Letters to Parents/Carers
Our Ref: DK/jh/gltr/Oct 25
1st October 2025
Dear Parent/Carer
I hope you and your family are well. In October’s monthly update letter, I’ll provide some key reminders and other important details for the month ahead including:
Early finish/delayed start for Sixth Form Open Evening - Thursday 2nd/Friday 3rd October
On Thursday 2nd October we will be hosting our Sixth Form Open Evening from 5.30 - 7.30pm, a vitally important event for the community with Year 11 students looking ahead to their Post-16 options.
As in previous years we have finished earlier in the day to enable staff to set up for the evening, and we will do so again this year. Students will leave at 2:30pm on Thursday 2nd October, with additional homework set by Period 4 lesson teachers. With many students and staff involved late into the evening, we will have a delayed start to school on Friday 3rd October, with students arriving by 10.25am ready for a Period 2 start.
Y11/13 Autumn Mock Exams: Monday 13th October - Friday 7th November
The start of November sees a very important set of Mock Exams for Y11/13 students in preparation for their external exams later in the year. Students are receiving specific revision materials from their subjects as well as guidance to aid their revision work ahead of these exams, so it would be greatly appreciated if you could support them by checking on whether they are following a revision timetable and by generally asking what they are doing to revise.
Changes to normal School Operations: Delayed start on Wednesday 15th October
There will be five delayed starts this school year due to Teaching & Learning CPD sessions for the Embedding Formative Assessment programme, addressing areas for improvement that were from the Ofsted Report. There is a balance with the remaining sessions taking place after school.
The first delayed start is on Wednesday 15th October. Students should arrive from 10:10am for a Period 2 start with all students being on site for 10.25am. Breakfast Club will run as normal for students on site from 10:10am.
Year 11 students must arrive at the usual time for their GCSE Maths Mock Exam at 8:45am.
Diwali/Bandi Chorr Divas at Holyhead: Impact on school arrangements
We are proud of our rich diversity and we celebrate heritage and culture together as a community. The festival of Diwali/Bandi Chhor Divas is one of these many events. For those celebrating on Monday 20th October and Tuesday 21st October, it marks the beginning of a new year.
For the first time in a number of years it will be celebrated in term time and as many staff and students will be observing the festival, normal school operations will be affected, similar to what is experienced annually for Eid celebrations. More specific information will be sent in a separate letter later in the week, but for clarity this will involve Year 12 and 13 students learning from home on Monday 20th October due to the planned staff absence.
Parental Engagement: Meet the Tutor Afternoon - Wednesday 22nd October
As mentioned in our September update, we will hold a ‘Meet the Tutor Afternoon’ on Wednesday 22nd October, 2–6pm, replacing previous year-group-specific Parental Engagement Evenings.
Parents/carers can book a 5-minute appointment via Arbor to meet their child’s Form Tutor and discuss their start to the year. Meetings will take place in and around the Sports Hall allowing easy access for families.
Information stands will be available in the Dining Hall, offering guidance on Careers, Enrichment, Arbor, and Parent Pay, along with refreshments. Heads of Year and Vice Principals will be present in year group zones, and QR codes will link to the 2025–26 Parent Guide Booklet and Parent Survey.
To accommodate the event, students will be dismissed at 1:15pm after Period 3. Free School Meal lunches will be available for collection. We look forward to seeing as many parents as possible during the afternoon/early evening.
Safeguarding information: How can you and your child access support?
When students feel worried - whether about social media or other issues - they should always speak to a trusted staff member, such as their Form Tutor or Head of Year. Students can also report concerns via the Holyhead Helpline, accessible through the Student Portal. Reports can be made anonymously or named and are monitored by DSLs and Vice Principals for prompt response.
Parents should contact their child’s Head of Year, especially regarding social media or peer relationship concerns. Contact details and safeguarding resources are available on the school website.
The monthly Safeguarding Bulletin produced by our Senior Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Beale, offers guidance on online safety and current issues affecting young people. October’s edition covers the topic of children’s mental health in advance of World Mental Health Day on the 10th October. We encourage parents to explore both this and past editions – knowledge is power when it comes to keeping children safe!
Safety Searches in School: Ensuring and maintaining a safe learning environment for all
One of the most important features of the Ofsted Report was the clear statement that pupils feel safe and happy at Holyhead. An essential action we take to maintain a safe learning environment is our continued approach in conducting periodic safety searches for prohibited items such as illegal substances, vapes, and weapons. These searches are a standard practice in schools nationwide, reflecting growing concerns around knife crime and vaping, helping to reassure students that such items should not be seen in school and will never be tolerated.
