Parent Bulletin

Dear parents and carers,

It was a festive week at Archbishop Holgate’s school with much happening. We were delighted to celebrate our annual carol service in York Minster last Wednesday. This was the first full return since the pandemic and we were very pleased that we had almost 1400 people in attendance which is unprecedented in the history of this partnership between the school and the Minster. All those involved, both staff and students, should be congratulated for their collective efforts. An excellent way to start Christmas. The link to the press release can be found here. We also enjoyed Christmas Dinner on Thursday thanks to our brilliant catering team and the help of our Sixth Form student leaders.

In terms of this week, our Year 13 students have their mock assembly today followed by individual form tutor meetings to discuss their next steps. We then look forward to seeing families of Year 13 students on Wednesday for the progress evening. This is a great opportunity to talk to subject teachers about the year ahead and current progress in the lead up to formal examinations and assessments.

Also this week, our students will have a whole-school reward for all of their hard work. Students will have the opportunity to be involved in the Christmas themed Roller Disco in the Sport Hall! If you child would like to participate, please CLICK HERE and follow the link to the Google Form to consent for your child.

I would like to remind families that Friday 16 December is our final day of term. School will close at 12:15pm on this day. We then look forward to welcoming students back to our school community on Tuesday 3rd January.

Finally, I wish you and your families a safe and happy break over the holiday period.

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.

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

Happy Christmas
It has been a long term but a very successful one for both year 12 and Year 13. There is much to be proud of and certainly warrant for a worthy rest. I wish all our families a restful break and a healthy start to the new year.

Sixth Form Attendance
We are currently experiencing concerning Sixth Form attendance, the lowest we have seen. Attendance is always an ongoing focus within the Sixth Form as Post-16 is a short, fast-paced period with high stakes. Every lesson is specifically planned in line with meeting assessment windows to support progress and Post-18 planning. As such, poor attendance can have a significant impact on student progress and is something we monitor closely. Please see the letter issued this week regarding attendance and support us in improving habits amongst the Sixth Form cohort.

Year 13 A Level Mock Results
These will be distributed on Monday (12th December). Students will have a results assembly followed by a 1-2-1 meeting with their form tutor to ensure that they are directed on next steps.

Year 13 Parents Evening
A reminder that this takes place on Wednesday (14th December). Subject teachers will discuss next steps in supporting students to meet their progression goals following the Year 13 mock exams and in advance of the BTEC January external assessments.

Year 12 Mock Exams
These will take place wc 16th January for our A Level students. For the first two weeks back after the Christmas break there will be on class guided revision but students are expected to commence their independent revision over the Christmas break.

BTEC January External Assessments
These take place for our Year 13 students and some of our Year 12 students in the first two weeks after the Christmas break. Mock exams have taken place and feedback issued.

REMINDER Year 11 Sixth Form Applications:
Thank you to all those that that have applied to date. Late applications are welcome. Receiving applications this early means that we can gauge subject numbers. It does not mean that applicants are obligated to take up their place if they are still undecided and applicants can change their subject choices if, and when they wish.

A message from the Year 11 pastoral team
As the term draws to a close (and after a long couple of exam weeks) the students seem more than ready for a break, with a few tired smiles greeting me each morning on their way into school! Over the last few weeks the students have been outstanding in their conduct during the mock exams, with the exams office Mrs Tipping commenting on their maturity and dedication. Their uniform standards were excellent, and each student came equipped every day with the right stationary for each individual exam. I would like to take this opportunity to thank parents for all your support in making the mock exam period so successful, and a strong platform has been created for achievement in the real GCSEs next summer. The students will receive their results on the 16th January following an assembly reflecting on the mock period and their achievements. More information regarding this will come after the Christmas break.

Next week sees the students take part in the Roller Disco reward day. This is 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 take part together as a form group on Wednesday next week, so please can you make sure the consent form that was sent to parents is filled out or they will not be able to take part.

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 11 students, and the support we have received is much appreciated. On behalf of myself and the Year 11 pastoral team we wish all our parents and students a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

A message from the Year 10 pastoral team
As I write this I can’t quite believe how rapidly this half term is drawing to a close. With only one week remaining until a very well deserved break for all I find myself reflecting on what has been a very successful term. I hope that Year 10 students will be as proud as I am (or even more so) of their amazing achievements over these last few weeks.

On that note, below are the top 5 students who got the most merits in the previous week. I always try to push the positive aspects with our young people, so I think it is really important to celebrate our achievements:

1st Jasmine Lowe 10ABt
2nd Abigail Perring 10RDn
3rd Grace Scott 10EWh
4th Poppy Hearld 10ABt
5th Lilly Mae Carrington 10Di

Furthermore, to keep the positivity focus going, I will be doing a celebratory act of collective worship this week. This will include top individual merits for the whole term as well as the top form group merits along with special shoutouts from staff for our Year 10 students who have been working hard. There may also be prizes!

