Dear parent/carer,
As we approach the end of another successful academic year at Haslingden High School and Sixth Form, I want to reflect on our students’ achievements and discuss preparations for our return after the summer break.
There are some updates to share for the new academic year, all designed to ensure September starts as smoothly as possible. We have set these out in the headings below, hopefully supporting parents and carers to refer back to as necessary. The most noticeable changes are our new whole school detention and behaviour systems, which have been reviewed to ensure that we can continue to create and maintain a positive learning environment for all, allowing teachers to teach and students to learn. Whilst this letter has lots of important information, all parents and carers must take the time to read this section carefully.
Celebrating Our Students’ Achievements
Our students have excelled this year, from academic successes and sporting victories to a wealth of performances within expressive arts and fundraising initiatives. The final two weeks of school were a perfect reminder of our students’ extensive opportunities to contribute to life within and beyond the classroom. This has included a number of drama productions, our art exhibition, the summer music concert, gold and silver Duke of Edinburgh exhibitions, and the house point rewards summer fete. On Wednesday this week, students demonstrated their care and kindness for others when our annual charity day raised over £5000 for local and global charities. We have also had mock interviews and a sixth-form taster day, and we have taken time to celebrate success across all curriculum subjects in our commendation assemblies for all years. Through these varied endeavours, our students continue to flourish and embody the spirit of Haslingden High School and Sixth Form. There has been so much to celebrate for so many of our students.
Setting Up for Success in September
As we look forward to the new academic year, I would like to outline some important aspects that will help us ensure a smooth and successful start back to the new term.
Positive Attendance
Attendance undoubtedly plays a crucial role in academic success and personal development. We encourage all students to maintain excellent attendance and punctuality. Every lesson is a valuable opportunity for learning and growth. Regular attendance is essential if a child is to have the chance to achieve their potential and set themselves up for a positive future. Data taken from our previous Year 11 cohorts demonstrates the impact positive attendance will have on a child’s progress in their examinations, with those who attend for 97% of the time or more attaining GCSE qualifications that are, on average, one and a third grades higher per subject compared to their peers nationally.
We fully appreciate that academic outcomes are only one benefit of high rates of attendance and that it is also essential to their social development, meeting with friends, getting involved in the 60 extracurricular clubs and immersing themselves in school life. This year, our average attendance across all years was 91.6%, which, whilst above both Lancashire and National averages, equates to nearly a day of learning per child missed each fortnight. If we look back before the pandemic, attendance was approximately 96% and above each year. For all these reasons, we urge that you continue to offer your support to ensure that your child attends school regularly and on time. All students should be in their form rooms by 8.40am.
Standards of Uniform
Uniform is integral to our school’s identity and reflects our commitment to creating a calm and orderly learning environment. We expect all students to adhere to our uniform policy, which includes no make-up, jewellery, or false eyelashes and shoes that look like shoes, not trainers. These standards help foster a sense of equality and focus among our students. Please refer to our uniform guidelines on the school website for further details, and help us uphold these standards from the start of the new term. Every conversation focussing on these issues is a significant use of resources that we believe would be better served supporting young people with their learning and wellbeing. Any support in minimising this time pressure would be greatly appreciated.
Positive Attitudes to Learning
A positive attitude to learning is crucial to student success. We expect all students to engage actively in their lessons, respect their peers and teachers and ultimately follow all safe and reasonable instructions. This positive behaviour enhances their learning experience and contributes to a supportive and productive school environment for all. Attitude to learning grades will be shared three times throughout the academic year and will provide parents with an up-to-date overview of your child’s approach to their studies. Your engagement with these reports and the subsequent conversations at home to offer praise and reflection are hugely beneficial.
