Headteacher Update

I hope families have had a safe and enjoyable weekend. As I write this update it’s 6pm on Sunday so I have no idea about the outcome of the football. By the time you receive this I hope we have positive news!

We are all aware that the Prime Minister has announced an end to the majority of restrictions from the 19th July, some of which apply to schools. After much consideration members of YSAB (York Schools and Academies Board) in partnership with Public Health York have decided that for the final week of term schools in York will not implement these changes, instead choosing to retain current arrangements such as face coverings in corridors. We think it prudent given the high case numbers across the city to retain this cautious approach. We can also reassure parents that from July 19th we won’t be isolating groups of students unless advised to do so by Public Health, the only students required to isolate will be those who test positive for Covid-19. We are also looking forward to the new school term in September when we will further ease the in school restrictions whilst retaining other key control measures.

Please find below the usual link to the Wellbeing Newsletter:

WB. 12th July Wellbeing Newsletter 21

Head of Year Awards

Head of Year updates (Miss Kincell is currently poorly so apologies for the lack of a Year 7 update)

Year 8 – Mr Arthur
I hope this bulletin finds you safe and well, and that you’re all as excited as I am for the first final of a major tournament that England have been involved in for 55 years! Wherever you’re watching it, I very much hope everyone enjoys the occasion surrounded by loved ones (which we can do now!), and that next week for the final bulletin item of the school year, I can write to you with football finally having ‘come home’!

In this week’s Act of Collective Worship, Year 8 had their SEND assembly where we focussed on Autism. Our scripture came from Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” At AHS, we want to create an inclusive school community where anyone can thrive through our support of one another. This inclusivity stems from staff and students understanding conditions like autism so that we might show compassion to every member of our school community, and that they may receive justice in the form of equal access to an enjoyable school experience. We began by looking at the definition of Autism from the National Autistic Society, and then considered the difficulties people on the autistic spectrum face every single day. Finally, we considered how someone can support a friend or someone they know with autism (e.g. giving people with autism space to process information, or warn a friend if a certain routine is about to change). Hopefully, conversations like this surrounding SEND will go some way to creating an inclusive experience for every student that attends Archbishop Holgate’s School, and live into being the words of John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

Congratulations to the winners of the Head of Year Award this week – they are…

Mirela Lordache (8MLn) – For always being so positive, kind and compassionate to everyone within the school community. Well done!
Alisha Barker (8Di) – For her incredible work in English this term. Well done!
Well done – a £5 Amazon Gift Card will be on its way as soon as possible!

Thank You for taking the time to read this bulletin. If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 8, please contact me on aarthur.ahs.pmat.academy, or Mr Deamer (PSW For Year 8) on rdeamer@ahs.pmat.academy. Best wishes, Mr Arthur and Mr Deamer

Mr Avery and Year 9
It has been lovely to see Y9 nearly back to full capacity this week, and the students have once again worked very hard to create a positive end to the year. I explained to Year 9 this week that I feel they are ready to make the step up into year 10, and their recent work ethic and positive attitude gives me the confidence that they will make the transition successfully. Euro’s fever has once again gripped the year group, with many excited Year 9 students around school on Thursday morning. I know many of them will be looking forward to watching the final on Sunday night, and I hope you get to enjoy it together as a family. I keep trying to explain to Year 9 that some of us have been waiting 40 years (and more!) for this, but there doesn’t seem to be much compassion for me!

In the Act of collective worship this week, the focus was on the idea of ‘failure’ and how we perceive this word. I wanted to have Year 9 reflect on this, as it is so often the cause of anxiety and stress among the students in the year group. We talked about how this word is often perceived as negative, and how we need to realise that in many cases success is ‘part of the journey’ that we take toward achievement. To support this view, we looked at some key figures such as JK Rowling and Richard Branson, both of whom experienced their fair share of failure until they reached their goals. I hope this resonated with the students in our year group, as it’s important we continue to build their resilience and positivity as we approach a really important time in their education. 

As we approach the final weeks of summer, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the issue of attendance, as we reflect on the past year.  Attendance at school is crucial to the success of students. Recent studies have shown that absence from school has a significant impact on the success of students, and can have a long-term impact through to their GCSEs. In one of these studies, it has shown that of those students that have 100% attendance, 79% of them achieve 5+ good GCSEs. At 95%, this figure falls to 69%. At 90%, this falls even further to 53%, and by 85% attendance, this figure for success becomes 36%. When considering that 5% attendance is around 7 days absence, it really is crucial that students are in school every single day. To put this into further context, if your child has lower than 95% attendance, this means that they are attending school less than the average child across the country. In the first few weeks of Year 10 I will be making this a big part of our weekly assemblies, and I will be asking students to reflect on their attendance in Year 9.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. If there are any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact me on navery@ahs.pmat.academy.

Miss Turvey and Year 10
We are looking forward to welcoming all Y10 students back from their contact isolation at various stages over the next week, but please do remember to continue doing your lateral flow tests every Monday and Thursday and especially if you do have any symptoms.. Hopefully, having watched England beat Italy one nil with a Harry Kane goal in the final minute of extra time, the last ten days of Year 10 will be equally euphoric, energetic and focussed. As you can probably tell, this is being written before the match, but whether you watched it or not, school starts at 8.43am on Monday morning. Please be on time.

North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership will be in school during the final week of term to deliver Careers advice and encourage your young people to think about their future post GCSEs; be it apprenticeship. employment, college or sixth form. It doesn’t matter if your children have no idea what they want to do in the future, as they will be able to explore ideas and opportunities which were not afforded to you, as they did not exist. How many of you at your careers interview when you were at school asked how to become a social influencer? Or become a vlogger? We also have the final Sports Day on Thursday 22nd July, hopefully bathed in sunshine.

On Wednesday 14th the school kitchens will be providing a taster menu for Y10 students in the Y10 area, where they can sample what is normally on offer to Y11 students. So if your child does not normally eat a lunch in school then Wednesday would be a good day to start. As ever any problems or issues then please contact school: 01904 411341, 

Miss De Lashley and Post 16
Year 12 Enrichment Week wc 19^th July
Next week is our Enrichment in School. Y12 have a packed week full of progression support. We’re really looking forward to it.

.

Thursday 22^nd July – Sports Day
Friday 23^rd July (finish at 12:30) – Wellbeing Workshops

Y12 Mock Results
Please be reminded that results will be sent home wc Monday 19^th July and discussed in your scheduled meeting in August. If you are unable to make your appointment and have not yet rescheduled, please do so. swalton@ahs.pmat.academy

Y10 Introduction to Sixth Form
If you have not yet watched the presentation on Post-16 options at AHS, please do so. You should have received an email last week containing a link to the presentation and an information leaflet. Please get in touch should you have any questions fde.lashley@ahs.pmat.academy 

Collective Worship
This is our last session in which we will watch some reflection videos from the Christian charities Thy Kingdom Come and the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust. Each week we have watched two short videos from young influential Christians across different spheres of influence. This week we hear from Andi & Izzi, who work for Christian charity YoYo, speak about Adoration and young Christian, Phil, speak about Celebrating.

“You can’t celebrate gifts without celebrating the giver of all gifts, so I want to celebrate Jesus.” – Lecrae – American Christian hip hop recording artist

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde – American writer, feminist and civil rights activist.

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” –  Oprah Winfrey – American talk show host, television producer, actress, author and philanthropist

“Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.” – Mia Hamm – American professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist

“Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.” – Nelson Mandela – first democratically elected President of South Africa

I hope families have had a safe and enjoyable weekend.  I apologise to those parents that we needed to contact on Saturday morning following notification of a positive Covid case. I very much appreciate the support and understanding shown by all parents. Thank you.

Lateral flow testing
A home lateral flow test remains a crucial tool in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within school. Identifying positive asymptomatic students early allows us to isolate their close contacts to help keep our school community as safe as possible. We really appreciate the ongoing support from families with this endeavor. You may be aware that nationally there are now  videos on social media which show methods of using household products to obtain a false positive result on a lateral flow test. As parents and carers will be aware, a positive case in school often involves other students having to self-isolate, disrupting not only their education but also family lives as well. Whilst we know that our students carry out the lateral flow tests correctly, going forward we will be asking any student who tests positive to carry out a second test under the supervision of a parent or carer. We hope you understand the reason for this precautionary measure, by doing so we aim to keep as many students in school as is safe to do so.

