Parent Bulletin

Dear parents and carers,

As we start October, I would like to reflect on September. It has been a great month at Archbishop Holgate’s School and we have got the academic year off to a very positive start. We have enjoyed getting to know our new students who have joined us in Year 7 and Year 12. The last four weeks have been superb in the way that students have settled into school life. All things extra-curricular are now in full swing and students continue to approach their learning with enthusiasm and positivity.

In terms of this week, I’d like to remind families that Thursday 6 October is a training day and as such the school will be closed to all students. It would be brilliant if our students could help us to give prospective families a warm welcome to Archbishop Holgate’s School through acting as guides or helping out in subject areas. If your child is interested please encourage them to return the reply slip that was part of the associated letter that was sent home to parents/carers.

In the remainder of the bulletin this week you will find information from: the wellbeing team, each Year team and the Chaplaincy team alongside other key messages to be aware of.

Wellbeing
Health and wellbeing is an important part of life at Archbishop Holgate’s School, in order to read the wellbeing newsletter for this week – please click here.

Library Newsletter
To access the most recent library newsletter which includes book recommendations and competitions to get involved in, please click here.

Head of Year Awards

Year team messages to parents and carers

Each week, the pastoral year teams will communicate any key messages, successes and upcoming dates to be aware of in this section of the parent bulletin.

A message from the Sixth Form pastoral team

Year 11 IAG Day
Please note that our Year 11 IAG Day is on Friday 14th October where Year 11 ‘taste’ 5 Sixth Form subjects for the day. This means there is no school for Year 12 and Year 13 on that day but they will have work set to continue their study. Year 11 have made their subject choices and will receive their individual timetables in the week commencing 10th October.

Student Leaders
Year 12 have made an excellent start to the term and now we are ready to recruit the next team to lead the student body. Year 13 Student leader’s will move to focus on their progression planning and final important year and Year 12 will take over. Applications have now been submitted and we are consulting staff on student recommendations. Information regarding School Captain recruitment to follow.

Upcoming Key Dates
Staff Training Day Thurs 6th October
Y11 IAG Day (no school for Sixth Form) Fri 14th October
Post-16 Open Evening Tues 8th November
Y12 Form Tutor Evening Weds 16th November

A message from the Year 11 pastoral team

This week marked the halfway point for the half term and Year 11 continued to impress. The students are working hard in their lessons and the team is really pleased to see students begin to take up the opportunity for further support in their subjects this week. Coursework subjects such as Music, Drama and Art are running lunchtime and after school Period 6 sessions to help support the students with their coursework and compositions. On our visits this week it was great to see so many students making the most of this. In the coming weeks, the more formal Period 6 timetable will be available to parents (including English Maths and Science) before the mock exams in November.

This week saw the release of the provisional timetable for Year 11 GCSE examinations next year. This can be found online, however please be aware that these dates are only provisional and may be subject to change! The exam boards will release the finalised timetable later this term. As soon as it has become official we will be informing parents of this as we know many want to get ahead planning holidays next summer!

We are also pleased to announce that we have booked Prom for next year. This will take place at the Racecourse Ground next summer following their GCSE examinations and we are sure the students will be excited to attend the event. Following half term, there will be an opportunity for students to join the Prom Committee to help organise and run the event. Much more information regarding the prom (including dates and times) will be announced in the coming weeks.

Finally (without wanting to sound like a broken record!) we really want to continue to highlight the importance of good attendance in school. As a year group we are currently tracking at 92% which is below the 95%. When analysing the data, it is students who are having the ‘odd day off’ here and there that concern the most. Please can you continue to reiterate the importance of attendance to your child, and challenge them to attend school even if they are not feeling a hundred percent. We have a dedicated pastoral team who can support students in school, and a qualified nurse on hand to assess them throughout the day if need be.

Finally, the Year 11 team would like to thank you, the parents, for your support in making the return to school so successful for Year 11. The support you give from home and effective communication means we can get the best out of the students while they are in school. Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Year 11 team.

A message from the Year 10 pastoral team

The Year 10 team have been so impressed with this year group’s first month of Year 10. There has been a sense of maturity and determination when we have popped into classrooms, which is to be celebrated as we come back to studying after summer.

