Welcome to TaSMAT

Earlier this term, our School Council had the important job of choosing which Christmas designs would feature in the 2024 Torfield Art Calendar. Today, they got the chance to see how the designs they chose look. They also got to see their class artwork and as you can see they were suitably impressed!

Last March we changed how we teach phonics at Torfield and introduced Sounds-Write lessons for pupils across the school. We are really pleased with how Sounds-Write has improved phonics lessons at Torfield and we know from feedback from parents and carers that they are seeing a real improvement in how well our children can decode words and how accessible the Sounds-Write reading books are which children bring home. Sounds-Write has been such a success at Torfield that we have been included on their list of Success Stories. You can read all about it here: https://sounds-write.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Torfield-Special-School-UK-October-2023.pdf/p>

Our year 8 pupils had a great time this week visiting the Hastings Contemporary. We looked at the exhibitions and took a tour of the gallery, we took part in drawing activities and made our own cyanotype prints.

School is looking very yellow today for Youngminds mental health charity. Well done to all those getting involved and donating.

A quick peek at the preparations we have begun with Facility pupils on the Duke of Edinburgh Award. This term, the two Duke of Edinburgh groups will be organising a fundraiser to buy sports equipment and pens and pencils to send to a school in Hastings, Sierra Leone.

Saxon Mount School are delighted to share that we have achieved a Skills Builder Gold Award this year.

We are very excited to announce that we will be running an after-school football club for girls and boys in Key Stage 2. If you would like to register a place for your child or find out more about it please message the school office on Class Dojo.

We look forward to welcoming back our Pupils on Monday September 4th 2023.

Steph from Mallydams RSPCA centre came in to provide workshops for 3JB and 3LM. She helped to reinforce our Science work about care and respect for living things. 

Year 10 attended The Bigger Bang Show this week at Downlands School in Hassocks. They were a credit to the school and engaged with the whole experience, including answering questions.

Last week some pupils in Y9 and 10 had the rare opportunity to visit a live building site. KPS are building a new classroom, sensory room and toilet at a local school. The pupils had the opportunity to see what it is like to work on site. They spoke to the managers and the bricklayers. They looked at the plans and were amazed at how quickly the building should be finished.

On Thursday morning pupils in Year 7, 9 and 10EHG joined a Skills Builder employer Q and A session. This virtual activity gave pupils the chance to speak to employers and employees about their jobs, training, skills and to practice their own skills of speaking and listening. The volunteers were really impressed with the engagement, behaviour and the questions pupils asked.

Ryan Newman-Sills represented Saxon Mount at the National Finals of the Table Cricket Competition at Lords Cricket Ground on Friday. He was selected by the Lords Taverners for a Young Leaders Award for Sports due to his fantastic leadership and team skills at the Table Cricket. It was an early start and train up to London for Ryan and he was congratulated for his great scoring and calm attitude under pressure and he was such a credit to Saxon Mount. A fantastic achievement, Ryan!

To begin our Careers Week activities, we were pleased to welcome a special visitor to the school - Sally-Ann Hart MP for Hastings and Rye.

This week Year 7 visited Drusillas Park to learn about animal adaptations and see lots of amazing animals.

10EHG visited General Dynamics yesterday to see how parts are made and tested for communications systems in aircraft and tanks.  This was part of the Open Doors programme providing young people with experiences of work places in the local community.

Facility pupils had a great day learning new skills at Hove Cricket Ground today, participating in the Discoverability event, along with about 25 other schools. Ryan was interviewed by BBC Sussex Radio, which is the second time he has been a spokesperson for Saxon Mount as last year he was on the telly, on South East News at the same event!

As part of their Science studies, 3LM and 3JB have been learning about habitats and food chains so they went on a trip to Drusillas and attended an education session on Habitats and Adaptations. They had a great time.

As part of their Science studies, 3LM and 3JB have been learning about habitats and food chains so they went on a trip to Drusillas and attended an education session on Habitats and Adaptations. They had a great time.

The Year 10 students visited the Big Futures Careers exhibition in Eastbourne on Tuesday 25 April 2023. There were a lot of interesting things to see and do. All the students spoke to colleges, employers and charities about different opportunities that could be available to them. Some comments from the students were that it was an "Exciting" "informative" and "Excellent" morning. Well done Year 10!