Headteachers Letter – 16th September 2022

Dear parents/carers

We are two weeks into term and I am proud to say that all students are behaving in an exemplary manner, the atmosphere in lessons is productive and as a community we are operating with kindness and the ambition to have a really successful year!

It is a timely point to communicate with you how amazingly well Year 7 have started their journey at Wollaston School. They have settled really well, are working well in lessons and seem to be enjoying secondary school life! I do of course need to thank our other year groups for being community minded and offering Year 7 our usual Wollaston welcome- this has definitely helped them to settle.

And our outstanding acts of citizenship amongst our students are not just confined to our school site! I was very proud today to receive an email from a member of the public praising two of our students for helping her to catch an ‘escaped’ puppy whilst they were waiting for their bus to school. The member of the public said she was ‘enormously touched by how immediate and whole-hearted their response to the situation was’ and that the boys  ‘are a credit to themselves, their families and their school’. They most certainly are and I will be contacting both boys and their families next week to thank them for their actions. I spoke to all students in our first assembly this year about being ‘culture creators’ and going out of their way to demonstrate our values of kindness, community and ambition. It is clear that the young men involved in this incident most definitely are great role models for others at Wollaston.

In the same vein, I am pleased to say that we have had a number of students acting as ‘culture creators’ come forward to initiate new clubs and societies within school such as the Rubik’s Cube Club, a Dungeons and Dragons club and also this week saw the inaugural meet for the new Wollaston Medical Society for students interested in all things to do with the medical world. If your child would like to attend any of these clubs full details are on various signage points around the school and can be viewed HERE

Year 11

This week we also welcomed parents and carers of Year 11 to Wollaston to outline the year ahead as we prepare the year group for their GSCE exams. We had a great turnout and I would like to thank all parents, carers and students for their attendance. For anyone who was unable to attend on the evening, a copy of the slides can be viewed HERE

 

Last Friday, our Year 11s were also treated to an inspiring day of reflection and motivation with special guest, Action Jackson.

Head of Year 11, Mr Smyth writes ‘Year 11 took part in hour long workshops to focus on their drive and determination this academic year where Jackson worked with them on their ambition and taught them about having a growth mindset.

The biggest takeaway for many from the workshops was a strategy to ‘reframe’ their situation to consider new perspectives. I would like to thank the staff members who sat in on sessions and supported the 11s and a special thank you to Natalie Sharkey who enthusiastically joined the workshops all afternoon to support some students who had a bit of a wobble.

Many students had positive feedback on the day: “He talked about how important your frame of mind is and how it can change the situation from a negative to a positive.” And  “I think it was good we did the workshops in small groups and had a booklet to work through. It was very motivational.”

 

Notices:

Time Out and Medical Cards 

A small number of our students hold medical or timeout cards. If your child is one of these students please note that from Monday all existing cards will be gradually replaced with new style cards designed to make it easier for teaching staff to discretely support students (please see the graphic below). Students who hold old style cards will not be permitted to use these in lessons. If there are any students who feel they should still have access to this type of support then they should notify their head of year who will consider the request in conversation with the student and family.

Open Evening

We will once again welcome prospective parents to Wollaston on 29th September. Tickets are available for the evening itself and for tours during the school day on Monday 3rd, Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th of October 2022 via Eventbrite. Please use the links below should you wish to secure a place. Many of our students will once again volunteer their services either as tour guides or in departments showcasing the exciting subjects that we offer at Wollaston School. Please do note that if you consent to your child volunteering on the 29th, in order to effectively safeguard them we will request that parents collect their child in person from the sixth form centre at the end of the evening.

Wollaston School Eventbrite

Best wishes for the week ahead.

Simon Anderson