Update on Music Enrichment from Mrs Morrison
I’m delighted to have had such a fantastic response to the new Music Technology and Ukulele courses, funded through the Arts Council. Our students have loved the two different aspects of Music Technology on offer, both in the studio recording sessions and learning how to compose music using the software we have in the Music Department and they are enjoying improving their performance skills on the Ukulele.
There are still spaces available for the FREE Rock Band Taster sessions for years 4, 5 & 6 and 7 & 8, taking place on Saturday the 10th July. Please visit: www.rockgodacademy.com for more information and to sign up.

The year 8 Soul Band have been rehearsing with Mr Morrison over the last few weeks -they are very much looking forward to performing at Primary schools over the next four weeks.
We’ve had some fantastic music workshops at AHS over the last few weeks, both for years 7 and 8 and the Music GCSE groups in year 9 and 10, and also as part of our Transition work with Year 11. These have included:

1. Recording studio session 2. Samba Drumming. 3. ‘Funk’ Music Performance & Improvisation session 4. Song-writing workshop

 Over the next three weeks, there will be a number of music workshops taking place at our feeder Primary Schools across York, funded through the Arts Council as part of the COVID Recovery Plan – including:

1. African & Samba Drumming workshops. 
2. Singing workshops – Beauty & the Beast songs to be included in our school show ‘film’. 
3. AHS Year 8 Soul Band performance. 
4. Ukulele workshops. 
5. Rock band workshops

We are also inviting Primary school students to take part in a creative arts competition over the next 3 weeks with categories such as: Happiness, Well-being, Hope, Olympics, Euro 2020, Summer, Holidays. There is a chance to win vouchers and record their music in the AHS Recording Studio. The deadline for this is: 16^th July 2021

Please find attached the latest Wellbeing Newsletter. As ever I hope it is helpful.
WB. 5th July Wellbeing Newsletter 20

Head of Year updates
Year 7 – Miss Kincell
I have been absolutely thrilled with Year 7 Parents evening this week, I am not at all surprised by the wonderful things I have been hearing about our students. The overall behaviour, effort, talents and uncompromising resilience this Year Group have demonstrated is absolutely incredible and it has been an absolute honour to lead them. If you would like to follow up on any conversations, or would like any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

We would like to request a couple of moments of your time to ask you to complete Parent View, this is an independent, anonymous, quick multiple choice survey by Ofsted. It is a great way for other parents to ascertain informed and objective data regarding our school and supports them in making judgments on where to send their children. Please find the link here: https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/login?destination=/give-your-views

We would also love to hear from parents, the cancellation of transition events caused lots of disappointment and worry last year for all of our new families, however Year 7 has absolutely thrived. It would be great if we could have some parental quote from yourselves which may alleviate worries for our new families regarding the care and support your child received, or just how they managed the transition really well. Please send these ot akincell@ahs.pmat.academy.

Well done to our Head of Year Awards this week:

7CAd Will Lightfoot
7Hv Kiki Braidley
7NTh Faith Abell Weck
7Cy Casper Goodwin
7Bl Scarlett Ruddock
7Gr Connor Stephenson
7Hf Abigail Nowell
7CMp Callum Cowling
7Mr Goutham Sunil
7WNo Leo Crossman
7Cm Josh Rhodes

And Well done to our students of the Week this week:

Jess McDonald – Well done for consistently living our school values and supporting your peers. Keep it up.
Lincoln Keith – Well done and Thank you for keeping the social area clear and being a respectful and kind member of the community. Keep it up.

Library Newsletter
How fantastic would it be to win £1000 worth of books for the library?  Well, here’s your chance. All you have to do is design a mask for a superhero. The competition coincides with the launch of a third book by Sophy Henn called Pizazz vs Perfecto. The lucky winner will also receive a full art kit and a complete set of the Pizazz series! If you would like to enter either click on the link to download the details and a template. https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/p/pizazz-superhero-day-competition

We’ve been sent cardboard templates from the publisher so you can collect one from the library. The closing date is 24^th July, but if you would like us to post them off for you than please get them back to me by Wednesday 21^st July. There is also a poster in your form room with details about the competition. I have attached the poster to the bottom of this newsletter.

I will be beyond excited if one of you wins a prize!

And Other Superhero Books Are Available…
The Astounding Broccoli Boy by Frank Cottrell-Boyce (Quiz 229182. Level 4.5. Colour Purple)

Rory Rooney likes to be prepared for all eventualities. He knows that just because something is unlikely doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen. But Rory isn’t prepared when he suddenly and inexplicably turns green. Stuck in an isolation ward in a hospital far from home with two other remarkably green children, Rory’s as confused by his new condition as the medics seem to be. But what if it’s not in their genes, or a virus, or something they ate? What if turning green actually means you’ve turned into a superhero? Rory can’t wait to make it past hospital security and discover exactly what his superpower might be.

You can read the first 46 pages by clicking on the link below.
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Astounding_Broccoli_Boy/GLWYBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover

Lunchtime of Calm
As you requested we are still holding a Lunchtime of Calm every Thursday Lunchtime. Don’t forget as well as the usual colouring/jigsaws, we also have a great selection of ‘how to draw’ books, and guides on how to achieve good mental health.

Time Capsule
The clock on the time capsule is ticking away. Look on the notice board in your form room for ideas of what to put in, or call into the library and write something in there.

Book Quiz
Don’t forget to complete a quiz for any books you have read. You can access Accelerated Reader quickly by using the following link https://ukhosted83.renlearn.co.uk/1893564

Overdue Books
Please return your library books, we still have over 480 outstanding. Remember, you will not be in trouble for a late return. We will be delighted to see both you and the book again! Some of you are telling us that you have left your books in your form room. If you have, please can you return them to the library, otherwise the system will show that the book is still on loan to you. Other books of course will be languishing under your bed. Please have a look and return any lates before we break up for the summer.

Keep Calm and Colour In
If you have a printer at home you can access a colouring book for free by opening the link below.
https://www.stress.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Stress-Relief-Adult-Colouring-Book-%C2%A9-Sam-Antolik-2020.-All-rights-reserved.pdf

If you would like some colouring pictures to use in the library or take home, either help yourself from the shelf, or ask me for a selection.

Year 8 – Mr Arthur
As always I hope this bulletin finds you safe and well. In this last week, our Collective Worship for Year 8 centred around Mental Health and wellbeing – an area that we as a society are only just beginning to get comfortable in talking about. We all face challenges in our lives, and this is exemplified in Isiah 43:2 “When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you.”  Mental wellbeing is something that we encourage students to monitor for themselves and amongst themselves and their peers all the time. This collective worship was designed to give students the tools to support with their mental health, by considering how they use their phones, how they use social media, how they monitor their physical health, and how they look after themselves and think positively. Students have lots of places where they can go in school for support with their mental health, and I would encourage them to speak to a member of the Year 8 pastoral team if they are struggling at all with their mental wellbeing.

As I have mentioned previously update, homework is a huge focus at AHS. Not only does this allow students to make progress outside of the classroom environment, but it will get students into good working habits that will be extremely beneficial as they move up through the school (not forgetting that students will be starting their GCSE options subjects in September!) Staff are also working hard to make sure students are sufficiently supported with homework, and that it is purposeful and recognised through marking and feedback in lessons. The majority of the year group are coping with the demands of homework extremely well, and the shift to using Google Classroom – and this is excellent to see. Myself and Mr Deamer are keen to maintain the highest possible standards with homework, and we are continuously supporting students in order to make sure they are meeting deadlines and producing homework of an excellent standard. Homework Club will run all year from Monday to Thursday in IT5, 3:05-4:00. This is not only a place where homework can be completed, but where students can get help and support where necessary. We thank you for your continued support as we strive to instil a strong work ethic at home that will help students to make continued progress as they progress through the school.

Congratulations to the winners of the Head of Year Award this week – they are…

Thomas Smith (8MHe) – For continuously showing a positive attitude to learning, and always showing compassion towards others. Well done!
Macie Ellisson (8JHe) – For doing exceptionally well on a recent Maths assessment. Really well done!

Well done – a £5 Amazon Gift Card will be on its way as soon as possible!

