Dear parent/carer,
It has been a pleasure to welcome students back into school following the summer break. Our new year 7 cohort has already made an impressive start and has quickly settled into secondary school life; they have really shown themselves to be eager to embrace all the wonderful opportunities here at Haslingden High School and Sixth Form.
Despite only being back a short few weeks, I would like to share with you a summary of some of the activities which have taken place so far this term. I’d also like to share some of our current priorities and signpost you to the support available should you need to contact school or access additional help from external agencies during this academic year.
External agency week
During our recent external agency week, we welcomed a number of external visitors delivering a range of informative sessions. All year groups watched a presentation delivered by the Lancashire Police Cyber Crime team which provided valuable information for students about how to keep safe online, protect their own personal data, and specific advice about phishing emails which we are confident will help students both now and in the future. In addition, year 7 listened to a presentation by our school nurse Chris Walker and they also met our local Policing team who delivered a workshop for students on ‘the dangers of knife crime and its impact on young people and their families’.
Year 10 were also invited to watch a presentation delivered by Lancashire Fire Service on behaviour in the community and years 11, 12 and 13 listened to a presentation delivered by Paladin (National Stalking Advocacy Service). Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive and all external visitors commented on the exemplary behaviour shown by all of our students. We know that these opportunities are more important than ever for young people as they navigate the challenges that this stage in their development can present. We are proud to work with over 50 external agencies and we continue to adopt a proactive approach to ensure all students are aware of how to keep themselves safe and how to access support if they need it.
House System
Our Heads of House showed their competitive spirit last week during our first house assemblies of the year, encouraging all students to be the best versions of themselves in order to secure the House Cup. Aside from all the conversations that took place about mascots, theme tunes, team colours and characters, it is clear that all students have accepted the challenge to collect as many house points as possible to unlock the rewards for their form and their house. Students will attend one assembly a month in their allocated house and this is shared a week in advance in the student bulletin, which they can access on their iPads. Please could you encourage your child to read the student bulletin on Monday each week and to carefully consider the range of information that is included?
House assemblies contribute to a holistic educational experience by promoting community, leadership, character development, and school spirit, ultimately enhancing the overall school environment for all. For our new students and year 7 cohort please find an overview of our house system:
School Expectations
We are delighted to report that students have returned to school with an overwhelmingly positive attitude to many aspects of school life, including the way they present themselves in school and their commitment to learning. The vast majority of students are consistently excellent role models to younger students and have gone above and beyond to support peers in school. Thank you for your support so far and in advance for all your future support in promoting our expectations; it really does make a huge difference for staff and students in school.
Working collaboratively is the best way to ensure students are able to make good progress in school and we greatly value your continued support in ensuring your child arrives at school on time, is fully equipped for learning, regularly reminded to check notifications on their devices and adheres to all of our policies whilst in school. Whilst we have had a positive start back, there has been a small minority of students who have needed additional support in following our uniform and appearance expectations. Our policy can be found here should you wish to seek any clarity around these.
It would also be helpful if you could support us by labelling clothes and personal belongings, including PE kits and ties as they are two frequently misplaced items and we want to avoid any unnecessary financial pressures for our parents/carers. There have been a number of instances at the start of term where coats, bags, ties, drinks bottles and PE tops have been handed into student reception without a name. In order for us to return items promptly please ensure your child’s name and form is clearly identified. If your child misplaces an item during the school day, they should go to Student Reception and speak to Mrs Dust in the first instance. Mrs Dust already has a selection of items that have been handed in without a name.
Attendance
We are aware that a number of students have struggled to return to school this academic year and there is a significant increase in the number of students who require additional support whilst they are in school. If you need any further advice please contact school via the contact us form or visit our pastoral advice section of the website, as well as our safeguarding information page. Whilst we remain committed to supporting students and their families with their attendance, it is vital that we work together to remove any barriers. Research shows the negative impact poor attendance can have on a child’s well-being, progress and future outcomes and we believe that all students have a right to ‘Achievement for All’.
Thank you for your continued support.
Miss J Bleasdale
Deputy Headteacher – Care, Guidance and Support