Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls

📢 FREE NVR Parent Programme Alert!

Published 11/03/25

Parenting teens can be rewarding yet challenging. Want to strengthen your relationship with your child and learn effective strategies in a supportive environment?

Join our 11-week course starting Tuesday, 29 April at The Moorings Sociable Club, Thamesmead SE28 8BG.

🗓️ Start Date: 29 April - End date: 15 July ⏰ Time: 10am-12noon

Limited places available! Contact Jane Prescott at jprescott@woolwichpolyboys.co.uk or call 020 8310 7000 ext 2067 for details.

#Parenting #Support #NVRProgramme #CommunityEvent

📢 East Children’s Centres Event Alert!

Published 11/03/25

East Children’s Centres

Are you a parent or carer of a child aged under 18?
Are you concerned about how many young lives are lost
because of drugs and violence?
Would you know if your child was being groomed into a gang?
Do you want the best for your child?

We celebrate the fact that most young people lead positive lives and want to ensure you are equipped with the knowledge to prevent your child becoming victims of violence and exploitation.

Join us to explore issues, discuss valuable information and practical strategies relating to social media, sexting, online grooming, gangs, and serious youth violence.

Tuesday 18 March 1 - 3pm

Moorings Sociable Club Titmus Avenue Thamesmead SE28 8BG

Please telephone Waterways Children's Centre to secure your space on 020 8311 5491 ext 1

Limited free crèche places for under 5’s please book in advance.

International Women's Day 2025

Published 03/03/25

International Women's Day (IWD) 2025 will be celebrated on 8th March 2025.

This year's theme is "Accelerate Action", emphasising the need for swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. The campaign calls for increased momentum in addressing systemic barriers and biases that women face in both personal and professional spheres.

The theme highlights the importance of supporting organisations and groups that work tirelessly to advance women's rights and empowerment. It encourages everyone to take action in their daily lives by challenging stereotypes, celebrating women's achievements, and promoting gender equality.

Additionally, 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a significant milestone in the global pursuit of gender equality. This year's celebrations will focus on advancing women's and girls' rights, promoting gender equality, and fostering empowerment through inclusive access to education, employment, and leadership opportunities.

International Women’s Day 2025

Free resources

Book recommendations

Film recommendations

World Book Day - Thursday 6th March 2025

Published 03/03/25

On Thursday, 6^th March, we are celebrating World Book Day! We are looking forward to sharing our love of books with the school community and beyond. Here are a few of the ways we are going to be celebrating on the day:

Non-uniform day for all year groups.
KS3 (Y7-9) fancy dress as book-related characters – this is optional for those who wish to dress up. Those who don’t wish to dress in costume are still welcome to attend in non-uniform.
Book quiz in the library at lunch time.
Book-cover hunt.
All students will receive a World Book Day book token.
Masked Reader tutor group competition.

We are also launching our community book collection point! If you have any unwanted children’s books which are in good condition, they can be dropped in the school library collection point, where they will then be distributed to families through Peabody’s community projects.

World Book Day 2025 will be celebrated on 6th March 2025.

This annual event promotes reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. The day is marked by various activities, events, and resources aimed at encouraging a love of reading.

One of the highlights of World Book Day is the distribution of £1/€1.50 book tokens, which children can exchange for a selection of specially published books. This year, there are 12 titles available across the UK. The tokens can be redeemed from 13th February to 23rd March 2025. Schools and families can access a range of resources to help celebrate, including tool kits, activity packs, and ideas for low-cost costumes related to the featured books.

There are also competitions, such as the popular "Design a National Book Token" competition.

Free secondary school resources

Free activities

Pancake Day Recipes 2025

Published 03/03/25

Tomorrow is Pancake Day, and what better way to celebrate than by sharing our favourite pancake recipes? Whether you're a fan of traditional lemon and sugar or prefer something more adventurous, it is the perfect time to indulge!

Year 10 student wins the Greenwich Regional Final of Jack Petchey's Speak Out Challenge!

Published 28/02/25

Precious, a student at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls, has achieved a remarkable milestone by winning the Greenwich Regional Final of Jack Petchey's Speak Out Challenge. This event, held on February 26, 2025, is part of the largest public speaking programme in England, managed by Speakers Trust and supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation.

The competition saw 16 talented participants from the region, with a total of 967 young people taking part in the challenge. Precious delivered a compelling speech titled "My Version of Black," which emphasised embracing one's unique challenges and identity with bravery, love, affirmation, culture, and kindness. The speech highlighted the transformation of perceived weaknesses into strengths, fostering resilience.

Precious expressed pride in the achievement, stating, "I feel proud that I was able to give a voice to the voiceless. "These three minutes have given me the gift of confidence and belief that I can achieve anything I set my mind to."

Jack Petchey's Speak Out Challenge provides free communication skills training to Year 10 students in every state school in London and Essex, empowering over 30,000 young people each year. The programme aims to amplify young voices by building confidence, developing skills, and creating platforms for sharing stories and ideas. More information about the challenge can be found at jpspeakoutchallenge.com

In an evening full of incredible speakers, Precious was phenomenal and rightly deserves this award. On behalf of everyone at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Precious on this outstanding accomplishment. We are immensely proud.

