Dear Parent/Carer

I hope you and your family are well. I’m writing to you with some key updates ahead of our final month of the school year. In July’s update letter you will find out more on:

• Publication of the Ofsted Inspection Report from May 2025

• Presentation Evening 2025 - How you can watch it back if you didn’t get chance to see it first time

• Year 6 Transition - New Intake Day arrangements in July

• Sixth Form Update: Year 11 Induction Days and Post-16 Preparation Days for Year 10

• Enrichment and Experiences week in the final week of term

• A reminder of the Preloved Uniform Shop and how you can support it if possible

Holyhead School Ofsted Inspection Report

I'm pleased and proud to be able to share the final Inspection Report following on from the Ofsted Inspection of Holyhead in May. It is now official and published on the Ofsted website (attached to the email and linked here). 

We felt it had been a thorough, but most importantly, fair process which gives the school concrete things to work on that will undoubtedly help students in the future. I want to express my thanks to each and every parent/carer who reads this, not only to those who took the time to fill out the Parent View survey during the inspection, but importantly, to all for playing your part in the culture of the school, one that the students feel, and the inspection team recognised as being like a family.

The report highlights a number of strengths of the school including the highly effective work to ensure that attendance at Holyhead is well above national averages. Other key strengths that were identified in the report and during the inspection include:

• Students feel safe, like they belong and are valued.

• Strong work in relation to attendance, pupils well-being and character development (including a well designed PSHE curriculum).

• Students have self control and highly positive attitudes to learning.

• The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic and wider achievements.

• The school has developed a highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. It has also revised its approaches to curriculum implementation to bring further improvements to how pupils learn.

• Pupils know who to talk to if they have concerns.

• Students relish leadership opportunities and take part in a wide variety of enrichment activities.

• Students in the Sixth Form are highly positive about their learning experience and achieve well.

The two areas for development are ones that many schools are working on, and are also already being prioritised in the CPD plans for the next two years through the school’s involvement in a nationally recognised programme called Embedding Formative Assessment through the Schools, Students and Teachers Network. We are confident that the findings of the inspection will help us to make long lasting improvements for students in the following areas:

• Use of assessment in lessons: Sometimes, teaching does not check pupils’ understanding well enough and misunderstandings or key gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not addressed consistently. 

• Adaptive teaching: In some cases, teaching is not adapted effectively enough to support pupils or challenge them to deepen their understanding of the key knowledge they need to secure. 

I hope you can read this report and feel a sense of pride and reassurance - it is a team effort that is built over years, and as I have said to the students in the assemblies in June "we live many days in the dark for a few moments in the light". Whatever our personal views on Ofsted are, it was and is the chance for wider recognition for the things we do as a school community and the graft that goes into a school like ours. This report provides a moment in the light for all that work here and are connected to the school.

Presentation Evening 2025 - Watch it back on YouTube!

This year’s Presentation Evening at Birmingham Town Hall saw the school celebrate the 30th anniversary of this major school event. The night was another fantastic example of the talents and skills of our young people, not only the amazing performers who lit up the stage, but also the incredibly composed Year 11 Head Prefects who hosted the show, and of course the many award winners who were rightly celebrated on the evening itself. 

If you didn’t get a chance to watch the event live or you want to watch it back again, please use the YouTube link here which gives us the whole show. The action starts from 23 minutes in so scroll along to that point and then enjoy what was a superb showcase of the students of Holyhead and the community of Handsworth.

Year 6 Transition Days in July

The final half-term of the school year will see Holyhead welcome our new Year 6 students joining 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 2nd July and Year 8 students working from home on Tuesday 8th July. 

Sixth Form Update: Year 11 Induction Days and Post-16 Preparation Days for Year 10

A reminder from June’s letter that we will be holding a 2-day Sixth Form Induction programme on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd 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. 

Year 10 students will begin the process of looking at their Post-16 options with their Post-16 Preparation days taking place on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th July. 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.

Enrichment and Experiences Week: Monday 14th - Friday 18th July

We will be holding our third annual Enrichment and Experiences week at Holyhead from Monday 14th - Friday 18th 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 16th July. 

Students will finish the week with the second running of the very popular Tutor Olympics event, and on this final day of term students are asked to come into school in their PE kit as this involves a range of sporting and practical challenges built around teamwork and communication.

Pre-loved Uniform: Can you help us to help others?

As promised in the June update letter I will continue to provide a reminder about our Pre-loved Uniform shop in each monthly update letter.  This support comes from your generosity in donating items of uniform that are no longer needed and in good condition, which are then washed and made available to families. 

We continue to look for donations of blazers, ties, shirts, trousers and items of PE kit to help to provide supplies for families needing to use this service, and with the end of another school year in the next couple of weeks this is a great opportunity to support each other as part of a wider school community.  Donations can be made at the school reception or students can hand any bags with items to Senior Leaders or Heads of Year on duty.

Arrangements for the final day of term: Friday 18th July

The final day of term and the school year is Friday 18th July, and we will finish at 12 noon with students being dismissed after the Tutor Olympics event as part of Enrichment and Experiences week. As with all early finishes, 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 July

• Year 11 Sixth Form Induction Days will take place on Tuesday 1st July and Wednesday 2nd July.

• Year 6 Transition Days will take place on Wednesday 2nd July and Tuesday 8th July.

• Year 10 Work Experience Week & Post-16 Preparation Days take place from Monday 7th to Friday 11th July.

• Year 8 Subject Parents’ Evening will be taking place in school on Thursday 10th July from 4-7pm.

• Enrichment & Experiences Week will be taking place from Monday 14th to Friday 18th July.

• We break up for the Summer holidays at 12 noon on Friday 18th July.

