Headteacher's Blog - December 2015

Dear Parents, Carers & Guardians,

It has been another exciting and spectacular half-term in respect of students excelling in the arts, science, sport, community service and charity fundraising. The news stories on the website and Twitter feeds are a testimony to our continued success.

Please encourage your child(ren) to undertake some on-line learning, revision (mock examinations for students in Year 11, start straight after Christmas on Monday 4^th January 2016), together with any required catch-up work during the Christmas holidays, so that everyone can hit the ground running in January. Remember, there is no substitute for hard work!

Talking about hard work, our independent learning and effort rewards system ‘Selby Keys’ continues to go from strength to strength, thereby helping our students to rapidly develop the skills necessary to be a successful learner in today’s educational climate.

Your co-operation in helping to maintain the now established high standards of uniform, together with attendance and punctuality, from the outset of the Spring Term in January will be much appreciated. In this respect it is worth remembering that students should wear their blazers at all times, in addition to any school jumper or cardigan, unless instructed to do otherwise by a member of staff.  We will also be continuing our campaign, during 2016, to educate everyone connected with the school what bullying is and what it isn’t, together with convincing all concerned of the virtues of being a ‘telling school’.   

At the end of this term we will be saying goodbye to Miss Donna Brown (GSSM) who is taking up a similar post, nearer home, at the Snaith School; Mr Peter Griffin (English teacher) who is moving to Cheshire and has secured a new post at a school in St Helens and Mr Paul Austin-Clarke (D&T Technician) who will be retiring after seven and half years’ service at the school. Miss Amy Ridley (ASSM) and Mrs Naomi Sellars (mathematics teacher) will be starting maternity leave. Mrs Cadence Knights (mathematics HLTA) started her maternity leave at the end of November, together with Miss Cant (CAL for Music). We are pleased to have secured the services of two mathematics teachers, Mr Chris Powell and Mr Chris Johnson, to cover the required time in mathematics and Miss Anne Todd to teach music. In addition, our new School Social Worker, Miss Jane Holman took up her post on 23^rd November 2015. Mr Heath Lanzillotti (CAL for music technology) will take on the additional CAL role for music as a whole.

In January, we will be welcoming Mrs Helen Metcalfe to the school as our new KS3 English Progress Co-ordinator and Miss Hannah Gibson the new combined CAL for PSHEE&C and RE.  

I should like to take this opportunity to remind you, that in the advent of adverse weather conditions, a decision as to whether or not to open the school will be made, at the latest, by 6.30am. If closure is necessary an announcement will then be made on BBC Radio York & Minster FM. The school’s website will also carry information about any school closure and we will tweet and SMS message you with information. Once the school is open it will remain open until the end of the day unless it becomes clear that students risk becoming stranded, because of any worsening conditions. If the school has to close we will make a decision, whenever possible, by the end of the day in question, about the prospects for the following day.

Finally, I appreciate that Leeds Road is extremely busy. I would however, ask you to be mindful of the fact that we are situated in a residential area, and to be considerate to our neighbours when parking, especially if you find yourself blocking their driveway.

As we say at Selby High School, and as we look forward to 2016, it is more important that we are more successful tomorrow than perhaps we have been today! So we are looking forward to an excellent and outstanding 2016.

On that note I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the staff and governors to wish you a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year! 

 

Paul Eckersley

Headteacher

P.S. I am looking forward to seeing all the parents, carers’ and guardians of students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 at the Consultation Day on Monday 14^th December 2015.

Important Dates for Your Diary

Monday 4^th January                        School re-opens

Monday 4^th January –                     Year 11 mock examinations

Friday 15^th January

Wednesday 20^th January               Year 7 & 8 Theatre-in-Education (pm)

Thursday 21^st January                     Year 7 Faraday Challenge day

Thursday 4^th February –                Year 11 Astronomy trip to Kielder

Friday 5^th February

Tuesday 9^th February                      Year 11 Targeted Evening

Thursday 11^th February                  Final of the Inter-House Music Competition

Thursday 11^th February                  School closes for holidays

Friday 12^th February                        Training Day – school closed to students

Headteacher's Blog - October 2015

Dear Parents/Carers/Guardians

Welcome to my first blog of this academic year and what an exciting start to the new school year it has been!