Thank You for taking the time to read this bulletin. If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 8, please contact me on aarthur.ahs.pmat.academy, or Mr Deamer (PSW For Year 8) on rdeamer@ahs.pmat.academy

Mr Avery and Year 9
Unfortunately this week we have had a stark reminder that Covid is not going away, as we have had to send home a number of students from Year 9 to self isolate. However I have been really pleased with the positivity shown by those who are having to self isolate, and indeed those in school who are carrying on as normal. Although the importance of preventing further spread of the virus cannot be questioned, I know how difficult some of the students are finding it to isolate at home once again. However the work ethic of the students remains fantastic,with teachers very pleased about the quality of work that is being produced by students in the year group while at home. I am hoping (and already seeing signs of) the students becoming more independent and self-reliant due to the challenges of working from home, which is (at least some) good news as we head into the important GCSE years. We are aiming to call the students to check in with them at least once while they are isolating, and should you be concerned for your child’s wellbeing, please contact me on navery@ahs.pmat.academy.

On a brighter note the students continue to look forward to the excellent events we have lined up for enrichment week this year. I am delighted to announce that students will have the opportunity to take part in a careers day, that will see them have a day of timetable to take part in activities and hear talks from external specialists regarding their future career opportunities. This should hopefully provide some clarity to the students as they approach Y10 and the opportunity to take part in work experience. We are also looking forward to Sports day in the last week of term, and activity day, which will give the students the opportunity to try new sports, crafts, games and educational activities. This will hopefully act as a significant reward for those students who have worked hard across the year.

This week the act of collective worship was based on the ‘digital footprint’ we leave when we use the internet. The students were informed that they should not feel worried about this, but be aware that once they say or do something on the internet, it’s very hard to remove it. This is all part of our continued focus on behaviour online and the consequences of our actions, which links directly to the ‘understanding ourselves and others’ Year 9 journey.

As always please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. I am looking forward to seeing the isolating students back as soon as possible, and I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend.

Miss Turvey and Year 10
A huge congratulations to Y10 students for surviving their exam fortnight either in school or at home. We are looking forward to welcoming back those who have had to isolate on Monday; please remember your exam papers or exam answers so we can get them to your subject teachers to mark. The results of the Y10 exams will be sent home to parents and carers in the final week of term,usually on the Wednesday, so the 21st July. If there are any queries arising out of the results then please contact school on 01904 411341.

The final week of term is enrichment week, which brings a work experience and careers opportunity to Y10 so they can begin to think about their Next Steps once their main GCSEs are finished. We will also have their final sports day,which is a long way from their first sports day, when there were egg and spoon races and everyone was a winner,but I am hoping that the sun will shine and I’ll be able to take some great photos ready for their Year Book in Y11. 

Miss De Lashley and Post 16
Y12 Mock Week
The Summer Exams are upon us. Please see the timetable below. Attendance is compulsory. Please support your son/daughter to arrive at school in good time. Exam clashes and access arrangements have been communicated. We look forward to discussing your son/daughter’s progress with you on your scheduled appointment in August, if you are unable to make the appointment, please do get in touch. Results will be send home w/c Mon 19^th July.

Y10 Introduction to Sixth Form
As per the letter received earlier in term, you will receive an email containing an information leaflet and a recorded presentation on the AHS Post-16 offer this week. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions.

Y13 Transition
The workshops were a lot of fun this week. A huge thank you to those that attended. If your son/daughter has any questions about their progression plan or needs some support, please do get in touch.

Y12 Shout Outs

 Family Matters York
Congratulations! You and your children have almost made it to the end of this really difficult year. Now we just have to navigate the summer holidays…
September may seem a long way away, but it will come quickly, and if you would like to book a place on one of our courses to give you the chance to meet other parents, think about your relationship with your child(ren) and how you might like to change things, then do get in contact with me so that you are not disappointed.

The courses we have running are:

Handling Anger in the Family
Tuesday afternoons 12.45 to 2.45pm for 4 weeks
starting 28th September at
St. Mark’s Church, Howard Drive, Rawcliffe YO30 5UZ.
For flyer click here

Wednesday evenings 7.15 to 9pm for 4 weeks
starting 22nd September, online via Zoom.
For flyer click here

Thursday afternoons 12.45 to 2.45pm for 4 weeks
starting 23rd September, online via Zoom.
For flyer click here

Time Out for Parents – the Teenage Years:
Monday afternoons 12.45 to 2.45 for 5 weeks
starting 20th September at Cornerstone at St. Georges,
Millfield Lane, Osbaldwick  YO10 3AL.
For flyer click here

Tuesday evenings 7.30 to 9.30pm for 5 weeks
starting 21st September at
The Gateway Centre, Front Street, Acomb  YO24 3BZ.
For flyer click here

Time Out for Parents – the Primary Years:
Thursday mornings 9.30 to 11.30am for 5 weeks
starting 23rd September at
The Gateway Centre, Front Street, Acomb  YO24 3BZ.
For flyer click here

Thursday evenings 7.15 to 9pm for 5 weeks
starting 23rd September, online via Zoom.
For flyer click here

To book a place or for further information please contact:
Helen Atkinson on 07393 147259 email helenatkinson@fmy.org.uk
or you can find more information about our courses on our website https://fmy.org.uk/parenting/

Do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And please pass the flyers on to any parents you think might be interested.
We also offer Reconnect, a 5 session couple to couple mentoring service, focusing on relationship skills to help you strengthen your couple relationship. For details contact Emma at emmamarshall@fmy.org.uk

Collective Worship
We are continuing to watch some reflection videos from the Christian charities Thy Kingdom Come and the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust. This week in our Collective worship we’ll listen to Grace, who is a young Christian studying A’ levels, speak about Praying and Guvna B, rapper and author, speak about Accepting Help.

“If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘thank you’, that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart; 13th C. German theologian, philosopher and mystic
“Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.” – Teresa of Avila; 16th C. Catholic nun and theologian
“Any concern too small to be turned into prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” – Corrie Ten Bloom; 20th Dutch Christian, writer and rescuer of Jews during the Holocaust
“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” – Mother Teresa; Catholic nun and humanitarian
“Prayer is the song of the heart. It reaches the ear of God even if it is mingled with the cry and tumult of a thousand men.” – Kahlil Gibran; 19th C. Muslim writer and philosopher

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable weekend, enjoying the sun and the opportunity to get outside. As we start this final half term of the year a reminder that each Thursday we send home the Weekly Newsletter, packed with much more detail about school life. Last week was the 400th Newsletter since I became Headteacher eleven years ago, which does now seem like a very long time ago! It was great to welcome students back on Monday for a successful first week back, categorised by ongoing excellent compliance in terms of masks and an excellent attitude to learning as I visited classrooms around school. I was also really heartened to see so many Y11 students back in school, attending subject and extra curricular based transition lessons.

The latest Student Wellbeing Newsletter can be accessed as usual via the link below. This links to the work that we do in form time each day. I hope you find it useful.
WB. 14th June Wellbeing Newsletter 17

STUDENT VOICE – Extra-Curricular Activities
At Archbishop Holgate’s School, we are constantly striving to improve what we offer to our students. With this in mind, we understand that the views of students are a crucial part of understanding where improvements can be made, and to what extent students understand initiatives that have already been introduced. We are therefore looking to expand our use of Student Voice within the school community through the use of digital Student Voice surveys. The responses we receive from students will help us to…

– Understand the views of students in light of proposed changes we wish to make
– Understand the impact, in the minds of students, of initiatives that have already been introduced

With this in mind, each week students will be emailed to their school GMail Account (which is linked to their Google Classroom and ends in @archbishopholgates.org) with a survey that we would like them to complete. This is the student’s opportunity to have their say, and will help to inform decisions made going forward.

This first week of Student Voice will be centred around ‘Extra-curricular Activities’ – we are looking to further enhance our Extra-curricular offer both for the remaining weeks of this year, and from September, and the views of the students themselves would be very much appreciated to inform any decisions made. Extra-curricular enrichment is something that sits at the heart of what we do and is now more important than ever.

As an incentive, we will also be introducing a Student Voice raffle, where a respondent will be selected at random and win a prize (to be revealed shortly!)

