Headteachers Letter – 11th March 2022
Dear Parents and Carers,
A fairly busy update this week, as we move towards lighter mornings and hopefully better weather! There have been a considerable number of events occurring, which have showcased students and staff working effectively together to produce great educational, societal and extra-curricular outcomes. There is also an important message from the police at the end of this letter, which I would be grateful if all parents could read and discuss with students.
Fundraising for Ukraine
Thank you to all members of the school community for the financial, food and equipment donations to benefit individuals and families displaced by the war in Ukraine. We already have a large number of boxes to deliver and over £400 in financial donations. We are able to continue to accept donations until the end of Monday afternoon. A list of requested food and equipment can be found HERE There will also be a bucket on the gate on Monday morning for any additional cash donations.
Year 11 Excellence Ties Evening
Congratulations to our Year 11 students who received their Excellence Ties on Thursday evening. It was wonderful to see so many parents and students attend this event in person, and enjoy their success together. I would like to formally recognise the exceptional work of our entire Year 11 cohort, who have endured the worst of the Covid disruption and emerged positive and determined to achieve every success in their GCSE examinations.
Year 9 GCSE Options Evening
We look forward to welcoming our current Year 9 students and their parents, into school on the 17th March 2022 for our GCSE Options evenings. There will be a formal talk in the Main Hall, outlining the process and following this, the opportunity to meet staff and leaders of options subjects, to learn more about what is on offer in each curriculum area. This will be an in person event and we will use most of the school site to allow students and parents to visit some specialist teaching areas. We look forward to welcoming parents and Year 9 students to this event and starting the process towards their GCSE successes in 2024!
The invitation letter and subject information booklet can be found HERE with further information to follow after the evening.
Year 10 Visit to Rushden Fire Station
Our Year 10 Public Services cohort enjoyed a visit to Rushden Fire Station where they completed a series of job related tests.
Working alongside the community engagement team and serving firefighters the students were split into 2 groups, red and yellow watch.
Each watch completed tests including hose running, equipment carries, an enclosed space test (whilst wearing breathing apparatus) and a theory test on situational awareness. The tests are designed to provide any recruit with a simulated experience of working within the Fire Service. In addition, students were given a tour of a working fire engine and even heard just how loud the sirens are when standing a metre away from the vehicle…..VERY LOUD is the answer!
Mr Beeby said, “Our students did really well, I am extremely proud of them, they pushed themselves beyond their comfort zone to achieve success.”
Congratulations to all involved. Photos from the day can be found HERE
Sporting Success
Congratulations to our 7 and Year 8 Girls Netball teams, who played against Weavers School this week.
Both teams played brilliantly ad as always, demonstrated great teamwork and enthusiasm.
This approach resulted in a great performance and well deserved victories, 4-0 for our Year 7 Team and 12-0 for Year 8.
Congratulations to all who played and thanks to Miss Cattell for leading the fixtures.
We are also delighted to report that our Under 17 boys football team have successfully secured a place in the Northamptonshire County Cup Final. Well done to the team and we look forward to the final itself!
Wollaston School Theatre Company Performance
Well done to all of the cast, crew and our Performing Arts faculty for an inspiring production of the National Theatre play “Hunt”. The performance managed to be at once tense, humorous and thought provoking. The audience was seated in the round and imaginative use was made of a set which was constantly transitioning between different locations and areas. The cast delivered sophisticated and convincing individual performances, alongside a tightly rehearsed ensemble approach, whilst the crew coped with a variety of complex sound and lighting cues to create the atmosphere required for an outdoor setting, in the middle of a storm, with frequent mobile phone sound effects!
Following this school performance, Wollaston’s production of “Hunt” moves on to a performance at the Northampton Derngate Theatre as part of the National Theatre’s Connexions festival. Ticket details to follow in due course.
Ticket Offer for Northampton Saints 13th March 2022
Northampton Saints and Travis Perkins, are offering school students and their families a special ticket offer for their fixture versus Wasps on the 13th March.
Please follow the link below and use the code TPWASPS at the checkout to claim the limited offer of £1 child tickets and £10 adult tickets (excluding the £1.50 booking fee): https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/buytickets
2022/ 23 Post 16 School Transport Applications: Students currently in Years 11 and 12
As you are likely to be aware, families of Sixth Form students need to apply for bus passes on school transport in order to be allocated a place on school bus services.
The current application round is open and must be completed for the 2022/23 academic year before the deadline of the 19th May 2022. Full details of how to apply can be found here: https://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/councilservices/children-families-education/schools-and-education/school-transport/Pages/post-16-travel-assistance.aspx
Please note: It is essential that all Year 11 students who may join our Sixth Form, and who would need a bus pass do apply by the deadline. Northamptonshire School Transport Team have confirmed that any monies already paid would be refunded if a student then did not meet our Sixth Form entry criteria, and/or did not join our Sixth Form in September. The message for the relevant students in Years 11 and 12 is to apply now to assure a place on school transport for September!
Sports Leaders and Primary School Hockey Tournament
The KS3 Sports leadership Academy ran a year 3 & 4 quick sticks hockey tournament on Wednesday 9th March at Wollaston school. There were 14 teams from 7 different local primary schools; Denton, Yardley Hastings, Irchester, Cogenhoe, Grendon, Bozeat & Little Houghton.
Due to the number of teams entering the tournament, we decided to run it as two sperate competitions with 7 teams in each. We had over 20 young leaders from Wollaston School’s sports leadership academy supporting the tournament. The experienced year 9 sports leaders took charge, with one leader working with each primary school. The year 7 & 8 leaders were attending their first tournament, so were shown the ropes by the older leaders. All matches we refereed by Wollaston students. The Sports leaders also helped primary staff run teams making sure they got to the pitches on time and were ready and prepared for play.
Congratulations to all of the students from Wollaston, the Nene Valley Partnership and the wider family of primary schools who participated. Another example of just what a great community approach to enrichment can achieve!
Red Nose Day 2022
We will be running a range of activities next week in support of Comic Relief. Full plans can be found below and we look forward to a range of staff and student participants, as well as large and generous audiences!
It promises to be an exciting week, in aid of a worthwhile cause.
Job Opportunities with the Nene Valley Partnership
We are proud to be a significant local employer and are always keen to recruit from our local communities. If you are interested in joining our excellent teaching or support staff teams, we currently have a range of vacancies based at each of our three NVP schools. Links to the specific roles can be found HERE
Message from Northamptonshire Police
We have received a communication from the police that a member of the public has witnessed a white male, described as between 30 to 40 years of age, shaven head with stubble and wearing dark jeans and white shirt, who appears to have followed and possibly photographed a student after getting off the bus at the end of the school day in Irchester in the Farndish Road area.
Please remind all students to walk with others whenever possible and if they are concerned to ring the police immediately.
Thank you as always for your exceptional support of Wollaston School. if you do have anything which you would like to discuss, please get in touch FitzhughJ@wollaston-school.net and I would be happy to hear from you.
James Birkett
Headteacher