I have attached a copy of our 2014-2015 Highlights booklet  and we are already planning for 2015-2016 to be another year to remember. The 2015 Governors’ 100% Attendance Awards and Governor’s Awards Evening, which were held on the 13th & 14th October 2015, respectively, were truly glittering occasions and wonderful showcases for everything we hold dear at Selby High School. As you will have seen from the news feed on the school’s website our students are, once again, doing some great things, so the 2016 Governors’ Awards are set to be amazing and spectacular occasions!

We are all delighted to see how well Selby High School has done in the DfE published unvalidated provisional attainment data, in respect of the grades achieved as a result of the first entry* for a particular subject and not those achieved after sitting the examination more than once. The government believes that early publication of this data will support parental choices before the   31st October 2015 deadline for secondary school selection.  

Our results are commendable in comparison to national and local data, even though we are still awaiting a number of remarks and clerical checks on examination papers taken by our students in the summer.  Everyone at the school is proud of the achievements in the summer and extremely pleased that these results have enabled our students to successfully move to the next stage of their lives:

61% of students achieved 5 A*-C GCSEs including English and mathematics.

We are very conscious that the national figures will be adjusted in the spring, ready for the final performance table publication, however, from our current projections, using this unvalidated data, the school’s results, once again, demonstrates another robust year of students’ performance.

We hope you find the data useful and the following link will take you to the performance table for 2015.  Results from previous years can also be found on the DfE performance tables’ website Department of Education – Performance Tables.

*First entry grades are the ones used by the DfE to highlight the comparative performance of different schools.

I would like to thank you for your support in getting the new school year off to such a fantastic start. The uniform standards have been truly excellent and students have, therefore, avoided unnecessary punishments, which deflect us from our main purpose of everyone securing top class results and achieving their full potential. Thank you for your support in ensuring your child(ren) are properly turned out for school, together with being ‘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. Moreover, students’ behaviour for learning needs to be such that it allows both them and their fellow students to make the maximum progress possible.

We send a large number of emails 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 should be grateful if you would check your emails at least twice a week, together with following us on Twitter@selbyhigh. The hyperlink to the school’s website is:

www.selbyhigh.co.uk

Top class home/school communications are critical so why not write a note to your child’s Form Tutor or Head of House to let us know what is going well or areas of concern that you may have. In addition, please use the Student Planner to provide a written explanation of any absences, but please also telephone the school on the first day of absence to let us know:

Telephone Number: 01757-703327 and select the option for reporting a student absence

Consultation Day for Parents’/Carers’/Guardians’ will take place on Monday 14th December 2015. Don’t forget to book your appointment between 9.36am and 7.36pm, when the slips are issued. The length of appointments will be twelve minutes. 

As you will be aware we hold parents’, carers’ and guardians’ support evenings each academic year and 2015-2016 will be no different. To date we have hosted very successful literacy and numeracy evenings and the annual CEOP evening, with regard to staying safe on-line, will take place on Tuesday 10th November 2015.

Mr Peter Griffin (English teacher), will be leaving the school’s employment at the end of this term,
because he is relocating to Cheshire. I am sure you would wish to join me in thanking him for his hard work and commitment during the last three years. In addition, Miss Freya Kirk (mathematics teacher) & Miss Naomi Sellars (mathematics teacher) will both be taking maternity leave to have their second children.

Dr Mark Smith (science teacher) is joining the staff on a permanent basis from January 2016 and from December 2015 Miss Jane Holman will be taking up the role of School Social Worker. In January 2016, Mrs Helen Metcalfe and Miss Hannah Gibson will be joining the staff to undertake the respective roles of KS3 English Progress Co-ordinator and the Curriculum Area Leader for RE & PSHEE & C. I am looking forward to witnessing them achieve great things with our young people, at the school.

I am really looking forward to seeing you all at our latest musical extravaganza ‘We Will Rock You”, which will take place at the school, 8^th-10^th December 2015. Tickets go on sale soon, book early to avoid disappointment. If the preview performance is anything to go by, you are in for a great evening’s entertainment!

Important dates for your diary.