Students will be receiving an email to their Gmail account with this survey on the morning of Monday 14th June. Please encourage students to take the survey, and we look forward to hearing what the students think!

Head of Year updates
Year 7 – Miss Kincell
I hope students have had a lovely first week back in school, it has been great seeing them coming back ready and eager to learn. Please await the Year 7 section in the newsletter, outlining some of our key messages for this half term.

A key date for your diaries: Wednesday 30 June – Virtual Parent’s Evening. We understand that this is unusual, please get in touch if we can support with this in any way. 

Well done to our Students of the Week this week:
7Cy: Aiden Strangeways
7CAd: Haydn Toye
7Bl: Summer Taylor
7Hv: Kiki Braidley
7Hf: Amelia Jarasunas
7Gr: Gaius Sherwood
7Cmp: Poppy Keogh
7Mr: Megan O Hare
7Nth: Maddie Bailey
7Wno: Josie Shutt

Well done to our Gold Award Students this week:
Well done to Lucy Gilbertson for your excellent extra-curricular running beating other cities in the county.
Well done to Nathan Smith for your excellent delivery of the News in form time. It was great to see this being student led. 

The Year 7 Library Newsletter
We will be celebrating refugee week in the library. There will be competitions, poetry writing and hopefully we’ll make a display of welcoming hands. The hands will either have a short poem on them, or the word hello in a different language. We might even have some readings if anyone is brave enough to read out aloud.

In refugee week we spend time thinking about others, and what it would be like to move to a different country, perhaps with only one small bag of belongings. This makes us think about what is really important to us and why.

Details of what to expect from the library in refugee week are outlined on the poster in your form room.

Nonsense Poetry
A lot of you have been writing nonsense poems in your English lessons. Thank you to everyone who brought me a copy. Callum’s entitled Green really stood out as you can absolutely visualise the garden. The art of writing a nonsense poem is when you can substitute a real word with a nonsense word, but you can still tell what the poem is about. The nonsense words are highlighted and decoded below, but because of the quality of the writing you don’t really need them! 

A Nonsense Poem by Callum Miller 7CMp

Green
Green layers everywhere,
every direction for miles awere.
Fences guarding the garden,
taller than you egpet.
Space to play around,
plants that drouk buqout. 

Tremendous tall trees planted in the soil.
Bird feeders hang from the troil,
full of prsont seeds and nuts.
Blue, brown, blekom filter round the garden.
Green layers everywhere.

 (Key to the nonsense words)

Awere=around
Egpet=expect
Drouk=look
Buqout=beautiful
Troil=branches
Prsont=different
Blekon=purple
Please do not hesitate if there is anything we can do to support, please get in touch and ask to speak with a member of the Year Team

Year 8 – Mr Arthur
It has been great to welcome back Year 8 students for the final half term of this academic year. I cannot quite believe how quickly the time has gone – before we know it, it will be September and students in Year 8 will be embarking upon the next stage of the Archbishop Holgate’s School ‘Journey’. As mentioned previously, in their current phase of the ‘Journey’, students in Year 8 focus on ‘Opportunities’. As always, there should be a key focus for students in Year 8, to take as many opportunities as they possibly can. The extra-curricular timetable has been updated for the final half-term of the year, and I would strongly encourage as many Year 8 students to get involved as possible. 

With extra-curricular activities in mind, there will also be a Student Voice Survey that will be emailed out to students on their Gmail accounts (ending in @archbishopholgates.org). Please read the items specifically pertaining to this elsewhere in the Parent Bulletin. It would be great if as many Year 8 students as possible contributed to this Student Voice, to ensure that the ‘opportunities’ that we as a school offer appeal to the widest variety of students possible across the year group and across the school. Furthermore, submitting a response to the Student Voice Survey will also put your child in the running to win a prize! If you have any questions regarding this survey, please feel free to get in touch.

A big focus for this half term will be on students making sure they are back into good routines. This includes ensuring that students are on time for school, on time for their lessons, wearing the correct uniform, and making sure that homework is completed on time and to a good standard. Students that fail to meet expectations will be given a cod in their planner, and 3-codes will result in a Head of Year Detention the following afternoon after school. This message has been strongly re-iterated with students, and I am confident that students in Year 8 will work to a make sure they are in good habits and routines.

Congratulations to the winners of the Head of Year Award this week – they are…

Matthew Lilley (8WBn) – For continuing to be a great example to follow anda real leader in the form. Matthew has modelled our school values consistently since September. Well done!
Aidan Fewlass (8JHe) – For showing great compassion in helping a new student settle into the AHS community. Well done!

Well done – a £5 Amazon Gift Card will be on its way as soon as possible!

Thank You for taking the time to read this bulletin. If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 8, please contact me on aarthur.ahs.pmat.academy, or Mr Deamer (PSW For Year 8) on rdeamer@ahs.pmat.academy

Miss Turvey and Year 10
Thank you for your support over the past week in improving attendance; this is still our area of focus for this term. Our curriculum focus is on the Y10 exams and students have been asked to attend lessons, complete some revision as homework for each subject, and try their best. In the exam room it has been suggested that they wage WAR on the question papers: Write something, Attempt each question, Read the paper.  Form tutors, subject teachers and pastoral staff are all available to allay any anxieties, provide support and guidance and answer any questions. Please contact us through the usual channels.

Mrs Avey and Year 11
So good to see so many year 11’s attending the transition programme last week in their ‘civies,’ relaxed, familiarising themselves with the 6th form  and enjoying the programme on offer. It is especially lovely when they pop into the office for a quick, ‘hello, ‘ or do so in passing. We really enjoy reconnecting. We look forward to seeing them again, and hopefully others, this week too.  

A big thank you to the very many students and parents who donated their PE kit to the PE department who have been blown away by the response. 

Many of you will see that Project Prom was in the press on Friday as we have opened it up to all the other York secondary schools. We hope that it will be well used. We are, however,  waiting with baited breath to hear what the government announcement regarding lockdown is gong to be on Monday night. We will be in touch with more details about our Prom when we have that clarity.

Miss De Lashley and Post 16
Year 10 ‘next steps’
As Year 10 reach the end of this academic year we turn their attention to their next steps in progression and what they want from post-16. You will receive a letter this week highlighting an opportunity to receive information on post-16 options and the post-16 offer at AHS. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Year 11 Transition
Year 11 have joined us this week in their Post-16 transition lessons and they have delighted us with their enthusiasm, focused approach and mature questions. We can’t wait to welcome them into Year 12 shortly. You will receive a letter this week detailing GCSE results day in August and the enrolment process for Sixth Form. The letter will have a specific appointment to sit-down post-results to finalise subject choices and appropriate progression routes. Please get in touch if you have any questions.

 Year 11 Transition Shout Outs

Y12 Summer Exam Prep
The full subject support timetable started last week but not all students took the opportunity to participate and prepare for their pending exams. We expect full attendance for those students that are able to attend. Please encourage your son/daughter to utilise this invaluable support

Y12 Transition
Your son/daughter will receive a letter this week containing a lot of detail about the year ahead including the assessment timeline, the Extended Qualification Project and when to come in for a progression meeting this summer. Please do read it carefully and contact us should you have any questions.

A Level Results Day
Your son/daughter will receive a letter this week detailing when to come in and collect their results. We will continue to observe social distancing and certain time slots have been assigned to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

Year 12 Shout Outs

Year 13 Shout Outs

Collective Worship
Over the next few weeks we are going to watch some reflection videos from the Christian charities Thy Kingdom Come and the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust. Each week we will watch two short videos from young influential Christians across different spheres of influence. This week we’ll listen to Poet and producer Joshua Luke Smith share his love for Jesus and ex-Leeds Rhinos player Jamie Jones-Buchanan share his thoughts on the importance of silence.

“Listen to silence. It has so much to say.” Rumi; 13th-century Persian poet and Muslim writer
“A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence.” Pythagoras; 5th Century BC Greek philosopher and Mathematician
“It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” Mahatma Gandhi; 20th C. Indian lawyer and campaigner for Indian independence
“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” Mother Teresa; Catholic nun and Indian missionary
“Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” The Bible – Book of Proverbs 21: 23

I hope families have had a safe and enjoyable Bank Holiday break and were able to make the most of the long overdue sunshine.

