Headteachers Letter – 13th May 2022

Dear Parents and carers,

Early summer has returned after a fairly wet Wednesday, and we are delighted that most of our outdoor activities were scheduled for days when the weather was dry and fine!  We are into the full swing of the summer term and it seems as though the weeks are going by very quickly as we work with all year groups towards successful outcomes at the end of this academic year.

 

Girls in Physics

We were delighted to participate in a Girls in Physics event this week, alongside a number of other local schools from both the independent and state sector. Such is the strength of Science at Wollaston, that we managed to field 4 teams and secured third place in the group task / problem solving challenge event.  Mr Sheldrick who arranged  the trip, described himself as “bursting with pride” following the event, commenting not only on the exceptional abilities of our students, but also on their positive, collaborative and polite conduct throughout. We are all very proud to have such wonderful ambassadors for Wollaston School and congratulations to all who participated.

 

Duke of Edinburgh Award Practice

Skilfully avoiding the rainy midweek, our DofE team along with 27 of our Year 10 students, spent a much brighter Thursday afternoon working together to prepare for a successful expedition.

We are very fortunate to have a dedicated DofE provision at Wollaston School, and we have invested in this area of our work considerably and seen an increased range of interest.  If you would like to know more, please contact our D of E centre manager Mrs Ayling AylingA@wollaston-school.net who will be able to provide further information.

 

ESAA Track and Field Cup

26 students from our lower school took part in the English Schools Athletics Association (ESAA) track and Field cup this week. After so much sporting success in the winter season, we have been looking forward to the competitive summer sports events.

We are fortunate to have a wide range of talented, collaborative and focused athletes, all of who represented Wollaston School with pride, sportsmanship and  determination.

 

Supporting Good Mental Health

We know that supporting good mental health continues to be a priority for many families and communities. Below is a link to a resource for parents to learn more about supporting their child’s mental health, and also some guidance on how to look after yourself, as parenting can be a challenging occupation as well as a joyful and rewarding one.

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/

As our students approach exams, we also know that this can quite naturally be a nervous time for students and parents alike. As a school, we aim to ensure that our approach is positive and purposeful, but with no unhelpful pressure. If you do have any concerns that your child is feeling overly anxious or concerned about tehri exams, please do let us know by contacting Mrs Elmes, Head of Year 11 ElmesM@wollaston-school.net or Mr Mills, Assistant Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form MillsT@wollaston-school.net and we can support.

Young Minds also provides exam specific resources and advice which can be found here:

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/exam-stress?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4PKTBhD8ARIsAHChzRLZnEIlIQjOWK-CQ1uua-FOLorpTyA0hfDGM75svIKlJLdcx9nl31YaAht5EALw_wcB

 

Irchester Park Runs May 2022

Irchester Country Park hosts a Saturday morning Park Run which many members of the school community already take part in: students, parents and staff alike. During the month of May, Mr Brookes has been, and will be continuing to run the Irchester event weekly to raise money for Gosset Ward (Northampton General Hospital) a cause very close to his heart.  There is more information on the Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mrbs5kinmay

A number of students have already taken part in this event during May and any other members of the school community who are interested are warmly invited. It would be great to have a sizable Wollaston School contingent! If you are interested and would like further details, all event information is here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/irchestercountry/

 

Consultation on Timings of the School Day

Thank you to all who participated in the consultation on the amendments to the timings of the school day. There were a range of views expressed and comparative merits and drawbacks to all models. Whilst we understand that no change will please everybody, we are working on a model which will have the maximum benefit and also comply with the Department for Education’s new requirements for the total length of the school day.  Mr Anderson will write with full details of decision and timings before the end of this half term. All changes will be implemented for September 2022.

 

Safety walking home

A reminder to students and families about the importance of keeping safe, especially when travelling to and from school. Where possible students should try and walk in pairs or groups, and should not engage in conversation with people they don’t know. We have been made aware of reports of a male stopping vehicles and pedestrians in the local area. He has been asking for money or to be driven to a petrol station. If a similar incident happens to you, please report this to the police via 101 and if possible provide details of the person and vehicle.

 

After school PE clubs

a reminder that an updated list of school PE clubs can be found HERE

 

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

Executive Headteacher