Monday 2nd November                                 Training Day – School closed to students
Tuesday 3rd November                                 School re-opens
Monday 9th November 7pm                          Holocaust Survivor evening – Years 9, 10 & 11
Tuesday 10th November 7.30pm                   Year 7 ICT Internet Safety evening
Wednesday 11th November –
Tuesday 17th November                                Book Fair in LRC
Thursday 12th November                              Year 7 Horrible Histories trip
Tuesday 17th November                                Year 7 Enterprise Day
Wednesday 25th November                           Year 7 More Able App Development morning
                                                                        Shakespeare Schools Performance
Friday 4th December                                       Clothes Show trip
Tuesday 8th – Thursday 10th December       School Production ‘We Will Rock You’
Friday 11th December                                   Tracker 1 issued
Monday 14th December                                Consultation Day
Tuesday 15th December                                Speed Dating with Industry
Wednesday 16th December                           Lego League competition
Thursday 17th December                               Year 7 trip to West Yorkshire Playhouse to see ‘Chitty                                                                                           Chitty Bang Bang’
Friday 18th December                                     School closes for holidays

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:

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/

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 3^rd September          Training day – school closed to students

Friday 4^th September               School re-opens (Year 7 only)

Monday 7^th September           School re-opens (all students)

Thursday 17^th September        Year 7 Literacy evening

Friday 18^th September              School photographs

Wednesday 23^rd September   Year 7 Numeracy evening

Monday 28^th September          Training day – school closed to students

                                                      Open Evening for prospective parents

Tuesday 6^th October                 Year 8 girls HPV injections

                                                     Raising Aspirations evening

Wednesday 7^th October          Year 9 girls HPV injections

Wednesday 14^th October        Governors Awards evening at Selby Abbey

Friday 16^th October                 Year 9 ‘Re-start a heart’ day

Tuesday 20^th October              Year 7 Parents’/Carers’/Guardians’ Consultation evening

Friday 23^rd 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

Staffing Blog – June 2015

We will be saying goodbye to the following staff who will be leaving us in August:

Mrs Kirsty Varley (Art Co-ordinator) has secured a new teaching position at Queen Ethelburga’s College. She will be joining the independent school as their new head of art. Miss Zara Linney (D&T teacher) also has a new post at an independent school; teaching design & technology and art, at the new Focus Independent School, 7-18 school, in York. This is one of a number of Plymouth Brethren Christian schools, which have /are being established worldwide where teaching is driven by the word of The Holy Bible. Mr David Benson (science teacher) has been appointed to a chemistry lecturer’s post at New College, Huddersfield, which is a Post 16 FE College. Miss Sarah Horner (mathematics teacher) has resigned her teaching position, in order to overcome a serious illness. Mrs Angela Hindle (CAL for RE), Mr Nicholas Blanchflower (computer and business studies teacher) and Mrs Helen Foster have tendered their resignations with effect from 31^st August 2015. Miss Natalie Hayward (Head of Mason House) and Dr Paul O’Gorman (CAL for PSHEE &C) have, with a desire to be nearer to their homes, respectively accepted a PE teaching post at Appleton Academy in Bradford and a science teaching post at East Leeds Academy. Mrs Jackie Seils (LP T&L Team, Faculty Leader Co-ordinator and Global Languages Leader) has been promoted to Assistant Headteacher at the St Francis Xavier’s School in Richmond. I am sure you would wish to join with me in thanking them for all that they have done for the school in their current roles and wish each and every one of them the very best of luck in all their future undertakings.

Miss Jennie Crackles (CAL for business studies & enterprise) brought her date to go on maternity leave forward by one week. She left to begin her leave on 11^th June 2015. She is planning to return with a further reduction in hours (0.6FTE); she currently works four days per week (0.8FTE), Easter 2016. Mr Shaun Martin will, with immediate effect, undertake the CAL role for business studies and enterprise, together with his role as the CAL for computer studies. Mr Christopher Jones (ACAL for mathematics) has been appointed as the new Global Languages Leader and CAL for mathematics and, in turn, Mr Iain Spence (mathematics teacher) and Mrs Linda Thacker (mathematics teacher) have been appointed as the joint ACAL for mathematics.

