Parent Bulletin

Dear parents and carers,

The students have returned well after the half term break and it was great to welcome them back into school.

Our Year 11 and Year 13 students have continued in an exemplary fashion with their approach to this busy examination season. I would like to remind you that should you have any questions or concerns about your child’s examinations, please do not hesitate to contact the year teams, who will be more than happy to assist you.

Our Year 10 students are working well in class in the lead up to their mock examinations which start next week. It was also fantastic to welcome so many Year 10 families on Wednesday evening as part of the upcoming mock examination season. During this short presentation we provided guidance on the remainder of the students KS4 academic journey and how best to support students in the lead up to examinations. There was an emphasis on the importance of becoming exam-ready for next year. As part of their journey to success, we will highlight the significance of revision and its role in the upcoming Year 10 mock examinations, which serve as crucial benchmarks.

This week the examinations continue, however, there is much happening at Archbishop Holgate’s School. This week our Year 10 students take part in a York Design visit as part of their studies. Year 9 have a sponsored bike ride taking place at York Sport on Tuesday. We also have a number of evening events aimed at families whose children are attending trips to Koblenz, Barcelona and Paris. Whilst a small number of students will represent Archbishop Holgate’s School in a local competition taking place at St Peters. Finally, towards the end of the week we look forward to the Athletics semi-finals.

Celebrating 50 Years of Ugandan Asians in York – Travelling Exhibition and Acts of Collective Worship – Mr Arthur

Between Tuesday and Thursday this week, Archbishop Holgate’s School has had the pleasure to host an exhibition celebrating the role of York in supporting Ugandan Asian refugees coming to the UK. The exhibition has been to several institutions across the city, and many of our Year 8 students and Sixth Formers had the opportunity to go down to the School’s Chapel and learn about the history of Ugandan Asian refugees and their experiences that brought them to the UK, and more specifically, the City of York.

The story of the exhibition begins with Idi Amin expelling all non-African citizens from Uganda in 1972. Considered one of the most brutal military dictators to wield power in post-independence Africa, Amin accused the Asian community of disloyalty and taking opportunities from black Africans, giving them 90 days to leave. This triggered the displacement of nearly 80,000 Ugandan Asians, who sought refuge in countries all over the world, with just over 28,000 settling in Britain. Our government had previously granted all members of the commonwealth citizenship in the UK, and so many Ugandan Asians arrived in the UK to be held in refugee camps across the country. Whilst other cities like Leicester turned away the Ugandan Asians as they already had high migrant populations, York welcomed many into the city. Around 45 families resettled in York and the University convened a Resettlement Steering Committee to support the arrival of refugees in the City. The Archbishop of York, Dr Donald Coggan, also gave a family with a six-week old baby a home at his palace, provoking a furious reaction from the MP Enoch Powell.

Whilst the exhibition itself is excellent and very enlightening to the events that began 50 years ago, we also had the pleasure to welcome two Ugandan Asian refugees into school, and they spoke to both Year 12 and Year 7 in Collective Worship about their experiences. Shamim Eimann came to the UK as a six-year-old, and Yogesh Joshi arrived at the age of 16 in similar circumstances. Both Shamim and Yogesh spoke of their experiences in Uganda as well as how they came to live in York. It was also wonderful to hear of their children being born and raised in the UK, as well as many other second generation Ugandan Asians, going on to be graduates, engineers, doctors, pharmacists and so on…

A Year 8 student who visited the exhibition described it as a “unique” and “enriching experience”. One of our Sixth Formers also shared after the talk from Shamim and Yogesh that it was the “best assembly they’d ever had”

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank Shamim and Yogesh for donating the exhibition for those three days, and for sharing their experiences with our students. We look forward to inviting them both back into school again sometime soon! I wish to also thank the staff who took their students down to share in this piece of York’s history, as well as Mrs Mullenger for her hard work in arranging all of this so our students can share in this important part of York’s multicultural story.