Information for parents/carers - Access to services

Published 28/02/25

Advice Hub

Get guidance on housing, immigration, employment, domestic abuse and other issues by coming along to the Advice Hub every Wednesday between 9:30am and 12:30pm. It’s completely free and is on a first come, first served basis. Every Wednesday 9:30am -12:30pm at Moorings Sociable Club, Thamesmead, SE28 8BG. 07815 734080 geogia.mann@peabody.org.uk

Food provisions in Thamesmead

Foodbank support

If you find yourself in an emergency situation and you need access to free food, support can be accessed via a local foodbank. It’s important to get a food bank voucher before attending. These can be accessed by calling Positive Steps on the number below. Our referral agent will also work with you to find a location and day that suits you best.

FOOD club

Family Action launched Food on Our Doorstep (FOOD) Clubs to provide good-quality food at a lower cost, while also reducing food waste. It costs £1 a year for a family to sign-up and members can purchase a bag of healthy food items worth around £15 every week for just £4.

Every Friday 11am - 1pm at Jubilee Community Centre, Lytton Strachey Path, SE28 8DU 07815 343 080

Events and activities

Winter Sculpture Park Opening Party

Thamesmead will be home to London’s largest free sculpture park as part of the former golf course transforms into a huge open-air exhibition space! Join the organisers, No.32, at the launch party of the park on Saturday 1 March 2025.

Saturday 1 March 2025 11am - 5pm SE28 8QS | what3words: ///Hedge.Thus.Reward

Healthy cookery classes

Join these tutor-led classes to learn how to prepare delicious and healthy meals! The course will take place every Tuesday across a 5-week period and is open to anyone aged 18 or over.

Tuesday 4 March 2025 - 1 April 2025 11am -1:30pm Lakeview Court, Central Thamesmead, SE28 8GL

Bike Days 2025

Learn basic bike maintenance skills from a specialist, Dr Bike. Help keep your bike secure by having it security marked or borrow one of our bikes and learn to cycle through an instructor led session!

Khadeja Chowdhury - 07765 742387 Book your space for Bike Days 2025 on eventbrite

Saturday 29 March and 26 April 10am - 12pm Sporting Club, Thamesmead, SE28 8NJ

Repair and reuse programme

We’re working with Lovell, who are helping deliver the second phase of new homes in South Thamesmead, to find out what would help you and your family to save money and to make small changes so that less items go to landfill. We would love to hear ideas on how residents can get more value from their items and cut down on unnecessary spending.”

You can fill in this short questionnaire to share your ideas with us. All participants will be automatically entered into a raffle with a chance to win a £50 voucher!

FREE The Parents' Guide to Careers - National Careers Week 2025

Published 24/02/25

The Parents' Guide To helps parents and carers with clear unbiased advice on post-school options, study and exam revision, and wellbeing. Created in partnership with National Careers Week, this guide supports young people in talking about their futures.

The Parents' Guide to Careers

FREE lunchtime online support groups for parents/carers in Greenwich

Published 24/02/25

Young Greenwich Parents Online Support Groups March - June 2025

These are free for parents to attend and will be online for their convenience. For parents that live, work in Greenwich or have children aged 10-18 that attend school in the borough.

From March, we are running weekly online sessions for parents to support them with a range of challenges they may be facing. There will be two groups; one for general parenting support and one for parents of teens who are neurodivergent (or on the pathway for assessment).

The sessions are one hour long and will take place at lunchtime to allow parents to attend without interrupting their days or having to find childcare. Each month we will explore a different theme, as listed below:

Support Group for Parents of Neurodivergent Teens:

MARCH: Understanding Triggers; learning what they are, why they happen and what you can do about them.
APRIL: Advocation; how to advocate for your teen and teach them the skills to advocate for themselves.
MAY: Social Skills Building; teaching your teen how to navigate relationships with more ease.
JUNE: The importance of Support: how to identify and build your support village.

General Support Group Themes:

MARCH: Teen Anger; learn why it happens and how to manage it.
APRIL: Screen Time and Digital Safety; how to talk about it, manage safety and prevent arguments.
MAY: Getting Your Teen to Listen; learn strategies for effective and harmonious communication with your teen.
JUNE: Peer Pressure: understanding it’s impact and how to support your teen to be an individual.

Young Greenwich Parents Workshop Flyer

Updated extra-curricular timetable

Published 24/02/25

Our extra-curricular clubs timetable has been updated and is now available on our website! From sports and arts to academic and interest-based clubs, there's something for everyone.

Check out the new timetable and find the perfect club to join and make new friends!

Updated extra-curricular timetable

Get involved, stay active, and make the most of your school experience!

#WoolwichPolytechnicSchoolForGirls #WoolwichPolytechnic #PolyMAT #polymatschools #Thamesmead #Greenwich #extracurricularactivities

Reminder - staying safe over the half-term holiday

Published 19/02/25

Staying Safe During the Half-Term Holiday

Remain vigilant and keep music or earphones off to stay aware of your surroundings.
Choose busy, well-lit streets and avoid taking shortcuts through alleys.
Keep mobile phones and other valuables hidden from view.
Always inform your parents or carers of your destination, plans, and expected return time.
Remember to look before crossing the road—avoid distractions while crossing.

Resources for Support:

Young Minds (Mental Health Support) - www.youngminds.org.uk
Kooth (Free, anonymous, and safe space for well-being support) - www.kooth.com
Child Line (Help and advice on various issues) - www.childline.org.uk or call 0800 1111