Issue 1087: 13th June 2025 – Sweyne Park School

HEADLINES

Handover – Year 7 to Year 8

It is hard to believe that we are already nearing the end of this academic year and it is time to start looking forward to welcoming the pupils who will be joining us in Year 7 in September 2025.

Due to all the work that Mr Price and Mrs Stone are doing in order to welcome the new cohort of pupils, from Monday 16^th June, Mr Fernandez and Mrs Minney, will take over as the Head of Year and Assistant Head of Year of our current Year 7 pupils.

I know that Mr Price and Mrs Stone have very much enjoyed their time with Year 7 and that Mr Fernandez and Mrs Minney are looking forward to taking over the reins!

The SLT link for the year group, moving forwards, will be Mr O’Brien.

School Uniform Donations

We are very proud of our school uniform, and value the sense of belonging and identity that pupils and students get from wearing it. However, we are aware that with the rising costs of living, it can be difficult for families to always buy brand new items of uniform.

With this in mind, we are committed to ensuring access to the correct uniform is never a barrier to learning.

We have always supported families via lost property items and/or kind donations of second-hand school uniform. However, in order to continue to support as many families as possible, we would be grateful for donations of any items of uniform that are in good condition.

These will be then available for sale at a discounted rate to anyone who may need to make use of the facility. The proceeds of any sales will go to the PTA.

If you do have any problems obtaining any items of school uniform, please do contact us, in the strictest of confidence, at pupilservices@sweynepark.com.

Android Smartphones

Internet Matters have published a useful guide to the parental controls on Android smartphones, which include the ability to set maturity levels on apps and games.

The guide can be found here: Android parental controls guide | Internet Matters

Year 9 Awards Evening

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Year 9 Celebration Evening on Tuesday. It was another highly enjoyable occasion and it is always a highlight for us to be able to recognise the achievements and personal qualities of our pupils.

The Year 7 Awards Evening will be coming next on Monday 30^th June and then the Year 10 Awards and Prefect Presentation Event will take place on Tuesday 8^th July.

And Finally

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend

What do you do when you're not in school?

We would love to hear about your hobbies, interests and achievements...

If you have any stories and/or photos that you would like to share, please contact us at pupilservices@sweynepark.com

Author Visit: Simon James Green Inspires Students Across Year Groups

Yesterday, we were fortunate to welcome the popular author Simon James Green to our school for an inspiring and engaging day.

Simon began by speaking to Year 12 in an extended assembly, where he discussed his book A Boy Like Me and shared personal experiences of growing up as a gay teenager during the 1990s under Section 28. This heartfelt talk sparked a thoughtful discussion about censorship and the importance of diverse representation in literature.

Later, Simon visited Year 7 students to talk about his books, with a special focus on Finn Jones Was Here. He highlighted why comedy books are so important in storytelling and shared insights into why he chose to become an author. The session was lively and interactive, with lots of fun audience participation as Simon explained how he collaborates with illustrators to bring his stories to life

To top off the visit, Simon kindly signed copies of his books, which were available at a discounted price thanks to the generosity of Waterstones, Southend.

It was a memorable day that left students inspired by the power of stories and the importance of authentic voices in literature.

“Simon James Green was such a fun visit! His enthusiasm and personality was just so funny. I can’t wait to read the books – they look really funny too!” Callie

“I liked the story who told about the rugby because I could imagine it clearly. The whole talk was great!” Jacob

Contact details and personal preferences:

As you are aware we keep confidential records on our systems with parents/carers contact details, ie. addresses, phone numbers, emergency contacts and email addresses. If you have recently made any changes could you contact Pupil Services on: pupilservices@sweynepark.com so we can update our systems please.

We also hold information re your preference for use of pupils’ biometric data and school photos both inside and outside of school. If your preferences have changed, could you make us aware of the change by also emailing Pupil Services.

Thank you in advance.

Year 7 & 8 Girls Tennis Division 2 Group Winners

🎾 After weeks of intense competition, The Sweyne Park School has emerged victorious in the group stage of the LTA Youth Schools Competition! 🏆

A huge well done to the team for their incredible effort and determination. 💪 Next stop: the semi-finals! Let’s keep the momentum going, good luck! 🍀🔥

Next week, the Caterlink menu will be ‘Week 2’.

Click here to see the menu.

Library Competitions

Volunteer Summer Reading Challenge

Learn more

South East School Age Community Drop-in

Benfleet Running Club

We have a thriving Youth section at the club which takes children from 11 to 16 years old. We are an England Athletics affiliated club with all of the appropriate safeguarding procedures and policies in place. You can see some basic details regarding our Youth section at BRC Youths – Benfleet Running Club.

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW)
e-Bug

Home Energy Advice

Important e-scooter information for schools and parents

Reading Rewards

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