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

BTEC Stand-Down
For our Year 13 BTEC students that have not yet completed their coursework and been signed -off, they must attend school each day to their timetable BTEC lessons and when not in a timetabled lesson we have a planned study space for them to continue working on their coursework to meet our very tight deadlines before we submit final marks. Students that do not meet the deadline will not be able to claim their qualification this year. It is important that they continue to attend.

Y13 Leavers’ Key Dates:

• Prom – Friday 23rd June Hilton, York
• A Level Results – Thursday 17th August (invites have already been sent)

REMINDER A Level Exam Timetable
Please find below the next week’s timetable of exams. The rest of the timetable will follow each week.

• Students arrive 15 minutes before the exam start time.
• All students go to Black Square to check the seating plans and then go to their location.

Possible locations:

1. Sports Hall
2. Drama Studio
3. SFS
4. SF Library
5. SF Café

REMINDER Yr12 Competitive Admissions Test Tuition

Year 12 End of Year Assessments
Students are entering their final week of new content delivery in A-Level lessons. Weeks commencing 19th and 26th of June will be set aside for teacher-led revision lessons, with the exams taking place the following week. Students have had useful revision strategy materials shared with them on the year group Google Classroom and have been encouraged to speak with subject staff for additional strategies. It is expected that revision at home will have begun by now.

Y12 Upcoming dates

• Hull University Trip – 28th June
• Oxford University Trip – 28th June
• A Level Mock Exams – wc 3rd July
• Y12 Enrichment Week (off timetable) – wc 10th July
• Y12 UCAS Evening – 11th July
• Y12 Work Experience (not in school) – wc 17th July

A message from the Year 11 pastoral team

Another excellent week for Year 11, who continue to conduct themselves superbly while sitting their exams. I think many can now begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, with one more week before the vast majority of exams are completed. I know the students will be pleased when the time comes, and hopefully they have some really exciting plans for their extended summer break. Just a quick reminder to parents that students in Year 11 will be finishing at 1:30pm each day next week, and will be allowed to study from home. Thank you for your continued support during this period of examinations, and I know parents will be just as grateful as students when the exams come to an end!

Last but not least, we are busy preparing to make Prom a wonderful experience and the Prom committee have made a decision on the theme ‘Under the Night Stars’. As a reminder, Prom will be taking place on Friday 30th June at York Racecourse. Students have indicated whether they will be attending or not and we will be making the final arrangements in the coming weeks. Thank you for keeping up with the payments on ParentPay and if you need support, contact our Finance Team. (swillsden@ahs.pmat.academy).

A message from the Year 10 pastoral team

Year 10 have had a fantastic week this week! They have had a brilliant attitude and as a year team we have seen all of our pupils raise their standards massively! Well done year 10! With mock exams on the horizon, we are pleased to report that many of our year 10 pupils have been taking revision and preparation seriously, and their hard work is paying off! Our teachers have observed marked improvements in their understanding of subject matter and grasp of key concepts. Our students have been logging in extra hours, asking insightful questions, and attending group study sessions in impressive numbers. We are proud to see them seizing the opportunity to maximise their academic potential and grateful for your ongoing support in encouraging their academic pursuits. In this week’s bulletin, we will mostly be discussing all things mocks and celebrating the excellent work that has taken place. Well done Year 10!

Before we look at information surrounding the mock exams I would like to celebrate Dylan and Maks who have, yet again, done incredible things in the volleyball world! Yorkshire U15s have won Gold at the Inter Regionals beating London in the final. London won in every other age and gender category apart from the U15s. What an indoor season they have had! Congratulations to you and your team mates.

As previously stated, the focus of the school is very much shifting to Year 10 now Year 11 & Year 13s exams are well underway. The mocks are in close proximity (19th June to 30th June) and families will have received a letter Miss Deacon has written explaining the mock process, with the mock timetable attached, and steps put in place. Please bear in mind:

• Form time structure has changed and students have been learning revision techniques with their form tutor and received a booklet which tells them everything they need to revise. Students have taken really well to this!
• Mock revision in lessons is well underway and will continue right up until the mocks begin.
• Mocks start 19th June for two weeks – 100% attendance is mandatory, if students miss an exam, just like the real ones, they cannot redo it. Conduct in the exams will be linked to the end of year reward trip.

