Principal's update 26 April 2024
Published on 26/04/24
Dear Parents and Carers
Thank you for your ongoing help with attendance. We continue to work with young people and families to improve attendance across the school. We are requesting that when you notify school of a medical appointment you send a screenshot of the appointment with the time visible so that we can ensure that we are accurately recording absences from school. Unfortunately, we are not able to authorise full day absences from school unless the appointment lasts for the day. We would ask that students are returned to school as soon as possible after any appointment.
What’s going on in school:
- This week in Drama, Y7 students have been learning the opening act of DNA by Dennis Kelly. They have been consolidating the plot of the play through turning the script into picture diagrams. Miss Starbuck is very impressed with everyone's work this week and their approach to this revision task. DNA is the GCSE drama set text and students learn how to act, direct and design this production throughout topics in KS3.
- On Wednesday and Thursday this week, Mr Fitton and Miss Townend took Year 11 GCSE Geography students to Hornsea and Flamborough Head to experience coastal processes and erosion in action! This is great preparation for their GCSE Geography in a few weeks’ time, as students could see how coastal landforms had been created, as well as how areas of high erosion have been protected through various types of sea defences along the east coast - one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe!
Year 9 Outdoor Activities Programme Summer Term 2024
The Outdoor Activities Programme for Year 9 students has changed a little for this term. We are continuing with our Mountain Biking sessions; however, some students will be asked to complete a morning session and others will be doing an afternoon session. This will have very minimal impact on lessons and ensure students do not miss out on this fantastic opportunity.
This information has been emailed out to students and is also on the student noticeboard at school. Individual groups will also get a reminder before their session with a kit list and timings for each session. We are also running catch up sessions for the group that missed out on Weaselling due to staff illness.
Y8 Subject Evening
The Y8 Subject Evening will take place in school on Monday 29 April. This is an opportunity to talk to teachers about progress, attainment and attitudes to learning. Information regarding booking appointments has been emailed to parents and carers.
Bus Fares & Passes
We are seeing an increasing number of students coming to Reception needing to borrow bus fare money. The school is predominantly cashless, so if your young person does not have a bus pass or needs to pay a fare, please make sure they have the money they need to get home. For lost bus passes, replacements can be ordered at school reception at a cost of £5.
Y11 Leavers Hoodies
We wrote to Y11 parents and carers earlier today to advise that leavers hoodies could be worn from 8 May. The delivery to school has actually arrived this afternoon and will be given out on Monday, so all Y11 students will be allowed to wear their leavers hoodies from Monday 29 April onwards. A reminder that leggings and jogging bottoms are not part of school uniform and should not be worn.
Thank you for reading our communication. Here are some helpful email addresses, should you need to contact us:
- attendance@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to report a child’s absence
- enquiries@hopevalley.chorustrust.org for general enquiries
- pastoral@hopevalley.chorustrust.org for any issue with a child’s wellbeing
- principal@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to contact the Principal
- safeguarding@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to report safeguarding concerns. If a child or any young person is in imminent danger, then please report this to the police.
Kind regards
Gaynor Jones
Principal, Hope Valley College
T: 01433 620555