Principal's Blog - July 2016

Dear Parents/Carers/Guardians

 

Welcome to my last blog of this academic year. Once again, what a fabulous year it has been, but you already know that from the website and Twitter newsfeeds. Our Sports Day this week, which like the weather, was simply superb and together with the record number of Selby 4 Key students (449 students transported in nine coaches) who enjoyed an all-expenses paid trip to Flamingo Land, courtesy of the school, typifies the year we have just enjoyed! We will be publishing our 2015-2016 Highlights booklet at the end of September so don’t forget to look out for your copy. It is biggest and best in the history of the school!

 

Talking about the history of the school, of which we are really proud, we are launching the next chapter of that history, with the implementation of our new school badge, which recognises the school at the heart of the community that it is delighted to serve. In addition to the new uniform we also have new:

• Signage
• Letterheads
• Sports kit
• Logos
• Website
• Water bottles (all students will receive one in September).

Don’t forget to look out for all the changes, together with the staffing changes that are detailed in my separate July ‘Staffing Blog’.

 

We are already planning for 2016-2017 to be another year to remember. Talking about developments, we have started the construction of our new PE changing rooms and six new classrooms. This £1.2m facility will hopefully be finished in February 2017; watch this space and the website for updates as they happen.

 

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:

www.selbyhigh.co.uk

 

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:

http://www.selbyhigh.n-yorks.sch.uk/Ourschool/Selby-High-School-App/

The usual two-year calendar 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 2016-2017 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. I am sure that when the students come together in their new uniforms in September they are going to look incredibly smart and ready to work at the level required for a successful future.

 

Learning today, leading tomorrow.

 

The daily maximum spend for students in Food4Thought will continue to be £4.50. If you are not doing so already, 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 2016-2017:

Friday 2nd September	School re-opens – Year 7 students only
Monday 5th September	School re-opens – all students
Monday 26th September	Shakespeare Schools Festival cast workshop
Tuesday 27th September 6.30pm	Year 7 Literacy Evening
Monday 3rd October	Training Day – school closed to students
Monday 3rd October 6.30pm	Open Evening for prospective parents
Tuesday 4th October	School re-opens
Wednesday 5th October 7pm	Year 9 and 10 More Able Raising Aspirations Evening
Thursday 6th October	100% Attendance presentation assembly
Tuesday 11th October	Shakespeare Schools Festival dress rehearsal and performance
Tuesday 11th October 5.30pm	Year 7 Reading Evening
Wednesday 12th October	Year 8 girls HPV injections
Wednesday 12th October 7.30pm	Governors Awards Evening at Selby Abbey
Tuesday 18th October	Year 9 ‘Re-start a Heart’ day
Tuesday 18th October 5pm	Year 7 Parents Evening
Friday 21st October	School closes for holidays

 

At Selby High School it is common practice for students and staff to look after each other ‘treating others like they would wish to be treated themselves’. I hope that even during the holiday this will continue to be the case.

 

