Our Ref: DK/jh/gltr/July 24    

24th June 2024

Dear Parent/Carer

I am sending you July’s monthly update letter earlier than normal to remind you all of a number of changes to normal arrangements in the next week and a half. The key events to focus on during the final month of the school year include:

• Presentation Evening arrangements on Thursday 27th June/delayed start on Friday 28th June
• Curriculum Review afternoon on Monday 1st July - early finish for students at 12 noon.
• Sixth Form information - Y11 Induction Days and Y10 Post-16 Preparation days w/b Monday 1st July
• Y6 Transition arrangements on Wednesday 3rd July and Tuesday 9th July
• Enrichment and Experiences Week: Monday 15th - Friday 19th July

Presentation Evening 2024 - Thursday 27th June
We will be holding the annual Presentation Evening Awards at Birmingham Town Hall on Thursday 27th June from 7pm. The event is a key feature of the school year, an opportunity to celebrate the hard work and achievements of a number of students across a wide range of subjects as well as through a variety of enrichment activities. It is also the showcase for many of our talented performers to demonstrate their collaborative work in the performing arts. 

As a result of the late finish of the event in the evening with many staff and students involved, there will be a delayed start to school on Friday 28th June, with students arriving at 10:30am for a Period 2 start. 

Curriculum Review Meetings: Monday 1st July

This a reminder from previous letters that the students will be finishing early at 12 noon on Monday 1st July for our end-of-term Curriculum Review meetings. Following on from the summer term internal exams, teaching staff will be working in teams to review and improve their subject curriculum in line over a 5/7 year period to support student outcomes and experiences. Work will be set on Google Classrooms by Period 3/4 teachers for students.

Students who are in receipt of Free School Meals will be able to collect a sandwich or equivalent before they leave.

Sixth Form Update: Year 11 Induction Days and Post-16 Preparation Days for Year 10
A reminder from June’s letter that as part of the Sixth Form programme and our Careers provision, we will see a return to work experience during the week beginning Monday 1st July for our Year 12 students.

With Year 12 students off timetable for Work Experience week, we will be holding a 2-day Sixth Form Induction programme on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd July for those Year 11 students both from Holyhead and other schools who have applied to Holyhead Sixth Form. This will involve lessons in the specific subjects that have been opted for and team-building activities, all designed to help best prepare students for a smooth start to their Sixth Form studies in September. 

We have also revised our Post-16 careers and transition work for Year 10 with their Post-16 Preparation days taking place on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th July as opposed to their traditional place in the calendar in December of Year 11. These days will see Year 10 students also off their normal timetable and taking part in A Level / Level 3 taster lessons in subjects they have selected, and this will provide them with better awareness of the opportunities ahead of the Autumn Term where Sixth Form and College applications will become a priority.

Year 6 Transition Days in July: Impact on Y7/8 students
We will also be welcoming Year 6 students joining Holyhead in September for their Transition Days in July, a vital part of the transition programme to help our future students adjust to the change between primary and secondary school. On these days, to support the organisation and ensure the availability of key staff, we traditionally ask a different year group to work from home with remote learning provided by subject teachers. 

This will involve Year 7 students working from home on Wednesday 3rd July and Year 8 students working from home on Tuesday 9th July. Work will be set for students in these year groups on Google Classrooms.

Enrichment and Experiences Week: Monday 15th - Friday 19th July
We will be holding our second Enrichment and Experiences week at Holyhead from Monday 15th - Friday 19th July in the final week of the school year. The intention is to enhance the learning of students in subjects through more experience based learning including mini-project work and in some cases subject specific visits, as well as year group rewards visits, and we will also be holding our annual Sports Day on Wednesday 17th July. 

You will be able to read more about the events from this week in the Summer Term Pulse which will be sent out via a link to the website before the end of term.

Arrangements for the final day of term: Friday 19th July
The final day of term and the school year is Friday 19th July, and we will finish at 12 noon with students being dismissed after Period 2 lessons. As with the Curriculum Review afternoon students who are in receipt of Free School Meals will be able to collect a sandwich or equivalent before they leave. 

Key upcoming dates and events in June / July

• Presentation Evening takes place on Thursday 27th June from 7pm at Birmingham Town Hall, and there will be a delayed start to school for all students the following morning on Friday 28th June at 10:30am. 
• Y7-13 Curriculum Review meetings will be held during the afternoon on Monday 1st July, with students leaving school that day at 12 noon after Period 2 lessons. 
• Year 12 Work Experience week will take place from Monday 1st to Friday 5th July.
• Year 11 Sixth Form Induction Days will take place on Tuesday 2nd July and Wednesday 3rd July.
• Year 6 Transition Days will take place on Wednesday 3rd July and Tuesday 9th July.
• Year 7 Subject Parents’ Evening will now take place from 4-7pm on Thursday 11th July as a result of a clash of dates the week before with the General Election.
• Enrichment and Experiences Week takes place from Monday 15th July to Friday 19th July.

I will write to you again before the end of the term with more information on the arrangements over the holidays and for our return to school in September.  I thank you once again for your time in reading this letter and as usual, I wish you and your family well over the coming weeks. 

Yours faithfully,

Dave Knox
Principal