Category : Headteacher’s Blog

So here it is, 2021! It’s not been the start to the term that we were all expecting, or indeed hoping for with a return to Home Learning for most students. However, as usual our whole school community has risen to the challenge.

With the Summer exams being cancelled and the DfE and Ofqual working on a fair way to award grades, it’s essential that our exam classes continue to work hard and complete all work to put themselves in a strong position and so I’m going to focus on what our Year 10, 11, 12 and 13 students have been learning this week, some in a classroom at school and many more in homes in surrounding settlements.

Getting 2021 off to a more positive start, in French, students have been writing their New Year’s Resolutions in French using the future tense of course!

With health and wellbeing at the fore, in Health and Social Care students have been analysing how our choices affect our lives in the short and long term. Thinking of physical health and fitness in PE, students have been looking at the long-term effects of exercise and injuries in sport with pictures of gruesome sports injuries! With solutions in mind, students have developed the knowledge of how to prevent and treat these injuries should they encounter them. Keeping healthy from within, Food Preparation and Nutrition students have started their coursework and have the choice of researching, planning and cooking from the three tasks set. The impact of mobile phone use on health, along with how robot arms are performing operations in hospitals, has been the focus for Computer Science students as they’ve begun to look at the legal, ethical and environmental impact of computers.

As our first winter snow is falling, GCSE geographers have been looking at the impact of extreme weather in the UK as part of a unit on natural hazards, focusing on the impact of storms. Staying with Humanities, in RE, students are beginning their independent study of the ethics of human relationships whilst in History, students are investigating the key question, ‘How did Hitler establish a dictatorship?’.

With an eye on times of greater freedom, Travel and Tourism students have been working on a tourist information guide for a UK destination. Where would you choose? Researching sources of finance available to large and small firms and identifying the advantages and drawbacks of each has been the focus of Business students. In Art, Craft and Design students have been starting to consider design ideas for their final piece based on the theme of Disguise, looking at artists to inspire their design choices.

In Maths, Year 10 students have been working on a range of topics with some students recapping earlier topics and others calculating averages and using data in a real-life context. Year 11 have been working on compound measures, estimation and accuracy, creating constructions and accurately drawing loci and exploring 3D shapes, looking at formal calculations for volume and surface of prisms, cylinders, cones and pyramids, with spheres to come next week.

In Science, all KS4 students have been plugging gaps in knowledge identified from the Progress exams whilst in Design Technology, some online revision has been taking place with students also getting to grips with their design ideas, adding labels and notes, ready to analyse against their specifications.

A-Level students have been completing their UCAS applications, identifying their Universities of choice and using their personal statements to demonstrate their wealth of skills and achievements. They’ve also shown their usual high level of initiative by creating Google Meet groups so that they can discuss their lessons virtually to keep connected during this period of home learning.

Geographers have been studying the main stores and flows of water in the world and how changes over time in one can have significant global consequences, along with pollution in urban areas and how it can be reduced. Biologists have been focusing on exam technique for longer answer questions from Unit 4. Taking full advantage of the National Theatre’s offer to provide schools free access to a range of their plays during the lockdown period, Year 13 English Literature students watched a love production of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ starring Gillian Anderson as Blanche DuBois. Following that they will be revising the dramatic devices used by Tennessee Williams in the play.

Year 13 Psychologists have been studying psychological explanations for schizophrenia on Google Meet lessons and Year 12 have been learning about the behavioural approach. Year 13 Mathematicians have been looking at the normal distribution and working on trigonometric identities which they first met in Year 12. Historians have been researching 16^th Century Spain for their Non-exam assessment.

So, whilst the school building may be closed for the majority of students, learning certainly isn’t. Thanks for your support with this. Take care.

One hundred Christmas cards were carefully written with festive messages and best wishes by the Health and Social Care group and, following a quarantine period, are being delivered to Boroughbridge Manor and Riverside Court. We were also very grateful for the £165 donations from staff and students to buy food for our local foodbanks.

Christmas Dinner got us into the Christmas mood on Tuesday and, in and amongst the festivities, we’ve continued with high quality learning with Year 7 making cakes with many different flavourings. Meanwhile, with temperatures beginning to fall, Year 7 scientists have been doing a small science project on insulation using the Raspberry Pi computers and a temperature probe. Mr Errington reports that the students have made a really good start with Charlie and Isaac managing to connect some LEDs and light them.

The Christmas window competition has reached new heights as gradually around the school, windows turned into festive extravaganzas. You can see a few of them here. Decision making was tough so we decided each year group deserved a winner.

Meanwhile, around the school, we’ve also been able to view the Christmas baubles that KS3 classes have been producing.

