Dear parents and carers,
On behalf of everyone at Archbishop’s I would like to wish all families a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. I would also like to thank everyone for the ongoing support throughout the Autumn term, by working together as a school community we have been able to ensure that students have had the best possible experience in school. We still of course have one week to go, albeit with an earlier finish on Friday at 12.10pm.
Last week was another busy one with a successful Minster Service on Wednesday and on Friday the beginning of our whole school Roller Disco Reward which was very well received by Year 10. Year 11 have (apart from those needing to complete catch-up sessions) finished their mock exams, their conduct and preparation something we are very proud of. It is important now that students take important time to rest and spend time with loved ones over the Christmas break. We have also appointed new school captains, Abbey Driffield and Arthur Sharpe who will lead our team of Year 12 Student Leaders, replacing our previous captains Gabby Moore and Oliver Pugh who have been phenomenal in the role and a real support to the school. In Post 16 we talk about students being ‘examples to follow’ and Gabby, Oliver, Abbey and Arthur are exactly this, living out the school values in all they do and like many students making significant contributions over a number of years to the wider life of our school.
Return to school in January
In line with guidance from Public Health York all students are highly encouraged to take a lateral flow test before returning to school in January. This will help to prevent transmission amongst our school community.
There are a number of ways you can test your child, these include:
- At home using a lateral flow test kit provided by school
- At a City test site – you can book an appointment here – https://yorkbooking.sishost.co.uk/OnlineBookings/appointment.html?pg=915b3b21-48b3-4a5c-bf2c-965f86dbd3ad
- At home using a test kit collected from one of the multiple venues supplying them – A full list can be found here – https://www.york.gov.uk/information-covid1-9/symptom-free-coronavirus-testing/3
Please ensure that you record the result of your lateral flow test on the NHS site (details on how to do this will be in the box) and if the result is positive contact the school immediately via 01904 411 341, Option 6.
If you have not yet been able to vaccinate your child against Covid-19 we strongly encourage you to consider doing this. There will be an onsite vaccination team in school on Thursday 16th December – A link to consent to vaccination will be sent out shortly. Or you can attend Askham Bar vaccination centre by booking an appointment – https://www.nhs.uk/book-a-coronavirus-vaccination/do-you-have-an-nhs-number?bookingtype=vaccine.
As ever if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact school.
School Uniform
As a school we work extremely hard to ensure that our uniform is both smart and affordable, in with both government guidance and the Poverty Proofing audit the school carried out last year. This is the ongoing reason why we offer families choice in where they purchase items of uniform. Whilst the very vast majority of students follow our uniform policy there are areas that we will need to focus further on in the new year. As such all families will receive a letter later this week outlining clearly our uniform expectations both in January and post February half term. This will give families time to ensure that students are always in the correct uniform. As ever the school will support any family who need assistance in terms of purchasing school uniform. Thank you in advance for your ongoing support.
Head of Year Awards
Head of Year Updates
Year 7 – Miss Kincell, Miss Powell and Miss Cooper
We sincerely wish you all have a lovely festive break, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope Year 7 enjoy a well deserved rest and have lots of fun over the holidays. Christmas can mean lots of different things to different people, and as such we would like to bring your attention to a variety of resources this Christmas. All of the below links are either free activities or resources for food, clothes, necessities and gifts which can be either utilised, donated to or supported.
Free Activities:
HAF – ‘Holiday Activities and Food’
The Christmas sessions, which all include a daily nutritious meal, are available to children who are eligible for free school meals. They include schemes run by clubs, charities, schools and organisations including York City Knights rugby club, York City Football Club and York Theatre Royal. Please see the website to apply directly: https://www.york.gov.uk/HAF.