We are keen to relay an exciting message from our P.E. Department that Year 10 will be offered access to some brand new sports equipment for break and lunchtime use. This equipment will include footballs, table tennis packs, cricket sets, frisbees, netballs and tennis balls. If a pupil wishes to use some of this equipment, they should see the member of staff standing next to the gates between the field and black square. One student will have to give their name in exchange for their item of choice, this then becomes that student’s responsibility and they must return it in the same condition that they were given it. This is a great opportunity for our fantastic Year 10 pupils to engage in some physical exercise with their peers and enjoy the benefits that go along with that. Whilst this is very positive, it is worth reminding pupils that the school has a strict ‘Hands Off’ policy including at break and lunch time. This means that no play fighting or slide tackling should be seen at break, lunchtime or at any point in the school day.

We would also like to shout out one of our lovely students, Sarah Norman, who this week played flute for the elderly at Meadowbeck residential home. Residents and team members were delighted to welcome Sarah, who kindly offered to come in and give a flute performance, just completing her grade 5. Sarah played a selection of wonderful pieces including “Boogalie Woogalie and The Mexican hat dance” with residents clapping and tapping along with their toes. Residents loved hearing Sarah play, thanking her afterwards saying how well she played. Well done, Sarah!

A quick reminder that Geography field trip letters have gone out to pupils. The trip is to Maybeck on Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th October, so please return and give permission on ParentPay, we are really looking forward to taking our Geographers to a river to experience their GCSE topic UK Physical Landscapes in action.

Thank you for taking the time to read this parent bulletin. If you have any queries regarding your child in Year 10, then please do get in touch by emailing Mr McPaul (Assistant Head of Year) cmcpaul@ahs.pmat.academy, Miss Deacon (Head of Year) at mdeacon@ahs.pmat.academy and/or Miss Clark (fellow Assistant Head of Year) sclark@ahs.pmat.academy or calling main school reception and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

A message from the Year 9 pastoral team

Week 4 has been another overwhelmingly positive week for Year 9. The year group have settled into Year 9 in an excellent manner and have impressed staff with how well they have been working individually and as a year group.

Attendance, as always, is a big focus this year as we have our first “normal” year of school since Covid-19. The attendance figures last week have dipped. There is definitely a whole range of illnesses prevalent at the moment, but it is always best to try and have students in school, even if they have a cold or a headache. It is obviously understandable if they are not well enough to be in, but we would like to see them in as much as possible, so they don’t miss out on too many lessons. The winners of the form attendance this week are 9Ev, with a brilliant 99%!

Extra-Curricular clubs are up and running and in full swing. There is a wide range of clubs on offer at both lunchtime and after school run by members of staff. Lunchtime activities vary from girls’ football, music technology, cross stitch club and computing club. After school clubs include Warhammer club, badminton, backstage club, netball, and drama club. There are many more to choose from than just these, and they are an excellent way to meet new people and create friendships across your own, and other year groups. Students can see the poster in their form rooms for more information.

Thursday the 6th of October is a training day and school will be shut to students. This is due to the open evening. It would be amazing to see as many Year 9 pupils as possible attending this open evening as volunteers in departments, to be able to talk to prospective parents and students about their school and how they find their experience here. If a student would like to take part and be an ambassador for the school, please fill in the permission slip that has come home indicating where they would prefer to help and that you are happy for this to happen.

Just a quick reminder that Flamingo Land will be happening on 14th of October as a rewards trip that has been carried over from last year. We would like as many students to participate on this trip as possible and we would be grateful if we could get the student information forms back into school as soon as possible for anyone wishing to enjoy the day out.

As always, we, as a team, are here to resolve any problems so please feel free to contact us for any help.

A message from the Year 8 pastoral team

The end of this week sees us over halfway through the first half term. We can’t believe how quickly it has gone! With three weeks left, we want to congratulate the students once again on what a positive start they have made to year 8 and ask them to continue having high standards and good behaviour until the October holidays.

As tiredness and cold and flu season sets in, this is also an important reminder of how important attendance is. Whilst it’s never particularly pleasant to be in school when you’re feeling under the weather, students should always aim to be in unless it is completely unavoidable. To reiterate what was said in the parent bulletin last week, a student has a higher chance of success if their attendance is 90% or above. A big well done to Miss Rogers’s form who has won our attendance trophy for highest overall attendance in the year for the third week in a row – this is a fantastic achievement! Will they win for a fourth week in a row or will another form beat them? I am looking forward to finding out next week.

This year, once a fortnight, students are having a focus on wellbeing in PM registration. With the arrival of dark mornings and dark nights, students have been thinking about how they can still get out and get some sunlights and fresh air which is so important for our overall mental health. On this same topic, if your child cycles to school, please ensure they are equipped with a helmet as well as a bike light to keep them safe in the coming months. If you are struggling with this then please do get in touch and we will do our best to help.

