Thursday 23rd October 2025

Theme of the Week – Succeeding Against the Odds

Dear Parents/Carers,

At this time of the year, I am reminded of Marc Bolan’s saying, “Time passes so slowly if you are unaware of it and so quickly if you are aware of it”. Certainly, for us adults, time has sped by and we find ourselves at the end of the first half-term.

During this time, our student embraced learning experiences, including four of our students represented the school brilliantly when they visited Betty Layward on Wednesday this week to interview ‘Newsround’ presenter Emma-Louise Amanshi. Students asked thoughtful questions, demonstrated real curiosity exploring the journalist experience and career journey.

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Our ongoing celebrations for language of the month has continued to thrive, with October’s lunchtime sessions in the library celebrating Jamaican Patois and Diwali, following September’s exploration of Vietnamese language and culture.

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Meanwhile, British Rowing brought an exciting sporting opportunity to our students on Tuesday, giving our PE groups a hands-on introduction to rowing and even spotting potential talents for their free ‘Get into Rowing’ programme.

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As I write, Year 7 students are participating in a Drop-Down Day, with workshops led by Talk the Talk focused on oracy and confident speaking, and a session celebrating SNS’s creative identity with Sadler’s Wells dance activities to celebrate Black History Month.

Students Return – Wednesday 5th November 2025

Following half-term, students must arrive to school by 8.25am on Wednesday 5th November, fully equipped and ready for learning.

Friends of SNS – Fundraising Bingo – Thursday 13th November 7.00pm

Eyes down for a Bingo night at SNS! Prizes for winning lines and full houses, with food and drink available to buy on the night. Doors open at 7.00pm and entry includes a Bingo dabber and cards, (with extra cards available to buy if you wish). Come as a group or join a table for this social event organised by Friends of SNS (FoS). FoS is a registered charity and all profits will go towards school projects that benefit the students. Please note this is a fundraising event held at the school for parents/carers, with no under 18s allowed. Get your tickets here!

Autumn Term Parent/Carer Forums – On Site in the Theatre

Year 8 – Wednesday 19th November 5.30pm – 6.30pm

The last forum for this term is our Year 8 parent/carer forum, providing information regarding Progress Check 1, Progress Review Day in January and briefing of the PGL Trip in May 2026.

Personal Development and Wellbeing

Personal Development Curriculum – Autumn Term Curriculum Update

Our Personal Development Curriculum continues to support students in developing the knowledge, skills and values they need to thrive both in and beyond school.

Autumn 1: Identity, Relationships and Community

This half term, students across Years 7 to 13 have explored a range of topics designed to help them understand themselves and others, build respectful relationships, and contribute positively to their communities. These lessons have encouraged students to reflect on their values, challenge stereotypes, and develop empathy and resilience. Themes included:

  • Year 7: Identity, diversity, and what it means to be part of a community.
  • Year 8: Family and friendships, healthy relationships, and managing boundaries.
  • Year 9: Peer pressure, discrimination, and inclusion.
  • Year 10: Marriage, parenting, and communication in relationships.
  • Year 11: Mental health, gender identity, and appreciating diversity.
  • Year 12: Relationship dynamics, consent, and emotional wellbeing.
  • Year 13: Transitioning to adulthood, privilege, and future aspirations.

Autumn 2: Wellbeing, Rights and Safety

In the second half of the term, the focus shifts to personal wellbeing, safety, and understanding rights. These sessions aim to equip students with the tools to make informed, safe, and respectful choices in their lives. Students will be learning about:

  • Year 7: Challenging bullying, online wellbeing, reproductive health, and body image.
  • Year 8: Romantic relationships, physical intimacy, and online safety.
  • Year 9: Anti-racism, sexual violence, and media influence.
  • Year 10: Abusive relationships, sexual health, and gang awareness.
  • Year 11: Gender stereotypes, grief, and navigating consent.
  • Year 12: Sexual and reproductive health, mental health conversations, and substance misuse.
  • Year 13: Emotional awareness, sexual health, fertility, and managing pressure.We encourage families to continue these important conversations at home and thank you for your ongoing support of our Personal Development curriculum.

Support During Holiday Period

During school holiday periods, we understand it that there may be financial strains and an impact on families & young people’s mental health. Please be aware of the helplines that are available:

Youth-Run Discussion Space – Wednesday 29th October 1.00pm – 3.00pm

This October half term, City & Hackney CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) are holding a space for young people to have discussions about their wellbeing. Safe to Talk is a confidential and welcoming space for young people to talk about mental health and wellbeing.

Designed and led by young people who have had with experience in CAMHS, this provides an opportunity for students to connect with one another whilst undergoing creative activities and crafts. You can find further information attached.

Support from Parents/Carers working in STEM

We are looking for parents/carers who might be able to speak to our students about careers in STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (including any health-related careers), and are always looking for valuable work experience opportunities for our students. If you are interesting in taking part to support us, please contact Dr Julia Cooper using this link, for more information about these outreach opportunities for our students.

Support with World Book Day Celebrations

Every year at SNS, we celebrate World Book Day with a programme of exciting events promoting reading for pleasure and creative writing. We are currently approaching authors to speak in assembly and/or run a workshop for students over the week beginning Monday 2nd March 2026 .

If you have any links to authors, illustrators, poets, journalists, script writers or professionals working in publishing who would be willing to host an assembly and/or run a workshop for free or a small fee please contact Ms Loy, Librarian Manager, using this link.

Careers Events

The Parents Guide to Green Careers – 2025 Edition

From sustainability and renewable energy to eco-design and green innovation, this guide helps families understand what “green careers” really mean, discover routes into sustainable jobs after GCSEs, sixth form or university and start meaningful conversations about the future. You can view the guide using this link.

Careermag for Parents/Carers

Careermap have devised useful resources and offer expert advice for parents/carers, aiming to help through the maze post-16 and post-18 options, enabling bester career conversations with their children. You can access the resources here.

Key dates

Please see a link to our school calendar here.

With this week’s theme focused on ‘Succeeding Against the Odds’ students in 9E shared the following quote this morning for our Thought of the Day.

“A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall" – Serena Williams, Athlete

We look forward to welcoming students back after half-term on Wednesday 5th November 2025. Wishing you all a restful break. With best wishes,

Zehra Jaffer