End of Summer Term and Start of Autumn Term 2026 - Year 7 into Year 8

15 July 2026

Dear Parent/Carer,

End of Summer Term and Start of Autumn Term 2026
Year 7 into Year 8

Contents

• End of Term
• Start of the Autumn Term 2026
• WhatsApp
• Save Money on Meals and Tickets this Summer
• Reading and Student Enrichment
• Personal Safety and Support
• Key Dates for the Diary
• Appearance Standards Ready for September 2026
• Equipment
• The School Shop, Uniform and Stationery
• Lost Property
• Mobile Phones
• Free School Meals During the Summer Holidays
• Staffing Changes
• Further Communications through the Summer 

Welcome 

Thank you for your continued support throughout the school year. It has been another highly successful year; we continue to be impressed by students’ thirst for learning and commitment to our extra-curricular opportunities. Our next Annual Review will be given to you in the Autumn Term. 

After an excellent examination series, we have had a few very busy weeks which we really hope have helped to create life-long memories. Some of these unforgettable, momentous events have included our fabulous Summer Arts Festival, DofE Bronze camping expedition, a vast array of trips and events during Wider Learning Week, as well as Year 10 Work Experience. Remember, a great way to keep up to date with school and our achievements is through the Isleworthian newsletter, published each month.

End of Term 

Please note that the Summer Term ends at 12.30pm on Friday 17 July. 

Start of the Autumn Term 2026 

Students starting Year 8 return on Friday 4 September. Students need to arrive at 11.00am and go straight to the school hall. They will finish at the usual time of 3.05pm. 

WhatsApp

The Year 7 WhatsApp channel has been a popular addition to our online communications this year. It is a great way for us to let you know key information and messages, directly to your smartphone.

As your child moves into Year 8, the WhatsApp channel will be renamed to Year 8 2026-27 during the summer holidays.

We strongly recommend you sign up if you have not yet done so. It is very easy – just make sure you have WhatsApp on your phone, then click this link and press the green ‘Follow channel’ button at the bottom. We recommend pressing the bell icon in the top right so you receive notifications. 

Save Money on Meals and Tickets this Summer 

The Government have launched Great British Summer Savings, a new scheme to save families money this summer. They are cutting VAT from 20% to 5% on children's meals in restaurants, children and family tickets to cinemas, theatres, concerts and exhibitions, and admission to a wide range of attractions. Children aged 5-15 can also receive free bus travel. The scheme ends on 1 September. 

Find discounts near you via this Government website: https://summersavings.gov.uk/. 

Reading and Student Enrichment 

Enrichment activities remain available to our students on the school website. We also recommend our extensive online reading platform, where over 1,500 books can be accessed for free. Research suggests that students do suffer a learning loss over the summer holidays so, do encourage your child to read daily over the summer and engage to purposeful activities. 

All students are also encouraged to access academic studies to refresh their learning and prepare for the next academic year. Online sites we would recommend are: BBC Bitesize, SAM Learning and Oak National Academy. 

Personal Safety and Support 

We ask that you support your child in staying safe over the summer. Some students will need reminding about how to look after their own mental health during the holidays – do check out Mind’s Five Ways to Wellbeing – Connect, Get Active, Take Notice, Learn and Give. 

Also, evidence tells us that secondary age students, if not supported, can take more risks over a period where they are spending less time with adults. Please check in and make sure you know what they are doing and ensure that you track their phone and check what they are doing online. We recommend reading this guide about water safety and this guide from Childline. 

During the holidays, if you have a concern about the safety or welfare of your child, please email the safeguarding team at safeguarding@isleworthsyon.org. A member of staff will be monitoring the account daily. If there is an emergency call 999 or, for non-urgent matters that require police attention, call 101. 

 

Key Dates for the Diary 

Progress & Partnership Day – Friday 16 October 2026
Reflect on academic progress during 2025-26 and discuss how the new year has started. Appointments take place during the school day; the normal timetable is suspended. Each family can give a timeslot preference, which we will take into account. 

Year 8 Parents/Carers Evening – Thursday 29 April 2027
An opportunity for parents/carers to meet subject teachers and discuss progress. 

Appearance Standards Ready for September 2026 

Any student in breach of the published appearance and uniform standards at the start of term will, unfortunately, be sanctioned. This could mean that your child may not be allowed to return to either school or lessons until the issue is corrected.  Thank you for your support in this important matter. 

Equipment 

All students must be fully equipped with a pencil case containing: two black/blue pens, pencil, rubber, sharpener, ruler and scientific calculator. Your child is also expected to have a reading book in their bag and a refillable water bottle. Equipment checks will take place on the first day of term and in Study Support sessions each week. 

The School Shop, Uniform and Stationery

Please see the separate letter regarding arrangements for booking a school shop appointment over the holidays. Remember that you will only be able to attend the shop if you have an appointment. 

Lost Property 

All unclaimed lost property items will be disposed of at the end of this term. Please encourage your child to go to lost property (in welfare) if they think they have lost something in school.  Please email in if you have a specific description of an item and we will have a look for you. 

Mobile Phones

Smartphones can expose students to distractions, cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and social pressure that affects wellbeing and learning. At Isleworth & Syon, it is your choice on the type of phone or not having one at all. 

Phones have been banned in our school for decades, as we know they are a learning distraction and impact social and emotional well-being. However, our ‘not seen, not heard, not used’ policy is no longer deemed enough. 

Therefore, a secure pouch system will be introduced in September. Students will lock their phones away at the start of the day and unlock them only when leaving school. After extensive research, we feel this will be the best policy for students from Years 7 to 11. More severe sanctions will be in place for anyone not adhering to the school mobile phone policy. 

Parent/carer support is vital to help our young people navigate these heightened expectations. Please discuss responsible phone use so that we can reinforce the policy that students bring their pouch to school daily once the system begins. 

Free School Meals During the Summer Holidays 

Parents/carers of students eligible for free school meals will have vouchers issued in one email at the start of the holidays. The vouchers will be to the value of £3 per day. Due to a change of borough policy, this is the final school holiday where they will offer these vouchers. 

If your child receives free school meals, they are eligible for a voucher for the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme which will be running over the summer. Each eligible family has already been sent a voucher via email. 

Staffing Changes 

At the close of every Summer Term, we bid farewell to colleagues who are moving on: whether for promotion, relocation, or retirement. We thank them sincerely for their dedication, commitment, and passion; they will always remain Isleworthians. 

This year, we would especially like to recognise several long‑serving members of staff, whose time with us is coming to an end. 

• Ms Adams (Learning Support Assistant), after nearly 18 years’ service.
• Mr Scanlon (Curriculum Leader for Technology), after over 19 years’ service.
• Mr Carpenter (Curriculum Leader for Art), after two spells lasting over 20 years. 

The number of young people they have guided, supported, and inspired over the years is extraordinary. Countless alumni owe much to their care, wisdom, and unwavering belief in them. 

Further Communications through the Summer 

If we need to communicate further through the summer, this will be done electronically. Please keep an eye on your emails and make sure to regularly check your junk/spam folders. 

For any issues of safeguarding, please email safeguarding@isleworthsyon.org.

***

Thank you, as ever, for your continued support. Do stay safe over the break and we wish you all a very good summer.

Yours sincerely,

Simon Fisher and Jo Higginbottom
Co-Headteachers