Headteacher Update

Dear parents and carers,

As we begin the second week of the new half term I would like to thank families for their ongoing support. I would also like to draw your attention to the forthcoming School Show, Matilda, which we are all very excited about. The interest from students wanting to be part of the production was incredibly high and this is why Mrs Newton and the team have double cast the show so that as many young people as possible can be part of this important whole school event:

Inspired by the genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical is the captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. With original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda has won 47 international awards and continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages around the world.

Tickets for the show will go on sale from Friday 4 March and are available via ParentPay. If you don’t have a ParentPay account, tickets can be purchased from main reception at break and lunchtimes or on the door at performances. Prices: Adult £5; Child/OAP £3; Family ticket £15.

Performances are as follows: Tuesday 22 March, 7pm and Thursday 24 March, 7pm – CAST A Wednesday 23 March, 4pm and Friday 25 March, 7pm – CAST B

Change to Year 10 Parents Evening Date
We have made the decision to move the Year 10 Parents Evening to Wednesday 4th May. This is to ensure the evening takes place before Work Experience. The Year 10 full reports will therefore be issued on Tuesday 3rd May.

Head of Year Awards

Head of Year Updates
Year 7 – Miss Kincell, Miss Powell and Miss Cooper
We have been delighted to welcome back our students this week who have had another excellent start. Despite the unpredictable Spring Weather we have been so happy to see students reunited with their friends and enjoying their social times and clubs.

We had a very exciting assembly this week with Mr Gibson regarding international trips, Spanish classes will visit Barcelona, French classes will visit Paris and German classes will visit Koblenz. Students who do not study any languages will be able to choose between the three destinations. All of the trips will cost between £550 and £590, and once letters are distributed in two weeks the places will be first come first served. If you would like to know more about financing or payment support please call main reception and ask to speak to Mr Gibson Head of Languages.

Well done to our Students of the Week:
ANn: Lily Thompson – for being helpful and supportive of other students.
ASU: Matthew Cook for always being polite and contributing in discussions.
Bl: Tilly Rhodes – Improvement in behaviour in lessons and social time.
Cy: Maxim Baumann – having a fantastic attitude every day and living out the school values.
Gr: Gabriel Whitehead -Thank you for being polite and respectful.
Hf: Leia Watling for excellent organisation and for her kindness to others.
Hv: Abdulbari Khadra – helpful during form time
MLn: Hannah Coventry – for being an excellent student. Well Done!
MPe: Sebastian Ostrowski – for settling in brilliantly and having a great first week!
Mr: Zak Leckenby for his improved punctuality
SMf: Benjamin Dale – Consistently pleasant, approachable and hard-working! Ben has done incredibly well in Y7 so far.

Well done to our Head of Year Awards
Bryanna Martyn – For being an excellent student and always being polite and kind to others.
Karthikeya Pulakanam – For a great demonstration in food tech! Well Done!

Year 8 – Mrs Avey, Mrs Mennell and Mr Handley
We would like to thank Year 8 for a successful first week back this new half term. They have quickly settled back into school routines. Attendance this week has been really strong at 94% – the best in school. We’d like to give a special mention to 8Ob who were one registration mark away from our first 100% attendance in a full week. We will also be continuing our focus on uniform and this has been overall excellent in Year 8.

Our weekly year group Act of Collective Worship this week was about the current conflict in Ukraine. We feel as a school it is very important to address this with students as many will have concerns about what it could lead to. There will also be members within our school community that could be personally affected by it. In the assembly we discussed what was going on and gave suggestions and advice as for any students who are worried. We’d like to remind all parents and carers that if they or the children need any help or support to please get in touch with the Year 8 Team and we will help any way we can. In the Year 8 section of the newsletter next week we will include some links to helpful articles on helping young people to deal with difficult news.

Our focus in form time collective worship this week was around remembering the Holocaust. This is another sensitive topic for many but the Year 8s discussed this in their forms with impressive maturity making strong links to our school values and the wider British Values we teach in schools. It was a joy to walk into forms this week and see these grown up conversations taking place.

We also have some Year 8 sports updates from the past week. The girls netball team had a game against Manor school and performed very well and should be proud of how they performed. There was also a tournament in Girls cricket in which the AHS team placed 3rd out of 6. Both teams played well and deserve praise showing great teamwork throughout. Well done to all students involved for representing their school and making the most of the opportunities on offer.

Further to this there has been some sporting success outside of school for one of our Year 8 students Bea Garrett-Craig. Bea has taken part in a national competition and successfully secured a place in Team England for the Dance World Cup. This is a phenomenal achievement, especially considering there are only four places per age group in the national team. We would like to pass on our massive congratulations for Bea and wish her the best in the Dance World Cup competition.

We’d also like to add a congratulations to Sam McBride and Christopher Barnard for their excellent Rock God performances over the half term holiday at the Crescent in York. They both took part playing impressively in a band together. Sam on the Keyboard and vocals, with Christopher performing guitar and drums on different songs. The performance can be viewed on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/Rockgodacademy/videos/628085254964495

Finally, we’d like to add, if your child has any achievements you’d like to us to know about please do get in touch, we love to hear about what our students get up to out of school.

