Headteachers Letter – 9th September 2022

Good afternoon

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: Britain’s longest serving monarch and Head of the Commonwealth.

Wollaston School pays tribute to her unwavering commitment to the people she served so faithfully for so many years. On behalf of our community at Wollaston School we would like to express our sincerest condolences to the Royal Family. Today we came together as a community in two minutes of silent reflection to mark our respect and admiration of a life devoted to service. We will also have a book of remembrance available at the earliest opportunity next week for students and staff to sign and leave a message of remembrance. Assemblies will be adapted to recognise the influence and inspiration the Queen’s reign provided to so many people. As yet we have not received official information from the DfE regarding the national period of mourning and will update families with any necessary information as and when we receive it.

 

Our First Full Week Back

I have been incredibly proud to walk the school this week. All students have returned to school with positive attitudes, smart uniforms and have really engaged with their learning. Please do commend them for their effort and also their application!

Our focus for this half term is on our core standards: punctuality, dressing to impress and preparedness for learning. As I write a whopping 8540 positive points have been awarded across the school, testament to the fantastic start all students have made. This I expect to continue next week!

In assembly last week I spoke to students about success and making 2022-23 their most successful year yet. During that assembly I referenced a philosophy from an iconic basketball coach from the United States that simply put is essentially success comes from persistent progress towards a goal and being a little better today than yesterday. This will be a strategy that I will remind them of regularly this year! This week’s assemblies were led by Assistant Headteacher Victoria Ayres and introduced our new Rewards and Recognition System. This is a really exciting development as we seek to ensure that our amazing students are regular recognised for their valuable contributions to Wollaston School culture. We will send you more details on the Rewards and Recognition System in due course.

Today, we welcomed a motivational speaker to school to work with our Year 11 students. The speaker, Action’ Jackson Ogunyemi, who alongside the Fixup Team runs workshops and assemblies on resilience, self-belief and motivation in schools and colleges, both in the UK and across the world. This is a key strategy for us with Year 11, as we aim to foster increased confidence and self-belief and inspire them to become history makers and be the most successful Year 11 in Wollaston School’s history.

 

Notices

Buses

We are aware of some teething problems with the new timings for certain services. Mr Beeby will be sending out a separate communication to parents regarding the bus services.

Uniform

Next week our target is to ensure that all students have correct uniform. Uniform will continue to be checked on the gates and by tutors during registration. For those few students who are awaiting deliveries of items will be offered loan items (where available) during the interim period. I am keen to maintain our high standards and uniform is key to fostering a productive learning environment.

Year 11 Evening The Pathway to Glory! Thursday 15th September

This will be an information packed session giving families key information about what to expect this year as Year 11 work towards their mock exams and summer examinations. This event is for parents/carers as well as students and will cover the following information:

  • Timeline of key events for the year
  • Advice for families on how best to support their child
  • Advice for students on how to have a successful year
  • Key information regarding support available in school
  • Introduction to our sixth form team

We are expecting all families to attend so please do ensure you have secured your ticket via the link below:

6pm talk – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/415380834257 

7pm talk – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/415391837167

Best wishes for the week ahead.

 

Simon Anderson