As I reflect on the previous half term it was really good to see Archbishop’s continue to return to something closer to normality with a full range of extracurricular and enrichment activities available for students to enjoy. Alongside this it was great to see both Year 11 and Year 13 have an extended and enjoyable end to the half term, culminating in their impeccable behaviour on their final day in school before half term. These students, like all other year groups, have had a challenging 18 months, but the determination and resilience that they have demonstrated during this time should be commended and at school we are all proud of the well rounded young people they are becoming. We hope to see lots of these students back in school after half term for the transition activities that have been planned.

We must also continue to be mindful that COVID has not disappeared and as a school we will continue to remain cautious in all we do. As such, we will continue with the current arrangements in terms of face coverings until the time when restrictions are further eased nationally. In summary this means that:
– Students will still wear face coverings when they move between lessons or are in indoor social spaces
– Whilst students do not need to wear face coverings in lessons they can continue to do so if they wish
I would like to thank families for their continued support and am happy to feedback that student compliance in this area over recent weeks has been excellent.

It is also possible that given the easing of restrictions in society and given the fact that most of our students test twice a week that there will be further instances of positive cases within our school community. If this occurs those students who have been identified as close contacts (usually via seating plans in lessons) still need to isolate for 10 days. I realise that this is extremely frustrating especially if this has happened more than once or if this occurs just before a holiday as it did last Thursday and I thank families for their ongoing patience and support here. A reminder that if students need to self isolate they will be sent home with a pack of work for the remainder of that day and then work will be uploaded onto Google Classroom for the remainder of the period. Students will also be invited into form time each day via Google Meet. This process is obviously slightly different than during lockdown when teachers were able to deliver live lessons from school to all students at home. Mrs Short, Assistant Headteacher for Curriculum Support (eshort@ahs.pmat.academy) monitors work set on Google Classroom and is always available to support families as needed.

Whilst we have been really pleased with the way students have settled back into the routine of learning, contributing in lessons and benefiting from high quality teaching and learning, we are very mindful of the ongoing need to support students in terms of their wellbeing. We have all been impacted in some way by the last 18 months and as school we are determined to do all we can to support all our students and as families are aware have committed to a very significant increase in pastoral capacity in school. Many of our new Assistant Heads of Year have already started to get to know young people in their year groups, the School Counsellor has been in place since Easter and two new Pastoral Support Workers join our team immediately after half term. We are also currently in the process of appointing a full time School Nurse. I would also remind families that we have a period of ‘drift in’ each morning from 8.30am to 8.45am when students will be greeted by their form tutor and will have access to a range of wellbeing materials. I know that what can amount to an extra 75 minutes interaction with form tutors each week has been welcomed. The latest Wellbeing Newsletter can also be accessed via the link below:

WB. 7th June Wellbeing Newsletter 16

On return to school after the half term break, we need to ensure that uniform is being worn correctly and we are grateful for your support in ensuring that students conform with our uniform guidelines.  These guidelines are available on the school website (https://archbishopholgates.academy/parents/school-life/school-uniform/) but a few reminders would include:

• Wearing the school’s jumper and not an alternative jumper
• Wearing a school tie
• Wearing appropriate trousers or skirts (as described on the school website)
• Appropriate school shoes and not trainers (as described on the school website)

Archbishop’s uniform is available from Keal Teamwear (keal-teamwear.com).

Over recent months it has been great to see the very large numbers of students wearing their school hoodie both on the way to school and in lessons as a way to keep warm. This half term we will expect all students to remove their hoodies during lessons. If you have any queries about uniform please in the first instance contact Mr Furniss or your child’s Head of Year.

A reminder that through the AHS Unity Fund the school can offer confidential and discrete support to families who are struggling financially. If you are struggling in any way (including uniform) please contact us and we will do our best to help:

krobinson@ahs.pmat.academy
gstainsby@ahs.pmat.academ

Extra Curricular Focus – Mrs Morrison and Music
Mrs Morrison (in partnership with the Arts Council and York Music Hub) has been working extremely hard to put in place as many new and exciting extra-curricular opportunities as possible to support both the return to school and effective transition. This is on top of all the usual activities that the entire music department delivers each week. Details are included below with some spaces still available for certain activities:

– 6 week Music Technology Course on Mondays starting 7th June from 5-7pm. This is now fully booked with 30 places going very quickly.
– 6-week Ukulele Course on Mondays starting 7th June from 5-7pm. There are still some places available on this course.
– Rockgodacademy Taster sessions for Years 4, 5 & 6 and now available for Years 7 & 8  – to take place for 3 hours on Saturday mornings starting on Saturday 19th June. Places are filling up for these. Please visit the Rockgodacademy website for further details or email Mrs Morrison directly: cmorrison@ahs.pmat.academy
– 3 x 2-hour workshops and 3 x 3-hour workshops for year 11 for the first 3 weeks after half term.

Mrs Morrison is currently working with Miss Kincell on a series of further workshops, competitions and other projects, to take place after half term and we will share these details as soon as we have them.

Y11 transition
We are delighted that a number of Y11 students are planning to attend transition sessions from Monday 7th June and look forward to welcoming them back to school.  A reminder that students are not required to wear uniform to these sessions.  All details of sessions taking place each day, including sign up links, can be found on the site here: Home (google.com)

Head of Year Updates
Miss Kincelll and Year 7
It is unbelievable that we are now embarking upon the final half term of Year 7.

Our priority for the remaining weeks of term will be the specific focus of The AHS Journey which is ‘Joining In’. We know that this year has been very unusual in terms of how much you have been able to access. We truly believe that extra-curricular activities are an incredibly important element of joining in with the school community but also making friends. We have had lots of conversations recently where a child has been struggling with friendships, fitting in or their behaviour and we have looked at the extra-curricular time table. Parents have expressed how much of a difference it has made, and we see this every year. Joining teams and clubs opens up another opportunity to meet like minded peers, find new interests and just have fun and live the AHS journey to the full. As such, I challenge all Year 7 students to try at least one new club before the end of term.

As a large school with lots of students, a key priority for us is to ensure we never lose the sense of care for the individual. Therefore, we have made incredible investments in our pastoral systems, adding an assistant Head of Year to each year group and new Pastoral Support Workers from September. However, we are especially lucky in Year 7, as we have our new PSW start with us on Monday and we will begin to work with our Assistant HOY, alongside myself and Miss Greenhalgh. Please direct any questions to the ‘Year 7 Team’ and you will be contacted by one of us. 

Please welcome Harriet Powell our new Pastoral Support Worker:

I’m a non-teaching member of staff and I’ll be here to support Year 7 with any worries or concerns over the final half. I’m very excited to meet you all and get to know you over the next few weeks.And 

Miss Cooper (Maths) our Assistant Head of Year from September:

I will be making sure that Year 7 are supported and helping students to join in with all of the great activities that we have to offer.  You can come and speak to me about any problems you have and I will be there to support you. My role doesn’t officially start until September but you will definitely be seeing me around.

Well done to our Gold Awards in the last week of half term:
Libby Lynch- Well done for your resilience this week, you should be really proud of yourself.
Josh Bailey- Well done for your Well done for being incredibly brave and showing the form your best dancing! Keep it up, Miss Kincell.

 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact anyone in the Year 7 Team.

Mr Avery and Year 9
I hope the students have had a well deserved rest over half term and are raring to go for one last half term before the summer break. The weather this week has been wonderful, and I hope the students in Year 9 have made up for lost time with family and friends. I was very proud of the students hard work and achievements last term, and I am full of optimism that this will continue as we approach the final stages of the year. Over the coming weeks, the message to students in Year 9 will be about creating a firm foundation for their transition to Year 10, where the hard work really begins toward the all important GCSE examinations in Year 11. I know this message will be taken very seriously by our students, whose determination to succeed has been a constant in a very turbulent twelve months. With this in mind, I thought I would take the opportunity to remind parents and students of our key expectations, in order for the students to hit the ground running on their return.

We expect the students to:
1) Arrive at school in good time and be in registration by 8:45am.
2) Continue to wash hands regularly and wear facemasks outside of lessons.
3) To be in full school uniform.
4) To arrive to lessons in good time.
5) To work hard and remain in a positive mindset toward their studies.