New Whole School Detention and Behaviour System
In September, we will implement a new whole school detention and behaviour system designed to reinforce the importance of the school’s respect agenda. At present, and whilst with a minority of students, we are dealing with too many incidents regarding poor behaviour and attitudes, which can affect our ability to provide a calm and purposeful learning environment for all students. The new system will, therefore, include more immediate sanctions, which are aimed at addressing behavioural issues promptly, providing an opportunity for students to reflect on their choices and allow us to continue to focus on our overarching aim of ‘Achievement for All’. We expect that all students will quickly notice the benefit of this new system, as we are confident that it will create a more positive learning environment for all. Most importantly, however, students should know that detentions will only be issued when our expectations are unmet. Therefore, the overwhelming majority will not encounter the new detention system.
By working collaboratively with you, we are confident that we can minimise the number of students whose behaviour or attitude necessitates a detention being issued. We will be going through the new systems with all students in assembly in September but please could we ask that you also carefully read the changes below and discuss these with your child ahead of the new academic year.
- Students who are issued with an after-school detention before 12.30 pm are expected to complete it on the same day. Any detentions issued after 12.30 pm are expected to be completed the next day.
- Parents and carers will be notified by an Edulink notification or text message when a detention is issued.
- Detentions will be either 30 minutes or one hour in length. If a second 30-minute detention is issued on the same day as the earlier detention, then a separate notification/text will be sent to parents and carers explaining that the detention has now been increased to an hour.
- Students who are late to school in the morning without good reason will be issued a 30-minute detention. If a student arrives after the start of period 1 (after 8:55 a.m.), this will be increased to one hour.
- Failure to behave appropriately in detention will result in a one-hour detention being issued for the following day.
- Failure to attend a detention will result in an hour detention being issued for the following day. Failure to attend this will result in additional sanctions (with the detention still expected to be completed).
Another new addition to our behaviour strategy is that all students will be issued with a ‘Respect Card’, which they are to have with them at all times, to address lower-level but persistent issues that challenge some students. For most students, these will remain blank. However, any student who does not meet our expectations in key areas (initially uniform, equipment, punctuality to lessons, speaking and behaving respectfully) will have their card signed by a member of staff, with five signatures resulting in a 30-minute detention being issued. Again, please discuss the following with your child to help us avoid unnecessary conversation being required in school:
- If a card is signed five times, a 30-minute after-school detention will be issued.
- All students are expected to look after their ‘Respect Card’. Failure to produce this, if requested, will result in a one-hour detention being issued.
- Once the card is ‘full’, the student must go to the main office to collect another.
- Students who consistently meet expectations and, therefore, gather very few signatures will be rewarded with significant house points at the end of each half-term, celebrating their daily positive contributions to the school.
If you have any concerns regarding the new system, we would ask in the first instance that you discuss with your child how they can avoid detentions being necessary by striving at all times to meet school expectations. We are aware that it is not an uncommon belief that schools must give 24 hours notice for detention, however, please be aware that this is not the case. This DfE document explicitly states the guidance for school detentions on pages 20 and 21. If there are questions about your child’s ability to complete same-day detentions, please read these pages first and then contact us if you still feel that your child meets the criteria, which requires us to make reasonable adjustments.
In the new year, we will hold two parent forums to welcome any feedback on the new behaviour systems. Dates for these events will be shared in September, and we encourage parents and carers with strong views to attend one of these evenings if possible. We know that the opportunities for success are much greater when we work together. We need your continued support to ensure all students thrive in a positive and purposeful environment.
New Food Menus
We are excited to introduce new food menus in September, designed to offer our students a variety of healthy and delicious options. These menus have been carefully crafted to cater to diverse tastes and dietary needs. Details can be found here.
The National Schools Rebuilding Programme
We are thrilled to announce that our new building project is now moving into the design phase. This significant development will greatly enhance our facilities and provide our students with a state-of-the-art learning environment that will see only the sixth-form building remain. Construction will likely start in the next 12 months, and we will share more details once the designs are finalised.
Thank you and have a wonderful summer
Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to you, our parents and carers, for your continued support. A strong home-school partnership is vital to students’ success, and we are grateful for your involvement in your children’s education. I wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable summer holiday, and we look forward to welcoming our students back in September, refreshed and ready for another year of learning and personal growth.
Very best wishes,
Russell Clarke
Headteacher