And so, to end the week with a flourish, we’ve been wearing our Christmas jumpers today and have raised £302 for Save the Children. During extended form time, students received subject awards for their hard work and achievements. They finished by watching a unique staff video performance of ‘Last Covid Christmas’ to a tune you’ll be very familiar with performed by Bertie and Ewan (Year 13) and a range of staff in varying locations.

Thanks again to all parents who completed the survey on remote learning. We’ll share the outcomes and our follow up actions in the New Year.

So, as 2020 draws to a close, I would like to thank you for your support through what has been a challenging year for us all. Your commitment to remote learning during the lockdown period has formed a strong foundation for us to support students in making excellent progress this term. I hope that you and your families have a restful and peaceful Christmas and we look forward to working with you in 2021.

Christmas is in the air this week with Mrs Godsell-Wright’s virtual assembly focusing on Advent and the true meaning of Christmas. Taking on these themes of thinking of and helping others, the BTEC Health and Social Care class will be following our annual tradition of writing cards with Christmas messages to take to local care homes. We’re also collecting monetary donations for local foodbanks. If you’d like to contribute, please put your donation in an envelope marked ‘Foodbank’ which can be handed in at Reception or to the Pastoral Team.

This week has seen the launch of the Form Christmas window competition, as an alternative to our usual Christmas door competition. 7SW set the standard with their excellent Remembrance window display so we’ll see how the forms and their tutors rise to this particular challenge. Judging will take place next Thursday.

Other things to look forward to next week include Christmas Dinner Day on Tuesday accompanied by festive music. Students who are less enthusiastic about Christmas Dinner will be able to have a sandwich alternative. This would also be a very appropriate time to thank the Kitchen Team for their hard work throughout the Autumn Term to maintain our range of hot and cold meals for students despite these challenging times.

Students will hopefully use a few minutes this weekend to find their Christmas jumpers to wear on Friday on our non-uniform day. We’ll be raising money for ‘Save the Children’. Donations can be made through ParentMail.

A reminder that school will close for the Christmas holidays after students have registered at 1.30pm on Friday 18^th December.

Have a lovely weekend.

Headteacher’s Blog – Around the World

At a time when travel isn’t possible, I thought that it would be interesting to see where students have been going to in lessons this week.

Have a lovely weekend!

Progress exams are well underway, giving students in Years 10 and 11 a real experience of taking an exam in the Exam Hall under JCQ regulations. These exams will be a learning tool for all, as students develop their revision and exam technique and teachers get the information that they need to plan the teaching and learning ahead.

Lower down the school, Year 7 have been involved in Science practicals including chromatography and how to use a Bunsen burner. This morning, in ICT, they were using the Raspberry Pi to begin their exploration of the world of programming and electronics.

Our thanks go to those Key Stage 3 parents who have been supporting their children with Home Learning over the past week. We’ll look forward to welcoming students back later next week.

Our Professional Development Day on Wednesday was focused around developing our remote learning offer with staff expanding their use of the GoogleDrive and GoogleClassroom where students can access their work when self-isolating. A final reminder that the survey on remote learning can be found at the following link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GXMZC3N.  This will be open until Monday 30^th November.

All successful communities have respect for one another at their heart and this formed the basis of Mrs Godsell-Wright’s virtual assembly this week. As the definition for respect is ‘due regard for the feelings, wishes or rights of others’, students were asked to reflect on the fact that words and actions have consequences. This was reinforced by watching the 2020 Anti-Bullying week video on the theme United against Bullying which can be found here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOeRmP3XRHg

Finally, as we move towards Federation with King James’s School, you should have received a ballot pack with information about the nominees for Parent Governors and how to vote. Students were given this in form time on Thursday and parents of those self-isolating will have had them posted to them. If you haven’t received yours then please contact schooladmin@boroughbridgehigh.com

Have a lovely weekend!

It’s been a practically perfect week with students across the school being totally hands on!

In Food Technology, Year 7 students have been developing their cutting and chopping skills by preparing fruit salad, Year 8 students have been making and baking muffins in many different flavours and Year 9 have moved on to the main course with pasta and meatballs.

Over in Design Technology, Year 7 students are in the middle of their Blockheads projects. Year 8 students, having finished their designs for their mood lights, are putting in requests for their LED units so that the making process can begin. Meanwhile Year 9, having worked on technical drawings to figure out how to cut and create joints, are now making their MDF trinket boxes.

Up in the Science labs, Year 11 students have been investigating refraction and exploring how acids react with metals, bases and carbonates to produce salts. Chromatography, a process for separating components of a mixture, has been the focus in other classes. Year 10 students have been exploring electrolysis and are also engaged in a fully topical issue; extracting drugs from plants to make vaccines.