By doing these very simple but important things, the students will have a successful return to school. On the rare occasion that students consistently fail to meet these expectations, there will be consequences in line with the school behaviour policy. In the most extreme cases, parents will be asked to attend a meeting with myself to discuss the conduct of their child. 

This half term presents a host of exciting opportunities for Year 9 students, and I would like the students to look at the summer term as a chance to reflect on the success of the year, but also as a chance to improve as we approach the end of the academic year. As the weather improves, I hope the students will take advantage of our extra curricular programme. It was really pleasing to see so many students getting involved in sport again after school and lunchtimes, and I hope this will continue in the summer term. Year 9’s stage of the AHS Journey relates to ‘Understanding Ourselves and Others’, which will continue to be a key focus in form time and through the Act of Collective Worship we have each week. As part of this I am delighted to announce that Year 9 will begin to have ‘Character and Culture lessons’ in the next few weeks until the summer break. This will replace the Arts Award lessons the students have been taking part in since the start of the year, but I would like to re assure parents that time will be made available to students to finish off aspects of their Arts Award projects where necessary. The Character and Culture lessons will focus on some some of the ‘big ideas’ and issues we face in society: from racism and discrimination, to gang culture and crime, the students human rights and responsibilities, to political choices and ‘fake news’. The curriculum is designed to educate students of core British Values while asking them to reflect on their own thoughts and opinions. The lessons will be taught by members of the senior leadership team and I am very excited to see how the students respond to this opportunity.

As always myself and Miss Clark are here to answer any questions or queries from either parents or students. Please feel free to contact us on navery@ahs.pmat.academy.

I hope our students enjoy the remainder of their half term break, and I am very much looking forward to seeing them all on their return to school.

Miss Turvey and Year 10
Firstly I would like to congratulate 10By, all 28 of them, whose attendance was 100% during the week prior to half term; well done, especially to those who battled through hay fever, summer colds and a level of physical and mental exhaustion which would have felled less resilient teenagers. The statutory reward chocolates await. Yay!

Attendance is a key theme over the next seven weeks for Y10. The first two weeks in the summer term, Monday 7th to Friday 18th June, every teacher in every subject in every lesson will be revising the topics which will be covered by the Y10 Examinations and every homework task, set on the google classroom, will be linked to the revision. The next two weeks of the summer term, Monday 21st to Friday 2nd July, is the Y10 examination period. I am sure I don’t need to reiterate the importance of this time in school and would suggest that, if possible, any medical appointments are booked outside of school hours. The three weeks following the Y10 examinations will be a time of consolidating learning, reviewing the exams and planning for the final year of compulsory mainstream education. 

So, how can you help your child usefully use their time and get the right balance of revision, relaxation and resilience?

1. Ensure that they get the correct amount of (tech and gadget free) sleep. Eight to ten hours is recommended for a teenager.
2. Balanced diet and hydration. Drink eight glasses of water each day, more when it is sunny. A hydrated brain works better, stays focussed and improves concentration.
3. Exercise. Which can be as simple as walking around the block, climbing a tree in the back garden or having a kick about in the local park with some mates. 
4. Use a timer(egg timer, phone alarm etc.) to chunk up the revision time into manageable bite sized pieces. Spend twenty minutes on each revision task. Time it.
5. Go tech free. A student does NOT need their mobile phone or gaming equipment accessible when they are revising. And if they are using the google classroom resources to revise, double check they don’t have any other tabs open which might distract them!

Some of you may remember the advert for Mars bars which had the tagline “A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play” and, while I am  not promoting the purchase of this particular chocolate confectionery, I do agree with their slogan; it is important during exam season to get a balance. In any 24 hour period a student really needs to have eight hours’ of each; eight hours of solid night time sleep followed by sixteen hours of work and play dovetailed together into manageable chunks. Sitting and “revising” for three hours solidly is not conducive to retention of information and can raise anxiety levels; please don’t do it. Likewise “revising” while listening to their Ipod or sunbathing in the garden or round at a friend’s house is not conducive to retention of information and can raise anxiety levels; please don’t do it.

Due to the covid pandemic, and circumstances beyond any of our control, this is the first time your child will be facing sitting examinations of a reasonable duration in the sports hall; some level of nervous anticipation is completely normal; be it butterflies in the stomach, feeling sick, disturbed sleep, mood swings or burying their head in the sand and using displacement activities ~ it is all completely and utterly normal. As a parent though it can feel a bit like you are wading through treacle when you try and help (or in their eyes hinder) your child’s revision; this article may offer some comfort or support: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/may/19/exam-revision.

Your young person should have brought home to you an A5 booklet about exam room rules, an A5 booklet which lets them know which topics they need to revise for each subject for their Y10 exams, an A4 booklet which contains revision skills ideas/revision timetable as well as an A4 sheet of paper which had the Y10 exam timetable on it. The exam time table was also attached to the newsletter dated 7th May 2021. BTec subjects are not being examined this summer due to the continual assessment nature of these courses, another reason why attendance is so important; every lesson counts.

Please remember that Subject staff, Heads of Department, Form tutors and Pastoral staff are all available to help with any queries, concerns, doubts or issues you may have so, please contact us: 01904 411341. I hope the half term sunshine has recharged your child’s batteries and they are ready, eager and energised for the term ahead. 

Miss De Lashley and Post 16
Farewell Year 13
We have bid farewell to Year 13 and what a lovely day it was. The sun came out to allow us to enjoy our ice creams! They have been phenomenal and are the epitome of resilience. They have what it takes to be a future to be proud of and we are honoured to have been a part of that. We look forward to seeing them at Prom and Results Day this summer. We will be sending out details of Results Day shortly.  

Year 12 Subject Support Timetable
As we start to prepare for the summer exams subjects will be offering extra support to their classes during period 6. Students are expected to attend for their subjects where there is a session and availability. Where there are clashes, students should speak to their subject teachers, or Miss Cox about where they should prioritise their time. 

Attendance
Year 12 have had a very turbulent start to Post-16 and we are keen to ready them for the demands that Year 13 brings. We pride ourselves in supporting strong attendance and we are going to pushing the few within Year 12 that have slipped into bad habits and take odd days off for minor ailments. We understand that feeling your best is certainly what we would hope for each day but we do expect that students come in everyday unless they absolutely cannot. There is much to do to ready students and good habits and good progress start with excellent attendance. If your son/daughter cannot attend school, please contact school before the start of the school day on their behalf. 

Year 12 Next Steps
We will shortly be sending home a letter documenting the year ahead including one-to-one meetings to be held prior to the start of the Autumn term, to review the Summer mock exam results and best progression plan for Year 13. Should you have any questions about any of the plans for the year ahead following the letter, please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Collective Worship
Over recent weeks we have been reflecting on How can we ‘be the change we want to see in the world’? This week our form tutor Act of Collective Worship looks at how small actions can make a difference regarding climate justice.

“Taking care of our planet, environment, is something like taking care of our own home. This blue planet is our only home.”
Dalai Lama – Leader of Tibetan Buddhism

“The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it.”
Genesis ch2: v15 – The Bible

The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole.’ Pope Emeritus Benedict – Former Head of the Catholic Church

“Twenty-five years ago people could be excused for not knowing much, or doing much, about climate change. Today we have no excuse.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu – former Archbishop of Cape Town

“Future generations stand to inherit a greatly spoiled world. Our children and grandchildren should not have to pay the cost of our generation’s irresponsibility.”
Pope Francis – Head of the Catholic Church

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable weekend.

Please find attached the latest weekly Student Well-Being Newsletter. I hope that families find some of the information and ideas useful.

WB. 4th May Wellbeing Newsletter 12 – Google Docs

Before I left on Friday night it was great to see rehearsals continuing for the School Show. As you would expect from AHS, staff are working hard to offer as many extra-curricular opportunities as possible for students to engage with. This is an important and valuable part of school life and it would be good to see even more young people take advantage of these opportunities.

