Polygon Pride - Diversity Day 2023!

 Polygon Pride.

Today is about celebrating the amazing diversity in our school community and celebrating all the wonderful complexities of people that make us individuals. 

The rainbow flag may represent the LGBTQ+ community but pride is so much more. Pride celebrates all types of diversity. All races, religions,disabilities, genders,  identities and socio -economic backgrounds. 

I am proud to have pride in this school. We should all have pride in ourselves and the confidence to be the people we want to be and we should embrace it.

Pride is a celebration of love.

Pride is a celebration of acceptance.

Pride is a celebration of kindness.

All people have the right to be treated equally and be respected no matter what background they come from and that is what Pride is a celebration of.  

Our staff team are proud of you and you should be proud of yourselves.

Please celebrate diversity in this school by joining me on the playground march. 

 

Maths GCSE

 

                                                        GCSE MATHEMATICS's

This summer we had a record 21 pupils entered into Mathematics, more than any other subject in Polygon history. This included two year 9's, nine year 10's and ten year 11's.

We also have two pupils sitting the higher paper. This paper has questions starting at a grade 3 and goes up to grade 9!

This specification was chosen as it allows the pupils to use a calculator in both exams. This has already led to multiple grade 4s and higher in recent years.

AJ and Lewis preparing for their GCSE's

The boys will now be waiting for Thursday 24th to receive their results. Good Luck everyone

*** First iDEA Enterprise Award winner ***

                                                            

                                                        Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award

CONGRATULATIONS to Lucas Jewkes for becoming the first pupil in the school to achieve a bronze award from iDEA

iDEA is an international award winning programme that helps you develop digital, enterprise and employability skills.

Through our series of online challenges, you can win career-enhancing badges, unlock new opportunities and, ultimately, gain industry-recognised Awards that help you stand out from the crowd.

For this Lucas had to complete badges in the following categories: Worker, Citizen, Maker and Entrepreneur.

Here is a complete list of his badges.

Shout out to James Wyatt, Tobi Sartain and Tyler Williams for being close to obtaining their badges

ICT Results are in

 

                                                    EDEXCEL Functional Skills in ICT

Back in February a host of KS3 and KS4 pupils sat the EDEXCEL Functional Skills in ICT exam. This was a Level 1 exam that was equivalent to a grade 2 at GCSE!

This was an opportunity for KS4 to bank a grade before sitting the Level 2 exam in June and a fantastic opportunity for KS3 to show off what they have learned this year.

We are pleased to say that we had LOTS of passes

Here are just a few of the certificates that we received. This will go into the boys folders for them to take home at the end of year 11. 

This course is finishing next year so we need a big effort from pupils and staff to make the most of this opportunity and grab some qualifications in ICT

Your Future Careers & Transition Event

 Your Future Careers & Transition Event

Our KS4 pupils attended St Mary's Stadium for 'Your Future'. This was an event aimed at pupils moving on fomr school to their next step. Pupils spoke to colleges and training providers to explore their next steps and transitions.

Diversity Day 2023

 The Polygon School is celebrating School Diversity Week 12^th-16th June. 

As part of our efforts to ensure our school environment is a place where every pupil can realise their potential, we will be joining tens of thousands of pupils and teachers taking part in School Diversity Week across the country to celebrate equality in our school and LGBTQ+ education.

Our school council decided four years ago the way in which they would like to celebrate this is a non-school uniform day where pupils can dress in a way which reflects their identity and respect each other’s choices. This has become an annual event for the school that everyone looks forward to. This year non-school uniform day will be on Wednesday 14th June.  This is optional for pupils and there is NO charge as this is a celebration of the diversity in our school not for a charity.

We hope you will support the school in celebrating Schools Diversity Week and the education of LGBTQ+. Growing up remains unacceptably tough for LGBTQ+ young people 40%, contemplate suicide, 50% self-harm and 96% still hear homophobic remarks. This has a potentially life-long impact on young people’s attainment and wellbeing.

Alongside our anti-bullying and safeguarding policies, taking part in School Diversity Week is an important way of actively supporting LGBTQ+ young people in our school and demonstrating our commitment to an inclusive school environment where every young person can be themselves and thrive. It is a chance to explain to all our students the importance of diversity in the world we are preparing them for.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Foster who along with pupils will be leading our preparations if you have any questions. We look forward to sharing our celebrations for you all to see on the school blog.

Check out our Diversity Day blog from last year for more information! 

Golden Ring Boxing

Lloyd gets put through his paces

Throughout this year pupils from the school's Stetch and Engagement Programme have participated in boxing training at Golden Ring Boxing in Millbrook. Under the tutelage of experienced boxing trainers, pupils have improved their fitness, skills and discipline. 

 "The kids want something to do. Why not something that is healthy and physically challenging for them?" club owner Stuart Gill said "In our gym they learn how to take care of their body through diet and exercise and they get a feeling of belonging to a club that's really for them."