been sent.

Secondary Calendar

• Tuesday 24th January: Year 11 parent consultation evening (early finish for all secondary students at 12:50pm)
• Tuesday 24th January: Year 11 GCSE Drama controlled assessment
• Monday 30th January – Wednesday 1st February: Year 9, 10 & 11 Overseas Expedition Launch Assemblies
• Monday 30th January – Wednesday 8th February: Year 9 & 10 PIP 2 assessments
• Tuesday 7th February: Year 8 parent survey
• Tuesday 7th February: Year 10 Avanti Quest Parents Meeting
• Wednesday 8th February: Year 9, 10 & 11 Overseas Expedition Parents Information Evening
• Thursday 9th February: Year 9 Options evening
• Wednesday 15th February: Year 11 parent survey
• Thursday 16th February: Year 9, 10 & 11 Overseas Expedition Sign-up

Secondary parent consultations will be via our online schoolcloud system. Information about how to login and book slots is sent one week prior to the parent evening.

Please note that secondary students will finish school early for each parent evening at 12:50pm. Students should be picked up from Tesco at an earlier time, or alternative arrangements made for them to get home. Lunch will not be provided (unless pre-booked for pupil premium students). The school bus will be coming at an earlier time, approximately 1pm.

We have had a wonderful week this week. Our mini-beast visitor Jungle Jo set the tone for exploring the wonders of the world around us and having care and respect for the tiniest of creatures.

We have also held parent workshops this week with a focus on home reading. If you have not attended the workshop the presentation will be emailed out to you. Please remember to read with your child at home at least 3 times a week.

A reminder to follow the primary school calendar for key dates. Please visit our school website on Calendar – Avanti Fields School

Ms Thakore

Following from last week’s reminder to secondary parents regarding drop off/collection arrangements, there was a ‘near miss’ incident on Monday morning this week. With the snowy conditions, one parent has momentarily lost control of their car in the morning, with their car going over the curb and onto the student/pedestrian footpath. This was because the parent was attempting to use the small intake near the school gate to turn around.

Please think about your morning routines to ensure that your child has enough time to park and stride to school. This is for all of our students’ safety!

This week 8 of our year 10 students had the opportunity to visit the University of Oxford as part of the school STEM and careers provision. Throughout the day students engaged in an immersive physics day, including practical workshops and lectures. They also had a tour of the campus and learn about the various courses on offer to study and speak to the university ambassadors during a Q/A session.

Students came back to school inspired and had a fantastic experience. We hope to be able to offer further higher education visits to more students in the future.

‘I had a great time and it was an incredible experience to visit the University of Oxford. The workshops were fun, informative and interactive. The tour of one of the colleges was also an eye opener and the Q/A session with current students helped me understand the next stages of my education journey.’ Shaylan Mapara 10Water

‘I had a taste of what the University of Oxford atmosphere would be like and really enjoyed the day.’ Aksayan Umashangar 10Water

‘The University of Oxford is an outstanding and highly academic university. We got a good feel of what a day in the life of an undergraduate looks like and the Q/A session helped me understand what grades I need to achieve to attend a highly prestigious university like the University of Oxford.’ Harshiv Gokani 10Cosmos

‘What a brilliant day! I absolutely loved getting involved with the practical workshops and really enjoyed the tour of the university.’ Shreya Rana 10Earth

Avanti House Secondary School is offering teaching and learning clinics for their pupils and parents, and are extending the invite out to other Trust schools.

The first T&L Clinic will be held on Monday 6^th February at 18:00 and will be on Risk – Neurological view at how to motivate young pupils.

To deepen our understanding of Cognition, Precision and Development, the session we will explore:

• Psychological Safety
• Ought Vs Ideal (the two measurements of success)
• Two systems of thinking
• Brain Development

This session will be held virtually and is suited for both parents and pupils, so please feel free to attend as a family!

Future virtual sessions will be hosted on Monday evenings between 18:00 and 19:00, exact dates are still TBC.

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqceitpzIvG9KgBWlLrGeFA6jGzavonf8g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

J Jani

Jayal Mistry was  nominated by Mrs Kansara and Charlotte Spencer (Assistant School Sport & Competition Manager) under the Sports Leader of the Year category for the Sustainable Schools Celebration Event 2022/23. Jayal has been a sports ambassador for Avanti Fields School PE Department since September 2022. Jayal started his leadership training with a group of other students when they were in year 9 and completed the sessions during their lunch times. Jayal has all the characteristics you would expect to see from a sports leader. He is so selfless as he gives up his time to help teachers and other students. He is confident, proactive and approachable. Jayal gives up a lot of his own time to help out the PE department with various clubs and fixtures and he has achieved his bronze and silver award which was for 20 hours of volunteering and he is well on his way to achieving gold. There were 8 nominations for his category and we are very pleased and proud to say that Jayal won! Thank you for your time and dedication and a huge congratulations!