Searches are carried out respectfully and professionally by trained staff. They involve checking bags, coats, and blazers, as well as scans using metal detecting wands with no physical contact.
We combine education through PSHE with proactive measures like searches to ensure all students feel safe and supported. The feedback from students continues to tell us that they appreciate these actions and understand the importance of them.
Black History Month at Holyhead
This October, Holyhead School will celebrate Black History Month with a focus on the national theme: “Standing Firm in Power and Pride” - honouring Black heritage, resilience, and achievement.
Our curriculum continues to reflect our ‘Teach What Matters’ approach, rooted in our Handsworth community and global in perspective. Teachers will continue to highlight ‘hidden heroes’ from diverse backgrounds and celebrate cultural richness throughout the year, not just the month of October.
We’ll also host our annual celebration event on Thursday 23rd October from 4:00–5:30pm, where students and families can enjoy cultural and educational activities. More details will follow soon.
Summary of key dates and events in October at Holyhead:
May I once again wish you and your family good health and fortune over the coming days and weeks, and send advance best wishes to all of our families who will be celebrating Diwali/Bandi Chorr Divas later in October.
Yours faithfully,
Dave Knox
Principal
School Attendance Update-September 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope this letter finds you well. As the Trust Attendance Lead, I want to begin by thanking all our families who have consistently supported good school attendance. Your commitment ensures your children benefit fully from school life. We know that pupils with good attendance tend to enjoy better wellbeing and achieve more in school than those who frequently miss days. Excellent attendance gives children the best chance to thrive – in their learning, their friendships, and ultimately their life chances beyond school.
Why Attendance Is So Important: Regular school attendance is crucial for your child’s wellbeing, achievement, and wider development. Being in school every day helps them stay on track academically and keeps them engaged with their teachers and friends. It also helps build good habits like punctuality and responsibility that will serve them throughout life. In short,everyday counts. Even a few days of absence can quickly add up and significantly impact learning and exam results. Thank you again to all parents/carers who send their children to school consistently – your support makes a huge difference, and we celebrate those students who achieved high attendance last year.
Government’s Attendance Expectations: You may be aware that the Department for Education (DfE) has introduced a new National Framework for school attendance and penalty notices, effective from 19th August 2024. This is designed to improve consistency across England in how schools and local authorities respond to absences.
Please note the key changes:
We understand that these Government rules may sound strict. Please remember: our Trust’s aim is always to support families and avoid fines wherever possible. We, like the vast majority of schools, view fines as a last resort after all other support steps have been exhausted. The national framework itself emphasises that schools and councils should work with you first – to understand any barriers and help improve your child’s attendance – before considering any formal measures. In fact, 89% of fines nationally are for term-time holidays, not routine illnesses. Our priority is to work in partnership with parents so that issues can be addressed early and you are never put in a position of facing a penalty unnecessarily.
What You Can Expect from All Our Schools: Across every school in our Multi-Academy Trust (from Reception through Sixth Form), we follow a clear, supportive process to promote good attendance. The goal is to intervene early with help, long before any legal action is needed. Here is our shared approach that you can expect in every school:
Please note that this supportive, staged approach applies to all students from Reception age through to Sixth Form. Good attendance is just as critical for a 5-year-old in primary school as it is for a 15-year-old preparing for GCSEs or a 17-year-old in sixth form. The law requires regular attendance once children are of compulsory school age (5 to 16), but our Trust’s ethos is to instil good habits and provide support right from the start of schooling and to continue that through post-16 education. Every year of education builds on the last, and we want every child – regardless of age – to have the best chance of success by being in school, on time, every day.
In summary, we are committed to working with you to ensure your child attends school regularly, and to navigate any difficulties together. The new Government measures are there to underscore the importance of attendance, but our focus remains on encouragement and support. We will continue to recognise and celebrate good attendance, and more importantly, to help those who are struggling with it. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s attendance, please do not hesitate to contact your school – we are here to help.
Thank you for your ongoing support in this matter. By reinforcing the value of education through good attendance, you are opening the door to a brighter future for your child. Let’s continue to work in partnership to make sure every student in our Trust can achieve their full potential.
Yours sincerely,
Niall Brennan
Trust Attendance Lead,
Central Region Schools Trust
Our Ref: DK/jh/gltr/Sept 25
2nd September 2025
Dear Parent/Carer
I hope you and your family are well and that it has been a good summer break for all. I’m very pleased to write to you at the start of this school year, and in this slightly longer letter than normal I’ll provide some key reminders on the start of term along with other important details for the month ahead.
