Through the noise and possible interruptions of the building works this year, our students have been superb. They have focused on their learning and moved around the school site very smoothly. I am very proud of our school.

This has also been a half term with two proms, GCSE and A Level exams, endless trips, a heatwave and the very sad passing of one of our very best ever teachers. I would like to extend my gratitude on behalf of the school for all of your support with these various activities and also for your care around the school’s loss.

There is more than usual in a Friday letter, but I hope all the information below is helpful. Some of it refers to the start of next term (new term dates, adjustment to the canteen offer), so please take a moment to read this.

Stars of the term

At the end of a term, we celebrate the work and efforts of our very finest in each year group. So huge congratulations to the students listed below for being absolutely brilliant. They have done so across the summer term and I look forward to meeting them in the first week back and hearing about all of their achievements.

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9	Year 10
Harry	Harry	Emilia C	Callum

Year group newsletter

Each Head and Deputy Head of Year has written about the last school year in a year group newsletter. These are available online here, along with other information about the building project and the many things we have celebrated this year. Please take a look and find out more about our excellent school year. 

Key September dates 

Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd September: school staff only return to school for two INSET days.

Thursday 3rd September: induction days for Year 7 and Year 12 students only.

Friday 4th September: partial day for all years (see times below). This allows us to share timetables for the coming school year, students to have an assembly with myself and their Head of Year, meet their tutors and get set for the coming year.

Monday 7th September: all year groups are in for full days from this day on. This will be Week 1 on students’ timetables.

Please see the table below for full details of the arrangements for Friday 4th September.

School Photograph Day – Friday 4th September

School photograph day will be held on Friday 4th September for students in Year 7, 9, 11 and 12. Please ensure that your child arrives at school in full school uniform with no jewellery, other than the permitted ear studs and no makeup.

The company taking the photographs, Pret-a-Portrait, will send sitting ID cards of the photos to the school to be distributed to you via your child.  Orders are then made directly via the Pret-a-Portrait website and not the school.  All contact details will be provided.

Exciting updates from the Greenshaw kitchen

For some time now, I have been keen to revise the quality of our food offer for our students. Although it may be popular with them, I have been concerned that we do not model the best examples of eating and choice making around food.

Because of this, our catering team has been working hard to refresh our school meals, fully aligning with the Department for Education’s (DfE) latest school food standards. Here is a look at what’s changing:

Fresh and vibrant new additions: we want to expand our students' palates with fresh, modern choices. Very soon, your child will see these delicious additions on the counter.

• Poke bowls: packed with fresh veggies, lean proteins, and wholesome bases.

• Fruit and smoothie pots: perfect for a refreshing, nutrient-rich grab-and-go snack or dessert.

• Wholemeal swap: we are transitioning our pasta dishes and bread options to wholemeal, to provide sustained energy throughout the school day.

Balancing the Favourites: To make room for these healthier choices and support long-term healthy eating habits, we are making some adjustments to our current menu:

• Pizza will now be served just two times per week.

• Lighter cheese portions: we are actively reducing the amount of cheese used across our dishes, focusing instead on herbs, spices, and fresh ingredients for flavour.

• Reducing the availability of higher fat, higher sugar options such as croissants and muffins.

Summer savings for families – days out and bus travel 

We are delighted to support the government’s initiative to ensure that the summer holidays can be a time when children can get out and about and have positive experiences. These include:

• Free bus travel for all children between 5 and 15 throughout August

• A temporary VAT reduction from 20% to 5% on:

• Children's meals in restaurants

• Children and family tickets to cinemas, theatres, concerts and exhibitions

• Entry to many participating attractions

Families can also use the Summer Savings Attraction Finder to search for participating venues by postcode and plan affordable days out. Find out more and search for attractions at https://summersavings.gov.uk.

Attendance Support Team (AST) Parent Newsletter – Summer 2026  

Please see the attached newsletter from the Attendance Support Team at Cognus. This contains lots of useful information, updates and resources to help support our students and families during the summer holidays – AST Parent Newsletter Summer 26.pdf

Support while school is closed 

At Greenshaw we work closely with a variety of agencies, including the London Borough of Sutton, volunteer groups and the NHS. Please be aware that our website has many signposts to support agencies in the section Care & Support as needed. Our Help for the Holidays booklet can also be found here, providing useful information, including the HAF programme offering children on benefits-related free school meals access to exciting activities, enriching experiences and nutritious meals – at no cost.

Access over the summer

The vast majority of our staff are on annual leave over the summer holidays, but we do continue to check emails at office@greenshaw.co.uk. Although the phone lines will not be constantly open, we will check for any messages periodically. If there is something you need clarity on that you cannot find from our website, please do feel free to message us, and we will do our best to respond, but be aware this may take a couple of days.

I wish you all an enjoyable summer. If you are lucky enough to be going away, then I hope you have good travels, and for all of our families and students, I hope they have restful breaks.

Mr N House, Headteacher