There have been a wide variety of sports taking place over in PE. Year 7 boys have been developing their basketball skills whilst Year 7 girls have been getting to grips with a hockey stick. Year 8 girls have been playing netball and Year 8 boys, badminton. Year 9 boys have been playing volleyball and Year 9 girls, football. At Key Stage 4, students have been playing basketball and trampolining. Meanwhile, in GCSE PE, students are starting to appreciate the finer practical points of fitness testing.

A reminder that it’s a Staff Professional Development Day on Wednesday (25^th November) when students don’t attend school. Staff will be focusing on further developing our remote learning offer for students who have to self-isolate. The survey for feedback on remote learning is still open at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GXMZC3N

Finally, our thanks go to the Knaresborough Rotary Club who have very kindly donated ten laptops to support students in both their learning at school and at home. This generous gift will make a huge difference and is very much appreciated.

Have a lovely weekend.

Our Remembrance wreath was laid at the War Memorial by Year 13 students, Harvey and Ewan on Monday morning. With form classes decorating their windows, by the time we all stopped on Wednesday at 11am for the two minutes silence, to pay our respects, the school site was a sea of poppies. Well done to 7SW for their very impressive display.

Today has been a Children in Need extravaganza with a non-uniform day and many children participating in a sponsored walk. Following the deluge of rain in the early hours, we were very relieved to see the rain clouds part and a beautiful crisp autumn day appear. Students enthusiastically walked or ran around the field enjoying the fresh air, safe in the knowledge that they were also raising money for a very good cause whilst, at lunchtime, Key Stage 4 students were also involved in a 5 a-side football competition. Thank you for your support. We’ve raised £1032. Our thanks go to Mr Field for organising this day long event.

It’s been a week of celebration. Your child may have received a certificate congratulating them on having the highest number of positive points available. Today, a large number of certificates and sweet treats have been given to students who, for Attitude to Learning and Behaviour for Learning, achieved good or excellent across all subjects with 30% or more in the ‘excellent’ category.

Our congratulations go to Heather in Year 11 who, this week, was accepted on to the oversubscribed and very prestigious Cambridge University’s Love Languages Masterclasses. C’est superbe!

On the horizon for Year 11 students, and Year 10 for option subjects, are Progress exams which start on Monday 23rd November. These will not only help students to develop their revision skills and exam technique but will also enable teachers to further identify where students have gaps in their knowledge.

You’ll have received the ParentMail asking for your feedback about remote learning. The link is here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GXMZC3N and will stay live until Monday 30th November. Thanks for the many responses that we’ve already received.

A reminder that we have a Professional Development day on Wednesday 25th November 2020 when children do not attend school.

Have a lovely weekend.

As the trees shed their final leaves and students returned from their half term break, thinking of others has been at the fore this week. This a very important time of year for our community and so we are finding ways, despite current challenges, to mark Remembrance Day taking on the British Legion’s theme for 2020 to pay tribute to the men and women of the Second World War generation and to those of today’s who have served and sacrificed to defend our nation. Whilst we are unable to attend a Remembrance Service this year, we will be laying a wreath at the war memorial in Boroughbridge in preparation for Wednesday. We will also be marking two minutes silence across school at 11am on 11^th November. Each form group has been making their own poppies to decorate classroom windows and, in Key Stage 3 Art lessons, students have been developing their own take on the poppy symbol as you can see.

Looking ahead to Children in Need on Friday 13^th November, we’ll be having a non-uniform day. The Head students will be running a virtual Children-in-Need themed bake-off competition. Further details were in the letter sent earlier in the week. Making the most of our outside space to keep fit and fundraise, students will have the opportunity to take part in a sponsored walk with their bubble and Key Stage 4 students can also compete in an inter-form, 5 a-side competition. All donations this year will be collected through ParentMail (click on Payments then Shop).

Mrs Godsell-Wright has been analysing the rewards points that students have been accruing through their high-quality work and contributions over the last few weeks and next week she’ll be awarding prizes and certificates to recognise this. We’re very grateful to Morrisons for donating a massive amount of prizes and we’d like to thank them also for providing school lunches over half term for those eligible for Free School Meals.

Thanks for your support with face coverings. Students arrived on Thursday fully equipped and, already, wearing face coverings in communal areas has become part of our routine.

So the meaning of the latin phrase, ‘Non sibi sed aliis’? Quite simply, ‘not for ourselves but for others’.

Have a lovely weekend.

With safety at the fore, in PSHE lessons last week, our Sixth Form students focused on Driver Safety.  This is a timely presentation highlighting the importance of making appropriate decisions, whilst driving, or as a passenger.  A large proportion of the students are currently learning to drive and it is a requirement of the Sixth Form Code of Conduct that students attend the safety presentation before bringing a car onto the school site.

