Year 6 Open Day Newsletter
Thank you and well done, to all the Year 7 students who submitted a 'settling in to BGS' report for our Open Day Newsletter aimed at the prospective Year 6 students, looking to join us in September 2027.
This year we had an absolutely amazing response from over 20 students who were keen to share their first impressions of life at BGS. Sadly, we were not able to include all of them in the Newsletter, but students will be rewarded with merits for their contribution to our school community.
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 | 13 Oct 2026 Please click on the link here to view this newsletter. |
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14 Oct 2026 Year 8 RugbyIt was good to get rugby underway after weeks of hard ground and no rain. |
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 Enrichment Opportunities
Please click on the link here for the weekly timetable of enrichment opportunities available to students in Year 12 and Year 13. We encourage all students to get involved in school life beyond the classroom, and as you will see, there is a lot to choose from. If you have any questions about specific clubs, please direct them to the teacher overseer.
Power Day – 19th October 2026
Additionally, Monday 19th October is our first Power Day of the year. Year 12 students are not in school and must use the day to make significant progress on their EPQ research or to revisit A-level content from this half-term. Year 13 students do not need to attend school until 10.30am and registration will be in their form rooms at 10.35am.
Miss Roberts and Miss Aspill
Directors of Studies, Year 12 &13 (respectively)
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We're pleased to offer an exclusive 10% Education Discount to students, staff and their families at schools across Bexley and the surrounding areas.
Your Exclusive Education Discount
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Discount Code: EDU10
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Offer: 10% off fireworks tickets
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Valid Until: Friday 23rd October 2026
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Who Can Use It: Students, school staff and their families
Simply enter EDU10 at checkout to receive the discount.
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Self-regulation tips
When you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, panicked or anxious, try the following:
- Drop your shoulders – lowering your shoulders signals to the brain that the threat has passed, reducing cortisol and shifting you out of fight-or-flight mode.
- Unclench your jaw – relaxing the jaw sends a message to your vagus nerve so that you are safe; helping the body move towards calm.
- Breathe in for 4 and out for 6 – exhaling for longer, activates your vagus nerve, slowing your heart rate and calming the body within one minute.
- Put a hand on your heart – this helps the body release oxytocin, which signals safety, connection and grounding to your nervous system.
- Name your emotion – this helps you to process and regulate your emotions more effectively.
- Name 3 things around you – this uses a grounding technique called 'orienting' which signals safety to your brain and helps deactivate the stress response.
Mrs Westergaard, Wellbeing Team
Please click on the link here to access all our Wellbeing Weekly updates.
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Please click on the link here to access all our Safeguarding Updates
The Bexley Community Safety Survey 2026 is now live.
We're keen to hear from as many residents, workers and students as possible to help us better understand perceptions of crime, anti-social behaviour and community safety across the borough.
The survey is anonymous, takes around 2–5 minutes to complete, and the findings will help shape future community safety priorities and services in Bexley.
The survey closes on 31st October 2026.
Community Safety Survey: http://ask.bexley.gov.uk/en-
GB/projects/bcsp-community-safety-survey
Easy Read Version: http://ask.bexley.gov.uk/en-
GB/projects/easy-read-community-safety-survey
Mr S Auckland
Deputy Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead
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Year 13 Mock Examination Timetable ~ Autumn 2026
The Year 13 Mock Examination timetable is available on the school website or by clicking on the link here.
GCSE Examination Timetable ~ Summer 2027
The GCSE summer examination timetable is available on the school website or by clicking on the link here.
GCSE Contingency Sessions Summer 2027
Please note that the awarding bodies have designated the morning and afternoon sessions of Wednesday 23rd June 2027 as ‘contingency sessions’. These contingency sessions are designed to be used in the event of national or significant local disruption to examinations.
This means that all exam candidates must be available to sit exams from the date of their first exam until Wednesday 23rd June 2027.
This decision is not a school decision and does apply to all candidates in all schools.
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Lost Property
A Message from Mr Lines, Head of PE
Below is just a sample of 4 days worth of kit left in the boys’ changing rooms. Much of it doesn’t have names written in or on it. We return it to reception for collection, but if names are present, it is so much easier to reunite with owners.
PE Shirts – We strongly advise that all students have their names embroidered on their shirts (by Casey's in Blackfen) as this very much helps us to return items of lost property.
However, if you do choose to give your child a plain white polo shirt, please label it clearly with their name to enable the above to take place.
Please may we also remind parents/carers to write your child's name on all of their belongings so that we can return any lost items to them. If belongings are handed in to us, and they are named, we will contact the student directly, so please ask your child to check their school email account to see if we have messaged them.
Click on the link here to report any lost property or email us directly via reception@bexleygs.co.uk.
Thank you
Reception Team
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Monday Maths Clinic
Did you know that the school runs a Maths Clinic for all students in Years 7 to 11?
It happens in room G13 every Monday at 3:15pm, run by a maths teacher, usually Mr Male, finishing at 4pm. Any student who would like to improve their maths is welcome. You do not need to be invited!
If you come, you will be allocated a Maths Prefect, (usually a Year 12 student, doing A-level maths) and together you will work through some maths questions.
You should arrive with something specific you want to work on. Here are some ideas:
- A specific topic (such as “quadratic equations” or “trigonometry”). Just the name of the topic will do, the maths prefect will find some appropriate work in a textbook.
- A specific worksheet, perhaps something your maths teacher has given you.
- A past paper you need to practise for your GCSE exams.
- A maths assessment you’ve recently taken, where you need to better understand where you went wrong.
 Whatever you bring, you will work with your designated Prefect, and they will help deepen your understanding of maths and strengthen your skills. Students who have come to a maths clinic in the past have found it very beneficial in boosting their assessment scores and ultimately their GCSE maths grade!
Mr Male, Maths Department
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 Free School Meals & Pupil Premium
Dear Parent or Carer,
We are writing to let you know about changes to free school meals (FSM) from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
What is changing?
Expanded entitlement for families on Universal Credit
From the start of academic year 2026 to 2027, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of earnings.
Going forward, there will be two types of eligibility:
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Targeted FSM: for households in receipt of universal credit earning £7,400 or less (includes free meals and additional support such as pupil premium). Other educational entitlements such as the Holiday Activities and Food program (HAF) and the ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance, will also continue to be based on targeted FSM.
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Expanded FSM: for households in receipt of universal credit earning above £7,400 (free meals only). Families with no recourse to public funds may also be eligible for Targeted FSM subject to meeting separate criteria.
End of transitional protections
Since 2018, some children have continued to receive free school meals, even if their family circumstances changed during the rollout of Universal Credit. This is referred to as transitional protections. Now that entitlement is being expanded to all families on Universal Credit, these protections will end at the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
This means:
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Some children may no longer be eligible from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year if their family does not receive Universal Credit or another qualifying benefit
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Eligibility will now be based on current benefit status
What you need to do
If your child currently receives free school meals:
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We encourage everyone to reapply from now on as this is something you will need to do on an annual basis.
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In some cases, your child’s school or the local authority may contact you to confirm your details
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If you are unsure, please contact your local authority for advice.
If your child does not currently receive free school meals
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You may now be eligible under the expanded criteria
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You will need to apply through your local authority / school
Please follow this link and enter your details. https://fsm.lgfl.net
Not sure?
If you are unsure whether you need to/can apply or if your circumstances have changed, please complete the link above for an instant decision.
Yours sincerely,
Mr AJ Skinner
Assistant Headteacher & Deputy DSL
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June 2027 (advance notice)
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