Charity Ambassadors
Transforming Lives in Kenya
Our Charity Ambassadors deserve to have the limelight at the end of this Academic Term! We could not be prouder of everything the Charity Ambassadors have achieved this academic year. With your support and a lot of pure determination and kindness, we have managed to help more people in the community than we ever anticipated. Following the success of the Colour Run in September, we were able to support our partner school in Kenya when we visited in October. With your generous support, we donated 320 kilos of books, clothes, stationery, and toiletries to help the 170 pupils at West End Academy in Nakuru. The colour run raised over £5000, meaning two classrooms could be built. The school is oversubscribed, so adding these two classrooms will significantly impact the community, which relies heavily on donations from projects and schools like ours. We also raised enough funds to pay for every pupil in the school to enjoy a Christmas meal, many of whom would have gone without food without your fantastic support!
Charity Ambassadors Spearhead Series of Successful Initiatives
- Our Charity Ambassadors ran another phenomenal MacMillan Coffee morning, raising over £1064.
- Harvest Festival donations have helped dozens of families at St Helens Food Bank.
- Our Poppy Appeal raised over £517.
- We collected and donated hundreds of pyjamas, cosy socks, gifts, and toys for the Children’s Ward at Whiston Hospital and over 100 Christmas Cards for the elderly patients who may be in the hospital and otherwise alone at Christmas.
- Our Easter Egg appeal for the Children’s ward in Whiston Hospital saw over 307 Easter eggs and sweet treats being donated for the children in our local community who will be in the hospital over the Easter period.
- Through Own Clothes Day and Tuck Shops, we proudly announce that Our Charity Ambassadors and everyone who took part have raised over £1000 for our School Library. Esme created beautiful jewellery items and donated £25 from her sales to the Library fund.
I want to extend my gratitude to every pupil, parent, and friend of Tower College who has supported, donated, and continues to support our endeavours to give back to our community. I am so excited to hear what other projects our pupils want to work towards in the coming months. Thank you all so very much.
Events
We were lucky this week as the sun came out for our Easter Gala. Our pupils had fun participating in Easter crafting projects, an Easter Bonnet parade, Bouncy castles and our biggest-ever Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Easter Bunny himself, with over 600 Easter Eggs scattered and hidden on our sports field! Please keep an eye on your ParentMail and our Social Media pages, where you will find information regarding our upcoming Sports Days, Graduations, Reward visits, and, of course, our Year 11 Leavers Prom.
Trips
This academic year so far has been filled with adventurous and awe-inspiring visits. Willersley Castle for our year 7 bonding trip, ten days volunteering, Safari in Kenya in October, and Iceland with its volcanoes and northern lights in December. Our upcoming trips to Barcelona Sightseeing and participating in some fantastic water sports have been filled, and we hope our pupils and staff have a great time! There is limited availability for the following trips –
Paris – 19/06 – 22/06
We will be visiting Paris in France, where our pupils will have the opportunity to take in the sights of Paris, take a river cruise along the Seine, visit the Arc de Triomphe, and see the Montparnasse Tower. Pupils will also have the chance to meet their favourite Disney characters, enjoy thrill-seeking rides, and watch the Disney parade in awe when we spend the day at Disneyland Paris!
Please reserve your child’s place –
Trip to Paris – 19th June to 22nd June 2024 (jotform.com)
London – 16/06 – 18-06
We will depart school on Wednesday morning and return late Friday evening. The visit includes a trip to Wembley Stadium, The London Eye, and The Tower of London, a cruise along the River Thames, a West End Show, and an action-packed, exhilarating visit to the amazing Thorpe Park!
Please reserve your child’s place –
Residential Trip to London 16th – 18th October 2024 (jotform.com)
Looking ahead, we are thrilled to announce an equally exciting array of trips and residentials planned for the coming academic year. Our pupils will also be able to embark on a captivating journey to Kenya, where they will immerse themselves in the country’s rich cultural heritage and volunteer in our partner school.
We understand that embarking on such adventures can be a significant investment and commitment for families. However, we firmly believe that these experiences are invaluable in shaping our pupils into well-rounded individuals and preparing them for the challenges that lie ahead. We encourage you to consider these opportunities for your child, as they are guaranteed to add depth and value to their educational journey.
Kenya – March/April 2025
Each pupil-volunteer can choose from two volunteer roles: teaching and sports coaching or building and renovation. Whichever they choose, our pupils can make a real difference at a school in Kenya. We will volunteer at the school and spend a morning delivering food parcels to local families. Our previous trip enabled us to raise enough funds to finance building two additional classrooms at our partner school. So, we are very excited to return and see how this has impacted the children and their community.
In addition to volunteering at our partner school (which can also be used toward the Duke of Edinburgh volunteer element), our pupils will have the opportunity to experience a Maasai Mara game drive to spot the ‘Big Five’, staying in huge ‘safari style’ bell tents. They will visit a traditional Maasai village where our volunteers will be invited to meet local community leaders and learn more about the conventional Masaai culture. Our pupils will also have ample opportunities to try their best at ‘haggling’ in the local craft markets, remembering a visit to the Nairobi Giraffe Centre and the chance to feed the giraffes whilst learning about the centre’s rescue work. It all adds up to be a life-changing experience.
