Friday 17 July 2015

Headteacher's Blog - July 2015



Headteacher’s Blog July 2015

Dear Parents/Carers/Guardians

Welcome to my last blog of this academic year and, once again, what a fabulous year it has been, but you already know that from the website and Twitter newsfeeds. Our Sports Day last week was simply superb and typified the year we have just enjoyed!!
We will be publishing our 2014-2015 Highlights booklet at the end of September so don’t forget to look out for your copy. It is certain to be a bumper edition, but we are already planning for 2015-2016 to be another year to remember.
Talking about developments, we will be starting the construction of our new PE changing rooms and six new classrooms at Christmas. This £950K facility will hopefully be finished during the summer of 2016; watch this space.
Further to my June Staffing Blog, Mr Nick Fillingham (PSTM) has secured a prestigious new post with British Aerospace in charge of all their apprentices. I am sure you would like to extend your congratulations and thanks together with ours to Nick, for all that he has done to support our students during the last 5½ years and wish him well in his new position. I am pleased to report that Mr Jamie Williamson (HLTA) has accepted my offer to become our new Internal Exclusion Officer, Mr Stephen Morton will become our new HLTA and Mr David Gill will join our team of Personal Support Mentors.  Finally, I am delighted to be able to tell you that Mrs Sarah Tasker-Lynch and Mrs Donna Brown have very recently been promoted to Advanced Student Support Mentors.
I would like to thank you for all your support this year, because as we tell your child(ren) success is all about team work and the part you play is critical. Discussing and clarifying issues with your child(ren) is an important daily routine. Occasionally, we have to deal with problems that have arisen as a result of misinformation that could have been avoided, if only students had engaged in a frank and honest conversation with their parents, carers or guardians.
In addition, we send a large number of emails, texts and letters including numbered ones out to parents, carers and guardians, but any communication system will only work well if people regularly check their messages – in this regard I would recommend checking your emails at least twice weekly, together with following us on Twitter @selbyhigh. The hyperlink to the school’s website is:
 
From the website, you can also download the school’s own Selby High School App together with the School Gateway App which allows us to send free text messages to you regarding your child(ren).  Both Apps can be found at:
We have a new two year calendar available from September that can, as always, be accessed via the school website. This is updated as things are added and amended so please make sure you check it regularly.

Once again, I and my staff look forward to your continued help in ensuring your child is properly turned out for school throughout the 2015-2016 academic year and ‘keen to treat others just like they would wish to be treated themselves’; a simple phrase, but such an important one for Selby High School. 

The daily maximum spend for students in Food4Thought will continue to be £4.50. I would urge you to use our on-line ParentPay system to not only pay for food and drink, but non-uniform days, school trips and other events and expenses as they occur.

For your information the following are important dates for your diary during the first term of 2015/16:

Thursday 3rd September          Training day – school closed to students
Friday 4th September               School re-opens (Year 7 only)
Monday 7th September           School re-opens (all students)
Thursday 17th September        Year 7 Literacy evening
Friday 18th September              School photographs
Wednesday 23rd September   Year 7 Numeracy evening
Monday 28th September          Training day – school closed to students
                                                      Open Evening for prospective parents
Tuesday 6th October                 Year 8 girls HPV injections
                                                     Raising Aspirations evening
Wednesday 7th October          Year 9 girls HPV injections
Wednesday 14th October        Governors Awards evening at Selby Abbey
Friday 16th October                 Year 9 ‘Re-start a heart’ day
Tuesday 20th October              Year 7 Parents’/Carers’/Guardians’ Consultation evening
Friday 23rd October                 School closes for holidays
Finally, all that’s left for me to say is ‘have a wonderful summer’ from all the Staff and Governors here at school!!

Paul Eckersley
Headteacher