The National Railway Museum
https://yorkmix.com/whats-on/christmas-at-the-national-railway-museum/
The Bar Convent
https://yorkmix.com/whats-on/the-bar-convent-at-christmas/
The Experience Christmas Trail at The Minster
https://yorkmix.com/whats-on/experience-christmas-trail/
Essential Resources and Gifts:
The York Food Bank
https://york.foodbank.org.uk/2020/12/05/christmas-new-year-opening-2019/
The Collective Sharehouse – Donating resources for all who need them
https://www.facebook.com/thecollectivesharehouse/
Community Christmas Toy Appeal & Hampers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/352222466051450/?ref=share
Greatest Hits Radio
Running an appeal to new and unwrapped gifts which will be provided to families unexpectedly facing poverty and to prevent children from waking up on Christmas Day without anything under the tree. https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/york-north-yorkshire/local/mission-christmas-north-yorkshire/
IDAS
This Christmas, hundreds of families in Yorkshire will be living in emergency accommodation having escaped violence and abuse. Many will have left with nothing, leaving all their belongings behind to find a place of safety with IDAS. https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/IDASChristmasAppeal
Kitchen for Everyone York – KEY Christmas Appeal 2021
Collecting key goods for those who need them email: info@kitchenforeveryoneyork.org
The Lunar Project
A women-led charity based in York, which supports vulnerable people who need immediate access to essential items like menstrual and sanitary products. Email contactthelunarproject@gmail.com
NSPCC Letter to Santa
Order a personalised Letter from Santa from the North Pole straight to your door and feel good doing your part for children with a suggested £5 donation. Choose from 8 different designs, and make your letter special with your child’s name, hobbies, friends and more. https://letterfromsanta.nspcc.org.uk/letter-from-santa/?utm_source=Mumbler_&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=BA4141*LFC21&utm_content=LFS2020+Mumbler_websites+Nov20&ac=212416
The Salvation Army York Christmas Appeal – New and unwrapped gifts for children and teenagers
https://sites.google.com/view/yorksalvationarmy/home
York Mix Toy Appeal 2021
YorkMix and ASDA Monks Cross have teamed up to help collect and distribute toys to children in York and across North Yorkshire who otherwise might not get a gift this Christmas. https://yorkmix.com/radio/the-yorkmix-toy-appeal-2021/
Yorwaste Reuse Santa Appeal
The Re-use Santa Appeal is back, and this year, Yorwaste want to round up 10 tonnes of toys for children in need this Christmas. https://www.facebook.com/yorwaste/
Well done to our Students of the Week this week:
ANn – Rosa Cole – For your fantastic contributions to form time discussion throughout the term. Well done Rosa!
ASu- Elana-Rose Shields – for making fantastic paper snowflakes for our form room.
Bl – Joe Limbert – bringing in a massive bag of Christmas decorations
Cy – Molly-May Turpin – For consistently participating in the mindfulness activities
Gr – Darcey Brown – For always being kind and making me smile everyday
Hf – Faith Wing – Always polite and kind to others and very organised!
Hv – Gracjan Malecki – Working well in Science, excellent test results
MLn – Sofía Zamora – For always being cheerful and enthusiastic in school.
MPe – Daithi Phoenix – For being selected to be one of our form wellbeing ambassadors. Well done.
Mr – Demi Clarke – for living the school values. Well done!
SMf – Oliwier Cierniak – For settling into life here at AHS better than could have ever been expected! Superstar!
Well done to our Head of Year Awards this Week:
Jake Bell 7MLn – for being a compassionate and kind member of the AHS community. Well Done!
Zach Maxton 7Cy- For always being polite and compassionate but especially this week when giving someone money to do the tombola- thank you!
Library Newsletter December 10th 2021
Well, what an exciting week we have had! Due to the cancellation of the Christmas Fayre we have had pop-up stalls all week around school. We started in the staffroom on Friday, so a huge thank you for all the help you gave in the library getting things ready for that. The book/selection box combo sold really well.
We have also seen the library transformed into a mini market. We started with a chocolate tombola a stationary tombola, and a stall selling 50p sweet bags. We managed to raise £145 on Tuesday, that’s a lot of fifty pence’s! Next week, on Tuesday again, we will have a book and gift sale complete with a gift-wrapping service!
National Dewey Decimal Day
You know we love a good National Day! This one even more so as we use the Dewey Decimal System in the resource centre. As you know we only categorise by genre in the Y7 library, but the resource centre uses both. Basically, both systems enable us to find books quickly, and be able to put them back in the correct place. All our novels can be found in alphabetical order within genre, and the Dewey Decimal system uses numbers.
