Parent Information Point
For up to date information for parents view the posts below. Details of upcoming parent events will also be listed here. Click the relevant category from the menu on the right to view the content for that area. Please note, any links to external websites are beyond the control of Helenswood School, so is not responsible for the quality or content contained within.
Access to Activities (A2A)
Provided by the Hastings and St Leonards Excellence Cluster, A2A is an allocation of funding that is available to all schools in Hastings and St Leonards, to assist children in accessing activities that, for financial reasons, they would not normally be able to access.
Click here for more information
Helenswood Coffe Mornings
We hold at the Lower School site every Thursday (during term time) an informal Coffee Morning from 9.15am to 10.15am organised with the support of the Excellence Cluster.
This is open to all parents/carers who would like to come and meet with us for a coffee and a chat. Most weeks we have guest speakers from various organisations to cover subjects that may be of help to parents/carers of secondary school age girls.
This week we have a representative from the Fire Brigade to talk about fire protection in the home.
If you would like to come and join us or require more information please contact Carole Martin 01424 753040.
Free Courses for Parents!
Hastings and St Leonards Excellence Cluster is delighted to be working in partnership with ESCC family learning, Fellowship of St Nicholas and our local NHS PCT and SureStart to provide a range of free courses for parents. Most courses also come with free creche support.
Click here for full details of the courses on offer
Helenswood School Letting Information
Helenswood School through its Community learning and Extended Services Action Plan is keen to promote community access to its facilities. The intention is to ensure that those facilities, including buildings and grounds on both sites, are accessed regularly by a large range of community groups in compliance with the lettings policy which is separately attached.
Both are available in PDF format
Childcare
A recent Extended Schools Questionnaire carried out by the Hastings and St Leonards Excellence Cluster outlined some local childcare requirements. Whilst the duty of care of Helenswood School extends primarily to its students, clear acknowledgement is made that parents/carers of our students will be actively seeking childcare provision for other siblings. Signposting via links on the Helenswood website is intended to give parents information regarding local provision. This information will be updated on a regular basis. Helenswood School does not seek to endorse any of the service listed nor can it make any recommendations as to the quality of care.
Laton-Ash Nursery
Caterpillars Hastings College NurseryKITES Family Information Service - East Sussex County Council
KITES provides up-to-date information and advice on all childcare facilities, parenting and family support, and services for children throughout East Sussex.
Link: http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/
Menu of Activites Available at Helenswood
Helenswood School provides a rich entitlement of club activities within the co-curriculum. These activities will be updated on a termly basis and information provided both on the website and club cards issued to all students. If you need to contact your daughter / check for attendance / check that the club is running the main office will provide the point of contact. In an extension of its community services Helenswood School will be building upon the successful Youth University venture, which was launched in January 2008, to projects aimed at both students and adults at weekends and holiday periods. These will be publicised on the website.
As a Performing Arts School Helenswood continues to both provide and support a number of initiatives within the local community based at Helenswood School and beyond, for example The Dance Show, links with the Stables Youth Theatre, Helenswood G+T Performance group and participation in the Shakespeare Schools festival.
East Sussex Music Service
The East Sussex Music Service provides and gives information on the following:
- music and singing lessons at school
- other music activities outside school
- joining a band, orchestra or choir and meeting other musicians
- lessons for adults, and groups or activities you can join
- live music played by bands, orchestras and choirs
- specialist courses for 16–19 year olds at East Sussex Academy of Music
- information for music teachers.
Link: http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/educationandlearning/music/
Stagecoach – Hastings: Summer Workshop 2010
The Summer workshop for 2010 is 'High School Musical 2' and is open to anyone aged between 8 and 18. The workshop runs from Monday 9th August to Friday 13th August from 10am to 4pm each day, with a show at 5.45pm on the Friday at the Phoenix Arts Centre, William Parker Sports College.
All of the details including an online application form are on the website: www.stagecoach.co.uk/hastings
Founded in 1988 with three schools in Surrey, Stagecoach now has more than 700 Schools in the UK and others in Australia, Canada, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Ireland, Malta, Spain, and the USA.
In all, Stagecoach trains over 40,000 students and is the world's largest part-time theatre school.
Link: http://www.stagecoach.co.uk/
Parenting Support
Helenswood School provides parenting support via the PIC (Parent Information Contact), via Tracy Lee on the Upper School Site (01424 422470) and Carole Martin on the Lower School Site (01424 753040). Both these trained staff will be able to signpost parents to local organisations who can provide informal support and national services such as Parentline Plus.
Periodically provision for parenting support will be provided in school in issues such as dealing with difficult adolescents and drugs evenings. This information will be posted on the website. The PIP (Parent Information Point) provides similar information on the school website and is updated regularly.
Hastings and Rother Mediation Services
Parenting Survival Course Guide
The Hastings and St. Leonards Excellence Cluster are running a daytime course from March 2010, helping parents deal with the stress and difficulties in dealing with children aged between 11-17. The course is free and runs for 9 weeks.
Click here for full details and an Application pack
Specialist Services
Swift and easy access to targeted and specialist services can be gained via information provided by either PIC on each site and the Helenswood PIP, the virtual notice board provided on the school website. Helenswood Voice may also provide a vehicle for such information from time to time.
Sussex Autistic Community Trust - Aspergers Support Group
Rethink - Carers Support
Crossroads - Caring for Carers
Care for the Carers
Hastings and St. Leonards Excellence Cluster
ESCIS - Support Groups in Hastings