We currently have a vacancy for a secondary teaching assistant and secondary examinations officer out to advert. If you, or someone you know, is interested in the post, please visit the Avanti Careers page: https://www.avanticareers.org.uk/

Avanti Fields will also have further recruitment opportunities coming up. If you know of anyone interested in joining our recruitment pool, please share with them this bulletin to have them sign up.

The Community Immunisation Service from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust will be delivering vaccinations at our school for the:

3-in-1 Teenage booster + meningitis ACWY vaccination for young people

for year 9 on Wednesday, 22 March 2023

3-in-1 teenage booster and meningitis vaccinations programme for young people

We would like to offer all young people in school year 9 (aged 13 to 14 years) the 3-in-1 teenage booster and the meningitis vaccinations. These routine vaccinations ensure continued protection against tetanus, diphtheria, polio (Td/IPV) and provide protection against meningitis types ACW and Y.
To read the patient information leaflet about the teenage booster and meningitis vaccinations, visit: www.tiny.cc/boosterleaflet The vaccinations are given as two separate injections in the upper arm. The vaccines used in the teenage booster and meningitis vaccination programme do NOT contain gelatine or alcohol.
Young people can find out more about these vaccinations and other health issues by visiting: www.healthforteens.co.uk/health/immunisation

How to give consent for your child to get the vaccines

• Make a note of the code for your school. For Avanti Fields School the school code is LE143679
  • Complete the online consent form by visiting: www.leicsandrutlandimms.co.uk
  • Select 3-in-1 teenage booster and Meningitis ACWY and enter the school code.
  • On the consent declaration page, you can consent for either one or both vaccines.

Some frequently asked questions and answers:

Q: You will receive a confirmation email when the form is submitted. Where can I read the vaccine product leaflet?
For the 3-in-1 teenage booster, visit: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5581/pil
For the Meningitis ACWY, visit: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/4118/pil
Q: When is the session?
Your school will tell you the date we will visit.
Q: When should I submit my response by?
As soon as possible. The form will close ONE working day before the session. We will reopen it later so you can consent for future sessions.
Q: It says the email addresses don’t match or it doesn’t recognise the school code.
Make sure there are no spaces or punctuation before or after the email address and the school code.
Q: Unable to complete the form online?
Ring us on 0300 300 0007 for support.
Q: Changed your decision?
Contact using the details below to update your decision.
Q: What if my child is absent or unwell on the session day?
An additional opportunity will be made available for the vaccination.
Q: What’s the national vaccination programme?
Visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations to find out more.
Q: I have questions or would like to discuss additional support, who can I contact?
Ring on 0300 300 0007 or e-mail [email protected]

Support in other languages

If you would like to read this letter in another language, go to our website: www.leicspart.nhs.uk/communityimms
Arabic: ذا كنت ترغب في قراءة هذه الرسالة بلغة أخرى، قم بزيارة موقعنا على الإنترنت
Gujarati: જો તમે આ પત્ર ગુજરાતીમાં વાંચવા માંગતા હો તો અમારી વેબસાઇટ પર જાઓ
Polish: Jeśli chcesz przeczytać ten list w innym języku, przejdź na naszą stronę.
Punjabi: ਜੇ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਇਸ ਪੱਤਰ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਸੇ ਹੋਰ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹੋ ਤਾਂ ਸਾਡੀ ਵੈੱਬਸਾਈਟ ‘ਤੇ ਜਾਓ
Somali: Haddii aad jeclaan lahayd inaad ku akhrido warqadan luuqad kale, booqo boggayaga internetka
Ukrainian: Якщо ви хотіли б прочитати цей лист іншою мовою, відвідайте
Urdu: اگر آپ اردو میں یہ خط پڑھنا چاہتے ہیں تو ہماری ویب سائٹ پر جائیں۔

Communications – Wherever possible please use the contact form on our website to get in touch. This is detailed on the website at https://avanti.org.uk/avantifields/contact-us/. The appropriate member of staff will pick up the message and get back to you as soon as possible.

Absence

To report an absence to the school, parents should contact us by 8:00am (primary) and 8.30am (secondary) 

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0116 326 6813 (Option 1 to leave a voicemail) 

Please remember to state your child’s full name, tutor group and reason for absence. If your child is unwell, please could you give a brief description of the symptoms. 

All education research highlights how crucial it is to a child’s academic progress and wellbeing they attend school , on time, all of the time. Therefore, a reminder that it is important that families organise events or holidays outside of school time to ensure that their child is at school as often as possible.   

The school works closely with the Education Welfare Officer at LCC, and we do seek to ensure that any requests for authorised absence are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, in a sensitive manner. However, the school can never authorise a family holiday or a trip abroad to visit family members during term time.   

This academic year, families will have two weeks at the October half-term, three weeks at Christmas and two weeks at Easter for extended family holidays. Please do ensure that if booking holidays, they fall within the holiday periods.