As a school we are proud of the quality of pastoral care and support we offer and this provision has been more important than ever over the last twelve months, especially during periods of lockdown. Over time we have invested significant resource to ensure we have the capacity to know and support each young person as an individual. I am pleased to inform parents that in response to the impact of the pandemic on student wellbeing we have now made a further very significant financial investment in expanding our pastoral team. We have appointed Assistant Heads of Year (with large time allowances) to work alongside each Head of Year, meaning that rather than groups of 300 students we will have school leaders overseeing 150 students each, reminiscent of when we had year groups of 162. We have also introduced a new role of Intensive Support Worker to supplement the work of our Pastoral Support Workers that we have for each year group, have employed a school counsellor to work with specific students and have increased the capacity within the Safeguarding and Attendance teams within school. We have also made the decision that members of the Senior Leadership Team will continue to have specific day to day responsibilities for year groups. The additional pastoral staff for each year group will also provide extra capacity to benefit all students’ personal development and ensure all students are supported to engage with a wider range of extra-curricular opportunities, leadership opportunities in each year group and the unique opportunities of the AHS Journey.  As Headteacher I firmly believe that prioritising in this area at this time is the very best way to support students and their families

Paired Reading
This week saw the very welcome return of our Paired Reading scheme. This is a peer tutoring programme which supports and encourages the regular tutoring of year 7 and 8 students by older students in the school in a Covid secure way. This effective, evidence- based method of helping younger students with their reading has been a successful part of our Reading Ready journey for many years. I have been delighted with the response from our year 7 and 8 students who have enthusiastically engaged with the scheme and shown a very mature attitude throughout the sessions. A huge thank you to our Post 16 Student Leaders for their participation, I look forward to reporting on the progress of the scheme as it continues throughout the remainder of the term. Well done to all involved! If your child is in year 7 or 8 and you feel would benefit from the scheme, please contact Mrs Short to discuss further. eshort@ahs.pmat.academy

Head of Year Awards

Head of Year Updates
Miss Kincell and Year 7
It has been a lovely week in school, the clubs are really starting to get up and running and we are already starting to see what a positive impact thai is having. I was thrilled to see the photography club running around after school with their cameras all excited. 

Another wonderful development this week has been the beginning of paired reading. Our Year 7s have been partnered with sixth formers to take part in paired socially distanced reading, this activity boosts confidence in both reading and overall general self esteem and I look forward to seeing more smiling face next week. Please see an example below:

We have introduced another lovely opportunity this week, ‘Lunch time of Calm’, and wow does it sound appealing! We held our first Lunchtime of Calm on Thursday. Students were invited to sit in a calming atmosphere with lava lamps and soft background music. Activities included reading, colouring pages and drawing books. There was also a selection of self-help books to hand such as The Teenage Guide to stress, and 100 Ways to Quit Worrying. A good quote from this book is,While you’re worrying about what they’re thinking, they’re worrying about what you’re thinking. So stop!

Students were also offered booklets to take away, and cards small enough to fit in a pencil case with tips on wellbeing. They could select one or more for free.

The event brought new students into the library who not only joined in, but also borrowed books. Everyone said that they enjoyed the Lunchtime of Calm so much that they would like one every Thursday! Please see some of our zen students below enjoying some space in the day.

Library reminders:
We have received books this week that were over a year overdue. This is completely understandable as lots were borrowed before the school closed due to covid. Please don’t be nervous about bringing back a late return, you are not in trouble, we will be delighted to see both the book and you!

I hope you all have a wonderful Bank Holiday. Some historians believe that May Day was a holiday celebrated by the Romans to herald the start of spring, and we have continued to celebrate May Day even though the Romans left our shores years ago. Many of us are fascinated with Romans, mainly due to the fact that they have a deep history with York. Stonegate and Petergate in the town centre still run along the same routes as they did two millennia ago. Two routes walked by Romans and then by you! 

Why not try reading a new genre this week? We have some great books on our Historical Fiction Shelf. Try The Roman Mysteries series and discover what it was like to live in ancient Rome.  Call into the library and ask me if you need help finding the section. You can listen to a short extract from one of the books, and read a free sample of another by opening this link. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Vesuvius-Book-Roman-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B004JHY6P0

Don’t forget to complete a quiz for any books you have read. You can access Accelerated Reader quickly by using the following link https://ukhosted83.renlearn.co.uk/1893564

York libraries are now open for browsing and borrowing. Those with reading café’s such as Tang Hall library will also be offering a table service for refreshments outside.

Well done to our Students of the Week this week:
7Cm: Natalie Bowler
7Cy: Evie Hawksby
7CAd: Joshua Adams
7Bl: Megan Boddy
7Hf: Aden Smith and Oliver McKeegan
7Hv: Kian Cooper
7Gr: Alex Grist
7Cmp: Kayden Readhead
7Mr: Blaine Wright Smith
7Nth: Ruby Overhill-Cossu
7Wno: Oliver Meakin

Well done to our Gold Award Students this week:
1. Alex Sinaga-Jones: Well done for excellent punctuality this week and started to have improved organisation.
2. Hattie Newton: Well done for your distinction on your drum exam, excellent result. Keep it up. 

I hope you all have a lovely bank holiday weekend and we look forward to seeing you all happy and refreshed on Monday. 

Mr Arthur and Year 8
I hope that the students and families of those in Year 8 are reading this email in good health and high spirits. The May Bank Holiday should help to provide a little extra respite, and we can all take advantage of the opening up of the country. I have certainly found myself savouring the little things that I used to take for granted – and with the next stage of freedoms that will be granted from 17th May, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks and months. For the time being, I hope that Year 8 continue to enjoy their time being back in school, and that they are making the most of the ‘Opportunities’ they have laid before them.

I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the issue of attendance. Attendance at school is crucial to the success of students. Recent studies have shown that absence from school has a significant impact on the success of students, and can have a long-term impact through to their GCSEs. In one of these studies, it has shown that of those students that have 100% attendance, 79% of them achieve 5+ good GCSEs. At 95%, this figure falls to 69%. At 90%, this falls even further to 53%, and by 85% attendance, this figure for success becomes 36%. When considering that 5% attendance is around 7 days absence, it really is crucial that students are in school every single day. To put this into further context, if your child has lower than 95% attendance, this means that they are attending school less than the average child across the country.

As a school, we fully understand that there are appointments that cannot be moved, or emergencies that mean a child may have to take some time off school. However, wherever possible, please can non-emergency appointments be made outside of school time, or ensure that students return to school in the afternoon if their appointment is in the morning (or vice versa). With regards to illness, the message that has been given to students is that if they are feeling unwell, the question they should be asking themselves is not “Do I want to come into school?” Of course, if you’re feeling unwell the answer will be no! However, what they should be asking is, “Can I be in school?” In this instance, the answer is almost always “Yes”. We do have the Intervention Room for students that are feeling unwell, but we would very much appreciate your support in ensure your child is in school as much as possible to give them the best chance of success in the future.

Further to this, punctuality is also a key contributor to the success of students . It is important that students are sat in their form rooms ready to start the day before 8:45. This means that students must ensure they arrive on school site well before then – form rooms will be open from 8:30 for them to ‘drift in’ on a morning, and there are wellbeing resources available for when they arrive. This will also ensure that any important messages that are relayed to students during morning Tutor Time are given to all of the students. Furthermore, it is also vitally important that students arrive to lessons on time. Studies have shown that re-capping on old content through low-stakes testing is crucial to consolidating their learning. The first few minutes of a lesson is where most re-caps take place. It is therefore vitally important that students arrive to lessons promptly and ready to learn to ensure they maximise the input that is given to them by teachers across all subjects.

Congratulations to the winners of the Head of Year Award this week – they are…

Well done – a £5 Amazon Gift Card will be on its way as soon as possible!

Thank You for taking the time to read this bulletin. If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 8, please contact me on aarthur@ahs.pmat.academy, or Mr Deamer (PSW For Year 8) on rdeamer@ahs.pmat.academy

Mr Avery and Year 9
What a difference a year makes. When I stop and reflect on the challenges the students of Year 9 have overcome in the last twelve months, it makes me feel very proud to be their Head of Year. I have been very keen to stress to the students the need to adopt a ‘growth mindset’ as they enter the twilight of Year 9, in preparation for their GCSE courses in Year 10. I feel it is important to build a belief among the students that it is never too late to improve in a skill or a particular subject, if they only persevere and remain resilient. James Joyce once wrote “mistakes are the portals of discovery” and given the circumstances of the last twelve months it would be understandable if some of the students had lost a little bit of drive and positivity, so I want them to reflect on the opportunities that still lie before them.

