The Lister Weekly Update #12

The Lister team's participation in the Pinsent Masons debate was a resounding success. The Year 10 students, brimming with confidence and intellectual prowess, engaged in a captivating debate against a range of East London schools. Their first debate, centered on the controversial topic of facial recognition and its potential for privacy invasion, showcased their exceptional debating skills. The team's eloquence, persuasive arguments, and ability to counter opposing viewpoints were instrumental in securing a well-deserved victory.

However, their success didn't stop there. The Lister team's outstanding performance caught the attention of the judges, who were so impressed that they nominated the team to participate in the final debate. This recognition is a testament to the students' dedication, hard work, and exceptional talent. Their journey to the final round is a source of immense pride for the school and a shining example of academic excellence.

While they narrowly missed out on the ultimate victory, their exceptional performance captivated the audience and left a lasting impression. The Lister team's dedication, hard work, and passion for debate were evident in their every word, and they undoubtedly won the hearts and minds of those present.

The recent "Dance Episodes" event at Lister Community School was a spectacular showcase of talent and creativity. Students from Years 7 to 11 took to the stage and performed a diverse range of dance styles, from the energetic beats of hip-hop to the graceful movements of contemporary dance. The event also featured Bollywood and cheerleading performances, highlighting the versatility and passion of the young dancers.

All participants deserve a huge round of applause for their incredible performances. Their courage and dedication in performing in front of their peers and staff were truly inspiring.

If your child aspires to be part of the next "Dance Episodes" in March, encourage them to join one of the many dance clubs offered during lunchtime and after school. These clubs provide a supportive environment for students to develop their skills and explore their passion for dance.

Review of Our Deaf Support Provision

We are delighted to share the outcomes of the recent review of our Deaf Support Department (DSD). The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the excellent provision we have in place for our deaf pupils, as well as areas where we can refine our approach to make it even better.

Key Highlights

The review team commended several aspects of our provision, noting that:

• Our school provides a very secure and well-established environment for deaf pupils. The calm and ordered atmosphere was recognised as being particularly supportive, and such exceptional management is not something the team observes everywhere.
• There is a high value placed on the deaf provision and support team throughout the school. This level of recognition and commitment is rare and demonstrates our dedication to inclusion and excellence.
• The team has a clear vision for the future of the provision and knows where improvements will benefit pupils the most.
• Pupils are making progress, reflecting the hard work and commitment of staff at all levels to ensure deaf students thrive academically and socially.

Areas for Development

While the review celebrated our achievements, it also provided some valuable recommendations for improvement:

• Develop a clear pathway for deaf students from early years to post-16, aligned with borough expectations.
• Increase staffing capacity, including an additional Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (ToD), and ensure consistent support staff.
• Provide further training for staff and CSWs to standardise approaches, reduce pupil over-reliance, and improve use of equipment like amplification devices.
• Align assessments with EHCP targets and consider inclusive practices, such as signed versions of school policies.

Looking Ahead

The review reinforced that our school has an exceptionally strong foundation in deaf support and inclusion. With some strategic adjustments and additional resources, we can take our provision to even greater heights.

We are immensely proud of the hard work and dedication of our entire team. This review has highlighted that our school is a model of excellence in many respects, and with ongoing commitment, we will continue to deliver the best for our deaf pupils.

Thank you for your continued support in making our Deaf Support Department a place where every student can thrive.

Please note that it is year 9 Parents' Evening tonight. All of your child's teachers will be available for a short discussion about progress and behaviour. We will also include information on forthcoming options for GCSE. Please note targets for improvement and aim to achieve these in the term ahead.

Dear Parents and Carers,

In last year's version of the parent mail, every week we published a league table of the top praise earners from each house. This was a celebration of the most successful house teams at Lister. Now that we have moved on to the year team system, we could not publish the same news. Here we have now reformatted the old system - highlighting year groups' success and the particular form groups and individuals in year groups who are earning the most praises. Keep an eye out for your child's name here and see whether their form group have had particular success through the week!

Dear Parents and Carers,

REIN will be running their winter HAF programme which offers activities and food for those students who are FSM or families receiving benefit related support.

You can find information about how to sign up to this year's HAF programme on the flyers, as well as seeing what exciting activities they have planned!

Here is a list of available winter HAF programmes can be found here. This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to stay active and engaged during the holidays.

At the Lister News Desk, we know that being a parent and being a child isn't always easy. The Children's Society offer Time for Young People, a wellbeing support that includes free workshops and drop-ins.

Time for Young People is an early intervention and non-clinical wellbeing service and no referral is needed. They offer free, confidential spaces for young people to speak about anything they need support with, including:

• anxiety
• relationship or family issues
• exam stress
• dealing with hard feelings
• plans for the future
• other challenges

You can find more information in the linked flyers.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SsxIxGkJLucw84CIsfJVTRbF84BLP0EO/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qdW1IFAsGVcIvZ5wCTKEElDUxVT8a1Oh/view?usp=drive_link

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are very keen, at the Lister News Team, to share the menu options that your child will have through the week. We know that this has been available in the recent editions of our newsletter, but was missing from the last two. Here are the menu options for this week!

The Thought for the Week next week is focused on strength. Please discuss the thought with your child who will be looking at the thought in assembly and discussing the idea with peers and the year team.