On the topic of health and wellbeing, we are still seeing a number of students choosing just a cake for lunch rather than having a savoury option first. We ask that you please have conversations with your child about what they have had for lunch and encourage them to make healthy choices. Students in year 8 have their lunch an hour earlier than they did in year 7 which means that they have two lessons and form time in the afternoon which is a long time if you’ve only had a piece of cake for lunch!

A polite reminder that there is a training day next Thursday and students will not be in school. This is to allow for important staff training as well as for us to prepare for year 6 open evening that night. We would love it if year 8s got involved by coming to help out in one of the departments and to speak to parents and prospective new students about what it’s like to be at AHS. A letter should have gone home last week or students can ask their teachers for a consent form as well. I look forward to seeing lots of our year 8’s lovely smiley faces on the evening!

Finally, we had our first student council meeting on Thursday after school. It was great to see so many students taking part and they have lots of exciting ideas for things our year can get involved in in the year ahead! The more the merrier so if your child would like to take part, please encourage them to do so. There will be reminders on the notices.

A message from the Year 7 pastoral team

We have had another fantastic week with Year 7. There are some key dates coming up in the next few weeks which are all exciting parts of the Year 7 journey.

Thursday 6 October: Open Evening. Year 7 will not be in School this day – it is a training day. Some of our students have signed up to be classroom helpers in the Evening. They will be in with subject teachers and talking to parents and potential new students about the subject they are representing, and perhaps talk about wider school life as well. These students will need to be in School at 5pm in School uniform.

Tuesday 11 October: Bewerley Park Information Evening 6pm. This will provide all of the key information you need for when your child goes to Bewerley Park. You should have received a kit list, if you need any support regarding this please do get in touch.

Wednesday 19 October 3.45-7.15: Parents Evening. This Parent’s Evening will just be with your child’s form tutor to discuss your child’s initial settling in and the first steps on their journey. If you would like to arrange a meeting with either the SEND team or Year 7 Team please do get in touch. Please ensure students make appointments with their form tutor during form time, there is no need to contact school unless you would like an appointment with the Year 7 Team or Miss Holmes (SENDCo).

And just a reminder of Bewerley Park Dates:
A/B Band (Forms: ASu, CMm, Pi, Hv) Wed-Fri 2-4 November
C Band (Forms: MPe, CSt, MLn ) Wed-Fri 9-11 November
D Band (Forms: Cy, JHe, ZBl, Bl) Wed-Fri 16-18 November

Well done to our Students of the Week:
7ASu – George Payne – for presenting The News so well this week!
7CMm – Sophia Newstead Louth: For her excellent attendance, her outstanding attitude in form, and the general energy and positivity she brings to life at school.
7Pi – Dougie Molyneux – for a fantastic start to the year.
7Hv – Harrison Stagnell- Excellent contributions during form discussions, well done!
7MPe – Tess Arundel – For settling in fantastically and just get on with the year. Well done.
7CSt – Savannah Seymour- An excellent start to the year and a lovely part of the form, alway eager to contribute and always asks useful questions.
7MLn – Evie Langan – For joining in and contributing in form, for showing compassion to others and for your hard work in lessons!
7JHe – Dora Escombe – for trying her best in every homework task and ensuring her friends are feeling OK each and every day.
7Bl – Joanna Alfaida – for settling in well and following the school values in everything that she does. A lovely member of the form.
7ZBl – Ruby Smith – For getting stuck into lots of extra curricular clubs, and embodying our school values each and every day. Well done!
7Cy – Poppy Jack – for contributing to class discussions in form time.

Well done to our Head of Year Awards:
Lily Robinson (7Hv) – Helping out at Clover School of Dancing
Morgan Smith (7JHe) – for being a compassionate and kind member of the year group, involving everyone and going out of your way to make others smile. Thank you and well done!

Word of the week

The word of the week for week commencing 3 October is:

Advocate
Noun: A person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.
Solicitors may act as advocates in Crown Courts.

Verb: to publicly recommend or support:
Voters supported candidates who advocated an Assembly.

Collective Worship

Theme
The theme for our form tutor collective worship is Change; looking at the changes as we head into Autumn, Jesus’ parable about wineskins and clothing, and the changes we might need to make in our lives. Our daily quotes are also about Change.

Quotes
Monday – “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
Tuesday – “Everyone wants to change, but change demands desire and discipline before it becomes delightful. There is always the agony of choice before the promise of change.” – Larry Lea
Wednesday – “If you’re in a bad situation, don’t worry it’ll change. If you’re in a good situation, don’t worry it’ll change.” – John A. Simone, Sr
Thursday – “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves.” – Leo Tolstoy
Friday – “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr