12^th January 2012

Dear Parent/ Carer,

I hope everyone had an enjoyable and peaceful Christmas and I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year. The new term has started well and it is pleasing to see how our young people have settled readily into the school routine after their break. There are two particular matters which I would like to bring to your attention.

You may be aware of the proposal by Sainsbury’s to build a superstore on the land immediately to the front of the school, with proposed access via The Becket Way. We have been in dialogue with representatives of Sainsbury’s and we have very strong objections to the proposal on the grounds of the compromise which would be brought to the safety and welfare of our young people. The only possible means of access to the school for around 1060 young people is via the school entrance on The Becket Way and you will be aware of the congestion there simply through the number of pedestrians at the start and the end of the school day. To increase the level of traffic through having the access to the superstore on The Becket Way would in our view represent an intolerable and unacceptable risk to our young people.

We also have concerns over the bringing to the vicinity of the school gates large numbers of people and indeed the potential for noise pollution with the service access to the proposed store situated to the rear, adjacent to the school boundary.

The proposal can be seen on the following website:

http://www.sainsburys-westbridgford.co.uk/

and you will be able to make your views known to Sainsbury’s via a link there.

A formal planning application will soon be lodged with Rushcliffe Borough Council and we will be making formal representations during the consultation process. Councillor Gordon Wheeler, of Compton Acres, has taken a keen interest in the project and you may well wish to make your views known to him. He can be contacted by email via Cllr.DWheeler@rushcliffe.gov.uk. If you are a Rushcliffe resident in another ward , we would be grateful if you would also contact your own councillor. The planning application will be considered by Rushcliffe Borough Council.

With regard to the issue of congestion I would like to remind parents that the management of The Harvester restaurant are happy for their car park to be used as a dropping off and collection point for pupils. 

On another note, Nottinghamshire County Council are consulting over a change to a five term year. While we have, both as a Voluntary Aided School and now as an Academy, been able to set our own term dates we have mind to those set locally. The Nottinghamshire proposals relate to the Academic Year 2013-14 and they can be accessed via the following link:

http://www3.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/thecouncil/democracy/consultation/current-consultations/school-terms/.

Once again I look forward to our continuing to work together.

Yours sincerely,

A. J. Glover

Head Teacher

BERLIN 2012

4th January 2012                                                                                      

Dear Parent / Carer

I am writing to give you some initial information about our next visit to Berlin in 2012 and to invite applications from pupils in the current Y10 who are studying German.

We will be flying to Berlin from East Midlands airport, leaving in the early evening of Wednesday October 17^th and returning during half-term week during the daytime on Monday October 22^nd 2012.

We will again be staying in the Grand Hostel (on the Tempelhofer Ufer). It is a luxury hostel with lovely rooms – please look at the website if you wish to see the facilities on offer.

The total price of the visit is £300, which will include flights, accommodation, breakfast, transport in and around Berlin, entrance fees and insurance. Lunch and evening meals are not included and neither is spending money. Activities will include the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, East Side Gallery, a visit to the Reichstag parliament building, the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, a trip up the Television Tower, a tour of the Olympic Stadium (with the possibility of seeing a match), the Holocaust Memorial and Berlin Zoo.

If you wish your son/daughter to participate in this visit, I shall require a first payment of £100 by Friday 20^th January. This will enable me to book flights and take advantage of early discounts and as such will not be refundable under any circumstances once the flight has been purchased. If you choose to remove your child from the trip, or if your child is removed by the school from the list of participants due to bad behaviour, you will NOT get a refund. Two further payments of £100 each will be required in April and September 2012 (cheques made payable to “The Becket School”). A savings card will be issued on receipt of the deposit. Pupils will require a passport and EHIC card for this visit.

We reserve the right to refuse pupils if their behaviour has been felt to be unacceptable this year. Please also note that the school reserves the right to withdraw pupils from the trip with regard to safeguarding concerns.

I shall be sending further detailed information before the visit but if you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me at h.ryder@becketonline.co.uk

Yours faithfully,

Mrs H Ryder

Senior Curriculum Leader / Leader of Learning in MFL

 _______________________________________________________

YEAR 11 VISIT TO BERLIN 2012

I wish my child to take part in the Year 11 visit to Berlin in October 2012. I agree to the terms and conditions concerning payment and enclose a non-refundable first payment of £100.

Signed: ___________________________________________________ (Parent / Carer)

Child’s name: ____________________________________________________

Child’s name as it appears on passport: _______________________________

Child’s nationality: _________________________________________________

Child’s date of birth: _________________________