I am delighted to inform you that Miss Sarah Smith (mathematics teacher) and Miss Lynne Eagles (Senior Science Technician) have joined the staff with immediate effect. Mr Mohammed Naveed (computer studies teacher) began working at the school on the 22^nd June 2015. Miss Lauren Wood (Data Manager) will begin work at the school on the 20^th July 2015 and the following personnel will be joining the staff in September 2015:

Mr Andrew Graham                  (design & technology teacher)

Miss Lucy Holt                         (dance & PE teacher)

Miss Rebecca Newman            (science teacher)

Ms Melissa Samwell              (mathematics teacher

Miss Jenna Strain                      (PE and dance teacher)

Mrs Nicola Welsh                      (KS3 literacy intervention and English teacher)

Mrs Nicola Whattam                  (CAL for Art & Photography)

Dr Mark Smith                            (science teacher)

Following a re-think of how we could support students with behaviour linked learning problems, we have appointed Mr Nicholas Fillingham (PSTM) as our Internal Exclusion Officer. He will work with Mrs Dawn Collins (ASSM) who has been deployed as the Internal Exclusion ASSM.

As you are aware from Letter No: 23 we are reorganising the guidance and support afforded to our students. As a result of that re-organisation Mr Colum McArdle (ALM for Mason House) will take on the role of CAL for Geography in addition to being the Head of Mason House. Mr Stephen Hawksworth will become the Head of Hockney House and Mr Ben Sheehan (PE teacher) and Miss Rebecca Harwood (ALM for Garrett House) will become the new Heads of Palin and Garrett House respectively.

As you will be aware the respective Year Leaders will be as follows:

                                                Year 7 Leader Mr M Burnitt

                                                Year 8 Leader Mrs L Roberts

                                                Year 9 Leader Mrs A Minton

                                                Year 10 Leader Mrs K Whitaker

                                                Year 11 Leader Mrs L Bentley

The new Individual Learning Block Co-ordinator for Years 7 & 8 will be Miss Kathryn Levitt who will combine this post with that of being the Assistant Co-ordinator for the More Able.

Finally, we will be advertising for the new combined post of Curriculum Area Leader for PSHEE & C and RE at the beginning of the Autumn term. In the interim Miss Henna Iqbal (history teacher) will be overseeing RE and Mrs Amanda Lumb and Mrs Joanne Carter-Mills (Deputy Headteachers) will ensure everything runs smoothly with regard to PSHEE & C. In addition, we will be appointing a new KS3 English Progress Co-ordinator. We have created additional leadership and management posts in science, in order to take account of the new science curriculum and exam specifications, whereby all students will take separate sciences. Mrs Sophie Bell (ALM Palin House) will become the KS4 Science Progress Co-ordinator and Mr Andrew Milson (science teacher) taking on the responsibility of Science Enrichment and Curriculum Co-ordinator. Mrs Jennifer Mackey, the ACAL for Science, having relinquished her Transition Co-ordinator post, will become the Consultation, Specialist Information & Events Co-ordinator.

Headteacher’s Blog - May 2015

Headteacher’s Blog May 2015

Dear Parents, Carers & Guardians,

It has been an incredibly busy, but hugely rewarding half-term as the news stories on our website www.selbyhigh.n-yorks.sch.uk are testimony to the tremendous range of opportunities available to our students, together with the impact they have had both locally and nationally. The human bicycle in celebration of the Tour de Yorkshire was simply amazing!!

I would like to thank you for the on-going support you provide in order to ensure that our youngsters can engage with these activities.

We continue to work relentlessly to drive up standards and improve the accommodation and resources. During the summer vacation, we will also be continuing with our corridor modernisation and painting & decorating programme, together with our annual maintenance programme. We are working closely with an architect and a project management company putting together the final plans for our new sports changing rooms and alterations to the sports hall to accommodate, amongst other things, Selby’s very own wheelchair sports centre and additional classrooms. Work should begin on site in October 2015; exciting times!

We are looking forward to welcoming a maximum intake into the school in September for the eighth consecutive year as more and more people want to take advantage of the exciting opportunities and excellent education Selby High School provides.

