The Netflix show Adolescence has sparked a lot of discussion amongst students and staff which is brilliant. Understandably, some parents are concerned following the difficult themes contained within the series such as misogyny, pornography, rage, incels, social media and mental health struggles.

Following guidance from various sources we’ve put together some advice for parents. 

The key takeaway from Adolescence is that you MUST be aware of what is going on in your child’s digital and physical lives.

• Parents/carers must check their teenagers phone and internet usage (either until you are satisfied they are using it properly or until they reach an age where it feels appropriate for them to have free reign). Make sure Screen Time/Family Link is set up on devices so you can limit time/access to certain websites and apps. Help them to set healthy boundaries for online behaviour.
• Parents/carers must consider if their child is resilient enough to have full access to the internet and social media. Consider age restrictions for certain apps. Young people are exposed to a lot of mature content on social media – is your young person ready to see this?
• Make sure any social media accounts are set to private.
• Limit screen time and encourage more face to face interactions and time together as a family. Eat dinner together or go for a drive or a walk and talk about your day. Ask what made them laugh, what made them sad, one thing that they’re proud of from the day. Model talking about your emotions and show them that it’s OK to talk about them too. Encourage open dialogue, be supportive, and allow space for exploration.
• Don’t allow young people to have phones in their bedrooms overnight. If your young person is insisting they need it for their alarm then an alarm clock will do the same job.
• Parents/carers must be made aware, seek out information and truly understand the impact of smartphones on developing brains (We recommend you watch Channel 4s Swiped).
• Parents/carers must continue to place boundaries around their teenagers behaviour, routines and habits.
• A reminder that parents/carers will need to be resilient to the mood swings and backlash that putting in boundaries to protect their children may cause. Remember you’re doing it for the greater good.
• Know where your children are at all times. Download Life360 and make sure phones are charged before they go out and location tracking is kept on. Most young people with Snapchat allow their peers to see where they are at all times (on Snap Map) so there is no reason why parents shouldn’t be able to see their location too.
• Parents/carers must still prioritise those same essential aspects of a day especially when it comes to teens. Sleep, routines, fresh air, one to one interaction, meals together as a family. These things are all vitally important for hormonal, developing adolescents. Encourage independence within limits, stay engaged, and be patient as they grow.
• Acknowledge how hard it can be and how thankless it can seem when raising teenagers. No matter how grown up they appear, they still require the same level of parenting, it just looks a little different now and can be more challenging.

If you feel that your child needs some more support with any of the issues raised then please get in touch with their form tutor or Director of Learning.

Mrs Scott
School Counsellor

I am writing to provide detailed information about our upcoming Enrichment Day, which will take place on Friday, 18th July 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity for pupils to participate in a range of activities, both on and off-site, designed to reward positive behaviour and engagement throughout the year.

Format of the Day

· A variety of activities will be available, including off-site trips and on-site experiences.

· Some activities will be free of charge, while others will have a cost attached.

· Pupils will be able to choose their activity, but sign-up will be tiered based on conduct points.

· Places on each trip will be limited. If a trip is full when you try to sign up, unfortunately, you will need to choose a second option.

Sign-Up Process

To encourage positive behaviour and recognise pupils who consistently meet our expectations, sign-up will be structured as follows:

· Top 30% of each year group (highest conduct points) – Sign up from Monday 2nd June.

· Next 30% of each year group – Sign up from Wednesday 4th June.

· Remaining pupils – Sign up from Monday 9th June.

· Deadline for all sign-ups: Friday 13th June.

Any pupil who has not signed up by the deadline will be automatically allocated a free space in an on-site activity.

Payment must be made at the time of sign-up via School Gateway for any activities that require a fee.

Unfortunately, any pupil who has negative conduct points at the time of sign-up will not be allowed to attend off-site activities. These pupils will be required to remain in school for an on-site activity.

Maintaining High Standards

To ensure a positive and safe experience for all pupils:

· Any pupil who receives negative conduct points between sign-up and the trip date will be removed from their chosen activity.

· This applies to both on-site and off-site activities.

· If a pupil is removed from a trip, any payments made may be non-refundable, depending on the provider’s terms and conditions.

Supporting All Pupils

To provide a fresh opportunity for pupils to engage positively, we have reset all negative conduct points to zero for the purpose of Enrichment Day sign-up. This reset took place from Monday 10th March. However:

· This reset is only for sign-up purposes.

· All other conduct points, including positive points, will remain unchanged.

· Negative conduct points will still be recorded on pupils’ behaviour records.

We hope this system will reward pupils who have demonstrated positive behaviour while also giving those who may have struggled earlier in the year a chance to participate.

Further details, including a list of available activities and costs, will be shared in due course. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mr Armitage
Assistant Headteacher

Townsend’s Got Talent is tonight at 7pm!

Make sure you come along later to the school hall to see some impressive talent!

Tickets are still available on the door, £7 adult and £5 concession.

We look forward to seeing you later on.

Mrs Coates
Head of Drama

Online work experience opportunity in the Beauty industry 15th-17th April

Is your son or daughter passionate about beauty and dreaming of a career in the industry? Ever wondered how their favourite beauty products are created or what it takes to run a top beauty brand? Speakers for Schools are offering a 3 day Virtual Work Experience with the British Beauty Council and Pelham to gain exclusive insights and kickstart their future in beauty. Each days starts at 10.00am and finishes at 2.00pm.

During this three-day experience, they will hear from experts across Pelham’s key departments, including Business Development, Product Development, the Lab team, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Production, and Warehouse. Students will meet industry leaders and get the chance to ask them their questions They will create their own beauty brand and receive feedback from top industry professionals—plus, Pelham’s design team will help bring their product vision to life with a mock-up. Students will engage in fun, hands-on mini-tasks to get a real feel for working in the beauty sector.

To take part in this experience students will need to create a Speakers for School account linked to Townsend school by following the link below:

https://account.speakersforschools.org/Registration/YoungPersonSchool?organisationId=0ad4908e-ca13-43d6-94a4-e1cb66f479b0

The link to this work experience opportunity to make it easy for students to find is below:

https://app.speakersforschools.org/en/opportunities/educatorexplore/CFBB258E-6DB3-4145-BC55-08DD4B4A2FFD

The closing date for applications is Tuesday March 25th.

Mrs Davey
Assistant Headteacher