Please reserve your child’s place – African Adventures – Kenya 2025 (jotform.com)
Ms Gregory
PSHE
Our Holistic PSHE Curriculum Promotes Compassion, Responsibility, and Well-being
I am pleased to provide you with an update on our successful engagement with PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education) across all year groups at Tower College during this Spring Term. Based on the 2014 National Curriculum in England, our curriculum aims to equip our students with essential life skills, knowledge, and understanding, which aligns with our commitment to providing a comprehensive PSHE education.
We have covered many important topics for our pupils’ holistic development this term. Among these, in the lower school, was ‘Showing Compassion’, which featured an engaging talk from the Blue Cross Animal Charity on pet care. This session aimed to develop a sense of responsibility towards animals in our younger pupils and enhance their understanding of animal welfare.
We were privileged to have Emily and Jack, our Year 8 Charity Ambassadors, present to our Year 4 students. They shared their personal experiences of engaging in charitable activities, including a notable visit to Kenya to assist in rebuilding a school. This interactive session enlightened and inspired our students and cultivated a spirit of altruism within our school community.
Additionally, the lower school participated in the Santander money management program, which focused on educating young pupils about ‘Where Money Comes From’ and the basics of budgeting. Across the school, we studied British values that are foundational to being a citizen in modern, diverse Britain. These values are instrumental in creating environments free from discrimination, intolerance, and hate, enabling us to challenge prejudice and stereotyping and enhance community relationships.
Our International Women’s Day competition highlighted March, showcasing remarkable entries where pupils wrote and illustrated works about females who inspire them. In upper school, topics varied, covering everything from first aid to good mental health and acknowledging the paramount importance of mental well-being.
With the well-being of our pupils in mind, we are thrilled to introduce ‘The Space.’ This new initiative offers a dedicated area accessible to all UM pupils every Wednesday during lunch. It’s designed to facilitate guided discussions, icebreaker activities, and relaxation exercises, creating a supportive atmosphere where students can connect with peers and engage in activities promoting their overall well-being.
Furthermore, we will implement a Worry Box starting after the Easter holidays. This initiative supports pupils who may feel reluctant or need more confidence to voice questions during their PSHE lessons. The Worry Box will be an anonymous platform for students to seek guidance or share concerns, underscoring our commitment to their emotional well-being and academic progress.
Providing a comprehensive PSHE education empowers our students to become confident, responsible, and compassionate individuals. Through these engaging initiatives and topics, we strive to instil valuable life skills that will benefit them both now and in the future. If you have any questions or require further information about our PSHE curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Mrs Turner
Pupil Well-being
Tower College is committed to creating a culture that promotes good well-being and spreads awareness of well-being and mental health. We strive to support and guide staff by crafting CPDs to help strengthen their understanding of well-being and ensure pupil well-being is being tracked and supported effectively. This enables staff to effectively support pupils in class through structured well-being lessons and activities.
Well-being questionnaires are conducted termly to collate data and pinpoint areas of support for pupils. This enables us to roll out department-wide support for staff and pupils and to provide in-depth guidance.
We aim to help parents understand mental health and well-being through information packs, guidance, outside support, and workshops.
This year, Early Years and Lower School celebrated World Mental Health Day. Throughout the day, the pupils participated in various exciting mindfulness and well-being activities, including learning new breathing techniques, walking in nature, and talking about who helps them stay connected and calm when stressed or anxious.
Early Years and Lower School children participated in our annual Well-being Week in January. This year, there were some new and exciting activities. We included well-being activities in PE, a mindfulness day, team-building workshops, and even learning how our teachers relax. We ended the week with an I am Amazing day, where children brought in items that made them unique and dressed up to celebrate.
We have exciting new plans to support well-being in school, and we can’t wait to share them with you soon.
Miss Deane
Safeguarding
At Tower College, every child deserves to be heard, and their opinions, concerns, and ideas should be acknowledged and considered. Encouraging your child to express their thoughts and feelings helps them develop their communication skills and enhances their self-confidence and self-esteem. Therefore, we, as parents and educators, must create opportunities for meaningful conversations with our children.
We strive to foster a culture where every child’s voice is valued and respected. We believe meaningful conversations between parents, educators, and children play a significant role in creating a positive and safe learning environment. By encouraging your children to share their thoughts and feelings, you empower them to participate actively in their education and well-being.
Creating a safe and non-judgmental environment where your child feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns is essential. Being supportive and empathetic during these conversations demonstrates to your child that their emotional well-being is a priority. Should your child bring up any worries or issues, please don’t hesitate to contact their class teacher or our school’s designated safeguarding lead so that appropriate support can be provided.
Mrs Wright