I would also like to take this opportunity to give special thanks to all those students who have their time and effort to help out with the Minster Carol Service on Wednesday. It was a great night and I am very proud of all those involved. I also understand the cast list for our school production of Fame has been published and a good number of Year 10s are involved with this. Well done to these people also!

As you may already be aware, with it being the last day of term, school will be finishing early this Friday 16th December. Students will be dismissed at 12:15pm. If your young person gets free school meals then they can collect this from the main hall before leaving. Students will then return to school on Tuesday 3rd January.

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 myself (Head of Year) at mdeacon@ahs.pmat.academy, Mr Deamer (Assistant Head of Year) at rdeamer@ahs.pmat.academy, and/or Mr McPaul (Assistant Head of Year) at cmcpaul@ahs.pmat.academy or calling main school reception and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you – Miss Deacon

A message from the Year 9 pastoral team
One week until we break up until Christmas and where has the time gone. It has been a busy one for Year 9 this week as they have had Mr Williams, our school curriculum lead, talking to them about GCSE choices. Mr Williams led an assembly about the future choices of the Year 9 students and the journey that they are about to embark on. As there is such a wide range of options for them to think about Mr Williams briefing the year group about an upcoming GCSE options taster day in January. In form time this week students have been discussing new subject opportunities and have been selecting four of them that they wish to try out on the day. The subjects vary from computing and PE to Hospitality and catering and Health and Social care. The day is intended to help inform students about subjects they may not have known about and to help them decide about which options will suit them best when students finally come to decide.

With one week to go we hope to see as many students as possible in school. It is a nice opportunity for teachers and students alike to wish each other a Happy Christmas and to enjoy their time off. Of course on Thursday (15th) Year 9 will have the opportunity to enjoy their Autumn term reward of roller skating. Students will have an hour off timetable in forms to enjoy with their friends. Hot chocolate will be available for those who just wish to spectate during this time. You should have received a text with a link to give consent for this to happen. Unfortunately without consent we cannot allow students to participate. A note in the planner is also welcome.

Wednesday saw the incredible Minster Service. It was fantastic to see so many people there to support all the hard work the students and staff have put into making a superb evening. A special well done to all the Year 9 students who took part, both performing, reading and behind the scenes.

Friday saw our slightly curtailed celebration assembly. The well done comments from staff about how well Year 9 students have performed so far will have to wait until the final day, and it was wonderful to be able to share these with the year group. Following this a friendly form competition, preceded by the embarrassment of Mr O’Brien and Mr Thompson, was held. Well done to 9KCe who were eventually victorious.

Finally, information for the final school day of 2022 should have been available for you to see. Students will be in school for the normal time in the morning. They will have Period 1 watching a recording of the Minster service, normally break time followed by their usual Period 2 lesson. Period 3 will be spent with their forms, saying goodbye for the break and enjoying some time together with each other and their form tutor.

A message from the Year 8 pastoral team
As we enter the final week of term, it seems impossible to believe that we are already 1/3 of the way through Year 8! There have been so many fantastic achievements this half term, and last week was no exception.

In the penultimate week of half term, our students have thoroughly enjoyed getting involved in all things Christmassy. All of our staff and students stepped up their game this year for the school Minster Service – one of the most prestigious events in our school calendar – and we were immensely proud to see so many of our Year 8 students taking part in this opportunity. Everyone did so well in the evening and we are very grateful for their contribution.

We also had our school dinner day on Thursday and our catering staff stepped up to deliver the amazing feat of feeding over 1000 hungry people a delicious Christmas dinner and choice of pudding! Year 8 thoroughly enjoyed the extended lunchtime that came with this, and their behaviour was immaculate. We couldn’t be more pleased with the good manners we observed.

Next week will the our final week before we break up for half term, and we hope students will find their time in school before Christmas fun and stimulating:

• Our final Act of Collective worship will be a celebration of achievements followed by a festive ensemble led by 8BDu.
• All Year 8 students will enjoy some time off timetable to take part in a Roller Disco. Year 8 will do this on Monday (8BDu & 8By), Wednesday (8ERo and 8ERs) and Friday (everyone else).
• Students will break up early for the Christmas holidays on Friday, finishing school at 12:15. Students will not have their lunch in school, however those who have free school meals may collect their food from the hall before going home.

As the weather continues to be very cold, we would like to politely remind students and parents of the importance of wearing a warm coat, and – for girls choosing to wear a skirt – we would advise tights would be best to keep warm. Thank you for your help with this.

Thank you for your continued support. If you have any queries or concerns about your child in Year 8, please contact school reception to speak to someone in the Year 8 team, or you can email reception@ahs.pmat.academy.