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
It was a pleasure to welcome Year 9 back to school this week and to hear all about their half terms and see them all refreshed. Furthermore, it was great to see that Year 9 are certainly striving towards excellence with our school focus on fundamental standards and I know they will continue to do so. A reminder that our focus for this half term is for students to be organised with reading and their planners. Students in Year 9 need to bring with them an appropriate reading book to school with them every day. If a student is not sure what kinds of books they should be reading, please encourage them to speak to their English teacher, their form tutor or a member of the Year 9 Pastoral Team.

I would also like to take this opportunity of reminding parents about our extensive extra-curricular programme which has been updated for the current half term. I know how enriching these clubs can be for our young people including learning new skills as well as meeting new people. I love popping into the hall and seeing the progress of Matilda after school and I know quite a few of our Year 9s are partaking in the school production and it is a pleasure to see them flourishing.

Please find a copy of our extra-curricular programme here: https://archbishopholgates.academy/ahs-journey/enrichment-opportunities/

There has understandably been a large amount in the news about Ukraine and Russia over the last few weeks and this is why we discussed it in our Act of Collective Worship with Year 9. Our British Value focus this half term is Individual Liberty, which we define as ‘having the freedom to make our own choices, say what we feel and not fear persecution or discrimination’. In our Act of Collective Worship we discussed how Russia wants to remove the freedom and individual liberty of the Ukrainian people and also highlighting the history of Ukraine and Russia to understand why the invasion has occurred. Understandable this news can feel scary to our young people especially when they may see news or information via social media regularly, we advise the following:

1. Talk to your young person about the situation if you feel appropriate
2. Keep yourself and them informed – watch the news or read reports from reliable sources like the BBC. Social media might not always have accurate information so might be important to discuss this with your young person.
3. It is normal to feel upset, encourage your young person to do things that make them happy, including time away from devices!

If you’d like to discuss how to help your child further please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the pastoral team. A useful article if you’d like advice also can be found here: https://www.familyeducation.com/life/wars/talking-children-about-war-violence-world

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 – Miss Deacon.

Year 10 – Mr Avery, Miss Johstone and Miss Montagu
This has been a really successful first week back for Y10 students. It seems they all had a good rest over half term, and seem really energised for the half term ahead.

This week I noticed the continued commitment to extracurricular activities that the students are showing in school. On Thursday after school I had the pleasure of watching some Year 10 students in their rehearsal;s for Matilda (which looks excellent) and I am really looking forward to seeing the full production when it opens in the coming weeks. There is really good participation from Year 10, both in the cast and the backstage crew. Following this I went outside to watch the Y10 boys take on Manor in a very exciting game of football. Despite the 3-0 loss, the students played well and it was great to see them represent their school with such pride. This was followed by the girls taking part in a cricket tournament on Friday, and playing very well and eventually finishing 5th overall. It’s great to see that these opportunities have returned, and I know the students are delighted to be able to take part again.

The Act of Collective Worship this week was focussed on the invasion of the Ukraine. I felt it was important to explain to the students the origins of the conflict, who NATO are and what the people of Ukraine had been experiencing since the invasion last week. By doing this I hoped they can agnge further with the stories they are seeing on the news. This also lins well to our British value for the half term which is ‘individual liberty’ and the students were informed that we must never take our democracy or individual liberty for granted. I was delighted with the response of the students, who seemed equally horrified, compassionate and angry about the situation in the Ukraine. I know that many of our students and families are working hard to collect medicines, food and aid for Ukraine, which is absolutely fantastic. The students were informed that should they have any worries, concerns or questions about the ongoing war in Ukraine, they can speak to any teacher or member of the Year 10 pastoral team.

A quick reminder about Work Experience – if your child is still unable to find a work experience placement, please feel free to contact the school for assistance. We cannot call/email or arrange a placement for every student, but we can try and point you in the right direction. For example, I know for a fact the designer outlet is often a good place to find work experience, with students in the past going from shop to shop until they found a placement. Some students ended up getting a part time job out of this when they turned 16! I think it’s also worth bearing in mind that Work Experience is often about the skills students develop in a place of work, and not always about securing their ‘dream’ placement.

Thank you for all the hard work you are doing at home to continue to support your child, this is having a very significant impact toward their success at school. The Year 10 pastoral team are always available to help with any questions or queries you may have.

Year 11 – Miss Turvey, Miss Reeder and Miss Chambers
It has been great to welcome Year 11 back into school this week. After a busy start, we have all begun to settle back into our routines and we commend the renewed commitment to their studies the vast majority of students have shown.

Many of our students have shown great enthusiasm in their engagement with Period 6 which has returned for several subjects this week. The Period 6 timetable for this half term is included below.

A huge shout-out this week to those Year 11s who have played in Netball matches against other schools. In particular, Brooke Brandon and Olivia Wong were incredibly impressive in their performance against the Mount, particularly given that they were playing as part of a Sixth Form team as volunteers – well done girls!

Our Friday Act of Collective worship this week was an important one. We have had a renewed focus on the five fundamentals this week which was introduced in January as a whole school incentive to keep our standards high. At AHS, all students have the right to (1) Excellent, high quality lessons, (2) a broad extra-curricular programme, (3) a safe, welcoming environment, (4) individual care and (5) opportunities for their next steps. In return, students were reminded of their responsibilities which include (1) arriving on time to school and lessons, (2) being kind to other staff and students, (3) wearing the correct uniform, (4) meeting reasonable deadlines (e.g. for homework) and (5) caring for the school and those in it. We appreciate all of the support parents have shown to ensure we get this right, particularly for ensuring children are in the correct uniform and arriving into school on time. We feel immensely proud of how the majority of our Year 11s act as role models to the lower school, and our younger students certainly look up to Year 11 to set the standards here.

During our Act of Collective worship, we also went on to focus on the war in Ukraine. Many of our students have understandably returned after half term wishing to discuss this topic and feeling worried about the ongoing situation. We used the Assembly to ensure all of our students have an essential understanding of the facts, including a brief overview of Ukraine’s history and independence from 1991, the reasons given for Russia’s invasion and the strategy of sanctions being imposed by NATO and the UK. We didn’t engage in speculation as to what might happen or extremes of opinion some might hold, but instead considered what we might do to have charitable involvement through UNICEF, Save the Children and the Red Cross. Living out school values of Compassion and Justice and British values of democracy also helps to show our solidarity. Students were offered support for any feelings of worry and anxieties and we encourage students to speak to their Form Tutor or Year 11 team in the first instance if they are affected. Students were also reassured that, whilst the conflict is going on, these feelings of worry are a very normal and justified response and, equally, students shouldn’t feel guilty about continuing to focus on their own lives, ambitions and happiness too. Our Year 11s have experienced a lot of disruption over the past two years and, whilst we want them to be educated on this topic, we also do not wish them to carry around additional emotional burdens. If you have any queries or concerns about how your child is processing the Ukraine crisis please feel free to contact the Year 11 team via reception.

This week, the deadline for reply slips for Hoodies and Yearbooks is Monday 7th March. I believe there was a misprint on the original letter citing this to be 8th March so we will accept reply slips handed in on Tuesday. If your child needs a new letter, there is a red folder with several spares on the exterior door of the Y11 office for students to help themselves. Your child may also ask their Form tutor. Thank you for your support in the timely return of these.

We have ART exams continuing this week taking place on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th March. MEDIA exams will commence on Tuesday 22nd March.

Thank you for your continued support and we wish you a safe and restful half term when it arrives. If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 11, please contact school reception to speak to a member of the Year 11 Team: (Miss Turvey, HofY), Miss Chambers (Assistant HofY), Mrs Reeder (PSW) and Miss Short (Y11 SLT).

Post 16 – Mrs De Lashley, Mrs Walton, Miss Balmer and Mr Charlton
BTEC Winter Exam Results – Results for the external results will be made available to students on Thursday 24th March. We will provide more details shortly regarding where they will be issued. Each student will have a 1-2-1 meeting with a member of the Sixth Form Team on Thursday 24th March to discuss current position, resits and stand-down dates.

Reminder: Y13 March Mocks – These assessments take place this week during timetabled lessons. These are for A Level students and feedback will be given as and when papers are marked. The Sixth Form team will contact home for those that require some form of intervention to support progress.

Reminder: Y12 Parent’s Evening – Y12 Parent’s Evening will be taking place on Wednesday 16th March in school. Appointments will be made this week. If you are unable to attend, please contact Mrs Walton swalton1@ahs.pmat.academy or Mrs Balmer cbalmer@ahs.pmat.academy

Reminder: Y13 P6 – A reminder of the support in place for Y13 after school and on a lunchtime. Students are expected to attend these sessions to further support their progress and preparation for the march mocks and summer exams.

Shoutouts

Collective Worship
This week the theme of our Form Tutor Collective Worship is entitled Showing Compassion. This is the second session of the Way Maker series. It will take us on a journey through Lent, reflecting on Jesus’ ministry and his example of being a “way maker” and serving others. .

Quotes
Monday: “Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.” – Dalai Lama; Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism

Tuesday: “I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it.” – St. Thomas Aquinas; 13th C. theologian, philosopher and Catholic priest

Wednesday: “Action with and for those who suffer is the concrete expression of the compassionate life and the final criterion of being a Christian.” – Henri Nouwen; 20th C. Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian

Thursday: “Sympathy identifies with the problem, but compassion gets up, looks up, and says, I need to do something about this.” – Brian Houston; New Zealand-Australian pastor and evangelist

Friday: “The grace of God is not exhausted. His compassion never ends and it never fails.” – Pastor Mensa Otabil; Ghanaian theologian, speaker and church leader

The Wellbeing Newsletter Issue 45