Headteacher’s Blog – 6th October 2023

With six weeks to go until Progress Exams for students in Years 10 and 11, Mrs. Godsell-Wright has been talking to each Year 11 student about their Year 10 GCSE/BTEC results. They’ve discussed how they approached their exams and what they’ve learnt so that they can incorporate that into their revision and approach for Year 11. With futures in mind, the Year 11 Careers guidance interviews with Mrs. Morgan, our Careers Adviser, are continuing at pace. Post-16 Open Evenings are being held over the next few months, so we’re keen that our students are well aware of all of the options open to them. If you’re a Year 11 Parent/Carer, you will have received the Careers newsletter with information about these and our approach over the coming months.

Students in Years 10 and 11 have also had the opportunity this week to apply to be a prefect which is an important part of our Student Leadership structure. We’re looking forward to reading their applications and one of the first responsibilities of the newly appointed prefects will be to represent the school at our Open Evening. A reminder that school closes at 1.30p.m. on Wednesday 11th October for Open Evening with many of our students returning to help out in the evening.

 It doesn’t feel like a year since we had our last Open Evening and, now that Year 7 have been here for five weeks, we’ve completed our Settling in Survey. We’re currently analysing the results. It’s good to hear the responses to the question asking what the best thing about Boroughbridge High School is, have included ‘There’s too many amazing things to pick one.’, ‘That there is a wide variety of different activities and lessons.’, ‘Being with my friends and learning new things.’ and ‘How nice everyone is, staff and students.’ We’ll be looking forwardto welcoming Year 7 parents and carers into school on Monday 16th October for the Meet the Tutor Evening.

In assemblies this week, Mrs. Ennis, our Head of History, has been talking to students about Black History Month, the focus of which this year is ‘Celebrating our sisters’. Students were invited to take a closer look at the longer term history along with Windrush with 2023 seeing the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush arriving in Britain. They then explored the significant impact of prominent women including Mary Seacole who used her own money to set up her own hospital, the ‘British Hotel’, helping soldiers in the Crimean War and Dame Elizabeth Anionwu who, having put a substantial amount of her life into her work as a nurse, health visitor and tutor working with black and minority ethnic communities in London, established the first nurse-led UK Sickle and Thalassaemia Screening and Counselling Centre. Students are encouraged to find out more at https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

Have a lovely weekend.