This term has been truly wonderful. It was a privilege to be in school on Wednesday night to see so many of our wonderful young people take part in the musical showcase.  We have also been incredibly well represented in sporting fixtures this week. Year 11 are being sent home with final instructions for revision over Easter.

We hope you have a lovely break over Easter and look forward to welcoming all students back to school on Monday 13 April.

Attendance

Yesterday, we welcomed a headteacher from the Attendance Hub into school to support our on-going work with attendance. We continue to be in the bottom 10% of schools in the country for attendance. Our daily attendance continues to be 4 % below the national average. This represents a significant amount of lost learning. We recognise that every time a young person is in school, they are gaining an opportunity to learn and take part in a whole range of activities. Our data and national data tell us that good attendance and good academic outcomes are inextricably linked. We will continue to work with this headteacher through the summer term to improve our attendance. During her visit, she was very complimentary about the school and our young people.

What’s going on in school?

• An enormous well done to everyone who took part in our Easter Showcase on Wednesday evening! It was a wonderful display of the talent here at HVC and the confidence our young people develop by taking part in opportunities like this. 25 outstanding acts performed a variety of different pieces, including music, poetry, dance and drama. The show was led entirely by students and Mrs Machan and Mrs Starbuck-Ahmed are so proud of them, both performers and backstage / tech team. Thank you to Mrs Machan, Mrs Starbuck-Ahmed and Mr Patterson for all their work to put the show together. Thanks also go to the amazing volunteers from our PTFA, who provided refreshments during the show. Thank you to all the bakers for supplying the PTFA with delicious cakes to sell. It takes a community to make this kind of thing happen and our community really came together. Information will follow shortly about how to sign up for the next show…..

• The PTFA would like to thank everyone who attended, baked and helped at the Easter Showcase. They raised over £600 on the evening – this will be shared between music and drama and will also go towards the PTFA’s big project to refurbish some of the school’s sports facilities.

• Keep your Duolingo streaks up! Mr Barnes would like to see screenshots from as many students as possible, showing the length of the streak and the language(s).

• We celebrated World Book Day today in school, with staff dressing up as well-known literary characters. Students completed a quiz to try to identify who was who! Thank you for all your donations for non-uniform day – monies raised will go to the Book Trust.

 

Y9 GCSE Performances

If your young person has instrumental lessons, and/or if they have opted to study GCSE music in Y10, they will have the opportunity to audio record a performance between Easter and May half term. Mrs Machan will mark this using the GCSE Music assessment criteria. This will enable them to see their strengths and areas for development. They can request a copy of the criteria after Easter. 

Mini Adventure Film Competition – HVAFF – Saturday 25 April

 

Clothing Exchange – HVAFF – Saturday 25 April

 

Hope Valley Adventure Film Festival – Saturday 25 April

Dates for Your Diary

Monday 13 April – Back to school

Friday 17 April – Y10 Macbeth trip

Tuesday 21 April – GCSE Matilda trip

Saturday 25 April – HVAFF – Adventure Film Festival

Monday 4 May – Bank holiday – school closed

Wednesday 6 May – Y8 HPV vaccinations

Thursday 7 May – Y10 Information Evening

Tuesday 19 May – Y8 Subject Evening

Friday 22 May – Break for half term

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
• headteacher@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to contact the Headteacher
• 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.
• ptfahv@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to contact the PTFA

Kind regards

 

Debbie Petts, Headteacher