Dear parent/carer,
I hope that you and your families have had a restful and enjoyable festive break. As we move into the spring term, I am writing to welcome you all back and to share some important updates for the term ahead at Haslingden High School and Sixth Form.
Behaviour Quality Mark
It is a pleasure to begin by sharing some fantastic news with you and something we are extremely proud of as a team of staff. As part of this year’s School Improvement Plan, we endeavoured to take part in a Lancashire run scheme called the Behaviour Quality Mark. Following a rigorous external process, involving leaders from other schools, we received the Gold Award, the highest possible grade available. The summary comment of the report provided to the school stated:
‘We were immediately struck by the welcoming and positive atmosphere at Haslingden High School. From the very start of our visit, both staff and students were engaging, polite, and enthusiastic, making it clear that this is a school where everyone feels valued and supported. The warmth and professionalism we experienced made our visit both enjoyable and highly informative.
In deciding to recognise the school’s outstanding practice, many features stood out, particularly how pupils and staff work together to create a caring, cohesive environment. It was evident that the school’s values — including ‘Achievement for All’, respect, responsibility, and collaboration — are lived daily, ensuring that all students are supported to succeed and thrive’.
Adverse Weather
It has been a pleasure to return to school today, and all members of the school community have adjusted well to the added challenge of wintry weather. The forecast for this week indicates that temperatures will remain around or below freezing, with snow and sleet possible. We will always endeavour to remain open and therefore, please be aware that we will only contact you if we have to make the difficult/necessary decision to close. All the information in the event of a school closure can be found here. Please could I politely ask that all parents/carers log in to the Edulink App to ensure their contact details are up to date.
Deputy Headteacher Recruitment
We would like to share that our Deputy Headteacher for Care, Guidance and Support and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Jo Bleasdale, has secured a new role as a school advisor with Blackburn and Darwen Council. While we will greatly miss her and her contributions to the school, we are delighted for her professional progression and wish her all the very best as she takes up her new role this week.
We are currently advertising to appoint Miss Bleasdale’s replacement, however, in the interim Paul Ridgway will be stepping into the role of DSL and Deputy Headteacher. Mr Ridgway will be supported in the role by our highly experienced Deputy DSL, Nicola Bibby and Deputy Headteacher for Quality of Education, Tony Goodman. Safeguarding remains our absolute highest priority, and I have every confidence that this team will continue to ensure the wellbeing of all our students whilst we seek to appoint a Deputy Headteacher for the summer term.
Attendance challenge
Attendance remains a significant challenge for schools nationally following the pandemic. We understand that there are times when genuine illness or family circumstances necessitate absence, and we empathise with the difficult experiences of managing the last few years. However, the data is clear: every day in school is essential to a child’s development.
Good attendance directly impacts a student’s success in:
- social Interactions: daily attendance ensures they maintain vital connections with peers and develop strong social skills.
- academic outcomes: consistent learning is key to achieving their full potential.
- sense of belonging: being part of the school community every day fosters a strong sense of inclusion and engagement.
While we are here to support families facing specific challenges, it is crucial that as a community, we all commit to a clear improvement in attendance this term. We must work together to ensure your child is in school as much as possible, as the cost of missed education is simply too high. We greatly appreciate your support in deciding whether any mild illnesses do require your child to miss any time in school.
Year 11 Parents’ Evening – Wednesday 14 January
With the crucial summer examinations rapidly approaching, we have opted to return to a face-to-face parents’ evening for our year 11 students. We are keen to use this opportunity to meet with you in person to discuss not only academic progress but also the specific revision arrangements being implemented at home and the structured support being offered at school during these final, crucial months. Year 11 students will be given appointment sheets in registration on Tuesday 6 January and will be required to make these appointments for you with their class teachers.
Schools Rebuilding Programme
Finally, I am delighted to share a major update regarding the National School Rebuilding Programme for our school. We hope that BAM will be confirmed as our contractors for this exciting project later this month. A series of initial internal consultation meetings will begin from the end of January and run through to Easter this year. We are also very keen to consult with all stakeholders; students, staff, parents, and the wider community to ensure that the new facilities are as inclusive and impactful as they can possibly be. More detailed information regarding these consultations will be distributed as appropriate over the coming weeks.
Thank you, as always, for your support of our school. The partnership between home and school is an essential aspect of what makes Haslingden High School and Sixth Form thrive. We look forward to working together with you throughout 2026.
With very best wishes,
Russell Clarke, Headteacher