The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensburger (Quiz 205597. Level 4.4. Colour Purple) is a must for anyone who thinks maths is boring. It is an excellent read with lots of light bulb moments. It is worth opening the link below, not only to read the first three chapters, but the illustrations are fabulous. The book is also available from the library. (No colour illustrations in the library copy though)
In twelve dreams, Robert, a boy who hates maths, meets a Number Devil, who leads him to discover the amazing world of numbers: infinite numbers, prime numbers, Fibonacci numbers, numbers that magically appear in triangles, and numbers that expand without end.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Quiz 206621. Level Green. Colour Green) has been described as a modern fairy tale. Some of you may have read it and others may have seen the film. However, you might not have realised that maths and numbers feature a lot in the book.
Mathematics, or the abstract science of numbers, quantity and space, is an important theme in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. In the novel, many aspects of mathematics are illustrated such as irrational and rational numbers and the wave theory. You can read a short extract using the link https://wp.cycu.edu.tw/lc/wp-content/uploads/Excerpt-from-Chapter-86-of-Life-of-Pi.pdf
The ship sank. It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp. Things bubbled at the surface and then vanished. Everything was screaming: the sea, the wind, my heart. From the lifeboat I saw something in the water.
I cried, “Richard Parker, is that you? It’s so hard to see. Oh, that this rain would stop! Richard Parker? Richard Parker? Yes, it is you!”
I could see his head. He was struggling to stay at the surface of the water.
You can watch a short film clip by clicking on the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mEsKGj3Qjw
Coming up Next Week
Normally we make Christmas cards at the start of December, but we had pop-up-fayre fever so the card making was put on hold. We will be making cards all next week. If you would like to take part in this activity, arrive early, take your seat at the card table and please be prepared to clear up five minutes before the end of break and lunch. Library Monitors, I’ll really need your help with this. I know recruiting has been a bit of hit and miss so far, but thank you for your patience. All successful applicants have been informed and we will hopefully sort out a rota to start in January.
Also, as mentioned earlier, we will be having a book and gift sale, complete with a Christmas wrapping station on Tuesday 14th both at break and at lunch. All 50p bargains!
Year 8 – Mrs Avey, Mrs Mennell and Mr Handley
With one week to go until we break up for the Christmas Holiday we are nearly at the end of this long first half term and as ever, we are continually impressed by our Year 8 students who conduct themselves in school excellently. We want to congratulate the Year group on a fantastic first term in Year 8, they have a lot to be proud of.
This week our year group collective worship focused on the importance of community and respect to others. Students were asked to consider that for a successful school community we all must play our part in being respectful and supportive and the importance of our school values. Linking to the concept of respect for one another was highlighted further with a discussion around hidden disabilities and why being respectful and considerate to those around us is imperative.
Next week our act of collective worship will be a little different to normal. This will be taking place during period 3 on Friday in order for us to have a longer than normal celebration together as a year group. After this, forms will then have some time to spend time together with their form tutors before the school closes for Christmas. Every member of the Year 8 team will be involved in this assembly, there will be a couple of surprises and we are really looking forward to it.
In form time students have continued their reflection on community with this week’s focus – ‘Community Brings Generosity’. Generosity is vital at this time of year, especially when considering those less fortunate. The challenge this week is to contribute to a food bank or volunteer for an organisation like Trussel Trust whose aim is to stop anyone in the UK going hungry.
As a school and a year group we recognise the importance of reward and celebration and we’d like to remind parents/guardians that this week brings our whole school reward of a roller-skating disco with hot chocolate and an opportunity to spend time with friends in their form groups. For Year 8 this is on Thursday 16th. Students can only take part if they have consent from a parent or guardian so please get in touch with someone in the Year 8 team if you have not yet given us consent. The order for the day will be:
- Period 1 – 8Ap and 8CBr
- Period 2 – 8CMp and 8ECe
- Period 3 – 8GBl and 8Ob
- Period 4 – 8Lp and 8LWs
- Period 5 – 8NTh and 8KCe
- 8WNo is split across the 5 periods. This has been sorted within the from group already.