Mock exams are a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and even just get a good understanding of how the exam process works.

Students have been expected to revise independently at home, as well as homework. We have put on sessions afterschool and at lunchtime that our young people can utilise also – please encourage them to attend as we are also putting rewards in around this, 5 sessions in a week (at home or in school) equates to a reward and our top 30 students will get an additional reward in school! I have to shout out Lewis Gray who has attended every single one last week!

I would encourage families to sit down with their young person, explain the importance of mocks, if they haven’t already, and make sure you are all aware of their independent revision plan to make sure they know what is expected and you can support them in keeping on track.

Instead of highlighting pupils who have scored highest in the year group for merits, I will highlight those students who have attended the revision sessions and evidenced extra revision at home:

1st – Cynthia Lakos 10EWr
1st – Imogen Dean 10ABt
3rd – Tom Leonard 10JLi
3rd – Clementine Ensor 10 ABt
3rd – Madison Lees 10 ABt
3rd – Mia Bell 10 KMd
3rd – Ella-Mae Norman 10KMd
3rd – Imogen Brewer 10Ha
3rd – Oscar Pearson 10 MHe
3rd – Ed Candlin 10ABt

And in terms of form groups:
1st – 10RDn
2nd – 10ABt
3rd – 10EWr
4th – 10JLi
5th – 10KMd

A big thank you to parents who came into school on Wednesday for our Year 10 Mock Information evening. This evening introduced parents to the revision strategies shared with the young people at school, provided guidance on how to support revision and gave an overview of how the mock period will work. If you were unable to attend the evening, the powerpoint will be sent to you in due course.

A message from the Year 9 pastoral team

I am delighted to let you know that Year 9 have kept up their excellent standards this week as we begin our final half term of the year.
There has been an impressive and mature approach to revision in class for the upcoming assessment. They have shown an impressive level of dedication and focus, actively engaging in discussions and demonstrating a genuine eagerness to learn.

I would also like to inform you that assessment week is just around the corner. This is an important opportunity for our students to demonstrate their understanding of the topics covered throughout the year. I have no doubt that with their hard work and commitment, they will perform admirably during this assessment period.

In addition to assessment week, I wanted to inform you about the upcoming enrichment week in the final week of school this year. Mr. Gladstone has informed us about this exciting opportunity for our students to engage in a range of enriching activities beyond the regular curriculum. Enrichment week provides a chance for them to explore new interests, develop new skills, and broaden their horizons. I am certain that our students will find this week both educational and enjoyable.

During enrichment week Year 9 will also be attending Drayton Manor as a reward for the hard work they have put in during the year. An email has been sent home about this and we would encourage you to sign up through parent pay as soon as possible. We would like for as many students as possible to attend this reward trip as well done for this year.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Year 9 team.

A message from the Year 8 pastoral team

We have had a lovely first week back after half term in Year 8. It’s great to hear from so many of our students that they enjoyed a proper rest over the half term, have been able to enjoy the good weather and the majority are well refreshed for the final half term.

Following Year 8 assessment week, students have had a productive first week back gaining lots of meaningful feedback from their subject areas. The final instalment of Year 8 reports are due within the next few weeks which should equally provide meaningful feedback to parents.

Last week, our assembly was focused around disseminating some important updates about Enrichment week due to take place in the final week of term. Around half of our Year 8 cohort will be participating in the Languages trips and travelling abroad. This is a phenomenal opportunity for students where they will have the chance to partake in a full range of Enrichment opportunities.

For those students staying in school, it is important that they have an equal opportunity to be part of an inclusive Enrichment programme and we have lots of exciting activities planned. On Monday, the Sixth Form team will be working with Year 8 in school to expose them to specialist subjects that they haven’t yet tried but will have the option to study at GCSE and A level; Tuesday will be Flamingo Land; on Wednesday students will gain experience of planning and coordinating an event: an annual high-profile awards morning open to the community; Thursday will be a Year 8 Sports Day; and on Friday students have the ability to choose from a range of activities run by staff according to their interests.