A message from the Year 7 pastoral team
We cannot believe there is only one week left of this term! We have had a great penultimate week before the end of term. Students have maintained their high standards and enthusiasm and it is lovely to see the Christmas spirit across the year group. We hope that our students continue to attend school and enjoy many Christmas activities taking place during our last week as it is an exciting one filled with more Christmas activities. On Monday we have our end of term celebration which is roller disco. Please remember to fill in the consent form if you have not already done so or write a note in your child’s planner. We know some students might not want to take part in the roller skating part, they can have hot chocolate and support their friends. On Friday school will finish at 12:15pm and our form groups will have some time together celebrating all they have achieved so far.

We hope that those of you who attended our Christmas Carol Concert enjoyed it. A HUGE well done to all of the year 7’s were involved, it was fantastic to see so many of you joining in. A special mention to Frances Lilley who bravely sang the solo, the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City, at the beginning of the service. You sang beautifully and we are very proud of you! As our students know, in year 7 we are the “J” in Journey and this stands for Joining In. The carol service was a fantastic example of how so many students have embraced the enrichment opportunities offered to them so far during their time at Archbishop Holgate’s School. Everyone involved was a fantastic representative of everything we want our AHS students to be. The Christmas spirit continued in school on Thursday with students enjoying their Christmas Dinner and singing along to Christmas music during lunch.

If you need any support please do not hesitate to get in touch with the year 7 team by contacting reception. We will continue to be active on our twitter @AHS_Year7 so please do follow us on there to see all of the exciting activities year 7 are getting up to in school!

We wish you all a safe and happy Christmas. Here are some ideas of free activities that are happening in York over the holidays:

• Twinklepike Lights. These houses will be twinkling again from 11th December until 26th December from 5pm – 8pm every night. You can make a donation to the charities Twinklepike Way will be raising money for when you visit. You can find Twinklepike Way at Twinpike Way, Wigginton, York YO32 2FF
• York Nutcracker Trail . Pick up a free map from the Visitor Information Centre, Musuem Street and seek out ten Nutcrackers across the city centre. Great free fun for all the family! Also, there is a chance to win a £500 York BID Gift Card.
• York Minster Christmas: York Minster Christmas Tree Festival, set inside the Minster this year, with around 40 trees on display in the cathedral. Entry is free with general admission (York residents free with proof of address).
• Christmas Crafts: Drop-in Christmas Crafts at Tang Hall Explore on Sat 3, Sat 10 & Sat 17 December from 12 – 2pm. Lots of festive fun making everything from Reindeer Headbands to Stained Glass Baubles!
• Christmas at Mocks Cross: On Sat 3, Sat 10 & Sat 17 December from 12 – 4pm. Bauble decorating (3 Dec), Stocking decorating (10 Dec), Wooden Christmas Tree Decorations (17 Dec).

Well done to our Students of the Week:
7ASu – Theo Robbins – for always cheering the form up, even on a miserable day!
7CMm – Harry Fox – For excellent attendance recently, being very helpful in form, and for really settling into school life so well.
7Pi – Isabella Lewis – for reminding me of something I had forgotten!
7Hv- Evie Rycraft – Always willing to contribute to our form time discussions.
7MPe – Molly Mahon – For organising the form class world cup sweepstake.
7CSt – Sunny Mayor – For coming out of his shell and participating more in form and for always being really kind and helpful. Well done Sunny!
7MLn – Emily Chamberlain – For being an amazing student who had an excellent first term while living our school values so well!
7JHe – Lucia Nicolle – for everyday kindness and resilience
7Bl – Isaac Wade – a marked improvement in behaviour and now showing a positive attitude in all that he does. Well done!
7ZBl – Andra Mulvenna – for being in school every single day this term to achieve 100% attendance. Well done!
7Cy – Andrii Zalutskyi – for settling into school and routines so well.

Well done to our Head of Year awards:
Frances Lilley 7Cy – for an amazing performance in the Minster singing the solo verse of Once in Royal David’s City. We are so proud of you!
David Gobl 7BL – for living our school values in everything he does. You have made a great start to year 7 well done!

Word of the week
The word of the week for week commencing 12 December is:

Ideology
Noun: A system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and police.
The ideology of democracy.

Collective Worship
Theme
Our form tutor collective worship this week uses material produced by the Archbishops’ Young Leaders Award to be used in the Advent journey to Christmas. This fourth and final week is called an Invitation to Rejoice. Our quotes are about finding joy at Christmas.

Quotes
Monday – “The story of Christmas is the story of God’s relentless love for us.” – Max Lucado; American author and minister at Oak Hills Church
Tuesday – “Christmas is not just a day, an event to be observed and speedily forgotten. It is a spirit which should permeate every part of our lives.” – William Parks; American Christian writer
Wednesday – “At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God’s own love and concern.” – Mother Teresa, Catholic nun and missionary
Thursday – “When Christ was born so was our hope.” – Max Lucado; American author and minister at Oak Hills Church
Friday – “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” – Norman Vincent Peale; leader in the Reformed Church in America