We are also really pleased to see many Year 8 students still making the most of the opportunities on offer. Last week’s Minster service was excellent and it was great to see so many Year 8 students taking part in the school choirs and in Boys Aloud. Well done to all those involved. We are also delighted to let parents know of four students who have achieved highly in a national competition. In the bulletin last week, we pointed out that four Year 8s took part in a cyber security competition. This week the results were announced and the team from AHS have made it through to the finals of the competition despite strong competition from 100s of other schools in our region. This is a tremendous achievement so we want to say a massive congratulations to our four students – Ava Gane (8Ap), Elysia Aylett (8Ap), Sophie Beard (8Ap) and Tilly Mills-Wood (8LWs).
As ever, thank you for your continued support. If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 8, please do contact school reception to get in touch with Mrs Avey (Head of Year 8), Mr Handley (Assistant Head of Year 8) or Mrs Mennell (Year 8 Pastoral Support Worker).
Year 9 – Mr Arthur, Mr Deamer and Mrs Deacon
Well the festive season is fast approaching! It has been an excellent term for Year 9, and each student has made very good progress on their AHS Journey. As part of their focus of ‘Understanding yourself and others’, it was wonderful to see so many students engaging in the Year 9 Cultural Experiences Visits to the Royal Armouries, the National Science and Media Museum, and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. This was the first trip on the rotation, and I very much look forward to the next time the year group journeys out for a ‘booster dose’ of culture in the Spring Term! These trips also go some way to students achieving their Silver Arts Award at the end of the year by reviewing a local art exhibition!
Furthermore, due to unforeseen circumstances, Year 9 will have their Roller Skating Reward activity postponed until after the Christmas holidays on Friday 21st January. This is in light of the fact that the entire year group enjoyed a day out of school for the Cultural Experiences. Whilst students may be disappointed that their Christmas reward has been postponed, we must bear in mind that when all other year groups return and have already had their reward, this will be something to really look forward to for Year 9 students when they return from the Christmas holidays! The roller skating reward requires parental consent for students to attend. The Parental Consent Form was texted out to parents recently, and can be found by clicking on the link below..
https://forms.gle/UBZDRTcZspFAVezf8
Any consent that has been completed up to this point is still valid for the 21st January. Students will not be allowed to roller skate if they do not have consent. However, a note in the planner on the morning of the event will be enough to allow students to roller skate. This is a Christmas reward that is fully funded by the school, so all students are entitled to take part with no charge for you as parents/guardians!
Congratulations to the winners of the Head of Year Award this week – they are…
| Kai Fisher | 9Pl | For showing great compassion in welcoming a new student to the AHS community. Well done! | Compassion |
| Thea Maunder-Wood | 9RPr | For being a kind friend who is always there for people when they need her. Well done! | Mutual Respect |
Thank you for taking the time to read this parent bulletin. If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 9, then please do get in touch by emailing aarthur@ahs.pmat.academy (head of Year), mdeacon@ahs.pmat.academy (Assistant Head of Year) and/or rdeamer@ahs.pmat.academy (Pastoral Support Worker); or alternatively, you can call Main School Reception and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you, and have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year!
Year 10 – Mr Avery, Miss Johstone and Miss Montagu
As the term draws to a close the students seem ready for a break, with a few tired smiles greeting me each morning on their way into school! Despite this the students continue to work hard and seem to have enjoyed the Christmas events they took part in last week. The year group is abuzz with amusing stories from Roller Disco on Friday, and it was really nice to see how excited the students were taking part. I was really pleased to see them taking part as a form group, and I am sure the hot chocolate that was provided warmed the students who just spectated. This was a well deserved reward for the hard work and dedication the students have shown toward their studies this year, and for the overall excellent conduct around school. They will spend more time together as a frm group on Friday this week, before breaking up for Christmas, to exchange Secret Santa gifts and have a little party to mark the end of term.
