A Challenging Week for our School Community:

This week has been a particularly challenging one for our school community as we continue to come to terms with the sad news regarding Emmanuel and Isaac. During difficult times such as these, I have been incredibly proud of how our staff team have come together to support one another and, most importantly, our pupils. Despite the emotions felt across the school, staff have worked tirelessly to ensure pupils have continued to experience a positive, caring and successful week in school.

For any families who may wish to attend, Isaac's funeral will take place at 3:15pm on Thursday 19th November at Thoresby Chapel.

We will be in touch with families next week regarding arrangements in school on that day, as we anticipate a significant number of staff will wish to attend and pay their respects. Our thoughts continue to be with Isaac's family and friends at this difficult time.

Post-16 SEND Travel Assistance Consultation:

We have been asked by Nottinghamshire County Council to share an update regarding their Post-16 SEND Travel Assistance Consultation, which is being hosted at Portland College.

Please note that one of the consultation dates has changed:

• Saturday 14th November at 10am - no change
• Friday 20th November at 6pm - this session has been rescheduled from the original date of Tuesday 3rd November

Nottinghamshire County Council has made this change to provide families with additional time to prepare and engage with the consultation process.

If you are interested in attending and would like further information, please contact the school and we will be happy to share the details provided by Nottinghamshire County Council.

World Prematurity Day - Wear Purple!

On Monday 16th November, we will be celebrating World Prematurity Day at Fountaindale School.

To mark the occasion, every pupil will have the opportunity to plant a purple crocus bulb to take home. Purple is the official colour of World Prematurity Day and helps raise awareness of the challenges faced by babies born prematurely and their families.

We would love pupils to join in by wearing something purple on the day. This could be a purple top, jumper, accessory or another suitable item. Staff will also be invited to take part where appropriate.

We are also looking for baby photos of our staff team to use as part of a fun activity during the day. Thank you to everyone who has already sent theirs in!

Soft Play at Fountaindale:

We are delighted to share that our new Soft Play Room has now been installed, and it looks absolutely fantastic! We are incredibly pleased with the finished space and are excited about the opportunities it will provide for our pupils.

Before we begin using the room, there are a few minor snagging items to be completed, along with the finalisation of our risk assessment, to ensure everything is safe and ready for pupils to enjoy.

We know many of you will be keen to see the new facility, and we will be sharing photographs very soon. We are absolutely thrilled with the outcome and cannot wait to open the room and see our pupils benefiting from this wonderful new resource.

Transition Event for Year 11 and Post-16 Families:

We would like to invite parents and carers of our Year 9, 10, 11 and post 16 students to attend our upcoming Transition Event on Thursday 26th November - 1:30pm till 3pm.

This event provides an excellent opportunity to explore the range of options available to young people as they prepare for their next steps. We will be welcoming a wide variety of providers who can offer information, advice and guidance on future pathways, including:

• Further Education and Training
• Day Services
• Social Care Provision
• Employment and Supported Internship Opportunities
• Community and Independence-Based Services

Representatives from a range of organisations will be available to speak with families, answer questions and provide information about the support they can offer beyond school.

We strongly encourage parents and carers to attend, as this is a valuable opportunity to gather information and begin planning for future transitions.

Christmas Raffle Tickets:

Thank you to everyone who supported our Christmas Raffle ticket launch yesterday. Pupils should now have brought home their raffle tickets for this year's Christmas Raffle, which will be drawn at the end of term.

Tickets are £1 each or £5 per book. We would be very grateful for your support, as all proceeds will go towards enriching opportunities and resources for our pupils.

If your child did not receive their tickets, or if you would like any additional books, please contact the school office.

Safeguarding Update: Out of Hours Safeguarding Contact Information

At Fountaindale School, the safety and wellbeing of our pupils is our highest priority. We would like to remind families that if you have a safeguarding concern outside of school hours, including evenings, weekends, and school holidays, you can contact our safeguarding team using the details below.

During School Hours - School Office: 01623 792671

Out of Hours - Emergency Safeguarding Contact: School Mobile: 07512 301996

Safeguarding Team

Rob Mulvey - Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

RMulvey1@nexusmat.org

01623 792671

Gayle Bowmer - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

gbowmer@nexusmat.org

01623 792671

Please save the out of hours mobile number should you ever need to contact the school regarding an urgent safeguarding concern when the main office is closed.

You can also find further safeguarding information on our website:
https://www.fountaindaleschool.org/page/?title=Safeguarding&pid=76

Have a good weekend,

Ben Norman

Headteacher

bnorman@nexusmat.org