Once again, I am seeking your continued help in ensuring that your child is wearing the correct uniform, including their House tie. If we experience a heat wave we will of course issue separate daily instructions in respect of wearing blazers and ties. It is also important that students bring the right equipment to all lessons. It is vital, as you will appreciate, that students continue to approach their studies with the correct focus, attitude and determination to achieve at the highest level and aim for excellence in all that they do. Equally, further to my letter earlier this month, I welcome your support in ensuring your child (ren) eats healthily with regard to their breakfast; break-time snacks and lunch. Young peoples’ diets has such an impact on their ability to concentrate and study, this is something we cannot leave to chance!

Every student’s aim should be to become a Selby 4 Key student. Talking of which we are hoping to take over 320 students on an all-expenses paid trip to Flamingo Land on 16^th July 2015, to celebrate collecting 10 Keys over 3 trackers for year 7 to year 9 students and 13.3 keys over 4 trackers for Year 10 students, together with putting on a free film show for over 460 3 Key students!  Over 89% of students are currently either a 3 Key or 4 Key students with 37% being 4 Key students. This is a tremendous achievement; thank you for all that you do in ensuring your child(ren) put the maximum commitment and application into their studies; there is no substitute for hard work!

Staffing Update for Parents, Carers and Guardians

Since my last Blog the following members of staff have left Selby High School to take on new challenges:

Mr Robert Sellers (mathematics teacher) has gone to work at Michael Page Motor Factors.

Mrs Angela Kitchen has taken up her post as the midday supervisor covering the outdoor eating area. Mrs Joanne Trubas left her position as a catering assistant on 13^th April 2015.

Mrs Hayley Wright-Brook (cleaner) left the school on Friday 15^th May 2015 to take up the position of caretaker at Kellingley Primary School. We wish her every success in her new role.

Miss Lynne Eagles has been appointed as the new Senior Science Technician.

Mrs Deborah Rowley (catering assistant) is leaving the school on 31^st May 2015 to concentrate on her role as a carer at a local residential home.

Mrs Adele Keepfer (Data Manager) will be leaving her post on Friday 5^th June 2015 to take up an operations analyst role at TSYS in York.

Mrs Linda Seaton (cleaner), having worked at the school for nearly twenty years, will be retiring on Friday 3^rd July 2015. We wish her a well-deserved retirement!

Finally, I would like to send Miss Jennie Crackles (Curriculum Area Leader for Business & Enterprise) every good wish for her maternity leave which she begins on Thursday 11^th June 2015

Watch this space for my end of term Staffing Update.

Paul Eckersley

Headteacher

Dates for Your Diary

Monday 1^st June                              School re-opens

Monday 1^st – Friday 5^th June         Year 8 Bewerley Park visit

Tuesday 16^th June                           Inter-School Language Spelling Bee

Wednesday 17^th June                      Year 8 Physics Olympic Competition

Thursday 18^th June                         Year 10 More Able STEM Event

Monday 22^nd, Wednesday 24^th      Geography Field Trips     

& Friday 26^th June

Tuesday 23^rd June                           Year 8 & 9 STEM day

Wednesday 24^th June                      Year 11 Prom at Carlton Towers

Thursday 25^th June                          MFL Eurofest Event at Selby College

Friday 26^th June                               Prison Me No Way

Monday 29^th June –                         Activities Week

Friday 3^rd July

Monday 29^th June                            Year 7 trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Monday 6^th July                               Years 7, 8 & 9 Big Brain Game

                                                          Careers Fair

Tuesday 7^th July                               Year 6 Induction Day

Wednesday 8^th July                          Year 9 & 10 trip to Manchester

Thursday 9^th July                              Year 10 Taster Day at Selby College

                                                           Year 6 Parents’ Information Evening

Friday 10^th July                                 Sports Day

                                                           Gifted & Talented Workshop

                                                           Tracker 3 Reports Issued

Monday 13^th July                              Consultation Day

Tuesday 14^th July                              Puzzle of the Week final

Wednesday 15^th July                         Reserve Sports Day

Thursday 16^th July                            Rewards Day

Friday 17^th July                                 Whole School End of Year Assembly

Monday 20^th July                              Training Day – School closed to students