The Sixth Form also provides an annual opportunity for students to visit a University and Apprenticeship Regional Careers Event.  As this could not take place in the usual style this year, a virtual event was provided complete with a friendly welcome, free giveaways and refreshments!  Students spent the afternoon researching degree courses, university locations and attending webinars on topics including student finance, life at university, employability and how to secure an apprenticeship.  Students left armed with quality information to help them with their post-18 plans.

Looking forward to their own post-16 plans, Year 11 have had a tutor time visit from Mrs. Town, our Head of Sixth Form, and were able to watch a video of our current students in their daily sixth form life whilst also hearing from some of our past students who have used the opportunities that they had at BHS to go on to University and a wide range of job roles. To support Year 11 with both their shorter and longer-term goals, Mrs. Rainbow has been carrying out Careers interviews.

To ensure that all options are open to them and with Progress Exams on the horizon for Years 10 and 11 (they start on Monday 23^rd November), Mrs. Godsell-Wright took the opportunity, in advance of the half-term break, to speak to students about the importance of revision. Having presented students with a Revision Guide, she shared some revision techniques and tips on putting together a revision timetable. Students were made aware that the Progress Exams will enable them to demonstrate what they know which will be used to inform teaching. The official exams are scheduled to take place in Summer 2021 but, in these uncertain times, the Progress exams take on even greater importance.

Marking Black History Month, Mrs. Langford is developing a display sharing inspirational stories which explore the lives of influential, black Britons who have had an impact on UK laws and equal rights. To complete the display, students have been invited to share their own black heroes.

Our first Parents’ Evening took place this week with phone conversations rather than face to face meetings. However, the same quality of interaction took place with tutors and the pastoral team having the opportunity to talk to parents about how well Year 7 have settled into Boroughbridge High School and the excellent progress that they are making.

Thank you for your support during this rather different yet, nonetheless, successful half term.

I hope that you and your family have a lovely half term break.

It’s been a pleasure to write the Blog over the last few weeks, celebrating the fact that students are back in school and high-quality learning is taking place. This week I thought we’d take a look behind the scenes.

The day at Boroughbridge High School begins as the clock strikes 7 with the arrival of the Site Team who begin opening the school and carrying out their site walk to check that everything is in place for students and staff.

Arriving shortly after, the Catering Team begin prepping and cooking to make sure that students have hot and cold snack choices at breaktime and hot and cold meal choices at lunch time. Whilst serving and paying takes place behind plastic screens, the same range and quality of experience is enjoyed. Cleaning takes place between year groups but the seating arrangements look more like a classroom than a Dining Hall.

The sound of small plastic trolley wheels moving across the carpark marks the arrival of the Teaching Team who no longer go to their subject base to set up but, instead, make their way to their first teaching room of the day, making sure that they take all of their resources with them along with their visor. It’s possible that they’ll be teaching in five different classrooms in five different zones throughout the day. Making sure that technology is working to support learning is the responsibility of our ICT Manager.

At 8am the Office Team arrive and get ready for the day ahead, which will involve carrying out a plethora of activities including First Aid, with PPE, for students who are unwell. The Office Manager/PA puts in place any cover that we need for any absent staff which thankfully so far, has been few, whilst the Data Manager gets ready to send the daily attendance return to the DfE.

The Teaching Assistant Team collect their visors and make their way to the zones that they’re assigned to, ready to support students. Technicians set out resources.

Students are met by duty staff as they arrive at school. Those travelling on buses are checked for face coverings. They then make their way to their outside space.

At 8.40am students enter their zone, make their way to their first lesson and the learning begins. Tutor time now comes later with students meeting their Form Tutors before or after break. Assemblies are virtual, with Mr Grierson talking this week about the value of teamwork. Walking around the zones during tutor time are the Pastoral Managers, making themselves available for students. Over in the Sixth Form block, similar activities are taking place with tutors and the Sixth Form Learning mentor.

Throughout the day and after school, the Site and Cleaning team systematically work their way around school ensuring that surfaces and handles are cleaned, soap and sanitiser dispensers filled and doors are propped open.

Whilst everyone has the same responsibilities as they did in March, every action and every decision now has to be looked at through Covid-19 safety eyes. Never before has teamwork been so important. At the end of Week 6, there isn’t one person on site who isn’t exhausted but it’s worth it, as the purpose of this teamwork is very clear, to make sure that our school is a place where students are safe, happy and successful.

Have a lovely weekend and, if you’ve got a few minutes, you may like to take a look at our Virtual Open Evening at www.boroughbridgehigh.com.