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.
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:
General Support Group Themes:
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Staying Safe During the Half-Term Holiday
Resources for Support:
Over the past 20 years, since the first UK LGBT+ History Month in 2005, we have highlighted the incredible things LGBT+ people in all our diversity have achieved throughout history in all areas of life.
Schools Poetry Competition - Deadline 28th February 2025
Over the past 50 years Schools OUT have worked to #educateOUTprejudice and usualise LGBT+ lives, creating learning environments where all LGBT+ people feel safe, seen, and supported; which is why we founded UK LGBT+ History Month following the repeal of Section 28 to be a dedicated space to celebrate our rich and diverse history, herstory, theirstory. This year it is even more important that we:
Activism and Social Change
Throughout history LGBT+ people have been activists and helped shape and create social change, advancing society for everyone using many different approaches to activism:
Each year we choose five LGBT+ historical figures in line with the theme to highlight. This year we have chosen five LGBT+ people who have created social change from across the centuries in progressing change for women, the environment, housing, nuclear disarmament, preserving heritage, abolition of the slave trade, and immigration, among many other causes.
The 2025 LGBT+ Historical Figures are: Octavia Hill, Ivor Cummings, Annie Kenney, Charlie Kiss, and Olaudah Equiano.
The official 2025 UK LGBT+ History Month badge was designed by Emily, a 12-year-old pupil from St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy in Sunderland who was the winner of our Schools badge competition. Buy your badge here.
“I was inspired to draw the megaphone because everyone deserves to be heard and sometimes to be heard you need help to be loud. The colours coming out of the megaphone were the LGBT+ flag, to represent everyone and how we need to be loud about the LGBT+ community and its history. It was important to support the community even if you aren’t a part of it, it is important to be an ally and to be kind. I made the badge a different shape to make it stand out and raise more awareness. I feel my badge means a kit because I can raise awareness and I feel like I have made a difference so I am very happy!”
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On Wednesday 12th February, a group of Year 9 students and KS5 Historians were given the opportunity to meet with Chris Shaw, a second-generation Holocaust survivor. Chris shared his mother, Isabella, and her sister, Rella's, testimony covering their life in Romania before the Second World War, their experiences during the Holocaust and their life after 1945. It was a fascinating moment for our students, who got the opportunity to ask questions about the photographs Chris shared and the recording he made of his mother's experience only a short 6 months before her passing. Chris shared that the response by our young people and the thought-provoking questions they asked following his presentation "showed some real maturity and intelligence".
Chris left the afternoon concluding "Woolwich Polytechnic has a real energy about it and I thought your pupils were great."
All of us at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys thank Chris for sharing his mother's testimony with us. It was an absolute privilege for our staff and students, and we hope to see him again in the near future.
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Online workshop for secondary school parents/carers - Supporting your child's anxiety: An introduction to anxiety and how to support your teenager.
The Greenwich Mental Health in Schools Team offers an online psychoeducation workshop for parents/carers around Understanding your Teenager's Anxiety.
The session aims to provide information to parents about what anxiety is, factors that might lead to the development of problematic anxiety and to teach and empower parents to use cognitive behavioural strategies with their child to overcome difficulties with anxiety.
In addition, the session hopes to provide a space for parents to share their experiences with others and to promote a positive parent/carer and child relationship.
Click the link for more information:
Safer Internet Day 2025 will take place on the 11th of February 2025, with celebrations and learning based around the theme ‘Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online‘
Safer Internet Day is the UK’s biggest celebration of online safety. Each year we cover an online issue or theme that speaks about the things young people are seeing and experiencing online. Created in consultation with young people across the UK, this year Safer Internet Day will be focusing on the issue of scams online and for young people, how to protect themselves and others, as well as what support is available to them.
Numeracy Week: January 20th-24th 2025 at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys
This year's theme for Numeracy Week was “Maths Everywhere in Every Job.” Utilising Barclays LifeSkills resources, students explored how mathematics is integral to daily life. They engaged in open discussions about their feelings towards maths and recognised the importance of a solid understanding of it for future success.
Students had the chance to examine salaries and payslips to understand the calculations behind overtime and statutory deductions. Additionally, form tutors facilitated conversations about pensions, income tax, and student loans.
Assemblies were conducted for year groups from 7 to 10, featuring a puzzle quiz competition amongst forms, with winning teams receiving a £30 Amazon voucher. The staff also participated by determining their maths age through a set of 25 questions on a dedicated website.
Thank you to Mr Mumuluh for coordinating Numeracy Week.
Our open events for this year have now concluded. However, you can still schedule a personalised tour of the School and its facilities followed up with a meeting with our Head of Transition - Ms G Franklin who will answer any questions that you might have about the next steps and how we can support you through the process. A tailored tour of Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys offers an excellent opportunity to experience school life first-hand for both you and your child. During the visit, you will receive all the essential information needed to help you make the best choice for your child's education.
What to expect from a tour of Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys
We know there are a lot of emotions that both parents/carers and students will be feeling about starting a new secondary school. We are here to make sure you know what to expect and to make the process as easy as possible. We would love to show you around our friendly school!
Please email gfranklin@woolwichpolyboys.co.uk to register your interest.
At Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys, we are dedicated to our vision of 'Success for Everyone'. We strive to ensure that our students reach their full potential by providing them with valuable opportunities.
This is our school; now let's make it yours.
Children's Mental Health Week 2025 will take place from 3-9 February 2025.
The theme for 2025 is focus is Know Yourself, Grow Yourself, with the aim to equip and empower children and young people across the UK to embrace self-awareness and explore what it means to them. We want children and young people to discover how getting to know who they are can help them build resilience, grow and develop.
Children's Mental Health Week 2025 - Place2Be
Shout A free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone who is struggling to cope. Text SHOUT to 85258.
Papyrus HOPELINEUK A helpline for anyone under 35 who is struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling. You can call 0800 068 4141, email pat@papyrus-uk.org, or text 07786 209 697.
Good Thinking A London-wide NHS digital wellbeing service that offers free tools and resources for young Londoners.
Kooth A free, anonymous, and safe online service that offers mental wellbeing support.
YoungMinds A mental health charity for children and young people that can help you understand how you're feeling, find ways to feel better, or support someone who's struggling.
The Mix A support service for young people that can help with mental health, money, homelessness, finding a job, and more.
Thrive LDN A service that offers online resources for young Londoners.
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Enoch Adeniji is a former student of Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys, who completed his studies in 2023. He is now a second-year university student pursuing a degree in English and has recently self-published a book titled “2 Heads: One Home.”
2 Heads: One Home is a coming-of-age fiction novella that starts off 4 years into the future, where Emmanuel is faced with a life-changing decision. The story explores the blurred lines between right and wrong, culminating in Emmanuel’s crucial choice: his father’s values or the temptations offered by TY. The stakes are high as he navigates this path of self-discovery.
Enoch states, ‘I grew up in South East London, many of my peers stopped reading after primary school, and I think the main reason for that is underrepresentation. My book, however, speaks to the experiences that your students go through. It challenges the thin line between ethics and morals, highlighting the issues between crime and violence, whilst also making you laugh.’
Mrs Hawgood our wonderful School Librarian has purchased some copies of this book for students to take out from our school library.
We are incredibly proud of Enoch for releasing this book, and we look forward to the promising future that awaits him.
Here is the link to the book if you would like to purchase your own copy:
