Like all schools up and down the country we are working hard to plan for the return of all students from Monday 8th March. I have a further meeting this evening with other city leaders after which time I hope that we will have further clarity around what mass testing arrangements will look like in York. As soon as we have this information then plans about the full return can be finalised and then shared with families. As you would expect we have thoroughly mapped out various scenarios and I appreciate the patience from families whilst we await final important pieces of information that we need.

These back to school arrangements will include the opportunity for students to be tested as outlined by the government. We have planned carefully for what will be a large undertaking. As part of this we are asking members of our wider school community if any parent or carer would be willing to potentially offer to be part of supporting these arrangements. In the first instance if this was something you might be interested in doing could you please email school using the following address:
swillsden@pmat.academy

At this point we will be able to provide further details of what this role would look like and when potentially this would take place. As ever I’d like to thank families for their support.

AHS Wellbeing – Wonderful Wednesday

Head of Year Update – Mr Avery and Year 9…
I hope all the students of Year 9 have had a well-deserved break over half term. The Prime Ministers announcement on Monday means the students of Year 9 will be back in school form the 8th March, news which I am sure the students very much welcome! They have been brilliant toward their engagement to home learning, however as I have said before nothing replaces the effectiveness of face to face classroom teaching. I hope this news will also bring light at the end of the tunnel to those students who miss their friends, teachers and the structure and routine that school offers them. As always, we are working hard as a pastoral team to ensure the return to school is a smooth one, with masks being very much at the forefront of our minds. Students have always been required to wear masks in school, but this reaches a new level of importance following new government guidance.  Therefore we will continue to be requiring all students to be wearing a mask on their return to school. Should a student have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, we will provide them with a lanyard upon a doctor’s note being submitted to the school office.  

A really exciting prospect of a return to school is the potential to run lunchtime clubs once again for the students. I know how popular they were and how much they have been missed since the start of the year. While school is closed, we have been running virtual extracurricular clubs for the students to enjoy. More information about this can be found on their year group classroom. By running these clubs, we hope that it allows more opportunity for social interaction, something that I know they have missed. In addition to this, I would also like to remind parents that students are being offered the opportunity for a Google Meet with their form tutor and other members of the form twice a week. The feedback we have received from students has been really positive, and hopefully it provides a little bit of normality.

Staff Recognition

I have been inundated once again with praise for Year 9 in their live lessons. To put them all in unfortunately takes up too much room, however here are some highlights:

  • Sam Birkinshaw in Y9 produced an amazing Science assessment! Mr Thompson
  • Thank you to all my Year 9 Science class – Amazing resilience and hard work, thank you! – Miss Gray
  • My Year 9 Maths students have all worked really hard this half term. Well done! – Miss Milner
  • Kai Gatenby is literacy hero for excellent engagement in literacy and English activities. Mrs Short
  • 9c3 for science have been excellent this week, well done! Mr Limbert
  • I have been so impressed with the hard work and engagement of my Y9 History class. Their assessments were excellent. Mr MacFarlane

I congratulate the year group once again for their resilience, patience and hard work In this difficult time. Miss Clark and I are really looking forward to welcoming them back to school from 8th March.

As always, please feel free to contact me on navery@archbishopholgates.org should you have any questions or concerns.

Eco Club
Please find attached this week’s eco club top tips on how to make a wildflower garden and a bug hotel!

                             

Collective Worship
During half-term it was the start of the Christian season of Lent and we are going to continue with our Pilgrim Pathways theme over the coming weeks, based on material from the Archbishop of York Youth Trust. When we set out on a journey, we make a plan. We might look at a map or set up the Satnav to guide us. The key item on our pilgrimage today is a map.

Wednesday – “Walking with God’s guidance makes every path of success walkable.” – Edmond Mbiaka, 21st C. American author.