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

Principal's Staffing Blog - July 2016

• Miss Jennie Crackles (business studies and ICT teacher) returned from maternity leave on 9^th May 2016.
• Dr Mark Smith (science teacher) will be leaving the school at the end of August 2016, in order to take his career in a new direction.
• Miss Rebecca Newman (science teacher) has tendered her resignation with effect from 31^st August 2016, in order to take up the offer of undertaking a fully funded PhD. The PhD is a network PhD run by York, Sheffield and Leeds Universities. It is working in partnership with the CGIAR Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) programme. She will also have a desk at Nairobi University. The project is funded by White Rose (ERSC). The research itself takes place in the Taita Hills, Eastern Arc Mountains Kenya. It would be great to see if there is any way in which her work could link in with that of the school.
• Mr Christopher Johnson (mathematics teacher) has secured a new teaching position at South Holderness Technology College.
• Mrs Cadence Knights (HLTA for mathematics) will not be returning from maternity leave, following the birth of her third child. Her husband has secured a new position in Norfolk and the whole family will be relocating at the end of June 2016.
• Miss Rebecca Brigg will be taking maternity leave from the end of July 2016 until Easter 2017. Mrs Jenny Mackey, Assistant Curriculum Area Leader, (ACAL for science) will temporarily take over the leadership of The Science Faculty and Mrs Sophie Bell and Mr Andrew Milson additionally become the Acting ACALs for science.
• Miss Jenna Strain (PE teacher) has been offered the opportunity to undertake a sabbatical year at the English School in Dubai. I have agreed to a twelve-month sabbatical. Miss Lucy Holt will, therefore, stay with us for another twelve months.
• The Board of Governors have decided that in line with the school's September re-branding and redefinition of responsibilities, members of the leadership team will be known, from that time, by the titles of Principal; Vice Principal; Assistant Principal; Deputy Assistant Principal and Associate Assistant Principal. The team and their titles will, therefore, be as follows:
  Principal
  Mr Paul Eckersley Vice Principals
  Mrs Joanne Carter-Mills; Mr Stuart Lewis & Mrs Amanda Lumb
  Assistant Principals
  Mr Carl Cousins & Mr Matthew Sinclair
  Deputy Assistant Principals
  Miss Vicki Gorton; Miss Gail Smith & Mrs Caroline Young
  Associate Assistant Principal
  Miss Samantha Johnson
  Lead Practitioner
  Mrs Samantha Sheard
• From September 2016 Mrs Elizabeth Roberts (Head of Year 9, from September 2016 and CAL for drama) will be going part-time and reducing her hours to 0.84FTE.
• Mrs Henna Iqbal (history teacher) will be taking maternity leave from 24^th September 2016 until May 2017. Miss Sarah McCabe has been appointed as her temporary replacement.
• Mr Josh Lewis and Miss Jo Tattersall have been appointed as full-time permanent teachers of science, together with Mrs Lola Brackenbury, as a 0.6FTE temporary teacher of science, for two terms in the first instance, to cover Miss Rebecca Brigg’s maternity leave.
• We have appointed a new ICT Technician, Mr Chris Daniel as a replacement for Mr Tom Harland, who will be taking over from Mr Malcolm Hemingway (ICT Manager) when he retires in August 2016.
• Mrs Caroline Young will be the new SENDL to replace Mrs Susan Caddy who retires fully in August 2016. Mrs Young will sit on the school’s SLT as a Deputy Assistant Principal. Mrs Helen Fenton, teacher for SEND, will also retire at the same time.
• Miss Elizabeth Crawford will be taking on the newly created post of Assistant SENDL.
• We have appointed three additional Acting Teaching & Learning Coaches, Mr Will Khambatta (English teacher); Miss Rebecca McClintock (D&T teacher) and Mrs Helen Metcalfe (KS3 English Progress Co-ordinator to join the T&L team, together with Miss Katie Levitt as part of her role as the Co-ordinator for More-Able Students, until December 2017 in the first instance.
• We have appointed two new full-time permanent mathematics teachers, Miss Charlotte Cole and Mr Terry Katebe. They will take up their posts on 1^st September 2016.
• We have decided, given the importance attached to the subjects that make up the ‘E. Bacc. measure’ to re-design the composition of the faculties, together with re-naming them in line with these changes. We will be establishing an E. Bacc. Faculty that will contain the following subjects:geography, history, MFL, RE and sociology. Mrs Sarah Wardell, in addition to her duties as the Assistant AIM Co-ordinator, will take on the role of Head of Faculty for one year in the first instance.        
  The Faculty of Pure and Physical Sciences will still contain computer science, but be renamed The Science Faculty.
  The Global Languages Faculty will be renamed The Mathematics, Business & Enterprise Faculty.
  The English and Social Sciences Faculty will now only additionally contain media studies so will be renamed The English & Media Studies Faculty.
  The Performance and Creative Arts Faculty will be unchanged.
• Mr Simeon Birchall (science teacher) has been appointed as the Acting Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Co-ordinator until August 2017 in the first instance.
• Miss Laura Cant currently the CAL for music will be returning from maternity leave on 21^st July 2016. On her return she will be stepping down from her curriculum area leader’s role and Mr Lanzillotti will become the permanent CAL for music; a role he has been undertaking in a temporary capacity during Miss Cant’s absence.
• Miss Zoe Martin has been appointed as a temporary teacher of English to cover the remainder of Mrs Rowena Pickering’s maternity leave.
• Mr James Dyke (English teacher) has been appointed as the Acting Ensuring Progress at KS4 Co-ordinator in Mrs Rowena Pickering’s absence.
• Emma Elgie (PSTM) has be deployed on a temporary full-time basis until the end of term within the behaviour and safeguarding team to support the work of Miss Jane Holman (School Social Worker) with regard to helping and counselling students engaging in risk taking behaviours. The situation will be reviewed in September with a view to retaining the hours and the deployment.
• Mrs Lisa Cawkwell (ASSM) who was seconded to the Personal Support Mentoring Team will return to her ASSM from 1^st September 2016 unless Mr Gill’s (PSTM) return to work, following a major operation is delayed beyond that date. Mrs Monika Thornton will continue as an additional ASSM on a permanent basis.
• We have reorganised the lower school curriculum and there is now no longer a need for a designated TLR for the role of Personalised Block Co-ordinator. The current post holder is Miss Katie Levitt and given that Miss Gail Smith is no longer in a position to discharge her defined responsibilities in respect of the more-able, we have asked her to take on the sole co-ordination of more-able students.
• The leadership and management within mathematics is changing slightly in so far as designated members of staff, in addition to other responsibilities within the faculty, will be taking on the remit for particular year groups and the progress that individuals are making in mathematics. The allocated year groups are as follows:
  Mr Spence          Year 7
  Mrs Thacker       Year 8
  Miss Walmsley  Year 10Mr Jones             Years 9 & 11
• Miss Sarah Carmichael (temporary GSSM) has been appointed permanently to the position of GSSM as the replacement for Mrs Iryna Durham.
• Mrs Caroline Coates who is leaving to take up a TAs post at Manor C of E Academy in York.
• We have advertised for a replacement GSSM for Mrs Claire Dugher (GSSM) who is leaving to undertake a PGCE at Leeds Trinity University and St Wilfred’s Secondary School, together with an additional GSSM to support the late arrival of a student who is in receipt of an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP).
• We are currently reviewing the support afforded to Pupil Premium (PP) students and I will communicate any changes in due course.
• Miss Rebbecca McClintock (D&T teacher) Miss Laura Cant (music teacher) are both getting married this summer and their respective married names will be Cooper and Stephenson.

I am sure you will wish to join me in thanking all those staff who are leaving for all that they have done for both the students and the school, but a special mention must go to Mr Hemingway, Mrs Caddy and Mrs Fenton.  

In addition, I know you will want to wish all our new staff the very best of luck in their new posts.

Paul Eckersley
Headteacher
July 2016