Since returning to school, we have continued to focus on ‘understanding ourselves and others’ which is the key part of the journey into Year 9. In Acts of Collective Worship, we have studied a variety of different topics that reflect the problems that unfortunately still exist in society. We focussed on what constitutes Sexual Harassment and the consequences of the tragic case of Sarah Everard. We have also looked at the institutional racism that became apparent in the case of Stephen Lawrence, and how we still need to be aware and take action against this form of racism in today’s society. We have also shined a spotlight on the problem of bullying and investigated the different roles people play when bullying takes place. Throughout this, the students have demonstrated maturity beyond their years, and really seemed to take on board the important role they have in making our school community and society more tolerant. As Maya Angelou said “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better”. The students have been consistently reminded that if they experience or witness any discriminatory behaviour in school, that they must report it immediately to a trusted adult. 

There is certainly a wealth of opportunities within our school – in sport, the arts and academically. Please encourage your child to, for instance, have a close look at the extra-curricular timetable and take part wherever they can. We now have a full programme of sport running for Year 9, including Netball, Football, Basketball, Rounders and Fitness club in our brand-new gym. Keeping fit and active is an excellent way to remain positive and look after wellbeing, and I encourage students In Year 9 to embrace this opportunity.

If you have any issues regarding your child in Year 9 that you wish for me to be aware of, please do get in contact with me at navery@ahs.pmat.academy

Miss Turvey and Year 10
Dear Parents and Careers, last week in our weekly Act of Collective Worship I focussed on a passage in Philippians 2:  “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others”. And this week we have a number of our Y10 community who are, via track and trace, isolating and therefore “not looking to their own interests, but to the interest of others” and I want to thank them for that; it is frustrating and we empathise, but without their altruism society will not be able to unlock post lockdown as it is. 

I also reflected on the idea that when running a marathon, sometimes when the end is in sight we metaphorically “hit the wall” and feel as if we cannot take another step; the end of this covid year is in sight and I urged your sons and daughters to dig deep, engage their resilience and to continue being responsible by socially distancing, washing hands, only meeting outside and wearing masks. 

I am hoping that your young person has given you the parents evening letter and that you are managing to book appointments. If there are any problems please do contact school 01904 411341 or reception@ahs.pmat.academy. If you have any queries about the Y10 examination timetable, printed in last weeks’ newsletter, or any issues, then again, please contact the school. Students will be given their own copy of the timetable and a booklet of information Exam etiquette and the legal ramifications of certain actions which they will bring home to you next week. The Y10 reports will be given to your child on Tuesday; hopefully they will hand them to you and you won’t have to go rooting around in the bottom of their bag to find them! We will post out this information to those who are currently isolating.

Please remember that the pastoral team are here to support, help and do contact us for any critiques or positive feedback. Take care, Miss T.

Mrs Avey and Y11
We hope you all had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, despite some disappointing weather.

You will be well aware that this week is the last week before the internal assessments begin. These assessments will be the last pieces of evidence, which along with  other examples of students’ work, will be used to inform an holistic Teacher Assessed Grade for each student. As such, we look forward to good attendance and continued focus so that all our students are best prepared to do themselves justice. If any of our students need any additional emotional support – we are well aware that they may be ‘stressing’  although we continue to stress that these assessments are not the only determiner of their final grades, then we encourage them to come and chat with us  and talk through any worries. The year 11 team and form tutors are all looking to help and support.

A number of our students took part in Speaking and Listening moderating last week and were superb. They appeared confident – perhaps despite probably inner fear- and produced talks of a high standard. Well done to all who took part.

In our Acts of Collective Worship over the last few weeks we have been exploring the theme of Tolerance and Equality through presentations on  the Bullying Policy; bullying or banter; racism – via recognising and explaining Stephen Lawrence day  ( April 22nd) and this week we will  address sexual harassment.

Finally, plans are well underway, working very closely with the Sixth Form team, to develop our transition offer for Year 11, post-half term.  This will start on 7th June and will include A Level and BTEC taster sessions, remote provision for those that want it, sports enrichment open to the whole year group and careers advice and guidance, including workshops on employability skills, support with CV writing and job applications and help for those who still want to apply for Sixth Form, college or apprenticeships.  We are really pleased with the offer we have developed and look forward to sharing more details with parents and students in the coming weeks.

Miss DeLashley and Post 16
Thank you! Another great week in the Sixth Form. The students really are a pleasure to work alongside. Lots of hard work and they are always an example for the rest of the student body to follow. Please pass on our gratitude. 

Year 13 Assessments
They have begun! A reminder of the timetable for the rest of the assessments. Any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

Year 12 Shout Outs

Mr Charlton says…
Y13 Assessments
Good luck to you all in your Yr13 Assessments which started on Friday 30th April and run next week. Please continue to work hard and prepare for this with rigour.

Y13 Transition
Our Yr13 Transition offer has been launched this week. Please use the leaflet handed out in Form Time and the Google Form in our Google Classroom to highlight which you are interested in. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience some of the out of classroom experiences you have missed throughout your time in Sixth Form.

Y13 Non-University Progression Plans
Those students not planning on attending university please see the most recent post in our Yr13 Google Classroom on current apprenticeship vacancies. We continue to offer careers interviews for any student who would like one and can arrange mock interviews for those requiring interview practice for an apprenticeship or employment.

UCAS update on offers
We currently have 110 students who have submitted UCAS Applications with almost 50% receiving offers from Oxbridge or Russell Group Universities. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard back from all your providers yet, some are being slow sending out their offers this year.

Year 13 Shout Outs 

Collective Worship
This week in our Form Tutor Collective Worship we are looking at the topic of friendships and bullying and the responsibility we all share to look out for one another.

Monday – “Our value to God is more than anything else this world can offer.” – Crystal McDowell
Tuesday – “God sees us with the eyes of a Father. He sees our defects, errors and blemishes. But He also sees our value.” – Max Lucado, American author and church pastor
Wednesday – “Too many people overvalue what they are not, and undervalue what they are.” – Malcolm Forbes, 20th C. American entrepreneur and multi-millionaire
Thursday – “You are valuable because you exist. Not because of what you do or what you have done – but simply because you are.” – Anonymous
Friday – “Man does not see what God sees, for people see what is visible, but God sees the heart.”  – The first book of Samuel 16:7, the Bible

Andrew Daly
Headteacher – Archbishop Holgate’s School

CEO – Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust and Teaching School Hub

It has been good to start to see things return to some form of ‘normality’ at school with students settling well and enjoying spending time with their friends. I have been really impressed with both the way that students are following the safety measures we have in place and the learning that is taking place in classrooms. I know that students and staff are looking forward to being able to access all their lessons in specialist classrooms after Easter and we will be spending time during the last week of this term to make sure that all students are familiar with the full one way system that will be in place and all the routes to each of their lessons. Our enhanced safety measures, which include staggered breaks and lunches, will remain in place for the remainder of the year.

Testing at home
Students will today (Thursday) receive two boxes of lateral flow tests with full guidance on how to log the results of the test included either within the box or as an accompanying leaflet. We know a small number of children attended a test site at another location, these children should come to reception on Friday to collect their test kits.

There are three tests in each box meaning all children have enough to start testing on Monday morning at home and carry them through until after the Easter break – Students are not expected to test over the holidays.

All students must test on a Monday and Thursday morning, should the result be positive they must not attend school but let us know as soon as possible so we can provide further guidance on next steps. Taking the test on a Monday morning will limit the impact of a positive case on the school community as it will have been over 48 hours since they were last in school.

Unity Fund
A reminder that through the Unity Fund the school can offer confidential and discrete support to families who are struggling financially. If you are struggling in any way please contact us and we will do our best to help:
krobinson@archbishopholgates.org
gstainsby@archbishopholgates.org

Wellbeing – Thankful Thursday

Collective Worship
As we continue through the Christian season of Lent we continue with our Pilgrim Pathways theme in Form Tutor Collective Worship. We have thought about the metaphors of a Lamp, a Map and a First Aid Kit. Many people who go on a walking pilgrimage take a walking stick to help them stay stable. A walking stick can also be a symbol of all the wise people who have gone before us, who inspire us and help us continue on our journey. Our daily quotes are about Supporting others.

Thursday – “Sometimes the only thing you could do for people was to be there.” – Terry Pratchett: 20th C. English author of fantasy novels