I hope that you have all had a good week. I imagine there are many of you enjoying the World Cup. We made the decision not to show the England vs Iran game in school; an unpopular decision for some but there are many pupils and staff who have no interest in football, preferring to immerse themselves in their lessons instead. I am sure many would have appreciated the decision by the Saudi Arabians, however. Following their unprecedented win against Argentina on Tuesday, Wednesday was declared a bank holiday. Our canteen chef has well and truly embraced The World Cup: on Monday we had southern fried chicken vs Welsh rarebit; Wednesday we had German hotdogs vs Katsu curry. I am keeping everything crossed that Germany improve and that Japan maintain their form because they were very tasty.
There have been quite a few sporting events recently but nothing quite as impressive as Kevin Sinfield who ran 7 consecutive ultra-marathons to raise money for MND charities. Running 40 miles a day for seven days to support his friend, Rob Burrow, is something that should inspire all of us.
Our Y11 pupils are coming to the end of their mock exam period. They have coped admirably with a full set of exams in a short space of time and can now start to plan ahead for the real exams in summer. I know as a parent that exam time can be stressful for the whole family and as parents it can be hard to know how to help without getting the usual teenage response. A good way would be to make sure that your child has all the right equipment needed to revise and to bring to the exam. If you are struggling to support your child with resources, please do get in touch with us and we will help. Our Progress Team have a well-stocked cupboard of post it notes and highlighters.
We have experienced some torrential rain this week. Coats do seem to be back in fashion, not quite the return to the cagoules of the 70’s, but it is great to see so many wearing outdoor coats and many also bringing brollies. The puddles around the outside of the school site have been huge, causing particular problems for students crossing Hassall Road to get to the hub. We have had a number of concerned residents contact us about the traffic at the end of the day along Hassall Road. If you do need to collect your child by car, please try to park in side streets away from the school.
Thank you to all parents who have shared out of school successes. We also have a lot of activities for your child to get involved with in school. Our enrichment offer is varied and will help build up self-confidence and resilience.
Again, there seems to be more research coming out about the effects of the pandemic on our children. As adults we need to ensure that our children feel safe, we praise them but also put in boundaries. Children thrive when they have structure and boundaries. School is a constant and offers the routine that all children need. If you are experiencing difficulty with this, we can support you. Please contact your child’s head of college to discuss what we can do to help.
Attendance in lessons is key to succeeding in school and we are continuing to celebrate 100% attendance each month and sending texts to parents halfway through the month to encourage pupils to stay on track.
We are in the process of updating elements of our website, so I apologise in advance if you are unable to find something. A number of key staff left in summer which has meant that certain policies have had to be updated and we have made a few changes to some key policies. Once these have been approved by governors they will be uploaded to the website.
The big Alsager switch on takes place this weekend, which perhaps means that we can really start to get ourselves ready for Christmas. Our students have made some fantastic Christmas tree decorations which you can see in Wesley Place. I read that the Christmas lights are being switched on by Fiona Bruce. I can only assume this is our local MP and not the BBC newsreader.
With the England world cup game vs USA on Friday, at a much better, less controversial time, there is plenty to look forward to this weekend. Whatever your plans, enjoy the rest.
“Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticised anyway. You’ll be damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