I will write to you again before we break up for the summer holidays with an update on the services available over the holidays and also the plans for the students’ return to school in September. Parents/carers of students in Year 11 and Year 13 will also receive a separate letter with the key information on the arrangements for the GCSE/A Level Results Days in August and Sixth Form enrolment. 

I thank you again for your time in reading this letter and the Ofsted Inspection Report and as ever, I wish you and your family well over the month ahead. 

Yours faithfully,

Dave Knox
Principal

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope you and your family are well following on from the Easter holidays. This month’s update letter includes more information on the following:

• Preparing for external and internal exams from Years 7-13 (there is an additional letter on p3 with more detail on the KS3 End of Year exams)
• Social Tariffs for broadband and phone packages - are you aware, and could you be eligible?
• Eid ul Adha 2025 advance notice
• Key upcoming dates and events in May 2025

Exam Season: Preparing for external and internal exams

The coming weeks will see students in Year 11 and 13 sit their final GCSE and A Level / Level 3 exams, and all subjects are supporting students with detailed plans in place. The main body of exams will begin on Friday 9th May, with the final GCSE exam taking place on Tuesday 17th June, and at A Level on Monday 23rd June.

For students in Years 7-9, all subjects will sit a 45-60 minute Summer Term exam in May/June which will include content from this term along with questions from key topics covered earlier in the year.  These exams provide valuable opportunities to build up their experience and skills in relation to how to revise effectively before they reach the beginning of GCSE studies, as well as ensuring that key knowledge is revisited regularly to help them to retain this in their long-term (working) memory.  Parents/Carers can find out more specific information on these exams in the letter from Mrs Banger on page 3.

How can I help to support my child in preparing for the exams?

We have a section on the school website (Year 11 Revision Support), which contains the exam timetable for this summer, rules and regulations of the exams as well as advice and guidance materials we have compiled from partner organisations, InnerDrive, PiXL (Partners in Excellence) and Seneca for parents.

Parents of students in Year 11 and Year 13 will be receiving letters from Mr Lovell (Vice Principal for Y11) and Mrs Honeyghan (Director of Sixth Form) respectively with more specific information on the arrangements for the final exams and study leave at the end of the exam period.

Social Tariffs for cheaper broadband and phone packages - you could be eligible!

Ofcom, also known as the Office of Communications, is the government-approved regulator and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal industries of the UK. Its principal duty is to regulate communications in the interests of consumers and citizens.

One of the ways that Ofcom has looked to support consumers on lower incomes is to work with broadband providers on introducing ‘Social Tariffs’. Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. Some providers call them ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ broadband.

They’re delivered in the same way as normal packages meaning that the service provided is exactly the same, just at a lower price. Amid rising living costs, Ofcom has encouraged companies to offer social tariffs to help customers on low incomes.

If you are interested in finding out more on these Social Tariffs, including who can apply, what is available and how you go about applying then please click on the link here for further information.

Eid ul-Adha - June 2025 (Advance notice)

We are awaiting confirmation of the date when the majority of staff and students at Holyhead will be celebrating Eid ul-Adha in June, with the expectation that this will most likely fall on either Friday 6th June or Saturday 7th June. 

We will have certainty on this with the moon sighting 10 days in advance, so will be confirming plans with you for any year group closures if required at least a week ahead should this be on Friday 6th June.

Key upcoming dates and events in May 

• The Year 10 and 12 Mock Examinations will take place from Monday 28th April to Friday 9th May.

• The Year 11-13 External GCSE/A Level/BTEC examinations will begin from Thursday 1st May. 

• School will be closed to all staff and students on Monday 5th May for the Early May Bank Holiday. School will be open as normal to all on Tuesday 6th May.

• Year 9 End of KS3 examinations will be taking place in lessons during the week beginning Monday 19th May.

• We will be breaking up for the May half-term holidays at 3.15pm on Friday 23rd May and returning to school at 8.40am on Monday 2nd June.

I thank you again for your time in reading this letter and as usual, I wish you and your family well over the coming weeks. We wish all of our students the best for their upcoming exams and hope that the information provided in the letter may be useful in helping them at home too in preparation. 

Yours faithfully,

Mr D Knox
Principal

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CRST KS3 End of Year Assessments

Dear Parent/Carer,

We continue to be impressed with the hard work and commitment which our KS3 students are showing towards their studies. Their dedication to excellence is evident in both their classwork and independent learning. As we enter the final term of the academic year, we would like to inform you about your child’s upcoming assessments and how you can support their preparation.

Your child will sit formal assessments in their subject lessons during a two-week period commencing 19th May 2025 – more detail is provided in the table below:

Year Group	Assessment Weeks
Year 9	Week commencing 19th May 2025
Year 7	Weeks commencing 19th May & 2nd June 2025
Year 8	Weeks commencing 19th May & 2nd June 2025

There are 2 aims of the KS3 End of Year exam process:

• To help in the assessment of learning at the end of the year, identifying areas of strength and areas for development to be worked on in the following weeks
• To build confidence and prepare students in a supportive way for the experience they will have in Year 10 and 11 when they begin their GCSE studies

To support students in preparing for these assessments, subject leaders have provided:

• A breakdown of the core knowledge covered in the assessments.
• Additional resources and revision materials to aid preparation.

Revision materials have been provided  to students by their class teacher and in some cases shared via the Google Classroom or on the Seneca platform. All KS3 students have been spoken to earlier in the year about effective methods for revision and how to use the ‘Fundamental 4’, an approach to revision that we encourage at Holyhead. In addition, we have also delivered an assembly based around effective study habits and dedicated time has been allocated to study skills during lessons where teachers will explain assessment formats and approaches to answering questions effectively.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s subject teacher in the first instance.

Thank you for your continued support.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs S. Banger
Deputy Principal - Quality of Education