Year 8 is unique in that our students may have vastly different experiences depending on whether they are on the Languages trips abroad or in school for Enrichment week, but the aim remains the same across both – to give students the very best experience and to maximise their opportunities.
As the sunny weather continues and we enter a bit of a heatwave, we appreciate parents ensuring your child has a water bottle with them to stay hydrated, possibly a sun hat, and maybe even some sun cream! Water fights are not an activity we can allow in school and we are grateful for your support in reinforcing this at home.

Thank you for your continued support. The Year 8 team are on hand throughout the school day to support students and address any concerns. We try to encourage students to seek us out before school, break, lunch or after school if they have an issue they would like to discuss. If you have any queries or concerns about your child in Year 8, please call 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 have enjoyed welcoming Year 7 back for the final half term and helping them to settle back into routine after their week off.

This week, we had an exciting assembly about enrichment week at the end of term. Mr Gladstone spoke to us about our trip to Flamingoland and the collapsed curriculum week where students will enjoy a drama day and STEM activities. They will also have an opportunity to pick some activities on the last Friday before summer such as 5 aside football, henna art, darts and much more! A booklet will be given to each child and the activity sessions will be given on a first come first served basis.

We also began preparations for our Year 7 Parents evening on the 28th June. Each child should have received a letter and appointment sheet to fill out. To make appointments each child needs to speak with their subject teacher and book a time slot with them. It is very useful if when filling out their appointment sheet students fill in as many details as possible, including the subject and teacher name. Please discuss with your child which time slots will work best for you as a family so students know when to book their appointments. The evening will begin at 3:45pm and the last appointment will be at 7:10pm.

We have 5 weeks of lesson time left and it is important that all of Year 7 continue to live our school values and live our 5 fundamentals (including wearing the correct uniform , being kind and having the correct equipment) each day.

If you need any support please do not hesitate to contact the year team via main school reception.

Well Done to our Head of Year Awards:
Eloise Niven 7CMM – For excellent organisation and managing our lunch time play equipment. Well done!
Rosie Atkins 7PI – For excellent organisation and managing our lunch time play equipment. Well done!

Well Done to our Students of The Week:
7ASU – Archie Clennan – for being an excellent news presenter!
7CMM – Charlie Clarke – for the positive impact you make on others in the form, and for being such a good team player.
7PI – Rosie Mellor – always positive, polite and hardworking in every area
7HV – Adva Marfindya – For always being so positive, happy and kind.
7MPE – Nathan Taylor – for good organisation and commitment to additional learning!
7CST – Masal Altun – For always working hard and for living the school values everyday. Well done Masal!
7MLN – Bobby King – For a positive first week back with lots of merits!
7BL – Joseph Bastow – for being a lovely member of the form who is always willing to help others.
7JHE – Nathaniel Wade – for amazing participation in PE. Well Done!
7ZBL – Vinny Scoreby – for much improved organisation. Long may it continue! Well done.
7CY – Leona Sunil – for your fantastic contributions in form time as we discussed different languages

Word of the week

The word of the week for week commencing 12 June is:

Unify

Verb: to make, or become united, uniform or whole.

“The new manager said he hoped to unify the team”

Collective Worship

Theme
Our form tutor collective worship this week is linked to Father’s Day, this coming weekend. It considers the qualities that we might expect a good father to have, the concept of God as a Father, and one of Jesus’ parable that explores this. The quotes this week are all about the concept of Fatherhood.

Quotes
Monday:
“I’m a father; that’s what matters most. Nothing matters more.”
Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister

Tuesday:
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”
Jim Valvano, American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster

Wednesday:
“Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father. It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.”
Barack Obama, Former US President

Thursday:
“Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understating it.”
Mike Myers, Canadian actor, comedian, writer and film producer

Friday:
“It is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us – even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.”
Joseph B. Wirthlin, American businessman