As part of their Act of Collective Worship this week we looked at ‘Fake News’ and the impact this has on social media. We investigated the origins of fake news and how the term came into existence. We discussed that despite false or exaggerated stories being nothing new, the creation of social media has made it far easier to spread. The students were taught to question sources, focus on the nature of the source and think about the purpose of the story. These are skills I hope they will develop as they become young adults and interested in current affairs, and is certainly a topic we will return to. Finally I linked the issue of ‘Fake news’ to everyday issues we have in school and the community. How we should not always believe everything we hear about other people, or gossip we are told. By doing this, I hope the students will expand on their own personal development and compassion toward each other.
I was delighted to see so many Y10s involved in the Minster Service on Wednesday night. It felt very special to have everyone back together for what is a highlight of our school year. The musicians, sound technicians and drama students were superb and did our year group proud. There are too many to mention by name in this report, but I am very proud of every single one of them, well done.
Despite huge improvements, as we enter the last week of term I would also like to take this opportunity to mention school uniform. Despite the vast majority of students abiding by the school uniform code, there are some students who are challenging this. Please can you take some time to make sure your child is coming to school in the correct shoes, trousers and with no makeup or jewellery. As part of the uniform expectations we are also requiring students to have a mask to wear on the corridors in school, so a polite reminder to provide your child with this before they leave for school. This will be a key focus of the school when we return in the New Year,with more information to follow.
As always I am available to discuss the progress and wellbeing of your child, so please feel free to contact me on navery@ahs.pmat.academy should you have any questions.
To finish I would like to say a huge thank you to parents who have supported us across the term. It has been a really successful time for Year 10 students, and the support we have received is much appreciated. On behalf of myself and the Year 10 pastoral team we wish all our parents and students a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Year 11 – Miss Turvey, Miss Reeder and Miss Chambers
As we enter the final week of term, we are feeling incredibly proud of our Year 11s for now having completed their mock exams. There was a shared sense of accomplishment on Friday with our students deservedly reflecting on their achievements, and we would like to thank all of our students for their efforts – as well as parents for their continued support – over the past two weeks.
For our shout outs this week, I would like to praise all of our Students of the Week for the Autumn term; a huge well done to the following:
As students completed their exams, Thursday and Friday was marked by an excited refocusing on the end of term and Christmas. Our catering team did a fantastic job on Thursday of preparing high-quality Christmas dinners for all those who wanted to take part, and the Minster service on Wednesday was a great success with our Year 11 students giving stand-out performances in their respective choirs. We are also looking forward to finding out who will win the best-decorated Form room this week.
On Friday we held our last Act of Collective Worship which centred around celebration: ‘Celebrate How Respectful I Seem To My Adult Supporters’. As part of this, we explored the science of kindness and the benefits acts of kindness can have on those around us. We also reviewed and celebrated our Student of the Week achievements and teacher shout-outs from across the Autumn term. 2/3 of our cohort have already received recognition from their teachers in some way, which is brilliant to share with our students. It was a real pleasure to gather as a year group with an exclusive focus on celebrating all of our positive achievements.
At the end of Assembly, students were notified of a new opportunity: a new Sixth Form BTEC course – Forensic Science – has just been approved and will run next year. This is a double award so will fill two A Level/BTEC slots and students will need to achieve a Science GCSE at Grade 5 and Maths at Grade 4 to meet the entry requirements. Students who are interested in the course were asked to stay behind after Assembly and will have the opportunity to find out more this week from the Head of Science. Students who have already submitted their Sixth form options will have the opportunity to change them if they would like to switch to the Forensic Science course.
This week, we are excitedly looking forward to our Rewards Day with Year 11. On Tuesday, students will be off-timetable for part of the day with their form groups to attend a Roller disco, with the chance for roller-skating, music, and hot chocolate. This will take place in the school Sports Hall. Most importantly, this will be a chance for your child to have fun and socialise with their friends. Miss Turvey, Miss Chambers and Mrs Reeder will be in attendance through the day and you may look out for photos on Twitter and in our Yearbooks to follow. Please can you ensure your child’s consent form has been returned so that they are able to take part.
