Welcome to Crofton DandeLIONs
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to Crofton School!
A very warm welcome to you and your child as they begin their Year 7 journey at Crofton School. We are delighted to welcome your family into our school community, and particularly our military family.
Starting secondary school is an exciting time, but we appreciate that for military families there can sometimes be additional challenges. Moving schools, making new friends, adapting to a new area, or having a parent away on deployment can all bring changes that may affect a young person's experience of school.
At Crofton School, we are committed to ensuring that our military students feel welcomed, valued, supported and connected.
Introducing the DandeLions Service Student Club
I would like to introduce you to the DandeLions Service Student Club, a dedicated group at Crofton School for our military students.
I am Mrs Duffy, and I run the club alongside Mrs Coston and Mr De-Saint. The club provides a safe, friendly and supportive space where military students can meet others who understand some of the unique experiences that come with being part of a Service family.
The DandeLions work closely with our Student Support Leaders (SSLs) to support our military students across the school. Our aim is to build a strong sense of community, encourage friendships and make sure that students know there are people at school they can turn to if they need support.
The club is an opportunity for students to:
Meet other military students and make new friends.
Talk and share experiences with others who understand Service life.
Take part in fun activities and events together.
Develop confidence and a sense of belonging within the school.
Access support when things such as postings, deployments or changes at home may be affecting them.
Become part of a wider military community within Crofton School.
When and where?
The DandeLions Service Student Club meets after school on Thursdays during Week B in M6.
We have lots of exciting activities planned for this academic year and hope that students will enjoy coming along, getting involved and building friendships.
DandeLions Events – This Year
Our planned events include:
10 September – Welcome Meeting
24 September – Team Building Event
8 October – Crest Painting
22 October – Pumpkin Carving
12 November – Fireworks Event
26 November – Gingerbread Making
10 December – Bauble Painting
These will be advertised on the school bulletin but please encourage your child to sign up to the events to ensure we have enough resources.
Looking Ahead
We are already planning further events for next year. These will include activities such as:
Quiz Night
Flapjack Making
Easter Egg Painting
Slime Making
Pizza Making
Challenges and Games Events
Summer Picnic
We are also hoping to fund a trip during the summer term. Information regarding this will be provided closer to the summer term.
Our events are designed to be fun and informal, but most importantly, they provide opportunities for our students to spend time together, build friendships and feel part of a supportive community.
Keeping Us Informed
We would also really appreciate parents and carers keeping us informed of any upcoming changes that may affect your child, such as deployments, new postings, relocations or other significant changes associated with Service life.
Please use our dedicated email address: servicefamilies@croftonschool.co.uk
Sharing this information with us enables us to understand what our students may be experiencing and, where possible, provide appropriate support and check in with them at school.
You do not need to wait until your child is struggling to contact us. We would much rather be aware of upcoming changes so that we can support students proactively and help them feel prepared.
We would love to welcome your child to the DandeLions Service Student Club. There is no pressure to take part — the most important thing is that they have a place where they feel welcome.
We look forward to getting to know your child and supporting them throughout their time at Crofton School.
Once again, welcome to Crofton School and to our military family. We hope your child has a happy, successful and memorable start to Year 7.
Warmest wishes,
Mrs Duffy
DandeLions Service Student Club
Crofton School
Working alongside Mrs Coston, Mr De-Saint and our Student Support Leaders