In this letter we will cover the following in more detail:
There have once again been some very pleasing results for students and the school as a whole over the summer with the A Level/Level 3 qualifications and GCSE. Whilst DfE Performance Measure information isn’t available until later in the Autumn term for GCSE exams and the Spring Term for A Levels/Level 3 exams, we’re pleased to report that there have been a number of improvements on results from 2024 and again in comparison with the last set of exam results before the pandemic in 2019.
Most importantly, there were lots of happy students with the grades they needed to secure places on courses or with employers. You may have seen information about the results in the local media, but we’re delighted to confirm that two of our Year 13 leavers will also be reading Medicine at the University of Birmingham and Aston University. This is a major achievement, the latest in a line of Holyhead students to gain a place on a Medicine degree and something that all of us in the school community should take great pride in!
Arrangements for the start of term: A staggered return on Wed 3rd / Thurs 4th Sept
A reminder that following on from the Staff CPD days we will be bringing students back to school using a staggered approach from Wednesday 3rd September to Thursday 4th September. This will ensure all year groups have an extended Tutor period before they begin normal lessons on Thursday 4th September.
Wednesday 3rd September: Y7/12 only from 11:30am
Students in Years 7 and Year 12 will arrive at 11:30am for an induction day with their Form Tutors.
Thursday 4th September: All students will arrive for 8.40am
Reminder: Changes to catering prices from September 2025
As was reported in the news over the summer, food costs unfortunately continue to rise, impacting inflation. As in previous years, we’ve carefully reviewed the situation to minimise the impact on meal prices.
Due to supplier costs and inflation, we’re unable to freeze all prices for next year. From 3rd September 2025, the meal deal will increase from £2.65 to £2.75 per day. However, many other items will remain unchanged. We’re taking a targeted approach, avoiding increases on healthier options where possible.
Our prices remain lower than other schools in the Trust and are benchmarked locally. If costs fall, we’ll reflect this in future pricing. Our Breakfast Club provision remains free and available to all from 8:15am, so please encourage your child to arrive early and make use of the option for a positive start to the day!
Preloved uniform - can you help by donating?
As we get ready to return after the summer holidays, it’s a good time to remind about our Preloved Uniform system which is designed to support families in the school community. If your child has any items of school uniform that they have outgrown or you are going to replace, please could you donate it to the school and it can be dry cleaned ready for a new owner. The generosity of our families continues to help us to support others so if you do have any donations to make, these can be handed in to the School Reception or students can give them to their Form Tutor.
The items that can be donated are blazers, ties, black jumpers, black trousers, black skirts, white school shirts or blouses and PE kit items. Thank you again for your continued generosity and support towards others!
Parental Engagement: Meet the Tutor Afternoon - Wednesday 22nd October
Following on from last year, we will be increasing opportunities for parents and carers to have a more active involvement in the life of the school. Having reviewed feedback from parents and staff alike, we have taken the decision to move away from the individual year group Parental Information evenings that we have run for the last 3 years to an afternoon where all parents are able to have an appointment with their child’s Form Tutor in October.
The ‘Meet the Tutor’ afternoon will involve an opportunity to meet your child’s Form Tutor for a 5 minute appointment to discuss how they have settled in at the start of the year as well as to continue to build this important relationship.
Key dates for September/October: Early finishes for Y6 and Sixth Form Open Evenings
On Thursday 25th September we will be having our Y6 Open Evening from 5.30 - 7.30pm, a vitally important event for the community with many families deciding where to send their children to secondary school.
As in previous years we have finished earlier in the day to enable staff to set up for the evening, and we will be doing so again this year. Students will leave at 2:30pm on Thursday 25th September, with additional homework set by Period 4 lesson teachers. With a large number of students and staff involved late into the evening we will be having a delayed start to school on Friday 26th September, with students arriving by 10.25am ready for a Period 2 start.
We will follow the exact same arrangements on Thursday 2nd October which is our Sixth Form Open Evening with a delayed start again at 10:25am on Friday 3rd October.
Head of Year updates 2025-26
With Ms Jeffers returning from maternity leave, we have made some changes to Heads of Year for the upcoming year. Ms Jeffers will return to working with Year 10 who she was Head of Year for in Y7/8, and this in turn means that Mr Cain will be moving back to work with Year 11 (who he worked with in Y9) and will be supported by Miss Garawal who stepped up as maternity cover to look after the year group in 2024-25. The Meet The Tutor afternoon will be a great opportunity for parents to get to know your child’s new Head of Year, and you can be assured that they are in excellent hands!
A reminder of the Heads of Year and Year Group Vice Principals is below:
As ever I am extremely grateful for your time and support in reading this letter, and look forward to the return of the students later this week. May I wish you and your family good health and fortune over the coming days and weeks.
Yours faithfully,
Dave Knox
Principal