Our year group attendance has been high throughout the mock period and we would like to keep this going until the end of term. This week, many Year 11 teachers will be taking the opportunity to revisit important material that may not have been tested on the mocks, albeit in a low-pressure, low-stakes way in-keeping with the end of term. Research on memory and retention supports the fact that spacing out revision and revisiting material little and often is the best way of embedding content in the long-term memory. In fact, according to Donovan and Radosevich’s meta-analysis of various studies, those who access spaced-out training remember better than around 67% of people who cram revision material (see research article here: https://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/summer-2002/ask-cognitive-scientist). As such, taking the opportunity to gently go over material this week to be revisited after Christmas will give students a huge advantage in their learning. Equally, our students have already missed so much through national lockdowns, we would like everyone to be in school to benefit from the social opportunities this week too. The roller disco on Tuesday, extended Form time on Friday and increased focus on our sense of community and school values linking to the festive season are all enriching to your child’s development and wellbeing in school. As such, please can you ensure that, unless your child tests positive for Covid-19 or is seriously ill, they continue to attend school as normal until term officially ends on Friday.
We would also like to politely ask parents to help to ensure your child is upholding our high school uniform standards. The vast majority of our students always comply with our uniform policy for which we are very grateful. However, a small minority should remember the need to wear appropriate school trousers, no alternative hoodies, and no piercings except for a single pair of ear studs. Students should have their school jumpers with them every day, especially when it is so cold outside. It is vitally important that our Year 11s comply with the uniform policy as representatives of the school and role models to younger year groups. We are also keen to ensure our Form tutors are able to invest their time in providing pastoral support to our students, not re-iterating long-established uniform policies. Thank you for your support in keeping our uniform standards high.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 11, please do contact school reception to get in touch with Miss Turvey (Head of Year 11), Miss Chambers (Assistant Head of Year 11) or Mrs Reeder (Year 11 Pastoral Support Worker).
Post 16 – Mrs De Lashley, Mrs Walton, Miss Balmer and Miss Cox
Happy Christmas – Wishing all our students and their families a restful Christmas break. Students have worked incredibly hard this term and we look forward to getting back to it after the break. The break is deserved and should be a time for rest, reflection and family. See you in the New year.
Y11 Sixth Form Applications – The deadline for applications is this week. Please support your son/daughter in applying or seeking guidance if required. There is no limit to the amount of applications they can have for Post-16 providers and there is no obligation to take a place once offered. Having an application secures a conditional place. Any questions, please do get in touch fde.lashley@ahs.pmat.academy
Y13 Mock Results – Results will be sent on Monday as well as given to students in Monday’s assembly. Students will be given the opportunity to reflect on their results and those that require a specific intervention plan will be advised prior to Parents Evening (parents will be involved in those discussions). Students are currently making parents evening appointments for Wednesday 15th December. These appointments will be remote.
Y12 Mock Exams – Y12 will enter a two-week period of revision in school when we return in January and then complete mock exams in the third week back. These exams will be an important measure for us to establish best plans for the rest of this academic term and an indication of suitable curriculum options for Y13. Y12 should be creating a revision plan and starting their consolidation and application practice at home now. A small number of our BTEC subjects sit January external assessments, exam timetables will be released for these subjects.
School Captain Interviews
Congratulations to our newly appointed school, captains Abbey Driffield and Arthur Sharpe. They have already made quite the impression at the Minster service. We look forward to working with them over the coming year. A huge thank you to our previous captains Gabby Moore and Oliver Pugh who have been phenomenal and a real support to the school.
Collective Worship
Our Form Tutor Collective Worship continues to explore the Christian season of Advent. We continue to explore different communities from the Christmas story, see what they can teach us about community and how they can inspire us to make a difference this Christmas. This week the focus is on the Mary & Joseph and Love.
- Monday Thought for the Day – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” – The Bible, The gospel of John 13:34
- Tuesday Thought for the Day – “Love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service.” – Jack Hyles, 20th C. Baptist leader
- Wednesday Thought for the Day – “Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” – C.S. Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia
- Thursday Thought for the Day – “Never procrastinate in showing love. Don’t delay. Don’t put it off. Do it now.” – Rick Warren, American Christian leader
- Friday Thought for the Day – “Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do.” – David Wilkerson, Christian writer and speaker